Tag: Carmelo Anthony

NBA Playoffs – Day 14

Sadly, we’re off TNT tonight and over on ESPN for a pair of Game 6s just as soon as the goddamn NFL Draft switches over to ESPN 2….WHERE IT BELONGS.

Our first game this evening is Game 6 between the Cavs and Pacers. Indiana has proven to be the toughest first round opponent LeBron’s ever faced, but after his buzzer beater the other night, the Pacers are on the ropes. The good news for them is they’re at home, which is where you want to be when you’re trying to force a Game 7. Just ask the Milwaukee Bucks.

Later tonight, it’s Game 6 between the Thunder and Jazz. In Game 5, OKC looked on their way out until Russell Westbrook led an epic comeback. The Jazz still have the series lead, however, and are looking to close it out at home.

Also happening tonight, Game 6 between the Raptors and Wizards. Otto Porter Jr is out for the Wizards, and will be for the rest of this series, while the Raptors have Fred Van Vleet back. They’re looking to finally close out this series and move on to the Semifinals. Since that one’s on NBA TV and ESPN News, we’ll have to monitor Twitter for dispatches. That one started at 7:00 and we should get some halftime reports soon.

8:01 pm – We’re welcomed to Indianapolis by, ugh, Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson. I miss TNT already.

8:08 – Dispatches from Washington!

8:11 – The Pacers win the opening tip, and another exciting evening of playoff basketball is underway.

8:12 – Right off the bat, LeBron goes for a baseline layup, and he’s wrapped up by Bojan Bogdanovic, as Van Gundy and Jackson demand justice in the form of a flagrant foul. They don’t get it as it’s ruled a mere common foul. Anyway, LeBron hits the two free throws to score the first points of the game for the Cavs.

8:14 – Myles Turner hits a jumper, and the Pacers are on the board, down 5-2.

8:17 – After a crummy JR Smith pass leads to a turnover, Victor Oladipo flies down the court for a layup, and we have our first time out this evening with a score of Indiana 8, Cleveland 8 with 8:23 left in the first quarter.

I’m going to go ahead and say that the father should be booed for not doing a good enough parenting job to ensure that his lousy kid roots for the home team.

8:27 – Kevin Love hesitates, but then drains a three, and we’ll have another time out with the score Cleveland 22, Indiana 17 with 3:44 left in the opening quarter.

8:35 – Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson keep arguing about the refs and it is awful. Unfortunately, those two have brought their A-game tonight.

8:38 – We’re here at the end of a lively first quarter with the score Indiana 29, Cleveland 26. Victor Oladipo, who’s been struggling most of the series, and shot 2-15 in Game 5, is already up to 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals on 6-8 shooting. LeBron leads the Cavs with seven points. He and Lance Stephenson are already irritating each other, and it seems like we’re in for a good night.

8:41 – Rodney Hood starts off the second quarter with a jumper, closing the Cavs gap down to 29-28.

8:43 – Now Jeff Van Gundy’s stealing Shaq’s lines as he describes a Kevin Love hook shot in the post as “Barbecued Chicken”. How dare he.

8:49 – Domantis Sabonis hits a one handed shot in the paint, plus he’s fouled! Before he heads to the line, we’ll have a time out with the score Indiana 40, Cleveland 34 with 6:46 left in the first half.

8:53 – Dispatches from Washington!

9:00 – We’re going to have a time out as LeBron is on the ground under the hoop with a cut above his eye. He collided with Thaddeus Young and appears to have caught an elbow from him. In other news, our score’s Indiana 52, Cleveland 43 with 2:13 left until halftime.

9:03 – We’re back and LeBron’s got a bandage above his eye.

9:09 – Here at halftime, our score’s Indiana 57, Cleveland 47. Victor Oladipo’s up to 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals on 7-9 shooting. Meanwhile, LeBron’s has 14, five assists and one bandage.

The Pacers have played well, and have a good hop in their step. They’ve made it this far, but they’ll have to keep up the intensity if they’re gonna fend off bandaged LeBron and force a Game 7.

9:13 – Time to feed the cat!

9:26 – Darren Collison bounces a pass to Myles Turner who continues in for a layup, and we’re back underway at the start of the third with the Pacers expanding their lead to 59-47.

9:27 – Victor Oladipo hits a three, and we’re going to have a time out with the score suddenly Indiana 62, Cleveland 47 with 10:40 left in the third. Oladipo’s 5-5 from downtown.

