J-Speaks: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of March in NBA

This is the month where College Hoops takes centerstage because of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tournament. This is also the month that is a tune up for the NBA Playoffs, where the contenders really separate themselves and emerge as title contenders, like the five-time champs from Texas and the defending Western Conference champs. This is also the month where some teams who had their struggles early on use this month to rise and be heard like the boys from the Pacific Northwest and the gents from the cheese state. This is also where we see teams limp to the finish or may not even make the playoffs like the boys from Indianapolis; the hoop heroes of the “Windy City” and the guys ATL. Then there is a team that is drove themselves out of the playoffs after rolling there a season ago. Here is The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of March in NBA.

The Good  

Streaking Trail Blazers

At the start of March, the Portland Trail Blazers were 11 games under the .500 mark and it seemed like making the playoffs was just a dream in their minds. Well led by the dynamic backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, their newest addition in the middle and a renewed confidence on both ends of the court, the team from “Rip City” went from dreaming about making the playoffs to now being in the thick of making it.

A 13-3 record last month vaulted the Trail Blazers (37-38) pasted the Denver Nuggets (35-40) into the No. 8 and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

While Lillard and McCollum have been at the top of their games in March with averages of 29.1 and 22.8 points per game respectably, it’s been the play of “Rip City’s” newest phenomenon in center Jusuf Nurkic that has gotten the Trail Blazers above the playoff line.

In the month of March, the Bosnian native averaged 15.8 points, 11.0 boards and 2.1 blocks in March on 50 percent shooting from the floor. He also recorded nine of his 10 double-doubles last month.

One of those double-doubles came in the best game of his young career when he had career-highs of 28 points, 20 rebounds, eight assists, six block shots and two steals in the Trail Blazers 114-108 overtime win versus the Philadelphia 76ers (28-48) on Mar. 9.

He became the 8^th player in Trail Blazers’ history to register a 20/20 game and he did it on 9 for 18 shooting from the field and 10 for 13 from the charity stripe.

He established a new career-high with 33 points to go along with 15 rebounds on 12 for 15 shooting from the field and 9 for 11 from the free throw line on Tuesday night versus the Nuggets, who dealt him along with a 2017 first-round pick to the Trail Blazers for center Miles Plumlee back in February. McCollum led the Trail Blazers with 39 points on 15 for 24 from the field, and Lillard had 19 points, seven assists, six boards and three steals.  

That victory not won the season series for the Trail Blazers against the Nuggets 3-1, it essentially put them two games up on the loss side in the race for the No. 8 playoff spot.

That game also shown the maturity of Nurkic and that it was about the team and continuing their winning ways, while also being happy with the opportunity to be somewhere he is wanted, which he said as much to Comcast SportsNet Northwest’s Brooke Olzendam after the win versus the Sixers.

“I’m not worried about stats. I just want to win and I think we should’ve won easier in this one, but I’ll take any win. We need to go to the playoffs and I want to go there,” Nurkic said. “I just want to go have fun and win the games.”

The Trail Blazers are in the position they are in is how they have been able to win on the road in Mar.

After suffering a tough 125-124 overtime loss to the Washington Wizards (46-30) in overtime on Mar. 11, the Trail Blazers embarked on their most important road trip of the season, where they faced the most important five-game stretch of the season.

They took game one at the Phoenix Suns (22-54) 110-101 nearly 24 hours later, but suffered tough 100-77 loss at the New Orleans Pelicans (33-43) two nights later. On the back end of a back-to-back on national television, the Trail Blazers won at the San Antonio Spurs (58-17) 110-106 as Lillard and McCollum combined to score 62 points on 20 for 38 from the field. They followed that up with a 113-97 win at the slumping Atlanta Hawks (39-36) last Saturday night and a 115-104 win at the surging Miami Heat (37-39) one night later, to garner their 5^th win on the road in their last six chances.

Lillard was off the charts in the contest with 49 points on 14 for 21 from the field, including 9 for 12 from three-point range and 12 for 12 from the charity stripe. He became the 10^th player in NBA history to have multiple games of hitting nine three-pointers and he tied his own personal and team record. This was his 11^th 40-plus point performance of his career, his fourth on the season and it was the most points scored all-time by a Trail Blazer against the Heat since a 36-point game by Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler back in 1988. Nurkic had 21 points, 12 boards and three blocks. McCollum had 18 points and Vonleh had 11 points and seven boards. 

“We’re at that point in the season in the season you got to do whatever you need to do to win games,” Lillard, who became the first player in team history to hit 1,000 three-pointers in his career said to Olzendam after the win. “We want to be in the postseason and everyone counts. We got to leave everything out there.”

After a tough 93-90 loss versus the surging Milwaukee Bucks (40-36) in their first home game following their 4-1 road trip on Mar. 21^st, where they shot just 42.2 percent from the floor, went 4 for 21 from three-point range and 16 for 26 from the foul line, the Trail Blazers won five straight wins to close the month, with their fifth win in succession coming on Thursday night on TNT versus the Houston Rockets (51-25) 117-107.

