12/7/17 – A Constant Masterpiece

ABOUT LAST NIGHT

The Cleveland Cavaliers notched their 13th straight victory, tying their franchise record, by defeating the Sacramento Kings, 101-95. They needed a fourth quarter rally, and the reliable heroics of LeBron James to do it. With the game tied at 95, he provided the difference, hitting a runner of the glass, then draining a three. He finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks on 12-18 shooting.

In our Game of the Night, the Celtics outscored the Mavericks, 50-33 in the second half, to come away with a 97-90 victory. Boston was missing Marcus Morris and Jaylen Brown, but Terry Rozier (12 points, 9 rebounds), Daniel Theis (7 points, 11 rebounds) and Shane Larkin (11 points) all played well off the bench to help offset their absences. Of course, when it was time to put the game away down the stretch, it was Kyrie Irving who took over, scoring seven points of his 23 points in the final few minutes of the game.

Irving described his approach in clutch moments by saying, “It’s just a constant masterpiece that you have to paint. Sometimes it’s going to be all scribble and stuff like that, it’s OK to get out of the lines.”

In their first game without Steph Curry, the Warriors turned to Kevin Durant, who did not disappoint. He submitted a triple double, with 35 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Warriors took care of business with a 101-87 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

“It’s fun when you get to create and be creative out there, whether it’s passing to JaVale for a lob or shooting a pullup or a jump shot — all the stuff that you work on in those situations,” explained Durant. “Tonight, it felt like I could go in my bag of tools, my bag of tricks to pull some stuff out. I don’t expect it to be like that every single game, but tonight I thought it called for it.”

The Pacers found themselves trailing the Chicago Bulls by 15 points with nine minutes remaining in the game, but Victor Oladipo rescued them, capping off a fourth quarter comeback by pulling up and nailing a three with 31.1 seconds on the clock to give the Pacers their first lead of the game at 97-96.

“Nobody stopped me,” said Oladipo, who finished with 27 points and 8 rebounds. “I could’ve kept going and drove into the defense, or pull up for the 3, shoot the ball with confidence. That’s what I did.”

His big shot saved the Pacers from an embarrassing home loss to the lowly Bulls, who are now a despicable 3-20 on the season.

DeAndre Jordan sprung for 18 points and 21 rebounds, and Danillo Gallinari returned for the injury ravaged Clippers, but he shot a yucky 2-13 from the field, and Los Angeles lost, 113-107, to the Timberwolves.

“It’s very difficult,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “It’s frustrating. Nobody likes to lose. We’re losing a lot of games.”

He’s not wrong. Los Angeles is now 8-15 and trade rumors are swirling around Jordan, as is speculation as to how long Rivers will remain the coach.

As for the Timberwolves, they’re headed in the opposite direction, and seem on their way to making the playoffs for the first time since 2004. They were led by Karl-Anthony Towns and his 21 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks on 9-14 shooting.

The Milwaukee Bucks kicked off the fourth quarter with a 14-1 run, but still had to sweat out a 104-100 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Eric Bledsoe helped keep the Pistons at bay, hitting a clutch jumper and tipping in his own miss in the final minute of the game, before the Bucks clinched the game by hitting their free throws.

The win came despite Andre Drummond’s 27 points, 20 rebounds and 6 assists on 12-16 shooting in yet another magnificent performance. Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Bledsoe finished with 22.

After starting 14-6, and catching the attention of NBA fans and followers, the Pistons have now lost four in a row, just in time to have to face Golden State and Boston this weekend, two teams that will be looking to avenge prior losses to Detroit this season.

Still without Anthony Davis, the Pelicans got a huge performance from DeMarcus Cousins, who led them to a 123-114 victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets. Cousins exploded for 40 points and 22 rebounds, and Jrue Holliday contributed 27 points and 7 assists.

The Nuggets, who are missing more than just one key player, now also have to deal with a pissed off coach. The loss, which dropped Denver’s road record to a paltry 3-9, inspired some harsh words from Mike Malone.

“It’s becoming the same story every single night. And until our guys start taking it personally, until our guys start understanding the importance of playing defense and guarding your man 1-on-1, forget playoffs. That is a word we should not use with this team. Let’s just talk about being real honest. We are a bad basketball team on the road. We are a very good team at home. Unfortunately, in the NBA, you have to play 41 games on the road, and right now we are a bad road team.”

This loss could also come back to haunt them in April, as the Pelicans and Nuggets are fighting for position in the Western playoff race.

