Jazz Struggles Continue; Dame-Time Shocks Warriors! 3.3.21
It’s a Wednesday night of NBA hoops and we have a very busy day with 10 games on the schedule.
Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers trailed by 19 in the 3rd quarter of this game and they won. I’m still not complimenting them it was the Cavs. But a win is a win and the Pacers needed this one desperately. Brogdon was very good in this game, shooting 12/15 from the field and finishing with 29 points. The starters were solid by TJ McConnell stole the show.
He had an NBA record 9 steals in the first half (yes, you read that right). He finished with 16 points on 8/8 shooting, 13 points, and 10 steals in 36 minutes off the bench. McConnell is so scrappy he hustles for every little play and annoys you, reminds you of guys like Smart and Beverley. McConnell forced 10 turnovers on his own and the Cavs had 25 overall, which is a big reason they lost and the Pacers won. Indiana is now 16-18 on the year.
Cleveland Cavaliers
TJ McConnell will live in your passing lanes.
Utah Jazz vs Philadelphia 76ers
Utah Jazz
The Jazz haven’t been playing great lately as their defense was again awful in this game. In the first half the Jazz were playing exactly how they needed to play. They were dominating the 3-PT line battle as they shot 50% from 3 in the first half and led by 9. Things were going well. The 3rd was a roller-coaster, but every time the 76ers made a run the Jazz responded. Utah lost the lead in the 4th but got it right back. With 2:18 left the Jazz led by 5, game in hand. But then Joel Embiid hit some shots and down 3, Embiid, a 7-footer hit a step-back 3 to force OT. But Embiid hit that shot with 6.5 seconds left and Utah had two timeouts. But they didn’t use them.
And the OT was a mess. Tobias Harris came alive after being dormant and Philly pulled away. Mitchell got thrown out of the game with two separate technical fouls. Not only did the 76ers get free points, the Jazz lost their best scorer. That ended the game as the Jazz have lost 3 of 4 and they are now 27-9 on the year.
Donovan Mitchell had 33 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists on 12/34 shooting.
Mike Conley had 18 points on 6/13 shooting.
Bojan Bogdanovic had 18 points and 5 rebounds on 7/15 shooting.
The Jazz defense has been struggling. The offense is fine and will always be. Mitchell was inefficient but good in bursts. The support was solid with Utah shooting 48% from 3, making 21 of them. But the defense on this road trip has been very poor. They allowed 124 points to the Heat who aren’t a great offensive team. They allowed 129 points to the Pelicans who shot just 11 3-pointers for the game. They now allow 131 points to Philly as they made just 8 3’s.
Rudy Gobert has gotten dominated by the elite of the elite bigs this year. Nikola Jokic has averaged 41 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists on 63% shooting against the Jazz. One of those games was a 47-bomb. Embiid didn’t play in the first meeting between these two teams, but he was dominant in this game as well. Embiid had 40 and 19 on 14/27 shooting. Gobert hasn’t been able to hand the best of the best, not even slow them down.
The Jazz defense has been very bad lately as they have been allowing teams to make a lot of twos. Their offense will be fine but if their defense continues to play like this they can’t win. I am not going to overreact too much because they are still good, however they have the lost the same way 3 times in a week. A little cause for concern.
(Also Donovan Mitchell needs to be more mature and cool his emotions. He essentially ended the game when he left. When things aren’t going your way and you feel like you aren’t getting calls you don’t hurt your team by getting thrown out of the game. A very unusual showing of immaturity from Mitchell).
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers somehow won this game but I have to give credit where credit is due. They kept fighting this Jazz team and they won, deservingly. In the first half the Jazz were dominating from the 3-PT line. The 76ers offense was just Embiid in the first half as they couldn’t keep up with Utah. In the 3rd they made a few comebacks but couldn’t hold a lead. The same was true in the 4th when they were down 5 with 2:18 left. Then Joel Embiid scored 7 points to force OT, including a step-back 3. He is 7 feet, 280 pounds. In the OT the 76ers defense swarmed Mitchell and made him rage-quit and 11 points from Tobias Harris fueled the 76ers to a very impressive win as they are now 24-12 on the year.
