NBA Playoffs – Day 20

7:12 – Just got settled in at home after a whirlwind commute that involved leaving work early to get fitted for a tuxedo, and not, I repeat: not to get home on time to watch Game 2 between the Raptors and Cavs. If I wanted to do that, I would have left an extra hour earlier than I did, because some knob decided that this game should start at 6:00 pm.

Anyway, now that I’m settled in with my Steak Tips sub, let’s flip on the television and see where we’re at…

7:14 – We’re right before halftime with the score Toronto 61, Cleveland 58. Perfect, I can eat during halftime and pay full attention throughout the second half.

7:24 – Okay, I ate the sub, so let’s see if I can get an idea on how this game’s going…

Here at halftime the score’s Toronto 63, Cleveland 61. Kyle Lowry has 18 points on 6-7 shooting for the Raptors, but he also has three fouls. DeMar DeRozan’s added 11.

For the Cavs, it looks as though Kevin Love has come alive. He’s got 18 points and 7 rebounds to lift some of the burden off of LeBron, who’s got 16 points and 7 assists on 6-9 shooting.

Of course, the Raptors are looking to bounce back from that horrendous Game 1 collapse. The last thing they want is to have to head to Cleveland down 2-0. Oh, and thankfully, Mark Davis and Hubie Brown are narrating the action, sparing us from an evening of Breen, Van Gundy and Jackson.

Similar story to Game 1, #Cavs down 9 early, have chipped away thru 1H – trail, 63-61; CLE, just 2 T.O.; CLE, 52%FG, 3-12 3ptFG, 12-15FT | TOR, 60%FG, 7-14FG, 6-7FT; for #Cavs: @kevinlove, 18pts, 7-14FG, 7reb; @KingJames, 16pts, 6-9FG, 7asst; @unclejeffgreen, 8pts, 3-6FG. pic.twitter.com/4YET4hmpCt

— Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG) May 3, 2018

Toronto is playing with fire riding the Valanciunas on Love matchup. There may not be a better place to put JV, but CLE is getting wide open looks on almost every possession where they exploit that matchup.

— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) May 3, 2018

After this one, it’s Game 2 between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics looked impressive in Game 1, while the Sixers looked unready. They’ll be looking for to bounce back strong and even the series.

7:32 – LeBron James finds JR Smith for a layup, plus a foul! It’s the opening points of the second half, and after Smith knocks down the free throw, the Cavs lead, 64-63.

LBJ ➡️JR Smith ➡️ and-1!

8-0 @cavs run to start the 2nd half.

📺: @ESPNNBA pic.twitter.com/ljJFlmZ9CP

— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2018

7:33 – LeBron pulls up and knocks down a jumper, extending the Cavs lead to 66-63. 7:34 – Kyle Lowry gets called for a charge, and it’s his fourth foul. On the other end, Kyle Korver hits a three, and the second half is off to an unfortunate start for the Raptors. We’ll have a time out with the score Cleveland 69, Toronto 63 with 10:17 left in the third quarter. Everything was going just fine until I showed up.

Korver Kounter:

🔥 pic.twitter.com/E6zwgObU72

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 3, 2018 

Four on Lowry, and it’s basically time to panic.

— (((Eric Koreen))) (@ekoreen) May 3, 2018 

Raptors sitting and having a snack on the court during play might have been a more effective opening 103 seconds to the 2nd half.

— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) May 3, 2018

(Sorry, Raptors fans)

— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) May 3, 2018

See? It’s not just my fault.

7:37 – Mark Davis informs us that the Cavs are on a 16-2 run dating back to the second quarter, so this clearly started long before I got home. In other news, Kyle Lowry remains in the game with his four fouls.

7:42 – LeBron finds George Hill with a nice pass for a layup, and we’ll have another time out as things continue to go swirling down the drain for the Raptors. The score’s now Cleveland 79, Toronto 68 with 7:50 left in the third. The Air Canada Centre sounds about as lively as a funeral.

Convinved LeBron knew jumping and hanging would force Lowry to go to the 3 point line, opening up layup for George Hill….Crazy. pic.twitter.com/zhjuMg1gUE

— Half Court Hoops (@HalfCourtHoops) May 3, 2018 

Cool 18-5 run for the Cavaliers in 4:10 to start the second half, including going 3-for-3 from three. This one is getting away from the Raptors – fast.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 3, 2018

Just move the #Raptors to Seattle or Vegas. Enough is enough.

