Houston Overcomes Harden's Poor Shooting, Takes 2-0 Lead Over Oklahoma City
Despite being without the services of the injured Russell Westbrook, and despite some horrible shooting by James Harden, the Houston Rockets defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-98 to take a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference first round series. Harden led the Rockets in both scoring (21 points) and assists (nine) but he shot just 5-16 from the field (including 2-11 from three point range) and he was the only one of the Rockets' seven double figure scorers who had a negative plus/minus number (-1 in 36 minutes, meaning that the Rockets outscored the Thunder by 14 points in the 12 minutes that the did not play). Four Rockets had double-digit positive plus/minus numbers: Danuel House (19 points, +19), Eric Gordon (15 points, +23), Jeff Green (15 points, +13), and P.J. Tucker (14 points, +15). The Rockets set an NBA single game playoff record by attempting 56 three point field goals. They made 19 of those shots, for a .339 percentage that proved to be good enough to defeat a Thunder team that connected at a similar rate (.344) on 24 fewer three point attempts.
Chris Paul, widely touted for his leadership and even mentioned in some corners as a fringe MVP candidate (!), scored 14 points on 6-15 field goal shooting. He had six rebounds and just two assists. Paul did not attempt a single free throw--so much for being aggressive and crafty--and he finished with a staggering, game-worst -36 plus/minus number. Harden did everything he could to give the game away, but Paul refused to accept the gift. The disconnect between how these two players are generally portrayed in the media versus how they perform when it matters most is amazing.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 31 points on 9-17 field goal shooting. Danilo Gallinari finished with 17 points on 5-12 field goal shooting. Steven Adams scored eight points, and he led both teams with 11 rebounds. He did not attempt a field goal during the second half, and he did not attempt a free throw in the entire game. One might think that Paul would recognize that Adams enjoys a significant matchup advantage in the paint, but Paul did not succeed in getting Adams involved offensively. Imagine if Kobe Bryant played in a playoff game during which he accumulated an almost impossibly bad -36 plus/minus number while not arranging for his big man to take a single second half shot against a team that is playing without a true center. Do you think that the commentators and "experts" might say something about that? I remember many commentators and "experts" loudly asserting that Paul should win the 2008 regular season MVP that Bryant ultimately received; it is bad enough that Harden has won an MVP, but it would have been an absolute travesty if Bryant--who deserved several regular season MVPs, but finished his career with just one--lost that MVP vote to Paul and finished his career without a regular season MVP.
The Rockets came out firing--and misfiring, setting an NBA playoff record by attempting 35 three pointers in the first half. The Rockets missed their last 15 three point field goal attempts in the first half, and Oklahoma City led 59-53 at halftime. Gallinari and Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 13 points each. Steven Adams scored eight points on 4-4 field goal shooting, and he had six rebounds. Austin Rivers topped Houston with 11 first half points. James Harden had eight points and five assists, but he shot just 2-10 from the field, including 1-8 from three point range.
The Rockets started the third quarter with a 16-2 run to take a 67-61 lead but the Thunder rallied to go ahead 78-77 heading into the fourth quarter. It was anybody's game. Would Harden step up? Would Paul take over? No and no. The Rockets made a 15-0 run to take a 92-80 lead with Harden on the bench and Paul playing but not having much impact. Harden returned with 7:23 left in the fourth quarter. Given the cushion of a double digit lead to work with, Harden finally found his shooting touch and scored 11 fourth quarter points. The margin was never less than nine points during Harden's fourth quarter stint, so he was able to perform without facing much pressure.
This game exploded the myth that the Rockets only have a bunch of role players who are completely dependent on Harden to create offense for them. Although I know--and have written previously--that Harden is not the one man team he is portrayed to be, I had assumed prior to this series that the Thunder would be a serious threat to the Rockets if Russell Westbrook did not play. Perhaps I should have known better considering Paul's sorry playoff resume, but when given the choice between picking Harden to choke and picking Paul to choke perhaps I got confused--or maybe Harden will continue to choke and Paul will not have another -36 performance. If Westbrook comes back during this series, then this series could rapidly become a Houston sweep, but perhaps the Rockets are confident enough about their position that they will give Westbrook extra time to recover, as it seems unlikely that the Thunder will win four of the next five games.
