Daily Zap 22-11-14

Orlando Magic (6-8) @ Charlotte Hornets (4-9)

The Charlotte Hornets are currently struggling after falling to their fourth straight defeat in the league. They should have won this one as well; holding a 23 point lead going into the final quarter. However, the Magic used a four guard line-up to great effect, wiping out this deficit nine minutes later, and then going into a lead of their own.

Magic 105 -100 Hornets

Key Performers

Tobias Harris - 17 points, 16 rebounds, 2 blocks

Nikola Vucevic - 14 points, 10 rebounds

Al Jefferson - 24 points, 11 rebounds

Kemba Walker - 15 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists

Phoenix Suns (8-5) @ Philadelphia 76ers (0-12)

The worst team in the league kept their record up as they fell at home to the Phoenix Suns. The 76ers were dominated all game, with a 41-17 second quarter meaning they could never get near the lead. If Philadelphia keep going like this, the Kentucky Wildcats may be looking for a match…

Suns 122 - 96 76ers

Key Performers

Eric Bledsoe - 13 points, 7 assists

Isaiah Thomas - 23 points, 8 assists

Michael Carter-Williams - 18 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists

Alexy Shved - 15 points, 5 assists

Detroit Pistons (3-10) @ Atlanta Hawks (6-5)

The Detroit Pistons are another team who are on a four game losing streak after leading just once in this game. Atlanta’s Jeff Teague led by example on both ends of the court, even managing two blocks, despite being just 6’2”. The Pistons shot poorly as usual, scoring just four three-pointer attempts from 21 attempts.

Pistons 89 - 99 Hawks

Key Performances

Andre Drummond - 13 points, 16 rebounds

Josh Smith - 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists

Paul Millsap - 15 points, 12 rebounds

Jeff Teague - 28 points, 6 assists, 2 blocks

 

Milwaukee Bucks (7-6) @ Toronto Raptors (10-2)

The best team in the East continued their dominance as last night, with another blow out. They were better than the Bucks in every way, leading by 52 at one point, while the Bucks biggest lead was one. The Raptors scored 15-25 from deep in this game, an impressive percentage led by Lou Williams’ efforts.

Bucks 83 - 124 Raptors

Key Performers

Jabari Parker - 15 points, 6 rebounds

Kyle Lowry - 20 points, 9 rebounds

Lou Williams - 22 points, 5-7 shooting from three-pointers

Jonas Valanciunas - 18 points, 12 rebounds

Boston Celtics (4-7) @ Memphis Grizzlies (11-2)

The league’s best record was improved once again by a Memphis Grizzlies side who defeated the Boston Celtics at home. Boston never led the game and only the tied the score once; three minutes into the first quarter. The Grizzlies are now 7-0 at home this season.

Celtics 100 - 117 Grizzlies

Key Performers

Jared Sullinger - 13 points, 3 blocks

Kelly Olynyk - 18 points, 6 rebounds

Zach Randolph - 16 points, 16 rebounds

Marc Gasol - 32 points, 8 rebounds

San Antonio Spurs (8-4) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (3-8)

The old boys blew out the new pretenders in Minnesota, to win their third game in a row. The Spurs’ rotation worked brilliantly, with bench players like Aron Baynes and Jeff Ayres contributing to this win as well. The Spurs got past 20 turnovers by shooting well; 55% from the field and 62% from deep. 

Spurs 121 - 92 Timberwolves

Key Performers

Austin Daye - 13 points, 11 rebounds

Tony Parker - 28 points, 3-3 from three-pointers

Gorgui Dieng - 9 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks

Anthony Bennett - 20 points

Brooklyn Nets (5-7) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (3-11)

The Thunder’s woes deepened last night, as their depleted squad lost again. They were trailing by two points with 4.9 seconds left, and had a chance to win the game when Reggie Jackson shot a buzzer beater three-pointer.  Unfortunately his shot was off meaning the Thunder have now lost five in a row.