— Doug Kezirian (@DougESPN) May 3, 2018 

At this juncture, I might advise the Raptors to show a tad bit of fight. I mean the Pacers didn’t let the Cavs breathe for 2 weeks. Cavs look like they’re on vacation on offense right now.

— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) May 3, 2018

As you can see, NBA Twitter smells blood.

7:51 – Fred VanVleet knocks down a three to send us into a time out with the score Cleveland 89, Toronto 78 with 3:57 left in the third. The Cavs are making everything look so effortless, while everything the Raptors get looks like it came with a lot of exertion.

7:53 – News from Boston!

Jaylen Brown upgraded to probable for Game 2.

— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) May 3, 2018

7:58 – An unfortunate third quarter comes to an end with Mark Davis saying, “We’ll be back to LeBronto after this!” Ouch, Toronto. Anyway, our score’s Cleveland 98, Toronto 87, and LeBron does seem personally intent on sweeping the Raptors. He’s up to 31 points, 7 rebounds and 13 assists on 13-19 shooting, and Kevin Love has 27 and 9. Kyle Lowry leads the Raptors with 21.

8:02 – Jeff Green knocks down a three from the corner, and the Cavs lead grows to 101-87.

8:05 – LeBron James hits a jumper, and as we head into a time out, boos are heard in the Air Canada Centre, which is actually the noisiest it’s been in awhile. The score’s Cleveland 105, Toronto 87 with 9:47 remaining.

LeBron is 15-of-21, 35-13-8, and my notes just say “LOL” a lot at this point after his shot attempts.

— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) May 4, 2018

The Raptors were always going to catch “game they should have won that they lost” and “LeBron goes to the absolute apex.”

But catching them both in the first two games eliminates all hope.

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) May 4, 2018

8:13 – We’ve got a time out with the score Cleveland 109, Toronto 96 with 7:09 left in the game. The Raptors have chipped away slightly, but LeBron keeps hitting ridiculous shot after ridiculous shot.

I doubted Toronto all year because I said they had to handle the first round. They did, and then this happened. Never believed in Toronto until this year, after they won Round 1. Won’t happen again!

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) May 4, 2018

i feel a little bad for kevin love, who came back to life only to be violently overshadowed

— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) May 4, 2018

8:17 – The cat is licking the coffee table. Time to feed her.

8:23 – Fred VanVleet hits a three from the corner, but we’re beyond the point of no return with a score of Cleveland 121, Toronto 101 with 3:30 left in the ballgame. Let’s wrap this one up so we can get to the Celtics.

8:27 – A Jonas Valanciunas dunk sends us into another time out with the score now Cleveland 123, Toronto 105 with 2:34 remaining.

8:31 – This one comes to an end with a final score of Cleveland 128, Toronto 110.

DeMar DeRozan had 24 for the Raptors, and Kyle Lowry had 21 points and 8 assists. Jonas Valanciunas chipped in with 16 points and 12 boards.

Nobody cares about any of that because LeBron James finished the evening with 43 points, 8 rebounds and 14 assists on 19-28 shooting, while Kevin Love came back to life with 31 & 11.

Jesus Christ. Sometimes you just are who you are, and that certainly seems to be the case for the Toronto Raptors. LeBron toyed with them all night, and the Raptors had no answers. There’s not much more to say than that, and also, I miss the Pacers. I don’t know what it is about Toronto. They just don’t seem to have the gumption, constitution or fight to not embarrass themselves. It’s one thing to fall to a player like LeBron, but it’s another to completely throw up all over yourselves while doing it.

8:34 – Charles Barkley says the Sixers are a lock tonight. Meanwhile, Shaq is getting a foot massage on the edge of the set, and Jaylen Brown is active tonight for the Celtics, but will not be in the starting lineup. Lots of stuff going on.

“Please do not show those feet!”

If @JoelEmbiid can get a pregame massage, so can @SHAQ 😂 pic.twitter.com/gDosylzRzW

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 4, 2018

8:40 – Time to throw on the Larry Bird jersey.

8:41 – We’re welcomed into the TD Garden by our friends and narrators Brian Anderson and Kevin McHale.

8:42 – The Sixers control the opening tip, and Game 2 is underway in Boston.

8:43 – JJ Redick gets the Sixers on the board first with a three in the corner.

8:46 – Redick knocks down another three and we’ve got an early time out because the score is Philadelphia 8, Boston 0 with 8:56 left in the first quarter. Blah.

