SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Houston Rockets Vs. Los Angeles Clippers

SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Houston Rockets Vs. Los Angeles Clippers

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by | Dec 20, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The gift that just keeps on giving is TNT Thursday Night Basketball, as game two of this star-packed doubleheader features another blockbuster showdown featuring a team in Tinseltown in the Clippers defending their home court against the dangerous Houston Rockets at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

The 21-7 Clippers face these 18-9 Rockets for the third time this season, and now it looks as if they’ll have the perfect defensive gameplan to at least slow down offensive supernova James Harden, now that Harden has to worry about dueling against both superstars the Clippers picked up in this offseason.

You know the drill about these Clippers anyway. Now from adding Patrick Beverley, who is now 100 percent recovered from a concussion he suffered a week ago against Toronto, it’s the same lineup as follows, repackaged and all: two superstars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, three ex-Rockets in PatBev, Lou Williams, and Montrezl Harrell, and three solid rotation players in Ivica Zubac, Mo Harkless and Landry Shamet.

As it goes for Houston, this is yet another opportunity to earn another win against the two-way juggernaut the Clippers are perceived to be. These two teams have split their two-game series apiece, though it looks like the Clips have the clear and conspicuous advantage on paper. This means not that the Rockets can expect this as a loss, though. Both games that the Clips and Rockets have played have been particularly close, and with James Harden standing in rarified air as a scorer with his 38.9 ppg. (only he and Wilt Chamberlain have touched the 40-point average mark in the entire history of this league), expect this one to probably be around the same speed.

It’ll be compelling to watch if the Clippers can limit Harden’s trips to the FT line, considering that Harden has averaged six free throws per game (surprising, isn’t it?) after averaging closer to 14 a game earlier this year. it’ll also be interesting to see if Russell Westbrook can have himself a get-back game against the Clippers (he’s averaging 22.8 ppg., off 42.6 percent shooting and 22.8 percent three-point shooting), considering that he had his worst game of the season against these Clippers. They’re better now that they have their two all-stars on the floor together, so the 2017 MVP certainly isn’t deserving of an easier challenge.

Tip-off is set to occur shortly after the conclusion of Lakers/Bucks on TNT.

Dec 20, 2019 No Comments
SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Los Angeles Lakers Vs. Milwaukee Bucks

SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Los Angeles Lakers Vs. Milwaukee Bucks

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by | Dec 20, 2019 | Featured, NBA

“And now for the Main Event of the evening!”

Looks like there’s room for two magnanimous premieres for nationwide blockbusters on Thursday night. Star Wars is dropping in theaters, obviously, but before that, another long-awaited duel between two elite factions at the top of their game takes place tonight. The two best teams in the NBA compete for bragging rights on Thursday night as the 24-4 Los Angeles Lakers compete in their second-straight road game against an Eastern conference adversary, this time traveling a little up north to face that other 24-4 powerhouse in the Milwaukee Bucks live on TNT at 8 p.m. EST.

Barring a shocking home loss to a Mavericks team that was without, and will be without, their star player for what sounds like a period of multiple weeks on Monday night, the Bucks (more specifically Giannis Antetokounmpo) have looked the part of the most menacing team in the league. It’s apples to oranges when trying to find comparisons or superiorities with all the other teams in the East just a full month and some change into the 2019 campaign.

The Greek Freek is the runaway MVP favorite and possible lock already in the month of December, posting up some astronomical numbers of 31.7 points a game, 12.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists. We’ve never seen a player dominate at this magnitude and it’s almost an impending reality that the 2018-19 league MVP will finish this season averaging double-doubles while scoring 30 points (or more) a game, something seldom accomplished.

And of course, the best players make their teammates better in their quest to make the team the best in the land, and Antetokounmpo has accomplished that in multitudes. Milwaukee leads the league in scoring differential, is tied for first in total defensive rating and is second behind the Mavericks in overall offensive rating.

