SR- NBA Primetime Preview: Los Angeles Lakers at Philadelphia 76ers

by Marcus Van Diver | Jan 26, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The West’s very best Los Angeles Lakers attempt to finish off their road trip stong as they travel to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the second Saturday primetime game of the season, live on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The Sixers’ tough stretch is approaching expeditiously, starting out with the “King”-led Lakers, who appear much different than their 2018 version. They’ll have to deal with stopping not only James but arguably the best teammate he’s ever had in Anthony Davis. This perfectly-healthy team treads into Philly going 2-1 on the week, with the lone loss coming by way of a Celtics 32-point beatdown on MLK Day.

Barely escaping the resurgent Knicks with an eight-point win in MSG, and a consecutive blowout of the Brooklyn Nets and James former teammate Kyrie Irving that saw James drop another triple-double as if it was part of the schedule, they walk into Philly with their 36-9 record while looking to be one step closer to being one of the only teams that’ll touch 40 wins at this point in the season.

For Philadelphia, it’s been a tale of complete opposites, as they’ve seemed to choke on their aspirations of winning the East a little too much, incongruent from the predictions of all media experts at season’s beginning. Ranked as the sixth seed in the East, they’re rolling into this one as a team that’s really just trying to survive the rest of the season while undermanned, since Josh Richardson is unable to go tonight due to a lingering hamstring problem.

They’re still waiting for Joel Embiid to at least return to full, 5v5 practice from his ligament damage in his hand that’s kept him out for the last two weeks, but as it seems, the Sixers are still maintaining that confidence in Ben Simmons, who has been the central force of all things offensively. Though Toronto found a way to slow him down a bit in their 2nd loss inside the Scotiabank Arena just last week, other pieces like Tobias Harris and Al Horford need to step up if they’re to make this one look competitive.

For a team that many speculated would be locks in the NBA Finals picture, this Sixers team has been overwhelmingly disappointing now 3 quarters in the season, but all is not lost. If Philly can get out the gates hot, and Ben Simmons can break down the middle of the Lakers’ injury-impacted frontcourt, that usually causes the shift in energy for his supporting cast as Horford, Harris, and others find a way to knock down their shots. Expect pieces like Matisse Thybulle and Furkan Kormaz to make their imprint on the matchup early and often, as the two rotational pieces have been the biggest surprise in Philly’s season thus far.

And again, for the second week in a row, Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy will be there to pitch their commentary and usual takes for another Saturday Primetime battle, live on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Jan 26, 2020 No Comments

OKC Thunder’s Season High 140 Points More Than Enough To Handle The Hawks (140-111)

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by Travis Singleton | Jan 25, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The hometown kid Trae Young was back in town fresh off the announcement that he will be starting in the All-Star Game. It was pretty much a storybook moment as he was able to share the announcement with family and friends in Norman, OK. Trae didn’t play the last game but fought through his injury to make sure he was able to play against his hometown OKC Thunder. The game didn’t start the way that Trae Young wanted as Lugentz Dort was able to defend him well. Billy Donovan put Dort on Trae Young early to try to get Trae off his game with the bigger defender. The Thunder defense was doing a great job on Trae Young and the defense set the tone in this game. Oklahoma City’s one of the best teams in the league when it comes to scoring off turnovers. The Thunder make other teams pay and it uses happens in the paint. Tonight the Thunder punished the Hawks in the paint as they scored 62 points and dominated in the pick & roll. When the Thunder gets the pick & roll it opens up for an easy alley-oop opportunity like they did tonight with Nerlens Noel. This OKC team was extremely balanced tonight as they had 7 players in double figures and they made the Hawks pay from downtown. On the night the Thunder shot for 56% from the 3 point line and at one point they hit 4 of them in a row. When the Thunder plays with this type of confidence and chemistry they’re a very scary team to go against. Chris Paul only played 28 minutes on the night as the Thunder were in command all night long. In those 28 minutes, CP3 finished with 18 points and 5 assists. It’s clear that Chris Paul’s leadership has been on full display and the players respect him because of the way they communicate on the court. When a player makes a mistake or a misread CP3 helps them with adjustments. The Thunder has young talent and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has taken full advantage of the spotlight. Some of the layups that Shai has been able to make and the angles he makes them at are impressive. On the night the Hawks didn’t know what to do with Shai when he went to the basket and played aggressively. On the night he finished with 24 points and he was able to get into the teeth of the defense anytime he wanted too. The other players that made a huge impact on the game were Dennis Schröder and Danilo Gallinari who finished with a combined 36 points on the night. Both Dennis and Danilo have an offensive game and they both were mismatches all night for the Hawks who couldn’t contain anything the Thunder did tonight. The Thunder were able to beat them up inside and outside while executing the gameplan to hold Trae Young in check if possible. Tonight was a complete effort from the Thunder as they were able to make things happen in all phases of the game as a unit.

