NBA Lesson 7. Portland Trail Blazers vs. Miami Heat:
Josh Hart has the qualities of a championship contributor.
Starting small forward Josh Hart took five shots in Portland’s victory in South Beach, missing two of his three attempts from deep. Ultimately, he made the only one that mattered: a game-winning 3-pointer from the corner as the final buzzer sounded. That shot was the highlight of the night and rightfully so, but it’s not the reason Hart deserves praise.
He’s one of the few players who you can rely on to hustle for every second he’s on the court. An ultimate team player, Hart plays with his heart on his sleeve, doing the dirty work as a pestering defender, talented rebounder and high-IQ passer. It shined through with his 12-point, nine-board, eight-assist, two-steal stat-line in Portland’s seventh win of the season.
NBA Lesson 8. Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls:
Chicago will go as far as Zach LaVine can take them.
While DeMar DeRozan’s career resurgence has been a beautiful revelation, we know the ceiling of any team led by his isolation-heavy playstyle — those teams don’t tend to get very far in the postseason. It’s not an indictment against him, but instead an acceptance of his strengths and limitations. His co-star, Zach LaVine, will be the deciding factor for the Playoff aspirations in Chicago. This was his highest-scoring game of the year and in turn, the Bulls sustained a firm lead over a highly-competitive Toronto Raptors squad for the full game.
NBA Lesson 9. Boston Celtics vs. Memphis Grizzlies:
Jayson Tatum is turning his Finals loss into an MVP campaign.
Players who lose in the NBA Finals either sink or swim in the wake of adversity. Clearly, Jayson Tatum is swimming into MVP contention. Now in his sixth season out of Duke, Tatum is averaging more than 30 points per game including this decisive 39-point outburst on the road against an incredibly competitive Grizzlies squad. Tatum is scoring like a madman, creating for others, hitting the glass and leaving his mark on defense. What more could you ask for?