9:28 – Final dispatches from Washington!

It was a good series for the Raptors, who were able to face down some of their usual playoff demons. They’ll face either the Cavs or the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

9:32 – We’ve got a time out as Kevin Love is having a tough time after taking an elbow to the face. The score’s still Indiana 62, Cleveland 47 with 9:30 left in the third.

9:35 – We’re back, and Kevin Love remains on the bench. Tristan Thompson, who’s been mostly exiled to the end of the bench this series, comes into the game and immediately hits a hook shot.

9:37 – Sideline reporter Lisa Salters chimes in to tell us that Love is available to return to the ballgame.

9:41 – Bojan Bogdanovic nails a three from the corner, and the Cavs have to take their third time out of the quarter because the score’s now Indiana 74, Cleveland 54 with 5:50 left in the quarter.

9:46 – LeBron knocks down a three, and you know he’s not going down quietly as we head into another time out with the score Indiana 79, Cleveland 63 with 3:12 left in the third.

9:53 – After a dominating third quarter from the Pacers, our score’s Indiana 92, Cleveland 67. Victor Oladipo’s up to 28 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals, and as a team, the Pacers are shooting 55.4% overall and 52% from downtown. They’re riled up and playing with a lot of energy. On the other end of that spectrum, the Cavs don’t have a lot going for them, and they’re now down to just two time outs to last them the fourth. LeBron has 22 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists, but he’s received very little help from the supporting cast.

9:57 – Domantis Sabonis grabs an offensive rebound and gets a bucket out of it, and the Pacers lead is all the way up to 94-67. On the Cavs side, Kevin Love is back in the game, but LeBron’s on the bench, where he is likely to remain for the rest of the night.

10:03 – Jeff Green hits a three, and we’ll have a time out with the score now Indiana 103, Cleveland 74 with 7:34 left in the game. We’re in dangerous territory here. Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson are the last two people you want at the helm of a big blowout.

10:09 – I am definitely ready for this game to end so I no longer have to listen to Jeff Van Gundy sarcastically talking about triple-doubles. Since Mark Jackson has one of the Pacers playoff triple doubles…against Jeff Van Gundy’s old New York Knicks teams, it’s all they’re talking about. Send help.

10:11 – Van Gundy suggests cancelling the rest of the game and I am in agreement if only because it means his voice will no longer be coming out of my television.

10:13 – We have a time out as Victor Oladipo walks back to the bench, encouraging the crowd who obliges with an appreciative cheer. He’s got the triple double with a 28-13-10 and four steals. The score’s Indiana 110, Cleveland 81 with 4:09 remaining.

10:19 – Mike Breen, in a rare moment of providing insight, tells us that Sunday’s Game 7 will be the first time that LeBron will have faced elimination in the first round.

10:20 – We’ve got another time out with a score of Indiana 117, Cleveland 83 with 2:05 left on the clock. Almost there!

10:26 – The game comes to an end, and according to Mike Breen, it ends with the largest victory in Pacers playoff history. Our final score: Indiana 121, Cleveland 87.

Victor Oladipo exploded out of his slump for 28 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists and 4 steals on 11-19 shooting. LeBron finished with 22-5-7.

What a win for the Pacers. After falling behind 3-2 in the series, losing a couple of winnable games, it stood to reason that LeBron would take of business tonight, but that was far from the case. Through six games, the Cavs look like the vulnerable team, lucky to even be here, while the Pacers, who won Game 1 in Cleveland, have a great shot to keep LeBron from making out of the first round for the first time.

Cleveland Cavaliers v Indiana Pacers - Game Six

10:30 – Coming up next! Game 6 in what’s been an ornery series between the Thunder and the Jazz. In this one, it’ll be the Thunder trying to force a Game 7, but they’ll have to do it in hostile territory on the road.

10:38 – We’re sent out to Salt Lake City for Game 6 between the Thunder and the Jazz. Mark Jones and Hubie Brown, THE GOOD ESPN ANNOUNCERS, will narrate the action.

10:41 – The Thunder win the opening tip, and we’re underway.

10:42 – Donovan Mitchell leads off the scoring with a corner three, right after the struggling Carmelo Anthony missed everything on a crummy jumper. The Jazz lead, 3-0.

10:43 – Russell Westbrook finds Steven Adams for a dunk and OKC’s first points. They trail, 3-2.

