Playoffs Day 15 And The Raptors Stay Alive! 9.3.20
The 1st round is officially done and now we have two semi-finals matchups today.
The 1st round is officially done and now we have two semi-finals matchups today.
The Brooklyn Nets shocked the world as they signed Steve Nash as their next coach. Nash was one of the greatest point guards during this playing days, but he has no coaching experience. But he was a very smart player. It’ll be interesting to see how this team plays next season with KD and Kyrie.
Ja Morant has won the Rookie of the Year Award. No surprise here.
Kendrick Nunn of the Heat finished 2nd and Zion Williamson finished 3rd.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors won Game 3 against the Boston Celtics. Here is what I thought about their performance.
After falling behind 0-2 in this series, a Game 3 victory was needed in order to keep their season alive. And the Raptors fought hard in this game. But they fell behind by 10 at halftime and it looked like they were going to lose. But after a good 3rd quarter, they cut the lead to 4 entering the 4th. The Raptors now had just 1 quarter to come-back and win. But the Raptors couldn’t get a lead as they trailed 101-97 with 1:41 left in the 4th. But after scores from Lowry and VanVleet, the game was tied at 101. The Raptors needed one stop to force OT. They harassed Kemba Walker on the perimeter, but he made an incredible pass to Daniel Theis down low to score with just 0.5 seconds left. The Raptors has lost. The Raptors had just 0.5 seconds to score, and 7 foot 5 Tacko Fall was guarding the inbound. The Raptors couldn’t find anybody, but Kyle Lowry floated a perfect pass to the opposite corner. The pass found wide open OG Anunoby and he nailed the 3 that gave the Raptors a 104-103 win. The Raptors trail 2-1 in this series.
Offensively the Raptors were great as they shot 47% from the field and 33% from 3. Toronto was also 9/16 from the free throw line. Toronto turned the ball over 13 times. The Raptors also had 48 points in the paint.
Defensively the Raptors were were poor as Boston shot 47% from the field and 31% from 3. Boston was also 16/21 from the free throw line. The Raptors forced 14 turnovers. Toronto also allowed 48 points down low.
Kyle Lowry had 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. Fred VanVleet had 25 points and 6 assists. Pascal Siakam added 16 points and 7 rebounds. OG Anunoby had 12 points and 10 rebounds and the game-winner. Marc Gasol had 10 points and 6 rebounds as well.
Conclusion
Similar to Milwaukee in Game 2 yesterday, the Raptors weren’t playing particularly well. But they kept fighting throughout the 4th quarter. And when they trailed by 4 with over a minute left in the 4th, they didn’t give up. That last play design was perfect and they gutted out the win. Lucky or not, the Raptors won this game and now they need to win Game 4 in order to tie it up at 2-2. A great momentum boost for this team that desperately needed it, and now lets see what the rest of this series holds.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics lost Game 3 against the Toronto Raptors. Here is what I thought about their performance.
After two very good wins to start this series, the Celtics looked to firmly end it with a Game 3 victory. The would need a good game on both sides of the ball in order to do so. And in the 1st half the Celtics looked very good as they led by 10. But in the 3rd that lead went down to 4. In the 4th, give Boston credit for holding that lead. They led 101-97 with 1:41 left. But they allowed two layups from Lowry and VanVleet in order to tie the game. On their final possession, they gave the ball to Kemba Walker. Walker danced around the perimeter and got by the double-team of Toronto. He made a beautiful no-look pass to Theis for the easy score with 0.5 seconds left. The game was over. Just one stop to end the series. They put 7 foot 5 Tacko Fall on the ball. They had all 4 players guarded. Except OG Anunoby. Anunoby was wide open in the left corner and he drilled the 3 at the buzzer to give the Raptors the win. The Celtics lead 2-1 in this series.
Offensively the Celtics were great as they shot 47% from the field and 31% from 3. The Celtics were 16/21 from the free throw line. Boston turned the ball over 14 times. Boston also had 48 points in the paint.
