Welcome to The Morning After, where we break down the happenings from the night before in the National Basketball Association. Crash out early? Memory a bit fuzzy after one too many? No worries, we’ve got you covered — check back every morning throughout the playoffs for your daily fix.
IN ‘BAND WE TRUST
The King is back. All hail the King!
After an inauspicious absence during the latter part of the season, LeBron James finally got his crown back last night, sporting a headband. While I don’t want to say that majestic piece of fabric alone is the reason James was able to power his team to a win, to do otherwise would simply be irresponsible.
(Of course, Raptors fans know all too well the power of the ‘band.)
Following a less-than-stellar outing in Game 1, James put the Cavs on his shoulders like we’ve seen so many times before, posting 33 points to go along with eight boards and five assists.
The scary part? According to SportVU, Chicago’s Jimmy Butler — the NBA’s Most Improved Player and LeBron’s primary defender in this series — actually did a good job containing James, managing to get stops on 44 per cent of ‘Bron’s one-on-one attempts (compared to just 20 per cent when James was defending Butler, for context). If last night is what happens when you defend him well, then good luck to the remaining teams in the East, because these next couple of weeks trying to contain James will feel like years.
ROSE STILL IN BLOOM
The Derrick Rose comeback story is one of my favourite narratives of the 2015 playoffs. However, watching the former MVP’s play during this second-round series, it’s clear he is not yet near his old self. While Rose has shown flashes of the explosiveness that once made him arguably the hardest player in the game to contain, the impact of two years of knee injuries is clearly still evident.
Once among his greatest strengths, Rose has been unable to attack the basket, create contact, and get to the free throw line like we’re used to seeing. Or at all, for that matter. After two games, Rose has yet to attempt a free throw in this series (he was 17-for-19 in the Bulls’ first-round win over the Milwaukee Bucks). Part of it is because of Cleveland’s defensive game plan, but a lot of it has to do with Rose still re-discovering his game post-injury. Rose’s attacking style is a big part of Chicago’s success and if the Cavs can continue to make him a jump shooter, this series could be over sooner than we thought.
NO CHRIS PAUL? NO PROBLEM! WAIT, NEVERMIND.
When the Paul-less Los Angeles Clippers took the boots to the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of their second-round series on Monday, it must’ve struck fear into the hearts of Rockets fans who presumed that the Clips wouldn’t be able to overcome the absence of their best player. Well, fear no more. With Paul sitting out his second consecutive game, Houston got the job done behind a huge fourth quarter from James Harden to tie the series at one apiece. And this one was well-earned.
After a 20-point swing in the first half (the Rockets were up 10 after the first quarter and down 10 by the next), Houston took over late as Harden dropped 16 of his 32 in the final frame while Clippers defenders took turns trying and failing to contain the cagey guard. Dwight Howard, it should be noted, continued his resurgent playoff run by dropping a vintage 24 points and 16 rebounds to go along with four blocks in the win.
On the losing side, Blake Griffin had another monster game, but the lack of support with Paul out of the equation was evident all night. Jamal Crawford had a nice game, but Griffin was essentially a one man gang. The Clippers’ star big man finished with 34 points and 15 boards, but was held to just four points in the fourth quarter. After watching Austin Rivers play major minutes down the stretch, expect Chris Paul to return to the lineup for Game 3.
Whether team doctors approve or not.
