Russell Westbrook Makes History!; Bucks Headed Down Same Path? 5.10.21
It’s a Monday night of NBA hoops and we have 6 games on the schedule tonight.
Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers (111-102)
Sabonis
21 points, 20 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks for Sabonis in this game. In the month of May, without Brogdon and Turner, he’s averaging;
21 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists on 67% shooting.
Kelan Martin added 25 off the bench as Indiana moves back in front of Washington, getting the 9th seed by 0.5 a game.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Tanking
Washington Wizards vs Atlanta Hawks (124-125)
An L, But History
This was a great effort without Bradley Beal. The Wizards kept thing close in the first half but Atlanta blew things open in the 3rd. At this point the game should have been over but thanks to some solid bench play and Russell Westbrook making history, the Wizards cut a 19 point lead to just one with a 17-1 run. Things remained close but the Hawks were always one step ahead. The Wizards got the rebound with under 10 seconds to go, but instead of calling timeout, they raced down the floor and Westbrook missed. The last time Westbrook had some sort of triple-double record, he made the 3, just ask Denver. This time, he can up just short.
But he still made history. A record that stood for nearly 50 years, Westbrooks broke Oscar Robertson’s record for most triple-doubles in a career, Westbrook now having 182 for his career. What’s most impressive is the pace;
Average Pace in 1961-74: 107.8
Average Pace in 2009-21: 95.1
Oscar Robertson’s teams had 12.7 more possessions per game. That means more shots taken (more potential assists) and more shots misses (more potential rebounds). Russ also broke Oscar’s record with 100 fewer games played.
Russell Westbrook Last 5 Games:
23.4 ppg, 16.4 rpg, 18.8 apg, 82 total rebounds and 94 total assists.
The Wizards are now 10th in the East, 0.5 a game behind Indiana.
Winning
The Hawks played a very good game, overshadowed by whatever Westbrook is doing on the other side. The Hawks led by 19 in the 3rd quarter, but the Wizards did cut that lead to one. But the Hawks pulled through in the end to get the win, as they get another big win. They are 0.5 a game behind the 4th seeded Knicks and 0.5 a game ahead of the Heat. It’s going to get crazy down the stretch.
36-6-9 for Young, 28 points and 8 rebounds for Collins, 25 for Bogdanovic, as these 3 have been the engine for the Hawks as they try and solidify home court in the first round of the playoffs.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Memphis Grizzlies (110-115)
A For Effort
7 guys were in double figures, but you would much, much rather have a healthy Ingram and Zion. I think we can all agree on that.
Taking Care Of Business
Close or not, the Grizzlies beat the team that was missing both All-Stars, so mission accomplished. This was all the starters tonight, all 5 of them were in double figures with little bench relief. 23 for Brooks, 20 and 11 for Valanciunas, double-double for Morant, and decent games from Anderson and Jackson Jr.
Memphis is the 9th seed, 0.5 behind the 8th seeded Warriors. The Grizzlies have a 2 game lead on the Spurs, who are currently 10th.
Milwaukee Bucks vs San Antonio Spurs (125-146)
Not Contenders
The Bucks 3-PT defense is still bad, please fire Mike Budenholzer. The worst part is the Spurs aren’t a team that shoots/makes many 3’s. Yet they were 12/18 from 3 in the first half from 3 and 17/29 for the game. The Bucks have Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, and Donte DiVincenzo are primary perimeter defenders. There’s no excuse for their 3-PT defense to be this bad, yet Budenholzer and his schemes are still flawed.
The Bucks are now 1 game behind the Nets for 2nd in the East and now with a win tomorrow, Philly can officially take the #1 seed. You blew it Milwaukee.
Shooting
It’s a miracle, the Spurs actually shot the ball well. They made 12 3’s in the first half (although my Blazers did that in the first quarter) but nonetheless they dominated, shooting nearly 60% from the field and leading by 27 at one point, scoring 146 points. 7 guys were in double figures with 6 guys over 19 points for the game.
The Spurs are 2 games behind the Grizzlies, as they currently sit at 10th in the West. They have a 2.5 game lead on the 11th seeded Pelicans.
Utah Jazz vs Golden State Warriors (116-119)
A For Effort
The Jazz kept fighting but after falling behind by 18 at one point, the game seemed a lost cause. With 5:31 left the Jazz trailed by 12, 110-98. The Jazz went on a 18-4 run thanks to 11 straight points from Jordan Clarkson, including a 3 that put Utah up 2 with 1:11 left. Golden State got the ball with 30 seconds left, where Curry missed the initial 3. But Utah didn’t get the rebound and Curry shot it again, and surprise, surprise, he made it. Clarkson missed, the Warriors hit 2/2 free throws, Clarkson missed again and Utah lost. Almost.
Clarkson was 6/17 in the first half with 12 points. He was 10/16 in the 2nd half and finished with 41 points. 27 for Bogdanovic as well but the Jazz came up just short. They still have a 1.5 game lead on the Phoenix Suns for the #1 seed.
Hail Curry
Curry had 21 in the 2nd half including the dagger 3 after the Warriors let an 18-4 run almost ruin their night. But they came through for another big win. 36 and 6 assists for Curry, 20 for Poole off the bench, and 19 for Kent Bazemore, who seems to think that somebody getting hurt is in any shape or form related to them trying to catch Curry for the scoring title. What an idiot.
Anyway the Warriors stay at 8th place with a 0.5 game lead on the 9th seeded Grizzlies.
Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers (129-140)
A For Effort
Still tanking
Holy Offense
This game started off with a bang. 50 points in the first quarter, a franchise record for points in any quarter. Portland was 12/16 from 3 in the 1st quarter, tying the NBA record for most 3’s in a quarter. The Suns hit 12 3’s against Houston this season. The Blazers led for the entire game and while the Rockets did cut the lead to 5 at one point in the 4th, Portland pulled through late to get another win, their 8th win in the last 9 games.
34 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists for Dame, who had 28 of his 34 points in the 2nd half. 28 points and 7 assists for CJ and 28 points and 6 rebounds for Powell. This trio has been figuring things out. 22-6-5 for Nurkic with 3 steals as he looks like pre-leg injury Nurkic here in the last 15 games.
Portland is 0.5 a game behind the 5th seeded Mavs and a solid 1.5 games ahead of the 7th seeded Lakers.
What Are Your Thoughts From The 6 Games Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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