Nuggets Continue Hot Streak; Clippers Get Back On Track! 3.15.21
It’s another day of NBA basketball and we have a busy day with 8 games on the schedule.
Sacramento Kings vs Charlotte Hornets
Never-Ending Misery
The Kings had another collapse as they blew another good game. The offense was playing well and they were in control. But as the game got close the Kings shut down and they couldn’t keep up with Charlotte. In the first half the Kings couldn’t stop Charlotte but Charlotte couldn’t stop them. Balanced scoring from guys like Fox and Bagley led the way. In the 3rd the Kings started to open things up. Some stops led to them getting a 15-point lead. But the Hornets chipped away at the lead and it was just 5 entering the 4th. In the 4th Lamelo Ball got going and the Kings got cold. They scored just 6 points after the 4:34 mark. At the 4:34 mark they led by 7, but again only scoring 6 points hurt them. A Terry Rozier 3 and Gordon Hayward dunk hurt them as they couldn’t hold on and win (again).
(I know that the refs missed the Terry Rozier backcourt call, but the Kings weren’t winning this anyway).
Fox led the way with 29 points and 8 assists as he continues to light people up. Hield had 23 but Richuan Holmes was great. 17 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists with 4 blocks and 2 steals. He was a force down low. Tyrese Haliburton has struggled since coming back from that calf injury, as his shots haven’t been falling.
The Kings have talent, we’ve gone over this. They just don’t have a defense and a competent coach. They’ll be treading water for a while.
To add insult to injury Marvin Bagley broke his hand. This franchise is cursed.
The Hornets Are Coming…
The Hornets have been picking things up as their high-powered offense cannot be stopped. The same was true against the abysmal Kings. In the first half the problem was the defense, not the offense. Terry Rozier was good and guys like Hayward and Washington were solid. But Charlotte wasn’t going to win allowing 67 first half points. In the 3rd the Hornets fell behind by 15 but a late run kept them in the game. The 4th was close but Charlotte found themselves down 7 with under 5 minutes to go. Then they turned things up. They allowed just 6 points the rest of the way and got big-time scores from Rozier and Hayward. They might have gotten lucky with the missed Rozier backcourt call, but a win is a win. Charlotte is now 20-18 on the year.
Rozier had 26 to lead Charlotte and Hayward added 25 points and 8 rebounds. Lamelo Ball had half his points in the 4th and really started their run. The bench was solid as the Hornets offense is in a groove.
I love what the Hornets have. Lamelo Ball has been great but guys like Rozier and Hayward have been great this season. Having guys like PJ Washington, Malik Monk, Devonte Graham, and Miles Bridges as secondary scorers is such a luxury. The defense is still a problem but the Hornets have definitely exceeded expectations this season. A playoff birth isn’t out of question as they have been great.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Washington Wizards
That’s More Like It
The Bucks should have done this the first time these two teams met, but doing it this time will suffice. The Bucks got out to a big lead and just coasted. Giannis was a monster with 31-15-10 with 3 steals. Might not win MVP but he’s still very good. Middleton had 23 and Lopez added 22. 4 other Bucks were in double figures as it was a solid win for Milwaukee as they improve to 25-14 on the year.
Playoff Hopes Fading
The Wizards have a pretty solid roster it’s just that they don’t use it well. Hachimura was involved today but some nights he’s invisible on offense. They need more shot creators outside of their backcourt. Deni Avdija is a solid playmaker, but Scott Brooks just puts him in the corner and makes him stand still. This might not be the season Washington was hoping for as the Westbrook trade hasn’t worked out.
New York Knicks vs Brooklyn Nets
At Least You Tried
Despite being at a major disadvantage in this game, the Knicks made this game very close and uncomfortable for the Nets. It was a good showing despite the eventual loss. The first half wasn’t great for New York. They fell behind big as their defense was getting torched. In the 3rd the Knicks kept trying to comeback but it was futile. They did some damage in the 4th however. The Knicks kept fighting and they cut the lead to 3 thanks to some jump balls and scrappy defense. But a Julius Randle turnover was costly and the Knicks couldn’t complete the comeback as they came up just short.
Randle had 33 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists with 3 steals as he was great. Barrett had an inefficient 23 and Immanuel Quickley in his first career start had an inefficient 21 points. Reggie Bullock was good but the Knicks offense wasn’t consistent enough to win this game.
