|
Post by Miege22 on Dec 12, 2022 11:09:56 GMT -5
Woo boy, talk about a dramatic final day. We had at least three match-ups come down to the final game, all with major playoff implications, and the discord was HOPPING. I don't think we need to set the stage. Let's just jump right in. New York Knicks (5-2-1) over Golden St. Warriors (1-7), 4-4-1 (NY wins on points)One of the games that came down to the very last moments, the match-up of the week certainly lived up to the hype. Heading into Sunday, it looked like the Warriors were going to hang on for a massive win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Then Joel Embiid happened. Embiid scored FIFTY-THREE POINTS to flip that category, then it was a matter of hanging on. The Knicks could only watch and hold their breath as AJ Griffin missed multiple threes late in regulation that would have broken the tie and given the game to GS... then they had to watch it happen in overtime. Griffin ended up getting a real life game-winner, but it was a layup, thus giving NY the win. With the loss, GS is all but eliminated from the playoffs as they stand 4 back with 8 to play. Even with their improved play over the last month, it is still a real uphill climb, and they'll have to pass basically the entire conference to get there. Embiid was by far the MVP of this match-up, as he put up 43-10-4. If NY can race to the top spot in the East, he may just be the MVP. They've got another tough one against Houston next. GS gets the Nets. Colorado Swannies (6-2) over Miami Heat (2-6), 5-4A great example of just how big a difference there is between the two conferences right now. Had the Swannies lost, they would have been in real danger of missing the playoffs. Instead, they are right there with Houston and Phoenix. On the other side, Miami failed to flip steals, blocks, or assists... but they're still just 2 back of the postseason (and trending up despite the loss). With Chris Paul back, the Heat are almost fully healthy (still waiting on WCJ), and they look quite formidable. Bogdan Bodganovic averaged over 20 ppg this week, Chris Paul had 22 assists in 3 games while on a minutes limit, and Khris Middleton is slowly working himself back into shape. Kyle Anderson has taken advantage of KAT's absence (12-6-6), and the big guns returning means the kids don't need to be relied upon as much. Miami should be able to pick up a win against Vegas this week. Colorado only got two games from AD this week, but what a couple of games they were (I guess technically 3 since he played in that Cavs game, but it was just 8 minutes). He closed the week with a 34-15-7, and those 7 assists helped give Colorado the win. There's definitely injury concerns with the Swannies, but they've managed to power through and the Bulls are up next. Utah Jazz (6-2) over Memphis Grizzlies (2-5-1), 7-2The score is not indicative of how close this one actually was. Here are the margins for Utah: 2 free throws, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 3 turnovers. Andre Drummond coming out of nowhere to pick up 5 steals on Sunday was massive. Paolo and Jrue combining for 9 turnovers on the last day also played a major factor. If there's a bright side for Memphis, it's Kawhi getting his legs under him. 14-7-4 may not sound amazing, but it's a good start and a sign that he is getting back to normal. Ayton averaging 20-10, continuing his great play, is also a welcome sign. However, it was the Jazz that pulled this one out, and they can thank DeMar and Buddy for this one. DeMar put up 30-10-5 on 55% shooting, and Buddy averaged 22-4-3 on 52% shooting while knocking down 19 threes. That Utah managed to win this one without out Lauri Markkanen makes it all the more impressive. The Jazz have a chance to sweep their East opponents with Orlando up next. Memphis hosts Seattle. Kansas City Kings (4-4) over Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (6-2), 7-2Watch out for the Kings, ladies and gentlemen. Despite getting just one game from Donovan Mitchell (a ho-hum 43/6/5/4 effort), they still managed to win this one somewhat easily over the East's top team (though for how much longer that will hold true remains to be seen). Walker Kessler had 8 blocks (beating Tampa by himself in that category), Spencer Dinwiddie had 11 threes, and SGA made 41 of 43 free throws (in just 3 games!) to give the Kings the win. At 4-4, the Kings are still on the outside looking on the playoff picture, but they do own the tiebreaker on Seattle and have already beaten Utah once this year. Given a lot of this depth is young and should see more time as the season goes on, do not be surprised if this team makes another run to the postseason. They'll have to get a win against Atlanta if they really want to set themselves up though. Tampa struggled, but this is also a team playing without it's best player, and possibly in sell-off mode. With 6 wins already, it may not be possible for them to fall out of the playoff picture in the East. Of course, if they lose out, maybe they do. Who's to say? Houston Rockets (7-1) over Atlanta Hawks (3-5), 5-4This one was surprisingly close at the end, and the Hawks actually led briefly on Sunday before the minutes advantage became too much. It's tough to beat the Rockets when Zion is putting up 33 a game and Randle is at 31 per game. Randle also averaged 11 boards per game and chipped in 13 threes in what might have been his best week of the season. Dame was also magnificent, averaging 38-10. Oh, and De'Anthony Melton had 15 threes and 10 steals. The Rockets have to feel pretty good about their position, considering they're in first halfway through the season. Of course, they started 7-1 last year, and even got up to 9-1, and still had to sweat out a playoff spot. The West does not look nearly as tough as it did last year, but that's really a testament to how amazing it was last year. Making it out of the West would still be an incredible accomplishment. The Hawks have to feel good about D'Angelo Russell showing signs of life (27 ppg and 14 threes), and they made a big move for Ben Simmons to try and help them in steals, where they currently sit 11th. If they can beat the Kings, they might become the front-runner for the last East playoff spot. Toronto Raptors (5-3) over Las Vegas Gamblers (2-6), 6-3Toronto is inching closer to being the feel-good story of the year, and at 5-3, they may just need two more wins to clinch a playoff spot. Tyrese Haliburton is in the running for MIP, and he put up 28-12 with 15 threes on 70%(!) shooting this week. Ja only got two games in, but he averaged a triple-double (20-10-11), and Jalen Green put up 24 ppg. Even Jonathan Kuminga did things (13-3-2)! The Raps have a tough one coming up against Portland, but then it's all conference (as it will be for everyone) from here on out, and there are plenty of opportunities to pick up wins. The Gamblers have competed admirably, and both Klay and Bojan put up 16 threes each, but injuries have just left this team decimated. They'll be in the Wemby sweepstakes and hoping for a third straight year of lottery luck. Seattle Supersonics (5-3) over Washington Wizards (3-5), 7-2On paper, this seemed like a match-up that would actually be somewhat close. However, injuries have impacted Washington even more than they have the Sonics, and that was kind of the difference here. The question now for Seattle is how long Dejounte and Beal will be out, because if it's for more than a couple of weeks, that may be just long enough to torpedo their playoff hopes. However, if they can get back on the floor quick, with the way Bam and Rudy are manning the paint? They can beat anyone. Washington, meanwhile, has a bit of a problem. Losing this one (and even the next one against OKC) doesn't kill their hopes, but they are not trending in the right direction. They'll need to be able to pick up more than a win against Brooklyn to get to the playoffs, even in a weak East. Phoenix Suns (7-1) over Brooklyn Nets (0-8), 7-2Honestly, there's not much to say about this one. The Suns played over 500 more minutes than Brooklyn, and Jokic put up a triple-double (28-10-10). Just a thorough beatdown for the Suns, but not much new information to be gleaned. A better East test awaits against Tampa. The Nets officially pulled the plug on the Ben Simmons experiment, and Jalen Suggs and Brandon Ingram remained injured. Just not a lot they can do with what they have, though new signing Tim Hardaway Jr. poured in 15 threes, so that's nice. Portland Trailblazers (5-3) over Orlando Magic (4-4), 7-2Another match-up that looked like it could go the other way until we hit the weekend. Portland ended up pulling away and winning comfortably. Paul George returned with a vengeance, averaging 24-6-6 and knocking down 14 threes. Big shouts to Nic Batum, who resurrected himself this week to average 13-5 and knock down 15 threes. The big guns on this team are so good, that that's all they really need from the role guys. Just show up and contribute in a few categories. Do that, and this team will be fine. The Magic haven't really been able to catch a break lately. They got De'Andre Hunter back, and Collin Sexton goes down just as he was finding his form. Franz (24-5-2) and Rozier (26-5-6) did what they could to keep this team in it, but they just didn't have the firepower. OKC Thunder (2-6) over Chicago Bulls (4-4), 4-3-2Last but not least, the Thunder kept their playoff hopes alive, holding off a late Chicago rally, and sweating through the Bulls/Hawks OT. The Thunder watched knowing that a Coby White turnover would cost them the match, but a three would secure a win. Fortunately for the Thunder, it was the three they got, and they remain three back of the last playoff spot. They won despite a minutes disadvantage and a relatively poor shooting week from Tatum. Luka was special again though (29-7-10), and he continues to pace this team. With the Wizards up next, the Thunder should be able to stay within shouting distance of the postseason. The Bulls got a big week from Porzingis (29-11 with 6 blocks), and a solid bounceback from LeVert, but losing two games from Fox ultimately did them in.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Dec 12, 2022 11:10:09 GMT -5