Labels: Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, Houston Rockets, James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Steven Adams
posted by David Friedman @ 7:44 PM
Day Two of the 2020 NBA Playoffs
Day one of the 2020 NBA playoffs featured a record-setting scoring outburst by Donovan Mitchell in a thrilling overtime game, a blowout win by the defending champion Toronto Raptors, some empty numbers posted by Joel Embiid in a loss, and yet another understated brilliant performance by two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.
Here are recaps for each game from the second quadrupleheader of the 2020 NBA playoffs. Spoiler alert: One game does not make a series, but it sure is interesting that the two number one seeds who coasted through the eight seeding games both got upset by inferior teams.
Orlando 122, Milwaukee 110
Orlando started the game by shooting 7-8 from the field, taking a 17-10 lead, and the Magic extended that margin to 33-23 by the end of the first quarter. The Magic shot 14-22 from the field (.667), while the Bucks shot 9-22 from the field (.409) and committed five turnovers. The Magic continued to be sharp and the Bucks continued to be sluggish in the second quarter. Orlando led 62-52 at halftime. Nikola Vucevic topped the Magic in both points (16) and rebounds (seven). Giannis Antetokounmpo had 17 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists while shooting 6-11 from the field but his teammates shot just 13-35 from the field (.371).
As one would expect when the number one seed is trailing the number eight seed after 24 minutes, the number one seed played with great focus at the start of the third quarter, quickly narrowing Orlando's lead to 64-61. Khris Middleton had a chance to tie the score at the 8:33 mark but he only made two out of three free throws, so Milwaukee still trailed by one, 69-68. Orlando did not fold, though, and the Magic rebuilt their lead to 92-79 by the end of the third quarter. Vucevic scored 14 points in the third quarter, and Antetokounmpo nearly matched him with 11 third quarter points.
Kyle Korver provided a boost for the Bucks with a four point play to start the fourth quarter, nailing a three pointer off of an assist from Antetokounmpo and then making a free throw after he was fouled on the shot. However, the Magic struck back, and midway through the fourth quarter they enjoyed a 109-95 lead. The Bucks never mounted a serious threat the rest of the way.
Vucevic led the Magic in scoring (35 points, a playoff career-high) and rebounds (14). He shot 15-24 from the field, including 5-8 from three point range. Antetokounmpo finished with 31 points, a game-high 17 rebounds, and a team-high seven assists but the 2019 regular season MVP did not take over in the fourth quarter even after his team cut the deficit to just one point.
This is an impressive win by Orlando but keep two things in mind: (1) This is not the NCAA Tournament, so Orlando has to do this three more times to eliminate Milwaukee; (2) Orlando won game one in the first round last year versus Toronto, and the Raptors were so devastated by that setback that they beat the Magic four straight times and then went on to win the 2019 NBA title.
However, the Bucks cannot be complacent and just assume that they are going to win this series; their defense was awful, and they have looked lethargic since the NBA restart began. The Bucks must refocus quickly to avoid being victims of a huge upset, and it is important to remember that if this series lasts seven games then the Bucks will not have the huge advantage of playing game seven at home.
Miami 113, Indiana 101
Miami has dominated this matchup recently, but Indiana was more than competitive from the start of this game, and the Pacers led 33-27 at the end of the first quarter despite 2019 All-Star Victor Oladipo leaving the game late in the quarter after being poked in the eye. Oladipo did not return to the game.
Jimmy Butler scored 14 points and Bam Adebayo added 12 points as Miami led 56-52 at halftime. Indiana closed to within 81-80 by the end of the third quarter, with T.J. Warren and Malcolm Brogdon spearheading the Pacers' attack. At that point, the Pacers had shot 29-57 from the field (.518), including 7-17 (.412) from three point range.
Goran Dragic scored 10 points in the first three quarters and then he scored 10 points in less than three minutes to help push the Heat's lead to 101-93 midway through the fourth quarter. Then, Butler--not known as a high percentage long range shooter--nailed back to back three pointers to put Miami up 104-95 with 3:26 remaining. Butler scored 10 of the Heat's final 12 points, and he led all scorers with 28 points on 8-15 field goal shooting. He also had four assists, three rebounds, four steals, and two blocked shots. Dragic finished with 24 points. Adebayo contributed 17 points, 10 rebounds, a team-high six assists, and a team-high three blocked shots.
