Who Needs KD?; Zach Lavine Wins It For Chicago! 1.5.21
It’s a Tuesday night of NBA hoops and we have 5 games on the schedule today.
Game Of The Day Prediction: Bulls vs Trail Blazers
Utah Jazz vs Brooklyn Nets
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Jazz have won two games in a row, as they have started to look a lot better as of late. Their offense has gotten better as Bojan Bogdanovic and Donovan Mitchell have been shooting the ball a lot better. This Jazz team matches up well with the Nets, saying that Brooklyn is very short-handed. The Nets already lost Spencer Dinwiddie for the season with a knee injury, and now Kevin Durant is going to miss a week of games due to Covid-19 contact tracing. This Nets team has been struggling as of late, and now they lose their best player. The Nets are now at a talent disadvantage vs the Jazz, and I think that Utah will win this game.
Utah Jazz
The Jazz started to look good, and then they got absolutely smoked by the Nets, who were without KD. The Jazz offense was terrible all night long, as they scored just 14 points in the first quarter, shooting 19% from the field. Everybody outside of Donovan Mitchell struggled, as they were just blanketed by this Nets defense. The Jazz have been very inconsistent this season, as their offense has just been so hot and cold this season.
Donovan Mitchell had 31 points on 10/22 shooting.
Only 4 Jazz players were in double figures in this game, and Donovan Mitchell was the only guy who got going. Clarkson, Bogdanovic, and Conley all struggled shooting the ball, and they were just obliterated in this game. Not a great showing, especially with the Nets not having Kevin Durant. The Jazz are now 4-3 on the year, and they face the New York Knicks next.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets changed their starting lineup, and it seemed to really work. They added Jeff Green, Taurean Prince, Jarrett Allen, and Bruce Brown for better defense alongside Kyrie Irving. And this lineup was very effective in their first game together. Kyrie Irving and the Nets came out swinging, scoring 35 points in the first quarter, shooting 70% from the field. This game was never close, as the Nets looked determined to win this game, all without their best player in KD. Brooklyn is back up to 0.500 with a 4-4 record on the year.
Kyrie Irving had 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists on 12/19 shooting.
Caris Levert had 24 points and 5 assists on 9/18 shooting.
Jarrett Allen had 19 points and 18 rebounds on 8/9 shooting.
This Nets new lineup is one I like. Their defense looked a lot better as Bruce Brown is excellent on the perimeter. And with their new lineup changes, their bench got stronger. Joe Harris, TLC, and Caris Levert off the bench is a lot better than just Levert. The Nets should keep experimenting with this new lineup with KD sidelined. And when KD comes back, Taurean Prince will come back on the bench. I really want to see more from this lineup going forward. Brooklyn takes on a very good 76ers team next.
LA Lakers vs Memphis Grizzlies
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Lakers have won 3 games in a row, as they have been getting adjusted to each other. Lebron James and Anthony Davis remain the best duo in the league, and the Laker supporting cast has been good. KCP is again out with an ankle injury, so guys like Wesley Matthews, Kyle Kuzma, and Montrezl Harrell will have to be better for the Lakers to win. The Grizzlies are in a rough position with Morant and Jackson Jr. out. They stayed relatively competitive with the Lakers last time out, but they are at a steep talent disadvantage. Should be another win for the Lakers on the road.
LA Lakers
It wasn’t pretty, but the Lakers finished strong late. The Lakers turned the ball over 10 times in the first half, and shot just 41% from the field in the first half, and they trailed by 4. In the 3rd, the Lakers fought back, but they still couldn’t get rid of the Grizzlies, and the LA offense still hadn’t got it going. But in the 4th, the Lakers pulled away. AD and Lebron scored 14 of the last 16 Laker points, and LA held on to win 94-92.
AD had 26 points and 10 rebounds on 10/20 shooting.
Lebron had 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists on 11/20 shooting.
