Thunder Play Host to Warriors on Sunday
The Oklahoma City Thunder play host to the Golden State Warriors at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Sunday.
The Warriors (0-1) had a ton of question marks coming into the season and none of them were answered in the opener. All of the skeptics were proven correct in that beatdown, with Golden State losing to the Los Angeles Clippers, 141-122. That horrendous 141-point total was the result of the Clippers shooting over 60 percent from the field and that was one of the biggest question marks with this Golden State team coming into the year. The defense will likely be lacking all season long but 141 points are simply unacceptable. The depth was tested too, with the Warriors sending out a bunch of unknown players in that loss. In any case, it was just one game and there's a long way to go before we can make any true judgments about this club and their future prospects.
The Thunder (0-2) are playing their first season without either Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook and early returns are not promising. While a narrow defeat at the hands of the Utah Jazz is a decent result, a home loss to the Washington Wizards is not. What's more discouraging is the fact that they've yet to score 100 points, as the offense will likely struggle all season long. The good news is that the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander breakout appears to be a real thing, scoring at least 23 points in each of the first two games. What they need is more from Chris Paul, with the former All-Star playing lackluster basketball in these first two fixtures for his new club. If Paul isn't playing up to his capabilities, it's going to be tough for this team to compete.
The Warriors defeated the Thunder in two of their three meetings last season.
The Warriors (0-1) had a ton of question marks coming into the season and none of them were answered in the opener. All of the skeptics were proven correct in that beatdown, with Golden State losing to the Los Angeles Clippers, 141-122. That horrendous 141-point total was the result of the Clippers shooting over 60 percent from the field and that was one of the biggest question marks with this Golden State team coming into the year. The defense will likely be lacking all season long but 141 points are simply unacceptable. The depth was tested too, with the Warriors sending out a bunch of unknown players in that loss. In any case, it was just one game and there's a long way to go before we can make any true judgments about this club and their future prospects.
The Thunder (0-2) are playing their first season without either Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook and early returns are not promising. While a narrow defeat at the hands of the Utah Jazz is a decent result, a home loss to the Washington Wizards is not. What's more discouraging is the fact that they've yet to score 100 points, as the offense will likely struggle all season long. The good news is that the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander breakout appears to be a real thing, scoring at least 23 points in each of the first two games. What they need is more from Chris Paul, with the former All-Star playing lackluster basketball in these first two fixtures for his new club. If Paul isn't playing up to his capabilities, it's going to be tough for this team to compete.
The Warriors defeated the Thunder in two of their three meetings last season.
Grizzlies Looking For First Win, Host Nets
By Dan Bruno
The Memphis Grizzlies play host to the Brooklyn Nets, at FedEx Forum on Sunday evening.
The Grizzlies (0-2) have dropped their first two games of the season, as they fell short in their season opener in Miami and then again in their home opener against the Bulls on Friday night. Jaren Jackson Jr. has been the Grizzlies' top performer so far, averaging 20 points, seven rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. Ja Morant has looked good in his first two NBA starts, with 14 points in his first contest and 10 in his second. Morant tallied nine assists over his first two games, but has 10 turnovers in comparison. Jonas Valanciunas tallied a double-double in the Grizzlies' contest but was quiet on Friday night. The Grizzlies need to reestablish their defensive identity, as they gave up 110 points in their first game and 120 points in their second outing. They will also need to pick up their three-point shooting which has struggled so far.
Meanwhile, the Nets (1-1) are coming off a hard-fought home win over the Knicks on Friday, where Kyrie Irving came up big in the final minute to secure the win. Irving finished with 26 points on 8-of-19 shooting, five assists, three steals and two rebounds in the win. Irving has had a stellar start with the Nets, with a 50-point performance in his first contest followed by a clutch job in his second. Caris LeVert has looked good so far, with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists in the Nets' first game and 12 points and four assists on Friday. Taurean Prince has looked good in his first two games with the team and has scored in double digits in both outing and already tallied one double-double. The Nets have shot 47 percent from the field in both of their contests so far and have tallied a total of 40 assists over the two contests.
The Grizzlies (0-2) have dropped their first two games of the season, as they fell short in their season opener in Miami and then again in their home opener against the Bulls on Friday night. Jaren Jackson Jr. has been the Grizzlies' top performer so far, averaging 20 points, seven rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. Ja Morant has looked good in his first two NBA starts, with 14 points in his first contest and 10 in his second. Morant tallied nine assists over his first two games, but has 10 turnovers in comparison. Jonas Valanciunas tallied a double-double in the Grizzlies' contest but was quiet on Friday night. The Grizzlies need to reestablish their defensive identity, as they gave up 110 points in their first game and 120 points in their second outing. They will also need to pick up their three-point shooting which has struggled so far.
