Last Night In The NBA: Trouble In Paradise?

Good morning everybody and welcome to another edition of Last Night In The NBA where we bring you up to speed on everything that happened from the night before in the Association. We have a ton to get to with 9 total games on the schedule, so if you were doing something else like watching football, boy did you miss a great night of basketball. There was drama, there were upsets, hell even the Wizards won a game! I won’t fluff this blog with a silly intro, let’s just get right down to it. If you missed the action last night, here’s what happened

Orlando Magic (6-8) 109 vs Washington Wizards (4-9) 117

Alright Wizards, baby steps! Some might laugh that this was just against the Magic, but I won’t. That team plays hard and has beaten some good teams so far this season. Given the Wizards need absolutely anything positive right now, don’t take this away from them. They got great nights from their normal studs in Wall/Beal

but that’s to be expected. The positive is what they got from Dwight

as well as their bench (Jeff Green’s 18), and finally not running out of gas in the fourth quarter where they had 34 points. This game was tied entering that final frame, so the Wizards had to work for this win and credit to them for shooting 50% and only turning it over 10 times. Now 2-3 at home so far this season, this did look a lot more like the Wizards we expected and this was with them basically getting nothing from Otto Porter Jr who had just 6 points. Baby steps.

For ORL, they continue to play teams tough which is all you want from them at this point of their rebuild. Aaron Gordon was back and dropped a nice 18/10 on 8-13 shooting and honestly if they have more performances like this where they go 48/50%, make 15 3PM and turn it over just 12 times, they’ll win their share of games

Just figure out how to play a little bit of defense here and there and now you’re cooking

Philadelphia 76ers (9-6) 124 vs Miami Heat (5-8) 114

Look at the Sixers with their second road win! Not only is that impressive but they did it against a Heat team that was rocking their Vice jerseys so in my mind that bumps it up a little bit and makes it slightly more impressive than normal. I was excited to see the Embiid/Whiteside matchup, and I think it’s safe to say just like he has to pretty much every big not named Al Horford, Embiid dominated

Simmons chipped in a nice 13/7/7 and also big for Sixers fans is we got a look at starter JJ Redick, and call me crazy but I would say that looked pretty good as well since he had 25 points on 11-20 shooting

But it’s not all positive. Why you ask? Because this is Markelle Fultz’s FT

He said the ball slipped. Yeah OK buddy, we believe you

The Sixers, while still having defensive issues showed up in the fourth quarter and probably played their best defense of the night. I feel like this was a 113-107 game for like 6 straight possessions with around 4 minutes left, so credit to them there. They also had a great showing from their bench with three guys in double figures including Furkan Korkmaz who played like he was in the Summer League

Now Jimmy Butler is on the way so maybe this is the spark of a nice little run for PHI.

For MIA, again, you can’t lose wearing the Vice jersey. That’s rule #1, or at least it should be. Dragic led the way with 22/5 on 8-15 shooting, and they did shoot well with 48/41% and 13 3PM as well as also having three bench players in double figures, but yeah giving up 124 at home is a problem

New Orleans Pelicans (7-6) 126 vs Toronto Raptors (12-2) 110

I must say, this was probably the biggest shock to me last night. The Raptors lose? Since when? Not only that, but they give up 126 points in regulation at home? I guess the only trick to beating this team is you need a basketball playing cyborg of your own to match their basketball cyborg, and apparently Anthony Davis fits the bill

He wasn’t alone though. The Pelicans backcourt was RIDICULOUS in this game, combining for 59 points and completely dominating that matchup

Offensive explosions like this are why I believe in this team when AD is in the lineup. To me this group has proven they can hang with anyone on any given night when they are at full health, and this was the latest example. They came out and dropped 66 points in the first half and really had control of the entire game. They shot 54% from the field against one of the best defenses and home court advantages in the league, and I didn’t even mention Julius Randle also had 17/12/4 and they did this without Mirotic who you could argue has been their second best player. What an impressive win

For TOR, honestly it’s no big deal. I mean they weren’t going to go 81-1. It was their first loss at home this season and Kawhi did struggle going 7-20, but that shit happens. They are still very much the wagon you think they are.

If I had to guess, they won’t be giving up 126 too many more times this season, especially at home.

Dallas Mavericks (5-8) 103 vs Chicago Bulls (4-10) 98

Two rebuilding teams for sure, but Dallas in my opinion is at least trying to win. It’s helpful to do that when you have someone like Luka Doncic who can COOK

but also when your highest paid player shows up and has a solid night like what Harrison Barnes did. He’s starting to get back to form and his 23/5 with 4 steals was huge for them

It also helps when your bench shows up like it did for Dallas, with 45 points coming from the second unit. That’s not too shabby and while this may have been closer than you may have wanted as a Mavs fan, you have to be happy with how they managed to not blow this game after a strong first half.