Brogdon and Warren led Indiana with 22 points each. Brogdon also dished a game-high 10 assists.
Indiana shot 7-19 from the field (.368) in the fourth quarter. The Pacers are scrappy and well-coached, but they are outmatched versus Miami, particularly if Oladipo is not able to return to action.
Houston 123, Oklahoma City 108
James Harden and Chris Paul are both perennial All-Stars but they are also both known for their checkered playoff resumes, so a head to head postseason battle between the rivals turned teammates turned rivals raises intriguing questions: When will Harden choke? Will Paul stay healthy for the whole series?
Harden scored eight points on 2-5 field goal shooting with three turnovers as Houston took a 19-13 lead late in the first quarter. Meanwhile, at that point Paul had shot 0-4 from the field with just one assist. Houston led 28-20 after the first 12 minutes. The Rockets shot 9-21 from the field (.429), while the Thunder--under the direction of Paul, who Charles Barkley repeatedly calls "the best leader in the game"--shot 6-20 (.300) from the field against the short-handed (and short in stature) Rockets. Paul shot 0-5 from the field in the first quarter. The Thunder did not punish the undersized Rockets in the paint, nor did they take advantage of the Rockets being without the services of the injured Russell Westbrook.
The Rockets opened the second quarter with a 9-0 run to take a 37-20 lead. The Thunder briefly settled down after that and pulled to within 11 (39-28) but then the Rockets started connecting from three point range to extend the margin to 21 (58-37). Of course, in the NBA (almost) every team makes a run, and that goes double for any team facing Houston's inconsistent defense. Oklahoma City ripped off nine straight points to cut Houston's advantage to 58-46. Houston led 68-52 at halftime.
The Rockets shot 22-42 (.524) from the field in the first half, including 11-25 (.440) from three point range. Oklahoma City shot 17-42 (.415) from the field in the first half, including 5-16 from three point range (.313). Eric Gordon scored 16 points on 5-9 field goal shooting, while Harden added 15 points on 4-12 field goal shooting. Jeff Green topped Houston in plus/minus (+20) while contributing 13 points on 5-7 field goal shooting. Danilo Gallinari did his best to keep Oklahoma City in the game, pouring in 18 points on 5-7 field goal shooting. Steven Adams, who did not receive enough opportunities to exploit Houston's undersized lineup, scored 10 points on 4-9 field goal shooting. Paul scored nine points on 3-9 field goal shooting, and he was whistled for a technical foul as the teams headed to their locker rooms for halftime--a boneheaded act by the leader of a team that was struggling to stay in the game. James Harden made the technical free throw before the start of the third quarter.
The Thunder made no progress during the third quarter, and they trailed 98-75 after Harden drilled a three pointer at the 2:43 mark. Houston led 104-83 heading into the fourth quarter, and the Thunder never mounted a serious threat the rest of the way. Oklahoma City's defense was pathetic--giving up drives to the basket and open three pointers while also committing senseless fouls--and their offense was not much better.
Harden finished with 37 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists. He shot 12-22 from the field, including 8-10 in the second half. Jeff Green made a significant contribution, coming off of the bench to provide 22 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Green shot 8-12 from the field, and he had a game-high +28 plus/minus number. Gordon had 21 points and four assists. The Rockets shot 20-52 (.385) from three point range.
It is surprising that Mike D'Antoni, who usually has a short rotation during the playoffs, utilized his bench, and it is surprising how much production his bench provided. It is also surprising that the Thunder did not more effectively utilize their size advantage in the paint.
Gallinari led the Thunder with 29 points. Paul padded his totals after the game was decided, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. Adams ended up with 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. He is one of the strongest players in the NBA and a high percentage scorer in the paint, so it is mystifying that he had just 13 field goal attempts.
The Thunder squandered a tremendous opportunity to beat the Rockets without Westbrook.
Portland 100, L.A. Lakers 93
Much like the Milwaukee Bucks--their number one seed counterpart in the East--the L.A. Lakers started sluggishly and sloppily. In the opening minutes of the first quarter, LeBron James scored two points on 1-3 field goal shooting, though he did finish the stanza with six points on 3-6 field goal shooting while also accumulating three assists. Anthony Davis scored nine points on 1-8 field goal shooting and 7-7 free throw shooting in the first quarter; Davis' ability to draw fouls is valuable, but an MVP caliber player should shoot better than 1-8 from the field.
