This is posted a little bit early since the Lakers have a game tomorrow at San Antonio.
We had to be on speed dial for this weeks' matchups. A lot of close calls on these games. Let's jump straight to this week's roundup.
11/19: vs. Oklahoma City 107-112 [W] (12-2)
I'm surprised that the Thunder haven't won a road game so far this season. For a team that's supposed to be in rebuild mode, they've done a good job competing. The only negatives I can think of this game was that Dennis Schroeder was unstoppable the first three quarters and turnovers. The Lakers dominated every statistical category, but they only escaped by with a 5-point win. Refer back to those negatives and you'd find out why. It was similar to last Friday against Sacramento. The Lakers looked like they were gonna pull away, but the Kings kept fighting back. Same case happened this game. The Lakers were able to get the victory thanks to their trio of clients of Rich Paul and Klutch Sports. Anthony Davis had a weird game Sunday, but bounced back this game with 34 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. AD's three-point game was on point for this matchup, satisfying to see. LeBron James notched a triple-double with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, but that is marred by 7 turnovers. When they had Chris Paul on the switch, he was able to bottle up ballhandling of the King. CP3 had a quiet game, but he was getting it done defensively. Have to give credit to that. And the final client of Klutch Sports, KCP, racked up 13 points. KCP is making us eat our words. He has been playing well since Frank Vogel inserted him in the starting lineup in lieu of the injured Avery Bradley. He's earning that money and that no-trade clause on his contract. In other news, Kyle Kuzma got poked in the eye really bad and pretty much the eye swelled up. We hope he's okay. This win wraps up the Lakers' home stand and they'll look to show out on the road trip ahead.
11/22: @ Oklahoma City 130-127 [W] (13-2)
OKC you again this game. As I mentioned in the last section, this Thunder team is a scrappy bunch despite in a rebuild year. This game had the same narrative as the last game. Except the Lakers trailed by the end of the first half. Momentum built up for the Lakers with KCP's buzzer beater in the 2nd quarter. It was a nice heave by Rondo to LeBron. And LeBron alertly tapped it to KCP to execute the beautiful play at the half. By the 2nd half, it looked like the Lakers were going to run away with it. But like the last, the Thunder continued to keep themselves in the ball game. That is until the dynamic duo of the King and the 'Brow came up clutch in the end to seal the win. Davis racked up 33 points and dominated the boards with 11 rebounds. James racked up 23 points and dished out the dimes with 14 assists. KCP and Danny Green provided the third option scoring with 17 points and 14 points respectively. KCP in particular continues to prove us wrong. His defense is not in question. His scoring though is just inconsistent. But, inserting him in the starting lineup is doing wonders.
11/23: @ Memphis 109-108 [W] (14-2)
The Lakers just continue to give us a heart attack this week and what a way to wrap it up with another gutsy win over the Grizzlies. With the Lakers coming off a grueling back-to-back road win and the Grizzlies coming off extra days of rest, you'd think it work in the Grizzlies favor. The first half definitely showed that. By the time I checked into this game, the Lakers were down by 15 points. A loss would finally catch up to the Lakers. But by this period we should know by now, the Lakers always start slow and finish strong. They rallied in the 2nd half, eventually taking a 7 point lead. But, the Grizzlies answered with a run of their own lead by early ROTY favorite, Ja Morant. It also didn't help that the Grizzlies had the three-point game on lock behind Jae Crowder and Jaren Jackson Jr. Despite all that and the efforts that LeBron and Kuzma made to throw away the game, the Lakers wounded up escaping thanks to AD's clutch bucket and defensive play down the stretch. Before that, AD hit a game-tying three pointer, which was big. This game was ugly. Especially down the stretch with LeBron chucking up some threes to try to go for the knockout. Or when Kuzma had the game-saving steal and fumbled it to allow the Memphis to cut the lead to one. But, all is well when they pull out the W against a team they're expected to beat.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Jets Bring the Blitzkrieg on the Raiders
Final: OAK 3 NYJ 34 (6-5)
The final score is subject to change since the game is still going on. But for the Raiders, this game is pretty much over. East Coast game, wet weather, windy conditions, we should've expected that this game was going to go awry for the Silver and Black. And it did big time.
I'm not going to dive deep into this game. The Raiders had a nice opening drive, which finished with Daniel Carlson field goal, but that's all they can write. After that, it's been all Jets. Too many big plays were given up in the passing game. As I mentioned last week, Sam Darnold has been playing better and it showed this game. Over 300 yards passing, 2 passing TDs, and 1 rushing TD. The defense wasn't that great today. The offense was awful especially. You know it's bad when Gruden pulls Carr and Jacobs out before the 4th quarter starts.
This has been common for the Raiders for a while now. In the biggest of games where it's a must-win, the spotlight is just too bright for them and they fold. You can chalk this one up to the tally. This also adds to Derek Carr's awful track record in cold, bad weather games. He's 2-8 going to 2-9 in these kinds of games.
Bottom line, the Raiders got punched in the mouth today. They were caught looking ahead to the matchup against KC next week. Though, they're still right in the hunt with Indy losing to the Texans earlier this week. Next week in a rematch against the Chiefs at Kansas City will be a telltale game and is barometer for this season going forward. So far, the odds are not in the Raiders' favor. The weather is going to be cold again and Andy Reid-coached teams tend to win big after coming off a bye week. Regardless, next week is a must-win for the Raiders' season. I'll see you guys next week for that game.
The final score is subject to change since the game is still going on. But for the Raiders, this game is pretty much over. East Coast game, wet weather, windy conditions, we should've expected that this game was going to go awry for the Silver and Black. And it did big time.
I'm not going to dive deep into this game. The Raiders had a nice opening drive, which finished with Daniel Carlson field goal, but that's all they can write. After that, it's been all Jets. Too many big plays were given up in the passing game. As I mentioned last week, Sam Darnold has been playing better and it showed this game. Over 300 yards passing, 2 passing TDs, and 1 rushing TD. The defense wasn't that great today. The offense was awful especially. You know it's bad when Gruden pulls Carr and Jacobs out before the 4th quarter starts.
