Portland Trail Blazers Clinch Northwest Division Title and Friday NBA Takeaways
This is the type of deja vu the Portland Trail Blazers can embrace.
Before the Blazers could even finish pounding the Los Angeles Lakers into oblivion on Friday night, they clinched the Northwest division title outright for the first time in 16 years, courtesy of the Oklahoma City Thunder's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, per The Oregonian's Mike Tokito:
We have to go back even further to find their last free-and-clear division title during a full-length campaign—23 years to be exact, according to Pinwheel Empire:
That 1991-92 season invokes bittersweet memories. The Blazers finished with the league's second-best record and won the Western Conference, making their way to the NBA Finals. It was there they were subjected to the wrath of Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls, who were crowned in six games.
Still, an NBA Finals bid is nothing to scoff at. The Blazers would welcome a similar finish this season.
Will they get it?
Probably not.
As in no.
While the Blazers are locked into the West's No. 4 seed, they don't really look the part of a legitimate title contender. Their record is worse than those of the fifth-place Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs, and their defense has slumped after Wesley Matthews' season-ending Achilles injury.
Since their third-leading scorer last played, the Blazers rank 25th in points allowed per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com. Nearly everyone seems to be regressing on that end of the floor—none more so than point guard Damian Lillard, as Grantland's Zach Lowe observed:
Recent transgressions aside, the Blazers were able to pummel the Lakers. It took a 33-point fourth quarter for them to put the game out of reach and secure the 107-77 victory, but they were still able to rest LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and Lillard for the final 12 minutes.
C.J. McCollum had himself a career night, scoring 27 points to go along with six rebounds, three assists and two steals. If his hot streak continues into the playoffs, the Blazers will be that much scarier.
Portland's residential Lakers killer, Lillard, chipped in 20 points, five assists and two steals as well. He absolutely brutalized Los Angeles' defense in the first quarter, outscoring the entire Lakers team 14-12 on his own.
If the Blazers wish to move up and gain home-court advantage through more than just the first round of the playoffs, they'll need to build upon their current streak. The way things look, that's entirely possible. They have won five of their last six games, and only three of their final seven see them face Western Conference playoff squads.
Whatever ends up happening, they will still have their division title to tout. Matthews may be out, and their latest feat may be an offshoot of the Thunder's misfortunes, but the Blazers are still hanging around and fully capable of entering the playoffs as something more than a first-round formality.
Around the Association
The Knicks Are Still Bad…John Wall Checked
In the event you're wondering whether the New York Knicks have turned a corner, the Knicks themselves are here to remind you they most definitely have not. They mustered just 10 points in the first quarter of their 101-87 loss to the Washington Wizards, thus ensuring viewers didn't have to go through the formality of watching the latter three quarters.
John Wall had himself a game, as he dished out dime after dime on the way to a career-high 18 assists.
To answer your question, yes, the Wizards are really good when Wall hosts an assist party, per ESPN Stats & Info:
To answer your next question, yes, that means Wall had more assists through three quarters than the entire Knicks team recorded through four, as Bleacher Report's Scott Harris so eloquently pointed out:
Since Wizards head coach Randy Wittman clearly hates fun, he didn't play Wall in the fourth, ruining any chance his point guard had of lending 30 helping hands. Whatever, though.
Three quarters is all Wall needs when he's facing powerless defenses.
No, the Hornets Do Not Want to Make the Playoffs
All we need is one word to describe the Charlotte Hornets' 93-74 loss to the Indiana Pacers: Yuck.
Right knee soreness limited Al Jefferson to 12 minutes of action in this one, but the Hornets' offensive futility extended well beyond his absence. Kemba Walker shot 1-of-9 from the floor, and neither Mo Williams nor Marvin Williams could buy a basket themselves.
Consider this, from The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell:
And then this, courtesy of The Indianapolis Star's Candace Buckner:
Rodney Stuckey (15 points) came up big offensively for the Pacers as per usual, and head coach Frank Vogel was able to rest his key players down the stretch. Indiana is now just 1.5 games back of the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff spot.