Nets 94 - 92 Thunder

Key Performers

Brook Lopez - 16 points, 10 rebounds

Jarrett Jack - 23 points, 5 assists

Serge Ibaka - 16 points, 10 rebounds

Reggie Jackson - 21 points, 8 assists

Cleveland Cavaliers (5-6) @ Washington Wizards (8-3)

Things are still rocky in Cleveland, as they fell to Eastern Conference rivals the Wizards. Even Head Coach David Blatt and star player Lebron James admitted the team was bad, as they turned the ball over 19 times in the game.

Cavaliers 78 - 91 Wizards

Key Performers

Kyrie Irving - 22 points, 6 rebounds

LeBron James - 22 points

John Wall - 28 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds

Nene - 10 points, 7 rebounds

Los Angeles Lakers (3-10) @ Dallas Mavericks (10-3)

The worst defence in the league were up to their old tricks again last night, as they shipped 140 points to the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs took full advantage of this, as they played all of their available players, with none of them playing for more than 30 minutes. Eight Dallas players ended with double figures in scoring.

Lakers 106 - 140 Mavericks

Key Performers

Kobe Bryant - 17 points, 7 assists

Jordan Hill - 16 points, 10 rebounds

Monta Ellis - 20 points, 10 assists

Dirk Nowitzki - 23 points

New Orleans Pelicans (6-5) @ Denver Nuggets (5-7)

Anthony Davis couldn’t lift his team to another win as Denver won their fifth game in their past six attempts. Six players scored double digits for each side, but Denver’s field goal percentage (52%) was superior to New Orleans’ (40%).

Pelicans 97 - 117 Nuggets

Key Performers

Anthony Davis - 18 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks

Alexis Ajinca - 12 points, 8 rebounds

Kenneth Faried - 19 points

Ty Lawson - 11 points, 9 assists

Utah Jazz (5-8) @ Golden State Warriors (9-2)

Utah never led in this game against the Warriors, who had a four day rest before this game. This break evidently worked in Golden State’s favour, as their players looked fresh and raring to go, winning the first quarter by 15 points. After that there was no real competition as Golden State continued their dominance of the Pacific division.

Jazz 88 - 101 Warriors

Key Performers

Enes Kanter - 18 points

Derrick Favors - 10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks

Harrison Barnes - 14 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks

Andre Igoudala - 17 points

Chicago Bulls (8-5) @ Portland Trail Blazers (9-3)

The Bulls were under-staffed in this game, missing Pau Gasol, Kirk Hinrich and Derrick Rose. It proved to be costly as their offence looked poor - aside from Nikola Mirotic’s efforts. Portland on the other hand were impressive from the floor as their starting five shot 63%.

Bulls 87 - 105 Trail Blazers

Key Performers

Nikola Mirotic - 24 points, 11 rebounds

Aaron Brooks - 12 points

Damian Lillard - 21 points, 9 assists

LaMarcus Aldridge - 16 points, 9 rebounds

Daily Zap 11-11-14

New Orleans Pelicans (3-3) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (3-3)

Anthony Davis may be having his best season ever, but even he was shown up by LeBron James’ performance in this game. The four time MVP recorded a triple double and combined with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love for 86 points. Ryan Anderson helped give the Pelicans the lead in the first half, but even he couldn’t prevent Irving and James dominating the third - including an 11-0 run by the Cavs. The Pellies came back in the final quarter, closing the lead to three at one point, but they weren’t strong enough to hold off another Cavaliers surge with a few minutes remaining. 

Pelicans 111 - 118 Cavaliers

KEY PERFORMERS

Anthony Davis - 27 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks, 4 steals

Ryan Anderson - 32 points, 5 rebounds

LeBron James -32 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists

Kyrie Irving - 32 points, 9 assists

Utah Jazz (3-5) @ Indiana Pacers (2-6)

Roy Hibbert scored his highest points total since the 2012-13 post-season to help give the Pacers their first win after six straight defeats. The teams were close all the way through, Hibbert and Gordon Hayward leading their respective sides. But the Pacers managed to restrain Hayward in the final quarter, while Hibbert was give free rein on offense, meaning the Pacers outscored the Jazz 25-17 in the final quarter. Before the game there was good news for Pacers fans, as Paul George took to the floor to shoot with the team.