JJ Redick 8, Everybody else 0

This is Philadelphia’s biggest lead of the series.

— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) May 4, 2018

8:50 – Marcus Smart, of all people, knocks down a three to finally get the Celtics on the board. They trail, 8-3.

8:52 – Jaylen Brown enters the game to a nice round of applause from the home fans. Let’s see if he can the Celtics going.

8:53 – Brown scoops up a loose ball and goes all the way in for a big dunk! It’ll send us into a time out with the score Philadelphia 11, Boston 7 with 6:38 left in the first quarter.

He’s baaack! pic.twitter.com/QTD6gwcOR3

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 4, 2018

Jaylen Brown has been upgraded from probable to being guarded by Marco Belinelli.

— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) May 4, 2018

9:09 – The first quarter comes to an end with the score Philadelphia 31, Boston 22. Marcus Smart has eight points, including a pair of threes, to lead the Celtics. Meanwhile, JJ Redick has 13 on 5-6 shooting for the Sixers, and honestly, that’s been the difference early on.

9:13 – A quick TJ McConnell layup gives the Sixers the first points of the second quarter, extending their lead to 33-22.

9:18 – We’ve got a time out with the score Philadelphia 40, Boston 24 with 8:19 left in the first half. The Sixers are already out-rebounding the Celtics, 23-11, and look generally more energized and ready for action than they did in Game 1. Meanwhile, the shots aren’t falling for the Celtics like they were the other night. The C’s are just 8-25 from the floor so far. If you’re going to miss that many shots, and give up that many rebounds, you’re going to be in for a long and unenjoyable evening.

The Sixers insisted game one was not who they are. They look like a completely different team so far in game two.

— Jessica Camerato (@JCameratoNBCS) May 4, 2018

9:24 – Dario Saric cans a three, and we’ll have another time out as the score’s now Philadelphia 45, Boston 24 with 7:21 left in the first half. The Sixers are feeling themselves right now, and with good reason.

The shimmy at the end. 😂pic.twitter.com/Vsy6j3jfdk

— Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) May 4, 2018 

Currently a 32-12 run for the Sixers, who now lead by 21 halfway through the second quarter. Boston does not resemble the team from Game 1 so far – and neither does Philly.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 4, 2018

Did Dario just do his version of an Antoine Walker shimmy?

— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) May 4, 2018

9:40 – We’re here at halftime, and after a Celtics rampage, our score’s Philadelphia 56, Boston 51. Now that’s more like it!

Marcus Smart leads the C’s with 14 points, thanks to a 4-5 mark from downtown. Terry Rozier’s added ten. For the Sixers, JJ Redick has 15, Robert Covington has 12, and Joel Embiid’s already up to 10 & 10.

The Sixers got off to the big start, with everyone looking more sharp than they did in Game 1, but then, the Celtics awoke, ramping up the defense and hitting timely shots. Marcus Smart has certainly picked a good time to supply his random, annual playoff three pointer explosion game.

Celtics, once down as much as 22, ended the half with a furious rally that nearly reduced the Garden to rubble. This place got LOUD.

Halftime: Sixers 56, Celtics 51.

— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) May 4, 2018

What a weird half of basketball. Philly was dominating yet Ben Simmons had only 1 point and 3 assists. Brad Stevens made a great call going to Greg Monroe. Not much Philly can do about Marcus Smart having one of those nights he shoots like this. Robert Covington was awesome.

— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) May 4, 2018

Let me say for the 3598th time: it is so dope that the Celtics and Sixers are awesome at the same time again.

9:58 – Marcus Smart remains hot from three and gives the Celtics the first points of the second half, but JJ Redick comes back with a long two, and the Sixers lead, 58-54 as we begin the second half.

9:59 – A Jayson Tatum layup makes this a one possession game with the Celtics behind, 58-56. Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown is running up and down the corridor near the locker rooms to stay loose.

Tatum slices to the rack! pic.twitter.com/0oBe7oQelF

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 4, 2018

10:01 – We’re tied at 58 after a pair of Terry Rozier free throws.

10:02 – JJ Redick quickly breaks the tie with a three pointer to put the Sixers up, 61-58.

JJ Redick triple #4! 🎯🎯🎯#PhilaUnite @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/6t4nW4otPu

— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2018

On the other end, Jayson Tatum knots us back up by answering with his own three.

10:03 – Dario Saric gives the Sixers a 63-61 lead with two free throws.

