CP3’s 19 Points In The 4th Quarter Help OKC Defeat Chicago (109-106)

CP3’s 19 Points In The 4th Quarter Help OKC Defeat Chicago (109-106)

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by | Dec 17, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder returned back home for the first time since playing on December 6th. That game on the 6th was a great one against the Timberwolves and it seemed as though this game against the Bulls topped that. Both team’s records were close in standings for respective conferences but the Bulls played more games. The Thunder came into this game flat as it looked like they were still on the road somewhere as nothing went their way. The Bulls were clicking on every level and they were able to get anything they wanted in that first half. The Bulls were playing great team ball and they were able to score inside and out with ease. The two players that were making it tough on the Thunder in that first half and throughout the game were Wendell Carter Jr and their leading scorer Zach LaVine. Everything the Thunder tried to do to stop both of them wasn’t working in that first half and when it looked like they did stop them it was a foul. Wendell Carter Jr. has matured and you can see it in his patience when he plays in the paint. Carter Jr. was matched up against Steven Adams and had his hands full all night long. On the other hand for the Bulls their leading scorer Zach LaVine was able to get any and everything he wanted on the night as he finished with 39 points. Zach LaVine was able to score inside and out with anyone that the Thunder put on him as well. The great thing about LaVines game is the fact that he’s grown from just being a dunker and he’s now being utilized as scorer/closer. Zach LaVine was able to put the Bulls on his back throughout the game as they were able to have a 26 point lead at one point. The ball movement for the Bulls was working all night as they finished with 27 assists on the night as a team. All those assists led to some easy baskets which the OKC Thunder didn’t allow them to have in the 2nd half.

 

In the second half, the OKC Thunder took over, especially in the 4th quarter. The Thunder had only 4 double-digit scorers on the night (Paul, Schröder, Gallinari, Ferguson) but still managed to squeeze out the win. In the second half, you can tell the Thunder came out with a lot more energy and hustle. One person who caught on fire in that 3rd quarter coming out of halftime was Danilo Gallinari as he was able to punish the Bulls from the outside as he finished the game with 22 points. Gallinari even had a monster dunk over Wendell Carter Jr. that got the team hyped and built some momentum. The Bulls didn’t have an answer for Gallinari all night and it was clear that he was going to be able to get whatever he wanted. In the 4th quarter that’s when Chris Paul took over the game and put matters into his own hands. It seems as though CP3 doesn’t need to worry about his scoring as long as he’s getting his teammates involved. Chris gets his teammates into the game flow and then when it’s clutch time he comes to their rescue like tonight. Going into the 4th quarter CP3 only had 11 points and he was able to put on a 3 point shot clinic as he finished with 30 points going 6 of 8 from long range. Chris Paul was able to put the Thunder on his back just like Zach LaVine did for the Bulls. The difference between the two tonight was just who got the late calls down the stretch as those calls ended up going to the Thunder instead of the Bulls. When Chris Paul is playing at this elite level it’s tough for anyone to beat the Thunder and he showed tonight that he can still get it done when called upon.

 

The Thunder will be facing off against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday as Ja Morant will be coming into town. The Thunder improved to 12-14 on the season and will be looking for win number 13 Wednesday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nate Billings/The Oklahoman]

Dec 17, 2019 No Comments
SR – NBA Power Rankings: Week 9

SR – NBA Power Rankings: Week 9

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by | Dec 16, 2019 | Featured, NBA

Isn’t it crazy to believe that we’re already halfway through December?

Christmas is approaching expeditiously, and that’s even more incentive to anticipate all the eventual happenings and news breaking around the league that’s to occur before we ring in 2020. Keep in mind, we’re a smooth EIGHT days from the five hardwood battles that’ll take place on Jolly Old Saint Nick’s Day and probably before that, we’re probably going to hear about some groundbreaking trades including so and so being sent to surprising locations that we’d nary expect them to otherwise.

As for what happened this past week, well a lot happened in a short time, to put it euphemistically. The top and the bottom aren’t rearranged, as if those bottom and top five teams were going anywhere else on this list anyway. As for the rest and maybe some of the top 10 that are worthy of being dubbed serious competition already in the month of December, well that has yet to be arranged since the NBA has always been an eight-month battle of attrition and no one ever practically escapes the regular season scratch-free.

Injuries, trades, etc., happen to skyrocket in the most untimely ways as we approach Winter every year, and for a couple of teams, the bad luck bug has already sunk its teeth into their now-dampened plans. So with that said, let’s analyze this week’s power rankings and who has avoided being down on their luck (so far.)

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1. Milwaukee Bucks (24-3, Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

November 6, 2019, was the last time the Milwaukee Bucks dropped a game in their loss column, and in the past 38 days, it’s been anything but bad results for the best team in basketball right now. The already franchise best-ever streak is now at 18 games, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is making this list-topping debate easier and easier as the weeks go by.

Regardless of how well the Lakers are handling things in the more contentious West, it’s becoming really difficult to imagine anyone beating these Bucks unless they were to have a random off-brand night. They dismantled the resurgent Magic to kick off their 4-0 week and continued to take apart another lesser opponent in the Zion-less Pelicans by 15 without Giannis even suiting up. One night later, Giannis returned during the Bucks’ road trip and posted a 30-point Double-Double against Memphis and accordingly trampled the Cavaliers a night later.

But here’s where things get a little cloudy: star guard Eric Bledsoe suffered what doctors diagnosed as a “right fibula avulsion fracture” against Memphis and it’s yet to be determined if they can continue their streak without their physical two-way guard, especially with the Lakers on the schedule this week.

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2. Los Angeles Lakers (24-3, Last Week’s Ranking: 2)

After returning to the team from attending his son’s then-televised-on-ESPN High School basketball game against his own Alma Mater Saint Vincent-Saint Mary’s High School, LeBron James catapulted his Lakers to victory against the Atlanta Hawks in the peach state in a tight 101-96 win that saw the King expend a 32p-17a-5reb effort against a Hawks team that wouldn’t let up until late in the contest.

This past week, James averaged a near-triple-double of 28.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 9.7 assists to go with 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks over three games while Davis posted 25.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and a steal a game over that same span. In other words: unstoppable.

It’s also worth adding that the Lakers have been the most enjoyable team in the league as of late with their two MVP candidates running things in the West. the LeBron-AD experiment has displayed the perfect chemical reaction and as a team, they are still No. 2 in the NBA in total averaged scoring margin, winning all of their contests by an average of 10 points. And they’re still playing elite defense with their No. 3 spot in team defensive rating.

A lot of conversations and debates may be put on hold pending the result of this week’s game between the Bucks and Lakers, a game that will determine not only who is the best team in the league but who could have the upper hand in a potential Finals preview that NBA fans are being treated to this early in the season.

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3. Philadelphia 76ers (20-8, Last Week’s Ranking: 10)

Well, won’t you look at that? The Sixers found their way back into the top 3 of the power rankings, the second time since Week 2.

And deservedly so, they’ve played like it on both ends. The trio of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris have been electric this past week, with plenty of bench depth from the likes of Furkan Korkmaz, James Ennis and company to boot. Despite losing their veritable core of certain rotational pieces go down to injuries and minor suspensions this season, the Sixers have finally woken up from their early-season woes, playing stifling defense as noted by their sixth-best defensive rating while also appearing at the No. 6 spot in averaged scoring margin at +6.2.

They clawed and scratched for that second-best record in the Eastern Conference behind the play of their trio, but most notably behind Joel Embiid who had 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the Sixers win over Denver last Tuesday. And after taking some constructive criticism by the NBA on TNT crew (Shaq and the Round Mound of Rebound Charles Barkley, to be specific) he followed that game up with a behemothic 38 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in a statement win over the Celtics.