The Knicks defense was very good in the 4th. They wouldn’t let the Nets inbound the ball and forced multiple jump balls. But their offense just isn’t that good, especially without D-Rose. Quickley and Barrett shot a combined 12/33 from the field. The bench was weak since Quickley was a starter. The Knicks need more offense if they want to make the playoffs, as they can’t just win with defense.
A Win Is A Win
The Nets were good and bad in this game and while things got a little too close for comfort in the 4th, they escaped with a victory. In the first half the Nets were dominating, as they should. They shot nearly 70% from the field as everything was going. They kept their lead in the 3rd, but in the 4th things got a little bit intense. The Nets shots stopped falling and the Knicks inched back into the game. The late-game execution was poor as they struggled to inbound the ball multiple times. But a late Julius Randle turnover gave the Nets a much needed break as they survived for the win.
Kyrie Irving was 13/18 from the field and finished with 34 points as he continues to put on a show every single night. Harden had 21-15-15 as he got another monster triple-double. Jeff Green was good with 20 and Harris added 13.
The Nets have been so good. While their late game execution was poor, they played very well all night long. Their offense is so potent, and they don’t even need Harden explosions to do so. They’ve won 14 of their last 15 games mostly without KD as they are right on the tails of top-seeded Philadelphia. If this team plays some defense there’s no doubt in my mind they can’t win a title.
San Antonio Spurs vs Detroit Pistons
It’s The Pistons
Even without DeMar DeRozan this was easy as the Spurs got a much needed win to hopefully get back on track. 6 guys were in double figures led by 19 from Dejounte Murray. The Spurs improve to 20-16 on the year.
Rebuild
Rebuild
LA Clippers vs Dallas Mavericks
Back On Track
After a losing streak on the road, LA needed this game. It wasn’t easy, without Serge Ibaka down low and against a very hot Mavs team. But they pulled it out in the end. The Mavs started this game off hot, shooting very well and leading early. But Dallas recovered and LA’s had lost their momentum at the half. In the 3rd the Clippers offense got going again and they got another double-digit lead. The 4th was tough for LA as Dallas kept coming at them, coming within 4 with 3:15 left. But after that 3:15 mark, LA dominated. They didn’t allow another Maverick point down the stretch and a Paul George dagger 3 with 26.3 seconds left gave LA the win.
Kawhi was inefficient but he still had 22-8-7 with 4 steals. The robot was pretty good. Morris had 14 as a starter, and Zubac had 15-11 in place of Ibaka. George was ice cold but hit the dagger. Batum and Williams off the bench was good as it was a balanced scoring night for LA.
I like Morris in the starting lineup over Batum. He’s just as good of a defender and a much better scorer. Kawhi has turned into a good passer and I think that getting playmaking from Batum in the 2nd unit is valuable. Ricky Rubio should be somebody the Clippers go after here in the final days before the deadline, but they don’t have assets to get him. They don’t have picks for essentially the next decade thanks to the PG deal and they don’t have young talent. So getting Batum to the 2nd unit might be a good way to spread out the playmaking.
Late Woes Cripple Mavs
The Mavs have been playing great lately and while they were trailing for most of this game, they were mounting a comeback. Then the offense just went lights out and Dallas couldn’t comeback all the way. The Mavs offense started off slow, but guys like Jalen Brunson helped the Mavs get going and they came back in the 2nd to keep themselves within striking distance. In the 3rd the Mavs tried to trim the deficit, but they couldn’t get stops and they still faced a deficit entering the 4th. The Mavs started to comeback, cutting the lead to 4 with 3:15 left. After that, Dallas didn’t score. Luka missed some shots he usually makes near the rim and a PG dagger 3 late ended the game for Dallas.
Luka struggled shooting, but he had 25-10-16 on the night. Porzingis was again solid with 22 points and 7 rebounds as he has been great lately. Hardaway was 8/12 off the bench with 21 points. The bench was solid but not getting production from Richardson really hurt them.
The Mavs have been playing well, but to win they need some more production from Richardson. Richardson has been very disappointing this year while Seth Curry is enjoying a career year in Philly. He has to be better offensively if the Mavs want to go anywhere. The Mavs just lack consistency. Porzingis has been up and down, like most Mavs scorers. They have been playing better and winning lately, but they actually have to keep that up for most of the year, not just a stretch of games.