The Grizz may be just 2-5-1, but they are finally healthy and ready to make their move. That starts with a match-up against the banged-up Sonics, a game which they will likely need to keep pace with the teams ahead of them in the standings. A massively important game for both sides, and our game of the week for week 9.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Dec 19, 2022 10:28:17 GMT -5
The inter-conference match-ups are done, and the West dominated to the tune of a 22-8 record. That's not surprising, given where things are standings-wise, and the East is now totally up for grabs. Memphis Grizzlies (3-5-1) over Seattle Supersonics (5-4), 6-3Obviously the win was important, but the big story for the Grizz? Kawhi Leonard looks to be totally back. He played in three of four games this week and averaged 25/9/3/2. If he is his normal superstar-level self, then Memphis has to feel pretty good about their playoff chances. Scottie Barnes was also impressive (23-5-6), and Paolo Banchero continues to lead the ROY race (24/6/5/2). Malachi Flynn even cracked the rotation this past week. Memphis now has some momentum heading into their week 10 game against a winless Brooklyn team. On the other side of the floor, Seattle is just trying to get healthy, and they're just about there. Bradley Beal came back to finish the week, and now they wait on Rudy and Dejounte to feel good coming off ankle sprains. There are still a couple of open roster spots on this team, and if they can fill them, they can certainly make a run to the postseason. OKC is next up in what might be a kitchen sink game for the Thunder. Golden St. Warriors (2-7) over Brooklyn Nets (0-9), 8-1This one was closer than the final score indicated, and if Brooklyn was fully healthy, maybe they could have pulled it out. Devin Booker did throw up a 58-point game in this one, so maybe not. Signs of life from FVV (33/6/6/2) on 51/96% shooting. Unfortunately for GS, it is likely too little, too late. There are some tradeable pieces on this roster, so it will be interesting to see if they try to make some moves now or wait until this summer. This week against Utah could be their last stand. Not much here for Brooklyn. They've made some moves to try and shore up some empty spots, but it's mostly shuffling deck chairs on the titanic right now. Colorado Swannies (7-2) over Chicago Bulls (4-5), 7-2With news of Anthony Davis' injury, this was a massive with for Colorado to try and stay ahead of the field in the West. There is some good news even in AD's absence. Gordon Hayward, LaMelo Ball, and Robert Williams all returned to the floor. However, it's going to be a tough one this week with Portland on deck, and since it's the only meeting between these two, a tiebreaker will be locked in. Chicago may have lost, but these inter-conference games haven't mattered as much for the East. Now is when the fun begins for the Bulls with Orlando up next. They're still within striking distance of the one seed, but there are a number of teams right on their heels trying to push them out. It's been a feast or famine year for Chicago. When they're firing on all cylinders, they look great, but the bottom can just as easily fall out. Portland Trailblazers (6-3) over Toronto Raptors (5-4), 6-3We've been waiting to see if and when the Blazers would make their move, and it looks like we're here. Portland has already brought in Grayson Allen, and they will be bringing in Mo Wagner and Naz Reid to shore up their big man rotation. They rode a monster Durant week (34/6/4) to a win over the Raptors, staying one game ahead of KC and Seattle for the final spot. Jakob Poeltl is also back, and now it's just a matter of waiting for Paul George's suddenly balky knee to get right. An epic week 10 game against Colorado awaits. Toronto faced a pretty massive minutes disadvantage. Getting less than two games from Ja Morant was not ideal, and Tyrese Haliburton shot under 35% from the match-up. Hard to win with those disappearing acts from your two best players. Miami is next. Houston Rockets (8-1) over New York Knicks (5-3-1), 5-4The Knicks fell just four assists and four blocks short of pulling off the upset, as Houston prevailed despite facing a minor minutes disadvantage. Dame was awesome (31-3-6 with 26 threes), and he has thoroughly rewarded the Rockets for believing in him enough to use a re-sign. Zion Williamson was also a wrecking ball (29-7-7), but it was Alperen Sengun's 5 blocks that made the difference here. Oh, and 20 total assists on the week from Will Barton (16/3.5/5 - where has that guy been?). Houston has Vegas up next. LeBron and Embiid carried the load for NY (32-8-7 for LeBron, 32.5-10 for Embiid). Christian Wood also chipped in 21.5-9.5 with 11 threes. CJ McCollum found his shot (23-5-7), and when all four of those guys are playing like that, the Knicks look like the team to beat in the East. We'll see if that continues against Atlanta. Miami Heat (3-6) over Las Vegas Gamblers (2-7), 7-2Many will see the opponent and dismiss the result, but they would be foolish to do so. The Heat were dominant in their win, and they would have beaten every other East team this week except New York. A 2-6 start put them in quite a hole, but they're somehow just a game back of the fourth seed, and only three back of the top seed with seven weeks to play. It would not be surprising to see them run the table, and if they get performances like they got out of Tyler Herro (26/4.5/4 and 24 threes) and Chris Paul (16/6/9/2/1), they can certainly beat anyone. Health is going to be the key for them down the stretch. Vegas, as mentioned in other parts, is basically toast. Much like the Nets, they'll be playing out the string and waiting for the lotto. Washington Wizards (4-5) over OKC Thunder (2-7), 5-3-1Given their respective records, this one shouldn't feel like much of a shocker, and yet... the Wizards somehow won this won despite getting just one good game from Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Thunder did lose a game each from Luka and Tatum, but both still played three on the week and averaged over 30 ppg. It's a legitimate head-scratcher, and up and down the line up, it doesn't make a ton of sense. In any event, this all but sticks a fork in the Thunder, and a loss this week against Seattle will certainly do just that. Washington, suddenly, finds themselves very much in the mix for a playoff spot, which sounds crazy given they'd just lost their last four games. Tampa Bay next is a massive game. Phoenix Suns (8-1) over Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (6-3), 6-3The Suns obliterated the East's top team, and they continue to look like a legit title contender. Nikola Jokic may just reentered himself into the MVP convo with a ridiculous 36/17/9/4 week including a bonkers 40-27-10 Sunday performance. The Suns have, seemingly, made all the right moves so far this season, and now a huge game against Kansas City awaits. Look out for Aaron Wiggins this week if SGA misses more than just tonight. Tampa is in a weird spot. Sabonis put up another stellar week (22-14-6 on 79% shooting - no that is not a typo), but Zach LaVine has not been himself, and the bench has cratered. They might have banked too many wins to miss the playoffs, but they probably don't want to put in the kind of assets they'd need to in order to make a real run at a title. This week against Washington will be instructive. Kansas City Kings (5-4) over Atlanta Hawks (3-6), 5-4For a brief moment, the Hawks actually came all the way back on Sunday to take the lead, but it was short-lived as they were simply too turnover-prone to finish the job. It was an admirable effort, and it shows what Atlanta can do when their stars turn in star performances... but the rest of the week may have shown who the team actually is. Speaking of stars, that's what the Kings have in Donovan Mitchell (32-3-3 with 17 threes on 54/88% shooting) and SGA (35/6/5/2 on 53/94% shooting). The craziest stat of the week might be the Kings having four guys with double-digit free throw attempts, and those four combining to shoot 74/80 (92.5%). The playoffs are suddenly a very attainable goal for the Kings. Will they make a move to get there? The Hawks may have made their move already, bringing in Ben Simmons. He was fine (8-7-6), but just two steals on the week is not what they were hoping for. Jaylen Brown was very good though (24/9/4/2/1) as was Kyrie Irving (31-5-4). The schedule is not favorable for Atlanta this week. Simmons, Irving, and O'Neale only play two games each. Utah Jazz (7-2) over Orlando Magic (4-5), 5-4Finally, we wrap things up in Orlando where the Jazz dominated 5 categories en route to another win. Russ put up an all-around stat line (15/11/8/1/2), and with AD out, he'll get even more usage for the next month at least. Bobby Portis was solid (22-11), Buddy Hield made 15 threes, and John Collins should be back this week. They continue to disappoint in steals and blocks, but they've more than made up for it everywhere else. This week against Golden St. could essentially end the Dubs' season. Orlando was at a nearly 300 minutes disadvantage, so the result was not surprising. The key questions here are the health of Terry Rozier and Collin Sexton. With Jordan Poole set to take on much of Steph Curry's role, if Sexton and Rozier can get right sooner rather than later, the Magic can make a run at this thing.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Dec 19, 2022 10:32:51 GMT -5
