As we take today in remembrance of the great Doctor Martin Luther King Jr., we have an exciting match-up between some of the most premier, prolific teams of the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
The Lakers just recently came off a win in Houston against the Rockets, and have showcased that they have been the top team in a very stacked Western Conference thus far. The many big names on the Lakers roster have produced in ways that many have expected to do. With that, anyone on the roster is capable of leading the team in scoring, with names like LeBron, Davis, Kuzma, to only name a few. It has been almost non-existent to see the Lakers go on a losing-streak, and hope to maintain this going into tonights game against the Celtics.
Boston has had its struggles these past few games, losing their last three. Currently fourth in the Eastern Conference, they are hoping to get back on track with tonight’s game. With Walker back into the mix of the roster, they are much more well-equipped to do so, alongside names like Smart, Tatum, Brown, and Hayward.
This particular match-up is going to be one to watch. The two teams have truly been quite exemplary in regards to what team basketball looks like. As the games go on, any player is capable to take over the game and make an impact in favor of their team. It will also be particularly interesting to see how the teams compete, with one team having much stronger frontcourt depth, while the other has a much stronger depth in the backcourt.
With this in mind it will be very interesting to see which side will outshine the other which team will come out victorious in a game that all NBA fans should tune in to.
Tonight’s game will tip-off at 4:30PST/7:30ET on TNT.
In a conference with Tom Brady, Lamar Jackson, and Deshaun Watson it is Ryan Tannehill–who wasn’t even the team’s starter until Week 7–is one of the two quarterbacks with a chance to make it to the Super Bowl. Now, the Tennesee Titans run (pun intended) through the playoffs has much more to do with what Derrick Henry has done but in Tannehill, the team has a steady hand who can manage the game well enough to keep them ahead of the numbers. Despite only throwing for 73 yards in the Wild Card round, he made the two biggest throws of the night, on the team’s first touchdown pass to Anthony Firkser and finding Firkser again in the fourth quarter on a huge third-down conversion.
As long as Tannehill doesn’t turn the ball over, the team is perfectly fine with giving Henry 30-plus carries and letting him and the offensive line outmuscle their opponents for 60 minutes. Mike Vrabel has put his DNA all over this franchise and the results have been shocking to many.
Henry’s evolution into a wrecking ball on wheels has been the charge leading this team. He’s combined for 377 yards on 64 carries in Tennessee’s two previous wins. Even though he runs upright, defenders still struggle to bring him down. Attack too high and you’ll get met with a stiff arm to the head. Attack too low and he can get off the ground and hurdle over you. Attack from a poor angle and watch the mountainous man speed past for extra yardage. It feels like he gets stronger as the game goes on.
This game is a rematch from the regular season and even in Week 10, Henry put on a masterful performance amassing 188 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Kansas City’s run defense has not been a strength–last year they were gutted on the ground by the New England Patriots in Arrowhead when they lost the AFC championship game. If they can figure out a way to at least contain Henry and force Tannehill to make the necessary throws to beat them then this should be their game to win.
Another way to neutralize the Titans run-first approach: get an early lead. Much like what Tennesee did to Baltimore a week ago, if the Chiefs are able to go up by two or three scores early, it makes it difficult for the Titans to rely on the run so much as it will take away too much game time for them to get back in the game. Andy Reid knows this and he’s got the exact amount of firepower offensively to make this gameplan work.
First things first, Patrick Mahomes is a fire-starter. As proven in their Divisional Round comeback win against the Houston Texans. The Chiefs scored 28 points in the second quarter alone–the second time all year they have scored that many points in a single quarter–and their explosive offense is something Tennesee is going to try and slow down. However, with speedsters in Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman, the Chiefs try to stretch opponents vertically and then take advantage of the holes left to be exploited elsewhere on the field.
This game will be an example of an immovable force (Titans) meeting an unstoppable object (Chiefs), whichever team is able to play their brand of football will be taking their talents to South Beach at the end of the day.
PREDICTION: CHIEFS 35 , Titans 20
6:40 PM EST
On the other side of the bracket, we also get a game that was played during the regular season. Yet, this meeting was not nearly as close as the one from the AFC side as the San Francisco 49ers thoroughly embarrassed the Green Bay Packers on primetime television to the tune of 37-8. As the score indicates, Green Bay could get absolutely nothing going in that game. Aaron Rodgers barely threw over 100 yards on 20 completions, Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams combined for 83 yards on 24 carries, and Williams and Davante Adams were the only players to have over 10 yards receiving. Thanks to their defensive front (4.5 sacks) and George Kittle (six receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown) San Francisco won this game easily in Week 12.
Now they meet again as the two remaining teams in their conference and each is just as hungry to get their franchise back into the Super Bowl. The Packers haven’t been there since 2010 and the 49ers haven’t gone since 2012. Each hopes to begin this new decade of football history with a chance to be proclaimed the best team in the NFL.
