Hawks win 82-81
Hawks lead series 3-2
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Showing posts with label second round. Show all posts
Showing posts with label second round. Show all posts
Friday, May 15, 2015
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Hawks VS Wizards (game 5)
Final Score: Hawks win 82-81
Hawks lead series 3-2
Horford Traveled. That's the first thing I yelled when I saw that play. I waited for the call. It never came. I left the room so mad, not because the Hawks won, but because the NBA rules and the refs let the team win the game illegally. You can't replay this and fix it and all 3 refs missed the travel. However, the Wizards made some mistakes themselves, let's take a look.
The Wizards need to do better with help defense. they don't help and then the wrong people help and then others don't cover the people they should have been covering. It was just a mess. I looked at every defensive play that the Hawks scored on and over half of them had problems with help defense. This is a problem that needs to be addressed. They really need to fix this problem. Next, Gortat doesn't read what the defense is doing. If he is double teamed he puts up a shot and if he has a lane, he doesn't take it. They did a good job of finding the open guy on the weak side though. They also have situations where they need to do better on screens. There was poor communication and that needs to be addressed. They sometimes need to switch and sometimes need to get back on their man. The defense for the Wizards was just horrible.
The Hawks played good overall. They did have streaks where they missed shots and committed a lot of turnovers at once. They had 23 turnovers total. They also need to get back on their man and stop double teaming people. They really need to cut down on that. Jeff Teague looked lost on defense a lot of times. He just looked like he didn't know what was happening, he would walk away from his man. Someone else would guard him and he would just stand there and not find someone. He was really lazy and it just wasn't Teague. I don't know if he was tired or whatever, but he needs to play better defense. Mike Muscala played great defense and did a great job setting screens. He slipped a couple of the screens which got him great open looks. He also did a great job of using pump fakes and pass fakes. The Hawks need to win 1 of their next 2 games. Can they do it? Well, they have some mistakes to fix first.
Hawks lead series 3-2
Horford Traveled. That's the first thing I yelled when I saw that play. I waited for the call. It never came. I left the room so mad, not because the Hawks won, but because the NBA rules and the refs let the team win the game illegally. You can't replay this and fix it and all 3 refs missed the travel. However, the Wizards made some mistakes themselves, let's take a look.
The Wizards need to do better with help defense. they don't help and then the wrong people help and then others don't cover the people they should have been covering. It was just a mess. I looked at every defensive play that the Hawks scored on and over half of them had problems with help defense. This is a problem that needs to be addressed. They really need to fix this problem. Next, Gortat doesn't read what the defense is doing. If he is double teamed he puts up a shot and if he has a lane, he doesn't take it. They did a good job of finding the open guy on the weak side though. They also have situations where they need to do better on screens. There was poor communication and that needs to be addressed. They sometimes need to switch and sometimes need to get back on their man. The defense for the Wizards was just horrible.
The Hawks played good overall. They did have streaks where they missed shots and committed a lot of turnovers at once. They had 23 turnovers total. They also need to get back on their man and stop double teaming people. They really need to cut down on that. Jeff Teague looked lost on defense a lot of times. He just looked like he didn't know what was happening, he would walk away from his man. Someone else would guard him and he would just stand there and not find someone. He was really lazy and it just wasn't Teague. I don't know if he was tired or whatever, but he needs to play better defense. Mike Muscala played great defense and did a great job setting screens. He slipped a couple of the screens which got him great open looks. He also did a great job of using pump fakes and pass fakes. The Hawks need to win 1 of their next 2 games. Can they do it? Well, they have some mistakes to fix first.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Rockets VS Clippers (game 5)
Final Score: Rockets win 124-103
Clippers lead series 3-2
The Rockets did a lot of things right. The Clippers had a tough time with this team. This Rockets team showed everybody what they are capable of. Let's breakdown what the Rockets did right in this game and what they need to do to tie the series.
The Rockets had a great game. One noticeable thing they did was that they started Josh Smith. Josh Smith did have an okay game, but his defensive rating was the worst on the court. They honestly need to insert Jones into the starting line-up. James Harden had a wonderful game and he looked like he always had in the regular season. He started off the series where he was just missing. Everyone was like "James! Where were you!"
It's okay James, your back. That's all that matters. He had a triple-double last night. 26 points, 10 assists, and 11 rebounds. He could step up his shooting a little as he only shot 1-8 from the 3 point line. Dwight Howard also had a great game. He had 20 points and 15 rebounds. He was also great on the defensive end as well. Jason Terry had a wonderful game with 11 points, 7 assists, and 0 turnovers! He also was great on the offensive end with a rating of 141.1. Corey Brewer played great with 15 points off the bench. The best individual performance I think was by Trevor Ariza. He had 22 points, shot 4-6 from downtown, had 3 steals, and had a defensive rating of 89.5. He was the MVP of the game. At least, that's what I thought.
The Clippers have some work to do. They desperately need some offense from the bench. There bench was 10-31 from the field and 3-14 from the 3-point line. Spencer Hawes had a great game off the bench but he was the only bench player that really produced. They can't rely off of 55 points from Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. That won't win them games. Also, they need to rebound better. They lost the rebound advantage 58-39. That can't happen. Everyone needs to be trying to get the rebound. When DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin combine for all but 12 of your rebounds, the other teammates aren't trying enough. They really need to protect the paint better. I would be more concerned with the paint than the 3-point shooting of the Rockets right now. You can't let them have a chance to comeback. Can the Rockets do it? We'll have to wait and see.
Clippers lead series 3-2
The Rockets did a lot of things right. The Clippers had a tough time with this team. This Rockets team showed everybody what they are capable of. Let's breakdown what the Rockets did right in this game and what they need to do to tie the series.
