Daily Zap 17-11-14

Denver Nuggets (2-7) @ New York Knicks (3-8)

The New York Knicks ended a seven game losing streak thanks to a win over fellow strugglers, the Denver Nuggets. The win was mainly due to Denver scoring just one basket from 16 attempts in the second quarter, while the Knicks scored 31 points. Even when Denver outscored their opponents in the next quarter, the Knicks didn’t worry, still possessing a 20 point lead. It looked like Denver could mount a comeback when they reduced the lead to 12, but Carmelo Anthony helped pull his team through for the win.

Knicks 93 - 109 Nuggets

KEY PERFORMERS

Ty Lawson - 17 points, 9 assists

Kenneth Faried - 16 points, 9 rebounds

Carmelo Anthony - 28 points, 9 rebounds

J.R. Smith - 28 points

Milwaukee Bucks (5-5) @ Miami Heat (5-5)

The Miami Heat fell to their third straight loss, this time losing at home to the Milwaukee Bucks. They may have won the first half 46-38, but the main damage was done in the third quarter. The Bucks outscored the Heat in the third by 26-13, being a great force on the inside. Miami reduced to the lead to three in the final quarter, but the game was over when Brandon Knight nailed two three-pointers in the space of a couple of minutes. Dwyane Wade was sorely missed by Miami, with Chris Bosh (2-17) and Luol Deng (3-11) struggling from the field.

Bucks 91 - 84 Heat

KEY PERFORMERS

Giannis Antetokounmpo - 11 points, 7 rebounds

Brandon Knight - 20 points, 5 rebounds

Shawne Williams - 13 points, 11 rebounds

Mario Chalmers - 18 points

Houston Rockets (9-1) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (3-8)

In one of the ugliest games in recent years, the Houston Rockets managed to grind out a victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder. If you wondering why the score was so low, it wasn’t due to terrific defence, both teams shot the ball poorly; Houston shooting 28.7% and the Thunder weren’t much better at 29.4%. The Rockets dominance in the paint - they outscored the Thunder 14-0 in the first quarter - was key to gaining an early advantage. But the Thunder rallied to even up the scores, being helped by Houston scoring just nine points in the third. However, it was the Rockets who led late on, 68-65 with one possession left. Reggie Jackson shot an unnecessarily deep three pointer which missed the targets, which maintained the Rockets unbeaten road run.

Rockets 69 - 65 Thunder

KEY PERFORMERS

Patrick Beverley - 12 points, 8 rebounds

James Harden - 19 points, 9 rebounds

Reggie Jackson - 15 points, 11 rebounds

Serge Ibaka - 10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks

Golden State Warriors (8-2) @ Los Angeles Lakers (1-9)

The Lakers defence has been appalling so far this year, but even their biggest critics didn’t expect the Warriors to score 74 points against them in the first half alone. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were the main threats for Golden State, scoring the ball with the ease that we’ve seen many times before. The lead extended to as much as 38 points in the third, meaning they could relax a little in the final quarter, and still comfortably pick up the win. Kobe shot 34 shots from the field which implies that he has been given free rein  by Byron Scott to shoot when and where he wants.

Warriors 136 - 115 Lakers

KEY PERFORMERS

Stephen Curry - 30 points, 15 assists

Andrew Bogut - 15 points, 10 rebounds

Kobe Bryant - 44 points

Jordan Hill - 15 points, 11 rebounds

Daily Zap 10-11-14

Orlando Magic (2-5) @ Brooklyn Nets (4-2)

The Magic missed out on their third straight victory, despite winning the first half 42-40. They lost quite a bit of ground in the third, mainly due to Bojan Bogdanovic’s efforts which got him 11 points in the quarter. Magic center Nikola Vucevic kept his side in contention with brilliant scoring prowess of his own, notching up 17 points in the third. The Magic took the lead early in the fourth - a Channing Frye three-pointer putting them ahead. But Bogdanovic repeated his third quarter performance and put the game beyond Orlando’s reach.