Joel Embiid had 40 points and 19 rebounds on 14/27 shooting.
Tobias Harris had 22 points and 10 rebounds on 9/18 shooting (11 in OT).
Ben Simmons had 17 points and 6 assists on 8/11 shooting.
In terms of purely numbers I would take Jokic to be the MVP. However factoring in record I don’t see how it’s not Embiid. Embiid dominated Gobert down low, finishing with nearly 40-20 on the night. Ben Simmons didn’t do much on offense, mainly because he hounded Donovan Mitchell on the perimeter, and did a very good job. Tobias Harris came alive in the OT period but I’m still amazed how Philly made this. The Jazz made 13 more 3’s (+39 3-PT margin). The 76ers bench was ok led by Milton and Howard but the Jazz bench was better. But Philly still won as they are the #1 seed in the East after the first half of the season concludes.
The last time the 76ers were the #1 seed entering the All-Star break Allen Iverson won MVP and Mutumbo won DPOY. The 76ers also made the finals that year. Might happen again you never know.
Detroit Pistons vs Toronto Raptors
Detroit Pistons
Without Jerami Grant the Pistons offense was amazing. In the first half Detroit scored nearly 70 points on 54% shooting and 48% from 3 as they couldn’t miss from deep. The Raptors just couldn’t stop them and they cruised to a win. Ellington knocked down 8 3-pointers and finished with 25 points. Saben Lee and McGruder combined for 40 off the bench as it was a dominating offensive display with Jerami Grant. Detroit is now 10-25 on the year.
Toronto Raptors
I’m giving the Raptors a half pass. Short-handed without Siakam, VanVleet and Anunoby. That warrants a pass. But Detroit was without Grant so the Raptors should have either won or played better. They did none. Despite 36 from Powell and 21 from Lowry this game wasn’t close because of very poor defense. I am giving Toronto the benefit of the doubt here because they were short-handed, but that was bad.
Brooklyn Nets vs Houston Rockets
Brooklyn Nets
James Harden’s return to Houston was pretty easy for all intents and purposes. Harden got a 29-point triple-double, a very poetic way to return home. Harris was very good with 19, Irving had 24. Bruce Brown had 17, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists as he made a new position. The “rover,” as he just roams around and receives great passes from Harden and Irving. Claxton had 16 off the bench as he has been very good since coming back from injury. Shamet was solid as the Nets have won 10 of their last 11 games as they are 24-13 on the year, mostly without KD.
Houston Rockets
13 in a row, yikes.
Atlanta Hawks vs Orlando Magic
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks played poorly in this game and were down big, but a huge 2nd half helped them come from behind to steal the win. In the first half things were going bad for the Hawks. They scored just 15 points in the 2nd quarter and their defense was awful as they fell behind big. The Hawks trailed by 19 in the 3rd and then they started their comeback. Their defense wasn’t good their offense jut got going as they trailed by 10 entering the 4th. And in the 4th more 3’s were falling as they continued to cut into the lead. They took the lead with over a minute to go but then lost it. Down one with 18 seconds left they went to Trae Young, who drove the lane and drew a foul. He hit both free throws and now the had the lead. The Hawks forced a miss and John Collins iced the game at the line and the Hawks won.
Trae Young had 32 points and 8 assists on 9/19 shooting.
Danilo Gallinari had 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists on 8/18 shooting.
Without Clint Capela the Hawks weren’t looking good for a while, but the 3’s started to fall in the 2nd half and that fueled their 19-point comeback. The defensive struggles were there for this game, but they turned things up in the 4th. I just wished they played with the same amount of intensity for an entire game, not just for a half when you’re down big. But Atlanta ends the first half of the season with 2 straight wins as they are now 16-20 on the year.
Orlando Magic
Well without Fournier playing this game was close. In the first half the Magic offense was good shooting the ball (50% FG) and their defense was solid. But as soon as the Hawks started to make some 3’s the Magic were in trouble. They were outscored by 22 in the 2nd half as they couldn’t hang on for the win as they drop to 13-23 before the All-Star break.