This has been common for the Raiders for a while now. In the biggest of games where it's a must-win, the spotlight is just too bright for them and they fold. You can chalk this one up to the tally. This also adds to Derek Carr's awful track record in cold, bad weather games. He's 2-8 going to 2-9 in these kinds of games.
Bottom line, the Raiders got punched in the mouth today. They were caught looking ahead to the matchup against KC next week. Though, they're still right in the hunt with Indy losing to the Texans earlier this week. Next week in a rematch against the Chiefs at Kansas City will be a telltale game and is barometer for this season going forward. So far, the odds are not in the Raiders' favor. The weather is going to be cold again and Andy Reid-coached teams tend to win big after coming off a bye week. Regardless, next week is a must-win for the Raiders' season. I'll see you guys next week for that game.
Monday, November 18, 2019
Lakers Weekly Roundup Week 4: Taking Care of Business
The loss against Toronto two Sundays ago stung the Lakers and they continued to sit as the 2nd best record in the NBA...behind Boston (bleh). But a loss is sometimes good. Multiple losses? Not quite. So far, the Lakers have stead clear of a losing skid. This past week's schedule presents a much easier stretch for the purple and gold. Why it's against teams that they're expected to beat! As always, it's better to not take any opponent for granted and the Lakers are well aware of that to start this season. Let's see how they fared this stretch!
11/12: @ Phoenix 123-115 [W] (8-2)
HIGHLIGHTS
Ah, good to finally see that the team is at full strength with the return of Rajon Rondo. Last Sunday was a tough loss to the defending champions, but it's time to put that in the rear view mirror with a bounceback win against the Phoenix Suns. When you think of the Phoenix Suns in the past, you think easy win. They've turned heads so far this season with a few upset wins on their belt. They are a high octane scoring team that can light up the scoreboard. The Lakers clearly got the memo here and played with a lot of urgency. Anthony Davis dominated his way with 24 points and 12 rebounds, but he had help closing this game out. LeBron did what he did with the 19 points and 11 assists, but it was the supporting cast that stepped up. Danny Green comes alive after a string of quiet games where he was a non-factor with 14 points. Dwight Howard notched a near double-double with 12 points and 9 rebounds. And Kyle Kuzma, he had a terrible string of games against Miami and Toronto, but he came up big in his 23 point performance this game. No question, the Suns are on the come up. They finally have some veterans they can rely on. Ricky Rubio's addition takes a load off Devin Booker and allows him to do what he do best...score. But, the Lakers came to play and re-exert their hot start as the top team in the West.
11/13: vs. Golden State 94-120 [W] (9-2)
HIGHLIGHTS
For the past 5 years, the Golden State gods enacted their reign of terror across the NBA. When teams see the Warriors, they'd either cower in fear or answer the challenge...and fall short as they're overmatched by their talent. Now, let's look at this year, the Warriors are a shadow of their once unstoppable dynasty. They are no longer the gods of the NBA and are banished to league purgatory. To all my Warrior fans, have a seat. Welcome to the period that is rebuilding.
With the Dubs no longer a threat, the Lakers decide to rule out AD and Rondo for this game. Rondo just got back from injury. And of course, AD is a key piece. They will need the 'Brow healthy down the stretch. No AD? No Rondo? No problem as the Lakers stepped it up and beat down the Warriors like they should. Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee anchored the inside in AD's absence. McGee had 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 blocks and Dwight had 15 points, 8 rebounds, and a block. I'm astonished Dwight is -4. It could be the foul trouble and some missed free throws. He did have some defensive breakdowns, but Dwight's performance was on par with McGee this game. Nonetheless, both bigs filled in well and dominated the Warriors' weak interior D. As mentioned no AD this game, but LeBron and Kuzma proved that the Lakers have an alternate dynamic duo in place. LeBron ran circles around this Warrior team: 23 points, 12 assists on 11-21 shooting. There was a scare in the first half when he slipped. We all know what happened on Christmas Day. But, luckily no injury for the King. Funny enough, the Lakers had a comfortable lead that he was not needed for the 4th quarter. Kuzma picked up the slack in scoring with 22 points on an efficient 7-12 shooting. He's really getting back into the groove of things and he's going to pick it up more as the season progresses. Quinn Cook chipped in 10 points. He did well against his former team. Nice revenge games for both he and McGee. A dominant win against the Warriors takes me back to the good old days when this was common and all my Warrior friends can't say nothing to me. To Dub Nation I say welcome back to being the punching bag.
11/15: vs. Sacramento 97-99 [W] (10-2)
HIGHLIGHTS
This game was a homecoming for Luke Walton since the Lakers terminated him by season's end. Things got off to a rough start in Luke's first few games coaching the Kings, but they're playing much better as of late. Sacramento has strung together some wins sans their key young pieces in De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III. It would be sweet revenge for Luke if he coaches the Kings to an upset victory. They started off hot right out of the gate. With the way Luke coaches with that Golden State system, you know the Kings are going to rain threes all night. Things were going fine for Sacramento until LeBron killed Nemanja Bjelica in plain sight during the 2nd quarter. The guy is in his 17th season, yet he's still putting defenders on a poster. This game was a huge scare for the Lakers, especially in the 2nd half. When you think the Lakers were gonna pull away, the Kings kept knocking on the door. It's not just Buddy Hield as a scoring threat, but Richaun Holmes showed out for Sacramento. And there's also Bogdan Bogdanovic to look out for. I still get PTSD from last year when he nailed a cold-blooded three over Tyson Chandler to win the game in their first meeting at Sacramento. The Lakers got some unexpected contributions though. KCP, as much flack as he gets, he made a couple of key buckets in the 4th quarter. That can't be overlooked. Sacramento fought hard, but LeBron and AD closed out the game and finished off the Queens. LeBron made clutch free throws to put the Lakers in front. Then Anthony Davis denied Harrison Barnes as Barnes attempted the game-tying layup.