Jazz 86 - 97 Pacers

KEY PERFORMERS

Gordon Hayward - 30 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists

Derrick Favors - 12 points, 8 rebounds

Lavoy Allen - 12 points, 15 rebounds

Roy Hibbert - 29 points

Atlanta Hawks (3-3) @ New York Knicks (2-6)

After a promising 2-1 start to the season, the Knicks have lost their past five games. They were tied at the half with the Hawks in this contest - even though the Hawks only shot 32% from the field in this time. The Hawks opened up a slight lead in the third thanks to an 8-0 run. Carmelo Anthony tried to keep his side alive in the fourth, he even managed to cut the lead down to one, but it was too little, too late as the Knicks sunk to another defeat.

Hawks 91 - 85 Knicks

KEY PERFORMERS

DeMarre Carroll - 9 points, 10 rebounds

Kyle Korver - 17 points, 8 rebounds

Carmelo Anthony - 25 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists

Iman Shumpert - 18 points, 5 assists

Detroit Pistons (2-5) @ Chicago Bulls (6-2)

Derrick Rose made his return in this game, and was instrumental to the Bulls’ win. He set off well, getting eight points in the first quarter, and giving his team a 16 point lead going into the half. But the Pistons won the third quarter, and carried on fighting back in the fourth, reducing the lead to two late in the final quarter. However, Rose and Jimmy Butler were both on impressive scoring nights, and could close out another win.

Pistons 91 - 102 Bulls

KEY PERFORMERS

Josh Smith - 19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks

Greg Monroe - 16 points, 10 rebounds

Brandon Jennings - 11 points, 8 assists

Pau Gasol - 17 points, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks

Joakim Noah - 13 points, 14 rebounds

Derrick Rose - 24 points, 7 assists

San Antonio Spurs (3-3) @ Los Angeles Clippers (4-3)

Come the end of the season this game could be pivotal, with both teams expected to compete for the Western Conference title. Both teams seemed to lack a clinical touch on offense, but the game was interesting nevertheless. The Clippers were up by eight in the fourth quarter, but didn’t make a field goal in the last five minutes of play. San Antonio on the other hand improved their shooting, and with 40 seconds left, Kawhi Leonard stole the ball from Chris Paul, and then provided an assist to Manu Ginobili. With one of their last possessions, Jamal Crawford was fouled on the three point line, and made all of his free throws to cut the deficit to just two. Ginobili was intentionally fouled, but the Argentinean couldn’t convert on any of his attempts, giving the ball to the Clippers with 10.1 seconds left. Chris Paul tried to make a lay-up and couldn’t convert, and Blake Griffin couldn’t get a shot off after his rebound.

 

Spurs 89 - 85 Clippers

KEY PERFORMERS

Kawhi Leonard - 26 points, 10 rebounds

Tim Duncan - 18 points, 11 rebounds

Chris Paul - 12 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists

Blake Griffin - 23 points, 10 rebounds, 6 blocks

Daily Zap 07-11-14

San Antonio Spurs (2-2) @ Houston Rockets (6-0)

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich ruffled a few more feathers in the NBA with his team selection, leaving Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili out after playing considerable minutes in the previous game. They faced tough opposition in the Houston Rockets, who are undefeated this season, and have beat the Spurs in their past five meetings. Dwight Howard ruled the game in the first half, starting his night by shooting 8-11 from the floor. While his offensive game flourished, the Spurs struggled, shooting just 25% from the field in the first half, meaning they only had 29 points as they entered the locker room. These woes continued in the third as Houston dominated again, opening the gap to 71-55 after three quarters of action. The Rockets may have lost the last quarter but it didn’t matter as they kept their unbeaten run intact.

Spurs 81 - 98 Rockets

KEY PERFORMERS
Aron Baynes - 12 points, 12 rebounds
Cory Joseph - 18 points, 9-11 shooting
Dwight Howard - 32 points, 16 points
James Harden - 20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists



Dallas Mavericks (3-2) @ Portland Trail Blazers (3-2)

The Trail Blazers’ defence was the pivotal factor in this game, as they managed to keep Dallas’ star man - Dirk Nowitzki - quiet. The German was only able to score two points in the second half, with his side scoring just 37 points in the last two quarters. The game was close at the half - the score being 50-46 in Dallas’ favour - but the third quarter is when the damage was done. The game wasn’t really close again after Portland won the third 35-18, and they opened up an 88-70 lead soon after. Portland’s bench is another area of their team that is often criticised, but they put in a solid effort in this game. Led by Chris Kaman and Steve Blake, they outscored Dallas’ bench 42-35.