10:47 – Russell Westbrook nails a three, and we have our first time out with the score Oklahoma City 13, Utah 11 with 6:30 left in what’s been a good first quarter, despite the fact that some ASS in the crowd keeps blowing a whistle and confusing the players.

10:56 – Jerami Grant knocks down an open three, and the Thunder are on a 12-0 run to make our score Oklahoma City 20, Utah 11 with 3:06 left in the first quarter. The Jazz have missed their last six shots.

11:01 – Whoa, Ricky Rubio has a hamstring injury and will miss the rest of the game. Bad news for the Jazz and fans of flashy passing alike.

11:05 – We’ve reached the end of the first quarter with a score of Oklahoma City 22, Utah 18. Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert have each scored four points to lead the Jazz, while Russell Westbrook’s seven leads the Thunder. Obviously, the big story thus far is Ricky Rubio going down for the night. He’s been such an important player for the Jazz, and their backup point guards don’t exactly inspire a ton of confidence. We’ll see if and how they hang in.

11:12 – Alec Burks gets into the paint and puts it in for our first points of the second quarter. It cuts the Jazz deficit to 22-20 as neither team seem able to put points on the board at the moment.

11:15 – A mysterious technical foul is called on Rudy Gobert. Russell Westbrook misses the free throw, however.

11:16 – After a Jazz turnover, we’ll have a time out with the score Utah 23, Oklahoma City 22 with 8:17 left in the first half. The Thunder have yet to score as we approach four minutes into the second quarter, while Alec Burks has been the only Jazzman to put any points on the board since the quarter began.

On the plus side, at least we had a block wedgie, courtesy of Alex Abrines!

11:23 – We’re in the midst of lengthy review after Paul George runs over Jae Crowder. Initially, a foul was called on Crowder, but we’ll see what the refs come up with after their conference.

11:24 – It ends up just being a common-ass foul on Crowder. Everybody carry on.

11:30 – Paul George gets a steal, and then flings it up the court to Russell Westbrook for a big jam, followed by a big roar from Westbrook. It takes us into a time out with the score Oklahoma City 35, Utah 26 with 4:02 left until halftime.

11:39 – Joe Ingles knocks down a three from the corner, plus Steven Adams bowls over Rudy Gobert for a foul, the third on Adams. It’ll send Gobert to the line for a potential four point play, but first we’ll have a time out as the Jazz continue to hang around with a score of Oklahoma City 39, Utah 36 with 1:15 to in the second quarter.

11:43 – We have another review as Jae Crowder swipes at the ball, but ends up slapping Paul George in the face instead. That’s three fouls on Crowder now, but it’ll be just a common foul.

11:45 – The first half draws to a close with the scoreboard reading Utah 41, Oklahoma City 41. Ten points from Donovan Mitchell leads the Jazz, while Russell Westbrook has 15 for the Thunder.

The Jazz battled back after a stagnant start to the game, and we’re even here at halftime. The Thunder may live to regret allowing Utah to chip away at the decent lead they built over the course of the quarter.

Also, we had another block wedgie, this time courtesy of Donovan Mitchell.

12:00 am – Here is something that happened as the Thunder returned to the locker room for halftime…

12:01 – Donovan Mitchell leads off the second half with a layup, and the Jazz take a 43-41 lead. In other news, Royce O’Neale is out there for Utah to replace Ricky Rubio.

12:02 – Mitchell knocks down a three, and the Jazz lead goes up to 46-41.

On the other end, the much maligned Carmelo Anthony hits a turnaround, and the Thunder trail, 46-43.

12:03 – The Jazz lose the ball, but Donovan Mitchell gets it right back and goes in for a nifty layup. Russell Westbrook answers with a three, and the Jazz lead, 48-46.

12:04 – Mitchell knocks down a three! He has ten quick points in the quarter. On the other end of the court, Steven Adams has to go to the ground for a lose ball, secure it, and call a time out with the score Utah 51, Oklahoma City 46 with 9:20 left in an already interesting third quarter.

12:12 – After Derrick Favors misses a free throw, Jae Crowder sneaks in for the offensive rebound, and eventually the ball finds its way to Mitchell for yet another three! We’ve got a time out with the score Utah 62, Oklahoma City 52 with 6:32 left in a third quarter that’s been taken over by Donovan Mitchell.