For CHI, we know wins mean nothing, it’s all about seeing progress from the young players. Well, I call this progress

And they didn’t hurt their lottery odds? Well done CHI.

Utah Jazz (7-6) 96 vs Memphis Grizzlies (7-5) 88

You may not have known this, but did you know MEM was undefeated at home heading into this game? It’s true, they were 5-0. On a night where the Jazz couldn’t really hit a shot, finishing with just 39/28% splits, this was an impressive steal by them. Joe Ingles led the way with 19 even though he had a sweet gash on his head

and Rudy Gobert did a nice job of holding things down in the middle for one of his better games of the year

and probably most importantly we saw the Jazz get back to that elite level stifling defense we know them for. You go on the road and hold a team to under 90 points, I don’t care who it is I will find that impressive every single time.

For MEM, hard to win when you go 4-24 from deep and don’t get much outside of Mike Conley

I will say Jaren Jackson Jr did hold his own against the UTA frontcourt with 10/11 and 5 blocks, so that’s promising to see as well

Brooklyn nets (5-9) 113 vs Minnesota Timberwolves (5-9) 120

No Jimmy Butler and look at this team go! What a difference! They played happy, they played free, they played like a team that was relieved a cancer has officially been removed!

120 points, 52.5% shooting, sure the defense is still dogshit but whatever a win is a win. Are we all that shocked that KAT throws up a 25/21 performance on 9-11 shooting? Of course not, he may be the happiest person on the planet right now.

For BKN, we obviously start with the LeVert injury. I’ll warn you, it’s graphic so you don’t have to click it if you don’t want to

Still makes me sick to see. A player who was off to such a great start, it just sucks really really bad.

On a positive note, D’Angelo Russell looked good with his 31 points

but as a team BKN struggled, shooting just 39/36% and then there was the whole not playing defense thing. Rough night all around to be honest.

Phoenix Suns (2-11) 101 vs Oklahoma City Thunder (8-5) 118

The Thunder have turned a corner and are fortunate they are in the middle of a soft spot of their schedule given they have to play without Westbrook, and in this one they used a nice 22-0 run to handle the Suns in the first quarter. It was pretty much a wrap after that

They aren’t going to lose many games in which they shoot 46/48% and made 13 3PM, so while the Suns played them fairly close the rest of the way, that first quarter was simply too much.

For PHX, they tried to make a run, they got good nights from Booker/Ayton/Warren, but come on, you can’t give up a 22-0 run and think things are going to work out for you

San Antonio Spurs (7-5) 99 vs Sacramento Kings (8-6) 104

OK, our pet’s heads are falling off. What is going on in a world where the Kings are beating the Spurs? Am I dead?

Oyut of nowhere this team shoots 50/45% has 6 players in double figures, and actually plays defense and holds the Spurs to under 100. I think it’s time we start taking the Kings somewhat seriously, because this collection of young talent is winning and the Celtics fan in me hates it but the basketball fan in me loves it. The best part about this win was it was a close game the whole way and then they out executed SA in the fourth to pull it out. What a win for them.

For SA, yikes. Derrick White came back and well, it didn’t really matter in the end now did it. DeRozan led the way with 23 points on 8-17, and LMA had a nice 14/18 on 6-12 shooting, but in an old fashioned rock right, they got it handed to them and now are 2-3 on the road and have a worse record than SAC. Who saw that coming.

Golden State Warriors (11-3) 115 vs Los Angeles Clippers (8-5) 121

Uh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Trouble in paradise? I think so! Let the speculation commence! I know they’ll come out and say it was no big deal but my eyes don’t lie. The Warriors are falling apart and it’s happening right in front of our faces. Imagine not passing the ball to Kevin Durant? What an idiot!

Especially when Durant was having this type of night

and then they clearly wasted another awesome Klay moment

Not to overreact, but 2 of the 3 GS losses have come on the road this season, so if there is any sliver of hope you have to beat them, it’s coming when they arrive at your arena.

For LAC, great win. Had to take it to OT but whatever, they pulled it out. Got great performances from Harrell and SGA, and that makes you love life as a Clipper fan

This Clippers team is sneaky good and one I think is absolutely in the conversation for a 7/8 seed in the West. Sure they’ll get swept or lose in 5, but at least they’ll make it.

And that’s it! You’re now all caught up with everything that happened last night in the NBA. We’re back tonight with just 3 games tonight with kind of sucks, and really the only good matchup is HOU/DEN. Go ahead and get some sleep, just check back here in the morning and I’ll fill you in on what you missed.