76ers Don’t Like Right; LA In Trouble? Thoughts From Day 7!
After 6 games of action from Day 7 of the NBA Restart, here are my thoughts for each team!
After 6 games of action from Day 7 of the NBA Restart, here are my thoughts for each team!
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies lost their 4th game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Grizzlies lost Jaren Jackson Jr. for the season with the loss of Jaren Jackson Jr. The Blazers and Spurs are hot on their tails and the Grizzlies are going to need every win they can get. And without Jackson Jr, the Grizzlies were still fighting very well. They were very competitive with the Jazz, but they lost in a close game.
Offensively the Grizzlies were good as they shot 47% from the field and 38% from 3. The Grizzlies were also 18/25 from the free throw line. The Grizzlies were getting the offensive rebounds as they had 9. The Grizzlies did have 14 turnovers as they did a relatively good job keeping the ball. The Grizzlies pounded the ball down low as they had 56 points in the paint.
Defensively the Grizzlies missed Jaren Jackson Jr. The Jazz shot 45% from the field and 40% from 3. The Grizzlies were fouling a lot as the Jazz were 30/33 from the foul line. The Jazz were also active on the offensive glass as they had 11 offensive rebounds. The effects of not having Jaren Jackson Jr. The Grizzlies did force the Jazz into 17 turnovers, which is always a good sign. The Grizzlies also limited the Jazz’s paint presence as they had just 36 points down low.
Dillon Brooks led the Grizzlies as he had 23 points. Jonas Valanciunas had 21 points and 14 rebounds. Ja Morant was marvelous as he had 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists. Grayson Allen had 20 points off the bench and Kyle Anderson had 12. But without the steady scoring of Jaren Jackson Jr, who was playing very well in the bubble, the Grizzlies missed that on offense.
Conclusion
The Grizzlies are now 0-4 in the bubble and they are now just 1 game in front of the 9th seeded Portland Trail Blazers. And with losing Jaren Jackson Jr, their 2nd best player, the Grizzlies chances to retain that 8th seed are very slim. The Grizzlies face 4 very tough opponents to finish out their schedule, and there is a possibility that they lose the 8th seed before the play-in games start.
Utah Jazz
The Jazz won their 4th game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Jazz played well in a loss to the Lakers last time out, and now they looked to get back on track against the young Grizzlies. And it seems that the Jazz have gotten better on offense without Bojan Bogdanovic. There have been times where they have been horrendous, and at other times they have been solid. But they used a balanced scoring attack to beat the Grizzlies.
On offense the Jazz were solid as they shot 45% from the field and 40% from 3 as they finally started to hit 3’s consistently. The Jazz took advantage of the Grizzlies fouling them 28 times as they were 30/33 from the line. The Jazz were active on the offensive glass as they had 11 rebounds. The Jazz did have 17 turnovers, which they should lower come playoff time. The Jazz didn’t have much of a paint presence as they had 36 points in the paint.
On defense, the Jazz were sub-par as the Grizzlies shot 47% from the field and 38% from 3. The Jazz fouled the Grizzlies 23 times and the grizzlies were 18/25 from the line. The Grizzlies had 9 offensive boards as the Jazz gave up far too many offensive rebounds. The Jazz didn’t force many turnovers as the Grizzlies only had 14. The Jazz had little resistance down low as the Grizzlies had 56 points in the paint.
Joe Ingles had 25 points and 5 assists as he showed out for the first time in the bubble. Mike Conley had 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists as well as he played a complete game. Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 16 rebounds and Donovan Mitchell added 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Royce O’Neale had 15 points and 7 rebounds as well. Jordan Clarkson added 14 points off the bench. Overall, the Jazz had a very balanced scoring night and this should be recipe for success in the future.
Conclusion
The Jazz are now 2-2 in the bubble as they are fighting to stop dropping in the Western Conference Standings. The Jazz finally shot well from the 3-point line as they had balanced scoring from their starters as well. The Jazz are learning how to play without Bojan Bogdanovic. The Jazz have a tough remaining schedule left, but they have been playing better so they will be able to compete.
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers won their 3rd game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The 76ers were facing the lowly Wizards, and they would be getting an easy win. Or so they thought. The 76ers didn’t have much energy and looked disinterested. The Wizards were within striking distance for most of the game, but the 76ers were able to hold on and win.
