New York, New York! Bringing a championship home

[Tim Moungey]

Trade restrictions are off, I assume?

[zike_42]

Trade restrictions are off, I assume?

Yeah I like having three team trades. There hasn't been much craziness in the trades, maybe twice I've seen two players get traded for each other and then back, other than that it seems like normal. I did start with them on but I like it this way better.

[zike_42]

December Player of the Month – Kevin Durant, Dallas Mavericks – 28.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.

December Rookie of the Month – Corey Barnes, Portland Trailblazers – 18.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.

Kevin Durant and James Harden put on a show, combining for 72 points in our 121-101 victory over Sacramento. Harden added nine assists and Durant added nine rebounds in the win. DeMarcus Cousins was amazing with 25 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out while Joe Abney was terrible, going 5/18 for 15 points. Just like usual.

Dallas Mavericks 25-8

Another 121 points scored for these Mavericks compared to Minnesota’s 114, meaning another win. This time it was Matt Brown who took Damian Lillard to school with 30 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists with Harrison Barnes adding 24 points. James Harden is becoming the all around player I knew he could be with this team with 25 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds. Gabe White was the best for the losers with 28 points but Damian Lillard had 31 points and 10 assists but shot 11/28 from the field.

Dallas Mavericks 26-8

Lebron James might be on his downward slide but Mark Lewis is becoming the best centre in the league to make up for it. Lewis had 23 points and 12 rebounds in conjunction with Derrick Favors’ 24 points and 20 rebounds as the Jazz beat us at home 124-115. James Harden had 32 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists but Kevin Durant had an off night with 12 points on 4/15 shooting. Dan Jefferson and Iman Shumpert combined for 20 points and 6 rebounds off the bench.

Dallas Mavericks 26-9

The Neon aren’t ready to compete with the best yet, they’re getting there but just not there yet. It was shown in our 117-94 cake walk behind James Harden’s 36 points and Iman Shumpert’s 9 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds. Rookie Darren Banks from Australia had 26 points and 6 assists and is looking the goods so far but John Nemitz didn’t have a good one with 4 points and 7 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 27-9

Kevin Durant and Paul Orvis play a standstill so luckily we had James Harden to make it up as we blast the Raptors 129-99. Harden had 32 points with Matt Brown going 7/8 for 14 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds to make up for Durant’s 6/14 night. Jake Chase was brilliant with 30 points but their bigs of Tyler Zeller and Borut Peschat just aren’t good enough to stay with our big guys.

Dallas Mavericks 28-9

Hell Week 3 has come around again, with six games in seven nights, but fortunately for us all six teams are under .500. Game one is an easy romp over Seattle with Kevin Durant and James Harden scoring 27 points each in our 122-100 win. Andre Drummond doesn’t need to do much scoring anymore which is good for him, just grab rebounds and blocks shots which he did, with 13 and 4 respectively. Bret Davis is becoming an outstanding PG in the league, tonight having 33 points and 10 assists while hitting 9/14 three pointers. Travis Ross didn’t do much in this game, going 2/3 for 4 points and 9 rebounds. This team has the talent it just needs to the experience to match it with the best teams in the league.

Dallas Mavericks 29-9

**TRADE**

Miami trade:
C DeAndre Jordan
2022 2nd round pick

Chicago trade:
SF Royce White

Winner – Chicago. White may have an expiring contract but he is nowhere near as good as Jordan. I don’t know why Miami had to give up a second round pick, showing that they were giving up the lesser player.

Kevin Durant, Andre Drummond and James Harden combined for 73 points, 23 rebounds and 10 assists in our 108-96 win over Milwaukee to go 2-0 on Hell Week 3. We got out to an insurmountable lead at half time and even though the Bucks came back in the third we weren’t really pushed. Thomas Cooper was the best for the losers with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks but still didn’t record a block. That’s one block in 692 games for a 6’10” PF if anyone is counting.

Dallas Mavericks 30-9

The Wizards are 7-32 on the season and are looking to the future, so we made their lottery odds a little better with a 111-86 win behind Harrison Barnes’ 27 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists to show he still has it. James Harden was close to a triple double with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists in the win. Washington’s top scorer was Brian Williams with only 13 points as the team shot 33% from the field, with their backcourt of Terrence Jones and DeShaun Worley combining to go 8/32 from the field.

Dallas Mavericks 31-9

Our first away game in Hell Week 3 is a 104-92 loss to Milwaukee as they get their revenge. Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points in 26 minutes off the bench as we were held to 41% shooting. Dan Jefferson was good off the bench with 9 points and 8 rebounds after Andre Drummond got into early foul trouble.

Dallas Mavericks 31-10

No time to reflect on that game as the next night we are in Portland, destroying the Blazers 102-75. Matt Brown has a sore arm after a knock in the Milwaukee game so Iman Shumpert gets the start at PG and notches up 10 assists, but it was Kevin Durant whole was the star. Our best player went 16/20 from the field and 7/10 from three for 43 points, more than half of Portland’s score. Earl Oliver was the best for the Blazers with 22 points but he just isn’t a good enough defender to be a superstar in the league. Ryan Anderson had 9 rebounds in only 13 minutes off the bench.

Dallas Mavericks 32-10

Phew, it’s our last game of Hell Week 3 and we are exhausted so it’s not surprising that we went down to Sacramento 108-95. DeMarcus Cousins was excellent with 18 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks while Shawn Thompson had 20 points in 17 minutes off the bench. Talk about using your minutes wisely. Our best was James Harden with 31 points while Iman Shumpert (still starting) had 7 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists.

Dallas Mavericks 32-11

**TRADE**

Chicago trade:
C DeAndre Jordan
2022 2nd round pick

Atlanta trade:
PG Derrick Rose
SG Marcus Thornton
PF Clint Fisher

Winner – Both. Sure Rose and Thornton are getting up there in age but they are still quality players and bolster the Bulls’ bench substantially. The Hawks get a great bench big who will spell Mark Hill and Demond Lewis because Atlanta needs those two to be a fresh as possible for the playoffs.

Our last game of the month is a 98-80 grind out over Brooklyn as James Harden had his best game as a Maverick with 30 points, 16 rebounds and 7 assists. We held the Nets to only 34% shooting compared to our 49% which is all that is needed to say. Dave Webb went 2/16 from the field doesn’t help either.

Dallas Mavericks 33-11

Utah have taken over first place in the West at 35-10 which is only a sliver above us. It’s a two horse race at the moment because third placed Denver are seven games behind us at 26-18. Nevada are in last place still with a 12-30 record but Portland are just in front at 13-30.

New Orleans are still in front in the East at 39-6 but Atlanta are riding them at 35-9, all because of Brad Beal which is great news for him. Washington are looking to get into double digits, currently sitting with a 7-40 record.

Dallas Top Points
Kevin Durant – 26.9
James Harden – 23.6
Andre Drummond – 14.0

Dallas Top Assists
Matt Brown – 8.4
James Harden – 6.2
Iman Shumpert – 4.7

Dallas Top Rebounds
Andre Drummond – 9.4
Kevin Durant – 7.7
James Harden – 6.1

League Leaders
Points – Kevin Durant (DAL) – 26.9
Assists – John Wall (MEM) – 9.9
Rebounds – Derrick Favors (UTA) – 11.6
Blocks – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 3.8
Steals – Jay Warren (HOU) – 2.9
Efficiency – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 27.5

Rookie Leaders
Points – Corey Barnes (POR) – 16.9
Assists – Varlam Chavchavadze (BOS) – 7.7
Rebounds – Corey Barnes (POR) – 8.8
Blocks – Corey Barnes (POR) – 1.0
Steals – Ryan Smiley (SAC) – 1.4
Efficiency – Corey Barnes (POR) – 17.3

Second Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. (1) SF Enrique Mendez (Argentina), 18 years old, 6’10”, 208lbs
2. (2) C Rowan Taylor (Houston), Freshman, 6’11”, 246lbs
3. (NR) C Dylan Callier (Wisconsin-Green Bay), Freshman, 6’11”, 280lbs
4. (5) PF Art Haynes (Texas A&M), Junior, 6’8”, 217lbs
5. (NR) PG Kevin Epps (South Carolina), Freshman, 6’3”, 173lbs

Thoughts – Both Taylor and Callier are incredibly raw. Probably the rawest players in a top five I have ever seen. Their physical attributes are off the charts but playing at small schools won’t help them near the end of the season. Look for them to drop in the coming months.