Honestly, there were a lot of options to choose from this week as we head into the home stretch with nothing but conference games left to play. Orlando/Chicago could have major playoff implications. Colorado/Portland looks juicy. Kansas City/Phoenix could either springboard the Kings to the playoffs or all but wrap up a spot for Phoenix. But we're heading to the shores of Lake Ontario for a huge showdown in the wild Eastern Conference. 8 of the 10 East teams are within 3-5 wins, and a ninth, Tampa Bay, isn't that far above the fray with 6. As this is the only meeting between Toronto and Miami this year, it should have major tiebreaker implications. The Heat are almost fully healthy, and they've played much better of late. Toronto has now alternated wins and losses for 6 weeks, and with a win over Tampa, they are set up to make a move to the top of the conference with a win. A loss certainly won't hurt either team, given the cluster of teams in the middle, but a win would go a long way with just 7 weeks to go.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Dec 26, 2022 23:48:55 GMT -5
I am on vacation at my parent's house this week, so I will try and get this stuff posted tomorrow night. If not, it might not be until Friday.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Dec 28, 2022 22:28:56 GMT -5
Things might be clearing up in the West, while the East has only gotten more muddled. Here's what happened in week 10. Toronto Raptors (6-4) over Miami Heat (3-7), 6-3This is one the Heat had to have circled on the calendar, but losing Khris Middleton might have made the difference. Tyrese Haliburton was fantastic, putting up 38-7.5 with 16 threes. Ja Morant was also quite good (28-4-10). The Raps got just enough from everyone else to get the job done. At 6-4, the Raptors are now two up on 6th place, and they just made a move to add Keldon Johnson. Toronto has the playoffs in their sights, as they look to end their postseason drought. A big match-up with Memphis awaits. The Heat are 1.5 games out of the last playoff spot, just 2 games out of 4th place. They do have the Nets up next, so they should get back on track. If they can get their injured guys back in time for the final five games, they'll be in this. Golden St. Warriors (3-7) over Utah Jazz (7-3), 5-4If the Warriors are going to make a miraculous run back to the playoffs, they'll look back at this game as the start of it. They almost lost it too, as Devin Booker took the floor with the Warriors up just two turnovers. However, both fortunately, and unfortunately, the Warriors lost Devin Booker in the first four minutes of the game. It allowed Golden St. to win, but they lost Devin Booker for a month. Pascal Siakam carried the Dubs, putting up 39-10-7, while shooting 53% from the floor and 84% from the line. The gauntlet continues with the Swannies up next. Utah's lack of defensive stats bit them this week, as they got wiped out in blocks and steals, and their shooting percentages didn't quite get it done (even though they were both very good). It was a tough loss for Utah, as they had a pretty significant minutes advantage, and a win would have all but locked up a playoff spot. Orlando Magic (5-5) over Chicago Bulls (4-6), 7-2What a win for the Magic, a team who's season looked like it was circling the drain. Now they're back in the playoffs, and they own a massive tiebreaker over the Bulls. Immanuel Quickley burst onto the scene to average 17 ppg, while shooting 62% from the floor, 89% from the line, and knocking down 14 threes. It was an agonizingly close loss for the Bulls, with the margin being 1 steal, 1 turnover, and 5 blocks. The Bulls lost, but Tyrese Maxey should return next week against Tampa Bay. In fact, the next three weeks could determine their playoff fate (Tampa, Toronto, Washington). New York Knicks (6-3-1) over Atlanta Hawks (3-7), 8-1The Knicks were dominant last week, and Joel Embiid was at the center of it. He put up 32-9-3, shot 50% from the floor, and 85% from the line. He was joined by LeBron James (26-3-6, 58% from the floor, 88% from the line). Christian Wood also blocked 10 shots, while CJ McCollum knocked down 16 threes. There just wasn't much Atlanta could do to keep up. The Knicks remain just a half game back of the Bull Sharks, and they have yet to play each other. First, they'll get the Magic. Atlanta is now a game and a half back of the 5th spot, but with games remaining against both Memphis and Orlando, the opportunity to make up ground is there. This was just as much a schedule loss, as anything else, given only Mitchell Robinson played four games, and several players played just two games. This week against Washington is basically a must-win. Houston Rockets (9-1) over Las Vegas Gamblers (2-8), 6-3Another week, another win for Houston. They'll head into their showdown with Phoenix with the same record as the Suns, and the winner will basically lock up a playoff spot. Julius Randle was the go-to guy this week (27-11-4), and Dame was solid as well (26-4-7 with 12 threes). Alperen Sengun had himself a week (18-8-5 on 70% shooting). When the Rockets are getting that kind of production out of him, they're tough to beat. They'll need it when they go up against Nikola Jokic. We'll see what happens with the Gamblers down the stretch. Michael Porter Jr. came back, but he's still working his way back into shape. Maybe the Gamblers can pull a few spoilers, but as mentioned in this space, the top-end talent is on the shelf. OKC Thunder (3-7) over Seattle Supersonics (5-5), 8-1Talk about an emphatic way to keep your season alive. The Thunder put it all together for a week and dominated the Sonics, despite a minor minutes disadvantage. Luka was fantastic again (31.5/8/9/2 with 12 threes), as was Jayson Tatum (37-7-5), but it wasn't just them. Aaron Gordon averaged 22 and 5 on 60% shooting, and Anthony Edwards put up 27-8-6. He also had 5 blocks, which was quite impressive, but not as impressive as Okongwu's 9 blocks. Steals and blocks are usually where Seattle makes their money, but the Thunder dominated both categories. All that said, the Thunder are going to have to win this week against Portland. James Harden averaged 12.5 assists for Seattle, but he struggled to shoot. The Sonics only got two games each from Rudy and Bam. Seattle has a massive game up next against Utah. Lose that, and they'll be in danger of falling three games back of the playoffs with just five to play. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (7-3) over Washington Wizards (4-6), 5-4Tampa Bay held on by just six rebounds to hang onto the top spot in the East. Domantas Sabonis had a MASSIVE week, averaging 20-20-10 on 51% shooting. He then tore a ligament in his thumb, but he's going to try and play through it. Still no word yet on KAT, but he should be back in time for the last month of the season. They'll need him because Sabonis and LaVine (25-5-5) can't do all the carrying. If they beat Chicago this week, they might wrap up their playoff spot. Giannis was a monster (35-11-4). Desmond Bane is back, so the Wizards might be able to make a run to the playoffs. Lose to Atlanta this week, though, and it will get tougher. Phoenix Suns (9-1) over Kansas City Kings (5-5), 6-3The Suns actually had this one wrapped up before the final game of the week, but they let Nikola Jokic stay in the lineup, and it provided KC with a glimmer of hope. Even though it went to overtime, Jokic didn't turn it over enough, and Phoenix held on. Oh, and Jokic was a big reason for that. He put up 28-12-13 and shot 59%. He, OG, and Torrey Craig also combined for 12 steals. Craig, OG, and Valanciuas combined for 72 rebounds. The win sets up the big game against Houston. Kansas City missed a golden opportunity to pick up some ground on Colorado and Utah. Donovan Mitchell struggled, by his standards, as did Malik Monk, and Jaylen Nowell. SGA was great again though (35-6-5, 49% shooting, 32/36 from the line). The Kings will head into their rivalry week with Vegas in need of a win. Portland Trailblazers (7-3) over Colorado Swannies (7-3), 5-3-1The Swannies almost pulled the come back, but they fell 6 turnovers short. RJ Barrett was awesome for Portland (27-6-4 with 13 threes). The threes were matched by Trae Young (32-4-11 and 90% free throw shooting). Mikal Bridges didn't shoot it well, but he had 5 blocks, almost matching Colorado by himself. If the Blazers win this week against OKC, they'll essentially end OKC's season. The Swannies were really let down on the defensive end, as they got just 8 total blocks. They really missed Anthony Davis this week, but on the bright side, LaMelo was awesome (24-8-11). This loss sets up a big-time match-up with a Warriors team that suddenly looks formidable. Memphis Grizzlies (4-5-1) over Brooklyn Nets (0-10), 7-2Did Paolo Banchero wrap up the rookie of the year award? He just might have after this past week (20-8-5). DeAndre Ayton was also a monster (23-11 on 64% shooting). Honestly, there's not a ton to say about this one. The Grizz jumped back into the playoffs with the win, but that's not saying much given how bad the Nets have been. At least Jalen Duren was good (12-10 on 75% shooting). Some moves seem to be in store for Brooklyn. Memphis now heads into a huge game with Toronto. Brooklyn gets Miami.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Dec 28, 2022 22:39:46 GMT -5