Mavericks 87 - 108 Trail Blazers

KEY PERFORMERS
Dirk Nowitzki - 16 points
Nicolas Batum - 8 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists
LaMarcus Aldridge - 20 points, 7 rebounds
Robin Lopez - 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks

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.

Wild Wild West

The race to play-offs is heating up in both conferences, but it's the battle in the West that is grabbing the headlines.

This is because there are 3 teams, the Dallas Mavericks (47 wins-31 losses), the Phoenix Suns (46-31) and the Memphis Grizzlies (45-32), competing for 2 spots left in the post-season.

To add to this already close fight, all three teams still have to play each other. The Mavs are home to the Suns before travelling out to Memphis to face the Grizzlies in the last fixture of the season. Memphis and Phoenix meet in Phoenix for the penultimate match in the 2013-14 campaign.

The Mavs have one less game left, with matches against the Jazz and the Spurs to add to the games named above. The Suns also have to face the Spurs with winnable games against the Kings and the Pelicans filling out their schedule. The Grizzlies also have two "easy" games left, with a trip to Philadelphia preceding a visit from the Lakers. They also have to face the Eastern Conference topping Miami Heat.

It looks like the games against the Spurs could be the key to who gets the places. With Gregg Popovich's managerial style of resting some older key players for certain games, one of their competitors could catch a lucky break. The Grizzlies couldn't, as their 20 point defeat at the hands of the Spurs last night proved.

As the other fixtures go, it looks pretty clear cut as to who will win. However, the Suns beat the Thunder last night, so it is feasible that a similar upset could happen in the Grizzlies-Heat match-up, especially with Miami's stuttering form. Also, they could be saving stars like LeBron James and Dwayne Wade for the play-offs.

If Grizzlies are tied with any of the teams when the season's done, they will be guaranteed a play-off spot, as they are 3-0 against both the Mavericks and the Suns. If the Mavs and Suns tie, whoever wins the last remaining fixture between the sides will make the play-offs.

Dirk Nowitzki, Goran Dragic and Zach Randolph have all been pivotal to their team's play-offs chances this year.

Looking at the fixtures still to be played, here are my predicted records.

7 - Dallas Mavericks (50-32)
8 - Phoenix Suns (49-31)
9 - Memphis Grizzlies (48-34)

I made quite a bold prediction, saying that the Suns would beat the Spurs. I said this because the Spurs have to play their rivals Rockets after this game. This means they may rest some stars such as Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan, in the hope that they can defeat Houston. Despite making my play-offs, I have the Suns down as losing both crunch matches. But due to the Grizzlies losing to both the Mavs and the Heat, they miss the cut.

With all these uncertainties, it's almost impossible to guess who will make the post-season out West. But one thing is for sure. Fans around the world will be thrilled by this race to the playoffs.


Out East, the play-off battle is much less entertaining, but still worth writing about. There are two teams in the running, the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a mathematical chance, but it's about as slight as the chances of Anthony Bennett winning Rookie of the Year. The Knicks are two games back with two games in hand over the Hawks. It seems that New York blew their best chance to catch Atlanta last night when they lost to the Heat (not helped by J.R. Smith's 22 3-point attempts). This loss was made worse by the fact that the Hawks defeated a poor Pacers team on the same night.

The Knicks have the harder schedule, having to play 4 teams already in the play-offs (Nets, Raptors twice and the Bulls) whereas the Hawks have to play "easier" sides with games against the Pistons, Celtics and the Bucks. It's hard to see a way for the Knicks to make their way into play-offs, a sentence that shouldn't be said when you look at their roster for this year.

Have Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks left it too late to make a playoff run? On the other hand, Paul Millsap and the Hawks look like they are going to make it into their 7th consecutive post-season.