Offensively the 76ers were good as they shot 46% from the field and 38% from 3. The Wizards fouled the 76ers 26 times and the 76ers capitalized as they were 20/29 from the free throw line. The 76ers had 28 assists as they did a good job moving the ball. The 76ers had 14 turnovers as they did an ok job at not turning the ball over.
Defensively the 76ers were solid as the Wizards shot 42% from the field and 33% from 3. The 76ers fouled the Wizards 21 times and the Wizards were 19/24 from the line. The Wizards had 9 offensive rebounds as the 76ers gave far too many 2nd chance opportunities to Washington. The 76ers forced the Wizards into 15 turnovers.
Joel Embiid had 30 points and 11 rebounds to lead the 76ers. Tobias Harris added 17 points and 6 rebounds for the 76ers. Josh Richardson had 15 points and Shake Milton had 14. Furkan Korkmaz added 10 points off the bench. Ben Simmons had 8 points and 6 rebounds as he again struggled from the field. Simmons injured his knee in the 3rd, and did not return. But early reports suggest the injury is not serious.
Conclusion
The 76ers are now 2-1 in the bubble, but they haven’t been at tip-top form so far in Orlando. In their two wins they haven’t been playing as good as they are capable of. They have one of the talented rosters in the NBA, but something does not seem right. Ben Simmons has not been good at all in the bubble and Richardson and Milton have been hot and cold. The time off hasn’t changed much about the 76ers, but they better hope they can put this behind them and prepare for the NBA Playoffs.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets won their 3rd game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Nuggets were still without their 3 guards in Murray, Harris, and Barton. But the Nuggets have been good at adjusting without them. With Porter Jr. and Jokic leading the way, the Nuggets have stayed competitive. They were locked in a close game with the Spurs, but they managed to pull out the win.
Offensively the Nuggets were great as they shot 55% from the field and 39% from 3. The Spurs fouled them 20 times and the Nuggets were 18/21 from the line. The Nuggets had 14 offensive rebounds as they did an excellent job giving themselves 2nd chance opportunities. The Nuggets had 14 turnovers as they did an ok job taking care of the ball. The Nuggets did have 56 points in the paint as they pounded the ball down low.
Defensively the Nuggets were poor as the Spurs shot 50% from the field and 37% from 3. The Nuggets fouled the Spurs 21 times and the Spurs were 23/27 from the line. The Spurs had 10 offensive rebounds as the Nuggets gave up far too many 2nd chance opportunities. The Nuggets didn’t force many turnovers as the Spurs only had 7.
Michael Porter Jr. had 30 points and 15 rebounds as he has been incredible in filling in for the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic had 25 points and 11 assists as he was also great. Monte Morris had 19 points for the starters as well. Jerami Grant had 22 points off the bench for the Nuggets and PJ Dozier had 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists off the bench as well. So the Nuggets have been finding other guys to score the ball in the absence of their 3 guards.
Conclusion
The Nuggets are now 2-1 in the bubble as they have been very good without 3 of their guards. Scoring has been coming from other guys such as Michael Porter Jr. who has been great in this playing time. The Nuggets will have to continue to hold down the fort until their guards can come back healthy, but there have no negatives for the Nuggets here in the bubble so far.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs lost their 4th game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Spurs have been surprisingly good in the bubble so far as they were 2-1 coming into this game and right in the hunt for the 8th seed in the Western Conference. They lost a tough game to the 76ers last time out, and it a was game they should have won. Now they would have to face the short-handed but tough Denver Nuggets.
Offensively the Spurs were excellent as they shot 50% from the field and 37% from 3. The Nuggets fouled the Spurs 20 times and the Spurs took advantage as they were 23/27 from the free throw line. The Spurs had 10 offensive rebounds as they got plenty of offensive rebounds. The Spurs only had 7 turnovers as they took great care of the basketball. The Spurs had 56 points in the paint as they did a good job scoring down low.
Defensively the Spurs were sub-par as the Nuggets shot 55% from the field and 39% from 3. The Nuggets were 18/21 from the line as the Spurs fouled Denver 20 times. The Nuggets had 14 offensive rebounds as the Spurs did a poor job limiting the Denver to just one shot. The Spurs forced the Nuggets into 14 turnovers as they did a good job getting extra possessions for themselves.
