Thunder Shock The Nets; Are The Knicks Frauds? 1.10.21
It’s a Sunday of NBA hoops, as we have 8 games on the schedule today.
Game Of The Day Prediction: Raptors vs Warriors or Nuggets vs Knicks
Utah Jazz vs Detroit Pistons
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Jazz are coming off a very impressive win against the Milwaukee Bucks, a game where their offense was red-hot, especially from 3. The Jazz offense can be very good, or very bad, and there is no in-between. Their roster isn’t that deep, but they still have the talent advantage vs the Pistons. The Pistons record suggests that they’re one of the worst teams in the league, which isn’t necessarily true. Jerami Grant is having a break-out year, as I predicted, not to brag or anything. If Blake Griffin plays well, they can be good. I like rookie Saddiq Bey and his shooting, and this roster isn’t completely terrible. With all that being said, the Jazz have the talent advantage in this game, and they should be winning this game.
Utah Jazz
This game sure wasn’t pretty for Utah, but they won. In the first quarter, the Jazz offense was humming, led by Mitchell as they scored 34 points. After that, the offense was questionable. They led by 17 at halftime, but were outscored by 11 in the 3rd, making the game close in the 4th. But the Jazz held their lead throughout, and they won by 10, winning their 2nd game in a row.
Donovan Mitchell had 28 points on 9/18 shooting.
Mike Conley had 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists on 8/13 shooting.
Jordan Clarkson had 18 points on 7/15 shooting/
The Jazz offense wasn’t that good, but their defense made up for that. They scored 34 points in the first quarter, but then were mediocre for the rest of the game. Bojan Bogdanovic has been horrible this season, as he continues to struggle shooting the ball. Mitchell has seemed to get things going, as he is shooting much better from the field. I still need to see Bojan be consistently good, and then I can start the view the Jazz as a very good team. Utah is now 6-4 on the year, and they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers next.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons offense really struggled in this game, as they couldn’t keep up with the Jazz. The Pistons trailed by 17 at halftime, as they produced just 40 points in the first half. Jerami Grant was their only real source of offense, but collectively Detroit shot just 33% from the field. The Pistons scored 28 points in the 3rd, and got back into the game. But then they scored just 18 points in the 4th, and scored just 86 points on the day. Detroit is now 2-8 on the year.
Jerami Grant had 28 points on 9/19 shooting.
There were only three guys in double figures for the Pistons, and grant being the only really productive guy on offense. Blake Griffin was awful, going 1/7 from 3 and scoring just 10 points. They need more from him. Delon Wright and Josh Jackson struggled, as they had been very good coming into this game. Saddiq Bey was the only guy who could score off the bench, and the Pistons just struggled on offense. They shot 33% from the field for the game, and 24% from 3. Disappointing to say the least, but not something shocking. The Pistons are now 2-8 on the year, and they take on the Milwaukee Bucks next.
Chicago Bulls vs LA Clippers
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Bulls have been decent this season, but defense has been their problem. Their young back-court of Lavine and Coby White have been very good to start this season. Patrick Williams, the rookie, has been solid. Wendell Carter has been good, although he plays the pick and roll horribly, always dropping down. The Bulls are decent, but without Porter Jr. and Markkanen, they are short-handed against LA. The Clippers blew a 22-point lead to Curry and the Warriors, and look for revenge against the Bulls. Kawhi and PG have been good, especially PG. They need more scoring off their bench from guys like Williams and Kennard. Marcus Morris is still getting things going, and he will be better going forward. The Clippers are clearly the better team in this game, and they should win.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls again played very hard in this game, but they came up just short of the win. The Bulls offense continues to play very well, as they made a mockery of one of the best defenses in the league. The Bulls shot 55% from the field in the first half, scoring 59 points and leading by 7. But the Bulls defense was horrendous in the 3rd, allowing LA to score 42 points, and the game was tied heading into the 4th. The Bulls and Clippers were putting on an offense show, going back and forth throughout the 4th. And with 3 minutes left, the Bulls had tied the game. But a Nicolas Batum 4-point play put LA up by 3. The Clippers pushed the lead to 7, but the Bulls tried to fight back. Lavine cut the lead the one with a 3, and after two PG free throws, the Bulls had a chance to win. But Zach Lavine missed, and the Bulls barely lost this game, falling to 4-7 on the year.
Zach Lavine had 45 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists on 15/26 shooting.
