J-Speaks: Strong "D" in Salt Lake City

Since becoming the head coach of the Utah Jazz four seasons ago, the calling card of Quin Snyder’s team has been defense. At the center of that defense, no pun intended is last season’s runner up for Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. When he missed 15 games because of injury earlier in the season, the team struggled, and their chances of making the playoffs were very low. Since the return of the guy whose nickname is the “Stifle Tower,” the Jazz have really been playing some solid defense. That, along with the play of an impactful rookie; the stellar play of their newest point guard; and the togetherness of the group in general, the Jazz went from a lottery team into one that is on the door step of making the playoffs in the rugged Western Conference. 

With their latest victory, 116-88 versus the Phoenix Suns (19-51), the now No. 7 Seeded Jazz (39-30) have won eight consecutive games and have won 20 of their last 22 games. 

The Jazz have pulled themselves out of a rough hole they found themselves in earlier this season thanks to their stellar play at the defensive end. 

Coming into their Thursday night tilt versus the Suns, the Jazz since Jan. 24 are ranked No. 1 in points allowed at 94.4; in opponent’s field goal percentage at 42.2; in opponent’s three-point percentage at 30.1; and are No. 5 in opponent’s points in the paint at 42.4. 

All of this seemed unimaginable a few weeks back, but the collective effort of the entire team has resulted in them going from a team that had a one-way ticket to the draft lottery to one that is right now in the No. 7 Spot in the West. 

A perfect example of this occurred in the third quarter when starting lead guard Ricky Rubio was body-blocked to the hardwood by Suns forward Jared Dudley, which led to a scrum in front of the Suns bench. Second-year forward Marquese Chriss then proceeded to push Rubio down moments later. 

Jazz sharp shooter Joe Ingles and rookie sensation Donovan Mitchell stood up for their teammate instantly. 

After the officials went to the video monitor at the scorer’s table for review, Dudley was assessed with a flagrant two foul, and he and Chriss were both ejected from the game, Ingles and Mitchell received technical fouls. 

“On this team, we all love each other, so that makes it easy to stick up for each other,” Mitchell said after the win. 

That togetherness that has gotten the Jazz into the playoff picture has really shown at the defensive end and the Suns have seen up close the kind of vice grip the Jazz can put onto your offensive production. 

In their first meeting on Feb. 2, the Jazz blew out the Suns on their home court 129-97, where the visitors took control of the game outscoring them 34-17 in the second quarter and never looked back. 

The Suns were held to 41.4 percent shooting. Were a dismal 9 for 33 from three-point range and got crushed on the glass 55-43. The Jazz registered six blocks and outscored the Suns 58-46 in the paint. 

Rookie guard Donovan Mitchell registered his six game of 30-plus points on the season with 40 points, on shy of his career-high he had earlier this season, on 14 for 19 from the field, including a career-high seven three-pointers in nine attempts. Gobert had 10 points, nine boards and five blocks. 

In their second in Salt Lake City, UT on Valentine’s night, the Jazz earned their 11^th win in a row by taking down the Suns again 107-97, thanks to outscoring them 35-26 in the fourth quarter on Valentine’s night. 

On a night where they shot just 42.4 percent from the field and allowed the Suns to go 12 for 29 from three-point range, the Jazz again out-rebounded them 59-49, including 14-5 on the offensive glass, had 22 assists and dominated them in points in the paint again 52-40. 

Mitchell, who became the first rookie in NBA history to lead his team in scoring during their respective team’s 11-game winning streak with a 21.3 average led the way with 24 points, along with seven assists on 10 for 24 shooting. 

Fellow rookie Royce O’Neale, who has worked his way into the starting rotation because of his ability to guard some of the best perimeter players in the league had a career-high 19 points, with five boards and two steals on the night. 

Gobert and fellow starter at forward Derrick Favors dominated in the paint with double-doubles with the Jazz starting center going for 14 points and 17 rebounds, while the former Georgia Tech product had 18 points and 12 boards. 

In the Jazz’s third victory of the season against the Suns on Thursday night and as mentioned earlier their eighth straight overall, the home team took control by outscoring them 36-20 in the second quarter, and broke things open by outscoring them 35-22 in the fourth. 

The Jazz held the Suns to just 38.6 percent from the field, and while the battle on the boards was much closer this time, but still in favor of the Jazz 64-61, the Jazz registered eight block shots; compiled 12 steals, forcing 22 Suns turnovers that led to 19 points and crushed them in the paint outscoring them 54-34. 

Suns star guard Devin Booker for one of the rare times this season was held in check scoring just 12 points on 3 for 18 from the field. 

Mitchell, led the way with 23 points 10 for 21 shooting, with six boards. Gobert garnered a double-double with 21 points and 13 boards, with two blocks. Swingman Joe Ingles had 17 points, hitting 4 for 9 from three-point range. Jae Crowder, who the Jazz acquired at the trade deadline on Feb. 8 had another strong game with 15 points and eight boards off the bench, while starting lead guard Ricky Rubio chipped in with 12 points and 11 assists, with four steals. In his first game of the season, reserve guard Dante Exum, who had been shelved because of a shoulder that he hurt back in the preseason had 10 points in 14 minutes. 

“We have a group of guys here that put the team first and we all care about winning and defending,” Gobert said after the game. 

