The Boston Celtics are very real and the Toronto Raptors have been found to be human, even vulnerable. Boston has a downhill schedule and did everything right in the must win game for both teams at this juncture in the bubble.
Brooklyn locked in their playoff guarantee, Memphis woke from an early August slumber, and the Pelicans still have a pulse, thanks to Jrue Holiday and Brandon Ingram.
You guys read this – I’m still trying to figure out if last night was CP3 or ‘the new Chris Paul.’ I’m betting it was Alfonso Ribeiro.
********************
Utah Jazz 111
San Antonio Spurs 119
Behind the Portland Trailblazers by a half a game, behind the Memphis Grizzlies by two whole games, and with the red hot Phoenix Suns so close behind them that their collective neck are getting burned, the San Antonio Spurs woke up and realized that their chance at a 23rd consecutive playoff appearance may be in jeopardy if they didn’t get it together.
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz played a real life bubble version “Hey, maybe now’s not the time to make sure everyone has played … “
The Spurs took sole possession of 10th place in the Western Conference with last night’s win as Utah had most of their starting lineup sitting out the game. Donovan Mitchell (left peroneal strain), Royce O’Neale (right calf soreness), and Mike Conley (right knee strain) were out with physical maladies, while Rudy Gobert utilized good ol’ load management to rest up for his matchup today with Nikola Jokic.
Jakob Poeltl made his name known in the bubble last night by ringing up 19 points and 10 rebounds last night against the Jazz, who he and the Spurs will face again before the eight seeding games have concluded. Part of the Kawhi Leonard – DeMar DeRozan trade, Poeltl has averaged a very humble 5.5 points and 5.5 assists thus far this season.
Derrick White tied Utah’s Jordan Clarkson with 24 points as both led their team and all scorers. Rudy Gay and Lonnie Walker IV both chipped in 14 points apiece, as DeRozan added 13 and Dejounte Murray finished with 11 points, six rebounds, and six assists in the much needed victory.
JAZZ (43-26) 5th in the West | SPURS (30-38) 10th in the West |
Jordan Clarkson 24 points – two rebounds – four assists | Derrick White 24 points – six rebounds – four assists – one steal – one block |
Tony Bradley 15 points – 11 rebounds – two assists – one steal – three blocks | Jakob Poeltl 19 points – 10 rebounds – two assists – three blocks |
Miye Oni 14 points – seven rebounds – one steal | Rudy Gay 14 points – seven rebounds – three assists – three steals |
NEXT GAMES
Jazz vs. Nuggets – Tonight
Spurs vs. Pelicans – Sunday
********************
Oklahoma City Thunder 92
Memphis Grizzlies 121
Are the Oklahoma City Thunder content with the six spot in the Western Conference? Do they really want the Denver Nuggets, with Jamal Murray back and Michael Porter, Jr. making his stamp in these seeding games?
It sure appeared as much last night as they handed the Memphis Grizzlies their first win of the bubble, allowing Memphis 55 percent shooting from the floor while only hitting 35 percent themselves.
The Thunder kept pace with the winless Grizzlies, behind 63-60 at the half, only to give the Grizz a huge gift in the second half by scoring only 32 points in the half, basically what Memphis scored in the third quarter alone.
That’s a huge gift if you’re a Grizzlies fan, but from a Thunder perspective that’s like a hug bag of chocolate pudding emoji, set aflame and burning on Old Man Clemens’ porch as he stomps it out in his underwear.
So let’s focus on Memphis, who had Dillon Brooks, Jonas Valanciunas, and Ja Morant combining for 60 points in the win, while Gorgui Dieng and Brandon Clarke scored 12 points apiece, and Grayson Allen finishing with 11 points. Valanciunas also had 11 rebounds.
The Grizzlies also outdid the Thunder from downtown, the free throw line, outrebounded Oklahoma City by 18 boards, had five more assists, and two more blocks. The Thunder had six score in double digits, but the highest was Chris Paul’s pedestrian 17 and Luguentz Dort’s 16.
OKC is comfortably ahead of Dallas by 2.5 games, but could still overtake the Utah and Houston if their hearts are in it. Last night, they weren’t.
