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
Primetime Preview: Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants

Primetime Preview: Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants

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by | Nov 4, 2019 | Featured, NFL

 

This divisional matchup has produced a lot of great memories and on Monday night they will look to continue that. Both teams are in need of a huge win with the Philadelphia Eagles moving to 5-4 in the division. We begin with the New York Giants who made the move to go to Daniel Jones early in the season over Eli Manning. Jones has shown a lot of promise in his starts but also has shown that he’s still a rookie trying to navigate through the NFL as there will be bumps in the road. Jones has thrown for 1,466 yards and 10 touchdowns with 7 interceptions. A lot of his mistakes came against that stout New England Patriots defense but other than that game he’s shown a lot of growth and promise. Against the Cowboys, Daniel Jones will have to look to his playmakers Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley in order to be successful. Saquon Barkley is a generational talent and he can change the course of any game in the blink of an eye. The last time these two teams met Saquon went off for 120 yards rushing on 11 rushes. He will look to continue that against the Cowboys tonight in New York. When Saquon is in a zone he can beat you running and receiving out the backfield. The run after the catch for Saquon is incredible because he can hit you with a mean stiff arm and with the combination of his speed it will be tough for the Cowboys to hold that to a minimum. The wide receiver core for the Giants has been banged up all season as it’s pretty much the next man up mentality as Golden Tate will be the number 1 tonight. With Sterling Shepard back in the concussion protocol look for Tate and Engram to soak up a lot of targets against that Cowboys defense tonight. The Giants offense has been okay on the year but the defense has looked suspect at times with teams being able to throw all over the secondary. If the New York Giants are going to win this game they will need for the defense to at least try to slow down the high powered Cowboys offense a little bit if they want to even make this a game. The Cowboy defense will have their hands full with Saquon Barkley all night and if the Giants win this game it will be on his tree-trunk legs for the night.

 

 

Just like the New York Giants have Saquon Barkley the Cowboys have Ezekiel Elliott. Tonight will be the night for Elliott to feast against the Giants defense he hasn’t been able to stop any running backs. The last time these two played Zeke only had 53 yards rushing but that was a Zeke coming in from missing training camp on his holdout. Now that we are halfway into the season the Cowboys will be looking to feed their running back who they believe can bring them to the Superbowl. One thing about Ezekiel Elliott is the fact that he’s grown as a pass-catching back and someone that Dak Prescott can depend on at any moment in the game. Usually, quarterbacks have tight ends as safety blankets but in this case, Dak always looks for number 21 at all times. This has been the season for Dak Prescott as he’s been off to a great start with 2,123 yards with 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Dak has been playing like a man that wants/needs to get paid and he’s been running the offense smoother than the past years. Dak should be able to have a field day against the weak secondary of the New York Giants as they give up a lot of passing yards and passing touchdowns. Look for Dak Prescott to find his healthy and ready to go number 1 receiver on the team, Amari Cooper, as he’s been a complete monster all season with or without his injuries. Last time Amari Cooper saw the Giants he had 6 catches for 106 yards and a touchdown. We should see a repeat of that in this game tonight against the Giants as there was no way Jenkins was going to be able to hold him in that secondary. The Cowboys defense has been the biggest question for this team as far as them being complete. If this defense can get it together against the Giants that will be a great sign for moving forward. The Cowboys secondary has been struggling as it was noticeable because they were trying to pry Adams from the Jets.

 

 

Both teams need this game badly but this should be a semi-shootout as the running backs will try to lead their teams. The edge goes to the Cowboys as they have the quarterback, wide receiver, running back trio that can score at any moment of a game. The Giants are banged up and that would make it tough for anyone against the Cowboys who are coming off a bye waiting for you. This division is always close when it’s crunch time and these games do matter in a division that truly hates each other on the field. We should be in for a real treat tonight as NFL fans and it will be a battle either way regardless of who wins this game.

 

Score Prediction: Dallas Cowboys Win (28-17)

Nov 4, 2019 No Comments
Primetime Preview: New England Patriots @ Baltimore Ravens

Primetime Preview: New England Patriots @ Baltimore Ravens

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by | Nov 4, 2019 | Featured, NFL

 

The undefeated (8-0) New England Patriots will be heading to Baltimore to battle the Ravens and their leader Lamar Jackson. This will be the first test for the Patriots defense on the season as they face off against one of the most dynamic players in the NFL. The Patriots schedule hasn’t been tough at all and this will be their first true test so we can see what they’re really made of. One thing we know about Bill Belicheck is that he’s going to try to take away the best player but in this case, it’s the quarterback. The Patriots don’t want Jackson to get comfortable in the pocket at all and want him to try and force throws all night. Jackson has been great at decision making this season as he has shown when to run and when to throw.

 

This season Jackson has a lot of playmakers alongside him as they brought in Mark Ingram for big games like this so they can try to run the ball and clock to keep Tom Brady off the field. Ingram has been able to ground and pound all year which has helped Lamar get his throws off keeping the defense honest. The Patriots will have their hands full as the Ravens have some great receivers as well. Hollywood Brown and Mark Andrews have been huge targets for Jackson all season so they will try to continue that against the best defense in the NFL. The Ravens did improve on the defensive end as they now have Marcus Peters and Earl Thomas in the secondary trying to shut down some of Brady’s weapons in the receiving core. The Ravens and Patriots have always been a good rivalry and the Ravens will do whatever they can to make sure they get the win.

 

 

The Patriots have the best coach and best quarterback in the NFL and they’ve shown that all season with their start. This is the most complete Patriots since the 2007 season and the defense has been unbelievable this season. The way the defense has played this season has been a breath of fresh air for Tom Brady and the offense. This defense has had a light schedule but they have been destroying all the teams in their way. This defense doesn’t allow any touchdowns and they don’t like anyone throwing on them either. The Patriots lead the NFL in takeaways and that has helped Tom Brady be able to have a great field position and also it has put the offense in a better position to win. The Patriots lost Gronk, Gordon, and have a banged-up James White but this hasn’t stopped them. The Ravens will try to make it tough on Brady but the way this run game has been kicking it into high gear with Sony Michel has been a huge turnaround from the beginning of the season. It seems like the Patriots can throw anyone on the offensive side and Brady will make them look like a star.

 

 

 

This Patriots team can beat you in all phases of the game it seems like this season and the Ravens would have to play a perfect game to even have a chance to win. The Patriots offense, defense, and special teams have been excellent all season long and will try to confuse the Ravens throughout the game. The Patriots will be leaning on Julian Edelman heavy in the offseason like they have all season if they want to win this game. Julian Edelman has become the safety blanket for Tom in this offense and the Patriots can’t overlook the Ravens at all as this should be a great Sunday Night Football duel.

 

Score Prediction: New England Patriots Win (34-24)

Nov 4, 2019 No Comments