12:15 – Check it out, Donovan Mitchell is the first rookie to score 20+ points in each of his first six playoff games since none other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1970!

12:29 – After a scintillating third quarter, our score’s Utah 79, Oklahoma City 70. Mitchell dropped 22 in the quarter and is up to 32 on the evening. Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook has 35, but Paul George has just five on 2-11 shooting, and Carmelo Anthony has only managed seven points. Nevertheless, the Thunder are fully capable of erasing a nine point deficit as we head down the stretch out in Salt Lake City.

12:35 – Russell Westbrook knocks down a three to score the first points of the fourth, and he’s up to 38 points, and the Thunder have their deficit down to 78-73.

12:36 – Oh dear, Donovan Mitchell commits his fifth foul. He heads to the bench with a long 10:01 left in the ballgame.

12:41 – In between a pair of Rudy Gobert free throws, we’ll have a time out with the score Utah 85, Oklahoma City 73 with 7:04 remaining. The Jazz have been able to extend their lead even with Mitchell on the bench with his five fouls.

12:47 – Jerami Grant hits a three in the corner, and this one’s nowhere near finished with the scoreboard reading Utah 86, Oklahoma City 78 with 5:55 left in the game.

12:55 – Raymond Felton hits a three from the corner, and the Thunder continue to inch closer. In the meantime, we’ll have another time out with the score Utah 90, Oklahoma 86 with 3:06 left on the clock.

12:57 – Russell Westbrook finds Steven Adams for a layup, but Donovan Mitchell comes back with a scoop shot, and the Jazz are hanging onto their four point lead at 92-88.

12:59 – Westbrook knocks down a three! It’s a one point game with the Thunder behind, 92-91.

1:00 – Derrick Favors knocks down a jumper, and the Jazz go up, 94-91.

1:02 – After three offensive rebounds, and a couple of missed threes, the Thunder take a time out before their luck runs out. The score’s still Utah 94, Oklahoma 91 with only 37.9 seconds on the clock.

1:04 – After two more goddamn offensive rebounds, the ball finally goes careening out of bounds, and we’re going to have a review to see who sent it out with just 24.7 seconds left.

1:06 – It’s going to be Thunder ball, but first, we’ll have a time out with the score still stuck at Utah 94, Oklahoma City 91 with those 24.7 seconds remaining. OKC is now out of time outs, while the Jazz still have two.

1:08 – Paul George tries to draw a foul and shoot a three, and it does not go his way and he air balls the three. Then, the Thunder wait all the way until there’s 6.9 seconds remaining to foul and stop the clock. When they finally do, it’s Donovan Mitchell they send to the line.

1:09 – Mitchell hits his free throws, and Paul George misses another three, and that’s how this series will end! Our final score: Utah 96, Oklahoma City 91.

Donovan Mitchell ended the night with 38 points on 14-26 shooting, including a classic third quarter performance that will live on in Utah Jazz lore. Rudy Gobert added 12 points and 13 rebounds.

For the Thunder, Russell Westbrook went down with 46 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists on 18-43 shooting. Steven Adams came through with 19 points and 15 rebounds. OKC got no help from their other two superstars. Carmelo Anthony submitted seven points on 3-7 shooting in just 26 minutes. Even worse, Paul George, who gave himself the nickname, “Playoff P” earlier in the series, threw up all over himself for five points on 2-16 shooting. Let this be a lesson to anybody who decides to give themselves their own nickname.

On the way back to the locker room, this happened…

With the win, the Jazz advance to take on the top team in the West, the Houston Rockets, in the semifinals. They’re sure to put up a worthy fight against this season’s best team. Hopefully for them, and all of us, Ricky Rubio will be good to go when that series gets started on Sunday.

For the Thunder, a strange season comes to an end with plenty of uncertainty. Paul George enters the offseason as one of the most coveted free agents around the league, with Los Angeles looming as a potential destination. Tonight also gave plenty of fodder to those who feel that Russell Westbrook is someone who cannot be the best player on a successful team. His worst habits surfaced once again, but he’s who the Thunder have, and they’ll have to continue to try and build around him moving forward.

jazz.jpg

Tomorrow, the Semifinals finally get underway, with the Warriors hosting the Pelicans. Before that, we’ll have our first of two Game 7s of the weekend, and it’ll involve my favorite team, the Boston Celtics. It’s sure to be another memorable night, so rest up, and keep me in your thoughts.

