MPJ And The Joker Takeover; Race For The 8th Seed Heats Up! Thoughts From Day 5!
After 6 games last night from Day 5 of the NBA Restart, here are my thoughts and opinions from last night.
After 6 games last night from Day 5 of the NBA Restart, here are my thoughts and opinions from last night.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors won their 2nd game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Raptors battled with the Heat for 4 quarters. They were never really able to take full control of the game. But they forced the Heat a costly turnover down the stretch that cost them the game. The defense was again the main reason the Raptors won this game as Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo were quiet for most of this game.
Offensively the Raptors were solid as they shot 43% from the field and 50% from 3. They made 16 3-pointers, resulting in 48 points. The Raptors were also 33/36 from the line. So 81 of the Raptors 107 points came from the free throw line or the 3-point line. The Raptors had 19 assists, but they only made 29 field goals. So, they were assisting on most of their shots. They did have 21 turnovers which is something that they will have to limit in the future.
Defensively you can’t do much better then what the Raptors did today. The Heat shot 43% from the field but they were 14/45 from 3 (31%). The Heat didn’t allow Duncan Robinson or Tyler Herro any open looks and made it very tough on the Heat from downtown. The Heat were 15/16 from the line, but compare that to the 36 free throws that the Raptors got, they did a pretty good job at playing defense without fouling. The Heat did not have as many turnovers as the Raptors did as they only had 14. The Raptors didn’t score much in the paint themselves, but they also limited the Heat as they only had 36 points in the paint.
Fred VanVleet had a career high 36 points and 5 rebounds for Toronto. He was excellent after having a quiet night against the Lakers. Pascal Siakam was solid with 22 points and 6 rebounds. Kyle Lowry had 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Another all-around game from him. Serge Ibaka had 15 points off the bench for the Raptors.
Conclusion
The Raptors used their superb defense to fuel their offense. The Raptors have been the best defensive team in the bubble so far and on offense guys like VanVleet, Siakam, and Lowry have been playing very well. The Raptors look very good and scary right now in the Eastern Conference, and they might be starting a deep playoff run right now.
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat lost their 2nd game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Heat were in a very close game with the Raptors throughout, but the Heat were playing catch-up for most of the game. Sure the game was 1-2 possessions for most of it, but the Heat were never allowed back into the game. The played solid but the one possession that they needed the most, they turned it over and they lost the game.
On offense the Heat were ok as they shot 43% from the field and 31% from 3. This is low for a team with Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro, both of whom are sharpshooters. This won’t happen every single night for the Heat, they just have to hot their shots. The Heat were effective from the line as they were 15/16. They had 8 offensive rebounds, which is always a recipe for success. They had 29 assists which is always good to get the ball moving, makes it tough for defenses to guard you. They only had 14 turnovers, so they did a good job limiting turnovers.
Defensively the Heat were also solid. The Raptors shot 43% from the field and 50% from 3. The Raptors got far too many open looks from 3 and they made 16 of them. The Heat were also not playing defense without fouling as the Raptors were 33/36 from the line. This can’t happen again, as 3’s and free throws were the only reason the Raptors won this game. The Raptors only had 3 offensive rebounds, so the Heat did a good job at limiting the Raptors to just 1 shot. They also forced the Raptors into 21 turnovers, which is a very good sign.
Goran Dragic was fantastic off the bench with 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. He was by far the best player off the bench for the Heat. For the starters, Jae Crowder had 16 points and 6 rebounds, Jimmy Butler had 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Bam Adebayo had 10 points and 8 rebounds. Bam and Jimmy have to be more assertive, but the Raptors proved again they can shut down the best players in the league. Duncan Robinson only had 3 points, that won’t happen again. Kelly Olynyk had 17 off he bench and Tyler Herro added 12. So the bench was amazing, it’s just that Jimmy and Bam need to have better games.