The Rockets had a great game. One noticeable thing they did was that they started Josh Smith. Josh Smith did have an okay game, but his defensive rating was the worst on the court. They honestly need to insert Jones into the starting line-up. James Harden had a wonderful game and he looked like he always had in the regular season. He started off the series where he was just missing. Everyone was like "James! Where were you!"
The Clippers have some work to do. They desperately need some offense from the bench. There bench was 10-31 from the field and 3-14 from the 3-point line. Spencer Hawes had a great game off the bench but he was the only bench player that really produced. They can't rely off of 55 points from Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. That won't win them games. Also, they need to rebound better. They lost the rebound advantage 58-39. That can't happen. Everyone needs to be trying to get the rebound. When DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin combine for all but 12 of your rebounds, the other teammates aren't trying enough. They really need to protect the paint better. I would be more concerned with the paint than the 3-point shooting of the Rockets right now. You can't let them have a chance to comeback. Can the Rockets do it? We'll have to wait and see.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Hawks VS Wizards (game 4)
Final Score: 106-101
Series tied 2-2
This was a crucial game. A must win for the Hawks. They needed to win or else, elimination could have been right around the corner. How did they win, and what do they need to do next game. Let's take a look.
Jeff Teague hit a very clutch 3 pointer. Teague just had a great game. You could tell, he didn't want to lose. He hit shots, but he also found his teammates open in the lane and on the perimeter. Dennis Schroder did a great job of attacking the rim. I was very impressed with that. This Hawks team needs to play better perimeter defense as they are allowing too much on the inside and from 3. The Hawks had a total of 30 assists and it wasn't just one person contributing to that. 3 people had at least 6 assists. One thing that they should do is try to get Kyle Korver involved in the offense more. He has been horrible this series and they need to get him going. The thing I loved the most was how they got Horford involved in the offense. Horford had a total of 70 touches and he got off 18 shots.
The Wizards are suffering without John Wall. They miss the passing effect he has had on the game. If someone was open, he would get them the ball. Without him, it's tough. Ramon Sessions doesn't have nearly the offensive or defensive game that Wall has. Players have stepped up though. Will Bynum has played great and he had 10 points off the bench in the last game. Bradley Beal played a great game but he couldn't carry his team. He 34 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and a big block on Schroder. He needs others to make shots though. Without John Wall, that's hard to do. Can they win without John Wall? Tell me what you think.
Series tied 2-2
This was a crucial game. A must win for the Hawks. They needed to win or else, elimination could have been right around the corner. How did they win, and what do they need to do next game. Let's take a look.
Jeff Teague hit a very clutch 3 pointer. Teague just had a great game. You could tell, he didn't want to lose. He hit shots, but he also found his teammates open in the lane and on the perimeter. Dennis Schroder did a great job of attacking the rim. I was very impressed with that. This Hawks team needs to play better perimeter defense as they are allowing too much on the inside and from 3. The Hawks had a total of 30 assists and it wasn't just one person contributing to that. 3 people had at least 6 assists. One thing that they should do is try to get Kyle Korver involved in the offense more. He has been horrible this series and they need to get him going. The thing I loved the most was how they got Horford involved in the offense. Horford had a total of 70 touches and he got off 18 shots.
The Wizards are suffering without John Wall. They miss the passing effect he has had on the game. If someone was open, he would get them the ball. Without him, it's tough. Ramon Sessions doesn't have nearly the offensive or defensive game that Wall has. Players have stepped up though. Will Bynum has played great and he had 10 points off the bench in the last game. Bradley Beal played a great game but he couldn't carry his team. He 34 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and a big block on Schroder. He needs others to make shots though. Without John Wall, that's hard to do. Can they win without John Wall? Tell me what you think.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Cavaliers VS Bulls (game 4)
Final Score: Cavaliers win 86-84
Series tied 2-2
LeBron shoots at the buzzer. Hits It! Three game winning buzzer beaters in 3 consecutive nights. How did LeBron get off the shot. Well, the Refs let the Cavs get everything together. I don't really agree to that. The thing is, the Cavs won. Obviously they need to keep winning. Let's take a look at how they must play in order to do that.
The Cavs aren't playing that great. In fact, LeBron's isolations and shot selections haven't been that great. He shot 7 threes again and only made 1 again. Yes, he hit the game-winner, but there are shots that will fall. Coach Blatt should think about taking Shumpert out of the starting line-up and put Smith back in. Smith makes the spacing so much better and is more offensive minded. And with a game that was scored in the 80s, I would be more concerned with offense. Kyrie Irving really needs to get into the offense. He shot just 2-10 from the field. He did do well from the free throw line as he was 8-8. He also only had 2 assists. And if you are this Cavs team, you need to let Kyrie handle the ball just to get his confidence going. The Cavaliers as a team did shoot well from the free throw line as they shot 23-24. They really need to keep that up.
The Bulls have a lot to work on. Before I get going, I am going to stress this so much. They need to let LeBron shoot the jumper. Lay off of LeBron and get into a position where you can take a charge or defend if LeBron decides to drive. LeBron is shooting 28.6 on uncontested jumpers. Next, they need Mike Dunleavy to produce for this team. Nikola Mirotic didn't play that great for this Bulls team. He shot just 1-9 from the field. Also, when Aaron Brooks and Kirk Hinrich were in the game, that's when the Bulls offense was the best. They need to be played more. They need to keep up their defense as they are doing great with that. Their offense is the only thing they need to change. If they can get that going, they have a good shot at the next game.
Series tied 2-2
LeBron shoots at the buzzer. Hits It! Three game winning buzzer beaters in 3 consecutive nights. How did LeBron get off the shot. Well, the Refs let the Cavs get everything together. I don't really agree to that. The thing is, the Cavs won. Obviously they need to keep winning. Let's take a look at how they must play in order to do that.
