Primetime Preview: Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans (TNF Week 12)

Primetime Preview: Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans (TNF Week 12)

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by | Nov 21, 2019 | Featured, NFL

The last time these two teams played each other in October it was a close one score victory for the Colts (30-23). Jacoby Brissett had one of his best games in his career posting 326 yards and 4 touchdowns in the afternoon. Deshaun Watson had one of those games he would like to forget posting 308 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Coming into this Week 12 showdown on Thursday Night both teams are tied at (6-4) on the season and are looking to separate to make that push for the playoffs. With the AFC South is one of the tightest divisions record-wise as the lead is only by a game. So whoever wins this game tonight in Houston will have control of the first place and could be in the driver seat to win the division.

 

The Indianapolis Colts are coming off a huge division win against the Jacksonville Jaguars where they dominated from start to finish. Jacoby Brissett led them to a 33-13 victory at home and looked comfortable after coming back from injury. Brissett will be the key to this victory if the Colts win as they’re now without Marlon Mack their leading running back who’s out with a fractured hand. The Colts have been banged up all season from wide receivers to running backs but still, have made the best of the situation. The Colts might be getting their pro bowl receiver (TY Hilton) back for this game and if he’s available that will instantly increase their chance to win on the road in Houston. Hilton has been battling a quad injury all season and will help this Colts offense dramatically with the absence of Mack. The Colts will be going running back by the committee against the Texans who don’t have JJ Watt in this matchup as they did in October. If the Colts can have a little bit of success to add to the offensive side that should open up the play-action game. Jacoby Brissett has been spectacular this season especially playing without expectations. This Colts team has been scrappy and they’ve worked for every win this got this season. One unsung hero for this Colts team has been the offensive line play. They’ve dominated almost every matchup and have given Brissett the time he needs to make plays with his arm and his legs. If the Colts defense can mimic what the Baltimore Ravens did to the Texans on Sunday it could be an easy night. That’s a huge “Could” because it will be rare to see Watson have to back to back games being shutout like that. If Brissett can keep them in this game it should come down to the wire.

 

 

The Houston Texans are trying to forget about what happened on Sunday in Baltimore when they lost (41-7). The Texans got beat in every way you can think of Sunday. The Ravens had the edge on the offensive, defensive, and special teams. If the Texans are going to be successful against the Colts it’s going to start with their quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson will need to stay in the pocket and find his main target, DeAndre Hopkins. They were able to connect in the Ravens game but not for a touchdown. The Colts defense isn’t as deep and dominant in the secondary so they should have no problem getting in the end zone. The Texans are well-balanced on the offensive end as they can run the ball with Carlos Hyde. The switch-up in the backfield between Hyde and Johnson has worked out and kept many teams neutral when trying to commit to the run or pass. Watson has been able to pick teams apart in the RPO and play-action so we should expect the same tonight. With Will Fuller still banged up and Kenny Stills playing hurt look for Watson to get Nuke involved heavily. DeAndre Hopkins has been one of the best if not the best in the NFL. If he can connect with Watson early in this one it can be a long night for the Colts defenders. The Houston Texans defense has been banged up all year and the secondary has been getting shredded weekly. They will need to limit Brissett in the passing game if they want to come out victorious in this one. It’s been tough without JJ Watt and someone on the Texans defensive side will need to pick up from where he left off.

 

 

Prediction: The Texans will win this game 27-21 against the Colts. Watson and Hopkins should connect tonight and the offensive will be too much for the Colts to try and stop. Deshaun Watson will have a huge bounce-back game in what should be a Thursday Night shootout in Texas. The Texan’s defense will do just enough to hold on for the victory as they play their way to first place in the AFC South Division.

Nov 21, 2019 No Comments
The Overtime Surge From The OKC Thunder Beats Philadelphia (127-119)

The Overtime Surge From The OKC Thunder Beats Philadelphia (127-119)

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by | Nov 16, 2019 | Featured, NBA

 

The Thunder came into this game after getting a reality check-in Indiana from the Pacers. That was the first game all season that the Thunder weren’t really into a game at the end. This Thunder team has been competitive all season and that didn’t change tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers. This was a complete game from the OKC Thunder tonight as 4 players had 19+ points. The player that stood out and made a huge difference in the game from the tipoff was Terrance Ferguson as he was locked in from the start. This is a sight that OKC Thunder fans have been waiting for from the native from Tulsa. Ferguson played with a lot of confidence and was able to make the best of his open opportunities from the 3 point line as he finished with 19 points on (5-7) from downtown. If the Thunder can continue to get this kind of explosiveness that Ferguson played with tonight they will be a scary sight to see on a nightly basis. The confidence that Ferguson played with tonight rubbed off on his teammates as they were able to click on all levels.