11/17: vs. Atlanta 101-122 [W] (11-2)
HIGHLIGHTS
Kobe Bryant was at this game! All present Lakers must pay their respects as they are blessed by the Black Mamba's presence. LeBron, Kuz, AD, and even Dwight Howard paid their respects to Kobe. Now, it's time to do him proud, embrace the Mamba Mentality, and kill the opposing team in sight. They did just that this game. Yes, I know it's against the Hawks who are not expected to be good, but they have some good young pieces. Atlanta got blown out the following night against the Clippers and the Lakers did the same. This was a weird game throughout, but all was right for the LakeShow. LeBron put on a show for Kobe with 33 points and draining 6 threes. The Black Mamba gave the King an ounce of his shooting venom for this game. AD had a strange game. He didn't grab a single rebound until the 2nd half. He still racked up some points and blocks though. And Danny Green had the highlight of the night with his putback dunk. I totally forgot he still had some hops. Not much to say about this game. It was just another wire-to-wire victory for the Lakers. They definitely needed this blowout after Friday's thriller.
11/12: @ Phoenix 123-115 [W] (8-2)
HIGHLIGHTS
Ah, good to finally see that the team is at full strength with the return of Rajon Rondo. Last Sunday was a tough loss to the defending champions, but it's time to put that in the rear view mirror with a bounceback win against the Phoenix Suns. When you think of the Phoenix Suns in the past, you think easy win. They've turned heads so far this season with a few upset wins on their belt. They are a high octane scoring team that can light up the scoreboard. The Lakers clearly got the memo here and played with a lot of urgency. Anthony Davis dominated his way with 24 points and 12 rebounds, but he had help closing this game out. LeBron did what he did with the 19 points and 11 assists, but it was the supporting cast that stepped up. Danny Green comes alive after a string of quiet games where he was a non-factor with 14 points. Dwight Howard notched a near double-double with 12 points and 9 rebounds. And Kyle Kuzma, he had a terrible string of games against Miami and Toronto, but he came up big in his 23 point performance this game. No question, the Suns are on the come up. They finally have some veterans they can rely on. Ricky Rubio's addition takes a load off Devin Booker and allows him to do what he do best...score. But, the Lakers came to play and re-exert their hot start as the top team in the West.
11/13: vs. Golden State 94-120 [W] (9-2)
HIGHLIGHTS
For the past 5 years, the Golden State gods enacted their reign of terror across the NBA. When teams see the Warriors, they'd either cower in fear or answer the challenge...and fall short as they're overmatched by their talent. Now, let's look at this year, the Warriors are a shadow of their once unstoppable dynasty. They are no longer the gods of the NBA and are banished to league purgatory. To all my Warrior fans, have a seat. Welcome to the period that is rebuilding.
With the Dubs no longer a threat, the Lakers decide to rule out AD and Rondo for this game. Rondo just got back from injury. And of course, AD is a key piece. They will need the 'Brow healthy down the stretch. No AD? No Rondo? No problem as the Lakers stepped it up and beat down the Warriors like they should. Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee anchored the inside in AD's absence. McGee had 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 blocks and Dwight had 15 points, 8 rebounds, and a block. I'm astonished Dwight is -4. It could be the foul trouble and some missed free throws. He did have some defensive breakdowns, but Dwight's performance was on par with McGee this game. Nonetheless, both bigs filled in well and dominated the Warriors' weak interior D. As mentioned no AD this game, but LeBron and Kuzma proved that the Lakers have an alternate dynamic duo in place. LeBron ran circles around this Warrior team: 23 points, 12 assists on 11-21 shooting. There was a scare in the first half when he slipped. We all know what happened on Christmas Day. But, luckily no injury for the King. Funny enough, the Lakers had a comfortable lead that he was not needed for the 4th quarter. Kuzma picked up the slack in scoring with 22 points on an efficient 7-12 shooting. He's really getting back into the groove of things and he's going to pick it up more as the season progresses. Quinn Cook chipped in 10 points. He did well against his former team. Nice revenge games for both he and McGee. A dominant win against the Warriors takes me back to the good old days when this was common and all my Warrior friends can't say nothing to me. To Dub Nation I say welcome back to being the punching bag.
11/15: vs. Sacramento 97-99 [W] (10-2)
HIGHLIGHTS
This game was a homecoming for Luke Walton since the Lakers terminated him by season's end. Things got off to a rough start in Luke's first few games coaching the Kings, but they're playing much better as of late. Sacramento has strung together some wins sans their key young pieces in De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III. It would be sweet revenge for Luke if he coaches the Kings to an upset victory. They started off hot right out of the gate. With the way Luke coaches with that Golden State system, you know the Kings are going to rain threes all night. Things were going fine for Sacramento until LeBron killed Nemanja Bjelica in plain sight during the 2nd quarter. The guy is in his 17th season, yet he's still putting defenders on a poster. This game was a huge scare for the Lakers, especially in the 2nd half. When you think the Lakers were gonna pull away, the Kings kept knocking on the door. It's not just Buddy Hield as a scoring threat, but Richaun Holmes showed out for Sacramento. And there's also Bogdan Bogdanovic to look out for. I still get PTSD from last year when he nailed a cold-blooded three over Tyson Chandler to win the game in their first meeting at Sacramento. The Lakers got some unexpected contributions though. KCP, as much flack as he gets, he made a couple of key buckets in the 4th quarter. That can't be overlooked. Sacramento fought hard, but LeBron and AD closed out the game and finished off the Queens. LeBron made clutch free throws to put the Lakers in front. Then Anthony Davis denied Harrison Barnes as Barnes attempted the game-tying layup.
