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Rundown 8.2.20 – Nothing Clinched Yet, Thanks to Raptors and Clippers

Paul George and Kyle Lowry are playing out of their minds, as the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors won their respective games - convincingly - to keep the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks from clinching their respective Conference titles.

Paul George and Kyle Lowry are playing out of their minds, especially last night, when the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors won their respective games – convincingly – to keep the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks from clinching their respective Conference titles.

And T.J. Warren proves to everyone – including Jimmy Butler – that he belongs, dropping a bubble high 53 points last night in Indiana’s win over the inconsistent Philadelphia 76ers.

Oklahoma City showed Utah who’s boss, Miami scorched the Nuggets as well. 

Talk about not belonging …

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Miami Heat  125
Denver Nuggets  105

Last season, the Denver Nuggets were thisclose to being in the Western Conference Finals. Yesterday, they didn’t even look like a team that belonged in any such type of conversation, much less in the bubble in Orlando. On the other side of the coin, it was hard to believe this was a Miami Heat team that lost so badly to the Memphis Grizzlies in their final scrimmage game in the bubble.

Bam Adebayo, arguably the Most Improved Player this season, showed as much by outplaying Denver center Nikola Jokic to help the Miami Heat to a very convincing win. Factor in that Kelly Olynyk dropped all his points in the fourth quarter, making it a very busy night for Denver head coach Mike Malone in trying to stop the Miami frontcourt players.

Jimmy Butler added 22 to Adebayo’s 22, Olynyk finished with 20, Duncan Robinson finished with 17, Goran Dragic had 13, and Kendrick Nunn dropped 11 points, while every Heat player that played scored.

It’s fortunate that the Nuggets sit right behind both L.A. teams, because their play didn’t measure up to their intensity of five months ago, much less last season’s impressive improvement. Jokic and Jerami Grant topped out at 19 points apiece, Monte Morris had 13, Michael Porter Jr. had 11, and it was 10 from Torrey Craig. Honestly, you expect more from Porter and definitely from Paul Millsap.

Glaringly absent from the Nuggets lineup were Gary Harris (hip), Will Barton (knee), and Jamal Murray (hamstring) – all three of whom would have been the difference. Murray alone averages 18.8 points a game. Without them, the Nugs looked out of sync.

HEAT (42-24) 4th in the EastNUGGETS (43-23) 3rd in the West
Bam Adebayo
22 points – nine rebounds – six assists
Nikola Jokic
19 points – seven rebounds – six assists – one steal – one block
Jimmy Butler
22 points – four rebounds – seven assists – three steals
Jerami Grant
19 points – two rebounds – one assist
Kelly Olynyk
20 points – five rebounds – three assists – one steal – one block
Monte Morris
13 points – three rebounds – five assists

NEXT GAMES
Heat vs. Raptors – Monday
Nuggets vs. Thunder – Monday

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Utah Jazz  94
Oklahoma City Thunder  110

The continuation game we’ve all waited for since that fateful night of March 11th, when the NBA and the entire sports landscape was shut down after Rudy Gobert (and later) Donovan Mitchell tested positive for the CoronaVirus.

After coming out and beating the New Orleans Pelicans on the Opening Night of the Restart, the Jazz are likely wishing that the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder was postponed again – against some real competition, the Jazz looked out of tune.

No Utah player scored more than 13 points and the team is sorely missing the 21.2 points per game that Bojan Bogdanovic brought them before the break in action. Bogdanovic is out the remainder of the year after surgery on his wrist.

Oklahoma City, on the other hand, continued its surprising yet dominant guard play behind Chris Paul and his protege, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The duo combined for 37 points, nine rebounds, 13 assists and five steals to pester the Jazz. By the end of the first half, four Thunder players were in double digit scoring. 

The Thunder rolled out to a 29-15 first quarter and led 66-42 at halftime. A 20-20 third quarter gave way to Utah coming to a bit of semblance in the fourth, but the game was over from almost the outset.

