BEWARE: Lebron James Will BREAK RECORDS This Season... Heat Check 2024-10-22 | BEWARE: Lebron James Will BREAK RECORDS This Season...
29 Minutes Of PURE CHAOS From The 2024 NBA Season Heat Check 2024-06-20 | T-Shirts: heat-check-shop.fourthwall.com
THIS Is What Winning At All Costs Means... Heat Check 2024-06-18 | T-Shirt: heat-check-shop.fourthwall.comRateGame Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rategamemobile&pcampaignid=web_shareRateGame iOS: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8
They Woke Up The DEMONS Inside Of Luka... Heat Check 2024-06-15 | T-Shirts: heat-check-shop.fourthwall.comRateGame Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rategamemobile&pcampaignid=web_shareRateGame iOS: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8Luka Doncic woke up his demons and gave us the iconic look which meant that he was about to go god mode. Do you see the pattern here in the first quarter? Every single one of these buckets are inside. Luka decided that he wasn’t going to be stopped and proceeded to walk his way to the paint possession after possession.And this was evident when he basically bulldozed through the defensive master Jrue Holiday.And it wasn’t just him, Kyrie also attacked the Celtics with all he had, unloading every weapon on them as he previously announced.And he did just that.In fact the entire Mavs team as well. The first quarter looked like a layup line for Dallas, and some of it was their do or die mentality, but some of it was Boston allowing it.Where is Tatum on the blockout here, how does Green fly in so easily in between the defense?And when you give this team the confidence, then crazy things start to happen…Derick Lively all of a sudden turns into a sniper for his first career three pointer. And don’t be surprised because he’s practicing that shot.And just moments later his bread and butter…As great as they started out on offense, the real shocker came on the defensive end.This is championship level of defense, an effort overall. Heck, even Doncic was sliding his feet, and contesting shots looking like a defensive stopper on the court. So in the second, things really escalated out of control…Again, they got anything they wanted, but the defensive intensity was wild.The Mavs limited Boston to a staggering 3 for 16 shooting. 3 field goals for the entire quarter is absolutely astonishing.And Dallas ended the half with the exclamation point…This 26 point lead at the break ended up being the fourth largest halftime lead in NBA finals history, and allowing just 35 points is insane.If the Celtics hoped to come back and seal the deal in this game, they had to go all out in the second half. But instead, the complete opposite happened, as Dallas continued to dominate.Jrue Holiday, who did not have a single turnover in the finals, all of a sudden now lost the ball 3 times in the quarter, and Luka caused all of them. So then…The crowd absolutely explodes and of course Dirk is loving it.A 36 point lead at the end of the third quarter is pretty much game over, only thing is, the game was far from having a boring end to it. Let me explain.With both teams emptying their benches to start the fourth quarter, that meant that Tim Hardaway Jr had the neon green light to do whatever he wanted for a whole 12 minutes.And he let it fly…In a completely chaotic sequence, this guy buried 5 three pointers in just 2 and a half minutes, sending the crowd into a frenzy, with poor Dirk being the only guy who couldn’t enjoy the show as he was giving a meaningless interview to ESPN to fill in the broadcast in a blowout game.And despite it being a 38 point debacle, I enjoyed this game and gave it a decent 5.6 rating on rategame, the app that I’m a part of where we rate and review sports games. We got the MLB now, and will have every major sport coming up. So download the app from the link in the description and join me in rating these games.The Mavs got their confidence back, and game 5 is going to be a bloodbath. But Jaylen Brown has a secret move in his back pocket that is borderline illegal, and he could unload it on the Mavs to get to the championship.You gotta check out the full breakdown of that, right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
THIS Was The Nail In The COFFIN For Dallas... Heat Check 2024-06-13 | T-Shirts: heat-check-shop.fourthwall.comIn a must win situation at home, Dallas desperately needed Kyrie to wake up from the 2 game slump he’s been in... And he knew that as well, as he was the lone player in the arena taking shots 3 hours before the game. I guess that made a difference because..Irving and Doncic led the Mavs to a furious opening in the 1st quarter, as they hit 11 of their first 15 shots, most of them in the paint, looking like they were scoring at will. And the crowd exploded when the Mavs went up by 13.You could feel the buzz, this felt like one of those Dallas games where they blow the opponent right away in the 1st half. But the Celtics weren’t gonna surrender that easily, and they responded with an 18 to 6 run in the final 4 and half minutes of the quarter, making some huge plays on both ends of the court. And just like that, on this great pass by White, Tatum makes it a 1 point game.It was obvious that the Mavs wanted to attack inside way more, now that Boston’s best rim protector in Kristaps Porzingis wasn’t playing.And we saw a lot of drives inside, but a lot of misses as well. The Celtics fought great to minimize the effect from the absence of their big man.The second quarter was a true war with both teams having to fight for every point. At times it looked ugly, but this is the finals, with one time having their back against the wall, I expect this type of a dog fight. Absolutely nothing should come easy.I guess the only guy that did not have problems with the tight defense in the second was Kyrie Irving…This phenomenal shotmaking fired up the crowd, but couldn’t provide any cushion for Dallas as they went to the break only up by 1.Thing is, Boston’s defensive intensity continued in the third quarter as well, forcing the Mavs to earn every single point. Even on the rare occasion when they did have a clean look Dallas was unable to convert it, shooting only 8 for 21 in the quarter. So you know that this Celtics team would look to punish that, and boy did they ever…Boston smells blood and they go for it. The same penetrate and kick game that’s been working to perfection for them, the same aggressiveness attacking the paint, and everyone contributing in this blazing hot quarter for them shooting 65% from the field.This became a double digit lead in the blink of an eye, and now the pressure was really on Dallas, as it looked like things were slipping away from them, especially at the end of the third, with Boston finishing the quarter with the exclamation point.Down by 15 after 3, this is a do or die situation for the Mavs, and if they were going to come back they needed to have a hot start.But the complete opposite happened, and this looked like game over…A 21 point game at 4:25 in the morning on my end, so I think about turning off the TV and getting some sleep. I’m glad I didn’t do that because what followed was an avalanche by the Mavericks. Wooow they are right back in this thing, and it gets even better when Holiday fouls Kyrie on the three point shot, and Irving knocks down all of them to make this only a 3 point game. Now it’s crazy and all of a sudden, the intensity goes through the roof, and neither team can score for a while.This is where things start to get dicey for Dallas, as Luka commits his 5th foul fighting against Jaylen Brown. And he really needs to be careful now. But just moments later this happens…What a huge blow. They challenge the call desperately hoping for an overturn but that didn’t happen and the Mavs were left fighting for their championship dream without their main guy.But they would keep fighting.2 point game, all they need now is just 1 stop and Dallas would have a chance to tie or take the lead.What a colossal shot by Jaylen Brown to keep the Mavs at distance, and in the closing seconds they couldn’t hit the clutch shot on 2 separate occasions so the Celtics survive and now have a commanding 3-0 lead just 1 step away from finally winning the championship after coming up short so many times these past few seasons.Everything will be forgotten, all the narratives about them choking in the big moments, or settling for threes, or their 2 main guys not being able to coexist, all of that will be gone if they’re able to win just 1 more game. The same way that all the criticism was erased for Dirk about him being a bit soft, or for Kobe when nobody could say that he couldn’t win without Shaq. All they need now is just 1 more. And with rumors that Porzingis could return, things could look similar to game 2 when Boston completely outplayed Dallas, so you gotta check out the full breakdown of that, right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
THIS Was DEMORALIZING For Luka And The Mavs... Heat Check 2024-06-10 | RateGame Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rategamemobile&pcampaignid=web_shareRateGame iOS: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8Jason Kidd pulled a dirty little trick before game 2 to divide the Celtics deadly duo.If the egos got in the way for Tatum and Brown and they started shooting to show who’s better, instead of trying to win the game, that could be a problem for Boston, and an opportunity for Dallas.Following game 1 blowout, the Mavs knew they had to come out aggressive from the start.And despite looking like this just minutes before the game, Luka Doncic started cooking in the 1st quarter.When you see him hopping on one leg and talking trash to the crowd in the first row, you know it’s going to be a rough night for the defense.Doncic and Irving combined for 21 points in the first on 9 of 12 shooting, that’s brilliant efficiency. And on the other end, Boston couldn’t hit anything from long range as they missed their first 8 3pt attempts. But right away it was evident that Boston’s missed shots were good open looks off of the dribble penetration while Dallas, despite starting out blazing hot, their shots were all tough. So right away you could get an idea for how this one was going to go.And despite not being able to convert from downtown, the Celtics were assertive and attacked the paint. Porzingis continued to cause troubles for the Mavs defense in this one as well, as it looks like no one is even tall enough to contest his shots.And when they weren’t getting buckets, they got fouls, and were a perfect 10/10 from the free throw line in the first period. Talking about perfect, the Celtics played near perfect on the defensive end as well because..And it was till the very end of the 1st quarter when Al Horford finally ended the drought from distance, making this a 3 point game.And it was a similar story in the second, as Luka did everything he could to carry the Mavs and keep them in this game, both with his incredible shotmaking, and some magic on the assists as well. But meanwhile, Kyrie was completely shut down. Just look at how tough all of these shots look. The Celtics defenders were all up in his grill. Make or miss, Kyrie had to work hard to even get a shot off, and this was his only make on 5 attempts in the quarter.Dallas’s buckets looked random and without a real plan or consistency. But watch how easy things looked for Boston on the other end…This is the Celtics way. Just a beautiful display of basketball. And it’s dead simple. Either penetrate and finish, or penetrate and kick out for an open three pointer. There is a clear pattern here of the home team getting to the paint at will. The shot chart is a clear indicator of that. Look at this, everything is inside. Dallas just could not contain the penetration so watch how easy and routinely it looks for Boston.And this is just a perfect example of their offense.Despite all of this, it’s only a 3 point game at half time and to be quite honest I have no idea how Dallas even stayed in the game and why this wasn’t a double digit lead for Boston.As it turns out, I would get my answers soon because…I don’t think I’ve seen Luka being in a position so desperate that he has to just throw this pass out without a real idea. Unbelievable.And it was a familiar sight on offense as well, with Boston having their way and getting to the rim at will, but what’s funny is that despite getting a ton of open looks, Boston shot a horrific 3 for 15 from downtown in the third. They were a combined 6 for 30 in these 3 quarters. 6 for 30. This was Dallas’s best chance of winning, the Celtics will never shoot as badly as this. And still, they had total control of the game led by their suffocating defense.Then, to top things off, Payton Pritchard made the crowd explode…It was obvious that the Mavs didn’t seem to have an answer for Boston, and they couldn’t even pass half court here watch this:Wooow they really put Dallas in jail. Just an incredible defensive intensity. And this looked like the final nail in the coffin for the Mavs. A 14 point game with 3 and a half minutes to go in a game like this, has to be a done deal.Only thing is, it wasn’t as Luka and company started to chip away at the deficit.All of a sudden it’s only a 5 point game, if Dallas gets a stop, things could really escalate. And they did…What a wild sequence. But this push in the back is a clear foul to me, this had to be called. Maaan, this could have been a dramatic finish, but instead the Celtics seal the deal in a game that was not even supposed to be a single digit win.I gave this one a 7.1 on rate game, the app where we rate and review each game. And I was dead on with your opinion.Join us on android or ios, the link is in the description.
The Mavs Had NO CLUE What HIT Them... Heat Check 2024-06-07 | RateGame Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rategamemobile&pcampaignid=web_shareRateGame iOS: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8Dallas had no idea that this was waiting for them in the finals. Stifling defense at every single position on the court. Then, the X factor, Kristaps Porzingis absolutely killing the Mavs on both ends of the court.And it all started with him in the 1st quarter.Porzingis was on a mission to punish the matchups. Too big for Hardy as if he’s shooting over a chair.And because of his 3 point threat, Lively has to come out way outside, far beyond his rim protecting area. And Kristaps shows that he’s too fast for him because…The Mavs struggled to find the right matchup for him as Josh Green was also too small for him, and things really escalated towards the end of the quarter…Thing is, as much as he provided a boost offensively, his impact might have been even bigger on the defensive end, opening up easy transition opportunities for Boston. And then, this was just spectacular…The length of Porzingis was a huge problem for Dallas and he was able to contest and impact a lot of shots forcing a 9 for 24 quarter for Dallas.Even when Luka and Kyrie scored, everything looked extremely difficult. So by the end of the 1st quarter Boston had a 17 point lead which was the largest 1st quarter lead in NBA finals history.Things only got worse for Dallas when Jaylen Brown decided that it was his turn to attack the paint, leading to this… In the meantime, Derick Jones tried his luck on Porzingis, but it was the same old story with him raising up and knocking it down.Kristaps continued his shooting over the smaller defenders, destroying Dallas from mid range.And he made the arena explode with this long range bomb…28 point lead and it’s madness in Boston.Now, throughout all this time, there’s no mention of Tatum, finishing the half with only 8 points. But he made the right plays attacking the basket and with the defense collapsing inside, he kicks it out to the shooter for the wide open three.Or passing up a good look for a great look in the corner and another 3. And this is not even an assist, but so important. Tatum recognizes the double team is coming and quickly reacts, as we get the swing swing into another open shot and another 3.But he is a superstar after all so he gave us this…A 21 point lead at halftime and a big mountain to climb for the Mavs, but in the third they started to chip away at the deficit, with Kyrie finally stringing together a few buckets, and of course Luka leading the way.And things got scary for Celtics fans when this happened…Wooow, the Mavs claw their way back from down by 29, and all of a sudden it’s an 8 point game. Now it’s on, the Celtics call a timeout, and how they respond out of it will be crucial for this game.And boy, they responded with a furious run…Unbelievable, just like that the lead is back up to 22 in the blink of an eye.A true champion caliber response to pressure, keeping Dallas at distance going into the 4th.If the Mavs were going to make another push for a comeback, they needed to act fast and string together another run at the beginning of the quarter.But instead, we got this…And this was the nail in the coffin for Dallas in game 1. With both teams subbing out their main guys, this was the signal that Boston secured game 1 at home.If you’re a real knowledgeable NBA fan, the finals are the perfect time to join our community on rategame, to rate and review each one of this series. Game 1 was only a 5.2 for me, similar to what you guys had. And I agree with Wisconsin Badgers, the Celtics three point shooting could be a problem, they fired away 42 of them on 38% in this one.So download the app on iphone or android from the link in the description.Even before the finals started, I warned Dallas fans of a move that Jaylen Brown is exploiting, that many think is illegal. He could hit the Mavs with it at any moment, so you gotta check out exactly what it is right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
Jaylen Brown’s “ILLEGAL” Move Could Be A Problem For Dallas… Heat Check 2024-06-05 | T-Shirts: heat-check-shop.fourthwall.comHold on, this gotta be a travel. Brown is clearly lifting his pivot foot and almost walking his way to the basket. (REPRIZA VHS FILLER)Well, not only is it legal, but Jaylen has been exploiting this loophole throughout the entire playoffs, and Dallas should be aware of this for the finals. But how is this legal? What does the NBA say about it?Well that’s interesting. So, when you’re pivoting, you can eventually lift your pivot foot but only if you pass or shoot before it comes down again.And this is nothing new, NBA players have been doing this for decades.Melo was doing it 15 years ago, and look at Kobe here. Despite the fact that he does it quicker and smoother, he still lifts his pivot foot for the finish.And speaking of smooth, you know who’s the king of this.You can see they all do the same, but with Brown it’s exaggerated and he takes a huge step, so it looks awkward and makes us think that it’s a travel.But he’s made the step through a part of his game, and actively works on it at practice. He got KG with it, and Pierce loved it.Brown even got Luka with it this season, even tho it wasn’t the full version of the move.Now speaking of moves on Luka, this was the real deal.These 2 will have their battles and it’s only a matter of time until we see the dark side of Luka once again, the same way he showed it right here, so you gotta check out this video. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
The DARK SIDE Of Luka Doncic Is Showing Again… Heat Check 2024-05-31 | T-Shirts: heat-check-shop.fourthwall.comRateGame Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rategamemobile&pcampaignid=web_shareRateGame iOS: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8In a game that was supposed to be infinitely tough to win, Luka went dark mode and decided to eviscerate the Minnesota Timberwolves in a similar way to how he traumatized the Phoenix Suns 2 years ago.And boy, he did just that.Long range bombs from way downtown, the stepback into a mid range swish, or a floater inside the paint, Doncic unlocked every possible shot in his bag to punish the poor defenders who were hanging on for dear life.Dude exploded for 20 points on 72% from the field as it was obvious that he had a mission to finally put an end to this.Just look at how silly the defense looks jumping up and down all around him, as Luka walks his way inside and floats it up to Lively for the jam. This is too easy. (LIVELY LOB FILLER)And when Minnesota trapped him to get the ball out of his hands, Dallas used the 4 on 3 advantage.A 16 point lead at the end of the first quarter. If the Timberwolves wanted to stay alive in this one, they knew they needed to go all out right now.Only thing is, it was Kyrie’s turn in the second.15 points on 5 for 5 in the quarter, and this is just toying with the opposition. A long 2 off the glass, as if he’s on the practice court.And defensively the Mavs defense made things extremely difficult for the Timberwolves.Make or miss, they had to work hard to even get off a shot. And on the contrary, Dallas did everything they wanted offensively, so by half time the lead ballooned to a staggering 29 points.This looked awfully similar to that catastrophic loss for the Suns 2 years ago where Luka came in on their home floor and absolutely destroyed them.He’s becoming a master of demoralizing the opponent in an elimination game on the road, as he and his team continued to pour it on, on the Timberwolves in the second half as well.A lead that was as big as 36 at one point, never fell lower than 26. In a shocking turn of events, Luka kept making shots and kept talking trash to the entire arena, every chance he got.So, with the Magic Johnson trophy in his hands, he leads the Mavs to the NBA finals for a showdown against the Boston Celtics.
