04-07-21 NBA Blog Train Wednesday
Nine games on the Wednesday night slate.
We recently dropped some Western Conference and Eastern Conference Power Rankings if you’re interested in that sort of thing.
If not, let’s just Blog Train!
Timberwolves at Pacers +2 OVER 232.5
The Pacers are still without Sabonis (ankle) and Brogdon (hip), and tonight they played without Myles Turner (ankle) as well. Needing somebody to step up, Aaron Holiday did just that, scoring a season-high 22 points in 22 minutes off the bench.
D-Lo did not have an encore performance from his 25 points scored in his first game back, shooting just 5-of-15 from the field tonight.
Ant-Man scored 27 points on a mostly efficient 11-for-21 shooting. We were surprised to hear Simmons and Russillo so down on Edwards in the most recent pod. Ant-Man has had some seriously good games over the last month. This kid has a bevy of raw talent and a world of potential. Simmons probably feels different tonight after ripping a Mojo Ant-Man auto numbered to 25!
Pacers 141, T-Wolves 137.
This Over 232.5 would have been one of the most Pure Locks. The Pacers scored 72 points in the first half! The T-Wolves scored 81 points in the second half!! Sheeeesh.
The free throws in this game were nuts: T-Wolves 31-of-40 and Pacers 17-of-19.
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Wizards -4.5 at Magic OVER 224.5
Brad Beal played tonight for the first time in almost two weeks, dealing with a hip contusion. The Wizards were up throughout and by as many as 21 points in the 3rd quarter before the Magic made a run. But unlike their Monday meltdown against the Raptors, the Wiz were able to secure the W behind a season-high 19 made three-pointers. Did Westbrook get a triple double? You fucking know it: 23/15/14.
T-Ross power dunk! This might be his best of the season.
Wizards 131, Magic 116.
This Over 224.5 would have been a Pure Lock, never in doubt.
It’s time for your favorite segment, a Magic episode of WHO HE!? #30 Devin Cannady… WHO HE!? Tonight was Cannady’s NBA debut, an undrafted rookie from Princeton and 4-year college guy who graduated in 2019. He knocked down two free throws in the final minute. Welcome aboard!
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Knicks +3.5 at Celtics Under 208
Our first action of the night was locking in this Under 208. We recalled the first meeting between these two, a Sunday matinee that saw a grand total of 180 points scored. With the Celtics on the second night of a back-to-back, and the Knicks defense remaining a force, the Under was absolutely the move.
The scoreboard read 10-8 after the first 6 minutes. (lock lock lock lock)
First quarter: Celtics 21, Knicks 19. On pace for 160 total points.
Halftime: Celtics 47, Knicks 46. On pace for 186 total points.
Third quarter: Knicks 73, Celtics 70. On pace for 191 total points.
We were looking so good the entire way. Also looking good was this Tatum power dunk.
Very similar to his dunk on February 28th against the Wizards.
The scoring picked up in the 4th, but never to the point that we were worried at all. Although the possibility of OT did present a problem.
R.J. Barrett’s 5th three-pointer tied the game at 93 with less than one minute left.
Then Marcus Smart hit a classic “no no no no YES” three-pointer of his own. Smart hit three 3’s, never afraid let if fly.
Jaylen Brown, who had a look on his face that said, “We are not losing tonight,” scored 32 points and had a clutch block on Alec Burks that sealed it late.
Celtics 101, Knicks 99.
A garbage time for no reason at all three-pointer by R.J. Barrett at the buzzer gave the Knicks +3.5 the backdoor cover and Celtics -3.5 a bad bad beat.
Barrett was a perfect 6-for-6 on threes, 29 points in yet another close loss for the Knicks.
Guess who played for the first time since March 14th for Boston? Tristan Thompson! He was quite helpful, a +24 net rating in 22 minutes.
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Pelicans at Nets -8.5 OVER 233.5
The Return of KD.
Pelicans + Nets = take the Over = precisely what we did.
We also took a flyer on the Pelicans first quarter MoneyLine at +155 when we got word that KD would be coming off the bench and that Zion was playing.
Fast forward to 5.8 seconds left in the first quarter, the Pelicans were down by 1, 32-33 with Zion going to the line for two free throws.
He barely made the first, and then he missed the second, short.
We thought for sure we were just going to Push… Then Blake Griffin drilled a deep 3 at the 1st quarter buzzer. Fuckin’ Blake lol. At least it was good for our Over which was SUCH a Pure Lock.
The Nets rang up 79 points in the first half, their highest scoring half of the season.
Nets 139, Pelicans 111.
Nets -9 sure would have been a Pure Lock as well.
KD was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field in 19 minutes. He looked like the same old Slim Reaper. His mama was very happy.
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Grizzlies -1 at Hawks OVER 227.5
It was nice to see that Ja was not on the injury report today after experiencing some back tightness last night in Miami.
Looks like he’s okay!
