NBA 2016 Playoff Chronicles: Adjustments and Fight Backs
NBA Playoff Chronicles is an irregular celebration of all things National Basketball Association during the 2016 Postseason, courtesy of the wit and whim of the Wildcard. So… expect more Dirk Nowitzki poems and Steven Adams Moustache highlights than you can handle.
Hope for the Hopeless
So who saw the Rockets playing like that in game three? Yeah it helped that Steph Curry was out once again but they blew out to a good lead early and held it most of the game, riding a fine James Harden performance as was obviously necessary, but also getting contributions from most of their starters. The problem is that even without Steph, the Warriors are still the masters of the late game. After playing from behind since Patrick Beverley’s corner three made it 3-2, a floater by the impressive Ian Clark capped an 11-2 late run to have the Warriors in front with 84 seconds remaining. Michael Beasley put HOU back up from the free throw line. A steal and another Clark finish (!) swing it again but with no timeouts and the clock in single figure’s James Harden rolled off of Andre Iguodala and sunk the fadeaway for the lead. Insane stuff. The Warriors had one last chance to win it but Draymond Green fumbled the inbounds off his foot. Just as the Pacers and Mavericks before them, the Rockets showed that every team is good for one top level performance.
You have to give a bit of credit to the Pistons and Grizzlies too, despite 0-3 holes. Both of those teams are thoroughly outmatched – the Pistons because they’re a year early and the Grizz coz of all the injuries – and yet both have found a way to compete in games. Memphis had to wait until they hit home court but eventually they showed the guts that got them here in the first place, they just didn’t have an answer to the mastery of Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs. Matt Barnes is not carrying your team’s offence in the fourth quarter. That ain’t happening. The Pistons are sticking in much longer but again are a scorer short and it’s seeing them fall away in the fourth quarters as Cleveland are able to bring the big three in. It doesn’t help either having to bench Andre Drummond because his free throws are so abysmal that he’s only made 6 of his 24 attempts this postseason. 25%.
Clearly this playoffs will ramp up another level next round, as the best teams start meeting each other. Already that impending Spurs-Thunder clash is getting the lip drooling. However we’ll have to wait a few days as these underdogs continue to get their day in the sun. The Mavs couldn’t repeat the dose on home court against OKC so they’ll be playing against elimination next game, but both the Hornets and the Trail Blazers got themselves a W, meaning that all these one-sided series nonetheless only have two winless teams remaining. One is a seventh seed and one an eighth.
How exactly the Hornets got back into that series is hard to pinpoint but their strategy of getting Frank Kaminsky involved more on offence seems to be a goer. He scored 15 and Jeremy Lin 18 as Charlotte won their first playoff game in 14 years. It sounds better when you say it snapped a 12-game losing streak but even then, not ideal. A huge victory for the franchise, they blew it open with an 18-0 run in the third – though as to whether or not they can repeat the dose and tie things up next game is debatable. I’m pretty high on Miami and after shooting at 58% for the first two games, they were way down at 34% in this game. That ain’t gonna be the new normal. The real Heat is a lot closer to the team that did this is game two:
But great to see Marvin Williams back closer to his best in game three. The Hornets’ forward had shot 1 of 17 in the first couple clashes – an unacceptably low rate – though G3 he replied with 12 points and 14 boards. Good lad, somebody’s gonna give him a very large contract this offseason.
Oh and how about Luol Deng while we’re chilling in that series? 22 points and 7 rebounds a game shooting 23 of 36. Way up on his 12 & 6 in the regular season.
As for how the Blazers got themselves back in the series against the Clippers, well it came down to a fine home court crowd and the improved play of their star backcourt. You won’t get too many losses with guard numbers like this – not to mention Mason Plumlee’s 18 rebounds and 9 assists.
El Trio Grande
Much has been made about the many dramas in Cleveland and the way the so-called big three don’t seem to gel. But, let’s be honest for a second here. Last playoffs both Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving were injured along the way. The Cavs played those championship games against the Warriors with LeBron trying to play-make on the back of Matty Dellavedova’s point guardsmanship. This season Kyrie played only 53 games as he returned from that injury.
Irving was magnificent in game three. He scored 26 points in probably his best game since that knee surgery and arguably the best he’s ever played alongside LeBron James. LBJ also added 20 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists while Kevin Love had 20p & 12r. it was the fourth time this season that all three have hit 20+ and the Cavs are undefeated when that happens. Irving drilled an impossible triple from the corner with 0.7 on the shot clock to basically seal the game and LeBron, mate. Forget all the supposed beef and the fit in or fit out tweets and the body language on the bench and all of that. Big fella was pumped.
We know that the Cavs sort of had a claim on the first seed all season. They could have won 5-10 more games if they really went for it but they’re about peaking now and in the next few weeks. Watch out because even if they’ll be playing better teams in the future, Detroit is no slug. Stan Van can coach. He’d coach even better if Andre Drummond could hit a goddamn bloody free throw too, sorry to keep beating on that drum.