Philly would go on to win at home against the Pelicans a night later, extending their home winning streak to 14 games, now the best mark in the league since Miami’s was ended by the Lakers last Friday night. They lost to the Nets to finish off their 3-1 week but if their above-.500 week was any indication, it was that these Sixers are becoming head-scratchingly difficult to get a win against.

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4. Los Angeles Clippers (20-8, Last Week’s Ranking: 4)

The Clippers stay put in this week’s Power Rankings and won’t ascend due to their inability to close out the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night on the road.

Still, NBA fans are now gaining the information they need to configure if the preseason perceptions about the league’s new supernova are confirmed as credible. One factor that contributes to those predictions: Kawhi Leonard (42 points) and Paul George (46 points) combined for 88 points in a seven-point, 124-117 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, basically outscoring the rest of their team for what felt like all four quarters.

Starting their week with an emotional return to the city that Leonard won a franchise-first title in his lone year there, the Clippers started their 3-1 week with a dominant win over the defending champion Toronto Raptors in which Leonard scored 23 points, six assists, and five rebounds.

The Clips are starting to unleash the maximum potential of this roster, and what’s even more intimidating? This roster hasn’t been 100 percent all season. We still don’t know what the Clippers look like when their rotation is completely healthy and choc-full of skilled pieces like Landry Shamet and Patrick Beverley taking the floor with PG, Kawhi Low Williams, and Montrezl Harrell.

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5. Indiana Pacers (18-9, Last Week’s Ranking: 11)

When you win 10 of your last 13 games, a spot in the top five is warranted.

Sure, you are entitled to disregard and disagree with their spot in this week’s ranking, especially when you take into account their embarrassing 21-point loss to the Clippers last Monday. But what shouldn’t be pushed aside is the impressive average margin of victory they’ve accumulated over the course of the season, now just a spot outside of the top-10 best scoring teams in the league at +4.3.

They’ve been continuing to trend in the right direction as we grow closer and closer to the highly anticipated return of All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, who has been out since last season with a ruptured quad. They managed to knock off the Celtics in impressive fashion, as six of their players were in the double digits from a scoring standpoint. Nights later, they had seven players in double figures in their win over the Hawks and five players in double figures in their win over the Hornets.

Malcolm Brogdon has been the perfect addition to a team that sorely missed an Oladipo-like nightly output on the offensive end, averaging 19.1 ppg., 7.7 asts., and 4.5 rebs. off 47 percent shooting. The Pacers are also a top-five defensive team in the NBA and other parts of Nate McMillan’s attack like Domantas Sabonis (17.7 ppg., 13.5 rebs.) and Myles Turner (11.1 ppg., 5.7 rebs.) have played a huge role in getting Indy out of the gate with an 18-9 record without their best player.

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6. Miami Heat (19-7, Last Week’s Ranking: 6)

Week after week, the Heat just keep on impressing all prognosticators as the most surprising team of the 2019-2020 season.

What was supposed to be a feel-out, youth-developing and rebuilding kind of season for Erik Spoelstra’s Heat has manifested itself into an opportunity to challenge the Eastern elites for a potential shot at winning their conference. Led by the unanticipated heroics of rookie Kendrick Nunn (the active leader of 3 pointers made and 3P% for all rookies in the league) and first-rounder Kendrick Nunn, this team has become an absolute terror to face this year.

Add that with the ordinary bucket-getting accomplished by Jimmy Butler as well as the vastly-improved play of second-year big man Bam Adebayo, who in his own is not only finitely stating his case as a Most Improved Player award candidate but an All-Star as well with his averaging of 15.2 points, 4.6 assists and 10.6 rebounds per game, and you have a recipe for success that stretches well past the “easy” part of their schedule.

Though succumbing to the Lakers in a fight to the end for their first home loss of the year, they have the Grizzlies, Sixers, and Knicks up next to improve their already eye-opening beginning to their 2019-20 campaign.

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7. Houston Rockets (17-9, Last Week’s Ranking: 7)

Sure, the reason the Rockets dropped as far as they did was because of a last-second catch and shoot three-ball at the J by Nemanja Bjelica in the game’s final second. But James Harden’s offensive streaks of consecutive 50+ point games in the span of two games was otherworldly. He dropped 56 on Cleveland’s heads and a game after, put up 54 against the Magic for their second-straight win.

It’s a really tedious process to make comparisons between what Harden’s done in just these past two weeks as opposed to what’s happened throughout the history of this league, frankly because you can’t make any.

Something for perspective: His 39.3 points per game is a full eight points more than the second-highest average in the league, and could very well be the second player in league history that would finish the season averaging over 40.0 points per game. The only other to achieve such a feat in memory was Wilt Chamberlain in 1963.

Barring a questionable loss to the Pistons (without Russell Westbrook in the lineup), they finished the week at .500 and Harden still put up tremendous numbers against Detroit (39 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds). This week, they’ll have the Spurs at home, and then hit the road starting with a third duel against the Clippers and ending with a game versus the Suns.

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8. Dallas Mavericks (17-8, Last Week’s Ranking: 5)

Unfortunately, that bad luck bug mentioned earlier took a huge chunk out of Mark Cuban and Rick Carlisle’s Dallas Mavericks, as the once-dubbed “Razzmatazz Hop Skiddily-Doo” produced by Luka Doncic will have to put on the shelf for a while. The Luka Magic was abruptly ceased Saturday night against the Miami Heat, as Luka landed awkwardly on his right ankle, limping-then-hopping out to the first level of bleachers inside the American Airlines Center while writhing in pain. Miami capitalized on Dallas’s sudden scoring insufficiency, going up by as much as 22 points.

Down, but not out, these resilient Mavs fought their way back to force an overtime period in which they would lose in, all in part because of them not having their closer and MVP candidate on the floor. Diagnosed with a “mild right ankle sprain”, doctors proclaimed that Doncic’s injury could heal up in “as short as a couple week’s time”.

The problem is, the NBA is the last business for teams to take it easy on a team that’s waiting in the wings for their star to return and that “might return in a couple of weeks” timetable without Luka on the Mavericks floor could feel like months with the way the West has felt competitively. Their first test of how they’ll fare without Doncic in the lineup? Try an absolutely horrid homestand against the four-best teams in the East: Milwaukee, Boston, Philly, and Toronto.

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9. Boston Celtics (17-7, Last Week’s Ranking: 3)

A couple of weeks ago, it seemed as if the Celtics observed earlier in the season during their fiery 10-1 start looked to be the talk of the season.

Drama-free basketball on the Parquet turned from a rarity into a prerequisite for their early successes. Kemba Walker looked like the new, esteemed and trustworthy leader that was capable of invariably pulling through for his new team whenever they needed a boost. The tandem of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum was finally coming into its own and best of all, their injury report was a clean as a pearly China plate out of a dishwasher.

That pedestrian 7-6 record since the end of their season-opening streak looked and felt unbecoming of a team stocked with so much talent, but as luck would have it, they would kickstart a 3-game winning streak all without Gordon Hayward, who was rehabbing a broken bone in his left hand. High off a beatdown of the Denver Nuggets at home, the C’s looked the part of that team that could very well be that Eastern favorite that many thought they could be, and could have been back in the 2018-19 season.

Until last week.

They suffered two close losses to Eastern Conference foes in the Pacers and 76ers in a 1-2 week and played all three games without their defensive anchor in Marcus Smart, who is still missing time with multiple ailments and injuries. Getting Hayward back into the lineup provided a much-needed shot in the arm for the Celtics, as his return to full-court action was against Cleveland at home. He scored 14 points, grabbed 5 boards and dished 4 assists in their easy win, but was ruled out for the rest of the game against Indiana after suffering a facial contusion after being bumped in the nose.

The Celtics are in dire need of a dually-gifted scoring and rebounding big since their inadequacies were exposed by Joel Embiid’s 38 points and 13 rebounds, though the combo of Enes Kanter and Daniel Theis did what they could for four quarters against the two-time All-Star. Let’s see if the C’s can right the ship while some of their most injured pieces recover since they’ll have to deal with a Luka-less Mavericks team on the road.