THUNDER (42-26) 6th in the West | GRIZZLIES (33-37) 8th in the West |
Chris Paul 17 points – five rebounds – five assists – four steals | Dillon Brooks 22 points – six rebounds – four assists – one steal |
Luguentz Dort 16 points – three rebounds – two assists – one steal | Jonas Valanciunas 19 points – 11 rebounds – two assists – one steal – one block |
Darius Bazley 12 points – four rebounds – two assists – one block | Ja Morant 19 points – four rebounds – nine assists |
NEXT GAMES
Thunder vs. Wizards – Sunday
Grizzlies vs. Raptors – Sunday
********************
Sacramento Kings 106
Brooklyn Nets 119
Unless you’re a die hard Sacramento Kings or roll with the black and white of the Brooklyn Nets, this game didn’t probably mean a whole lot to you. In fact, you probably turned of the constant squeaking of sneakers and fired up the grill, went shopping (aka holding the purse) with the wife, or did what I did – hid in the bathroom from the wife and kids (and Kings and Nets), then took a well-deserved nap.
If you did the nap thing, this game was likely better than melatonin or Ambien.
But it was important to the Nets, because with the win over Sacramento – who has taken Phoenix’s place at the bottom of the Western Conference – means that no matter what happens in the three remaining games in the seeding schedule, they are assured a playoff spot.
Sacramento, not so much, despite the commendable efforts in the last couple of games from Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Aaron Fox.
Caris LeVert was again able to take advantage of a Nets lineup missing their stars, and up-and-comers. He led Brooklyn with 22 points and Joe Harris added 21 more. But, quietly, what Jarrett Allen has done in his time in the bubble deserves mention if not more. The kid has progressed well in the absence of DeAndre Jordan, dovetailing off the success he had last season.
Hopefully the Kings keep Luke Walton, though I’m still bitter what they did to Dave Joerger. Walton hasn’t done any better or worse than Joerger with what he’s had to work with. To fix the problem in Sacramento, management is going to have to go after a legendary coaching name and then leave him (or her – ahem, Becky Hammon) alone to coach and develop the team.
Stay tuned.
KINGS (29-40) 13th in the West | NETS (33-36) 7th in the East |
Bogdan Bogdanovic 27 points – six rebounds – two assists | Caris LeVert 22 points – five rebounds – seven assists – three steals |
De’Aaron Fox 21 points – two rebounds – seven assists – one steal | Joe Harris 21 points – four rebounds – four assists |
Buddy Hield 17 points – one rebound | Jarrett Allen 17 points – 11 rebounds – eight assists – one block |
NEXT GAMES
Nets vs. Clippers – Sunday
Kings vs. Rockets – Sunday
********************
Orlando Magic 101
Philadelphia 76ers 108
Bigger news than the Philadelphia 76ers’ win over the eighth place Orlando Magic is the announcement that Ben Simmons will undergo knee surgery. He apparently has some lose material in his knee that needs to be removed, outside the bubble of course, and will undergo surgery to do so.
Simmons hasn’t exactly been a primary contributor to Philadelphia’s play in the bubble, oft times looking like more of an observer. No one can be sure that the appearance of malaise was part of the Sixers’ dysfunction as a cohesive team, or if his knee was troubling him prior to the aggravation of it during thei Sixers’ game with Washington.
As he’s done throughout most of the seeding games in the bubble, #VFL Tobias Harris took the leadership role that’s been assigned to Simmons since being drafted. Harris and Joel Embiid combined for 46 points with 23 apiece, also combining for 28 rebounds. Alec Burks scored 22 points off the bench, while Al Horford punctuated the team’s effort with 21 points – nine rebounds, and two assists alongside Embiid.
Orlando’s top three combined for 59 points and the Magic outshot the Sixers 42 percent to Philadelphia’s 40. Philly had a four rebound edge, as one would expect, but outdid Orlando on the offensive glass, 15-10. Size does matter.
Sixteen of Embiid’s 23 came in a second half that featured the Sixers going for 60 versus Orlando’s 51. That effort from Embiid was the difference in the game.
MAGIC (32-38) 8th in the East | SIXERS (42-27) 6th in the East |
Evan Fournier 22 points – three rebounds – three assists | #VFL Tobias Harris 23 points – 15 rebounds – four assists |
Nikola Vucevic 21 points – 12 rebounds – three assists – one steal | Joel Embiid 23 points – 13 rebounds – one assist |
D.J. Augustin 16 points – three rebounds – five assists | Alec Burks 22 points – four rebounds – two assists |
NEXT GAMES
Magic vs. Celtics – Sunday
Sixers vs. Blazers – Sunday
********************
Washington Wizards 107
New Orleans Pelicans 118
When the New Orleans Pelicans sat Zion Williamson for the remainder of the bubble schedule, one could have assumed that New Orleans was waving the white flag of surrender.