The Kings are in must-win every game territory down the stretch, and they just made an all-in move for Brandon Ingram. The Gamblers may not be in the playoff chase anymore, but sparks always fly when these two go at it. One of the league's oldest rivalries takes center stage in week 11.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Jan 1, 2023 23:07:22 GMT -5
The West playoff picture is looking a little clearer, while the East is a mess. And our game of the week... actually lived up to it's billing? All that and more in week 11. Kansas City Kings (6-5) over Las Vegas Gamblers (2-9), 4-4-1 (Kings win on points)The Kings almost blew this. They almost saw their season end at the hands of their arch rival the same week they made an all-in move for Brandon Ingram. The Kings played over 200 more minutes than the Gamblers, but Steven Adams' block with around 7 minutes left gave Vegas a chance to play the ultimate spoiler. Alas, neither he nor Michael Porter Jr. could come up with the tie-breaking block, and the Kings held on to set up a massive showdown with the Jazz. The Kings got 10 total blocks from Walker Kessler and SGA (though he only put up 23-5-6), but only 7 from everyone else. Donovan Mitchell also struggled last week, averaging less than 20 ppg and shooting 35%. The Kings are really going to need those two against Utah. The Gamblers got a massive week from Steven Adams (17.5 rebounds per game). MPJ averaged 19.5 ppg, Bojan put up 21 ppg, and Klay averaged 20 ppg. The Gamblers continue to fight, and they'll see if they can leapfrog the Thunder in week 12. Colorado Swannies (8-3) over Golden St. Warriors (3-8), 5-4The Swannies were in trouble heading into the weekend. The Warriors were coming on strong, and the Swannies were missing shots. But they turned it around Friday and Saturday, going 66/128 and holding onto FG %. Myles Turner was awesome, putting up 20-7, knocking down 6 threes and blocking 10 shots. Darius Garland was limited to two games, but put up 32-8 on 71% shooting. LaMelo Ball didn't shoot it all that well, but he did hit 16 three-pointers. The win puts Colorado just a game behind the Suns for second place, and it allowed them to stay with Utah and Portland. The Swannies have a real chance to get into the convo for the top seed with Houston up next. For the Warriors, it looks like the end of the road. They're now 5 back of the playoffs with just 5 games left to play, though they do still have the tiebreaker over Utah (and currently have it over Portland as well). They only got two games from Jimmy Butler (22/6/6/5), and if that doesn't perfectly sum up their season to this point, I don't know what does. In order to stay alive for the postseason, they have to beat Seattle this week. Miami Heat (4-7) over Brooklyn Nets (0-11), 5-4This week really was about teams avoiding catastrophe, as was the case here with the Heat. The Nets actually entered the weekend with the lead, and they looked to be on their way to their first win of the season. However, the injuries finally caught up to them as Evan Mobley missed the last game, and the Heat's +120 minutes advantage did what it was supposed to do. Miami flipped rebounds and points, and the rest was history. Chris Paul was pretty good (18-8), so was Tyler Herro (22/6/7/2). Keegan Murray, John Konchar, and Lu Dort all came up with 6 steals each. The Heat are so close to being healthy, but Khris Middleton's balky knee continues to be the hold up. After coming back a few weeks ago, he has now been out almost three weeks, with no return in sight. The Heat are absolutely going to need him down the stretch, and they have a chance to jump into the playoff picture with a win this week over Orlando. The Nets have entered full rebuild mode for a second time in three years. They traded Keldon Johnson and Brandon Ingram this week for Jaylen Nowell, Jonathan Kuminga, and three draft picks. The good news is Mark Williams is finally getting minutes (10-7 with 5 steals and 4 blocks). It will be interesting to see who takes advantage of the role players on this Brooklyn team. Lot of guys that could help contenders. Maybe they can play spoiler against New York this week. New York Knicks (7-3-1) over Orlando Magic (5-6), 7-2Speaking of the Knicks, they throttled the Magic to take over first place in the East. LeBron is back doing LeBron things (34-9-7, 58/84 shooting), and Joel Embiid continues to make an MVP case (34-10-5, 5 steals, 8 blocks). The big developments here? CJ McCollum got out of his shooting slump (23-4-5 with 18 threes), and Norman Powell is finally producing (16.5 ppg). The one thing holding the Knicks back this year has been their shaky bench, but if they can just get 4 guys out of the CJ/Wood/Powell/Barnes/Fultz/Morris/Lowry/Sochan/White crew to step up, they're definitely the class of the East. It would not be a surprise to see them win out and, possibly, end up with the best record in the whole league. The Magic have reached gut-check time. Their win over Chicago keeps them in the 4th spot for now, but a loss to Miami drops them out of the playoff picture. In fact, the next two will be crucial for them, since both the Heat and Hawks are directly below them in the standings. Lose both, and you can probably write off Orlando as a playoff team. Win both, and they're basically a lock. Split and it's a crapshoot. Whatever happens, if they want to win both or one, they'll need Jordan Poole to keep playing like this (30 ppg). Houston Rockets (10-1) over Phoenix Suns (9-2), 5-4The battle for first in the West did not disappoint, and, if anything, it only reinforced the notion that these are far and away the two best teams in the conference. This dramatic, heavyweight fight went all the way down to the final game of the week, and the Rockets managed to prevail by just two turnovers. They were buoyed by Julius Randle's best week of the season (35-14-5), and a pretty darn good week from Zion as well (33-5). PJ Washington picked up 7 big blocks, and how about Aaron Nesmith managed 3 double-digit scoring games? The Rockets showed their depth winning without Steph, but it will be tested down the stretch with Zion now on the shelf. We'll see if they can get past a similarly banged-up Swannies team. Phoenix had a chance to get into the 1st place driver's seat, instead, they'll head into a massive game against a surging Portland team that could decide the division. To win, they'll need another great performance from Nikola Jokic. He put up 27-10-10, shot 65% and made all 25 of his free throws against Houston. Other than him, it wasn't an inspiring performance from any one individual. The Blazers definitely have more stars, and if they come to play, it could mean the first losing streak of the season for Phoenix. Atlanta Hawks (4-7) over Washington Wizards (4-7), 5-4The Hawks nearly lost this one on the final day, but both Jaylen Brown and Delon Wright picked up crucial steals to hang on and keep Atlanta's playoff hopes alive. They now sit one game back with Tampa coming to town. Jaylen Brown was dominant for the Hawks (33-5 with 10 threes and 100% free throw shooting). D'Angelo Russell was solid (20-6), and Kyrie Irving shot it extremely well (29-5, 55/86%, and 6 threes). They're still going to need more out of Ben Simmons though (5-6-4, 0/5 from the line). Cedi Osman will the wild card. If they can get good production out of him, they can beat Tampa. And if they do? Watch out. For the Wizards, Daniel Gafford has stepped up recently (12.5-6.5 with 9 total blocks on 79% shooting), which has been like finding water in the desert for a team desperate for bench production. Giannis was a monster (44-21-6), but he missed the final game of the week and likely cost Washington what would have been a pretty significant win. If he plays all three games this week, the Wizards will have a shot against Memphis. A win there would really throw the East into flux. Portland Trailblazers (8-3) over OKC Thunder (3-8), 6-3That will just about do it for the Thunder. They aren't officially eliminated just yet, but they've now lost to Utah, Colorado, and Portland, meaning they cannot win any of the tiebreakers outright. They would need a ton of help even if they win out. Somehow, they lost to Portland despite an historic week from Luka Doncic. The man put up a 60-point TRIPLE-DOUBLE with 21 rebounds. Just absurd stuff. On the week, he averaged 49-13-11, made 12 threes, picked