Who is second in those statistical rankings, you might ask? Look no further in the team that balls out in Tinseltown on a nightly basis. The Los Angeles Lakers may have lost their first game in over a month while undermanned without Anthony Davis (coincidentally, one night after the Bucks had their 18-game winning streak snapped) on Tuesday against the Pacers, but that hasn’t stopped this train from rolling all season.

The Lakers are tied for first with the Bucks in the overall team aspect of defensive rating, is only a spot behind the Lakers with the second-best winning/scoring margin in the NBA, and though they fall three spots lower than the Bucks in total offensive rating as a team, it’s yet to be determined just how tight the equally-gifted and dynamic frontcourts for both teams battle all night.

There really isn’t much else to be said about this one, except to just look at this matchup and enjoy the show. The two best teams in the league, and the two best players in the league in LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo face-off on primetime television for the world to see. What more could you ask for?

Dec 20, 2019 No Comments
Another Thunderous Comeback In OKC As The Thunder Beat Memphis (126-122)

Another Thunderous Comeback In OKC As The Thunder Beat Memphis (126-122)

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by | Dec 19, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The OKC Thunder came into this game against the Memphis Grizzlies fresh off their 26 point comeback victory over Chicago. The Thunder showed a lot of heart to come back from 26 points on Monday. Tonight they started off slow again as the Memphis Grizzlies were pretty much unstoppable in the first half. Ja Morant was dominate in his first game against the OKC Thunder in his career and looked explosive. Morant was able to get it done inside and outside the paint. One thing that Morant was able to do against the Thunder in that first half he created for his teammates. Ja Morant was being guarded by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chris Paul, Dennis Schröder all night. It was very impressive that Ja Morant was still able to finish with 22 points on the night. The problem with that is the fact that OKC was able to shut him down in the 4th quarter as they held him to 0 points. The Memphis Grizzlies were led by Brandon Clarke who had a career-high 27 points on the night. Clarke was all over the rebounds and was able to make the Thunder pay in the second-chance points. Brandon Clarke was able to use his power and finesse against the Thunder. The first half the Grizzlies were able to beat OKC in the fast break game and it really did show. The Thunder were giving up way too many points in the paint as Memphis had 74 points down low. Memphis showed a lot of fight tonight as they were able to make some tough shots throughout the night. The Thunder won this game with the adjustments they made on Ja Morant in that 4th quarter and their offense.

 

 

Dennis Schröder was able to lead the charge for the Thunder tonight. It seemed as though the Thunder fed off the energy from Dennis and they made sure to keep giving him the rock. Dennis was able to carry the Thunder tonight just like CP3 did the other night. The Thunder dug themselves in another deep hole trailing the Memphis Grizzlies by 24 points at the start of the 3rd. This Thunder team must like adversity and being the comeback kids. This Thunder team scrapped and clawed themselves back into this game and showed that they can turn it on. Dennis led the way with 31 points off the bench as the Grizzlies had no answer for his first step to the basket. Dennis Schröder has been the ultimate leader and has let his offense do all the talking for him. The Grizzlies had no answer for Dennis and when his game got going that opened up things for his other teammates. Another player who was able to get his game back on track was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as he was attacking and was being aggressive in that 2nd half tonight. When Shai attacks like he did tonight this Thunder team can do no wrong because when he plays with that confidence the Thunder is scary. Shai was getting to the free-throw line and attacking as Dillion Brooks wasn’t able to stay in front of Shai. Shai and Chris Paul combined for 38 points on the night. Both of them with the addition of Dennis Schröder is not a sight that opposing defenses want to see and the Grizzlies learned that the hard way tonight when they lost their 24 point lead.

 

 

 

The OKC Thunder will be facing off against the Phoenix Suns on Friday as they look to get to .500 on the season. The Phoenix Suns will be waiting to see if Devin Booker will be joining them as they try to slow down the OKC Thunder on this home trip.