The Cavs aren't playing that great. In fact, LeBron's isolations and shot selections haven't been that great. He shot 7 threes again and only made 1 again. Yes, he hit the game-winner, but there are shots that will fall. Coach Blatt should think about taking Shumpert out of the starting line-up and put Smith back in. Smith makes the spacing so much better and is more offensive minded. And with a game that was scored in the 80s, I would be more concerned with offense. Kyrie Irving really needs to get into the offense. He shot just 2-10 from the field. He did do well from the free throw line as he was 8-8. He also only had 2 assists. And if you are this Cavs team, you need to let Kyrie handle the ball just to get his confidence going. The Cavaliers as a team did shoot well from the free throw line as they shot 23-24. They really need to keep that up.
The Bulls have a lot to work on. Before I get going, I am going to stress this so much. They need to let LeBron shoot the jumper. Lay off of LeBron and get into a position where you can take a charge or defend if LeBron decides to drive. LeBron is shooting 28.6 on uncontested jumpers. Next, they need Mike Dunleavy to produce for this team. Nikola Mirotic didn't play that great for this Bulls team. He shot just 1-9 from the field. Also, when Aaron Brooks and Kirk Hinrich were in the game, that's when the Bulls offense was the best. They need to be played more. They need to keep up their defense as they are doing great with that. Their offense is the only thing they need to change. If they can get that going, they have a good shot at the next game.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Warriors VS Grizzlies (game 3)
Final Score: Grizzlies win 99-89
Grizzlies lead series 2-1
The Grizzlies won another. Both teams needed the game. Now the Warriors are finding themselves in a position where they need to win the next game. Here are the things they need to change.
The Warriors need to shoot better. They shot under 25% for the second straight game. That can't be happening with this team. Curry shouldn't be missing wide open 3s. They also need to shoot better from free throw. 67.9% isn't enough. They also can't allow 19 second chance points. They really need to get their posts involved more so that Curry and Thompson can space out more. Also, Draymond Green should not be dribbling the ball all the way up the court in a late game situation. None of these things should be happening with the Warriors. None of these things. They need to change them or they will keep loosing to the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies are doing great. They aren't allowing any momentum for the Warriors. They do an excellent job of closing out. Tony Allen again had 4 steals and also had a block. They shot about 31% from 3 which is great for the Grizzlies. Marc Gasol did great as he had a total of 21 points and 15 rebounds. They are doing great when they have someone for them to take on a scoring load and the rest of the team can focus on defense. Zach Randolph also scored 22 points in the game which allowed this team to outscore the Warriors. Without their contributions, the Grizzlies would end the game with points scoring in the 70s so they absolutely need some scorers on the floor. They passed the ball really well to find lots of openings with 327 passes while the Warriors only had 256. That is great for this team to get their offense going because they need offense and great defense against a top offensive team like the Warriors. If they keep the Warriors 3 point percentage low and they have good offense, this team is likely to win the series.
Grizzlies lead series 2-1
The Grizzlies won another. Both teams needed the game. Now the Warriors are finding themselves in a position where they need to win the next game. Here are the things they need to change.
The Warriors need to shoot better. They shot under 25% for the second straight game. That can't be happening with this team. Curry shouldn't be missing wide open 3s. They also need to shoot better from free throw. 67.9% isn't enough. They also can't allow 19 second chance points. They really need to get their posts involved more so that Curry and Thompson can space out more. Also, Draymond Green should not be dribbling the ball all the way up the court in a late game situation. None of these things should be happening with the Warriors. None of these things. They need to change them or they will keep loosing to the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies are doing great. They aren't allowing any momentum for the Warriors. They do an excellent job of closing out. Tony Allen again had 4 steals and also had a block. They shot about 31% from 3 which is great for the Grizzlies. Marc Gasol did great as he had a total of 21 points and 15 rebounds. They are doing great when they have someone for them to take on a scoring load and the rest of the team can focus on defense. Zach Randolph also scored 22 points in the game which allowed this team to outscore the Warriors. Without their contributions, the Grizzlies would end the game with points scoring in the 70s so they absolutely need some scorers on the floor. They passed the ball really well to find lots of openings with 327 passes while the Warriors only had 256. That is great for this team to get their offense going because they need offense and great defense against a top offensive team like the Warriors. If they keep the Warriors 3 point percentage low and they have good offense, this team is likely to win the series.
Hawks VS Wizards (game 3)
Final score: Wizards win 103-101
Wizards lead series 2-1
Paul Pierce wanted to win more than anybody else. He wanted to make that shot. He had to fade-away just to get up a shot. And he made it. Pierce lied on the floor as Marcin Gortat and Bradley Beal came running toward him full speed. Of course, the Hawks made a great run to get the game tied up. Let's take a look how they managed to do that.
The Hawks had a great 4th quarter. Dennis Schroder had 16 points in just the fourth quarter. Al Horford, Paul Millsap, and DeMarre Carroll didn't really even play in that quarter. They relied on their bench for the whole 4th. In the first 3 quarters the Hawks only scored 66 points. In the 4th they had 35. A big factor was that they shot just 25% from 3 in the first 3 quarters. Kyle Korver made just 2 shots in the entire game and he ended with 6 points. That can't happen. He needs to get into the game more. Jeff Teague shot 33% from the floor and missed both the 3's he attempted. Their starters just did play well. They played bad transition defense and didn't close out. They need to change a lot and get off to a great start next game.
The Wizards had an extraordinary game. They had great ball movement and had a total of 340 passes as the Hawks only had 270 passes. You know your passing well if you out pass the Hawks. Bradley Beal did great on offense having 17 points and also 8 assists! Otto Porter had 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists off the bench. After having no field goals in the first 2 games, Nene had 17 points shooting 7-9 from the floor. Will Bynum had a great game as he shot 2 very important free throws and made them both. He also knocked down a three and had a nice layup in transiton as it was an and-1 opportunity. Paul Pierce. Well, he just won the game, that's all. Marcin Gortat had 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks as he shot 6-7 from the field. This team had great individual and a great team performance. If they keep this up, they have a good shot of moving on to the next round. The only thing that they need to work on is transition defense. They didn't do too great and really need to just get back. A casual jog isn't good enough. You need to beat your opponent back on defense. Otto Porter really went after the ball and went for everything. He had great hustle at both ends. Like I said, the Wizards have a great shot at making it to the next round. Let's see what they can do.