Garrett Temple had 18 points and 6 rebounds on 7/8 shooting.
Patrick Williams had 17 points on 6/9 shooting.
The Bulls played very hard in this game, and that’s all you can ask. They’ve battled with both the Lakers and the Clippers very hard, and gave both contenders a tough time. Zach Lavine continues to play very well, as he has been on fire. Temple and rookie Patrick Williams were good, and Wendell Carter Jr. had 12 points as well. Not having Porter Jr. or Markkanen did hurt them, but their offense has been really good this season. They might not be winning games, but they are playing really tough. The Bulls take on the Boston Celtics next time out.
LA Clippers
The Clippers struggled for most of this game, but got their footing and scraped by for a win. In the first half, the Clippers played poorly on both ends. They shot just 42% from the field, but still managed to score 52 points. But they were allowing easy Chicago shots, as the Bulls shot above 50% from the field and from 3. But in the 3rd, the Clippers offense really took off, as they scored 42 points and tied the game entering the 4th. The 4th quarter was a back and forth affair. With 3 minutes left, the game was tied. But the Clippers responded, and took a 7-point lead with under a minute to-go. But Zach Lavine scored 6 straight, and the lead was just one with 19 seconds left. But Paul George hit 4 clutch free throws, and LA held on to win, improving to 7-4 on the year.
Kawhi Leonard had 35 points on 14/22 shooting, 7/9 3-PT.
Paul George had 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists on 8/19 shooting.
Lou Williams had 21 points on 6/10 shooting off the bench.
PG and Kawhi were excellent in this game, as they dominated. This is how good this duo can be. Lou Williams found his stroke off the bench, after struggling for the majority of the start to this season. Nicolas Batum has been playing very well on both ends, as he makes their defense a lot better. The defense wasn’t great in this game, but the Clippers played well when they needed to. Marcus Morris is still getting back in game shape, but it’s great to have him back. LA responds nicely after blowing a big lead to the Warriors, and they are now 7-4 on the year. LA takes on the New Orleans Pelicans next time out.
Denver Nuggets vs New York Knicks
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Nuggets have struggled at times this season, but they controlled the 7-man 76ers last time out, and now face the up-and-coming Knicks. Nikola Jokic has been playing like an MVP thus far, as he has looked excellent. Jamal Murray has looked good, but not aggressive at times. MPJ is still in quarantine, so they need scoring from their role guys and bench to win. The Knicks are very well-coached, and it makes up for their roster not being the deepest in the world. Julius Randle has also been playing like an MVP, as he taken the NBA world by storm, putting up ridiculous numbers. RJ Barrett has been wildly inconsistent, but great when he gets things going. Elfrid Payton, Austin Rivers, and Reggie Bullock have all been decent. The Nuggets are the better team in this game, and they should be winning.
Denver Nuggets
Yeah, the Nuggets wanted to win this one bad. We all knew he Nuggets were good on offense, but their defense was excellent in this game. Denver shot 56% from the field, scoring 59 points in the first half. They held the Knicks to just 41% shooting in the first half, and they held their lead in the 2nd half. The Nuggets dominated this game as they should, and they are now 5-5 on the year.
Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists on 9/15 shooting.
Gary Harris had 14 points on 6/10 shooting.
The Nuggets did what they had to do in this game, as their defense finally stepped up. Yes it was against the Knicks, not exactly a dominant offense, but it’s a start. The offense was solid throughout, led by MVP candidate Nikola Jokic. Jamal Murray has to be more aggressive going forward, as he only shot the ball 9 times in this game. I know Denver won this game comfortably, but they need 22-27 points from Murray on a nightly basis. Denver has won two straight, and they are now 5-5 on the year. They take on the Brooklyn Nets next.
New York Knicks
The Knicks offense has been struggling as of late, as they just don’t have that many offensive play-makers. The Knicks scored just 38 points in the first half, shooting 41% from the field. The Knicks offense picked up a bit in the 2nd half, but they still managed to score just 89 points, their 2nd straight game not scoring 90 points. The Knicks have looked horrible after starting 5-3, as they are now 5-5 on the year.
Julius Randle had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists on 11/16 shooting.
RJ Barrett has to be better. Not just because he’s on my fantasy team, but because they need him to score. As of the last few games, it’s been Julius Randle and friends. I expected Barrett to have a breakout season, but he is just so inconsistent shooting the ball. The Knicks desperately need some offense, and maybe they can get that down the line when Burks and rookie Obi Toppin return, but they need more from guys like Barrett. The Knicks take on Charlotte Hornets next time out.