Lillard led the way with 31 points on 10 for 18 shooting, including 4 for 9 from distance and 7 for 7 from the foul line with 11 assists and two steals. Nurkic had 19 points, 11 boards and three blocks. Despite McCollum scoring just 12 points on 4 for 15 from the field, the slack was picked up by Maurice Harkless, who chipped in with 17 points, six boards, two steals and three blocks. Al-Farouq Aminu had 15 points, nine rebounds and two steals off the bench and Allen Crabbe had 17 points, hitting 3 for 5 from three-point range and had four steals.

Another major part of the turnaround by the Trail Blazers in March has been their play at the defense end and it showed in their victory over the Rockets on Thursday night. They forced 18 turnovers by the Rockets, including seven in the fourth quarter that resulted in 21 points. The Trail Blazers held them to 8 for 34 shooting from three-point territory, while they went 13 for 33 from distance and registered 12 steals and blocked eight shots.

This month was going to reveal a lot about how the Trail Blazers were going to finish the 2016-17 campaign. They showed that they want to reach the playoffs again for a second straight season and GM Neil Olshey gave them that chance with the trade that brought in Nurkic and put them in a great position for the future with now having three first-round picks in this June’s draft. The players have shown with their play that if they meet the defending Western Conference champions, the Golden State Warriors most likely it will not be a cake walk, just like it was when they met, in the Semifinals a season ago, a series the Warriors won in five games.

The Rising Bucks

The Bucks back on Feb. 8 not only lost at home to the surging Heat that put them seven games under .500 at 22-29, they lost forward Jabari Parker, who tore the ACL in his left knee that will keep him out into the 2017-18 season. It was believed that the Bucks would be on the outside of the playoff picture again after losing their second leading scorer and second best player to first-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo. From that point on, the Bucks not only though, the Bucks not only got back into the playoff race, they put themselves in a position where they could be a major threat to whoever they matchup with.

Since losing Parker, the Bucks (40-36) have gone 18-8, which includes a record of 14-4 in March and are now in the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of the Hawks. More on them later.

After dropping their first game of the month versus the Nuggets 110-98 on Mar. 1, the Bucks won five straight games, which began with a 112-101 win versus the Los Angeles Clippers (47-31) on Mar. 3, who they outscored 34-19 in the opening stanza and never looked back.

Antetokounmpo and Greg Monroe off the bench led the way with 24 points each. Khris Middleton added 19 points and nine assists. Matthew Dellavedova had 15 points and eight assists off the bench and rookie lead guard Malcolm Brogdon had 12 points.

The Bucks followed up that victory with another versus the Toronto Raptors 101-94, one night later, behind the season-high of 24 points of Middleton and the 21 points and 10 boards from Antetokounmpo. Brogdon had 17 points and Spencer Hawes off the bench had 16 points and eight rebounds.

The Bucks five-game winning streak concluded on Mar. 13 at the Memphis Grizzlies (42-34), thanks to a season-high of 24 points by Vince Carter.

The Bucks were out-rebounded 48-35; had 17 turnovers that led to 22 Grizzlies’ points and were outscored 38-28 in the paint.

Like the previously mentioned Trail Blazers, the Bucks themselves had a defining late season West Coast trip that was going to determine their fate of this season.

After the losing at the Grizzlies to begin the trip, the Bucks won four out of the next five, with wins at the Clippers 97-96 two night later, their first season sweep of L.A.’s other team since 1999-00 campaign and it was their first victory against the Clippers at Staples Center since Dec. 4, 2007. They would follow that up with a 107-103 win in the same building against the Lakers (21-55) 107-103 on Mar. 17, led by the 30 points from Middleton and the 26 points, eight boards and two blocks from Antetokounmpo. Monroe had 12 points, six boards and three blocks off the bench.

After taking one on the chin at the surging Warriors (62-14) on the back end of a back-to-back 117-92, they closed the road trip with victories at the Trail Blazers 93-90 three night later and then the next night at the Sacramento Kings (29-47) 116-98, led by the 32 points, 14 boards, five assists and two steals from Antetokounmpo. Monroe had 15 points off the bench. Mirza Teletovic and Middleton had 13 points each and combined to go 6 for 15 from three-point range and Brogdon chipped in with 12 points.

Antetokounmpo had his second straight double-double of 34 points, 13 boards on 13 for 22 shooting to go along with five assists as the Bucks won versus the Hawks 100-97. Monroe chipped in with 14 points and 10 boards off the bench. Brogdon had 14 points and seven assists and Tony Snell had 13 points.

The Bucks had their three-game winning streak end at the hands of the Central Division rival Chicago Bulls (36-39) 109-94, who shot 54.1 percent from the field; were 10 for 21 from three-point; outrebounded the Bucks 54-39 outscored the Bucks 35-24 in the third period and held them to 15 points in the fourth quarter.

