Warriors edge Rockets, take Game 1

Stephen Curry (left) shoots over Clint Capela of the Rockets

The Golden State Warriors proved once again why they are the best team in the league today, by taking down the streaking Houston Rockets, 110-106, in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. With this win, they take a 1-0 lead in the series, which has proven to be crucial in any playoff series.

Stephen Curry, the reigning MVP, was once again dominant in this game, scoring 34 points on an insane 13-of-22 clip from the field, including 6-of-11 from the three-point arc. He also dished out 5 assists and collected 6 rebounds. Shaun Livingston was exceptional for Golden State, scoring a career playoff-best 18 points off the bench, while Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green, scoring 15, 14, and 13 point, respectively.

Runner-up MVP James Harden, who was serenaded by the Oracle arena with chants of “over-rated”, silenced the home crowd with 28 points on an efficient 11-of-20 shooting, and also hovered on a triple-double with 11 rebounds and 9 assists. Trevor Ariza, the Rockets’ Game 7 hero, had 20 points, dealing his damage from beyond the arc, hitting 4 of his 5 shots from deep. Josh Smith, another one of Houston’s unsung heroes, had 17 points.

Interestingly, Houston had quite a large lead for the majority of the first half, leading 49-33 5 minutes into the second half, but then they were silenced after that. Golden State went on a massive 25-6 run, capped by a 20-foot step-back fade-away from none other than MVP himself, Curry. After the half, it was 58-55 for Golden State.

It was a close game after that, both teams going back-and-forth. They were trading blow after blow, like some sort of boxing match. Curry and Harden, the undisputed leaders for their teams, led their respective squads in the game, and at one particular point in the fourth quarter, the Bearded One found his rhythm. He made FIVE straight shots from inside the arc, at the expense of Thompson’s defense, heralded as one of the better perimeter defender. Despite that, Golden State kept building at a lead, and at the two-minute mark of the fourth, it was 108-99 for the Warriors. They have clinched Game 1.

James Harden (right) tries to lay it in against Festus

Ezeli

But Houston wouldn’t go down, not without a fight. Smith hit a lay-up to chop the lead to nine, then a turnover from Thompson and a missed shot from Curry in two consecutive possessions led to four consecutive free throws for Smith and Corey Brewer, both of which have struggled from the charity stripe. At 47 seconds, the lead was 108-103 for the Warriors. This was turning out to be a close match.

After a timeout from Steve Kerr, Green missed two straight point blank shots, and then turned it over straight to Ariza. In Houston’s offensive possession, Jason Terry passed it to Trevor Ariza, who hit a three-pointer. 108-106, Golden State. 16.1 seconds. This is still a game.

Terry, and then Harden, committed a foul to stop the clock. However, the person who they sent to the line was Curry, and he subsequently hit two free throws to seal the game for GSW.

The Warriors and Rockets will return to the Oracle Arena at Thursday (Friday PH Time) for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

East Finals preview: (1) Atlanta Hawks vs. (2) Cleveland Cavaliers

Season Series:

 

Date	Winning Team (Score)	Losing Team (Score)
November 15, 2014	Cleveland (127)	Atlanta (94)
December 17, 2014	Atlanta (127)	Cleveland (98)
December 30, 2014	Atlanta (109)	Cleveland (101)
March 6, 2015	Atlanta (106)	Cleveland (97)

Regular Season Leaders:

 

Statistic	Atlanta		Cleveland
Points per Game	Millsap, Paul	16.7	James, LeBron	25.3
Rebounds per Game	Millsap, Paul	7.8	Love, Kevin	9.7
Assists per Game	Teague, Jeff	7.0	James, LeBron	7.4
Steals per Game	Millsap, Paul	1.78	James, LeBron	1.58
Blocks per Game	Horford, Al	1.29	Thompson, Tristan	0.74

The first semi-final match-up of the 2015 NBA Playoffs is set, with two new faces this deep in the post-season lock horns for a chance to compete for the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy. Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to the Eastern Conference Finals, where the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks battle the #2 Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Road to the Conference Finals

 

It hasn’t been easy for the Atlanta Hawks this post-season. After notching the top spot after the regular season, they were expected to demolish the eight-seeded Brooklyn Nets. But Lionel Hollins and the Nets would have none of that, bringing the supposedly easy series to six games, before the Hawks finally eliminated Brooklyn from the playoffs.