Conclusion
The Heat played a pretty good game on both ends of the floor. They allowed much too many 3’s and free throws, something that they have to limit. But other than that they were solid. The Heat need to start making more 3’s and Jimmy and Bam need to really play like All-Stars and lead this Heat team. The bench for Miami was excellent, but if the starters had played better with Duncan Robinson only having 3 points, the Heat would have won this game.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers won their 2nd game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
Malcolm Brogdon was back in action and along with TJ Warren, they powered the Pacers to a win. They took advantage of the poor Wizards defense and controlled the game. They also had some help from the supporting cast. With a 2-0 record in the bubble so far, the Pacers have been one of the more surprising teams in the bubble so far.
The Pacers were solid on the offensive end as they shot 48% from the field but only 27% from 3. They were 7/26 from downtown and that will need to improve going forward. The Pacers were also 16/16 from the free throw line. The Pacers had 9 offensive rebounds which is always a good thing. The Pacers only had 10 turnovers as they did a good job keeping their possessions.
Defensively the Pacers were also solid. The Wizards shot 44% from the field and and 37% from 3. The Pacers did a good job at playing defensive without fouling as the Wizards were just 7/13 from the free throw line. The Wizards also had 9 offensive rebounds, something that the Pacers need to improve on. The Wizards had 13 turnovers as the Pacers did a ok job forcing turnovers. The Pacers didn’t allow the Wizards to score down low as the Wizards only had 44 points in the paint.
TJ Warren kept up his hot hand as he had 34 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers. In his first game in Orlando, Malcolm Brogdon had 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Aaron Holiday and Myles Turner both had double digit scoring for the Pacers. The Pacers starters did most of the damage tonight. Hopefully Oladipo and Sabonis can both get healthy and help this already solid Pacer team get better.
Conclusion
The Pacers have been impressive in their first two bubble games as they are now 2-0. TJ Warren has been playing out of his mind and Malcolm Brogdon was great in his return. The offense and defense has been looking good. All they need are All-Star Domantas Sabonis and Victor Oladipo back and they will surprise some teams in the Eastern Conference.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets won their 2nd game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Nuggets were still short-handed without 3 of their starters, but they did a much better job with the pieces that they had. Michael Porter Jr. and Nikola Jokic were incredible as the Nuggets were able to power through the OKC Thunder.
The Nuggets were excellent on offense as they shot 48% from the field but only 25% from 3. They were 7/28 from 3, and they will be getting better from 3 as Harris, Barton, and Murray get healthy again. Don’t overreact to that. The Nuggets shot 30/39 from the line as well as they took advantage of the fouling OKC Thunder defense. The Nuggets only had 12 turnovers as they took good care of the ball.
The Nuggets were also solid on defense as the Thunder shot 43% from the field and 42% from 3. The Nuggets need to do a better job as getting out to perimeter shooters and limit those easy 3’s. The Thunder were 24/31 from the line. Like the Thunder, the Nuggets need to limit their fouls on the defensive end. The Nuggets forced the Thunder into 15 turnovers as they did a good job forcing them to bad rushed and bad decisions. They locked up the paint as the Thunder only had 28 points in the paint.
Michael Porter Jr. had a career high 37 points and 12 rebounds. He was on fire all night long and gave the Nuggets lots of offense. Nikola Jokic had a triple-double with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Paul Millsap and Monte Morris both scored 17 points as they were great support. Those 4 really powered the Nuggets on the offensive end and was the reason that they won this game.
Conclusion
The Nuggets are now 1-1 in the bubble and they got a very good win against the Denver Nuggets powered by Porter Jr. and Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets played very well even without their 3 starting guards. This has got to be an encouraging sire after getting blown out by the Nuggets. When their 3 guards get healthy, they will be able to play much better and secure their 2nd seed in the Western Conference.
OKC Thunder
The Thunder lost their 2nd game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Thunder were without 19 points from Dennis Schroder, but they still had the tools to win the game. The game was very close throughout but the Thunder look a 7 point lead late. But then their offense went cold and their lead went away very quickly. The Nuggets missed at the buzzer and we went into overtime. In the overtime their offense never came back and the Nuggets dominated them in the overtime session.