It was Lebron and AD and the rest of the Lakers tonight. This was a horrible game by LA. Their offense never got going and they looked super sloppy against the very short-handed Grizzlies. Same thing happened last times these two teams played, it was closer than it should have been. The Lakers supporting cast has to be better going forward, and this shouldn’t be a win that the Lakers are proud of, as they are now 6-2 on the year.
Memphis Grizzlies
Not a bad game for Memphis, a game that they likely would have won if they were fully healthy. In the first half, the Grizzlies played great team basketball, and forced 10 LA turnovers. They were outplaying the Lakers by a lot. But in the 2nd half, you could see the Lakers missed Ja Morant. They didn’t get blown out, it’s just that they struggled to score. They couldn’t stop Lebron and AD late, and they came up just short in this game, losing 94-92.
Dillon Brooks had 13 points and 5 rebounds on 5/13 shooting.
Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and 11 rebounds on 4/13 shooting.
Gorgui Dieng had 13 points on 6/8 shooting off the bench.
The Grizzlies definitely could have won this game. Jonas Valanciunas left a lot of points down low, shots that he should have made. Obviously no fault to Memphis as they are playing without their two best players. But they fought hard, but the talent gap in this game caught up to them in the end, and they just couldn’t much about it. Memphis is now 2-5 on the year, and they face the Cleveland Cavaliers next.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Timberwolves have been a disaster ever since Karl Anthony Towns went down with injury, and that will likely continue against Denver. They just don’t have that much interior depth outside of Towns, and although they have some weapons like D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Anthony Edwards, they just haven’t been able to win without Towns. The Nuggets have struggled to start this season, but they stomped on the T-Wolves last time out, and have a chance to do it again. Michael Porter Jr. is still out, but they have the current MVP front-runner in Nikola Jokic, and Jamal Murray has been playing much better as of late. The Nuggets are the deeper, better team in this game, and they should be getting their 2nd straight win in this game.
Minnesota Timberwolves
This was a very weird game for the T-Wolves, but a game that they should have won. The T-Wolves started this game off very slow, trailing by 12 at the end of the first quarter. But then the T-Wolves offense started to get going, as they scored 43 points in the 2nd quarter and they led by 3 at the half. In the 3rd, they kept pace with Denver, and held their lead. But then the T-Wolves struggled in the 4th. D-Lo offensive flow was stopped, and the Timberwolves looked like they did in the first quarter, scoring just 20 points in the 4th. Minnesota loses again, making them 2-5 on the year.
D’Angelo Russell had 33 points and 11 assists on 10/21 shooting.
Juan Hernangomez had 25 points and 8 rebounds on 10/14 shooting.
Malik Beasley had 15 points and 6 rebounds on 5/16 shooting.
The T-Wolves played well in this game, but they didn’t play well in the first and fourth quarters, and they lost this game. Anthony Edwards has struggled to shoot the ball from deep this season, shooting 1/7 from 3 in this game. He is still getting adjusted. Juan Hernangomez and D’Angelo Russell were good, but again, not having Towns to matchup with Jokic was a big factor in this game. Minnesota faces the Portland Trail Blazers next.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets were up and down in this game, but they were still able to get this win. Denver shot 58% from the field in the first quarter, and led by 12, led by Nikola Jokic. But then Denver stopped passing the ball on offense, and they allowed 43 Minnesota points. The Nuggets offense picked up in the 3rd, but they sill trailed by 3 entering the 4th. But then their defense picked up, allowing just 20 points in the 4th. The Nuggets scored 30, and won their 2nd game in a row, improving to 3-4 on the year.
Nikola Jokic had 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists on 12/20 shooting.
Will Barton had 18 points and 7 rebounds on 7/14 shooting.
JaMychal Green had 17 points on 5/8 shooting off the bench.