11/25/17 – When The Avalanche Starts

ABOUT LAST NIGHT

Derrick Rose, the oft-injured former MVP of the league, has taken a leave of absence from the Cleveland Cavaliers, and is apparently considering his future in the NBA. His slew of injuries have reportedly taken a mental toll so severe, that retirement is on the table. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue expects him to return to the team, but only when he’s good and ready, saying, “Take as long as he wants to take, and we wish him well and we want him back.”

Rose has become a tragic figure in NBA folklore. Once primed to become the next big star of the league after becoming the youngest player in history to win the MVP, his injuries, and occasionally his temperament and behavior, have derailed one narrative in favor of another. Now, he’s looking more like the first MVP winner to not make the Hall of Fame than he is a legendary star.

As for the games, yesterday’s schedule kicked off with a lone game at noon, which saw the Nets hosting the Trail Blazers. In a high scoring affair, it was the defense of Jusuf Nurkic that saved the day for Portland. He came up with several big blocks and steals in the final minutes, helping to score a 127-125 afternoon victory for Portland.

Offensively, Portland’s big three carried them. Damian Lillard scored 34 points and handed out 9 assists on 10-19 shooting. CJ McCollum also shot 10-19, on his way to 26 points, and Nurkic scored 29 and grabbed 15 rebounds, shooting 12-19 and blocking four shots. They did have to sweat out a game winning three attempt from Spencer Dinwiddie with 2.9 seconds left that ultimately hit off the rim, with Nurkic hauling in the rebound.

In what we would have named the Game of the Night had we not been sleeping off Thanksgiving Dinner yesterday morning, the Celtics started a new winning streak, defeating the Magic, 118-103. Recently, Boston had been falling behind and having to claw back from big deficits, a trend that proved unsustainable when their streak came to an end on Wednesday against the Heat. Last night, they flipped the script, jumping out to a 73-47 lead at halftime, a lead that they would not relinquish.

Kyrie Irving scored 30 points on 9-15 shooting, and Terry Rozier came off the bench to have a career night with 23 points and 6 rebounds on 8-11 shooting. In fact, the Celtics bench came up with its best performance in quite some time, as they added to their big lead, particularly in the second quarter.

Carrying on without Derrick Rose, the Cavs eked out a 100-99 victory at home against the Hornets. A JR Smith free throw gave Cleveland their decisive lead with 48 seconds left. Jeremy Lamb and Kemba Walker then missed go-ahead threes to clinch the victory for Cleveland.

LeBron James notched his 57th career triple double, finishing with 27, 16 & 13. Dwight Howard led Charlotte with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Without Kevin Durant or Draymond Green, the Warriors still managed to slaughter the Bulls, 143-94. Steph Curry outscored the Bulls himself in the second quarter, exploding for 26 points, while the Bulls could only manage 21.

“Your shot feels good, and you’re getting some open ones — that’s when the avalanche starts,” Curry, who finished the night with 33 points and 7 rebounds on 10-18 shooting, explained.

After the second quarter, in which the Warriors outscored the Bulls, 45-21, Chicago’s situation got even worse, as they followed it up by getting outscored 36-13 in the third.

The Indiana Pacers won their fifth straight game, 107-104, over the Toronto Raptors. After Victor Oladipo left the game due to a knee injury, Lance Stephenson picked up the slack, carrying the Pacers down the stretch and ensuring the win.

“I get my energy from the crowd,” Stephenson said. “When the crowd tells me, ‘Let’s go. Get it going.’ I feel like there’s power coming in me.”

He got it going with 3 three pointers in the fourth quarter that helped hold off the Raptors. He finished the night with 18 points and 7 rebounds off the bench, on 7-9 shooting, including a perfect 4-4 from downtown. Oladipo, who finished with 21 points, may or may not have to miss tonight’s game against the Celtics.

The Detroit Pistons hung on for a win on the road in OKC, defeating the Thunder 99-98 in a game that was quite sluggish down the stretch. The Pistons had fought back to take a late lead after trailing by double digits, and that’s when some familiar and self-destructive Thunder habits surfaced once again. Russell Westbrook chucked a few too many threes down the stretch, missing all of them, as he took it upon himself to try and salvage the game for the Thunder. Adding Paul George and Carmelo Anthony was supposed to alleviate the burden that rested on Westbrook’s shoulders last season, but it’s never going to work unless Westbrook himself is willing to share the burden down the stretch of close games.