On offense the Thunder were solid as they shot 43% from the field and 42% from 3. They made 15 3-pointers as they were making all of their easy looks. The Thunder also got to the line a lot as they were 24/31. The Thunder did have 15 turnovers. They should look to lower that total by a little bit. The Thunder only had 28 points in the paint.
On defense the Thunder were also good as the Nuggets shot 48% from the field but only 25% from 3. They did a good job making it tough on the Nuggets in the perimeter. The Nuggets were 30/39 from the line as the Thunder were fouling a lot on the defensive end.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points and 5 rebounds although he was playing with 5 fouls down the stretch. Chris Paul had 23 points and 8 assists as well. Danilo Gallinari also had 20 points. Luguentz Dort and Abdel Nader both had double figure scoring night for the Thunder. With Dennis Schroder the Thunder would have been much better on the offensive end and would have likely won this game.
Conclusion
The Thunder played ok and nearly won this game without Dennis Schroder. The Thunder are still a very good team without Schroder, but they will need to learn to play without him as he will be out for a few more games. The Thunder have some good players, but their offense stalled out in the final stages of the game, so they will have to fix that for any close games that they get in the future.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies lost their 3rd game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Grizzlies played a vital game against the Pelicans to try and get some traction and secure the 8th seed. They played the Pelicans and it was close throughout, but Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson really tore them apart late in the 4th quarter and the Grizzlies lost their 3rd consecutive game in the bubble.
Offensively the Grizzlies were sub-par as they shot 40% from the field and just 28% from 3. That needs to improve for them to be successful. They were 13/15 from the free throw line as well. They had 13 turnovers as they did a solid job keeping the ball and not wasting possessions. They also had 48 points in the paint.
Defensively the Grizzlies were also sub-par. The Pelicans shot 45% from the field and 38% from 3. But the Pelicans were 24/39 from the free throw line. The Pelicans got to the line a lot, but fortunately for the Grizzlies they didn’t capitalize on it. The Pelicans had 14 turnovers as the Grizzlies didn’t force too many turnovers. The Pelicans had 42 points in the paint.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had 22 points as he has been playing amazing in the bubble. Grayson Allen had 17 points off the bench as he was again solid. Jonas Valanciunas, Dillon Brooks, and Brandon Clarke all scored in double-figures. Ja Morant struggled a lot as he had 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. He was 1/10 from 3-point range and he did not have a good game. As the leader of the Grizzlies he will need to play much better in order for the Grizzlies to have any chance at holding on to the 8th seed.
Conclusion
The Grizzlies are now 0-3 in the playoffs as the Blazers and Spurs are right on their tails for the 8th seed in the Western Conference. Jaren Jackson Jr. has been playing great but they will Ja Morant to really push them over the hump and secure that 8th seed in the Western Conference.
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans won their 3rd game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Pelicans also needed a win as they were 0-2 so far in the bubble. A win would greatly help their chances of making the playoffs as an 8th seed. They were in a close game throughout but in the 3rd and 4th quarters they started to pull away as Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson willed the Pelicans to a win. Zion Williamson played 25 minutes, much more than in the 1st two games that he played in the bubble. And playing Zion more payed off as the Pelicans won.
Offensively the Pelicans were good as they shot 45% from the field and 38% from 3. The Pelicans took advantage of the Grizzlies fouling them a lot as they were 24/39. If they get that many free throws they better make more of them. The Pelicans only had 14 turnovers as they took good care of the basketball.
Defensively the Pelicans were also good as Memphis shot 40% from the field and 28% from 3. They really didn’t give the Grizzlies much of anything on offense. They also did a good job limiting the amount of free throws the Grizzlies got as they were 13/15. The Grizzlies also took good care of the basketball as they had 13 turnovers.