Portland led 36-25 as Damian Lillard paced all scorers with 15 points on 5-6 field goal shooting.
Much attention is paid to what happens late in games, but those who understand NBA basketball realize that the game is often won in the first quarter; James and Davis did not do enough in the first quarter, and as a result the Lakers had to battle back from a double digit deficit. The Lakers eventually came back and even took the lead, but playing from behind all game can take a toll, and the Lakers had nothing left in the tank to finish the game.
In the second quarter, the Lakers woke up and started shredding Portland's Swiss cheese defense. James made some scintillating passes, racking up seven assists in the quarter, and finishing the half with 12 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds. Davis shot 4-7 from the field and 4-6 from the free throw line, finishing the half with 21 points and seven rebounds. However, even though Davis' numbers looked good superficially, Kenny Smith noted during TNT's halftime show that Davis too often hesitates when he catches the ball in the post, passively waiting for the double team as opposed to attacking the primary defender before the help defender arrives.
I will expound a bit on Smith's observations, because what he talked about is one difference between being an all-time great as opposed to being a talented player who can score 21 points in one half of a playoff game; all-time greats Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant understood how--and when--to attack a variety of different defenses. It is not enough to just attract a double team or to be able to score in many ways; Davis can do those things, but there is another level to basketball greatness. As Smith emphasized, when Davis just waits for the double team and then makes a pass that does not threaten the defense, the defense is able to recover and Davis has not created an advantage for his team.
For Portland, Lillard added eight points to his total, leading both teams with 23 first half points. Jusuf Nurkic already had a double double at halftime (14 points, 12 rebounds) as the Trail Blazers clung to a 57-56 lead. Those who are tracking Carmelo Anthony's comeback should note that he scored eight points on 2-7 field goal shooting, and he was the only Portland starter who had a negative plus/minus number (-10).
The Trail Blazers maintained their small lead through the third quarter, and headed into the fourth quarter up by three, 78-75. James gave the Lakers an 80-78 lead with a basket at the 8:46 mark of the fourth quarter, but the Trail Blazers reclaimed the advantage, 89-87, on a C.J. McCollum drive. James missed two free throws that could have tied the game with 4:24 remaining but a few plays later Danny Green's driving layup tied the score at 89.
It cannot be emphasized enough that every play matters, not just the plays at the end of the game, or the plays that certain media members choose to talk about. Remember that the Lakers, with the demonstrably superior team--they are a #1 seed playing a #8 seed--trailed by 11 after the first 12 minutes. Remember that James missed two free throws that could have tied the score late in the fourth quarter. After James missed those free throws, the Trail Blazers closed out the game by outscoring the Lakers, 11-6.
Lillard had a great start to the game, cooled off during the middle, and then had his fingerprints all over the decisive final few minutes, either scoring the key baskets or else drawing the double team to create an advantage for a teammate (as opposed to waiting for the double team and then making an ineffective pass just to get rid of the ball, as Davis did far too often). Lillard led all scorers with 34 points, and he led all players with a +19 plus/minus number. He shot 9-21 from the field overall, which is not great, but he shot 6-13 from three point range and he made all 10 of his free throws. McCollum added 21 points, and Nurkic finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Anthony hit a clutch three pointer late in the game after Lillard drew a double team, and he had 11 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, but he shot just 3-11 from the field and finished with a -2 plus/minus number. Anthony was Portland's inefficient fourth option who made a solid role player contribution, but there will no doubt be breathless media coverage inflating his impact while implying (or directly stating) that his previous teams were wrong to get rid of him when he refused to accept his limitations and fill a role suited to his current capabilities.
Davis led the Lakers with 28 points but he shot 8-24 from the field and he had a -20 plus/minus number. Kenny Smith's halftime observations--discussed above--are apt, and Shaquille O'Neal is correct that there is a difference between putting up good numbers and being a superstar. Davis did not do enough in this game, and he was not efficient enough.