Magic 96 - 104 Nets

KEY PERFORMERS

Nikola Vucevic - 27 points, 12 rebounds

Evan Fournier - 19 points, 5 assists

Bojan Bogdanovic - 22 points, 6 rebounds

Mason Plumlee - 12 points, 10 rebounds in 16:06 minutes of play

Utah Jazz (3-4) @ Detroit Pistons (2-4)

Two teams with losing records, both Detroit and Utah were keen to get a win in this game. The Pistons led for most of the second and third quarter, extending this lead to nine points late in the third. This was mainly due to the efforts of Brandon Jennings, the point guard scoring 14 points in the third. But the Jazz came back in final quarter, their whole team contributing to the resurgence. The Jazz took a one point lead with the Pistons having the final possession. The ball was inbounded to Jennings, who couldn’t convert a floater from the top of the key meaning Utah could pick up their third win of the season.

Jazz 97 - 96 Pistons

KEY PERFORMERS

Derrick Favors - 16 points, 12 rebounds

Enes Kanter - 14 points, 11 rebounds

Andre Drummond - 11 points, 18 rebounds

Brandon Jennings - 23 points, 5 assists

Sacramento Kings (5-2) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (2-5)

The Thunder may have only been able to name nine players in their squad for this game against the inform Sacramento Kings, but it didn’t stop them recording their first win since their victory against the lowly Denver Nuggets. They led by 13 at the break, but this still wasn’t enough for them to be comfortable. The Thunder turned the ball over way too much in the third meaning the Kings could get back into the game. With two minutes left, the Kings even managed to reduce the lead down to two, but Reggie Jackson responded well and helped pull his team through.

Kings 93 - 101 Thunder

KEY PERFORMERS

Rudy Gay - 23 points, 10 rebounds

Darren Collison - 12 points, 7 assists

Serge Ibaka - 14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks

Jeremy Lamb - 17 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists

Philadelphia 76ers (0-7) @ Toronto Raptors (6-1)

The Philadelphia 76ers torrid start to the season continued last night as they fell to their Atlantic Division rivals, the Toronto Raptors. They were never in contention after losing the first quarter 33-20, although it did get better in the second - they only lost by two. But the next two quarters were blowouts as well, giving the Raptors the easy win. The highlight of the game was in the final quarter, when the Raptors’ James Johnson put Brandon Davies on a poster. Definitely worth checking out on YouTube.

76ers 88 - 120 Raptors

KEY PERFORMERS

Henry Sims - 12 points, 8 rebounds

Tony Wroten - 18 points, 5 assists

DeMar DeRozan - 24 points, 6 rebounds

Terrence Ross - 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks

Miami Heat (5-2) @ Dallas Mavericks (4-3)

Before this game, Dirk Nowitzki was just 33 points away from Hakeem Olajuwon on the all-time scoring list, and he looked on course to catch him after he scored 16 in the first half. Unfortunately for Dirk, he only had one point in the last two quarters of play, so Hakeem’s target is still, well, a target. Even worse for the German, he couldn’t prevent his Mavericks side losing their seventh straight game to the Miami Heat (the last time the Mavs beat the Heat was in the 2010-11 NBA Finals). Luol Deng was another player who had a hot hand at the beginning of the game, and he continued his form into the second half, ending up with 30 points. The Heat led by 11 at the break, and strengthened this advantage in the third, adding another 28 points onto their score. They were too far away for the Mavericks to catch in the last quarter, meaning Miami went top of the Southeast Division. 

Heat 105 - 96 Mavericks

KEY PERFORMERS

Luol Deng - 30 points

Chris Bosh - 20 points, 10 rebounds

Dwyane Wade - 20 points, 10 assists

Tyson Chandler - 16 points, 15 rebounds

Monta Ellis - 23 points, 5 assists

Golden State Warriors (5-1) @ Phoenix Suns (4-3)

The NBA is now without an unbeaten team, as the Golden State Warriors became the last team to succumb to defeat. The Warriors started brightly well, Stephen Curry had no worries nailing the three ball, and Leandro Barbosa proved a more than solid replacement for the injured Klay Thompson. The fourth quarter was when the Warriors’ standards slipped though. Gerald Green sent a three-pointer home to tie the game up and then scored two more three’s to put his team up by seven. Isaiah Thomas also helped out as the Suns won the last quarter 36-16. Curry may be on the “Key Performers” list but he could somewhat be blamed for his teams defeat, as he turned the ball over ten times in the game. 