11/17: vs. Atlanta 101-122 [W] (11-2)
HIGHLIGHTS
Kobe Bryant was at this game! All present Lakers must pay their respects as they are blessed by the Black Mamba's presence. LeBron, Kuz, AD, and even Dwight Howard paid their respects to Kobe. Now, it's time to do him proud, embrace the Mamba Mentality, and kill the opposing team in sight. They did just that this game. Yes, I know it's against the Hawks who are not expected to be good, but they have some good young pieces. Atlanta got blown out the following night against the Clippers and the Lakers did the same. This was a weird game throughout, but all was right for the LakeShow. LeBron put on a show for Kobe with 33 points and draining 6 threes. The Black Mamba gave the King an ounce of his shooting venom for this game. AD had a strange game. He didn't grab a single rebound until the 2nd half. He still racked up some points and blocks though. And Danny Green had the highlight of the night with his putback dunk. I totally forgot he still had some hops. Not much to say about this game. It was just another wire-to-wire victory for the Lakers. They definitely needed this blowout after Friday's thriller.
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Raiders Avoid Trap Game vs. Bengals
Final: CIN 10 OAK 17 (6-4)
Didn't I mention last week that this would be a potential trap game? Well, this game certainly looked like it, but the Raiders pull it out to keep that wild card bid alive and most of all, this put them on the brink of the division lead provided if the Chiefs lose to the Chargers tomorrow night.
The Raiders were heavily favored to win this game by a big margin, but anything can happen on any given Sunday. Jon Gruden gave this team a pep talk before this game that upsets do happen in the NFL and the Raiders shouldn't take the Bengals lightly. The first quarter, they didn't get the memo. Their opening drive started strong, but stalled. Defense did its job on Cincy's opening drive. Maxx Crosby strip sacked Ryan Finley and Maurice Hurst recovered the fumble. On a side note, Mad Maxx had a hell of a game on defense, sacking Finley four times. He's arguably the MVP this game. What a steal in the 4th round by Gruden, Mayock and company! But going back to the slow start, Jacobs had that rookie mistake, fumbling the ball in the red zone. Defense couldn't stop the run and Mixon runs it in for the TD to put the Bengals up 7-0. At this point of the game, you'd think "uh oh."
Despite the slow start, the Raiders recovered well. The offense got going as soon as Carr made big throws to Tyrell Williams. Carr had his fingerprints on the next two scores. He tosses a TD to Foster Moreau. The following drive, he rushed for a TD. You barely see Carr scramble. When he does, you just hold your breath after what transpired at the end of 2016 with the fractured fibula. The last TD, it looked like the Bengals got him for a sack, but Carr was able to escape and run into the end zone.
For the majority of the 2nd half, it was a defensive battle throughout. The Raiders could've added another TD to put the game away. Let's talk about that. During that play, one of the Bengal D-lineman flinched and went over the line of scrimmage. Easy offsides penalty right? Well, instead they called a false start on Richie Incognito. Drive stalls after that, and the Raiders had to settle for three. Luckily, the defense came up big this game. I mentioned Maxx Crosby's 4-sack performance. Trayvon Mullen came up with the clutch pick to seal it. And the Raiders are 6-4, still in the wild card hunt and in the hunt for the AFC West. They have another winnable game next week. Again, the Raiders should never take any opponent for granted. The Jets have played a lot better than what their record shows. They've notched back-to-back wins against the Giants and Redskins. They're getting better QB play from Sam Darnold. They have to take care of business on this one before looking ahead to Kansas City. For an added bonus, let's see if the Chargers can play spoiler when they play the Chiefs tomorrow night. I'll see you guys later.
Didn't I mention last week that this would be a potential trap game? Well, this game certainly looked like it, but the Raiders pull it out to keep that wild card bid alive and most of all, this put them on the brink of the division lead provided if the Chiefs lose to the Chargers tomorrow night.
The Raiders were heavily favored to win this game by a big margin, but anything can happen on any given Sunday. Jon Gruden gave this team a pep talk before this game that upsets do happen in the NFL and the Raiders shouldn't take the Bengals lightly. The first quarter, they didn't get the memo. Their opening drive started strong, but stalled. Defense did its job on Cincy's opening drive. Maxx Crosby strip sacked Ryan Finley and Maurice Hurst recovered the fumble. On a side note, Mad Maxx had a hell of a game on defense, sacking Finley four times. He's arguably the MVP this game. What a steal in the 4th round by Gruden, Mayock and company! But going back to the slow start, Jacobs had that rookie mistake, fumbling the ball in the red zone. Defense couldn't stop the run and Mixon runs it in for the TD to put the Bengals up 7-0. At this point of the game, you'd think "uh oh."
Despite the slow start, the Raiders recovered well. The offense got going as soon as Carr made big throws to Tyrell Williams. Carr had his fingerprints on the next two scores. He tosses a TD to Foster Moreau. The following drive, he rushed for a TD. You barely see Carr scramble. When he does, you just hold your breath after what transpired at the end of 2016 with the fractured fibula. The last TD, it looked like the Bengals got him for a sack, but Carr was able to escape and run into the end zone.
For the majority of the 2nd half, it was a defensive battle throughout. The Raiders could've added another TD to put the game away. Let's talk about that. During that play, one of the Bengal D-lineman flinched and went over the line of scrimmage. Easy offsides penalty right? Well, instead they called a false start on Richie Incognito. Drive stalls after that, and the Raiders had to settle for three. Luckily, the defense came up big this game. I mentioned Maxx Crosby's 4-sack performance. Trayvon Mullen came up with the clutch pick to seal it. And the Raiders are 6-4, still in the wild card hunt and in the hunt for the AFC West. They have another winnable game next week. Again, the Raiders should never take any opponent for granted. The Jets have played a lot better than what their record shows. They've notched back-to-back wins against the Giants and Redskins. They're getting better QB play from Sam Darnold. They have to take care of business on this one before looking ahead to Kansas City. For an added bonus, let's see if the Chargers can play spoiler when they play the Chiefs tomorrow night. I'll see you guys later.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Lakers Weekly Roundup Week 3: Keeping Up Momentum
The Lakers continue to stay hot after their opening loss to the Clippers. Start slow, finish strong has been the mantra for this Laker squad in all of their wins so far this season. Whether they can sustain this trajectory remains to be seen as the season progresses. Let's see how they fared this week?
