Curry and Dame Duel; Tatum Wins It For Boston! 1.3.21
It’s another day of NBA Regular Season action, and we have 8 games on action packed Sunday! Russell Westbrook and the Washington Wizards take on KD and the Brooklyn Nets.
Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Celtics played terribly, and they lost to these Pistons. The Celtics offense stalled in the 4th quarter, as they look for revenge. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum will have to continue to do what they’ve been doing for the Celtics to win. The Pistons have the inferior roster, but that didn’t stop them from beating the Celtics. Blake Griffin is back with the Pistons, helping them mightily on offense. Along with Griffin they have Jerami Grant and Derrick Rose. But this Pistons team is still overmatched, and I think Boston will win this game.
Boston Celtics
It wasn’t pretty, but Boston survives this game with a win. The first half was high scoring for both teams, as Boston scored 61 first half points on 57% shooting. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 35 points in the first half. Boston led by 3 entering the 4th, and then things got interesting late. The Celtics kept trying to hold their lead in the 4th, but lost it multiple times. But with 3:44 left, the game was tied. With 34 seconds left, Jaylen Brown hit a 3 to give the Celtics a two-point lead. Jerami Grant tied the game at the line, and Boston has a chance to win the game. They gave the ball to Jayson Tatum and he delivered. Jayson Tatum hit the clutch pull-up jumper with 2.9 seconds left. And Boston survived to win.
Jaylen Brown had 31 points on 13/16 shooting, 5/8 3-PT.
Jayson Tatum had 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists on 10/22 shooting.
Marcus Smart had 17 points and 9 assists on 5/10 shooting.
The Celtics should be beating this Pistons team by a lot more, but they made their big shots down the stretch. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are both going to be All-Stars this season, and the Celtics had their role guys play much better as Theis, Thompson, Smart, and Ojeleye were all in double figures. Kemba Walker will be back sometime in February, but this Celtics team can still remain competitive in the meantime. Boston is now 4-3 on the year, and they face the Toronto Raptors next.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons surprised me again as they battled tough with this Celtics team. Their roster is decent, but they don’t have the star-power that the Celtics posses. The Pistons offense was excellent in the first half, as they shot 54% from the field and scored 57 points. The Pistons trailed by 3 entering the 4th, but they gave the Celtics quite a fight. The Pistons kept chipping away at the Boston lead, and took the lead a couple of time. With 42.2 seconds left, a pair of Mason Plumlee free throws put Detroit up by one. But then Jaylen Brown answered with a 3, and Detroit trailed by 2. With 22 seconds left, Jerami Grant hit 2/2 free throws, and Detroit tied the game. But in the closing seconds, they couldn’t get things done as Jayson Tatum hit the game-winning jumper, and the Pistons lost in heart-breaking fashion.
Jerami Grant had 22 points and 6 rebounds on 8/15 shooting.
Svi Mykhailiuk had 15 points on 5/8 shooting, 3/6 3-PT off the bench.
The Pistons could have won this game, but that’s where having a super-star helps late in games. But the Pistons are definitely a decent team, ignoring their 1-5 start to the season. They beat the Celtics and came up just short in this game. Jerami Grant continues to shine, and they have some solid pieces like Plumlee, Jackson, Griffin, and Rose. Killian Hayes looked good in this game, as they try and develop their rookies. The Pistons take on the Bucks next time out.
LA Lakers vs Memphis Grizzlies
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Lakers won back-to-back games vs the Spurs, and now they face the undermanned Memphis Grizzlies. Their duo of Lebron James and Anthony Davis is a nightmare for every team, especially Memphis. LA is without KCP, but the Lakers are still so much better than this Grizzlies team, so look for a blowout. The Grizzlies won a game (somehow), without both of their franchise players. That trend won’t continue against a championship contender like the Lakers. This should be an easy win for the Warriors.
LA Lakers
This game was surprisingly close for most of this game. The Lakers fell behind by 11 after the first quarter, shooting 46% from the field but allowing Memphis to shoot 44% from the field. But the Lakers rebounded in the 2nd quarter and took the lead entering halftime. The game remained close in the 3rd, but the Lakers pulled away in the 4th, outscoring the Grizzlies by 12. LA is now 5-2 on the year.