Brandon Ingram had 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists as the All-Star and Most Improved Player Candidate was sparkling against the Grizzlies. Zion Williamson had 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in 25 minutes of play. He scored some big bucket down the stretch as he played more. Finally the Pelicans get some common sense. Jrue Holiday, JJ Redick, and Josh Hart all scored in double figures for the Pelicans.
Conclusion
The Pelicans picked up an important win against the Grizzlies as they are 1-2 in the bubble. They now come closer in the battle for the 8th seed. The Pelicans are currently 10th in the West but are very close to catching Memphis. Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson were a fantastic 1-2 punch for the Pelicans as Zion looked perfectly fine without any minutes restriction. If the Pelicans had been playing Zion 20-25 minutes in the first two games, the Pelicans might be 2-1 instead of 1-2 right now.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs lost their 3rd game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Spurs lost a heart-breaking game to the 76ers as they had the game in their hands and they came up short. The Spurs were hanging with the 76ers surprisingly well but in the 3rd quarter they found themselves down by double-digits. In the 4th quarter they valiantly fought back, but they came up just short at winning as they are 2-1 in the bubble so far.
Offensively the Spurs were great as they shot 50% from the field and 46% from 3. They were also 26/29 from the free throw line. So, you can’t do much better than what the Spurs did today. The Spurs had 13 offensive rebounds as they got a lot of 2nd chance opportunities. The Spurs took care of the ball as they only had 14 turnovers. They also had 44 points in the paint.
Defensively the Spurs need some work. The 76ers shot 53% from the field and 46% from 3. The 76ers were 26/30 from the line as they also took advantage of the Spurs fouling a lot on defense. The 76ers also took care of the ball as they only had 13 turnovers. The Spurs couldn’t do much down low as the 76ers had 54 points in the paint.
DeMar DeRozan had great as he 30 points and 5 rebounds for the Spurs. Rudy Gay added 24 points off the bench. Dejounte Murray and Derrick White both scored in double figures for the Spurs. Rookie Keldon Johnson had 15 points off the bench. The Spurs got another all around effort from everybody, but they came up just short.
Conclusion
The Spurs lost a tough game against the 76ers and they are now 2-1 in the bubble. The Spurs fall to 10th in the West, but they are right in the hunt for the 8th seed in the Western Conference. DeMar DeRozan had been amazing in the bubble, as have Derrick White and Dejounte Murray. The Spurs have been surprisingly good in the bubble, but their schedule doesn’t get easier from here on out. With their team brand of basketball, can they make the playoffs?
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers won their 2nd game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
After an embarrassing loss to the shorthanded Pacers, the 76ers needed a win to get back on track. They played the tough Spurs team and it took them to the limit. The first half was very close, bu the 76ers had a very good 3rd quarter as they took a double-digit lead going into the 4th. The Spurs were fighting back throughout the 4th quarter, and the 76ers were down 4 points with just a minute left. But a key 3 from Shake Milton and missed free throws from the Spurs gave the 76ers the victory.
The 76ers were very good offensively as they shot 53% from the field and 45% from 3. They took advantage of poor Spurs defense as they were 26/30 from the free throw line. The 76ers had 26 assists as they did a good job passing the ball around. The 76ers took care of the ball as they only had 13 turnovers. The 76ers were in the paint a lot as they had 54 points down low.
Defensively the 76ers were a bit worse. The Spurs shot 50% from the field and 46% from 3. The 76ers were also fouling a lot on defense as the Spurs were 26/29 from the line. The Spurs had 13 offensive rebounds which is far too many for the 76ers to give up. The 76ers did a good job not allowing too many points down low as the Spurs only had 44.
Joel Embiid was again great as he had 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Embiid wasn’t kidding when he said he was working hard during quarantine. Tobias Harris was also excellent as he had 25 points and 6 assists. Josh Richardson had 19 points as he played much better than in the 1st game. Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz both scored in double figures. The 76ers seem to be relying more on Embiid and Harris to score and Simmons to facilitate more, and it has been pretty successful.