Feel free to stick a fork in the Hornets' postseason hopes. They're done. Over with. Burned to the ground.
Two games now separate them from the No. 8 seed, which after a performance like this has to be considered an insurmountable deficit. It's time to start thinking about more important things in life.
SB Nation's At The Hive blog is here to get you started:
All Time Low's "Cinder Block Garden" will be on repeat for yours truly all summer, and I'm happy to suggest tunes for any and all Hornets players in need of fresh jams for playoff-eschewing vacations.
Brooklyn Stays Hot
Few teams are playing as well as the Brooklyn Nets right now.
You read that correctly.
After squeaking out a 114-109 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday, the Nets have now won 10 of 12 tilts, including their last six.
Deron Williams, Thaddeus Young and Brook Lopez—Brooklyn's new Big Three (sorry, Joe Johnson)—came up enormous, combining for 90 of the Nets' 114 points. Williams himself entered time-machine mode, hitting big shots down the stretch and posting a stat line ripped straight from the semi-distant past, per The Brooklyn Game's Devin Kharpertian:
Young went for 29 points, six rebounds and four steals in what was easily his best performance since joining the Nets in February. As ESPN New York's Ryan Ruocco stressed, his value to Brooklyn is now beyond describing:
Actually, maybe not. Peachtree Hoops' Brad Rowland summed up the situation nicely:
All signs point toward Brooklyn clinching a playoff berth after the Boston Celtics' loss Friday to the Milwaukee Bucks. This, of course, only sets up the Nets for a brief first-round cameo against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but still…
Bucks' Balanced Effort Snaps Road Losing Streak
Entering Friday's skirmish with the Celtics, Jason Kidd's Bucks carried the weight of an unsightly 11-game road losing streak.
They finally got the monkey off their back with a 110-101 triumph, thanks to a well-balanced offensive attack. O.J. Mayo led the Deer with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting and six assists, but he was just one of seven Bucks who hit double figures.
Milwaukee forced a slew of live-ball turnovers, including five steals by Michael Carter-Williams. Consequently, they besieged the Celtics in the open floor and racked up 31 assists.
Giannis Antetokounmpo also busted out his improving perimeter game, providing the Bucks with an opportunity to brag about their blindingly bright future:
The Bucks' victory pushes Boston to ninth place in the Eastern Conference, as Brad Stevens' crew is now a half-game back of Miami. The C's have a chance to quickly bounce back, however, as they travel to Toronto on Saturday night.
Contributed by Dan O'Brien
Vucevic Explosion Steamrolls T-Wolves
In the Orlando Magic's runaway road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Nikola Vucevic was the clear-cut alpha dog. The Swiss star lit up the scoreboard with a career-high 37 points along with 17 boards, fueling a 97-84 landslide.
He exposed the T-Wolves' severe lack of any semblance of rim protection, especially with Gorgui Dieng sitting out. Vucevic dominated the glass, grabbing seven offensive rebounds, and he filled up the hoop from every angle.
Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey provided an exclusive look at his shot chart:
The mid-range jumper was falling, the post moves were exquisite and he owned the space around the rim.
Did I mention Minny is hurting for frontcourt contributions?
Vucevic will be raking in the big bucks starting next season ($48 million over four years), and it looks like he deserves it. He shouldn't get a trophy for stomping the T-Wolves, but he's been an imposing force all season.
Contributed by Dan O'Brien
Oklahoma City Receives Playoff Reality Check
Don't punch the Thunder's playoff ticket just yet.
Following their 100-92 loss to the Grizzlies, the Thunder are now just a half-game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans for the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot.
Russell Westbrook struggled all night, finishing with 18 points and seven assists on 5-of-20 shooting. The Grizzlies threw former teammate Jeff Green on him for much of the night, which visibly frustrated Westbrook. Though he was able to slip into the paint at will, he could rarely finish at the rim. Green was always on his trail, and Memphis consistently had guys policing the iron, awaiting his arrival.