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10. Toronto Raptors (17-8, Last Week’s Ranking: 5)

Make no mistake about it: everything the defending champions have done has been as respectable as anyone could fathom. Without Kawhi, they went 15-4 to start the season and Pascal Siakam gained his bearings while looking like an absolute stud from just about everywhere on the court. But like all teams that lose an astronomically-gifted talent in a player of Leonard’s caliber, roadblocks being encountered come with the territory of defending a title with a half-full arsenal.

Starting their week with a win against the visiting Bulls, the Raps were sadly trounced by the new-look Clippers with their new all-around duo of Paul George and Toronto’s adopted prodigal son in Leonard. That is, after an applause-filled ring ceremony for their only Finals MVP in franchise history. Since then, Nick Nurse has effortlessly etched both Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry back into their normal usage and scheduled minutes the Congolese shot-swatter and guard from Villanova are used to, evident in their rousing win over the Nets en route to their 2-1 week.

Fred VanVleet, the upstart guard for the Raptors who’s made a name for himself dating back to his outstanding six games against the Warriors in the Finals in June, hasn’t returned from a knee injury that’s sidelined him for four games. But, the show must go on and in his place, are the efforts of the quickly adjusted Norman Powell, who in a starting role during this stretch of games has kept up with his season averages, scoring a solid 14.1 ppg. off a 48.5 percent field goal percentage.

The Raptors have four very winnable games against the Cavs, Pistons, Wizards and Doncic-less Mavericks this week, and three of them are inside Scotiabank Arena, so expect them to keep their foot on the gas to rise even higher in the Eastern Standings.

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11. Denver Nuggets (17-8, Last Week’s Ranking: 9)

Sunday’s win over the New York Knicks seemed as if it was a given, though the box score made it look as if it was anything but easy for a Nuggets team that’s looked bipolar of sorts throughout the entire season. Was it a sexy win? Not at all. But, it was a third-straight victory after sustaining some semblance of confidence from last week’s rough patch. Oklahoma City fell victim to a monstrous effort on the glass and offensive end by the Serbian center Nikola Jokic, who just erased Steven Adams and whoever decided to challenge him inside the paint last week, and something worth addition: Michael Porter Jr. is starting to get a lot more believers in his corner, shooting 33 percent from deep while being trusted to get more and more minutes per contest.

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12. Brooklyn Nets (14-11, Last Week’s Ranking: 12)

The Nets stomped the Sixers by 20 in a Sunday afternoon win, hitting an efficient 37.5 percent of their shots from three-land. The rout also saw a bulk to Kenny Atkinson’s forward depth as Wilson Chandler’s 25-game suspension finally came to an end yesterday. Even in losses to the Hornets and Raptors, the Nets still have been shooting the lights out, shooting for a combined 26 percent from 3, including 4-of-23 in the second half alone against the Hornets, in a game Brooklyn led by 11 at the break. New Orleans, San Antonio, and Atlanta appear up next on the schedule, and for a Nets team that’s beginning to get healthy, this team could get very dangerous to face with the impending reality of a Kyrie Irving return looming over the East.

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13. Utah Jazz (15-11, Last Week’s Ranking: 13)

The Jazz fail to rise or fall in this week’s power rankings and disregarding their record for a second, this team doesn’t look as good as their 15 earned wins on the year suggest. Mike Conley’s ailing hamstring has caused scoring problems for a backcourt composed of Donovan Mitchell and Conley that was initially perceived to be domineering. Their depth, or lack thereof, has been a liability since there aren’t really a lot of pieces that supported Conley in his absence.

Per Andy Larsen from The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah’s starting five outscored the Warriors by 25 points in 21 minutes; all other Jazz lineups were minus-17 in 27 minutes. That’s alarming and concerning, considering that the Jazz have had major difficulties in generating offense without a two-way threat at the five, and since they don’t have Derrick Favors anymore, They’re only averaging a little over 90 points per 100 possessions when Rudy Gobert is off the floor.

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14. Sacramento Kings (12-14, Last Week’s Ranking: 20)

Keep an eye out on the Kings. They’re getting healthy at the right time, and while only being two games under .500 without their starting guard in De’Aaron Fox who is expected to make his long-awaited return this Tuesday against the Hornets. Speaking of getting healthy, Marvin Bagley III is back and is starting to look like his old self. In his third game against the Warriors on Sunday, the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft out of Duke scored 17 points and snatched 6 rebounds. After playing the Hornets, a challenging two-game stretch featuring Indiana and Memphis are next on the list for the up-trending Kings whose glaring potential is untapped when healthy.

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15. Phoenix Suns (11-14, Last Week’s Ranking: 15)

The Suns are also benefitting from some mid-season returns of centerpieces, as DeAndre Ayton’s 25-game suspension is nearing its end. Monty Williams is eager to etch the Bahamanian Center back into a lineup that’s sorely missed his shot-blocking and perimeter scoring adeptness and will have the opportunity to do so on Tuesday against the hosting Clippers. They start the week against Portland at home, then travel out West to play the Clippers and Thunder before returning home to finish the week against the Rockets

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16. Orlando Magic (12-14, Last Week’s Ranking: 16)

The Magic were really pushed to their limits this past week but saw a rise in the confidence of a certain Markelle Fultz as he averaged a decent 9.3 ppg. off 40.1 percent shooting from the field. Steve Clifford is really beginning to trust the third-year point guard out of Washington and is starting to affirm DJ Augustin’s role as a depth piece even more since Fultz is beginning to mold into what fans and experts alike predicted him to be per his draft profile back in 2017.

As a team, they struggled mightily in losing by a combined 41 points to the Rockets (yes, that James Harden 54-point game), Lakers and Bucks, before earning a bounce-back victory against the Pelicans. This Magic team could get hot quick, as Nikola Vucevic’s rehabbing process of tending to his injured ankle came to an end Sunday night against New Orleans; their lone All-Star is the key to Orlando remaining in playoff contention this season.

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17. Oklahoma City Thunder (11-14, Last Week’s Ranking: 17)

After an impressive three-game winning streak, the Thunder were riding high from sitting at seventh in the Western Conference. That only lasted for about a week. A one-point loss on the road to the Kings and a crushing blowout at the hands of the Nuggets in Denver now leave OKC in a tie for eighth.

The worst news of all for a team that competes as if they’re challenging enough to get a playoff spot: it’s officially trade season. Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, and Steven Adams are at the top of the chart when it comes to names that are likely to be moved, and that negatively coincides with how quickly the Thunder’s youthful core is are improving and developing in their ability to play hard against tougher foes and finishing games late down the stretch.

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18. Charlotte Hornets (12-17, Last Week’s Ranking: 22)

The Hornets bump up four spots on this week’s listings because what was arguably their best three-game stretch of the season. The big win over Brooklyn could be discussed as their best win of the season, excluding their early successes on the year. They came back from being down 20 points to beat the Nets, marking their first win against an above-.500 team for the first time this year.

DeVonte Graham has been playing out of his mind and looks like his old college self hooping at the Allen Fieldhouse for the Kansas Jayhawks. Against the Nets, he scored a career-high 40 points and scorched the net from deep seven out of 12 times and a game later, his Hornets played stellar defense against the inconsistent Bulls, holding them to a combined 73 points on 30% shooting from the field and 20.6% from 3.

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 19. Detroit Pistons (11-15, Last Week’s Ranking: 21)

The Pistons capped off an impressive 2-1 week with a surprise upset over the James Harden-led Houston Rockets as they were one of the few teams on the year to not let Harden drop 40+ points on them, only holding him to 39 in a road win. In the past five games, they’ve only lost to two playoff lock teams in the Bucks and Mavericks that are both, talent-wise, superior to them, which was understandable. Even in a win over Houston however, Blake Griffin’s knee soreness bothered him too much to continue (which is really alarming), but Derrick Rose carried his team to victory by dropping 20 points and dishing out 12 assists just a couple of nights after delivering a sensational, MVP Rose-esque performance against the Pelicans, hitting a memorable game-winner that only his 21-year old self could splash in his prime.