Wizards lead series 2-1
Paul Pierce wanted to win more than anybody else. He wanted to make that shot. He had to fade-away just to get up a shot. And he made it. Pierce lied on the floor as Marcin Gortat and Bradley Beal came running toward him full speed. Of course, the Hawks made a great run to get the game tied up. Let's take a look how they managed to do that.
The Hawks had a great 4th quarter. Dennis Schroder had 16 points in just the fourth quarter. Al Horford, Paul Millsap, and DeMarre Carroll didn't really even play in that quarter. They relied on their bench for the whole 4th. In the first 3 quarters the Hawks only scored 66 points. In the 4th they had 35. A big factor was that they shot just 25% from 3 in the first 3 quarters. Kyle Korver made just 2 shots in the entire game and he ended with 6 points. That can't happen. He needs to get into the game more. Jeff Teague shot 33% from the floor and missed both the 3's he attempted. Their starters just did play well. They played bad transition defense and didn't close out. They need to change a lot and get off to a great start next game.
The Wizards had an extraordinary game. They had great ball movement and had a total of 340 passes as the Hawks only had 270 passes. You know your passing well if you out pass the Hawks. Bradley Beal did great on offense having 17 points and also 8 assists! Otto Porter had 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists off the bench. After having no field goals in the first 2 games, Nene had 17 points shooting 7-9 from the floor. Will Bynum had a great game as he shot 2 very important free throws and made them both. He also knocked down a three and had a nice layup in transiton as it was an and-1 opportunity. Paul Pierce. Well, he just won the game, that's all. Marcin Gortat had 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks as he shot 6-7 from the field. This team had great individual and a great team performance. If they keep this up, they have a good shot of moving on to the next round. The only thing that they need to work on is transition defense. They didn't do too great and really need to just get back. A casual jog isn't good enough. You need to beat your opponent back on defense. Otto Porter really went after the ball and went for everything. He had great hustle at both ends. Like I said, the Wizards have a great shot at making it to the next round. Let's see what they can do.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Rockets VS Clippers (game 3)
Final Score: Clippers win 124-99
Clippers lead series 2-1
This was a game that both teams needed. Only one could win it of course. This game was won by the Clippers. Let's see how they won this game.
The Clippers stayed calm and got their bench involved in the game which I though was surprising. The Clippers played a total of 13 players. Austin Rivers had 25 points. The whole bench had 46 total points. The best thing about their bench was they played great defense. Except for Glen Davis. He sucked on defense. The Clippers had 50 points in the paint and had only 32 contested jumpers. It is hard to complain with how they did, but they could get J.J. Redick more touches. He only touched the ball 34 times. That should increase and it needs to. This guy plays the most for the team. That's about it though. Blake Griffin played great. As long as Chris Paul has no more delays, I don't see why they can't make it to the next round.
The Rockets did a lot wrong. They shot 58.1% from the free throw line. The team had a defensive rating of 125.1 and an offensive rating of 98.4. That can't happen. They did do great with their turnovers as they kept it under 20. So they fixed that a little. James Harden was great with his passing as he had not only 11 assists but also 4 secondary assists and 1 free throw assist. That is impressive. They really have to pick up the defense for them to win though. That is just to start with. They also have to find a way to contain Blake Griffin. They have a lot of work to do. Let's see what they will change in game 4.
Clippers lead series 2-1
This was a game that both teams needed. Only one could win it of course. This game was won by the Clippers. Let's see how they won this game.
The Clippers stayed calm and got their bench involved in the game which I though was surprising. The Clippers played a total of 13 players. Austin Rivers had 25 points. The whole bench had 46 total points. The best thing about their bench was they played great defense. Except for Glen Davis. He sucked on defense. The Clippers had 50 points in the paint and had only 32 contested jumpers. It is hard to complain with how they did, but they could get J.J. Redick more touches. He only touched the ball 34 times. That should increase and it needs to. This guy plays the most for the team. That's about it though. Blake Griffin played great. As long as Chris Paul has no more delays, I don't see why they can't make it to the next round.
The Rockets did a lot wrong. They shot 58.1% from the free throw line. The team had a defensive rating of 125.1 and an offensive rating of 98.4. That can't happen. They did do great with their turnovers as they kept it under 20. So they fixed that a little. James Harden was great with his passing as he had not only 11 assists but also 4 secondary assists and 1 free throw assist. That is impressive. They really have to pick up the defense for them to win though. That is just to start with. They also have to find a way to contain Blake Griffin. They have a lot of work to do. Let's see what they will change in game 4.
Cavaliers VS Bulls (game 3)
Final Score: Bulls win 99-96
Bulls lead series 2-1
I have to say, the officiating wasn't that great in this game. LeBron fouled Butler on that 3. Butler traveled on the reverse layup. LeBron fouled Derrick Rose with about 4 seconds left as he knocked it out of bounds. But the ending was great. I saw Derrick Rose put up the last shot. Then I exploded. "OH MY GOODNESS!" I yelled about 23 times. I'm sure the whole neighborhood was all like, "what's happening over at Aaron's place." "someone probably dunked it." Yeah, well guess what. That wasn't a dunk people. That was a game winning shot. But the game winner wasn't the only thing that won that game. It was everything that the Bulls did leading up to that. Let's take a look at what the Bulls did to have that game tied to those last 3 seconds.
