The NBA season is finally under way. Today is our first full slate (14 games), but last night, we eased our way into basketball watching with just three games. I have to say, it was a pretty entertaining opening night.
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Rafter Redemption
Los Angeles Lakers 116, Los Angeles Clippers 103
In what was certainly the strangest game of the night, the Lakers pulled away from the Clippers late, winning by 13 points. How’d they do it? Well, they’re bench scored 76 points. Yeah. Xavier Henry and Jodie Meeks led the way with 22 and 16 respectively, as both guys were at the forefront of a fourth quarter-Clipper thrashing, where the Lakers bench outscored the “home” team’s starters 41 to 24. Yeah, it was that weird. Honestly, I’m a little short on analysis because it’s really that strange to me.
After putting some thought into this season-opening head-scratcher, I’ve decided to give the credit to Mike D’Antoni. Everyone on the Lakers looked comfortable offensively, and looked willing to do their best defensively. Everyone wanted to contribute, and no one was thinking in a me-first fashion (which will definitely change when Kobe Bryant comes back because Kobe Bryant will be playing in the games).
Pau Gasol looked poised for a big games early, scoring 11 points in the first six minutes, but he finished with just 15 points in 24 minutes. Steve Nash looked like a shell of himself, scoring three points, dishing out five assists and turning the ball over three times in just 20 minutes. Doesn’t that sound like a recipe for disaster? Well, it wasn’t. Everything just worked out for the Lakers tonight, and honestly, I was kind of rooting for them (I guess it’s because Kobe wasn’t playing). You have to love the underdog and when Xavier Henry and Jordan Farmar are leading the way, the name on their uniform is the underdog.
For the Clippers, it’s important not to make a big deal about the game, although their were some positives and negatives from the 48 minutes. On the positive side, DeAndre Jordan looked very good, and much improved, using his new defense-first mentality to grab boards (11) and block shots (three). On the negative side, there was Blake Griffin. Maybe, just maybe, he’s not that good. In the box score, it says that Griffin scored 19 and grabbed seven boards, but if you watched the game, you wanted so much more out of him. Jordan Hill ran circles around Griffin late in the game, out-willing the former first overall pick on the boards. Add in the fact that Griffin shot 3-for-10 from the line and he still has an awful hitch in his jumper and it looks like “Lob City” is going to be his claim to fame forever. It’s tragic. Reggie Miller had the quote of the night about Griffin: “If you watched Griffin tonight, you can tell he didn’t work on any post moves this summer.” Classic.
Well, I guess I wasn’t too short on analysis.
The Return of the Champs (And Some Other Dude Who Hurt His Knee)
Chicago Bulls 95, Miami Heat 107
On the first play of the game, Derrick Rose came off a pick-and-roll a little too slow and Mario Chalmers came around the back, picked his pocket and Miami had itself a fast-break layup. After six minutes of the game, Chicago was leading the Heat 11-6, as Miami couldn’t buy a bucket (or an aggressive attack of the basket) and Derrick Rose looked very good. After the first quarter, Miami had a 17-15 lead. Then, the Heat outscored the seemingly-hapless Bulls 37-18 in the second quarter and that score makes it seem closer than it was.
For a defense-first team, trailing by 20 usually ends the game, and in this case, it did. Chicago cut the lead down to eight with a little more than two minutes left, but they couldn’t close the gap, eventually falling by 12. Offensively, the defending champs looked like they were playing with ease, as the team shot 51 percent from the field and 55 percent from distance (11-for-20). The Heat had seven different players in double digits, with some guy named LeBron leading the way with 17 points (and six rebounds and eight assists, obviously).
For the Heat, who had just received their championship rings, the game proved nearly nothing (except for the fact that they’re pretty good), but for the Bulls, the game meant much more. Derrick Rose finished with just 12 points and four assists, shooting a paltry 4-for-15 from the field and 1-for-7 from distance. Rose also turned the ball over five times and got blocked three times. Should this be a shock to anyone? No. It’s hard coming back from an injury and it’s hard being the man; Rose is doing both. Rose doesn’t have his motor, mental toughness or decision making back yet, but when you haven’t played in a year and a half, these things happen. I challenge anyone to tear their ACL, not play basketball for a year and a half and then tell me how well they do against the best team in their men’s league. I’m guessing you’d go 1-for-8 with six turnovers, a bruised lung and a pair of groins that make late-night festivities nearly impossible.
Aside from the Rose, the Bulls had two big positive outings from their starters. Carlos Boozer scored 31 points and grabbed seven boards in 32 minutes and Jimmy Butler was second on the team in scoring with 20 points (and five steals). If the Bulls want to contend, they’ll need these guys at full strength, and the fact that the two of them helped a gimpy Rose and Joakim Noah almost come back from 20 down against the defending champs is a good sign. Don’t look too much into it, but hey, I’m trying to pull out something good from a disappointing opening night for Bulls fans.
The Only Opening Night Games That Wasn’t Nationally Televised Was…
Orlando Magic 87, Indiana Pacers 97
The Pacers started the game on fire, while the Magic started out tentative and Indiana took an early 10-0 lead. Orlando started coming back on the heels of some Jameer Nelson penetration and by the time the benches came in, Orlando took hold of the game. Andrew Nicholson played about 10 minutes straight from the end of the first quarter to the middle of the second quarter and scored a whopping 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting. Victor Oladipo made his presence known from the second he stepped on the court, and although his stat line was pedestrian (4-for-11 FG, 12 points, three rebounds, two assists), he looked solid.
Entering the second half, Orlando held a 44-40 lead, but the Pacers took hold of the lead immediately in the second half with a steady balance of Paul George, Roy Hibbert and Lance Stephenson, who was an absolute animal all night. Indiana’s bench, which was dominated in the first half, had a solid showing in the second half, helping Indiana separate themselves from the young Magic.
Check out the stat lines of Stephenson, George and Hibbert:
Stephenson: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 8-12 FG, 2-3 3pt
George: 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks
Hibbert: 8 points, 16 rebounds, 7 blocks, 27 minutes
Nasty. Maybe the competition wasn’t premium, but hey, you gotta give credit when basketball players deserve credit (that’s how the saying goes, right?).
Notes: Tobias Harris sat out the game with an injury… Roy Hibbert did leave the game with a knee injury in the fourth quarter, but team officials say he’s fine.
Fourteen games tomorrow night, people. I know you’re all excited to see the Milwaukee Bucks start things off the right way.