After shaking Jrue Holiday by going between the legs twice, he cashed in with a hesitation-to-spin move combo and turnaround fadeaway jumper with less than a second remaining on the clock.

He described his heroics in the only way he could, in his own words: “Excuse my English, but I’m born to do this S***.

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20. Portland Trail Blazers (10-16, Last Week’s Ranking: 18)

It’s clear to see that the Carmelo Anthony experiment was only a band-aid to a deep-wound laceration that’s in need of fifteen stitches. They’ve lost three of their last four games, with their lone victory against the Knicks. The Blazers haven’t played any respectable defense, only ranking 21st in total defensive rating and they’ve lost their last three games by an average of 16.6 points per game. Adding Melo did something to their offense, and that’s obvious (scoring has increased by +3.2 per 100 possessions), and with Phoenix, Golden State, Orlando, and Minnesota now on the schedule up next, things may not get that much easier for a team that’s growing desperate for wins leading up to 2020.

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21. Minnesota Timberwolves (10-15, Last Week’s Ranking: 14)

It’s been a downward spiral in the past eight games for the Timberwolves, as they’ve only won one contest in their last eight outings. A buoyant comeback bid from down as much as 27 points against the Clippers fell short at home, steering the Wolves to their seventh-straight loss as they are having all sorts of difficulties pulling themselves out of the losing well. Karl Anthony-Towns has been the only attraction worth mentioning for these Wolves, as he’s more than likely to receive another All-Star selection with his season averages peaking over 26.5 ppg., 11.7 rebs., and a field percentage over 50 percent while shooting 41.8 percent from deep.

Other than him, the wheels of Ryan Saunders’ wagon are coming loose at the axels, as frontcourt cohort Andrew Wiggins may have hit a scoring wall. Also, they’ve played some really uninspiring defense among this losing streak, letting opponents score a nauseating 127.4 points per game off 51.3 percent shooting from the field.

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22. San Antonio Spurs (10-15, Last Week’s Ranking: 19)

As DeMar DeRozan continues to raise his game to the level considering how his name is presumably being ethered on the trade block as we speak, enter Lonnie Walker V. The 2018 second-rounder has caught the eye of Gregg Popovich in recent weeks, has averaged an earnest 21 minutes of play, and he’s made the most of those given minutes, averaging 13.8 points on 54.2% shooting in the five games he wasn’t listed as a DNP-CD, only getting double-digit minutes twice in the first 20 games of the season, whereas he had seven of those non-playing marks.

The former Miami Hurricane has come a long way since having to fight for a roster spot in the G-League. He’ll be granted a rematch against the very team he had his breakout moment of the season in an away game against their in-state rival Houston Rockets this week, as the Spurs then head back home to play the Nets and Clippers as well.

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23. Chicago Bulls (10-18, Last Week’s Ranking: 23)

The Bulls are yet another non-moving team in this week’s rankings. Despite a game-winning hoop and harm bucket by Zach LaVine against the Clippers this past week, the Bulls looked average, almost below average really, in their demure and unsatisfying four wins in their last eight games. LaVine has been a bright spot for a team that’s struggled to score (24th ranked offense) but not struggle in defending (10th-best defensive rating) in their first 28 games.

The UCLA standout guard is averaging over 22 points per game, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists, and that’s not even the greatest attribute to his game. Right now, he is shooting a career-high 41.1% from 3-point range and is also hitting a career-high 3.1 threes per contest.

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24. Memphis Grizzlies (9-17, Last Week’s Ranking: 25)

Grizzlies fans have all the reasons to be excited about the potential of their young core. Ja Morant is electric and is the sportsbook favorite to run away with the Rookie of the Year award, and Jaren Jackson Jr. is looking like the worthy No. 3 pick many speculated he would be coming out of Michigan State in 2018. But the unsung hero for these Grizzlies has to be their steal of a draft pick in rookie Brandon Clarke. The former Gonzaga great had himself a week, averaging 22.5 points per game with a 61.7 true shooting percentage. He’s the real deal but if you were a fan of what Mark Few had done for his Gonzaga Bulldogs, you already got a headstart into seeing what kind of pro Clarke would be.

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25. Washington Wizards (7-17, Last Week’s Ranking: 24)

Davis Bertans is going to be in the 3-point contest come February, we know that for sure. Just in December alone, Bertans is splashing an average of 5.3 downtown balls a game on almost 50% shooting. With him, they’re the fourth-best scoring team in the NBA and along with Bradley Beal, they provide some nightly entertainment. Other than that, there isn’t much to be jolly about for a team that’s lost seven of their last eight games.

Am I forgetting something? Because everything said above are all positives that, as a team, should keep you in the top 15 of all teams in the weekly rankings…

Oh, that’s right!

They’re still the worst defensive team in the NBA, and Toronto and Philadelphia are on the schedule this week. Bummer.

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26. New Orleans Pelicans (6-21, Last Week’s Ranking: 26)

Kill all hopes of any postseason aspirations if you’re a Pelicans fan. Zion Williamson’s return keeps getting pushed back to the point of people believing if he’ll ever play this season (sounds very Greg Oden-ish, right?), multiple names look to be popping up on the trade block as the Feb. 9 trade deadline approaches, and their losing streak is now at 12 games, the longest since the Hornets made their move to New Orleans. Brooklyn, Minnesota, and Golden State are up next for the Pellies to face, and that streak could get a lot worse, even though they possess the ninth-best offense in basketball.

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27. Cleveland Cavaliers (6-20, Last Week’s Ranking: 28)

Kevin Porter Jr. is making Dan Gilbert look good at the moment by selecting him in the second round of this year’s draft. He dropped a career-high 25 points and made six three-pointers in a late loss to the Houston Rockets that saw the Cavs blow a double-digit lead late in the fourth quarter in a signature Harden 56-point outing, but that was suspected to be a constant theme. It’s almost as if this season’s record isn’t indicative of much, as this year is primarily directed toward player development and putting their young players in positions to both learn and excel with operating in meaningful minutes to win close games. A night later, the Cavs overcame the Spurs to win in overtime, as Collin Sexton dropped 28 in a crucial road win.

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28. Atlanta Hawks (6-21, Last Week’s Ranking: 27)

So, good news, John Collins is eligible to play next Monday against the Cavaliers after serving a 25-game suspension from taking a banned substance. Bad news, that’s a week from now as they’ll have to play the Nets and Jazz this week without Collins. They’ve played despondently without him and are tied with the Knicks for the worst record in the Eastern Conference.

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29. New York Knicks (6-21, Last Week’s Ranking: 30)

You know you’re in a load of trouble when the most-missed player on your team is Elfrid Payton.

You just have to imagine, where would this New York team be if the former Magic and Pelicans point guard had never been injured?

In a two-game road win streak, Payton had a +9 plus-minus on the court, while averaging 15 ppg. while shooting 51.9% from the field and 46.2% from 3. He came off the bench in both contests and averages a total of 9 averaged minutes during the fourth quarter, the second-highest on the team.

Aside from him, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any other inspiration from the Knicks’ offensive attack. Acquiring a new head coach will be a season-long search that’ll spill into the offseason, and with some names like Marcus Morris appearing on the list of trade pieces, this year is going to be another tanking season for the worst team in the Eastern Conference.

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30. Golden State Warriors (5-23, Last Week’s Ranking: 29)

These Warriors just keep getting banged up, losing their worst game of the season against the Kings in a game that saw Golden State score only 79 points. They forced the Kings to turn the ball over 29 times, which is a plus, but a loss is a loss. That loss, in particular, feeds into an infamous stat of the Warriors being 0-9 on the year when they don’t score 99 points in a game, but this year has to give the core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and D’Angelo Russell some extra incentive, as they’ll likely score a No. 1 pick in the draft lottery this June.