[zike_42]

January Player of the Month – Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder – 27.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

January Rookie of the Month – Corey Barnes, Portland Trailblazers – 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.

Chris Drexler is injured for the Nuggets so that means no Nuggets as we sweep past them 122-99. Harrison Barnes took full advantage of the absence of Drexler with 29 points and 9 rebounds while James Harden threw in 27 points for good measure. Denver had seven players in double figures with Perry Jones III top scoring with 17 points and Varlam Cherkezov having a night to forget with 4/15 shooting and five turnovers.

Dallas Mavericks 34-11

Raul Lopez had 48 points the night before we played the Celtics but could only muster 14 points tonight as we demolish Boston 121-85. It was Kevin Durant’s time to shine again with 27 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists while James Harden had 24 points. Varlam Chavchavadze might be starting at SG but he is doing the bulk of the distributing, tonight having 8 points and 10 assists but shooting 2/14 from the field.

Dallas Mavericks 35-11

The Hornets are again the best team in the league, by far, and it showed as they blew us out of the water with a 101-85 victory. Anthony Davis only shot 6/20 put still had 21 points, 16 rebounds and 7 blocks in the win with Dion Waiters playing back-up with 23 points and 9 assists. Kevin Durant also shot badly, going 10/29 for 26 points with James Harden having a very bi-polar night with 9 points (2/11 shooting), 14 rebounds and 9 turnovers.

Dallas Mavericks 35-12

That’s two losses in a row as we go down to Houston 100-90 behind Kyrie Irving’s 36 points (12/38 FG), 9 rebounds and 7 assists and it feels like he is enjoying playing in Houston. For some reason Jaymes keeps insisting on playing Iman Shumpert at PG and tonight he went 3/13 for 8 points, 16 rebounds and 4 assists which isn’t good enough for a PG. Sure 16 rebounds are massive but that is not his job. Andre Drummond top scored for us with 22 points and 9 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 35-13

It’s always nice to think that if we are in a losing streak we can break it by playing Denver, which we did with a final score of 108-92. Harrison Barnes was our best again with 28 points and 10 rebounds and Matt Brown (starting again at my request) had 14 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Alex Crawford was decent for the Nuggets with 21 points and 8 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 36-13

Our last game of a five match away stand is a great 109-102 victory over the elite Orlando Magic. Kevin Durant had 27 points and 9 rebounds while Matt Brown put up 14 points and 10 assists in the win. Iman Shumpert wasn’t left out in the cold with 11 points and 7 rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench. Klay Thompson top scored for the game with 29 points and third year man Ronnie Howard had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 37-13

Brandon Jennings had 23 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists but luckily for me he went 9/26 and didn’t have any help as we shut them down 111-97 in San Antonio. Kevin Durant didn’t want any problems so put up 35 points and 11 rebounds while Harrison Barnes had 18 points on 12/16 free throws on his way to fouling Kevin Love out.

Dallas Mavericks 38-13

This league is full of elite PFs, especially in our conference. If we want to win it all, we have to get through Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Hornets. It pains me to say but Harrison Barnes just isn’t going to cut it at PF, so I go shopping. I first call up Golden State because I heard that Drew McAfee is on the block. He is one of the best defensive players in the whole league and he can rebound and score a bit as well. I was over the moon when we nearly had a deal done but the Warriors got cold feet, saying he was too important to them. If he is so important, why is he on the trading block?

Next was Portland and John Henson. He may not be the defender that McAfee is, but he is an outstanding shot blocker and can grab a rebound at any time. This time I get cold feet because even though Henson is 6’10”, he weighs only 216lbs which is way too skinny for my liking. In my final attempt to get a defensive PF, after all of my options were running away I find myself someone I never thought I would trade for...

Dallas trade:
SG Iman Shumpert
C Dan Jefferson
PF Bart Flanders
2022 1st round pick (CLE)
2022 1st round pick (HOU)

Milwaukee trade:
PF Thomas Cooper
SG Sean Gilmore

Winner – Both. The Bucks might not have received a starter in the deal but they get three excellent bench players to bolster their second unit. The Cleveland pick will be low but the Houston selection might be a lottery pick at the end of the season. Dallas get a bonafide starting defensive PF and Gilmore fills in as a poor man’s Shumpert which will fill that hole.

He may not have blocked a shot in his whole career but Cooper is a great player. The first player I ever traded for way back in 2013 he rounds out our starting five magnificently. I’m happy we got Gilmore because we didn’t have any other bench SGs, with Mike Conley the first guard off the bench before Gilmore came here. Interesting note, when I was the GM of New York I traded Iman Shumpert for the number eight pick in the 2013 draft as I was crushing hard on Cooper, and nearly nine years later I trade Shumpert for Cooper again. I recall Marcus Randle to be our first big off the bench with the removal of Jefferson and Flanders while signing Damon McMaster and Austin Swift off the free agency pile after their superb D-League performances. Now we have a championship team.

Thomas was given a huge welcome from his new teammates, and he will have plenty of time to get used to the team because it’s All Star weekend. Oklahoma City’s Omar Owens owned the competition in the Slam Dunk contest, coming from second in the preliminaries to first in the final knocking out LAC’s Williams Jones. The Long Distance shootout was a close encounter, with Boston’s Raul Lopez hitting his last two shots to take out the final by a measly two points from Orlando’s Klay Thompson and New York’s Tobias Harris. Good viewing.

The Rookie/Sophomore game was anything but a close game, with the second year guys getting out to a 54 point lead on their way to winning 149-96 over the rookies. Lisandro Perez from Sacramento took out the MVP award with 26 points and 7 rebounds as there were eight sophomores in double figures. Hillar Petrauskas was also excellent with 23 points. Varlam Chavchavadze was the standout for the rookies with 19 points but they shot 39% compared to 53% from their opposition. Complete and utter domination.

Now this is more like it. The All Star game was as close as it has ever been, with the East getting out to a 22 point lead in only the first quarter before the West stormed back to even the game at three quarter time with a buzzer beater by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, his only basket. The game went back and forth before John Wall hit five quick points to win the game for that other scummy conference 136-131. Wall took out the All Star MVP award with 23 points and 16 assists while Raul Lopez poured in 30 points and John Johnson tallied 26 points in only 18 minutes. Eryk Charnowski nabbed 12 rebounds as well. For the West, DeMarcus Cousins led the way with 23 points and 12 rebounds while James Harden was the distributor with 20 points and 11 assists. Harden was joined by his teammate Kevin Durant, with both of them starting.

Western Conference All Star Starters
Kyrie Irving, Houston Rockets
James Harden, Dallas Mavericks
Kevin Durant, Dallas Mavericks
Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz
DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings

Team with most All Stars – Dallas (Kevin Durant, James Harden), Utah (Derrick Favors, Mark Lewis) and San Antonio (Kevin Love, Brandon Jennings) with two.
Teams represented - Nine

Eastern Conference All Star Starters
John Wall, Memphis Grizzlies
Brad Beal, Atlanta Hawks
Raul Lopez, Boston Celtics
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets
Eryk Charnowski, Miami Heat

Team with most All Stars – Memphis (John Wall, Dwight Howard, Kenneth Faried) with three.
Teams represented – Nine.

Speaking of Charnowski, he has really grown in the three years he has been in the league. He was drafted in 2019 by Miami and played three minutes all year before being sent down to the D-League where he didn’t do much. Last season he started every game for the Heat and averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds a game but has really come on strong this season, averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds a game to be the starting C in the East. I must have been psychic because this is what I said when he was drafted –

“He may be very raw but if the Heat stay with him he could get to All Star talent. Probably tied as the best C in the draft.”

Bad move on my part as I drafted disappointment Brandon Anderer the pick before Eryk. Whoops.

In our first game since the All Star weekend Thomas Cooper did me well, going 9/11 from the field for 22 points and 11 rebounds as we beat up the Lakers 115-99. Kevin Durant was our star with 33 points in the win. Kendall Marshall was the best for the Lakers with 22 points, 13 assists and 6 rebounds but Jeff Cunningham went 6/20 from the field as LA shot 38%.

Dallas Mavericks 39-13

Only a few days until the trade deadline and an All Star is on the move.

