Will Barton Needs To Stop Shooting; Luka Dominates Portland! 3.21.21
It’s another day of NBA action and we have a very busy day with 10 games on the schedule.
Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat
Shooting Helps
Indiana really only won this game because of shooting. Other than that it was pretty even on both sides but Indiana’s 3-PT shooting advantage really helped them win this game. In the first half the Pacers were winning because of.. shooting. Balanced scoring and some 3’s falling helped them lead. Entering the 4th the Pacers had a commanding 9-point lead. But Miami came back. The Pacers offense went cold and Miami clawed back to tie the game. The Pacers had the ball last but didn’t use it well as Caris Levert missed badly and we went to OT. OT didn’t start well as the Pacers fell behind by 5 and Sabonis fouled out. But the Pacers held Miami scoreless for 3 minutes and 3 straight 3’s gave them the lead. After a miss Miami had less than 10 seconds to score. They forced Jimmy Butler to shoot a 3 and he missed, as Indiana survived to win this game.
Very balanced scoring with 7 Pacers in double-figures. Sabonis had 17 and 11 rebounds and I was impressed how he played. He had 5 fouls for almost the entire 4th and he stayed in the game until OT. Justin Holiday hit 2 3’s in OT, finishing with 15. Turner was solid and Brogdon and Levert were terrible (9/35 combined). The bench duo of McConnell and McDermott are so good. McConnell hit McDermott on so many backdoor cuts. McDermott had 15 and McConnell had 6 assists.
Indiana hit 15 3’s (45 points) and Miami hit 9 3’s (27 points). That’s a really big advantage. Indiana wasn’t great anywhere else. Indiana actually shot worse from the field but they just hit more 3’s. The defense was good and aggressive and the offense was solid throughout. I love their bench led by the Mc brothers and their offense is solid. Levert is still finding his way back but if he can come back to what he was to start this season, Indiana becomes a much more scary team.
Need Shooting
Not one to brag, but I did see the Heat’s shooting struggles before today. It happened again and it was the reason Miami lost. In the first half the only reason Indiana had the lead is because of their shooting. Miami was 3/18 from 3 as they couldn’t make anything. Entering the 4th the Heat would need to make some shots to comeback down 9. They did just that. The defense was excellent and Miami slowly crawled back. Herro played great defense (for once) on the final possession on Levert and we were headed for OT. It started about as well as you could hope. 5-point lead and Sabonis fouled out early. But Miami kept just running down the clock and forcing something late. They didn’t score for 3 minutes and Indiana took the lead with 3 straight 3’s. Jimmy Butler missed at the buzzer and the Heat lost a game they should be winning.
Adebayo was excellent. 29 points and 10 rebounds as he dominated his matchup with Sabonis. Butler had 21-15-7 as he continues to play well, but the shooting hasn’t been there for him. Robinson, Nunn, and Olynyk did nothing offensively. Herro was 0/7 from 3 as he has regressed. Sure he can get his own shot but his 3’s haven’t been there. Him turning from a sharp-shooter to a shot-creator hasn’t been pretty.
In order to win the Heat need to shoot better. The defense is fine but their offense struggles if they can’t shoot well.
OKC Thunder vs Houston Rockets
OKC Thunder
It’s the Rockets.
Houston Rockets
20 straight losses. The record is 28 straight losses but for a single season it’s 26. Both records are held by Philly but Houston might reach that mark.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Denver Nuggets
Hail To The Wings
The Pelicans might not know how to build around two generational talents, however they are still generational talents. The Pelicans rode their All-Star wings to this win, as Ingram took over late. After a slow start the Pelicans dominated the 2nd quarter. The 2nd unit was amazing led by Steven Adams who dominated the boards. Zion and Ingram were solid but Alexander Walker was in double-digits in place of Ball. Entering the 4th things were close and the Pelicans stayed with it. With 1:53 left the Pelicans trailed by two. They went to Ingram. Ingram hit a couple of tough and-ones and scored 8 straight points. New Orleans did get lucky that Murray and Jokic missed their 3’s, but they got the road win in the end.