At the East semifinals, they faced an upstart Washington squad, fresh from a sweeping of the Toronto Raptors, led by veteran Paul Pierce. Again, the Hawks failed to make quick work of the Wizards, largely due to the efforts of Pierce and point guard John Wall. However, Wall injured his wrist during Game 3 of the series, and despite being ruled out for the whole playoffs, he played at Game 5 and 6, playing a pivotal role in the Wizards offense and defense. However, Atlanta finished off Randy Wittman and the Wizards, thanks to big games from Al Horford, including a buzzer-beating put back in Game 5 to clinch the victory.

The same can be said for the Cleveland Cavaliers; however, their setbacks have some long-term effects on their post-season campaign. Despite cruising past a young but resilient Celtic squad, Kevin Love, Cleveland’s starting power forward, and a vital cog in the Cavalier offense, sustained a shoulder injury that ruled him out of the playoffs for good.

They went into the East semis with a huge hole at the 4 spot AND the shooting guard spot, due to a suspension. Despite that, they went toe to toe with the Bulls, who were inspired by the return of Derrick Rose to the post-season. However, a crucial injury to Pau Gasol late in the series gave the Cavaliers the edge, and to compound the Bulls’ woes, Rose had an injury during Game 6, a do-or-die for the said team. Cleveland eventually won; however, another star player was bitten by the injury bug. Kyrie Irving suffered an injury during the series, and he aggravated the injury during the Game 6 close-out match. He had to leave the game, and despite saying that he could play through the injury, there’s no knowing how much of the Kyrie Irving we saw in the playoffs will we see against the Hawks.

X-Factors:

 

Atlanta Hawks: DeMarre Carroll

 

As everyone would know, literally anyone on the Atlanta bench can contribute big time. Dennis Schroder? Sure he can. Mike Scott? Hell yes, he does! Kent Bazemore, Pero Antic, you name it, they got it. Mike Budenholzer’s system, largely patterned from the Spurs offensive and defensive schemes that Coach Bud’s accustomed to in his time as an assistant to Gregg Popovich, every member of the Hawks roster has a chance to do something for the team.

Because of this, it’s especially hard to find an X-Factor for this team. However, I’d have to give the honors to the least acknowledged starter of Atlanta, DeMarre Carroll, who has been playing big time for his team in the postseason.

Aside from his offensive contributions at the 2015 Playoffs (17.1 points per game this Playoffs, compared to 12.6 in the regular season), and the all-around hustle plays that he provides for the team, Carroll’s contribution in the Hawks roster is the defensive prowess he brings to the table, making him the primary perimeter defender of the team. He’s usually tasked to harass the opposing team’s ace player. The Hawks only give up barely 100 points while Carroll’s on the floor, which is a testimony to his skills in defending.

That brings me to why he’s the X-Factor in this series for Atlanta. He will most likely be tasked to defend Cleveland’s best player, which is none other than LeBron James, who has been on a tear the past few games. Stopping LeBron is key to stopping Cleveland’s offense as a whole, because with Irving dealing with an injury, and Love out for the season, it’s up to James to carry this squad. If Carroll can shut down or at least reduce James’ impact, while still providing the offense and the hustle he gave in this post-season, Atlanta has a great chance of advancing to the Finals for the first time in many years.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Matthew Dellavedova

 

As I have mentioned a while ago, Kyrie Irving is dealing with tendinitis in his leg, and though he says he can play through the injury, we won’t know how much of Uncle Drew will we see in this series, or if he’s able to play at a hundred percent. Because of that, it’s up to the reserves to fill in his shoes. Luckily for the Cavs, they have Matt Dellavedova.

The Australian rookie of Cleveland will have to step up his game against the Hawks, along with fellow backcourt players JR Smith and Iman Shumpert, but Dellavedova takes the X-Factor role because if ever Kyrie needs to take a rest, Delly’s number would be called to take over the starting spot. Also, since Irving will likely have limited minutes, Dellavedova would be probably called to take on Atlanta’s point guards, Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder, both of which are crucial to Atlanta’s offense.

If Matthew Dellavedova can have games such as his Game 6 performance against the Bulls, then David Blatt would be more than happy to rest Kyrie Irving for a longer period of time.