The Night When Anthony Edwards TOOK IT PERSONALLY... Heat Check 2024-05-29 | RateGame Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rategamemobile&pcampaignid=web_shareRateGame iOS: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8In true MJ fashion, Anthony Edwards took it personally, and he came out firing in game 4. ANT wasn’t gonna let his team get swept, as he scored 14 points in the 1st quarter, leading the T-Wolves to a 7 point lead.For the home team, the main guys were struggling shooting the ball in the 1st half. Luka and Kyrie combined for only 6 of 21, that’s just 28.5%. Doncic however, kept shooting and got to his 17 points for the half, but Irving was non-existent during this period.Luckily for them, the role players showed up, and it was Derrick Jones Jr. and Dante Exum in the 2nd quarter that benefited the most out of the attention on Luka and Kai. For Minnesota, Mike Conley pulled the right strings to keep his team intact, scoring 11 points in the quarter as it looked like the Mavs were giving him way too much space to operate. So going into the break we had a tie game.In the 3rd quarter, KAT finally woke up, after breaking some infamous records in this series going 17/57 from the field that’s 29.8% and 3/22 from 3PT range 13.6% which is the lowest mark in playoffs history. But in this period, he went 4 for 4 from the field, finally playing like he’s supposed to. But it wasn’t all good news as he picked up his 4th and 5th foul, which limited his minutes throughout the entire game.On the other end, with the focus being on Doncic and Irving, they didn’t improve on their slow start, however they managed to put their teammates in good positions to score. Jaden Hardy stepped up out of nowhere looking extremely confident. He even went right at Edwards.But Ant had the final word in the quarter.With Minnesota clearly not going anywhere, we were in for another wild finish in the fourth.And that was exactly the case as Luka and Derrick Jones made the arena explode.With the danger of losing this series looming over, the Timberwolves needed somebody to step up, and it was Karl Towns, with some colossal shots from downtown.And when Edwards knocked this one down, Minnesota felt that they could finally exhale securing this win. But the chaos continues as first Luka gets fouled shooting a three, and he knocks down all of them, so then…Wooow the Mavs are right back in it, and all they need now is 1 more stop.Ant with the dagger, to get it up by 5 again, and Kyrie turns it over forcing Dallas to foul, so Conley goes to the line, and now it’s finally over right?Wel…This is chaos, unbelievable shot by Luka there’s still hope for the Mavs, especially if he knocks down the free throw, they play the foul game. Buuut he misses it. Wooow.The chances fell down again, and became impossible after this great execution out of the time out by Minnesota to seal the deal, and secure another game back home for them.You know that I rate and review each game on rategame- the app that I’m a part of. We’re having so much fun in our growing community, and now we got an android app as well. Check it out in the description below, the first 100 sign ups on android will get a cool early adopter badge. And I will pick 5 random users and send a T-shirt from my merch line.See you on rate game. I’m glad that this series gets another game as I’m enjoying watching these thriller endings, and yesterday there was a wild one in Indiana as well. You gotta check out the chaos in the end of that one right here in this video. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
Well...THIS Was A STAGGERING Way To End It... Heat Check 2024-05-28 | RateGame Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rategamemobile&pcampaignid=web_shareRateGame iOS: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8Game 4 was heated, and we witnessed another thriller ending. As we dive into it, here’s a big announcement. You asked for it, and we made it possible. Rate game is finally on android, so after this video, download the app from the link in the description and join us in rating these games.The Pacers came out ready to fight with all they got left, even with their superstar on the sidelines. Thing is, the Celtics came out ready to close things out early, led by a hot start by Jrue Holiday and some Jayson Tatum magic.However, Tatum had to work on the defensive end as well, as Siakam punished Boston with some beautiful midrange shots. In fact, he came into game 4 shooting a blistering 62% on midranges, this is automatic for him.And Andrew Nembhard started out blazing hot once again, following his career high in game 3.He punished the Celtics in all kinds of ways. Pull up jumpers, catch and shoot threes were money as well, and he took it all the way to the rim as well.And he closed out the half, in the best possible way.The Pacers started the third in a similar way to how they closed out the half.So in a back and forth battle in this period, it was Jaylen Brown who kept Boston afloat, as the only aggressive Celtic looking to attack.His teammates started to settle for the three, and could not hit it, as Boston shot just 2 for 12 during this stretch.But this was a top 3 defensive team of the season, so the tough defense kept Indiana from making a big run.So, with 15 lead changes, and neither team being able to pull away, we could see another thriller ending taking place. And in a do or die situation, this guy started to take over again.Everything seemed to be going the Pacers' way, and with Nesmith attacking as well, this became an 8 point lead with less than 6 minutes to go. The crowd explodes and the win is so close that they could feel it. But then, the unthinkable…Wooow this is a team with championship aspirations, responding when it matters the most. And just like that it’s tie game.For the next 2 full minutes, the court became a battlefield, and no team was willing to give up a bucket, as we saw fight for every ball, contesting every shot and doing everything it takes to get the win.Which set the stage for this…Unbelievable! The great penetration by Brown forcing the issue, and then the kick out to White for yet another huge shot from him in this playoff run.Indiana has to score now, and the ball is in Nembhard’s hands steps back aaand misses, but there’s still time left on the clock, and the Pacers choose not to foul hoping for 1 more chance to tie this game. Buuut…The Celtics are headed to their 2nd NBA final in three years after completing the sweep that actually gave us 3 nail biter games.You already know that I’m rating every single one of these playoff games on RateGame- the app that I’m a part of, and I gave this one a 9.3 for the wild pendulum swings every possession all the way to the end.You got links for both the Android version as I mentioned, as well as the iOS, down in the description. Download it and join our community in rating and reviewing these games. Back to the celebration and the awards, as we saw Jaylen Brown get the MVP of the conference finals.Brown deserved to win this award especially after we saw what happens when you make him mad. You gotta check out this video and see what he did. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
When Jaylen Brown Gets MAD...THIS Happens Heat Check 2024-05-24 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8Boston knew that they had to come out strong in this one if they wanted to avoid another nail biter that took place in game 1. So in the second quarter Boston came out furiously, playing some bone crushing defense, not giving anything easy to Indiana while attacking the rim on the other end. The Celtics went on a 17-0 run to start the 2nd quarter, playing with great energy, not forcing anything, sharing the ball and always looking for the best possible shot.Jaylen Brown was ultra aggressive in this game, as he used every mismatch he got against smaller guards to bully his way inside, resulting in a bucket or a foul.At times it looked like the big brother was playing against his little brother.Just look at this possession, first we got Horford grabbing the offensive rebound after his miss, and then on the 3PT shot by Hauser, Jaylen sneaks in between 3 Pacers for another offensive rebound and the putback layup.But it was the smothering defense of the Celtics in this time span that really sparked this run, as they forced Indiana to shoot 0 for 8 at the start of the 2nd quarter. (HALI 3KA 7:37 filer)The Pacers went an entire 6 minutes without scoring a single field goal, with Nesmith finally breaking the drought with this 3 pointer.With things developing as they did, this had the potential of being a 30 point blowout.But in a stunning turn of events, the Pacers rebounded from this 6 minute debacle and started making a run of their own towards the end of the half.Siakam put the Pacers on his back and scored 10 straight points to make this a single digit deficit. And then…And just like that, it’s only a 6 point game. So coming out of the break, Indiana continued their attack and with some more Siakam magic, this was a 2 point game in the third quarter.But then, the worst nightmare came true for Pacers fans.Haliburton re-injures the same hamstring that bothered him for much of the season, and this is huge not only for this game, but the rest of the series as well.And meanwhile, Boston uses the opportunity to go on another big run.The crowd explodes and the lead keeps increasing. The Celtics finish the third quarter up by 13.And when everyone expected a response by Indiana in the 4th quarter, something completely unexpected happened.Rick Carlisle took out most of the starters with 8 and a half minutes to go in this game, and never put them back in. There is still a ton of time left for a 13 point deficit, but he basically waived the white flag extremely early.This might have had something to do with Halliburton's injury, and Carlisle knowing that he probably wouldn’t be able to play in game 3, so he wanted to preserve the rest of his players as much as possible for what’s about to be a do or die matchup back in Indiana.On rategame, the app that I’m a part of, we rate each game by how good it is, and I gave this one a 6.3. But I agree with Srna, this might be a sweep especially now with Haliburton possibly being out for the rest of the series.The Celtics secure this win in a relaxed fashion at the end, and now they pretty much have the NBA finals within reach.On the contrary, the west finals are an absolute bloodbath. And just yesterday we saw what happened to Edwards when he tried to challenge Kyrie and it completely backfired on him. You gotta check out exactly what happened right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
When You CONFRONT Kyrie, But It BACKFIRES Badly... Heat Check 2024-05-23 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8Things completely backfired on Anthony Edwards as he woke up the sleeping giant and Kyrie went crazy on him.However things started off great for Ant and Minnesota. As they came out shooting lights out to start the game led by Jaden Mcdaniels who went 3 for 3 in the opening quarter.And when Edwards did this, I got flashbacks of those Denver blowouts…Already a 9 point lead and the momentum on Minnesota’s side. And with buckets like this ultra slow motion three pointer, as well as…whatever this is, both by Kyle Anderson of course, I wouldn’t blame Dalas if they got demoralized early on. But the Mavs did not panic, as they had the ultra aggressive version of Kyrie Irving going at Edwards and blowing past him for 13 points in the first. Luka had Mcdaniels on him, and he was able to exploit the matchup and operate in the pick and roll, to get to his spot and knock it down.The Mavs were able to weather the storm early on and make it a back and forth battle.Thing is, with all the focus defensively being on the main guys from Minnesota, Mcdaniels and Anderson continued to boost the Timberwolves offense. And things started escalating again with this…But once again, with a 9 point deficit facing his team, Kyrie again comes to the rescue. Irving had 24 points in the first half on 11 for 14 from the field, absolutely zooming past Edwards and the defense all the way to the rim.In the second half, Luka and Kyrie looked to attack from the pick and roll and created for themselves, but also got the big man involved. Dallas scored a modest 23 points on 43% from the field, but they were able to limit the home team to 21 points on a bad 33% shooting. Some of it was great defensive effort by the Mavs, but admittedly, they got lucky on a few possessions as the Timberwolves missed some open shots.By the end of the third quarter, Edwards had only 13 points on 4 for 12. And him having to run around all over the court and chase Kyrie might have had something to do with it. He seemed exhausted at times, which forced him to settle for some shots and not put pressure on the defense.He would even stand way back at times, not participating in the offense to catch his breath.In the meantime, as the 4th quarter came around, Doncic continued his onslaught in the pick and roll. Doncic scored 15 points in the final period, and with the help from the role players, they took control in the final minutes.But then, Edwards and the Timberwolves finally woke up and started hitting shots, to cut into the 9 point deficit. And the arena completely exploded when they took over the lead.And just like that, this became a shootout…And in a crucial possession with a minute to go, the Mavs played perfect defense with Doncic making a huge play.What a save by Luka stunting at the drive and getting back to intercept the pass that would have certainly led to the alley oop dunk and the tie. This sets up Luka with the isolation in the clutch, and…LUKA 0:49 (VIDI I REPRIZA ZA FILLER)Wooow the patented stepback to give Dallas a 4 point lead, bringing them extremely close to the win.All the Mavs need now is just 1 final stop, and they initially get the miss, but Naz Reid tips it back in to keep the thriller going.There is still hope for Minnesota, if Kyrie misses 1 of these 2 free throws, but he stays ice cold knocking down both, and pretty much sealing the deal for a game 1 win on the road. And he had a message back to ANT after the game as well.KYRIE: I WAS MOTIVATEDMaaan, what a game by him and Doncic as they scored or assisted on 88 out of the 108 Mavs points. That’s involvement in 81% of the Dallas points between the 2 of them. Incredible.On rategame, the app that I’m a part of we score each game by how good they are, and I gave this one an 8.4. And I totally agree with Yousef, Ant seemed tired out there having to chase Kyrie. Download the app in the link in the description and join us in rating these games.The West finals started out with a bang, but yesterday we saw a masterclass in how to choke away a playoff game. You gotta see this to believe it. Click the video right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
THIS Was A MASTERCLASS In CHOKING A Playoff Game... Heat Check 2024-05-22 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8This was a masterclass in how to lose a game. But what we saw in game 1, might be a sign for an interesting series.Right at the startt, the Celtics jumped on Indiana and manifested their true power, showing why they were the number one team all season long. Boston went on an electric 12-0 run to start the game, playing some stifling defense and punishing the Pacers on the offensive end.But despite the initial shock, Indiana were able to stabilize things, and Obi Topin sped things up to the point where the Celtics couldn’t follow, so they made a run towards the end of the quarter.The home team seemingly had a talent level and matchup advantage, but Indiana was able to level the playing field, imposing their style of play with a lot of running up and down the court, which baited Boston into shooting some rushed shots.Meanwhile, watch how the ball is flying from man to man and side to side for Indiana, generating some great looks. By halftime they already had 22 assists, this is about the average for an NBA team for the entire game.Myles Turner exploded in the 2nd quarter for 12 points, shooting a perfect 5 of 5 from the field, and dropping a few monster jams along the way.Following their lights out shooting in game 7, The Pacers were super efficient shooting the ball in the 1st half of this one as well, 58.7% from the field and 53.3% from downtown. And just like that, they made it a tie game going into the break after this bomb from way outside by Haliburton. Coming out of halftime, Boston blitzed the Pacers yet again. Defensively forcing them into a bunch of turnovers, it was as if they forgot how to play basketball.And on the other end, Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday completely took over. With 21 combined points, they opened up a big lead for the Celtics, and it seemed like they finally broke through Indiana.But when things looked dark for this team, an unlikely hero emerges. For like the 20 twentieth time in these playoffs. It’s TJ Mcconnel. Scoring, assisting and overall causing havoc for the Boston defense.And just like that, they’re back in this game. Even more so, after yet another bomb by Hali.Woooow, a display of wild shots by Tyrese in this game. We’re in for a dramatic finish.In the 4th, watch Siakam literally destroy Boston with the same exact shot over and over again, to keep the Pacers in control of this game.And the Celtics were struggling. Some of it was the defense, but they missed a lot of open shots as well, and if it wasn’t for Jrue Holiday keeping them afloat in this period as well, they would have lost the game by this point.But in a crucial possession, up by 1, the ball finds Andrew Nembhard and..What a huge shot by Nembhard to put his team up by 3 and Boston has to score right here however Tatum misses it.Indiana’s in a great position but Haliburton coughs it up, a completely unforced error that could cost them.The Celtics take this opportunity as White drives inside aaand misses, fight for the ball, Tatum has it, fires up a weird one legged shot and he misses. Indiana has it, and Boston has to foul again for the free throws. It’s finally over right? Right?What is going on?! What did I just witness? Indy had the win in their hands and they let it slip away multiple times. What a shot by Brown saving the Celtics and sending this game into overtime. Oh my…In OT, despite all the momentum being on the side of the home team, these young Pacers would not give up, and they actually had the lead with a minute and change to go, until Tatum took matters into his own hands.And Holiday absolutely hounds Haliburton on this possession not allowing him to even see the basket, and forcing yet another turnover. Which sets up the deciding moment of the game.Tatum comes up huge in overtime, and finally provides some breathing room for his team, and his running mate is able to seal the deal right here with the perfect defensive stop, getting the steal, and securing the win, albeit much more difficult than anyone expected.I gave this one a 9.0 rating on rategame. And I agree with Chazzy I underestimate Indiana as well. Rategame is an app that I’m a part of btw. We score each game by how good it is. There is a 6 hour window from the time the game ends so you watch it rate it and that’s it. No going back.Download the app from the link in the description.The conference finals started out hot, and it’s only right after seeing something that had never happened before in the playoffs. I broke it down in this video so you gotta check it out.Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
THIS Has NEVER Happened In The Playoffs... Heat Check 2024-05-20 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8We have witnessed history in these 2 iconic game 7 battles.The largest comeback in a game 7, and the absolute best shooting performance ever in the playoffs. Last night was one for the ages. But let’s start from the beginning, as Denver started this game exactly how they wanted. Nikola Jokic dominated the glass, reaching a double double of 13 points and 15 rebounds by halftime, 5 of which were on the offensive end. This led to a 12 to 2 second chance points discrepancy. And it felt like it’s going to be another one of those nights, where he was toying with the defensive player of the year.Jamal Murray unlike the previous games in this series was cooking right from the start, getting to his spots, and playing with ease on his way to 24 1st half points on 53.3% shooting from the field and 60% from 3PT range. The Nuggets pulled all the right strings and had control over the game, as they headed into the locker rooms up by 15 at the half.On the other side, KAT and McDaniels were the only ones ready to put up a fight, scoring 13 and 10 points respectively on decent shooting efficiency. KAT took advantage of the mismatch every time he saw one, patiently working the smaller defenders for some quality shots. But their main weapon, Anthony Edwards was a shadow of his game 6 performance, as he couldn’t hit anything in this game, contested or wide open.ANT shot 1 of 7 for only 4 points in the first half. And Minnesota struggled as a team overall, as they shot just 31.6% from the field. Things looked a bit worse for the Timberwolves early in the 3rd when…Down by 20 on the road, with all the momentum on Denver’s side, the Timberwolves had all the odds stacked against them, but nobody could imagine that what started to unfold was history in the making.Minnesota went on a 28-9 run to close out the 3rd quarter which was totally opposite of the previous one, as this whole game was a microcosm of the entire series. The Nuggets were unrecognizable in this one, as they shot a miserable 26.3% from the field, it’s like they fell asleep after going up by 20. And after this 3 by Edwards, it was on. They knew they had them against the ropes. And the entire arena was in disbelief when the Timberwolves took over the lead in the 4th.In an unexpected turn of events, it was the role players of Naz Reid, Rudy Gobert and Jaden Mcdaniels that carried the offensive load during these crucial times.Rudy stuns everyone with this wild turnaround and with this going in, Minnesota believes that maybe this is their day, and they can complete the upset.But most importantly, their hounding defense stepped when it mattered the most, absolutely putting a lid on the basket.Wow, Naz Reid delivers big time on both ends of the court.And after another turnover by Jamal, Edwards hits the dagger to put the Wolves up by 10 with 3 minutes to go, and everyone started to realize that it was over.Jokic and Murray had one last push to try and get back, making it a 5 point game, but then…It’s all over, the champs have fallen and Minnesota completes the biggest game 7 comeback in NBA history.History repeats itself as this came on the same exact day 20 years after KG and company advanced to the western conference finals in a game 7 showdown against the Kings.On rategame, the app that I’m a part of, we score each game by how interesting they were, and this one was a solid 8.6 for me. Download the app from the link in the description and join us in rating and reviewing these games.Moving on to New York, as I was hoping that the Garden crowd would lift my Knicks to a hot start in game 7.But I was staggered when the exact opposite started to happen, as Indiana opened the game on an unbelievable 76% shooting from the field.It seemed like everything they threw at the basket went in, and despite the fact that the Knicks themselves were solid in this 1st quarter, it seemed like the Pacers unlocked god mode.And it didn’t help that OG Anunoby did a Willis Reed move.For the ones that don’t know, this means that OG got back from injury to start this game, only to get the crowd fired up, as he knew he couldn’t go, and quickly sat down. Hart is playing injured as well, on top of all the other injuries that the Knicks had.So, as crazy as it sounds, I was thankful that New York was only down by 8 at the end, and thought to myself, Indiana can’t keep up this pace. Right?!In a mind blowing shooting display, the Pacers went 76 and a half percent in the second quarter.In 20 years of watching the NBA, I hadn’t seen anything similar to this.Tyrese Haliburton chucking up wild threes, Pascal Siakam was automatic from midrange, and then Indiana could also get to the rim and finish inside, it was an all around spectacle. Just not for me and the MSG crowd.
