SR -NBA Prime Time Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder at Milwaukee Bucks

SR -NBA Prime Time Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder at Milwaukee Bucks

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by | Feb 29, 2020 | Featured, NBA

Talk about some bulletin board material.

Tonight, Giannis Antetokounmpo is looking to silence critics who are skeptical of his skillset, thanks to some backhanded disparaging comments made by fellow MVP candidate James Harden from the Houston Rockets in a home game against the West’s fifth-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, set to tip-off at the top of the hour at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

In what has felt like a day-long debate over whether Harden’s comments about the reigning MVP’s skillset of “being 7-foot and dunking the ball not skillful enough” coming by way of an interview Harden ha, the OKC Thunder might just be in the crossroads of an I’ll-show-you-all kind of game from the likes of Antetokounmpo, and since most athletes at the top of their game don’t appreciate being talked down to like that from a colleague of theirs, (I guess you could consider James his not-so-good friend now) expect Giannis to play with the same, fuming aggression that’s helped get his Bucks atop the hierarchy of elite NBA teams, as they still possess the league’s best record with just about two full months of a regular season to go.

Giannis’ right-hand man Khris Middleton won’t suit up for this game due to neck soreness, and in his place steps in the evolving Donte DiVincenzo (9.1 ppg. off 45.5 percent from the field off the bench). The Villanova standout has become quite an integral part of this team’s rotation, and one would predict that he will get plenty of defensive reps against the guard-heavy OKC lineup that features the likes of Chris Paul (17.5 ppg., 5 rpg., 6.7 apg.), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (19.4 ppg., 6.3 rpg., 3.3 apg.) and Dennis Schröder (19 ppg., 3.8 rpg., 4.1 apg.) all in their starting lineup.

In Milwaukee’s last game, not only did they the ubiquitous and boasting Drake with a snapshot of his disappointment inside the Scotiabank Arena last Tuesday but overcame the hot first half by the Toronto Raptors and the unique lineup combinations put forth by Nick Nurse to win via a 108-97 score. Middleton poured in 22, 17 of which came in the second half, and Giannis had 19 points, 19 boards, and eight assists in a rousing comeback against the East’s second-best team. That win gave them their 50th win on the year, and it isn’t even March.

As it goes for the resilient OKC, who decided at season’s beginnings that this wouldn’t be a rebuilding season of any sort, overcame a 19-point deficit to beat the Sacramento Kings in front of their thousand-plus patrons inside of Chesapeake Energy Arena.

You have to give Sam Presti and Billy Donavan a ton of credit for how this season has gone. Not only did Presti command a King’s ransom for Paul George and Russell Westbrook this offseason as they shipped both players to the Rockets and Clippers this past summer, but now his own team is merely a few games back in the loss column from the teams to which he shipped his players. This team’s balance is commendable and with the help of Danilo Gallinari, who pitched in a team-high 24 points in the win against Sacramento, it’s hard to not love how hard this thunder team plays, and just how fun they are to watch whenever they take the floor.

These two squads face off in the Fiserv Forum, Friday night at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

 

Feb 29, 2020 No Comments
OKC’s Thunderous Comeback Stuns The Sacramento Kings (112-108)

OKC’s Thunderous Comeback Stuns The Sacramento Kings (112-108)