OKC Thunder vs Brooklyn Nets
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Thunder have been one the most surprising teams in the league, as they have a 4-4 record. Their roster isn’t that good, featuring guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Al Horford, and Darius Bazley. Nothing special, and certainly nothing that grants them a 4-4 record thus far. The Thunder have been surprisingly good this season, but they face a tough task against the Brooklyn Nets. KD and Kyrie have been missing the past few games for the Nets, and the Nets haven’t been terrible without their duo. KD is back in action, but Kyrie remains out. Caris Levert has been shooting the ball well in the absence of KD and Kyrie, and will be the sidekick in this game. This Nets roster is good, and adding a lethal scorer in KD makes them very good. The Nets should be winning this game.
OKC Thunder
Ummmmmm, what? You’ve got to be kidding me. The Thunder won? The Thunder somehow continue to win, this time against a very good Nets team. The Thunder allowed 41 points in the first quarter, and they trailed by 12. But they trimmed the deficit to just 6 at halftime, and then they exploded in the 3rd quarter. They scored 37 points and allowed just 18, taking a 13 points lead entering the 4th. And the young Thunder didn’t back down in the 4th, and they cruised to a dominant win. OKC is now 5-4 on the year.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists on 11/16 shooting.
Hamidou Diallo had 25 points on 10/14 shooting off the bench.
Al Horford had 22 points and 6 rebounds on 9/17 shooting.
I’m a loss for words on how the Thunder continue to win. I have the feeling that they might make the play-in, somehow. I really can’t explain what they’re doing, as they beat one of the most talented rosters in the Eastern Conference. SGA has been excellent this season, and Hamidou Diallo has been emerged off the bench in the last two games. This Thunder team might be a dark-horse team like they were last season, as surprising as that it so say. The Thunder take on the Spurs on Tuesday next.
Brooklyn Nets
This was a very disappointing loss for the Nets, as they have been disappointing as of late. The Nets scored 41 points in the first quarter, leading by 12 while shooting 70% from the field. They led by 6 at halftime, and then they collapsed in the 3rd quarter. They scored just 18 points, and their defense was comparable to that of the Kings and Wizards as they allowed 37 points. They trailed by 13 in the 4th, and never came close, as they lost to the Thunder, falling to 5-6 on the year.
Kevin Durant had 36 points and 11 rebounds on 11/21 shooting.
Caris Levert had 21 points and 6 assists on 8/17 shooting.
Jarrett Allen had 15 points and 10 rebounds on 6/7 shooting.
The Nets haven’t looked right as of late. We still don’t really know what’s going on with Kyrie, as he still seems to get distracted from basketball. KD was good in his return, and again, the offense has been very good. But their defense hasn’t been good. They don’t have that defense on the perimeter, and just Jarrett Allen down low isn’t enough. They might have to make a move for a defensive specialist such as Patrick Beverley or TJ McConnell. They need somebody as they have been getting burned. The Nets have lost 4 of their last 6 games, and they are below 0.500 with a 5-6 record. Brooklyn takes on the Denver Nuggets next on Tuesday.
Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics
Pre-Game Thoughts: This game has been postponed, because the Celtics are without 9 players duo to Covid. Wonder why they didn’t do this for the 76ers game against Denver yesterday, but they’re doing it for this game.
LA Lakers vs Houston Rockets
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Lakers have been up and down this season, although their record suggests that they’ve been better. Their roster has been banged up the last few games, but KCP is back. Anthony Davis is back as well, as they need him and Lebron to lead the way. Kuzma and Harrell haven’t been as good scoring the ball, as they need production from them going forward. They need more scoring from Kuzma and Harrell off the bench, and if they can get some production from those two, they will be tough to beat. The Rockets have been good this season, but they are incredibly thin. James Harden has struggled as of late, but Christian Wood has been playing like an All-Star. John Wall has been good, and Eric Gordon has been ok. But other than that, there’s no real scorers on this team. They have to depth or direction, as they kind of just flounder around, waiting to see what happens with the James Harden situation. The Lakers have the talent advantage in this game, and they should win this game.
