02-16-21 NBA Blog Train Tuesday
Six games on the Tuesday night slate.
Zion vs. Ja + the Lakers = the rare Tuesday night Blog Train.
Let’s get it!
Nuggets at Celtics -2 Under 222.5
Time Lord power oop! Chances are good that this will end up in this week’s Power Dunk City dunker’s dozen.
Celtics 112, Nuggets 99.
A 3-7 record over their last 10 games, the Celtics really needed this one. There is no doubt that they are missing Marcus Smart. We heard Smart described as an onion today which really is the perfect analogy. (Apologies/credit to whoever it was that said this on NBATV today, we were in the kitchen when we overheard it.) You wouldn’t want to take a big bite out of an onion straight up, but certain dishes without onions in it would seriously be lacking a key and necessary ingredient.
Anywho, the Celtics need players to step up in Smart’s absence. Daniel Theis also did not play tonight. Who stepped up? The entire bench unit, including the rook, the other rook, the lottery pick rook, the #14 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Aaron Nesmith — nice to hear from ya! Nesmith finished with a game-high +20 net rating in 24 minutes. All four Celtics off the bench finished with a positive net rating.
The Nuggets were shorthanded, but The Joker gave the Nuggs a puncher’s chance by scoring 43 points. MPJ had a forgettable game: 0 points and 0-of-8 from the field in 24 minutes.
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Pelicans -1.5 at Grizzlies OVER 232
This Over would have been one of the most Pure Locks, but at least we hit a player prop: Zion Over 25 points, another Pure Lock that hit with almost 11 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Never a doubt!
Zion baseline two-handed power dunk from the slick assist from Ingram. Look at that goal a shakin’! Goodness gracious. POWER.
Ja Morant had to get one in, too. Zion was shook lol.
Pelicans 144, Grizzlies 113.
Zion was smiling big because he knows they can’t stop him. 31 points on efficient as hell 13-of-16 shooting which included a made 3! We know Zion is capable of making 3’s, and we wouldn’t mind seeing him take more.
The Pelicans soared away in the 3rd quarter, outscoring the Grizz 38-23, and then they scored 43 points in the 4th!
Only one game currently separates these two in the Western Conference standings.
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Raptors +6 at Bucks Over 236
This was a back-and-forth game with 12 ties and 12 lead changes.
We have said it before and we’ll say it again: One time somebody said that it always looks like Bobby Portis just remembered he left the oven on at home and that has really stuck with us.
But here it looks like he realized he did actually turn it off. #whew
Raptors 124, Bucks 113.
This Over was on pace to hit throughout, but it actually came down to some Siakam free throws at the very end. So this one would have been a Squeaky Lock.
Kyle Lowry left the game with an ankle injury in the third quarter and did not return. Fred VanVleet held it down, scoring 33 points to lead the Raps without The Captain. Is FVV an All-Star? We have given him some real consideration but will probably ultimately have him as one of the first few left off. He would make it if they expanded the rosters to 15 players!
The Bucks have lost four straight now despite a stellar line from Giannis: 34 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and five steals. (Giannis also made some free throws, 10-of-14.) It’s the first time that Milwaukee has lost four straight games since the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals against… the Raptors. Jrue Holiday can’t get back soon enough.
After a six game road trip, tonight marked the first of eight consecutive home games for Milwaukee who also had fans in attendance for the first time this season, just 250 or so invited guests and family members. The Bucks will allow increasingly more fans over the next couple of games, 500 and then 750, before 10% capacity (around 1,800 fans) can attend Sunday night’s game against the Kings.
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Lakers -6 at Timberwolves Under 223
Whoever made this masterpiece at Spectrum Sportsnet deserves a raise!
We have said it before and we’ll say it again: We love Anthony Edwards smile! Edwards was smiling big after hitting a 3 over LeBron. Ant-Man was 5-of-10 from 3 tonight (!!) en route to a new career-high 28 points. Edwards really struggled with his 3 early on this season, but tonight was his ninth game of the season shooting better than 40 percent from 3.
AD celebrates a 3 by Wes Matthews with Matthews’ own arrow celebration.
In addition to Wes Matthews, Keef Morris and Marc Gasol hit some timely open 3’s. Morris and Gasol both made three 3’s! Those open looks are always so crucial. The Lakers hot start to the season was fueled by good three-point shooting.
Lakers 112, T-Wolves 104.
The Lakers pulled off the road win (and covered!) despite 18 turnovers.
It must be noted that Trez brought the hustle and effort off the bench per usual.
Oh, and LeBron scored 30 points, hauled in 14 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists in 38 minutes of work. Hopefully Vogel can find more time to rest The King, but LeBron’s gunning for that MVP.
Woj has reported that D-Lo will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks. JUST when KAT finally got back in the lineup. :/
One final T-Wolves/KAT note: Sometimes KAT dances before he shoots.
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Blazers -5.5 at Thunder Under 226
It seemed like the Blazers -5.5 was going to be a Pure Lock, but there were the Thunder, roaring back in the 4th without their star in SGA.
DORT poster on top of Simons! Lou Dort was a huge reason why the Thunder got back in this game.
HOWEVER:
Blazers 115, Thunder 104.
Dame D.O.L.L.A. in the clutch this season: 21-of-35 shooting from the field, 60 percent!
We have given some thought to SGA for All-Star who virtually has the same exact numbers as Fox (but with better defense), however, SGA has missed six games now and four in a row. It’s probably for the best for this Thunder TANK.
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Nets +8 at Suns OVER 226.5
Honestly, right after this game commenced, we gave some serious thought to taking a Suns live line, minus a bunch of points for good odds. No KD or Kyrie for the Nets and the Suns have been rolling, which continued in the first quarter and first half. We almosttt pulled the trigger on Suns -11.5 at +137 odds, but we stayed away. We were kicking ourselves when the Suns were up by 24!
But in the second half, Tyler Johnson (??) was loose, drilling five 3’s to help bring the Nets allll the way back from the wilderness. All of a sudden, the Nets were RIGHT back in it.
This classic clutch Beard step-back 3 gave the Nets their first lead of the entire game!
Nets 128, Suns 124.
Chris Paul was hitting big 3’s down the stretch, but Harden got the last laugh on him again… (1st Round 2020 West Playoffs in the bubble)
Another test awaits Brooklyn on Thursday night on TNT: The LAKERS.
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Three games have already been postponed for Wednesday night, but right now we’re still on track for NINE games. Update: Apparently since the Hornets-Bulls and Pistons-Mavs games were postponed due to contact tracing for the Hornets and inclement weather for the Mavs, the Pistons and Bulls will play in Chicago. There is some deep irony in the fact that a game in Dallas was postponed for inclement winter weather and rescheduled to be played in Chicago.
The ole back-to-back-to-back Blog Train might be in play.
We love this game!