Well, Derrick Rose got to the free throw line and he had a great game overall. He scored. Jimmy Butler did great too. Also, Derrick Rose kept Kyrie Irving to 11 points and 3-13 shooting. That is great. Joakim Noah didn't score or shoot well, but he did great on rebounding and defense. That's all you can ask from him. The whole team did a great job of limiting the Cavs to 39% shooting from the floor. Nikola Mirotic had a great game as he had 12 points and 8 rebounds but his defense was the biggest thing. He had a defnsive rating of 88.4. That is great. Aaron Brooks is still struggling and he really needs to pick it up on offense. He shot 1-7 from the field and 0-4 from 3-point range. They also controled the rebounds as they had 54 while the Cavs had 39.
The Cavaliers have a lot to change. With Kevin Love gone, they don't have a big to really spread the floor. Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov seem to clog up the paint and it becomes harder for guys like Kyrie Irving and LeBron James to make shots in there. They obviously could use Love right now. Especially against a match-up like Pau Gasol. LeBron needs to calm down a bit and stop taking too many shots. He was just 1-7 from 3 point range. And let's face it, LeBron isn't the best 3-point shooter. He just needs to get his teammates involved more. Not to mention, LeBron had 7 tunrovers. J.R. Smith had a great game. He shot 4-8 from 3-point range and 2 of those were in the last 2 minutes. Clutch. One thing that the Cavs did great was forcing the Bulls to shoot contested shots. The Bulls shot a total of 63 contested shots! They only had 27 uncontested. That is great contesting by the Cavs. The Cavaliers need Love. If this team even beats the Bulls, they need him for the next round, because without him, they will have lots of troubles.
Bulls lead series 2-1
I have to say, the officiating wasn't that great in this game. LeBron fouled Butler on that 3. Butler traveled on the reverse layup. LeBron fouled Derrick Rose with about 4 seconds left as he knocked it out of bounds. But the ending was great. I saw Derrick Rose put up the last shot. Then I exploded. "OH MY GOODNESS!" I yelled about 23 times. I'm sure the whole neighborhood was all like, "what's happening over at Aaron's place." "someone probably dunked it." Yeah, well guess what. That wasn't a dunk people. That was a game winning shot. But the game winner wasn't the only thing that won that game. It was everything that the Bulls did leading up to that. Let's take a look at what the Bulls did to have that game tied to those last 3 seconds.
Well, Derrick Rose got to the free throw line and he had a great game overall. He scored. Jimmy Butler did great too. Also, Derrick Rose kept Kyrie Irving to 11 points and 3-13 shooting. That is great. Joakim Noah didn't score or shoot well, but he did great on rebounding and defense. That's all you can ask from him. The whole team did a great job of limiting the Cavs to 39% shooting from the floor. Nikola Mirotic had a great game as he had 12 points and 8 rebounds but his defense was the biggest thing. He had a defnsive rating of 88.4. That is great. Aaron Brooks is still struggling and he really needs to pick it up on offense. He shot 1-7 from the field and 0-4 from 3-point range. They also controled the rebounds as they had 54 while the Cavs had 39.
The Cavaliers have a lot to change. With Kevin Love gone, they don't have a big to really spread the floor. Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov seem to clog up the paint and it becomes harder for guys like Kyrie Irving and LeBron James to make shots in there. They obviously could use Love right now. Especially against a match-up like Pau Gasol. LeBron needs to calm down a bit and stop taking too many shots. He was just 1-7 from 3 point range. And let's face it, LeBron isn't the best 3-point shooter. He just needs to get his teammates involved more. Not to mention, LeBron had 7 tunrovers. J.R. Smith had a great game. He shot 4-8 from 3-point range and 2 of those were in the last 2 minutes. Clutch. One thing that the Cavs did great was forcing the Bulls to shoot contested shots. The Bulls shot a total of 63 contested shots! They only had 27 uncontested. That is great contesting by the Cavs. The Cavaliers need Love. If this team even beats the Bulls, they need him for the next round, because without him, they will have lots of troubles.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Cavaliers VS Bulls (game 2)
Final Score: Cavaliers win 106-91
Series tied 1-1
Is this a rewind. Deja vu? I think it could be. The Bulls always seem to win game 1 then lose the next 4 when they play LeBron in the playoffs. Well, it could be a coincidence. And here how the Bulls can make it so the rewind doesn't happen.
The Bulls need everybody to perform much better. Let's take a look at the individual performances of all these players.
This Cavs team was amazing. Yes, LeBron and Kyrie had a combined 54 points but I want to focus on Iman Shumpert and James Jones. Shumpert had 15 points while he shot 4-7 from deep. James Jones had17 points off the bench as he shot a surprising 5-9 from 3-point range. However, James Jones didn't win them the game, he just kept them in it. The team had a plus/minus advantage of -1 when he was on the floor. So he obviously just helped them stay in the game. If he wasn't there though, the Cavs would have lost the lead because their bench would have played so bad. Again, I'm still waiting for this Cavs team to play Marion more. He is very skilled and they need to use him. Other than that, this team is playing great. If they win their next 3, I will start thinking that it is impossible for the Bulls to win a playoff series against LeBron.
Series tied 1-1
Is this a rewind. Deja vu? I think it could be. The Bulls always seem to win game 1 then lose the next 4 when they play LeBron in the playoffs. Well, it could be a coincidence. And here how the Bulls can make it so the rewind doesn't happen.
The Bulls need everybody to perform much better. Let's take a look at the individual performances of all these players.