Detroit trade:
SF Nicolas Batum
SF Carmelo Anthony

Memphis trade:
C Dwight Howard
2022 2nd round pick

Winner – Detroit. The Pistons saw that New Orleans and Dallas had got better they decided that the team had to do something. Enter current All Star Dwight Howard who slots into the sixth man position behind JaVale McGee for some reason. Memphis is now starting mediocre Thomas Boone at centre and have four SFs who aren’t going to set the world on fire. Miss by the Grizzlies.

LA Clippers trade:
C Jonas Valanciunas

Minnesota trade:
PG Damian Lillard
2022 2nd round pick

Winner – LA Clippers. Even though JV is a better player Lillard just fits better in his new team. Christopher de Castro goes back to SF and the pieces just fall into place. This would have been a great deal if Kevin Love was still in Minnesota.

Charlotte trade:
PF Bill Mallet

New Orleans trade:
SF David Forney
PF Jonas Jerebko

Winner – New Orleans. The Hornets get better. How do they keep doing this?

Urgh, New Orleans.

It looks like Thomas Cooper is enjoying his new team, this time having 17 points and 10 rebounds in our 106-99 win over Indiana. Kevin Durant led the way as he always does with 28 points and 10 rebounds. John Weir went 8/22 from the field for 20 points and 8 assists and Alexander Verhaeren nearly had a triple double with 8 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 40-13

Three Maverick players had double doubles as we took care of the Knicks 117-84. Kevin Durant led the way with 36 points and 11 rebounds, James Harden put up 18 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists while Thomas Cooper tallied 14 points and 15 rebounds. Good times. The New York starting line-up went 16/55 or 29%. Ouch.

Dallas Mavericks 41-13

Atlanta are an elite team this season, and it’s all down to Brad Beal. He had 26 points in our game, while his running mate Raoul Dumas put up 28 points and 8 assists. In fact all of their starters played well, with Mark Hill and Demond Lewis combined for 33 rebounds. On our side Kevin Durant put in 40 points and James Harden scored 27 points and the game went to overtime as all good games should. Beal was the star tonight on his home court as he hit the game winner as time expired as the Hawks beat us 125-124. Damn, they are a good team and will give New Orleans a run for their money.

Dallas Mavericks 41-14

Our last game of the month was a revenge game for losing to Atlanta, as we demolish Portland 81-67 as the Blazers shot 29% from the field. James Harden led the way with 25 points and 8 rebounds as our defence was top notch. Corey Barnes was the only Blazer who played well with 16 points and 16 rebounds (but only shot 8/21).

Dallas Mavericks 42-14

A great month has put us equal with Utah for first place in the West at 42-14 with the Clippers a whole seven games back. Portland and Nevada are equal last in the conference at 16-41.

In the East New Orleans are gunning for the record, and they are on track at 52-8 with Atlanta four games behind. Washington are also gunning for the record at 8-51.

Dallas Top Points
Kevin Durant – 27.0
James Harden – 22.5
Thomas Cooper – 15.0

Dallas Top Assists
Matt Brown – 7.9
James Harden – 6.0
Mike Conley – 2.7

Dallas Top Rebounds
Andre Drummond – 9.3
Kevin Durant – 7.8
Thomas Cooper – 6.8

League Leaders
Points – Kevin Durant (DAL) – 27.0
Assists – Kendall Marshall (LAL) – 10.2
Rebounds – Derrick Favors (UTA) – 11.6
Blocks – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 3.7
Steals – Jay Warren (HOU) – 2.9
Efficiency – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 26.8

Rookie Leaders
Points – Corey Barnes (POR) – 16.9
Assists – Reggie Dobbins (PHO) – 8.1
Rebounds – Corey Barnes (POR) – 9.3
Blocks – Corey Barnes (POR) – 0.9
Steals – Ryan Smiley (SAC) – 1.4
Efficiency – Corey Barnes (POR) – 17.5

Third Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. (2) C Rowan Taylor (Houston), Freshman, 6’11”, 246lbs
2. (1) SF Enrique Mendez (Argentina), 18 years old, 6’10”, 208lbs
3. (3) C Dylan Callier (Wisconsin-Green Bay), Freshman, 6’11”, 280lbs
4. (NR) PG Ledaryl McMillian (Fresno State), Sophomore, 6’0”, 179lbs
5. (NR) SF Mike Joseph (Syracuse), Sophomore, 6’6”, 223lbs

Thoughts – Taylor is getting better and filling into his body. To be honest this draft looks pretty weak and if it wasn’t Mendez this would be a really weak.

[zike_42]

February Player of the Month – Kevin Durant, Dallas Mavericks – 25.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

February Rookie of the Month – Corey Barnes, Portland Trailblazers – 16.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.

Mario Chalmers gets the start at PG because Matt Brown is still injured and got torched by Steph Curry, with the Knicks’ general had 28 points but we got the 114-94 in the Big Apple. Andre Drummond and Thomas Cooper combined for 33 points and 28 rebounds and I’m really loving this team. Kevin Durant led the way with 25 points to carry on from his Player of the Month award. Marshon Brooks had 20 points and 7 rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench for New York.

Dallas Mavericks 43-14

Kevin Durant had 40 points and James Harden notched a triple double with 11 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds as we demolish the Spurs 115-93 and Kevin Love is kicking himself for signing there last off season. Andre Drummond strained his hamstring this game and will be out for about two weeks.

Dallas Mavericks 44-14

Nope. Looks like Andre wants to stay in the team even if it is in a reduced capacity. He only played 24 minutes in our 120-79 blowout of Minnesota with Marcus Randle getting his minutes, getting 9 points and 8 rebounds in 26 minutes which was fantastic. Kevin Durant had 29 points and 9 rebounds in the win while Tyreke Evans was the scoring leader for the Wolves with 19 points but went 6/23 from the field.

Dallas Mavericks 45-14

Mark Lewis had 28 points and 9 rebounds but we shot 57% from the field as we blow the Jazz out of the water with a huge 136-114 win in Dallas. Andre Drummond fouled out in 13 minutes which led to Marcus Randle playing bulk minutes, scoring 7 points and grabbing 13 rebounds to show just how good he is getting. Kevin Durant and James Harden combined for 73 points with Matt Brown handing out 15 assists in the win. Lebron James is getting too old to be a superstar, being held to only 8 points in the loss.

Dallas Mavericks 46-14

The Nets shot 34% from the field for only 74 points compared to our 102 for our sixth win in a row. Of course Kevin Durant was our best with 28 points but Mario Chalmers had 15 points off the bench after Matt Brown struggled with fouls.

Dallas Mavericks 47-14

We got out to a 22 point lead in the third quarter only to see it dwindle to seven but that’s all we needed to win 108-101 over Nevada. Kevin Durant had his way all night with 42 points and 12 rebounds while Thomas Cooper helped him out with 20 points after James Harden went 1/11 for the night. Rookie Darren Banks was the best for the Neon with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists and I’m excited to see how this team will do in a few years when their young guys have time to develop.

Dallas Mavericks 48-14

It was the opposite kind of game the next night against the Clippers, as LA got out to a 15 point lead before we raced back and took the game by four, 110-106 in a nail-biter. Kevin Durant led the way with 29 points and 15 rebounds and James Harden made up for his horrid previous game with 25 points. Stefan Nitschke was the best for the Clips with 18 points and 11 rebounds while Christopher de Castro had 26 points going up against Durant.

Dallas Mavericks 49-14

Durant has been on a tear lately, more than usual, and tonight was no different with 38 points and 12 rebounds in our 119-109 victory over Philadelphia. Andre Drummond and Matt Brown also had double doubles but Mario Chalmers gave us the boost we needed with 13 points in 13 minutes off the bench. Andrew Owens went 6/26 from the field for 20 points as troublemaker Dustin Harris helped him with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 50-14

Yay, 50 wins!

Damn, our winning streak gets snapped by a plucky Warriors squad behind Charles Canady’s 35 points and Cederic Mapp’s 31 points, as we lose 126-112 in our last game of a four game/four nights stretch. Kevin Durant was off all night with 12 points and 8 rebounds and we just couldn’t contain their young guns. Speaking of young guns, Marcus Randle went 7/7 from the field for 18 points and 5 rebounds in only 22 minutes off the bench.

Dallas Mavericks 50-15

James Harden and Kevin Durant combined for 67 points as we brush past the Suns 124-114 in an easier game than the score indicates. Kwame Cravens went 10/12 from the field for 31 points and 9 rebounds while rookie Reggie Dobbins notched up 14 assists in the loss.