Mathematically, the Pelicans aren’t quite out of the running just yet – they are 2.5 games behind the eighth place Memphis Grizzlies, and with three games remaining, they’d have to win all three and likely get some help. Those three games are against San Antonio, Sacramento, and Orlando.
But Jrue Holiday and the Pelicans have been counted out before. Most gave up hope when Holiday’s good friend Anthony Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Like then, last night, Holiday didn’t throw in the towel.
Instead, he went to work. In last night’s game against the hapless Washington Wizards – who waved the white flag as they stepped off the plane in Orlando – Holiday stepped back into a familiar role of veteran leader and led all scorers with 28 points and a boatload of hustle stats. Brandon Ingram and J.J. Redick combined for another 32, with seven Pelicans players hitting double digits.
Frank Jackson added 13, Derrick Favors went 12 and 10, while Josh Hart and Nicolo Melli combined for 20 off the bench with 10 apiece.
The Wizards’ fifth loss in the bubble was a chance to let young Rui Hachimura lead, as well as another nice game from Thomas Bryant and Troy Brown, Jr. as the trio combined for 65 points. Ish Smith finished with a handsome 18 points, six rebounds, 10 assists and four steals in 32 minutes of play.
Last night was the second game of a back to back, and even in the bubble, the Pelicans rest Williamson on the second games. The loss is Washington’s fifth consecutive in Orlando – they are winless in the bubble.
WIZARDS (24-45) 10th in the East | PELICANS (30-39) 11th in the West |
Rui Hachimura 23 points – six rebounds – two assists | Jrue Holiday 28 points – three rebounds – six assists – two steals – one block |
Thomas Bryant 22 points – eight rebounds – one assists – two steals – two blocks | Brandon Ingram 17 points – four rebounds – five assists – one steal |
Troy Brown, Jr. 20 points – 10 rebounds – five assists – two steals | J.J. Redick 15 points – two assists |
NEXT GAMES
Pelicans vs. Spurs – Sunday
Wizards vs. Thunder – Sunday
********************
Boston Celtics 122
Toronto Raptors 100
So the Toronto Raptors are vulnerable after all … even with six players scoring in double digits. But that doesn’t matter when your high scorer only drops a baker’s dozen and most of the rest tally 11 points apiece.
Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, Norman Powell, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson all combined for 44 points at 11 each in what was the Raptors’ most underwhelming performance of the bubble.
The Celtics, on the other hand, had seven in double digits, led by Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Kemba Walker combining for 55 in the statement game from Boston. Brad Wanamaker hit for 15 off the bench, while Daniel Thies and Semi Ojeleye had 11 apiece. Thies also had 11 rebounds, 10 on the defensive glass. Robert Williams added 10 points and Gordon Hayward went nine and nine.
Boston ran out to a 21-14 lead after one, led by 15 at the half, and 34 after three, though the Celtics had a 40 point advantage at one point. Toronto’s previous worst deficit has been six in the bubble, though a game back in December versus the Dallas Mavericks saw them in a 30 point hole. Only a 43-31 garbage time advantage in the fourth quarter made this game look halfway respectable for the NBA champs.
This couldn’t have been a worse game for Toronto to lose, as the remainder of Boston’s bubble schedule is downhill, facing Orlando, Memphis, and Washington. Toronto has Memphis, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Denver. Their next win will assure the team of it’s fifth season in a row of 50 wins or more.
CELTICS (46-23) 3rd in the East | RAPTORS (49-19) 2nd in the East |
Jaylen Brown 20 points – six rebounds – two assists | Fred VanVleet 13 points – four rebounds – four assists – two steals – one block |
Jayson Tatum 18 points – seven rebounds – four assists – two steals | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson 11 points – five rebounds – two assists |
Kemba Walker 17 points – three rebounds – four assists – one block | Norman Powell 11 points – five rebounds – one steal |
NEXT GAMES
Celtics vs. Magic – Sunday
Raptors vs. Grizzlies – Sunday
********************
SATURDAY’S LINEUP
(All Times Eastern)
1 p.m. Los Angeles Clippers Portland Trailblazers TNT | 3:30 p.m. Utah Jazz Denver Nuggets TNT | 6 p.m. Los Angeles Lakers Indiana Pacers TNT |
7:30 p.m. Phoenix Suns Miami Heat SUN Sports | 8:30 p.m. Milwaukee Bucks Dallas Mavericks ESPN |
********************
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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