The Bucks closed the month with three straight victories, which included road wins at the Charlotte Hornets 118-108 on Tuesday night, where Snell had a career-high of 26 points on 10 for 14 shooting, including 4 for 8 from three-point range. Antetokounmpo had 20 points and eight boards. Brogdon had 14 points and 10 assists. Middleton also had 14 and Monroe had 13 points, eight boards and five assists off the bench.

That victory was followed up by 103-100 win at the Boston Celtics (49-27) on Wednesday night, ending their seven-game home winning streak and garnering their 10^th win in their last 13 games on the road.

The Bucks were led by the 22 points, nine boards, three steals and three blocks from Antetkounmpo. The 19 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals from Middleton. Brogdon had 16 points and nine assists and Monroe also had 16 points and eight boards.

The month concluded with a knockout, drag out 108-105 overtime win versus the desperate Detroit Pistons (35-42). Antetokounmpo nearly had a triple-double with 28 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists, as he recorded his 28^th double-double of the season to go along with two block shots. Middleton had his first double-double of the season with 25 points and 10 boards on 9 for 16 shooting, including 4 for 7 from distance. The breakout star of the game was rookie Thon Maker, who had been starting recently in place of Parker and he had a career-high of 23 points on 9 for 12 from the field and hit four of the Bucks 14 triples in seven tries.

When Parker went down, it seemed like the Bucks playoff chances did as well. The continued great season from Antetokounmpo; the return of Middleton, who missed the first 51 games because of hamstring injury came back and has been a jewel for the team. The emergence of Rookie of the Year candidate Brogdon and the solid play on both ends from Snell and the presence of Monroe off the bench has made head coach Jason Kidd’s team a serious threat to do damage in the postseason.

Improving West Champions

Former Houston Rockets head coach and future Hall of Famer Rudy Tomjanovich once said after his team won their second straight title in 1995 “Never underestimate the heart of a champion.” When perennial All-Star Kevin Durant went down with a knee injury back in the Warriors 112-108 loss at the Washington Wizards on Feb. 28, there were a lot of people in the NBA circles saying that the Warriors not only were going to lose the No. 1 Seed in the West to the Spurs, but they were in jeopardy of not making it back to The Finals. That seemed to be the case to start March as the Warriors lost three of their first five games of the month and five of their last seven games overall. Like a champion, they are, they picked themselves off the pavement and played better on both ends, but that was after the shock of the team losing Durant.

The Warriors lost three of their first five games without having the 2014 MVP Durant in the lineup, which included their first back-to-back losses since Apr. 5 to 7 of 2015 after dropping one at the Chicago Bulls (36-39) on Mar. 2 on TNT. That was followed by a 107-85 loss at the Spurs on ABC, where the “Splash Brothers” duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson along with Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala sat out to rest, which caused an uproar across the NBA spectrum, which head coach Steve Kerr responded to after the game.

“I feel bad for the fans who bought tickets and came to see Steph or Klay or Draymond, but I have to do what I have to do,” Kerr said of his team, who played a stretch of eight games in 13 days, with seven of those games on the road and three sets of back-to-backs.

“Our team has been through the ringer the last couple of weeks. The travel has really worn us out and we need to get through this game and I’m really happy those guys are going to get several days’ rest before our next game. I think this will put us on a good course going forward. We needed to do this.”

A 16-point come from behind win versus the 76ers on Mar. 14 got the Warriors off their three-game losing streak and that has translated into 10 consecutive wins, with seven of the last nine by double-digits. The average margin of victory in this 10-game winning streak by the defending Western Conference champs has been by 15.2.

“It’s been a rough week obviously. Every NBA team goes through it at some point and we just got to keep fighting,” Curry, who 12 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter on his 29^th Birthday as the Warriors outscored the Sixers 28-14 in the final stanza said to NBATV’s Rick Kamla, Caron Butler and Sam Mitchell after the game.

During this streak, the Warriors have had statement victories, with the first statement a 122-92 win versus the Orlando Magic (27-49) on Mar. 16, which clinched their third straight Pacific Division title, the best in franchise history. That was followed by a 117-92 win versus the Bucks two nights later.

On the national stage on TNT, the Warriors ran the Oklahoma City Thunder (43-32) off the court, as they claimed a 111-95 win on Mar. 20.

They Warriors made an even louder statement with their last four wins this week, where they took down the Grizzlies 106-94 on Monday night. They won two games from the No. 3 Seeded Rockets 113-106 on Monday night and a 107-98 win on Friday night, on ESPN and they defeated the Spurs in their house, also on ESPN.

There have been three main reasons for the Warriors resent hot streak. For starters, the All-Star tandem of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the “Splash Brothers” have returned to their sharp shooting form, especially Curry.