The Playoffs Are ESCALATING Out Of Control... Heat Check 2024-05-17 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8Facing elimination in front of their home fans, this was a do or die for Minnesota. And even with Mike Conley back in the lineup, they got a wake up call early in the 1st when they fell down 9-2, and things looked similar to the last 3 games. But what happened next is the most furious run I’ve seen so far in these playoffs..Oh my goodness, everyone in the building was standing throughout this whole run, celebrating each bucket louder than the previous one. But the real spark was ignited on the defensive end, as they turned up the pressure, especially on Murray, forcing turnovers which led to easy buckets on the other side. Just look at this monster trailing block by McDaniels, and then..This was the absolute peak moment of this electric 27-2 run, as the entire arena erupted, saluting their team. ANT MAN was in his bag, leading the pack with 14 points in the first period, and 27 total. And according to him, he already knew that game 7 was coming.Jaden McDaniels was also phenomenal, shooting 8 for 10 on his way to 21 PTS, and in this 4 minute span before the break and early in the 3rd, he was the only one scoring for Minnesota, keeping the lead at safe distance with 4 consecutive field goals.This leads us to the best play of the night, when Edwards first stripped Jokic here and then..Wow, I was not ready for this one, he gets MPJ in the air with the sick hesi and then took off for the 2 handed jam. Crazy moves on display. Since KD is his favorite player, I guess he got this one from him.Let’s go back, as this wasn’t something that Wolves fans wanted to see in this game. As RJ said it, I guess his age really helped him bounce back from this scary fall, and as you can see, he’s good as new on the next possession, picking Jamal full court and running through screens.This was a blowout in the making ever since that epic 1st quarter run, however Mike Malone kept his players in the game till the 4th quarter, hoping for a miracle comeback, but it wasn’t that kind of a night, as Edwards drains the 3, and a couple of possessions later, down by 30, Denver raises the white flag, subbing Jokic and Murray out of the game.And after another 3 by Nickeil Alexander Walker to go up by 36, Nori subbed out ANT who wasn’t gonna sit without showing everyone the game 7 sign. On rategame, the app that I’m a part of, we score each game by how interesting they are. And I still gave this one a 6.1 as I loved the intensity and the response from the Timberwolves to force a game 7.The playoffs are escalating, and only yesterday we saw Luka Doncic taking things personally, and going god mode. You gotta check out what happened right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
THIS Is When It BECAME PERSONAL For Luka Doncic... Heat Check 2024-05-16 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8Last night we saw a superstar pushing the limit of his skills but his body as well, to secure a colossal game 5 win.And even more shocking, we saw the same from a 38 year old veteran.But we gotta start in Oklahoma where Luka came in seeking revenge for the game 4 loss.And when he’s making these, it’s gonna be a long night for the opposition. Doncic started dissecting the defense time after time, making a pivotal game 5 look like an All-Star game.It’s not that OKC let him do anything, they played some really tight defense on him all night, look at all of these tough shots that he hit, these are all great contests. And then watch Dort hounding him all over the court, but it didn’t matter cuz…It sure helps when the role players are hitting their open shots, especially Derrick Jones Jr. who was huge in this one, 19 points on 7 for 9 shooting from the field including 3 of 5 from deep. The Mavs were balling and had the lead pretty much throughout the whole game, as they entered the last period up by 12. Luka continued to cook as he scored 8 straight points to give Dallas an 18 point lead.But, if we learned something from these playoffs, it’s that OKC is not your regular young squad, they are fearless, and are playing like they have years of playoff experience.The Thunder went on a 10-0 run boosted by their home crowd. And the entire arena exploded when..But, as I said, the role players stepped up big in this game for Dallas, and PJ Washington was keeping the lead at a safe distance. On the other end, OKC must convert on this play to stay in the game, and they move the ball great here finding Chet alone for the 3 but.. Oh my goodness, look at the extension by Derrick Jones to be able to meet Holmgren’s shot at the pinnacle and then throw down the 2 handed monster jam. Amazing play to put his team up by 13 instead of possibly being an 8 point game.The young guns didn’t let go of this game yet, as they kept grinding, making some incredible plays and brought the game back to 9 with a chance to cut it to 7 on this transition, but then.. Wow, Luka playing anything you can do I can do better with Chet, as he denies SGA to secure a big win on the road. Moving on to Boston, where everything was ready for an easy win and a huge celebration.Especially after the news that Mitchell, Levert, Allen and Porter would not be playing. That’s basically half the team. Celtics by 30 I said. But I could not have been further from the truth.They fell into their old trap of complacency, settling and playing disorganized basketball, allowing Cleveland some easy points.On offense there were some players that were a complete no show. Get this: Brown played 41 minutes in this game and went 4 for 9 for 11 points total. Against this Cavs team. Unbelievable.It’s as if he and Tatum are alternating on who’s going to have a miserable game.In a wild turn of events, the responsibility of closing out Cleveland fell on Al Horford who in 2 weeks is gonna be 38 years old. 38. And he responded with an absolutely epic game as if he’s in his prime.22 points and 15 rebounds, along with 5 assists and 3 blocks. What a statline. 6 threes on 46% from downtown. But as impressive as that is, it’s nowhere near the stunning defensive effort that he showed, completely locking down Darius Garland on multiple possessions where he switched on him.This is astonishing. Garland is one of the quickest guards in the league and AL is at the end of his career. Or is he?! I don’t even know at this point.So, in one of the worst Celtics games of the season, at least in my opinion- he was the bright spot here doing everything he could to win this game. Even this.And in the closing seconds when he delivered the final blow, the celebration could finally begin, and Mazzula took him out so that the crowd could give him a thunderous standing ovation.A phenomenal game for Horford, but again, a horrific performance by Boston overall in a closeout game at home against a depleted Cavs roster. On rategame, the app that I’m a part of, we score the quality of each game, and I could only give it a 5.4.I absolutely agree with CJ, the Celtics have to play with more urgency in the conference finals, and not rely on their aging big man to carry them.Download the app from the link in the description and join me in rating and reviewing these games. Android version coming soon.This is what it takes to win a crucial game in the playoffs, and yesterday we saw some superstars going god mode and doing everything to win at all costs.You gotta check out exactly what happened right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
THIS Is What Winning At All Costs Means... Heat Check 2024-05-15 | T-Shirts: heat-check-shop.fourthwall.comThis is what winning at all costs means. Dude would have ran a marathon on one shoe if there wasn’t a whistle. Anything for the win. And we saw the MVP as well going god mode, and doing everything humanly possible to will the Nuggets to a series comeback.On his MVP presentation night, Nikola Jokic absolutely exploded for 40 points on 68.2% from the field, and when you see that half of these are against the 4 time DPOY in Rudy Gobert it adds much more significance to his performance. And we even saw a glimpse of Nikola the freak of nature Jokic.It was a close game at halftime however, and Minnesota came out swinging early in the 3rd.The Wolves went on a 11-3 run, and took over the lead. All this with their superstar nowhere to be found. Anthony Edwards was shooting 1-8 at this point, and I’m thinking to myself, he’s about to wake up for sure, so they’re in a good place, this game is going down to the wire. But boi, how wrong was I? After the timeout, Denver returned the favor immediately and went on a 11-2 run of their own, which started with this feisty play by Aaron Gordon, as he was looking like he’s never going to give up on this possession.And from here, it was the MV3 who took over the game, as he scored 16 3rd quarter points, absolutely toying with the defense, and making some circus shots which left everyone speechless.The Nuggets built a 14 point lead after 3, and were looking like they’re in total control of this game. With Nikola on the bench early in the 4th, the Timberwolves took a little breather, and were able to make a stop here and there. (MURRAY 11:02 & PORTER 10:00 4th) And with this dunk by Naz Reid, they got it to 10 points, but here comes Nikola subbing into the game. Now, notice on these 2 possessions how Jokic attracts the defenders inside the paint, freeing up a ton of space for Caldwell Pope in the corner, and a shooter of his caliber is deadly when left wide open. And all hell breaks loose when..The Joker had the entire building jumping with him on this fastbreak dunk. All of sudden, the Nuggets are up by 18. Man, this guy’s presence is undeniable. Edwards did play better since halftime, but he couldn’t do much either as he was seeing a lot of double teams throughout the whole game, forcing him to make the pass, and the supporting crew of the Wolves was horrible shooting the ball in the 2nd half. Meanwhile, as if it wasn’t enough already, Jokic delivers the exclamation point. This was an epic performance by Nikola, one for the ages, as the Nuggets shocked everyone by winning 3 games in a row.And in New York, MSG was absolutely rocking as the Knicks went on an 11-0 run to take control of the lead.Thing is, the Knicks could fire away freely because even if they missed, Isaiah Hartenstein was going to get the offensive rebound.In a mind blowing display of will to win, he finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. Unbelievable. This is another display of the will to win, as Achuwa hustled up and down the court with the shoe in his hand, proving that every possession and every moment matters in the playoffs.And of course, the top dog of this team Jalen Brunson delivered another iconic performance.44 points on 51% from the field, but it was the second quarter where he absolutely went ballistic with 18 pointsIt’s funny that Indiana actually made things difficult for him. He had to work for a lot of these buckets. Double teams, half court presses you name it. But at the end he still had a fantastic game which to me was beyond impressive.This is his 5th game with 40 or more points in the playoffs, and he’s got the highest point average this postseason with almost 34 per game.But even with everything going the Knicks way, Indiana was still within striking distance down 15 at the break. And MSG got worried as Myles Turner dropped 3 straight bombs in just 1 minute.But as a Knicks fan I could not have imagined a better response, as they threw an avalanche on the Pacers, going on a wild 17-0 run in the third quarter blowing the roof off of the Garden.This became a 25 point lead in the blink of an eye, as New York completely blitzed Indiana showing great energy despite playing a 7 man rotation.And despite one last effort from the Pacers to cut into the deficit, the Knicks Brunson saved the best for last…Wooow what a move by Jalen, to pretty much seal the deal for New York as they never looked back getting just a win away from the conference finals.Despite having half their team injured, they are showing once again that they will fight to the end, no matter what.We are seeing some incredible things taking place, but yesterday we saw something that wasn’t supposed to happen. You gotta check out exactly what happened right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
THIS Was NEVER Supposed To Happen... Heat Check 2024-05-14 | T-Shirts: heat-check-shop.fourthwall.comNone of this was supposed to happen. The altercation, Luka furiously punching himself…none. And the series should not have been tied. Let me explain what I mean.This was basically a must win game for the Thunder, as it’s extremely tough to come back from 3-1. So they came out ready to save their season.OKC continued their game plan of loading up on Luka and Kyrie and hounded them, making every shot difficult.The duo was limited to a combined 27 points on a horrible 10 for 31 from the field. That’s 27 points total for the 2 of them.But despite that, the role players stepped up and used the opportunity. Especially P.J. Washington.So Dallas had control for the entire game, and most of the time it was a double digit lead.And at the start of the fourth, it looked like the Mavs were throwing the deciding blow.The young OKC team had their back against the wall on the road, but that’s when they came back swinging.These types of clutch shots by the role players in a massive moment of the season are not supposed to happen. A young and inexperienced team responding like this in a do or die game is unlike anything I’ve seen. Which brought the tension up and we got this…The thunder hung around enough to give their superstar the opportunity to completely take over scoring 4 straight buckets when it mattered the most. Absolutely destroying the Mavs defense shot after shot. And just like that they tie the game. But then, things completely escalate…What a shot by Chet, and now all of a sudden the Mavs fall behind.The war continued on every play, as no team would give up. Dallas played from behind and kept this a close game. And OKC continued to shock the world by making plays and hitting shots in these crucial moments.So in the final seconds with a chance to tie or take the lead, the Mavs put the ball in Luka’s hands, he attacks the bucket forcing the ref to blow the whistle.Buut at the line, this happens…Luka misses a clutch free throw and during the time out is visibly upset on the bench.Obviously now they have to play the foul game but the Thunder once again prove their worth by staying ice cold at the line, and also having the presence of mind to foul up three and not allow a potential game tying shot.proves to be a great decision as Washington also misses a free throw, and Shai goes to the line one last time with a chance to secure the win and he stays ice cold doing just that.This series should not have been tied. A young and inexperienced team going down by 8 in the fourth on the road, with all the momentum on the side of the home team, and to hit some colossal shots and come back. This doesn't happen often. This OKC team is absolutely special.And I’m glad I’m watching them grow in real time. That’s what I meant in the intro.Before we go to the second game, just a quick reminder that I got some new designs up on my merch store and I love how they came out. We got Luka with the smoking rifle in the wild west. Then, there is this Wemby design that looks awesome. Really emphasizing his length. And check out Book here with his fancy retro car and the Arizona desert in the background. Of course I have to have a shirt for Lakers nation so here you have Bron, AD and Reeves.Click the link in the description and check them out.Moving on to Cleveland, where the home team had a support by none other than LeBron James in the first row, as they were looking to possibly tie the series, but when the news about Donovan Mitchell not playing in game 4 broke out, Celtics fans perked up and had this game already checked. Including Jayson Tatum.He came out firing on all cylinders, scoring 16 1st quarter points looking unstoppable on the court. But, the Cavaliers tightened up the screws on defense in the 2nd quarter and led by Garland and Strus on offense made a run to make it a tight game going into the break.In the 3rd however it was Jaylen Brown’s time, as we see once again that he’s lethal when he decides to put his head down and attack the rim.Going into the 4th quarter the Celtics did have a comfortable 10 point lead, and with this beautiful fadeaway jumper, Brown made it a 15 point game.It’s game over right? Wrong. Cleveland goes on a 8-0 run and makes it a 7 point game, as the home crowd erupts. This turned into a back and forth battle, with Boston looking a bit insecure in the clutch, making some questionable decisions as the Cavs continued cutting the lead little by little, and they even had a chance to make it a one possession game when.. (Mobley layup 3:15, Levert 1:55 fileri)On the other end, the punishment arrives quickly when..Jaylen Brown buries the hopes of Cavs fans with this 3pt dagger which proved to be enough at the end, as Boston now takes a commanding 3-1 lead going back home with a chance to end this series in the next game.