This Denver team has got things going now. Nikola Jokic was dominant again, as the T-Wolves had no answer for him. Millsap, Barton, and Harris were solid. Murray shot 3/7 from the field, but he was quiet all night long. JaMychal Green was excellent off the bench, as they hope their new free agent signing can do more of the same in the future. Facundo Campazzo, the “rookie” from Europe is fun to watch. He is very crafty at 29 years old, and is really good off this Nuggets bench. He is an excellent backup, and can run the offense really well. Denver has recovered well from their 1-4 start, and they are 3-4 on the year, facing the Dallas Mavericks next.
San Antonio Spurs vs LA Clippers
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Spurs have lost 4 straight games against good Western Conference teams. Their roster doesn’t have a superstar, and they really can’t contend with the better teams in the West. Derrick White is out, meaning they have even less scoring. They have some good players like DeMar DeRozan, Dejounte Murray, and Keldon Johnson, but they are playing one of the most talented rosters in the league, the LA Clippers. The Clippers beat the Suns last time out, in a game they controlled for most of the way. Paul George has been excellent to start this season, but he’s out tonight for LA. They’ll need more from their supporting cast, needing scoring from guys like Luke Kennard and Lou Williams. The Clippers are still the more talented team, and they should be winning this game.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs did their best to lose this game, and they nearly lost, but they came out of this one with a win. The Spurs shot 52% from the 3-point line in the first half, as they led by 19. Patty Mills led the way for San Antonio, as their offense was unstoppable. And then the Spurs collapsed in the 3rd, allowing 40 points, and their lead was just one entering the 4th. But the Spurs started the 4th strong and took a 13-point lead with 7 minutes left. With 4:36 left, they led by 14. And then watched as that lead go down to 2 points with 47 seconds left. Patty Mills made 1/2 free throws with 5.7 seconds left, and the Spurs needed one stop. The Clippers went to Kawhi Leonard, who was playing very well. He missed the 3, and the Spurs survived to win. They are now 3-4 on the year.
Patty Mills had 27 points on 8/12 3-PT off the bench.
Dejounte Murray had 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 9/18 shooting.
Rudy Gay had 16 points and 7 rebounds on 6/11 shooting off the bench.
The Spurs really tried to lose this game, but they played well overall. Their first half offensively was excellent, fueled by Patty Mills from 3. But that 3rd quarter was ugly, and the Clippers got right back into the game. But the Spurs started the 4th very strong, and led comfortably for most of the quarter. But they allowed the Clippers back into the game, and they nearly lost after Patty Mills made just 1/2 free throws. But the Spurs looked good after losing the previous 4 games. The Spurs face the LA Lakers again on Thursday.
LA Clippers
The Clippers played very bad for most of this game, and they nearly won. The Clippers defense was awful in the first half, as they trailed by 19. They couldn’t the Spurs from deep, and they were getting burned. But the Clippers woke up in the 3rd, and cut that 19-point lead down to 1 entering the 4th. And the Clippers again had a let-down, as that Spurs lead went back up to double-digits. But the Clippers clawed their way back in over the final 4 minutes. Patty Mills went 1/2 from the line with 5.6 seconds left, and the Clippers had a chance to win this game. But Kawhi Leonard missed, and the Clippers comeback attempts came up just short. LA is now 5-3 on the year.
Kawhi Leonard had 30 points and 10 assists on 13/22 shooting.
Nicolas Batum had 21 points and 9 rebounds on 8/12 shooting.
Patrick Beverley had 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists on 7/10 shooting.
The Clippers played pretty bad in this game, but they nearly won. LA would have faired a lot better with Paul George in this game, but they played ok without him. Kawhi, Beverley, and Batum were good along with Lou Williams off the bench. Serge Ibaka struggled, and if couldn’t hit his outside shots. This is a tough loss for the Clippers, but not having your 2nd best player doesn’t help. LA is now 5-3 on the year, and they face the Golden State Warriors tomorrow.