LA Lakers
The Lakers absolutely dominated this game, as they should have. The Lakers offense has humming in the first half, as they scored 40 points in the 2nd quarter, and 65 points for the first half. They were shooting 57% from the field and holding Houston down to 34%. The Lakers offense continued to roll, as they won this game 18, as they are now 8-3 on the year.
Anthony Davis had 27 points on 9/12 shooting.
Lebron James had 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists on 7/15 shooting.
Talen Horton-Tucker had 17 points and 5 rebounds on 7/8 shooting.
Now this is one of the first games where I’ve been impressed by the Lakers. They haven’t been playing great, although they have still been winning. AD was dominant, shooting 75% from the field en route to 27 points. Lebron did Lebron things, but the role guys were excellent. Kuzma had 13 off the bench, Harrell had 16. Horton-Tucker has been instant offense off the bench, as he had 17 tonight. If the Lakers bench does this in the post-season, nobody can beat them. The Lakers defense finally came to play, as they shut down the Rockets, allowing them to shoot 41% from the field and 29% from 3. This was a dominant win by the Lakers, a win they needed. LA takes on the Rockets again on Tuesday.
Houston Rockets
A lot of people said that the Rockets could make the playoffs, an idea that I laughed at. This game kind of proved that, as they have no depth. They just can’t contend with the upper-echelon teams in the West, or even the East for that member. The Rockets defense was horrendous, as Anthony Davis and the Lakers bench were getting whatever they wanted. James Harden hasn’t been as good offensively as years prior, and it’s clear they need to rebuild. Houston has lost 3 of their last 4, and they are now 3-5 on the year.
Christian Wood had 23 points on 10/20 shooting.
James Harden had 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists on 7/14 shooting.
John Wall had 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists on 5/14 shooting.
The Rockets need to make a move if they want to try and contend. I definitely think they should be rebuilding, but if they want to contend they need a lot more depth. But they don’t exactly have a lot of first round picks to make moves, and they don’t have a lot of cap space. It’s hard for them to contend, and the roster that they have now is far from good. James Harden hasn’t been playing well, and even though Wall and Wood have, it hasn’t been nearly enough. DeMarcus Cousins hasn’t made much of an impact, as he is never going to back to Kings Cousins ever again. The Rockets are just a mess. The Rockets take on the Lakers again on Tuesday.
San Antonio Spurs vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Spurs have won their last 3 games, as their offense has found life. DeMar DeRozan has looked good as of late, same goes for LaMarcus Aldridge. Murray, Johnson, and Mills offer support, as this Spurs team has been better than advertised this season. They won an OT thriller with the T-Wolves last time out, and look for a similar result in this game. The Timberwolves have KAT back, but he’s not going to be playing. So the offense is going to struggle, as they have without their star center. The Spurs should be winning this game.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs blew this game late, a game they should have won. The Spurs played solid in the first half, leading by 5. Lonnie Walker was their main scorer, as he had 22 points in the first half. The T-Wolves cut the lead a bit in the 3rd, and the Spurs led by 3 entering the 4th. And then they collapsed. They managed to score just 19 points in the 4th, and allowed 30. The Spurs stalled in the 4th, and their 3-game win streak has been snapped.
Lonnie Walker had 25 points on 9/19 shooting (22 in the first half).
LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points and 9 rebounds on 9/21 shooting.
Patty Mills had 18 points on 7/19 shooting.
The Spurs offense completely stalled out in the 2nd half, as they just lost all of their offensive flow. Lonnie Walker went from red hot to ice cold. Patty Mills struggled shooting off the bench. Not having DeMar DeRozan late in this game hurt, as he is so good late in games. A game that the Spurs would have won with DeMar DeRozan, but a game they should have won anyway. The 5-5 Spurs take on the OKC Thunder next time out.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Guys, they did it. The Minnesota Timberwolves won without Karl Anthony Towns. *Celebration noises*. The T-Wolves trailed by 5 at halftime, because they couldn’t stop Lonnie Walker. Minnesota was shooting 40% from the field in the first half, but they remained in the game. They trailed by 3 entering the 4th, and then they dominated the final 12 minutes of this game The game was tied at 81 with 4:54 left. The T-Wolves outscored the Spurs 15-7 the rest of the way, as they got their first win without Towns, improving to 3-7 on the year.
D’Angelo Russell had 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 9/21 shooting.
Malik Beasley had 24 points on 9/18 shooting.
