The Raptors sent the Bucks packing in 6 with a late 3-pointer by former Spur, Cory Joseph. They will move on for a rematch with the Cavs in the Playoffs.
Nothing but respecr shown between the two oldest players on the court who still played well this series. Vince Carter (L) and Tony Parker (R).
The San Antonio Spurs also move on from a spectacular series with the Memphis Grizzlies. Last night it was veteran, Tony Parker who stepped up big time with 27 points. Kahwi Leonard who played more minutes led the team to victory with 29 points.
Game 7s look doubtful for Round 1. If Suga had to choose 1, I would go with CP3 and the Clippers forcing a Game 7.
Here’s your Schedule for tonight! Enjoy!
Photo: ESPN Scorecenter
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Round 1 of the Playoffs have begun and we have already had 2 upsets. The Bucks beat the Raptors at home and the bigger story is the Bulls beating the Celtics in their house as well. However, even though the Bulls is the number 7 seed going into the Playoffs and the Celtics is number 1, the match ups are competitive. You cannot ignore the talent and experience of Rondo and D. Wade and the freshness and hunger of Jimmy Butler. This should be an interesting series.
The Pacers have kept close to the Cavs but have failed twice to overcome them. They don’t have what it takes to beat the Cavs this year.
In the West, The Trailblazers held their own versus the Warriors but the Warriors are just in a different class. They will keep the Warriors on their toes this series though.
The Jazz upset the Clippers to take Game 1 but I think these teams will go back and forth like the Hawks and Wizards in the East. They are the number 5 and 4 seeds respectively.
The Rockets rolled over OKC in Game 1. Suga believes OKC has what it takes to upset them but they have a lot of work to do.
The Spurs rolled over the Grizzlies in a Game 1 blowout. Game 2 was more competitive though, where the Grizzlies chipped away a 26-point deficit to a 4-point deficit. The Spurs regrouped and stretched the lead again to win and go up in the series 2-0.
During the game there was visible frustration from Zach Randolph for not getting foul calls, but it was their Coach Fizdale who was the most upset of all.
He went on a huge Post-game tirade on the Refs and is likely to get fined.
Watch “Grizzlies Coach David Fizdale was ABSOLUTELY TRIGGERED and GOES OFF on the referees!!” on YouTube here:
Coach Fizdale’s data does raise eyebrows but he should have quit while he was ahead. It’s not like he was playing a team like the Cavs. He was playing a team with class as well. ‘Kuwiet Kawhi’ is definitely not the type to cry for free throws. It just happens he got a lot.
Coach Fizdale has a ring from being on the Coaching staff for Miami so those Refs better recognize.
I assume they will come out hard at home. Hopefully the data is more reasonable for the rest of their series.
We’ll be looking out for the ‘They’re not gonna ROOK US’ T-shirts.
Tonight’s Schedule:
Photo: ESPN Scorecenter
Enjoy!
By: Gabrielle Burgess
If you liked this article, follow Suga Lifestyle or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.
Witnessing NBA history last night was surely a treat. The Golden State Warriors made history at home, the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. They beat the Memphis Grizzlies in a blowout game, 125-104 led by Stephen Curry with 46 points to win the NBA-record 73rd game breaking the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ record of 72 wins.
The determined Defending Champs’ 24-0 start to the NBA season was definitely a contributing factor to the record.
Congrats to the Warriors and to Coach Steve Kerr who was also a part of that 95-96 Bulls team.
However, since that game was a blowout, all eyes went to Kobe Bryant’s last NBA game when he was at 50 points. Jay-Z told him during the game he traveled all the way there to see it and Jack Nicholson was there as usual, happy to see Kobe perform so well in his last game. Kobe went further to score 60 points! He not only made the Lakers win a game versus the Jazz, 101-96 (well win a game period), he has now scored the most points by a player 37 or older. He passed the great, Michael Jordan who scored 51 at 38 years in the 2001-2002 season and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who scored 46 at 38 years in the 1985-86 season.
Kobe was extremely winded after the game but was happy that his kids got to see him play in his true element and that his teammates actually didn’t want or beg him to pass the ball for once.
Watch “Kobe Bryant 60 Points Highlights | Jazz vs Lakers | April 13, 2016 | NBA 2015-16 Season” on YouTube here:
His teammates were happy for him and embraced him after the game.
When Kobe spoke to reporters after the game, he finished by saying ‘Mamba out (drops mic)’.
Farewell to Kobe Bryant, a true legend in the NBA.
Last night the Golden State Warriors suffered a terrible loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime, 124-117. After the Warriors were leading by 17 points they should have never allowed that loss to happen.
What happened?! 24 turnovers, Splash brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson missed a lot of shots, they went for 3s when there was limited time left in the game and they should have just gone for jump shots and most importantly, Shabazz Muhammad from the Timberwolves came up big scoring 35 points and Andrew Wiggins also of the Timberwolves was on fire scoring crucial clutch shots and the game winning shot.
Watch the recap of the game here:
Before last night’s loss, they had a 55% chance of breaking the Bulls’ 72-win record. With the loss, they are now 69-9 with a 15% chance of breaking the record.