The Jazz showed the kind of love and togetherness for one another one game prior on Tuesday night where they dominated the Detroit Pistons (30-38) 110-79 where they registered 42 first quarter points, on 17 for 21 (81 percent), and scoring on their final 10 possessions to take a 42-21 lead after the first. 

In the Jazz’s seven straight win of their eight in succession, they held the Pistons to 37.5 percent from the floor on the night, while out-rebounding them 60-39. The Jazz went 13 for 34 from three-point range, while holding their visitors to just 5 for 25 from deep. They had 29 assists and outscored the Pistons in the paint 48-34. 

“We came out with the right frame of mind, just to defend and paying attention to detail on defense,” Snyder, whose team improved to 27-5 when holding the opposition under the century mark this season. “When you do that, you become instinctive offensively. I thought our reads, early were really good. Made good decisions. Made the extra pass.” 

It is one thing to play together and be one heartbeat on both sides of the basketball, but every great basketball team has one guy who can flat out take the game over and be a difference maker. 

For the Jazz, they have two in Gobert who impacts the game defensively and Mitchell, a rookie who impacts the squad offensively, having registered at least 25 points in 22 games this season. To put that into context, the rest of the 2017-18 NBA rookie class has 30 total games of that number. 

“He’s just a kid. He can score at the perimeter. He can score at the basket. He can score in the midrange. He can find way to get to the foul line. He scores in transition,” Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune said on the Thursday edition of NBATV’s “10 Before Tip,” with Jared Greenberg.  

The best example of this came in Utah’s 116-99 win at the New Orleans Pelicans (39-29) on Mar. 11. 

After scoring just two points in the opening half, Mitchell exploded for 25 of his 27 points in the second half, with 15 of those coming the last 3:08 of the third quarter that put the Jazz ahead for good as they outscored the Pelicans 68-48 in the second half. 

Rubio led the way with a double-double of 30 points, 10 boards and seven assists, on 10 for 22 from the field, which included four three-pointers. Ingles had 20 points, while Gobert had another double-double of 19 points and 16 rebounds, with two block shots. 

There were many points this season where they Utah Jazz could have felt sorry for themselves and decided that this was not their season, especially before it began when they lost All-Star Gordon Hayward in free agency when he signed with the Boston Celtics this summer. When Gobert was shelved two separate times this season because of injury. When they were 19-28 and staring at a trip to the draft lottery. 

Instead, the Jazz picked themselves off the pavement winning as mentioned 20 of their next 22 games, which includes an incredible 11 straight wins on the road. 

At the forefront has been as mentioned has been Utah’s stellar play at the defensive end, led by Rudy Gobert. Their ability to share the ball on offense. The surprising play of the No. 13 overall pick out of Louisville in last June’s draft in Donovan Mitchell, whose given Philadelphia 76ers rookie guard Ben Simmons a run for his money in capturing the 2018 Rookie of the Year award. 

That togetherness and respect for one another is what can allow someone like Dante Exum, who has played in just 149 games since being drafted No. 5 overall four years ago can come back and want to be a contributor to a team that if they make the playoffs will give either the No. 1 Seeded Houston Rockets (54-14) or the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors (52-17) at No. 2, who they defeated 129-99 on Jan. 30 during this run a serious challenge. 

“He made a choice that he was going to attack it,” Snyder said of Exum’s focus when it came to his rehabilitation of his shoulder. “There’s been a determination…not just to rehabilitate his shoulder, but also to stay connected mentally and stay a part of the group is something that he’s (done). It would be easy to disconnect and become detached and wallow in your misery and he just didn’t do that.” 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 3/15/18 7 p.m. edition of NBATV’s “10 Before Tip,” with Jared Greenberg; www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/utah/utah-jazz; www.espn.com/nba/coaches/_/id/52801/quin-snyder; and www.espn.com/nba/standings.

J-Speaks: The Latest Triple-Double By LeBron James

Since the trade deadline when the three-time defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers acquired George Hill, Rodney Hood, Larry Nance, Jr., and Jordan Clarkson, they have gone 7-7 after starting 3-0. In the early stages of March, the team has gone 2-4, with two tough losses in Los Angeles last weekend at the Clippers (37-30) 116-102 a week ago and at the Lakers 127-113 this past Sunday. The best medicine for them came in the order of the Phoenix Suns and four-time league MVP LeBron James led the way again.

In the Cavs (39-29) 129-107 victory at the Suns (19-51) on Tuesday night, James continued his brilliant 15^th season in the NBA by recording his 14^th triple-double on the season, a new single-season career-high and the 69^th of his career with 28 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, to go along with three steals and two blocks. 

James garnered that 14^th triple-double when he hit Clarkson for a dunk on the fast break early in the fourth. 

To put into context what James has done in terms of the amount of triple-doubles he has garnered in his career, his first came on Jan. 19, 2005 where at 21-years-old had 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in leading the Cavs to a 107-100 win at the Portland Trail Blazers.

This was the James’ second triple-double in the last 10 days, where head coach Tyronn Lue saw seven of his players score double-figures, where Jordan Clarkson had 23 points off the bench hitting 6 for 10 from three-point range. Sharp shooter Kyle Korver in his first start of the season had 22 points, going 5 for 6 from distance. The guy he replaced in the starting lineup JR Smith had 14 points off the bench, while Jeff Green and Ante Zizic each had 11 points and Hill chipped in with 10. 