The Minnesota defense was really good in this game, holding the Spurs to just 88 points. Their offense was ok, but their defense really won them this game. The Spurs shot just 38% from the field and 27% from 3. Beasley and Russell have been very good, but Anthony Edwards just hasn’t lived up to expectations. He might be one of the rookies that needed training camp and all the things that normally happen before the season starts. I know that it’s very early, but he hasn’t looked very good. The T-Wolves are now 3-7 on the year, and they take on the Memphis Grizzlies next.
Toronto Raptors vs Golden State Warriors
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Raptors have struggled early on this season, but they smoked the Kings, scoring 144 points. Their offense looked really good, but it was against the Kings. If the Raptors offense can get going, they can be good. Kyle Lowry is back, as he, Siakam, and VanVleet need to lead this team. Nick Nurse needs to find a way to get the most out of their weak bench, with guys like Terrence Davis and Chris Boucher really needing to step up. The Warriors have figured out how they need to win, with Steph Curry playing like an MVP. Curry has been torching people, and the Warriors have done enough to win. Andrew Wiggins has been finding his form, while Kelly Oubre is being historically bad. Draymond Green does a lot for this team that doesn’t show up in the stat sheet, and James Wiseman can be a force down low. If the Warriors play through Curry, and play with energy, they are tough to beat. I think that the Warriors will win this game, as the Raptors don’t really have a good defender for the two-time MVP.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors nearly cameback to win this game, but they came up just short. The Raptors struggled in the first half, and it wasn’t even Steph Curry torching them. The Raptors managed to score 51 points, but they allowed 61 Warriors points on 47% shooting. They weren’t playing much defense. Things didn’t get any better in the 3rd, as they now trailed by 15 entering the 4th. But the Raptors refused to give up. The Raptors slowly chipped away at the lead, their defense holding Golden State down. With 2:58 left, the Raptors had taken a 4-point lead and they had all the momentum. With 46 seconds left, the Raptors had a one-point lead. With 4 seconds left, Golden State had the ball. Damion Lee had the ball, and he was idiotically fouled by Kyle Lowry. The Raptors challenged the call, and failed. Lee hit two free throws, and the Warriors had the lead. The Raptors had one last chance and give it to Siakam, who made a good move at the top of the key, but the shot rolled in and out, and the Raptors fall to 2-7.
Pascal Siakam had 25 points and 11 rebounds on 9/19 shooting.
Fred VanVleet had 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 9/20 shooting.
Kyle Lowry had 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists on 5/14 shooting.
The Raptors Big 3 of Siakam, Lowry, and VanVleet came to play. But they didn’t have too much help. Anunoby had an inefficient 10 points, and Boucher had 15 off the bench. Nothing else from the bench. The Raptors looked dead in the water, but they battled their way back. Dumb foul by Lowry at the end. Damion Lee had the ball, and I know he’s already made a game-winner this season, but it’s better than having Steph Curry have the ball. Just play good defense, and you win. Instead you foul and lose the game. These are the games the Raptors have to win, as they have struggled to find wins thus far this season. The Raptors take on the Blazers next time out.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors nearly blew this, but they didn’t. I was very impressed by the Warriors in the first half, as they didn’t even need Steph Curry that much to score 61 points on 47% shooting. They led by 15 entering the 4th, and Curry hadn’t done much offensively. But in the 4th, the Curry-less offense struggled, and the Raptors took a 4-point lead with 2:58 left. But the Warriors battled back, but still trailed by 1 with about 7 seconds left. The ball went to Damion Lee instead of Curry, and he drew a foul on Lowry. Stupid play by Lowry, and Lee hit two big free throws, and Golden State led by 1. Pascal Siakam made one heck of a move, and got a good shot, but missed. The Warriors survived, and they improve to 6-4 on the year.
Andrew Wiggins had 17 points on 7/17 shooting.
Eric Paschall had 15 points on 5/10 shooting off the bench.
Damion Lee had 13 points on 4/7 shooting off the bench.
When Damion Lee outscores a two-time MVP and the greatest shooter ever, and you win, you know you’re doing something right. Curry shot just 2/16 from the field, but the Warriors were able to win without him. Now granted they nearly blew that lead at the end, and likely would have lost if not for Lowry fouling late. But the Warriors have started to get things going, and are meshing into more of a team instead of Steph Curry and others. The Warriors have won 4 of their last 5, and they are now 6-4 on the year. The Warriors take on the Indiana Pacers next.
What Are Your Thoughts From The 8-Game Schedule Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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