Should We Be Worried About The Nets?; Are The Lakers Headed For The Play-In? 5.6.21
It’s another day of NBA basketball and we have 7 games on the schedule tonight.
Chicago Bulls vs Charlotte Hornets (120-99)
Welcome Back Zach Lavine
Lavine and Vucevic both returned to the lineup and things went well, to say the least. The Bulls offense was consistent, shooting over 50% for the first 3 quarters. The Bulls led the whole way and by as much ass 24. A rare dominating win for the Bulls.
7 guys in double figures including all 5 starters. 29 points and 14 rebounds from Vucevic led the way as Lavine had 13 in his return. Too bad this all means nothing for the Bulls.
Defense
This team might be flashy, but their defense isn’t exactly good. Their offense wasn’t nearly as good as what the Bulls were doing as they were dominated. Rozier was 5/16, Ball was 1/10. They were essentially without a backcourt of scoring. 24 from Washington and 20 from Monk was good, but not nearly enough. This team is definitely going to be a boom or bust team in the playoffs.
The Hornets are currently 8th in the East, 3 games behind the 7th seeded Heat and 1 game ahead of the Pacers.
Brooklyn Nets vs Dallas Mavericks (109-113)
4 Straight Losses
The Nets have been sliding as of late, badly. It’s not like they’re doing anything wrong, they have been in close games. Defense is not perfect but it’s not exactly the problem. I don’t really know what to point to. I guess no Harden, but I mean KD and Kryie is adequate. I don’t know, maybe Harden is that valuable. If he can return before the playoffs we can see the validity in those claims.
The Nets will probably drop down to the #3 seed. The Bucks are now just 0.5 a game behind them and they have the season series with those two big wins in the last two weeks. Things have gone downhill and fast in Brooklyn.
Balance
Luka struggled shooting in the 2nd half but still finished with 24-10-8. But the Mavs wouldn’t have won this game without their support pieces. 23 for Hardaway, 17 points and 8 rebounds for Finney-Smith. 15 for Brunson, 12 for Powell, and 10 for Richardson. Beating the Nets without KP is no easy feat, but thanks to Mavs supporting pieces it was possible.
44% from 3, excellent defense on KD, the Mavs have been playing great. They are going to be a team that you don’t want to face in the first round when healthy.
Dallas is 5th in the West, comfortably. Both the Lakers and Portland are one game behind them. With Dallas having the easiest schedule of those 3 teams, I think Dallas is taking that 5th seed.
Washington Wizards vs Toronto Raptors (131-129)
Hanging On
The Wizards won this game thanks to their role players. Beal had 28-5-5 and Westbrook got his 180th career triple-double but he only shot 26% from the field. Who do the Wizards have to thank for this win? Raul Neto and Robin Lopez. Neto was 7/11 from the field, 5/7 from 3, and had 25 points. Robin Lopez had 24 points and 7 rebounds off the bench on 12/14 shooting from the free throw line. The Wizards got a big-time win and it all but ends the Raptors chances at a playoff spot.
It was a tough game, but now the Wizards can breathe. The Wizards stay at 10th place, but just 0.5 a game behind the 9th seeded (dysfunctional) Pacers.
Toronto Raptors
Season is over. Goodbye.
Memphis Grizzlies vs Detroit Pistons (97-111)
…
Losing to the Pistons when every game in the West matters. Nice. The Grizzlies offense was nonexistent and their defense couldn’t do much to slow down the Pistons without Jerami Grant. Anderson, Brooks, and Jackson were awful. Memphis shot 27% from 3 while Detroit shot 53% from the field, getting whatever they wanted. Not exactly the type of loss you want down the stretch of a season.
The Grizzlies don’t have the tie-breaker with the Warriors and they are currently in 9th place, 0.5 a game behind the Warriors. The Warriors and Grizzlies play on May 15th, which will be a critical game for both sides.
Balance
7 guys in double figures, including all 5 starters. Good win.
Atlanta Hawks vs Indiana Pacers (126-133)
Defense (Lack Of)
This game wasn’t that close. Indiana led by as much as 18 at one point and they led for most of the way. The Hawks couldn’t get any stops as this was a game controlled by Indiana. Levert and Sabonis were a problem and Indiana shooting 62% from the field doesn’t help.
30 points and 10 assists for Young, 28 for Bogdanovic, and 25 for Collins. If that can’t get you a win, not a lot more can. Defense definitely has to be good for the Hawks to make a run in the playoffs.
The Hawks are 1 game behind the Knicks for 4th and 1 game ahead of the 6th and 7th seeded Celtics and Heat.
Maybe Nothing Is Wrong?
-The coach is a jerk
-TJ Warren hates him and got surgery just not to play
-People call him a bully, doesn’t know what he’s doing
-Assistant coach resigned, another suspended for arguing with players
-Clinging to the playoffs while Atlanta has been at their best coached by Nate McMillan
But hey, at least you beat the Hawks, right? Yeah, no, this team is a complete mess. Taking good for granted has cost this team. The Pacers have a 0.5 a game lead on the 10th seeded Wizards, but that still changes nothing, this season was a failure.
OKC Thunder vs Golden State Warriors (97-118)
OKC Thunder
Get to the lottery already.
Golden State Warriors
It’s the Thunder, moving on. No Oubre to close the season is tough but Golden State gets a win and a Grizzlies loss. With those two events, the Warriors are currently 8th in the West and they have a 0.5 game lead on Memphis. The season series is tied between these two teams, but they do play again on May 15th in perhaps the game of the year for both sides.
LA Lakers vs LA Clippers (94-118)
[Panic Levels Rising]
Yeah, things aren’t going so good. Lebron James is going to miss some more time with that ankle injury and he’s said he’s never going to be 100% again, which isn’t exactly reassuring. Anthony Davis has been awful since returning from injury. The same was true today but this time he played only 9 minutes before getting back spasms. I never knew they made men of glass, but AD is one of them because he can’t stay healthy.
The Lakers can’t shoot, they have one usable center, god things are going bad. To make things worse, because somehow this can get worse, the Lakers lost tonight and Dallas won. Portland has won 4 of their last 5 games. Currently here at the Western Conference 5-8 Seeds:
5. Dallas
6. Lakers – 1 game behind Dallas
7. Portland – 1 game behind Dallas
So the Lakers and Blazers are tied and guess what? These two teams meet tomorrow night in Portland. Lebron already isn’t playing and while AD is playing, he surely isn’t 100%. The Lakers and Blazers are tied in the standings and in their season series, 1-1. Whoever wins this likely gets the higher seed and right now, I’m liking my Blazers chances. Just saying.
Give Me That #3 Seed
The Lakers are a mess, but free win I suppose. 7 guys in double figures, 54% shooting from the field, 42% from 3, easy win. PG was great with 24-7-5 and Kawhi seems to be shooting less for some reason. Only 9 shots in this game as I don’t know, maybe he’s coasting. He’d better not be this passive in the postseason.
The Clippers get their 2nd win in a row and they are now back in 3rd place, 0.5 a game ahead of the 4th seeded Nuggets. This 3/4 seed race is going to come down to the wire.
What Are Your Thoughts From The 7 Games Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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