The Hawks weren’t able to get anything going in that second half against the OKC Thunder. Atlanta does have some bright spots in their franchise as their 3 young studs stepped up tonight. On the game, John Collins had a game-high 28 points as he was punishing the rim and showed some range hitting 3’s. Another player that was able to shine tonight for the Hawks who has a bright future was Cam Reddish who finished with 20 points off the bench. Cam Reddish has shown some signs of playing like a true force and if he can continue to get his jumper at a consistent level this Hawks team can be special. Trae Young was able to get his game going in that second half as he was able to show why he’s an All-Star starter in Chicago this year. Trae was able to score 26 points on the night and he was doing what he always does. Trae was hitting his shots inside and outside but the Thunder were willing to live with it because of the difference in the score. The Thunder had a gameplan and that was to limit Trae and make the others step up and in the beginning, it looked like it wasn’t working until they pulled away. The future is bright in Atlanta and you can tell that this team is another All-Star away from really making some noise in the East.

The Thunder will be playing against the Minnesota Timberwolves tomorrow on the second end of the back to back. If the Thunder can continue to shoot at this rate they should be able to continue that climb in the playoff race.

Jan 25, 2020 No Comments

Sr – NBA Primetime Preview: Los Angeles Clippers at Miami Heat

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by Marcus Van Diver | Jan 25, 2020 | Featured, NBA

Friday’s NBA on ESPN actions kicks off with a bang, as the visiting LA Clippers are healed up from their load management and look to roll out a healthy starting five against the Miami Heat. The battle between the West’s most arduous defensive juggernaut and the East’s most tedious mismatch on D takes place at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, and for these two squads who are starting to get their bearings about themselves as we enter the final stretch of waiting for the All-Star break in mid-February.

By the way this season has transpired, Miami is practically indestructible when they play in the confines of their American Airlines Arena, now with a league-best 20-1 home record with their only loss coming by way of the Lakers back in December. This 31-13 team is nothing to be meddled with, and for a Clippers team that crashed back down to earth following a head-scratching loss to the Atlanta Hawks (who didn’t have Trae Young) while they decided to rest their prominent starters in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for their Load Management strategy, this is not a team to take lightly.

They have won four of their last five and have been backed the tremendous play of Kendrick Nunn, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro, and they’re menacingly deep, with former nobodies like Duncan Robinson quickly becoming household names. It hasn’t just been Jimmy Butler leading the charge for this young Heat team, but a collaborative effort by each and every piece of Erik Spoelstra’s squad pitching in to secure the second-best record in the East.

As for the Clippers, the need to bounce back from an embarrassing loss to a team with the league’s worst record is something Doc Rivers hopes was just a tiny blemish on the intimidating persona this Clippers roster displays on a nightly basis, now getting Kawhi Leonard back in the active lineup. It’s looking like Patrick Patterson will start in place of Paul George as game time approaches, so Rivers’ combination of Patterson, JaMychal Green and Montrezl Harrell will have to replicate the usual 23.5 ppg. that George contributes to the Clips on a nightly basis.

Tonight’s game features the unstoppable road force in the Clippers squaring up against the unmovable home object in the Heat in what should be some hearty Friday night entertainment for all NBA fans to revel in and enjoy.

Tip-off is at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN.

Jan 25, 2020 No Comments

SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Dallas Mavericks at Portland Trail Blazers

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by Marcus Van Diver | Jan 24, 2020 | Featured, NBA

For game two of Thursday’s TNT doubleheader, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks head up to the Pacific Northwest to better their 27-16 record by a game against the slipping Portland Trail Blazers, who are now a full seven games under .500 with a 19-16 record at 10:30 p.m. on TNT.

Fresh off topping his own franchise record for points in a game, Damian Lillard’s 61 points against the Warriors in an OT win back on MLK Day this past Monday was just something of lore, you’d have sworn if you witnessed it in person. Hassan Whiteside pitched in with a double-double of a 17-point, 21 rebound contribution, lessening a bit of Lillard’s workload from carrying the team to their 19th win.

It’s been numerous times that Dame looks as if he’s the only driving force behind this Blazers team that’s in sniffing distance to a first-round playoff visit with their loss margin only being in the single digits. And fortunately, Lillard’s contributions have not been ignored, according to the Blazers’ free-agent activity in the past few days.

Bench depth has been a sore spot for Portland, but a key acquisition by the name of Trevor Ariza could be the mending bandage that’ll hold until Portland is at least able to get some of their forwards back into Terry Stotts’ rotation. Injuries have been the name of all of Portland’s issues this season, and apparently, with one gaze at the injury report for this game, they aren’t getting better anytime soon.

CJ McCollum’s is out, as Lillard’s backcourt accomplice suffering an ankle injury in the loss to this Mavericks team last week and without him, the task to keep up the momentum built up from Monday’s win is possible, but a lot more difficult as Lillard will have to rely on the combination of Anfernee Simons (9.4 ppg., 2.6 rpg., 1.5 apg. as a rookie) Gary Trent Jr., and Mario Hezonja to supply some help.