He did, however, manage to defy gravity at least once:
It's games like these you wonder whether the Thunder's postseason fate even matters anymore. They are now 1-12 against Western Conference playoff teams without Kevin Durant.
Sneaking into the postseason sets up a first-round date against the league-lording Golden State Warriors, whom the Thunder aren't equipped to contend with, let alone beat. At this point, then, they aren't so much fighting for a playoff berth as they are trying to prolong the inevitable.
Flop of the Night(?)
Marc Gasol is clearly spending too much time auditioning for soap operas these days.
Ahem:
Thunder coach Scott Brooks' reaction is equal parts hilarious and justified.
Pancake-ification of the Night
Doesn't D.J. Augustin know you're always supposed to look both ways before picking up a loose ball when Zach "Runaway Freight Train" Randolph is on the floor?
Apparently not:
Being the good Samaritan that he is, Randolph helped Augustin get back on his feet. No word yet on if he also presented him with a complimentary bottle of Mrs. Butterworth's maple syrup afterward.
Gasol Double-Doubles, Bulls Escape Pistons
Despite the monster rebounding effort of Andre Drummond and the playmaking prowess of Reggie Jackson, the Detroit Pistons were outlasted by the Bulls 88-82 on Friday.
Drummond ripped down 22 rebounds and made a late-game push, but it was Pau Gasol who emerged a hero.
With 5.7 seconds left, the Spaniard sealed the game with a tip-dunk while getting fouled by Drummond:
Gasol finished the old-fashioned three-point play, capping a 26-point, 10-rebound night by ensuring the Bulls took full advantage of Toronto's loss. The win gives them a one-game grip on third place in the East.
Though Gasol got the game-winning bucket, the most eye-popping play of the night goes to Jackson. With the shot clock running out, he calmly sank the world's longest finger roll. Or was he just trying to one-up Rick Barry?
Good. Lord.
Contributed by Dan O'Brien
San Antonio is No Place for Millennials
This is what happens when the NBA allows a young rebuilding team like the Denver Nuggets to visit San Antonio.
Gregg Popovich's cast of senior citizens eviscerated the Nuggets from the jump, opening their night with a 45-point first quarter. For the record, that's a lot of points—the most scored in a first quarter by any team this season, per ESPN's NBA Twitter account.
At no point did the Spurs ever look back. They led by as many as 37 points and ended up with a rather effortless 123-93 victory.
Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green stole the show. Both scored at least 20 points, despite neither of them playing more than 22 minutes. Aron Baynes even pumped in 18 points because, well, it was that kind of night.
The Spurs now have 50 victories on the season. Again. For the zillionth straight time. (Sixteenth, but you get the point.)
Some context:
Playing through a season many have deemed disappointing, the Spurs are tied for the West's fourth-best record with the Clippers and, most importantly, just two games back of a top-two seed.
There is no combination of words that does their sustained excellence justice. Strike that, actually. Nuggets interim head coach Melvin Hunt has some, per the San Antonio Express-News' Jeff McDonald:
All those in favor of changing the Spurs' team slogan to "Eviscerating any and all tenets of conventional wisdom since 1997," say "Aye."
New Orleans Survives
Phew.
After seeing their 18-point lead nearly disappear, the Pelicans hung on to beat the Sacramento Kings 101-95. The win brings them within a half-game of eighth place in the West.
Anthony Davis did Anthony Davis things all night. The Kings did a sound job defending him, but he still notched 20 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Eric Gordon also continued his "hot" streak, going for 21 points while shooting 4-of-8 from downtown and posting the highest plus/minus of any Pelicans player (plus-12).
Not one for going quietly, DeMarcus Cousins recorded yet another triple-double with 24 points, 20 rebounds and 13 assists. Sure, he shot 9-of-22 from the field, but he's allowed to shoot like that when putting himself in company like this:
On a semi-related note, Westbrook better start going supernova again soon. Davis and the Pelicans are coming for the Thunder's playoff spot.