For the majority of the regular season, San Francisco held that honor. They were the last unbeaten team during the year and their defense was one of the stingiest in the league. With Jimmy Garoppolo back after suffering a torn ACL last season and the team’s commitment to the ground game, the Niners began the year looking pretty close to unstoppable. When they brought in Garoppolo from New England, it was for moments like these. A win today would cement his status among the game’s best.
Their defense was able to create pressure thanks to a rotating crew of down linemen and the addition of second overall pick Nick Bosa made them even stronger in the front seven. A few injuries slowed them down towards the end of the season but entering today’s game all the big names have been able to return to the field of play and this group is looking to capitalize on that.
Meanwhile, Rodgers is hoping to do enough to remind the football world at large that he still is one of the best players at his position. After making his first Super Bowl in his third season as a starter, the expectations were that Rodgers would be in many more in the future, yet the team has fallen short in multiple NFC championship games in recent years. He will take his team on the road today in hopes of making it back for the first time since 2010.
Things are a bit different this time around, the team has paired him with a steady run game as Aaron Jones has had a season worthy of being selected to the Pro Bowl. Jones can hurt opponents on the ground and as a receiver. Establishing the run will take the pressure off of Rodgers and also force the vaunted 49ers pass rush to play a bit more hesitantly.
Even still, last week’s win over the Seattle Seahawks was orchestrated by Rodgers and his ability to find Davante Adams during the game’s biggest moments.
If the Packers defense can force Garoppolo and San Francisco into some turnovers they have the ability to take full advantage of it offensively. Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith will look to bring pressure from the edge like they’ve been most of the season and Jaire Alexander will look to serve as a lockdown corner. While we as fans love to see points scored and quarterbacks sling it across the field, this game will be determined by the two defenses.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were able to dominate the short-handed Trail Blazers who traded away three players before the game. The Trail Blazers were only able to suit up to eight players on the night to take on the Thunder. After the loss against Miami, it was clear that OKC wanted to come out extremely aggressive. It helped that the Thunder were able to get Steven Adams back in the lineup after missing a couple of games. Adams didn’t do much on the stat sheet but his presence in the paint was definitely noticed. The combination of Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel was able to hold Hassan Whiteside to only 6 points on the night. The Thunder were able to show that with a complete frontcourt they can put up big numbers inside the paint. Tonight Oklahoma City had 64 points in the paint combined to the 42 points for Portland. This was a true bounce-back game for the Thunder overall and it started with the amazing play of Chris Paul. CP3 was in his bag all night long and it didn’t matter where he was shooting from on the court as he finished with 30 points. The Trail Blazers had no answer for Chris Paul all night as he was able to get his mid-range and three-point shot going early. When Chris Paul plays like this the Thunder look unstoppable because he gives this team a boost of confidence like a true leader can do. Chris Paul shot 11-15 from the field and was looking for his shot all night long as he had the young guard Anfernee Simons and Damian Lillard taking turns guarding him. Chris Paul’s one of the most clutch players in the NBA and showed that he can still get it done when his numbers called.
Without Danilo Gallinari and Terrence Ferguson, other players had to step up to help the Thunder capture this win as well. One of the players that stepped up was Darius Bazley as he was able to defend Carmelo Anthony and grab a career-high 10 rebounds with extended minutes. The Thunder as a unit knows their identity and each player takes their role seriously. Nerlens Noel was another bright spot on the night as he finished with 15 points with 5 rebounds. Nerlens has been able to develop his game throughout the season as he’s been looking a lot more confident in the pick and roll. Speaking of the pick and roll that’s exactly what Shai Gilegous-Alexander was able to use to beat the Trail Blazers. Every time the Trail Blazers went under the screen Shai made them pay on the night. It’s amazing the growth he continues to show throughout the season and that continued tonight. Shai finished with 22 points on the night and flourished in attacking the rim like he always does with grace/finesse. This was a true overall effort from the Thunder as all three of their guards finished with a combined 67 points on the night. This Thunder team is fun to watch and it was great to see them get back in the winning column after beating the Trail Blazers. The Thunder were able to limit the Trail Blazers offense as it only came from Damian Lillard and Gary Trent Jr.