In the 10 games leading up to the 25-point take down of the Bucks on Mar. 18 117-92, Curry had been just 25 for 96 from three-point range in the last 10 games. He began getting his touch back by going 6 for 8 from distance versus the Bucks, scoring 28 points on the evening.

When asked about how he was going to shake out of his slump by Comcast SportsNet Bay Area’s Ros Gold-Onwude, Curry’s answer was, “Keep shooting. That’s it really.”

“You can’t get discouraged by misses. Can’t get too big headed about good games. You got to just keep pushing. Keep your routine up. Feed off your teammates energy and keep your confidence.”

That confidence got put to the test against Spurs on Wednesday night at the Spurs as the Warriors trailed by as many as 22 points and were outscored 33-17 in the opening stanza.

From that point on, the Warriors outscored the Spurs 93-65 over the next three quarters to earn their first win of the season versus the five-time champions in three chances.

Curry led the way with 29 points and 11 assists hitting 4 for 8 from distance and Thompson had 23 points going 4 for 9 from three-point range.

The other reason the Warriors are playing at a high level is they have gotten back to playing great defense.

In this 10-game winning streak, only three teams have cracked the century mark against them.

To put this into perspective, MVP candidate of the Rockets James Harden while he nearly had triple-doubles 21 and 22 in the two losses to the Warriors this week, he scored just 24 and 17 points in the two games. He shot a combined 9 for 38 from the field (23.7 percent), including 3 for 18 (16.7 percent) from three-point range.

That is in large part to being defended by Thompson and seeing other multiple defenders like Green and Iguodala.

Speaking of the other Warrior All-Star and a former one, the Warriors have been getting major contributions from as TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal likes to say “the others.”

Well during this streak especially, the likes of ZaZa Pachulia, Ian Clark, JaVale McGee, Matt Barnes, David West, Shaun Livingston, and Patrick McCaw have stepped up and been a presence for the team.

During this 10-game winning streak, Iguodala, the 2015 Finals MVP has averaged 12.3 points, to go along with 4.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists off the bench.

In the team’s second win at the month at the Hawks on Mar. 6, Iguodala had 24 points, five boards, four assists and two steals on 6 for 8 from the field, including 4 for 6 from three-point range. Against the Grizzlies, he had 20 points, seven boards, four assists and two steals. In the second game against the Rockets, he garnered 14 points, five rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals.

In just 15.8 minutes per game during this streak, backup guard Ian Clark has averaged 8.8 points on 55.1 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from three-point range.

In the Warriors 107-85 loss at the Spurs on Mar. 11 with Curry, Thompson, and a couple of others out to rest, Clark had a career-high of 36 points on 15 for 21 shooting, including 3 for 3 from distance, to go with five rebounds.

When the month began, the Warriors were facing questions about if they could be great again. Like a true champion, they answered the call and that resulted in a third straight season that will conclude with over 60 wins and a second straight season with 30-plus victories on the road. It will also conclude with coach Steve Kerr becoming the fastest coach in league history to reach 200 wins, which came in the team’s previously mentioned win at the Rockets on Tuesday night. Kerr is now 202-38 in two-plus seasons so far.

The hope now is that Durant will be back soon as the team has gone 12-4 in his absence and he will be his high scoring self when he returns. When he does, he will be re-joining a team that has its eyes set on winning a second title in three seasons.

“For the most part we’ve been without him before obviously in years past,” Curry said about the Warriors not having Durant.

“We know how to play. We just got to fight through not making shots and letting that effect the rest of our game.”

Surging Spurs

If there is one team in the NBA that understands this time of NBA season, it is the five-time NBA champions, who know how to turn things up as the postseason nears. This season is no different.

The Spurs (58-17) went 15-4 in the month of March, registering winning streaks of five to start the month from Mar. 1 to Mar. 9, which includes a signature win versus the Rockets 112-110 on Mar. 6.

While James Harden was, the headliner coming in as a leading MVP candidate, finishing with 39 points and 12 assists, it was the other MVP candidate in All-Star Kawhi Leonard, who would have the last word with 39 points of his own on 12 for 18 from the field and 11 for 11 from the foul line.

Leonard outscored Harden 17 to 4 in the final period, which included a three-pointer in the final moments that gave the Spurs a 110-108 lead. He would then block Harden’s tying layup attempt from behind and then gave the Spurs a four-point cushion with two ensuing free throws.

“I saw him get an easy lane to the basket and just tried to chase him down and time the layup,” Leonard said after the game. “David Lee did a good job of not letting him get really get athletic and just keeping a body and (going up) just straight. It let me get the ball.”

After a tough loss at the Thunder 102-92 two nights later, the Spurs won two straight by beating the Warriors 107-85 on Mar. 11 on ABC and then a 107-99 triumph over the Hawks.

