Friday night NBA did not disappoint. 11 games and no matter where you went. There was quality basketball. It’s why I love this game.
Lets dive into the recap. We start. With this.
Charlotte Hornets Break Atlanta Hawks’ Hearts 122-119
This game was easily game of the night. You don’t even need to watch the whole game. Just skip to the 4th and there you will find clutch basketball at its best. Three after three, something had to give. And then Lance Stephenson, who hasn’t had the best start of the season, did his best Kemba Walker impression and killed the Hawks. It was a great shot. But he wasn’t player of the game. Big up Al Jefferson. 34 points and 9 rebounds. He truly kept the Hornets in the game. Can’t win them all Atlanta.
Dallas Mavericks Continue To Quietly Dominate, Beating A Mediocre Utah Jazz 105-82
The Dallas Mavericks is everybody’s darkhorse in the West. They have a squad with a great balance of youth and veteran leadership. A great, underrated coach in Rick Carlisle, and of course Dirk Nowitzki continuing to play at a high level. Utah will have their time, they have a good core, they just need to focus on the long term. In this game it was all Dirk, 27 and 10, potting every shot imaginable. Threes, 18 footers, fades, he was all over the court.
Detroit Pistons Pull Out A Win Against the Milwaukee Bucks 98-95
The Detroit Pistons may have got this win. But it was once again unconvincing. Even though they had 6 players accruing double figures in points. The fact that this ended with only a three point gap, it makes you scratch your head. But in the loss, it seems that Jabari Parker has finally got to grips. 18 points for pick no.2.
Cleveland Cavaliers Retaliate With Teamwork At the Expense of the Denver Nuggets. Game ends 110-101.
With the stupid loss to Utah, the whole of Cleveland were on the defensive. There were words of friction in the locker room between LeBron and Kyrie Irving. But they looked okay in this game. And they actually passed. 26 team assists for the Cavs. For the Nuggets. They we were shook up by the late scratch of Ty Lawson and it showed on the floor. Several key turnovers was the catalyst for their loss. If Lawson was there. It would’ve been a much closer finish.
Boston Celtics Lose Marcus Smart But They Press On And Beat The Indiana Pacers 101-98
Marcus Smart was carted off early in the 4th quarter. Not knowing what the injury was specifically, the C’s had to battle on with Phil Pressey at the helm. They battled on alright. Jared Sullinger and Pressey killed off a Pacers team led by a Roy Hibbert who actually looks great. Last season is definitely behind him. According to Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston, Marcus Smart has had X-Rays and it has come out negative. It looks like an ankle sprain which is the best of a bad situation.
Philadelphia 76’ers Attempt To Upset the Bulls but Chicago Show Their Metal And End The Game 118-115
On paper, this looked like a blowout. But good on Philadelphia, they made Chicago earn this W. It was a tied game at halftime, Chicago tried to pull away but the Sixers were still in the mix. In the end Chicago stayed composed and made the shots necessary to get the win, handing Philly their 6th loss in a row, still without a win.
Brooklyn Nets Win Game One Of the “Battle Of NY” , Beating The “Bermuda Triangle” Knicks 110-99
If you were in New York, you were most likely watching this game. And the Nets took it easily. Unlike the Cavaliers, the Knicks are showing 0 progress in terms of their play in the Triangle offense. Both teams weren’t exactly playing well. It was just the play of Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez and Deron Williams (yes, Deron Williams actually made an impact) that gave the Nets the W. Shaq is looking right at the moment. Without that second star, the Knicks are in Triangle limbo.
Memphis Grizzlies Show Offensive Prowess And Run Out Of OKC With A 91-89 Win.
Considering Oklahoma City’s injury problems. They showed a great 4th quarter. They were behind all game but somehow, they gave Memphis a real challenge. Forcing the Grizzlies to jack up threes which is not their go to move. But Memphis showed that they’re legit and made the shots necessary to grab the W. Oklahoma’s woes continue but Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka are trying really hard to keep the Thunder afloat in a cutthroat Western Conference.
Toronto Raptors Thrash The Washington Wizards 103-84 In Their Throwback Purple Jerseys.
Don’t you just love them jerseys? Toronto certainly do as they strangled Washington’s offense with stellar defense which led them to the win. Would Kyle Lowry please stand up. Triple double for Lowry on top of Toronto’s easy offensive performance. 13 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. The Raptors are on top of the East with Chicago and rightly so. They’ve had a great week.
Orlando Magic Beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in Overtime 112-103
Minnesota haven’t won in Orlando since 2008. And unfortunately they’re going to have to keep waiting. Take a moment for Ricky Rubio who went down with a nasty ankle sprain. Orlando took advantage of the injury and took the game to overtime. Guess who took the game over? Magic Rookie Aaron Gordon. Who knew?! Dunking it for And1, potting a three and the rest is history. Great performance by Gordon who is a definite Rookie of the Year candidate.
Lastly. Phoenix Suns Painfully Lose To The Sacramento Kings 114-112 In Double Overtime.
The Sacramento Kings are really impressing me right now. They are winning ugly but at least they’re winning. They were also forced to finish the game without DeMarcus Cousins who was fouled out. This truly went down to the wire but with Rudy Gay and Darren Collison leading the Kings and getting key defensive stops in the final seconds. The Kings have done it again!