Dallas Mavericks 51-15

Kevin Durant’s 36 points and 11 rebounds weren’t enough to get us the win, as we fall to the Clippers 123-111 in a rare home loss. Stefan Nitschke was again the best for the Clips with 23 points while Christopher de Castro also headlined with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 7 rebounds as we were just outplayed in the third quarter 40-27 that doomed us.

Dallas Mavericks 51-16

Our revenge was swift, as it usually is after a loss. Our largest lead was 45 points as we humiliated the Blazers 122-77 with James Harden putting up 26 points with Andre Drummond helping him out with 20 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks. There was a rare Sean Gilmore sighting, as the new guy had 10 points on 5/5 shooting in only 12 minutes. Quyn Cox was the only Portland player who played hard, going 8/15 for 23 points off the bench.

Dallas Mavericks 52-16

Thomas Cooper took out the player of the game award in our 114-93 win over my old Memphis team with 26 points and 8 rebounds. Kevin Durant and Matt Brown also crossed the 20 point threshold with 22 points and 20 points respectively. Marcus Randle was great off the bench with 11 points and 7 rebounds in only 18 minutes as well. Nic Batum top scored for the Grizz with 19 points but this team is missing Kenneth Faried with injury and they traded Dwight Howard for some reason so the team is falling hard.

Dallas Mavericks 53-16

It’s a match-up against Ron Winston and we got the best of the team, with Kevin Durant scoring 24 points and our largest lead was 19 points. Unfortunately for us, the Cavs went on a 38-19 last quarter to steal a 102-98 win here in Dallas. Ron Winston had a grudge against us and put up 26 points while his new running partner, Brooks Badu, had 24 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds. Whoops.

Dallas Mavericks 53-17

Our last game of the month is again swift revenge, as the Heat just weren’t in the game and we stopped our losing streak at one with a 111-87 victory in Florida. Andre Drummond put newcomer Eryk Charnowski in his place with 25 points and 9 rebounds while Matt Brown nearly had a triple double with 14 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds. Eryk had a rough night with 7 points and 11 rebounds on 2/6 shooting.

Dallas Mavericks 54-17

We dropped a few games in March but we are still holding onto the top seed, with Utah having a worse month than us. The Jazz are two games behind us at 52-19, going 10-5 in March. The Thunder are third but are a whole eleven games behind us. Portland and Nevada are equal last but have more wins than usual for a last place team at 21.

In the East the Hornets can’t take the crown for best season ever at 60-11 but are far and away the best team in the league. Atlanta have dropped a little at 57-15 with Detroit not far behind them with a 55-20 record. Washington got to double figures which is a relief with a 10-64 record, 16 games behind the second last team in the conference in Miami.

Dallas Top Points
Kevin Durant – 27.4
James Harden – 21.6
Thomas Cooper – 14.6

Dallas Top Assists
Matt Brown – 8.1
James Harden – 6.1
Mike Conley – 3.3

Dallas Top Rebounds
Andre Drummond – 9.1
Kevin Durant – 7.9
Thomas Cooper – 7.1

League Leaders
Points – Kevin Durant (DAL) – 27.4
Assists – Kendall Marshall (LAL) – 10.9
Rebounds – Derrick Favors (UTA) – 11.4
Blocks – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 3.7
Steals – Jay Warren (HOU) – 3.1
Efficiency – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 27.6

Rookie Leaders
Points – Corey Barnes (POR) – 17.2
Assists – Reggie Dobbins (PHO) – 8.9
Rebounds – Corey Barnes (POR) – 9.4
Blocks – Corey Barnes (POR) – 0.9
Steals – Ryan Smiley (SAC) – 1.4
Efficiency – Corey Barnes (POR) – 17.8

If Barnes doesn’t win Rookie of the Year then I’m quitting basketball.

Final Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. (2) SF Enrique Mendez (Argentina), 18 years old, 6’10”, 208lbs
2. (1) C Rowan Taylor (Houston), Freshman, 6’11”, 246lbs
3. (NR) PF Art Haynes (Texas A&M), Junior, 6’8”, 217lbs
4. (NR) PG Matias Perez (Argentina), 17 years old, 6’0”, 156lbs
5. (4) PG Ledaryl MacMillian (Fresno State), Sophomore, 6’0”, 179lbs

Thoughts – Perez is dripping potential and if he wasn’t so slight (hopefully he hits the gym when he gets drafted) he would be even higher. Don’t be surprised if there is a 1-2 selection of Argentineans.

[zike_42]

March Player of the Month – Kevin Durant, Dallas Mavericks – 29.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

March Rookie of the Month – Corey Barnes, Portland Trailblazers – 18.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

With eleven games to go we have a two games head start on Utah so hopefully we can sew up the first seed quickly and give our starters so rest.

That’s a good start to the month as we take care of Nevada 117-102 on our home court. James Harden had a blinder with 34 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists while Matt Brown also flirted with a triple double with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Darren Banks was the best for the Neon with 20 points and 6 assists while Jermaine Gadzuric was on fire off the bench with 19 points on 9/11 shooting in only 21 minutes.

Dallas Mavericks 55-17

A couple of the guys are banged up at the moment, nothing serious but it was good to get out to a 24 point lead against Golden State and cruise to the finish line, winning 116-107. Kevin Durant had 24 points while Andre Drummond had 20 points and 7 rebounds. Mike Conley was great off the bench, scoring 16 points and handing out 6 assists in 16 minutes. Charles Canady was the leader for the Warriors with 18 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds while Drew McAfee only played 13 minutes and he seems to be wasting away on the bench behind Willis Owens. Oh well, I’m happy with Thomas Cooper and the Warriors can continue to struggle.

Dallas Mavericks 56-17

Mike Conley has been great off the bench for us since I picked him up, tonight scoring 15 points and 4 assists in our 118-94 away win over the Lakers. Kevin Durant of course lead the way with 31 points and 9 rebounds but it was a real team effort, with nine players scoring five points or more. Joe Holmes had a tough night, going 9/23 for 24 points while Jeff Cunningham and Chad Dickenman combined for 33 points and 23 rebounds in the loss.

Dallas Mavericks 57-17

We shouldn’t lose to the 10-65 Wizards and luckily we don’t, winning handsomely 117-75 to push them further down. Kevin Durant had 31 points while Andre Drummond poured in 19 points but it was a very lazy game. Trevor Booker was the best for the Wizards with 10 points and 14 rebounds but when the team shoots 28% they are never going to win.

Dallas Mavericks 58-17

I was just wondering how long our current win streak is (five) and all of a sudden it’s gone as the Bobcats upset us 99-87. Jacob Alexander had 34 points in the win while Ty Lawson handed out 12 assists. We shot 37% from the field and I think the team is just looking towards the playoffs at this point.

Dallas Mavericks 58-18

The Jazz have won their first seven games in April and have roared back to only one game behind us so we better not get too casual or we’ll lose the top seed.

We bite back from that loss with a 126-106 against James Harden’s old squad Houston. Harden had a great game with 23 points and 12 assists, helping out Kevin Durant’s 32 points. The other part of that trade Kyrie Irving had 30 points but shot 9/25 from the field. Irving seems to have great chemistry with Jay Warren but their forwards are really lacking.

Dallas Mavericks 59-18

Andre Drummond and Ernest Jameson had a great battle in our 104-82 victory over the Clippers with Andre going 3/14 for 6 points and 15 rebounds while Jameson going 4/10 for 10 points and 12 rebounds. I said it was great, not pretty. We held LA to 34% shooting, none more than Damian Lillard’s 4/19 for 11 points.

Dallas Mavericks 60-18

This is my third 60 win season, eerily my other two were when I got fired from both New York and Memphis. Hopefully that doesn’t happen here.

HUGE game the next night as the 63-16 Atlanta Hawks come to Big D to battle. They got the win last time on buzzer beater from Brad Beal but tonight we weren’t going to let it get to that. Our largest lead was 25 points even with Kevin Durant going 3/11 as our defence was the star, holding the hot shooting Hawks to only 31% from the field. Andre Drummond stepped up with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 7 blocks while Harrison Barnes chipped in 13 points in 14 minutes. Brad Beal and Raoul Dumas combined to shoot 14/40 for 39 points and Demond Lewis grabbed 23 rebounds in the loss. Fantastic game by us and shows that we can hang with the big guns.