11/05: @ Chicago 118-112 [W] (6-1)
HIGHLIGHTS
This had "trap game" written all over it. The first half pushed that narrative when the Bulls were up big. They were firing all cylinders from three. The Lakers usually go off to a slow start, but pick it up in the 2nd half. But down 48-65 in the first half? Quite a mountain to climb. But, LeBron accepted the challenge as he literally was the only player showed up and kept the Lakers afloat. Then the amazing run, lead by Alex Caruso, Quinn Cook, Dwight Howard, and Kyle Kuzma happened as the Lakers stormed back to take the lead and take control of the game for good. Anthony Davis had some hometown butterflies this game, but made up for it in the final minutes of the fourth quarter with a dagger 3 and an alley oop jam. LeBron once again triple-doubled with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. If there was a key to the Lakers' three-game road sweep, it was that LeBron had a triple-double in all three games. Meanwhile Quinn Cook and Kuzma lead the bench with 17 points and 15 points. This game, it did look like Kuz was getting his rhythm back. Once he gets back to form, look out.
11/08: vs. Miami 80-95 [W] (7-1)
HIGHLIGHTS
Unlike the last few games, the Lakers said "to hell with a slow start, let's get off to a fast start." And they got off to a fast start indeed in the first quarter. The key thing here was that Miami was coming off a shootout win over the Phoenix Suns while the Lakers had a few days to get ready for this game. The Heat still managed to make it tough on the Lakers with their patented 2-3 zone defense. You wonder why they've been a tough opponent for the Lakers in the past 10 years? That 2-3 zone gave them all kinds of fits. But, the Lakers managed to find a crack in that 2-3 zone, by having LeBron, AD, and JaVale McGee attack the middle as quickly as possible. LeBron knows this defense very well since his Heat playing days so of course he knows how to solve it. He and AD put the team on their back and dominated inside to give the Lakers' their 7th straight win.
11/10: vs. Toronto 113-104 [L] (7-2)
HIGHLIGHTS
Honestly, did you expect Toronto to lay down? They are the defending champs for a reason and will be known that way throughout the season until further notice. The travesty behind the Lakers' 2nd loss was that the Raptors were shorthanded this game. No Kyle Lowry. No Serge Ibaka. But, they still managed to beat the Lakers with solid defense and better overall offense thanks to big performances from Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam. This was supposed to be a revenge game for Danny Green, but he was a non-factor this game. LeBron had another triple-double, but the numbers were very pedestrian: 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 15 assists...on 5-15 shooting. Age concerns are in play once again for LeBron when he has two shots blocked by Chris Boucher. Add insult to injury, the Clippers just beat the Raptors in Toronto's back-to-back stint against the LA teams. Alright Doc you know what to do. Manage Kawhi's load will ya? In all seriousness, this loss can be considered good for the Lakers to stay level-headed in this still way too early season.
11/05: @ Chicago 118-112 [W] (6-1)
HIGHLIGHTS
This had "trap game" written all over it. The first half pushed that narrative when the Bulls were up big. They were firing all cylinders from three. The Lakers usually go off to a slow start, but pick it up in the 2nd half. But down 48-65 in the first half? Quite a mountain to climb. But, LeBron accepted the challenge as he literally was the only player showed up and kept the Lakers afloat. Then the amazing run, lead by Alex Caruso, Quinn Cook, Dwight Howard, and Kyle Kuzma happened as the Lakers stormed back to take the lead and take control of the game for good. Anthony Davis had some hometown butterflies this game, but made up for it in the final minutes of the fourth quarter with a dagger 3 and an alley oop jam. LeBron once again triple-doubled with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. If there was a key to the Lakers' three-game road sweep, it was that LeBron had a triple-double in all three games. Meanwhile Quinn Cook and Kuzma lead the bench with 17 points and 15 points. This game, it did look like Kuz was getting his rhythm back. Once he gets back to form, look out.
11/08: vs. Miami 80-95 [W] (7-1)
HIGHLIGHTS
Unlike the last few games, the Lakers said "to hell with a slow start, let's get off to a fast start." And they got off to a fast start indeed in the first quarter. The key thing here was that Miami was coming off a shootout win over the Phoenix Suns while the Lakers had a few days to get ready for this game. The Heat still managed to make it tough on the Lakers with their patented 2-3 zone defense. You wonder why they've been a tough opponent for the Lakers in the past 10 years? That 2-3 zone gave them all kinds of fits. But, the Lakers managed to find a crack in that 2-3 zone, by having LeBron, AD, and JaVale McGee attack the middle as quickly as possible. LeBron knows this defense very well since his Heat playing days so of course he knows how to solve it. He and AD put the team on their back and dominated inside to give the Lakers' their 7th straight win.
11/10: vs. Toronto 113-104 [L] (7-2)
HIGHLIGHTS
Raiders Escape Chargers on TNF; Go Above .500
Final: LAC 24 OAK 26
Well, that was a wild Week 10. And this is the game that started it all. Last Thursday, the Raiders pulled off another close call win, this time against the Los Angeles Chargers. Since Week 10 ended, there's a lot of implications to discuss here.
Let's overview quickly about this game. The Chargers man. They are a living enigma this season. They do good against good teams. But, against bad teams? Everything hits the fan. The defense got off to a really good start. Erik Harris was Philip Rivers' worst nightmare this game. Harris got two picks. The first one set up the Raiders for three points. The 2nd pick, he took it all the way to the house for six. To be honest, Harris could've had so many picks against Rivers this game. But of course, the refs gotta get in on the action by throwing flags. That was probably one of the few negatives this game outside of the offense's slow start and Daniel Carlson's missed PAT. Clelin Ferrell's hand placement on the LOS was an example of bad technique and placement. But despite that, Ferrell wrapped up a pair sacks. He, Maxx Crosby, and Benson Mayowa managed to get some push and get to Rivers.