We WITNESSED The UNTHINKABLE Sequence of Events… Heat Check 2024-05-13 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8The most unthinkable sequence of events is taking place in these playoffs. This is the heart of a champion even after losing the first 2 games at home. Look at the fight, the hounding defense, absolutely shutting down Karl Towns, especially in the first half.The Nuggets figured that they couldn’t stop Edwards, so the focus shifted to shutting down the rest of the Timberwolves.And watch this subtle offensive adjustment for Denver, that completely changes the dynamic.Aaron Gordon is now the guy that’s taking the ball across half court, taking the load and the pressure off of Jamal Murray. But it wasn’t just that. Gordon turned into a bull and he was seeing red out there. He put his head down and went straight to the rim bulldozing through the defense.By halftime, Gordon was 6 for 6 from the field as Minnesota did not have an answer for him.And speaking of that, they definitely didn’t have an answer for this either.Whether it was off of the pick and roll, or just getting to his spots before getting the ball, Jokic was playing his game, similar to game 3. Never in a rush, you see that this is his pace, getting exactly where he wants, and shooting a shot that he’s comfortable with.If anything, I saw him being more aggressive and assertive.Denver had a double digit lead for most of the first half, as big as 16 at one point. But Minnesota made a push towards the end of the half, and had a chance to get it to single digits, which would be a huge momentum gain for them. But then, all hell broke loose because.Unbelievable! What could have been an 8 point deficit, turns into 15 in the blink of an eye.You see the importance of just 10 seconds in the playoffs. And the Nuggets are all hyped about it, they know that this swing was huge.And in the second half, Denver exploited the Minnesota defense.You see that just the previous possession the Nuggets run the exact same play and they got an even easier bucket as Murray walks his way to the rim for the layup.Jamal carried Denver in the third quarter alongside Gordon who finished the game with 27 points on a mind blowing 11 for 12 shooting from the field.And in the fourth, it was Nikola’s turn to keep the Timberwolves at distance.Throughout this entire time, Edwards was going hero mode against the Nuggets, trying to keep his team afloat, and he was absolutely unstoppable.But he had no help from his teammates, as the champs literally come back from the dead and shock everyone by winning 2 games on the road after everyone counted them out.On rate game, the app that I’m a part of, we score each game, and I gave this one a 6.9.I absolutely agree with Alex the great, that if Gordon plays this well, the Nuggets are unbeatable.Maaan, The playoffs are taking an improbable turn, and it’s not just in this seriesAfter going down 0-2 against the Knicks, This might be the defensive adjustment that could turn the series around. Things completely changed ever since Aaron Nesmith was the primary defensive matchup for Brunson instead of Nembhard. Nesmith literally smothered Brunson on multiple possessions in this game, completely disrupting the flow of the Knicks offense right from the start. Indiana held Brunson to just 18 points on 6 of 17 shooting from the field and 0 for 5 from downtown. And when you cut the head of the snake, you pretty much finished the job. The Knicks trio of Brunson, Hart and Divincenzo averaged near 80 points per game in the first 3 games, but last night they were shut down, and combined for only 27. That’s atrocious. And once you start off this bad, then rhythm is very hard to find, as New York simply couldn’t hit a shot in this game.Meanwhile on the other end…The Pacers jumped to a 20 point lead in the first 1 quarter. And quite opposite to the Knicks, everyone was making shots on the other end. Indiana shot 45% from downtown and the Knicks were no match with their horrific 7 for 37 outside shooting, so by half time this was a 30 point game and game over.As Haliburton said it loud and clear that he can’t be guarded.On rategame, I only gave it a 3.5 and turns out I was right on with how you guys rated it. Download rate game from the link in the description and join me in rating these games.Now it’s chaos in both of these series. Denver showed us what happens when you doubt the heart of a champion, and you gotta check out what happens when you make Luka Doncic mad.Watch this video right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
When Luka Doncic Gets Mad...THIS HAPPENS Heat Check 2024-05-10 | T-Shirt: heat-check-shop.fourthwall.com/en-usdJoin me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8
We May Have FINALLY Found The Luka Doncic STOPPER... Heat Check 2024-05-08 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=YouTube%202&mt=8Have we finally found the Doncic stopper? Lu Dort hounded Luka all over the court, tiring him down which resulted in these forced and contested stepbacks. Look at this, he’s literally glued to him, everywhere you go I go as well. Doncic had a rough shooting night to say the least, as he went 1 for 8 from downtown, that’s only 12.5% and a total of 6 for 19 from the field. Even on the rare occasions when he scored, he had to work pretty hard just to get the shot off. But, Luka’s struggles didn’t end there, as he turned the ball over 5 times, awarding the Thunder some easy transition points. Doncic finished the game with a modest statline of 19 points and 9 assists. This reminded me of the absolute horror that Lu caused on Brandon Ingram in the previous series.However, the Mavs were right in this thing, as they used this 9-0 run early in the 3rd quarter to cut the halftime deficit to just 1 point.But, right out of the timeout OKC responded with a bang. They went on a 14-4 run blitzing the Mavs with stifling defense and a 3PT barrage. SGA was the main offensive weapon for the Thunder in this period, as he scored 10 of his 29 points total, to go along with 9 boards and 9 assists. It was all business for him in this game, as he got to his usual spots, snaking through the defense and when he saw an open teammate, he made the right play. It’s really stunning to see a 25 year old being so mature both on and off the court as well. In the 4th OKC continued sharing the ball and finding the best possible shots, as first we saw Chet doing some damage on Dallas, firing up the home crowd. And then, it was J Dub’s turn to deliver the final blow, as he scored 10 consecutive points for the Thunder to make it a 17 point game and send the arena into a frenzy.On the other side, Kyrie tried to keep the Mavs in the game during the 2nd half scoring 14 points, but it was too little too late, as OKC took a 1-0 lead and I gave this one a 6.0 on RateGame, as much as a 22 point win can get really.Moving on to Boston where the Celtics took control of the game right from the start, despite their top dog not really showing up in this one. At least scoring wise.Tatum started the game settling for contested shots, and tough threes, going 4 for 12 in the first half. Now Jaylen Brown however, he definitely showed up.Brown was hail bent on getting to the rim and to his spots for some easy shots, and boy he was unstoppable.By halftime, he already had 20 points and it was clear that Jaylen decided that he was going to punish the matchup.The Celtics had a 10 point lead pretty much throughout the entire game, up until the 4th quarter when they really stepped on the gas pedal.The lead quickly ballooned to 20 and put the game away as there wasn’t any doubt at any point in this one honestly.Just think about it: The main weapon is having a bad shooting game going 7 for 19 from the field for just 18 points and the team is coasting to a playoff win. Sure, he did other things like grabbing 11 rebounds and 5 assists, but also Jaylen Brown took on the scoring load and finished with 32 points. Then, guys like Derrick White also coming up huge in the second half for 25 points overall, and even Payton Pritchard dropping 16 points, this team is far too superior for the Cavs in this matchup and I’m afraid that the following games could look similar to this one.Now, if I don’t expect any surprises here, on the contrary I was shocked by what happened in game 2 between Minnesota and Denver, where Anthony Edwards once again did things that made him look exactly like MJ, and after this, he’s never beating the allegations.You gotta check out exactly what happened right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
He Is NEVER Beating The ALLEGATIONS After THIS... Heat Check 2024-05-07 | Download the Gametime app (gametime.co) and redeem code HEATCHECK for $20 off your first purchase (terms apply)Are we witnessing the birth of a new megastar?! Is this an all time great in the making?!Last night we saw the unthinkable against the reigning champs, but we gotta start off with yet another wild thriller involving the Knicks.After barely making it out alive against Philadelphia, New York quickly realized that things were not going to get any easier against the Pacers.Indiana imposed their own playing style running up and down combined with a ton of passing.The Pacers led the entire league in assists per game in the regular season with 30.And by half time, they were right on that pace with 15.And of course their leader in points at the break was Tyr…hold on…it was T.J. Mcconnel.Dude was a problem for the Knicks on both ends. Knifing through the defense for the layup, finding guys with the assist, and he even played some great defense.Now, Brunson still got his points, but he sure had to work for it.Speaking of him, he started off great once again with 18 points at the break but if the ball was flying for Indiana, almost everything that the Knicks got was off of one on one.So they found themselves in a 9 point hole towards the end of the second. But there was still time left before the buzzer.Still, the Pacers had confidence in the second half and came out strong. Myles Turner killed the Knicks off of the pick and roll. And with 13 points in the third, he led Indiana to a blistering 62% shooting from the field.And they would have built onto the lead if it wasn’t for Donte Divincenzo hitting some timely threes not letting the game get out of control. The Knicks responded with an even better quarter of 65% from the field.Which brings us to a wild finish at the end. Actually before that…here’s something wild.Noow we can go to the fourth, a crazy back and forth battle between Siakam, Nesmith and Nembhard on one end, and Hart and Brunson on the other.Josh Hart was an animal in this game with a total of 24 points 13 rebounds and 8 assists, coming up huge throughout the entire game.But maaan Brunson went hero mode scoring 21 in the fourth as he was not going to let the Knicks lose.And the crowd absolutely exploded when New York finally took the lead.Still, Indiana would not surrender, and this continued to be a back and forth battle and a game of who blinks first. And after Nemhard does that right here, things escalate to a whole new level because…And maaan, things are just now starting to get interesting because they go for the quick 2, trying to extend the game, and then on the inbound by the Knicks, it’s chaos.Wooow unbelievable, the Pacers challenge and we clearly see that Brunson touches it last, so Indy can take the lead here.And you will not believe how this is going to end…Fortunately for me and my Knicks, the refs confirm the call on the review, and they get even luckier when Indiana fouls before the ball is inbounded, which gives them a free throw and the ball.This turned out to be a colossal mistake, because Brunson knocks it down, and just seconds later when he’s fouled again, he comes up clutch and hits 2 more making this a 2 possession game. That added free throw changed everything and the Knicks survive yet another playoff thriller. Crazyyy. BTW guys this is RateGame, an app that I am a part of. We are building a community to help restore the purity and the love of the game which is being polluted by all the gambling and betting surrounding the NBA. It’s simple, you rate the game, and give your quick thoughts about it. I rated this one an 8.1 which is close to the average rating from the others. The trick is that you only get a 3 hour window from when the game ends. That way, only the ones that truly watched the game live could rate. No reading summaries on websites. These are your honest thoughts. Also, if you watch a lot of games, it’s like your sports diary and it’s great to look back. I watch a ton of NBA so this is awesome for me.Download RateGame on iphone from the link in the description and join me in the community. Android coming soon.Moving on to Denver where this was a must win for the champions, but what happened in game 2, left us all in shock.The Timberwolves came out like…yeah basically like hungry wolves absolutely jumping on these Nuggets.I could not believe my eyes. First of all, Denver is not just any team. They’re serious, they’re the champions, and this was a must win.To see them being helpless like this, I really can’t criticize them for it. This was all a credit to Minnesota doing it for the second straight game. And all of that without Rudy Gobert in this one. Absolutely astonishing.And not only did Towns play great defensively protecting the rim, but on offense he came out firing with 27 points on a 66% from the field.
This Was The CULMINATION Of A Complete CHAOS In The Playoffs... Heat Check 2024-05-03 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8In what ended up being the wildest first round series, things started off just like that in game 6.The Knicks completely blitzed Philly in the first quarter building out a 22 point lead on the road.But the arena was about to explode when the Sixers stormed out to a huge comebacK led by none other than Buddy Hield.In an improbable turn of events, the guy who didn’t play for the entire series stayed ready and was blistering hot. 5 of 7 from downtown in the first half as it seemed that everything he threw up went in.Nick Batum once again stepped up and these 2 bench guys helped Embiid in completely turning this game around, as the crowd could feel the momentum building on their end, and started thinking about game 7 and a possible 3-1 comeback.This sets up an epic fourth quarter where no team would back down.The Knicks offense completely relied on Jalen Brunson who had another iconic game of 41 points including 14 in the fourth. The rest of the guys just watched him do his magic.And Philly had Maxey carry the load as Embiid was kind of passive for the entire fourth quarter.But New York went on a mini run at the end, and things escalated with this…At this point, jumping up and down in my living room at 5 in the morning, I thought that I can finally exhale, it’s over. But maaan I could not have been more wrong.OG misses the free throw and here come the Sixers…Unbelievable! In just about 90 seconds, the Sixers make it a 1 point game. And now it’s chaos.Brunson would use this however to sell another one of his tricks to Oubre and get the bucket plus the foul.Buuut he fails to make it a 2 possession game as he misses the free throw and then…Oh my goodness…Not only is it a foul, but the refs review the play and call a goaltending on the block, so now Maxey gets an and-1 with a chance to tie the game. And he does it.The pressure is through the roof now, and the Knicks have to score, otherwise Philadelphia will have a chance to win the game. So what do they do?!What a colossal shot from Josh Hart to give the Knicks a 3 point lead in the final seconds.I can not believe that I’m rewatching the same movie from last game. For the love of God, whatever you do, please do not allow the 3.Thankfully they don’t and this turns into a free throw shooting contest with Philly trying to extend the game. But both Divincenzo and later on Brunson stayed ice cold at the line with the weight of this series being on them, keeping this a 3 point game.So in this final sequence, there is one last shot for the Sixers to tie this game.Finally it’s all over. The Knicks advance to the second round, barely making it alive out of this absolute war. With my hands still shaking I immediately opened up RateGame to give my thoughts, and I rated it only an 8.6 which I’m not sure if I was even thinking clearly when I did it.What a game and what a series. The total points ended up being 650 to 649 for the Knicks. That’s how close it was. Unbelievable. Anyway, moving on from this one,In Indiana everything was ready for celebration, as the Pacers needed one more win to advance into the 2nd round for the first time in a decade. However, Damian Lillard, emphasizing the importance of this game, decided to play, and Milwaukee jumped to a 10-3 lead at the start, as they desperately wanted to prolong the series and give Antetokounmpo a chance to maybe come back for game 7.But, Rick Carlisle pulled the Joker out of his sleeve early on by inserting T.J. McConell and boy did he ever. Indy went on a 24 to 11 run to turn this game around and secure a 9 point lead after 12 minutes of play.The 2nd quarter was a quiet one, in which the Bucks shot miserably, 7 of 22 from the field and just 1 of 6 from downtown. And when nothing goes your way offensively, at least try to protect your own basket. Look at how easy Haliburton got this putback dunk. This is not how you play defense in an elimination game. The Pacers on the other end, slightly increased their lead by making some important timely shots. (NESMITH 3KA - Filer)After the break, here comes the Indiana bench again, as this time Obi Toppin was the one making the most damage.The Pacers went into the final period with a 15 point lead, and then it was T.J. again delivering the final blow and sending the arena into delirium. Indiana’s bench outscored Milwaukee’s 50 to 10 securing the big win at home.This was exactly my thought on RateGame, the app that I’m a part of. I gave this one a 6.3 which was seemingly way too generous, but I was glad that this young team was able to move on to the second round.Another disappointing postseason for the Bucks, where things got ugly at the end with Pat Bev having an altercation with the fans. Thing is it may get even uglier in the off season with Giannis as I’m not sure that he fully believes in this team.
The GENIUS Defensive Adjustment From LUKA And The Mavs... Heat Check 2024-05-02 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8The Mavs had a do or die game plan on defense. A radical approach that ended up working geniously for them.But before even getting to that, it all started with their hounding one on one defense. Look, this is the first minute of the game, and Derick Jones Jr is picking up PG way past half court.The Clippers could not even look at the basket for this entire possession, for the full 24 seconds as we see Kyrie poking it out of Harden’s hands and forcing a shot clock violation.Just look at these contests here both on Paul George and James Harden, the guys that went off for 66 points in the previous games, were only allowed 6 for 25 in this one.A phenomenal job of honing in on Harden and PG, and great on ball defense.But this was actually the trick for Dallas. The Mavs went all out on stopping these 2, clogging the paint and completely sagged off of the other Clippers players.And there is probably no better example of that than this. Almost every Dallas defender is in the paint, and they’re not even looking at Westbrook as he’s all alone in the corner, he gets it, fires away and misses.Check out where Doncic is on this dance by Harden. He’s clearly ready to help on the drive and not worrying about Terrance Mann being open here. So as the ball goes to him, Luka makes an effort to get back, Mann shoots and another miss.Again, at this point it’s comical how Dallas is begging Russ to shoot, and he actually does it, allowing for some easy defensive possessions for the Mavs.Even on the occasional make by the Clippers, there was no change of plan.You can see that Kyrie is not even looking at Coffee, the focus is to help on the Harden penetration.As we stop it right here both Coffee and Mann are completely wide open as the paint is packed.Now, as we let it roll, the ball goes out, and he knocks down this 3 pointer, but Dallas did not panic whatsoever and stuck to their strategy. So what happened?Well, at one point LA missed 16 3 pointers in a row. 16 straight. Watching all of this James Harden may have had an ugly flashback to the infamous game 7 against Golden State where his team missed 27 straight.Some of it may be good fortune for the Mavs here, but a lot of these are definitely based on the good game plan, knowing who to focus on and who to leave open and invite him to shoot.Then, there were also a lot of live turnovers leading to this.Maaan, Kyrie doing ridiculous Kyrie things here in transition, toying with his opponents. And as it turned out, Luka was doing Luka things as well because…Doncic had 35 in this game but it was the 10 assists for me, creating easy points for his teammates.And it sure feels good when it’s one of those days and a role player steps up and helps the team by shooting absolutely lights out, which was Maxey Kleber in this one.Kleber went 5 of 7 from downtown, that’s 15 bonus points on the road to secure a crucial game 5 win, now going back home with a chance to seal the deal in this tough first round matchup.If the Mavs can get even close to what they did here defensively, they will be in a great position for a game 6 win.This is peak playoffs, and we are getting peak playoff drama, with Lebron shocking everyone, hinting that this may have been his last game as a Laker. You gotta check out this video right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
Playoff DRAMA: Lebrons LAST GAME As A Laker... Heat Check 2024-05-01 | Visit betterhelp.com/heatcheck for a special discount during sign up. Thanks Better Help for sponsoring this video.Ahhh…the good old playoff drama. Despite being right there in every single game, the Lakers received the gentleman’s sweep, and this is the first time since 2005 that we won’t have Lebron James, Kevin Durant or Steph Curry in the second round. That’s crazy to think about, and it does trigger a lot of uncomfortable conversations.So, we gotta talk about the drama surrounding some of these teams.Chams is already tweeting that Darvin Ham could be fired, and Lakers fans approve of that. They are also screaming for D’Angello Russell to be traded for a more reliable point guard and shot maker.This is about to be an ugly summer for the Lakers, as they know that they can’t allow themselves to start the season with the same roster, as we saw exactly what would be the result. A first round exit in 5 games, albeit competitive ones.The situation is similar in Phoenix, only way more complicated.Not even half an hour after they got swept by the Timberwolves, we started getting some weird reports, culminating with this:That is crazy. As a Knicks fan, I’d take Booker, especially since New York has a point guard, and a great one running the show. Something that Phoenix never had this season, and at the end it proved to be deadly for them.Then, there was this story about KD and how he was never comfortable with his role in the team ever since Bradley Beal joined the Suns.How Beal took the ball away from his hands, and he ended up sitting in the corner way too often. Speaking of Beal, you got this situation in game 4 where he seems disgusted with his coach, and disrespectfully slaps him away as he’s running to the bench.Now, the funny thing about the Suns is that they can’t really improve all that much after this sweep. They’re so locked in, in terms of their salary cap, that they can’t have a significant upgrade to this team. It’s either going to be the same roster, or blowing it up.Booker is the most tradeable asset, then KD even at 36, he’s still great. And Beal…boy he’s owed 50 million next season, 53 million the season after that, and a whopping 57 million in 2026-27. That kind of money for a guy who’s constantly injured, you get about 40-50 games a season from him, and when he’s playing it’s mediocre at this point. There’s no team taking on this contract. On top of that, he’s got a no trade clause. Dude is literally untradeable.The Suns GM would need to perform a miracle to save the Suns from this misery. James Jones has always been a cool and calm guy under pressure and in the clutch, so I wanna see what he does here.Moving on, you already know about the drama within the Golden State organization, as this entire summer will be centered around Klay Thompson and whether the franchise is ready to give Klay huge money and be stuck in mediocrity just for legacy purposes, just to say that hey these are the guys that brought us glory and we’ll ride with them.Honestly, as cute as it may sound, this would be horrific for the Warriors. If they’re committed to ride out the few great years left off of Steph Curry instead of rebuilding, at least form a competitive roster around him. Don’t put the burden on Steph to carry this team all by himself like he did this season and the last one. We know exactly how that ends.Think about this, Tony Parker was also a huge part of the Spurs, but when he wanted to squeeze out every bit of money he could in the last few seasons of his career, the Spurs were ok to let him go to Charlotte. And hey, he’s still part of San Antonio history, there’s nothing wrong with that. He did look weird in a Hornets uniform but the team had a clear vision of what they wanted to do, and that was rebuilding and tanking. This brought them a bunch of good young players, and a generational talent in Victor Wembanyama. The future looks so bright now for this team.So it’s understated how much of Golden State’s long term future depends on what they do here with Klay.Then, this is a sneaky one…With the Bucks being on the brink of a second consecutive exit in the first round at the time of making this video, the situation is getting weird in Milwaukee.Yeah both times Giannis went down with an injury, and sure they brought in Damian Lillard, a colossal acquisition after the Greek freak gave them an ultimatum.But things looked awful for them this entire season. First, there was all that coaching drama. Hiring Griffin then firing him very quickly. Doc Rivers coming in and the team being equally as bad on defense, and not really utilizing the advantages that they have offensively. With 2 superstars of their caliber, the Bucks should have been much more frightening offensively.The supporting cast is not really supporting, and Khris Middleton is never fully healthy.So if this is another first round exit, what is the mindset of Antetokounmpo?