Lebron James had 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists on 9/16 shooting
Anthony Davis had 17 points and 9 assists on 6/15 shooting.
Montrezl Harrell had 16 points and 9 rebounds on 7/11 shooting.
It wasn’t the prettiest of wins, but it does make 3 straight wins for the Lakers. Not having KCP in the starting lineup did make the Lakers a little bit weaker off the bench as Kyle Kuzma had to start. Wesley Matthews and Montrezl Harrell were both in double-figures off the bench, as they need similar numbers off the bench going forward. The Lakers face the Grizzlies again on Tuesday.
Memphis Grizzlies
This game was a lot closer than I expected it to be, but the result was as expected. The Grizzlies jumped on the Lakers to start the game, taking an 11-point advantage heading into the 2nd quarter. But the Grizzlies lost their lead and could never recover. They were outscored by 12 in the 4th quarter, as they have lost 2 of their last 3 games.
Kyle Anderson had 18 points on 7/19 shooting.
Jonas Valanciunas had 14 points and 10 rebounds on 7/14 shooting.
Tyus Jones had 14 points and 5 rebounds on 6/11 shooting.
The Grizzlies just can’t contend in the West without their franchise players. They won’t be a playoff team until Morant and Jackson Jr. return from injury. They gave the Lakers their best shot, but even that wasn’t enough to come close to the defending champs. The Grizzlies get another chance against the Lakers on Tuesday.
Washington Wizards vs Brooklyn Nets
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Wizards have struggled this season, although they won their first game against the Timberwolves on Friday. Russell Westbrook is back in the lineup, and with Bradley Beal these two form one of the best duos on the league. But the Wizards are overmatched in this game vs the Nets, as their defense is amongst the worst in the league. The Nets got stomped on by the Hawks, and they look to come back strong. Kyrie Irving has been struggling as of late, but he has an opportunity to get things back on track. This Nets team is significantly better than the Wizards, and they should be winning this game.
Washington Wizards
Maybe the Wizards can start to turn things around, winning their 2nd straight game, this one against a very good Nets team. The Wizards shot 53% from 3 in the first half, scoring 70 points but still trailing. The Wizards led by one entering the 4th, and they made some big plays down the stretch. With 1:39 left, the game was tied after both teams had been going back and forth. With 28.2 seconds left, the Wizards trailed by 1. The Wizards got the ball, and Bradley Beal missed a jumper. Thomas Bryant got the offensive rebound and he scored, putting the Wizards up by one. Kyrie Irving and KD both missed, and the Wizards survived to win their 2nd straight game.
Bradley Beal had 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists on 9/25 shooting.
Russell Westbrook had 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists on 7/25 shooting.
Thomas Bryant had 21 points and 14 rebounds on 9/12 shooting.
The Wizards hung in there with the Wizards, as their offense looked really good. Neither Beal or Westbrook shot the ball very well, put they rebounded and assisted very well. Thomas Bryant had another very efficient double-double. Rui Hachimura and Davis Bertans were both solid as well. After an 0-5 start, the Wizards have won back-to-back games. Maybe they can start to get things going and climb back into the playoff picture in the East. They have a decent roster, all they need is for their defense to pickup. The Wizards play the 76ers next.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets have lost 4 of their last 5 games. Maybe something to take note of. The Nets offense continues to do well, but their defense has struggled. The Nets scored 71 points in the first half, shooting 52% from the field. But they allowed 70 points, so their big offensive half was all for nothing. In the 4th, the Nets did their best, but they came up just short. They scored with with 28.2 seconds left, and they just had to get one stop to win the game. They forced a miss, but they allowed an offensive rebound, and the Wizards took the lead. Irving and Durant both missed on the Nets final possession, and the Nets have fallen to 3-4 on the year.
Kyrie Irving had 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists on 10/20 shooting.
Kevin Durant had 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists on 8/15 shooting.
Joe Harris had 16 points on 6/11 shooting.