Meanwhile, the Nets (1-1) are coming off a hard-fought home win over the Knicks on Friday, where Kyrie Irving came up big in the final minute to secure the win. Irving finished with 26 points on 8-of-19 shooting, five assists, three steals and two rebounds in the win. Irving has had a stellar start with the Nets, with a 50-point performance in his first contest followed by a clutch job in his second. Caris LeVert has looked good so far, with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists in the Nets' first game and 12 points and four assists on Friday. Taurean Prince has looked good in his first two games with the team and has scored in double digits in both outing and already tallied one double-double. The Nets have shot 47 percent from the field in both of their contests so far and have tallied a total of 40 assists over the two contests.
Undefeated Mavs Host Trail Blazers
By Dan Bruno
The Dallas Mavericks play host to the Portland Trail Blazers, at American Airlines Arena on Sunday evening.
The Mavs (2-0) have had a great start to the season as their new dynamic duo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis has not disappointed. Doncic has led the Mavs in scoring, while Porzingis has been the next highest scorer in both contests so far. Doncic tallied a triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in his most recent contest, and put up 34 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals in the first game of the season. After missing the entire 2018-19 season, Porzingis finished with 23 points on 7-of-16 shooting in the Mavs' season opener. He then finished with 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting in his most recent contest. Delon Wright came up big in his most recent contest, with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting. The Mavs have displayed solid depth with more than 30 points from the bench in each of their two contests so far.
Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers (1-1) dropped their season/home opener but bounced back with a win in their most recent contest, with a win in Sacramento. Damian Lillard led the way with 35 points on 12-of-20 shooting in the win. Hassan Whiteside has looked good in his first two contests with Portland, as he tallied 16 points and 19 rebounds in his first outing and 22 points and nine rebounds in his second. C.J. McCollum was quiet with 12 points in the opener but picked up with 19 points in the Trail Blazers' most recent contest. The Blazers have given up an average of 110 points against over their first two games and can look to tighten up the defense. This marks the second game of a four-game road trip for the Trail Blazers, who are 1-0 on the road so far.
The Mavs (2-0) have had a great start to the season as their new dynamic duo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis has not disappointed. Doncic has led the Mavs in scoring, while Porzingis has been the next highest scorer in both contests so far. Doncic tallied a triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in his most recent contest, and put up 34 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals in the first game of the season. After missing the entire 2018-19 season, Porzingis finished with 23 points on 7-of-16 shooting in the Mavs' season opener. He then finished with 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting in his most recent contest. Delon Wright came up big in his most recent contest, with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting. The Mavs have displayed solid depth with more than 30 points from the bench in each of their two contests so far.
Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers (1-1) dropped their season/home opener but bounced back with a win in their most recent contest, with a win in Sacramento. Damian Lillard led the way with 35 points on 12-of-20 shooting in the win. Hassan Whiteside has looked good in his first two contests with Portland, as he tallied 16 points and 19 rebounds in his first outing and 22 points and nine rebounds in his second. C.J. McCollum was quiet with 12 points in the opener but picked up with 19 points in the Trail Blazers' most recent contest. The Blazers have given up an average of 110 points against over their first two games and can look to tighten up the defense. This marks the second game of a four-game road trip for the Trail Blazers, who are 1-0 on the road so far.
Heat Looks To Extend Hot Streak Against Timberwolves
The Miami Heat takes on the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on Sunday evening.
The Heat (2-0) have been one of the biggest surprises of the young season, notching a pair of victories without the services of prized offseason acquisition Jimmy Butler (personal). Their most recent win was particularly impressive, as Miami managed to knock off the Milwaukee Bucks on the road by a 131-126 score in overtime on Saturday afternoon. Goran Dragic scored a team-high 25 points and added eight assists, six rebounds and one steal. Bam Adebayo followed with a 19-point, 13-rebound, eight-assist double-double that also included one block. Kendrick Nunn poured in 18 points and added five assists, four rebounds and two steals. Tyler Herro, Derrick Jones, Jr. and Kelly Olynyk all contributed 14 points apiece. Justise Winslow pitched in a 10-point, 13-rebound, seven-assist effort.
The Heat will continue to be without Butler, Dion Waiters (coach's decision) and James Johnson (conditioning) on Sunday. Meanwhile, Jones (groin) will carry a doubtful designation.