Defensively the Celtics were poor as the Raptors shot 47% from the field and 33% from 3. Toronto was also 9/16 from the free throw line. The Celtics forced 13 turnovers. Boston also allowed 48 points in the paint.
Kemba Walker had 29 points for Boston. Jaylen Brown had 19 points and 12 rebounds. Jayson Tatum added 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. Marcus Smart had 11 points and 5 rebounds as well.
Conclusion
Similar to the Heat, they played 46 minutes and 20 seconds of excellent basketball. They controlled this game and never let the Raptors into it. But their late game execution was terrible. And especially the Celtics, who are very good at late-game execution with all the great coaching and talent that they have. But the Celtics will now have to focus on Game 4 as they can’t allow the Raptors to tie this series. Now with a big game ahead of them, lets see how Boston responded.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets lost Game 1 to the Clippers. Here is what I thought about their performance.
After a epic 7 game series vs the Utah Jazz, the Nuggets had a quick turnaround as they faced the well-rested LA Clippers. I expected the Nuggets to be tired and they would not look like the same team as they did in round 1. And I was right. The Nuggets were facing a much better team in the Clippers and they would have a much harder time against this team. After a good 1st quarter in which the Nuggets scored 31 points, it all fell apart after that. The Nuggets lost 120-97 as they trail 0-1 in this series.
Offensively the Nuggets were ok as they shot 42% from the field and 25% from 3. Denver was also 18/27 from the free throw line. Denver had 12 offensive rebounds. The Nuggets had 15 turnovers. Denver also had just 36 points in the paint.
Defensively the Nuggets were terrible as the Clippers shot 57% from the field and 42% from 3. LA was also 14/17 from the free throw line. The Nuggets forced 14 turnovers. The Nuggets got pounded down low as they allowed 62 points in the paint.
Nikola Jokic had 15 points. Paul Millsap had 13 points and 9 rebounds. Jamal Murray had 12 points and 6 assists. Jerami Grant added 12 points. Monte Morris had 12 points off the bench.
Conclusion
After that 7-game series vs the Jazz, the Nuggets met a very good, well-rested Clippers team. And they got destroyed. After that 1st quarter, they scored just 66 points the rest of the way. The Nuggets will likely lose this series because they have given all they could against the Jazz. We’ll see how the Nuggets look in Game 2.
LA Clippers
The Clippers won Game 1 against the Nuggets. Here is what I thought about their performance.
After beating the Mavericks, the Clippers got some time off to rest and get healthy. And that time off got Patrick Beverley back on the floor. And with their fully healthy roster together for just the 13th time during the season, the Clippers rolled. After the 1st quarter, both the Clippers offense and defense took off as they dominated this game in all facets. LA won 120-97 as they lead 1-0 in this series.
Offensively the Clippers were excellent as they shot 57% from the field and 42% from 3. LA was also 14/17 from the free throw line. The Clippers turned the ball over 14 times. The Clippers also had 62 points in the paint.
Defensively the Clippers were good as Denver shot 42% from the field and 25% from 3. Denver was also 18/27 from the free throw line. The Clippers allowed 12 offensive rebounds. The Clippers forced 15 turnovers. LA also allowed 36 points in the paint.
Kawhi Leonard had 29 points. Paul George had 19 points and 7 rebounds. Marcus Morris added 18 points and 5 rebounds. Lou Williams had 10 points off the bench and Montrezl Harrell had 15 points off the bench as well.
Conclusion
The Clippers dominated this game against a very tired Nuggets team. After the 1st quarter, the Clippers took over. Kawhi Leonard continued his great play, and LA got great contributions from Paul George and Marcus Morris. It becomes very tough for the Clippers to be stopped if they play like this. With their healthy roster for just the 13th time this season, the Clippers looked good. Look for more of this as this series continues and look for more dominance in Game 2.
What Are Your Thoughts From The Day 15 of the Playoffs? Leave A Comment Down Below!
My Thoughts On A Few Topics From Day 15 Will Be Posted Tomorrow, So Stay Tuned!
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