Rudy Gay led the way for the Spurs as he had 24 points off the bench. Derrick White had 23 points and 7 assists as well. Keldon Johnson had 20 points off the bench and Patty Mills and Drew Eubanks were in double figures off the bench. DeMar DeRozan had 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. The Spurs have been really balanced in their scoring attack, and it makes them very hard to guard.
Conclusion
The Spurs are now 2-2 in the bubble, but they are still in contention for the 8th seed in the Western Conference. The Spurs have been playing very well as their team brand of basketball seems to be working very well. These last 4 games for the Spurs become very crucial as they try and sneak into the playoffs.
OKC Thunder
The Thunder won their 3rd game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Thunder were coming off of a tough loss to the Nuggets in overtime. The Thunder held a late lead, but their offense went cold and they lost the game. Now they were facing the Lakers, and the Thunder were up for the challenge. Their defense was superb and they cruised to their 2nd victory in the bubble (without Dennis Schroder).
Offensively the Thunder were ok as they shot 43% from the field but just 21% from 3. The Thunder had an off shooting night, but they are usually a pretty good 3-point shooting team. The Lakers fouled the Thunder 24 times and the Thunder were 32/36 from the foul line. The Thunder took good care of the ball as they had just 13 turnovers.
Defensively the Thunder were excellent as the Lakers shot 35% from the field and 14% from 3. The Thunder did foul the Lakers 23 times and the Lakers were 19/29 from the line. The Lakers had 10 offensive rebounds, and the Thunder should look to fox that and avoid giving teams any 2nd chance opportunities. The Thunder didn’t force many turnovers as the Lakers only had 11.
Chris Paul had 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists to lead the Thunder. Danilo Gallinari added 19 points and 7 rebounds. Steven Adams had 18 points and 7 rebounds. Luguentz Dort had 14 points as well. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists as well. All 5 Thunder starters were in double figures and they powered the Thunder to the win.
Conclusion
The Thunder are now 2-1 in the bubble as they continue to surprise everybody. Chris Paul has been the catalyst of a very good Thunder team and they have shown no signs of slowing down. The Thunder defense was the reason they won this game as they did an excellent job shutting down Anthony Davis and the Lakers could not hit a 3-pointer at all. A very good and encouraging came for the Thunder as they prepare for a deep playoff run.
LA Lakers
The Lakers lost their 4th game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Lakers were coming off a win against the Jazz in which Anthony Davis was dominant. The Lakers looked to replicate that against a very good Thunder team. But the Lakers came out slow and they never got into a rhythm. Anthony Davis and Lebron James were held in check and the Lakers were abysmal from the perimeter. The Lakers did not look good out their and they suffered their 2nd loss in the bubble.
Offensively the Lakers were terrible as they shot 35% from the field and 14% from 3. The Lakers were 19/29 from the free throw line in one of the bright spots offensively. The Lakers had 10 offensive rebounds, but rarely converted on their 2nd chance opportunities. The Lakers didn’t turn the ball over much as they had just 11 turnovers.
Defensively the Lakers were also poor as the Thunder shot 43% from the field and 21% from 3. But the Lakers were fouling a ton as the Thunder were 32/36 from the free throw line. The Lakers didn’t force many turnovers either as the Thunder had just 13.
Lebron James had 19 points and 11 rebounds in a good-bad game for him. Dion Waiters had 14 points and Kyle Kuzma had 10. Other than that nobody scored in double figures. Anthony Davis had 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. This is unacceptable for the Lakers. When Davis is quiet, they struggle. They need Davis to be like he was against the Jazz or they will struggle in the playoffs.
Conclusion
The Lakers have been so hot and cold in the bubble. Some games they look solid as Anthony Davis and Lebron James control the game, but in their two losses they are abysmal. Lebron James is playing like 2011 Finals Lebron because he is being too passive. Anthony Davis is either a top-5 player or non-existent in the bubble as he has been great and horrible. The Lakers can’t seem to make anything that is not in the paint. If you thought that the Raptors game was blip on the chart, it’s not. The Lakers have had two games like this and now the question arises, are they ready for the playoffs?
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors won their 3rd game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Raptors came into this game winners of their first two games in the bubble with impressive wins against the Lakers and the Heat. Now they faced the Magic. And they ran circles around them. This game was not close until late in the game, but the result of the game was never in question.
