Tuesday Night wrapped up NBA group Play action with 5 spots still remaining up for grabs. TNT's double header featured the battle for East Group A between the Orlando Magic and the New York Knicks and the West Group C between the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets.
Knicks vs Magic
The Winner of this game would be the winner for Group A in the Eastern conference. Due to point differential the Magic would need to lose by less then 37 points to advance, while the Knicks needed to win this game in order to advance in the knockouts round. The overall matchup between the two teams was pretty interesting the Magic allow the fewest points in the NBA and boast one of the leagues best defense, while the Knicks are top 5 in offensive ratings and average close to 120 points per game. The Magic struggle on offense while the Knicks struggle on defense, at least to tis point in the year. The Magic have won 11 of the last 12 games they have played and Franz Wagner is playing at All-NBA level right now. The Knicks escaped Friday's game against the Hornets with a 99-98 win. Let's dive into the action.
Recap
The Magic have been without Paolo Banchero for almost the entire season. He's played in 5 of their 22 games so far and is dealing with a right oblique tear. The Magic would also be with Goga Bitadze, whose been starting in place of Banchero. The Magic starting 5 would be Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Tristian Da Silva, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Wendell Carter Jr. The Knicks would start Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Karl Anthony-Towns. This lineup has played the most minutes together in the NBA so far this season a boasted a 122 offensive rating, however they also how a defensive rating of 119. The overall matchup of this game was something that I was interested in. The Magic are now contenders to move into the top 4 seed in the East after the Bucks and 76ers slow starts and seem to give off a crashing the party vibes. On defense they are mean and nasty and play with a relentless tenacity. Early on they really got into the Knicks on handoffs and Jalen Brunson saw all types of hands in the passing lanes on pick and rolls. Carter would play at the level of the screen, but the Magic do a really good job of being in tune to cutters and forced some early turnovers with their hand activity. Their ability to switch 1-5 is something that has really bothered teams this year. The Knicks however, after the first couple minutes of the game handled the Magic's defense very well. KAT did really well in switching up when the roll and when to pop on the ball screens. He's so much better to attacking under control on closeouts. Him shooting 45% on threes this season has really given him the ability to drive long closeouts and mainly he's not flailing around and instead taking on contact and finishing very well at the rim. The Magic played a lot of 5 out with Franz getting some pin downs and moving into some handoffs and re screen actions. The Franz Wagner has been real this season. He's been on an absolute tear this season and averaging now 24 points a game on 46/33 splits along being a high-level playmaker for Orlando. After an early Magic the Knicks responded well and were able to knock some shots after looking a little rattled at the beginning of the game. The Knicks really provided some good minutes them back into the game and built a lead of 36-27 heading into the second quarter. In the second quarter the game really flipped in favor of the Knicks, after holding a 14-6 Orlando would be outmatched for much of the first half. The Knicks offense moved the ball really well and forced a lot turnovers on the Magic. Transition is one of the hardest things to defend in the NBA and when you give teams as good as the Knicks the ability to get some easy looks. The Knicks were able get a ton of paint points. For all of the struggle Bridges has had this season, his cutting really opens up so many things for the Knicks on offense. Even if he isn't hitting shots his offensive activity to keep everything connected next to KAT and Brunson really provides value for the Knicks. Sure New York always has a couple of possessions where the KAT post-up or Brunson isolation is going to dominate, but the ability to have the shooting and player movement around those two is what makes their offense so hard to guard. The Magic really struggled with all of the switching and sustaining the defensive intensity for the full 24 seconds on the shot clock. The Knicks had multiple possessions where they got an open look with under 3 seconds left on the shot clock. The Knicks also flashed a couple of horns sets to get KAT a post up against a mismatch. KAT's ability to play out of the post has gotten a lot better and gives the Knicks an added layer of offense they didn't have last year. The added Josh Hart pushes in transition also provide the Knicks with some quick offense his passes usually left the defense scrambling after pushing the break and gives Brunson a mismatch, or Bridges and Anunoby a catch and shoot three after a ball reversal. A Mikal Bridges buzzer beater ended the first half with a commanding 71-51 lead for t New York. Wagner had 20 points for the Magic, while the Knicks had 5 players in double figures, with KAT leading them with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The beginning of the second half saw Jalen Brunson frying the Magic in pick and roll coverages. He's underrated in the aspect of his ability to rip off 8 or 10 quick points and get the Knicks a lead or back in the game. He uses the low pickup really well to draw fouls and his footwork and finishing ability are the one of the best in the league. Knicks eventually grew their lead out to 34 and the Magic needed to pick up their play if they wanted to advance. The Knicks dominated the first three quarters of the game and lead 106-75 at the end of the third quarter. The Magic would eventually pull the score a little bit closer to give them a comfortable cushion and eventually allowing them to advance the knockouts. The entirety of the game was dominated by the Knicks and they looked really good tonight. The part of the Magic that does not give me confidence in them is the offense. They are not good at shooting and don't have a ton of shooting on the roster. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who they signed this offseason, was suppose to help in that department, but he's been a little slow to start the year from 3 so far. The Knicks would eventually go on to win 121-106. The Knicks had 4 guys with 18+ points and were pretty evenly spread out the scorer. Josh also added a triple double in this one. Franz Wagner had 30 points for the Magic, while his brother also chipped in 20 points and 12 rebounds. Both teams would advance to the knockout stage of the NBA Cup with the Knicks hosting the Hawks and the Bucks hosting the Magic. The Knicks move to 13-8 on the season, while the Magic drop to 15-8.