The Trail Blazers came into this game short-handed after the trade made earlier in the day but they still had Damian Lillard. Any time you have a scorer and all NBA players like Damian Lillard in your lineup you’re going to have a chance to at least compete in the game. Tonight Dame Time didn’t show up in OKC as the lead was at 20 points at one point late in the game. The Trail Blazers needed someone else to step up to help Lillard with McCollum out the game with an ankle injury. Gary Trent who was hooked up to an IV earlier in the day to get over his cold/flu was balling out of his mind on his birthday. Gary Trent Jr was able to add in 30 points to help the 34 points that Lillard put up tonight. Gary was able to hit some big three-pointers that helped keep them in the mix before the game got out of hand. It was going to take more of a full team effort from the Trail Blazers and that didn’t happen. The second half the Thunder made adjustments to stop Lillard from getting the same looks he had in the first half. The Thunder were doubling Lillard and making sure to deny him the ball. Carmelo Anthony was able to play some significant minutes but finished with 9 points on the night. The Trail Blazers were going to need more from Melo if they were going to win this game and it didn’t happen this time. Overall the Trail Blazers did as much as you can with only eight players but they still weren’t able to stop Chris Paul from his terrific shooting night. The OKC Thunder will be heading to Houston to play the Rockets on MLK day as they try to get that 25th win on the season.
Saturday Night Primetime NBA Basketball has made its much-anticipated return into the ABC airways, and what better way to start the weekly tradition off with a bang. The 33-8 Lakers finally get to see what they look like when matched up with the Houston Rockets and all NBA fans will have their questions answered at 8:30 p.m. ET as the best backcourt in the NBA, composed of league-leader in scoring James Harden and 2017 League MVP Russell Westbrook do battle with the most the leading all-star vote-getter LeBron James and his new-look Lake Show squad.
But this one won’t be fully packed with superstardom, as Anthony Davis is to miss his fifth-straight game due to a lingering back issue sustained from a fall against the Knicks a week ago.
Tonight’s battle – the first primetime Saturday game of the year, if you had to be reminded – could act as the perfect little reprieve in the H-Town, since all sports news coming out of Houston hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows as of late, to put it euphemistically in regards to the Texans blowing a 24-0 lead against the Chiefs in the playoffs and the looming possibility of the Houston Astros’ 2017 title being stripped due to sign-stealing and a whole lot of other shenanigans.
The Rockets, specifically are reeling from a rare home loss to the Trail Blazers in which Damian Lillard and Carmelo Anthony lit them up from just about everywhere on the floor, while MVP favorite James Harden couldn’t buy a basket with his 3-12 night from the field, so a chance to turn things around against the best team in the West doesn’t sound like the easiest task in the world, but a possible one worth the effort.
Los Angeles isn’t quite walking into this Western contest unscathed, either. They suffered a weird home loss to the visiting Orlando Magic, letting Markelle Fultz drop a triple-double and game-clincher in their face in its waning seconds. The Lakers are obviously prohibitive favorites in the West and those kinds of games happen every once in a while, but no defensive slip-ups are to be allocated against a Rockets team that we all know can fire away from downtown with a sense of proclivity. LA starts off this cross-country road trip with a trip to Houston, and their next stop is going to be in Boston on MLK day, so this result is needed if they’re to kickstart another winning streak on the right foot.
The OKC Thunder were coming into tonight’s game against the Miami Heat following a loss against Toronto Wednesday. After getting hurt in action against the Raptors Steven Adams wasn’t available tonight. The Thunder would be missing Steven Adams in the paint tonight as the Miami Heat had 44 points in the paint. One player that was very impressive tonight for the Miami Heat was Bam Adebayo who was bringing the ball up the court as a playmaker. Bam has a lot of different aspects to his game that he’s yet to showcase and he did just that tonight. The Thunder had a little trouble adjusting to Bam bringing the ball up as a point guard. With Bam bringing the ball up it opened up the lane for him to attack and also he found a lot of his teammates for better basketball plays. This Miami Heat team has playmakers and they were able to get the ball in the spots they needed to execute. Bam finished the game with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists while continuing to improve his game on a nightly basis. Bam’s a tough guard for any big because he can score and defend with the best of the bigs in the NBA. Tonight he made it tough on the Thunder bigs Muscala and Noel. The Miami Heat play scrappy and they defend throughout all 48 minutes of the game. This team is built to mold around the playing style of Jimmy Butler and they have done an amazing job of that. Jimmy Butler made it tough on any Thunder defender who guarded him as he finished with 14 points but added 10 rebounds with 7 assists. Even if Butler isn’t scoring he’s so much of a threat that the Thunder had to double him sometimes which left players like Kendrick Nunn wide open. Jimmy Butler’s one of the best two-way players in the NBA and showed that tonight against the Thunder. Having a player of Jimmy Butler’s caliber on the team gives a young player like Kendrick Nunn a chance to showcase some confidence. Nunn was able to take advantage of the open opportunities that he was given by the Thunder tonight. Nunn showed a lot of confidence in his jumper and going to the rim with ease as he had a team-high 22 points for the Miami Heat. Kendrick Nunn’s game is like a seasoned veteran and he was able to showcase his skills against the Thunder tonight. The Miami Heat had a 22 point lead on the Thunder and they almost blew it as OKC was able to claw back and get back down by three points. The Miami Heat let the Thunder back in this game with poor play down the stretch and letting Danilo Gallinari go off from three-point land.