up 12 steals and 7 blocks. He shot 62%. If OKC were even a fringe playoff team, he'd be the easy MVP choice. Frankly, decades from now, when historians find this league, they're going to be baffled that this OKC team with Luka and Tatum was so far out of the playoff race. But enough about a lotto team. This week was about Portland ripping off their fourth straight win, and setting themselves up to jump into first in the Pacific with Phoenix on deck. Paul George was a superstar (31/6/6.5/2 with 17 threes), as was KD (27-10-5, 54/95%). Brook Lopez blocked 9 shots. Jakob Poeltl blocked 7. It was just a thorough beatdown, and they only got two games from Trae. This team is rolling right now, and no one is going to want to see them in the first round. Utah Jazz (8-3) over Seattle Supersonics (5-6), 6-3The Jazz rebounded from last week's shocking loss to Golden St. by winning a more important match-up with Seattle. They're now three ahead of the Sonics and own the tiebreaker. They rode a similar formula as a lot of their wins. Run up the counting stats and shoot it well, though the twist here is Seattle actually won FG %. Utah managed to hang on thanks to their superior ball control. DeMar (29-6-6) and Lauri (32-12) carried them again. The Jazz as a team pulled down 235 rebounds and put up 682 points, league highs for the week. They're now 2nd in both categories (as they are in three-pointers). They're a tough out, and they have a chance to all but lock up a spot with KC up next. Seattle's lack of depth hurt them again in a match-up they easily could have won. Harden, Beal, and Gobert all missed games this week, and it's just really hard for this team to compete against the best when that happens. Golden St. is absolutely a must-win at this point. Chicago Bulls (5-6) over Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (7-4), 5-4There was a brief moment on Sunday, when Tyus Jones was burning down the nets, where Tampa Bay had taken the lead, and it looked like the end of the line for the Bulls. Instead, Kristaps Porzingis picked up two steals, and that pushed Chicago back into the playoff picture (and gave them the tiebreaker against Tampa in case the Bulls go on a slide). It was much too close for comfort given the minutes edge, but don't blame De'Aaron Fox (25-8) or Kristaps Porzingis (25-9). The Bulls now have a real opportunity to make a move up the standings with Toronto up next and NY still to come. Not sure what to make of the Bull Sharks. LaVine played decently. Sabonis was great, though he missed a game because of his thumb. They were right there until the bitter end, but they've now lost to Chicago, Toronto, Phoenix, and Kansas City (i.e. the decent to good teams). They've already signaled they don't believe this team has enough to win it all, but they've banked enough wins that it seems likely they'll end up in the playoffs. If they beat Atlanta, that will almost be a certainty. This is definitely a team to watch this off-season, as they could go either way. Toronto Raptors (7-4) over Memphis Grizzlies (4-6-1), 6-2-1The Raptors have moved into 2nd place, and they are just a half game back of New York (AND they currently own the tiebreaker). Their win against Memphis was much closer than the final score indicated, but Memphis can't take solace in close losses when they need every win they can get to get to the playoffs (and avoid giving Tampa a lotto pick). Tyrese Haliburton continues to play like an all-star (22-4-8), and Ja certainly has an MVP case (30-4-9) if the Raps somehow end up with the one-seed. Keldon Johnson appears to like his new digs, as he closed out the week with a 30-point outing. The bigs are still shaky, and the position gets even shakier with Wiseman and Clarke out. If they lose to Chicago, they could slip down the standings, but it's hard to see them falling all the way out of the playoffs. This team is legit. Memphis is going to be left ruing injuries and illnesses after this one. Jrue Holiday missed the whole week, and the Grizz almost certainly win if he plays. They also lost a game from Kawhi, and Paolo turned in a dud of a week (13-5-3, 29% FG). Their game against Washington is week 12's match-up of the week, and it could knock the loser out of the playoff race.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Jan 2, 2023 0:09:43 GMT -5
Here we go. This isn't quite a loser leaves town match, but it's close. Since this is the only meeting between the two teams, whoever wins this one is going to have a leg up for the playoff race heading into the final quarter of the season. The winner isn't guaranteed to be in the top-5 after this week, but Orlando plays Miami and Chicago faces Toronto, so it's certainly possible. The key question: Will the Wizards be healthy enough to make this one a game? Giannis, Bane, and Brunson all missed the end of Washington's week 11 match-up. If any of them are out for the week, it will be tough sledding.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Jan 9, 2023 14:44:01 GMT -5
The West is coming into focus, while the East is a mess. All that and more in week 12. Washington Wizards (5-7) over Memphis Grizzlies (4-7-1), 5-3-1Our match-up of the week was a doozy, and despite Kawhi's best efforts, the Grizzlies fell just 6 points short of victory. They were let down on the final day by the trio of Oladipo, Mathurin, and Milton, as they combined for just 20 points on the day. Losing TJ McConnell after 9 minutes didn't help, nor did Mason Plumlee's 18(!) points on the final day. Not to mention Jalen Johnson exploding for 13 after scoring just 5 total in the previous 3 games. It's a bitter pill to swallow for a Grizzlies team that looked to be turning the corner health-wise, but has lost two straight in excruciating fashion. Paolo Banchero bounced back to put up 27/7/4, but Kawhi was mostly a dud. Leonard only played in two games, and he shot 37% for the week. Giannis was a monster on the other end, putting up 31/11/5, and that was in spite of a 9-point outing to end the week. Jalen Brunson was the real hero (29/5/7 on 53% shooting), and when he's playing like that, Washington is formidable. The Wizards have a real chance to make the playoffs now, and they can really solidify their spot with a win over Chicago this week. They're going to have to clean up the dead weight at the end of the roster though. The Grizzlies head into an absolute must-win with Miami. Colorado Swannies (9-3) over Houston Rockets (10-2), 5-4What a win for Colorado, who moved one step closer to their first playoff appearance in 13 years. The Swannies just kept hanging around, and they caught the break they needed on Saturday, when Houston shot a ghastly 14/49 from the floor. That gave Colorado the firm lead in FG % they needed to make some strategic lineup decisions on Sunday, and it paid off with their 9th win of the season. They've now split the season series with Houston and put themselves in position to compete for the 1-seed over the last four weeks. Myles Turner blocked 13 shots, and LaMelo Ball dished out 30 assists, helping Colorado win both categories. The Swannies may be in a tough spot against Utah this week (boy did they look good), but with AD on track to return before the season is out, there is hope they can make noise. The Rockets were seriously hurt by Zion's absence, as his field goal percentage undoubtedly would have helped. On the bright side, Steph Curry should be back soon, and the Rockets continue to get good production from PJ Washington, Aaron Nesmith, and Gary Trent. Their match-up against Portland this week doesn't look nearly as daunting now with KD out and PG banged up. New York Knicks (8-3-1) over Brooklyn Nets (0-12), 8-1Three cheers for the New York Knicks, who became the first team in the East to clinch a playoff spot with their win over the Nets. LeBron continues to tear it up (35/9/8, 55% FG), and Christian Wood averaged a double-double (22-10). The bench has come to life for New York, which is a welcome sign, though this foot issue for Embiid is something to keep an eye on. The Nets are eliminated, and unless something crazy happens with them, we'll just skip over their week from here on out. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (8-4) over Atlanta Hawks (4-8), 6-3Despite forgetting to set their line-up on Sunday, the Bull Sharks managed to maintain enough of a lead to win. Throw it on the list of brutal losses Atlanta has had this year. Domantas Sabonis continues to lead the charge (22/13/8, 58/80%), and Zach LaVine exploded, finally (29/5/4 with 21 threes). Throw in Dennis Schroder's awesome week (24 ppg, 14 threes), and there's your winning recipe. With the win, the Bull Sharks are on the cusp of yet another playoff appearance, adding to their resume for best franchise in the league, and they can make a real statement with a win this week over New York. It was covered in the game of the week post, but the Hawks are now in must-win territory from here on out. They'll need even more from Kyrie, Jaylen Brown, and Ben Simmons. Will they get it? We're going to find out. Miami Heat (5-7) over Orlando Magic (5-7), 6-3A tense win for the Heat, who can't seem to do anything without a little drama. When it was all said and done, it was just a tad more comfortable than it felt all week. Of course, the Heat now head into this week's showdown with Memphis really hurting. Middleton is still out, Caruso is questionable, Paul is questionable, and Herro's status is up in the air. If Memphis wins, not only would it bump them back into the playoff picture, but they own Miami's pick. It would be a real double whammy. Orlando goes into a must-win against Atlanta needing just a bit more of an all-around effort from Wagner and Rozier. They can't keep relying on De'Andre Hunter to keep them afloat in steals and Claxton doing the same with blocks. Phoenix Suns (10-2) over Portland Trailblazers (8-4), 6-3As has been the case for most of the season, the Phoenix Suns just kept coming at the Blazers, and they finally overwhelmed them as we hit the weekend. With the win, the Suns are now the first team in the West to clinch a playoff spot, and that deserves a little lengthier recap. The Suns will be entering just their fourth postseason, and it will be the first time in franchise history they've made the playoffs in back-to-back years. They employ the two-time MVP, and he only put up 21-9-9 this past week, which was a bit of a down week for him. They rank in the top-5 in the league in threes, rebounds, assists, steals, and free throw percentage. They're tied for 8th in FG %, and they're 7th in points (barely behind the Swannies). After finishing 13-3 last year, the Suns look capable of topping that this year. Along with Utah, they are the deepest team in the league, though they likely have a little more top end talent than the Jazz. They've been rewarded for their in-season signings of Nembhard and Hayes, both of whom look like they could actually be long-term pieces (though Hayes is only signed to a one-year deal). They head into a match-up against a frisky Warriors team, but at this point, it's just about getting through the next month healthy and whole. Portland could be in a spot of trouble here if they pick up another injury. Even if they lose to Houston this week, they should bounce back and beat Vegas the following week... but if Seattle and KC win the next two, suddenly, the pressure ratchets up. Chicago Bulls (6-6) over Toronto Raptors (7-5), 5-4What a difference a few free throws makes. If Toronto makes two more free throws, they win. The Bulls, as it seems to happen every year for them, were literally two free throws and two steals from being out of the playoff hunt. Instead, they are now fourth, with tiebreakers over the 2nd and 3rd place teams. Tyrese Maxey was really good in his return (19-4 with 9 threes). De'Aaron Fox put up 32-3-6 on 56% shooting. And how about Caris LeVert (16.5/4/4 with 10 threes and 6 steals). The Bulls got the kind of bench effort they were getting early in the season that propelled them to a 3-0 start. If they can beat Washington this week, with the Nets still on the schedule, the Bulls should comfortably make the playoffs. Toronto missed a golden opportunity to still within striking distance of the 1-seed, but injuries to Morant, Keldon, and Clark did them in. Frankly, this week against the Nets isn't going to be easy with how banged up they are. It could make the playoff race rather interesting if Brooklyn can pull off the shocker. Golden St. Warriors (4-8) over Seattle Supersonics (5-7), 5-3-1Meanwhile, the Warriors dealt another blow to a Pacific team, coming from behind to upset the Sonics and put their playoff hopes on life support. The Warriors are already pretty far behind the 8-ball when it comes to the playoffs, and it would basically take a miracle to get in, but they got the joy of keeping those hopes alive for one week longer. JJJ blocked 5 shots on Sunday to tie that category, and they flipped threes en route to the win. FVV did his FVV thing, putting up 20-6-7 with 14 threes while shooting a miserable 35%. Jimmy Butler, Siakam, and Vooch all put up good counting stats, and if you could replay this season, GS might end up top-5 in the West. As it stands, it will be interesting to see what kind of return they get on some of these pieces. The Sonics are reeling. That's now four straight losses during a stretch of the season when it looked for sure like they could make a run. Vegas is next as a panacea of sorts, but after that they close with Phoenix, Colorado, and Portland, all of which will be must-win games. Utah Jazz (9-3) over Kansas City Kings (6-6), 8-1Holy. Crap. Just to put into perspective what Utah did to Kansas City this week, consider this. The Kings shot 48.56% from the floor and 86.4% from the foul line. Over the course of a season, that would rank 3rd and 1st (by a mile), respectively. The Kings lost both categories, and they lost FG % convincingly. The Jazz also pulled down a ridiculous 260 rebounds and scored 776 points. Lauri Markkanen averaged 32-7, DeMar put up 28-4-5, Russ averaged 16-7-9, and Thomas Bryant put up 22-13. The Jazz now rank in the top-5 in FG %, FT %, threes, rebounds, and points. They're a couple of turnovers away from an 8-game winning streak. They play Colorado next, then have a chance to sweep the Rockets and jump into the #1 spot in two weeks. What a season for the Jazz. The Kings somehow lost a match-up that started with Donovan Mitchell scoring 71 points (and tying his career high assists with 11). Mitchell was special this week (38-5-7), as was SGA (32/4/4/1/1). The Kings really need Brandon Ingram to get back on the court though. If he misses another week, and the Kings lose? That would just about do it. OKC Thunder (4-8) over Las Vegas Gamblers (2-10), 6-3Both teams are eliminated, and no offense to either, but I'm out of steam. If either team has a remarkable performance, we'll mention it. Other than that, though, it's tough. I guess Klay Thompson did average 42 ppg this past week. That was cool. OKC will try to spoil KC's season this coming week.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Jan 9, 2023 14:52:12 GMT -5
This is it. Our first loser leaves town match. While the loser of this one won't, technically, be eliminated, they might as well be. If Atlanta loses, that would drop them to 4-9 and give Orlando the season series. If Orlando loses, they'll drop to 5-8 with games left against Toronto, Tampa Bay, and Memphis... as close to a gauntlet as one will find in the East. Had these two played this past week, it would have been a barnburner decided by just a handful of blocks and turnovers. Both are still very much in it with a win, as they each would have beaten several other East teams. Time to separate the contenders from the pretenders.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Jan 16, 2023 10:52:37 GMT -5
Home teams dominated in week 13, and we moved one step closer to solidifying the playoff field. Here's what happened last week... Orlando Magic (6-7) over Atlanta Hawks (4-9), 6-3The Hawks may have been doomed before this match-up even started considering Irving, O'Neale, and Simmons were slated to play just two games each. Then with Simmons missing the last game, their comeback attempt was stopped well short. The Hawks are now in a serious bind. We detailed it in the stretch run thread, but they now need about a half dozen things to go their way if they want to make the playoffs, which starts with beating Memphis in week 14. The problem they have now is that Jaylen Brown is likely to miss that entire match-up. If he's out, this team is just so thin, it's hard to see them sweeping through their last three. The Magic, meanwhile, head into a huge game with Tampa riding high with all the confidence that they can beat the team that has dominated the South for, well, more than a decade. Nic Claxton and Isaiah Jackson combined for 21 blocks last week, and if Myles Turner continues to miss time, expect Jackson to continue to benefit. Jordan Poole has found his rhythm (22-3-5), as has Terry Rozier (25-4-4), and Immanuel Quickley has benefited greatly since moving into the starting lineup (17-4-2). If the Magic can continue to get this kind of production up and down the lineup, and they can stay healthy, they can break their playoff drought. Colorado Swannies (10-3) over Utah Jazz (9-4), 5-4And now the only other road winner from week 13... the Colorado Swannies! The Swannies looked dead in the water heading into Sunday, but 21 rebounds from Giddey and Hart, plus Utah's decision to bench Russ (and a rare poor outing from Thomas Bryant), allowed the Swannies to pull off the win. The Jazz are really going to be kicking themselves, though one sees why they did what they did. It was hard to foresee Bryant getting outrebounded by Josh Hart, even though Hart is a solid rebounder, but it was easy to see Russ tanking them in turnovers. Had they played Russ, they would have lost turnovers... but they would have won boards and the match-up. At the end of the day, losing games from Lauri and DeMar did them in. Giddey was great for Colorado (23-9.5-8), as was LaMelo (29-5-10) and Kuzma (27-6-4). Recent signee Naji Marshall was outstanding (18-5-4) and arguably won them the match-up. The win puts Colorado within one game of the playoffs (a win or KC loss will do), and the top seed is still within reach. They're also now in great position to avoid the play-in, given their sweep of Utah. They get a reeling OKC team up next. 23-5-5 for Jamal Murray, 31-9-3 for Jordan Clarkson, but it just wasn't quite enough. A win and KC loss still gets them in. New York Knicks (9-3-1) over Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (8-5), 5-4This