Charlotte Hornets vs Minnesota T-Wolves
Charlotte Hornets
Getting Gordon Hayward back really helped sure up the already explosive offense. This game was close until a big 3rd quarter and the Hornets just ran away with this one. Rozier had 31, Ball had 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists as he continues to be so good. Hayward had 23 points and 9 assists along with 5 steals. Monk, Bridges, and Washington were also solid. This offense is so lethal with Ball as a starter, I don’t think it’s a good idea for them to keep Graham. Trading him at the deadline would be a move I’m not opposed to.
Minnesota T-Wolves
This team is so disappointing.
Chicago Bulls vs New Orleans Pelicans
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls played very good in this game but late in the 4th things got a little too close for comfort. But Chicago was able to hold on and get a good win on the road. In the first half everything was going for the Bulls. Their outside shots were falling and they took advantage of the Pelicans wings being in foul trouble. The Bulls led by 19 at the half as they were firmly in control of this game. The Bulls held their lead in the 2nd half but things got close in the 4th. The Pelicans defense stepped up and they cut the lead to 4 with just over a minute left. But two straight Bulls layups put them back up 8 and they held on for the win as they improve to 16-18 on the year.
Zach Lavine had 36 points and 8 assists on 12/19 shooting.
Coby White had 25 points on 8/16 shooting.
Thaddeous Young had 18 points and 5 rebounds on 8/10 shooting.
The Bulls really benefited from Zion and Ingram having 3 fouls each in the first half. They were able to grow their lead to 19 in the first half and they just held on for dear life. But even then it’s not like New Orleans took the lead, it was 4. Lavine continues to play so well but he got Coby White help in this game, mainly in the 2nd half. Thaddeous Young continues to play so well off the bench as he has been one of the best 6th men in the league. After losing their last two games the Bulls needed this as the head to the first-half break.
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans just struggle with defensive intensity consistency. Try saying that 5x fast. They just couldn’t overcome their mistakes from the first half in this game. In the first half Zion was the only guy who got anything going by he and Ingram both had 3 fouls. The Pelicans offense couldn’t hit outside shots and they were down 19. They couldn’t comeback into the game until late in the 4th, but then they missed 3 free throws and lost. Good job New Orleans.
Zion had 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists on 10/17 shooting.
JJ Redick had 22 points on 9/15 shooting off the bench.
Brandon Ingram had 21 points on 8/17 shooting.
This team just struggles to defend highly for more than a half. When their stars were dealing with foul trouble and they needed defense to help them it wasn’t there. Their defense showed up in the 4th, but just the 4th. In games like this, the one against Boston, they just put themselves in unnecessarily big holes. More often than not they can’t comeback from it. They got a really big night from the bench as they had 51 bench points. Lonzo and Bledsoe were solid, but because of poor defense it was all for nothing. The Pelicans really want to win tomorrow but the #1 thing on their mind for the 2nd half of the year has to be defense or they won’t make the playoffs.
OKC Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks
OKC Thunder
Without Luka Doncic on the other side this should have been a win for OKC. It wasn’t. The OKC offense was awful in this game. They scored 20+ points once in a quarter, and that was the first quarter. They shot 33% from the field and just 23% from 3. Nobody could get things going as offense killed OKC in this game as they fall to 14-21 on the year.
OKC’s 78 points are the 3rd lowest points scored in a game this season.
Dallas Mavericks
Without Doncic on the floor to lead the offense I didn’t expect much from the Mavs. But I was wrong. The Mavs defense was solid as they never let the Thunder get going. With the Thunder offense being nonexistent the Mavs didn’t have to do much. Porzingis had 19, Hardaway had 19, and Brunson added 16. The Mavs got to the line more and shot better from the field. It wasn’t pretty but the Mavs get their 5th win out of the last 6 games as they enter the All-Star break on a roll.
