Oklahoma City Thunder Dominate The San Antonio Spurs In Rout (131-103)

Oklahoma City Thunder Dominate The San Antonio Spurs In Rout (131-103)

Featured

by | Feb 24, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder were coming into this game feeling good after their win against the Nuggets Friday. The Thunder didn’t miss a beat in this game as they came out on fire. This was the first time in OKC Thunder history that the team had 8 players in double figures in a single game. It’s safe to say that this Thunder team is stacked and they’re growing right before our eyes. Since the All-Star break, Steven Adams has been a complete beast and he continued that tonight against the Spurs. Adams was able to be a complete monster in the paint tonight as the Spurs Aldridge and Poeltl couldn’t do much to contain Big Kiwi. Steven Adams was able to get his flip shot going and he was catching alley-oops throughout the night. The way that Steven Adams has been playing sets the tone for what the OKC Thunder wants to do when it comes to attacking the paint. Adams finished the game with 21 points and 14 rebounds on the night. When Adams plays like this it gives the team another scorer that the opposing team needs to worry about. While Adams was scoring and rebounding like a monster he needed a break and when that happened Nerlens Noel filled right in perfectly. Nerlens chipped in with 10 points and had 5 blocks on the night. Anything that the Spurs tried to put up in the paint against the Thunder it seemed as though Noel wanted to block it. When both bigs Adams and Noel are dominating the paint like they did tonight it makes it tough on the other team and opens things up for the Thunder.

 

 

With so many players on the Thunder going off tonight it gave the guys like CP3 & Gallinari a chance to get some rest. Both combined for 24 points on the night and played only 25 minutes roughly. It was a breath of fresh air to see all the other Thunder players step up showing what this team is capable of offensively. One of the bright upcoming players for the Thunder balling as of late is Luguentz Dort. One of the things that have stood out about Dort’s game is the fact that he’s on a two-way contract playing with the utmost confidence. Everyone raves about his play on the court and you can see a lot of grit and grind. Dort was able to have his defense turn into offense tonight against the Spurs. Tonight he finished with 15 points on the night and was able to make some key plays that gave the Thunder some separation. When you play with that much confidence anything is possible and Dort has proven that he belongs in the NBA. The Thunder has a young core of players and it’s led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who can score on any possession with ease. Shai was able to score 22 points on the night and he was attacking the paint and beating the Spurs with his first step. The future is bright in OKC with Shai continuing to grow every time he steps on the court. The Spurs had no answer for the Thunder on both ends of the court and it was extremely noticeable. The Thunder has some young legs compared to the Spurs who have some older veterans that weren’t able to hang in transition. If OKC can continue to play at this pace and the way that they’ve come together with chemistry it will be tough for anyone to get them out. This team has shown a lot of growth and they believe in what Billy Donovan has been coaching and it showed tonight and this whole season.

 

 

The San Antonio Spurs had a rough tonight and it started with their leading scorer LaMarcus Aldridge who finished with 8 points. Aldridge has always been a thorn in the side of the Thunder in his career but tonight was different. The combination of Adams and Noel made it a little tough on Aldridge but also he missed some shots that he usually hits to his credit. The Spurs just had a tough start to the game as Dejounte Murray got 2 fouls in the first 40 seconds of the game. Once the Spurs were without their leading playmaker who’s coming off of 2 back to back games with 20+ points that can throw a wrench into any situation. The Spurs didn’t really recover after losing Murray and they missed a lot of shots that they usually make against opposing teams. The Spurs depended on the 3 point line but it wasn’t nice to them at all knowing that they’re a mid-range shooting team. The Spurs shot 11-38 from the 3 point line tonight and it hurt their chances after trailing by as much as 28 points in the game. Rudy Gay was the leading scorer for the Spurs tonight with only 14 points.  It was clear the Thunder wanted to eliminate the Spurs’ main scorers and they wanted the other guys to step up which didn’t happen. DeMar DeRozan struggled tonight as well as shooting 4-12 from the field for only 11 points. This game wasn’t the best for the Spurs and they will look to bounce back from this while the Thunder will take this 3 game winning streak into Chicago.