battle of Eastern Conference titans... actually lived up to the hype as Tampa was ahead going into the final game Sunday. Christian Wood, Joel Embiid, and LeBron James combining for 35 rebounds quickly squashed those hopes though, and New York is now looking at a second straight #1 seed. The Knicks are gaining momentum at the right time. Embiid looks awesome (33-10-2), as does LeBron (30-12-10). CJ McCollum has busted out of his shooting slump (30-4-5), and Clint Capela is on the verge of returning. Kyle Lowry is still out, but that's just who he is. He's going to miss some games. The important thing is the stars are healthy, and the bench looks good. The Knicks look like the team we all thought they were, and they can all but wrap up the top seed with a win over Toronto. The Bull Sharks just keep on winning or coming close, and they're now in a position where they just need to ride it out and hope KAT comes back strong. LaVine has shaken off the rust (29-7-5) and Sabonis continues to look like Jokic-lite (18.5-14-10). If they can land a top-3 spot and avoid the play-in, that would be huge. They don't have the tiebreaker on Toronto or Chicago though, so they need to keep winning. Las Vegas Gamblers (3-10) over Seattle Supersonics (5-8), 6-3What a win for the Gamblers! Injuries crushed the Sonics, but the Gamblers still needed to come to play, and that they did. Nurkic was great (19-9-3), Klay was sharp (24-4-3 with 16 threes), and Bojan was solid (25-5-3). They even got a couple of big individual games from THT and Bol Bol, and production from Ziaire, Rubio, and Kaminsky was the icing on the cake. The Gamblers won't make the playoffs, and they were probably always locked into the 2nd best lotto odds, but pulling off an upset like this is always fun. It's not so much fun for the Sonics, who have probably seen their playoff hopes go up in smoke with this one. Have to wonder what they'll do with Gobert, who is set to be a free agent for a team that certainly won't use a re-sign on him. He could still be useful to a playoff team. The Sonics must beat the Suns to keep their slim hopes alive. Memphis Grizzlies (5-7-1) over Miami Heat (5-8), 7-2The Grizzlies finally looked like the team many thought they could be in their thrashing of a wounded Heat team. Kawhi played the whole week and looked damn good (29/8/4/2), same for Jrue Holiday (20-5-9). Paolo (18/6/3/2) and Scottie (18/8/6/1/1) had great all-around weeks. Victor Oladipo (18/5/6/2) finally got a chance to play extended minutes, and he could be in line for a bigger role. The Grizzlies look scary and capable of winning out. If they do, they may be the team no one in the East wants to face. Miami continues to miss Khris Middleton and Chris Paul, and it has them on the brink of elimination. It's been a lost year for the former, which is a shame, because this team looked scary good for the two weeks we got to see everyone healthy. Oh, and Tyler Herro was out all week too, so that didn't help either. The Heat are close to having to win out. The one thing are holding on to is the tiebreaker over Orlando (and Washington too, actually), which does allow them to get in with 7 wins if Orlando drops a couple. Of course, they'd also need Memphis to lose a couple... and Washington to lose one... and Atlanta to lose one. Houston Rockets (11-2) over Portland Trailblazers (8-5), 6-3The Rockets looked like they could lose this one until Julius Randle happened on Sunday. He capped off a 26-16 week with 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 assists while knocking down all 8 free throws. When he's playing like that. Dame does what he did (39-3.5-6), and the rest of the guys fill in? Not a lot of teams are stopping this Houston team. And now, the Rockets have officially clinched. After last year's horrendous second half of the season ended with them barely sneaking into the play-in then blowing a final day lead to the Thunder, it has to feel good to be where they are, in the driver's seat for the West's top seed. If they end up #1 in the West, that will be two of the last three years at the top of the conference. Could this be the year they put it all together again and make another Finals run? All the pieces appear to be there, and they should have Zion back by the time the playoffs start. If it is, we could potentially be looking at a real repeat contender given their roster set up. However, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Utah is up next. Portland was always going to be behind the 8-ball given their injuries, but now they will almost certainly need to waive John Wall to open up cap and roster space for some reinforcements. Beat Vegas this week (not so simple anymore), and KC drops one, and the Blazers are in. Toronto Raptors (8-5) over Brooklyn Nets (0-13), 7-2The Raptors bounced back from their tough Bulls loss to stay a game ahead of Chicago, but the injuries are mounting. Poku and Wiseman were already out, and now Tyrese Haliburton will join them. And now Ja is banged up. Given their wins over Miami, Washington, and Memphis, the Raptors should feel ok about making the playoffs, but they're not guaranteed a spot just yet. Beat the Knicks though? And the 1 seed could be in play. Kansas City Kings (7-6) over OKC Thunder (4-9), 7-2The Kings don't have the tiebreaker against Portland, so just finishing tied with them does them no good. They did get what they needed this past week to stay alive though. SGA was a beast (28/6/4/2) as was Mitchell (29/4/6/2). Walker Kessler continues to impress (11-11 with 10 total blocks), and both TJ Warren and Jaylin Williams produced in their minutes. Even if the Kings don't make the playoffs this year, they're in a really good spot to build on this team over the summer. 31-10-10 for Luka, 29-10-6 for Tatum and another loss. Story of the Thunder season. Chicago Bulls (7-6) over Washington Wizards (5-8), 5-4No one lives dangerously like the Bulls, a team with a 300+ minutes advantage and yet only won because Giannis missed two games. If he plays, he almost certainly blocks 3 shots to flip that category (though he also potentially flips turnovers back to Chicago, so who really knows). In any case, a win is a win, and the Bulls will take it as they look to make another deep run in the postseason. No one really stood out, though Saddiq Bey averaged 22 ppg with 10 total threes. Chicago continues to do just enough to get the job done, and a win over Miami can all but lock up a spot. What a week for Jalen Brunson (35-6-5) as he single-handedly kept the Wizards in it to the bitter end. Should the Wizards miss the playoffs, they'll likely rue that they never made any moves to shore up the bench, as this team most definitely had the top-end pieces to make it there. Phoenix Suns (11-2) over Golden St. Warriors (4-9), 4-4-1 (Suns win on points)Last but not least, the Suns pulled off an epic comeback to keep pace with the Rockets and eliminate the Warriors. After falling behind by three steals late, they got one from Aaron Wiggins and two from Jokic to tie that category and send it to points. Speaking of Jokic... 17-13-13 and a thrilling game-winner for the big man. Is he the MVP front-runner? He just may be. Brogdon's big week (19-5-3) also saved the Suns, and they got a 31-point game from Terance Mann. They may have hit on yet another end of bench signing. The Warriors may be gone, but kudos to the defending champs for fighting tooth and nail to the bitter end. Injuries wrecked the first half of their season, but they kept it together and played spoiler several times. And, really, this team found some guys. Tre Jones is a player. AJ Griffin looks like he'll produce. DiVincenzo found his way. Jalen McDaniels was a shrewd trade pick-up. As long as their stars stay healthy next year, this team will be right back in the mix.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Jan 16, 2023 10:57:17 GMT -5
Going into Sunday, this looked like it was going to be a battle for first place. Then the Swannies came back and dumped cold water all over that plan. Still, this is a huge game for seeding purposes, and a win for Utah gives them the tiebreaker over Houston. They would still need some help to jump up to #1, but it would go a long way toward getting them out of the play-in. Meanwhile, would you believe this is the first game of the week match-up for Houston? Somehow the top the team in the West has avoided that... until now. A win and a Phoenix loss to Seattle would bring the Rockets to within one win of the top seed. They've got Curry back, and getting that bye would give Zion another week to heal up that hamstring. They're definitely looking to avoid that play-in after what happened last year.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Jan 23, 2023 15:04:24 GMT -5