“I was playing all three facets and more,” James, who was 7 for 14 from the field, and 13 for 15 from the free throw line said at his locker to reporters after the win. “I picked up a charge as well, a couple of blocks, a couple of steals, just being around the court and reliable for my teammates. Being able to clean glass, get my guys good looks where they are able to catch and shoot or catch it and lay it up, makes it a lot easier for me.”

Behind James’ focus and relentless attack on offense throughout the game, the Cavs in garnering their sixth straight win versus the Suns shot 49.4 percent for the contest, registering 25 assists on 43 field goals, making 17 of their 35 attempts from three-point range and 26 for 30 from the foul line.

“I’m always trying to find the open spot,” Korver said. “(James) commands a lot of attention. We had a couple of sets where we tried to get up a couple of shots for me. A lot of it was just playing the game and reading the game.” 

That is something that Suns’ interim head coach Jay Triano pointed out after the game saying that James’ ability to find the open man is “probably the most elite of the NBA players that he has.” 

He added by saying, “His ability to, not just share it, but how he delivers it. He throws the ball so hard and it’s always on time and on target. We saw that years ago when Steve Nash played. He delivered the ball, and everybody shot a better percentage when they played with him. Everybody who plays with LeBron shoots a much better percentage.”

In a season that has been full of ups-and-downs for the Cavs, the one constant has been the play of two-time Finals MVP in James, whose 69^th career triple-double is No. 6 all-time in NBA history, behind Hall of Famer the late Wilt Chamberlin (78); Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star guard and reigning league MVP Russell Westbrook; future Hall of Famer and former Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd (100); and Hall of Famers in five-time NBA champion and current Vice President of Basketball Operations with the Lakers Earvin “Magic” Johnson (138) and Oscar Robertson (181). 

His consistent play is a major reason why the Cavs have a hold, all be it a slim one on the No. 4 Seed in the East as they are just ½ a game behind the No. 3 Seeded Indiana Pacers (40-29), but just ½ a game in front of the No. 5 Seeded Washington Wizards (39-30). 

Before their tilt at the Suns James spoke about how if the Cavs are going to turn things around as the playoffs are just around the corner, they need to get healthy. 

Right now, the Cavs are missing starting center Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love, who have been on the shelf because of a sprained ankle and injured hand respectably and Hood had been out recently because of a back contusion. 

“It’s every day, nine o’clock every single day,” James said about how he has stayed healthy throughout the season. “Working on my body either with treatment or working on my body in the weight room. Continuing to build strength throughout the season when everybody else is kind of tearing down. Working on my game on the court. Not putting too much pounding on my legs when I’m on the court, just being very efficient. You know I’ve kind of figured it out in my 15^th season.” 

“Like I said, I’m honored and happy with what I’ve been able to do. I don’t take it for granted that I’ve been able for my team every game and hopefully I can continue.”

To put what James said into perspective, He has played in 1,127 games since the start of the 2003-04 NBA campaign, with Houston Rockets veteran guard Joe Johnson second to him with 1,103 games played and in third place is Korver with 1,097. 

Those games do not include playoff participation or the seven straight times that James has been to The Finals. 

In his aforementioned 15^th season in “The Association,” James is averaging 37.0 minutes per game, which is third in the league behind now injured All-Star guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves Jimmy Butler at 37.1 and All-Star forward for the Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo at 37.2.

Along with their stellar play offensively at the Suns on Tuesday night, the Cavs played solid defense as they held the home team to 26 percent from the field, including 1 for 9 from three-point range to take a 38-18 lead after one. They Cavs held the Suns to 38.8 percent from the field on the night; to just 6 for 32 from three-point range; had nine blocks and forced 18 turnovers, recording 12 steals and that led to 21 points. The Cavs also registered 27 fast break points. 

Suns top offensive player Devin Booker, who 22 games of 30 points this season had just 17 points on the night on just 7 for 16 from the field.  

In a career that has seen LeBron James be as durable as one could be playing the amount of minutes and having to carry the kind of load he has had to in both stints with the Cavs and in four seasons with the Miami Heat from 2010-14, he has yet to play 82 games in his career, which is on the verge of doing for the first time in his career this season. 

That is because of a relentless, committed, determination of working out and training in the off-season and during the season as he has gotten older that has allowed him to be able play at a high level for so long and to put his team in position to have a chance to win night-in and night-out in the regular season and the postseason. 

It is that commitment and confidence in his ability, along with the major overhaul at the Feb. 8 trade deadline that gives the Cavs a serious shot to make their fourth straight trip to The Finals and James’ eighth in succession individually. 

For them though it is about getting Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson back as quickly as possible, so Coach Lue can integrate them into the rotation and gives the Cavs a healthy squad going into the playoffs, which begin next month. 

If they can be anything close to like they were on Tuesday night at the Suns, where they were engaged on both ends of the floor for 48 minutes, that is bad news for the rest of the Eastern Conference, especially the current No. 1 Seeded Toronto Raptors (51-17) and the No. 2 Seeded Boston Celtics (46-22). 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 3/13/18 6:30 p.m. edition of NBATV’s “10 Before Tip,” with Jared Greenberg; 3/14/18 1 a.m. edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” presented by Kia with Matt Winer, Greg Anthony and Brent Barry; www.espn.com/nba/standings; www.nba.com/games/20180313/CLEPHX#/recap/boxscore/matchup; www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/gamelog/_/id/1966/lebron-james; www.espn.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/minutes; and https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/triple-double-most-times.html.

