Trae Young Lights Up LA; Jazz Win 8th Straight! 1.26.21
It’s another day of NBA basketball, as we have a quiet day with just 3 games on the schedule today.
Rest in piece Kobe and Gianna Bryant, and all that lost their lives one year ago today.
Rest in piece long-time NBA writer and analyst Sekou Smith.
LA Clippers vs Atlanta Hawks
LA Clippers
Even without Kawhi and PG, the Clippers put up a fight for most of this game. Their offense managed to keep up with the young, high-flying Hawks. But their defense in the 4th was poor, and their 7-game streak has been snapped. In the first half, Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson led the way, as LA led by 5. They were doing a good job on defense, especially on the perimeter. But the Clippers fell apart in the 3rd. Trae Young scored 14, and the Hawks scored 33 overall. And the Clippers defense continued to struggle in the 4th when they needed stops. No shame in losing for LA, as they are now 13-5 on the year.
Reggie Jackson had 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists on 8/16 shooting.
Serge Ibaka had 15 points and 5 rebounds on 6/15 shooting.
While they lost, I saw some good things in this game. Firstly, Ivica Zubac was a monster. He was grabbing rebounds, getting the line, as he was really good off the bench. People forget how good this guy was last year, and to have him off the bench is such a luxury. I would have liked Marcus Morris to shoot more, with LA being short-handed. Reggie Jackson showed promise that he can facilitate in addition to just scoring. Lou Williams continues to struggle, as he just can’t find his shot. But again, no Kawhi or PG, so no real shame in losing. The Clippers continue their road-trip against the Heat next.
Atlanta Hawks
This was a tough game for the Hawks, but they prevailed in the end as Trae Young and company got going in the 2nd half. In the first half, the Hawks couldn’t but anything outside the 3-point line, as they shot just 14% from 3. Trae Young was solid, but the offense wasn’t getting much going. That changed in the 3rd. Trae Young got the deep ball going, as he had 14 points in the quarter. The Hawks defense was a lot better, and they led by 6 entering the 4th. And in the 4th, the Hawks offense didn’t slow down. Kevin Huerter got going, and the Hawks got a good win, as they are now 9-8 on the year.
Trae Young had 38 points on 12/23 shooting, 11/11 FT.
De’Andre Hunter had 22 points on 7/16 shooting.
Trae Young has been getting back to what he does well, attack. His shot wasn’t falling in the first half, so he got to the rim. He got 11 free throws, as without Patrick Beverley LA struggled to guard him. Young had great shot selection, and it was good to see him play well. De’Andre Hunter continues to play, and Capela and Collins were solid down low. The Hawks bench wasn’t great scoring wise, as I expected more minutes from Gallinari and more shots. I like him off the bench for some instant offense, and I would like to see him be more aggressive. But another good win for the Hawks, as they’ve won 4 of their last 5 games. Atlanta takes on the Nets tomorrow.
Washington Wizards vs Houston Rockets
Washington Wizards
The Wizards again were very short-handed, and while they played pretty well for most of this game, it caught up with them eventually. In the first half, the Wizards were hanging in there. Bradley Beal was doing most of the scoring, but the Wizards shot 44% from the field and they trailed by just 4. The 3rd was low scoring, but the Wizards remained in striking distance. Then the Rockets locked in, and the Wizards got blown out late. Nothing much you can do there. Washington is now 3-10 on the year.
Bradley Beal had 33 points and 5 rebounds on 12/28 shooting.
Russell Westbrook had 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists on 7/17 shooting.
Just rebuild already. Bradley Beal still has trade value, worth a couple decent players and picks. I don’t know what you can get for Westbrook with that contract, but he just hasn’t been good. You have guys like Hachimura, Thomas Bryant, and Deni Avdija to build around. Stop trying, and start from scratch.
Houston Rockets
This game was pretty close, until the Rockets stopped messing around and put the Wizards away late. With some balanced scoring in the first half, the Rockets shot 45% from the field, but were only up 4 at the half. Their lead didn’t grow in the 3rd, and it was still a game in the 4th. But then Houston turned it up on both ends, and blew the Wizards out of the water like they were supposed to. Houston is now 7-9 on the year.
John Wall had 24 points and 5 assists on 9/21 shooting.
Victor Oladipo had 20 points and 5 rebounds on 7/21 shooting.
Eric Gordon had 20 points on 6/13 shooting off the bench.
Solid all-around game from the Rockets. Their defense was solid, holding Beal and Westbrook in check, and allowing just 88 points. 3 guys had over 20 points for the Rockets, as it was a very balanced scoring night. DeMarcus Cousins played another good game, finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds with 5 steals. Maybe he can keep this going when Christian Wood returns to the lineup. The Rockets have won 3 straight, and they take on the Blazers next on Thursday.
New York Knicks vs Utah Jazz
New York Knicks
This was such a weird game, but again, the Knicks offense failed them. In the first half, it was the Austin Rivers show. Rivers was on absolute fire, shooting 10/10 from the field and 5/5 from 3 off the bench, scoring 25 points. The Knicks got the Jazz cold from 3, as they were contesting everything. The Knicks led by 13 at halftime, as things were going well on both ends. And how quickly things changed. The Knicks offense shut down and the Jazz were bound to make 3’s eventually, the the Knicks led by just 1 entering the 4th. And the 4th was even worse, with the Knicks scoring just 13 points in the 4th, as they just can’t find offensive consistency. New York is now 8-11 on the year.
Austin Rivers had 25 points on 10/14 shooting, 5/7 3-PT off the bench.
Julius Randle had 18 points and 10 rebounds on 6/16 shooting.
RJ Barrett had 17 points on 7/11 shooting.
This was such a disappointing game for the Knicks. They had the hottest team in the league shooting ice cold, and they had the hottest player in the world in Austin Rivers, who was 10/10 in the first half. And then they played horrible in the 2nd half. Austin Rivers struggled against a physical Jazz defense who took him out of the game, and outside of him, Randle, and Barrett, nobody did much on offense. The Knicks desperately need more consistent scoring, as if their offense can’t produce consistently for a whole game, it’s tough for them to win. New York takes on the Cavs next.
Utah Jazz
Like this was a weird game for the Knicks, it was a weird game for the Jazz. The Jazz came in the hottest shooting team in the league, but they were terrible in the first half. They were getting pretty good looks, but shot 5/22 from 3 in the first half. And they weren’t attacking the rim to try and get better shots, they were just settling. Utah trailed by 13 at halftime, and they would need a quick turnaround to win. And they got that quick turnaround. The 3’s started to fall, and the Jazz really turned things up, not allowing Austin Rivers to continue to torch them. And the 4th was more of the same, as the Knicks managed just 13 points and the Jazz got their 9th straight win, improving to 13-4 on the year.
Royce O’Neale had 20 points and 6 rebounds on 7/12 shooting.
Mike Conley had 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists on 5/12 shooting.
Rudy Gobert had 18 points and 19 rebounds with 4 blocks on 8/13 shooting.
Here’s what I’m most impressed about in this game, other than the 29-point turnaround. Donovan Mitchell has been averaging 25 points on 44% shooting this season, and he had been on fire. In this game, he was 3/15. So other guys picked up the slack. Gobert was a force down low, and Royce O’Neale was good. Clarkson, Niang, and Ingles were solid off the bench, as the Jazz made 10 3’s in the 2nd half. Now shooting like they did in the first half won’t do them good going forward. So when they struggle to shoot 3’s, they have to attack and get to the rim, instead of settling. But 9 wins in a row is impressive, and Utah takes on the Dallas Mavericks tomorrow.
What Are Your Thoughts From The 3 Games Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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