This is the Hangover. This is where I get drunk on the NBA as I recap last night’s action as well as a few things going on around the league. Here’s your word vomit.
11/14/2016
THE GAMES
ORL 69 (4-7) @ IND 88 (5-6)
DAL 77 (2-7) @ NY 93 (4-6)
OKC 88 (6-5) @ DET 104 (6-5)
BOS 105 (5-5) @ NO 106 (2-9)
PHI 88 (1-9) @ HOU 115 (6-4)
MIA 90 (2-7) @ SA 94 (8-3)
MEM 102 (5-5) @ UTA 96 (7-5)
BRK 95 (4-6) @ LAC 127 (10-1)
(PHOTO CREDIT: AP.)
CLIPPERS NEEDED THIS START
The Clippers are off to a 10-1 start after they handed the Nets quite the shellacking.
Maybe they needed this start. ESPN’s Arash Markazi brought up a great point of the Clippers’ past starts, which affected their seeding in the end. Of course, they also had some bad luck AND some tendencies to melt down. Let’s check it out.
2015-16: 6-7 start. Finished 53-29 (4th seed). Lost in first round to Portland. Also had major injuries.
2014-15: 7-5 start. Finished 56-26 (3rd seed). Lost in second round to Houston. Blew a 3-1 lead.
2013-14: 8-5 start. Finished 57-25 (3rd seed). Lost in second round to OKC. Sterling scandal also hovered.
2012-13: 8-6 start. Finished 56-26 (4th seed). Lost in first round to Memphis. Blew a 2-0 lead.
Maybe this major confidence boost from the start will help them get the first seed. After all, they are a team that hasn’t gone very far and they need every advantage they can get on the road to the NBA Finals. Once a team wins a title, they can get (irrationally) confident on the obstacles being put in front of them. Such as being a third seed.
But yeah, they can’t also let the big moments get to them. It’s one thing if you lose your superstars to injuries; that’s just some major bad juju. But blowing a 2-0 lead against Memphis? Before blowing 3-1 leads was a major joke, the Clippers were one of the few teams to do it. That was a ticket to the Conference Finals. Being that the Clippers were the last team to eliminate the Warriors in the West, the landscape might be different if it was the Clippers that ended up facing the Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Finals. Maybe that title that gave the Warriors that edge boosted them to have that record-breaking phenomenal season. And maybe there wouldn’t be any played out 3-1 lead jokes.
Either way, this start is big for the Clippers. More so if they maintain the pace because it would be awful if they go on a five-game losing skid starting this week.
THE REST OF THE LEAGUE
The Pistons didn’t have Andre Drummond but they were able to punch the Thunder in the face at home. Tobias Harris is still playing really well for them. He’s actually at a 49/36/91 clip this season while averaging 17 points per game. What an acquisition for the Pistons last season. And they’re maintaining without Reggie Jackson, who is still out with an injury.
The Spurs, after they got a bit of pub for losing three in a row at home, have righted the ship and guess what? Nobody’s talking about them again. When they win, they’re boring. If they’re losing, well, all these questions about what’s wrong with the Spurs come out. Because we all know that water is wet, death and taxes are inevitable, and the San Antonio Spurs win basketball games. It’s just the facts of life. They’re currently 8-3 and it’s quiet.
The Knicks are not a super team but Kristaps Porzingis could even reach superstar status? He’s so nimble at 7’3″. He’s doing crossovers. He’s doing fadeaways. He has the touch. He’s got the power. And he’ll be working with Dirk Nowitzki on his game in the summer, apparently. I can’t wait to see him do more damage to the league. But man, it would be so Knicks if they don’t end up keeping him.
And right now, James Harden leads in assists and it’s not even close at the moment. He has 12.6 dimes per game. Next on the list? His ex-teammate Russell Westbrook is at 9.9.
LINE CROSSER
(PHOTO CREDIT: AP.)
This line stands out to me because, in many ways, it’s amazing that a 5’8″ guy can do this but… Isaiah Thomas did this:
37 points, 7 assists.
This guy is only an inch taller than me. And also a billion times better than me at the game of basketball.
WATCH THIS PLAY
(VIDEO CREDIT: NBA.)
The Russell Westbrook Destruction Tour made a stop at Motown and look at him destroy a rim. He lays down in the air and spikes the hoop with malicious intent. That was mean.
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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In my opinion, the 10-1 start the Clippers are having is due to what’s at stake for them: they could lose Paul and Griffin as well as their entire future if they have another early exit. Their defense looks and feels as if they’re trying to protect their best friends from being taken away.
The Clippers are fueled by love, friendship and family. I wish I was joking here, but to me, this feels real. Griffin is proving with a heavy heart that the Clippers indeed chose correctly when they drafted him first overall, and they love him for how his highlight reeled rookie season gave hope to a new future. Griffin basically inspired David Stern to veto the infamous Laker trade. You have buddy-buddy chemistry and familiarity going on between Griffin and Jordan; Crawford and Felton; Bass, Pierce and Doc Rivers. The father-son relationship between Doc and Austin is a reminder that chemistry is a precious and fragile element, and that a team is another word for family – protect your family. The Clippers have both a purpose and a reason to win a championship now, and with everything they’ve been through since Doc Rivers took over, they feel that nothing is going to stop them now.