Warriors 95 - 107 Suns

KEY PERFORMERS

Stephen Curry - 28 points, 10 assists

Draymond Green - 22 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks

Isaiah Thomas - 22 points, 7 assists

Marcus Morris - 17 points, 9 rebounds

Denver Nuggets (1-5) @ Portland Trail Blazers (4-3)

The Nuggets have been struggling recently, having lost their past four games, and this record didn’t get any better away in Portland. The Trail Blazers just looked more solid than their opponents throughout the game, LaMarcus Aldridge being dominant in the third. Steve Blake and Kenneth Faried tangled early in the fourth, their minor altercation led to them both receiving technical fouls. It had no effect on the game though, it went on as normal, with the Trail Blazers running play. Nicolas Batum left the game with an injury late on and didn’t return. Although there was no official word from the team, it didn’t look good for the French forward.

Nuggets 100 - 116 Trail Blazers

KEY PERFORMERS 

Timofey Mozgov - 7 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks

Kenneth Faried - 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks

LaMarcus Aldridge - 28 points, 9 rebounds

Robin Lopez - 12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks

Charlotte Hornets (3-4) @ Los Angeles Lakers (1-5)

The Los Angeles Lakers won. Do not adjust your monitors, you read that right. It looked almost like déjà vu as the Lakers began the game on the wrong end of a 15-6 start, but they did enough to keep themselves in the game. The third quarter is when it went right for Los Angeles, with new signings Carlos Boozer and Jeremy Lin helping contribute to a 16-1 run. This meant they won the third period 34-13 and led the game 74-64 going into the final quarter. The Lakers needed someone to seal the deal, and who better than Kobe Bryant, he finished the game with 21 points.

Hornets 92 - 107 Lakers

KEY PERFORMERS

Al Jefferson - 23 points, 8 rebounds

Lance Stephenson - 6 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists

Kobe Bryant - 21 points, 6 rebounds

Jeremy Lin - 21 points, 7 assists

LeBron Decides

LeBron James has made his decision. After months of speculation and rumours, LeBron told the world that he was going home.

This story was first broken by Sports Illustrated where LeBron discussed his reasons for the move with Lee Jenkins. And the thinking behind writing a magazine column to discuss his choice, rather than a press conference? Apparently, LeBron thinks that “After this, it’s time to get to work”. He also wished to explain himself about Miami without interruption. He said he didn’t want anyone to think “He and Erik Spoelstra didn’t get along. … He and Riley didn’t get along. … The Heat couldn’t put the right team together.” He started off by saying that he now realises that “his relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball”. This is something he didn’t realise 4 years ago, but he can see that importance now. 

LeBron James revealed his decision in a piece in Sports Illustrated

It seems as though forgive and forget was the order of the day as LeBron said that he didn’t have any hard feelings against Cleveland fans. Neither did he have any bitterness towards Cavaliers owner, Dan Gilbert. You may remember Gilbert from 2010 when he penned a furious open letter about James leaving Cleveland. In the letter, which was released on the Cleveland Cavaliers website, Gilbert described James as a former hero and a coward and described the build up to “The Decision” as narcissistic and self-promotional. LeBron couldn’t exactly ignore this career-defining moment in his essay, but when the time came to talk about it, he was fairly reserved. He said “I’ve met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man. We’ve talked it out. Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?” It looks as though the past has been forgotten, with the future being the only focus.

Speaking of the future, it is currently unclear as to who James will play alongside. Kyrie Irving is a definite team mate, after he recently put pen to paper on a 5 year, $90 million contract. As is former team mate, Anderson Varejao, who he said he can’t wait to reunite with. He described the Brazilian center as one of his favourite team mates. The big debate is whether LeBron will play alongside number 1 draft pick, Andrew Wiggins, or not. Trading the number 1 pick away without giving him a chance to prove himself may seem like a mad decision, but it is rumoured that it might be the only way to get Kevin Love. The power forward from the Minnesota Timberwolves is said to be intrigued by the idea of playing for the Cavaliers, and will be even more interested now that he will get the opportunity to play with the best player in the league. It could be Love’s best shot at a ring. Also, the Cavaliers are yet to sign Wiggins to a contract, which means he is still eligible to be traded this season. In his interview, LeBron name checked four of his new team mates, who were Irving, Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao. Wiggins was not included in this list, despite being the main name on Cavs’ fans lips. This may be reading too much into things, but with the scrutiny this statement must have gone through, surely one of James’ entourage mentioned it to him?