The Spurs won the game versus the Warriors despite not having Leonard and Tony Parker because of concussion and back injury respectably, but the team received even more difficult news when All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge was going to be shelved indefinitely due to a minor heart arrhythmia that was discovered at the close of that week. This was a condition that the 31-year-old has been dealing with since he came into the NBA.

That indefinite absence was for just two games and he returned on Mar. 15 versus his old team the Trail Blazers, who won 110-106, which halted the Spurs nine-game winning streak at AT&T Center.

“This is something that I’ve dealt with since my first year in the league,” the 10-year veteran said to the press after the game. “It’s been a protocol put in place if I feel like something changed. I know my body well and had an off feeling. I’ve been through this before. I told the team and we followed the protocol and I saw the right people. I’m good to go.”

After sustaining their second straight defeat at the Grizzlies three days later, the Spurs rattled off five wins in succession, which included their first victory in three tries against the Grizzlies (97-90 on Mar. 23) and an emphatic 103-74 win versus the Cavaliers on Monday night.

The Spurs, who were led by the 25 points of Leonard held the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers (48-27) to 37.3 percent from the field and to just 4 for 26 from three-point range. They outscored them 56-40 in the paint; turned 19 Cavs turnovers, which included 11 steals into 23 points and recorded seven block shots.

The Spurs sustained a tough 110-98 loss on ESPN versus the Warriors on Wednesday night, when they were outscored by 13 (37-24), 10 (30-20) and five (26-21) points over the final three quarters.

Two nights later in the national spotlight again, the Spurs at the Thunder trailed by as many as 21 points, but rallied and won the game 100-95, thanks to outscoring the Thunder 29-19 in the fourth quarter.

Leonard led the way with 20 of his team-high 28 points in the second half on 10 for 22 shooting to go along with eight boards. Aldridge despite going 5 for 14 shooting had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.

While the loss to the Warriors earlier this past week might have hindered any hopes of grabbing the top seed in the West away from the Warriors, who are now up 3.5 games with seven to play, the Spurs as they have before just want to be healthy when the playoffs arrive and they will take care of the rest.  

The Bad

Down Hawks

The best way to describe the Atlanta Hawks this season is one simple word, inconsistent. One moment they are winning at a high clip. The next, they are losing several games in a row and that is where they were to close the month of March before a modest win streak.

After starting March with a 4-3 record, which included three straight losses from Mar. 3 to Mar. 8 to versus defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers (135-130), versus Indiana Pacers (97-96) and versus the Warriors (119-111), the Hawks ended their skid with a 110-105 win versus the Brooklyn Nets (16-59) on Mar. 8. That was followed by two more wins versus the Toronto Raptors (46-30) 105-99 48 hours later and a resounding 107-90 victory at the Grizzlies the next evening.

What followed for the Hawks after that huge win was a seven-game losing streak from Mar. 13 to Mar. 26, their longest of the season, where they averaged just 95.1 points, on 40.1 percent from the field; had a point differential of -10.4 and were averaging 17 turnovers.

It did not help matters that the team was missing three key starters during this stretch in leading scorer Paul Millsap, who was on the mend because of left knee tightness; Kent Bazemore because of a bone bruise in his right knee and swingman Thabo Sefolosha because of a right groin strain.

The Hawks back in the air with a 95-91 win versus the Suns on Tuesday night led by the 27 points, nine assists and six boards of lead guard Dennis Schroder, on 12 for 27 shooting. Ersan Ilyasova, who has been starting in place of Millsap had 18 points and 12 rebounds. Rookie Taurean Prince had 15 points and six boards in a starting role and Dwight Howard had 15 points, 11 boards and four blocks.

One night later, the Hawks won at the Sixers 99-92 for their second win in succession and they swept the four-game series from the boys of the city of “Brotherly Love.”  Howard led the way with his 50^th double-double of the season of 22 points and 20 boards. Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Bazemore in his return coming off the bench had 19 points each and Schroder and Ilyasova each scored 14.

Despite their struggles, head coach Mike Budenholzer’s team is just a half-game behind the Bucks for the No. 5 spot in the East. The reason for that importance is that if the playoffs began right now, they would face the Raptors in the opening round and while they may not have the crucial home court advantage, they have won two of the three meetings this season, but that one loss was a 128-84 setback on Dec. 3, 2016 when they were struggling. If they move up in the standings, they would take on the Washington Wizards (46-30), who they lost three of the four meetings this season.

No matter where they finish, if they do not get Millsap back on the court and playing at his All-Star level, the Hawks will be going home early in the postseason. The team is just 2-8 without the four-time All-Star this season.

“We gave seven games away,” Howard said after the win on Wednesday night at the Sixers. “We need these games going into the playoffs. I thought the level of play was pretty good over most of those games.”

Uneven Bulls

When the Bulls signed Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade to join All-Star Jimmy Butler in the “Windy City,” the hope was they would be a threat to the Cavs in the East. While they have shown flashes of what they could be against some of the best in the NBA, the Bulls have been inconsistent with their play and their focus and that things have not gotten better.