 

Feb 24, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Philadelphia 76ers at Milwaukee Bucks

SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Philadelphia 76ers at Milwaukee Bucks

Featured

by | Feb 23, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The duel between the self-proclaimed “Best Player in the World” Joel Embiid meets the actual league-wide superior Giannis Antetokounmpo in an Eastern four-quarter war between the Philadelphia 76ers and hosting Milwaukee Bucks, live on prime time airwaves at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Looking back at this season, while Milwaukee stormed out of the gates to play the role of the league’s most horrifying team to have to line up against on any given night, they’ve flourished with the Association’s most outstanding record while looking like the runaway favorites to run the East for this year and probably beyond. And for Philadelphia, they’re just about the same, but not when you look at their grotesque, nauseating and downright confusing 9-19 record away from the Wells Fargo Center. So, what better stroke of luck for these Sixers than to start their first road venture since the All-Star Break’s conclusion in the Fiserv Forum, where they were stomped by 11 in their last visit to frigid Milwaukee.

Now we know these games to be stocked to the brim in emotions; Sixers GM Elton Brand specifically devised this roster to equal the size, wingspan, and height of the forest-like Bucks, but rather than produce a carbon copy of Mike Budenholzer’s genius lineups that have generated the best average scoring margin of any team in the league, Philly hasn’t quite hit the mark on replicating the excellence they were predicted to have before their season tipped off.

When they snatched Al Horford away from the Celtics, they thought they concocted the quintessential Giannis Antetokounmpo antidote to stop him from terrorizing defenses inside the paint, (with Preseason DPOY candidate Joel Embiid’s help, additionally) ultimately opting for height-favored lineups and high pace to outrun, outrebound and lock down the Bucks from outside in transition. And it for sure looked so in their first shellacking of the Bucks on Christmas Day in a 121-109 home win, in which Antetokounmpo had one of his worst shooting games from deep of the season — a seriously inefficient 30-point game from the league MVP.

And then Game 2 on February 6 happened. Giannis exacted the perfect revenge when he exploded for 36 points, the threes fell like dominoes, Philly let the Bucks bigs go ballistic in allowing 48 points scored under the bucket, and further mishaps on the road caused anxieties among fans and media personalities on whether Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons can co-exist on a championship-caliber team that really looked inept in their ability to space the floor enough for Horford, Embiid and Simmons to work.

Now for the current events: the Bucks welcomed back NBA activity on the road with a 20-point smackdown of the rebuilding Pistons in which Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped a regular 33 points in 32 minutes, two-time All-Star Khris Middleton couldn’t be guarded in his 28-point night, and the rest of the ex-Bucks now donning Pistons blue and red were dealt a 126-106 loss courtesy of the NBA’s talk-of-the-town organization.

Meanwhile, Philly further upheld their 25-2 home record in a resounding comeback from down as much as 20 points to the Nets in a 112-104 OT win that didn’t even see Ben Simmons suit up due to a back tightness ailment, as Joel Embiid put the Sixers on his back in an efficient 39-point masterclass.

Of course, he exclaimed that he was the best player on the planet in a postgame interview, further adding more bulletin board material for tonight’s clash of two teams that could very well meet in May during the Eastern Conference Finals if things shape up for the Sixers in their final 26 games of the year.

Feb 23, 2020 No Comments
Chris Paul’s 29 Point Performance Helps The OKC Thunder Past Denver (113-101)

Chris Paul’s 29 Point Performance Helps The OKC Thunder Past Denver (113-101)

Featured

by | Feb 22, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder finished up their All-Star break and came back home to a big matchup against the Nuggets. The Denver Nuggets currently are second place in the Western Conference and OKC wanted to prove they can compete with the best.  Both teams were very competitive throughout the game and it came down to making shots and ball security. The Thunder were able to use the three-guard lineup to throw a wrench in the Nuggets plans. Billy Donovan had the advantage tonight with the lineup of Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Dennis Schröder. When the Thunder plays with that lineup they have ball handlers and playmakers that are looking for that extra pass. Tonight OKC was able to use the quickness and playmaking against the guard play of Jamal Murray and Monte Morris. The first half didn’t go as planned for Chris Paul as he only finished with 9 points in the first half but he continued to encourage his team. In the second half of the game that’s when CP3 showed up in a big way hitting highly contested shots against the defense. Chris Paul finished with 29 points on the night and it didn’t matter who was guarding the 35-year-old he was lights out. When Paul gets his jumper going in while being able to attack he will have you on your heels all night. Chris Paul was able to use the switches to get mismatches with Jokic where his quickness was on full display. CP3 shot 11-17 from the field and was able to pick his spots wisely throughout the night. No one on the Nuggets team was able to keep up with Chris Paul on the night in that second half.