With the Pistons clinging to the lead in the final seconds, it was Westbrook once again. He got a good look at a three, but he couldn’t connect, and Detroit was able to abscond with a win.

Andre Drummond finished the night with 17 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Pistons. Russell Westbrook did finish with a triple double, amassing 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, but he shot just 10-29 from the field, including a horrendous 1-10 from three point land, and unfortunate mark which was exacerbated by his late game chucking.

THE NIGHT AHEAD

Game of the Night – Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers (8:00 pm, League Pass)

The Pacers have been able to remain one of the NBA’s most pleasant surprises throughout the first five weeks of the season, and have won five in a row and six of their last seven. What better way to see how for real they are than a battle with the NBA’s best team? The Celtics have won 17 of their first 20 games this season, and are looking to continue the momentum from last night’s win over the Magic. The way they played last night is how they should look to play consistently, in contrast to the latter days of their 16 game winning streak, in which they repeatedly dug themselves out from big deficits.

 

11/18/17 – 0.5 Mentality

ABOUT LAST NIGHT

The Chicago Bulls snapped their five game losing streak, overcoming a big night from Kemba Walker to hold on for a 123-120 win at home over the Charlotte Hornets. Justin Holiday scored 27 points on 10-15 shooting to lead Chicago in his first game as a new dad. Kris Dunn added a career high 22 points, to go along with 5 rebounds and 7 assists on 10-16 shooting off the bench, in what was definitely the best game of his young career.

It was just enough to withstand Kemba Walker’s 47 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists on 17-27 shooting. In the final seconds, with the Hornets down 121-120, Walker drove to the basket and got a good looking layup attempt against Lauri Markkanen, but it rolled off the rim, allowing the lowly Bulls to escape with a win.

The Cavaliers now have their longest winning streak of the season after winning their fourth in a row, 118-113, in overtime against the Clippers. After trailing all night, the Cavs finally caught up, tying the game at 105 with a LeBron James three with 47 seconds left on the clock. In overtime, they grabbed their first lead at 106-105, on a lone James free throw, and held on from there.

LeBron finished the night with another stellar line: 39 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists on 17-26 shooting. Dwyane Wade came off the bench for 23 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. The Clippers were led by 23 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists from Blake Griffin, who also shot an unfortunate 8-25 from the field. DeAndre Jordan added 20 points and 22 rebounds on 10-12 shooting, but the Clippers have fallen on hard times. They’ve now lost seven in a row, and people are starting to wonder aloud if it’s time for coach Doc Rivers to hit the road.

Just one night after the Rockets wowed us by dropping 142 points on the Suns, the unimpressed Nuggets came out and unleashed 146 on the Pelicans, who managed just 112 themselves. Denver adhered to coach Mike Malone’s “0.5 mentality”, meaning that each player on the team should only hold the ball for half a second before deciding whether or not they’re open enough to take a shot, or whether passing the ball to someone else is the better option.

The Nuggets, who shot 62.9% from the field, were led by Jamal Murray’s 31 points on 13-18 shooting.

“It was fun,” said Gary Harris (22 points, 5 assists, 9-11 shooting) after the game. “When we play like that, we’re a hard team to beat.”

Not fun was what happened to Anthony Davis. He suffered a concussion in the third quarter after Nikola Jokic’s dome collided with his own. He left after playing just 21:14 with 17 points and 5 rebounds on 7-11 shooting, the lone bright spot on an otherwise forgettable night for the Pelicans. Hopefully he is able to return sooner rather than later, or the Pelicans (8-8) might slide down the Western Conference standings into a hole that would be tough to escape from.

The Spurs came back from a 23 point deficit to defeat the Thunder, 104-101. The comeback tied their third largest under coach Gregg Popovich. The legendary coach had this to say after the game.

“It was a fine win. The guys really dug deep, pounded the rock. We kept a great attitude, and they just kept their minds on playing basic basketball and things turned their way. The effort was great, and they played a lot smarter in the second half. They took care of the ball, and just showed a lot of courage. Overall, a great team win.”

LaMarcus Aldridge led the way with 26 points and 9 rebounds, while Carmelo Anthony led the Thunder with 20 points and 6 rebounds.