Warriors Coach, Steve Kerr (Past Chicago Bulls player) stated that the Bulls felt the pressure and had a few losses on the final stretch as well.
The Warriors also failed their first attempt to join the Bulls as the only team to win 70 games in a season. This brings the San Antonio Spurs on their heels as well with their current 65-12 record.
The Warriors need to win each of their next 4 games to break the Bulls’ record and 2 of those games will be versus the Spurs!
It is still possible but Suga thinks they are likely to equal the record and not break it. Draymond Green of the Warriors said he cannot wait for the regular season to be over and all of the hype in the media about them breaking the record could have had an impact on their focus during the last few games.
The pressure is on and the Warriors already seemed burnt out but let us see how much fight they have left in them.
With Tuesday night’s win over the Lakers, the Warriors are 33-2, 1 game ahead of NBA’s previous best, the Chicago Bulls at this point in their 1995-1996 season. Their next game is tonight at Portland. MVP Steph Curry has been playing through the pain with a shin injury that he should rest for 4 weeks but if he doesn’t rest it he is not in any great danger. According to ESPN Scorecenter, he attended full practice yesterday and will be playing tonight.
Even when a key player like Curry or Klay Thompson are out of the game, their line-up is big and they have other key players like Draymond Green who will step up big time and they still win. Green just won player of the week for the Week of December 28th. An average team will have to play GREAT to beat them says former basketball player and ESPN analyst Tim Legler, and the majority of their remaining games are versus average teams. They seem relaxed but hungry at the same time. Only a serious injury to one of their main players can stop them. Will Matthew Dellavedova kick Curry in the shin and just end his season? If the Warriors break the Bulls 72-10 record, it would only be right that they go for and win the NBA Championship title based on pure logic and historical statistics.
So which other teams are in the mix and who actually poses a serious threat?
To date, considering both the Eastern and Western Conference, the League standings for the Top 10 teams are as follows:
Photo: www.espn.go.com
So for the West, if Warriors meet the San Antonio Spurs it will not be easy. At the looks of it now, only the Spurs pose a threat to the Warriors in the West and vice versa. The Spurs probably still have the deepest bench in the league. Their bench alone scored 70 points in the 123-98 blowout win over the Jazz on Wednesday.Â
They also finally have some young, fresh players that Coach Pop is giving time on the Court. There is Past Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Patty Mills and more. Then the Big Old 3 are still present. Old Man River Walk, Tim Duncan is still looking good, not to mention Manu Ginobili who looks like he got his act together. Tony Parker is forever talented but hardly ever consistent. Perhaps he has his young baby on his mind.
Even though Suga gives the Spurs and Warriors the edge in the West, OKC is not to be forgotten. Past MVP Kevin Durant is back! He is on form after a broken bone in his right foot that needed 3 surgeries and after spraining his big toe last week. Hopefully he doesn’t continue to break a leg. No pun intended. He returned Tuesday night to beat the Grizzlies 112-94 and note that OKC went 12-3 in December. Westbrook is great, Ibaka and Adams are good, but without Durant, OKC will lose.
Now where all my LeBron James haters at? Sorry folks, he won’t go away. He has won player of the month 29 times now and his stats keep buzzing, equalling and breaking record after record. He scored 9 points in 1 minute Wednesday night versus the Wizards at Washington. It’s a pity he isn’t pretty to watch though. Suga predicts the Cavs will go straight to the NBA Finals again this year. All eyes are on the Warriors, so no immense pressure on LeBron, which is good because we all see how he buckles under pressure. There is also no serious threat on the East side. The Bulls are doing well but the Cavs will still destroy them. The Cavs are the kind of team that elevate their game based on their opponent. They are confident, arrogant, hungry and some bitter.
I would say LeBron’s partner in crime is back, but LeBron is a lone, selfish soldier on the court. Kyrie Irving is back yall! Now HE is pretty and exciting to watch, just 23 years old and full of energy. He is back on form, scoring well, up to 32 points Wednesday night versus the Wizards compared to LeBron’s 34 points and these are under restrictions in minutes he is allowed to play, which the Cavs will soon remove. The Warriors beat them on Christmas Day 89-83, but with a healthy Kyrie Irving and no minutes restrictions, it will be a whole new ball game. The Cavs also have a good starting line up and bench with dangerous players like Matthew Dellavedova and J.R. Smith. When teams feel excited about catching up with the Cavs or lessening a point deficit, J.R. will just burst their bubble with a 3-pointer. Then they also have Tristan Thompson, Kevin Love, Timofey Mozgov and Sasha Kaun.
Sad to say but Suga believes if the Cavs meet the Warriors in the Finals again with a now healthy Kyrie Irving, they will get the formula right this time and get revenge. But if somehow the Spurs, a team with a totally different dynamic and ball movement make it to the Finals, they may actually make a more exciting match up versus the Cavs and LeBron could have a Finals nightmare all over again. But we just have to wait and see. It is just January and there is still time for players to grow and teams to make adjustments. Don’t you just love this game?!
