10 takeaways from tonight in the NBA:
1) If he didn’t already break the dawg meter, Jalen Suggs (9 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) did today. Had to get helped to the locker room in the first half after banging knees with Donovan Mitchell. Looked like tears were coming down and everything. Don’t know about you but I instantly assumed the worst. Got word shortly after that it was a knee strain, still figured he was done. Next thing you know, he’s on the court warming up at the half, and yeah ... starts and plays rest of way. What makes it even crazier is that he was still playing like his usual maniac self.
Jamahl Mosley said they’ll still evaluate him when they get back to Orlando.
"It's going to be just fine. It’s going to be just fine. We play Thursday at 7 and I’m going to be present." - Jalen Suggs on his knee strain
2) Orlando still can’t score. They have an abysmal 90.2 Offensive Rating on 44.3 TS% over the first two games of the series. Paolo (21 points) and Franz (18 points) are simply getting no help whatsoever. No offense to Gary Harris (14 points) but you’re dead in the water when he’s your third-leading scorer. BTW, you really gotta chill on those turnovers, Paolo. Has the most turnovers in a player's first two career playoff games (15). There’s a chance Jonathan Isaac moves back to the bench for Game 3. Played only 6 second-half minutes.
“Our expectations for you were low but HOLY F*CK.”
3) This game had some Bucks-Pacers vibes. Cavs jumped on the Magic early. Led 58-44 at the half and it was all Donovan Mitchell early (19 points, 7 boards). Orlando’s defense eventually cracked down. They started blitzing and trapping Mitchell at will. Scored only 4 points in the second half. Rest of the Cavs did enough to finish it off but it’s something Orlando can build on. Jarrett Allen’s been a monster on the glass, averaging 19 rebounds over the first two games.
Orlando's Defensive Rating
First half: 118.4
Second half: 82.6
Cavs beat the Magic 96-86 and now lead the series 2-0.
"It’s the playoffs. He’s good." - JB Bickerstaff on Darius Garland’s health
4) I'm still trying to get over what it is we all just witnessed in New York. Lemme see if I remember this straight...
Jalen Brunson luck-bounced a three with 27 seconds left. Knicks then harassed Maxey on the inbound pass and stole the ball. DD missed a three, Hartenstein grabbed the offensive rebound and then DD made a three. Hartenstein then blocks a Maxey drive, Knicks win. Think I got that right? My brain's still a bit cloudy. The Knicks scored 8 points in 21 seconds.
"WE WANT BOSTON!" - MSG
Why are these crowds doing this to themselves?
5) This has become the Josh Hart (21 points, 15 rebounds, 4-7 3PT) series and I'm sure Thibs is loving every minute. They did that thing again where he plays all 48. He played the final 25 in Game 1. 25 +48 = 73 straight playoff minutes. I'm not sure he's going to rest another second in this series. Nick Nurse has been sagging off him for the entire series, daring him to shoot and he is. Sh*t, he's even making pull-up threes in transition now.
"I think we all love playing for him. I think we'll all run through a wall for him." - Josh Hart on Tom Thibodeau
6) Damn shame that the Maxey (35 points, 10 assists, 9 rebounds) flu game went to waste. Came into this game questionable after missing shootaround. Then played one of the best games of his young career. Scored the first nine points (3-3 3PT) of the game, then scored 15 in the fourth when they needed it most (obvs). The 3PT that beat the shot clock with 1:10 left in the game felt like the dagger. Put the Sixers up 4 and then well ... you know what happened. Nick Nurse isn’t thrilled about that ending btw.
"I called timeout. The referee looked right at me, and ignored me. Tyrese Maxey got the ball. I called timeout again, he ignored me again." - Nick Nurse on the game ending
7) What Joel Embiid is doing is crazy as hell. All of us can see him laboring. There were a handful of times in the second half where you could see him not even able to run. It was that bad and yet despite all that, he still records a 34-point dub-dub in 39 MINUTES. Some of the shots he was hitting too, man. Oh yeah, he wasn’t too thrilled with the refereeing at the end either...
"F--king unacceptable" - Joel Embiid on the refereeing at the end of the game
Knicks beat the Sixers 104-101 and now lead the series 2-0 but don’t tell that to Joel...
"We should be 2-0. We’re good. We’re going to win this series." - Joel Embiid
8) Nuggets had no business winning the game we just witnessed. I’m honestly in complete disbelief. First, we get the Knicks ending, then the Nuggets do this?!? Nuggets shot 23% from three FFS. D’Angelo had one less three than the entire Nuggets team and six of them belonged to MPJ.
I can’t imagine what the Lakers locker room feels like right now. So much sh*t happened in the fourth but here are the CliffsNotes: LeBron made some crazy shots, MPJ made a crazy shot, Jokic made some crazy shots, Reaves made a crazy shot, and then ... Jamal Murray made the craziest shot. Game over.
"If it wasn’t for my teammates, I might not even get to that shot." - Jamal Murray
9) I’m not sure what else we can say about Jokic that we haven’t said before. A Barbara Walters trip-dub is absolute insanity.
27 points
20 rebounds
10 assists
70.8 TS%
Nuggets were down 20 in the third and this time it actually felt like the Lakers were gonna steal one. Jokic wouldn’t allow it. Was a +16 in the second half.
"It’s like shit, I don’t know what to do." - Darvin Ham on defending Jokic
10) The Lakers actually played well! That's what has to kill. My son kept asking me why I was saying, "Wow" all night and all I told him was, "LeBron."
What'll make the headlines is the wide-open three that LeBron misses late and I get it ... WIDE OPEN AS HELL, but if you get the chance, just watch the entire fourth if you can. Scores 12 of his 26 in the final quarter.
What you won't see in the fourth is Anthony Davis, which was straight up stupid. Looked locked in from the jump. Dude scored 32 through three and then took just one shot in the 4th (0 points). Someone make it make sense.
And no, not leaving without giving D'Angelo (23 points, 6 assists) an apology. Was already writing his eulogy and then he makes a postseason career-high seven 3s. Keep that head up buddy boy.
Nuggets beat the Lakers 101-99. Just wow.
"It stings. Remember this feeling as we go back to LA. We need to give them this feeling in Game 3." - Darvin Ham