- Pau Gasol: 11 points, 3 turnovers, 4 rebounds, and 3-8 from the field
- Joakim Noah: 4 points, 4 shot attempts, 0-2 from the free-throw line
- Jimmy Butler: 18 points, 2-7 from 3pt range, 1 assist, -26 plus/minus advantage
- Derrick Rose: 14 points, 6-20 from the field, -13 plus/minus advantage
- Aaron Brooks: 4 points, 1-8 from the field, 0-4 from 3pt range
This Cavs team was amazing. Yes, LeBron and Kyrie had a combined 54 points but I want to focus on Iman Shumpert and James Jones. Shumpert had 15 points while he shot 4-7 from deep. James Jones had17 points off the bench as he shot a surprising 5-9 from 3-point range. However, James Jones didn't win them the game, he just kept them in it. The team had a plus/minus advantage of -1 when he was on the floor. So he obviously just helped them stay in the game. If he wasn't there though, the Cavs would have lost the lead because their bench would have played so bad. Again, I'm still waiting for this Cavs team to play Marion more. He is very skilled and they need to use him. Other than that, this team is playing great. If they win their next 3, I will start thinking that it is impossible for the Bulls to win a playoff series against LeBron.
Warriors VS Grizzlies (game 2)
Final Score: Grizzlies win 97-90
Series tied 1-1
Grizzlies grab home-court advantage. They played great defense and got the win. Let's take a look at what the Grizzlies did right to win this game.
The Grizzlies had a great lift from Mike Conley as he came back. While he did great on the offensive side, the whole team could really focus on defense. Tony Allen was great on defense with 4 steals. The Grizzlies themselves had a total of 13 steals. The Grizzlies made the Warriors forced up 50 contested jumpers and the Warriors couldn't even hit their uncontested jumpers. Not to mention that they were contesting and not fouling and blocking. The Grizzlies only had 2 blocks in the game. They also made their free throws. They were 18-20 from the free throw line. One thing that they could use is for Vince Carter and Jeff Green to play a little better on the floor. They could use a little more from them. They both didn't play that well and didn't bring a great offensive game which you would have imagined them to bring. Other than that this team is looking great.
The Warriors just couldn't hit shots. They were 26.1% from 3pt range. Klay Thompson was 1-6 and Curry was 2-11 from 3pt range. It wasn't that they couldn't just hit defended shots. They were 41.9% on contested jumpers. The problem was, they weren't used to taking open jumpers in the game and shot 7-24 on open shots. That can't happen. Obviously this Warriors team just had a bad shooting night. One thing I really wish they did was play David Lee a little bit more. He had only played 5:10 minutes and you have to remember this guy was a starter last year. The main problem for this Warriors team is just shooting. If they bring that up, I don't see why they can't take this series.
Series tied 1-1
Grizzlies grab home-court advantage. They played great defense and got the win. Let's take a look at what the Grizzlies did right to win this game.
The Grizzlies had a great lift from Mike Conley as he came back. While he did great on the offensive side, the whole team could really focus on defense. Tony Allen was great on defense with 4 steals. The Grizzlies themselves had a total of 13 steals. The Grizzlies made the Warriors forced up 50 contested jumpers and the Warriors couldn't even hit their uncontested jumpers. Not to mention that they were contesting and not fouling and blocking. The Grizzlies only had 2 blocks in the game. They also made their free throws. They were 18-20 from the free throw line. One thing that they could use is for Vince Carter and Jeff Green to play a little better on the floor. They could use a little more from them. They both didn't play that well and didn't bring a great offensive game which you would have imagined them to bring. Other than that this team is looking great.
The Warriors just couldn't hit shots. They were 26.1% from 3pt range. Klay Thompson was 1-6 and Curry was 2-11 from 3pt range. It wasn't that they couldn't just hit defended shots. They were 41.9% on contested jumpers. The problem was, they weren't used to taking open jumpers in the game and shot 7-24 on open shots. That can't happen. Obviously this Warriors team just had a bad shooting night. One thing I really wish they did was play David Lee a little bit more. He had only played 5:10 minutes and you have to remember this guy was a starter last year. The main problem for this Warriors team is just shooting. If they bring that up, I don't see why they can't take this series.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Hawks VS Wizards (game 2)
Final Score: Hawks win 106-90
Series tied 1-1
John Wall was out. There was really no leader for the Wizards. The Hawks really did take control of the game. Let's take a look at what the Wizards need to improve on as they go back home.
The Wizards need John Wall. Simple as that. This guy averages over 10 assists per game. He runs the offense. He is like a Ricky Rubio that can score better. When he is on the floor, everyone plays so much better. Take a look at this, the Wizards took more contested shots than uncontested shots. That is a sign of lack of ball movement. Next, Nene and Gortat only had a combined 12 points. Wall's ability to get it low to the posts is better than anyone else in the league. Wall is like Chris Paul dishing to DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin or Rubio dishing to Kevin Love or Pekovic (throwback to last year). When you take away Chris Paul and Ricky Rubio, what do you have, 2 bigs having to try really hard just to touch the ball. What did they do great of? Ramon Sessions played great. He had a great second half. Paul Pierce shot great from the three point line. In fact the whole team shot 54.5% from deep, which is very impressive for a team like the Wizards. Last, they contained Jeff Teague to only 9 points.
The Hawks played a great overall game. They had 10 turnovers but made them all up with 10 steals. Everybody went for every loose ball and played their hardest. They had great ball movement and wanted to get everyone involved. One thing they could do better is get Kyle Korver some more touches. This guy only had 14 points off of only 40 touches. He needs the ball more. His usage was the lowest on his team at 13.2%! That is unacceptable. Other than that they look like they are in great shape for the next game as long as they play the same in game 3.
Series tied 1-1
John Wall was out. There was really no leader for the Wizards. The Hawks really did take control of the game. Let's take a look at what the Wizards need to improve on as they go back home.