Now I think that the Nets have to get things going. I know that they still have to get adjusted to each other and not having Spencer Dinwiddie does hurt this team, but they should be winning games like this. KD and Kyrie were very good, as was Joe Harris. TLC and Jarrett Allen were also good, but again, this defense has to be better. It’s one of the worst defenses in the league thus far, and they definitely can be a lot better. Until they get better, it’ll have to be a lot of shoot-out wins. The Nets play the Utah Jazz next time out.
Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Nuggets have struggled mightily this season, starting off 1-4. Their roster is very talented, featuring Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. The Nuggets need to get things going, and they have a prime opportunity vs the short-handed Timberwolves. Michael Porter Jr. is again out, but the Nuggets should be winning this game regardless. The T-Wolves have been one of the worst teams in the league since KAT was injured, and now they play the superior Nuggets. They are also without Josh Okogie, who is their best perimeter defender. This Timberwolves team will continue to struggle without Towns, and that’s why Denver will win this game.
Denver Nuggets
Yeah, this was to be expected. The Nuggets started this season off very slow, but they got a win against a very bad T-Wolves team without Karl Anthony Towns. Jamal Murray led the way with 26 points in the first half, as this Nuggets offense looks very good, even without Michael Porter Jr. The Nuggets cruised to a 15-point win, as they are now 2-4 on the year.
Jamal Murray had 36 points and 5 rebounds on 13/20 shooting.
Nikola Jokic had 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists on 8/12 shooting.
Facundo Campazzo had 15 points on 5/7 3-PT off the bench.
Jamal Murray has been playing a lot better as of late, as they hope he continues to play like this. Nikola Jokic is currently the front-runner for MVP, as he has been absolutely dominating to start this season. Millsap, Campazzo, JaMychal Green, and Monte Morris were all good. The Nuggets are starting to get into a rhythm, as maybe they can start to get things going. Denver faces the Timberwolves again on Tuesday.
Minnesota Timberwolves
(Notes): Need Karl-Anthony Towns
Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Jazz have been a roller-coaster team thus far, but they just beat a very good Clippers team, and now look to continue their winning ways vs the Spurs. Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic have both gotten off to slow starts, as they look to turn things up. The Jazz have the talent advantage in this game, but the Spurs are still good. The Spurs lost back-to-back games to the Lakers, but they’re the Lakers. The Spurs are average, but they have some good players like DeMar DeRozan, Dejounte Murray, and Keldon Johnson. They are without Derrick White and LaMarcus Aldridge, but this team always manages to keep games close. But I do think that the Jazz will win this game.
Utah Jazz
The Jazz have started to look more consistent, as they have won two straight games and 3 out of there last 4. The Jazz led early and often, as they jumped on the Spurs from the gun. Utah led by 14 at halftime, behind 26 points from Mitchell and Bogdanovic combined. The Jazz continued to pour it on, as they easily won against the inferior Spurs. Utah is now 4-2 on the year.
Bojan Bogdanovic had 28 points on 10/13 shooting.
Donovan Mitchell had 22 points and 9 assists on 8/17 shooting.
Jordan Clarkson had 18 points on 8/13 shooting off the bench.
The Jazz have been looking better as of late, but I’m not completely sold on them. But Bojan Bogdanovic and Donovan Mitchell looked very good, as they need to continue to take good shots, and make them. Their bench isn’t very deep, and I suggest they try and make a move at the deadline for another scorer, similar to Jordan Clarkson. But I know what the Jazz can be, and they just need to keep being consistent. Utah takes on the Brooklyn Nets next.
San Antonio Spurs
As I’ve said, the Spurs can’t really contend with the better teams in the West. They’re not terrible, but they’ve run into the same problems as of the last few seasons, as they just don’t have superstars on their roster anymore. The Spurs were never in the game from the start, as they are just an obsolete team. Maybe they should consider blowing it all up after this season, and starting a new era.
Keldon Johnson had 22 points and 6 rebounds on 10/16 shooting.
DeMar DeRozan had 19 points and 5 rebounds on 9/17 shooting.