The Timberwolves (2-0) have been impressive to open the season in their own right, notching a wild one-point overtime win against the Nets in their opener and then dominating the Charlotte Hornets by a 121-99 margin on Friday night. In that contest, Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 37 points, adding 15 rebounds, eight assists, four steals and two blocks. Andrew Wiggins poured in 16 points and also supplied four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Josh Okogie delivered 14 points four rebounds, three assists and one steal off the bench, while Treveon Graham and Jake Layman had matching 12-point tallies.
The Timberwolves will come into Sunday's game without any injuries to report.
Minnesota swept the 2018-19 two-game season series between the clubs.
The Heat (2-0) have been one of the biggest surprises of the young season, notching a pair of victories without the services of prized offseason acquisition Jimmy Butler (personal). Their most recent win was particularly impressive, as Miami managed to knock off the Milwaukee Bucks on the road by a 131-126 score in overtime on Saturday afternoon. Goran Dragic scored a team-high 25 points and added eight assists, six rebounds and one steal. Bam Adebayo followed with a 19-point, 13-rebound, eight-assist double-double that also included one block. Kendrick Nunn poured in 18 points and added five assists, four rebounds and two steals. Tyler Herro, Derrick Jones, Jr. and Kelly Olynyk all contributed 14 points apiece. Justise Winslow pitched in a 10-point, 13-rebound, seven-assist effort.
The Heat will continue to be without Butler, Dion Waiters (coach's decision) and James Johnson (conditioning) on Sunday. Meanwhile, Jones (groin) will carry a doubtful designation.
The Timberwolves (2-0) have been impressive to open the season in their own right, notching a wild one-point overtime win against the Nets in their opener and then dominating the Charlotte Hornets by a 121-99 margin on Friday night. In that contest, Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 37 points, adding 15 rebounds, eight assists, four steals and two blocks. Andrew Wiggins poured in 16 points and also supplied four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Josh Okogie delivered 14 points four rebounds, three assists and one steal off the bench, while Treveon Graham and Jake Layman had matching 12-point tallies.
The Timberwolves will come into Sunday's game without any injuries to report.
Minnesota swept the 2018-19 two-game season series between the clubs.
Lakers Welcome Hornets to Staples Center on Sunday
The Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.
The Hornets (1-1) were expected to be the worst team in the NBA coming into the year and starting off .500 through two games is a somewhat promising sign. After pulling out a narrow win over the Chicago Bulls in the opener, Charlotte took a 22-point defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves in their last game on Friday. That means they've allowed at least 120 points in each of the first two games and it's going to be tough for this defense to compete. There is some young talent to be encouraged by though, with P.J. Washington and DeVonte' Graham both playing superb ball over the first two fixtures. If those guys continue to play well and they continue to get contributions from guys like Miles Bridges, Cody Zeller and Terry Rozier, this team should remain somewhat competitive.
The Lakers (1-1) looked lost in an opening night defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers but maybe that was a case of facing a better team. In their last game, Los Angeles took it to a very talented Utah Jazz club in a 95-86 win on Friday. That's a great result after a terrible start and it's scary that they're playing that sort of stifling defense. While many people will talk about Anthony Davis and LeBron James, this team is full of great role players. What makes their role players especially good is their defensive skills, with Avery Bradley, Danny Green and JaVale McGee thriving on that end of the floor. If those guys can defend while James and Davis run the offense, this is going to be a scary team this season.
Despite the fact that the Lakers swept the two-game season series over the Hornets last season, Charlotte actually prevailed in six of their last seven games over Los Angeles prior to that.
The Hornets (1-1) were expected to be the worst team in the NBA coming into the year and starting off .500 through two games is a somewhat promising sign. After pulling out a narrow win over the Chicago Bulls in the opener, Charlotte took a 22-point defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves in their last game on Friday. That means they've allowed at least 120 points in each of the first two games and it's going to be tough for this defense to compete. There is some young talent to be encouraged by though, with P.J. Washington and DeVonte' Graham both playing superb ball over the first two fixtures. If those guys continue to play well and they continue to get contributions from guys like Miles Bridges, Cody Zeller and Terry Rozier, this team should remain somewhat competitive.
The Lakers (1-1) looked lost in an opening night defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers but maybe that was a case of facing a better team. In their last game, Los Angeles took it to a very talented Utah Jazz club in a 95-86 win on Friday. That's a great result after a terrible start and it's scary that they're playing that sort of stifling defense. While many people will talk about Anthony Davis and LeBron James, this team is full of great role players. What makes their role players especially good is their defensive skills, with Avery Bradley, Danny Green and JaVale McGee thriving on that end of the floor. If those guys can defend while James and Davis run the offense, this is going to be a scary team this season.
Despite the fact that the Lakers swept the two-game season series over the Hornets last season, Charlotte actually prevailed in six of their last seven games over Los Angeles prior to that.