Luka And Porzingis Dominate; Are The Nuggets Contenders? 2.12.21
It’s a Friday night of NBA hoops, and we have a very busy day with 11 games on the schedule.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Charlotte Hornets
Minnesota Timberwolves
The T-Wolves defense really lost them this game, as they looked good on offense. In the first half, the T-Wolves were shooting great from the 3-PT line, as guys like Towns and Beasley were on fire. But even with all their scoring, they allowed 60 points and trailed at the half. In the 3rd the defense was again a problem, as the Hornets scored another 30 points. The T-Wolves cut the lead to one multiple times down the stretch, but a Hornets 3 was awaiting them each time. But Minnesota couldn’t close the deficit, and they fell just short in this game as they fall to 6-20 on the year.
Malik Beasley had 31 points and 5 rebounds on 12/21 shooting, 7/13 3-PT.
Karl Anthony Towns had 25 points and 8 rebounds on 9/18 shooting.
Anthony Edwards had 21 points and 6 rebounds on 9/21 shooting.
The T-Wolves had no problem scoring. Malik Beasley despite his off the floor problems continues to play like the best scorer on this team. KAT was solid down low, and Edwards was again solid. The T-Wolves shot 46% from the field, and they still lost. The Hornets turned the ball over 20 times, and the T-Wolves just couldn’t win. Their defense has to be better, and if a team turns the ball over 20 times, you have to take advantage. Tough loss for the T-Wolves, as they take on the Raptors next.
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets didn’t play the best defensively and they were very turnover prone, but they still won this game. In the first half the Hornets had 3 guys in double figures, as they were shooting nearly 50% from the field. Even with their poor defense, the Hornets were outgaining that. In the 3rd, the Hornets offense continued to roll, and they led by 5 entering the 4th. In the 4th, the T-Wolves cut the lead to one multiple times, but the Hornets hit some big 3’s in response, and they were able to hang and on and win. Charlotte is now 13-14 on the year.
Terry Rozier had 41 points and 7 rebounds on 13/20 shooting, 6/10 3-PT.
Lamelo Ball had 20 points and 11 rebounds on 8/15 shooting.
Cody Zeller had 17 points and 8 rebounds on 7/8 shooting.
Terry Rozier is really benefiting from Ball. I think that he’s more of a pure-scorer, and I think with Ball sharing the ball-handling duties helps him score. Lamelo was solid as well, but the defense has to be better. I don’t think that Graham should be starting, he should be off the bench as neither he or Rozier or Ball for that matter are good defenders. I think that the Hornets really don’t need Graham, and could ship him off. Charlotte takes on the Spurs tomorrow.
New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards
New York Knicks
I really don’t care that you won, mainly because of one very bad thing that happened. Mitchell Robinson broke his right hand, and that is a huge blow for their defense. No word on how long he’ll be out, but assume he’ll be out for the foreseeable future.
Washington Wizards
No Beal, this was to be expected.
San Antonio Spurs vs Atlanta Hawks
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs dominated this game, as it was never really close. The only reason this was close was because they were outscored by 27 points in the 4th. And they still won by 11. That tells you how dominating the Spurs were in this game. 7 Spurs were in double figures, and their 3-PT shooting was excellent. This is one of those games where the Spurs look really scary. But the only question is can they sustain this for the entire season?
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks looked so bad in this game. If not for a stat-padding 4th quarter they were awful in this game. Outside of Trae Young, nobody got anything going. Young had 25 and Capela had 14. Collins, Huerter, Reddish, Gallinari all struggled shooting the ball. Little used guys like Brandon Goodwin and Skylar Mays were the Hawks best players off the bench. The Hawks have to be better defensively, and other guys have to step up offensively. The Hawks take on the Pacers tomorrow.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Dallas Mavericks
New Orleans Pelicans
Yeah, the Pelicans have to be better defending the 3-PT line, as the Mavs, one of the worst 3-PT shooting teams in the league torched them. But the Pelicans kept pace with the Mavs in the first half. Zion was 10/10 in the first half, as he and Ingram combined for 39 points in the first half. But Kristaps Porzingis was killing them in the pick and pop, as Steven Adams was just too damn slow. And in the 2nd half, the Pelicans offense couldn’t sustain their rhythm. The Mavs scored 74 points in the 2nd half, the the Pelicans still couldn’t stop the Mavs from hitting 3’s. New Orleans falls to 11-14 on the year.