On the other hand, game four of the Indy-Toronto series saw the continuing struggle of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan for the Raptors. Man, Toronto was so rubbish. They were piss from 3pt, they couldn’t protect the ball and worst of all their star backcourt – pair of All Stars that they are – went and kept up their same buggery. DeRozan teased a resurgence in game three but other than that it’s been all rough for the two. After a combined 8 of 27 shooting night (20 points all up), they’re now shooting 30.8% from the field, which no starting backcourt has worsened this playoffs.
When Doves Cry
The NBA did its bit to mourn the passing of one of music’s greats, as Prince left us this week aged 57. A Minneapolis native who was known to frequent the odd NBA game, Prince had a pretty big presence in the sporting world – not in the least down to one of the greatest Super Bowl halftime shows in history. Just a few months ago he was seen courtside at a Warriors vs Thunder game.
Ethan Sherwood Strauss/ESPN: “At shootaround, Steph Curry initiated the playing of Prince on the stereo. Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala jumped in with their song choices. Songs heard: Purple Rain, When Doves Cry, and Raspberry Beret”
This is where a few music vids would go down nicely but Prince was notoriously controlling about how his music was shared, so either buy a tidal subscription (meh) or buy an album but do yourself the favour either way.
A Grizzly Reminder
The Reel:
Quotables:
Dwane Casey: "Give them credit. We didn't respond. I need to do a better job of getting DeMar DeRozan cleaner looks."
Steve Clifford: "When you have two first-ballot Hall of Famers [Hornets owner Michael Jordan & assistant coach Patrick Ewing] and they both say, 'Post Frank', you have to post Frank."
Ray Felton (on Steven Adams): "I'm not going to let you just elbow me in my face and I let it go. Whatever. I'll take a technical or whatever, fine or whatever it is. I'm not going to back down for nothing. I'm definitely not going to let anybody hit me in my face freely for no reason. I'm just down there trying to battle a big 7-footer for a rebound and he elbows me to my face. Like, you're that much bigger than me, what you need to elbow a little guy like me to get a rebound? I didn't like it, so I let him know that. But whatever, it's over with now. I ain't trippin' no more. You can smile and laugh all you want to. You ain't just gonna hit me in my face and think everything's sweet, but like I said, I'm gonna let bygones be bygones."
Rick Carlisle: "There were four, what I would categorize as non-basketball physical escalations that were initiated by them, including one intentional, unprovoked elbow at the free throw line, which I didn't understand and I've never seen a guy like Kevin Durant ever do that to a player. Then ultimately, that led to two more escalations between the teams, the fact that that was missed. I'm concerned about that. There's no place for that in our game."
Dwight Howard: “For all those people saying we weren't happy and excited because James hit the shot, shut up.”
Kevin Durant: “It was a flagrant, even though I wasn't trying to intentionally foul him. The refs had to make a decision and they made the right one. It was just bad timing. I wasn't trying to hurt him.”
DeMarre Carrol (on Paul George): "That's just Paul being Paul... Obviously if the refs didn't call it, it wasn't a foul, right?"
Kemba Walker: "The way we played all night is how we played all year. Our energy and enthusiasm is one of the best. That's how we play."
Dave Joerger: "I want these guys to have some success. They deserve it."
Steve Kerr: "I would expect Steph to play"
Hero Ballers:
LeBron James (CLE):
27 PTS (12/18 FG, 2/4 3PT, 1/3 FT), 6 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL vs DET G2
Dwyane Wade (MIA):
28 PTS (11/22 FG, 6/7 FT), 3 REB, 8 AST, 2 STL vs CHA G2
Kevin Durant (OKC):
34 PTS (11/25 FG, 3/9 3PT, 9/11 FT), 7 REB, 3 AST vs DAL G3
Russell Westbrook (OKC):
26 PTS (9/16 FG, 2/3 3PT, 6/9 FT), 0 REB, 15 AST, 2 STL vs DAL G3
Isaiah Thomas (BOS):
42 PTS (12/24 FG, 5/12 3PT, 13/15 FT), 4 REB, 1 AST vs ATL G3
Kawhi Leonard (SAS):
32 PTS (11/22 FG, 6/9 3PT, 4/5 FT), 6 REB, 2 AST, 4 STL, 5 BLK v MEM G3
James Harden (HOU):
35 PTS (11/26 FG, 4/14 3PT, 9/11 FT), 8 REB, 9 AST, 2 STL, 1 TO vs GSW G3
Ian Mahinmi (IND):
22 PTS (9/14 FG, 4/5 FT), 10 REB, 5 AST, 1 BLK vs ATL G4
Enes Kanter (OKC):
28 PTS (12/13 FG, 4/4 FT), 6 REB vs DAL G4
Damian Lillard (POR):
32 PTS (10/20 FG, 3/8 3PT, 9/9 FT), 5 REB, 2 AST vs LAC G