J-Speaks: Wounded Warriors

On Wednesday night, the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors won versus the Los Angeles Lakers (31-37) 117-106 to snap a two-game losing streak. They were led by the 26 points of Kevin Durant, who was 10 for 19 from the field. The major story for the defending champs was who did not play for them that night. 

In a season that has seen the Warriors (52-16), who are right now No. 2 in the rugged Western Conference, behind the Top Seeded Houston Rockets (54-14), they have had to deal with a number of injuries to key personnel of theirs.

Starting All-Star lead guard and two-time league MVP Stephen Curry, who turned 30 on Wednesday missed his third straight game after re-injuring his right ankle in a Mar. 8 110-107 victory versus the No. 8 Seeded San Antonio Spurs (39-30) on TNT. Fellow “Splash Brother” and All-Star Klay Thompson was also out due to a fractured right thumb that he sustained in the team’s 109-103 loss at the No. 5 Seeded Minnesota Timberwolves (40-29) last Sunday afternoon on ABC. He will be on the shelf until Mar. 22, where he will be re-evaluated after the team’s next three games. 

Not only do the Warriors not have the second best three-pointer shooter, in terms of percentage in “The Association” in Thompson, but the Warriors will be without, the fourth best player in the league when it comes to connections from long distance at 206, with Curry right in front of him at 209. Head coach Steve Kerr will also be without his best perimeter defender, and one of the most durable players in the game. 

Since 2011, the year that Thompson was drafted at No. 11 overall by the Warriors in 2011, only DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers has played in more regular season games than the 530 out of 542 by the Washington State University product. The only game he missed this season came on Jan. 10, a 125-106 loss by the Warriors versus the Los Angeles Clippers (37-30). 

“There are things I’m not able to do during the season. Get some well-earned rest,” Thompson said before the game on Wednesday on what being on the shelf means for him right now. “I’ll be mentally fresh most importantly in a week. I’ll be eager to get out there. That’s how I look at it.”

Head coach Steve Kerr echoed those same sentiments by saying, "Klay plays every game. I think he's missed 12 games in his entire career. That's crazy: 530 out of 542 (games). It's not like these are minutes where he's just spotting up. He's running everywhere and chasing every opposing team's best guards. The guy is a machine."

"Even without the thumb (injury), we were considering giving him a game or two off here down the stretch. He's looked a little more spent recently. I look at this like a positive. I think this will be a really productive in the long haul. It's not fun to deal with, but a couple of weeks where he can get away from the game a little bit, heal, recharge the batteries and get rolling. It's probably good thing in the long run." 

Besides being without the “Splash Brothers” on Wednesday night, the Warriors were also missing their definition of a swiss army knife in All-Star Draymond Green with right shoulder soreness, as well as reserves in guard Patrick McCaw and veteran forward David West due to a non-displaced left wrist fracture and a right arm cyst respectably. West is expected to be back as soon as Friday night versus the Sacramento Kings (22-47).  

Durant however will be shelved against the Kings on Friday night and for some games after. The 2014 league MVP, and 2017 Finals MVP according to an MRI on Friday revealed a incomplete rib cartilage fracture. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks. 

Veteran forward/guard Andre Iguodala had missed the three games because of a sprained left wrist but did return on Wednesday night scoring three points and registering two assists in 22 minutes off the bench. 

Rookie center Jordan Bell, who had missed a bunch of games over the past two months because of an ankle injury returned to the lineup after a three-game absence, scoring six points, with three boards and two assists in 18 minutes off the bench. 

Most teams that would be in this situation with their All-Stars and key reserves on the shelf because of injury would cause that particular organization to panic, coach Kerr sees this as a blessing in the skies for some of the second stringers to get some serious playing time. 

That is what took place versus the Lakers, with their starting quintet consisting of Quinn Cook, Durant, Nick Young, Kevon Looney and ZaZa Pachulia.

Starting in place of Curry Cook, a G-League call up had 13 points in 27 minutes on 5 for 11 shooting. Young, who started in Thompson’s place had 18 points, while Looney starting in place of Green had a career-high 11 points with five boards.

Reserve forward Omri Casspi had 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench, on 7 for 8 shooting, while understudy guard Shaun Livingston had 13 points in 20 minutes. 

A bench unit that came in averaging 32.9 points this season, ranking 21st in the NBA had 39 points against the Lakers.

In his first start since the All-Star break, Pachulia, who had been replaced by JaVale McGee at the starting center had a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds and five assists. 

“I think our whole team looked at it as an opportunity for us to figure things out,” Durant, who also had five rebounds, six assists and two steals said to ESPN’s Lisa Salters after the win. “You know, guys that don’t play a lot get an opportunity to play late in a game like tonight. Looney, Nick Young, Omri Casspi, ZaZa, Quinn Cook everybody played great tonight. So, we got to try to build on this momentum and see if we can get the next game.”

Even without three of their four All-Stars, the Warriors out-rebounded the Lakers 50-35; registered 25 assists on 44 baskets, shooting 54.3 percent from the floor. 

There were some areas in which the Warriors top players were missed against the Lakers and in their two prior losses at the T’Wolves, and at the Trail Blazers (42-26), 125-108 on Mar. 9. 

