Boston Celtics Beat The Oklahoma City Thunder (101-94) To Extend Winning Streak To 7

Boston Celtics Beat The Oklahoma City Thunder (101-94) To Extend Winning Streak To 7

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by | Nov 4, 2017 | Featured, NBA

The Boston Celtics came into this game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on a six game winning streak. The Thunder were coming off beating the Milwaukee Bucks with impressive defense. Everyone thought the Thunder found their chemistry in the last two games and were going to be able to continue that success against the Celtics. OKC came out looking unstoppable as they were able to connect on anything that they did early. Russell Westbrook was able to get his teammates involved and was able to find Adams,George, and Anthony in their sweet spots. The biggest difference in this OKC team that was shown in the last couple of games is the defensive end. OKC has stepped the defense up to another level and they also were able to stop Kyrie Irving in the first half. Both teams came into the matchup the number 1 & 2 defenses in the NBA and it was on full display as it was a tale of two halves as Billy Donovan said after the game.

Oklahoma City’s Big 3 finished the game with 54 points and majority of it came in the 1st half against Boston. For the first time Carmelo Anthony struggled with his shot in a Thunder uniform. Melo finished the game with 10 points on 3-17 shots from the field. One thing about Melo is he’s a true professional and knows how to bounce back. Melo didn’t have it going but that didn’t mean that Westbrook and George couldn’t help pick up the offense to help Melo. The best thing about George and Westbrook as a back court is the fact that they turn defense into offense and they did just that in the 1st half. OKC had their biggest lead of 18 points on the night and were able to kind of take the foot off the gas. The Thunder were able to get the bench involved in that first half as well as Grant and Patterson stepped up in big moments during the game when the Thunder needed it. If the Thunder can defend the way they did in the first half against everyone they would be unstoppable. The team is still trying to find that identity and it was defeintely noticable going into the seond half against the Celtics after going up large into the half.

The Celtics were down but felt like they were never out in the game going into the 3rd. Kyrie Irving was missing everything in the 1st half and couldn’t doing anything to get his shot or drives to the basket to fall. All that did was motivate Irving as he was just waiting on his moment in the game and they it clicked automatically. Kyrie Irving was able to get into mismatch situations where he was being guarded by Steven Adams and other bigs on switches. Kyrie was able to will the Celtics back into the game as he was able to hit everything starting around the 8 minute mark in the 3rd. There was a point in the game when Kyrie had 15 points and scored more than OKC in the quarter. Overall it was a scrappy effort for Kyrie to get his young team back into this game. Kyrie is the best finisher in the game and wanted to make an impact against OKC and he did just that. Al Horford also stepped up in the 4th and was hitting some incredible shots that went down when left open by the Thunder. The Thunder defense was not switching in time and they didn’t get to the shooters and paid for it. Horford and Irving combined for 45 points and were in their zone in that 4th quarter. Momentum was on the Celtics side and they continued to play defense and get stops to turn it into offense.

The Thunder have so much potenial and they have what it takes to be a champion. OKC plays great on both ends of the floor and have showed that anything is possible as long as they remain together as a team in those tough times. Kyrie is the best finisher in the game and loves the pressure moment and showcased that tonight. The Thunder will be able to get back on track when they play the TrailBlazers on Sunday.

 

Photo: AP/Sue Ogrocki

Nov 4, 2017 No Comments
Steph Curry Fined $50,000 For Throwing Mouthpiece, Andre Iguodala Fined As Well

Steph Curry Fined $50,000 For Throwing Mouthpiece, Andre Iguodala Fined As Well

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by | Oct 23, 2017 | Featured, NBA

The NBA handed down fines today on Warriors players, Steph Curry and Andre Iguodala for their actions during Saturday night’s loss to the Grizzlies. Sam Amick of USA Today was first with the information.

The $50,000 fine is the maximum the league is able to enforce for the situation. This comes after Steph was fined $25,000 for throwing his mouthpiece during the finals in 2016. The league wasn’t able to prove that Steph was trying to throw his mouthpiece at the ref, which is likely the reason for no suspension.