Zion had 30 points and 6 rebounds on just 13 shots. He was very good at getting to the rim and he continues to hit his free throws (11/14). Ingram had 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. His and Zion’s playmaking has gotten much better but Ingram had 8 straight points in the 4th as he got things done. Alexander-Walker had 20 points in place of Lonzo and Josh Hart was solid. Steven Adams was a force with 13 rebounds (7 offensive) as he was very physical with Jokic.
It’s clear that the Pelicans have to do a better job building around their stars. These two are special and when they have the right team around them they can be special. Until then we can really only see them be good in flashes.
Please Stop, Will Barton
I was always skeptical of Denver because they have no wing defenders. Guess what happened when they played two of the best young wings in the league? Not good, I can tell you that much. In the first half Denver was getting dominated by Steven Adams down low. He was creating so many second and third chances for New Orleans and they were cashing in. Jokic was quiet and Barton continued to chuck shots without much results. Entering the 4th the Nuggets had their chances to win but they couldn’t pull away. 8 straight points from Ingram down the stretch couldn’t be matched. Jokic and Murray both missed great looks from 3 on the same possession as Denver missed their chances to win this one.
Jokic had 29-10-10 on 13/19 shooting as he continues to be the MVP. Murray had 23 and 7 assists as he has been finding himself. Will Barton took 19 shots. First of all that should never be happening but secondly he only had 16 points. MPJ on the other hand was 7/14 from the field. He had 17 and 9. He took 5 less shots and still had more points. If Will Barton keeps shooting we’re going to have problems. Barton also shot more than Murray and the same amount of shots as the MVP. Mike Malone somebody has to tell him to chill out.
Restraining order on Will Barton please.
Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics
The Nets Game Was A Fluke
I did say the offensive explosion against the Nets would be a fluke. What happened? Aaron Gordon went from scoring 40 to going 3/13 from the field. Vucevic struggled and Evan Fournier was awful (6/19). James Ennis was their best scorer with 18 off the bench. Yikes.
It’s The Magic
I find it hard to believe this team has remained around 0.500 to this point in the season. They have so much talent. Jaylen Brown got back on track, hitting a career high 10 3’s for 34 points. Jayson Tatum only took 13 shots but had 23 points as he was efficient, taking smart shots. Smart, Walker, and Theis were all in double-figures. The Celtics can do this more often. So just do it (Nike please don’t sue).
Washington Wizards vs Brooklyn Nets
The Wizards Don’t Understand The Concept Of Fouling
Down 5 with the shot clock turned off, the Wizards didn’t foul. Even when Scott Brooks was yelling at Beal and Westbrook to foul Irving, who was right in front of them, they didn’t do it. Playoffs aren’t looking like a reality for the Wizards.
Nicolas Claxton Is Very Good (Welcome Back Blake Griffin)
The Nets won, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I love Nicolas Claxton for a lot of reasons. Deandre Jordan is old and can’t do anything defensively. While Claxton isn’t a great defenders, he’s young and lanky. He isn’t very big but he’s athletic and can do a much better job defensively than Jordan can. Claxton was 7/10 with 16 off the bench with 4 combined blocks and steals. He closed the game well and I really like him more than Jordan.
Blake Griffin came back after a month off and looked decent. He dunked for the first time since 2019, a good sign. He didn’t do much but he was a +15 in 15 minutes of work. I like Griffin as a veteran presence, good for 10-15 minutes a night. If he hits his 3’s/offers some playmaking he’ll be good.
Toronto Raptors vs Cleveland Cavaliers
8 In A Row
The Raptors have collapsed to start the 2nd half of this season. They have been hit hard by Covid, yes. But now they have their full roster and now they’re losing to the Cavs. Yikes. They’ve completely fallen out of the playoff race and now they have to climb back into things, again. VanVleet struggled shooting as did Siakam and Lowry. Powell and Anunoby were solid but the bench continues to underperform. This team had things figured out but now the playoffs aren’t a sure thing. What a turn of events.
Offense, Finally
The Sex-land backcourt was in full form today. Sexton had 36 points and Garland had 15-5-6. Not bad. Jarrett Allen had 17-15 as he continues to be very productive down low. Nance was solid as was Okoro, who had 8-7-5 with 3 combined steals and blocks. Okoro plays the most minutes for a reason. Dean Wade had 16 off the bench as the Cavs continue to show flashes of what they can be.