All month of January it seems as though the Oklahoma City Thunder has been playing catch up in games. Something about the drama and the adrenaline of trying to come back down from a large margin excites them. The Thunder trailed by 22 points tonight against the Heat and were able to get within three points but just didn’t get it done down the stretch. Tonight the Thunder had a very balanced attack against the Heat as they had six players in double figures. When Danilo Gallinari has it going from the three-point line as he did tonight going 7-12 it makes this team tough to beat. Gallinari had his game going all night and the Heat couldn’t do anything to stop him as Gallinari kept the Thunder in a position to win. The Heat tried putting multiple players on Gallinari while defending the three-point line but it didn’t work out too well. The Thunder guards were given a chance to flourish in this one as Dragic and Nunn couldn’t defend Shai, CP3, and Dennis. Those three combined for 50 points on the night and each had their moment. A lot of the teams that OKC has played recently have players with the height that are trying to stop them from getting to their spots on the court. Tonight wasn’t the case because all three of the guards were able to do what they wanted scoring and playmaking. If the three guards play with aggression and are constantly attacking it helps the Thunder a lot as they put the defense on their heels. Tonight the guards weren’t able to set the tone as they usually do against other teams. The thing that hurt the Thunder in this game was the fact that they allowed 15-second chance points to the Miami Heat. The rebounding was an issue without Steven Adams but you still have to play the game. The Thunder played a great game once they settled in on the defensive end. If OKC can get out the hole from the start of games they can have the momentum and set the tone. On this stretch of games, the Thunder have been down early instead of having the lead early. The Thunder defense was able to slow down Jimmy Butler as they tried to make sure that someone else beat them instead. Kendrick Nunn was the player that hit some big shots for the Heat and a lot of his shots came on loose ball kick-outs that the Thunder missed out on. Defensively the Thunder has to come together and take it personally to make sure they can get chances to lead to points. Oklahoma City plays great when they let their defense create offensive opportunities and they didn’t do that tonight.
The Thunder will be playing tomorrow night against the Portland Trailblazers in a back to back as they look to get their 24th win of the season against Carmelo, Dame, and CJ.
ESPN’s second game of the night will showcase a star-filled supernova as the Mavericks look to defend home court versus the road-trippin’ Portland Trail Blazers on their first night of a back-to-back, taking place at 9:30 p.m. ET. Portland is looking to make it 2-0 on the year in Dallas, after previously winning their last matchup on the road against Luka Doncic’s Mavs by a score of 121-119 back on October 27.
These Blazers are really trying to salvage what’s left of a season that’s spun into a tailspin at year’s beginning and if last night was any indication of what these Mavericks are in for tonight, this could be a really intriguing game to keep your eyes glued on for a couple of hours. Last night’s win over the Rockets inside the Toyota Center wasn’t quite the revenge victory Carmelo Anthony had in mind, but it was easily one of the signature wins for a Portland team that’s severely missed them, now six games under .500.
Damian Lillard’s 25 points and Melo’s efficient 18 points off a 70 percent shooting night clamped up league-leading scorer James Harden to what was probably his worst game this year at only 13 points off 3/12 shooting. The team effort was telling enough that this Blazers team, equally awash with all-star infrastructure and injuries to some of their most prominent pieces in Jusuf Nurkic, Zach Collins and others, is capable enough of righting the ship and supplanting the Blazers back in the playoff hunt. They’ll have the utmost opportunity to flex their potential against this Mavericks team that’s still without a completely healthy Kristaps Porzingis, finally upgraded to a game-time decision Friday afternoon.
Dallas didn’t quite finish off the Sacramento Kings last night, only beating their Western rivals by four via a 127-123 score as Doncic just so happened to follow protocol and drop another sick triple-double with 25 points, 15 rebounds and a stunning 17 assists, his career-high in dishes. For a team that’s so depleted in bigs, all will be even more difficult to coach around for Terry Stotts if Porzingis suits up and takes the floor since they’ll practically have no other answer to the 7-foot Lithuanian stretch big (other than Hassan Whiteside, maybe) that can destroy any defensive scheme both inside and outside of the paint.
Still, things are finally starting to come together for this Blazers backcourt, now at the No. 2 spot for the highest-scoring backcourts in the league. Tonight’s duel between Rick Carlisle’s vaunted backcourt composed of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Doncic versus Dame and CJ McCollum shouldn’t be anything short of an entertaining way to kick off the weekend, so be sure to grab your favorite beverage and snack, kick back and enjoy Blazers vs. Mavs at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