The defense wasn't able to sustain the fast start due to the penalties and the Chargers scored 14 unanswered. The offense didn't help either. They had a pretty slow start, but they picked it up in the 2nd half when it mattered the most. I'm not going to dive in too much, but it all started with a near 5 minute drive before the end quarter capped off by Carr's TD pass to Alec Ingold. Both offenses were stagnant in the third quarter. But, the Raiders pulled it off with Josh Jacobs' 18-yard, game-winning rushing TD and Karl Joseph's INT on a 4th down stop. Just like that, the Raiders find themselves at .500 and well within the playoff hunt, let alone in the race for the AFC West.
As mentioned, Week 10 was full of upsets this week capping off with the Seahawks handing the Niners their first loss. The big headliner was Tennessee's upset win over the Chiefs in Patrick Mahomes' return. I've seen my share of meltdowns with the Raiders. The way Kansas City loss that will go down as the biggest "WTF happened" game of the year. They botched the snap on a field goal attempt after the defense gave them a 4th down stop. Intentional grounding was called. Tannehill lead the Titans to a game winning TD and a 2-pt conversion to make it a one possession game. Mahomes drove the Chiefs within field goal range, but the game-tying field goal was blocked. KC's loss is huge as the Raiders are now within one game from the division with win-less Cincinnati and the Jets coming up on their schedule. Buffalo also had an upset loss to the Browns, but Pittsburgh won against the Rams to keep the Raiders one seed away from the last wild card spot.
Both the Bengals and Jets games have "trap games" written all over it. The Raider can't get caught up in the hype just yet. They need to take care of business against the two teams they should beat before the rematch against the Chiefs at Arrowhead. A lot of things can unfold the next two weeks. I'll see you guys after the Bengals game.
Well, that was a wild Week 10. And this is the game that started it all. Last Thursday, the Raiders pulled off another close call win, this time against the Los Angeles Chargers. Since Week 10 ended, there's a lot of implications to discuss here.
Let's overview quickly about this game. The Chargers man. They are a living enigma this season. They do good against good teams. But, against bad teams? Everything hits the fan. The defense got off to a really good start. Erik Harris was Philip Rivers' worst nightmare this game. Harris got two picks. The first one set up the Raiders for three points. The 2nd pick, he took it all the way to the house for six. To be honest, Harris could've had so many picks against Rivers this game. But of course, the refs gotta get in on the action by throwing flags. That was probably one of the few negatives this game outside of the offense's slow start and Daniel Carlson's missed PAT. Clelin Ferrell's hand placement on the LOS was an example of bad technique and placement. But despite that, Ferrell wrapped up a pair sacks. He, Maxx Crosby, and Benson Mayowa managed to get some push and get to Rivers.
The defense wasn't able to sustain the fast start due to the penalties and the Chargers scored 14 unanswered. The offense didn't help either. They had a pretty slow start, but they picked it up in the 2nd half when it mattered the most. I'm not going to dive in too much, but it all started with a near 5 minute drive before the end quarter capped off by Carr's TD pass to Alec Ingold. Both offenses were stagnant in the third quarter. But, the Raiders pulled it off with Josh Jacobs' 18-yard, game-winning rushing TD and Karl Joseph's INT on a 4th down stop. Just like that, the Raiders find themselves at .500 and well within the playoff hunt, let alone in the race for the AFC West.
As mentioned, Week 10 was full of upsets this week capping off with the Seahawks handing the Niners their first loss. The big headliner was Tennessee's upset win over the Chiefs in Patrick Mahomes' return. I've seen my share of meltdowns with the Raiders. The way Kansas City loss that will go down as the biggest "WTF happened" game of the year. They botched the snap on a field goal attempt after the defense gave them a 4th down stop. Intentional grounding was called. Tannehill lead the Titans to a game winning TD and a 2-pt conversion to make it a one possession game. Mahomes drove the Chiefs within field goal range, but the game-tying field goal was blocked. KC's loss is huge as the Raiders are now within one game from the division with win-less Cincinnati and the Jets coming up on their schedule. Buffalo also had an upset loss to the Browns, but Pittsburgh won against the Rams to keep the Raiders one seed away from the last wild card spot.
Both the Bengals and Jets games have "trap games" written all over it. The Raider can't get caught up in the hype just yet. They need to take care of business against the two teams they should beat before the rematch against the Chiefs at Arrowhead. A lot of things can unfold the next two weeks. I'll see you guys after the Bengals game.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Lakers Weekly Roundup (10/28 - 11/03): The Test
I'm behind and I just saw the Lakers' game tonight. Luckily, that won't be counted on for this week. After a tough opening loss to the Clippers, the Lakers are slowly finding their rhythm. Great win against Utah on the home opener and a win against Charlotte to close out opening week. Now, this stretch gets a bit bumpy with two challenging matchups on the road. But first they gotta take care of business against Memphis. Let's see how they fared below shall we?
10/29: vs. Memphis 91-120 [W] (3-1)
HIGHLIGHTS
I think we're witnessing a pattern here with these games. The Lakers will go on a slow start in the first half. But when the second half rolls around, that's when they start putting the clamps on opponents on both ends of the floor. This game was no exception. The Grizzlies jumped out of the gate on the LakeShow with 15-2 start. Based on the way Memphis was playing, it looked like an upset was brewing. Not too mention, the Lakers could not hit anything from beyond the arc as they started 1/11 from that category. But in the 3rd quarter, Anthony Davis was a man among boys. He single handedly dominated his way to transform this game into a blowout, bad shoulder and all. The 'Brow was beast on both ends, disrupting the Grizzlies' offensive blow and just bullying his way to the free throw line. LeBron doesn't have to be dominant as long as this guy is around and stays healthy. The man went for 40 points and 20 boards in three quarters. If that doesn't scream MVP numbers, I don't know what does. One thing important is that the Lakers protected home court during this stretch. Utah was their only challenge, but they took care of business against teams they should beat with ease. The true test lied ahead on the upcoming three game road trip to Dallas, San Antonio, and Chicago.