Dallas Mavericks 61-18

We don’t get any rest as our next game is against the 66-14 Hornets and it was a doozy. The Hornets got out to a 14 point lead in the second quarter before we stormed back to take a 17 point lead in the third quarter. New Orleans wasn’t done as they forced their way until we only held a four point lead but that was all that was needed as we won 108-104. Kevin Durant was amazing with 37 points and James Harden didn’t shoot well but still had 13 points and 14 rebounds. Sean Gilmore was our bench spark with 10 points in 10 minutes. Thomas Cooper did he job because even though he only went 3/10 he held Anthony Davis to 3/15 shooting for 10 points and 12 rebounds and we are going to need that kind of defence if we want the trophy. Dion Waiter led the way for the losers with 28 points.

Dallas Mavericks 62-18

We just want to get to the playoffs but the league wants to us to suffer as the team travels to Salt Lake City to crown the winner of the game the top seed in the West. It was neck and neck for most of the first three quarters but the Jazz pushed ahead and we couldn’t recover, losing 108-100 to draw even with the Jazz. Jeff Teague was the difference maker, scoring 22 points and handing out 7 assists. Matt Brown wasn’t bad, sure he shot badly (5/16) but he did have 11 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds but Teague was calm under pressure down the stretch. Kevin Durant tried his best with 41 points but didn’t get any help with Thomas Cooper, Andre Drummond and James Harden fouling out. The foul count was grossly in Utah’s favour as we were called for 10 more fouls, 31-21. I’ll keep my mouth shut though unless I want another fine.

Dallas Mavericks 62-19

In fact we are now half a game behind Utah and need to beat the 47-34 Oklahoma City Thunder to tie. It doesn’t matter anyway because we lost the season series to Utah 1-2 so we are second no matter what happens.

It was a woeful game, with both teams shooting sub-30% from the field as we grind out our last game 77-62. The Thunder went 23/92 from the field (25%) and we weren’t much better at 26/91 (28%). Kevin Durant had 23 points and 10 rebounds and the top scorer for the Thunder was Hasson Benton at 12 points but shot 5/23 from the field. Truly, truly awful game and I’m glad we are past it.

Dallas Mavericks 63-19

The Jazz went on a 12 game winning streak to snatch the top seed from us. Not happy.

Western Conference Final Standings
1. Utah Jazz – 63-19 (.768)
2. Dallas Mavericks – 63-19 (.768)
3. Los Angeles Clippers – 47-35 (.573)
4. Oklahoma City Thunder – 47-35 (.573)
5. Houston Rockets – 46-36 (.561)
6. Phoenix Suns – 46-36 (.561)
7. Los Angeles Lakers – 43-39 (.524)
8. Denver Nuggets – 42-40 (.512)
Last – Portland Trailblazers – 21-61 (.256)

Eastern Conference Final Standings
1. New Orleans Hornets – 67-15 (.817)
2. Atlanta Hawks -64-18 (.780)
3. Detroit Pistons – 58-24 (.707)
4. Orlando Magic – 52-30 (.634)
5. New York Knicks – 48-34 (.585)
6. Cleveland Cavaliers – 48-34 (.585)
7. Brooklyn Nets – 43-39 (.524)
8. Toronto Raptors – 42-40 (.512)
Last – Washington Wizards – 10-72 (.122)

Dallas Top Points
Kevin Durant – 27.5
James Harden – 21.1
Thomas Cooper – 13.9

Dallas Top Assists
Matt Brown – 8.0
James Harden – 6.1
Mike Conley – 3.6

Dallas Top Rebounds
Andre Drummond – 9.0
Kevin Durant – 7.8
Thomas Cooper – 7.3

League Top Points
Kevin Durant (DAL) – 27.5
Raul Lopez (BOS) – 24.8
Kyrie Irving (HOU) – 24.4

League Top Assists
Kendall Marshall (LAL) – 11.3
John Wall (MEM) – 10.1
Jeremy Lin (TOR) – 9.8

League Top Rebounds
Derrick Favors (UTA) – 11.5
Kevin Love (SAS) – 10.7
Demond Lewis (ATL) – 10.0

League Top Blocks
Anthony Davis (NOH) – 3.6
John Henson (POR) – 2.9
Bismack Biyombo (ORL) – 2.8

League Top Steals
Jay Warren (HOU) – 3.0
Paul George (ORL) – 2.8
Dion Waiters (NOH) – 2.6

League Top Efficiency
Anthony Davis (NOH) – 27.5
Kevin Durant (DAL) – 25.2
Kyrie Irving (HOU) – 23.9

Rookie Top Points
Corey Barnes (POR) – 17.3
Varlam Chavchavadze (BOS) – 11.9
Willis Owens (GSW) – 11.5

Rookie Top Assists
Reggie Dobbins (PHO) – 8.7
Varlam Chavchavadze (BOS) – 8.1
Ryan Smiley (SAC) – 7.0

Rookie Top Rebounds
Corey Barnes (POR) – 9.5
Willis Owens (GSW) – 6.4
Mike Bryant (DET) – 5.0

[zike_42]

2022 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference
#1 New Orleans vs. #8 Toronto
#2 Atlanta vs. #7 Brooklyn
#3 Detroit vs. #6 Cleveland
#4 Orlando vs. #5 New York

Western Conference
#1 Utah vs. #8 Denver
#2 Dallas vs. #7 Los Angeles Lakers
#3 Los Angeles Clippers vs. #6 Phoenix
#4 Oklahoma City vs. #5 Houston

We won the season series against the Lakers and this feels like an easy series. Or a trap.

Western Conference First Round – LA Lakers vs. Dallas

Point Guard
Kendall Marshall vs. Matt Brown
10.8 points, 11.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds vs. 10.7 points, 8.0 assists, 4.7 rebounds

Marshall has been the best pure PG in the league for a couple of years now but that title is in danger. Brown exploded last playoffs and is looking to do the same here. This is a good chance for the young’un to show how good he is against the best.

Winner – LA Lakers

Shooting Guard
Joe Holmes vs. James Harden
20.8 points, 2.2 assists, 5.6 rebounds vs. 21.1 points, 6.1 assists, 6.1 rebounds

Sure Holmes can match it with Harden in the scoring department but the Mav is a better passer, rebounder and defender. The Laker will get close to his average but will give up more to Harden.

Winner - Dallas

Small Forward
Andrew Seitz vs. Kevin Durant
13.6 points, 1.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds vs. 27.5 points, 1.4 assists, 7.8 rebounds

It’s probably good that Seitz is on Durant because he is by far the best defender on the team. Unfortunately Seitz has a sprained ankle and will be hobbling for the first four games of the series. Tough break for the 30 year old as Durant is in a mean mood.

Winner - Dallas

Power Forward
Chad Dickenman vs. Thomas Cooper
14.1 points, 1.4 assists, 7.0 rebounds vs. 13.9 points, 1.6 assists, 7.3 rebounds

This is probably the second best match-up of the series because Dickenman has become a great two way player. His scoring is low because of Holmes and Cunningham but he can fill it up but his real strengths are his rebounding and shot blocking which may cause problems for Cooper.

Winner - Draw

Centre
Jeff Cunningham vs. Andre Drummond
20.1 points, 1.1 assists, 7.8 rebounds vs. 13.5 points, 1.4 assists, 9.0 rebounds

This is the best match-up of the series by far. Sure Cunningham is an awful, awful defender but he can score in bunches. He will need to for this Laker side to cause an upset but Drummond is one of the best defensive centres in the league. Offence vs. Defence, who will win?

Winner - Draw

Bench
Bryce Metcalf, Josh Jackson, Arnette Moultrie vs. Harrison Barnes, Marcus Randle, Mike Conley

Metcalf could start on any other team and average double digit rebounds a game easy while Jackson’s rookie year has been better than expected. It drops off after that so those two will need to step up. On the other hand, Barnes, Randle and just recently Conley have the talent to push leads out when the starters have a breather.

Winner – Dallas

Prediction – Dallas in four. The Lakers defence is atrocious with Andrew Seitz being the only decent defensive player on the roster. Easy series for the Mavericks.