Offensively the Raptors were great as they shot 49% from the field and 36% from 3. The Magic fouled them 26 times and the Raptors capitalized as they were 21/30 from the free throw line. The Raptors did have 15 turnovers which they should look to lower come playoff time. The Raptors pounded the ball down low as they had 52 points in the paint.
Defensively the Raptors were good as well as the Magic shot 40% from the field and 27% from 3. The Magic were also 18/26 from the free throw line. The Magic didn’t turn the ball over much themselves as the Raptors only forced 13 turnovers. The Raptors locked down the paint as the Magic only had 40 points in the paint.
6 Raptors scored in double figures led by Fred VanVleet who had 21 points and 10 assists. Pascal Siakam added 15 points and 6 rebounds. Norman Powell had 14 points off the bench. Marc Gasol had 13 points and 6 rebounds as well. OG Anunoby and Serge Ibaka were also in double figures. Kyle Lowry had a near triple double with 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists. Another very balanced box score for the defending champs.
Conclusion
The Raptors have looked very sharp in the restart as they are now 3-0 in the bubble. Their roster of very talented guys like Siakam, Lowry, VanVleet and others have been playing very well together. Their defense has been top tier and they look very ready for the NBA Playoffs to start.
Orlando Magic
The Magic lost their 4th game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Magic were playing pretty well in the bubble as they came into this contest 2-1 after a loss to the Pacers. Now they faced the defending champion Toronto Raptors, a rematch of their 1st round matchup last season. And similarly to the game against Indiana, the Magic were never in this one. The Raptors were on them from the start and despite what the final score said, this was never close.
Offensively the Magic were bad as they shot 40% from the field and 27% from 3. The Magic were 18/26 from the free throw line. The Magic also had 8 offensive rebounds. The Magic took good care of the ball as they only had 13 turnovers. The Magic didn’t score much in the paint as they only had 40 points down low.
Defensively the Magic were also bad as the Raptors shot 49% from the field and 36% from 3. The Raptors were also 21/30 from the free throw line. The Magic did force Toronto into 15 turnovers which is good, but the Magic couldn’t stop the Raptors down low as they had 52 points in the paint.
Evan Fournier had 15 points and Terrence Ross added 15 points as well. Nikola Vucevic had 12 points and 9 rebounds and Wes Iwundu had 11 points off the bench. Other than that the Magic had little to no scoring from anybody else. Aaron Gordon was quiet with just 9 points as was DJ Augustin who had 9 points himself. The Magic struggled mightily on offense.
Conclusion
The Magic are now 2-2 in the bubble after 2 back-to-back bad losses to Indiana and Toronto. The Magic came out slow and the Raptors took advantage. The Magic were never in this game, and they lost in unsurprising fashion.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics won their 4th game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Celtics were coming off of a tough loss to a good Miami Heat team. The Heat were short-handed without Jimmy Butler and on the 2nd night of a back-to-back, but the Celtics still lost. Now the Celtics would be without Kemba Walker who was resting his knee against the Nets. But the Celtics dominated this game nonetheless against a inferior Nets team.
Offensively the Celtics were great as they shot 57% from the field and 51% from 3. They were also 29/35 from the free throw line. The Celtics had 29 assists as they did a great job moving the ball around. The Celtics took care of the ball as they only had 14 turnovers. The Celtics had 48 points in the paint as well.
Defensively the Celtics were ok as the Nets shot 47% from 3 and 25% from 3. The Nets were also 17/21 from the free throw line. The Celtics forced the Nets into 17 turnovers as they got lots of transition shots. The Nets dominated the Celtics down low as they had 72 points in the paint.
Jaylen Brown had 21 points to lead the Celtics. Jayson Tatum added 19 points. Gordon Hayward was solid with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Robert Williams had 18 points and 5 rebounds in 19 minutes as he was amazing off the bench. Marcus Smart had 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. Daniel Theis and Brad Wanamaker were also in double-figures for Boston. A very balanced scoring attack from the Celtics.
Conclusion
The Celtics dominated against the Nets as they got back in the winning column. The Celtics are now 2-2 in the bubble and are looking good in their time in Orlando. With Tatum and Brown at the helm along with their supporting pieces, the Celtics could be a problem in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
What Are Your Thoughts/Opinions From Day 7 of the NBA Restart? Leave a Comment Down Below!
My Game-Day Report From Day 8 of the NBA Restart will be posted later tonight, so stay tuned!
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