The Moment When LEBRON Finally ADMITTED DEFEAT... Heat Check 2024-04-30 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8With this dunk by James, the Lakers got up by 8 points early in the 3rd, and hope was starting to creep in for Lakers fans that maybe, the impossible was about to happen. But just like all the previous games…The Nuggets came storming back with a 14-2 run blitzing the Lakers and retaking the lead.And late in the 4th quarter it was a shootout, as both teams were trading heavy blows. You already know, just like the past matchups this was a copy-paste script. But we did however see something completely unexpected.Wooow where did this come from?! Jamal gets his revenge on LeBron with this huge poster dunk for that rejection he received back in game 2. Speaking of revenge, AD finally got a rare stop on Jokic late in the clutch, when the refs overturned the foul call after the challenge by Darvin Ham. Which btw cost them the final time-out. So that is 3 final minutes without a timeout. But, we’ll get to that in a second.Jokic however, used the mismatch on Hachimura here and quickly answered back.And unlike game 2, James had decent support on the offensive end by Austin Reeves.And on the other end from what it looked like a great defensive possession by the Lakers turned into..It just seems like Nikola keeps popping in the right places every time.. And on the other side, LeBron responds with..Now, I gotta remind you of this epic sequence from game 2.And last night we saw a deja vu…You can see it by LeBron’s reaction, he’s like come on not again.And after a couple of empty possessions on both sides, we’re down to 38 seconds as the Lakers have a 2 for 1 opportunity.LeBron makes a great decision by attacking the basket, and he calmly knocks down two clutch free throws to tie this game one more time.Now, Mike Malone has a time-out but chooses to let his team go for it, just like he did in game 2.Murray notices the difference between clocks being 2 seconds, and knowing that the Lakers are out of timeouts he made sure to take the last good shot. Oh my goodness, Jamal kills the Lakers again, knocking down this open mid-range jumper off of the great screen by Jokic. Now we see why burning that time out earlier was so crucial, as they ended up without a real chance to save themselves.Another wild game between these 2 teams, as I rated it an 8.8 on rategame the app that I’m a part of, which was dead on with you guys. The link is in the description for all of you who want to download the app and join. Do you agree with Poolle? Is this the last time we see Lebron in the playoffs? That’s interesting. Anyways,I gotta give credit to the Lakers for their fight and this shocking statistic where you can see they had the lead throughout the majority of this series, but this is what championship basketball is all about as Nikola Jokic explained it in the post game.The Nuggets are heading to the second round for a battle against the up and coming Minnesota Timberwolves. As for LeBron and the Lakers it’s a long summer ahead.The Celtics and the Heat was about what you’d expect. In terms of the final result at least.But I did not expect Derrick White to carry this team.White was doing everything out there with 38 points, 4 rebounds and 3 blocks.Seriously look at these insane closeouts.And these 2 throwdowns looked like a replay because…This was the same exact play, and same exact result for White.Just an all around great game for him, and it tells you a lot about the depth of the Celtics when the fourth or 5th best player can explode for damn near 40 points.Now speaking of the depth, they took a major hit as Porzingis injured himself and was visibly frustrated as I’m assuming he knows it’s not something minor. This is so important for their finals run, but he will have time to rest and recover as I see them barreling through this series and whoever comes out of the Cavs and the Magic.This routine win for them, got just a 5.3 from me on rategame pretty much on par with how the rest of you rated it.I do like this comment by frey, Derrick White legacy game. He was huge in this one.And credit to OKC, for taking care of business and sweeping the Pelicans. Not much to go over in detail here, the Thunder showed the entire world throughout this series that they are for real, and now they’ll have some time to rest as they wait for the winner of Dallas and LA.Another big night in the playoffs, following this dogfight as we saw what happens when 2 superstars go at each other’s throats. You gotta check out what happened right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
When 2 SUPERSTARS Go At Each Others THROATS... Heat Check 2024-04-29 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8The playoffs reached a pivotal moment, and last night superstars turned into superheroes in a bunch of wild games.We gotta start off in Dallas where the Clippers and especially Paul George came out like a hurricane.PG was unstoppable, with 26 points in the first half, and he hit the PJ Washington pose from last game, to let him know who’s who.Thing is, we got vintage Harden as well as he dissected the Mavericks defense, got the matchups he wanted, and from there he started cooking.And on the other end Terrance Mann hounded Luka all over the court. This suffocating defense limited Doncic to 12 points on 4 for 12 shooting in the first half. Everything was going the Clippers way. 14 threes on a blistering 67% shooting in a half is unreal. So their lead skyrocketed to 31 points and the arena was stunned.You could see however that they believed their team could come back, as the crowd erupted during a mini run by the Mavs to cut the lead down to 22. I’ve never seen this type of atmosphere during a 20 point deficit.So, led by this, Dallas clawed their way back to a 17 point game at the half.And things got wild in the third quarter as this run got them all the way back in the game.This set us up for an insane back and forth battle where Dallas really put the pressure on the Clippers, and they actually took the lead.All they had to do now, is stop the Clippers on defense, but Harden was unstoppable…And with the game on the line, PG who was quiet in the second half, did the impossible…What a hero shot from behind the backboard, to give the Clippers the lead, allowing the beard, to seal the deal in the subsequent possessions as the Mavs did not have any answer for him and his 15 points in the 4th quarter for a total of 33 in the game.The Clippers won an absolute shootout of a game which I rated an 8.8 on rategame, the app that I’m a part of. I’m on there every gameday and we’re growing rapidly so you can join me by downloading from the link in the description.Moving on to Philly where I hate to say this, but Joel Embiid showed us that he’s a dirty player, and all those accidents from the previous games were not inadvertent.But the cheap shots would not scare the Knicks away as Brunson exploded for 47 points, a Knicks franchise high in the playoffsand Hart had the best 4 point game that you’ll ever see. 0 for 7 from the field but he did this…He had 5 offensive rebounds and 17 total in this game.But when it mattered the most, with the game on the line, you know who the Knicks would turn to.This was a tight game but an ugly one, with sort of an anticlimactic ending with both teams missing a whole lot of shots in the 4th.The Knicks went 6 for 21 in the final period and the Sixers shot 6 for 24.And Embiid was 0 for 5 in the last 12 minutes as Philadelphia loses a crucial game at home.For all the drama that happened in this game I gave it an 8.7 and it seems that I was too generous, but hey, my Knicks won so I felt good about it.I do agree with Nico however that the rebounding won them the game.Minnesota went for the sweep against Phoenix, so Edwards and Towns knew that they’d need to come out with their A-game in order to close out this series.And that’s exactly what they did.But unlike the previous 3 games, there wasn’t a blowout third quarter run for the Timberwolves and we finally got a thriller in the 4th.Edwards went crazy in the 4th with 16 points in the 4th quarter and 40 overall.And then in the clutch, just look at this championship level defense here by the Timberwolves.Minnesota absolutely clamped down on the Suns and allowed them just 1 field goal in the final 3 minutes of the game. And meanwhile, Edwards wanted to drop the hammer and put an end to this series.Wooow, what a player, Ant had a combined 31 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists on 51% from the field and 43% from downtown in 4 games, absolutely dominating this series and completely outplaying the Suns big 3.Despite the sweep however it wasn’t all fun and games for Minnesota, as he suffered some friendly fire and went down with an injury. The reports are that he may have ruptured his patella tendon, and I don’t know if he’d be able to be on the sidelines for game 1 of the second round.I totally agree with Chickenmans that even tho it was a close game, I thought that the Wolves always had control.Speaking of that, I kinda had a feeling that Indiana would have control of the game just by looking at the starting lineups. With Giannis and Dame injured, the Pacers were the favorites at home, but Milwaukee were ready to fight, and I mean literally.Portis throws a punch and is immediately ejected, making the Bucks roster even weaker for this game.And the Pacers saw the opportunity and immediately jumped on it.
The Playoffs Started To Get AGGRESSIVE... Heat Check 2024-04-27 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8Things got completely out of control in the playoffs. From pure chaos of a game, to a superstar altercation in Dallas, and a debacle in Phoenix.But we gotta start with the most chaotic game of the playoffs. And it was like that from the start.The crowd was absolutely rocking in Indiana, as the Pacers blitzed Milwaukee with a double digit lead early on.The Bucks only scored 6 field goals for the entire first quarter as it seemed like Indi would blow them out in game 3.After that initial avalanche, and with Lillard having a horrific half of 2 for 10, Milwaukee felt okay with being down just 12 points at the break.And they continued to chip away at the deficit, setting up a wild 4th quarter.With the Pacers clinging to a 1 point lead in the final minute, it was crucial for them to score on this possession so…What a clutch rebound for Siakam the bucket and the foul for a chance to put the Bucks away, buut he misses, leaving the door open for Milwaukee to extend the game and play the foul game. So with the weight of the world on his shoulders, Nesmith stays ice cold at the line and knocks down 2 huge free throws. So now, whatever you do, don’t allow the three…Oh my goodness what a shot by Middleton to bring back Milwaukee from the dead, and we go to overtime.The entire arena is deflated, and in OT, Indi is playing catch up, trying to hang with the Bucks.And what follows is an epic display of the fight and will to win of a young team, mixed in with the fear and inexperience with the game on the line.Unbelievable…This was a combined possession of more than a minute and a half.Amazing effort by the Pacers, but they didn’t know how to capitalize on that, so we got Middleton at the line and he calmly sinks both, so now all of a sudden the Pacers need to save themselves…And on the other end, phenomenal contest by Nesmith to force this miss, and then things escalate because….A colossal shot by Nesmith to once again give the Pacers a 3 point lead, so now again, don’t allow the three.This is pure madness! Middleton goes hero mode again with another crazy shot to tie the game, shocking the entire arena.But this would set up the final scene of this thriller…Tyrese send the entire arena into a frenzy! Are you kidding me?! What a wild ride of a game.He makes the free throw as well, and we all know who’s gonna take this shot right?!Wooow what a game, without a doubt the wildest of the playoffs, as I gave it a 9.5 on rategame.Download it from the link in the description and start rating with me.Moving on to Dallas where Luka started to really pull the Clippers defense apart in the second quarter.Yeah that’s Kawhi Leonard who Luka is saying is too small.Doncic was rolling, the role players were benefiting off of his assists, and the Clippers couldn’t follow this pace. So the Mavs went on a run and by half time this was a 13 point lead.LA fought in the third quarter, and just when they thought they would have some kind of momentum at the end, leading into the 4th, Kyrie said not a chance.The Mavs sensed that they could put an end to this game early, so right in the first minute, Luka and Kyrie went to work.And the entire arena exploded on this fast break…Seeing that this game is slipping away, the frustration was building for the Clippers, and things got heated at the end…Westbrook with a disrespectful move towards Doncic, but Luka stays calm and of course his enforces will step in and do the dirty work here as PJ WASHINGTON takes over and handles things.As it turns out, this would be the most interesting thing in the 4th quarter with the Mavs easily won this game for a 2-1 series lead, and I rated it with a 6.2 on rategame.And in Phoenix, this was essentially a must win game for the Suns, so I was curious to see if there was going to be a big run at the start similar to how it was in Indiana.However not only did Minnesota had answer for every bucket, but they went on the break with a 6 point advantage provided by their suffocating defense once again.And then, the familiar script from every game in this series. The Timberwolves go on a huge run in the third quarter.And just like that it’s a 20 point lead on the road. Once again the Suns don’t have an answer for Minnesota in the third quarter.There would be frustration for Phoenix as well and some back and forth chirping but nothing really notable, as Anthony Edwards and the Wolves were able to go in there and completely quiet the crowd taking a commanding 3-0 lead and everything points out to an exciting second round matchup against the reigning champions the Denver Nuggets.This was only a 5.8 on rategame but we got a 4 game slate for tonight so I’ll see you guys on there.
They Reached The Point Of NO RETURN... Heat Check 2024-04-26 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8
This Was NEVER Supposed To Happen... Heat Check 2024-04-25 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8We have just witnessed the unthinkable. With the entire world writing them off, the Heat pulled off the most improbable upsets, but was this a genius adjustment, luck maybe, or possibly a horrible defensive strategy by Boston? We’re about to find out.Right from the beginning Miami made it known exactly what was going to be their game plan.They knew they couldn’t compete point for point with the Celtics, so Spoelstra went all out and told his team to fire away as many threes as possible. So that’s exactly what they did.By half time Miami had 24 attempted threes and only 12 shots inside the line. And they were knocking them down.Now this is the interesting part. I don’t agree with Joe Mazulla, and you can see for yourself.The Celtics wouldn’t switch on ball screens at any cost. They liked to keep the matchups as they were, which created room for penetration by the ball handler, and obviously then the help has to come, leaving an open Miami shooter.I absolutely don’t see any reason for them to be doing this. The Celtics have one of the lengthiest lineups, and a 5 man unit that can switch on anyone and not worry about matchup exploiting. Why are you doing this?On top of that, Spoelstra sprinkled in a bit of his magic as well so watch Tyler Herro here:This screen is a decoy, it’s not important. But watch him cut across at the same time as Jovic comes off of the pick and roll with Brown trailing. White has to be there and even if it’s a split second, you see the separation that Herro has. Bam sets another flair screen and this is a wide open look on the beautiful off ball movement.But despite these 13 threes on a blistering 54% by the Heat, Boston still had a 3 point lead at the break led by their inside game.If an underdog team is shooting lights out, and they’re still trailing at half time, that’s almost always an indication for a convincing win in the second half.And something similar to that played out in this game but not how I imagined it.In a completely unexpected turn of events, Miami kept up this unbelievable pace of outside shooting and finished the game with a franchise high in the playoffs of 23 three pointers on an astonishing 53 and a half percent. For the entire game. Jimmy Butler knew how to enjoy and celebrate this major upset, and amazing game by his teammates.And a loud mouth like him, would of course use this opportunity to do a bit of trolling as well…This game to game drama is exactly what the playoffs are about.On rategame, the app that I’m a part of, I gave this one a solid 7.2, and it seems that the rest of the viewers agree with me.Moving on to OKC and the Pelicans, and I thought we might get another close one after the game 1 thriller ending. But I was so wrong because…The Thunder jumped on New Orleans right from the beginning of the game, and it’s obvious that the Pelicans don’t have an answer defensively for Shai.And Chet Holmgren is stretching the floor to the point where Valanciunas can’t be at 2 places at one. He can’t help on dribble penetration and be there to contest Holmgren’s pick and pop threes.So he was feasting.This was a 13 point lead for OKC at halftime and they never looked back as we got this…This one was over early, and ended up being a complete 32 point blowout.A 4.5 score on rategame is about what you’d expect for a wire to wire big win like this.Guys we’re growing exponentially day by day so download the app from the link in the description and join me in rating these games.Miami got their revenge for the game 1 loss but that’s nothing compared to Luka’s emotional revenge against the Clippers. You gotta watch exactly what took place right here in this video. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
When REVENGE Hits Hard In the Playoffs... Heat Check 2024-04-24 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8Things are starting to heat up in the playoffs, as the teams that got punched in game 1, now come back swinging.The Clippers blew away the Mavs in game 1 even without Kawhi, and with him back on the court for game 2 the hopes were high in LA. However Luka and Kyrie came ready to to play last night, especially Doncic as he scored 12 points in the first quarter including some tough shots.On the other side, the Clippers who were scorching hot from downtown in the previous game, struggled a lot in this one. James Harden was desperate shooting 0/5 from 3 point range in the 1st half, but he made sure to still get his points, as he was attacking the basket and working the defenders for some easy mid-range shots. It was a tight game however as Dallas led by only 4 points at halftime.And after being quiet for 24 minutes, Kawhi Leonard started the 3Q with a bang! (3Q 11:50)He was doing the little things, hustle plays like this offensive rebound and putback layup.The Clippers even took the lead at the end of the 3Q and continued building the momentum in the 4th as well.And with this layup by Zubac LA went up by 6, and Kidd was forced to call a timeout as the home crowd erupted.Facing a possible 2-0 series deficit, the Mavs knew that they had to respond, and they did it in the best possible way, going guns blazing on a 14-0 run to regain control of this game. And in crunch time, unlike the first game, the role players of the Mavs responded to the call by hitting some huge timely shots, keeping the two possession lead. (filer - PJ Washington)But with a minute and a half remaining, Luka shuts down the arena because..Then he made sure to let them know that he’s got this one in the bag.It wouldn’t be so easy tho because…This would then turn into a free throw shootout and Dallas were able to do just enough to put the Clippers away in this game and even the series going back home.On rategame, the app that I’m a part of- I gave this one an 8.2 for the interesting finish and back and forth battle.Moving on to the Bucks and Pacers where Indi wanted to forget that horrific start of 3 for 18 from downton in the first half of game 1 where they fired away a bunch of bricks. And boy, they were blazing hot in this one.Indiana shot 10 for 21 from downtown in the first half a blistering 47 and a half percent.Despite the hot start, you definitely notice that it’s Siakam who’s got the most playoff experience as he once again carried the scoring load by getting to his spots for some easy points.A superb 21 point half on 57% from the field, for him, but thing is, on the other end, Dame picked up exactly where he left off in game 1.Lillard once again had a monster first half with 6 laser threes for 26 points.But the all around effort from Indiana, gave them a 5 point lead at the break, as it was clear that they’ve shaken off the game 1 jitters.This would set up a back and forth battle in the third where it was clear that the Pacers would not back down. In fact, they built onto their lead entering the 4th quarter at +8This leads us to the 4th quarter where I was prepared to watch a dog fight till the final buzzer. But it seems like the Pacers disagreed, and they came out ready to put an end to this game early in the 4th.The Pacers absolutely blitzed Milwaukee with a 23 to 9 run to start the 4th, building out a 23 point lead and pretty much sealing the deal by the 6 minute mark.A phenomenal response to the game 1 debacle once again led by Siakam with another electric performance of 37 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists.They could care less that this game didn’t have a dramatic ending and that I only rated it a 6.3 on rategame. A huge win for Indiana to steal home court advantage.Now, nobody could have imagined that the Timberwolves vs Suns game would start with this…Rudy Gobert on the highway going coast to coast with a eurostep, barreling into Nurkic then throwing a wild shot at the rim and hitting it plus the foul. My goodness.He was a perfect 5 for 5 in the first half, and along with Mike Conley and Jaden Mcdainels kept the team afloat while the top guns Edwards and Towns combined for only 7 points till the break.Thing is, Phoenix didn’t capitalize on that as they shot a miserable 3 for 11 from downtown during that time, and were up by only 1 at halftime. Both teams knew what’s at stake here, and the temperature started reaching the boiling point, so…And we saw a similar scenario playing out in the third, as Minnesota once again jumped on Phoenix to get out to a double digit lead.And similar to Indiana, they stepped on the gas pedal in the fourth quarter, to put and end to this game as early as possible.The fans explode as they can feel this game opening up and a second win being within reach.
