Mitchell Wins It For Utah; Portland Upsets The Lakers! 12.28.20
It’s a Monday and we have 5 games of NBA action. Ja Morant and the Grizzlies travel to Brooklyn to take on KD and Kyrie. Damian Lillard and Portland heads to Hollywood to take on Lebron and the Lakers.
Detroit Pistons vs Atlanta Hawks
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Pistons come into this matchup 0-2, after losses to Minnesota and Cleveland. The Cleveland game was one that they should have won. They blew a lead in OT, and then eventually lost in double OT. Blake Griffin aren’t suiting up, meaning it’ll be a lot of Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee, and a lot of rookies. The Hawks have one of the best offenses in the league, as they are currently 3rd in scoring. Trae Young has been superb to start this season, and he has a solid supporting cast. Still no Kris Dunn or Onyeka Okungwu, or Danilo Gallinari, but Rajon Rondo and Clint Capela will be playing in their first games as Hawks. This Hawks team is very deep and talented, and they should be winning this game.
Thoughts On The Detroit Pistons
The Pistons without Rose or Griffin didn’t look half bad, as we got to see more of their young talent. Jerami Grant continues to look excellent, and Josh Jackson is reviving his career with a good performance tonight. Saddiq Bey looked solid in the starting role, but Killian Hayes again struggled from the field. But not a terrible outing saying they they’re playing mostly young guys, and playing one of the most explosive offenses in the league. Detroit starts the year 0-3.
Jerami Grant had 27 points and 6 rebounds on 9/20 shooting.
Josh Jackson had 27 points on 11/19 shooting.
Delon Wright had 18 points and 5 rebounds on 5/9 shooting off the bench.
The Pistons have been in close games this season, but they haven’t been able to win. The Jerami Grant signing has been excellent, and Josh Jackson is finally looking something like a top-5 pick. Saddiq Bey looked good in his first start, and Killian Hayes has some adjusting to do, but he a great mentor in Derrick Rose. Delon Wright off the bench is excellent, and if they can incorporate Griffin and Rose as well, the Pistons are looking good for the future.
Thoughts On The Atlanta Hawks
This Hawks offense is amazing. Trae Young has been efficient and superb to start this season. Clint Capela made his first start, as he anchors this offense. Collins, Hunter, and Reddish are also solid for this starting lineup. Rondo off the bench brings them some passing and veteran leadership. Bogdan Bogdanovic looked much better today than against Memphis. And the Hawks have been doing this without Danilo Gallinari, their big free agent pickup. I’m very impressed with this Hawks team, as they have started 3-0.
Trae Young had 29 points and 6 assists on 6/13 shooting.
Bogdan Bogdanovic had 17 points on 6/10 shooting, 5/7 3-PT off the bench.
John Collins had 15 points and 5 rebounds on 4/7 shooting.
This Hawks team is explosive, and they haven’t even been healthy to start the year. Clint Capela is still getting healthy, and Danilo Gallinari has only played in one game. 6th overall pick Onyeka Okungwu hasn’t been healthy, and Kris Dunn will be healthy down the line. This Hawks team has started off very hot, and I don’t think they will slow down, as they are looking like a playoff team.
Memphis Grizzlies vs Brooklyn Nets
Pre-Game Thoughts: It’s been Ja Morant and everybody else for Memphis. They have struggled without Jaren Jackson Jr, and now they play one of the best teams in the NBA, a title contender as well. The Grizzlies are at the obvious talent disparity, and this will likely be another rough game for them. The Nets lost a close game to the Hornets yesterday, and they will be undermanned. KD and Kyrie won’t be playing on the second night of a back-to-back, and Spencer Dinwiddie partially tore his ACL, and that will require surgery. Now this matchup becomes a lot more even in terms of talent, and I think that Memphis will win this game.
Thoughts On The Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies won, but at what cost? Ja Morant came down very hard on his left ankle, and looked to be in excruciating pain. He didn’t return to the game, but is wasn’t a fracture, and he will be re-evaluated in the coming days. But Memphis continued to fight without their franchise player on the floor. The 4th quarter was back and forth, and nobody could gain an advantage. Caris Levert missed at the buzzer, and we were headed to OT. In OT, nobody scored. Memphis scored with 4:42 left to put them up by 2, and then nobody scored until 1:43 when Brooklyn tied the game at 108. The Nets took the lead with under a minute to go, but Brandon Clarke scored on the tip-in to give Memphis a 112-111 lead with 39 seconds left. Memphis played great defense, and they hit their free throws late to win 116-111, their first win of the year.
Kyle Anderson had 28 points and 7 rebounds on 9/17 shooting.
Dillon Brooks had 24 points and 7 rebounds on 9/19 shooting.
Brandon Clarke had 16 points and 7 rebounds on 6/11 shooting.