Imagine the combination of the Splash Brothers with a defensive juggernaut in Green, with DLo backing their lottery pick of James Wiseman/Anthony Edwards/LaMelo Ball up. Scary, right?

Dec 16, 2019 No Comments
Top 15 Kicks Worn During Week 8 of NBA Season

Top 15 Kicks Worn During Week 8 of NBA Season

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by | Dec 16, 2019 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers

Kobe Bryant has been out of the league for a few years now but he is still smiling from afar. The future Hall of Famer’s Nike signature line seems to be the most worn and frequently preferred choice across the entire NBA. Kobe 4’s, 5’s, 6’s, and 8’s rank among the top selections from Bryant’s line to grace the hardwood. It has been ten years since the Nike Kobe 4 and 5 initial release run and they still are a solid performer to be worn on court by some of the best players in the world. Players like Tobias Harris (76ers), Gary Harris (Nuggets), Buddy Hield (Kings), and Derrick Jones Jr. (Heat) seem to be in constant competition with each other as to who can bring out the best Kobes from the vault. Justin James (Kings), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Pelicans), Trey Lyles (Spurs), Abdel Nader (Thunder), and Allonzo Trier (Knicks) are not too far behind when it comes to dipping into their respective Kobe stashes as well. Look for this week’s list to consist of a few older Kobe models we have not seen so far this season. Will a Kobe model take the top spot in week 8 of our Top 15 Kicks?

 

 

15. Jordan XX1 “CDP” (2008) – Montrezl Harrell – Los Angeles Clippers

 

     

 

 

14. Nike Kobe 5 “Varsity Red” – Derrick Jones Jr. – Miami Heat

 

     

 

 

13. Nike Lebron 9 “Summit Lake Hornets” – Jaxson Hayes – New Orleans Pelicans

 

     

 

 

12. Nike Zoom Freak 1 “Alphabet Soup” – Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks

 

     

 

 

11. Nike KD 6 “What The” – Derrick Jones Jr. – Miami Heat

 

     

 

 

10. Nike Hyperdunk OG – P.J. Tucker – Houston Rockets

 

     

 

 

9. Nike Lebron XVII P.E. – Lebron James – Los Angeles Lakers

 

     

 

 

8. Nike Kobe 5 “Dark Knight” – Buddy Hield – Sacramento Kings

 

     

 

 

7. Nike Kobe 8 “Venice Beach” – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder

 

     

 

 

6. Jordan XXXIV “ParaNorman” P.E. – Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics

 

           

 

 

5. Nike Kobe 5 “China” – Tobias Harris – Philadelphia 76ers

 

     

 

 

4. Jordan VII “Hare” – P.J. Tucker – Houston Rockets

 

     

 

 

3. Nike Lebron XI “Oregon P.E.” – Montrezl Harrell – Los Angeles Clippers

 

     

 

 

2. Nike Lebron XVII P.E. – Lebron James – Los Angeles Lakers

 

     

 

 

1. Jordan Why Not Zer0.2 SE “Mighty Ducks” P.E.’s – Russell Westbrook – Houston Rockets

 

                 

 

 

 

Dec 16, 2019 No Comments
Primetime Preview (SNF) : Buffalo Bills @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Primetime Preview (SNF) : Buffalo Bills @ Pittsburgh Steelers

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by | Dec 16, 2019 | Featured, NFL

This Sunday Night game tonight between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers will be a good one. This will be a huge game for the AFC playoff picture as both teams come in trying to position for their divisions and wild card. The Buffalo Bills have been an impressive team this season and it came as a surprise. Josh Allen has taken that major step in his second season and now has the NFL on notice as well as the New England Patriots. A lot of people like Jalen Ramsey thought that Josh Allen wasn’t a real NFL quarterback and man were those people wrong. Josh Allen has been able to put together a great season as he’s thrown for 2,737 passing yards on the season with 17 touchdowns with 8 interceptions. One of the best things about Allen is the fact that he can run just as effectively as he passes. Josh Allen has 439 rushing yards on the season with 8 touchdowns on the ground. Josh Allen can score with his arm and his legs which makes him a special player to watch. The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has been very good as of late and has been able to carry this team into the playoff picture. The Steelers will have their hands full with Josh Allen and this Bills team that has found their niche. The Buffalo Bills lost a close one to the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday and will look to get some revenge against the AFC North via Pittsburgh. When Josh Allen has time in the pocket he can beat defenses up it’s when he’s rushing that he hurts himself. If Josh Allen can get the ball to his playmakers John Brown and Cole Beasley in the receiving core than he can have a great day. John Brown and Cole Beasley both have been able to make some huge plays for Josh Allen while gaining his trust.

 

 

This Buffalo Bills team is scrappy and they have a lot of players that aren’t selfish. The way that Josh Allen has been able to bring this team together offensively has been special. One of the reasons that he’s been able to be so dominate is the fact that he has Devin Singletary. The emergence of Singletary has been nothing short of amazing especially since he won the job over McCoy earlier in the year. Devin Singletary has stepped his game up throughout the season as a rookie. One thing that you can notice is the breakaway speed that he has in the open field. Singletary is one of those players that can take a screen pass to the end zone, line up as a wide receiver, and run between tackles. Ever since Devin Singletary has come back from his hamstring injury he’s been able to score and he’s been able to be very elusive. The mix between Singletary and Allen has teams guessing what will happen. The Steelers will have a tough time trying to stop the running game so it will be interesting to see how they defend this RPO team. The Buffalo Bills defense has been very stout all season and will try to continue that against the Pittsburgh Steelers who will be getting James Conner back. The Bills will need to shut down the run game and they will need to limit Devlin Hodges from finding his favorite target James Washington. The Bills have a tough secondary and will make it tough on the Steelers especially without Juju Smith-Schuster. The Bills will try to limit Conner if they want to win this game and they need to get as many turnovers as they can against Duck Hodges.

 

 

The Pittsburgh Steelers have Devlin Hodges who has come out of nowhere and has been leading the Steelers giving them great play for this playoff push. On the season for Devlin “Duck” Hodges, he’s thrown for only 682 passing yards as the starter for 4 touchdowns. Yes, that’s a short sample size of what he’s done but his leadership is pouring throughout Pittsburgh. One thing that he’s been able to do is to stay in the pocket and make good reads with pressure in his face. So far Hodges has been able to connect with James Washington on a couple of touchdowns and he’s been able to do all this with the Steelers second unit. With the Pittsburgh Steelers 8-5 on the season and fighting for the NFL playoffs, it’s the perfect time to get his studs back into the lineup. Having Juju out of the lineup will open so much more in the field and this could be a huge addition to a team that needs that jolt of stardom to make big plays. The fact that Deonte Johnson has stepped up will give this team some confidence and when you mix that with the addition of James Conner coming back this could be a huge game for the Steelers. James Conner has been the running back that the Steelers have given the keys to and he’s been banged up but when on the field he’s been ruthless. James Conner helps in the running game with his power runs but also he’s been the Steelers quarterback blanket as he’s great catching out the backfield as well. When James Conner’s in the game it gives this team a different grittiness that has the team hyped up.

 

 

The Steelers offense has the chance to be very special this Sunday night but it will be the defense that will have the chance to steal the spotlight. The Steelers defense has been turnover machines lately as they have a lot of playmakers that are ballhawks. This Steelers defense has shown that they can pressure the quarterback and get sacks with interceptions. The emergence of this defense has helped carry this team while players on the offense have been banged up. The Steelers have a chance to make a statement on the big stage and look for Juju and Conner to put their stamp on this game to help their teammates get back in the win column with them in the lineup.