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What Happened In This CHAOS Will FOREVER Be Remembered In NBA History... Heat Check 2024-04-23 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8
THIS Happens When Youre NOT Ready For The Playoffs... Heat Check 2024-04-22 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8The playoffs are skyrocketing with wild endings, and ludicrous individual games.So we gotta start with the absolute crazy finish between the Thunder and the Pelicans.New Orleans were of course without Zion but they were able to hang in this game mainly because the young and inexperienced OKC guys couldn’t really put them away. And not only that but this is a chance to go up by 4 in the final minutes…Hold on you gotta rewind that. Nance had his dunk rimming out and missing a golden opportunity here unbelievable.At this moment the Thunder are 5 minutes without a field goal, and the crowd is anxious.So OKC goes to Shai to try and fix things…This sets up one of the wildest offensive sequences that I’ve seen in the clutch with a bunch of completely wide open looks…This madness was only stopped by a shot clock malfunction, so when they return, we have yet another chance for New Orleans to take the lead…Woooow what a block by Chet preventing what would have been a sure bucket. And this opens up the opportunity on the other end…Yeaah look at him ice cold look after the crucial bucket and the foul. And of course he knocks it in.But on the other end, it’s CJ Mccollum with a quick response from the baseline to get this game back down to 1. Aaand with all the pressure in the world on him, the rookie Holmgren misses the first at the line as the drama continues. So down by 2 and 14 seconds to go, the Pelicans have one last try to tie or take the lead. And this is where the chaos ensues.Oh my goodness…inches away from the win, OKC survives in a frenetic finish and takes the lead in this series.This is RateGame, an app that I’m a part of, and the users on there rated this game at 8.8 which is the highest so far for these playoffs. Amazing. Moving on to a highly anticipated matchupbetween the Clippers and the Mavs, we saw two former MVPs on one side turning back the clock and dominating the game, and on the other, a team that was ranked 3rd in made 3’s during the regular season went 2 for 18 from deep in the first half. Dallas simply couldn’t hit anything in the first half, like there was some kind of a lid on the rim. They went 9 for 41 from the field, that’s 22% shooting, this sounds more like some celebrity contest efficiency, not like an NBA contender. Scoring just 8 points in the 2nd quarter they fell into a 26 point hole at the break. And as the saying goes, you can’t win a basketball game in the first half, but you can certainly lose one. This is what concerns me about the Mavericks in this series, the entire offensive load is on Luka and Kai, and when they both have a bad shooting game like they did in the first half, it’s game over. There is no real 3rd option who can hold the team competitive when the top guys are struggling. For them to even have a chance of moving past the Clippers, players like P.J. Washington and Tim Hardaway must step up scoring wise.On the other side, the Clippers were missing Kawhi Leonard, and their second best man in Paul George started the game struggling himself. But this team is so deep, that they have multiple guys who can win games by themselves. And last night it was Harden.The beard was cooking at the start, hitting his first 4 shots from downtown. He was hitting stepback 3’s, driving inside for some of his signature floaters, and even drawing fouls like it was 2017.Another key player in this game was Ivica Zubac, who was feasting inside the paint, especially in the 1st quarter. Zubac had a monster game with 20 PTS and 15 REB on 58.8% shooting. There wasn’t a single guy on the other side that coach Kidd could put on him in order to contain him. Luka and Kyrie tried their best in the 2nd half, hitting some incredible shots to push for a possible comeback, as they both finished with 30+ point games, but the rest of their teammates combined for only 33 points on 27.7% shooting, and that was the story of the game as the Clippers won game 1, and are looking to take a commanding 2-0 lead on tuesday when they meet again.I thought I was low on this game, rating it a 5.4 but it got an average of 4.1Anyway moving on to the Bucks and the Pacers where I thought that Indi would be able to steal this game without Giannis. But just watch these shots:Wooow I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so many bad misses. The Pacers shot 3 for 18 from downtown in the first half. That’s a miserable 16%.And look at how wide open a lot of these were. Without a doubt it’s the nerves that got to this young and inexperienced team in the playoff opener.They were a 37 and a half percent three point shooting team for the season, no way you miss this many open looks.And on the other end it was the complete opposite as Damian Lillard went out of control:Dame exploded for 35 points in the first half, going blistering hot 11 for 19 from the field and 6 for 10 from downtown.
Ive NEVER Asked For Anything But...I Need Your Help... Heat Check 2024-04-22 | Join me on RateGame: apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8
The NBA Playoffs Already Got OUT OF CONTROL... Heat Check 2024-04-21 | Download the Gametime app (gametime.co) and redeem code HEATCHECK for $20 off your first purchase (terms apply)It’s the first day of the playoffs and we already have superstars barking at each other, clutch shots, and a bunch of sequences.Starting off in Minnesota, the home crowd was fired up for this one, but it was KD who came out firing at the start of the game.The Timberwolves tried Karl Towns on him in the first few minutes but there was no way he could hang with Durant defensively so a change had to be made.They however survived the hot shooting in the first quarter by imposing their size, and dominating in the paint and on the rebounds.The huge size difference allowed them to grab 24 more rebounds, which led to a 20 to 6 discrepancy in second chance points.The Timberwolves also crushed Phoenix inside, finishing the game with a 52 to 34 advantage in points in the paint.So, when Phoenix couldn’t sustain the hot start in the second quarter, Minnesota pounded them down low.This gave them a 10 point lead at halftime, even with a quiet Edwards at 10 points at the break. But nobody was prepared for what he did in the third. Ant began toying with Grayson Allen and even Booker, shaking him off with some phenomenal footwork.So then, Durant said enough is enough, I got him. But Edwards said…Unbelievable, Edwards demolished KD as well and he let him know about it.Maaan this is an absolutely amazing scene and I wish I was there honestly.This explosion took Minnesota up by 19 and they never looked back, cruising to a 25 point win in game 1. And boy, do I wish it was this easy for my Knicks, but Philly stormed out to a 13 point lead on the shoulders of Joel Embiid who was unstoppable to start the game.New York needed a spark, and it was Bogdanovic and Mcbride off of the second unit who quickly shot them back into this game.Philly fans could not even imagine that what’s about to come would take them from euphoria to a gut punch in the blink of an eye because…Maaan this was tough even as an opposing fan, I just want this dude to be fully healthy and show us everything he can do.As he limped off to the locker rooms, the Knicks continued their run, and went from a 13 point deficit to being up by 12 at halftime.This was encouraging to see however Embiid was not the main factor in the Sixers comeback. But rather…Lowry had 12 points in the period, with Maxey matching him point for point, the guards led the surge and made this a dramatic finish in the fourth.It was obvious that Embiid was impacted by the injury, but that didn’t stop from fighting.This allowed Philadelphia to ultimately retain possession leading to…And on defense they made it clear, that they want the ball out of Brunson’s hands, but…This three was just the beginning of a wild ride because…What a shot by Josh Hart in the clutch to give New York a 7 point lead in this incredible finish which ultimately would be enough for the Knicks to seal the deal in game 1.The most important thing however would be the health and availability of Joel Embiid moving forward as this series completely depends on that.Moving on to last year’s conference finals matchup, where the Lakers came out strong in Denver, led by Lebron and AD who combined for 14 of 21 in the first half, creating mismatches and causing the Nuggets some trouble.Denver especially experienced some problems during the non Jokic minutes, as Murray had a bad first half and couldn’t hold his team down with Nikola on the bench.So in a bit of a shocker, this was a 12 point lead for LA by the middle of the second quarter announcing a possible upset in the series opener.However this sounded the alarm that woke up the championship unit of the Nuggets, and as soon as they came out of that time out storming back and playing their familiar brand of basketball.Despite the Nuggets coming back from that scary deficit, Lebron James still had the final say in the first half.But the Lakers had no idea that a similar run was waiting for them in the third quarter as well, as KCP threw an avalanche of threes causing the arena to explode.Denver won this period 32 to 18, and coming into the final 12 minutes, the Lakers were facing an uphill battle on the road.Anthony Davis did everything he could to pull his team back into the game, and LA came to down by 6 in the middle of the fourth, but he had 0 support from his team, and there’s no way that 1 guy beats the Nuggets by himself, so Denver held on and took a 1 nothing lead in this series.And here’s the summary of the hardest series to watch: The Cavs had control for the entire game led by Donovan Mitchell who’s one guy that the Magic don’t have, and this might end up being the difference in this matchup.The first day of the playoffs was crazy, following the wild sequence of events that took place in the play in. You gotta check out exactly what happened right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
There Was A STAGGERING Turn Of Events In The Play-In… Heat Check 2024-04-18 | Support by buying my NBA T-Shirts: heatcheck.infoNobody could have predicted a scenario where the home crowd is booing their own team in the middle of a crucial game like this.And to be able to turn things around and come back from that is even more insane.You knew that this was going to be a wild ride right from the beginning when Miami imposed their own playing style and made this a complete slugfest full of tough shots and turnovers.And of course Miami came into this game with their famous zone defense that completely disrupted the offensive flow for Philadelphia, and at times the Sixers looked absolutely clueless on offense.Everything seemed to be going according to the plan for the Heat, until a frightening moment took place, dropping the hearts of Miami fans.Despite being in obvious pain, Butler once again displays the determination of a true warrior and continues playing as if nothing happened.And Miami executes their plan to perfection forcing Philly into a 6 for 23 shooting in the second quarter. A horrific 26%. This allowed them to open up a twelve point lead at halftime despite shooting below average themselves.With Maxey and Embiid at only 3 for 9 and 2 for 8 from the field, and the crowd booing their own team- things were looking grim for the Sixers.And it went from bad to worse in the third quarter when…But then, seemingly out of nowhere, unlikely heroes step up for Philly…And then the crowd exploded because…The role players completely turn this game around in the blink of an eye, led by Nick Batum who knocked down 3 threes in this period.And now, with the crowd back on their side, and them getting back into the game, we’re in for a dog fight in the 4th quarter.And with the defensive gameplan being centered around Joel Embiid, Philly needed the rest of the team to step up when it matters the most, and boy, Nick Batum continued to do that.Unbelievable, Batum is saving the season for Philadelphia in the crucial moments of the game.The Sixers now have all the momentum in the 4th quarter, but just when they thought that they were close to the win…With Butler clearly being affected by the injury, Tyler went hero mode scoring 16 points in the 4th quarter single handedly keeping the Heat in this game.And with the game tied up in the final minute, Miami’s smothering defense seemingly has the Sixers right where they want them, buuut….Finally, Philly figures it out at the most important time of the game, giving them the lead at the end. But then, things really escalate because…Wooow Nick Batum comes up huge once again to send the arena into a frenzy and give his team the opportunity to make this a 2 possession game.As it turns out, this would seal the deal for Philadelphia as their clutch free throw shooting kept Miami at distance in the final seconds, and secured the win for them.From boos to cheers, what a shocking turnaround as they now go to the playoffs against the Knicks, and Miami’s valiant effort falls short and they face off against the winner of Chicago and Atlanta.And speaking of that, this do or die game started out as a back and forth battle until the final minutes of the first quarter when the Bulls decided to go ballistic and with a furious run.The Bulls storm out to an 18 point lead in the first, but now comes the spectacle, as the Bulls shot 59% from the field in the second quarter and in any other game they would probably build onto their lead. Only thing is…As shocking as it sounds, Atlanta outmatched Chicago’s shooting with a stunning 69 and a half percent as they seemingly couldn’t miss and cut the deficit all the way to 3Despite Trae Young’s slow first half going 1-5 and 10 points, he made his presence felt and made great plays to find his teammatesComing back from an 18 point deficit, you would think that the momentum is now on Atlanta’s side in the third. And it was a tight game until…The Bulls go on another crazy run in the third quarter absolutely shutting down Atlanta, while shooting 65% from the field themselves. And they blow this game open whenSo, coming down to the finish line, in front of their fans, all the Bulls have to do now is take care of business in the 4thAnd Coby White definitely did thatHe was unstoppable, scoring 14 points in the final period for a stunning 42, 9 and 6 for the gameThe win was never in doubt in the final 12 minutes as Chicago knock out the Hawks and go for the final play in game against the Heat.And with the latest news that Jimmy Butler would miss several weeks with an MCL injury, this is a golden opportunity for Chicago to advance to the playoffs for a matchup against the juggernaut Boston Celtics.Admittedly, even if they make it there, this would be mission impossible for the Bulls, but still the playoffs would come as a reward for their persistence throughout the season and not giving up when they could clearly do that, especially after Zach Lavine announced that he’ll miss the rest of the season
We Witnessed THE END Of A Dynasty... Heat Check 2024-04-17 | #mantasleep #napwithmanta Check out Manta Sleep here: tinyurl.com/muf7v5c7 and make sure to use code "heatcheck" for 10% off your order.The first day of the play-in gave us possibly the end of an era in Golden State, while Lebron and the Lakers survive in a thriller ending and advance to the playoffs, so we gotta start there.But the start itself was ugly for LA.With 10 quick points in the first, Williamson announced that this wasn’t going to be like the previous matchups where James just sagged off of him and it was game over. And,As soon as Lebron went to the bench for a breather, the Pelicans went on a 14-5 run, ending the quarter with an 8 point lead.And the second period started off with a bang.But it was the defense of the Lakers actually that completely turned this game around in the blink of an eye.The suffocating defense by the Lakers forced New Orleans into taking a bunch of horrible shots, and at times the Pelicans looked like they had no idea what to do. Zion had 10 points in the second as well, but his teammates were clueless scoring only 6 points combined.And meanwhile, the Lakers shooters were feasting…LA went on a furious run in the second quarter, winning the period 34 to 16 and on the break this was a 10 point lead for them.And, what should have been a rally back into the game in the third quarter, turned into a nightmare, as one of their leaders Brandon Ingram was a complete no show. From forcing up unnecessary tough shots, to turnovers, and most of all, not creating for his teammates, the Pelicans couldn’t rely on him as the deficit was increasing.MAAAN THIS GOT ME FIRED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, AND I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE HARD FOR ME TO SLEEP AFTER THIS GAME.What’s funny is that as soon as Ingram sat on the bench along with CJ who was also having a horrific game and Valanciunas another no show- the Pelicans went on a run with Zion and the bench unit.Williamson scored 11 more points in the third but at the beginning of the fourth quarter while he was on the bench, Willie Green trusted Mccollum and Ingram to get even closer. But the complete opposite started to happen. As they continued to fire up bad shots and the Lakers knew how to punish that. So Green goes back to the unit that got him close the first time, and then…And the arena absolutely explodes when…New Orleans comes all the way back and now it’s on.Thing is Lebron knows exactly what to do in situations like this when his team needs him the most.These 2 teams trade blows in the final minutes, and in the heat of the battle, Zion lands awkwardly and injures himself, immediately signaling that he has to leave the game. A huge blow for the Pelicans.With the Lakers clinging to a 1 point lead, this possession is crucial, so…Wooow the great penetration by Reaves to suck the defense in, but what a huge shot by D’Angello Russell, ice cold to give his team a 4 point lead.So after Mccollum finally gets a shot to fall, this is again a 1 possession game, so all they have to do now is get this stop.Unbelievable, what a monster rebound by Anthony Davis playing with an injured back but still coming up big time not only with the rebound but also with 2 huge free throws to keep it a 2 possession game. And New Orleans does the same thing again with the quick score and the foul, hoping for a miss at the end.But this time Austin Reaves comes up not even flinching at the line and hitting 2 shots that eventually sealed the deal for the Lakers propelling them to the playoffs and another battle against the defending champions the Denver Nuggets.While the Pelicans still have another chance of getting in, as they wait for the winner of Golden State and Sacramento. And boy, Keegan Murray must have been waiting for this game because… Murray came out blazing hot hitting 4 threes for 14 points in the first quarter, helping the Kings jump out to a 9 point lead in the first quarter despite playing without key players in Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter.With Steph and Klay being ghosts in the first half, and Sacramento continuing to attack, the lead ballooned to 16 when Davion Mitchell knocked it down from outside.But then, unlikely heroes stepped up for Golden State trying to save the season.Kuminga kept this team afloat and single handedly went on a run to get the Warriors back in the game with his 10 points in the period, supported by Moody with 7.So at half time Golden State was only down by 4 points despite Curry and Thompson combining for only 5 points in the first half.However nobody could have prepared them for what was about to hit them in the third quarter because…The Kings stormed out to another run making it a 17 point game. And while Steph Curry woke up for the Warriors and dropped 11 points in the period, Klay was 0 for 7 total at this point, and Wiggins was 4-11 total, the offense was nonexistent for them. And this leads us to the sequence that was the exclamation point on this game.