James had 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 16 assists. Those numbers look fantastic, and it is true that James made some wonderful passes--but James shot 9-20 from the field, he was invisible during the first quarter when the Trail Blazers set the tone for the game, and James did not put his imprint on the game down the stretch when the outcome was up for grabs. This game is symbolic of James' career: the boxscore numbers--and, presumably, the "advanced" numbers--are tremendous but are they connected to team success? James is often touted as the greatest player ever. He has spent roughly half of his career with deep teams that may have lacked a top level co-star, and he has spent roughly half of his career on super-teams with tremendous top level talent, yet he has three championships--half as many as Michael Jordan or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and two fewer than Magic Johnson or Kobe Bryant, not to mention eight fewer than Bill Russell. James is without question an all-time great, but when he is compared to other all-time greats it is important to not forget or disrespect their accomplishments.
Also, contrary to what you may hear, James is not the first player to post at least 20 points, at least 15 rebounds, and at least 15 assists in a playoff game;
Julius Erving had 26 points, 20 rebounds, and 15 assists in a 47 point playoff win as a rookie--and then he had 38 points and 20 rebounds the next game in another win!
Media spin is fascinating to watch: if the Lakers lose this series as the number one seed, it can be predicted that James' teammates will be blamed, not James--and if the Lakers win this series then it will probably be portrayed as some great accomplishment for James to advance to the second round as the top seed while playing alongside another MVP caliber player.
Think about it this way: do you think that Anthony Davis is more or less talented than Pau Gasol? Kobe Bryant made three straight NBA Finals appearances and won back to back titles with Gasol as his sidekick, and in the 2010 Finals the Lakers beat the Boston Celtics, a super-team featuring three future Hall of Famers--the same super-team that essentially prompted James to quit on Cleveland and run to Miami to build his own super-team. Is there any universe in which a sub-.500 Portland team is remotely as good as the 2010 Boston Celtics, or even the 2009 Orlando Magic squad that the Bryant-Gasol Lakers beat in the Finals?
This was just one game. Maybe James and Davis are poised to lead the Lakers to multiple NBA titles. If that happens, then I will give them all of the credit that they deserve, as I have done each time James played dominantly en route to the three championships he has won--but if James and Davis fall short of reasonable expectations, then I will write about that, just like I wrote about the numerous times that James' teams have previously fallen short of reasonable expectations.
Labels: Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, L.A. Lakers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers
posted by David Friedman @ 1:24 AM
Day One of the 2020 NBA Playoffs
Historically,
game one winners prevail in an NBA playoff series with the seven game format nearly 80% of the time; if a clearly superior team has a subpar performance and loses game one, game one could end up being a forgotten footnote to the series--for example, consider Chicago's game one loss before winning the 1991 NBA Finals versus the L.A. Lakers--but there is no doubt that winning game one is important. However, until this most unusual season that statistic pertained to series in which the team with home court advantage could rely on playing game seven at home. It will be interesting to see how often the game one winners prevail during playoff series in the 2020 playoffs when all of the games are played on a neutral court.
Here are recaps for each game from the first quadrupleheader of the 2020 NBA playoffs.
Denver 135, Utah 125 (OT)
I
predicted that this series would be competitive, and game one lived up that billing. The Nuggets led 31-25 after the first quarter as Nikola Jokic scored 10 points on 4-7 field goal shooting. The Nuggets pushed the margin to 12 during the second quarter, and they were up 59-52 at halftime. The Jazz were without the services of not only the injured Bojan Bogdanovic (the team's second leading scorer this season), but also Mike Conley, who left the NBA's restart campus for the birth of his child. Donovan Mitchell's scoring not only helped the Jazz to stay competitive, but lifted the Jazz to a 73-70 lead late in the third quarter. The Jazz were up 83-78 at the end of the third quarter, paced by Mitchell's 29 points on 11-21 field goal shooting. Utah enjoyed a 38-30 rebounding advantage at that point.
Denver retook the lead, 94-93, on a Jerami Grant layup at the 6:41 mark of the fourth quarter, and the game was a nip and tuck struggle down the stretch. Mitchell hit two free throws to tie the score at 115 with 22.1 seconds remaining, and then Jokic missed a layup as time expired in regulation.