 

 

On the night this was one of the most complete games from the Thunder as they had 7 players in double figures tonight. When the Thunder gets this type of production from their other players this team is very hard to beat. Steven Adams had a huge game tonight against Jokic in the paint as they battled all night. Steven Adams finished with 19 points and 17 rebounds on the evening. It seemed as though Steven had the whole package working tonight as he was able to dominate in the paint. Adams had the flip shot working and he also was able to go 5-6 from the free-throw line. When Adams has his whole game on full display it doesn’t matter what anyone does because he’s that strong. Shai and Dennis both combined for 22 points on the night. It was a quiet night for both of them combined but the Thunder still were able to come out on top with the win. That just shows how good this team really is especially when the team doesn’t play at their full potential they can still win.

 

 

The Nuggets played a great game but just couldn’t stop the Thunder late down the stretch. On the night the Nuggets leaned on Nikola Jokic as he finished with a game-high 32 points. Jokic showed exactly why he’s an all-star in this league as he was able to beat the Thunder inside and out. Jokic’s game is very skilled and he was able to take Steven Adams outside his comfort zone a couple of times beyond that 3 point line. The Thunder made it a true effort to try to limit Jokic’s offensive touches but it didn’t work out. One thing that did work was the fact that the Thunder played very good perimeter defense, especially at the 3 point line. The Thunder were able to hold them to 22% from the 3 point line. Oklahoma City was able to shut down players on the Nuggets as they only had Jamal Murray, Will Barton, and Nikola Jokic lead the scoring. It’s a clear fact that if you’re going to try to beat the Thunder it needs to be a full team effort. The Thunder defense has stepped up and it carried over to their first game back from the all-star break. The Nuggets weren’t able to get any good looks down the stretch as the Thunder made the defensive adjustments. The Thunder will be hosting the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday as they try to get to 35 wins on the season.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Zach Beeker/Getty Images

Feb 22, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers

SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers

Featured

by | Feb 22, 2020 | Featured, NBA

Injury concerns have been the prevalent topic of the Blazers’ season, and now the Lillard-less Portland Trail Blazers look to defend home court against Zion Williamson — A.K.A the 19-year-old human bulldozer — in their first game back from the All-Star Break. With Lillard expected to be out for at least 1-2 weeks, the Blazers are now expected to piece together a winning formula against teams without their flamethrowers at the guard spot. What better test to see how far they have to go to look the part of a multidimensional faction than to play against a multifaceted team like New Orleans?

The Pels are no stranger to untimely ailments to their star pieces, especially since their coveted No. 1 pick and purveyor of hope for the franchise’s future, Williamson, was forced to miss the first three months of the regular season due to him rehabbing a knee after meniscus surgery. But, now that he is perfectly healthy and spry, he’s reaching unmarked heights in his first couple of weeks in the NBA.

Zion Williamson has played in ten NBA games, and he’s already averaging 22.1 points and 7.5 rebounds. Crazy, we know. In the last time these two teams faced off before the break, Williamson went off for 31 points and snatched nine rebounds off the glass in the Pelicans win as they inched closer to challenge for the eighth seed in the West. Of course, the main point of emphasis on the defensive end will be to shut Williamson down to the best of their ability, but on offense, it’ll have to be the CJ Mccollum show if the Blazers want to make things interesting tonight.

Where Portland gets their Lillard fill-ins on offense is to be determined, but if they are to go 2-1 on the season series against New Orleans, they cannot replicate their abysmal 13.8 field goal percentage and 24.1 percentage from deep, that for sure.

Tip-off for ESPN’s second Friday night game is at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Feb 22, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder

SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder

Featured

by | Feb 22, 2020 | Featured, NBA

For the first NBA competition on ESPN since the conclusion of the All-Star Break, prime time cameras will go live from the rural city of Oklahoma as the sixth-seeded Thunder attempt to defend Loud City against the second-best team in the West, the 38-22 Denver Nuggets, live at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Coming into this one, both teams have undergone a seismic transformation into playoff contenders that surely didn’t happen overnight. Oklahoma City was dealt with the hand of reality that involved starting anew without Russell Westbrook for the first time in franchise history as they entered an uncharted zone of the rebuilding process, and for the first time as outsiders of the playoff hunt. This year, however, has been nothing nearly equivalent to that batch of early-season divinations.

