Dame For MVP?; “Contenders” Are Struggling! 2.17.21
It’s a Wednesday night of NBA basketball, and we have 10 games on the schedule today.
New York Knicks vs Orlando Magic
New York Knicks
The Knicks started this game off very good offensively. They were shooting well, and Julius Randle had 17 points to lead the way. The Knicks defense wasn’t great, but they were staying in the game. And then in that 2nd half, things got ugly offensively. They scored just 33 points in the 2nd half, and they were dominated by Orlando as this one got out of reach. Randle, Barrett, and Payton were solid scoring wise, but the Knicks bench was poor and their defense was unusually poor. The Knicks offense has to be better, as I’m assuming this defensive performance was an anomaly. The Knicks fall to 14-16 on the year.
Orlando Magic
Yay! Offense!
Atlanta Hawks vs Boston Celtics
Atlanta Hawks
With Nate McMillan at the helm, the Hawks offense was very good in this game as they just couldn’t be stopped. In the first half, the Hawks were dominating down low. Collins and Capela combined for 24 points in the first half, and Trae Young was a nightmare for Boston. And things didn’t slow down for the Hawks in the 2nd half. Young continued to dominate things probing the lane, and the Hawks just never relinquished their lead in the 2nd half as they got a much needed win to improve to 12-16 on the year.
Trae Young had 40 points and 8 assists on 14/20 shooting.
Clint Capela had 24 points and 13 rebounds on 10/13 shooting.
John Collins had 20 points and 6 rebounds on 6/9 shooting.
The Hawks offense looked very good in this game, mainly due to Trae Young dominating. When Young shoots the ball well from the field, he’s very good. He hit some 3’s, and continually drove the lane to either pass or drop it off to Capela or Collins who combined for 44 points. The Hawks looked good in this game, as their offense came back to life.
Boston Celtics
This team is so disappointing, as they just have had no defense. Trae Young continually gashed them and they were dominated by the Hawks frontcourt. This team has been falling short of expectations, as they haven’t been the same team from last year.
Houston Rockets vs Philadelphia 76ers
Houston Rockets
This game wasn’t close until the end, but the Rockets weren’t playing great and it was more of Philly slowing down than them really playing great. 4 of 5 starters were good led by John Wall, but their defense in the first half was awful, as they just haven’t been able to recover well from injuries as this is their 7th straight loss.
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers love to give people heart attacks, as this game shouldn’t have been close. They seemed to stop trying in the 2nd half, but they still won. No Ben Simmons, and their offense was still good. Embiid was quiet in the first half with foul trouble, but he had 23 points in the 2nd half. Tobias Harris had a strong start to the game, and Seth Curry was on fire with 25 points. The 76ers have to be better late, but they got a win to snap a losing streak, as they are now 19-10 on the year.
Denver Nuggets vs Washington Wizards
Denver Nuggets
This team is so bad. It’s the Wizards. The Nuggets jumped out to an early lead, up 15 early. And then they allowed 46 points in the 2nd quarter. They kept trying to play catchup in the 2nd half, and then they had their late-game struggles. Jamal Murray hit a 3 with 30.8 seconds left to tie it, and then JaMychal Green fouled Davis Bertans on a 3, and he hit 3 free throws. But then Jamal Murray tied the game again with a 3, this time with 2.1 seconds left. The Nuggets needed a stop for OT. Instead JaMychal Green fouled Bradley Beal on his way to the hoop with 0.1 seconds left and Washington lost. Good job JaMychal Green. Jokic and Murray went bubble mode, combining for 68 points. MPJ was solid, but just poor late-game execution in this game.
Washington Wizards
The Wizards might have been bailed out late in this game, but they played well in this game throughout. They trailed by 15 early in this game, but their offense got hit thanks to some 3-PT shooting from Davis Bertans and they led at the half. They held their lead throughout the 2nd half, and despite Jamal Murry hitting some big 3’s, praise JaMychal Green for gifting the Wizards some free throws that won them this game. Bertans hit 9 3’s and had 35 points. Beal and Westbrook weren’t great, but Bertans was. The Wizards have won their last 3 games, as they improve to 9-17 on the year.