 

 

 

Prediction: The Pittsburgh Steelers will get the victory in front of the terrible towels 24-20 in Pittsburgh. The play of Hodges with the mix of adding Conner & Washington to the mix will be too much for the Bills to handle. It will be a close game but with the Steelers getting Conner back look for them to ground pound the Bills and stay away from their secondary. The Steelers have been impressive at home and the defense should do enough to make it tough on Josh Allen all night. 

Dec 16, 2019 No Comments
SneakerReporter NFL Week 15: Preview & Predictions

SneakerReporter NFL Week 15: Preview & Predictions

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by | Dec 15, 2019 | Featured, NFL

 

 

 

1:00 PM EST

Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers

 

It’s clear that the Green Bay Packers have used this season to run the offense through Aaron Jones. Of course, you still have that bad man Aaron Rodgers there as well but the way that Jones has been impressive. The Packers are 10-3 on the season and are riding the hot hand of Aaron Jones who’s coming off a 134-yard rushing game with a touchdown as well as 58 yards receiving. Aaron Rodgers has been special since the bye week as well and they will need to have all their offensive weapons clicking against the Bears. The Packers will need to get the ground game going and make sure they can get Davante Adams going in the passing game. This Packers team has been special on the offensive side and has shown moments on the defense as well. The Bears are coming into this game with a red hot Mitch Trubisky who torched the Dallas Cowboys for 3 touchdowns and 244 yards passing. If this Mitch Trubisky shows up in Green Bay it could be hard on the Packers defense. Trubisky has been able to grow a strong connection with Allen Robinson and that’s been on full display. Allen Robinson has 3 games in a row with touchdowns and had 2 last week against Cowboys. The Bears need to get back into establishing the run as they need to use David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen a lot more with the RPO. Enough about the Bears offense because this game will truly depend on the Bears defense. The Bears lost Roquan Smith for the season and it will be on Khalil Mack if this defense will make an impact in this game. Look for a tight division game in this one as both teams know each other inside and out.

Score Prediction: Green Bay Packers Win (27-17)

 

New England Patriots @ Cincinnati Bengals

 

The Patriots are 10-3 on the season and they’re on a 2 game losing streak. This will be the second season in a row the Patriots have lost back to back games. Before last season the Patriots haven’t lost back to back games since 2002 which is crazy. The Patriots will be set up for a huge bounce-back game against the Cincinnati Bengals who have one win on the season. The craziness coming into this game was the Patriots staff members recording the Bengals sidelines last weekend. The Patriots are always in the center of controversy and that will never change but I doubt they would need help with the Bengals. Coming into this game against the Bengals the Patriots need to get back to finding their offense badly. The last two games the Patriots have looked human and Tom Brady has shown a lot of frustration with the way they’ve played. Tom Brady’s weapons have been very simple and obvious as he’s been looking for Julian Edleman/James Whiter pretty much every play. Sony Michel has been healthy but hasn’t played good enough to fit into the gameplan. The Patriots need to get back to the running game and having a balanced attack and that should happen against the Bengals. The Patriots defense has been leading this team all season long and will look to continue that against the Bengals who will look to get Joe Mixon going again. Joe Mixon finally went off last week against the Cleveland Browns and will look to capitalize on his 146-yard performance with a TD. The Bengals don’t have much that they can do offensively against the Patriots defense and it will be tough all day. Andy Dalton doesn’t have the weapons that can help him, especially with AJ Green still out so look for a lot of check downs to Mixon. The Bengals defense has been very bad all season and even with a Patriots team that’s struggling offensively, the defense will give them enough chances to score. Look for the Patriots to get their 11th win on the season as the Bengals stand no chance against a pissed off Tom Brady and Bill Belichick waiting for them after this videotaping foolishness.

Score Prediction: New England Patriots Win (38-7)

 

Seattle Seahawks @ Carolina Panthers

 

The MVP runner up right now on the NFL season has been Russell Wilson. If it wasn’t for the season that Lamar Jackson’s having Russell Wilson would be on every single station in the country. Russell Wilson and the Seahawks slipped up against the LA Rams last week but look to bounce back against the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers fired Ron Rivera and you could tell the team didn’t have any identity last week. The Seahawks have an identity and that’s to run the ball down your throat and get Russell Wilson out the pocket to make plays. The Seahawks lost Rashad Penny for the season last week and will look to feed Chris Carson the rock all day long. Chris Carson has improved his ball-handling the past couple of games and will look to pound the Panthers. When Carson’s running hard and beating down the opposing defense that softens them up for Russell Wilson to start his magic. On the season Russell Wilson has 3,422 passing yards with 26 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. The leadership that Wilson has shown this year has been amazing and he’s been able to get the ball to his wide receivers as well. Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, and Josh Gordon have been able to flourish under Wilson who’s been lights out all season. The Seahawk’s defense will need to hold up their end of the stick as they will need Bobby Wagner to slow down Christian McCaffrey. If the Panthers are going to do anything against the Seahawks they will need their MVP Christian McCaffrey to lead the way on the ground and in the passing game. Run CMC has been dominant all season for the Panthers and the fact that the whole defense will need to watch him can help. McCaffrey can be a great decoy on offense and his teammates can get open because of him. Look for Kyle Allen to try and get the ball to DJ Moore and Greg Olsen in the passing game. The Panthers have been very inconsistent on the season and it’s obvious that they’re looking to rebuild in the offseason with Cam Newton trade rumors. If the Panthers defense can try to hold the Seahawks to just passing and long downs they could have a tiny chance in this one.

Score Prediction: Seattle Seahawks Win (31-13)

 

Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans

 

 

The surprise team this season has been the Tennessee Titans. Ryan Tannehill has taken over Nashville and the Titans organization believes that he’s done a great enough job to talk extensions. Ryan Tannehill has resurrected his career as he’s thrown for 1,993 yards and 15 touchdowns since taking over the starting job. The Titans come into this matchup against the Texans with an 8-5 record and are looking to take this division to make that splash in the playoffs. Ryan Tannehill should be in the comeback player of the year discussion as he’s made his receivers better every week. Tannehill has used his weapons and now has his new number one receiver AJ Brown looking unguardable against opposing defenses. This Titans team is complete on the offensive end and that comes from the monster play of Derrick Henry. The way that Derrick Henry’s playing no one on the opposing team wants to tackle him the way he finishes runs. This season Henry has been able to put the Titans on his back as he’s averaging two touchdowns per game easily with this line. Coming into this matchup with the Texans Derrick Henry has 1,243 yards rushing with 13 touchdowns on the ground. The defense has been able to shut down teams in the clutch with the play of Kevin Byard in that secondary. This Tennessee team is gritty and will look to get after Deshaun Watson all day. If the Titans can stop Watson and slow down DeAndre Hopkins in the passing game it could be a big win. The Texans have a lot of offense that can erupt at any moment and the last thing the Titans need is for Hopkins to get loose in that secondary with Will Fuller questionable. The Beauty of this Texans offense is the fact that Watson can run the ball or pass the ball with ease. The IQ that Watson has shown over the last year has been impressive and he will need to make some spectacular plays to get the win. Last week the Texans defense was embarrassed by the Denver Broncos and they will look to redeem themselves against Tennessee. Look for this to be a high scoring game in Tennessee as both teams battle it out for positioning in the playoff picture.

