The Baseline: NBA Recap

Minnesota Timberwolves at Cleveland Cavaliers-

The Cavs were facing off against the team I ranked 2nd in my power rankings. The Wolves have looked good through the first 2 games, but they could have fooled me in the first half of this one. They sputtered on offense, and the Cavs jumped up to a lead that reached 23. The Cavaliers are the 2nd best defense in the league, and they showed it. They also got 10 points from Andrew Bynum, and that is a huge bonus for them. Irving had 15, and C.J. Miles led the team with 19 off the bench. The Wolves made a run in the 4th quarter, and they cut it to single digits. The Cavs hit a bucket late, and Kevin Love couldn’t hit a buzzer beater, so the Cavs won 93-92.

Golden State Warriors at Philadelphia 76ers-

The Sixers had a humbling experience last night. After starting 3-0, they faced off against an elite team in the Warriors. Andre Iguodala made his second return to Philly, and exploded. He hit 7 threes and finished with 32 points. The Warriors were dominant on both ends and they crushed this team. Stephen Curry notched a triple double, and this was a fun team to watch last night. The Sixers looked bad, but Michael Carter-Williams had 18 points, and turned it over 6 times. This one was never close, and the Warriors won 110-90.

Boston Celtics at Memphis Grizzlies-

The Grizzlies are trying to get on track this season, and they had a good chance of doing it last night. They faced off against the lowly Celtics, and they hadn’t won a game yet. In this game though, the Celtics played their most complete 48 minutes of the season, and it showed that they could have some fight in them. They led going into the 4th quarter, and they were up by six late. They had 4 guys in double figures. The Grizzles were led by Jarryd Bayless, who had 14 points in the 4th quarter. They still have a lot of work to do, but good teams find ways to win. The Grizzlies rode a hot 4th quarter to win 95-88, and they finally looked good on defense.

Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Clippers-

Doc Rivers is supposed to make the Clippers better on defense. Well last night it was the offense that shined. The Clippers were able to do what they want all night against the Clippers, and the Rockets looked as bad as you can look on defense. Houston’s system allows teams to have more possessions, and the Clippers took advantage. The offense had constant movement, and Chris Paul had 17 assists. They also had 7 players in double figures. The Rockets gave up 78 first half points, and Dwight Howard is going to need some help on the defensive end, or he could be frustrated a lot this season. Not one player in their starting 5 was a + in the +/- category. This one was controlled by the Clippers all the way through, and they won 137-118. That’s right, 137 points. Chris Paul may be the front runner for MVP this season.