LeBron obviously has many reasons for moving back to Cleveland, not least of which the fact that it is his home town club. The former Cavaliers star “always believed that he’d return to Cleveland and finish his career there”. He also said that we wanted to bring a title to Northeast Ohio, a place that “hasn’t had that feeling in a long, long, long time.” But his commitments to Cleveland stretch beyond just basketball. He said a big factor in his decision was the idea of being able to raise his kids (2 boys, with a girl on the way) in his hometown. Also, he feels that he has a “responsibility to lead” and pointed to the example of helping 3rd graders through his foundations. Although many will see this as pandering to the media attention, it is nice to see an NBA superstar think about more than the money and market of teams.

So, what of Miami? Well, there are plenty of rumours flying around about their other free agents. Ray Allen had hinted at the idea of retirement in this off-season, and said he was going to consider it in his free time. But when Cleveland reportedly came knocking at his door, he is willing to play again. Chris Andersen has already left, Shane Battier has become a commentator and the Miami Heat still only have 4 players under contract. To make matters worse, the one man they thought they could rely on to re-sign a contract with them, Dwyane Wade, is now be linked to his hometown club, the Chicago Bulls. They have tried to convince players to stay by signing free agents Danny Granger and Josh McRoberts, but they’re not the marquee players that will draw big stars to the club. The one saving grace is that their draft selection, point guard Shabazz Napier, is looking promising in his summer league appearances. You can’t exactly replace LeBron James, but there are plenty of small forwards on the market, such as Luol Deng and Trevor Ariza, who could be heading to South Beach. Chris Bosh has been the main target, with the media saying that he is likely to join the Houston Rockets in the next couple of days. However, it was recently reported (in fact, during the writing of this report) by Adrian Wojnarowski that Bosh has signed a $118 million deal that keeps him at the club for the five years. It will be interesting to see how this deal affects the decision of other free agents.

Overall, it’s easy to see why LeBron James returned to Cleveland. Although it won't go down well with those in Miami, Cleveland fans have seen the return of their king. Let’s hope he can bring them some long awaited success.

Spurs Win, Clinch 5th Championship

The San Antonio Spurs closed out the 2013-14 season last night, with a 104-87 win over the Miami Heat. The victory allowed them to clinch their 5th NBA Championship in the past 15 years.

The Spurs hold the Larry O'Brien trophy aloft, the team's 5th championship in 15 years.

For many, including Boris Diaw and Marco Belinelli, it was a first taste of the title, but there was a few more experienced heads on the roster. Tim Duncan became the 26th player to win 5 rings, with Gregg Popovich being the 5th coach to win 5. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have also tasted success before, both of them winning their 4th championship.

They have outplayed the Heat in this series, and that pattern continued last night, with the Spurs cruising past them, despite LeBron James' commendable efforts (31 points and 10 rebounds). You couldn't ask for more from the 4 times MVP, a statement that couldn't be applied to his teammates. Ray Allen shot 1-8 from the field and Chris Andersen managed to rack up 5 personal fouls, despite only playing for 18 minutes. This series could be lingering on James' mind (and Dwyane Wade's and Chris Bosh's) when he comes to make his decision about his contract in Miami.

Kawhi Leonard won an emotional Finals MVP, gaining the title on Fathers Day, 6 years after his father was murdered. It was a well deserved title after he not only kept LeBron James (relatively) quiet, but also managed to average 17.8 points and 6.4 rebounds on 61% shooting. He was the third youngest man to receive the award, after Magic Johnson and his teammate Tim Duncan.

The season may be done, but this blog certainly isn't, as I will continue to report on NBA news, such as the 2014 NBA Draft and the fast approaching Free Agency period. Also, the FIBA World Cup will be commencing in August, so expect news and reports from that.

Thank you to my readers for making the first season of my blog possible, here's to many more seasons down the road hopefully.

