welcome back! today, I'm going to be reviewing what has happened in NBA these past 2 days. be sure to return on Monday for another post! also, make sure to visit my Instagram @cricketnba for high quality, reliable, and fast NBA news and content! Lets begin.
Hawks vs Knicks
the Hawks vs Knicks series is now tied 1-1 with game three taking place tonight. Trae Young has been absolutely dominant through game 1 and 2, and the star player on the Knicks hasn't been. not at all. Julius Randle is really struggling to hit his shots, and this ultimately could cause the Knicks the series. on the bright side though, Derrick Rose has been spectacular to watch so far in these first 2 games, and even hit some clutch shots late in the 4th. putting him in the starting lineup has been a great move for New York. a great game is what fans are hoping to see in game 3.
Bucks vs Heat
The Milwaukee Bucks are now up 3-0 on the Miami Heat. this was a series in which we all came into it thinking it was gonna be one of the more competitive ones. well so far, its been pretty one sided. we haven't seen the playoff Jimmy Butler we all love and know, and also Bam hasnt been playing well either. the Bucks are playing great team ball, and overall, just destroying this Miami Heat team.
Suns vs Lakers
the Lakers go up 2-1 on the Phoenix Suns, and Anthony Davis has another monster performance. he dropped 34 points along with 11 rebounds and was dominant out there on the court. Lebron James isn't necessarily playing bad, but not to the caliber we know he can. it looks like he's taking it easy for the time being, but who knows. D Book dropped only 19 points this game on 31% shooting from the field, and you can really tell that Chris Paul's injury is affecting him, both physically and mentally. Deandre Ayton continues to dominate, with 22 and 11 on 73% shooting from the field. game 4 will be an important one for the Suns, because you do NOT wanna go down 3-1 on Lebron. Also, the foul by Devin Booker was completely unacceptable (when he push schroder in the air) and he needs to learn to control his emotions, even when things aren't going his way.
Nuggets vs Blazers
The Denver Nuggets take a 2-1 series lead on the Portland Trailblazers, and Nikola Jokic is just further proving why he's the undeniable MVP of the league this season. Damian Lillard did all he could this game, and i think the problem with the Blazers comes in the form of their coaching. Terry Stotts should not be allowing Jokic to keep running 1 on 1 because he will destroy your defense. we have now seen this happen 3 games in a row, and I have not seen not one play adjustment on him. in 3 games, he is averaging 36ppg on 57% shooting. this just further proves that if the Blazers don't make an adjustment, it could possibly cost them the series.
76ers vs Wizards
with the Sixers leading the series 2-0, I think we all know how this is gonna end. if Washington even wants to win one game, they're gonna need Russell Westbrook to be efficient from the field, and not take those contested long midrange jumpers he likes so much. he needs to play better. Bradley Beal has been great, and the rest of the Wizards are playing how they normally do. for the Sixers, almost everybody is playing at a high, efficient level, especially Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris. they just have to keep this up, and they'll most likely close this series out in 4.
Clippers vs Mavericks
Mavericks go up 2-0 on the Clippers, with both games being at Clippers home court. now, with the next 2 games in Dallas, who knows what will happen. can the Mavs close this out in 4? will the Clippers be able to come back? Luka Doncic is proving to be a superstar in this league, a guy that I would argue has put himself in the top 5 this season, and his supporting cast all elevated their play. Tim Hardaway Jr has been great, and same thing with Jalen Brunson and Kristaps Porzingis. I don't think this series is over yet, because when you have Kawhi and Paul George, its very possible. However, I don't think they will do it. I think the odds are now in Dallas' favor, and i think they'll win this series.
Jazz vs Grizzlies
another series that I think is pretty one sided, after game 2. we saw the Grizzlies come out and play damn near their best basketball, and it wasn't enough to even make it a single digit game. Ja dropped 47 just to lose by 12. this is in no way a knock on the Grizzlies, because they're a young team that's still developing. instead, think of it as praise to the Jazz. Donovan Mitchell in his first game back dropped 25, and shot 50% from 3 on 10 attempts. this Jazz team seems like they'll pull this series out in 5, but I wouldn't be surprised if it went 6.
NBA midseason tournament?
The NBA is in serious talks of implementing an 8 team midseason tournament, as early as 2 season from now. to do this, the NBA has talked about shortening the season possibly to 78 games. it would be an 8 team single elimination tournament, and a discussed prizes were 1 million dollar player payouts to the winning team, the first pick in the second round of the draft or an extra second round draft pick, and more. some teams are hesitant to vote for this change, because of the revenue lost for the 4 games missed in the regular season. also, some players would rather use those extra days as rest days instead. but the success of the play-in has also pushed some teams to push for this change. its definitely likely to happen, but as of right now, its a 50/50.
Fans getting disrespectful
over the past few days, we have seen 3 different teams have to ban fans in New York, Utah, and Philadelphia. in New York, a fan tried to SPIT on Trae Young when inbounding the ball. in Utah, 3 fans were suspended for verbal altercation with Ja Morants family, and in Philly, a fan was suspended for dumping popcorn or Russell Westbrook as he was leaving the game with an injury. all of these are completely unacceptable, and they definitely deserved to be banned for their actions. just because the NBA allowed fans back into the arena, does not in any way mean they can act like that.
that's all we've got for today. if you enjoyed, please consider returning this Monday for another post similar to this one! also, visit my Instagram, @cricketnba for fast, high quality, and reliable NBA content and news.