The visitors shot 45.2 percent on the night and committed 21 turnovers, with 11 of them coming on steals. 

“These games are fun when guys who don’t ordinarily get to play much, when they get a chance and really contribute,” Kerr, whose team won their seventh in a row versus the Lakers, and their 11 in succession against them at Oracle Arena said. “It strengthens the team.” "I actually look at this, long-term as a positive." 

What also strengthens a team is to know that everyone can enjoy one another’s company away from the game, which is what the team did as they celebrated Curry’s 30^th Birthday with a big-time party on Monday with rap legend Earl Stevens, who rap name is E-40 providing the vocals.

There was social media video of Curry enjoying a plate of ribs while his teammates were dancing. Even Kerr and assistant coach Mike Brown were tearing it up on the stage. 

The whole team from the players and coaches had such a good time that, dancing up a storm that, practice was cancelled. 

What this moment really puts into perspective with the Warriors under Kerr is that when one of the members of the team celebrates something, the entire team participates, and things of this nature bring a team closer sometimes than watching film and going through a shootaround to prepare for the 68^th game of the season. 

Along with that, what makes the Warriors great are the great players like Curry, who seems to get better year-in and year-out from his ability to make shots from way outside three-point range. Thompson who is as comfortable being a third banana to Curry and Durant on offense, to doing the dirty work of guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player. 

The victory also clinched the team’s sixth straight postseason appearance, which tied their six straight postseason appearances from 1946-47 through 1951-52 when the team was in Philadelphia, PA. 

This time also gives Kerr and his coaching staff the opportunity to get the second unit and the rest of the supporting cast that has been up and down this season on track. 

As NBATV’s Sekou Smith points out during Wednesday’s edition of “10 Before Tip,” with Jared Greenberg a lot of the supporting cast has changed since the team’s first title in 2014-15 outside of Livingston and Iguodala, the 2015 Finals MVP. 

Bell has shown flashes of what he could contribute when he has been healthy, but he has not and neither has McCaw, who really came on in the postseason a year ago in the Warriors run to their second title in the last three seasons a year ago. 

“Health as the Warriors know Jared is priority No. 1, because when you go into the postseason with anybody in your core group injured, it takes your chemistry and shakes it up a little bit,” Smith said on Wednesday.

That is something the Warriors found out two years ago, when they lost in the 2016 Finals two years ago to the defending three-time Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers. 

It is because of that the Warriors are not overly concerned about getting the No. 1 Seed in the West, which they essentially lost to the Rockets thanks to losing the season series against them 2-1 this season and that they are two games back on the loss side to the Southwest Division champions. 

That being said, the Warriors have to remain sharp because in the opposite conference the East leading Toronto Raptors (51-17), who if they were to finish with a better record than the defending champions, they would have home court in The Finals if they met. 

Each time the Warriors have reach The Finals the past three seasons, they have home court advantage.

If they finish at No. 2 and if the Raptors reach The Finals this June and have a better record than the Warriors, they would have home court advantage, and that would not be a good thing for the Warriors if they are not healthy and whole.

“When you’re trying to get there, the No. 1 Seed means something to your group,” Smith said. “Your guys are looking at it saying, ‘This is not only a validation for what we’ve done throughout the course of a regular season, this is also the prize that we needed for the playoffs.” 

“To know that every time we start a series for as long as we play, were going to do it with out home fans in the comfort of home.”

No one understands that better than the Warriors, who have one of the best crowds you will ever see. When Oracle arena is rocking, it is one tough place to play and get a win when you are a visitor.

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 3/14/18 6:30 p.m. edition of NBATV’s “10 Before Tip,” with Jared Greenberg; 3/15/18 1 a.m. edition of ESPN’s “Sportscenter,” with Scott Van Pelt; 3/14/18 www.nba.com article, “Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson Out with Fractured Right Thumb;” 3/16/18 www.nba.com article, “Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant out versus Sacramento Kings;” 3/17/18 6:30 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime," presented by Kia with Rick Kamla, Mike Fratello and David Aldridge; www.nba.com/games/20180314/LALGSW#/recap/matchup/boxscore;

www.nba.com/games/20180316/SACGSW#/preview www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2566745/quinn-cook; www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3064427/jordan-bell; www.espn.com/nba/standings; www.google.com and www.espn.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/3-points/sort/threePointFieldGoalsMade.   

J-Speaks: Surging Trail Blazers and Their All-Star Lead Guard

At the close of the first month of 2018, the Portland Trail Blazers were seven games over .500 at 29-22 with a 124-108 win versus the Chicago Bulls (24-44) on Jan. 31. They began the month of February though with four losses in their first six games. Right before the All-Star break though, they earned a huge 123-117 win versus the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors close out the unofficial first half of the 2017-18 NBA campaign. The Trail Blazers have not lost since and their current winning streak has not only vaulted them to the No. 3 Spot in the Western Conference, but their All-Star lead guard into the MVP conversation. 

With their latest victory, 113-105 versus the struggling three-time defending Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers (39-29) on Thursday night, the Trail Blazers (42-26) earned their 11^th straight win, and their 17^th win in their last 18 games at home since Dec. 28, 2013. The Trail Blazers split the season series with the Cavs 1-1, as the visitors defeated them 127-110 at Quicken Loans Arena back on Jan. 2.  