Head coach Fred Hoiberg’s team went just 6-9 in March and while they are still just a half-game behind the slumping Pacers and the surging Heat for the No. 7 and No. 8 playoff spots in the East, they have shown no signs of putting a string of games together to overtake either of those teams.

After beating the Warriors on TNT 94-87 on Mar. 2, handing the Warriors their first two-game skid since Apr. 5 to 7, 2015 the Bulls lost their next five in succession, the Bulls (36-39) lost their next five in a row and eight of their next 10 games.

Included in that stretch was a 98-91 loss versus the Grizzlies on Mar. 15, where the team also lost Wade, who sprained his elbow in the early stages of the fourth quarter. It was later revealed through an MRI later in the week that Wade fractured his right elbow and that he would be out the rest of the regular season. He is hopeful that he can return for the postseason, if the Bulls make it there.

“It sucks. It’s not the way I would have written,” Wade said to the Chicago Tribune back on Mar. 17. “I’ll just move past it, get better and no surgery. So, that’s one thing I’m happy about. I’ll just rehab and hopefully get on the court at the end of this year. If not this year, at some point next year.”

Things did not get better for the Bulls as the dropped two of their next three games without Wade, with the last loss during that stretch versus the Raptors 122-120 in overtime on Mar. 21, which ended an 11-game winning streak against reigning back-to-back-to-back Atlantic Division champs.

The loss waisted a 37-point, 10-rebound, six assist performance by Butler and a 24-point eight-assist game by Rondo.

The Bulls bounced back with a resounding 117-95 win versus the Pistons one night later, where Nikola Mirotic had a season-high of 28 points, going 12 for 15 from the field, including 4 for 6 from three-point range. Joffrey Lauvergne, who the team acquired at the trade deadline along with Anthony Morrow and Cameron Payne from the Thunder for Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott had 17 points and seven boards. Butler had his second straight double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds while rookie Paul Zipser had 15 points and Bobby Ports off the bench had 12 points and six boards.

That was followed 48 hours later by a 117-107 loss versus the inferior Sixers, which followed by a 109-94 win at the surging Bucks, avoiding a three-game sweep at the hands of their cross-state rivals and ended the Bucks six-game home-winning streak.

Mirotic again had 28 points going 11 for 14 shooting and eight boards. Butler had his 14^th double-double of 28 points and a career-high 14 assists, to go along with six rebounds. Rondo nearly had his sixth triple-double on the season with 18 points, nine boards and nine assists. Robin Lopez had 18 points and Zipser had 10 points and five boards.

The Bulls finished the month with come from behind 99-93 victory versus the Cavaliers, earning their 20^th straight home win on TNT. Their last defeat at the United Center came on Feb. 21, 2013 versus Wade, LeBron James and the Heat 86-67.

Mirotic equaled his season high with 28 points, hitting 6 for 8 from three-point range, while also grabbing 10 boards. Butler had 25 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Rookie Denzel Valentine had 12 points and six boards off the bench and Lopez had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

There have been times this season where the Bulls have looked like a team that can compete and beat anyone in the NBA. Other times they look like a team that can be beaten by any team in the NBA. Despite all of that, they are still in playoff contention, but if they do not make it, the question then becomes what will happen to them in the summer especially to Butler, Wade, and Rondo?

Inconsistency by the Pacers

The Indiana Pacers on paper consist of one of the most talented rosters from top to bottom in the league. Too often this season, the talent on paper has not matched the production on the court and that has resulted in them on the fringe of them not making the playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons.

Despite a stellar month by All-Star swingman Paul George, who averaged 26.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals on 48.5 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from three-point range in March, the Pacers (37-39) went just 6-10 in March and went from being No. 6 in the East to No. 8.

To put their struggles into context, the Pacers have not garnered back-to-back wins since Feb. 4-6.

After a nail biting win at the Hawks 97-96 thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Glenn Robinson III on Mar. 5, the Pacers lost at the Hornets 100-88 one night later, on TNT. After winning at the Pistons 115-98 two nights later, the Pacers lost versus the Bucks 99-85. A 102-98 victory versus the surging Heat on Mar. 12 was followed up by 87-81 loss at the New York Knicks (29-47) 48 hours later, who held the Pacers to 29 points in the second half. After taking down the Hornets at Bankers Life Fieldhouse 98-77 on Mar. 15, the Pacers were blown off the home court of the Raptors 116-91 four days later. A solid 107-100 win against the playoff bound Utah Jazz (47-29) on Mar. 20, the Pacers lost their next two games at the Celtics (109-100) two nights later and 48 hours after that lost versus the Nuggets 125-117 despite a furious comeback from 23 points down and outscoring the Nuggets 42-31 in the fourth quarter.

