76ers Lose Again & Are The Hawks Ready To Contend? 2.13.21
It’s a weekend of NBA hoops, and we have 5 games on the schedule today.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Phoenix Suns
Philadelphia 76ers
This was another game the 76ers could have won, but their bench was very poor and they couldn’t keep up with Devin Booker and the Suns. In the first half, the 76ers played well. Embiid and Simmons were both aggressive, and both teams weren’t shooting well from 3, something that favored the 76ers. But the 76ers bench was getting ripped by guys like Dario Saric and Cameron Payne, as the Suns bench was really the only reason the game was close. And in the 2nd half, Booker got going. In the 3rd the Suns started to hit 3’s, and then Booker started to hit shots. The Suns pushed the lead to double-digits, and even with Joel Embiid going berserk, it was just too much to overcome. Philly falls to 18-9 on the year.
Joel Embiid had 35 points and 8 rebounds on 12/23 shooting.
Tobias Harris had 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 7/9 shooting.
Ben Simmons had 18 points and 6 rebounds on 6/9 shooting.
I have a few problems with the 76ers. First of all, Tobias Harris should have gotten more shots. He got in going in the 3rd, and then just didn’t get the ball in the 4th for some reason. Him and Curry should be getting more shots, as it seems like it’s just Embiid. The 76ers kept trying to post up Ben Simmons, instead of letting him drive, something that worked very well in the first half. The 76ers bench is awful, as they just haven’t been able to score without Shake Milton on the floor. Their bench has to be able to score and not let teams comeback into games like the Suns did in this game. The 76ers only shot 17 3’s, which is weird because they were shooting it pretty well from 3. Philly isn’t as good as their record suggests, as they have some flaws that have begun to show when they play good teams. Philly takes on the hottest team in the league next in the Jazz.
Phoenix Suns
This was another good win for the Suns, as their bench was excellent and they played very good on offense all-around. In the first half, it was Devin Booker and the bench. Booker was able to score even with Ben Simmons on him, and the Suns bench was great. Guys like Cam Johnson, Crowder, Payne, and Saric did a great job bringing the Suns back into this game. And then the Suns starters got going in the 3rd. CP-3 and Booker got some jumpers to fall, and the Suns kept piling it on. They took a double-digit lead in the 4th, and they just outpaced the 76ers even when Joel Embiid was hitting everything. The Suns are now 16-9 on the year.
Devin Booker had 36 points and 5 rebounds on 14/23 shooting, 24 pts in 2nd half.
CP-3 had 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists on 8/13 shooting.
Dario Saric had 15 points on 5/10 shooting off the bench.
I love the way the Suns used Booker. Booker was quiet when Simmons was guarding him, but when it was anybody else they went to Booker. And he was making the 76ers pay in that 2nd half as he and Paul were formidable in the back-court. DeAndre Ayton needs more touches on offense, but he had his hands full with Embiid. But the Suns bench needs props. They dominated the 76ers bench, as they were the main reason the Suns won this game. Dario Saric made a big splash in his return against his former team, as he was shooting well, and playing solid defense on Embiid. Crowder and Johnson combined for 17 points, and E’Twuan Moore continues to be a reliable scorer. Now that the Suns got their whole bench back, they are scary. They are good on both ends, and a tough matchup for most in the league. Phoenix takes on the Orlando Magic tomorrow.
Indiana Pacers vs Atlanta Hawks
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers got back to what they do best in the 4th, as they dominated the 4th quarter in this game to pull away. In the first half, the Pacers offense was rolling. Sabonis was doing everything, scoring, rebounding, and passing. He led the way for 62 points in the first half for the Pacers. But the Hawks frontcourt kept the Hawks in the game, as the Pacers really couldn’t stop Collins or Capela. In the 3rd, the Pacers got sloppy and lost some energy, as the Hawks started to pull away. And then the Pacers exploded in the 4th. The game was tied at 105 with 5:12 left, and then the Pacers went on a 13-0 run, led by guys like Aaron Holiday who came up big in the 4th. The Pacers scored 41 points in the 4th, outscoring the Hawks by 15 to get the win as they improve to 14-13 on the year.
Doug McDermott had 26 points on 9/16 shooting.
Myles Turner had 19 points and 10 rebounds on 6/11 shooting.
Aaron Holiday had 18 points on 7/11 shooting off the bench.
Domantas Sabonis had just 2 points in the 2nd half, and the Pacers still scored 63 points in the 2nd half. Doug McDermott has been so good as a cutter off screens in addition to his shooting, as Indiana has made him a weapon. Turner was solid, and Aaron Holiday came up big in the 4th, and really started their run. 6 Pacers were in double figures, including all 5 starters. The Pacers did a great job on Trae Young, and forced the other Hawks to beat them. Good all-around win for the Pacers, especially considering Brogdon and Sabonis didn’t play all that well. Indiana takes on the Bulls next.
Atlanta Hawks
This is another game that young Hawks just have to win, but their inexperience hurt them a lot in the 4th as they just seemed to run out of gas. In the first half, Trae Young just fed the Hawks frontcourt of Collins and Capela, as they combined for 20 points. The Hawks were very paint oriented, and it was working. In the 3rd, the Hawks 3’s started to fall more consistently and their defense was good at forcing turnovers. The Hawks took a lead into the 4th, and then things got ugly. The Hawks pushed their lead up a bit in the 4th, but Aaron Holiday and the Pacers came roaring back to tie the game with 5:12 left. After that, the Hawks didn’t score for 3 minutes, and the Pacers went on a 13-0 run that ended the Hawks chance at a win. Atlanta falls to 11-15 on the year.
