January 8, 2021 Results:

What we got right:

College Basketball:

Nothing

NBA:

Washington at Boston - Bradley Beal scored 41 points and the Celtics got the win 116-107. We were right on both fronts in this game. Beal is playing out of his mind right now, but he doesn’t have a whole lot of help. Yes he has Russell Westbrook. While Westbrook’s numbers look great, he is shooting under 40% from the field and is averaging over 5 turnovers a game. If the Wizards are going to start winning some games he needs to be more efficient and cut the turnover rate in half.

Charlotte and New Orleans - While we may not have gotten the right team winning this game, we did think that the Hornets were going to cover so by our formula we got it right. Lamelo Ball outplayed his brother Lonzo in the Hornets 118-110 win, coming one assist shy of a triple double. He still isn’t shooting the ball well, but he got it done yesterday.

Brooklyn at Memphis - The Nets did not have enough gas to win this game, losing to the Grizzlies 115-110. Memphis jumped out to a 14 point halftime lead and while Brooklyn made a game of it late, they couldn’t climb the mountain. Caris LeVert had 43 points in the loss. Dillon Brooks led six players in double figures for the Grizzlies, scoring 24 points.

Chicago at Los Angeles Lakers - The Lakers were without Anthony Davis and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in this matchup, and still got the 107-105 win over the Bulls. LeBron James had 28 points in the victory, while Zach LaVine dropped 38 for Chicago in the loss. LaVine had a chance to tie it late, but his jumper couldn’t fall. The Lakers have now have a well deserved day off.

What we got wrong:

College Basketball:

Purdue at Michigan State - For a while there it looked like this game was going to be a win for us. Michigan State held Purdue to only 16 points in the first half, taking a 31-16 lead into the break. The Boilermakers warmed up in the second half, outscoring the Spartans 39-23 and holding on for the 55-54 win. Both teams shot under 40% from the field in can what only be described as an ugly basketball game. Purdue will take it.

NBA:

Phoenix at Detroit - Another game where we were feeling pretty good early on, the Suns built a 23 point lead in the first half. The Pistons kept chipping away and eventually forced overtime. In the extra frame, Detroit outscored Phoenix 17-12 in taking the game 110-105. Jerami Grant led the Pistons with 31 points and ten rebounds in the victory.

Oklahoma City at New York - As soon as we start to buy stock in the Knicks they come back to earth. New York shot 36% from the field and were outrebounded 70-55 in the 101 89 loss. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 25 points, helping them get back to .500 with the win .

Orlando at Houston - We were right about this game being a shootout for the Rockets. Unfortunately for us we were wrong about the Magic also being able to score. Houston absolutely blitzed Orlando, taking home a 132-90 victory. Christian Wood continues his hot start for Houston, scoring 22 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in the victory.

Milwaukee at Utah - The Utah Jazz did to the Milwaukee Bucks what the Bucks have been doing to so many teams this year. Utah went 25-53 from beyond the arc in the 131-118 win, with five players making at least four 3-pointers. That is an NBA record. The Bucks made 13 three’s in this game, but needed 42 attempts to do it. The 95 three point attempts combined was also an NBA record. My how times have changed.

Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State - The Clippers had a 22 point lead in the second half. They lost 115-105. If that isn’t Clippers basketball we don’t know what is. This team seems like it doesn’t care, takes plays off, and has no heart. The Warriors have a lot of heart but not as much talent. There is no valid reason for the Clippers to blow that big of a lead to the Warriors.

Toronto at Sacramento - Now the Raptors come to life! This 144-123 was a statement for them. The statement is that they are still a team to be feared. Sure the opponent was the Kings, but anytime you set a new franchise record in points you deserve a shout out. Toronto’s next opportunity to keep their momentum going is a Sunday tilt against the Warriors.