The NBA Reached Its CLIMAX On The Final Day... Heat Check 2024-04-15 | Support by buying my NBA T-Shirts: heatcheck.infoThe last day of the season was extremely bizarre and chaotic. We saw some free chicken wings, players completely zoning out and passing it to the ref, and a team losing the game on purpose to avoid a certain playoff matchup. So let’s start there actually.The Cavs were in play to clinch the number 2 spot in the east, but they knew that in that case, they would likely play the Sixers or the Heat.So, in a desperate and cowardly act, Cleveland who was up by 13 at the beginning of the 4th quarter, benched every meaningful player, and played the rest of the game with their end of the bench guys. Pete Nance, Damian Jones, Isaiah Mobley and Emoni Bates played the entire 4th quarter which the Hornets won 32 to 14. So the tank job was successful, and the Cavs lost this game falling down to the 4th seed and now facing the Magic in the first round.I personally despise losing mentality like this and avoiding opponents just to say that you lost in the second round and not in the first. So all I can say for that matchup is go Magic!The Knicks however showed that they don’t care who they face in the first round, so they played to win in this absolute thriller ending against the Bulls.So after this suffocating defense by OG Anunoby on Derozan, the Knicks had a chance to win this game, and of course they went to Jalen Brunson.Wooow, you could hear the entire arena exhaling as they were ready to explode here.So in overtime, the battle continued because…The Knicks were able to create a bit of breathing room a few times, but Chicago always came right back with an answer of their own, making this an absolutely wild finish.And things completely escalated in the final seconds…Are you kidding me! Knicks I almost died here you can’t be doing this to me. I don’t have the strength to endure this in the playoffs as well.And speaking of the playoffs, New York secured the second spot in the east, and now waits for the winner between Philly and Miami in the play-in, for a crazy first round matchup.In New Orleans, the Pelicans needed to win to stay at number 6 getting them straight in the playoffs.But as shocking as it sounds, this game looked just like their in-season tournament matchup, where the Lakers won the game by 44 points, exposing Zion’s inability to shoot the ball.Whenever Williamson got the ball, LeBron was waiting for him way down the lane, and 2 more Lakers were ready at all times to clog the paint if he ever tried to penetrate inside. They left him wide open for these shots as he was miserable shooting the ball, 4 for 13 only 30.8% from the field. The Lakers led by as many as 32 in a dominant wire to wire win on the road, and now they meet again Tuesday night for the play-in. The winner of their matchup however will go on to face the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets. So, good luck to both teams. And this is another reason why the Pels fell down to the play in. Phoenix needed to win against Minnesota who were fighting for the top spot in the West so they came out trying to win this game.And that’s what makes this Suns win impressive, as they came out guns blazing, led by Bradley Beal who is stepping up as the hero of this team for the past few games.36 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for Beal on 66% from the field, getting a crucial win for Phoenix who now go straight to the playoffs and funny enough, this is going to be the matchup.Suns vs Timberwolves in what’s about to be an absolute shootout.This is without a doubt the greatest feel-good story of the season, as the Thunder went from the 10th seed last to the top of the west in just 1 season. The most shocking turnaround that I’ve ever seen.They needed to win against Dallas to stay at the top and boy did they ever…A damn near 50 point win against the Mavs who admittedly didn’t have anything to play for and rested all their top guns.Still, a great finish of the season for the Thunder and now the vibes are immaculate.The last day was definitely a wild ride, but it was nothing compared to the greatest night of the season that came just a few days ago. You gotta check out the absolute madness right here in this video. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
Things ESCALATED Out Of Control... Heat Check 2024-04-13 | Support by buying my NBA T-Shirts: heatcheck.infoThings escalated out of control on the penultimate day of the season. With playoff implications on the line, almost every game was crucial, so we gotta start with the absolute madness in San Antonio.With the Nuggets fighting for the top seed in the West, and the Spurs playing for absolutely nothing, the 21 point lead for Denver made complete sense.But then Wembanyama did the unthinkable…Wemby went nuclear, scoring 17 points in 3 minutes. 17!The arena explodes, and the Spurs are back in the game, so now it’s on.However with less than 3 minutes to go, Denver still has a 6 point lead which made me believe that they have this one in the bag. But the Spurs thought otherwise…And that leads us to the absolute bedlam at the end.Oh my goodness, what a finish. San Antonio had nothing to play for and they still pulled off the major upset with a huge 21 point comeback win, complicating a lot of things for Denver who now have to hope that Minnesota also loses.But the Timberwolves got Towns back for this must win game and jumped to a 17 point lead over the Hawks in the 3rd quarter.However, it was that kind of a night around the league, so Atlanta went on a 14-0 run right after that bucket, completely turning this game around.They carried the momentum into the 4th quarter and even took the lead on this 3pt floater by Trae.From this point on it was a true war on the court, so with the game on the line, you know who the Timberwolves go to in the clutch.And during the timeout the crowd explodes because…After a pair of clutch free throws by Ant, the Hawks still had a chance to tie the game.The Timberwolves survive and are still in the race for the number 1 spot in the West. And as wild as it sounds, it all comes down to the last game of the season on Sunday. Things are just heating up as we now go to the head to head battle for the playoffs between Sacramento and Phoenix.The Suns desperately needed to win hoping that New Orleans would lose, for the spot in the playoffs, and the Kings were trying to secure the 8th seed to have 2 chances of winning 1 game in the play in.And it looked like they would decide the faith of the Suns because…But with their playoff hopes slipping away, Bradley Beal goes all out trying to save his team.So now it’s chaos, with both teams trading blow for blow in the 4th quarter.But with less than 5 minutes to go, the arena explodes as the Kings do this…As crazy as it sounds however, things are just now starting to get interesting because Sacramento wouldn’t score another field goal for the next 3 minutes, and meanwhile…Still, despite that the Kings have a 4 point lead and the ball with a minute to go but they inexplicably lose the ball here leading to some easy points for Beal.And then, the bad shot selection in the clutch combined with even worse fouls committed by them, put Phoenix on the line, and just like that, now all of a sudden the Suns come all the way back and take the lead. So at the end, it all came down to this:Wooow, the Kings completely sell this game away, keeping the Suns alive in the playoff race, as we still have no idea about the playoff matchups or even who’s going to make it, until the last day of the season.In the meantime, the Lakers hoped for an easy win against the G League Grizzlies last night. This was Memphis’ 51st starting lineup of the season. And look at the injury report, 13 players on here, man the Grizzlies missed the entire team. But they surely didn’t miss the will to win this game and stun the Lakers.Wow it’s a one point game with less than 2 minutes to play. And after AD missed both of his free throws here, Jake Laravia used the same opportunity to put Memphis in front. But, the oldest one on the court wasn’t gonna let his team loose, as he took matters into his own hands.On the other end, Davis used his length to smother Goodwin’s layup attempt and now the Grizzlies put LeBron on the line. Unlike Davis, he routinely drains a couple free throws which leads us to this crazy sequence. LeBron comes to the rescue yet again, and puts LA in the 8th seed with a chance to keep it with a win on Sunday against the Pelicans. And speaking of New Orleans, they are clinging to the 6th seed and of course need a win to stay away from Phoenix.So the Pels jump out to a big lead, and seem like they have complete control of the game in the 4th quarter. But you already know what follows…And just like that Golden State is back in the game mounting a furious comeback.Now it’s a dog fight in the last few minutes, and things explode when…With a chance to ice the game, the Pelicans go to Zion buuut he just rims it out, so now, you know who’s taking this shot for the Warriors.Unbelievable, New Orleans survives a nail biter and are still in the playoffs heading into the final game of the season against the Lakers, they decide their own destiny, and that’s all that a team can ask for really.
Weve NEVER Seen THIS Before On An NBA Court... Heat Check 2024-04-10 | Support by buying my NBA T-Shirts: heatcheck.infoIn 20 years of watching the NBA I’ve never seen 2 teammates fight for a dunk and eventually blow this opportunity.Last night we saw a bunch of unique situations like this one where three guys are literally scared of Wembanyama on the break and they’re like you take it, no you take it, no give it to him. This is how frightening of a defender Victor is, in his rookie season.And on the other end, stop me if you’ve seen something like this:A 7’4’’ giant doing the shamgod but then coming back with the spin all in one fluid motion for the lefty layup. Are you kidding me?Then during the Bucks vs Celtics matchup, we witnessed the unthinkable. You see this?!These were the only 2 shots from the foul line for this entire game. I’m talking combined for the 2 teams. This is wild. The average is about 40 per game total.And yeah, this means that Boston played an entire game running up and down the court, jacking up shots without ever going to the line. Unbelievable. They became the first team in NBA history to achieve this infamous record.And speaking of infamous, the beginning of the game for Phoenix was exactly that.The first quarter ended 37-10 and what should have been a spectacular marquee matchup with playoff implications, turned into a debacle.So now the Suns fell into the play in zone again, and worst of all they have another matchup against the team that absolutely bombarded them. And this one is on the road in LA.Not only that, but after that they play the Kings who are also fighting for a playoff spot, and the last game of the season is against Minnesota. So things are looking scary for this team.And on that topic, this was scary for Rui.A bullet pass flashing before the eyes of Hachimura. What a stunning find by Steph Curry.Golden State are 8-1 in the last 9 games and with this win they actually prevented the Lakers of climbing up to the 8th spot which would mean that they would get 2 chances to win 1 game in the play in. Lebron, AD and company are still in the mix tho, along with a bunch of teams in this absolutely chaotic western conference.With 3 games left in the season, we still have no idea who’s going to survive here and what the matchups are going to look like. This is by far the greatest season in recent memory, and just 2 days ago we got the wildest night of the year. With clutch shots, double overtime games, and 50 point performances. You gotta check it out right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
We Witnessed The GREATEST Night Of The Season... Heat Check 2024-04-08 | Support by buying my NBA T-Shirts: heatcheck.infoThis was possibly the greatest night of the season. A bunch of clutch shots and insane performances had NBA fans losing their minds, so we gotta start with the absolutely wild ending in Dallas where the Mavs are down by 3 but they draw up a perfect play for Kyrie.Wooow a great look to tie the game but Kyrie misses and as precious time comes off the clock before the Mavs finally commit the foul, fans are starting to realize that this game is over.Boy were they wrong. Jabari Smith goes to the line to seal the game and badly misses the first one. At this point everyone noticed that the nerves are getting to him, so the real chaos begins…Unbelievable, what a mess in the final seconds and what huge shot by Exum to send it to overtime.And once they miraculously found themselves in OT, the Mavs were not going lose this game.As the crowd was going crazy, Luka took it to another level with this.Luka goes straight to Kyrie at the final buzzer in a scene that resembled the iconic flu game.And the circumstances were similar. Ramadan Kyrie carried the mavs on no food and no water, posting a stunning 48 points and 7 rebounds on 60% from the field. He got a damn near 50 piece shooting lights out without any food or water in him that whole day. What a player.And speaking of a great player carrying his team, the Clippers were down by 14 in the fourth quarter. And with Kawhi not playing, Paul George knew that he would need to become a superhero to save this game. So then…PG went ballistic scoring 23 points in the fourth quarter, single handedly getting the Clippers back in the game.And with the Cavs desperately trying to get the ball out of his hands in the finish, the role players stepped up.In a staggering turn of events the Clippers come all the way back and take the lead.Buuut things were not over yet as George commits a costly mistake with this cheap foul, enabling Cleveland to tie the game.So with the game in the balance PG wanted to redeem himself and…Are you kidding me?! An ankle breaker on the potential game winning shot? This is insane.And not only did he do that, but he saved the game on the other end as well…What a heroic performance as he actually outscored the entire Cavs team in the fourth quarter to save the Clippers and win this game for them with an improbable comeback.If you thought that this was a wild ending, you are not ready for what happened here. This game was basically over, a 7 point lead for the Spurs with about 90 seconds to go.Only thing is that Tyrese Maxey refused to give up.So now all of a sudden it’s getting interesting. And after this miss, it went from interesting to shocking in the blink of an eye.In the blink of an eye Philly comes all the way back and takes the lead. But what’s funny is that, we haven’t even started with the craziness.What a great play and what a clutch shot by Champagnie. But there’s still time for the Sixers and things start to escalate.Oh my goodness what a rollercoaster, and Philadelphia almost won it here in regulation.And in OT I witnessed one of the best back and forth sequences of the season with both teams knocking down absolutely huge shots.The Spurs have a chance to win the game here and you know who they would go to.Wemby misses this tough shot but there’s still time left now for Philly to go for the win…This is unbelievable we’re going to a second overtime, what a spectacular game.And OT number 2 was exactly the same with both teams trading blow for blow in an incredible back and forth battle, until this sequence…And that pretty much sealed the deal as the Sixers win an absolute thriller of a game powered by Maxey’s 52 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists.And in a must win game between 2 teams fighting for a playoff spot, Zion literally unlocked god mode in the fourth quarter…And you know that he’s unstoppable if he’s making this jump shot.However nothing in this game compares to what he did to KDAnd of course, Zion’s bread and butter is this type of bully ball.Williamson literally did everything to secure this crucial win for the Pelicans and keep them in the race for the number 6 spot in the west. And speaking of that…Speaking of a great position, the Timberwolves have an opportunity to be the No. 1 seed in the West for only the second time in franchise history.They took advantage of the Lakers who played without LeBron and AD’s early exit in the 1st quarter with an apparent eye injury. Naz Reid, one of my favorite hustle players had a huge night, hitting six 3-pointers while scoring 31 points, 11 rebs on 75% shooting.This puts the Lakers back in the 9th spot and now they have to pray for other teams to lose in order to climb the standings.
The Most Random NBA Players To Score 50 Points... Heat Check 2024-04-05 | Support by buying my NBA T-Shirts: heatcheck.infoThis guy randomly scored 50 on the Hawks despite being a career 5 and a half point per game player.Malachi Flynn now has a better career high than NBA legends like Kevin Garnett, Chris Paul, Kawhi Leonard or PG.This was so unexpected that late in the game his teammates were super hyped about the 50 despite them losing the game. It’s interesting that even early on you could see him feeling like he had it, and there was some extra pep in his step. Look at the moves, the bounce from him.Now, it’s not always that players have this bounce when going for 50 points. In fact, Andre Miller did it while literally walking up and down the court. This is a true old man game.In 2010, Miller went from the worst game of his career scoring 2 points, to his career high night of 52 in back to back games. That’s actually impressive.What’s also impressive about this performance is the fact that Andre shot just one three-pointer, ending with 22-31 from the field. At the end of the game, Miller was absolutely gassed from all that shooting.Moving on from one of the slowest guys to one of the quirkiest jumpshots in NBA history.Despite it looking a bit funny, Kevin Martin could go lights out with his shot.And in 2009 against Golden State he was money from everywhere on the court.Now, Martin’s unorthodox movements made him one of the best at drawing fouls and that was the case in this game as well, as Kevin scored 23 out of his 50 points at the free throw line.Next, Corey Brewer was a solid NBA role player and an NBA journeyman playing for 8 teams in his career. However, for one night in 2014, he was the talk of the league.Brewer exploded, scoring 51 points for his Minnesota Timberwolves against the Rockets and did so efficiently from the field, 19-30. A spectacular game for a career 9 point per game scorer. But this is nothing compared to what Caris Levert did.In the wildest performance of 2020, right before the shutdown, Caris Levert single handedly brought the Nets back from down 10 with 3 minutes to go and fought for overtime.On his way to 51 points, Levert scored 37 in the fourth quarter and overtime and actually outscored the entire Celtics team in this time span. 37 to 36. Absolutely astonishing.Moving on. There’s another instance of Cade Cunningham going crazy on the bench for a 50 point performance. This is 2 seasons ago, as his teammate Sadiq Bey went unconscious, scoring 51 points on 10 three pointers. 17 for 27 from the field and 10 for 14 from downtown, this was truly a masterpiece.Now, when you think of random fifties, Terence Ross should probably be the definition for that.In 2014 he became the first player in NBA history to score at least 50 while averaging under 10 points per game for a season. Against the Knicks, Ross simply put, went off for 51 points on 16-for-29 from the field, including a career-high 10 three-pointers on 17 attempts. Similar to Terence Ross, Eric Gordon is another guy who could get hot in the blink of an eye.And against the Utah Jazz in 2020 not only did he get blazing hot but he forgot hot to turn it off so he exploded for 50, carrying the Rockets who were without James Harden and Rusell Westbrook in this game. Now this is possibly the most well known 50 point game by a random player.In the bubble with everyone watching after the long NBA drought, T.J. Warren went absolutely viral with his 53 points against the Sixers.This fantastic shooting display of 20 for 29 from the field and 9 for 12 from downtown created a hype around him that he was never able to justify later on in his career.Still, to this day, this is the most iconic random 50 around the NBA circles.Next up is Mo Williams who’s probably best remembered as LeBron James’ sidekick in the two seasons prior to The Decision. But he was a fine scorer in his own right. However, nobody expected this from him in 2015.Williams torched the Indiana Pacers for a career-high 52 points while averaging 11 points per game entering that day. This game is often credited as the reason why the Cleveland Cavaliers brought him back for a second stint in 2015, which saw him become an NBA Champion.And in 2021 Kevin Porter Jr became the youngest player to post 50 points and 10 rebounds at just 20 years of age.Porter Jr beat out Lebron James who was the previous record holder at 23 years old. This made him one of the most promising young players in the league, but due to his inconsistency, lack of discipline, and off court issues he is now out of the league after just 4 years of playing.The younger NBA fans need to check out Mahmoud Abdul Rauf on youtube and watch his 51 point detonation. He was Steph Curry before Steph Curry firing away from way downtown.