Indiana Pacers vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Indiana Pacers
This game shouldn’t have been this close, but they won in OT. Sabonis shot 13/21 from the field, a great game after that horrendous one against Chicago. Brogdon was also very good with 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists as both of them played like All-Stars like the Pacers needed them to. Aaron Holiday and Lamb combined for 33 points off the bench, but defense remains a problem for this team as they just haven’t been able to defend at a high level in recent games. The Pacers are now 15-14 on the year.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Another game where the T-Wolves played well in, but not resulting in a win. Towns had 30 points, Rubio had 20. Beasley went back to the bench and had 31 points. Naz Reid added 18 off the bench. Edwards did struggle, but the offense was good. If this T-Wolves team becomes average on defense, they could be good as they have shown some real flashes on offense with all of their young guys. Minnesota is now 7-22 on the year.
Detroit Pistons vs Chicago Bulls
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons played pretty well in this game, but it wasn’t enough to win this game. In the first half it was the Jerami Grant show, as he had 18 points to lead the way for a dominating first half. The Pistons led by 20+ points, and it seemed like this game was over. But then the Pistons went from red-hot on offense, to ice cold as they managed just 12 points. The Bulls took the lead, and the Pistons barely led entering the 4th. The 4th quarter was back and forth, with Jerami Grant keeping them in the game. But Patrick Williams hit the dagger 3 for the Bulls, and the Pistons fall to 8-20 on the year.
Jerami Grant had 43 points on 15/25 shooting.
It was the Jerami Grant show. Nobody else did too much offensively, as Grant was on fire. The 3rd quarter was the main reason the Pistons lost this game, as the Bulls got back into the game despite the Pistons leading by 25 in the first half. At least the young guys are playing, and the Pistons are growing.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls played very good in the 2nd half, as they were able to come back and win this game. In the first half, shots weren’t falling and Jerami Grant was torching the Bulls as they fell behind by 20+ points. The game was supposed to be over at that point, but the Bulls never stopped fighting. Their defense was much better in the 3rd, holding the Pistons to just 12 points. They took the lead, and got themselves right back into the game. And in the 4th, it was a battle with Jerami Grant. But big 3’s from Patrick Williams and Coby White pushed the Bulls to a win, as they improve to 12-15 on the year.
Zach Lavine had 37 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 14/22 shooting.
Wendell Carter Jr. had 18 points on 7/9 shooting.
Patrick Williams had 15 points and 5 rebounds on 5/7 shooting.
Zach Lavine dueled with Jerami Grant in this game, as he again came up big. But I’m impressed with the other Bulls late in this game. Patrick Williams has been pretty good as a rookie, as he hit a big 3 late, the dagger 3. Coby White struggled all day long, but he hit a clutch 3. Wendell Carter Jr. being back helps the Bulls a lot, but this was a good win after trailing by as many as 25 to the Pistons.
Portland Trail Blazers vs New Orleans Pelicans
Portland Trail Blazers
This team continues to win. Their travel schedule was messed up, and yet they still won this game thanks to MVP Dame. In the first half, the Portland offense was solid although in the 2nd quarter they were missing easy shots. Zion was dominating them inside, and despite 21 points from Dame the Blazers trailed by 10 at the half. They would have to cool down the Pelicans from 3 and play better defense overall to win. In the 3rd, the Pelicans 3’s stopped falling and Dame brought Portland back into the lead. The 4th quarter was back and forth, and Dame time arrived once again. Lillard accounted for 7 straight points for Portland, including an assist to Derrick Jones Jr. that gave them the lead with 29 seconds left. With 26 seconds left, the Blazers were down by one. And then Dame blew by Lonzo Ball, and scored plus the foul, giving Portland a lead to two. Portland played great defense on the final possession, forcing bad shots from Ball and Ingram to win their 6th straight game. They are now 18-10 on the year.
Dame had 43 points and 16 assists on 14/28 shooting.
Gary Trent Jr. had 23 points on 7/14 shooting.
Give this man the MVP. This guy has been playing out of his mind. Dame had a big first quarter, and hit some big shots in the 4th. He also had 16 assists, becoming the 18th player in NBA history with 40+ points and 15+ assists. If this man isn’t a top-3 MVP candidate right now, then I don’t know what to say. The Blazers clamped Brandon Ingram in this game, as Derrick Jones Jr. and Robert Covington were great. Zion gave them fits, but they held Ingram down which was the key. Portland is now 18-10, winners of their last 6. Portland returns home for a game against Washington on Saturday.
