Suns big three finally make their debut
Basketball fans had to wait much longer than expected but this week we finally got to see Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal on the court together at the same time. Unfortunately, it was short lived as they have only played one full game together as big three due to Beal injuring his ankle in the 1st quarter of a game against the Knicks. Still, both games showed issues this unit might have due on some part to their limited time together on the court. Injuries have been the primary issue also season which I was worried would be an issue when the trade for Beal went down in the offseason.
Already 26 games into the season the Suns lack of consistency is best explained by their inability to have their best players on the court at the same time. In the one full game the big three managed to play together their were some obvious chemistry that is natural when their is only one basketball to distribute between three elite scores. However, shot management will be an issue they have to sort when all three players are able to have more time on the court together. For example, Beal took just 9 shots in his first game back scoring just 14 points in what so far has been a down year so far as through 6 games played he is averaging just 14.7 points per game. Last year Beal averaged 23.2 points a number 1 option for the Wizards and when healthy needs to more involved in the offense for the Suns to reach their potential. The Suns also had the misfortune of running into a Nets team that has played well recently winning seven of their last nine game after beating the Suns in Phoenix on Wednesday. With Suns currently sitting at 10th in a tough western conference they have low margin for error and will need to resolve multiple issues in a short amount of time to meet their championship expectations.
Clippers beginning to hit their stride
The Clippers looked dead in the water going 0-5 after the Harden trade went down but have since gone 11-3 including a league best seven traight wins and are looking like a major playoff threat. The change started when Russell Westbrook took made the underrated sacrifice by asking to come off the bench allowing Harden to be the primary facilitator with the starting unit. Since then, Harden and the Clippers have thrived with much improved spacing and offensive consistency on the court while their head coach Tyronn Lue has found an effective rotation for his roster. Harden has proved to be an excellent fit averaging 18.1 points and 8.6 assists while shooting 47.5% from three over his last 10 games creating great spacing and easier shots for his teammates.
The Clippers player who has lead the way over this recent stretch of games has been superstar and 2-time NBA champion Kawhi Leonard who has been playing MVP level basketball lately. Over his last 10 games Kawhi is averaging 29.4 points per game while shooting a scorching hot 57.4% from three point range. His offensive tear has included 5 straight games scoring 25 or more including a season high 41 points in a win on the road against Utah.
With seven straight wins the Clippers are now 15-10 and just a half game behind the Kings for the 5th seed in the west and just 4.5 games out of first place in the West. However, they do have a tough stretch of games ahead as they go on the road to take on the Pacers, Mavericks, and Thunder before heading back to Los Angeles to take on the #1 seeded Boston Celtics. This stretch could serve as a major test for a team hitting on all cylinders and may be in the midst of the best at last chance to make a deep playoff run
Giannis drops a Bucks Franchise record 64 points in a win over the Pacers
Giannis clearly took the loss to the Pacers in the In-Season Tournament personally as he followed up with an absolute generational performance. He broke former Bucks great Michael Redd's record of 57 points set back in 2006 and finished with a career high 64 points in a masterful performance. His previous career high was 55 which he scored last season in a win against the Wizards on the road.
He ended up making history as he became the first player in NBA history to make at least 20 field goals and 20 free throws in a game while shooting at least 70% on each. It’s also the most points with fewer than 30 field goal attempts in a game in NBA history which speaks to Giannis efficiency and individual dominance. Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin spoke highly of his superstar after the game, “He’s an unstoppable player. You can’t guard him one-on-one. You’ve got some really good guys surrounding him, but at the end of the day, it’s all him." Giannis' 64 points helped lead Milwaukee to a 140-126 win over the Pacers and with subsequent wins over the Pistons and Rockets they now find themselves just 1.5 games behind the Celtics for the #1 seed in the East.
Game of the week-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores a game high 25 points and hits an incredible game winning jumper with 0.9 secs to lead the Thunder to a thrilling comeback win on the road against the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
Sources: Espn.com NBA YouTube channel
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