The Grizzlies blew the roof off the doors in the 3rd quarter, outscoring the Hawks 43-23 and that was the difference.
Grizzlies 131, Hawks 113.
Another Over that would have been so so Pure.
Grayson Allen scored a season-high 30 points, 17 of which came in the huge Grizz 3rd quarter.
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Mavericks at Rockets +10 UNDER 225
This was the surprise of the night.
The Rockets were up almost the entire game, but it looked like the Mavs were going to take care of business in the 4th when a Luka up-and-under lay-in off the glass tied the game at 89 with 2:35 left.
However, that’s when John Wall… took over. Wall finished with 31 points, 7 assists and 4 steals.
Ah yes, the power dunk dagger. We have said it before and we’ll say it again: KPJ is a real one.
Rockets 102, Mavs 93.
This Under 225 would have very Pure. Seven out of the nine games tonight had Over/Unders that resulted in Pure Locks, and that was the case in each of the first six games.
Luka: “Anybody can have a bad game.”
It’s true.
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Hornets -5.5 at Thunder Over 213.5
From the first game between these two, the Thunder did not have any of the same starters tonight.
But they did have Poku who Eric Collins aptly described as a “tall drink of water.”
Poku started the game by making 4 three-pointers in the first quarter. Dell Curry remarked, “He’s playing with attitude!”
But it was a Sky Miles Bridges kind of night in OKC:
EC and DC pondered if that was Zeller’s first ever alley oop lob.
OH YEAH!
The Hornets lead at most was 17. The Thunder fought as they always do, but they are finally losing (tanking) at long last.
Hornets 113, Thunder 102.
This Hornets Over 213.5 would have been a Squeaky Lock, needing a Tony Bradley garbage time dunk in the final minute to hit.
Getting the start tonight for the short handed Hornets was Jalen McDaniels who scored a team-high 21 points, player of the game in a very impressive 32 minutes. It’s the Next Man Up Mentality that the Hornets have to have right now, and McDaniels certainly looks like the man.
It’s time again for another Thunder episode of WHO HE!? #3 Justin Robinson… WHO HE!? Justin Robinson is a 2nd year guy from Virginia Tech, playing in nine games last season for the Wizards. Tonight was J-Rob’s second game of the season for OKC. He’s a lefty!
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Spurs at Nuggets -5 UNDER 219
The Nuggets led by 4 points at halftime, 54-50, and the Spurs started the second half on a tear.
Back-to-back threes from Dejounte Murray gave the Spurs a 10-point lead, but it was all downhill for San Antonio from there.
The Nuggets went on a 9-0 run to re-take the lead and never looked back.
Nuggets 106, Spurs 96.
After the first quarter of Spurs 32, Nuggets 30, you would have thought this one was going Over, but they still ended up going Under by 17 points!
Three-pointers: Spurs 6-of-24 for 25 percent. Nuggets 8-of-26 for 30.8 percent.
Curious as to how many games this season have featured both teams making less than 10 threes. It’s probably not many, not many at all.
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Jazz at Suns +2 Over 227
Our third and final bet of the night was one that probably surprises you.
A player prop of Jae Crowder Over 16.5 combined points, assists and rebounds.
Yes, Jae Crowder of all people. He is very much on Babs List (and near the top), but this seemed like an easy one, Crowder playing against a former team, you know we love revenge games!
The points tonight were hard to come by for Crowder, yet he was out there snagging boards at least, 4 in the first quarter, slightly behind pace. He would remain behind pace to the point we really didn’t think we had a chance.
Crowder checked into the 4th quarter with 8 minutes left, sitting at just 10 combined points, assists and rebounds. (Only 3 of which were points, just one measly made three-pointer.)
But he came out in the 4th firing away! Couldn’t make a damn thing, though, missing three 3’s in a row!
Rebounds were falling to him at least. A defensive board, an offensive board, another defensive board.
And then with 2 minutes left in a close game, Crowder finally got a 3-ball to drop! So with two minutes left, we just needed one more point, rebound or assist for this one to hit!
The Jazz trailed 102-99 and Don Mitch missed a potential game-tying 3 and Crowder skied above everyone else to grab the rebound with one hand before falling to the ground, and passed it out real quick.
We hit!!!
And so did Don Mitch on his next game-tying 3-ball attempt to send this baby to OT.
It seems like D. Mitch is always hitting clutch shots, cause he is.
In OT, Book got a super quick layup off the jump ball, and the Suns never trailed the rest of the way.
Suns 117, Jazz 113. OT
It took every last bit of Overtime to get this one Over.
Don Mitch scored 41 and Book dropped 35. Booker’s fourth game in a row with 30+.
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Sign us up for more Suns-Jazz games in the playoffs! Although… that would mean as the #1 and #2 seeds… they wouldn’t be able to meet until the Western Conference Finals……..
(Please un-sign us from that lol)
We love this game!