“You have to start the game with that aggressive play that we played with in the fourth quarter,” Pacers head coach Nate McMillian, whose team went just 8 for 11 from the foul line, compared to the Nuggets 40 for 43 said after the game.

A 107-94 win versus the Sixers last Sunday evening, was followed up by three straight losses all by double-digits.

It is hard to fathom that from the close of January into February the Pacers had a seven-game winning streak and things were looking up. Since then, the team has gone 8-15 since, which included a six-game losing streak and a 15-game stretch where the Pacers alternated wins and losses.

It has gotten so bad that the Pacers signed for his second-stint swingman Lance Stephenson to a three-year $12 million contract at the close of this week and waived the injured Rodney Stuckey.

As fragile as they are right now, Pacers can now go one of two directions as this season winds down. They can either fall completely out of the playoff picture as they lead the Bulls by just a half game for the No. 8 and final playoff spot or they can at least get back to No. 7, which is occupied by the Heat right now.

“We got to show more spirit as a team,” George said to FOX Sports Indiana’s Jeremiah Johnson after he scored 39 points on 15 for 21 from the field, including 6 for 10 from distance in the victory versus the Hornets. “We got to enjoy what we do. We got to enjoy this process. Enjoy the grind.”

Highly Unlikely Playoffs in “Big D”

For much of this season, the Dallas Mavericks because of injuries and inconsistency at the offensive end have been fighting uphill just to have a chance to fight for the last playoff spot. Coming into March, those chances might have been dim, but there was still a chance, but that last hope might have faded away.

A 7-9 mark in March will likely keep the Mavericks (31-44) out of the postseason for just the second time in the last 17 years.

That glimmer of hope came after four consecutive wins from Mar. 3, a 104-100 win versus the Grizzlies to Mar. 10, a 105-96 win at the Nets. It then faded to black with five losses in the last six games to close the month, which also included a four-game losing streak.

That stretch consisted of a humiliating 116-74 loss at the Sixers on Mar. 17, where the Mavericks fell to 0-9 when they score under 86 points and ended an eight-game winning streak against the Philadelphia. Dallas shot just 34.5 percent from the field; was outrebounded 59-47 and outscored in the paint 56-34.

The game was a major disappointment for former Sixer Nerlens Noel, who the Mavs acquired at the trade deadline back in February for Justin Anderson, Andrew Bogut and a draft pick. Noel had nine points and five boards on the evening.

After being drubbed by the surging Warriors 112-87 four days later, the Mavericks pulled out a 97-95 win versus the Clippers.

Unfortunately, the lost two nights later versus the Raptors 94-86, who also did a number on the Mavericks in the paint to the tune of 44-30.

The second tough setback during this stretch came on Monday night, when the Oklahoma City Thunder used a 14-0 run, which was capped by MVP candidate Russell Westbrook and a pull-up jump shot he hit in the closing seconds that erased a 13-point deficit and finished a 35-22 fourth quarter where the Thunder beat the Mavs 92-91.

Their second best offensive output of the month was not enough to win at the Pelicans two nights later as the Mavericks fell 121-118, despite having five players score in double-figures led by the 23 points of future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki to go along with seven rebounds. Harrison Barnes had 19 points and eight boards. Seth Curry, the brother of Stephen Curry of the Warriors had 18 points and Yogi Ferrell had 15 points off the bench, going 4 for 6 from distance.

Dallas shot 48.4 percent from the floor; went 14 for 30 from three-point range; registered 25 assists and held their own in the paint outscoring the Pelicans 48-46.

The dynamic duo of All-Stars Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins made all the difference as they each had double-doubles of 30 points and 13 rebounds and 29 points and 16 boards respectably, as the Pelicans shot 50.6 percent from the field; were 12 for 30 from three-point range and registered 36 and 32 points respectably in the second and fourth quarters.  

The tole of the season came to ahead to close the month on Friday night as the Grizzlies took it the Mavericks and managed to win 99-90, as the Grizzlies outscored them 34-15 in the second period to take control of the game and they never let go of the rope.

When the Mavericks were at a low point this season, they could have easily mailed it in and said wait until next year. Instead led by Nowitzki and head coach Rick Carlisle, they fought back and put themselves in position to at least compete for a playoff spot. Along the way, they found a core of young players in Ferrell, Barnes, Curry, Noel, Dorian Finney-Smith and Dwight Powell to go forward with. The reality is that Nowitzki will retire whether it is this summer or after next season. The Mavs also are in position to move forward when Nowitzki decides to hang up his sneakers.

The Ugly

Collapse in “Motor City”

With four wins in their first six chances to start March, the Detroit Pistons were primed to make their second straight postseason appearance after a seven-year absence. Unfortunately, things have gone downhill and the they are in major jeopardy of missing the playoffs completely.

Since their 112-92 versus the Knicks on Mar. 11, the Pistons (35-42) have lost nine of their last 11 games to close March and they have suffered every kind of setback imaginable.