In game one offence beat defence as Andre Drummond fouled out in 15 minutes but Jeff Cunningham couldn’t take advantage, going 3/10 for only 11 points and 11 rebounds. The reason why he couldn’t take advantage was Marcus Randle who stepped up brilliantly with 13 points and 8 rebounds off the bench as we slaughtered the Lakers 117-89 to take first blood. Kevin Durant had 31 points while Matt Brown scored 21 points, but only handed out 4 assists. Joe Holmes scored 21 points on 21 shots while Kendall Marshall showed why he is the best pure PG in the league with 7 points, 14 assists and 7 rebounds.

Dallas leads 1-0

The Lakers scored more in game two but so did we, as we sweep our home stand 123-107 to go up 2-0. Kevin Durant again led the way with 30 points and 10 rebounds but Andre Drummond was again hampered with fouls, only playing 21 minutes. Jeff Cunningham played better with 20 points and 7 rebounds but it was Marcus Randle who again stole the show with 14 points and 4 rebounds to back up Andre. Our guards were stellar as well, combining for 38 points, 18 assists and 12 rebounds. Much better than LA’s backcourt who scored well but couldn’t get the team offence going.

Dallas leads 2-0

Back to LA and there were loads more celebrities than usual and word on the street is that they were here to watch the Lakers. Our hype has grown that opposition fans are coming out to see us play, wanting to see the championship contenders. We had to put on a show then. The team shoots 66% from the field as we take a commanding 3-0 series lead with a 139-114 whitewash of the home side. James Harden shot 13/16 from the field for 36 points which is phenomenal while Kevin Durant wasn’t too shabby with 29 points and 12 rebounds on 9/13 shooting. Again Marcus Randle was excellent with 14 points and 6 rebounds as Andre Drummond was held to 22 minutes. AD went 6/6 for 12 points in those 22 minutes though. The benches were given free reign in the final term with Kent Harris and Jimmer Fredette combining for 31 points as it turned into junk time extremely early.

Dallas leads 3-0

Andre Drummond finally gets out from Jeff Cunningham and lights up the who stadium, scoring 26 points and adding 11 rebounds, 5 blocks and 3 steals as we complete the sweep 126-113. Kevin Durant had 26 points and 10 rebounds while Harrison Barnes filled in for foul troubled Thomas Cooper with 24 points and 9 rebounds off the bench. The reason for Cooper’s trouble was Chad Dickenman who was electric with 26 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks in a losing effort. Kendall Marshall tallied 19 assists and 7 steals but shot 4/15 from the field. Onto the next round!

Dallas wins 4-0

There were two other sweeps, with #2 Atlanta taking care of #7 Brooklyn while #1 Utah brushed aside #8 Denver and are looking as dangerous as ever.

All but one of the rest of the series’ went past six games, with #1 New Orleans, #3 Detroit, #4 Oklahoma City and #3 LA Clippers dodging the upset while #5 New York took upstaged #4 Orlando in seven games to move on to play the Hornets juggernaut.

[zike_42]

2022 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference
#1 New Orleans vs. #5 New York
#2 Atlanta vs. #3 Detroit

Western Conference
#1 Utah vs. #4 Oklahoma City
#2 Dallas vs. #3 Los Angeles Clippers

Another series, another LA team. We won the season series 2-1 but this team has added some firepower since we played them. This will be a grind.

Western Conference Semi-Final – Los Angeles Clippers vs. Dallas

Point Guard
Damian Lillard vs. Matt Brown
25.1 points, 5.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds vs. 16.0 points, 9.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds

A mid season acquisition, Lillard has been fantastic for this Clippers side. He hasn’t had to distribute the ball much because of de Castro’s stellar play so Lillard is able to do what he loves doing – score the ball. Brown will need to use his improving defensive skills to stay in front of his man because the Clippers are going to rely on Lillard to score.

Winner - Draw

Shooting Guard
Landry Fields vs. James Harden
9.0 points, 1.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds vs. 19.8 points, 6.0 assists, 5.8 rebounds

Don’t expect Fields to play much he is just a stand in for the position. The bulk of the SG play will be done by Stefan Nitschke who can fill up the cup like nothing else. Fields will try and slow down James Harden but won’t have a very good time doing it. Look for Harden to have a big series.

Winner - Dallas

Small Forward
Christopher de Castro vs. Kevin Durant
16.6 points, 7.4 assists, 8.3 rebounds vs. 29.0 points, 1.3 assists, 9.8 rebounds

The Clippers’ best player versus the Mavericks’ best player, this is going to be a great battle. Durant is a much better player and de Castro is only 6’6” and below average on defence which spells doom for the Brazilian.

Winner - Dallas

Power Forward
William Jones vs. Thomas Cooper
10.4 points, 2.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds vs. 11.5 points, 1.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds

Cooper has been a revelation for the already stacked Dallas side. His defence is the missing element to take on the New Orleans while Jones is just a run of the mill PF who shouldn’t do much this series. He will earn his money by rebounding and getting some points but he won’t change the series.

Winner - Dallas

Centre
Ernest Jameson vs. Andre Drummond
9.4 points, 1.1 assists, 6.6 rebounds vs. 13.0 points, 2.3 assists, 7.5 rebounds

An old favourite of Dallas’ GM Jameson has been a huge disappointment this playoff series. That could all change because Drummond had a hard time keeping up with Jeff Cunningham and Jameson is an equally gifted offensive C so who knows? Maybe EJ could snap his funk.

Winner - Dallas

Bench
Stefan Nitschke, Tate McKenzie, Chris Singleton vs. Harrison Barnes, Marcus Randle, Mike Conley

Nitschke is a bench player in name only while McKenzie is an amazing defender and should give Matt Brown fits. It drops off from there but with those two in the second unit it could prove problematic for Dallas’ bench. Randle was outstanding last series filling in for the foul troubled Andre Drummond.

Winner – Draw

Prediction – Dallas in six. It’s going to be a closer series than the other LA team but Dallas just has too much talent to lose this.

Urgh, that sounds too jinx-y to be good.

The Dallas crowd is psyched for this series, because let’s face it everyone would love the opportunity in taking care of both Los Angeles in consecutive series. Game one starts out like a dream as we got out to a 42-26 first quarter lead and from there it was all cruise control, winning 128-98. Kevin Durant took Christopher de Castro to the sword with 41 points and 9 rebounds while James Harden and Matt Brown combined for 33 points, 21 rebounds and 18 assists to totally dominate the Clippers’ guards. Andre Drummond has been hobbled a little and after that huge first quarter Jaymes took him out and played Marcus Randle for the rest with AD playing only 14 minutes. Randle had a good night with 4 points and 7 rebounds and holding Ernest Jameson to only 2/8 shooting for 6 points and 13 rebounds. Damian Lillard led the way with 23 points on 23 shots while de Castro was off all night, going 5/13 for only 17 points and 2 rebounds.

Dallas leads 1-0

Game two was a little closer, but not really. Our first quarter was again the killer as we got out to a double digit lead and extended it from there before a late flurry got the game to a respectable 113-99 victory. Kevin Durant had 32 points and 8 rebounds while James Harden was again close to a triple double with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists. The Clippers shot 37% from the field as their starting backcourt of Lillard and Fields combined to shoot 7/30. De Castro had another hard night, going 8/20 for 23 points and only 3 assists. We have done well by holding him to only two and three assists in the first two games which shuts down their ball distribution.

Dallas leads 2-0

Another day, another game three in Los Angeles. I don’t really like LA, it’s too busy for me. Everyone is rushing and not caring about anyone else in the world. However, Disneyland is freaking awesome.

Ahem.

OK, onto the game. I’m sounding like a broken record but our first quarter was again better than theirs, being up 30-24 after one. It was close for most of the first three quarters before we decided to wake up. We won the fourth quarter 35-14 to take a chokehold on the series 118-91. Kevin Durant had 30 points and 15 rebounds compared to de Castro’s 20 points on 6/20 shooting and the Brazilian has no answer for our MVP. Matt Brown was also amazing, shooting 9/12 for 20 points, 12 assists and 8 rebounds and holding Damian Lillard to only 21 points. The Clippers shot 36% from the field as our defence has outstanding, and will need to be for the rest of the playoff campaign.