“I don’t know about momentum, but I think we’re playing well,” Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts said of his team’s longest winning streak since Nov. 2013. “Each game is a challenge. But obviously, to string together the wins that we have been, we’ve been doing good things at both ends of the floor and I think tonight was an example of that as well.”

The dynamic backcourt of CJ McCollum and three-time All-Star Damian Lillard led the way for the Northwest Division Leading Trail Blazers, with 29 and 24 points respectably. 

While he did not shoot the ball particularly well from the field going 7 for 20, including 1 for 8 from three-point range, Lillard, the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week was 9 for 9 from the free throw line with nine assists. 

Since Feb. 1, only All-Star forward/center Anthony Davis has averaged more than the 31.6 points of Lillard, who is the first Trail Blazer to average 30 points during a 10-game winning streak, where the former Weber State product is averaging 32.5 during the first 10 games of the streak.

To put this into context, the franchise has had 11 double-digit winning streaks in its history and no player ever had averaged 30 points a game during one of those winning streaks. Not Hall of Famer Bill Walton or Clyde Drexler, nor All-Stars or notable former Trail Blazers like Terry Porter, Clifford Robinson, Rod Strickland, the late Jerome Kersey, the late Kevin Duckworth, current San Antonio Spur LaMarcus Aldridge or Brandon Roy to name a few.

In the Trail Blazers eighth win of this winning streak, a 111-87 win versus the dismal New York Knicks (24-45) on Mar. 6, the Lillard passed Robinson to move into the No. 4 spot on the team’s all-time scoring list.

Van Pelt had a college coach say time earlier this year that his best player is wired to compete. That when it gets to crunch time that player is at his best. In Lillard’s case the past couple of seasons particularly, he has been at his best in the fourth quarter. 

So much so that when he makes a field goal at a key point in the fourth period, he takes his first finger on his right shooting hand and points it to his left wrist on his guide hand signaling that it is “Lillard Time.” 

That was the case for head coach Terry Stotts squad in their 106-104 win at the Phoenix Suns (19-51) Feb. 24 when he hit the game-winning shot layup with 00.9 seconds left that completed a rally from 15 points down with 7 ½ minutes left, and capped a night where he scored 40 points, with 10 rebounds and five assists, on 13 for 27 from the field and 11 for 15 from the charity stripe.

Lillard did it again on Mar. 5 scoring 19 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter in leading the Trail Blazers to a 108-103 win at the Los Angeles Lakers (31-37), which included 15 points in a row in the final period, the seventh of the streak. 

“Usually when we get to that point, the only thing that’s on my mind is what’s happening right now,” Lillard, who averaged 31.4 points in February, the highest scoring average for a Trail Blazer in a single month in team history said to Van Pelt. “All that matters is that that moment. What can we do to help your team win the game, so I trust try to lock in to the moment, and I got 100 percent confidence in myself to make that effort.”

On this night, Lillard showed that when his shot is not going, he can find other ways to beat you and that he has trust in the likes of McCollum to pick up the slack at the offensive end. 

“I think the best explanation is probably just experience,” the 27-year-old said to Scott Van Pelt on the early morning Thursday edition of ESPN’s “Sportscenter” about his stellar play where he has averaged 34.5 points the last 12 games, leading “The Association.” 

“Time has passed, and I take it very seriously as just getting better each and every year. Over the summer, I’m constantly trying to find ways to improve. Ways that I could last longer and play stronger for longer periods of time. And this season I think I’m just getting results from the time I’ve put in, and it’s also mental. I think my mentality has gone up to a different level, and that helps a lot.” 

A big part of that mentality has included having trust in not just McCollum, but the likes of starting forward Maurice Harkless, who had 17 points, five boards and two steals on the night, on 6 for 10 from the field with a couple of three-pointers versus the Cavs. The other starting forward Al-Farouq Aminu had 11 points, hitting 3 for 6 from three-point range with nine boards and swingman Evan Turner off the bench had a stellar all-around game with 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists. 

The team has also gotten contributions from starting center Jusuf Nurkic, who despite having just seven points, with 10 boards on Thursday night, he has really stepped up his play with averages of 14.2 points and 10.3 boards the last 10 games. So far in March, he is averaging 13.7 points and 10.6 rebounds. 

Rookie Zach Collins, has had his moments like having 10 points and four rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench in helping the Trail Blazers to a 115-99 win versus the Miami Heat (36-33) on Monday night on ESPN, the 10^th of their 11 straight wins. One game prior in the team’s second win versus the Warriors during this streak, the No. 10 overall pick, whose rights were acquired by the Sacramento Kings in the June 2017 draft had 12 points in 26 minutes, along with another four rebounds. 

Backup forward Ed Davis has provided rebounding, energy, and solid screen setting, and he was solid against the Warriors with sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and 15 rebounds in 26 minutes. 

In the minutes that they do give Lillard and McCollum a blow, third-year guard Pat Connaughton and fourth-year guard Shabazz Napier have been steady off the bench. 

Against the Knicks, Napier had 12 points and four assists off the bench, going 2 for 3 from three-point range and 6 for 6 from the foul line. Three nights later versus the Warriors, he chipped in with 10 points in 16 minutes. 

Even with this hot streak that the Trail Blazers have been on, which is the fourth longest in team history that has again vaulted them into the No. 3 Spot in the rugged West, they still have not gained that respect nationally of a team that is a force to be reckoned with come playoff time, which starts next month. 