Talk about a wild week 14. The East had a chance to really clear things up, but no one except New York wanted to do their part. At least the West was respectful of this commissioner's time... Houston Rockets (12-2) over Utah Jazz (9-5), 6-3The Jazz still had an outside shot at a top-2 seed if they won out, but this loss puts the kibosh on those hopes. And given their sweep at the hands of the Swannies, the Jazz, when they do clinch a playoff spot, will be in the play-in game. Houston was mighty impressive taking advantage of nearly 400 extra minutes to win this one going away. Steph averaged 32-6-5, Dame put up 31-5-10, Sengun was 25/14/6/3, and the Rockets also got 5(!) games from Gary Trent Jr. this week. With DeMar only getting one game, and Markkanen getting just two, there was really no shot for the Jazz in this one. The Rockets can now clinch the top seed with a win and a Suns loss. They cannot fall to the play-in game at this point. They get KC next. Utah will try and bounce back against OKC. Orlando Magic (7-7) over Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (8-6), 6-3The first example of the East being wild, the Magic utterly dominated the Bull Sharks, and Tampa is now in some hot water. Tampa is now 2-5 since their 6-1 start, and they've lost to Toronto, Chicago, and New York. The good news for them is that they can't lose the division tiebreaker against Orlando or Miami. However, if Orlando, Washington, or Toronto are in that tiebreaker, things get fuzzy. Bottom line is they need more. They only got one game from LaVine as the real life Bulls were in Paris, and they lost a game from Sabonis... but they were still outshot by 100 FGAs, and they were thumped in steals and blocks. Jordan Poole put up 26-5-3 and hit 17 three-pointers, and Franz Wagner averaged 25-5-5. The Magic play the Raptors next, and if they win, they will jump in the 2-3 match-up. The Bull Sharks face a wounded Grizzlies team that needs a win to stay alive. New York Knicks (10-3-1) over Toronto Raptors (8-6), 7-2For the second year in a row, and the third time in five years, the New York Knicks are the top seed in the East. They lost Christian Wood to a fractured thumb, but it did not matter. LeBron averaged 35-9-7, and Embiid put up 37/9/3/3, as both make their MVP pushes. The pleasant surprise here for the Knicks was Harrison Barnes putting up 19-4. And now it comes down to the playoffs. Last year, the Knicks got the playoff monkey off their back, claiming their first playoff win in franchise history before falling, again, to Tampa Bay. This year, the East's contenders simply don't seem up to snuff. Tampa Bay has fallen off. Miami and Memphis haven't gotten it together. Toronto seems like a year away. Orlando is almost certainly a year away. Chicago seems to be a piece or two away. If ever there was a year for the Knicks to make a run to the Finals, this is it. The path is wide open. Toronto is now in a similar spot as Tampa, though their win over the Bull Sharks insulates them somewhat. If they can take care of the Magic this week, they can clinch their spot. Washington Wizards (6-8) over Brooklyn Nets (0-14), 5-4The Wizards stayed alive in the playoff race with their win over the Nets, but it wasn't pretty. Given Giannis missed the whole week, they'll surely take it. 25-3-5 for Brunson and 23-6-6 for Bane was good enough to get it done for the Wiz. The next match-up, against the Knicks, certainly won't be as easy. However, pull off an upset, and their playoff hopes look quite good. 23-10-2 for Mobley this week, one of the few bright spots in a dismal season. Maybe they can play spoiler against Chicago. Atlanta Hawks (5-9) over Memphis Grizzlies (5-8-1), 5-4An epic comeback from the Hawks, as DeVonte Graham and Larry Nance combined for 9 steals on Sunday, then Irving, O'Neale, and Simmons combined for 21 assists to flip that category and get the win. It kept the slim playoff hopes alive for Atlanta, and may have been the death blow to Memphis'. Kyrie was great (39/8/7/3), and he really carried this Hawks team that lost Mitchell Robinson for the remainder of the season to a thumb injury. Memphis has to be wondering how they lost this one, given their huge minutes advantage and great weeks from Jrue (33/5/10/2) and Kawhi (31-6-4). Losing the last two games of the week from Ayton was a killer, in hindsight. Memphis now has to beat Tampa Bay to keep their playoff hopes alive. Ditto for Atlanta against Miami. Golden St. Warriors (5-9) over Kansas City Kings (7-7), 7-2The Dubs are eliminated, but they're hell bent on dragging as many teams down with them as they can. They put an absolute beatdown on the Kings. 31-4-7 on 48/100% shooting for FVV (with 19 threes to boot). 22-8-7 for Pascal. 17 blocks for JJJ, 9 steals for Jimmy Butler. Just a dominant performance from the Warriors. They'll try and continue their reign of terror against Portland. The Kings' postseason hopes are now on life support. They lost Donovan Mitchell for all of last week, and Brandon Ingram still isn't back. They now have to beat Houston to stay alive, and the Rockets look scary good right now. Portland Trailblazers (9-5) over Las Vegas Gamblers (3-11), 8-1The Blazers are back, baby! After a one-year absence, Portland has clinched a playoff spot (with a chance, still, to make it out of the play-in if they win out and Colorado loses out). Things got a little sketchy after back-to-back losses to Houston and Phoenix, but Portland righted the ship against Vegas. The key now for the Blazers will be the health of Kevin Durant. With just two more weeks left in the regular season, there is a chance that KD could be back in time for the play-in. The Blazers still have the Wall move in their back pocket too, as they could waive Wall today, move KD to IR, and sign two players to fill the roster spots. They're one of the few West teams with moves left to play, just a matter if they will play them. The talent is certainly there to make a run, and if they get out of the play-in, neither Houston or Phoenix will psyched to see them. Colorado Swannies (11-3) over OKC Thunder (4-10), 6-3Ladies and gentlemen, it's time... THE COLORADO SWANNIES ARE GOING BACK TO THE PLAYOFFS!!! It's officially official for the Swannies following their tighter than expected win over the Thunder. After making the postseason, and the conference finals, in the first year in this league's history, the Swannies entered the desert and had been wandering their ever since. Colorado never finished higher than third in their own division, even last year at 10-6, they were fourth in the Midwest. But now, that is going to change. With the win, the Swannies have clinched no lower than second in the Midwest. With a win against Seattle or a Portland loss, they can avoid the play-in. We'll surely have more in their playoff preview in a few weeks. For now, a hearty congratulations to the Swannies, and kudos to Darius Garland (27-4-11) for helping get them there. Miami Heat (6-8) over Chicago Bulls (7-7), 7-2Chris Paul got healthy in the nick of time, didn't he? Paul's final day stat line, 22/6/11/3/1 and 3/3 FT shooting, helped seal the victory for Miami and keep their playoff hopes alive. In fact, because Miami swept Orlando, the Heat are now in as good a position as a team currently on the outside looking in can actually be in. If they beat Atlanta, and the Bulls or Magic lose, the Heat can control their own destiny. They'll get Khris Middleton back, finally, though now Jabari Smith Jr. is dealing with an ankle issue. Given the crazy injury issues this team has dealt with all season, surely they'll take that tradeoff. Chicago may have lost, but they get Brooklyn next, so they should bounce back. The problem they face is that their fate is largely in the hands of others (unless they can upset New York to end the season). Phoenix Suns (12-2) over Seattle Supersonics (5-9), 7-2Finally, the Phoenix Suns kept pace with the Rockets as Seattle fell asleep at the wheel (though had they managed to play everyone, it would have just resulted in a closer loss). After having been one of the healthiest teams all year, the Suns roster now looks like a bloodbath. Smart, OG, and Olynyk are all dealing with ankle injuries. Hayes has a shoulder issue. Nembhard is sick. Brogdon is out Monday due to personal reasons. And Nikola Jokic has missed the last two games due to a hamstring injury. If anyone is happy to have avoided the play-in, its these Suns, who will now have three weeks for everyone to get right before the playoffs begin.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Jan 26, 2023 14:26:14 GMT -5
In most situations, there's no way any match-up featuring a winless team in the second to last week of the regular season would come close to being considered the game of the week... but this is not most situations. The Bulls come into this one really needing a victory, as they close the regular season against the New York Knicks, and their week 14 loss to Miami leaves them in a bit of a pickle. They have now lost to both Orlando and Miami, meaning should they be tied with either or both teams, they would lose out on those tiebreakers. Complicating matters is both Toronto and Tampa Bay are close enough that should either of them make it a 4-way tie, Chicago could potentially come out ahead in those scenarios, given their wins over both teams. If the Bull Sharks and Raptors both win, however? Well, then week 16 turns into sweaty palms time. Never have so many different scenarios been in play in the final two weeks in one conference, as only two teams know their fates, while the rest jockey for a playoff spot. One of those teams that knows their fate is Brooklyn, and while they've had an incredibly rough year, they do own Chicago's pick. You can imagine how sweet a 1-15 season would feel if that one win gave them another lotto pick. Ultimately, the Bulls should have enough to pull this one out. But if they don't? Ooooooohweeeee, week 16 is going to be fun.
|
|