Mitchell was the best player in regulation, but Jamal Murray owned the overtime, pouring in 10 points to finish with 36 points and lead Denver to victory. Murray shot 13-20 from the field, and he had a game-high +16 plus/minus number. Jokic added 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Mitchell finished with 57 points, breaking Karl Malone's franchise record for single-game playoff scoring. Mitchell scored six points in overtime. Mitchell is the youngest player to score at least 50 points in an NBA playoff game since Michael Jordan set the all-time single playoff scoring record with 63 points versus Boston in 1986. Elgin Baylor (61 points) is the only player other than Jordan who has scored more than 57 points in an NBA playoff game. Mitchell also led the Jazz in assists (seven) and tied for the team lead in rebounds (nine). The Jazz outrebounded the Nuggets 52-41, but the Nuggets made better use of their possessions, posting a .516 team field goal percentage, including a blistering .537 (22-41) from three point range.
Toronto 134, Brooklyn 110
The Raptors never trailed. They opened their title defense by showcasing hot three point shooting (5-11, .455) and suffocating defense, taking a 37-20 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Nets shot .381 from the field (8-22) in the opening stanza. The Raptors extended their led to 33 points in the second quarter, and they were up 73-51 at halftime. As the cliche goes, in the NBA (almost) every team makes a run; the scrappy Nets cut the margin to eight points in the third quarter before the Raptors regained their footing and pulled away.
Fred VanVleet led Toronto in scoring (30 points) and assists (11). All five Toronto starters scored in double figures. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot paced the Nets with 26 points. Caris Levert scored 15 points and had a career-high 15 assists for the Nets.
The Raptors set single-game franchise playoff records for points scored and three point field goals made (22). This series will be an uphill struggle for Brooklyn, but it is important to remember that momentum does not necessarily carry over from one game to the next. As Danny Ainge once noted, this is not the Tour de France; game two starts out 0-0 and not with the Raptors up by 24 points.
Boston 109, Philadelphia 101
Joel Embiid scored 11 points on 5-5 field goal shooting in the first quarter--but Embiid shot just 3-10 from the field in the final three quarters, and he finished with possibly the most meaningless 26 point, 16 rebound performance you could imagine: he put up individual numbers that had no impact on team success, and he did not impose his will on the game despite being the most talented player on the court. Jaylen Brown countered for the Celtics with 10 points on 3-5 field goal shooting
in the first quarter. The 76ers led 26-25 after the first 12 minutes.
The 76ers shot .556 from the field in the first half but trailed 55-49 at halftime after committing 13 turnovers compared to the Celtics' four turnovers. Embiid scored just two points in the second quarter, while Boston's Jayson Tatum led both teams with 21 first half points.
The 76ers had a strong third quarter, outscoring the Celtics 30-20, but the Celtics finished the 76ers off by outscoring them 34-22 in the fourth quarter. Tatum scored a game-high 32 points and he grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds. Brown added 29 points.
Turnovers killed the 76ers: they committed 18--Embiid had a team-high five--and they forced just seven. The Celtics outrebounded the 76ers 50-43, so the extra possessions from turnovers and rebounds more than compensated for their .422 field goal shooting. The 76ers need to take better care of the ball, and they need for Embiid to assert his dominance throughout the game and not just for short spurts.
L.A. Clippers 118, Dallas 110
The Clippers punched the Mavericks in the mouth--metaphorically--by taking an 18-2 lead less than four minutes into the game, but Dallas settled down, tied the score at 22 on a Seth Curry three pointer, and led 38-34 by the end of the first quarter. Luka Doncic scored 11 points and had three assists in the first quarter, but he also had five turnovers. Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with nine points on 3-5 field goal shooting. Leonard had a +2 plus/minus number even though his team trailed by four.
The Mavericks extended their lead to 50-36 at the 7:30 mark of the second quarter, but then the Clippers clamped down defensively and went on a quick 9-0 run. The teams essentially traded baskets the rest of the way, and Dallas led 69-66 at halftime. Doncic finished the first half with 19 points, six assists, five rebounds, and seven turnovers. Every Dallas starter had a plus/minus number of 0 or worse, while every Dallas reserve had a positive plus/minus number. The Mavericks shot .568 from the field, including .571 (12-21) from three point range. Leonard led L.A. with 15 first half points. Every L.A. starter had a positive plus/minus number, and every L.A. reserve had a negative plus/minus number.