The Grizzlies fought tooth and nail against this Nets team, and they did a great job staying in this game without Ja Morant. Brandon Clarke looked very good off the bench, as they need him to look like he did last season. Brooks and Anderson continue to play very good, and they hope for the best on the Ja Morant injury. But a win is a win, as Memphis gets their first of the year.
Thoughts On The Brooklyn Nets
The Nets were very undermanned, and I don’t think much of their loss here. They didn’t have Dinwiddie (knee injury), Durant and Irving (rest). And I liked that they kept this game close, when they could have just played meh. Caris Levert, TLC, and Joe Harris did a good job carrying the load for the starting lineup. The Nets are 2-2, but I really don’t think much of this loss.
Caris Levert had 28 points and 11 assists on 12/29 shooting.
TLC had 21 points and 6 rebounds on 7/17 shooting.
Joe Harris had 14 points and 8 rebounds on 5/13 shooting.
The Nets are now 2-2, but I’ll make evaluations when they have their best players on the court. I like what I saw from TLC, and he could be a good bench piece going forward. With Dinwiddie being out for an extended period of time, it’s good to see some people audition to fill in for him. Brooklyn welcomes Atlanta next.
Utah Jazz vs OKC Thunder
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Jazz have had one great win, and one big loss to start the year. They have looked like two completely different teams, but I do expect them to get on track vs OKC. The Jazz might not have a surplus of depth, but they are clearly the more talented roster in this matchup. The Thunder somehow won their first game, even though they nearly blew a 13-point lead in under two minutes. But don’t get it twisted, this team is bad and rebuilding for the future. This should be a win for Utah as they look to get back on track.
Thoughts On The Utah Jazz
The Jazz started this game off slow, as they shot just 25% from 3 in the first half. But they got things going in the 4th, when it mattered most. With 7:30, Utah trailed by 7. Then Utah scored 11 straight points to take a 4-point lead. With 1:04 left, they lost that lead from a Lu Dort 3. With 14.5 seconds left, Utah went to their All-Star. Down by one, Mitchell got into the paint and scored with 7.0 seconds left to give Utah the lead. Utah got a final stop, and they got their 2nd win of the season in close fashion.
Bojan Bogdanovic had 23 points on 8/17 shooting.
Mike Conley had 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists on 8/15 shooting.
Donovan Mitchell had 20 points and 5 assists on 8/23 shooting.
The Jazz had a tough time with the rebuilding OKC team, but again, a win is a win. Utah’s offense got back on track as they shot 50% from the field and 36% from 3 with 13 3-pointers made. Donovan Mitchell didn’t shoot particularly well from the field, but he had help from Gobert, Bogdanovic, and Conley. The Jazz haven’t been incredibly consistent this season, but they are 2-1.
Thoughts On The OKC Thunder
The Thunder are doing it again. Last season when they were supposed to be rebuilding, they made the playoffs. This season, when they were really supposed to be rebuilding, they have won a close game and lost a close game. This team doesn’t know how to lose. The game was close throughout, but they couldn’t stop Donovan Mitchell down the stretch. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort have been doing great things in the back-court, as they might have their franchise back-court in place already. Al Horford and George Hill have been playing well this season, as OKC tries to develop guys like Theo Maledon, Darius Bazley, and Aleksej Pokusevski. OKC is 1-1 on the year.
Lu Dort had 26 points on 9/11 shooting, 5/7 3-PT.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 23 points and 7 assists on 9/21 shooting.
George Hill had 14 points and 5 rebounds on 5/13 shooting.
This OKC team continues to play better than they are supposed to. The back-court combo of Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Lu Dort have been excellent to start this season. The Thunder need to continue to develop their young guys like Theo Maledon and Darius Bazley. I still think that OKC should be rebuilding, but playing hard never hurt anybody. Still expecting a bottom finish for this OKC team in the West.
Houston Rockets vs Denver Nuggets
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Rockets looked good against Portland, even with them having 4 guys on the roster you knew about. James Harden and Christian Wood looked amazing to start the year, and nearly carried Houston to a win. But they are still without Gordon, Wall, and Cousins, meaning they will need some more big performances. The Nuggets have started the season 0-2 because of poor defense and Jamal Murray starting slow. They need more from him and this defense, along with finding some more scoring off the bench (Bol Bol?) But Denver has a more filled out roster, and I think they will win this one.
Thoughts On The Houston Rockets
Yeah, maybe the Portland game was a fluke. The Rockets might have been able to contend with one playoff team, but they weren’t able to stay close with this Nuggets team. The Nuggets started off hot with a 10-point lead, and Houston never got back into the game, as they were dominated. With most of their best players outside of Harden and Christian Wood not playing, this was a mismatch. Houston falls to 0-2 on the year after a 13-point loss to Denver.