Score Prediction: Houston Texans Win (38-34)

 

Miami Dolphins @ New York Giants

 

Eli Manning came back last week against the Eagles and put up 203 yards with 2 touchdowns. Playing the Miami Dolphins look for Eli to go off in this one as he looked comfortable in the pocket. Eli Manning will look to go after the 3-10 Dolphins and their terrible secondary. This could be a monster game for Saquon Barkley as we have been waiting for his eruption. Saquon is a complete running back that can get it done inside the tackles and in the screenplays. He’s a generational player and the Miami Dolphins have the 6th worst run defense. Barkley should be able to shred these Dolphins and make his presence felt anywhere on the field. The Giants should be getting Evan Engram back this week and that should help them out in the passing game. The emergence of Darius Slayton has been a breath of fresh air in NYC as he went off last week against the Eagles for 154 yards with 2 touchdowns. He’s been able to be healthy and he’s been the player that the Giants have been looking for with targets. The Giants defense has been terrible as of late but will look to force Fitzpatrick to throw some interceptions. If the Giants can get to Fitzpatrick it could be a long day for the Dolphins as they don’t have a true running back. The Dolphins have 3 wins on the season and the bright spot for them has been the play of Devante Parker. Parker has been special the last couple of weeks and has emerged as the number one receiver in this offense. If Ryan Fitzpatrick can get the ball in the hands of his playmaker anything is possible against this Giants secondary. One person that has been stepping up for the Miami Dolphins has been Mike Gesicki as he’s become a great red zone threat for Fitzpatrick. This game is going to be back and forth on the day so look for sloppy play and some scoring as well.

Score Prediction: New York Giants Win (24-17)

 

Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins

 

The first-place Philadelphia Eagles are going into Washington DC trying to stay on top of the NFC East. This division hasn’t lived up to the hype but the Eagles will take it any way they can to get to the playoffs. The Eagles lost Alshon Jeffrey for the season and now will have to lean on Zach Ertz as their number one receiver on a team that looks for their tight ends. Ertz was able to catch two touchdowns last weekend against the New York Giants and will try to duplicate that against the Redskins. On the season Ertz has 850 yards receiving and 5 touchdowns but down this stretch look for those numbers to improve. The Redskins aren’t good defensively and Carson Wentz will be looking to exploit that defense in this one. Wentz has always been able to tough it out and make plays so look for him to do the same in this game. The Eagles have struggled in the passing game but one thing that came out of nowhere was the running game. Miles Sanders and Boston Scott both played amazing as a committee in New York. If the Eagles can continue to establish the run in this game against Washington they should be successful. The Redskins have been injured all season and lost Derrius Guice for the season last weekend. What this means is that the Eagles will need to get ready for the ageless Adrian Peterson. The Redskins love to get the running game going and will be looking for Peterson to set the tone against the 4th toughest defense to run on. Dwayne Haskins will be trying to find his college teammate Terry McLaurin as the Eagles secondary has been a little shaky. If Haskins can find the open people in the Eagles defense who gave up 2 touchdowns to Slayton from the Giants. The Redskins defense hasn’t been able to do much but if they can get to Wentz in this division matchup anything is possible.

Score Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles Win (27-13)

 

Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs

 

The Kansas City Chiefs are coming into this game after a big win in Foxboro against the Patriots. Patrick Mahomes had 283 yards with 1 touchdown against the best defense in the NFL. This week he will be facing the Denver Broncos and Von Miller who will be trying to take him down. Mahomes hasn’t been himself this season especially since going down with the dislocated kneecap but has managed to do enough to keep getting wins. This past week he hurt his hand and still finished the game against the Patriots. It seems like nothing can stop him from getting on the field and being a true leader for his teammates. Mahomes has been able to burn teams with his arm and with his legs since coming back from his injury. The Broncos defense has been tough in the past and they will have their hands full especially if you give Mahomes some time in the pocket to execute. The Broncos will have Chris Harris Jr on Tyreke Hill and will try to take him out the game but with Mahomes having so many weapons that seem like something that will be a tough task for Denver. This Chiefs offense has playmakers everywhere from Travis Kelce to Tyreke Hill so look for them to be open especially if the run game is working. This Chiefs team is explosive on the offensive end and can put up some monster numbers in a quick span of time. The Chiefs defense has been able to step up as well in recent weeks as they have been forcing turnovers and getting to the quarterback. If Dee Ford and Tyrann Mathieu can get to Drew Lock it can be a long day for the rookie quarterback. The Chiefs will have to contain Phillip Lindsey and make sure that he doesn’t get outside the tackles because he’s impossible to catch in open space. Lindsey has taken a step back this season but he’s a highlight waiting to happen if you miss your assignment. Another player on the Broncos that has been a huge bright spot for them this season has been Courtland Sutton. Once the Broncos gave away Emmanuel Sanders they did it knowing they had Sutton as the future. The play of Courtland Sutton has helped this Lock out big time and the fact that he can create space in the red zone is impressive. Look for the Broncos to rely on their defense and the play of Lindsey/Sutton if they want to get out of Arrowhead with a victory.

Score Prediction: Kansas City Chiefs Win (30-13)

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Detroit Lions

 

Both teams are coming into this game with significant injuries to their offense. On the Detroit Lions side, they put Marvin Jones Jr. on the IR with an ankle injury. Marvin has been a superior piece to the offense and losing him will give Kenny Golladay more targets. David Blough has been playing well at quarterback in the absence of Matthew Stafford. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost Mike Evans this past weekend to a serious hamstring injury that will have him sidelined for the remainder of the 2019 season. This is a huge blow to the Buccaneers offense as both teams have high powered offenses that are banged up. The bright side for the Bucs is the fact that Chris Godwin has emerged as a pro bowl caliber wide receiver this season. Godwin on the season has a total of 81 catches for 1,212 yards with 9 touchdowns. Godwin has been the main target for Jameis Winston in this offense and will look to continue that against the Lions. Jameis is coming into this game with a minor hand injury (Hairline Fracture – Thumb) and he’s expected to play through it. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense is better than the Lions defense but Jameis is known for a couple of turnovers to make a game interesting. The Lions defense has been banged up all season and they will be tested in this game with the Buccaneers coming into town. Both teams have running games that haven’t been that strong throughout the season so expect the scoring to come from the air all Sunday in Detroit.

Score Prediction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Win (38-24)

 

4:05 PM EST

Cleveland Browns @ Arizona Cardinals

 

NCAA College Football fans have been treated with great Heisman Trophy Winners in the NFL for years. Today we will get the chance to see the last two Heisman winners from Norman, OK go at it in Arizona. It will be Baker Mayfield vs Kyler Murray for the first time and this game should be exciting. The Arizona Cardinals are coming into this game knowing that they won’t be in the playoffs but they still can spoil the Cleveland Browns chances. Kyler Murray has been good throughout the season and you can tell he’s picking up the NFL game very well. Look for Murray to use his arm and legs to create for his teammates at home today. On the season Kyler has thrown for 3,060 yards with 16 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Murray has been making it happen no matter who’s in the lineup to help him out. Coming into this season the Cardinals planned on the David Johnson helping out Kyler Murray by giving him an elite running back for him so they can execute the RPO. With David Johnson being banged up all season Murray has taken the running into this own hands and will try to do the same against the Cleveland Browns. Kyler Murray has Kenyan Drake in the backfield and that will help open up the play-action for him. Kenyan Drake has been great for the Cardinals since coming over from Miami and will be trying to help carry the load in this one. The Cleveland Browns offense has been all over the place this year as certain games they look like playoff contenders and then the next minute they look like pretenders. It’s clear that Baker Mayfield has struggled this season with 3,109 passing yards on the year but 16 interceptions to his 15 touchdowns. This is a clear sophomore slump but he can make it up down the stretch if he can string together some wins. Baker will need to be patient in the pocket against the Cardinals and look for his playmakers to get open. Anytime you have Odell Beckham Jr and Jarvis Landry on the field at the same time this team can easily strike ASAP. The thing is Baker needs to get the ball to them and this will be that day. The Browns have great receivers and they have a great running back tandem of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. If the Browns can get the running game going that will propel them to the victory in Arizona easily. The Browns defense will be in a good spot to get to Kyler Murray and make it tough on him this afternoon.