Reaction
Super impressive win for the Knicks, however something I did notice the Magic try and do was stash a center on Bridges on offense. I don't think many teams will take this approach and I don't think it will work well, but Bridges got benched late against Charlotte for Deuce McBride. The Knicks biggest weakest is clearly the defense and it's not a secret. The Knicks have a defensive rating of 118 with Bridges on the floor and it's clear he's not near his All-NBA caliber defense that he showcased in Phoenix. While the shooting has seen an uptick in the recent weeks. He's still getting hit a ton on screens and getting blown by pretty easily. I don't want to pile on, but it's the clear weak link right now and probably the most unexpected problem for the Knicks at the moment. Josh Hart even came to Bridges defense in the media after the Charlotte. He talked about the amount of picks they gave up for him and how it doesn't matter if they win a championship. However, if you're going to like argument 20 games into the season that's not a great look. Nonetheless, the Knicks offense is still one of the best and they win East Group A to advance to the knockout round.
The Magic have been one of the most impressive teams this season. Going 15-7 without your best player for 17 of those games is impressive. However, the offense is real problem. The lack of shooting is notable and yes the defense is great, but that recently hasn't been the formula for winning a championship. They are currently 22nd in offensive rating and 3rd in defensive rating. The offensive numbers suck and obviously the defense is really good, but what happens when teams hit shots against you? It's clear the Magic didn't have the firepower to keep up with the Knicks in this one. I still believe in the Magic, the jumbo lineups they player are fun and cause all sorts of trouble for teams, but I just think the offense needs a heathy uptick in production before I feel like they are a real contender. Maybe getting back Banchero does that, but for now it's a problem.
Nuggets vs Warriors
The Warriors already clinched West Group C and the Nuggets were already eliminated from advancing the knockout round so there were no NBA Cup implications in this one, but it's still an important regular season game. The Warriors have been on a pretty decent slide recently and the both the offense and defense have been falling a little bit. The offensive rating is now 7th and the defensive rating is 5th. The Nuggets got back Aaron Gordon, after the Nuggets were able to stay a float, mostly because of Jokic's dominating stretch. The Warriors came into the game dropping 4 straight. Steve Kerr has shortened the rotation a little bit playing just 10 instead of 11 or 12 guys. The Nuggets wanted to get Gordon back in a rhythm with the rest of the team. They've been up and down with their defense in the last 5 games. Let's dive into the action.
Recap
The Warriors would be without Draymond Green in this one, but Steph Curry would be available to play after dealing with some knee issues. The Warriors have wanted to keep Curry and Green's minutes down given their age and trying to keep them fresh for the entire season. The Warriors would start Steph Curry, Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins, Brandin Podziemski, and Kevon Looney. The Nuggets would return to their traditional lineup of Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., and Nikola Jokic. There's a lot of history between these two teams. The Nuggets have won 7 straight games against the Warriors and these two teams have matched up in the postseason before. Kevon Looney would start on the Jokic matchup to start the game and funny enough he's does a good job of containing Jokic in the past. The Warriors let Jokic play 1-on-1 in the beginning. Looney held up well with defending him. Jokic however, didn't look too aggressive to start the game. Kuminga was really good early on as a screener for Golden State him setting screens for Steph and then flying off to slip or roll to the basket. He also does a good job of pushing in transition for Golden State. He gets a little out of control at times, but I still like it. His player development is very interesting to me after Golden State decided not to sign him to a rookie extension this past offseason. For the Nuggets getting Gordon back really made a difference. He and Jokic playing a two-man game under the basket is a lot of fun to watch with how Gordon moves and How Jokic seemingly hits him for every lob when available. Early the Warriors bench was pretty average, while the Nuggets bench played really well. This would be a key stat to watch in the non-Jokic and non-Curry minutes for each team. Russell Westbrook has been really good for the Nuggets so far. The shooting to start the year was pretty poor, but in the last 5 games he's been shooting 43% from 3 on 5 attempts a game. His energy is contagious for the bench and really makes an impact for the Nuggets. They lead 33-31 at the end of the 1st quarter. As Jokic went to the bench the Nuggets started to fade and Curry was able get going. He's been struggling from 2 the last 5 games as he's shooting under 40% and is something he's traditionally been very good at throughout his career. He was able to finish a couple shots around the basket and find his rhythm in the second quarter very well. I don't think it's affected the Warriors offense very much, but his numbers are still a little down. This due to not taking as many threes, less minutes per game, and the overall rotation expanding. Curry is also