The strangest part of all of this is the $15,000 fine for Iguodala. He seemed to be trying to calm Steph down and never once did I see him get hostile towards the referees. Kevin Durant was the one who had alot to say to the refs and got ejected along with Steph. The league did not announce any type of discipline for Durant.

For his part, Steph has been apologetic about the whole incident. “I didn’t even need to watch it,” said Curry. “In the grand scheme of things, it’s Game 3, we were playing terrible, I was frustrated because I was fouling and I thought I got fouled on the last play. The reaction was definitely a little over the top.”

The Warriors play at Dallas on Monday night and will look to get on track after a 1-2 start.

Written by Joe Casey

Twitter: @IamJoeSports

Oct 23, 2017 No Comments
Dwyane Wade Asks Coach Ty Lue To Bring Him Off The Bench, JR Smith To Start Once Again

Dwyane Wade Asks Coach Ty Lue To Bring Him Off The Bench, JR Smith To Start Once Again

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by | Oct 23, 2017 | Featured, NBA

Most athletes talk about being a good teammate and doing things for the better of the team before themselves but few actually put their actions where their mouths are. Dwayne Wade is one of those few. Cavs coach, Tyronn Lue, said earlier on Monday that Wade came to him and said he would prefer to come off the bench rather than start.

According to Lue, the reason for Wade wanting the change was for the betterment of the team overall, since he has struggled in his role in the starting lineup and thinks the team would benefit more by JR Smith starting in his place.

At the Cavs practice today, Wade was able to explain things in his own words to reporters.

As Wade mentioned, him coming off the bench and being a leader for the second unit was something he discussed with Lue when he first signed with the team.  Although it’s still very early in the season, Wade has struggled in the starting role, averaging 5.7ppg, while shooting only 28% from the field. His average of 23 minutes per game isn’t exactly starter minutes either. The move to the bench should give him a little more freedom on the court as the playmaker with the second unit, where he won’t be playing off of Lebron as much. After practice, Wade took to twitter and it was clear he is very content with the move.

One lesser talked about situation in all of this was the rumored tension between Wade & Smith after Wade took his starting role after Smith claimed he was told nothing would change when the Cavs signed Wade. This move by Wade should smooth over any lingering feelings and build better team chemistry. Overall it’s a smart move by a veteran athlete who has already won at the highest levels and sees what his role can be to help this team reach it’s peak.

Written By Joe Casey

Twitter: @IamJoeSports

Oct 23, 2017 No Comments
What Is Going On With The Phoenix Suns?

What Is Going On With The Phoenix Suns?

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by | Oct 23, 2017 | Featured, NBA

Not much was expected from the Phoenix Suns this season but at the very least, fans thought they would be a fun team to watch and see grow. Instead, they are now 0-3, which really isn’t a big deal but all the drama surrounding the team most definitely is a big deal.

*UPDATE*

Bledsoe met with the Suns early on Monday and was sent home. He reportedly told them his tweet that said “I Don’t wanna be here” was about a hair salon he was at. Suns general manager, Ryan McDonough, wasn’t buying that excuse in the least bit.

The Bucks, Nuggets and Knicks are reportedly some of the teams in discussions to trade for Bledsoe.

*Original story continues below*

While most fans around the country were caught up in NFL Sunday, Suns guard, Eric Bledsoe, randomly tweeted out “I Don’t wanna be here.”

Less than an hour later, courtesy of Adrian Wojnarowski, we learned the Suns were firing head coach, Earl Watson. According to Woj, Suns GM, Ryan McDonough and Watson have been at odds for some time now. The team is one of the youngest in the league and since nothing was expected besides a rebuilding season, it’s extremely odd that they would fire a coach only three games into the season. Suns owner, Robert Sarver, was reportedly a major factor in the decision to let Watson go at this time.

As I mentioned prior, the Suns have only played three games this season but they have already lost by more than 40 points twice! Watson was 33-85 during his tenure as the coach of the team, which is hard to knock considering the roster he has had to work with but it’s likely more so that he lost the ear of his players that led to the timing of his firing. Bledsoe’s tweet I’m sure only made things worse.