“It hasn’t,” Lillard said to Van Pelt about the Trail Blazers feelings towards their rise in the West. He added by saying, “And the reason it hasn’t because it’s kind of expected.” 

“The position we sit in right now, I don’t think many people saw it coming, so they may think it’s a fluke or they think it’s just the way it is right now.” 

One person who does not see what Lillard and his squad are doing as a fluke is LeBron James, who shared those feelings before his team’s tilt at the Trail Blazers on Thursday night. 

“I mean he’s playing at the All-Star level that he’s shown obviously when he was at the All-Star game,” James, who had a game-high 35 points, with 14 rebounds and eight assists on Thursday said. 

“But listen man, the guys a superstar man in our league and he’s showing that right now, leading this team obviously where a lot of people thought they’d be at the beginning of the season.”

Lillard in response to that praise said to NBA Sports Northwest’s Brooke Olzendam, “It’s obviously a great compliment from a guy whose very arguably the best player in this league. Has had a lot of success and I really appreciate it. I think it’s him recognizing what I’m doing. I really appreciate the compliment.” 

What should also be recognized is that the surge Trail Blazers are on is familiar when you look at how in each of the last three seasons they have put their play into high gear following the All-Star break. 

Their 17-11 mark from Feb. 19, 2016 close the 2015-16 season was tied for the ninth-best mark in the NBA that got them into the playoffs, and they upset the higher seeded Los Angeles Clippers in the opening round 4-2. Last season, the Trail Blazers 18-8 finish to the season was tied for the second-best mark in the league following that All-Star break that got them into the postseason, where unfortunately were swept by the eventual NBA champion Warriors 4-0 in the Quarterfinals. 

Coming out of the All-Star break this season, the Trail Blazers have yet to have a set back going 10-0, which is tied for No. 1 in the NBA. 

Along with the play of Lillard and McCollum, and the contributions from the rest of the team, the Trail Blazers have risen in the West because of their consistent play at the defensive end, holding the opposition to 99.7 points during their winning streak entering their tilt versus the Cavs, as well as them sharing the basketball. 

In their win versus the Cavs, their fourth straight against them at the Moda Center, the home team had 26 assists on 43 made field goals. The team improved their record 22-6 this season when they register 20-plus assists in a game, and a 4-1 mark when they have at least 26 assists. That is a big reason why the Trail Blazers have averaged 112.0 points in the first 10 games of their 11-game winning streak, on 38.7 percent from three-point range.  

While the Cavs shot 51.2 percent on the evening from the field, the visitors were just 11 for 33 from three-point range. Were out-rebounded by the guys of “Rip City” 58-47, including 13-2 on the offensive glass and held the Cavs to just 17 assists, with just six from James, who came in averaging a career-high 9.0 per game. 

It is because of the Trail Blazers consciousness to keep the rest of the Cavs in check offensively, only Kyle Korver, Jeff Green and Jordan Clarkson off the bench were the only other Cavs to score in double-figures with 19, 16 and 14 respectably. 

Even with that, the Cavs cut a 15-point lead down to three at 105-102 in the fourth before the Trail Blazers restored order. 

“We had a couple of let downs, back doors, easy buckets in transition,” McCollum said after the win to Olzendam. “We got to a better job of tightening down the stretch, but overall we got enough stops down the stretch to win. Guys made some big plays for us. We’re lucky enough to come away with a win at home.” 

There comes a moment for certain teams when the light switch comes on and they understand what they need to do to be in the conversation as a force to be reckoned with. The 2017-18 Portland Trail Blazers have flipped that switch since Valentine’s night and show no signs of slowing down. Their floor general Damian Lillard has gone from a talented player to a serious MVP candidate who wants to lead his team as far as his right hand, focus and sheer will can carry them, whether they have support outside of Portland Oregon or not. 

“All we can do is control what we can control, and that’s continue to have the right mentality,” Lillard said to Van Pelt Continue to play together, and try to focus on winning games, and I think as long as we do that, it will come a time where people have to face the facts.” 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 3/16/18 6 a.m. edition of NBATV's "Gametime," presented by Kia with Rick Kamla, Caron Butler and Kevin McHale;  3/15/18 1 a.m. edition of ESPN’s “Sportscenter,” with Scott Van Pelt; 3/15/18 10 p.m. contests Cleveland Cavaliers versus Portland Trail Blazers on NBC Sports Northwest with Kevin Calabro, Lamar Hurd and Brooke Olzendam; www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/por/portland-trail-blazers; www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/por/year/2017/2016; www.nba.com/games/20130315/CLEPOR#/matchup/boxscore/recap; www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/6606/damian-lillard; www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2530780/shabazz-napier; www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4259/ed-davis; and www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4066650/zach-collins.

J-Speaks: History and Streaking Raptors

Prior to the 2015-16 NBA campaign, the Toronto Raptors had never won 50 games in a regular season in their 20 seasons. Two seasons back, they won a franchise best 56 games as they made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. Earlier this week, the No. 1 Seeded team in the Eastern Conference made some more franchise history and made another statement that the 2017-18 season would be a special one. 

In the Raptors’ (51-17) 116-102 win at the struggling Brooklyn Nets (21-47), they not only earned their ninth consecutive victory, but notched their 50^th win on the season, marking a third consecutive season of 50 wins, all under head coach Dwane Casey. 

