The second half of the NBA season is upon us. Let’s celebrate with two things:
First, this awesome compilation of all of Blake Griffin’s dunks in the first half of the season (courtesy of Deadspin), and, after that, the top NBA games for the week.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Oklahoma City Thunder (27-7) at Philadelphia 76ers (20-14)
7:00 PM EST, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder bring the Western Conference’s best record to the homecourt of the Atlantic-division-leading Sixers for one of the most entertaining matchups we could get.
Behind the Thunder’s two young, talented aforementioned stars, the Thunder run the league’s third-highest-scoring offense, putting up an average of 102.7 points per game. No one is surprised by that, either, with Kevin “The Next Big Thing” Durant taking up all the attention on offense and opening Westbrook to what he does, which is pretty much everything. Together, the two of them account for an average of 51 points per game, at a combined age of 46.
Unfortunately for them, the host to their all star after party happens to be the No. 1 defensive team in the NBA, giving up an average of just 87.5 points per game.
That’s what makes for the wildcard in this match up. With Durant and Westbrook taking up all the attention this season, Thunder center Serge Ibaka has quietly put up a staggering 3.2 blocks per game this year, including three games with 10 or more.
That makes him the perfect candidate for a breakout game, considering the absence of Sixers’ surprise center sensation Spencer Hawes, a 23-year-old, 7’1” center who averaged 10.5 points, 8.3 boards and 1.5 blocks before going down with an Achilles tendon injury in mid January.
A win for Philadelphia will be a big push for their campaign for recognition among the NBA’s elite, but with the tools and depth Oklahoma City can throw at the Sixers’ injured roster, it might be a long shot.
Portland Trailblazers (18-16) at Denver Nuggets (18-17)
9:00 PM EST, Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
It’s not everyday you get to see two of the hungriest teams in the league match up.
Both teams have hung around the bottom of the playoff race, each vying for the last spot, and each has done it in similar fashion this season: ball movement.
Denver, whose 103.4 points per game is good for second in the NBA, also averages a second-ranked 22.9 assists per game, with the talented young/old combination of Ty Lawson and Andre Miller accounting for the bulk of the action. Portland, meanwhile, averages 98.4 points and 22 assists per game, each of which is good for sixth in the league.
On the other side of the ball is where Portland grabs an edge, however. The Blazers will bring their 10th-ranked defense, which has given up 10 fewer points per game than the Nuggets have scored, to the home court of Denver’s 29th-ranked defense, giving up an average of 101.3 points per game this season.
The front court will be where this game is decided. With the never-too-old Marcus Camby helping Portland forget about Greg Oden, holding down the paint with 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, and the future-of-the-franchise LaMarcus Aldrige’s 22.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, the Blazers just might be too much to handle for a meek front court of Nene Hilario and the co-star of Blake Griffin’s first poster, Timofey Mozgov.
Chicago Bulls (28-8) at San Antonio Spurs (24-10)
9:00 PM EST, AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
One team whose dominant star is fading away will host another whose franchise player is just starting to take off.
Despite the old age of Tim Duncan, the Spurs have once again found away to tear through the Western Conference and build a 11-1 run going into the all-star break. The key to this kind of success has been using the roster’s depth to pace veterans. The big-bodied, 35-year-old Duncan has been able to drop his minute-per-game average to just 28.2, the lowest in a 15-year career that has averaged 35.6.
This has been made possible by the efforts of two unexpectedly effective players: forward DeJuan Blair, who has started every game of the season and averaged 9.7 points and 5.6 boards in 22 minutes per game, and center Tiago Splitter, who has come off the bench all season to hit 62 percent of his shots for 9.4 points and 5.2 boards in 20.7 minutes per game.
Even while keeping Duncan’s legs fresh, the Spurs will need to find a way to handle one of the league’s most complete teams in the Chicago Bulls. Through the first half of the season, Chicago ranks second in rebounds and opponent points allowed per game, as well as first in assists and ninth in points scored. And where the Spurs have balanced their minutes well, the Bulls have spread their scoring around. Five players on the Bulls roster average double-digits in scoring per game, while an astonishing seven players average more than two assists per game.
Behind Derrick Rose, we’ve watched Luol Deng become a household player and Richard Hamilton, a 34-year-old looking for one more ring before he hangs up his sneakers, average 14.2 points in 31 minutes per game.
When two well-coached, well-balanced teams like this go head-to-head, it’ll come down to who can execute better.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Oklahoma City Thunder (27-7) at Orlando Magic (22-13)
8:00 PM EST, Amway Center, Orlando Florida
In the second half of the year, just over two weeks away from the trade deadline, any game Dwight Howard plays with the Orlando Magic will be interesting just because it could be his last.
The impending free agent whom the Magic seem too sad to trade has been the heart of the franchise since he made the leap from high school to the league in 2004. The Magic has built a team and even a new stadium around Howard in an effort to keep him in the city for the long haul. At this point, all could do to get Howard to stay is win against good teams. That’s where the matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder will make things difficult.
Even if the Magic can find a way to contain Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook (and with the offensive-minded Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Jameer Nelson facing that task, it’s a big “if”) they’ll have to find matchups for the leading sixth-man-of-the-year candidate James Harden.
With upcoming matchups against Chicago, Indiana, Miami and San Antonio all before the trade deadline, the Magic may be looking at a slow, painful end to their relationship with the league’s best center.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Chicago Bulls (28-8) at Cleveland Cavaliers (13-18)
7:30 PM EST, Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
Without any great matchups for this Friday night, why not watch the league’s top current point guard take on a guy who will be challenging him years to come.
Although the initial hype may not have been the same, Kyrie Irving’s entry into the NBA has been somewhat similar to that of Derrick Rose. The Cavaliers’ 19-year-old, post-Lebron hope has averaged 18.1 points, 5.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds after starting every game he’s played in this season. It hasn’t all been great, though, as Irving has recorded 3.1 turnovers per game.
Similarly, Rose came into the league at age 20 and put up similar numbers. Although he averaged slightly fewer points in his rookie season (16.8) he made up for it with a well-balanced game, recording 6.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds.
Rose has since gone on to become a league MVP and coming within three wins of an Eastern Conference championship. Irving has some pretty big shoes to fill, and is likely looking forward to any opportunity to start by competing with Rose head-to-head.
— Colin Neagle (@colinneagle)