10:04 – Aron Baynes gets a friendly bounce on a corner three, and the Celtics have their first lead of the night, at 64-63!

10:06 – As the ball goes out of bounds, we’ll have a time out with the score Boston 64, Philadelphia 63 with 6:28 left in the third quarter.

10:10 – Marcus Smart splits a pair of free throws, and the Celtics lead inches ahead to 65-63.

10:11 – Marco Bellinelli knocks down a three, and the lead is returned to the Sixers at 66-65. Marcus Smart snatches it right back with a jumper, and the Celtics go ahead, 67-66.

10:12 – Marcus Morris hits a jumper over Bellinelli, and the Celtics lead, 69-66.

Marcus Morris spins, stops and pops!#CUsRise #NBAPlayoffs

📺: @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/yuEp3i6f2d

— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2018

10:15 – Jaylen Brown cans a three from the corner, and the Celtics have made this a two possession game with a 72-66 lead.

10:17 – Jayson Tatum ventures down the baseline and throws down a big dunk! It’ll bring us into a time out with the score Boston 76, Philadelphia 68 with 2:24 left in the third quarter.

Tatum rocks the rim with a baseline hammer! pic.twitter.com/g6gy851eko

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 4, 2018 

50-20 run by the Celtics right now.

— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) May 4, 2018

Celtics have scored 52 points on 29 possessions (1.79 per) spanning the 2nd & 3rd quarters.
52-23 run.

— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) May 4, 2018

10:25 – The third quarter comes to an end with the score Boston 79, Philadelphia 75. This has been a real old school battle, like something out of the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals. Anyway, here in 2018, Marcus Smarts has 18 to lead the Celtics, and JJ Redick’s 20 leads the Sixers. Strangely absent from this game so far has been Ben Simmons, who has one point, four rebounds and five assists after a lackluster Game 1.

10:29 – Joel Embiid bounces a pass to TJ McConnell for a layup, and the Sixers strike first in the fourth to cut their deficit down to 79-77. On their next trip down the court, McConnell gets another layup, this time along the baseline, and we’re tied up at 79.

10:31 – Two Marcus Morris free throws pushes the Celtics back ahead at 81-79.

10:32 – TJ McConnell grabs an offensive board and kicks it out to Robert Covington who knocks down a three to give the Sixers an 82-81 lead. However, Marcus Morris knocks down a three on the other end to put the Celtics ahead, 84-82.

Pretty ball movement leads to a Mook 3-pointer! pic.twitter.com/JVBrgdVBwP

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 4, 2018

10:33 – Morris bounces a pass down the court to Jaylen Brown who goes up for a big two hand slam! It inspires a time out to catch our breath, and the score’s Boston 86, Philadelphia 82 with 9:02 left in the game.

Brown elevates for the two-handed throwdown in transition! pic.twitter.com/gxZjRx9RsU

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 4, 2018

10:37 – JJ Redick hits a straightaway three, and it’s a one point game again with the Sixers trailing, 86-85.

10:39 – Joel Embiid rattles in a three, and the Sixers regain the lead at 88-86 as Philly fan Kevin Hart is seen mouthing off to the Celtics fans behind him.

J
O
E
L
!

from 3-pt range! pic.twitter.com/obHFN9P0ox

— Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) May 4, 2018 

LMAOOOOOOOO dude sitting courtside giving Kevin Hart the finger behind his back

— Chillin in my Bacta (@DarthAmin) May 4, 2018

KHart is wildin’ lmao pic.twitter.com/ufOoXwxJsw

— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) May 4, 2018

I now hate Kevin Hart.

10:40 – Jayson Tatum ties us right back up with a pair of free throws, but Robert Covington knocks down a three to put the Sixers up, 91-88, and he’s got 20 points after a lousy Game 1.

10:41 – We’re going into a time out with the score still Philadelphia 91, Boston 88 with 6:59 remaining. The Sixers have been getting it done as Ben Simmons continues to sit on the bench with his crummy performance tonight. Will we see him at all down the stretch?

Down it goes for @Holla_At_Rob33! pic.twitter.com/I4IIxuEUFW

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) May 4, 2018

10:45 – After a lousy Celtics turnover, TJ McConnell, who is playing really well, finds Ersan Ilyasova for a layup, and the Sixers extend their lead to 93–88.

10:46 – Terry Rozier comes back with a three! It’s followed by another time out with the score Philadelphia 93, Boston 91 with 5:29 to go.