Conclusion
The 76ers picked up a needed win to get back on track as they are 1-1 in the bubble. Embiid and Harris have been amazing for the 76ers and they will have to continue their great play if the 76ers want a deep playoff run. The defense for the 76ers could use some improving, but the offense seems to be running at full power once again.
LA Lakers
The Lakers won their 3rd game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Lakers had a tough loss to the Raptors last time out and now they looked to get back into a rhythm. But the Jazz gave the Lakers a much harder time than I expected. But Anthony Davis led the Lakers all the way through the game and the Lakers never relinquished their lead and they won and improved to 2-1 in the bubble.
Offensively the Lakers shot 50% from the field and 35% from 3. The Lakers were improved from 3, but they were still 9/26. But much better than against the Raptors. The Lakers got to the foul line a lot as they were 25/31 from the free throw line. The Lakers limited their turnovers as they only had 14 of them. The Lakers were pounding the ball down low as they had 58 points down low.
Defensively the Lakers were also solid. The Jazz shot 45% from the field and 28% from 3. The Lakers were down a great job contesting the Jazz’s 3’s, but they did get lucky as he Jazz were missing a lot of open shots. The Lakers were also fouling the Jazz a lot as they were 22/25 from the free throw line. The Lakers forced the Jazz into 21 turnovers as they made the Jazz very uncomfortable on offense.
Anthony Davis showed us why he’s a top 10 player in the NBA as he had 42 points and 12 rebounds. He was much more aggressive and played infinitely better then against the Raptors. Lebron James had 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists. James has been taking less shots and he was very efficient tonight. He’s looking to make his teammates better and boost their confidence come playoff time. KCP had 10 points, Dwight Howard added 11. Danny Green and Kyle Kuzma were solid. Alex Caruso was great at running the offense and superb on defense.
Conclusion
The Lakers got a much needed win against the Jazz. While I thought that this game would be easy for the Lakers, the Jazz did make it tough on the Jazz. But between AD and Lebron, the Lakers never relinquished their lead and led for most of the game. The Lakers got solid support from KCP and Dwight Howard, and Alex Caruso was excellent on defense. Now that the Lakers have the first seed, they might start resting Lebron and AD a little more to get prepared for the playoffs.
Utah Jazz
The Jazz lost their 3rd game in the bubble. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Jazz haven’t been great in the bubble as they were trashed by the Thunder in their last matchup. But Donovan Mitchell was a man on a mission as he kept the Jazz in the game throughout, but they came up just short of beating the best team in the Western Conference.
Offensively the Jazz were ok as they shot 45% from the field but they were 12/43 from downtown (28%). The effects of Bojan Bogdanovic are still showing as his range and floor spacing are being sorely missed by the Jazz. The Jazz were great from the line as they took advantage of the Lakers fouling them. They were 22/25 from the line. The Jazz had 25 assists as they were moving the ball well.
Defensively the Jazz were also solid. The Lakers shot 50% from the field and 35% from 3. The Jazz were fouling way too much as the Lakers were 25/31. The Jazz didn’t force many turnovers on the Lakers as they only had 14. The Jazz couldn’t control the Lakers down low as they had 58 points in the paint.
Donovan Mitchell had 33 points and 5 rebounds as he played much better than he did against the Thunder. Mike Conley had 24 points and 8 assists for the Jazz as well. Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 13 rebounds along with the usual stellar defense. Other than that nobody scored above 10 points. Without Bojan Bogdanovic, the Jazz are going to need some people to step up scoring wise. Cause if Mitchell and Conley are cold one night, the scoring will need to come from somebody else.
Conclusion
The Jazz played much better than they did against the Thunder, and although it was a loss the Jazz have to feel good about the direction that they are trending in. Donovan Mitchell played at an All-Star level tonight and they are going to need that from him every night with Bojan Bogdanovic out.
What thoughts/opinions did you have from Day 5 of the NBA Restart? Leave a comment down below.
Stay tuned for my Game-Day Report from Day 6 of the NBA Restart which will be coming later today.
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