One person who was happy to see the tweet from Bledsoe was his former Clippers teammate, DeAndre Jordan, who would love to have him come back to Los Angeles.

Phoenix has tried to trade Bledsoe numerous times since last season but they have yet to find a deal that worked. I’d be shocked if they didn’t find a trade partner by the end of the week after all this nonsense and it will be best for all parties involved. Assistant coach,  Jay Triano, was promoted to interim head coach and will likely remain in the position for the rest of this season.

There is a big chance that the Suns will wind up as the worst team in the league this season. With nothing else to lose, now it’s time to refocus for them and get back to the rebuilding process and try to look for small wins throughout the season to show that they are at least on the right track. They still have a young core with Devin Booker, Josh Jackson and more, so it will be in their best interest to put all this early season drama behind them and try to get better individually and collectively.

Written by Joe Casey

Twitter: @IamJoeSports

Oct 23, 2017 No Comments
Recap: OKC Thunder Stunned By Andrew Wiggins Buzzer Beater (115-113)

Recap: OKC Thunder Stunned By Andrew Wiggins Buzzer Beater (115-113)

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by | Oct 23, 2017 | Featured, NBA

Minnesota and Oklahoma City came into this season with new faces on the team. Being division rivals that means that they will see each other four times in the year. The Timberwolves added Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague, Taj Gibson, and Jamal Crawford in the offseason and wanted to be taken serious coming into the season to stop their playoff drought. The Oklahoma City Thunder on the other hand have been extremely successful in the 10 year existence off the team and this offseason they improved tremendously. The Thunder added Paul George and Carmelo Anthony which would set up for a perfect matchup.

The Thunder were coming off their first loss of the season against the Utah Jazz last night in Salt Lake and wanted to bounce back. Russell Westbrook was very passive last night in Utah and came out against the Minnesota Timberwolves with the MVP mindset that we all know about. Westbrook came out in attack mode and didn’t look back at all as he was able to attack the rim and get to his spots to help his teammates out. This team in OKC is special and if they can all get on the same page they could be unstoppable. This OKC team is like the “07/08” Boston Celtics with hungry stars that will need to sacrifice to make it work. The OKC Big 3 showed a lot of sacrifice and promise throughout the night against the Timberwolves. The Thunder Big 3 of Westbrook, Anthony, and George combined for 68 points tonight and looked really good. Melo and Russ found their stroke from all over the court and Paul George wasn’t able to get it going but kept shooting. One thing we know about PG is that he’s going to continue to shoot the ball and look for his rythym. One thing that was really good to see tonight from the Thunder was the production from the bench. Raymond Felton and Jerami Grant both contributed 12 points each and were able to carry the load when Westbrook and the other starters went to the bench.

The Timberwolves on the other hand were able to scrap and stay in the game as they played off of their stars in Towns and Wiggins. Both Towns and Wiggins had 27 points a piece and were able to get get open looks and easy second chance points throughout the game. Once Andre Roberson exited the game it seemed as though Wiggins got his game going and was able to hit some tough shots over Abrines. Towns was playing like a monster in the paint and was able to get rebounds and takeover the paint on the offensive end. The good thing about the Timberwolves squad is the fact that it’s well balanced and everyone knows their role in the offense. All of the starters were able to score in double figures and were able to click on all cylinders for the Timberwolves. The Thunder were struggling on the pick and roll from the Timberwolves and couldn’t get to Towns in time throughout the game especially when Steven Adams came out the game.

Russell Westbrook got the inbound pass with 8 seconds left and was able to drive and kick it to Melo for the 3 pointer to give them the lead. Everyone wanted to know who would get the ball in the late game situations and it seems like whoever is open will get the ball. Carmelo hit the 3 pointer but the Thunder needed to hurry up to get back on defense as the Timberwolves still had 4 seconds to have a chance to score. The ball was inbounded to Wiggins as he was able to get down the court with the help of what looked like an illegal screen but Towns and hit a hail mary bank shot with no time remaining for the Timberwolves to come into OKC and steal the victory from the Thunder.

