This is the Hangover. We get basketball-wasted all the time. Yes, we recap the NBA every night in our own way.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press/AP.)
Eight games were on the menu for Tuesday. Let’s go have a look-see.
01/26/2016
THE GAMES
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS 91 (29-16) @ INDIANA PACERS 89 (23-22)
(PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Lyons/Getty Images.)
The game was tight from start to finish. The Clippers held a five-point lead late before Paul George made a shot from beyond the arc to cut the deficit to two. Paul Pierce missed a three that would’ve put it away and the Pacers got one last chance with two seconds left but they never got a shot off. The Clips got a win as they continue their season without Blake Griffin, who I hear is quite a knockout guy.
BEHIND THE LINES
DeAndre Jordan (LAC): 9 pts, 19 rebs, 3 blks.
Chris Paul (LAC): 26 pts, 6 rebs, 7 assts.
Paul George (IND): 31 pts, 11 rebs.
Ian Mahinmi (IND): 12 pts, 10 rebs.
PHOENIX SUNS 103 (14-32) @ PHILADELPHIA 76ERS 113 (7-39)
The Suns had trouble against the Sixers the last time they played each other and this one was no exception. Phoenix got into a hole and try as they might, they never really got above ground even though they came close several times. Suns turned the ball over 17 times and were down as many as 18 points. Sixers are inching closer to avoiding the worst record of all-time… and they’ll do it, anyway; season still has too many games to go.
BEHIND THE LINES
Ish Smith (PHI): 20 pts, 5 rebs, 9 assts.
Nerlens Noel (PHI): 14 pts, 9 rebs, 3 blks, 3 stls.
Archie Goodwin (PHX): 26 pts, 6 rebs, 6 assts.
Alex Len (PHX): 16 pts, 12 rebs.
MIAMI HEAT 102 (25-21) @ BROOKLYN NETS 98 (12-34)
The Heat and the Nets were also locked in a closely contested game but Dwyane Wade existed solely to destroy basketball teams’ hopes. He made five straight points inside to minutes to create a little separation. That cushion was enough to hold off a Nets comeback and the Heat, hurt as they are, came away with the win.
Sad Nets team.
BEHIND THE LINES
Dwyane Wade (MIA): 27 pts, 8 assts, 3 stls.
Chris Bosh (MIA): 27 pts, 5 rebs.
Andrea Bargnani (BRK): 20 pts.
Brook Lopez (BRK): 13 pts, 10 rebs.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 128 (34-13) @ NEW YORK KNICKS 122 (22-25) (OT)
(PHOTO CREDIT: Elsa/Getty Images.)
Who needs Carmelo Anthony when you have Kristaps Porzingis tip-dunking over fools?
Well, okay. The Knicks need Carmelo Anthony. They couldn’t find anybody to stop or counter Kevin Durant. His last jumper with 16 seconds left sent the game to overtime. Then in OT, the Thunder never relinquished the lead. Russell Westbrook‘s shot with a minute left put them up three and by the time the Knicks converted a basket, it was too little too late. Thunder come away with a tough win and they keep us wondering if they’re the ones that can unseat the Spurs or the Warriors.
BEHIND THE LINES
Kevin Durant (OKC): 44 pts, 14 rebs, 5 assts.
Serge Ibaka (OKC): 12 pts, 17 rebs.
Russell Westbrook (OKC): 30 pts, 8 rebs, 10 assts, 3 stls.
Langston Galloway (NY): 21 pts, 5 rebs, 3 stls.
Derrick Williams (NY): 19 pts, 10 rebs.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS 89 (20-23) @ TORONTO RAPTORS 106 (30-15)
The hot Raptors turned this into a no-contest early in the fourth. Team Canada scored nine unanswered points and the Wizards just didn’t have enough firepower to counter the dinosaurs. Toronto has won nine straight because WE THE NORTH and stuff.
BEHIND THE LINES
Kyle Lowry (TOR): 29 pts.
