What a day of games we had last night, unfortunately though it was business as usual for most of these teams with the favourites taking the cake for every game.
The Grizzlies put up a good fight against the Warriors but they were just outmatched in every step of the way by the end of it. The Blazers are still fighting after losing Nurkic, demolishing the bulls in a statement game! The Thunder picked up a much-needed win after their recent losses against the Pacers.
Sit back relax and get amongst the key points we’ve jotted down.
Golden State Warriors vs Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies came into the game after a big win against the Thunder with a stellar performance by Bruno Caboclo. The warriors unfortunately were on a mission though, they’re looking to keep the 1st seed away from the nuggets who’s only a game behind.
The game started with both Caboclo and Conley hitting shot after shot, but the warriors matched up with their three-point shooting. Valanciunas has been hot lately too, as he scored 27 for the game taking a majority of the shots. The Grizzlies needed to lock down the easy three pointers to have a chance as once they get hot, there’s not much else you can do against the 3 time champs.
Kevin Durant came into the match extremely passive simply passing the pass and making plays, trying to replicate his game against the pistons. Fortunately, he was quick enough to notice that both Curry and Klay could not carry the team tonight and he needed to take some shots. Last night he did that and more, reminding everyone in the league why he’s one of the best players, shooting an efficient 92% 28 points!!
Warriors Win 118 – 103
Top Scorer: Kevin Durant 28 Points / Stephen Curry 28 Points TIED
Top Assists: Mike Conley 8 Assists
Top Rebounds: Jonas Valanciunas 13 Rebounds.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers
The Thunder came into the game slow and scared while the Pacers looked extremely fearless. Myles Turner was pulling every board in existence, pulling 7 in the first quarter alone. The Thunder could not make the three pointers that they needed to and it looked like another bad day was coming for them with how hot Bogdanovic was as well.
Fortunately the Thunder, their defense switched on at just the right time. We’re not sure what Coach Donovan told the boys at half time or if they had some of Michael’s secret stuff, but the Thunder went on a 31 – 15 run in the 3rd closing the gap and extending their lead. Westbrook turned on his engine and made every play in the book, getting both Adams and George easy shots while the Pacers just couldn’t keep up. He ended the game with another magnificent triple double, scoring an efficient 17.
Thunder Win 107 – 99
Top Scorer: Paul George 31 Points
Top Assists: Russell Westbrook 12 Assists
Top Rebounds: Myles Turner 14 Rebounds
Phoenix Suns vs Washington Wizards
Wow this was a fun yet meaningless game at the same time, a lot of points scored and our match up of the night definitely did not disappoint! Bradley Beal and Devin Booker combined for a whooping 78 points for the game! The stand out of the game though was definitely Thomas Bryant, the 2nd round pick by the Wizards in 2017 whos been having some great games lately and locked DeAndre Ayton down with cuffs!
There’s been a weird trend lately with Devin Booker scoring 50+ and losing the game, many question whether he’s a stat padder on a bad team who’s just average. We think he’s somewhere in the middle, capable of going off at any minute with his shooting, but needs to work on his playmaking abilities ala Harden to get the best out of him for the team. This loss wasn’t on him though, he had the only positive plus/minus for the Suns starting team as a whole, with much of the loss being the fault of Miles Bridges and DeAndre Ayton who just couldn’t do it on both sides of the floor. Jabari Parker easily scored 28 on the Suns team from the Wizards bench and sealed their win against the Suns.
Wizards Win 124 – 121
Top Scorer: Devin Booker 50 Points
Top Assists: Jamal Crawford 7 Assists
Top Rebounds: Thomas Bryant 19 Rebounds
Other Games
Portland Trailblazers Defeat the Chicago Bulls
Top Scorers: Seth Curry 20 Points, Shaquille Harrison 21 Points
Utah Jazz Defeat the Los Angeles Lakers
Top Scorers: Rudy Gobert 22 Points, Kyle Kuzma 21 Points
Highlights
Player of the Night: Kevin Durant
Best Team Performance: Portland Trailblazers
Most Disappointing Team Performance: Phoenix Suns