With just six seconds left, DJ Augustin knocked down a three pointer to force overtime between the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks. From there, his Magic were able to come away with a 110-106 victory. Evan Fournier led Orlando with 27 points, but he also injured his ankle on the first possession of overtime. X-rays were negative, and he’ll be reevaluated today. Nikola Vucevic added 22 points and 16 rebounds for the Magic, while Aaron Gordon provided 24 & 15. Dennis Schroder led the Hawks with 26 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists.

Last but not least, the Knicks earned a 99-88 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at Madison Square Garden, and the Spurs defeated the Heat, 117-105.

THE NIGHT AHEAD

Game of the Night – Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz (10:30 pm, Turner Network Television)

The Jazz have been dealing with a mess of injuries this season, but they’ve hung tough, winning seven of their last nine games. They’re living proof of that good coaching and chemistry can enable the sum to be greater than the parts. Of course, they’ve got a real challenge on their hands tonight, with the Rockets paying a visit. Houston has won seven in a row, and 13 of their last 14 games. Their high powered offense will get a good test against the defensive minded Jazz, and it should be worth staying up late for.

 

12/06/17 – That’s Good, Mate

ABOUT LAST NIGHT

In yesterday’s episode of The Bonus, I wrote that it would be telling to see how they responded after their horrific loss to the Jazz the night before. They got just the response they needed, as Bradley Beal erupted for a career high 51 points on 21-37 shooting, leading them to a 106-92 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. They needed it, as the rest of the Wizards starters managed to shoot a combined 7-30. Damian Lillard did his best to keep the Blazers in the game, finishing with 30 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists, but the onslaught from Beal was just too much to handle.

Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell continued his fine play, netting 31 points and 5 steals, but Utah fell to the Thunder, 100-94, thanks in part to yet another triple double from Russell Westbrook, who finished with a 34-13-14.

Trailing 80-68 going into the final quarter, Westbrook got to work, and led the Thunder to a 32-14 advantage in the fourth.

“We stayed with it,” said the reigning NBA MVP. “Teams are going to make runs. It’s about what you do when you get hit in the mouth. We learned our lesson, and we know that we have to continue to fight, and we did that tonight.”

Added Steven Adams, who was quite helpful with 20 points and 9 rebounds on 9-10 shooting, “That’s good, mate. Good stuff.”

Devin Booker, who has been really lighting it up lately, pulled up lame late in last night’s 126-113 loss to the Raptors, and apparently has a strained left abductor.

“I’ve seen guys get carried off and play the next day and guys not,” said Suns coach Jay Triano. “I’ll let the doctors figure out the severity of it. I’m sure they’ll have to do an MRI or something to see and make sure we take care of him the right way.”

Booker finished the night with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. Hopefully he will be back in action soon.

In other news from the injury front, both Steph Curry and Tim Hardaway Jr are expected to be out at least two weeks. Curry, who rolled his ankle late in Monday’s game against the Pelicans, underwent an MRI that showed now structural damage to his ankle. He’ll be reevaluated in two weeks. Meanwhile, Hardaway Jr has a stress injury in his left leg, which will also be reevaluated in two weeks. The Warriors, of course, have the depth to go without Curry for a bit, but it’s particularly troublesome news for the Knicks, who have also been without Kristaps Porzingis as of late.

An arrest has been made in the seven year old murder case of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright, who was killed in Memphis in 2010. Wright played in the league from 1996-2009, and hopefully this means his family can get a little sense of closure and justice.

Finally, and just coming in this morning, Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford will be taking a leave of absence to address some health issues. Whatever he’s dealing with, we here at The Bonus wish him a speedy recovery.

THE NIGHT AHEAD

Game of the Night – Dallas Mavericks at Boston Celtics (7:30 pm, League Pass)

The best team in the league, my Boston Celtics, are back in action tonight, hosting the Mavericks. Earlier this season, the Celtics visited Dallas and the Mavs took them to overtime. Despite their unfortunate record, the Mavs always give you a worthy effort, and they’ve won two in a row. Their trip up to Boston kicks off a three game road trip.

If you ain’t got League Pass, the Warriors are visiting the Hornets at 8:00 pm on ESPN. Golden State’s annual visit to Charlotte is usually a homecoming of sorts, as Steph Curry is a native of The Queen City. Unfortunately, he’s of course out with that ankle injury, so we’ll be getting our first glimpse of the Warriors led solely by Kevin Durant. Charlotte faces a tough task going against the Warriors, and carrying on without their head coach.

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.