As it goes for the Mavericks who sit at 27-16, they’re winners of four of their last six, with two of those losses coming by way of the Clippers, and tonight’s opponent the Trail Blazers. They’re not injury-abstinent either, for it’ll be up to Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle to concoct some new rotations in the wake of Dwight Powell going down with a season-ending Achilles tear in Tuesday’s loss to the Clippers, which is obviously going to be a big blow for a team that’s destined to compete in this year’s playoffs.

Now selected as an All-Star for the first time, Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic dropped 36 points, snagged 10 rebounds and dished out 9 assists in a near triple-double effort in the loss to LAC. Replicating what Powell brought to Dallas on a nightly occurrence (9.4 ppg. off 63.8 percent shooting) with the tandem of Maxi Kleiber and others is a tall task to ask for, but given the circumstance of Portland’s lack of depth when it comes to size down low, Dallas feels they should fare just fine in spacing the floor on both levels so their backcourt rotation composed of Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr., Seth Curry, and Dorian Finney-Smith can get theirs as well.

This rematch between two likely playoff teams (if the Blazers can get healthy and over the .500 mark first – small steps are important, too) should be a fun one, as injury, ailment and all hasn’t seemed to slow down Damian Lillard from touching at least 30 points per contest yet. Expect to see some fireworks with two of the league’s most offensively-gifted players battling it out for four quarters on TNT, soon after the Lakers and Nets game concludes.

Jan 24, 2020 No Comments

SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Los Angeles Lakers at Brooklyn Nets

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by Marcus Van Diver | Jan 24, 2020 | Featured, NBA

Well at this point in the season, is it even possible that anyone could be out of touch to know how much drama has circulated throughout the media airwaves in the past couple of days surrounding the two superstars, and old adversaries, set to duel on TNT tonight at 8:15 p.m.? The Lakers are on their road trip from this weekend’s Grammy Awards vacating their home abode in the Staples Center, and so they’ve set sail out East to take on some opponents in the opposite conference as the Brooklyn Nets in the Barclays Center are up next on the Lakers’ schedule.

In what was certainly the most startling result of the season, the 35-9 Lakers’ Eastern voyage started out as rocky as one could imagine, getting absolutely pulverized to smithereens by 32 from the lone team they’re hoping to equal in franchise titles this year in the Boston Celtics, and then just so happened to squeezy by the talent-defunct Knicks in MSG. Tonight’s third contest is against a Nets team that’s recent headlines emanate any salient news but what is happening on the court.

So to summarize: last week (or this week, your perspective) Kyrie Irving made some head-turning comments in trying to equate his “insightfulness” and “strife” to that of Martin Luther King, saying criticisms toward his direction are similar to what Dr. King had to endure and that with him being out for several weeks, he is still being attacked from prognosticators and skeptics.

And aside from all of that, his Nets have not been playing the best basketball, now 1-5 since Kyrie’s return to the hardwood. Thursday night marks the 12th time these two prolific stars, once teammates for three years (and 2016 world champs, to reaffirm) face-off in what is to be a pretty entertaining battle between two teams that look to end their weeks on a high note. The Lakers must feel a big sense of confidence, especially in regards to LeBron’s 9-2 all-time record against his old Point Guard.

Against Kyrie, James has been known to put on some clinics, averaging a whopping 25.5 points per matchup. Irving lone wins against James came when he donned Celtic Green and white, winning once against LeBron as a Cavalier in 2018 and once as a Laker in 2019. Yet this season, as much of a turbulence-filled ride it’s been for this newly-assembled Nets team, Irving has averaged 26.5 points per game, as the increase of those numbers faced an impediment due to Irving’s seven-week, 26-game absence as result of a shoulder impingement.

The 18-24 Nets look to right the ship against a Lakers team that, albeit has the best record in the West, is on a bit of an identity crisis as they are still wading the trade waters and seeing who is worth keeping around for LA’s playoff hunt in the third quarter of the season. And be sure to catch all the action at 8:15 p.m. on TNT.

Jan 24, 2020 No Comments

Top 15 Kicks Worn During Week 13 of NBA Season

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by Brendon Schunck | Jan 21, 2020 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers

Week 13 in the NBA was packed with heat on the court. Lebron James is still at it, hurting feelings wearing colorways of current and past models that the public has no chance of getting their hands on. Kyrie Irving is back in action and sporting some never-before-seen P.E.’s of his sixth model. The Jordan XXXIV’s are seeing more and more P.E. mock-ups hit the hardwood in what are most of the time met with fanfare. Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to wear sleek iterations of his first signature sneaker.

In surprising fashion only two Kobe models made our Top 15 countdown this week, largely in part due to Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, and Jordan Brand athletes all rocking heat in the same week. A brand new Nike basketball model was debuted by one of Nike’s budding young superstars. Martin Luther King Jr. day brought out some past Nike “BHM” hits as well as some meaningful customs. Will P.J. Tucker take home the top spot this week or did Lebron James wear an unreleased colorway that was just too good to ignore? Find out below in our Week 13 countdown.