This is the Hangover. We get basketball-wasted all the time. Yes, we recap the NBA every night in our own way.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images.)
It was kind of a dull night in the NBA but we still got your recap, regardless. Four games on Tuesday.
01/19/2016
THE GAMES
MILWAUKEE BUCKS 91 (19-25) @ MIAMI HEAT 79 (23-19)
Okay. Maybe the night wasn’t THAT dull. A lot of these players showed off their hops as we had a bit of a dunkfest in Miami.
But, really, the game wasn’t close by the third quarter. The Bucks led by as many as 24 points as their defense showed up on Tuesday night. Too bad, it doesn’t show up on every game.
BEHIND THE LINES
Greg Monroe (MIL): 15 pts, 10 rebs.
Khris Middleton (MIL): 22 pts, 7 rebs, 7 assts.
Hassan Whiteside (MIA): 23 pts, 18 rebs.
Chris Bosh (MIA): 23 pts, 5 rebs.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 99 (13-30) @ NEW ORLEANS PELICANS 114 (14-27)
(PHOTO CREDIT: Jonathan Bachman/AP.)
The Pelicans erased a 16-point second quarter deficit and then ran away in the fourth quarter. It was good to see the battle between prematurely-anointed best player of the game Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns, who we’re going to be careful to anoint as the best player of the game. Davis finished with 35 and 7
BEHIND THE LINES
Anthony Davis (NO): 35 pts, 7 rebs.
Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN): 20 pts, 13 rebs.
Andrew Wiggins (MIN): 21 pts, 3 stls.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 110 (31-12) @ DENVER NUGGETS 104 (16-26)
The combination of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Enes Kanter scored 82 points between them and held on in their win over Denver. The game was close for pretty much the entire time but it was the Nuggets’ inability to babysit the basketball that got them in trouble (18 turnovers).
BEHIND THE LINES
Kevin Durant (OKC): 30 pts, 12 rebs.
Russell Westbrook (OKC): 27 pts, 5 rebs, 12 assts, 3 stls.
Enes Kanter (OKC): 25 pts, 8 rebs.
Danilo Gallinari (DEN): 27 pts.
Kenneth Faried (DEN): 17 pts, 15 rebs.
INDIANA PACERS 97 (23-19) @ PHOENIX SUNS 94 (13-30)
The dead Suns made it interesting at the end. The Pacers led by 17 in the fourth before nearly losing that big lead. Devin Booker made a three to cut it to five late inside a minute left but Monta Ellis countered with a jumper that would essentially seal the game. A last-minute lay-up by the Suns made the game closer than it really seemed. The Pacers have struggled as of late but they’re not as hapless as the Suns are at the moment.
BEHIND THE LINES
Monta Ellis (IND): 20 pts.
Paul George (IND): 19 pts, 8 rebs, 4 stls.
Brandon Knight (PHX): 21 pts, 8 rebs, 8 TOs.
Devin Booker (PHX): 32 pts.
GETTING SOCIAL
Not usually one to tweet stuff like this, but @Dame_Lillard 's new music video and song is legit. Well done Damian. Keep giving us music.
— Peter Elliott (@peterelliott) January 20, 2016
Social media always blows everything out of proportion smh.
— Nik Stauskas (@NStauskas11) January 20, 2016
Westbrook is relentless…
— Herb Thomas (@H3rbT) January 20, 2016
Anthony Davis with 35 points on 13/22 FG tonight.
He's still the best pf in the league.
— Washed Up Era (@thrillfocused) January 20, 2016
WATCH THIS PLAY
Giannis Antetokounmpo gets Dwyane Wade out of the way and gives Hassan Whiteside a little bit of business.
(VIDEO CREDIT: NBA.)
THE TAKEAWAY
So what of the fallout of the Cavs getting obliterated by the Warriors? Kevin Love is not a good fit when everyone is healthy; he just looks lost out there whenever Kyrie Irving is on the court. And it’s so weird for him to say something like the Cavs need to get better and start looking themselves in the mirror. I get what he’s trying to say but I also don’t think he should be the one saying this. I wish he would hold himself more accountable because he’s the one that looks lost on offense and the one exposed defensively.
With that said, yeah, the Cavs have a long way to go. Most Cavs fans said to wait until everyone is healthy to see how they match up against the Warriors. Well, they got smashed by 34 points. What’s worse is that Love signed an extension last offseason so it’s going to be a bit hard to deal him if a trade is palatable. The Cavs are going to have to continue to do some “your turn, my turn” plays with their big three.
And, really, the only game that seems to matter right now is Spurs vs Warriors on Monday. They are still on a torrid pace and it’s possible for them to win 70+ games. It’s kind of cool, really.
Other standings comments? Raptors still hold steady at #2. Washington just can’t get over the hump. The Magic are having an awful January. And the Hawks are at #4 despite what seems to be inexplicable losses considering how they did last season. The West’s playoff picture seems a bit more clear. I think we’ll have our Top 7 while the #8 seed is a bit precarious with Utah, Portland, and Sacramento jockeying for that spot.
Happy Hump Day!
Follow Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass for all tweets about the NBA and terrible pop music. Also, check out his podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental.
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