10:47 – We’re back and Ben Simmons is back in the ballgame as we head down the stretch.

10:49 – Al Horford puts in two free throws, and we’re knotted up at 93, but Joel Embiid knocks down a jumper to put the Sixers back on top, 95-93.

10:50 – Marcus Smart misses a three, but Marcus Morris grabs the offensive rebound, strolls behind the arc and knocks down a three ti give the Celtics a 96-95 lead.

No hesitation from Morris! pic.twitter.com/niDOpimXwQ

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 4, 2018

On their next trip down the court, Terry Rozier puts in a corner three, and the Celtics lead goes up to 99-95.

Horford finds Terry Rozier beyond the arc! 👌#CUsRise 101 | #PhilaUnite 97

2:35 to play on @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/n4bFciQvDz

— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2018 

What’s going on here. pic.twitter.com/GcHOc9IG6e

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 4, 2018

10:52 – Two free throws from Dario Saric makes this a two point game with the Sixers behind, 99-97. On the other end, Terry Rozier gets into the paint for a layup, and the Celtics maintain their four point lead at 101-97. Rozier’s up to 20 points on the night.

10:53 – After JJ Redick misses a wide open three, the Celtics go on the break, and it ends with Terry Rozier throwing up a lob to Jayson Tatum who slams it home! The Sixers take a time out with the score Boston 103, Philadelphia 97 with 2:23 left in the ballgame.

Rozier races down the court and finds Tatum on the lob! pic.twitter.com/6QDF7hs4HU

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 4, 2018

10:57 – We’re going to have a time out with the score Boston 104, Philadelphia 99 with 59.7 seconds on the clock.

11:00 – Joel Embiid misses a three, but Dario Saric grabs the miss and puts it in, and the Sixers trail, 104-101. On the other end, with the shot clock running down, and the Sixers hoping for a stop, Al Horford gets by Joel Embiid (who has five fouls) and takes it to the hoop for a layup! We’ll have a time out with the score now Boston 106, Philadelphia 101 with 8.3 seconds to go.

Clutch from Al Horford! #CUsRise pic.twitter.com/TU9Bn1IR64

— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2018 

GIVE ME THOSE AL HORFORD ISN’T AN ALL STAR TAKES AGAIN

— Zach Harper (@talkhoops) May 4, 2018

Boston plays fun, gritty basketball. I love it.

— Nate Jones (@JonesOnTheNBA) May 4, 2018 

That entire defensive possession for Philadelphia was strange. Looked like they were almost going to foul multiple times, then just give up a wide open layup

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 4, 2018

11:03 – Dario Saric gets free for a layup, and we’ve got another time out with the score now Boston 106, Philadelphia 103 with 5.5 seconds remaining.

11:04 – The ball is inbounded to Jayson Tatum, who the Sixers foul to send to the line with 3.4 seconds left.

11:05 – Tatum hits the first free throw to make this a two possession game. He hits the second one for good measure, and this one’s sealed, ladies and gentlemen.

11:06 – The final buzzer goes off, and our final score is Boston 108, Philadelphia 103.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 21, Terry Rozier sprung for 20 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists, and Al Horford contributed 13 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists.

JJ Redick scored 23 to lead the Sixers, Robert Covington added 22 and 9, and Joel Embiid had 20 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists, but playing with five fouls made him a defensive liability down the stretch, especially on the clutch layup from Al Horford. Ben Simmons disappeared, shooting 0-4 from the field in 31 minutes for one point, five rebounds and seven assists.

It was another rousing victory for the Celtics who rallied after falling behind early. It will be interesting to see if they get the same sort of contributions up and down the roster when they’re on the road in Philly. On the other end of that spectrum, it’s likely the Sixers will get bigger and better contributions from their role guys, and hopefully for them, Ben Simmons decides to join the proceedings some time soon. As for now, I am just happy that Kevin Hart’s night has been ruined.

11:09 – After guaranteeing victories for both the Raptors and Sixers tonight, Charles Barkley leads off the postgame show by declaring, “I GUARANTEE…..no more guarantees!”

That does it for the evening. Both Eastern Semifinals feature 2-0 leads. The Sixers don’t seem as dead as the Raptors do, but they’re in real danger of having their awesome season come to an unceremonious end.