 

The trio of Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was getting whatever they wanted in the second half of this game. Combined all three of them finished with 79 points on the night and they made the 76ers pay from all over the court. Chris Paul was able to get his offense going as he went into takeover mode in second half. When Chris Paul gets into attack mode he’s still one of the best to do it in the NBA. People were quick to turn their back on the talent of CP3 and tonight against the 76ers he let them know he’s still got it. Chris Paul was able to have the 76ers defenders on a rope and was able to get catch them with their hands in the cookie jar on his sweep thru move. Paul has been able to get to the line with ease and he’s been able to master his mid-range jumper. Paul was able to hit his jumper on anyone that was in his way didn’t matter if it was Joel Embiid or Al Horford. The play and leadership of Chris Paul have translated over to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as he’s taken that next step in his career in OKC. Some of the moves that Shai was able to get off against the Philly defense was unreal. The 76ers had Josh Richardson guarding Shai all night and it didn’t matter who has been in front of him because of his dominant play. When Shai gets the confidence from his teammates he gets even more aggressive in his play and it showed tonight. Some of the layups and drives to the lane against Philly he had that look like he won’t be stopped. Shai is the future of OKC but he’s meshing well with Chris Paul in the present and it’s working. Shai finished with 24 points but made some clutch shots against the 76ers down the stretch. The last of the trio that went off tonight for the Thunder was Danilo Gallinari as he’s been an automatic sharpshooter from the perimeter and he’s looking for his shot at any moment. The one thing that was on display against the 76ers tonight that we haven’t seen from Danilo Gallinari’s game was his playmaking ability as he was making some sexy behind the back passes. We know he’s a walking bucket for the Thunder but if he can start opening the offense for the team like he did tonight when Philly was running out to him at the line it would help. Gallinari finished with a game-high 28 points on the night and was making some tough shots. When he’s in a zone like he’s been the last couple of games anything is possible for his game moving forward. In overtime, the Thunder were able to put their foot down and make the plays that the 76ers couldn’t down the stretch.

 

 

The 76ers were in this game for the majority of the night but in overtime, it was all OKC. The 76ers lost Tobias Harris as he fouled out and they weren’t able to capitalize on the hot hand of Josh Richardson who finished with 28 points. Joel Embiid had a big game for Philly with 31 points on the night but he needed some more points in the overtime that didn’t happen. The Thunder threw Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel at him to try and slow down the best big in the NBA. The Thunder were double-teaming Ben Simmons on the night and they were able to hold him to 16 points on the night. One thing OKC did in the second half was defend Simmons and Richardson differently with multiple looks. The 76ers weren’t able to execute in the overtime and that was the reason they lost this game. They had a chance to win in regulation but Joel Embiid couldn’t convert and now they’ve lost 5 of the last 7 games. The Thunder will be playing both LA teams next week as they look to improve on their record, even more, moving forward.

 

Nov 16, 2019 No Comments
OKC Thunder Drop Close One To The Milwaukee Bucks (121-119)

OKC Thunder Drop Close One To The Milwaukee Bucks (121-119)

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by | Nov 11, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder came into this game knowing they would have their hands full with Giannis Antetokounmpo. What the Bucks didn’t know is that this Thunder team is very scrappy and play as a unit. The Thunder had 7 scorers in double figures tonight against the Bucks and were able to keep things close in this game. The man of the season for the Thunder has been Dennis Schröder because every time he comes into the game it’s instant offense/energy. Dennis Schröder has been able to lift this Thunder team up in moments when they need a boost. Schröder finished with 25 points tonight and should be in serious contention for 6th man of the year. When Dennis comes into the game he uses his slithery crossovers and floaters to keep the Thunder rolling. The Thunder were able to use their defense to create a lot of offense against the Bucks, especially in the first half. The Thunder shot 49% on the night and made some big shots when they needed too.

 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 22 points tonight against the Bucks. He’s been growing as a player throughout the young season every night. The Bucks tried to put Wesley Matthews on him to slow him down but it didn’t work at all. Shai has been able to create his own shot and create offense for other players on the team. Billy Donovan has used the “3 Point Guard” combination of (Chris Paul, Dennis Schröder, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) and it’s worked out really well. The three might be undersized as a unit but when they play together on the court great things happen for the Thunder. Those three together have been able to carry the Thunder in many games and it happened tonight for the most part. They combined for 64 points tonight against the Bucks but it wasn’t enough even though they did get some help from others. The Thunder fans have been waiting for Mike Muscala and tonight he showed up in a big way. Mike had a lot of open looks and the playmakers on the Thunder have continued to show they believe in him. Mike Muscala finished with 12 points as he went 4/9 from the 3 point line. Late in the game, Danilo Gallinari hit a clutch shot to tie the game at 114 over Giannis but the Bucks replied with a 3 pointer from Brook Lopez. Gallinari has had the green light in OKC and he finished with 14 points tonight. If the Thunder had some shots fall late that they normally make this would have been a different outcome.

 

 

Giannis Antetokounmpo had his hands all over this game and was able to get every shot he wanted against the Thunder defense. It seemed as though Giannis was gliding to the basket on every euro-step as finished with power. The Thunder were throwing a lot of different looks at Giannis on the defensive side of the ball tonight. It was to the point that at the half Giannis ended up kicking a Thunder sign on the way into the locker room.