shooting 3 less shots a game and the attempting the fewest free throws per game since his third year in the league. Granted he also gets more attention then anyone on the floor. As the Warriors stretched out the lead, Jokic returned for the Nuggets and started being more aggressive. He attacked the 1 on 1 matchups and he and Murray's two man game really started to give the warriors issues at the end of the half. The Nuggets went on a 12-0 run to end the half and it was tied at 57 a piece entering the break. Jokic had 14 points 4 rebounds, and 4 assists and was +11 for the Nuggets. He leads their team with a total of +134 when on the court this year for Denver. Curry had 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists to lead Golden State. Kuminga also had 13 points too. Second half started out a little slow for Golden State. They fouled a lot and put the Nuggets on the line a lot early on. Jokic kept attacking in 1 on 1 situations, but the Warriors had some smart digs to get some turnovers and made Jokic kill his dribble without gaining an advantage to pass or shoot. Denver's offense also has really found a groove recently. I really like how well with mix in the Porter Jr. handoffs. Seems like the Nuggets would lull the Warriors to sleep with Jokic back downs and then would go straight into a double stagger, re screen, or hand off action with Porter Jr. He's also really provide a big lift on the offensive glass this year averaging close to 3 a game. Him getting extra possession for the Nuggets is critical. The Warriors offense was not smooth and had some turnovers. Denver does a good job of mixing in some zone every now and then to disrupt the offense. The Nugget's athleticism with Watson, Braun, and Westbrook really gave the Warriors issues towards the end of the quarter. The Nuggets would lead 90-85 heading into the break. Jokic would start the quarter on the bench and the Warriors would take advantage of it. Even with Murray and Gordon in the game the Nuggets still couldn't get open looks and the Warriors transition offense really got going. Jokic came back in the game when they were down after leading to end the third quarter. You really saw Curry's movement take affect on the game. His screening and overall ability to catch and shoot so quickly is such a game changer for Golden State and can pull them from any deficit or push any lead at a given point in time. The Warriors offense would sputter down the stretch of the game. The Nuggets were down 113-106, until Jokic took over. The Warriors had some miscommunications on Jokic and let him get some easy buckets. He also affected the game with his passing to Gordon too, can't let him have both. A Jokic jumper tied the game at 115 with a minute left. After a Curry miss, Gordon got to free throw line after a foul on Golden State and knocked down them both to give Denver a 117-115 lead. A Warriors turnover and Jokic free throws would seal the game for the Nuggets. They would go on to win 119-115. The Nuggets outscored Golden State 21-6 over the final 6 minutes of the game. Steve Kerr was upset after Christian Braun dove on the floor for a loose ball and tried to call timeout when Denver had none left. Jokic 38 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals, and 1 block to lead Denver. The Nuggets were +23 with him on the floor. Porter Jr. Also added in 23 points. Curry had 24 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds for the Warriors. The Warriors will host the Rockets while the Thunder will host the Mavericks in the Western knockout games. The Warriors fall to to 12-8, while the Nuggets improve to 11-8 on the season.
Reaction
Little bit of a panic time for Golden State recently the 5 game losing streak has them in the play-in now in the Western Conference. The issue has been the offense. The in the last 5 games they've had an offensive rating above 108 just once and in that game they had a defensive rating of 129, not good. Curry has been good, but the Warriors really want to limit his minutes and after a stellar start from the bench they've simmered off. I would like to see Hield get some more minutes as in the last 5 games he's played less than 20 a game and I think his shooting can really provide the Warriors with a boost. Granted they've also struggled shooting the ball from 3 recently and that can solve a lot or problems, but the clutch number are also not great. They aren't moving the ball like they usually do and I think sometimes guys try and do too much to make a play. Wiggins last night had a bad turnover that sealed the game for Denver. They've been outscore by 36 points in their last 5 games in the 4th quarter. I also think Kerr's anger at the end of the game was also a collection of frustration with the last couple of Warriors games.
Great win for Denver getting Gordon back should help a lot. The lineup of Murray, MPJ, Braun, Gordon, and Jokic is +42 in only 120 minutes this season, and was place where Denver once struggled after having the best starting 5 in the NBA the last two seasons. The bench is playing well and adding Gordon to the non-Jokic minutes should help. Murray is still struggling and if he could get going that would help out a lot, but the shooting between MPJ, Jokic, and Westbrook, yes Westbrook, has given the Nuggets a nice boost on offense. Defense still a little funky, because they are not good at protecting the rim, but if the offense and non-Jokic minutes sort itself out I don't feel as bad about them. They're now 8th in the Western Conference.
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