Danilo Gallinari added 15 points, Dennis Schroder came off the bench for 13, and Darius Bazley finished with 10 and seven for the Thunder. The win leaves the Thunder a half game back of Utah for the fourth spot in the Western Conference.

JAZZ (42-24) 4th in the WestTHUNDER (41-24) 5th in the West
Donovan Mitchell
13 points – one rebound – four assists
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
19 points – two rebounds – six assists – three steals
Mike Conley
12 points – two rebounds – four assists – one steal
Chris Paul
18 points – seven rebounds – seven assists – two steals
Jordan Clarkson
11 points – three rebounds – one assist – one block
Steven Adams
16 points – 11 rebounds – two assists – two blocks

NEXT GAMES
Jazz vs. Lakers – Monday
Thunder vs. Nuggets – Monday

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New Orleans Pelicans  103
Los Angeles Clippers  126

Zion Williamson had his worst game as a professional basketball player last night in Orlando. Meanwhile, for the Los Angeles Clippers, Paul George is playing some of his best basketball of the season for the second game in a row.

While the Clippers and George may have lost by a deuce versus the Los Angeles Lakers on Opening Night of the Restart, they bounced back well last night, dropping a franchise record 25 three pointers on the hapless New Orleans Pelicans, whose seventh player off the bench led them in scoring, not Williamson.

Nor Ingram (14). Nor Jrue Holiday (four points). Not even J.J. Redick, who finished with 11 off the bench. The Pelicans have 38 total turnovers in their first two games back in action, a chance the NBA gave the team when it configured the 22 team format. New Orleans has failed to take advantage with six games to go.

For L.A., the help came from Kawhi Leonard, who dropped a couple dozen on the Pelicans, and Reggie Jackson’s 15 and eight off the bench, where Lou Williams usually comes in handy. Still waiting for Marcus Morris to go off and be the difference maker in one of these eight games.

PELICANS (28-38) 12th in the WestCLIPPERS (45-21) 2nd in the West
Nickeal Alexander-Walker
15 points – one rebound – two assists – two steals
Paul George
28 points – three rebounds – one assist – three steals
Brandon Ingram
14 points – two rebounds
Kawhi Leonard
24 points – six rebounds – five assists – one steal
Derrick Favors
12 points – nine rebounds – two assists
Reggie Jackson
15 points – eight rebounds – two assists – two steals

NEXT GAMES
Pelicans vs. Grizzlies – Monday
Clippers vs. Suns – Tuesday

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Philadelphia 76ers  121
Indiana Pacers  127

I wonder if Jimmy Butler remembers telling T.J. Warren that he was ‘soft’ and ‘trash’ and ‘not even in my f****** league’ after a January on-court trash-talking incident ended with profanities, blown kisses, middle fingers, and an ejection?

Last night, Warren scored the most anyone has in the NBA Restart while Butler called his own number, scoring a mere 22 while T.J. Warren dropped 53 points on Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and the Philadelphia 76ers.

And that question of whether Victor Oladipo would play? Indeed. Fifteen points in 32 minutes as the Pacers embarrassed the 76ers, despite 41 and 21 from Embiid, and 30 and eight from Harris.

That was without Domantas Sabonis. Without Malcolm Brogdon. And without Jeremy Lamb. All have been significant factors in the Pacers’ success this season as Oladipo worked to rehabilitate himself from injury and return to the lineup.

The Pacers were outrebounded by 21, the number of boards Embiid registered. But the Sixers also had 21 turnovers, which ultimately cost them the game, despite their statistical superiority.

The loss also keeps the 76ers a full game back of Indiana, with seven left to play for each team. Warren and Butler get to renew their beef on Monday, August 10th. We’ll see who’s in who’s league by that point, if not that night.