Dallas leads 3-0

This feels very much like déjà vu. An LA side down 3-0 on their home court and the crowd is anxious for at least one win. Damian Lillard must have eaten his spinach today because he was ready to play. The Clipper PG had 38 points and 9 assists and it was LAC who stole the first quarter, getting out to a 36-14 lead and the crowd was going nuts. De Castro still couldn’t contain Durant, going 6/22 for 13 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists before fouling out. Oh, about that lead, yeah don’t worry. Andre Drummond got hot and dragged us back into the game as we took the third quarter 34-23 to bring it back. We were still down but our ice cold Kevin Durant took over down the stretch with five points in the last minute to force overtime. There were six leads changes in the extra period and it was still level on the last play of the game. Kevin Durant took the ball at the top of the key, dribbled twice, pumped faked and then passed the ball to a wide open Andre Drummond under the basket for the game winning score after he was left open by a double teaming Ernest Jameson. With that sunk basket we sunk the Clippers 108-106. Andre Drummond was our star with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks with Kevin Durant playing back-up with 24 points and 16 rebounds. James Harden shot badly (5/13) but had 15 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. William Jones had his best night of the series with 12 points and 12 rebounds but again the team shot 34% from the field and just couldn’t get going in the series at all.

Dallas wins 4-0

No other series got the brooms out so we will get some rest. Not much rest because #1 Utah brushed past the #3 Thunder in five games for a 1-2 battle in the West. The two East match-ups were done in six games with both higher seeds going through to the next round with #1 New Orleans going up against #2 Atlanta in the ECF.

[zike_42]

2022 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference
#1 New Orleans vs. #2 Atlanta

Western Conference
#1 Utah vs. #2 Dallas

As everyone and their dog knows we lost the season series to Utah which is why they are first and we are second. Hopefully by the end of this series those roles will be reversed.

Western Conference Finals – Dallas vs. Utah

Point Guard
Matt Brown vs. Jeff Teague
13.8 points, 9.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds vs. 13.4 points, 4.8 assists, 3.7 rebounds

The Playoff Warrior has struck again, with Matt Brown overcoming a slow start to explode out of the gate in the second round. Teague is just an average player and Brown should have a field day with him.

Winner - Dallas

Shooting Guard
James Harden vs. Anton Palmer
19.5 points, 7.5 assists, 7.9 rebounds vs. 8.1 points, 2.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds

Another starter in name only as Murman Andronikov will play the bulk of the minutes here. Harden has been exceptional shown by his numbers but his teamwork and leadership has been top notch.

Winner - Dallas

Small Forward
Kevin Durant vs. Lebron James
30.4 points, 1.6 assists, 10.9 rebounds vs. 18.2 points, 3.9 assists, 5.1 rebounds

Back in the day this was the best match-up in the whole league. Times have changed as James is now 36 years old and a secondary player to Derrick Favors and Mark Lewis. Durant has been on a tear in this post season and should do so again.

Winner - Dallas

Power Forward
Thomas Cooper vs. Derrick Favors
13.8 points, 1.5 assists, 6.0 rebounds vs. 18.7 points, 1.7 assists, 12.6 rebounds

The whole reason Cooper was acquired by Dallas was to guard Derrick Favors and Anthony Davis. Well, this is his big chance. Favors’ numbers aren’t as good as usual but they are pretty damn good and if Dallas wants to win this series Cooper will need to slow down Favors.

Winner - Utah

Centre
Andre Drummond vs. Mark Lewis
13.3 points, 1.8 assists, 7.1 rebounds vs. 20.3 points, 1.0 assist, 11.0 rebounds

Lewis is the best centre in the league, no doubt about it. If he could hit his free throws at a respectable clip (39% in these playoffs) he would be an all time great. He is still only 24 years old and a lot of the load will be put on his shoulders. Like Cooper before, Drummond is going to have to slow Lewis down for his team to win.

Winner - Utah

Bench
Harrison Barnes, Marcus Randle, Mike Conley vs. Murman Andronikov, DeJuan Blair, Jan Vesley

Apart from Murman the Jazz’s bench is quite thin. Sure Blair and Vesley can play 15 minutes a game on a normal team but here they are playing 20-25 minutes which the Mavericks can exploit.

Winner – Dallas

Prediction – Dallas in seven. All signs point to Dallas but Lebron still has some fight in him and the combination of Favors and Lewis can cut teams to shreds. Cooper, Drummond and Randle off the bench are the keys to Dallas’ win.

The closest Utah have come to a championship is when they lost to Charlotte in 2016 in Lebron’s first year at the Jazz. Before that you have to go back to 1997 when the Karl Malone and John Stockton led team lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in their last three-peat. So as you can expect, this team is hurting for a win. And despite 40 points and 11 rebounds from Kevin Durant they get just that, drawing first blood 107-95. Mark Lewis was the hero with 16 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks and 3 steals while his running mate Derrick Favors had 21 points and 15 rebounds. Hell, even Lebron James got into the act with 21 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds. It was our backcourt who let us down with Harden and Brown combining to go 10/31 for 24 points, but did add 18 rebounds and 12 assists.

Utah leads 1-0

We need to win a game away from home because we don’t have home court advantage. Lucky for us we got out to a 10 point lead midway through the second period as Kevin Durant again had a big night with 34 points. Unlucky for us the Jazz went on a 42-28 last quarter to take both at home, winning 117-103 to put massive pressure on us to hold serve. Derrick Favors got out from Thomas Cooper for 21 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks as Jeff Teague helped him out with 17 points. Thomas Cooper had a good night for himself with 16 points and 12 rebounds but our guards again failed us, with Matt Brown shooting 5/22 and James Harden making three out of ten shots on the night. They really need to step up if we want to get back into this series.

Utah leads 2-0

In game three both Thomas Cooper and Andre Drummond fouled out early as Mark Lewis actually shot well from the stripe, going 7/9 for 23 points and 17 rebounds. Lebron James and Derrick Favors both doubled up as the Jazz outrebounded us 58-49. The reason why there was so many rebounds is because Utah shot 30% for the game as Anton Palmer, Jeff Teague and Murman Andronikov combined to shoot 7/39 as we claw one back, winning 89-80. Kevin Durant lead from the front with 32 points and 10 rebounds but it was Harrison Barnes and Marcus Randle who stepped up for us, with our Captain having 6 points and 12 rebounds and Randle putting up 4 points and 7 rebounds in the win. Phew, one down three to go.

Utah leads 2-1

Kevin Durant was everywhere, I mean everywhere as he guided us to a series tying victory with 42 points and 8 rebounds. The score was 116-99 with our biggest lead getting out to 20 points as we weren’t really troubled. Marcus Randle was again magnificent with 15 points in 19 minutes off the bench while Mike Conley put up 7 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds in 26 minutes. Derrick Favors was again the star for the Jazz with 15 points, 16 rebounds and 8 blocks but the team shot 53% from the line and 40% from the field. If we can keep them to low percentages I have a great feeling about snatching a game in Salt Lake City.

Series tied 2-2

I really don’t want to go to a game seven so this game is our time to break open the series. Game five in Utah. Our normal first quarter start showed up as we got out to a 27-21 lead. We extended that lead to 10 points and half time and got the first basket in the third to make it an even dozen. Lebron James woke up and put on a show like he was 26 years old, with 12 points in the quarter as the Jazz raced back to take a slim two point lead. We weren’t finished as the game went back and forth until the final siren sounded where the game was still knotted at 109-109. In the overtime it was our star’s turn to shine, with Kevin Durant scoring nine of his 36 points in the extra period as we took the series lead with a 126-120 nail biter. James Harden snapped out of his funk with 20 points and while Matt Brown shot an atrocious 2/19 he did have 15 assists to sort of make up for it. Mark Lewis had 24 points and 15 rebounds but it was inability to hit free throws that doomed them, with Lewis going 6/13 from the line. Jeff Teague did most of the heavy lifting in the early stages with 29 points and 9 assists and Derrick Favors added 19 points and 18 rebounds. Apart from those three and James the bench did absolutely nothing, with our bench outscoring them 34-16. One more game in Big D.

Dallas leads 3-2

The Hornets have wrapped up their ECF series with a 97-88 victory to take the battle 4-1. They are now gunning for their third title in a row and it’s up to us to stop them. But first we have to beat Utah one more time. The crowd knows this and are on the edge of their seats. We want to get back at the Hornets for beating us last season in the NBA Finals and I feel like nothing is going to get in our way.

