Written By: Spencer Wood
Knicks Struggle Ahead of Pivotal Game 4
Defense wins championships, and perhaps no team in the east is showing us that more than the Miami Heat, who have secured a 2-1 lead over the New York Knicks in their second round playoff series. Despite playing with a hobbled star in Jimmy Butler and fighting through an atrocious shooting night in Game 3 (39% FG, 22% 3PT), the Miami Heat were once again able to steal a win with their impeccable work on the defensive end. What is most impressive? The Heat managed to make the Knicks look so much worse offensively, forcing them to 34% from the field and only 20% from beyond the arc.
“We always said we can win games when we defend and not make shots… And this is one of those games.”
Jimmy Butler on Game 3
While this might be a slow start for New York, they’ve already shown us their resilience after advancing from their round 1 matchup against Cleveland, and they have all the tools to even up this series in game 4. The New York starting 5 can be a matchup nightmare for Miami, especially on the offensive end with their guard play, and even down low with defensive center Mitchell Robinson. Their hopes to win this series hinges on their ability to get hot against a lockdown Miami defense in this pivotal game 3 to avoid going down 3-1, and to stop the hot Miami shooting that has helped them in nearly all postseason matches thus far.
Philly Continues to Stun Boston in Even Series
Vintage James Harden. After landing both the game-tying and game-winning shots, we were reminded about this former MVP’s ability to score at any moment, and especially when it matters most. After capitalizing on a defensive breakdown by Boston to sink the final shot, Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers have evened up the series at 2-2 before they head back to Boston for an important Game 5.
“It’s a gamble at the wrong time and a big shot by James Harden… That’s my fault. I take full accountability.”
Jaylen Brown on the Defensive Breakdown
Just when Boston looks like they’ve got the game locked up, they manage to give it away to a very persistent and aggressive Philly. Many knew this would be a close series, but it has been Boston beating themselves in their losses thus far. While they will still be the favorite to win the series with two remaining homestands, it will be hard to say if they will fix their lapses on defense, and if superstar Jayson Tatum will be able to solve his inefficiency in this series. One thing is for sure, and that is that newly-crowned MVP Joel Embiid and James Harden will certainly give Boston a run for their money as they seek to advance to the Eastern Conference Championship.
Suns Stay Hot As They Even Series
A sun is a star, and certainly so are both Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. After both putting up an impressive 36 points, they were aided late in the game by Landry Shamet, who put in four late 3s to keep the Suns alive. After losing Hall-of-Fame guard Chris Paul to injury, I had written Phoenix off as done for, and did not see a scenario in which they could withstand Denver’s depth. It is seen now that I was wrong, and I’m not sure many could have predicted just how efficient Devin Booker would be in the playoffs. Not only did he put up 36 points, he also led his team with a playoff career-high 12 assists to punish Denver’s defense.
However, just as we were amazed by Booker and Durant, we cannot forget the immense impact Nikola Jokic had on the game for his team. Leading both teams with 53 points (and also 11 assists of his own), Jokic was nearly unstoppable on the offensive end, and managed to convert 20 of his 30 shots and sink 11 of 13 free throws. Combined with Jamal Murray’s 28 points, the pair had made the game very difficult for the Phoenix defense who are sorely missing their wing defenders in Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson. This matchup will continue to be a high-scoring series until the end, and Phoenix’s path forward all depends on how far their star duo can take them.
“Just making quick decisions, just trying to make the defense pay”
Devin Booker on his passing and scoring in Game 4
Lakers Battle Warriors For California and WCF
Trouble on the road. This has been the main takeaway from the Warriors’ regular season, and it has come back to haunt them in the postseason as well. After winning only one road game (albeit, the most important one) in their Round 1 matchup against the Sacramento Kings, their struggles have continued to Round 2. After losing Game 1 at home and suffering a 30-point blowout in Game 3, the Golden State Warriors will have to tap in to their championship chemistry once again so they do not fall to 3-1 against the powerhouse Lakers. If they were to lose, this would be Steve Kerr’s first series loss to a Western Conference team in the postseason since he took over as HC.
Even with a very slow start from LeBron James, the Warriors still struggled severely in their recent loss. It will be hard to imagine they can pull it all together down 3-1 against this Lakers team, but they are one of the only teams in history that deserve the benefit of the doubt. In what aligns with our original prediction for this series, it has been Anthony Davis that has been the deciding factor. With his history of playing well every-other game, the Warriors may be able to capitalize and even this series at 2-2. However, I believe that their matchup nightmare against LA and their long stretches of offensive stagnation may be too tough to overcome, especially on the road. Time will tell if the reigning champions will be able to shock the world again.
“As ugly as this was tonight, we have an opportunity to respond on Monday, so there’s no point in dwelling on it and hanging our head and getting discouraged… We know how to respond. We’ve done it in our existence for 10 years here.”
Klay Thompson on the Warriors’ Game 3 Performance
Spencer Wood 