10-29-21 NBA Blog Train Friday
Welcome to the NBA Blog Train!
Seven games on the Friday night menu.
All aboard!
Magic +9.5 at Raptors Over 206.5
We had our eye on the Magic +8 for most of the day, so when we saw it jump up to 9.5 shortly before tip-off, we had to pull the trigger.
The Magic were right in it from the jump. Mo Bamba hit a couple of 3s, leaving us wondering if he should be shooting more triples. He’s got a smooth stroke. Especially for being 7 feet tall.
It was close throughout most of the game, but the Raptors grabbed a 12-point lead with 2 minutes left in the 4th after Freddy V hit another 3.
That’s when the Magic got going. They stormed all the way back, sparked by none other than Jalen Suggs, playing against the very team that spurned him on draft night.
A 4-point play by Suggs, followed by a Franz Wagner 3, and the Magic trailed by only 1 with 5.8 seconds left after Anunoby missed a 3.
Thanks to good defense by Gary Trent Jr., Cole Anthony had trouble with the inbounds pass and was left to heave up a half-court shot at the buzzer.
Alas, she did not fall.
But Magic +9.5 was a Solid Lock.
Ah hell, that looks pretty dang Pure!
Raptors 110, Magic 109.
This Over 206.5 started slow, then hovered around 50 percent before taking off in a combined for 64 points 4th quarter.
Jalen Suggs: 21 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds and +7 net rating in 30 minutes.
Scottie Barnes: 21 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 block but -13 net rating in 37 minutes.
We have mentioned him before and here we are again: Good things happen when Banton is in the game. He’s a Caruso type that does more than his stats show and the stats are well-rounded in a relatively short amount of time off the bench: 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and +4 net rating in 23 minutes.
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Pacers +8.5 at Nets UNDER 223.5
The talk of the town (#NBATwitter) has been the new free throw rule and the lack of free throw calls for Harden.
If that doesn’t look like a foul to you, then we ain’t watching the same game.
But don’t worry: Harden got to the line plenty: 16-of-19 on free throws tonight.
The step-back 3 was hittin’ tonight, too.
Yet the Pacers led by as many as 16 in the first half before Brooklyn came alive.
Whoops, wrong clip.
The SLIM REAPER.
Jeremy Lamb free throws with 3 seconds left got the Pacers to cover in the end.
Nets 105, Pacers 98.
This Under 223.5 went UNDER by 20 points. That’s a Pure Lock, bae.
It doesn’t seem like as many people are talking about LaMarcus Aldridge’s big 21-point contribution off the bench.
The Pacers leading scorer was… Torrey Craig. (Who no longer has ankles.)
Over the last 3 games, the Nets offense is averaging 105 points per game — the 25th rated offense in the NBA at 101.0. (It’s pretty safe to say that they miss He Who Shall Not Be Named.)
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Hornets at Heat -7 Under 221
A clash of styles occurred this evening down at FTX Arena (formerly known as American Airlines Arena):
The Hornets #1 offense with a 114.8 rating vs. The Heat #1 defense with a 92.0 rating.
Something had to give and it was the defense beating the offense tonight.
The Heat controlled the entire game, but the Hornets made a tiny run at the beginning of the fourth quarter to make the spread interesting.
It didn’t last long.
Heat 114, Hornets 99.
This Over 221 would have been a slowly sinking ship. (Glad we stayed away, you know we love Hornets Overs.)
Jimmy Beans and Bam feasted while the Heat bench had a combined net rating of +54. Tyler Herro balled out for 26 points. (4-of-6 from 3 and 6 assists.)
The Heat were perfect from the free throw line: 19-of-19.
Still no Terry Rozier (ankle) for the Hornets.
However, P.J. Washington was back in the lineup and that meant by playing against P.J. Tucker, there were two of the five P.J.’s to ever play in the NBA on the court at the same time. (As always, shoutout Hornets announcer Eric Collins for that one. And shoutout P.J. Brown!)
More Eric Collins gold: At one point he referred to Miles Bridges as “eloquent ferocity,” and that should totally be the name of his next album.
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Kings -1 at Pelicans Over 221.5
Recalling De’Aaron Fox’s grand success vs. the Pelicans last season (43, 43 and 38 points), it felt like the move was to take the Over on his player prop total of 24.5 points.
We also rolled with the Kings -1.
If Fox was going big so should the Kings.
The Kings were definitely in the driver’s seat for the vast majority of this game. There was a slight drought in the third quarter when the Pelicans briefly took the lead. An 8-0 Kings run at the end of the third quarter (the Kings love 8-0 runs in the third quarter) gave Sacramento back the lead and momentum.