Golden State Warriors vs Portland Trail Blazers
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors had this game in hand and they blew it. The Warriors started this game off very well opening up a 15-2 lead. However their offense struggled after that point and they only led by 1 after the first quarter. The 2nd quarter was back and forth but the Warriors couldn’t pull away as they only led by 1 despite 23 from Curry. Things remained close in the 3rd and the 4th was crazy. Offensive rebounds were helping the Warriors so much in this game as they led by 3 with 1:43 left. But a Curry missed runner and 5 straight points from Dame put the Blazers up one. On the Warriors final possession Draymond Green drove down the lane and Dame drew a charge. The Blazers would hang onto win as the Warriors wondered where this game went. Golden State is now 19-17 on the year.
Steph Curry had 35 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists on 13/28 shooting (23 in first half).
Andrew Wiggins had 14 points and 5 rebounds on 6/15 shooting.
I know Kelly Oubre was out of this game but this was so winnable for the Warriors for multiple reasons. They continually forced the ball out of Dame’s hands and made others make shots. Curry had 23 points in the first half and yet they only led by one. They Warriors continually got offensive rebounds in the 2nd half leading to scores and made other Blazers make shots. But then they didn’t double Dame late and Curry was 4/13 in the 2nd half. The other Warriors have to be better. The Blazers just made Curry play in a crowd and it worked. The Warriors got no production from the others but their defense late was poor. They allowed Dame to play one-on-one and he hit the dagger.
This is why I am not high on the Warriors. Even with a Curry eruption in the first half they were barely up. It takes them playing so well on offense to win and they role guys usually don’t produce enough. That’s why the Warriors aren’t as good as other teams in the West. But this one hurts a lot standings wise. The Warriors play tomorrow against the Suns which should be tough but this loss against Portland could hurt them later.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers somehow won this game even though seemingly none of their shots were going in. But when things matter the most, Dame delivered another signature ending giving Portland a big win. After falling behind 15-3 early Portland recovered to stay in the game. The Warriors got the ball out of Dame’s hands on every possession, but Portland hit enough shots to stay in the game. The two teams jockeyed for position in the 2nd half but the Warriors offensive rebounding was hurting the Blazers. Down 3 with under 2 minutes to go they would need some magic. And Dame did it again. Lillard had been struggling all night long hut he got to the line and hit 2/2 free throws. Down 1 with a chance for the lead Lillard finally got to work in isolation. He didn’t mess-up as he delivered the step-back deep 3 to give the Blazers the lead. And to tie everything up with a bow he took the game-sealing charge on Draymond Green and gave Portland a signature win as they are now 20-14 on the year.
Dame had 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists on 6/17 shooting.
Carmelo Anthony had 22 points on 8/13 shooting off the bench.
Roco had 15 points and 9 rebounds on 5/12 shooting.
It was far from pretty but Portland got this win. The Blazers role guys helped this game stay close and then Dame finished off the Warriors. Carmelo had another great game off the bench as he made that bench very productive. Roco hit some 3’s as did Gary Trent. Kanter was a beast down low but the Blazers defense on Curry in the 2nd half won them this game.
If not for Curry going off in the first half Portland would have been up. But Curry was just 4/13 shooting in the 2nd half as Portland did a better job of staying on him. Portland continues to hang in there in the standings, as this was a very big win. If they can win against the Kings tomorrow and get 3 straight wins heading into the break that would be big.
LA Lakers vs Sacramento Kings
LA Lakers
No Lebron so no real negatives here for LA. They played hard but their last scramble late in the 4th couldn’t give them the win. Harrell was really good with 26 and 13 off the bench. Schroder had 28 points and 9 assists on 11/20 shooting. Kuzma added 25 and 13 rebounds. But this game was really only close because the Kings suck more than anything, but it was a good effort all-around. LA enters the All-Star break 24-13.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings nearly lost this game to the Lakers backups, but they got a desperately needed win. De’Aaron Fox fouled out down the stretch but Harrison Barnes and a rare showing of defense helped the Kings win this game. Hield had 29 points on 7/11 3-PT. Fox had 23 and Barnes added 20. Holmes and Bagley were solid and the Kings had some sort of bench without Haliburton playing. The Kings remain closer to the bottom of the Western Conference but if they can win tomorrow against Portland maybe they can turn things around.
Who am I kidding? This team will mess this up somehow. Mark my words.
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