As for tomorrow night, we head back out West where the Pelicans are home and hoping to notch a win over the Warriors. If they don’t, they’ll be in the dreaded 3-0 hole. Then, out in Utah, the Jazz will look to build on their Game 2 success and take a surprising 2-1 lead against the Rockets. It’ll be another late one, so, I’m going to take advantage of another pre-midnight finish and head to bed.

 

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.

 

Author tomeagherPosted on November 18, 2017November 18, 2017Categories 2017-18 NBA Regular SeasonTags Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, Bradley Beal, Carmelo Anthony, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, D'Angelo Russell, David Fizdale, DeAndre Jordan, Delon Wright, DeMar DeRozan, Denver Nuggets, Derrick Rose, Doc Rivers, Dwyane Wade, Erik Spoelstra, Gary Harris, Golden State Warriors, Gregg Popovich, Hassan Whiteside, Houston Rockets, Jamal Murray, James Johnson, John Wall, Justin Holiday, Kemba Walker, Kris Dunn, Kyle Lowry, LaMarcus Aldridge, Lauri Markkanen, LeBron James, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Mike Conley, Mike Malone, NBA, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks, Nikola Jokic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Robert Covington, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Washington WizardsLeave a comment on 11/18/17 – 0.5 Mentality

11/14/17 – We’re Going To Fight

ABOUT LAST NIGHT

Over the weekend, LeBron James made a comment about how Dallas rookie Dennis Smith Jr should be a Knick, a remark that was supposed to be a shot at former Knicks president Phil Jackson, criticizing him for missing Smith in the draft. New York’s Enes Kanter responded in a tweet, saying that the Knicks love who they got, and taking it upon himself to defend the man they did draft ahead of Smith, Frank Ntilikina.

Yesterday, LeBron reacted to Kanter’s tweet, saying, “For Enes Kanter, who always got something to say, he says … I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”

Personally, I think LeBron’s got a lot of goddamn gall calling someone out while mentioning that they always “got something to say” as LeBron himself is one who is never shy about having things to say. In fact, he’s still taking shots at Phil Jackson, who isn’t even in the league anymore, after they had a bit of a war of words last season. Get off your high horse, LeBron. Obviously, everyone is entitled, and should be encouraged to, sound off, or mouth off, or share their opinions on anything, but with that in mind, you can’t come off as trolling someone, or some team, and not expect others to chime in.

Usually, when stuff like this happens, it doesn’t spill into the game, but last night…

Here, LeBron goes out of his way to crowd none other than Frank Ntilikina after his dunk, and Enes Kanter comes flying in to stand up for his teammate. I do think LeBron is being a bit of a bully here, and I love that Kanter, though perhaps a bit overzealous, is all in on defending his teammates. Here’s what he had to say after the game.

“He’s a rookie. You call yourself ‘King’ or whatever. But you can’t just mess with a rookie like that. If you’re going to mess with [someone], go mess with the grown men. I’ll die for my teammates. Whatever happens, I got my teammates’ back because I see this team, this organization, like my family. Nobody is going to mess with it.”

Ntilikina described the situation by saying, “He was in my way to get the ball, to get the ball out of bounds. It could have been anyone, so I just pushed him to get the ball in. He was in my way. It could have been anyone.”

His actions earned praise from his coach, Jeff Hornacek.

“That’s good,” said the coach. “A young kid to stand up to the best player in the league. So I was happy for Frank to get an opportunity to get out there and play and show him, yeah, you can say whatever you want, but I’m going to still be here and be here for many years. Then you had his teammates backing him up. So that was great.”

Kanter went on to add, “I don’t care who you are. What do you call yourself, ‘King,’ ‘Queen,’ ‘Princess,’ whatever you are. We’re going to fight. Nobody out there is going to punk us. We went out there and played our game. We’re going to go out there and get better every day.”

When told of Kanter’s comments, LeBron replied, “Well, I’m the King, my wife is the Queen and my daughter’s the Princess, so we’ve got all three covered.”

It always makes things more fun when the NBA has rivals, and LeBron seems to be going out of his way to piss off the entire city of New York. Hopefully the Knicks can remain decent this season so this rivalry has a chance to become entertaining.

Of the game itself, LeBron said, “We got the win. I’m not going to get, uh, I’m not going to say that guy’s name again, anyway.”

Which brings me to the game itself.

The Knicks built jumped ahead on the strength of a great second quarter, in which they outscored Cleveland, 29-13. Heading into the fourth, they led, 76-61, but as he so often does, LeBron keyed a comeback as the Cavs took the fourth quarter, 43-25, on their way to a 104-101 victory.