James Harden had 34 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists on 10/16 shooting.
Christian Wood had 23 points on 9/20 shooting.
Outside of Houston’s dynamic duo, this team is bad without Wall, Cousins, and Gordon on the floor. There’s only so much you can do against this very well-balanced and well-coached Nuggets team. Houston is now 0-2 on the year, as they just have to wait until their full roster is healthy. Houston welcomes Sacramento to town next on Thursday as they get a long rest, a chance for their roster to finally be at full strength.
Thoughts On The Denver Nuggets
This is what Denver can look like at their best. The Nuggets started off this season 0-2 after not playing that well, and this was a statement game, as they got their first win of the year. 6 guys were in double figures for Denver, including all 5 of their starters. Jamal Murray finally played well, as he was efficient and really gave this Nuggets offense another element. If Murray and MPJ can play something like they did in the bubble, this Denver team will be very dangerous.
Jamal Murray had 21 points and 5 rebounds on 7/14 shooting.
Paul Millsap had 19 points on 7/8 shooting.
Nikola Jokic had 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 18 assists on 8/11 shooting.
This Nuggets team really wanted to get their first win of the year, and they did it in dominant fashion. Nikola Jokic had an absurd triple-double, shooting 73% from the field. Jamal Murray played his best game of the year, as did Paul Millsap. And to have MPJ being a secret weapon, is so valuable to this team. This is why the Nuggets could again make a deep playoff run. I just need to see these type of performances more. Denver travels to Sacramento to play the Kings on Tuesday.
Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Lakers
Pre-Game Thoughts: Portland had their hands full with Houston, but they did a pretty good job. They have a lot of bodies to through at Lebron, and they of course have their star-studded backcourt. Carmelo Anthony won’t be playing, which does hurt Portland’s bench a bit, but others will have to step up. AD is playing, which is a problem. He is an excellent rim protector and the Blazers can’t really defend him well. The Lakers looked great without AD against Minnesota, and now they get him back. They have the more talented roster than Portland with LBJ, AD, Schroder, Harrell, Kuzma, and Gasol all playing well. I think that the Lakers will win this game.
Thoughts On The Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers are looking like contenders after beating this Lakers team. Portland trailed early on, but 16 points from Gary Trent Jr. in the first half gave Portland the lead at halftime. The Lakers went on a 15-0 run in the 3rd, but Portland pulled back and only trailed by 1 entering the 4th. The Blazers and Gary Trent tried holding the lead, but the Lakers roared back to take the lead with 5:34 left. But then Damian Lillard scored 8 points and CJ added 3 more to give Portland a 8-point lead with 1:36 left. Jusuf Nurkic’s jumper with 20 seconds left sealed the win for Portland, as they improve to 2-1 on the year.
Damian Lillard had 31 points and 5 assists on 10/16 shooting, 21 points in the 2nd half.
Gary Trent Jr. had 28 points on 10/14 shooting, 7/11 3-PT off the bench.
CJ McCollum had 20 points and 11 assists on 7/22 shooting.
This Blazers team is looking real dangerous. Damian Lillard torched LA in the 2nd half, either out of the pick and roll or in isolation situations. Gary Trent Jr. kept Portland afloat in the 1st half, and hit some timely 3’s. CJ had 11 assists, a team high. Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr. defended Lebron and AD about as well as anybody in this league can. Those two are so versatile on defense, they can guard anybody on the floor. Enes Kanter was also solid off the bench, and Jusuf Nurkic had a double-double as well. This Portland team looked really good, especially on defense in this game as they are now 2-1 on the year. They face the Clippers on Wednesday.
Thoughts On The LA Lakers
Not a great showing from LA. I know AD and Lebron were a little dinged up, but they still played very poorly. After a very strong first half, they allowed Portland back into the game and they trailed at halftime. AD had just 2 points at halftime. In the 3rd they went on a 15-0 run at one point, but then only led by 1 entering the 4th. And then down the stretch Dennis Schroder and KCP couldn’t stop Dame and CJ and the Lakers fell apart. LA is now 2-2 on the year.
Lebron James had 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists on 11/20 shooting.
Dennis Schroder had 24 points on 8/16 shooting.
KCP had 14 points on 5/9 shooting.
When KCP plays better than AD, something is wrong. AD can’t play like this if LA wants to win another title. He has to be aggressive, as he is one of the toughest players to guard in the league. But he didn’t attack the rim and deferred a lot of the times. Schroder was excellent as he tore Portland’s defense up attacking the rim. But Kuzma and Harrell weren’t as effective off the bench, and they couldn’t stop Dame and CJ. Not an impressive showing against a Western Conference playoff team in Portland. LA travels to Texas to take on the Spurs on Wednesday.
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