Clint Capela had 24 points and 10 rebounds on 12/17 shooting.
Danilo Gallinari had 20 points and 7 rebounds on 7/14 shooting off the bench.
Cam Reddish had 18 points on 6/10 shooting.
The Hawks just run out of energy sometimes. They didn’t have energy at all in that blowout loss to the Spurs, and they just kind of shut down in the 4th. If it wasn’t a a free throw, Trae Young couldn’t make anything in this game as he was ice cold. The Hawks got good production from everybody, as 6 guys were in double figures. But Young struggled and their defense was pretty poor especially in that 4th. The Hawks are starting to look like last years team a bit. Talented, no doubt. But they are so young they lack that instinct that good teams have to just close out games. And they’ll have to learn that or at least be better at it if they want to win. Atlanta has lost 6 of their last 7 games, as they take on the Knicks next.
Houston Rockets vs New York Knicks
Houston Rockets
Yeah, the Rockets need to get healthy. No Wood and no Oladipo hurt them in this game. Their offense struggled throughout, and they fell behind big. While the cut the lead a bit in the 3rd, the Knicks pulled away late. Gordon and Wall were good, combining for 50 points. The rest of the team struggled. Houston was just 8/43 from behind the arc, and they allowed a very poor Knicks team to shoot 52% from the field and score 120+ points. The Rockets have struggled lately in large part due to their healthiness, as they are now 11-15. Houston takes on the Wizards next.
New York Knicks
The Knicks looked good on both ends, even without Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks 3-PT shot was falling, and it opened everything up for them. The Knicks led for most of this game, as they were in control. 6 Knicks were in double figures, including 3 guys off the bench. Randle was solid, as was Quickley off the bench with 22 points. RJ Barrett didn’t shoot well, and the Knicks still played well. D-Rose added 16 points, as he had been a great addition scoring-wise. If the Knicks can score and can pair that with their great defense, they will be good. The Knicks take on the Hawks on Monday.
Brooklyn Nets vs Golden State Warriors
Brooklyn Nets
This is what the Nets can be with some-what good defense. They looked good with a small-lineup defensively, although the Warriors were also small, so take this with a grain of salt. But the Nets played really well. James Harden was dropping dimes. Threading the needle, throwing full-court passes, the whole 9 yards. He was very good. Bruce Brown was getting layup after layup, as he was open a lot. Durant and Irving were solid as well. Joe Harris hit some 3’s, and Jeff Green was solid off the bench. Now I know they need Deandre Jordan against bigger teams, but if other teams go small, the Nets should also go small as they were so good on both ends. Their offense is good, but they looked really good with something resembling defense. The Nets improve to 16-12 on the year, and they take on the Kings next.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors just couldn’t make open shots. Yes the Nets were playing good, physical defense, but the Warriors were missing open shots. They shot 27% from 3 in this game, as they just couldn’t make anything. Steph Curry was good, but his outside shot wasn’t falling. Wiggins, Oubre, and Paschall were good, but if the Warriors hit their 3’s this game would have been closer. The Warriors kept leaving guys like Jeff Green and Bruce Brown open on rolls to the rim, and it resulted in easy points. The Nets got so many transition points and layups, as the Warriors were just of lazy in that 2nd half.
Miami Heat vs Utah Jazz
Miami Heat
Yeah, this wasn’t the best showing for the Heat. Their offense was just so bad. In the first half, their defense was excellent as they were forcing the Jazz inside the 3-PT line, as the Jazz couldn’t make 3’s. But even though Utah shot 3/21 from 3 in the first half, the Heat still trailed. They would just have stretches where they couldn’t score. Rudy Gobert was clogging the lane, and the Heat just couldn’t go anywhere. And then the Heat had a very bad 3rd quarter. The Jazz started the 3rd on a 16-0 run, that opened up a 21-point lead. The Heat didn’t score in the 3rd until the 5:51 mark. And it was game over from there, as their offense couldn’t pull their weight in this game. Butler and Adebayo were poor in this game, as the Heat could not generate anything. Very ugly game for the Heat, as they fall to 11-15 on the year. They will have to do better than 94 points to win a game, as no matter how good their defense is they can’t afford to play that poorly on offense. The Heat take on the LA Clippers next.
Utah Jazz
It’s sure wasn’t pretty, but the Jazz fought through the tough Miami defense in the 2nd half to win this game. In the first half, the Jazz couldn’t make anything from 3. They were 3/21 from 3 in the first half, as they relied on the inside more. But their defense was great in that 1st half, as was really the reason that they had the lead. And in the 3rd the offense came alive. Donovan Mitchell started a 16-0 run for the Jazz that blew the game open, as the Jazz didn’t allow the Heat to score for half the quarter. The Jazz cruised to a win, as their defense really won them this game. Nobody played really well offensively for the Jazz, but Rudy Gobert had 3 blocks as he towered over the Heat on defense. I think that this was a great game for the Jazz, because it proves they can win more of a defensive game, a game that is slowed down. Instead of a fast-paced 3-PT shootout, they played more methodical and relied on their defense, which makes them even more scary. The Jazz are 18-1 in their last 19 games, and they’ve won their last 6 games to improve to 22-5 on the year. The Jazz have another tough test with the 76ers next.
What Are Your Thoughts From The 5 Games Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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