SIXERS (39-27) 6th in the EastPACERS (40-26) 5th in the East
Joel Embiid
41 points – 21 rebounds – four assists – one steal – three blocks
T.J. Warren
53 points – four rebounds – three assists
#VFL Tobias Harris
30 points – eight rebounds – one steal – one block
Victor Oladipo
15 points – seven rebounds – two assists – one steal
Ben Simmons
19 points – 13 rebounds – four assists – one steal
Aaron Holiday
15 points – five rebounds – 10 assists

NEXT GAMES
Sixers vs. Spurs – Monday
Pacers vs. Wizards – Monday

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Los Angeles Lakers  92
Toronto Raptors  107

Kyle Lowry is a beast. Yeah, I said it. 

And while I’m being controversial, J.R. Smith needs to take Michael Cooper’s No. 21 off – he’s sullying it with his play.

On the Lowry tip, the reigning NBA champion point guard is dangling what LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers want, what they think is rightfully theirs, based on their star-studded lineup.

But the Toronto Raptors have one thing the Lakers don’t – heart. Well, two things – the title of NBA champion as well. 

But entitlement never wins versus earnest effort. We can see that in society, everyday life, and definitely in the Raptors – Lakers game last night, where Lowry and Co. scrapped for every loose ball and executed like NBA champions do while it seemed the Lakers are still trying to assimilate their lineup. 

At one point last night, they missed 10 three pointers in a row, continuing the drought of success versus the Raptors. I mean, L.A. hasn’t beaten Toronto since winning 129-122 in overtime at Staples Center on Nov. 30, 2014. Just sayin’ …

After a low-scoring 44-41 standstill in the first half, the Raptors opened up the proverbial can in the second half, blowing out the vaunted Lakers, 66-48, to take the wind out of L.A.’s sails after their first win of the restarted season over the Clippers on Opening Night. 

The Lakers have the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, and Sacramento Kings remaining on their bubble schedule. Very possible they could go 3-3 at worst.

Gonna need bigger efforts and games from James, Anthony Davis, and Kyle Kuzma, at the very least. 

LAKERS (50-15) 1st in the WestRAPTORS (47-18) 2nd in the East
LeBron James
20 points – 10 rebounds – five assists – one block
Kyle Lowry
33 points – 14 rebounds – six assists – one steal
Kyle Kuzma
16 points – four rebounds – one assist – one block
O.G. Anunoby23 points – four rebounds – one assists – two steals
Anthony Davis
14 points – six rebounds – three assists – one steal – three blocks
Pascal Siakam15 points – nine rebounds – three assists – two steals – two blocks

NEXT GAMES
Lakers vs. Jazz – Monday
Raptors vs. Heat – Monday

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SUNDAY’S LINEUP
(All Times Eastern)

2 p.m.
Washington Wizards
Brooklyn Nets
YES
3:30 p.m.
Portland Trailblazers
Boston Celtics
ABC
4 p.m.
San Antonio Spurs
Memphis Grizzlies
Fox Sports Southeast
6 p.m.
Sacramento Kings
Orlando Magic
NBATV
8:30 p.m.
Milwaukee Bucks
Houston Rockets
ABC
9 p.m.
Dallas Mavericks
Phoenix Suns
Fox Sports Southwest

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Tracy Graven is a Senior NBA Analyst for BackSportsPage.com.
He has written the NBA, and done NBA radio, for the last two decades for HoopsWorld, Swish Magazine, and HoopsHype, the Coach Scott Fields Show and NBARadioShow.com, and is also tackling the NFL, NCAA, and will be pinch-hitting on some Major League Baseball coverage for BackSportsPage.
He’s spent 20 years in locker rooms in 

  • Orlando
  • Boise (G League) 
  • San Antonio
  • Phoenix
  • Denver
  • Oklahoma City
  • Atlanta 

A corporate trainer by day, he currently resides in SEC Country near Knoxville, Tennessee.
Reach him on Twitter at @RealTMoneyMedia

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