 

After the Thunder played great defense against Giannis he came out in the second half ready to attack especially with Khris Middleton going out with an injury. Giannis was making some plays that only he can as he put his MVP hands all over the game from there on out. Giannis finished the game with 35 points on the night and had some monster dunks to make a statement. Giannis was able to get some help from Eric Bledsoe who finished with 25 points and stepped up in the clutch when they lost Middleton. The Thunder were fighting all night and it came down to the wire but Brook Lopez’s 3 pointer was the dagger that won it for the Bucks. The Thunder will be playing the Pacers next on the road as they try to get back in the win column after this close loss tonight against a really good Bucks team.

 

Nov 11, 2019 No Comments
Thunder Hang On To Defeat The Warriors 114-108 As They Improve To (4-5) On The Season

Thunder Hang On To Defeat The Warriors 114-108 As They Improve To (4-5) On The Season

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by | Nov 10, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder came out clicking on all levels against the Golden State Warriors. They recently played each other within the last couple of weeks but this time it was different. The Warriors were without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green as both are nursing injuries. The Thunder have finally found their stride as a unit and have been playing some of the best basketball they’ve played in the early season. The Warriors had no answer for the 3 point ball tonight against the Thunder as they shot 14/30 from the 3 point line. The Thunder ball movement has been a thing of beauty all season long and they capitalized on the Warriors mistakes. The Thunder had a well-balanced attack from the start and didn’t look back. This was a game where the Thunder didn’t have much scoring power from Shai Gilegous-Alexander and Chris Paul but the others stepped up. Shai finished with 12 points on the night and Chris Paul finished with 16 points. The leading scorer for tonight was Danilo Gallinari who finished with 21 points.  Whenever Gallinari gets the ball he’s going to look for that 3 point line and he did just that tonight. The fact that Gallinari is such a threat behind the 3 point line it helps the rest of the team in spacing.

 

 

 

The Thunder had 5 players in double figures tonight against the Warriors which shows that the team is gelling at the right time. The Thunder faced some adversity in this one as D’Angelo Russell was starting to get it going in that 3rd quarter against the Thunder. There were points in the quarter where the Thunder had to double team him and try to make other people beat them. Russell finished the game with 30 points as the Thunder were able to figure him out in that quarter. The Thunder were double-teaming and had Dennis Schröder face guarding Russell denying him the ball. Alec Burks was another player that had himself a night for the Warriors finishing with 23 points. It seemed like every time the Russell got a rest then Burks was able to pick up the load. Overall the Thunder was too much for the Warriors to handle down the stretch. Chris Paul had some veteran plays to attract fouls and he knows how to get to the free-throw line. This Thunder team will try to stay in the win column as they face the Milwaukee Bucks and the reigning MVP Giannis.

Nov 10, 2019 No Comments
OKC Thunder Defeat The Magic (102-94) As They Improve To (3-4) On The Season

OKC Thunder Defeat The Magic (102-94) As They Improve To (3-4) On The Season

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by | Nov 6, 2019 | Featured, NBA

 

The Thunder have been getting it going lately as a unit and that didn’t stop tonight at home against Orlando. Together Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chris Paul have given the Thunder the added boost on offense the team needs. Tonight against the Magic they both combined for 44 points on the night. The combination of Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been something Thunder fans have come accustom too. Shai is younger but he’s also very long especially when he’s going to the basket. Some of the layups that Shai made against the Magic came out of nowhere. Shai has all the angles down pack it looks like when he’s laying that ball up off the glass. The thing that was noticeable against the Magic was the fact that he was able to find his own shot whenever he wanted too. You combine the play of Shai with someone like Chris Paul who can teach him and show him the ropes really helps. Chris Paul can lead this team in many ways like scoring and assists but it’s his wisdom in the game that stands out on this team. Chris Paul has been the vocal leader and he’s been able to get everyone involved by being vocal.

 

Tonight the Magic tried to stop Shai and Chris on the perimeter but it didn’t work out as planned. The Magic placed Aaron Gordon on Shai a lot of switches and they had Markelle Fultz guarding Chris Paul. Those are both mismatches and the Thunder used their two leading guards to show that they have what it takes to go punch for punch with anyone. If Shai and CP3 can continue to play at this elite level with the addition of the play of Steven Adams anything is possible with this team. This was Adam’s first game back int he lineup since his injury and he was able to finish with 11 points and 11 rebounds on the night. This wasn’t the game for Dennis Schröder but his teammates picked up the slack as Danilo Gallinari picked up the scoring for him. Gallinari finished with 16 points on the night and he was looking for his 3 point shot with every chance he got. Gallinari has been aggressive from the perimeter and has made other teams pay whenever given the chance. There was even a point in the game when his shoe came off and he was still defending the possession. It seemed as though everything was going Gallinari’s way tonight and he was a huge part to the Thunder closing out the game tonight against the Magic. The Thunder have been well balanced as a group and showed that tonight against the Magic as they had 5 scorers in double figures.

 

The Thunder will be taking on the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday in San Antonio and will try to stay in the win column. This will be a great test for them as the Spurs are properly coached and have a lot of talent in the backcourt from DeMar DeRozan and Dejounte Murray. OKC will have to stop them if they want to improve to .500 on the season.

 

 

Photo Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Nov 6, 2019 No Comments