Indiana Pacers vs Denver Nuggets
What A Roller-Coaster Of A Game
The Pacers were on quite the roller coaster in this game. It didn’t end in a good way as Indiana was terrible in the 4th quarter of this game. Indiana fell behind early thanks to hot Denver shooting as Denver shot above 70% from 3 in the first half. Indiana would need to turn things around and fast. They did just that. They forced turnovers and took advantage of sloppy Denver play and turned that into transition scores. They outscored Denver by 13 in the 3rd to take the lead. And then came the 4th. Indiana couldn’t hit the side of the barn, as they couldn’t score. Denver went on a 20-2 run to regain control and Indiana blew their chances at a good win.
Brogdon was very good with 24 points and 6 rebounds to lead the way for Indiana. Justin Holiday added 19 and Caris Levert enjoyed his best game as a Pacer, finishing with 17 points on 6/11 shooting. He’s showing how valuable he can be as a 3rd shot-creator. Sabonis didn’t do much scoring, but was just one rebound away from a triple-double. The bench was ok with really only Doug McDermott scoring.
The Pacers struggled in this game more often than not. They got torched in the first half and in the 4th they just couldn’t score. They have offense, or at least more offense with Levert but yet they still had just 15 points in the 4th. Indiana is so inconsistent, looking very promising and horrible at times. They have to become more consistent if they actually want to make the playoffs and not the play-in.
Good Recovery
The Nuggets played very well in this game, but that 3rd quarter was bad and it looked bleak. But Denver pulled through in the end with a very good 4th quarter. In the first half everything was going Denver’s way. They were 10/16 from 3 and had 5 guys in double figures. Then reality came back in the 3rd as Denver was terrible. Bad passes and poor shot selection led to Indiana get going and taking a lead. But then Denver returned to form, mainly thanks to defense. They went on a 20-2 run in the 4th as that separated them from Indiana and gave them the win.
Jokic had 32 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists as his MVP campaign continues. Porter and Barton had 20, although Barton shouldn’t be getting 16 shots, which is more than what Porter is getting. Barton better get the memo that MPJ is the 3rd guy on this team. Murray was ok and JaMychal Green got back to his 3-pt shooting off the bench.
The Denver defense in the 4th was great. They did a great job just suffocating Indiana and getting a lead. Jokic is likely the front-runner for MVP now with Embiid out as he continues his brilliance. I need Will Barton to stop shooting and for MPJ to continue to play like this. MPJ has been playing to well and on nights like this where he is hot, you can give him 20 shots. But that likely won’t happen, but a person can dream. Denver has been playing better as of late as they improve to 23-16 on the year.
Memphis Grizzlies vs Phoenix Suns
Feels Good To Be Right
This team isn’t very good. They sometimes play well and I think they’re decent and then they show me I was right the first time. The offense is just bad. Ja Morant has regressed this season as he hasn’t been very good. The offense struggled with shooting, as even with all their depth they struggle. The Grizzlies were 5/24 from 3 and the Suns were 12/30. Not going to win many games making just 5 3’s. The Grizzlies need the old Ja Morant back and they need more shooting. But I’m reassured they can get those things and they’re not looking like a playoff team right now.
It’s The Grizzlies
The games was somewhat close for a bit in the first half, but the Suns blew it open. They finished the 1st half strong and they dominated the 2nd half en route to a big win. It’s a good bounce back game after that bad loss to Indiana. Booker was good with 27, Paul was 9/11 with 18 points and 7 assists. Ayton and Crowder were solid and the bench was ok. The Suns continue to play very well, as they are now 26-12 on the year. They remain one of the best in the West, and a dark horse contender.
LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors
It’s The Warriors
Another good game for LA as they get another easy win against the Warriors. The bench was awesome in this game. Harrell was bodying the smaller Warriors down low, finishing with 27 points on 11/14 shooting. Kuzma had 17 and THT added 16. If LA gets that type of production or something close to that more consistently, they are a very scary team. Lebron continues to just do the bare minimum, which is fine. He needs games like this for rest, because there isn’t going to be a 5-month layoff this time. All the rest he can get, the better. LA improves to 26-13 on the year.
Warriors Not Upper-Echelon
I’ve talked about this before; the Warriors cannot consistently beat great teams. They just can’t with this roster. They’ve gotten blown out by the Lakers (2x), the Jazz, the Bucks, and the Nets. They just don’t have the depth or the firepower anymore. Curry is doing everything he can, but it’s not enough. The Warriors are likely going to be a play-in team at best and nothing more. This team needed Klay Thompson to have a chance to be good, but without him they don’t stand much of a chance.
What Are Your Thoughts From The 8 Games Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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