The Wizards need John Wall. Simple as that. This guy averages over 10 assists per game. He runs the offense. He is like a Ricky Rubio that can score better. When he is on the floor, everyone plays so much better. Take a look at this, the Wizards took more contested shots than uncontested shots. That is a sign of lack of ball movement. Next, Nene and Gortat only had a combined 12 points. Wall's ability to get it low to the posts is better than anyone else in the league. Wall is like Chris Paul dishing to DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin or Rubio dishing to Kevin Love or Pekovic (throwback to last year). When you take away Chris Paul and Ricky Rubio, what do you have, 2 bigs having to try really hard just to touch the ball. What did they do great of? Ramon Sessions played great. He had a great second half. Paul Pierce shot great from the three point line. In fact the whole team shot 54.5% from deep, which is very impressive for a team like the Wizards. Last, they contained Jeff Teague to only 9 points.
The Hawks played a great overall game. They had 10 turnovers but made them all up with 10 steals. Everybody went for every loose ball and played their hardest. They had great ball movement and wanted to get everyone involved. One thing they could do better is get Kyle Korver some more touches. This guy only had 14 points off of only 40 touches. He needs the ball more. His usage was the lowest on his team at 13.2%! That is unacceptable. Other than that they look like they are in great shape for the next game as long as they play the same in game 3.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Rockets VS Clippers (game 1)
Final Score: Clippers win 117-101
Clippers lead 1-0
Rockets looked like they had it. Then the Clippers woke up. The Rockets lost it. Then the Clippers won. Let's take a look at what the Rockets did wrong.
Dwight Howard did his job. He dominated over DeAndre Jordan. This was the worst game in terms of turnovers this year though. James Harden had 9 turnovers in the game. That can't happen. Josh Smith should not be putting up 5 threes. Corey Brewer can't put up 5 threes and miss all of them either. They both shot horrible from the floor. That needs to change. If you look at the Points off turnovers for the Clippers, it was bad. The Clippers had 34 points off of the Rockets turnovers. That needs to stop. One great thing was that the Clippers only had 40 points in the paint. They did give them 13-31 threes though. Obviously, there are a lot of problems for this Rockets team to fix.
Austin Rivers played great as he replaced Chris Paul. He had a good 17 points. Like the Rockets, the Clippers had way too many turnovers. Also, Glen Davis needs to pick it up on the defensive end. He had a defensive rating of 144.7. That's rough. One positive thing to look at was that they had more personal fouls drawn than the Rockets. Blake Griffin had a triple-double but he did have 5 turnovers. However, this Clippers team looks like they're in good shape. I think that if they keep it up, they will be looking into the conference finals.
Clippers lead 1-0
Rockets looked like they had it. Then the Clippers woke up. The Rockets lost it. Then the Clippers won. Let's take a look at what the Rockets did wrong.
Dwight Howard did his job. He dominated over DeAndre Jordan. This was the worst game in terms of turnovers this year though. James Harden had 9 turnovers in the game. That can't happen. Josh Smith should not be putting up 5 threes. Corey Brewer can't put up 5 threes and miss all of them either. They both shot horrible from the floor. That needs to change. If you look at the Points off turnovers for the Clippers, it was bad. The Clippers had 34 points off of the Rockets turnovers. That needs to stop. One great thing was that the Clippers only had 40 points in the paint. They did give them 13-31 threes though. Obviously, there are a lot of problems for this Rockets team to fix.
Austin Rivers played great as he replaced Chris Paul. He had a good 17 points. Like the Rockets, the Clippers had way too many turnovers. Also, Glen Davis needs to pick it up on the defensive end. He had a defensive rating of 144.7. That's rough. One positive thing to look at was that they had more personal fouls drawn than the Rockets. Blake Griffin had a triple-double but he did have 5 turnovers. However, this Clippers team looks like they're in good shape. I think that if they keep it up, they will be looking into the conference finals.
Cavaliers VS Bulls (game 1)
Final Score: Bulls win 99-92
Bulls lead series 1-0
Bulls had full control in this game and the Cavaliers better step it up. Let's take a second on what the Cavaliers need to change for game 2.
Cavaliers will still not have J.R. Smith and Kevin Love for game 2, so they absolutely need to put Tristan Thompson into the lineup. They also should play Shawn Marion more. He is a skilled player. Why did they get him? Was it so they could have someone to play the nights they were resting LeBron? No, Marion is a great player. LeBron also needs to play better. He had 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 assists. Sure that looks good, but he only shot 9-22 from the field, 0-3 from 3 point range, and had a total of 6 turnovers. Let Kyrie handle the ball. He is a much better decision maker than LeBron. I hate it how this team has one of the best Point Guards in the league with the best handles and can pass and they don't even use him. They also need more from their bench. The bench only had 16 points. They didn't play well at all in this game. They need to play better.
The Bulls handled this game well. Joakim Noah needs to step up a little. He didn't have a single point and had 4 turnovers. Mike Dunleavy played really great. He shot 5-6 from the field and 3-4 from 3-point range. Pau Gasol played really well as he had 21 points, 10 rebounds and shot 10-16 from the field. Not to mention, Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler had great games as well. I really think that it is smart not to play Nikola Mirotic in this round. They do need their bench to play well though. This Bulls team will start to get tired through the round and they need to have a bench that can produce. They did look okay in this game though.
That's all from this game. This will be an interesting series. Let's see who will win game 2.
Bulls lead series 1-0
Bulls had full control in this game and the Cavaliers better step it up. Let's take a second on what the Cavaliers need to change for game 2.
Cavaliers will still not have J.R. Smith and Kevin Love for game 2, so they absolutely need to put Tristan Thompson into the lineup. They also should play Shawn Marion more. He is a skilled player. Why did they get him? Was it so they could have someone to play the nights they were resting LeBron? No, Marion is a great player. LeBron also needs to play better. He had 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 assists. Sure that looks good, but he only shot 9-22 from the field, 0-3 from 3 point range, and had a total of 6 turnovers. Let Kyrie handle the ball. He is a much better decision maker than LeBron. I hate it how this team has one of the best Point Guards in the league with the best handles and can pass and they don't even use him. They also need more from their bench. The bench only had 16 points. They didn't play well at all in this game. They need to play better.
