Tuesday Bolts – 4.5.16
Anthony Slater on possible playoff opponents: “Memphis closes with the Bulls,
Mavericks, Warriors, Clippers and Warriors again, while the Blazers get the lottery-bound Kings, Timberwolves and Nuggets, plus a Thunder team on Wednesday that might rest some guys. So it seems Portland is destined to hop the Grizzlies, setting up what we should’ve expected all along: the fourth series between Memphis and OKC in the past six years. The rivals can’t seem to avoid each other. Which, this season, should be just fine with the Thunder. The Grizzlies are so beat up that Jordan Farmar, signed out of the Israeli League last month, is their starting point guard and 37-year-old Chris “Birdman” Anderson is their starting center.”
Chad Ford on Buddy Hield: “For the most part, he had a scintillating tournament. But his poor performance against Villanova in the Final Four brought some reality back into the equation. He’s an outstanding shooter, but he isn’t Stephen Curry. That said, with the Celtics, Timberwolves, Pelicans and Kings all looking for shooting, he’s looking more and more like a lock to go in the No. 4 to No. 7 range.”
Does KD like an iPhone or an Android?
Gary Tanguay of CSNNE.com: “Here’s the only shot the Celtics have in the Durant sweepstakes: Last Friday he was relaxing at home the night after the Thunder’s win over the Clippers when he witnessed something special. He saw that the Celtics very well could be the Warriors’ kryptonite. Of course, that may be a bit strong but — without Jae Crowder — he watched a tough bunch, led by the league’s greatest coach, end the Warriors’ 54-game home winning streak. Regular season or not, this is a big deal. The Celtics were playing the night after a loss in Portland. Plus, the Celtics had taken Golden State to double overtime earlier in the season before losing. Yes, I realize that Harrison Barnes and Klay Thomson were not playing that night.”
That was some shot last night, huh? I’ll be watching reaction videos the rest if the day if you need me.
Stein has OKC fifth: “Through the first three quarters of games, OKC is plus-232 for the season in the first, plus-107 in the second and plus-208 in the third, better scoring margins than any team other than Golden State and San Antonio. Yet in the fourth quarter, thanks to the Thunder’s well-chronicled struggle to hold leads, they’re stunningly minus-6, as helpfully tallied by the tireless Micah Adams from ESPN Stats & Info.”
NBA.com has OKC fourth: “These fourth quarters have really become a problem for the Thunder, who were outscored 21-8 down the stretch in Houston on Sunday. They’re now a minus-6 in the fourth quarter for the season and have been outscored by 7.8 points per 100 possessions in the fourth quarter by the other 18 teams who are still alive for the playoffs. The late-game offense is always under scrutiny, but the defense has been as big of a problem.”