Dec 19, 2019 No Comments
SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Boston Celtics Vs. Dallas Mavericks

SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Boston Celtics Vs. Dallas Mavericks

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by | Dec 19, 2019 | Featured, NBA

Game two of Wednesday’s ESPN doubleheader takes place inside the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, as the 17-7 Dallas Mavericks host the 18-7 Boston Celtics at 9:30 p.m ET on ESPN. The Celtics return from their vacation of a six-day break and face the Mavericks for the last time this season.

The Mavericks got off to a hot start in their Luka-less stretch in not having to rely on the 21-year old Serbian’s concurrent heroics, beating the East’s best team in the Milwaukee Bucks and ending their 18-game winning streak without him. Problem is, They’ll have no other choice but to replicate their atypical performance from two nights ago not only against a quality Celtics team that holds the third-best record in their conference tonight at home, but do the same thing over and over again in the “couple of weeks” that Doncic is going to miss time with that sprained ankle of his.

Conversely, it’s not like the Celtics aren’t absolved of any issues stemming from a nightly injury report. Marcus Smart is out with an eye infection, which has kept him out since last week.

The last time the two teams faced, Boston impressively escaped with a 116-106 win against a full-strength Mavs squad on their home parquet on November 11 on the path of their then 10-game winning streak. The funny thing about the last time these two teams played each other? Gordon Hayward was out, injured with a hand ailment. For the second time this year, Rick Carlisle won’t have a scouting report on Hayward since it’s being reported that the former Butler standout will be out against the Mavericks again, and is in need of an MRI on his left foot that’s been bothering him.

Some facts about the two teams facing off at 9:30 tonight: the Celtics have an average record of 7-6 on the road and are 6-4 in their last 10 contests. Meanwhile, Dallas is 8-6 at home, with a 7-3 record in their last 10 games. The Celtics are 3rd in the East while the Mavericks are 3rd in the West. The Celtics are 6-3 vs Western Conference teams while the Mavs are 7-4 vs Eastern Conference teams.

Two fairly equal franchises square off tonight, and though Doncic won’t suit up for the foreseeable future, don’t expect this Mavericks team to roll over, considering they’re a fighting team with another all-star in Kristaps Porzingis (17.2 ppg. off 40.1 percent shooting, 9.0 rpg., 1.5 apg.) leading the charge.

Dec 19, 2019 No Comments
SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Miami Heat Vs. Philadelphia 76ers

SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Miami Heat Vs. Philadelphia 76ers

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by | Dec 19, 2019 | Featured, NBA

Jimmy Butler’s back in town for a Tuesday night matinee featuring the Philadelphia 76ers hosting the Miami Heat, live in the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN,

These two Eastern elites, separated in the divisional standings by a game, are battle-worn and ready to clash under the bright lights and poignant ESPN cameras for the first half of this week’s Wednesday ESPN doubleheader for the second time this season. Philadelphia sits at 19-8 on the year and possess the best home record in the East at 11-0, and have an arduous task ahead of them as the 20-8 Miami Heat walk into Philly with the Sixers returning from their two-day break.

In their last outing, Spencer Dinwiddie and the Brooklyn Nets just stomped Philly with Joel Embiid missing a game due to falling under sudden illness. He’s healthy and looks to repeat his team’s dominant effort against the Heat, since they whooped them 113-86 the last time Miami played in the City of Brotherly Love.

Uncharacteristically and ironically, the Sixers appear to be the healthiest team on this tale of the tape. It’s the injuries that have plagued Miami’s starting lineup and rotation, as they’ll be without four of their starters Wednesday night. Starting guard Goran Dragic, who is dealing with a strained right groin, and Justise Winslow, who has a lower-back strain, were both listed as out on Wednesday. Dragic is the more significant loss for Miami in this matchup, considering that he’s played an integral part in Erik Spoelstra’s offense, averaging 15 points per contest. Miami will miss Winslow’s 12 points-per-night as well.