The Bulls handled this game well. Joakim Noah needs to step up a little. He didn't have a single point and had 4 turnovers. Mike Dunleavy played really great. He shot 5-6 from the field and 3-4 from 3-point range. Pau Gasol played really well as he had 21 points, 10 rebounds and shot 10-16 from the field. Not to mention, Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler had great games as well. I really think that it is smart not to play Nikola Mirotic in this round. They do need their bench to play well though. This Bulls team will start to get tired through the round and they need to have a bench that can produce. They did look okay in this game though.
That's all from this game. This will be an interesting series. Let's see who will win game 2.
Monday, May 4, 2015
On to the Next Round: The Semi-Conference Finals
On to the next one. I can't believe the first round is over. It is so shocking and I can't believe it. All the great match-ups we have, and I will breakdown all of them for you.
Warriors VS Grizzlies: This is an easy one for me. I think that the Warriors will win and have an easy time is Conley isn't back. Stephen Curry (your MVP) will have an easy time with Nick Calthes and Ben Udrih. It should be easy for this Warriors team. Marc Gasol will have a tougher time with top notch defender, Andrew Bogut, guarding him. And Zach Randolph will have a really tough time with Draymond Green guarding him.
Hawks VS Wizards: Oh man, this one is tough. I think that the Hawks will win just because they have had more success this season. The only thing is that the Wizards have won a lot of late and you think that must give them more of a chance to win. John Wall is going to have to play great against Teague like he played against Lowry. Bradley Beal vs. Kyle Korver is the main match-up I will be looking at though. I think that these two teams have great match-ups with teh starting line-ups which is what makes it such a tough one to predict. Everyone is so evenly matched and no-one has an advantage.
Rockets VS Clippers: I think that the Clippers will win. The transition and inside game for the Clippers is way too good for the Rockets to handle. J.J. Redick will have to pick up his defense but I honestly think that Matt Barnes should guard James Harden for most of the series. I think that for any wins for the Rockets James Harden will do most of the "heavy lifting".
Cavaliers VS Bulls: I think that this is pretty much unpredictable. The whole Chicago Bulls roster is unpredictable. The Bulls I think could win this though. They are a great team and the Cavs will not have Kevin Love for the series and J.R. Smith for 2 games. It will be tough for this Cavaliers team. I think that Derrick Rose will have to do a lot and kind of keep Kyrie contained. The real question is, who will guard LeBron.
I am so sorry by the way. I was in Canada. I just want everyone to know, Winnipeg is a great place to go to. I got to wear a Wizards shirt without anyone being able to make fun of me and it is defiantly a friendly place to go to. Do not stay at the Days Inn there though. I give it a half a star. I had to change rooms because the doors didn't work, the TV remote didn't work, there was nasty stuff all over the bathroom floor, the AC was way too loud and barley could cool down the room (it would make random noises in the middle of the night), the Wi-Fi was the worst ever, and the TV just shut off right in the middle of Dr. Phil. It was getting intense. This lady was about to find out if her "boyfriend" was real. I felt like we could have jsut have gotten to bad rooms, but this kid name Calvin had the same problem with his room doors. So if you do go there, try pushing on the doors to open them and see if you need the key to open them. If it pushes open, you got room 209.
Warriors VS Grizzlies: This is an easy one for me. I think that the Warriors will win and have an easy time is Conley isn't back. Stephen Curry (your MVP) will have an easy time with Nick Calthes and Ben Udrih. It should be easy for this Warriors team. Marc Gasol will have a tougher time with top notch defender, Andrew Bogut, guarding him. And Zach Randolph will have a really tough time with Draymond Green guarding him.
Hawks VS Wizards: Oh man, this one is tough. I think that the Hawks will win just because they have had more success this season. The only thing is that the Wizards have won a lot of late and you think that must give them more of a chance to win. John Wall is going to have to play great against Teague like he played against Lowry. Bradley Beal vs. Kyle Korver is the main match-up I will be looking at though. I think that these two teams have great match-ups with teh starting line-ups which is what makes it such a tough one to predict. Everyone is so evenly matched and no-one has an advantage.
Rockets VS Clippers: I think that the Clippers will win. The transition and inside game for the Clippers is way too good for the Rockets to handle. J.J. Redick will have to pick up his defense but I honestly think that Matt Barnes should guard James Harden for most of the series. I think that for any wins for the Rockets James Harden will do most of the "heavy lifting".
Cavaliers VS Bulls: I think that this is pretty much unpredictable. The whole Chicago Bulls roster is unpredictable. The Bulls I think could win this though. They are a great team and the Cavs will not have Kevin Love for the series and J.R. Smith for 2 games. It will be tough for this Cavaliers team. I think that Derrick Rose will have to do a lot and kind of keep Kyrie contained. The real question is, who will guard LeBron.
I am so sorry by the way. I was in Canada. I just want everyone to know, Winnipeg is a great place to go to. I got to wear a Wizards shirt without anyone being able to make fun of me and it is defiantly a friendly place to go to. Do not stay at the Days Inn there though. I give it a half a star. I had to change rooms because the doors didn't work, the TV remote didn't work, there was nasty stuff all over the bathroom floor, the AC was way too loud and barley could cool down the room (it would make random noises in the middle of the night), the Wi-Fi was the worst ever, and the TV just shut off right in the middle of Dr. Phil. It was getting intense. This lady was about to find out if her "boyfriend" was real. I felt like we could have jsut have gotten to bad rooms, but this kid name Calvin had the same problem with his room doors. So if you do go there, try pushing on the doors to open them and see if you need the key to open them. If it pushes open, you got room 209.
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