Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. I write about what’s happening in the NBA daily. Hey! We’re in the playoffs now!
The Jazz won Game 1 despite not having starting point guard, Mike Conley.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Jeffrey Swinger/USA Today.)
Give the Utah Jazz credit.
The Clippers were a team that could match up with the Jazz. They had the big wings that can shut down the perimeter. They could match threes with Utah. And they could get Rudy Gobert out of the paint because of that.
Worse yet, the Jazz didn’t have Mike Conley to calm the offense down.
And the Clippers came out firing early, especially Luke Kennard. Kennard, who didn’t play until late in the Dallas series, sank three three-pointers in the first. Jordan Clarkson stopped the bleeding to end the first but Utah was still down, 25-18.
The rest of the Clippers joined in on the shooting spree. Rajon Rondo, Reggie Jackson, Nic Batum, and even little-used DeMarcus Cousins all got in the act. A Batum three ended the half with a 60-47 Clippers lead.
But while the Jazz didn’t have Conley, they still had super scorer Donovan Mitchell (who somehow gets a lot of flak from some pundits on Twitter). Mitchell immediately scored the first 10 points for Utah in the third. Royce O’Neal‘s lay-up gave the lead to Utah.
The Clippers couldn’t sink a three to save their lives. Donovan continued to pump in the buckets. And a Bojan Bogdanovic put Utah up 10 with another three.
Still, the Clips had one last gasp. They did sink a late three to cut the deficit to 112-109. Mitchell missed a jumper and the Clippers decided not to call a timeout with 15 seconds left. What followed was a virtuoso defensive possession by Utah.
JAZZ HAD THE CLIPPERS IN A STRAIGHT JACKET. CLAMPSSSSSS pic.twitter.com/SK1g0lEw99
— Rob Lopez (@r0bato) June 9, 2021
It ended with a Rudy Gobert block (Tyronn Lue surmised that he didn’t call a timeout because he didn’t want Quin Snyder to take Gobert out; I don’t think Snyder was going to do that, regardless). But what a clutch play by the two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Mitchell exploded for 45 points (32 in the second half). Right now, I don’t think there is any doubt that he can operate as the #1 option; you saw him play in the bubble, right? And the Clippers blew a golden opportunity to steal Game 1 with the Jazz undermanned.
We don’t know Conley’s status for Game 2 but if he doesn’t play, the Clips have another shot at this. All it takes is to steal one game on the road to get the home court advantage. But Game 1 just felt like a missed chance.
Bullet Passes
It’s easy to joke about Paul George. Although he didn’t shoot well from three, he averaged 23.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in the Dallas series. That is actually pretty great.
Despite the late three, George did score 20 points but shot 4 for 17 from the field. They’ll need more from him in Game 2 and the rest of the series.
The Sixers got Game 2 from the Hawks. Joel Embiid had himself a hell of a game with 40 points and 13 rebounds. But it was Shake Milton that broke the game open, scoring all 14 points in the second half (which included a buzzerbeater in the 3rd that put them up 8).
Trae Young had a bit of a quiet night at 21 points and 11 assists. But nobody could stop Embiid. Tobias Harris punched them in the face (not literally) early (22 points) and the Sixers won going away.
Atlanta is going to be a hotbed in Game 3, though.
Nikola Jokic was officially named the Most Valuable Player this season. Here are the voting results.
MVP Voting results pic.twitter.com/GRsa2CeENv
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) June 8, 2021
I think it is incredible that he was a second round pick (and was picked during a Taco Bell ad). People like to say he’s the second player ever to win MVP as a second round pick but DUDE, THE NBA ONLY HAD LIKE THREE TEAMS IN 400 B.C.
(Okay. Willis Reed was picked first in the second round of the 1964 NBA Draft. But he was picked EIGHTH OVERALL.)
Anyway, Jokic was picked #41 overall in that 2014 NBA Draft that was SO lauded it made my stomach turn (Andrew Wiggins was the next LeBron; Jabari Parker was better than Wiggins, etc.). And he didn’t even come into the league until another season. From then, he steadily improved to become an all-star. And now he’s the MVP. What a journey he had.
Oh, here’s said Taco Bell ad.
“Two things you only dream of coming together.”
Little did we know, this Taco Bell commercial was predicting the future for the Denver Nuggets.
*started from the bottom now we HAVE NIKOLA JOKIC THE MVP* pic.twitter.com/ZQJhjvcLlY
— Katy Winge (@katywinge) June 8, 2021
Now I’m hungry.
NBA Playoff Scoreboard
June 8, 2021
NBA Playoff Series Count
EAST
#1 Sixers are tied with #5 Hawks, 1-1.
#2 Nets lead #3 Bucks, 2-0.
#1 Sixers defeat #8 Wizards, 4-1.
#5 Hawks defeat #4 Knicks, 4-1.
#2 Nets defeat #7 Celtics, 4-1.
#3 Bucks defeat #6 Heat, 4-0.
WEST
#1 Jazz lead #4 Clippers, 1-0.
#2 Suns lead #3 Nuggets, 1-0.
#1 Jazz defeat #8 Grizzlies, 4-1.
#4 Clippers defeat #5 Mavericks, 4-3.
#2 Suns defeat #7 Lakers, 4-2.
#3 Nuggets defeat #6 Blazers, 4-2.
Watch This Play
I like Clint Capela’s dunk better but what a dunk battle between Capela and Embiid.
Clint Capela and Joel Embiid with dunks 🔙 2️⃣🔙 pic.twitter.com/Vdra4UgTg7
— Sporting News (@sportingnews) June 9, 2021
THAT was fun.
Everyone, please take care of yourselves during this pandemic. And that goes for everyone involved with the NBA as well.
You can find Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
You can also check out Rey-Rey’s podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental, for more basketball content and, really, whatever else.
R.I.P. Nala.