2014 Finals Preview

So. This is it. After 220 days, 1230 games and millions of Air Miles logged, the NBA championship boils down to one series. The Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs may have met last year in the finals, but this isn't just gonna be a re-run.

The NBA finals are always a fantastic spectacle and this year is no different

The Heat are looking to '3-peat', hoping to be the first team to manage this feat since the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000-2002. The Spurs are going for their 5th championship. This would also mark the 5th victory for power forward Tim Duncan and head coach Gregg Popovich, who are often seen as the backbone of the Spurs squad for the past 15 years.

The rosters are barely changed, Marco Belinelli the only addition to the Spurs squad, whilst the Heat's trio of new players, Michael Beasley, Toney Douglas and Greg Oden, haven't made much of an impact this year. Some players have made big steps in terms of their ability, such as Danny Green and Norris Cole, but overall the line-ups looks fairly similar.

Speaking of the line-ups, it is near impossible to choose which team has the better starting five. At point guard, power forward and centre, the decision is clear as to who is superior with Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Chris Bosh taking the honours in their respective positions. Dwyane Wade effectively has to compete against Danny Green and Manu Ginobili, with both Spurs players having equal minutes at shooting guard.

Tim Duncan hopes to lead his team to their 5th title

The key player matchup is at small forward, where LeBron James takes on a rapidly improving, and defensively minded, Kawhi Leonard. However, no matter how well Leonard plays over the series, one thing is certain.

You can't guard LeBron James.

It doesn't matter what defensive strategy Leonard uses against James, LeBron will still be capable of scoring 20 points. Nevertheless, if you had to pick one man to take the unenviable task, Sugar K would be one of the first players picked. He did a very good job last year, and was possibly one of the main reasons the series went to 7.

Ray Allen's game tying 3 in Game 6 was the pivotal moment of last year's play-offs. Could we see another moment like this this year?

Obviously, the main factor to these games is how each team's Big Three perform. Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan have all been solid for the Spurs this season, combining for 42 points per game between them. The Miami big three, consisting of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have been more potent at the attacking end, scoring 62 points a game. However, there are doubts over the fitness levels of Ginobili and Wade. Both players are playing reduced minutes due to age and injuries. Bosh choked in last season's play-offs, but will surely relish a second go at it. There are also worries about Tony Parker's ankle injury, but he is expected to play without a minutes restriction.


So, "Who will win?" I hear you cry. The real answer? 

Nobody knows.

That's the beauty of basketball.

LeBron Over Durant ?? No... Well, Not Yet

The latest Race to the MVP standings have been released, and there is a headline change at the summit.

Yes, Kevin Durant's reign at the top is over. Long live King James.


But is it deserved ? In my opinion, no. Since last week  both players have had comparatively equal runs, with one major talking point. The Heat-Thunder game.

This was billed to be the pivotal moment in the Race to the MVP. As well as that, Russell Westbrook was returning after missing 27 games with a knee injury. The stage was set for a showdown between, arguably, the two best teams in the league.

So, what happened? Well, LeBron and the Heat won the day, despite James taking a blow to the face from Serge Ibaka. Despite his team performing poorly, shooting only 38% from the floor, Durant (or should that be "The Servant" ?) didn't exactly have a bad game, with 28 points and 8 rebounds.

But of course, fans took to social media to declare that LeBron is back, and Kevin couldn't hold a candle to the "true" MVP. Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I'm not sure of their logic.

Durant is still averaging more points and rebounds than LeBron this season and has helped OKC through a period without their star point guard. The return of Westbrook may benefit the team, but it could damage Durant's MVP chances.

With Westbrook back in the team, the Thunder now have two All-Star players, meaning some of the public (and media) attention will be off KD. It is also safe to presume that Thunder Head Coach, Scott Brooks, will set his team up to use both Westbrook and Durant, instead the current system of relying on Durant. Whereas, out in Miami, LeBron will still be taking all the headlines.

This could be the main factor in LeBron taking his 5th MVP crown. As mentioned before, his stats are slightly worse than Kevin's at the minute, a fact that can be easily forgotten if you help your team to clinch the number 1 seed in your conference.

I guess we will see what will happen in the rest of the season, but for now, the Race to the MVP is definitely on.

Who will win ? Only time can tell.