Chicago Bulls vs Detroit Pistons
What To Do At The Deadline
Cool, you won but it’s the Pistons. But the Bulls still have decisions to make. What to do with Markkanen, a good offensive player but he’s a terrible defender with his lack of strength. Coby White is a pure scoring guard, something that the Bulls don’t need. Otto Porter has the back of an old man and is getting paid $28.4 million but he’s a free agent this summer. The Bulls have decisions to make but it’s unlikely to make a move. I don’t think it’s bad but you shouldn’t bring Porter back and your young core doesn’t fit. The Bulls still have a dilemma on their hands.
Rebuild
Rebuild
Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
It took a lot for Philly to win this game, but they did just that in OT to comeback and win this game. After a great start defensively a poor 2nd quarter put the 76ers lead at the wayside. Entering the 4th things were tied. It would be a crazy final 12 minutes to say the least. A Danny Green (yes Danny Green) floater put Philly up 3 inside 20 seconds to go. The 76ers got a stop but Tobias Harris missed both free throws. In return Julius Randle got his right corner 3 to bounce in and we headed to OT. The OT was back and forth by Philly fell behind 4. But a Harris 3 put them back within one. A crazy scramble ended in a foul and Harris went back to the line with 5.3 seconds left. This time he hit both free throws and the 76ers got the lead and the win.
Shake Milton had 21 off the bench as he was a big boost. Tobias Harris struggled shooting but he had 20. Danny Green hit some big shots and Simmons was solid as well. It was a mostly defensive game but Philly did just enough to win.
If Philly can keep winning and retain that top seed in the East without Embiid, that’s huge. The Nets are right on their tails but Philly still has it. It doesn’t have to be pretty or routine, it just has to be a win and Philly is certainly fine with that.
Pain
Pain. The Knicks had their chances but that late foul hurt them. In my opinion that was a foul, but it’s the end of the game. Play on. Randle struggled shooting but was great, hitting that miraculous 3 that forced OT. He had 23-7-5. 5 steals that is. Barrett had 19 and Noel had 13 and 10. Alec Burks had 20 off the bench and Mitchell Robinson was back as he played 17 minutes. The duo of Noel and Robinson is amazing defensively and the Knicks just need D-Rose back so their offense can comeback.
LA Lakers vs Phoenix Suns
Longest 6-8 Weeks Ever
No Lebron and no AD against one of the best teams in the league. It was surprisingly close but if Lebron is out for 6-8 weeks like the report says, the Lakers will drop heavily in the standings.
How Was This Close?
I’m surprised the game was this close considering how much LA was missing. Nonetheless a win is a win as CP-3 crossed the 10k assist mark. Booker was good and Ayton finally shot the ball, going 10/13 from the field for 26 and 8 rebounds. The Suns are good, we all know this. They’ll be welcoming the Lakers drop in the standings in hopes that they can keep the #2 seed.
Dallas Mavericks vs Portland Trail Blazers
Revenge
After coming up short on Friday, the Mavs dominated this game with their shooting. Outscoring Portland 38-15 in the 3rd wasn’t too bad either. The Mavs were 19/37 from 3, getting 57 points from deep on 51% shooting. Luka was 8/9 from 3, 13/19 overall and finished with 37 points. Special. Richardson was 8/11 and it was a solid performance all-around. Excellent shooting by the Mavs (a rare occurrence nowadays).
Poor Shooting
For how many 3’s Portland shoots, it’s surprising this doesn’t happen more often. But they just couldn’t make 3’s and the Mavs buried them, snapping a 3 game win streak. Portland was 9/41 from 3, shooting just 22%. The Mavs made 10 more 3’s than Portland and that was far too big of a margin. Dame and CJ were relative quiet and while the bench was finally decent outside of Melo, it wasn’t nearly enough.
The great news is Denver lost too. A win would have put Portland ahead of them, but not losing ground is fine as well.
What Are Your Thoughts From The 10 Games Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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