Miami has gotten by with the tremendous guard play of Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn, and that’s being euphemistic as possible. Miami’s esteemed rookie duo is combining averages of 15.15 points a game in 30.05 minutes a game. Also, Nunn leads all rookies in 3 point percentage. Not bad for a guy that’s just getting his first full-month burn after coming out of the G-League just months ago.

Though Miami is missing several key pieces, that doesn’t mean for a second the Sixers can feel comfortable kicking their feet up. The Sixers struggle to climb back in games where they don’t take the opposition seriously and find themselves in a bad spot (See: the Nets on Sunday as an example). There’s a massive advantage for Philly in this one, so let’s see if they take it for granted or not.

Dec 19, 2019 No Comments
CP3’s 19 Points In The 4th Quarter Help OKC Defeat Chicago (109-106)

CP3’s 19 Points In The 4th Quarter Help OKC Defeat Chicago (109-106)

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by | Dec 17, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder returned back home for the first time since playing on December 6th. That game on the 6th was a great one against the Timberwolves and it seemed as though this game against the Bulls topped that. Both team’s records were close in standings for respective conferences but the Bulls played more games. The Thunder came into this game flat as it looked like they were still on the road somewhere as nothing went their way. The Bulls were clicking on every level and they were able to get anything they wanted in that first half. The Bulls were playing great team ball and they were able to score inside and out with ease. The two players that were making it tough on the Thunder in that first half and throughout the game were Wendell Carter Jr and their leading scorer Zach LaVine. Everything the Thunder tried to do to stop both of them wasn’t working in that first half and when it looked like they did stop them it was a foul. Wendell Carter Jr. has matured and you can see it in his patience when he plays in the paint. Carter Jr. was matched up against Steven Adams and had his hands full all night long. On the other hand for the Bulls their leading scorer Zach LaVine was able to get any and everything he wanted on the night as he finished with 39 points. Zach LaVine was able to score inside and out with anyone that the Thunder put on him as well. The great thing about LaVines game is the fact that he’s grown from just being a dunker and he’s now being utilized as scorer/closer. Zach LaVine was able to put the Bulls on his back throughout the game as they were able to have a 26 point lead at one point. The ball movement for the Bulls was working all night as they finished with 27 assists on the night as a team. All those assists led to some easy baskets which the OKC Thunder didn’t allow them to have in the 2nd half.

 

In the second half, the OKC Thunder took over, especially in the 4th quarter. The Thunder had only 4 double-digit scorers on the night (Paul, Schröder, Gallinari, Ferguson) but still managed to squeeze out the win. In the second half, you can tell the Thunder came out with a lot more energy and hustle. One person who caught on fire in that 3rd quarter coming out of halftime was Danilo Gallinari as he was able to punish the Bulls from the outside as he finished the game with 22 points. Gallinari even had a monster dunk over Wendell Carter Jr. that got the team hyped and built some momentum. The Bulls didn’t have an answer for Gallinari all night and it was clear that he was going to be able to get whatever he wanted. In the 4th quarter that’s when Chris Paul took over the game and put matters into his own hands. It seems as though CP3 doesn’t need to worry about his scoring as long as he’s getting his teammates involved. Chris gets his teammates into the game flow and then when it’s clutch time he comes to their rescue like tonight. Going into the 4th quarter CP3 only had 11 points and he was able to put on a 3 point shot clinic as he finished with 30 points going 6 of 8 from long range. Chris Paul was able to put the Thunder on his back just like Zach LaVine did for the Bulls. The difference between the two tonight was just who got the late calls down the stretch as those calls ended up going to the Thunder instead of the Bulls. When Chris Paul is playing at this elite level it’s tough for anyone to beat the Thunder and he showed tonight that he can still get it done when called upon.

 

The Thunder will be facing off against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday as Ja Morant will be coming into town. The Thunder improved to 12-14 on the season and will be looking for win number 13 Wednesday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nate Billings/The Oklahoman]

Dec 17, 2019 No Comments