Match-up to Watch: LeBron James vs. DeMarre Carroll

 

This is one of the more interesting match-up in this Eastern Conference Finals, because, quite frankly, no one has been able to stop the King this playoffs. Jae Crowder hasn’t stopped him. Evan Turner failed. Jimmy Butler, who was expected to slow down LeBron, had a few bright spotss while guarding him, but ultimately he didn’t succeed in slowing down the King.

Can Carroll slow down James’ onslaught in this series, or will LeBron continue his rampage in this post-season? We’ll have to wait on that, but it would sure as hell be fun to watch.

Prediction: Atlanta in 7

Before the Playoffs, I have placed Cleveland as a surefire lock for the Eastern Finals, and I had no doubt that LeBron and the Cavs would make it to the Finals. Today, however, things have changed drastically for Cleveland. Kevin Love, a stretch forward who would have placed a great strain on the Hawks defense due to his long-range threat, is out for the season. Kyrie Irving, one of the primary offensive options of the Cavaliers with his accurate three-point stroke and a nifty ability to get to the hoop, won’t be playing at a hundred percent.

Atlanta, on the other hand, has never been this healthy this deep in the post-season. Everyone’s playing at full capacity. Al Horford, who the Hawks have missed during their last trip to the Playoffs, is healthy and making the big plays for this Hawks squad. Add to that the Spurs-like offense which gives balanced minutes, and you have a title contender. It’s hard to imagine this version of the Atlanta Hawks missing out on the train to the Finals.

James and the Cavaliers would make it hard for Atlanta, but the balanced attack of the Hawks would eventually edge out Cleveland for a spot at the Finals. (GS)

Best position around the league?

Ah, how time flies in basketball.

Just last decade, the NBA was dominated by the big men, like Shaquille o'Neal and Tim Duncan. Play was slow, highly dependent on the guys under the paint. Today, however, is a different story. Most teams play uptempo basketball, trying to run the floor every time they can.

But what has happened to the center position, or all the other positions in basketball? Surely, the meta, or the traditional line-up, as called in MOBA games, has changed around the league. After all, large men like Shaq can't run for 36-40 minutes per game.

Evidently, the strongest position in the league today is at the point guard position. Bannered by MVP frontrunner Stephen Curry, the 1 is easily the hardest position to guard in the league. Every championship contender must have an elite point guard to win (an exception might be the LBJ-led Miami Heat, who was without an All-Star caliber PG. Sorry, Mario Chalmers). Golden State obviously houses Curry, while the defending champs, the Spurs, have All-Star Tony Parker. In the East, the top 3 teams today, the Hawks, the Raps, and the Wizards, have star-talent floor generals in Jeff Teague, Kyle Lowry, and John Wall, in that order.

Checking the statistics, however, we see that most floor generals do not show off in the statistical aspect of the league, particularly in the Player Efficiency Rating of the NBA. Of the top 20 players in the league in terms of PER, only three point guards enter the list:  Oklahoma City's electric PG Russell Westbrook , Curry and Los Angeles Clipper Chris Paul. A lot of other point guards missed this list, such as Kyrie Irving, Derrick Rose, amongst others.

The other guard position, the shooting guard, isn't much better, with only one player reaching the top 20: Houston Rockets guard James Harden (#4). Not even Golden State sharpshooter Klay Thompson, or emerging Chicago Bull Jimmy Butler made the list.

However, while not as stacked as the previous position, the 2 is still quite strong, aside from the men mentioned above. Current Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic was an NBA Third Team member, while perennial Sixth Man contender Jamal Crawford (a.k.a J. Crossover) has been a steady source of output for the fluctuating Clippers. And let's not forget the greatest SG to play in this era, Kobe Bryant, who's standing at #3 in the all-time scoring list, surpassing Michael Jordan this season.

To the frontcourt we go! The small forward position might as well be the most famous around the league, and its a no-brainer why. The three houses the elite players of the league in LeBron James of Cleveland, and Kevin Durant of Oklahoma. However, these two, including another elite in Carmelo Anthony, are the only ones who have crashed the top 20 in PER ratings. That is because despite the presence of top-tier players in this position, the small forward is not really stacked. The other notables around this position are Utah Jazz star Gordon Hayward, and Spurs defensive ace Kawhi Leonard.