ESPN Leaked The MVP Votes & THIS Is The Winner... Heat Check 2024-04-04 | Support by buying my NBA T-Shirts: heatcheck.infoEspn leaked the MVP voting and we already know who’s going to be the NBA MVP.Before diving into the results and revealing the winner, let me explain where this info comes from and why it’s 99% accurate.Tim Bontemps is an ESPN analyst and every year, at different points of the season he does anonymous and informal polls among the media members who have votes, and gathers the results. He would ask them how they feel about the MVP race early on around December, then around the All Star, and finally close to the end of the season.This includes almost every single voter which makes this poll super reliable and relevant.So, around Christmas, it’s interesting that Joel Embiid had a pretty sizable lead, and had he stayed healthy, I believe that he would have definitely won it back to back.Then during the All Star break, with Embiid out, Nikola Jokic pulled ahead followed by SGA who jumped from the 4th spot right into a 2 man race against the Serbian.Which brings us to the final poll of the season. What you’re about to see is 99% certain, so here it is.Your 23-24 NBA Most valuable player is Nikola Jokic. You see that the lead is far too big, and 85 out of the 100 voters ranked him number 1, meaning that there would need to be some colossal change of events for voters to change their mind, and flip the order when they would officially fill their ballots. But with Shai not even playing in the last 2 games, it’s more than safe to say that these results, at least for the winner, are final.This would make Jokic only the 9th player in NBA history with 3 MVP awards, entering an elite company of NBA royalty.I’m sure that he would be super hyped about this individual achievement as he always is.Getting back to the list right here to focus on the rest of the group, I’m shocked that Luka was left out of the ballot 4 times. So he did not crack the top five in the eyes of 4 voters.Similar thing with Giannis, he’s on 92 ballots, and 8 analysts did not have him in the MVP race.With this out of the way, now we can fully focus on the playoff race which is absolutely chaotic this season. And Golden State are doing something that has the entire western conference worried. I break down everything in this video right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
Their Biggest Fear Just Became A Reality... Heat Check 2024-04-03 | Support by buying my NBA T-Shirts: heatcheck.infoLast night was a preview of the playoffs, and what’s happening right now, is every playoff team’s worst nightmare. A showdown between Golden State and Dallas, seemingly woke a sleeping giant. And speaking of giants, Joel Embiid is back, making the Sixers a terrifying first round matchup for the top teams.But you already know who’s the one team that everyone is trying to avoid. They showed us exactly why that is. The NBA is entering a chaotic state and we gotta start with 2 of the most dangerous teams in the west, as the Warriors are finally looking like themselves once again. Their ball movement, everyone chipping in and contributing, and most importantly the defense when it mattered the most were the key factors for a crucial win against the Mavs, despite Steph Curry’s off night.The situation in the west has every team in fear. First, you have a team with championship pedigree getting their confidence back, despite being down low in the standings. If they’re playing their familiar brand of basketball like they did against Dallas, nobody wants to see them in the playoffs.Then, the standings are looking absolutely frightening, with 4 teams being separated by 1 game.Think about this: The difference between having a solid season and finishing number 5 or possibly losing in the play in which would be catastrophic is just one game. With only about 7 games in the season left, every team is on edge. Heck even if you’re one of the top 3 teams in the west, your reward for being great could be a first round matchup against KD, Book and Beal, or Luka and Kyrie or Lebron and AD. And as we’re finding out just now, it could also be the good old Golden State Warriors and their deadly style of play that they are unlocking once again.The situation is equally as wild in the east now that Embiid is back.Admittedly the Thunder were playing without Shai, but Philly was without Maxey, so them beating the top team in the west shows just how big of a threat they are.Just imagine if things stay the same in the east. The Sixers could potentially be a first round matchup for Boston or Milwaukee. And if it’s not them, it could be Miami.We saw just last night why every single contender wants to avoid the Heat.The Knicks looked like a little brother playing against the big brother. They just couldn’t match the level of physicality, and the fight that Miami imposed on them.As a Knicks fan, I know for a fact that they don’t match up well against the Heat, and the Celtics as well as the Bucks already have PTSD from the previous years of battling against this team.So if you’re Boston and Milwaukee, who the heck do you wanna see in the first round? There is absolutely no easy out.Woow, with just 2 weeks away from the playoffs, things are looking as messy as they’ve ever been in a season. And teams need to unleash the best version of themselves in order to stay alive. Just like Lebron is starting to unlock God Mode as he decided to transform into Steph Curry from downtown. You gotta check out what he did right here in this video. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
They Made Lebron Mad, So He Activated GOD MODE... Heat Check 2024-04-01 | Support by buying my NBA T-Shirts: heatcheck.infoLast night Lebron James turned into Steph Curry, and he was unstoppable. Then Luka did the unthinkable against the Rockets but we also had a last second drama in Madison Square Garden. Last night was thrilling, and we have to start in New York.The Knicks were scratching and clawing to stay in the game against the Thunder, but Jalen Williams was on fire.He had 33 points in this game but in this absolutely wild finish, Williams misses not one but both free throws with 43 seconds to go. And that would set up an absolutely wild sequence of events after the foul on Brunson. Just watch this.Buut it’s still Knick ball, so you know who’s got it at the end.This is where things escalate, and unfortunately for Knicks fans including yours truly, you know that it’s time for SGA.What a shot by Shai to give the Thunder the lead in the final seconds, but there’s still time left for one final shot.Wooow you see that Brunson was wide open under the basket for a split second but Donte could not see him from out of bounds.What a game, the Knicks lose a second straight heartbreaker, as OKC stays at the top of the West with this win.Moving on. I knew that Luka was bound to explode when he did this even before the game started. So, once they got up and running, Doncic started to cook.This was the first of five step back threes in the first quarter for him. 5 stepback triples. He went god mode. And once he dropped this one, it was game over.47 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists on 9 for 16 from downtown. But this was the cherry on top.Yeah, it was that kind of night for him, securing the 7th straight win for Dallas as all of a sudden they are number 5 in the west. Maaan the playoff race is going to be stunning.Speaking of the playoff race, every game is a must win for Golden State, so they had to come out firing against the Spurs. Wemby however had other plans, as he closed the lid on their basket in the opening minutes.This however seemingly got Steph fired up, as he would start firing away on the Spurs.Victor came out with the same energy and we got a great battle of the 2 superstars.Wemby absolutely filled the statsheet with 32 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks. Wooow.But Curry finished with 33 and 8 shooting blazing hot from downtown and helped the Warriors secure a crucial win to make it a 2 game lead against the Rockets in the play-in race.His performance from downtown however was nothing compared to what Lebron did against Brooklyn. James played like a man possessed going 9 for 10 from beyond the arc. Are you kidding me?!40 points on 90% from downtown is ludicrous. And once he knew it was on, in the fourth quarter it was nothing but heat checks for him.What a night for Lebron. And would you believe me if I told you that in year 21 he’s shooting a career high 41.6% from outside? He’s transforming into an elite three point shooter.Speaking of elite, Kyle Anderson is not even elite, but the absolute goat at moving slow on the court. The way that he’s fooling everyone while seemingly walking is hilarious. I made an entire video highlighting his greatest hits so you gotta check it out right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
Kyle Anderson Is WARPING TIME With His SLOWNESS... Heat Check 2024-03-29 | Use code BASKETBALL50 to get 50% OFF first Factor box and freewellness shots for life with any active subscription at bit.ly/49ffI0RThis was a vintage Kyle Anderson move.And you’ve probably seen his greatest hits. The slow breaks where he’s literally walking his way to the basket and his opponent simply doesn’t know how to guard him at this speed.And slow mo has a bunch more of these unguardable moves.Dude is just strolling to the rim right past Randle and Toppin.Now look at this thunderous drive to the bucket hypnotizing the entire defense with the speed, so they just watched him get an easy bucket.Does this steady move all the way to the basket remind you of someone? Kyle Anderson plays at his own pace, no matter if it’s the slowest in the league. Just like Luka Doncic. Luka often uses his big body and patience to fool defenders before he gets the shot up. And look at this, Slow Mo does the exact same thing. He is so slow that on his second step of this layup attempt Trey Murphy jumps, falls back to the ground while the ball is still in Anderson’s hands.And look at this: it almost seems like Anderson is even falling down slowly, allowing him to make a decision in the air and get this one to drop.Same thing with Avdija on the break. They’re in line but watch how far Deni ends up while Anderson just lays it in. Unbelievable.With his speed, dude is almost traveling through time.Moving on, check this out.Kyle gets the ball inside the paint, does the slowest dream shake you’ll ever see and then hits the hook shot. Does this ring any bells? He’s got the bag like Jokic as well.Look at the two of them battling on both ends of the chessboard. Only he can fool the Joker with the fake before he gets the floater to drop.He was definitely born in the wrong country because this is definitely the Yugoslavian style of play.He’s got the slow flip shots, hook shots, fades, you name it. But the most underrated aspect of his game aesthetically for me are his three point attempts.These are pure gold. Just look at this leisure shot from downtown, like he’s on summer vacation. This reminded me of the time when Kyle fooled everyone including the cameraman with his slow release.Now, with only 6 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists per game, his modest numbers don’t tell the whole story about him. Anderson brings veteran leadership alongside Mike Conley, and is very strict and strong minded when it comes to tutoring the young stars.Kyle might be the slowest player on offense, but that’s definitely not the case on the defensive end. He’s got deceivingly quick hands as you can see on these clips. He's a very intelligent defensive player, and knows how to protect passing lanes, often disrupting the flow of the offense. Also he's a sneaky shot blocker, with his long arms coming from behind or from the side of shooters and stripping the ball at the last moment. Speaking of blocks, Anthony Davis had a game saving block against the Bucks to ultimately help the Lakers win this tough game without Lebron. But there were some controversies in that game, so you need to check out the whole thing right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
The Lakers Are GUILTY Of This CONTROVERSIAL Ending... Heat Check 2024-03-27 | #napwithmanta #mantasleepCheck out Manta Sleep here tinyurl.com/2fpa8n83 and make sure to use "heatcheck" for 10% off your order!In a double overtime thriller, the Lakers pulled off a huge comeback win in Milwaukee without Lebron, buuut if you ask the Bucks, there were some controversiesThe Lakers found themselves trailing by 19 in the 1st quarter, as they couldn’t hit anything from long range. The drought continued in the 2nd as well, as they went 1 for 13 from deep in the 1st half. That’s atrocious. D’Lo however came out scorching hot in the 3rd hitting 4 straight triples to cut the deficit to 7 points. But the Bucks stepped on the gas pedal again to build yet another 19 point lead early in the 4th. And this is when they stopped playing basketball and for some reason started firing awful contested shots.Why would you go away from what was working, and resort to these types of shots making the offense extremely stagnant and allowing LA to defend it and come back.On the other hand, AD picked up the slack from the 1st half as he hit 2 threes late in the 4th to bring the Lakers back to just 5 point margin. 1 minute later Reaves decided to take matters into his own hands. It’s on now. Taurean Prince got the foul on this layup attempt and tied the game hitting both free throws. The Bucks continued to spiral downhill as they went scoreless in the last 3:26 of the game. All of sudden, the Lakers have a chance to take the lead for the first time in 48 minutes. Great defense by Beasley on this entry by Russell and after the challenge by Rivers, the Bucks regain possession. Now, they have another chance to redeem themselves in front of their home crowd. Great execution by Milwaukee on the final play, but Giannis just couldn’t convert the alley-oop at the buzzer, as he was left speechless afterwards looking for a foul. It’s not over yet! The Lakers have 0.8 seconds left to stunt everyone.Austin Reaves gets a clean look but the ball bounces off the rim and out as we go into overtime.This meant that the game would end at like 6 in the morning for me watching in Europe.In OT, It’s a dog fight at this point, with both teams playing great defense not allowing any easy opportunities. And after some made free throws on both sides, and a questionable decision on this jumper by Reaves, we get to this crazy sequence.The whole arena erupts with fans checking their watches celebrating Dame time. But it’s not over yet, as D’Lo gets the iso with Crowder, penetrates from the left side, catches Middleton reaching, secures a foul call and converts both free throws to tie the game.The Bucks are in the same position again, desperately trying to put away the Lakers.AD comes through with the amazing block to send the game to double OT. Buut if you watch closely on the replay there is some pushing by Dinwiddie on Lillard’s hip just before he releases the shot.Anyway in the 2nd overtime, you could see that players were exhausted and neither team could score a bucket for more than 3 minutes.And after some tough buckets, with less than a minute to go and a tie game, Beasley clearly fights over the screen here but Lillard inexplicably stays up leaving Austin Reaves completely wide open for this three and he knocks it down.The Bucks rush to respond and Giannis is there on the offensive rebounds gets fouled and has a chance to make it a 1 point game at the line, buuut not only does he miss the first one, but the second shot as well putting his team in a tough spot at the end. Russell on the other hand was ice cold and knocked down both free throws, which pretty much sealed the deal for the Lakers in this game.Now, as we saw at the beginning, Dame had something to say about some of the calls, and the free throw disparity was jarring. Almost twice as many free throws for the Lakers, and this comes just 2 days after the Indiana game where Rick Carlisle complained about the staggering 43 to 16 difference in free throws.This graph is combining the free throws called for a team minus the ones against them. Dating from the beginning of last season.And you can see the unbelievable difference that the Lakers have of +1000 foul line shots while the rest of the top teams are in the three hundreds.This is a bit extreme and does make you question some things. I’m not gonna make any accusations, but this could cause some controversies. So, you be the judge.This was a chaotic game, and yesterday we had an entire night of wild NBA endings. Game winners, huge comebacks, you name it- so you gotta check out this video right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
KD Was STUNNED By An IMPROBABLE Game Winner... Heat Check 2024-03-26 | Support by buying my NBA T-Shirts: heatcheck.info Last night was off the hook. We had a 30 point comeback, and a bunch of thriller games that all came down to the final shot.We gotta start in Atlanta where the Celtics absolutely destroyed the Hawks in the first half.In the second quarter this was already a 30 point lead for Boston, and it looked like this would be a 50 or 60 point debacle of a loss. With Trae Young on the sidelines, the fans could only hope for a miracle. But then, the Hawks went on a mini run cutting the 30 point deficit down to 18.Down 18 at halftime is still a big deficit, but it’s not impossible.And in the third quarter, Atlanta continued their comeback with another furious run.In an improbable turn of events, it took them just 4 minutes to come all the way back to down 3, causing the arena to explode.So now it’s on. What should have been an easy win for Boston, now all of a sudden turned into an entire 4th quarter of absolute war on the court.And the ending was absolutely spectacular. Boston misses on this bad offensive possession in the clutch, and the Hawks have a chance to ice the game. What follows next is pure chaos.Hunter inexplicably shoots a three pointer after the rebound instead of just holding onto the ball wasting the clock and waiting to get fouled, but it turned out absolutely amazing.It was that kind of night for the Hawks as they completed the largest comeback of the season and in their franchise history. What a night, and we’re just starting out, because what happened in San Antonio was equally as insane.Even without Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs as a complete underdog battled hard against KD, Booker and Beal on the Suns. And with 4 minutes to go, San Antonio even had an 8 point lead, which saw a possible win on the horizon for them. But in the clutch, you know that the big guns will come out firing.And just like that in 90 seconds Phoenix erased an 8 point deficit and took the lead.What followed was a back and forth of bad offensive possessions on both sides with the Spurs down by 1 with less than a minute to go.But nobody could have prepared the home crowd for what was about to happen:San Antonio survives in a heart attack finish, pushing Phoenix back in the play-in zone again. Woow.We had yet another crazy ending in Chicago where the Bulls were down by 7 but it wasn’t over yet.But Justin Champagnie cooled off the atmosphere with this 3 pointer, making it a 4 point lead.The king of the 4th quarter however would respond. DEMAR ZA -2This would start a chain of quick fouls and free throws on both ends. And at the end, the Bulls are left with no more time outs, and they foul one last time, knowing that after these free throws, they would have to go the length of the court to tie the game.And watch what happens:Oh my goodness this would have been epic. But I gotta say that Demar raises up way to early here he still has 2 seconds to get closer, and even better he should have passed it to Coby White. Nevertheless, another wild game is in the books.Let’s calm down from all of this, and check out Donte Divincenzo who was unconscious from downtown, hitting 11 threes against the Pistons.40 PTS / 5 REB / 55% 3PT with the last 2 tying and breaking the Knicks single season record for 3 pointers made.What’s interesting is that the previous record holder was playing against him tonight. That is Evan Fournier believe it or not.A career high scoring night for Donte and a move into Knicks history.Another record was broken in Sacramento where Domantas Sabonis had his 54th consecutive double double and with that, broke Kevin Love’s NBA record for most double doubles in a row.A phenomenal season for a phenomenal player.So yeah, this was a fun night in the NBA, but there was nothing fun for Steph Curry and the Warriors when they played against the Knicks a few nights ago, and New York absolutely shut down Steph in a way that we haven’t seen another team do it this season. You gotta check out this video right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
THIS Is What Happens When You LOCK Steph Curry Up... Heat Check 2024-03-19 | Support by buying my NBA T-Shirts: heatcheck.infoThis is textbook definition for how to guard Steph Curry. Look at Deuce Mcbride staying on Curry like a glove. Watch how close he is right here, all up in his grill, and as the screen comes Mcbride fights over and forces the turnover.Then, watch the chase here all over the perimeter, as Steph gets the ball, we got the suffocating defense, great help by the others and they force another turnover. Notice how much energy is exuded here on this possession. Deuce picks him up full court, then escapes the screen by GP, and the subsequent rescreen here at the top, forcing Curry to give it up. This is great defense but Mcbride knows it’s not over as another pick is set, and he chases him down to not allow this shot. Good help by Brunson here, Curry bounces it to Payton and ultimately this leads to a bucket for Golden State but this is still a great defense on Steph and doesn’t allow him to get into a rhythm. Then check out the absolute chaos that the Knicks cause on this play.Deuce is way up on Curry here, gets over the screen and the big man stays in front just enough to allow Mcbride to come back on the chase and then this is just a bunch of pitbulls attacking, which of course ends badly for Golden State. Speaking of getting into a rhythm, of course it’d be tough when you got a guy constantly on you chasing you, bumping you and contesting every shot as closely as this. Yes, I know that Steph can make these shots, but at the same time I know that it sure isn’t his preference to have to shoot them like this, especially after fighting extremely hard to even get to the ball and to this shot. Look at just how much things happen here on this possession.We got the high screen, and Hartenstein is up high to contest a potential shot. In the meantime, as Deuce is fighting over the screen, he also sneakily grabs Draymond to slow him down on the potential roll to the basket.Curry gives it up and sprints back over there but Mcbride is right behind him so as we stop it here, you see that he is all over Steph, this is as tough of a contest as it gets, and of course it ends up being a miss. According to NBA’s tracking data Deuce McBride guarded Steph Curry for 51 possessions. And Curry went 4-for-13 with 2 TOs and 1 Assist. This is as good of a job as you can do on him as a defender.Steph still got his raw numbers, scoring 27 points but it was inefficient and you saw how it disrupted the flow of the offense for Golden State which ultimately resulted in a win for New York.The Knicks have been absolutely clamping down on their opponents for the past 10 games, leading the league in defense in this time span.With that, they’ve climbed up to 7th in defense this season overall, and they’re locking in at the right time, just before the playoffs.And speaking of that, the Mavs are really locking in right now, with the latest win being this insane lefty shot by Kyrie. This however wasn’t a lucky shot for Irving, in fact it came natural for him and he explains exactly why that is. You gotta check out this video right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.