As the sixth-best team in an unforgiving conference that is the West, this Thunder team has clawed, scratched, and fought with grit en lieu to their 33-22 record. And astonishing as that record sounds, it’s justified the same way on the court. Danilo Gallinari is sniping the three-ball at a 40.7 percent clip, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (19.5 ppg.) is worthy of being trusted as the Thunder franchise cornerpiece of the near and ever-present future, Steven Adams is still impossible to box-out and out-rebound, and the ageless wonder Chris Paul (17.4 ppg.) can still ball.

Frankly, it was not supposed to be this way, and Thunder fans can attest to that. After undergoing that tectonic shift of emotions that regarded the selling of Paul George to the Goliathic Clippers OKC started their fire sale after acquiring a wheelbarrow of picks this past Summer as a result of the trade, which kickstarted the campaign to get brand new pieces and reshape the entire philosophy of the organization, which many speculated would take years.

Now, with less than three full months of regular-season competition, OKC is in a tight throttle with Dallas for the sixth seed, but that’s not the point. The fact is that, they’re in the conversation of sliding into the playoff picture without hassle for another year, and all they did was rid themselves of two (three, if you count Carmelo Anthony) All-Stars in a matter of a couple of seasons.

Tonight, Denver’s first task out of the break is no easy, kind-of-welcome-back-to-NBA-action type of affair. They find themselves playing a division rival on the road Oklahoma City after resting up and getting all of their players healthy, and since both teams will be on the positive side of the injury spectrum, intriguing matchups like Jamal Murray vs. Chris Paul, SGA vs. Gary Harris, and Steven Adams vs. Nikola Jokic will all go down tonight in the first of two ESPN games on Friday night.

Feb 22, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors

SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors

Featured

by | Feb 21, 2020 | Featured, NBA

Houston (34-20) makes their second appearance in San Francisco and this time, look for some redemption as they go head-to-head with the Warriors (12-43)  for the third time this year, tipping off at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

It’s really a shame we as NBA fans won’t get the treat of seeing Steph Curry have yet another duel with James Harden and the Houston Rockets since that formalized into being one of the finer regional rivalries that this league has seen in the past five years. And for another year, most media prognosticators traced every step and action that both Curry and Harden have made, often circling advantages that the more physically-gifted Harden has over a 2x MVP.

And of course, we know how the story has gone: James Harden, as the starting guard of the Houston Rockets, has yet to beat Wardell Stephen Curry in a single playoff series. Ignoring the goliath-like rosters that Curry has had created around him in the past half-decade, the tables may have finally turned in Harden’s favor, as he will be graced with the blessing of going against a talent-deficient Warriors roster that will be without the likes of Andre Iguodala and Kevin Durant for the foreseeable future.

And for this season, though only suffering one weird, uncharacteristic loss to the Warriors on Christmas Day, Harden is likely to smell blood in the water, as he and Russell Westbrook not only lead the NBA in backcourt scoring as a starting duo but have somehow revolutionized the game overnight, it seems, with this improvised brand of positionless, small-ball offense. Now, 5-out sets are harder to mirror on the defensive end if oppositions roll out both zone and man coverage schemes.

Tonight’s game will feature another test for this brand of ball: the healthy Warriors play with grit and have multiple skill positions filled by guys like improving rookie Eric Paschall, tenacious rebounder Omari Spellman, team leader and defensive savant Draymond Green, and new Warrior Andrew Wiggins (who came by way of Minnesota via the D’Angelo Russell trade) who has almost rebirthed his game after seeing greener — and much, much warmer –pastures in the Bay.

Ex-Rockets like Marquese Chriss will get another chance to prove that the Rockets were wrong for not wanting to keep him on the roster. And Damion Lee certainly remembers his Christmas Day game against the Rockets when he dropped 22 points and 15 rebounds to go with a perfect night from the free-throw line.

So though the Warriors aren’t without their stars in Curry, Thompson, and Russell, the Rockets are still looking for their first win against Golden State that won’t be inside the defunct Oracle Arena. If it comes tonight, this will positively kick-off a soft spot on the Rockets schedule, as their next nine opponents will have losing records, and what better way to start it against the team that terrorized them with the small-ball offense with a taste of their own medicine.

Feb 21, 2020 No Comments