Both teams play again on Friday and the Thunder will be looking for some revenge for this loss tonight.

 

Photo Credit:  (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oct 23, 2017 No Comments
Recap: What Did We Learn From The Thunder’s Victory Over The Knicks?

Recap: What Did We Learn From The Thunder’s Victory Over The Knicks?

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by | Oct 20, 2017 | Featured, NBA

The 2017-18 NBA season tipped off last night for both the OKC Thunder and the New York Knicks. Typically this game wouldn’t have generated such buzz but with the trade of Carmelo Anthony over the summer from New York to OKC and all that led to it, this game was must see television around the country. The final outcome wound up being an easy 105-84 win for the Thunder but did we learn much about either team? The answer is not really.

It’s impossible to analyze a team after only one game. Nobody expected this to be much of a game and it wasn’t. Although the Knicks put up a great effort in the first half, they fell apart in the third quarter and the chance of an upset win on the road vanished. Kristaps Porzingis gave the Thunder all the problems they could handle, as he finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds but unfortunately for him, there wasn’t much help out there. Former Thunder player, Enes Kanter, was the only other Knicks player in double figures and he finished with 10 points.

After the game, Anthony had some nice words for Porzingis. “Just to see that he’s ready to take on that role — he looked aggressive tonight,” Anthony said. “He looked comfortable, felt comfortable tonight. I was happy to see that.” Despite the high praise from Anthony, we already knew the Knicks have a real star in the young Porzingis. What we need to see from them over time is progress. Last night they had 26 turnovers, which led to 35 fast break points for the Thunder. Obviously that can’t happen each night or they will be worse than anticipated. They also need more from Tim Hardaway Jr, especially in the scoring column. The debut of first round pick, Frank Ntilikina, was a complete dud but it wasn’t all on him. Coach Jeff Hornacek only played him a total of seven minutes and it’s hard to get any rhythm with such little action.

As far as the Thunder, we didn’t learn much about them either. They did what they were supposed to do against a bad team but they were sloppy at times and didn’t shoot very well. They won’t be able to get away with things like that so easily against better teams. It was clear the “OK3” still needs time to gel together but there’s no reason to believe they won’t. Paul George finished with 28 points on 9-23 shooting, including six three pointers. Anthony finished with 22 points on 8-20 shooting and Russell Westbrook had his first triple double of the season, finishing with 21 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds. It marks the 80th triple double of his career. You could tell he was very relieved to have teammates that can fill up the stat sheet and if there was anything we learned about the Thunder, it’s that Westbrook is more than capable of pulling his game back a little bit to get others involved. He only took 12 shots and legit seemed very happy about it after the game. George definitely noticed the difference in having Westbrook on his side and getting him open shots. “It’s great,” George said. “The game comes so easy. I know I’m going to get those easy opportunities like I did tonight. It’s only going to make me better.”

Anthony was another player who was very happy after the game. Being on a winning team is still a new feeling for him and having a teammate like Westbrook has him excited about the future. “You guys are used to it,” Anthony said. “I’m used to watching it. I’m used to going up against it. Now, to be on the other side of that on the same team as him, and to reap those benefits of what he can bring to the game — I’m excited about what we started out tonight, what we created tonight and where we’re headed.”

The potential for the Thunder to be great this season is limitless, especially knowing that as they get more games under their belt, the chemistry will only improve, which will lead to even better offense. They already showed signs that they can turn it up on the defensive end last night. In the first quarter, the Knicks shot 56% from the field but after that, the Thunder held them to just 36% shooting the rest of the game. They are a long team which will be sure to be a problem for most teams in the league.

The Knicks have some players with potential but as a team overall, not much is expected this season. They weren’t picked to be a playoff team in the weak eastern conference but I believe I saw things last night that can be worked on to turn them into a 7 or 8 seed in the playoffs by the end of the regular season. Again, you can’t overreact either way for a team after just one game so we shall see how things play out for both teams. For now, let’s just be happy the NBA is back!

Written by Joe Casey

Twitter: @IamJoeSports

 

Oct 20, 2017 No Comments