Their three-game skid from Mar. 14 to 19 began with a 128-96 loss at the Cavaliers, who shot 59.7 percent from the floor; went 19 for 30 from three-point range and held the Pistons to 37.4 percent from the field and to just 4 for 19 from distance.

The Pistons were outworked by the Jazz the next night falling 97-83 as the Jazz shot 46.8 percent; out-rebounded the Pistons 53-46; registered 28 assists to the Pistons 14 and scored 19 points off 17 Piston miscues. The Pistons were held to just 41.9 percent from the field and went just 3 for 13 from distance.

After a 112-95 win versus the Suns on Mar. 19 that ended their three-game skid, the Pistons sustained a heartbreaker when Brook Lopez, who had 29 points on the night hit a game-winning jumper right in front of their bench that gave the Nets a 98-96 win two nights later.

They followed that up with two poor performances where they were blown out first at home versus the Bulls 117-95 on the back end of a back-to-back. That was followed by a 115-87 loss at the Magic 48 hours later.

When asked after the game by a reporter about if his team has given up, head coach Stan Van Gundy said, “I don’t know. You’d have to ask them.”

The Pistons did not respond well again as they suffered another loss by double-digits 109-95 at the New York Knicks (29-47) on Monday night and then had victory snatched from them by a Hassan Whiteside tip-in at the buzzer giving the Heat a 97-96 win in the Pistons’ house the next evening.

While a come from behind win against the Nets 90-89 slowed the bleeding for a moment, a tough 108-105 overtime loss at the Bucks on Friday night put the brakes on any kind of momentum.

What has also not helped the Pistons cause is that starting lead guard Reggie Jackson, who missed the first 21 games of the season recovering from right knee surgery has been shelved the past four games because of tendinitis in that same knee and has while he shown flashes of his old self with four games of over 20 points in the early stages of March, he has not been himself in recent games that he has played.

Starting center Andre Drummond, who was dominant force a season ago, has not had that same impact on both ends. While on the surface he averaged 14.4 boards in March, he only averaged just 11.4 points last month.

Another key player that had a rough March was Marcus Morris, who only averaged 12.6 points and 4.4 rebounds on 38.9 percent from the floor and just 28.6 percent from three-point range.

Morris had a game to forget in the team’s 87-75 loss versus the Raptors on Mar. 17 when he had just three points and five boards on 1 for 13 from the field.

The good teams in the NBA are ones that are consistent. They know who they are and stick to what they do best. The leaders of the team maintain that standard and they are hungry to get better. The Detroit Pistons in March and for much of this season have been inconsistent. Easily rattled and their hunger to be great has wavered. The result, they find themselves 2.5 games behind the Pacers for the No. 8 and final playoff spot in the East with five to play. They will look back on this season saying to themselves what could have been and how they let an opportunity get away from them of making back-to-back postseason appearances.

Information, statistics and quotations are courtesy of www.nba.com/nba/teams; www.nba.com/news; www.nba.com/nba/standings; www.nba.com/games; 3/1/17 1 a.m. edition of “Inside the NBA,” presented by Kia on TNT with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal; 3/9/17 10:30 p.m. Philadelphia 76ers versus Portland Trail Blazers on Comcast SportsNet Northwest with Kevin Calabro, Lamar Hurd and Brooke Olzendam; 3/11/17 10:30 p.m. contest Washington Wizards versus Portland Trail Blazers on Comcast SportsNet Washington with Steve Buchantz and Phil Chenier; 3/12/17 3 a.m. edition NBATV’s “Gametime,” presented by State Farm with Matt Winer, Sekou Smith and Raja Bell; 3/15/17 5:30 a.m. edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” presented by Kia with Rick Kamla, Caron Butler and Sam Mitchell; 3/15/17 10:30 p.m. contest Milwaukee Bucks versus Los Angeles Clippers on ESPN with Dave Pasch, Doug Collins and Tom Rinaldi; 3/16/17 7 a.m. edition NBATV’s “Gametime,” with Vince Cellini, Dennis Scott and Shaquille O’Neal; 3w/17/17 10 a.m. edition NBATV’s “Gametime,” with Jared Greenberg, Mike Dunleavy, Sr. and Sekou Smith; 3/22/17 2 a.m. edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” with Rick Kamla, Caron Butler and Sam Mitchell; 3/29/17 5:30 p.m. edition NBATV’s “Gametime,” presented by Kia with Casey Stern, Caron Butler and Isiah Thomas 3/30/17 10:30 p.m. contest Houston Rockets versus Portland Trail Blazers on TNT, presented by State Farm with Kevin Harlan, Mike Fratello and David Aldridge and 3/31/17 1 a.m. edition of “Inside the NBA,” presented by Kia on TNT with Casey Stern, Dennis Scott, Derek Fisher and Shaquille O’Neal.