Zion had a career-high 36 points on 14/15 shooting.
Brandon Ingram had 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 11/23 shooting.
Eric Bledsoe had 16 points on 5/7 shooting.
The defense is the problem here. Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic just flat out dominated. Porzingis was ringing in deep 3’s, as Steven Adams couldn’t stay with him. And Luka just just kept getting to the rim. The Pels offense is fine, but their defense has to be better. The Mavs made 25 3-pointers on 56% shooting, as the Pelicans have to be better defending the 3. New Orleans takes on the Pistons next.
Dallas Mavericks
Not a bad shooting night for one of the worst shooting teams in the league. The Mavs offense looked exactly like it did last year, as they flat out torched the Pelicans. In the first half, Kristaps Porzingis was hitting everything he shot. He was a nightmare for New Orleans in the pick and pop, as he had 23 points in the first half, leading the way for 69 Mavs first half points. And the 2nd half was even more 3-PT shooting. The Mavs scored 74 points in the 2nd half, as they simply couldn’t be stopped. Dallas improves to 13-14 on the year.
Luka had a career-high 46 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists on 17/30 shooting, 5/8 3-PT.
Kristaps Porzingis had 36 points and 7 rebounds on 13/21 shooting, 8/13 3-PT.
Yeah, if the Mavs duo plays like this I don’t see who can stop them. Luka, is Luka. When he’s 3-point shot is falling, he’s unstoppable. He was getting to the rim, and giving his usual amounts of rebounding and passing. Kristaps Porzingis is fun to watch when he’s shooting well and being aggressive. KP has a mis-match against Steven Adams, as this is how he’ll have to be this aggressive going forward. The Mavs shot 56% from 3, making 25 of them, which is just unheard of in the NBA. The Mavs are still a good team, and if they can shoot like this and if their duo can play like this, watch out.
LA Clippers vs Chicago Bulls
LA Clippers
The Clippers again had a very good 2nd half, as they were able to pull away. In the first half, the Clippers were solid offensively. They were doing great off of the Bulls turnovers, as they shot 54% from the field in the first half. Even with that, LA only led by 4 at the half. And then they dominated the 2nd half. Kawhi was robotic, as the Clippers defense was very good in the 2nd half. LA outscored the Bulls by 15 in the 2nd half, as they cruised to their 19th win of the year.
Kawhi had 33 points and 6 rebounds on 14/21 shooting.
Marcus Morris had 20 points and 6 rebounds on 6/8 3-PT off the bench.
Lou Williams had 17 points and 5 assists on 8/13 shooting off the bench.
The Clippers offense really hasn’t missed a beat since PG went down with injury. Now we don’t how long he’s going to be out, but if LA plays like this they will be able to win. Kawhi was been so good this season, and he should be getting some MVP recognition. The Clippers bench was excellent in this game, with Morris, Williams, and Zubac all being in double-figures. LA takes on the Cavs next on Sunday.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls offense was pretty good in this game as they got balanced scoring, but their defense against Kawhi was poor. I did kind of expect this. The Bulls didn’t shoot like they did against the Pelicans, and they were just too poor on defense to win. But White and Lavine were solid, and other guys like Satoransky and Thaddeous Young were in double figures. Tough loss for the Bulls, as they fall to 10-15 on the year.
Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics
Detroit Pistons
Not going to brag or anything, but I did say Saddiq Bey would be good.
Boston Celtics
This was a disappointing game for Boston, as they trailed for most of this game against the Pistons. The Pistons. The Celtics were getting torched by Saddiq Bey who was 7/7 from 3 off the bench. Tatum and Brown combined for 60, but nobody else really scored. Pritchard and Ojeleye were quiet, the Celtics bench gave them next to nothing. Boston hasn’t been very impressive this season, as these are the games you just have to win. Boston falls to 13-12 on the year, and they take on the Wizards next.
OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets
OKC Thunder
The Thunder are the best at this. Being short-handed and a team that should be tanking, but still remaining competitive in the process. The best way to rebuild.
