January 20, 2021 Results:

What we got right:

College Basketball:

Ouch.

NBA:

Dallas at Indiana - Kristaps Porzingis tallied season highs with 27 points and 12 rebounds in the 124-112 win for the Mavericks. Luca Doncic had yet another triple double for Dallas, who snapped their three game losing streak. Malcom Brogdon scored 26 points in the loss for the Pacers.

Boston at Philadelphia - The 76ers out scored the Celtics by 14 in the fourth quarter, forcing overtime and eventually winning 117-109. Joel Embiid had 42 points to lead Philadelphia, who also got 22 from Tobias Harris. Jaylen Brown led the way for the Celtics, scoring 26 points in the loss.

Detroit at Atlanta - Another team that needed a 14 point comeback in the fourth quarter to force overtime, the Hawks used the same formula as the 76ers to beat the Pistons. Trae Young dropped for Atlanta in the 123-115 win. He outplayed Blake Griffin, who did have 17 points and 7 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough for Detroit.

Sacramento at Los Angeles - The Clippers wish they could play the Kings every game. Los Angeles dominated Sacramento again, winning 115-96 for their fifth straight win. Kawhi Leonard led the way for the Clippers, scoring 32 points. De’Aaron Fox dropped 25 in the loss for the Kings, who have now lost four games in a row.

What we got wrong:

College Basketball:

Everything.

Providence at #11 Creighton - Every time it seemed like Creighton was going to make a run, Nate Watson answered for Providence. Watson scored a career high 29 points for the Friars, leading them to the 74-70 upset. Creighton was done in by their inability to stop Watson and their inability to rebound, with Providence ending with a 42-34 edge on the glass.

#20 Clemson at Georgia Tech - Georgia Tech showed no signs of rust in playing for the first time in 17 days, and Clemson had their second bad performance in a row in the 83-65 win for the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech had a balanced scoring attack, with three players scoring over 20 points.

Tulsa at #8 Houston - Houston avenged its only loss of the season with a 86-59 win over the Golden Hurricanes. The Cougars jumped out to a 29-9 lead and never looked back, improving to 12-1 on the season. Houston continues to get better, and are a team no one wants to play come tournament time.

Northwestern at #10 Wisconsin - We put our faith in the Wildcats and once again they disappointed us in a 68-52 loss to the Badgers. Northwestern dropped their sixth game in a row, and all of them were to ranked opponents. They will be happy to face a Penn State team on Saturday to hopefully get back in the win column.

NBA:

Brooklyn at Cleveland - This game took two overtimes to finish, but the Cavaliers beat the Nets 147-135 in Cleveland. This was the first game that Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kevin Durant all played for Brooklyn, but the defense remains a big question mark. They allowed 42 points from Collin Sexton in the loss. Brooklyn games will be entertaining, with all three stars more concerned about getting their next bucket than playing defense.

Miami at Toronto - As soon as we put our faith back in the Raptors, they lose to a Heat team missing four key players. Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Avery Bradley, and Myers Leonard were all out this game for Miami, but that didn’t stop them from getting the win, 111-102. Kendrick Nunn led the way for Miami with 28 points, halting the Raptors three game winning streak.

Orlando at Minnesota - This was the first game we can remember where neither team got to 100 points. Cole Anthony hit a three pointer at the buzzer to get the Magic the win, 97-96. It was the first win for the Magic in seven contests, while Minnesota dropped to 3-10 with the loss.

Phoenix at Houston - Christian Wood and Victor Oladipo looked good together, but they didn’t get enough help in the Rockets 109-103 loss to the Suns. Deandre Ayton led the way for Phoenix with 26 points and 17 rebounds, as Phoenix ended a two game skid with the victory.

San Antonio at Golden State - Boy, were we wrong here. The Warriors did get a big game from Stephen Curry, who had 26 points and 11 rebounds, in the 121-99 win. San Antonio couldn’t stop Curry and couldn’t get on track offensively, shooting just 4-33 from behind the three point arc. This was a complete win for Golden State, who improved to 8-6.

* Please note that Memphis - Portland game was postponed due to Covid concerns.