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans had their chances in this game, but their shooting regressed in the 2nd half, and their last possession was very poor. In the first half, the Pelicans were reigning 3’s. They shot 63% from 3 in the first half, and Zion was dominating down low. The Pelicans led by 10 at the half as they were playing great. But Steven Adams missed the whole 2nd half with an ankle injury, and the Pelicans shooting went down the drain in the 3rd as Damian Lillard and company got the lead right back. And here comes a very exciting 4th quarter. The Pelicans offense picked up, and they were going back and forth. Zion was getting to the rim and the line at will, but Dame kept Portland in front. After a Dame and one, the Pelicans trailed by two. And then they didn’t go to Zion on the last play. Instead Brandon Ingram was shut off and Lonzo shot it from Dame range, something he’s not good at. Ingram got one last chance at it, but he air-balled it. The Pelicans had their chances to win this game, as they fall to 12-16 on the year.
Zion had 36 points and 6 rebounds on 12/18 shooting.
Lonzo Ball had 21 points and 5 assists on 7/14 shooting, 5/10 3-PT.
JJ Redick had 16 points on 5/7 shooting, 4/6 3-PT off the bench.
Zion was excellent in this game. He was aggressive getting down hill and he was dominating. Lonzo was hitting his 3’s, as he was good offensively, but he couldn’t stop Dame in this game. Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Ingram did nothing, as they were basically non-factors in this game. Redick was solid, as was Hernangomez off the bench in the absence of Adams. But not giving it to Zion on the last play was a mistake, especially with how good he was in this game.
OKC Thunder vs Memphis Grizzlies
OKC Thunder
The Thunder got SGA back for this game, but their defense continues to struggle as they couldn’t keep up with Memphis. The Thunder played well offensively, with 6 guys in double figures including all 5 members of the starting lineup. But their defense has to be better if they want any hopes of making the playoffs. OKC falls to 11-17 on the year.
Memphis Grizzlies
Yay! Offense! Kyle Anderson had 20 points, 5 rebounds, assists, and steals. The first 20/5/5/5 game in Grizzlies history since Mike Conley in 2013. Morant got his first triple-double of the year. All 5 Grizzlies starters were in double figures, as it was a balanced scoring night. The Grizzlies defense continues to struggle, but their offense was able to win them in this game. Memphis is now 12-12 on the year.
Miami Heat vs Golden State Warriors
Miami Heat
The Warriors had no big guys and Draymond Green was out, and you lose this game. In fact, you were up 14 in the 4th. Steph Curry was missing everything, and the Warriors outworked you. How? The Warriors were getting all the lose balls, all the offensive rebounds in the late 4th and OT. This is inexcusable, and this team really isn’t the same as last years. The Heat are now 11-17 on the year.
Golden State Warriors
No Draymond Green, no big guys. Should be a quick loss. But it wasn’t. The Warriors trailed by double digits in the 4th, and yet guys like Kent Bazemore and Andrew Wiggins got them back in the game, not Steph Curry. The Warriors defense was excellent in OT, and Curry hit a couple of big 3’s when it mattered most as the Warriors won. Curry wasn’t great shooting wise, but he still had 25 points. Bazemore had 26 points off the bench, including some big shots late in the 4th as well as some offensive rebounds in the OT session. Oubre and Wiggins each had 23 points, as the Warriors won without their leader in Draymond Green. Very impressive comeback win for the Warriors, as they improve to 16-13 on the year.
Utah Jazz vs LA Clippers
Utah Jazz
The Jazz offense struggled there for a while, but a big 2nd half fueled them to a win. They scored 68 points in the 2nd half, and cruised to a win over the very short-handed Clippers. Mitchell and Gobert were solid, although Mitchell continues to struggle shooting. Clarkson was also inefficient, and Bojan was 2/10 from the field. Nonetheless, Utah won despite shooting under 35% from 3. Utah is now 24-5 on the year.
LA Clippers
No Kawhi, No PG. Against the best team in the West? Yeah, this was to be expected.
What Are Your Thoughts From The 10 Games Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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