Fox checked back into the game with 7 minutes left sitting on 17 points.
A foul-line jumper gave him 19 points with 4 minutes to go, Kings up by 8.
It wasn’t Fox but actually Haliburton who was the key cog for the Kings in the 4th quarter. He was working a slick two-man game with friend of the blog Richaun Holmes. And working a very nice iso-game as well. This kid is putting it all together.
But Fox got back in the mix, hitting a floater and then making two free throws to push him up to 23 points with 1:20 left. Just. Two. More. Points!
Even better, after being down 12, the Pelicans pulled right back into the game after back-to-back-to-back 3s from Devonte’ Graham, Brandon Ingram and then Devonte’ Graham again.
It felt like upcoming Fox free throws were going to send us Over, FOR SURE.
But there were a couple of no-calls with a decent amount of contact. And then Fox was the inbounds passer every single time that the Pelicans fouled late. So he never got those free throw attempts.
Fox finished with 23 points when we needed Over 24.5.
At least Kings -1 was a Pure Lock!
Kings 113, Pelicans 109.
This Over 221.5 was NUTTY. Only 42 combined points in the third quarter followed by a 4th quarter EXPLOSION of 73 combined points. It came down to all of the free throws at the very end for a big Comeback Squeaky Lock.
Haliburton: 17 points and 8 assists, 7-of-12 shooting.
Valanchoony was huge for the Pellies all night with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Except he fouled out with 1:40 left.
All of the Kings wins this season have come on the road.
The Kings used to be our Pesky Pacers of the Western Conference, but that is no more! #KANGZ
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Mavericks at Nuggets -3.5 UNDER 216.5
ATS, the Nuggets -3.5 was the no-doubt Pure Lock of the Night.
Nuggets 106, Mavericks 75.
This Under 216.5 went UNDER by 35 points. The ole Double Pure Lock!
There is some serious Luka/Mavs on the second night of a back-to-back data that we need to look further into.
We got Bones into the game for the first time and there was also a Bol Bol sighting! Bones drained a couple of 3s and Bol Bol had couple of baskets, including a transition dunk with negative power.
Is Jason Kidd going to be the first head coach fired, or is Jason Kidd going to be the first head coach fired?
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Clippers at Blazers -3.5 UNDER 223.5
The Clippers had an early lead, but the Blazers really got it going in the 2nd quarter.
PG was doing what he could, damn near scoring half the Clippers points. (PG had 42.)
Motivation (from the Blazers 30-point loss to the Clips on Monday night) won out vs. the matchups here.
Blazers 111, Clippers 92.
This Under 223.5 went UNDER by 20 points.
The Clippers have gone Under in 4 out of 5 games.
Scoring 92 points tonight and only 79 Wednesday night against the Cavs, it would appear that the Clippers currently have a scoring issue.
The Blazers have gone Under in 3 straight. All 3 went UNDER by more than 20 points.
The Clippers are 1-4. Do you know who has their draft pick this year? (Yep, it’s Sam Presti.)
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Cavaliers at Lakers -8.5 Under 221.5
Folks, got some news here.
We took the Cavs +8. Yup, sure did. Pretty sure it’s the first time that we have bet against the Lakers since we started the blog two years ago.
Eight points felt like too much given how poorly the Lakers have been playing and how well the Cavs have been playing.
It started out just how we expected.
The Lakers turnover problem continued with 10 in the first quarter that also saw a 13-0 Cavs run.
Mobley was rim running.
Markkanen and Rubio were ripping 3s.
Even gray-haired Kevin Love was contributing!
The Lakers trailed by as many as 11… yet they felt inevitable.
And inevitable they were.
LeBron steamrolled to the hoop the same way he always has.
Melo 3s to the dome rushed upon us like a wave.
Even Dwight hit a 3 at the end!
Tonight, the LakeShow was back!
And Cavs +8 was a Slippery Lock that slipped away.
Lakers 113, Cavs 101.
This Over/Under toggled back and forth a little bit. Under 221.5 prevailed in the end when the Lakers put the clamps on the Cavs in the 4th quarter.
Avery Bradly posted a net rating of +30 in 23 minutes.
Austin Reaves, anointed as the new Caruso, received MVP chants from Staples. Many are clamoring for Reaves to get more minutes. Some are shouting that he should be starting.
Let’s not forget the Lakers have been without THT, Ariza, Kendrick Nunn and Wayne Ellington.
Points in the paint: Lakers 60, Cavs 44.
LeBron is now 16-1 vs. Cleveland.
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11 games ahead on the busy as hell Saturday night slate highlighted by a rematch of the Eastern Conference Semifinals: Atlanta at Philly. Get your popcorn ready.
We love this game!
