The NBA Christmas Day Quintuplet Header supplied star performances and attention-grabbing outcomes, however the schedule continues with a full weekend.
Followers might be handled to a rematch of the Japanese Convention Finals on Friday, because the Indiana Pacerswinners of six of their final seven, go to the Boston Celticswho will attempt to escape of their first shedding streak of the season.
Additionally on Friday, there might be an attention-grabbing East-West conflict because the Cleveland Cavaliers tackle the Denver Nuggets.
Within the meantime, issues won’t be simple for Warriors of the Golden Statewho’ve misplaced 11 of their final 14 video games; they’ve video games Friday in opposition to 17-13 ClippersSaturday in opposition to 15-14 Suns and Monday in opposition to the Cavaliers 26-4.
Listed here are some takeaways from Week 8 of the NBA common season.
The Horsemen have energy; this is how they’ll enhance additional
Cleveland (26-4) proved that was no fluke and that coach Kenny Atkinson’s plan to house the sector paid off due to an ultra-efficient offense. But nearly as good because the Cavs are, posting the league’s finest profitable proportion (.867) by means of the primary two months of the season, there’s a weak spot that, if addressed, may make them even higher.
The Cavaliers have misplaced the rebounding battle in every of their 4 losses. Cleveland was outscored in these video games by a margin of eight rebounds per sport. In losses, Cleveland’s rebound proportion is 45.9%; of their victories, this measure is 4.2 proportion factors increased.
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs nonetheless need assistance
The Spurs’ latest streak suggests they’re much higher than earlier seasons, particularly as Victor Wembanyama continues to develop as an elite offensive weapon, however this streak additionally means that San Antonio (15-15 ) continues to be a bit or two away.
Wembanyama was already a generational defender, along with his means to dam, modify and even forestall his opponents from contemplating sure photographs. However now he is flourishing as an inside-out scorer with vary, hanging means and a silky-smooth shot. Wembanyama is averaging 35 factors over his final 4 video games, together with 5.8 on 3-pointers throughout that span.
Now, some could protest the quantity at which he shoots 3s, however he is launched them at a fee of 44.2% over his final 4 video games.
The issue is San Antonio (15-15) has solely received two of these video games and Wembanyama is not getting a lot assist. The Spurs have had 4 completely different gamers end second on the crew in scoring in every of the final 4 video games; on the floor it suggests depth and may be optimistic. Nevertheless, these gamers averaged simply 19.3 factors per sport throughout that span.
San Antonio has some good, younger gamers like rookie Stephon Citadel, Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan. This alone won’t be sufficient to compete in a busy West.
The Celtics are on a two-game shedding streak. Are there any basic considerations?
That is the primary time this season that Boston (22-8) has misplaced twice in a row, however it’s tough to have a pessimistic view of this sequence. In some ways, this seems like an identical downside to the Celtics final season — as a lot as anybody may say a dominant crew that cruised by means of the playoffs had an issue.
However Boston, at occasions, can play complacently, virtually as in the event that they’re bored with beating groups. Take Monday night time’s loss to the Magic. The Celtics held a 15-point lead in opposition to an Orlando crew with out its two finest gamers, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Boston, which frequently depends an excessive amount of on the 3-point shot, made simply 8 of 33 (24.2%) from past the arc and let its lead slip away within the third quarter.
Christmas Eve in opposition to the 76ers was a special story. Philadelphia took an enormous lead within the second quarter and the Celtics have been pressured to claw again the remainder of the best way. The defensive effort throughout an 18-2 Sixers run within the fourth quarter was lower than Boston’s typical degree.
The NBA season is lengthy. Groups generally fall into ruts. Boston has proven that it’s greater than able to overcoming any mid-season droop.
The Pacers (lastly) discovered their rhythm and did it in a really attribute manner
The Pacers (15-15) have received 5 in a row and 6 of seven, and so they have reinvested in a philosophy from final 12 months that launched their deep postseason run. Indiana as soon as once more protects the ball and passes it with intent; Over the past 5 video games, the Pacers rank first within the NBA in help ratio (2.67), help ratio (22.5) and turnover proportion (12%).
Evaluate these numbers to Indiana’s season-long totals: 1.92 (eleventh), 19.8 (tied for seventh) and 14.3 p.c (thirteenth). All-Star level guard Tyrese Haliburton led that cost, though backup TJ McConnell performed a key function coming off the bench.
Indiana’s gamers additionally get to their spots extra effectively and transfer properly with out the ball. Over the past 5 video games, the Pacers’ assists have averaged 10.2 extra factors per sport in comparison with their season complete.
What’s attention-grabbing is that the Pacers additionally did one thing very uncommon: They slowed down.
Over the past 5 video games, they rank sixteenth in tempo (99.8), a season after rating second (102.16).
The Mid-West standoff is compelling and the margin for error is slim
On Christmas morning, the Lakers have been quantity 7, the Warriors quantity 8, the Spurs quantity 9, the Timberwolves 10 and the Suns 11. By the tip of the night time, Los Angeles had crushed Golden State, Phoenix had crushed Denver – who remained the fifth seed – and San Antonio had misplaced to the Knicks.
On the finish of the night time, completely different groups have been seeded #6-11 from the night time earlier than. It is a microcosm of the parity within the Western Convention and the way little separation there’s between the middle-of-the-pack groups.
It additionally means that well being, consistency and continuity might be paramount for groups in and round this enjoying zone.
For groups just like the Suns, who’ve needed to cope with harm points of their Massive Three and like Devin Booker (groin) missed one other sport, and for groups with getting older stars just like the Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, this can be amplified.
The largest certainty right here is that because the season progresses and the seeding tightens, it ought to make for a compelling race to succeed in that coveted six seed.