I definitely think the Spurs should consider rebuilding starting next season. Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, and Lonnie Walker are the main guys who I would want to build around. This Spurs team needs to move on from guys like DeRozan and Aldridge, as they are getting older and making a lot of money. I would definitely recommend that the Spurs start a new era and rebuild, instead of trying to contend when they really can’t.
Dallas Mavericks vs Chicago Bulls
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Mavericks have been so weird this year, with big wins and big losses. But they just handled a very good Miami Heat team, and now face the mediocre Bulls. But this will be a tough game as Luka Doncic is out. The Mavs still have a decent roster that is comparable to the Bulls, but this game will be a lot tougher without Doncic. The Bulls are missing 4 key players, including Lauri Markkanen. The Bulls are 2-4 on the year, but they match up well with the Mavs with Luka out. I think that the Bulls will win this game.
Dallas Mavericks
Without Luka Doncic, the Mavs were decent, but they need Luka for obvious reasons. But in the first half, Dallas had no problems on offense. They scored 60 points, shooting 56% from the field and 40% from 3. But they were outscored by 11 in the 2nd half, and they just couldn’t keep up with Chicago. The Mavs are now 2-4 on the year.
Jalen Brunson had 31 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists on 11/17 shooting.
Josh Richardson had 16 points on 5/14 shooting.
Maxi Kleber had 16 points and 5 rebounds on 5/8 shooting off the bench.
I’m not going to criticize the Mavs, they didn’t have their franchise player. They looked pretty good in this game, but they couldn’t keep up with the Bulls. Having Luka Doncic would have likely won the Mavs this game, but they didn’t have them. The Mavs are now 2-4 on the year, and they face the Houston Rockets next.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls nearly lost to the Luka-less Mavs, but they pulled through in the end. The Mavs were red hot in the first half, and the only reason the Bulls stayed in the game was Zach Lavine. Lavine was 12/18 from the field, with 29 first half points. And in the 2nd half, the Bulls took advantage of the Mavs, outscoring them by 11 overall in the 2nd half. The Bulls needed to win this game, and they did as they are now 3-4 on the year.
Zach Lavine had 39 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists on 14/25 shooting.
Coby White had 23 points and 7 rebounds on 7/14 shooting.
Otto Porter Jr. had 15 points and 7 rebounds on 4/11 shooting.
The Bulls needed to win this game against a short-handed Mavericks team. Zach Lavine was excellent in this game, as they wait for Lauri Markkanen to come back from Covid. This Bulls roster is pretty solid, and they still have a lot of growing to do. Coby White, Daniel Gafford, and Patrick Williams still have But the Bulls have done a great job since starting this season off 0-3, as they have 3 of their last 4. The Bulls take on the Portland Trail Blazers next.
LA Clippers vs Phoenix Suns
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Clippers are coming off of a loss to the Jazz, a game that nearly made a large comeback in. But nonetheless, they are one of the best teams in the West. Their duo of PG and Kawhi is very, very tough to guard, and they have a solid team around their star duo. They are still without Marcus Morris, but they are still very good. The Suns have jumped out to a 5-1 start, fueled by one of the best defenses in the league. They have a lot of offensive weapons like Devin Booker, and a bevy of shooters. This Suns team is very good, making this a very good matchup. I think that the Suns will win this game.
LA Clippers
The Clippers bounced back with an impressive win versus one of the best teams in the West. The Clippers started this game off very hot, as they led by 20 at halftime behind a big performance by Paul George. The Clippers shot 53% from the field in the first half, making the Suns defense, which is one of the best in the league, look not very good. But the Suns rallied in the 3rd, and in the 4th things got a little close. With 1:37 left, the Suns were down by just 3. But Nicolas Batum ended all hopes at a comeback, draining the dagger 3. The Clippers are now 5-2 on the year.
Paul George had 39 points on 15/24 shooting, 7/10 3-PT.
Kawhi Leonard had 15 points and 6 rebounds on 4/21 shooting.
Luke Kennard had 14 points on 5/7 shooting off the bench.