And what a game! For us, anyway. Lebron and Favors combined to shoot 7/32 for 29 points as we take the series 108-91. Kevin Durant shot much better than that with 33 points and 10 rebounds while James Harden finally had a good game with 25 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Mark Lewis led the way for the Jazz with 18 points and 13 rebounds but shot 2/8 from the foul line. Seriously, when will this guy learn?

Dallas wins 4-2

[zike_42]

2022 NBA Finals

#1 New Orleans vs. #2 Dallas

We split the series 1-1 but the game we lost was without Thomas Cooper so hopefully he can swing the series in our favour.

Point Guard
Matt Brown vs. Lewis Vines
12.1 points, 9.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds vs. 14.3 points, 7.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds

He might be having a down playoff run but Vines is still one of the best guard defenders in the league and will put loads of pressure on the Playoff Warrior. Brown will need to break through the Vines wall to help his team win, but can he do it?

Winner - Draw

Shooting Guard
James Harden vs. Dion Waiters
18.9 points, 6.5 assists, 7.9 rebounds vs. 14.5 points, 5.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds

These two players are very similar in their game styles. Both are strong, have great hands and passing abilities and can score in bunches. However, the way Harden has been playing in these playoffs he will get the nod, because even though he hasn’t been shooting well his other contributions have been outstanding.

Winner - Dallas

Small Forward
Kevin Durant vs. Bill Gearhart
32.9 points, 1.6 assists, 9.9 rebounds vs. 17.4 points, 0.9 assists, 5.4 rebounds

Gearhart is 6’4” compared to Durant at 6’10” but don’t count him out. Bill can score with nearly anyone and might give Durant some problems on the offensive end which could lower Durant’s offensive game. Durant will need to get to his average or more in each game for the Mavericks to win this series.

Winner - Dallas

Power Forward
Thomas Cooper vs. Anthony Davis
13.0 points, 1.2 assists, 6.9 rebounds vs. 22.8 points, 2.0 assists, 10.4 rebounds

The same as it was against Derrick Favors, Thomas Cooper will have to put all of his energy into slowing down the probable MVP. Davis is a monster on both ends and arguably the best player in the league. If Cooper can negate Davis, even slightly, the series will swing the other way.

Winner – New Orleans

Centre
Andre Drummond vs. Andrew Graham
11.6 points, 1.4 assists, 7.5 rebounds vs. 11.8 points, 1.2 assists, 6.5 rebounds

Usually Derek Thomas starts at C for the Hornets but for some reason Graham gets the nod. He is a woeful defender and Dallas would be wise to go into Drummond at all costs. Look for Thomas to get planet of court time here.

Winner - Dallas

Bench
Harrison Barnes, Marcus Randle, Mike Conley vs. Hillar Petrauskas, Derek Thomas, Bryan Plowman

For some reason that no-one can understand Phoenix decided to gift Petrauskas to New Orleans for a bag of peanuts. In only his second season the Lithuanian will be a star in the future, and Thomas and Plowman aren’t too bad either. This will be a very interesting battle of the second units.

Winner – Draw

Prediction – New Orleans in six. The individual match-ups may be skewed towards Dallas but the Hornets have some kind of magical chemistry where everyone knows what everyone is going to do. This is a talented team but their camaraderie is the reason why they are going for their third straight title.

It was Bill Gearhart who did take on Kevin Durant with 32 points and 11 rebounds as we never led in game one, losing 123-104. It was a really disappointing game, especially when we wanted to send a message that we can stay with them. The Hornets had loads of contributors with Dion Waiters having 20 points, 10 assists and 6 steals while Lewis Vines put up 27 points and 10 assists. Thomas Cooper was our best with 24 points and 10 rebounds as Kevin Durant was held to only 21 points on 6/15 shooting. Not the start we were looking for.

New Orleans leads 1-0

Our usual first quarter blitz left us in game two, as we were down by three at the first break. We battle back in the second and had a slim three point lead at half time. Our strategy of ultra pressure on Bill Gearhart worked, as the star of game one was held to only 3/15 shooting. The third quarter we pushed the lead out to seven and even a spritely comeback couldn’t shake the lead from our hands as we steal home court advantage with a 98-93 victory! Kevin Durant was pissed about last game and tonight was our leader with 31 points and 17 rebounds. We out-rebounded the Hornets 61-47 which was the deciding factor as we shot a poor percentage on the game. Thomas Cooper, Andre Drummond and Matt Brown all had points/rebounds double doubles which shows how many rebounds we grabbed. Anthony Davis was again calmed by Cooper with only 19 points and 10 rebounds as Derek Thomas led the way with 20 points and 6 rebounds off the bench.

Series tied 1-1

The city of Dallas and most of the state of Texas is in a state of frenzy after our game two win. Experts on ESPN are already deciding on how we are going to repeat, but they have short memories. I can still remember winning both games in New Orleans last season and then dropping all three of our home games as the Hornets brushed past us 4-2. It haunts my dreams and I won’t be happy until we hold the Larry O’Brien trophy.

It feels like last season as well, with the sea of white and the unimaginable noise coming from the stands. And for the first time in this series we got our first quarter groove on. Leading 29-19 after one we held onto the lead until halfway through the third when Dion Waiter hit four quick shots. We kept our nerve and pushed the lead out again and took the game 106-88. Kevin Durant is having his way with Bill Gearhart now with 37 points and 12 rebounds compared to Gearhart’s 18 points on 6/20 shooting. Matt Brown may not shoot well but damned if he does everything else well, tonight putting up 10 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds. Anthony Davis was again held by Thomas Cooper for only 15 points and 15 rebounds. It may sounds like a good game but this is Anthony Davis we are talking about, anything under 20 points and 5 blocks in a win. The Hornets shot 34% from the field, mostly by their bench who went combined for 9/33 from the field. I got a little excited after the game but scolded myself when the job isn’t done.

Dallas leads 2-1

Wow, what a grind out game. You know it’s going to be a scrap when one team shoots 37% and the other 34%. Kevin Durant went 7/15 for 23 points while Thomas Cooper, Andre Drummond and James Harden combined to shoot 8/30. To be fair Cooper did have 19 points and 9 rebounds so that kind of levels it out. Anthony Davis probably had one of his worst games in his career with 6 points and 17 rebounds before fouling out in the third quarter. Bill Gearhart also had a bad game, going 3/14 for 6 points as well. Hell, who did have a good game then? Our Playoff Warrior as Matt Brown singlehandedly won the game and pushed us to one win away from the title with 24 points and 7 rebounds on 12/18 shooting. He didn’t get that nickname for nothing. The final score was 92-85 and I can’t believe that we are only one game away from redemption. Breathe, Yaxley, breathe. We aren’t there yet. I need to keep my emotions in check for one more win.

Dallas leads 3-1

This is astonishing. Never in my wildest dreams would we be up 3-1 against the two time defending champions with the chance to win it all on our court. This is it, I don’t want to go back to New Orleans, I want to win it here. I’m glad I’m not on the team because I’ve been swept away in the euphoria of the crowd. LET’S GO MAVERICKS!

We win the first quarter 33-24 not on the back of Kevin Durant but on the broad shoulders of Andre Drummond, who scored eight first quarter points. The lead was extended to 15 points at half time and this place is about to explode. I really hope the roof on this arena is reinforced because if we keep this lead then it’s going to blown off. Every single play in the third quarter is being cheered like a game winning shot as we outscore the Hornets 27-15 to take an insurmountable 96-69 three quarter time lead and I’m about to burst. The benches are released halfway through the last quarter to put the cherry on the top of our 111-95 championship clinching victory! Streamers fall from the ceiling as the whole team scrambles to centre court for a group hug. Andre Drummond had his best game of the series with 23 points and 8 rebounds while Thomas Cooper did what he was brought here for with 22 points and holding Anthony Davis to 15 points and 3 rebounds. But who cares about numbers now? It’s time to celebrate! I race down the stairs from my box and my back is sore by the time I hit the court because of all the pats and hugs from the crowd but I finally get there as I’m embraced by Harrison Barnes, our captain.

Dallas wins 4-1

Kevin Durant was awarded the Finals MVP award after averaging 26.2 points and 11.6 rebounds over the five games. The photo of the Finals was our three stars, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Andre Drummond, screaming to the roof while standing on the scorer’s table and the crowd going nuts in front of them. It’s now hanging in my office. How sweet it is, after last season’s heartbreaking NBA Finals loss to redemption in five games. I’m not going to sleep for a week.