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by | Feb 28, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder entered tonight trying to get their 5th win in a row. That task became a lot more reachable when the Kings ruled the talented young guard De’Aaron Fox out. The Kings were short-handed at the point guard position and played Cory Joesph tonight in Fox’s place. The new lineup definitely threw the Thunder off in the first half as the Kings were attacking the paint. The Kings are known for shooting a lot of 3 pointers per game and in the first half, they were successful in the paint. Harry Giles III was putting in some serious work and was giving the Kings a spark early. Harry Giles III was beasting in the paint as he was dunking and using his hook shot floater against Steven Adams. Harry finished with 19 points on the night and it made you think how explosive this team could of been with Fox healthy. The first half belonged to the Kings as they were up by 19 points on the Thunder. The Kings came out swinging and Harrison Barnes and Nemanja Bjelica combined for 39 points on the night but the majority of it was in the 1st half. The Thunder were getting caught on switches with Barnes and Bjelica and they took full advantage against the bigs on the perimeter. Another bright spot for the Sacramento Kings on the night was Buddy Hield who’s the hometown favorite because he went to OU. Buddy came into the game and hit 5-9 on 3 pointers to finish for 15 points. The Kings were in a battle down the stretch where they could have used more of Buddy. The timing of the plays down the stretch and the fact that there were no timeouts or dead ball whistles kept him out. Harrison Barnes was able to hit some big shots down the stretch but it was too late once the Thunder went on their 15-0 run on the way to the comeback. The Kings played an amazing game against the Thunder tonight they just need some more experience and they need to get everyone healthy. The Kings have a lot of promise moving forward as they have Marvin Bagley, Jabari Parker, and De’Aaron Fox who weren’t on the court tonight. The future is bright in Sacramento but tonight the Thunder got their 5th win in a row by attacking the paint and using the hot hands.

 

 

 

This OKC Thunder team has a lot of fight and that was on full display tonight against the Sacramento Kings. OKC always seems to take the toughest road to get a victory against teams they should beat. Tonight wasn’t any different as the Thunder were trailing by 19 points at one moment in the game. The Thunder were able to get into their offensive groove and it was led by Danilo Gallinari who finished the game with 24 points. It seemed like the Kings had no answer for Gallinari as he was scoring at will from the inside and outside. Gallinari used his length to get shots over the King’s defenders whenever he wanted too. When Gallinari sees the ball go in the basket once then he shoots thinking that it will continue to drop no matter what the shot attempt is. One thing that Gallinari has improved on this season has been the pump fake and driving to the rim. Players will always defend for the 3 point shot but Gallinari has added that drive to his game now and it’s working. As Gallinari was getting his game going that opened the door for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who finished with 20 points on the night. The confidence that Shai has played with lately has been amazing. Shai was attacking the paint and going at any King’s defender that was in his face. The growth in Shai’s game has been improving every game and he’s playing with two other guards that want to see him shine. Chris Paul and Dennis Schröder have been there helping Shai along the way while playing at a high level for themselves. Chris Paul had 17 points and Dennis Schröder finished with 13 points on the night. Chris was able to get his game going in the 4th quarter as he was able to hit a big-time 4 point play over Harry Giles III. Chris Paul has been the clutchest NBA player this season and he shows up in the big-time moments. This has been a season full of surprises and the Thunder has everyone watching them now. The OKC Thunder will be heading to Milwaukee to play against Giannis and the Bucks in a back to back as they try to get 6 games in a row tomorrow.

 

Feb 28, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors

SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors

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by | Feb 28, 2020 | Featured, NBA

For the second Thursday prime time game, the Golden State Warriors host the LeBron James-less Lakers, who own the league’s best record. Tip-off is at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

The Warriors have lost seven straight, and more importantly, those losses have come home in the newly-erected Chase Center. In the last meeting with the Lakers, however, Andrew Wiggins impressed in his Dubs debut with 24 points off 8-12 shooting. Though they fought hard to stay in it, they succumbed to LeBron’s heroics, ultimately losing by five in a 125-120 loss. Tonight may tell a different story for the Warriors, as LeBron James will take the night off with a sore groin, suffered after barraging the Pelicans for 40 on Tuesday night.

Though their year hasn’t been pretty with the Dubs losing key players to injury, the 12-win Dubs play with grit and aggression, and as they pushed the Lakers to the limit in their last matchup by out-hustling them, they forced 15 of the Lakers’ 24 turnovers that night. And just like any Steve Kerr-coached Warriors team, they shared the ball for a game-high 31 assists and swatted six attempts at the rim, all with guys like Eric Paschall, Omari Spellman, Jacob Evans III, and Damion Lee.