Jonas Valanciunas (TOR): 13 pts, 12 rebs.
John Wall (WAS): 18 pts, 14 assts.
Otto Porter, Jr. (WAS): 15 pts 8 rebs, 4 stls.
ORLANDO MAGIC 100 (20-24) @ MILWAUKEE BUCKS 107 (20-27)
That double-digit lead by the Magic was erased pretty quickly. The Bucks were down by one going into the last two minutes. Then Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jerryd Bayless made big shots to help the deer escape the Magic. They would rather be any other deer but Bambi.
BEHIND THE LINES
Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL): 25 pts, 9 rebs.
Greg Monroe (MIL): 21 pts, 11 rebs.
Khris Middleton (MIL): 25 pts, 5 rebs, 7 assts.
Victor Oladipo (ORL): 18 pts, 5 assts.
Nikola Vucevic (ORL): 16 pts, 12 rebs.
SACRAMENTO KINGS 97 (20-25) @ PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS 112 (21-26)
(PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Dykes/AP.)
DeMarcus Cousins was averaging 52 points in his last two games but he didn’t even get a third of that in this contest. The Blazers never let go of the rope in the second half and cruised to an easy win against the once-hot royalty of Sactown.
BEHIND THE LINES
C.J. McCollum (POR): 18 pts, 5 assts.
Damian Lillard (POR): 15 pts, 5 rebs, 13 assts.
Rajon Rondo (SAC): 15 pts, 5 rebs, 11 assts.
Willie Cauley-Stein (SAC): 12 pts, 7 rebs, 4 blks.
DeMarcus Cousins (SAC): 17 pts (4/21 FG), 5 rebs.
DALLAS MAVERICKS 92 (26-21) @ LOS ANGELES LAKERS 90 (9-38)
No Kobe vs Dirk here as Kobe Bryant sat out the game with a sore shoulder.
The second half wasn’t exactly the epitome of basketball but the game was close, nonetheless. Lou Williams was called for a charge with the game tied and with 13 seconds left. On the next possession, Dirk Nowitzki what he did best and sank a jumper over Julius Randle. Lakers had one last shot to tie or win but Randle missed a three from the top, which seems like a brilliant play to call for a game-winner.
BEHIND THE LINES
J.J. Barea (DAL): 18 pts.
Jordan Clarkson (LAL): 18 pts, 6 rebs, 7 assts.
Julius Randle (LAL): 16 pts, 11 rebs.
GETTING SOCIAL
Lmfaoooooo DURANT YOU MONSTER
— Frantz Paul (@LSN_Frantz) January 27, 2016
And the Magic lose again. 7th straight. Had a 16 point lead early. Pathetic.
— Michael Warriner (@MCWarriner) January 27, 2016
The @Raptors tied with franchise best 9 straight wins Toronto has been this cooking since Rob Ford was mayor #WASatTOR #WeTheNorth #RTZ
— Jason (@JHagholm1) January 27, 2016
Four years ago the only way Kobe is patting Dirk on the back after that shot is if he’s holding poison darts.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) January 27, 2016
WATCH THIS PLAY
Dirk’s clutch shot was so good that even Kobe Bryant had to give him props.
(VIDEO CREDIT: NBA.)
THE TAKEAWAY
I’m trying my best to go in one ear, out the other with whatever Byron Scott is saying. I just think the young guys are growing DESPITE of him. You’re going to sit D’Angelo Russell in the last few minutes of the game when he could’ve used the experience? Of course, he would.
The Magic are 1-11 in January. They had so much promise to end 2015 when they ended the calendar year at 7-2.
It’s clear right now that the top 3 teams in the West are where they really should be. It’s definitely Warriors, Spurs, then Thunder. The Clippers are probably going to be #4, especially since they’ll miss Griffin for a lot of the season. Even with the firing of Blatt, the Cavs are just heads and shoulders above every other team in the East. Toronto is hot right now but I can’t see them beating the Cavs if the playoffs started now.
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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