Chicago Bulls vs Portland Trail Blazers
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Bulls have won 3 out of their last 4 games, and seemed to have recovered from that ugly start. They have some nice talent on this team, with guys like Zach Lavine and Coby White. They are still without Lauri Markkanen, who was playing excellent to start this season. The Bulls have been playing better as of late, but their defense will be put to the test against this Portland team. The Blazers have been wildly inconsistent on defense this year. They blew out the Warriors, locking them down one night. And then the next Steph Curry drops 62 points. The Blazers offense is good, we all know that with the weapons that they have. If this Blazers defense plays decent, they will win games. If not, they will be mediocre at best. Portland does have the talent advantage against the young Bulls, and I have them winning this game.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls earned this win, as they made some big plays down the stretch. The Bulls allowed Dame Lillard and the Blazers to get hot early, as they trailed by 18 points after the first quarter. But the Bulls tightened things down on both ends, and trimmed that lead to 9 entering the 2nd half. The Bulls offense continued to play very good in the 3rd, and the lead was just 4 entering the 4th. In the 4th, the Bulls kept chipping away at that lead and were fortunate for some bad shots from Portland. But with 2:08 left, the Bulls led by 6 and had all the momentum. But Damian Lillard hit 5 free throws, and the lead was just one. But then Zach Lavine hit a cold-blooded 3 with 10.8 seconds left, and Chicago led by 4. Damian Lillard hit a 3, and the lead went back down to one. Coby White hit 2/2 from the free throw line, and the Bulls got one last stop to hold on and win. Chicago is now 4-4 on the year.
Coby White had 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists on 8/19 shooting.
Otto Porter Jr. had 19 points and 13 rebounds on 7/14 shooting.
Zach Lavine had 18 points and 9 assists on 6/18 shooting.
The Bulls really earned this game, as they were the better team down the stretch. Their defense was horrible in the first quarter, as Portland shot 54% from the field. But they rallied back for the rest of the game, and survived. Zach Lavine and Coby White were good, especially Coby White. Patrick Williams, the rookie, continues to look very good as he shot 5/8 from the field. The Bulls have been winning without Lauri Markkanen who is still out with Covid, as they hope to get him back soon. The Bulls take on the Sacramento Kings next.
Portland Trail Blazers
As a Blazers fan, this was an unacceptable game to lose. Portland’s offense and defense was terrific in the first quarter, as they shot 54% from the field and held Chicago to 21 points on 32% shooting. But then Portland started to settle and scored just 15 points in the 2nd quarter. But they still had a comfortable lead. In the 3rd, they couldn’t stop the Bulls and the lead was just 4 entering the 4th quarter. And then Portland played horrible down the stretch. They weren’t running the offense, just shooting within 10 seconds, giving the Bulls transition opportunities. Down 6 with 2 minutes left, Damian Lillard finally made an appearance in the 2nd half, and Portland trailed by 1 after 5 free throws. But then allowed Zach Lavine to get open up top, and the Blazers trailed by 4. Dame hit a 3, but Melo missed the potential tying 3, and the Blazers lost their 2nd straight game, falling to 3-4 on the year.
CJ McCollum had 26 points and 5 rebounds on 10/21 shooting.
Damian Lillard had 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists on 6/17 shooting.
Robert Covington had 14 points and 6 rebounds on 5/10 shooting.
The Blazers defense looked a lot better at times during this game, but they just didn’t run their offense in the 2nd half. Dame and CJ, especially Dame, have to be more aggressive when the offense starts to falter. Dame only had 9 points in the 2nd half, something that can’t happen, especially in close games like these. The bench was good, and the defense was ok. But down the stretch, they were forcing shots and that’s how the Bulls got up 6. Portland just has to be calmer, and Dame and CJ have to take control when the game is slipping away. You can’t lose games like these after having the first quarter that you did. Portland has lost 2 games in a row, but they face a struggling Minnesota team next.
What Are Your Thoughts From The 5-Game Slate From Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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