The power forward position might be the the most efficient position in the league today, and with good reason. Most of these big men take high-percentage shots (an exception might be Portland big man LaMarcus Aldridge, who relies on an nasty outside jumpshot to get points. How he does it, I don't know), which lead to higher field goal percentages and high PER ratings. Seven of the top 20 in PER all play the 4 spot usually. Leading the power forwards, and practically everyone in the league today, is New Orleans star Anthony Davis. Other members are Aldridge, high-flyer Blake Griffin, Pau Gasol, Utah Jazz stalwart Derrick Favors, DPOY candidate Tim Duncan, and Brandan Wright.

A lot of people tend to say that the center position is currently the weakest in the NBA. Without a bunch of All-Star centers in the league today, the 5 has obviously declined from its former glory. However, a resurgence of centers has emerged today, with Miami Heat stalwart Hassan Whiteside leading the way for these big men. Other centers who emerged at the top 20 are Nikola Vuvecic of the Orlando Magic, emerging big man DeMarcus Cousins of Sacramento, Memphis big man Marc Gasol, Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks, and another emerging star in Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz.

To be fair, every position has its own stars. However, some positions just tend to be deeper (i.e point guard spot), while others just have a bevy of All-Stars at the top, but are really shallow (small forwards, say hi!). --GS--

Dissecting the NBA Title Contenders: Atlanta Hawks

The halfway point of the NBA regular season has come and pass, and yet we are still at a crossroads on many things.

The MVP plum is still up for grabs, with James Harden and Stephen Curry leading the fray. Both conference's playoff picture is not yet complete, as Oklahoma, Phoenix and New Orleans still fighting for the last playoff spot in the West, while Miami, Brooklyn, Detroit (surprise!), and Charlotte, contest for the last two spots in the East playoffs.

However, just one look in the playoff pictures show the upper echelon teams. These are the title contenders. These teams are in the playoffs because of skill, and have a legitimate shot at the Larry O' Brien trophy.

Grab your lab coats everyone, as we will dissect every team that qualifies as a title contender, starting with the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks.

The Spurs of the East?

Everyone who has been watching the NBA for at least 2 years is very well acquainted with the Spursian basketball technique. The ball-movement heavy offense that stretched defenses thin. This passing always leads to easy baskets, which in turn creates an insane shooting clip. The defense that gives up offensive rebounds to prevent transition baskets. The uber-unpredictable rotations that keep players fresh for the end-game.

Well, the Spurs brand of basketball has reached the East, in the form of Mike Budenholzer and the Atlanta Hawks, who have soared (pun intended) to the top spot of the said conference.

Budenholzer, who left San Antonio for a coaching gig in Atlanta in 2013, has introduced the Popovich-esque offense and defense for the Hawks, and has worked wonders since. After falling in seven games to the top-seeded Indiana Pacers in the 2014 Playoffs, the Hawks have catapulted to a 32-8 record after a so-so start (5-5).

As of writing time, Atlanta leads the league in Assist% with 67.9% of their shots being assisted. Their defense is not too shabby either, allowing only 99.7 points per 100 possessions, good for fifth in the league. Scoring-wise, they score 106.9 points per 100 possessions, which ranks sixth in the league.

No superstar? No problem!

One particular difference that can be seen for this Hawks squad is the lack of an alpha dog. The Chicago Bulls lean on Derrick Rose. Washington has John Wall. Kyle Lowry calls Toronto his home. The Dubs house Stephen Curry. 

Atlanta? They don't really have an alpha in their squad. Jeff Teague can be considered a leader for this squad, but the same can be said for center Al Horford. One can say the Kyle Korver definitely is the face of this squad, due to his Korver-like three-point shooting, but another could argue with the stat-stuffing big man in Paul Millsap.

While this might be a bane for other squads, this is perfectly fine for the Hawks. In fact, five different players score in double-digits every game (all four players mentioned, plus swingman DeMarre Carroll), which, coincidentally, is their starting lineup.

This unpredictability gives Atlanta the element of surprise. Except for Korver and his shooting (that can't be stopped, let's face it), opposing teams are left guessing who will break out this game. When ALL of the starting five catches fire, you better prepare for a blowout of epic proportions.

X-Factor: Paul Millsap

When we talk about Hawks basketball, the name Paul Millsap does not really come up, which may be caused by his teammates overshadowing his efforts. After all, who does not like watching Teague confuse his defenders with his nasty hesitations? Who does not like a lights-out shooting barrage from Korver? Who doesn't like watching Horford dominate the frontline or the perimeter?