Dallas led 71-66 at the 9:10 mark of the third quarter when Kristaps Porzingis and Marcus Morris were called for a double technical foul. Porzingis had received a technical foul in the first half for an air punch after he disagreed with a personal foul called against him, so the second technical foul brought with it an automatic ejection. The ESPN announcing crew of Mike Breen, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy criticized the officials for calling two soft technical fouls against Porzingis, but Steve Javie--a retired official who now is an ESPN commentator focusing on officiating issues--correctly pointed out that the NBA decorum rules stipulate an automatic technical foul for air punches in reaction to foul calls, and that NBA rules also stipulate that a player who escalates an altercation should receive a technical foul. Javie also noted that all NBA players know these rules, and thus have an obligation to avoid engaging in conduct that automatically results in a technical foul. Mark Jackson asserted that officials are not consistent in terms of handing out technical fouls in such situations, and Javie replied that officials are graded by the league on being consistent.
While I understand the point that Breen, Jackson, and Van Gundy made--and I share their disappointment about Porzingis' ejection--ultimately I side with Javie: the players know the rules, and the onus is on the players to not place themselves in potentially compromising situations. This is no different than the
Amare Stoudemire and Boris Dias suspensions that Phoenix Suns fans are still whining about 13 years later. As Shaquille O'Neal correctly noted at that time about those suspensions, every NBA players knows "If you cross the line, you lose your behind." Here, every NBA player knows that if you show up an official with an air punch after a foul call then you get a technical foul, and every NBA player knows that if you are the third person into a two person confrontation then you get a technical foul. Every NBA player also knows that if you already have one technical foul then you have to avoid doing anything that might result in a second technical foul that leads to an automatic ejection.
Porzingis' ejection is unfortunate, but he has to be responsible for his own behavior, and his behavior cost his team big time. The Clippers outscored the Mavericks 21-11 to finish the third quarter with an 87-82 lead. The Mavericks battled the rest of the way, and even tied the score a couple times, but the Clippers never lost the lead. Leonard scored eight points in the final 6:31 of the fourth quarter, and he finished with a team-high 29 points in addition to leading the Clippers in rebounds (12) and assists (six). Embiid scored almost as many points as Leonard, and Embiid grabbed four more rebounds--but would any coach in his right mind take Embiid over Leonard? I have declared this throughout my writing career, and I will declare it again: you cannot accurately determine a player's value by numbers alone, whether you are using "basic" numbers, "advanced" numbers, or any other kind of numbers--and it is foolish for anyone to assert that, based on some proprietary number juggling, it is possible to precisely determine in order who the best players are. What Leonard does is a master class in winning basketball; he rarely allows the defense to rush him or induce him to take a shot that he does not want to take. Leonard consistently makes smart, timely plays, and he maintains control over his emotions.
Paul George added 27 points for the Clippers. He is well-suited for the second option role. If he had been the Clippers' best player instead of Leonard and some lesser player had been the second option, then the Clippers would have lost.
Doncic set an NBA record for most points scored by a player in his first playoff game: 42 points on 13-21 field goal shooting. He had 11 turnovers, nine assists, and seven rebounds. He is young and raw, but he is also savvy, strong, and incredibly talented. Doncic is not nearly as good defensively as Leonard, and he does not yet have Leonard's ability to control the tempo of the game, but Doncic is similar to Leonard specifically in terms of being able to use his size to create high percentage scoring opportunities for himself. Doncic is a more creative passer than Leonard, but also a sloppier ball handler/passer, as the turnover numbers demonstrate. It is scary to think about how good Doncic can become if he minimizes his few weaknesses and continues to improve his already impressive strengths.
The Mavericks shot 3-22 (.136) from three point range in the second half, a drastic decline from their hot first half shooting; the Clippers' defense improved in the second half, but the Mavericks also hurt themselves with questionable shot selection. It is easy to picture Dallas winning a couple games in this series--which is what I predicted--but if the Mavericks keep losing their composure and if they play sloppily at key times as they did in game one then it is also easy to picture them having a lead in each game and yet getting swept after falling apart down the stretch. One trend to watch--which may be significant not just in this series but also throughout the playoffs--is that the Clippers thrived when their starters were on the court but struggled when their reserves played; depth is supposed to be one of the Clippers' strengths, so is this a one game aberration or a trend?
Labels: Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Donovan Mitchell, L.A. Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz
posted by David Friedman @ 12:38 AM
