2020-2021 NBA Game Thread

Five Cent Head

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The article is a little ambiguous, but "Frank Vogel said James' absence from the team's bench the past two games was not due to his injury" sounds like it's just why he's not on the bench. As to whether anyone cares, it's the media and it's LeBron, so ...
 

Sam Ray Not

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It's too bad the Warriors play defense — and/or that the Thunder are a G-league team — cos if this game were close, Steph might go for 17 threes and 70 points. 49 points on 26 fga, 11-21 from 3 in 29 minutes.

Needed 22 to keep pace in the scoring title chase with Beal, who scored 50, and got 24 in the first quarter. I think he's done for the night, tho, unless Kerr decides to disrespect the game. 109-69 Warriors.
 
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mikeot

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Nets on the road got blown out by Denver in the first half, but it’s just an four -point Nugget lead with ten minutes to go in the fourth.
 

BigSoxFan

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Big road win for the Knicks against the Clippers. This team plays hard.
In a season full of teams underperforming, they are definitely in the list of huge successes along with Utah, Phoenix, Philly, Denver, etc. Never thought this team had a shot at a top 4 finish. He’ll of a job by Randle and Barrett has developed very nicely. They need another top end piece or 2 but there is now legitimate hope.
 

jon abbey

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I wonder if they have a shot at Chris Paul in the offseason, his former agent (Leon Rose) is NY's president, and Paul just said this about the current Knicks:

“This was such a good game for us,’’ Paul said. “Remember last time we played them in New York. That team right there, man, they play the right way. They play with the right energy. They make every game feel like a playoff game. They don’t take any possessions off. It’s good for us to have games against a team like that. They make you build that trust. They make you beat them.”
 

TripleOT

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Injury ravaged Pelicans go into Charlotte and win without Zion and Ingram. Jackson Hayes had a big game, and blocked six shots. Veteran James Johnson made some key plays down the stretch.

Terry Rozier put up 43 in a losing effort.
 

BigSoxFan

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Injury ravaged Pelicans go into Charlotte and win without Zion and Ingram. Jackson Hayes had a big game, and blocked six shots. Veteran James Johnson made some key plays down the stretch.

Terry Rozier put up 43 in a losing effort.
Pelicans now 1.5 back of Spurs for 10 seed and Wiz now 1 back of Hornets for 8 seed.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Injury ravaged Pelicans go into Charlotte and win without Zion and Ingram. Jackson Hayes had a big game, and blocked six shots. Veteran James Johnson made some key plays down the stretch.

Terry Rozier put up 43 in a losing effort.
Jaxson Hayes is one of my guys to keep an eye out for in these next couple years if his work ethic adds skill to his crazy athleticism and length. He’s like a more mature Christian Wood at the same age (faint praise I know). Pure upside.
 

radsoxfan

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Weird to watch the Knicks play after the Celtics.

It looks like they are playing a different game defensively.

Intensity and effort 10x the Celtics
 

lovegtm

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Weird to watch the Knicks play after the Celtics.

It looks like they are playing a different game defensively.

Intensity and effort 10x the Celtics
Yeah, I'm fine with people disagreeing on the cause for this, but effort on both ends doomed the Cs this year, way more than roster issues imo.
 

jon abbey

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Tough loss for NY, seemed pretty idiotic to clear out for Randle against AD over and over down the stretch when a better plan would have been ‘go at literally anyone AD is not guarding’.
 

Sam Ray Not

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Warriors and Grizz are now in the rather bizarre situation of being tied at 37-33 with two games left ... with nothing to play for in their games tomorrow. Whatever either team does tomorrow, the head-to-head season finale will decide who enters the play-in at #8 and who gets #9.

Ws might run out a starting 5 of Nico Mannion, Gary Payton II, Mychal Mulder, Alen Smailagic, and Jordan Bell...
 

radsoxfan

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Interesting decision for POR to challenge and use their last TO with 2 seconds left down 1 on that shooting foul.

If you lose that challenge, game basically over. Booker made both FT and POR couldn't advance the ball.

In that situation you better feel at least 50/50 you can get an overturn.
 

Sam Ray Not

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Interesting decision for POR to challenge and use their last TO with 2 seconds left down 1 on that shooting foul.

If you lose that challenge, game basically over. Booker made both FT and POR couldn't advance the ball.

In that situation you better feel at least 50/50 you can get an overturn.
Didn’t watch but fans on Blazers Edge are furious at Stotts. Said it was an obvious foul, even if ticky-tack.
 

radsoxfan

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It was a very soft foul. But there was contact and not overturnable.
Agreed. Soft foul and didn't really have to be called. But once it was called, pretty unlikely to be overturned.

Given Booker is a good bet to make both, you should only challenge if you think you have a pretty good chance to win that challenge.

