Wednesday 20th May: Issue #5

OKC did what good teams do, they rethought their game plan and responded. We can’t forget OKC are the reigning NBA champions, they were never going to let San Antonio walk all over them. Over in the NHL, the Las Vegas Golden Knights dominated Colorado to take a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference finals on the road. Read more below…

What happened?

SGA was a completely different player from Game 1. After shooting 30% and only 24 points in Game 1, he came back with a huge 30 point 9 assist outing. Wemby was good but the Thunder had answers this time, they were physical, disruptive and made the Spurs uncomfortable all night. OKC also forced 21 San Antonio turnovers making it increasingly harder to get back in the lead after OKC’s bench unit dominated. This showcased the Thunder’s elite depth and how that can make a huge impact in this series.

What does it mean?

The Thunder and Spurs split the first two games and now the series is tied up at 1-1 heading back to San Antonio. Paycom Center (OKC stadium) is a fortress and OKC rarely lose at home so that Game 1 loss put them in a horrible position going forward. This Game 2 win was a crucial win because if they went 2-0 down, that’s it, series over. OKC were able to damage control and get back on their feet to see if they can regain a firm hold on this series.

How important is De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs?

De’Aaron Fox has missed both Game 1 and Game 2 for the Spurs with a right ankle sprain and San Antonio Spurs are clearly missing him. Coach Mitch Johnson called him, “the most unsung reason why this has all worked.” Fox is the only started with experience in the playoffs across a lineup of 20 year old players making their playoff debut. If he comes back for Game 3 in San Antonio the series changes completely. If he doesn’t, it starts to lean in OKC’s favor. Also, if he comes back he must be at his best and there is no time to settle into the series. He needs to come back and make an instant impact for the Spurs.

SGA’s Impact:

In the first two games of this series SGA hasn’t been the 2 time MVP we all know (and not all love.) In Game 1 he had only 24 points (7 below his regular season average) on 30% efficiency. This was not good enough and his dissapearance led to the Thunder losing that game. He bounced back a bit and was just average in Game 2 with 30 points on 50% efficiency. Don’t get me wrong, he didn’t play bad it just wasn’t what we expected from the MVP and Clutch Player of the Year in a must win game at home. Heading down to Frost Bank Center, SGA’s impact and production need to rapidly increase if they want to regain control of this series.

Spurs 113 - Thunder 122 (1-1) Highlights

Golden Knights 4 - Avalanche 2 (1-0) Highlights

MLB

Mets 4 - Nationals 8

Dodgers 4 - Padres 0

Blue Jays 2 - Yankees 1

Pirates 7 - Cardinals 0

Red Sox 4 - Royals 3

Atheltics 14 - Angels 6

Phillies 4 - Reds 9

What Happened?

Last night the Cavs got humiliated at MSG against the Knicks. They had a 22 point lead with 7 minutes to go in the 4th and they blew it. The Knicks went on a 30-8 run to cap off the 4th to send it to OT and they won by 11 in overtime.

Who to Blame?

You could point the finger at a lot of people for the Cavs. James Harden was getting assualted by Jalen Brunson down the stretch. It was a crime scene and Brunson was the culprit. Every single possesion Brunson went at Harden and Harden provided no resistance. You could also blame Donovan Mitchell for not taking any shots in the last 8 minutes of this game. He looked tired and seemed to just stand in the corner away from the play. That is not superstar behavior from an experienced playoff riser. But I think Clevelands Head Coach Kenny Atkinson is the reason the Cavs lost that game. After the Knicks went on that run Atkinson only called 1 time out. He let his players down in that game and he lost the locker room.

How Can Cleveland Get Back Into This Series?

A Game 2 win at MSG could easily flip the script of this series. Although that is alot easier said than done, we are all forgetting about the first 3 quarters of that game. The Cavaliers destroyed the Knicks. The Cavs had a better frontcourt with KAT being almost non-existent and Mobley and Allen having great games and they seemed to have way more ways to score than the Knicks. The key is to not let their heads drop, it’s clear that they’re tired but they can rest in July.

Vegas are the story of the NHL playoffs right now. The Golden Knights stunned Colorado in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals last night, beating the 1 seed on their own ice. Nobody expected that level of dominance. In the East, the Habs continue their Cinderella run, they beat Buffalo in a Game 7 on the road last week and now face Carolina in the Conference Finals starting tonight. The Canadiens have no business being this deep in the playoffs but they just keep winning anyway. Carolina are 63.2% favourites. Montreal don’t care about percentages.