In the same way Gregg Popovich, trolled the Warriors by resting Tim Duncan, it was only right for the basketball gods to get back at the national viewing public by showing the game on NBATV….
Seriously, was this some type of cruel joke??
To the decision-makers in charge of the NBA schedule, YOU’RE NOT FUNNY!
This matchup has been the highlight of the calendar year for many NBA fans, and it deserves to be broadcasted on a major network (mainly so I do not have to search for sketchy internet streams).
If that wasn’t bad enough, the game itself was far from competitive with the Spurs losing by 30 points.
Since all my hopes and dreams were crushed by this game, I think it’s best to just move on and look for other wrinkles of positivity in last night’s 9-game slate.
Karl-Anthony Towns – The largest reason the Wolves were even remotely close to stealing this game was due to Towns’ efforts controlling the glass and scoring in the paint against a weak Cleveland front court. Finishing with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block on 11-16 shooting from the field, Towns continues his dominant rookie season.
Zach LaVine – After a string of particularly underwhelming, single-digit scoring performances, LaVine broke free from the shackles of mediocrity last night scoring 21 points off the bench to accompany his 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal. Flashing a high-ceiling, his low floor and inconsistent play are too much to overlook for fantasy owners in search of a scoring wing.
Shabazz Muhammad – Speaking of scoring forwards in Minnesota, the popular waiver wire addition followed up his 25-point outing with 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. While Muhammad can still provide solid value for fantasy owners, it’s still frustrating to see Tayshaun Prince getting 20+ minutes a night.
LeBron James – After definitely not getting David Blatt fired, James turned in a vintage performance last night finishing with 25 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block on 11-15 shooting. Whether or not his efforts will be sustained for the remainder of the season, his ceiling should increase slightly by virtue of playing under a coach he “respects.”
Kyrie Irving – 17 points, 9 rebounds, 4 and assists for the flashy point guard last night.
Tristan Thompson – A big double-double for the big man last night finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 assists on 8-10 shooting from the field. Most likely available on the waiver wire, Thompson is still better left off of your fantasy roster due to his inability to produce in categories outside of points and rebounds.
Isaiah Thomas – With the All-Star reserves yet to be announced, Thomas is clearly auditioning for one of the final spots with 23 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal on 8-14 shooting.
Evan Turner – Quintessential game where Evan Turner reminds everyone he can score the basketball sometimes. 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists on 7-11 shooting is impressive, but Turner will continue to bounce between rosters and the wavier wire depending if he’s having a good/bad week.
John Wall – Someone may want to remind Wall that he isn’t an All-Star yet. While the University of Kentucky product is considered a lock for the team, his 8 points, 10 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 block still flash his multi-cat impact even on an off night.
Bradley Beal – Surprise!! Bradley Beal left the game with an injury! After sustaining a blow to the face after 9 minutes of action, monitor his status after more information is available. Finally trending in the right direction, this is certainly the worst thing that could happen to a Beal owner.
Dwyane Wade – In case anyone forgot again, Wade is really good at basketball. With 28 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block on 11-21 shooting, the scoring guard continues to play at a high level in 2016.
Chris Bosh – The other member of the Heat’s over-30 club, Bosh finished with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block on 8-16 shooting from the field.
Jimmy Butler – Is anyone else even slightly concerned about the high number of minutes Butler sees every night? With 40 minutes last night, Butler’s season is the basketball embodiment of the Nas line “I never sleep because sleep is the cousin of death.” Whether or not Butler is afraid of leaving the court, 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists shows Butler still needs the help of his supporting cast.
Pau Gasol – 19 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks for the big man last night. At this point in the year, a Gasol double-double is as guaranteed as Butler playing 40 minutes, or Derrick Rose leaving with an injury…
Nikola Vucevic – 16 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in his best attempt to mirror Gasol’s statline.
Victor Oladipo – 5 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds on 1-10 shooting from the field. It’s okay, bad games happen. I lost both my games of pickup basketball yesterday, so I totally understand the struggle.
Mike Conley – Even though he had an off night of his own shooting 4-13, Conley finished strong with 12 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block while managing to secure the victory for Memphis.
Marc Gasol – Must’ve missed the memo on the whole “copy Pau’s box score” situation. Although Gasol may feel betrayed for not being included in this GroupMe for European big men, his 17 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks is not too shabby either.
James Harden – This was the type of game that won him the People’s MVP last season. Shorthanded and riddled with injuries, Harden finished with 35 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block while shooting 11-20 from the field.
Trevor Ariza – 31 points on 8-11 shooting from behind the arc in addition to 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. Fantasy owners cannot depend on this level of production from the small forward every night, but his performance last night was a very pleasant surprise for Ariza owners.
Anthony Davis – Left the game after sustaining a concussion. Davis doesn’t play until Thursday so there is a chance he still suits up. However, it’s best to monitor his status until more information is available.
Paul Millsap – Leading all scorers with 22 points, Millsap was efficient and effective with the ball registering 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block while shooting 6-7 from the charity strip. Also in true team spirit of getting everyone involved, all 13 Hawks played at least 4 minutes last night.
Jeff Teague – Clearly understood the pre-game message of “sharing is caring,” finishing with 12 points, 10 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.
Nikola Jokic – Fourth career double-double last night for the rookie big man with 15 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Despite the fact that Denver totally has 3 centers that warrant significant minutes, Jokic’s recently play will likely grant him a longer look at the starting 5 spot.
Reggie Jackson – 29 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal for the lead guard last night taking on a larger scoring burden than normal.
Andre Dummond – 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals while shooting 1-10 from the free throw line. I’m not mad, I’m just very disappointed.
Gordon Hayward – The hot streak continues for Mr. Hayward finishing with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block.
Rudy Gobert – If you look closely enough, I think you can find Andre Drummond’s statline: 17 points, 17 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, and 1 steal. Oh wait, I was totally wrong. Gobert went 3-4 from the charity stripe, so there’s no way in hell this is Drummond’s. Case closed.
Jeremy Lin – In 50 minutes of action in a double-overtime contest, Lin finished with 20 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds.
Kemba Walker – Apparently nothing can stop Kemba Walker anymore. Even on a night shooting 5-25 from the field, Kemba still finished with 25 points by getting to the foul line 15 times and converting 13 of those attempts. Also tossing in 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block, Kemba is officially a mad man.
Demarcus Cousins – Calling Cousins’ recent performance a hot streak honestly does not do it justice. I think Cousins may legitimately be an alien sent to take over basketball because the man has posted career highs in scoring in the past two games. With 56 points on 21-30 shooting, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal, Cousins also recorded his eleventh straight double-double in the process.
Kawhi Leonard – 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and maybe a little bit of a bruised ego after the 30-point defeat to Golden State?
Steph Curry – And I thought Leonard could actually slow down Curry…. 37 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals while shooting 6-9 from behind the arc.