It is now being reported that Wiggins won’t suit up for tonight’s contest in San Francisco, but that won’t be an excuse for the energetic Warriors to not play hard for 48 minutes. Three weeks after the Lakers’ first-ever win against the Lakers outside of the legendary Oracle Arena, the Dubs are eager to snap their losing streak for some pride in a season where there is practically nothing to play for at this point.

And with some high energy, proper shot selection, and forcing the defense’s hand while aggressively driving the ball to get to the middle of the floor on the offensive end, maybe, just maybe, these Warriors can earn a gritty win against the West’s most majestic squad.

Feb 28, 2020 No Comments
SR – NB Prime Time Preview: Portland Trail Blazers at Indiana Pacers

SR – NB Prime Time Preview: Portland Trail Blazers at Indiana Pacers

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by | Feb 28, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The Portland Trail Blazers begin a three-game Eastern Conference road venture on Thursday against the Indiana Pacers, tipping off at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.

The Blazers, who have lost two of three games since the All-Star break, have not won on the road since January 31 (against the Lakers), which is largely due to the temporary absence of Damian Lillard because of a groin injury sustained before the break began in a road game against New Orleans. He is not traveling with the team and will miss Thursday’s game.

The last time the Blazers played the Pacers, the game was played in the confines of the Moda Center as Portland won the first matchup via a 139-129 score. Though Indy has been trying to get back on the winning horse by winning two of their last three, they’ve been a mediocre 3-7 in their last 10 games. However, they’re not easy to beat at home, with a 20-10 record at Bankers Life Fieldhouse this season to show.

Again, CJ McCollum will be called upon to carry the load for a team still awash with injuries to the pieces filling their skill positions, and with his 32 points, 10.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game since the break ended, he’s certainly tried his best to keep the ninth-seeded Blazers on their feet and running in the marathon that is the Western playoff hunt. In the last game against Indiana, he dropped 28 points. He’ll likely need to show that same level of productivity if the Blazers want to get over the finish line with a little under two months left in the regular season.

As for Indiana, the combination of Domantas Sabonis (18.3 ppg., 12.5 rpg., 5 apg.) who posted a triple-double in the last time they played Portland and TJ Warren (18.5 ppg., 3.8 rpg., 1.4 apg.) who is shooting a little over 52 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from three cause troubles to all defenses across the league. And add in Victor Oladipo, their All-Star caliber guard that is still being assimilated into Nate McMillan’s system after missing a full year due to a quad injury, and this Pacers team is still worthy enough to pose a threat to the higher ups in the East as we round the corner of this year.

Again, the battle of the sixth seed in the East and the ninth seed in the West takes place on TNT at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Feb 28, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Boston Celtics at Utah Jazz

SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Boston Celtics at Utah Jazz

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by | Feb 27, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The streaking Boston Celtics continue their road trip with a visit to the Vivint Smart Home Arena to battle the struggling Utah Jazz, live on ESPN at 10:30 p.m.

If there was a word that could describe just how dominant, confident, and frightening to guard Jayson Tatum has been over the course of his best month as a pro, I’d likely jot it down in this preview…but in truth, there isn’t. After toppling his career-high 40 points in a 2OT win over the Clippers before the All-Star break, Tatum would go on to drop 41 again on the Lakers on the road, and then drop 36 inside Portland’s Moda Center just last night. He’s been on a tear lately, and it’s paid dividends for a Celtics team that became the fifth team in basketball this year to touch 40 wins, further registering them as an elite squad and title contender.

Currently 3rd in the East and a game-and-a-half away from overtaking the 2nd spot in the conference, all while having a secure lead over third with their four-game lead over Miami. Boston has won eight of their last 10 games, and during this Western voyage, have begun to put the rest of the league on notice.

Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz have yet to be beaten by the Gordon Hayward Celtics, dating back to their sweep of the Celtics last year. But, that was last year. Currently, the Jazz are somewhat imploding, going 1-3 on their recent homestand with questions coming out of the Utah media regarding if Quin Snyder’s starting five are capable enough of being competitive in the West.

In a headline just announced this afternoon, Snyder reportedly decided to bump Royce O’Neale up into the starting lineup and demote the regressing Mike Conley Jr. to the sixth man role, usually reserved for O’Neale. And then, he refuted those statements, saying that Joe Ingles would be coming off of the bench instead of Conley. Their last loss at home was a 131-111 loss to the struggling lottery-bound Phoenix Suns. The Jazz allowed the Suns to shoot 56.3% from the field for the game. They also allowed the Suns to score 66 points in the paint, and to make 60% of their 3-point attempts.

If Utah is to right the ship against a Celtics team that will be without their All-Star point guard Kemba Walker for a fourth-straight game due to a sore knee, they’ll need an emptying of the arsenal from Donovan Mitchell, who’s done his best during a season that’s slipping away with his 24.4 points per game off 46 percent shooting.

The Celtics are looking to win their 2nd straight game while the Jazz are looking to avoid a 4 game home losing streak, and that tip-off will go down as soon as the Rockets and Grizzlies game concludes on ESPN.

Feb 27, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Memphis Grizzlies at Houston Rockets

SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Memphis Grizzlies at Houston Rockets

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by | Feb 27, 2020 | Featured, NBA

James Harden gets his much sought-after second shot at vanquishing rookie dynamo Ja Morant in Wednesday night’s first of two ESPN prime time games, as the Houston Rockets look to defend the Toyota Center against the Memphis Grizzlies, who already have an advantage in the win column against Houston this year.

You could say that James Harden and his Rockets took the next-generation Grizzlies lightly, as told by their defensive effort late in January 14th’s contest, a 121-110 loss to the young upstart franchise that is currently sitting at eighth in the West. In his words, Ja Morant feared no man, for they laced up the same kicks as he did, and that was evident in their last meeting with the Rockets as the ROY favorite scored a team-high 26 points in the rout. Harden was up to his usual scoring antics with a normal 41-point night, but he and the rest of the Rockets were humbled, to say the least.

But, as fortune would have it, things haven’t been so peachy for the eighth-seeded Grizzlies. Injuries have piled on to this young team, and their schedule is going to be tough to not only finish over .500 in but maintain their playoff spot, now only 2 1/2 games over Portland and four games over New Orleans. In their second matchup against Houston, both Brandon Clarke (quad) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee sprain) will be out of commission for tonight’s game, and that’s not all.

Memphis is still without the viable pieces of Justise Winslow and Grayson Allen — two of their best perimeter scorers and defenders. Head coach Taylor Jenkins will have to sort out minutes and lineup combinations against the small-ball lineup that has been giving defenses nightmares in the past two weeks.

These Rockets have thrown the collective basketball conscience for a loop. Now 5-1 after trading away Clint Capela to the Atlanta Hawks and acquiring Robert Covington as part of that massive, four-team, 12-player trade during the deadline a while back, they’ve excelled and defied all limitations on the offensive and defensive end as they’ve opted to play all 48 minutes center-less for the rest of the season.

Sliding 6’5 forward PJ Tucker at the five seemed maniacal, almost obscene considering how today’s pace and space style of play revolves around size mismatches, but Mike D’Antoni — I guess we can call him the “mad scientist of current basketball” — has devised such a unique and effective scheme, that it’s hard to guard when Harde, Russell Westbrook, and others go 5-out.

Regardless of however this game turns out, it’ll still be entertaining seeing Ja and Harden duke it out once more, and if we know one thing this time around, it’s that Morant’s certainly earned Harden’s respect.

Tip-off for this exciting duel of guards is at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Feb 27, 2020 No Comments