San Antonio fell behind early after a yucky first quarter that ended with more Spurs turnovers than Spurs field goals. As we all know, you can never count them out, and with 38.3 seconds left in the third quarter, they tied the game at 78 with a Davis Bertans three. They grabbed a lead right at the start of the fourth with another three, this time from Manu Ginobili, and took it from there.

Our Game of the Night turned out to be quite lackluster, with the Toronto Raptors taking care of business with a 107-84 victory over the New York Knicks. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry each scored 22 points. Lowry added 8 rebounds and 10 assists, and shot 8-12 from the field, while DeRozan shot 10-16 with 6 rebounds and 7 assists.

Despite the big win, the Raptors got some bad news on Delon Wright. The young backup point guard has a dislocated shoulder, suffered in Wednesday night’s win over the Pelicans.

The Heat nearly squandered a 25 point lead, but held on for a 91-88 victory over the Washington Wizards.

“It was pretty harrowing,” said coach Erik Spoelstra. “But, look, nothing is guaranteed in this league. But the process that this team is committed to, I respect that… to really spend a lot of time trying to fix some of the things that we’re going through.

Washington cut their deficit all the way down to 89-88 with 11.3 seconds left, but a James Johnson free throw, and a missed jumper from Bradley Beal sealed the victory for Miami. Beal finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Hassan Whiteside’s 22 points and 16 rebounds on 10-12 shooting led the way for the Heat.

Unfortunately, there’s even more injury news around the league. Derrick Rose, no stranger to the injured list, is out for at least two weeks with what he describes as just a jacked-up ankle”. John Wall, who struggled with just 8 points and 8 assists on 3-12 shooting in that loss to the Heat, has a sore knee that might keep him out of their next game against Toronto.
 
The Grizzlies, perpetually bit by the injury bug, will be without Mike Conley indefinitely, due to an achilles injury. They’ve fallen back to earth after a strong start, and they might fall right off the edge, if what Kyrie Irving says is true, and right out of the Western playoff race if Conley misses too much time.

Coach David Fizdale explained, “It’s unfortunate, but watching him play in pain like that and really trying to push through that stuff was worse to watch.”

The Nets, already without Jeremy Lin, will now have to soldier on without D’Angelo Russell as well. He had arthroscopic knee surgery after hurting himself last week against the Jazz, and there’s no timetable for his return.

Get well soon, everyone.

Lastly, the Philadelphia 76ers announced that they have signed Robert Covington to a well earned extension.

“Robert Covington is a prime example of what hard work, dedication and commitment can lead to. Rob’s growth as a player on both ends of the floor makes him one of the most versatile and effective wings in the league, while his contributions of character and professionalism feature prominently in our evolving organizational culture. This extension is both well-deserved, and a really great story,” said President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo.

I have to admit that I used to laugh at Robert Covington when I would look at box scores every morning. His atrocious shooting for the formerly woeful Sixers made me believe that he’d be useless on any other team, and that he was just there because the Sixers, actively trying to be terrible, just needed to fill out the roster with whichever random players they could find.

During that time, Covington shot a ghastly 39.3% overall, but he has worked hard to become a very important piece to the new and promising Sixers. Still starting alongside the likes of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, this season, Covington is shooting an even 50% from the field, and a ridiculous 49.5% from downtown, averaging a career high 16.5 points a game. His defense has been top notch as well. He’s gone from Trust The Process Era cannon fodder to an important starter on a very exciting and promising team. Congratulations to him on this great reward for all of his hard work, and I extend my apologies to him for laughing at his old box scores.

THE NIGHT AHEAD

Game of the Night – Golden State Warriors at Philadelphia 76ers (7:30 pm, League Pass)

The Warriors, fresh off their loss to the Celtics, continue their road trip against Robert Covington and the increasingly impressive Sixers. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, this might be a bad time to catch Golden State, who will be looking to bounce back strong after the frustrating loss in Boston. Nevertheless, the Sixers have won seven of their last nine games, but one of those losses was a 135-114 defeat in Golden State.

If you’re not in the mood for the Warriors, or if that game gets out of hand, the Rockets are visiting Memphis as those two teams play each other for the fourth (and final) time already. The Grizzlies have won two of the three games they’ve played against Houston, but, as you’ve already read, they’re now without Mike Conley. The Rockets have won seven of their last eight, and are coming off that ridiculous game against the Suns in which they scored 90 points in the first half. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, have lost four of their last five, and are just 2-6 after starting the season 5-1.