Down 1 with 2.4 seconds and a TO to advance is still a decent chance at a win. With no TO it's almost a sure loss.
 

azsoxpatsfan

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Can anyone explain to me why the warriors sat curry, draymond, and Wiggins today? They’re tied for 8 with Memphis and 9 is a significantly worse spot to be in unless I don’t understand the play in bracket
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Can anyone explain to me why the warriors sat curry, draymond, and Wiggins today? They’re tied for 8 with Memphis and 9 is a significantly worse spot to be in unless I don’t understand the play in bracket
This is meaningless for Golden State as is Memphis' game vs Sacto. Whomever wins between GS and Memphis on Sunday wins the tiebreaker and gets the eighth seed. Even if one wins and the other loses their games today.
 

azsoxpatsfan

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This is meaningless for Golden State as is Memphis' game vs Sacto. Whomever wins between GS and Memphis on Sunday wins the tiebreaker and gets the eighth seed. Even if one wins and the other loses their games today.
Gotcha, didn’t realize they were playing each other. Thanks!
 

Sam Ray Not

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Clippers tanked a game against the Rockets to avoid playing the Lakers in the first two rounds.
Took the genius ESPN national announcers like 30 minutes of yammering about it — including some in-depth "analysis" by Goldsberry where he totally elided it, and Hubie Brown waxing poetic about how hard the Rockets are playing — before they realized that was what was going on.

You'd think replacing Kawhi and PG3 in the starting lineup with a guy whose name is literally "Scrubb" might have given them an inkling?
 
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Sam Ray Not

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To avoid further polluting the "Best Players under 25" thread: 21 y.o. Jordan Poole got the start at PG in place of Steph tonight and put up 38 points on 12-22 fg, 4 reb, 6 ast, 2 tov in a Warrior win. Destroyed nominal NBA player Eric Bledsoe and nominal young guy who's way better than him Kira Lewis, Jr.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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To avoid further polluting the "Best Players under 25" thread: 21 y.o. Jordan Poole got the start at PG in place of Steph tonight and put up 38 points on 12-22 fg, 4 reb, 6 ast, 2 tov in a Warrior win. Destroyed nominal NBA player Eric Bledsoe and nominal young guy who's way better than him Kira Lewis, Jr.
The market for this post was 10pm PT today. I took the under.

Poole can score and he isn't just a shooter. If he can build on this season, he is going to be a problem for Warriors opponents next year. With Thompson returning, he is likely to have a bunch of extra space with which to work.
 

Kliq

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Tanking to avoid the Lakers is such a losing mentality, which isn't surprising from this Clippers team. You are going to win the title by beating the best teams; and frankly I'd rather play the Lakers when LeBron might still be working his way back from his ankle injury than later in the playoffs. By ducking them on purpose they are basically hoping another team does the hard work for them.
 

ElUno20

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Tanking to avoid the Lakers is such a losing mentality, which isn't surprising from this Clippers team. You are going to win the title by beating the best teams; and frankly I'd rather play the Lakers when LeBron might still be working his way back from his ankle injury than later in the playoffs. By ducking them on purpose they are basically hoping another team does the hard work for them.
Aka...what happened with the lakers and their summer league title? Look, no one will care at the end of the day if you win it.

The lakers played dogshit in the bubble playoffs and everyone was tripping over themselves to blow lebron.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Since the all star break

Anthony Edwards 34 games, 35.1 mpg, .454/.350/.747, 23.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks.

The 2020 draft is going to end up being pretty ridiculous.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Since the all star break

Anthony Edwards 34 games, 35.1 mpg, .454/.350/.747, 23.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks.

The 2020 draft is going to end up being pretty ridiculous.
Wait! I was told rookies have excuses that they didn’t have summer league, training camp, practices, etc. ;)
 

Sam Ray Not

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We’re definitely in creative tanking season. Now that the Clips have successfully tanked to push Denver up to #3, Denver will likely take a dive in Portland tomorrow to push the Blazers up to #6 and the Lakers down to the play-in round.
 

johnmd20

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Aka...what happened with the lakers and their summer league title? Look, no one will care at the end of the day if you win it.

The lakers played dogshit in the bubble playoffs and everyone was tripping over themselves to blow lebron.
I thought the Lakers won the Championship in 2020.
 

Tony C

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Imagine praising one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Such suck-ups.

Tanking to avoid the Lakers is such a losing mentality, which isn't surprising from this Clippers team. You are going to win the title by beating the best teams; and frankly I'd rather play the Lakers when LeBron might still be working his way back from his ankle injury than later in the playoffs. By ducking them on purpose they are basically hoping another team does the hard work for them.
Isn't it a bit risky to tank to play the Mavs? They've been playing really well after a first 1/4 or 1/3 or whatever it was of the season when they sucked. Not that the Lakers would be chopped liver, but not sure I'd tank for Luka and co.