That 1st half by the Clippers was excellent. They allowed just 44 points and dominated the Suns. Paul George is looking very good to start this season, making the Clippers one of the most lethal offenses in the league. Luke Kennard was good off the bench, and the Clippers still haven’t had Marcus Morris. The Clippers have looked good, and if they keep this up in the postseason, they will be a tough team to beat. They just have to continue doing what they’ve been doing. LA faces the Spurs next on Tuesday.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns looked very bad for one half of this game, and it ended up costing them. They didn’t look ready coming out of the gates, and Paul George and company scored 64 points in the first half. The Suns offense struggled, shooting 46% from the field and 18% from 3 in the first half. But in the 2nd half, the Suns started to play a lot better. They scored 37 points in the 3rd quarter, and then kept battling in the 4th. With 1:37 left, the lead had been cut to 3. But Nicolas Batum hit the dagger 3, and the Suns came up just short.
Devin Booker had 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists on 7/13 shooting.
Deandre Ayton had 24 points and 8 rebounds on 9/12 shooting.
Chris Paul had 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists on 6/12 shooting.
The Suns played horrible in that first half, and very good in that 2nd half. The Suns are still very good, although I think that their offense has to be more explosive. They have the weapons, but they can’t always rely on their defense being great. I still like what I’ve been seeing from the Suns, and them having a great defense out the gates is great for later down the line. Deandre Ayton is getting better and more comfortable, and this Suns team is good, but not a great showing vs another great Western Conference team.
Portland Trail Blazers vs Golden State Warriors
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Blazers have been very inconsistent this year, especially on the defensive end. But they stomped on the Warriors last time out, and they have the talent advantage by a mile. Their back-court duo of Dame and CJ is tough to handle, along with their versatile wing duo of Covington and Jones Jr. Their bench has been hot and cold this season, but Gary Trent Jr. is back, but Rodney Hood is out. The Warriors are undermanned in this game, and not much should change from the first time these two teams played. The Warriors have struggled against playoff teams, and the Blazers are a playoff team. Draymond Green was unimpressive in his duo, as they hope he does more. The Warriors need a lot more from Wiggins and Oubre to win this game, but I don’t see both of them playing very well, especially Oubre. I think that Portland will win this game easily.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers defense was again the reason they lost this game. Obviously trying to beat the same team twice is hard, but their defense was awful in this game. The Warriors shot 53% from the field in the first half, as Steph Curry had 31 points in the first half. Portland trailed by 12 at halftime, because they couldn’t stop anything. Entering the 4th, Portland trailed by 14 an tried to make a comeback, cutting the lead to 8 multiple times, but it was just too little too late, as Portland is now 3-3 on the year.
Damian Lillard had 32 points on 10/24 shooting.
CJ McCollum had 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists on 10/23 shooting.
Enes Kanter had 24 points and 12 rebounds on 8/12 shooting off the bench.
This Blazers defense is terrible. They never adjusted to stop Steph Curry, as he dropped 62 points, shooting 58% from the field. Their offense struggled at times, but they’re never going to have an offense problem. Now, the refs in this game were terrible for both teams, but especially the Blazers. But that doesn’t cover up how bad this defense is. The Blazers can’t be contenders if their defense isn’t good. The Blazers take on the Bulls on Tuesday.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors looked much better in this game than the last. Their offense ran through Steph Curry, who was amazing throughout this game. Curry had 31 points at halftime, and the Warriors just couldn’t be stopped. In the 4th, the Warriors lead did start to deteriorate, but Steph Curry hit some timely 3’s, and the Warriors won, making them 3-3 on the year.
Steph Curry had a career high 62 points and 5 rebounds on 18/31 shooting.
Andrew Wiggins had 21 points and 7 rebounds on 8/16 shooting.
Kelly Oubre Jr. had 17 points and 5 rebounds on 7/13 shooting.
The Warriors offense looked a lot better, as Oubre and Wiggins finally played well. I still don’t view this Warriors team as great, because if not for Curry’s career night, they would have lost. But Curry took advantage against one of the worst defenses in the league, credit it to him. This Warriors bench isn’t very deep, as they need more from their 2nd unit if they want to win, because Curry can’t do this for 66 more games. The Warriors play the Kings tomorrow night.
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