11/01: @ Dallas 119-110 (OT) [W] (4-1)
HIGHLIGHTS
I have Dallas as playoff contender this season and there's no better way to open up the road trip for the Lakers. The Lakers did their job to protect their home court, now the real test came on the road. The purple and gold get Kyle Kuzma back from injury, which is a big plus. However, he did struggle to get back into rhythm this game. As usual, the Lakers were off the rough start in the first half. It was a little scary since the Mavs got their 3-point game rolling. The sky was the limit for Luka Doncic in his sophomore year. He did a great job running the Mavs' offense and he created a lot of open shots for his team. The court will belong to Luka someday. But, the Lakers once again shook off the bad start. By Q3, the Lakers and Mavs were trading a lot of shots. I was a little concerned since the last thing this team needs is to be in a shootout. The way I see it, the team is not built that way. But they did a heck of a job to rally behind Air Caruso's ferocious throw down in the 4th quarter. That was a momentum-building play. The Mavs lead in the finals second with Dorian Finney-Smith's go ahead three set up by Doncic. But after the timeout, LeBron found Danny Green in the corner and he hit the buzzer beating three to send it to OT. From then, LeBron and AD took over and it was a wrap. The narrative is that LeBron's declining since the groin injury. Rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated as he notched a near 40-point triple-double with 39 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists. 4 steals too.
11/03: @ San Antonio 103-96 [W] (5-1)
HIGHLIGHTS
The Lakers wrap up their Texas rodeo with another daunting task against the ever-stingy San Antonio Spurs. The first meeting against the Spurs is always tough. Gregg Popovich always emphasizes on a team-first attitude. That's why they're always in the playoffs even without Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard. It was going to be a dog fight. But as usual, good teams find ways to win. LeBron and AD did their jobs this game. Another triple double for James with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. AD had 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks. But the main story was KCP, Avery Bradley, and Dwight Howard. They stepped it up big. KCP has been playing well as of late. He'll get cold eventually, but all is right when he plays well. Bradley racked up 16 points, though he did get hurt this game after Dejounte Murray kicked him in the shin. It's nothing major and likely a day-to-day. Spoiler alert, I did watch the Bulls game and see how they fared without him running "point." I'll provide that later in my next weekly roundup. Dwight Howard, especially stepped up with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks. This is the Dwight we wanted to see back in 2012-13. But compared to now, he doesn't have a lot of pressure to do everything since LBJ and AD are the focal point. All he has to do is rebound, block, and putback dunk. That's it and he's made the most of it. Nonetheless, this was an impressive road win and the Lakers are pressing the right buttons to stay atop the Western Conference.
10/29: vs. Memphis 91-120 [W] (3-1)
HIGHLIGHTS
I think we're witnessing a pattern here with these games. The Lakers will go on a slow start in the first half. But when the second half rolls around, that's when they start putting the clamps on opponents on both ends of the floor. This game was no exception. The Grizzlies jumped out of the gate on the LakeShow with 15-2 start. Based on the way Memphis was playing, it looked like an upset was brewing. Not too mention, the Lakers could not hit anything from beyond the arc as they started 1/11 from that category. But in the 3rd quarter, Anthony Davis was a man among boys. He single handedly dominated his way to transform this game into a blowout, bad shoulder and all. The 'Brow was beast on both ends, disrupting the Grizzlies' offensive blow and just bullying his way to the free throw line. LeBron doesn't have to be dominant as long as this guy is around and stays healthy. The man went for 40 points and 20 boards in three quarters. If that doesn't scream MVP numbers, I don't know what does. One thing important is that the Lakers protected home court during this stretch. Utah was their only challenge, but they took care of business against teams they should beat with ease. The true test lied ahead on the upcoming three game road trip to Dallas, San Antonio, and Chicago.
11/01: @ Dallas 119-110 (OT) [W] (4-1)
HIGHLIGHTS
I have Dallas as playoff contender this season and there's no better way to open up the road trip for the Lakers. The Lakers did their job to protect their home court, now the real test came on the road. The purple and gold get Kyle Kuzma back from injury, which is a big plus. However, he did struggle to get back into rhythm this game. As usual, the Lakers were off the rough start in the first half. It was a little scary since the Mavs got their 3-point game rolling. The sky was the limit for Luka Doncic in his sophomore year. He did a great job running the Mavs' offense and he created a lot of open shots for his team. The court will belong to Luka someday. But, the Lakers once again shook off the bad start. By Q3, the Lakers and Mavs were trading a lot of shots. I was a little concerned since the last thing this team needs is to be in a shootout. The way I see it, the team is not built that way. But they did a heck of a job to rally behind Air Caruso's ferocious throw down in the 4th quarter. That was a momentum-building play. The Mavs lead in the finals second with Dorian Finney-Smith's go ahead three set up by Doncic. But after the timeout, LeBron found Danny Green in the corner and he hit the buzzer beating three to send it to OT. From then, LeBron and AD took over and it was a wrap. The narrative is that LeBron's declining since the groin injury. Rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated as he notched a near 40-point triple-double with 39 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists. 4 steals too.
11/03: @ San Antonio 103-96 [W] (5-1)
HIGHLIGHTS
The Lakers wrap up their Texas rodeo with another daunting task against the ever-stingy San Antonio Spurs. The first meeting against the Spurs is always tough. Gregg Popovich always emphasizes on a team-first attitude. That's why they're always in the playoffs even without Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard. It was going to be a dog fight. But as usual, good teams find ways to win. LeBron and AD did their jobs this game. Another triple double for James with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. AD had 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks. But the main story was KCP, Avery Bradley, and Dwight Howard. They stepped it up big. KCP has been playing well as of late. He'll get cold eventually, but all is right when he plays well. Bradley racked up 16 points, though he did get hurt this game after Dejounte Murray kicked him in the shin. It's nothing major and likely a day-to-day. Spoiler alert, I did watch the Bulls game and see how they fared without him running "point." I'll provide that later in my next weekly roundup. Dwight Howard, especially stepped up with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks. This is the Dwight we wanted to see back in 2012-13. But compared to now, he doesn't have a lot of pressure to do everything since LBJ and AD are the focal point. All he has to do is rebound, block, and putback dunk. That's it and he's made the most of it. Nonetheless, this was an impressive road win and the Lakers are pressing the right buttons to stay atop the Western Conference.
