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- The Grip - WED 4.11
The Grip - WED 4.11
Your quick [NBA] conference recap
4.11.18
Written while listening to Biggie's Ready to Die [YouTube] [Spotify] [Apple Music]
Important Scores From Last Night
76ers 121,
Hawks 116
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J.J. Redick
28 PTS | 5 AST | 4 RBD
Jazz 119,
Warriors 79
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Donovan Mitchell
22 PTS | 8-12 FG
Two playoff-impaired franchises go at it tonight
After Monday’s games, three of the four teams stuck in the Western Conference waiting room finally passed through and booked themselves anywhere from four to 28 more games of basketball. Here are the current standings:
Poor Denver
A few weeks ago, the Nuggets were on the outside of the top-eight, staring at a fifth straight season out of the playoffs. Since, they’ve won six games in a row, all coming against playoff teams except the Clippers, who were just eliminated. Nikola Jokic has been an All-Star level talent of late, quietly turning into a Bill Walton tribute (he’s up to 6.1 assists a game; Walton’s career-high was 5 a game -- different era, but still).
Now, in the last game of the season, the fate is back in their hands. They head to Minneapolis tonight at 8 p.m. to play the Timberwolves in what is essentially a one-game playoff -- the first time such has happened since a Knicks-Pacers game in 1988.
The Timberpups need this one…
If you’ve been bobbing-and-weaving through the NBA this season, sort of engaged but sort of not, (if true, why are you reading this, fool?) then this is the one to watch. It’s not on national TV, but happy birthday, because The Grip just put you on.
The Nuggets want to be the team of the future. A playoff appearance and a few home games would do wonders for a young core with some legitimate pieces. (The backcourt of 23-year-old Gary Harris and 20-year-old Jamal Murray, which you probably aren’t too familiar with, is combining to score more than 34 points a game.)
For Minnesota, out of the playoffs in a league where more than half of the teams make it since 2004, missing the postseason again would be an enormous failure.
Part of that is the all-in-right-now Jimmy Butler trade which set the bar too high, but regardless, a loss against Denver today would be a setback for a team that two years ago was supposed to the core of the future.
The general manager plus coaching role has proven to be a bad idea (See: Doc Rivers, Stan Van Gundy), and a missed postseason for Tom Thibodeau would mean a bevy of fingers pointed his way.
The depressing Kyrie Irving thread, but also the Eastern Conference
Kyrie Irving is not going to play for the Boston Celtics in the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
*Has existential crisis on why we root for anything for an entire season because it can all be taken away so quickly, but also convinces self it’s ok for because #2019wasalwaysouryear*
OK, back. The 76ers have arrived a year early and last night won their 15th straight. They are on track for a second round showdown with the Cavaliers. Cleveland will almost certainly win that, but c’mon. How fun will that be?
Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons against 33-year-old peak LeBron…..and Kevin Love.
If or when LBJ leads another broken down team to the NBA Finals, it may be his most impressive job yet.
Quick notes
The Wizards will probably be matched with Toronto, which will bring back memories of the 2015 first round iteration where Paul Pierce emasculated an entire country and helped sweep the Raptors...Anyone believe in Indiana yet? Us neither. Sorry for hating...Marcus Smart might return within two weeks.
Your gif of the week
Rajon Rondo strips Kevin Durant down the stretch to seal the Pelicans win. He also made this sweet off-the-backboard alley oop to Anthony Davis on Monday.
Your Tweet of the week
DIRK!!!
Andre Ingram, a 32-year-old career G-Leaguer, got his first NBA minutes last night. Laker fans had fun with it. He ended the night with 19 points on 6-8 shooting from the field. Before that, the news of his call up was broken to him in a very adorable way.
ESPN cut to the middle of a commercial during a tie game buzzer-beater attempt. “No, no. Pick up.”
THE 2018 TANKATHON IS OVER. The Phoenix Suns have clinched the top pick of 2018’s draft.
Under the radar: Russell Westbrook needs 16 rebounds against Memphis in the final game of the season to average another triple-double.
The Philadelphia 76ers have won a franchise record 15 straight games and have reached 50 wins for the first time since the 2001 Allen Iverson-led 76ers.
Ever thought to yourself, I’d love to be a fly on the wall for James Harden’s pre-game routine? It’s not quite as epic as you’d think. But quite enjoyable. Proof.
This was called a defensive foul against Paul George.
A quick update on Glen Rice Jr., who clocked a teammate on his Israeli team. He’s unemployed now.
After 18 straight seasons of 50 wins, the San Antonio Spurs will fall short this year. But they still made the playoffs for the 21st year in a row. #greatfranchiseproblems
Two incredible Donovan Mitchell plays: This pass. This crossover.
How do we know for sure that Damian Lillard is having a great year? He got the Lee Jenkins treatment. [Tap Here]
Ice Cube is suing Qatari investors for not delivering on their promise to fund his Big3 league (ya know, the one that will allow us to watch Allen Iverson play 3 vs. 3 streetball against nobodies). [Tap Here]
Luka Doncic Is No Darko Milicic: The "Wonder Boy" is heading to the NBA, and he's out to change how we think about European imports.In truth, Doncic isn't just outplaying the other teenagers in Europe -- he's also outplaying most, if not all, of the adults. He signed with Real Madrid at age 13 and made his EuroLeague debut at 16. Now, at 19, he is averaging 22 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7 assists per 36 minutes (through April 5), leading the second-best league in the world in player efficiency. Every month, throngs of scouts trek to Spain, hoping to glean new pieces of data that will help them calculate whether Doncic's worth matches his hype. "Our reports are that he's the kind of guy who's very rare," one NBA executive says. To read more, tap here.
LISTEN: Woj has a cool discussion with a longtime NBA writer about the early days of the basketball internet [Tap Here]
A LOOK AHEAD
Here are Wednesday's high-importance games with playoff implications.
Wednesday, 4/11
San Antonio Spurs (47-34)vsNew Orleans Pelicans (47-34)8:00 PM EST
Milwaukee Bucks (44-37)vsPhiladephia 76ers (51-30)8:00 PM EST - ESPN
Denver Nuggets (46-35)vsMinnesota Timberwolves (46-35)8:00 PM EST
Utah Jazz (48-33)vsPortland Trail Blazers (48-33)10:30 PM EST - ESPN