Score Prediction: Cleveland Browns Win (17-10)

 

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Oakland Raiders

 

This will be the last game in Oakland for the Raiders and they will want to close the stadium with a bang. The Raiders got some good news as they found out that Josh Jacobs will be suiting up for this game. Jacobs didn’t play last week but he’s been the heart and soul of this offense as he’s rushed them to the 6 wins they have on the season. Jacobs has been an outstanding rookie and he will definitely be in the conversation for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Having Jacobs back is huge for this team as it gives Derek Carr some more weapons to look for against this Jaguars defense. Carr will be looking to get Waller and Williams going in this game as they’ve been his reliable receivers on the season. Carr has been toughing it out all season and he’s won over Raider Nation for now. Derek Carr will have the Jaguars coming after him on Sunday and it’s not the same Jaguars team they’ve played against in the past. This Jaguars defense has been giving up a lot of yards and touchdowns to opposing teams in the past couple of games. Look for the Raiders to set the tone early in this one with the running game and put it to the Jaguars. One thing that the Jacksonville Jaguars have working for them is the fact that Gardner Minshew is back under center and he’s going to try to make some plays even with pressure. Minshew will be without his number one receiver DJ Chark for this one but he will be leaning on Leonard Fournette to rush them to victory. Fournette was forced out of the gameplan in last week’s game against the Chargers but they will be looking to feed their all-pro today in Oakland. Both defenses have been leaky all season and we should expect this game to go back and forth with some toughness.

Score Prediction: Oakland Raiders Win (22-10)

 

Minnesota Vikings @ Los Angeles Chargers 

 

The Minnesota Vikings will be with all their star playmakers for this game in Los Angeles as Adam Thielen will return. This Vikings team has been very lethal since Stefon Diggs requested to be traded earlier in the season. Kirk Cousins has been a big part of the success for this team as he’s been able to find his receivers in stride. Cousins and Diggs have gained a lot of confidence in the absence of Thielen as they connected for 5 touchdowns on the season. The Vikings MVP has been Dalvin Cook though and there would be no preview without talking about this beast. Dalvin Cook has carried the ball and this team all season long as he’s piled up 1,108 rushing yards with 13 rushing touchdowns. What makes Cook so special is that he can get it done on the ground and in the passing game as he has totaled 50 catches for 503 yards receiving. It’s clear that this team moves in the direction that Dalvin Cook brings them and the Chargers will have a tough day on defense trying to slow him down. The Vikings offense has been well balanced and with both teams going in the opposite directions it will be tough for fans to keep it on the channel. The Vikings have a tough defense and will be trying to make it tough on Rivers, Ekler, Gordon, and Allen. The Vikings will have Xavier Rhodes shadowing Keenan Allen all day trying to slow him down. The Vikings defense is one of the best in the NFL and will try to force Phillip Rivers into turnovers. The LA Chargers defense has been iffy all season and will have their hands full trying to stop this loaded Vikings offense. Joey Bosa will be trying to stop Dalvin Cook in the backfield all day and he will need help from that secondary as well. The LA Chargers have a motivated Phillip Rivers playing some of his best ball but the Chargers get left out to dry with losing close games. The Chargers have a great two-headed monster in Ekler-Gordon but they will need to make some plays in order for them to get this win in front of the faithful in LA. Hunter Henry could be the one mismatch for the Chargers and they will need to find him if they want to prevent a blowout early. Overall both teams are good on offense but the game will be decided by the defense and special teams.

Score Prediction: Minnesota Vikings Win (28-24)

 

4:25 PM EST

Los Angeles Rams @ Dallas Cowboys

 

The Cowboys are coming into this game tied with the Philadelphia Eagles at 6-7 on the season for the division lead. Every game from here on out is a must-win for the Dallas Cowboys. This Cowboys team has been up and down all season because of the injuries they’ve sustained. One person that hasn’t been up and down all season has been Dak Prescott. Dak has put together a campaign that has everyone in the NFL saying pay that man. Here are Dak’s numbers this season 4,122 passing yards with 24 passing touchdowns. Dak has down everything that the Cowboys have asked him and he’s delivered in a big way. Look for Dak to try and deliver against the LA Rams who will be coming into town with Aaron Donald looking to sack and disrupt the Cowboys. Ezekiel Elliott has been playing good this season but it hasn’t been his usual breakout numbers that we expect. This will be the game that Elliot can go off in especially since Carson was able to almost breakthrough for 100 yards against this same defense. The combination of Dak and Zeke is going to get the Cowboys into the playoffs and it starts today in Dallas. Dak can run the ball and throw the ball which makes it tough for any defense. Another player that will be a key piece to the Cowboys down the stretch and in his game will be Amari Cooper. On the season Amari has been a beast at home and he will be guarded by Jalen Ramsey which proves to be a great matchup. If Cooper can find the endzone that can help the Cowboys chances even more. The Cowboys defense will have their hands full with Jared Goff who’s been going off the last couple of weeks for the Rams. Goff has all his weapons back and healthy so it’s been a lot easier for him to find the right person in the passing game. Jared Goff has played a lot better this second half of the season and will be leaning on Todd Gurley to help take the load off of him as well. When Gurley gets a huge workload like he’s been able to get as of late anything is possible. Todd Gurley is a beast and he’s the type of player that can be lined up as a wide receiver, in the backfield for screens, and run through the tackles. If the Rams can get the Todd Gurley from last season for this playoff push starting in Dallas the Cowboys will be in trouble. Look for Goff to get the ball to his playmakers Gurley, Kupp, Woods, Cooks, and Higbee. This is going to be a great game with playoff implications on the line and it will have some NFC playoff vibes in this one. If Aaron Donald can get to Jared Goff and continue his dominance it could be a long day for the Cowboys in this one.

Score Prediction: Los Angeles Rams Win (38-31)

 

Atlanta Falcons @ San Francisco 49ers

 

The 11-2 San Francisco 49ers will be at home trying to get their 12th win against the Atlanta Falcons. This 49ers team has been special all season and they’re well balanced. On the offensive side, Jimmy Garoppolo has been showing people that he could hold his own in this league. Jimmy G has put together an impressive year that shows that John Lynch made the right move by getting him away from the Patriots. This season Jimmy G has thrown for 3,245 yards and 25 touchdowns which are really good for him. Jimmy has been able to put the 49ers offense on his back and the weapons around him have helped big time as well. Jimmy Garoppolo has been able to find his favorite receivers George Kittle and Emmanuel Sanders all season long. It seems when the game is on the line Jimmy G goes to one of those two to seal the game. The Falcons will have their hands full completely in this game on the defensive end because of this 49ers offense. This season the 49ers can beat you in the air with Jimmy Garoppolo’s arm and then you have a three-headed running back committee with Tevin Coleman, Matt Brieda, and Raheem Mostert. The 49ers have built an offense that’s equipped to play a rugged game or play a finesse game. This is the first time in a while that the 49ers have the potential to make the Super Bowl. The Falcons defense has been banged up all season and it’s going to be tough to ask them to contain an offense as powerful as the 49ers have this season. We’ve been talking about the 49ers offense but the defense has been unreal. The play of Nick Bosa and that front line has been able to get after any quarterbacks this season. The fact that Matt Ryan isn’t as mobile in the pocket could be a problem for him on Sunday. The 49ers will be without Richard Sherman which could be a good thing for Julio Jones. The way that this defense has been able to use the next man up motto has been impressive. The Falcons offense took a huge hit as they lost Calvin Ridley for the remainder of the season. That means that the offense will be depending on Julio Jones and Austin Hooper in this game. The Falcons have been up and down all season as they try to try to gain respect in the conference. Matt Ryan will need to lean on his studs in the passing game and also look for a lot of check downs to Devonte Freeman. This could be a great game or it could be a total blowout from the 49ers but only time will tell which Atlanta Falcons team shows up. The Falcons defense will be in for a long day in the Bay area and it will be interesting to see the outcome.

Score Prediction: San Francisco 49ers Win (41-24)

Dec 15, 2019 No Comments