Raiders Finally Home, Rally Against Lions
Final: DET 24 OAK 31 (4-4)
I'll admit, I'm a little behind on some things. I have not posted the weekly roundup for the Lakers. And I just saw them rally against the Bulls. That'll come later. But first things first, the Raiders are finally home in Oakland. It felt like forever in a daunting road trip. Certainly for Oakland fans, every home game counts. The Raiders just have to live up to their end of the bargain and take care of that Town Business. They did that on Sunday against the Lions. It wasn't pretty, but they got the victory.
The only negative I can think of this game was the pass defense. The Lions have one of the most underrated deep threat duos in Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. The two of them combined racked up 258 receiving yards. If I remember, Jones already went over 100 yards by the time the first half ended. Then again, we have to understand that this defense is still a WIP. There's still so many moving parts here. But they have that bend but don't break mentality and it showed this game. Worley had that crazy pick into the end zone. I feel that was the game changer for the Raiders. The fake punt where Derek Carrier rushed for 27 yards was the 2nd game changer (even though they ended up empty handed on the possession after).
Offensively, let me just say it right here, Josh Jacobs is a beast! The O-line wasn't even 100% this game. Rodney Hudson out indefinitely. Trent Brown exited the game early. But, he still gashed the Lions for 120 yards and 2 TDs. I still remember my comment on how running backs from 'Bama don't turn out good in the pros. Jacobs definitely has a chance to break that curse. He can run, catch out the back field, pass protect, and he has low maintenance so that means fresher legs. Jacobs' rookie season has been nothing short of spectacular. Derek Carr had another clean game again. We're probably seeing 2016 Carr come back from the dead. He made a throw to Jalen Richard while he was covered for a big gainer. He extended the play for the game winning TD to Hunter Renfrow. The offense carried this team and we're starting to see the unit buy into Gruden's system.
I want to go back to that stop that won them the game. Matthew Stafford and the Lions were stopped short of the goal line on third down (probably by about three yards). They had no timeouts, but the Raiders called timeout with 8 seconds to allow the Lions to draw up a play. At first, I was a bit mad at it. Those are decisions that lose a game. If the Lions scored, they probably would've escaped with a W. Now that I think about it, the Raiders defense was discombobulated and at least that gave them a chance for them to align the right personnel. The crazy thing about is the Lions did not have their best receivers on that 4th down. It was a chain of "what are you doing" decisions, but good thing the Lions wounded up making that mistake.
With this win, the Raiders are now at .500. They're still in the hunt with Kansas City for the AFC West title with Mahomes still sidelined. As I said countless times, this is the Raiders' best stretch for this season. They have to take advantage of this favorable stretch. The Chiefs are still the likeliest loss. The Chargers might have their groove back after they fired Ken Wisenhunt, but they are beatable. This upcoming Thursday Night game against the Chargers will be a great barometer on the progress of this team. Expect a playoff-like atmosphere for that game.
I'll admit, I'm a little behind on some things. I have not posted the weekly roundup for the Lakers. And I just saw them rally against the Bulls. That'll come later. But first things first, the Raiders are finally home in Oakland. It felt like forever in a daunting road trip. Certainly for Oakland fans, every home game counts. The Raiders just have to live up to their end of the bargain and take care of that Town Business. They did that on Sunday against the Lions. It wasn't pretty, but they got the victory.
The only negative I can think of this game was the pass defense. The Lions have one of the most underrated deep threat duos in Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. The two of them combined racked up 258 receiving yards. If I remember, Jones already went over 100 yards by the time the first half ended. Then again, we have to understand that this defense is still a WIP. There's still so many moving parts here. But they have that bend but don't break mentality and it showed this game. Worley had that crazy pick into the end zone. I feel that was the game changer for the Raiders. The fake punt where Derek Carrier rushed for 27 yards was the 2nd game changer (even though they ended up empty handed on the possession after).
Offensively, let me just say it right here, Josh Jacobs is a beast! The O-line wasn't even 100% this game. Rodney Hudson out indefinitely. Trent Brown exited the game early. But, he still gashed the Lions for 120 yards and 2 TDs. I still remember my comment on how running backs from 'Bama don't turn out good in the pros. Jacobs definitely has a chance to break that curse. He can run, catch out the back field, pass protect, and he has low maintenance so that means fresher legs. Jacobs' rookie season has been nothing short of spectacular. Derek Carr had another clean game again. We're probably seeing 2016 Carr come back from the dead. He made a throw to Jalen Richard while he was covered for a big gainer. He extended the play for the game winning TD to Hunter Renfrow. The offense carried this team and we're starting to see the unit buy into Gruden's system.
I want to go back to that stop that won them the game. Matthew Stafford and the Lions were stopped short of the goal line on third down (probably by about three yards). They had no timeouts, but the Raiders called timeout with 8 seconds to allow the Lions to draw up a play. At first, I was a bit mad at it. Those are decisions that lose a game. If the Lions scored, they probably would've escaped with a W. Now that I think about it, the Raiders defense was discombobulated and at least that gave them a chance for them to align the right personnel. The crazy thing about is the Lions did not have their best receivers on that 4th down. It was a chain of "what are you doing" decisions, but good thing the Lions wounded up making that mistake.
With this win, the Raiders are now at .500. They're still in the hunt with Kansas City for the AFC West title with Mahomes still sidelined. As I said countless times, this is the Raiders' best stretch for this season. They have to take advantage of this favorable stretch. The Chiefs are still the likeliest loss. The Chargers might have their groove back after they fired Ken Wisenhunt, but they are beatable. This upcoming Thursday Night game against the Chargers will be a great barometer on the progress of this team. Expect a playoff-like atmosphere for that game.
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