Denver Nuggets
How was this game close at all? No SGA for the Thunder, and even with him the Nuggets are better. And it took a 4th quarter run for this game to be close. It took a Will Barton dagger 3 with under a minute left for Denver to win this game. Yikes. Jokic was good, and Murray was finally decent. Michael Porter Jr. had been awful for most of this season, but he had a solid game with 15 points. The Nuggets offense or defense wasn’t great in this game, don’t really think they should be shooting 40 3-pointers. But that’s just me. Denver hasn’t been very impressive this season, but they get the win as they improve to 14-11 on the year.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Utah Jazz
Milwaukee Bucks
The Jazz are the team that is built to beat the Bucks. The Bucks just allow teams to shoot 3’s, and the Jazz did as they hit 14 of them in this game. Giannis had 29 points, but he had just 2 points at halftime. He dealt with foul trouble, but he really only scored when the Bucks were down big. This Bucks team isn’t that good, and I just don’t like them with Coach Bud at the helm.
Utah Jazz
The Jazz were so good in this game. We all know about their 3-PT shooting, but they were so good in this game. Their ball movement was great, as 4 players were above 20 points in this game. Ingles was 7/9 from 3, Gobert had 27 points and 4 blocks, and Mitchell was getting to the line at will. And what a luxury for the Jazz to have a guy like Clarkson off the bench. A guy who is a legit flamethrower, with 25 points in this game. I was skeptical that the Jazz were real contenders because they had a double-digit win-streak last year, but this is a different team. If they stay healthy, they are one of the best shooting teams in the league and they are very good defensively. Watch out for the Jazz.
Memphis Grizzlies vs LA Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies led 22-2 at one point. That’s really where the positives end. The Grizzlies got off to this great start as they were dominating the Lakers, with AD, but then in the 2nd half reality kicked in. The Grizzlies just looked gassed, and it look inevitable that LA would comeback, which they did. Memphis was pretty good scoring the ball, but they couldn’t handle the Lakers for the entire game. Good effort, but a tough loss as Memphis falls to 10-11 on the year. They take on the Kings next on Sunday.
LA Lakers
The Lakers started this game off very bad, but then they dominated the 2nd half. Even with AD back the Lakers fell down by 20, but then in typical Lakers fashion they blew out Memphis in the 2nd half. AD was very good with 35 points. Lebron was good as well, but the LA bench was very good. Harrell was good, but Kuzma was amazing. He has been doing things outside of scoring, which makes him a lot more valuable. He’s going after offensive rebounds, hustling for everything and making hustle plays. He had 10 rebounds, and half of them were offensive rebounds. He’s been playing very well, and you have to give him props. The Lakers have coasted to their last few wins, but they are still 21-6 on the year. LA takes on the Nuggets on Sunday.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Portland Trail Blazers
Cleveland Cavaliers
Need offense.
Portland Trail Blazers
I expected this be a tougher game for Portland, but I will definitely take a blowout win. The Blazers offense really wasn’t affected by the Cavs defense, as they shot above 50% from the field in this game. 4 Blazers were in double figures, including Carmelo Anthony again. Damian Lillard hasn’t even been playing great, and Portland continues to win. If Carmelo plays like he has been, it’s going to be tough to stop Portland. They still aren’t even healthy yet and they have a 15-10 record. Portland started a road-trip against Luka and the Mavs on Sunday.
Orlando Magic vs Sacramento Kings
Orlando Magic
The Magic offense finally got going, even if it was against the Kings. Nikola Vucevic was incredible. He had 42 points and and 9 rebounds on 17/22 shooting. That’s 77%. Ross was still inefficient off the bench, but he added 18 points. The Magic desperately needed this win, as they had been struggling mightily thanks to numerous injuries to their better players. Orlando takes on the Suns next time out.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings defensive woes reared it’s ugly head in this game, but with no De’Aaron Fox and Bagley, the Kings were short-handed. But they got balanced scoring. 7 guys were in double figures. It was a good game for growth for the Kings, a game that will give some of their guys confidence going forward. Sacramento falls to 12-13 on the year, and they take on the Grizzlies next.
What Are Your Thoughts From The 11 Games Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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