Tim Hardaway Jr led the Knicks with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, while Enes Kanter had 20 points and 16 rebounds on 9-15 shooting, but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. LeBron, of course, led the way for the Cavs with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 12 assists.

Despite the drama, James did have some nice things to say about the Knicks after the game.

“They’re playing some good basketball,” he said. “I think Jeff, the coach, Jeff Hornacek is finally — with the release of the old fella, he’s finally allowed to implement what he wants to do on the team and he’s showing it’s very effective.”

You’ll notice he took the time to get in one last shot at Phil Jackson, while definitely deserved, is also the behavior of someone who always got something to say.

What the hell else happened around the league last night? For starters, Lonzo Ball was spent the fourth quarter of the Lakers 100-93 victory over the Suns on the bench, as Jordan Clarkson and Corey Brewer took the game home instead.

“We got a win so I got no complaints,” explained Ball. “My teammates got it done in the fourth and we had to at least get one on this road trip.”

“We got the win, everything worked out, so I got no complaints and J.C. was hot,” he reiterated. “I would have rolled with him, too.”

Coach Luke Walton explained, “It’s tough and it’s a feel thing. Brewer and Clarkson were both incredible tonight; they had been out there, they were working hard and obviously Zo’s ability to play the game and run that point spot for us — there were a couple times I was one play away from putting him back in, and one of those guys would make a play.”

Clarkson finished with 25 points on 11-19 shooting off the bench. Phoenix was led by 36 points from Devin Booker. Ball finished with 7 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists on 3-10 shooting in 28:05 of action.

In our Game of the Night, the Warriors, as they so often do, used a strong third quarter to pull away for a win, this time against the Orlando Magic, 110-100. They outscored the Magic 32-19 in the third, while Orlando had an 81-78 advantage in the first, second and fourth combined. Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists.

The Philadelphia 76ers got a big night from Joel Embiid, who scored 32 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead them to a 109-105 victory over the sinking Clippers. Robert Covington added 31 points and 6 rebounds on 9-12 shooting. The Clippers have now lost six in a row.

As the Clippers continue an early free fall, the Pelicans are starting to rise. Last night, they held on for a 106-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, marking their fifth win in their last six games. More importantly, they got a big lift out of their supporting cast. E’Twaun Moore tied a career high with 24 points on 11-18 shooting, and Darius Miller came off the bench for a career high 21 on 8-11 shooting, including 14 in the fourth quarter. That isn’t to say DeMarcus Cousins (22 points, 16 rebounds and 7 assists) & Anthony Davis (13 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 blocks, 5-7 shooting) weren’t big factors, but it’s nice to see other Pelicans contributing in big ways. If that can start to happen consistently, New Orleans will round into really good shape, and may even supplant a team like the Clippers in the Western Conference playoff picture.

Off the court, Rudy Gobert is still displeased at Dion Waiters, who caused Gobert’s knee injury by careening into his legs while diving for a loose ball, in a play that some, including Gobert, have deemed dirty.

Over the weekend, an unsympathetic Waiters said, “Tell him to get out of his feelings and that’s what it is, just like that.”

Gobert has responded, saying, “It’s not my feelings, it’s my knee. That’s a little more important. I like to play basketball. Sometimes if someone takes that away from you, you’ve got to get in your feelings for a reason.”

The Jazz center is expected to be back in 4-6 weeks, but he thinks he can make it back sooner.

“Usually, I heal very fast. We’re not going to rush it or do anything stupid. But I’m pretty confident that I can be back before that.”

THE NIGHT AHEAD

Game of the Night – Toronto Raptors at Houston Rockets (8:00 pm, NBA TV)

Tonight has a tough act to follow, and with only three games, it promises to be a lot more low key than Monday night’s antics. Down in Houston, the Rockets host the Raptors with the home team on a six game winning streak. They’re trying to keep pace with the Warriors early on this season, and have so far matched them every step of the way, as both teams are 11-3. The Raptors have been a little up and down this season, winning a couple of games in a row, losing one, winning a couple more, losing a couple, and so on. They’re in the midst of a three game road trip.

Lastly, some good injury news.

Kyrie Irving says he plans to play tonight with a mask.

— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) November 14, 2017

His Celtics are in action, looking for their 13th straight win, in Brooklyn against the Nets. That one starts at 7:30 pm on League Pass.