However, Millsap truly stands out because of his energy and stat-stuffing games. MIllsap is second in the team on points per game, leads the Hawks in rebounding (despite having a dominant big man in Al Horford), steals (tied with Jeff Teague), and second on blocks. All of this while also pacing his team in minutes per game.

What makes this impressive, though, is that Millsap only has a 23.5 usage rate, which means that 23.5% of Atlanta's offensive plays run through him. This number is fourth on the team, with Dennis Schroeder (25.9), Teague (24.8), and Mike Scott (23.6) above him.

Without Millsap and his nightly efforts, Atlanta may not be high above the notoriously weak Eastern Conference.

[PBA PH CUP] Pringle-led GlobalPort dispatches Barako Bull

This time, there were no breakdowns.

GlobalPort, banking on the brillant quarterbacking of top rookie Stanley Pringle, made sure that no fourth-quarter meltdowns will occur, en route to a resounding 91-81 win during the 2014-15 PBA Philippine Cup.

Pringle, the first overall pick in the 2014 PBA Draft, showed everyone why he is the top rookie, compiling 19 points, 8 rebounds, four on the offensive end, and two assists. Alex Cabagnot led the Batang Pier with a near double-double of 21 points and nine boards, along with four assists. Yancy de Ocampo and Mark Isip, two newly acquired big men for the team, also contributed fairly, scoring 12 markers apiece.

With this win, Pido Jarencio of the Batang Pier may have another lease on his coaching life, after dropping a 101-96 heartbreaker against the NLEX Road Warriors, despite leading after the end of three quarters.

Meanwhile, Barako Bull falls to the cellar, after similarly losing a double-overtime contest against Meralco, 112-108, in their opening game. Burly guard Denok Miranda led the charge for the Energy with 16 points, while RR Garcia, who was with GlobalPort two conferences ago, and Dave Marcelo both had 12 points. (GS)

The scores:

GLOBALPORT 91 – Cabagnot 21, Pringle 19, Isip 12, De Ocampo 12, Romeo 9, Jensen 7, Bacalao 6, Semerad 5, Taha 0, Buenafe 0, Duncil 0, Ponferada 0, Nabong 0.

BARAKO BULL 81 – Miranda 16, Garcia 12, Marcelo 12, Fortuna 10, Intal 8, Lastimosa 6, Salva 5, Pascual 5, Lanete 5, Wilson 2, Salvador 0, Paredes 0, Pennisi 0.

Quarterscores: 25-21, 48-47, 74-67, 91-81

[VIDEO] Eric Bledsoe sends defender shaking to the stands

We know Eric Bledsoe of the Phoenix Suns can rattle defenders pretty well. We didn't know he could send them to the crowd.

On a preseason game at the Staples Center, the "mini-LeBron" of the Desert showed off his handles. After crossing over Jared Cunningham, Bledsoe immediately does a hesitation move, leaving poor Jared crashing to the cameraman. He, however missed the three-point attempt that followed.

Personally, I think Jared was extremely lucky that the camera-man was there, or else we would see him stumbling to the other side of America. Also, this is a PRE-SEASON GAME. Only a basketball-crazy fan will watch an offseason game, much less the second half of that game.(GS)

[INJURY] Ian Sangalang latest victim of the injury bug

Looks like Purefoods' title defense will get a little bit harder.

Purefoods' sophomore big man Ian Sangalang suffered a devastating injury in his right in the 73-93 Star Hotshot defeat against Alaska.

Sangalang awkwardly landed on his right foot after a rebounding battle against Sam Eman. After grimacing in pain on the floor for a few minutes, he got up, shot (and missed) both charities, and limped back on defense. He was substituted afterwards, and immediately went straight to the locker room to get checked on.

Initial readings of the big man's MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) showed two partial tears in the ACL, the same ligament that Derrick Rose tore in 2011, and the MCL, another crucial ligament of the knee .He would have to undergo surgery, and will be sidelined for five to eight months.

“Bad break. First game of the season and he’s out. I have to talk to coach Tim (Cone). Do we need to cut short Ping’s (Marc Pingris’) vacation now. Kung sa akin, ayoko. Ping deserves that vacation.” Purefoods' top official Rene Pardo stated.

With a Grand Slam under their belt, the Star Hotshots have a target behind them. And this latest injury seems to widen the bulls-eye on that target. (GS)