Tag: Kyrie

NBA PLAYOFFS RECAP: 06/19/2021

Posted on by Titan Frey in Basketball, NBA, NBA Playoffs, Sports

Written by Titan Frey 

Game 7 Overtime Classic!

That’s exactly right, NBA fans. We had a classic game seven of the NBA playoffs tonight. 

The stars were shining brightly on both squads. Giannis Antetokounmpo and especially Kevin Durant put on a show. Let’s break down this classic game. 

Both teams traded blows from the beginning of the game. There were 19 lead changes and nine ties throughout the game.

For the Milwaukee Bucks, Antetokounmpo played solid all game long… other than his two air ball free throws.

Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday each struggled throughout the game, but both came on strong in the fourth quarter.

As Middleton, Holiday, and Antetokounmpo were keeping the Bucks close in the fourth, Kevin Durant was a one-man show for the gone team.

Durant, who played every minute of the game, for the second time in this series, kept hitting big shot after big shot.

The biggest shot for Durant was a turnaround long two-point jumper over P.J. Tucker that tied the game with one second to go.

Durant’s foot just barely touched the line, missing the chance to put the Nets up one. 

Antetokounmpo then missed his shot attempt at the buzzer and the game went to overtime. 

After the four quarters, Durant had 48 points, which is the record for most points in a game seven.

Antetokounmpo finished the game with 40 points and this became the first game seven, since 2008, where two players on opposite teams scored 40 plus points. (Paul Pierce, LeBron James)

Unfortunately for Durant and Nets fans, he wouldn’t get anymore. In fact, a Bruce Brown rebound put-back would be the only basket for the Nets in the overtime period.

After the Bucks took a 113-111 lead, Durant attempted another turnaround long two-point jumper, but this time he threw up an air ball with .3 seconds to go. 

After two free throws by Brook Lopez, the Bucks won the game 115-111 to take the series. 

They will now face the winner of the Sixers-Hawks series which will be played tomorrow at 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. 

Another game seven, will it be another classic? I sure hope and can’t wait to watch it. 

NBA PLAYOFFS RECAP: 06/17/2021

Posted on by Titan Frey in Basketball, NBA, NBA Playoffs, Sports

Written by Titan Frey

  • NETS 89
  • BUCKS 104

The Brooklyn Nets would not get a dominant performance out of Kevin Durant on this night. That’s not to say Durant played badly because he didn’t. 

Durant finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds. He shot 15-30 from the field… not bad, but not as efficient as the previous game.

The Bucks on the other hand were dominant as a team from the very start. The Bucks never trailed in this game and Giannis Antetokounmpo got plenty of help.

The Greek Freak had a monster game with 30 points and 17 rebounds. But players like Khris stepped up in a big way. 

Middleton scored 38 while grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing out 5 assists, and coming up with 5 steals. 

Jrue Holiday also stepped up big with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. 

The series is now tied 3-3, so everyone’s favorite game, a game seven, will be played on Saturday, June 19th at 8:30 PM Eastern Standard Time. 

Who will win? Will Kyrie Irving be back? Will Giannis Antetokounmpo shrink under the pressure? These are some questions that will be answered after a great (I hope) game seven. 

NBA PLAYOFFS RECAP: 06/13/2021

Posted on by Titan Frey in Basketball, NBA, NBA Playoffs, Sports

Written by Titan Frey

  • NETS 96
  • BUCKS 107

The NBA injury bug has struck again and in a big way. With about six minutes to go in the second quarter, the Brooklyn Nets Kyrie Irving landed on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s foot.


Irving’s ankle turned hard as he landed on the Greek Freak’s foot. Irving grabbed his ankle and screamed in pain as the play continued down the other way.


After a timeout and after taking some extra time to lie on the floor, Irving gingerly walked off the court.


It was later reported that Irving suffered a right ankle sprain and would not return to the game. The big question is now: how long will Kyrie Irving be out?


With the chances of Irving missing the remainder of this series and possibly longer, if the Nets advance, the need for James Harden to return is extremely great. 


If everything has to fall on Kevin Durant, that could be bad news for the Nets, despite how great Durant is. 


You have to remember, this is still the first season Durant has been back since his terrible Achilles injury. If his workload has to be expanded, you’d hate to see what it might do to his body. 


So, having James Harden back in the lineup is crucial to the Nets success for the remainder of this series. But at the same time, you don’t want to rush Harden back if he’s not ready, or he could hurt himself even more. 


This series, which started out looking like it may end in a Nets sweep, is very much a REAL SERIES, and the Bucks have the advantage. 


For the Milwaukee Bucks, their star, Giannis Antetokounmpo had himself another great game. The Greek Freak had 34 points and 12 rebounds. 


The Bucks had great balance today, with four other players scoring in double figures besides Antetokounmpo. 


Plus, P. J. Tucker has played incredible defense on Kevin Durant. In game four, Durant scored 28 but only shot 9-25 from the field. 


To dive deeper into the stats and to realize how good Tucker’s defense has been on Durant, Tucker held Durant to 9 points on 25 percent shooting. 


Game five will be played on Tuesday, June 15th at a time yet to be determined. 

  • SUNS 125
  • NUGGETS 118

The Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets went through a straight battle in game four. 


There were hard fouls. Mid-range jumpers. Technical fouls. A windup and smack in the face… this game had it all, and it ended with the Phoenix Suns making it to their first conference finals in eleven years. 


The Nuggets may have the MVP (Nikola Jokić), but the Suns have the MVP of the series in Chris Paul. 


Chris Paul dominated with his patented mid-range jumper. He finished with 37 points while dishing out 7 assists… he’s truly the “Point God”, as they call him. 


Devin Booker also came up big for the Suns. He scored 34 while grabbing 11 rebounds. 


As I stated earlier, the Nuggets had the MVP, but they didn’t have him for the entire game. 


Late in the third quarter, Jokić slammed down after the ball in a forceful way. In the process of swinging his hand at the ball, he smacked Cameron Payne directly on the nose. 


This wind-up and swing by Jokić was enough for the referees to throw him out. It was determined to be a flagrant two foul. 


The other Nuggets battled hard the rest of the way, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the sweep. 


The Phoenix Suns will now have to wait to see who they play in the conference finals. Will it be the Utah Jazz? Or the Los Angeles Clippers? 


The Jazz and Clippers play tomorrow, June 14th at 10:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.