On Thursday night in their come from behind win at the No. 4 Seeded Indiana Pacers (40-29) 106-99, the Raptors won their 10^th straight game; earned their 17^th win in their last 18 games; garnered their eighth straight win on the road, a new franchise record and matched the single-season record with their 24^th victory on the road. 

To put into context how far the Raptors have come in this most successful stretch in team history, the most regular season wins the Raptors had was 49 in 2013-14, their first of three consecutive Atlantic Division titles, but lost in the opening round to ironically enough the Nets in seven games. 

Since that series, the Raptors including their win at the Nets as mentioned have won 13 of the last 15 encounters, which includes eight wins in their last 10 chances against New York’s other basketball team. 

“It’s a good milestone for us,” Raptors All-Star guard Kyle Lowry said of the Raptors accomplishment. “But we got bigger fish to fry. It’s another win, another stepping-stone for our journey.” 

A journey that has the Raptors on course to win 60 games for the first time in team history, if they can nine of their final 14 games, but for the Raptors, this season is about them overtaking the three-time defending Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers and four-time league MVP and three-time Finals MVP LeBron James, who have ended the Raptors season the last two years in the playoffs. 

“It’s never been done (in Toronto),” Raptors fellow All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan told the Toronto Star earlier this week about winning 60 games, “Not many people get the opportunity to win 60-plus games. We came close a couple of years ago. That’s big.” 

DeRozan added, “On top of that, you’ve got to prove why you’re a 60-win team. As long as we continue to do what we need to do, hopefully we can get there.” 

While the Raptors are having their best season in team history, having the No. 1 Seed this late into the NBA season in the Eastern Conference in team history, their past playoff failures, which has seen them fall to the Cavs in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals two years ago, and a 4-0 sweep in the East Semifinals last spring still have many in NBA circles skeptical about their chances to make a serious postseason run starting next month.

Many particularly point to Lowry and DeRozan’s inability to play consistently in the postseason the past four years, which includes the team’s 4-0 sweep in the opening round versus the Washington Wizards, whose All-Star guard duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal severely outplayed them. 

Their last two wins displayed how different the Raptors are compared to the last four seasons and that they are more equipped to make a serious playoff run. 

After trailing 67-57 at intermission, where they gave up 40 points in the first quarter at the Nets, the Raptors outscored them 59-35 in the second half. The Raptors held the Nets to 40.7 percent from the field on the night, despite them going 15 for 36 from three-point range. They out-rebounded the Nets 53-38; outscored them 32-13 in fast break points and 62-36 in the paint. 

While Lowry had a double-double of 11 points and 11 assists, but was just 4 for 13 from the field, including 1 for 8 from three-point range and DeRozan had 15 points and seven boards on 6 for 12 from the field. 

It was the play of starting center Jonas Valanciunas that made the difference as he led the way with 26 points and 14 rebounds. 

The reserves for the Raptors, who have been huge for the team all season were great again led by Lowry’s understudy Fred VanVleet also had 15 points, hitting 3 for 6 from three-point range. Fellow reserve guard CJ Miles had 12 points, going 3 for 6 from three-point range in 19 minutes off the bench, while Delon Wright had 10 points off the pine.

“It was nothing magical,” Casey said of his team’s play in the second half. “But again, I shouldn’t have to yell and scream to get guys to play hard at half. Just start at the beginning of the game.” 

After getting off to another slow start at the Pacers on Thursday night as they trailed 57-49 at intermission, but behind DeRozan who scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half rallied for the seven-point win. 

Valanciunas had his second consecutive double-double of 16 points and 17 rebounds, to go along with four blocks as the Raptors out-rebounded the Pacers 58-35.

While Lowry struggled again with 13 points, going 3 for 10 from the field, with six boards and six assists, starting forward Serge Ibaka picked up the slack with a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds. 

Off the bench, forward Pascal Siakam had an impact with 12 points and eight boards, while Miles, a former Pacer had 10 points, going 3 for 7 from three-point range. 

As they did at the Nets on Tuesday night, the Raptors clamped down on the Pacers offense, outscoring them 29-20 in the four quarter, holding them to 43.0 percent shooting on the evening, including 7 for 24 from three-point range. The Raptors out-rebounded the Pacers 64-43, including 19-11 on the offensive glass and had eight blocks. 

“We just came out with a sense of urgency,” DeRozan, who also had seven assists and capped a 16-4 run to close the game with a two-handed dunk on the break off a steal said after the win. “We weren’t playing too well in the first half, and we knew we had to pick it up, and that’s what we did.” 

On what has worked for the Raptors to help them win 10 in a row, and eight in a row away from Air Canada Centre, DeRozan said, “We just locking in from all angles. From defensively, offensively, understanding what we got to do. Whether we’re having a tough game, bad shooting night, we always know we can figure out someway to win.” 

On Thursday, the Raptors found many ways to win like their 12 for 32 shooting from three-point range and going 24 for 28 from the charity stripe, which made up for the 20 turnovers they had, with 11 of those being steals giving up 18 points off those miscues. Being outscored 14-7 on the fast break and only having a 44-42 advantage in the paint. 

In speaking to the team’s sense of urgency this season that DeRozan talked about, since the Raptors 98-93 loss at the Dallas Mavericks (22-46) on Dec. 26, 2017, they have won 17 straight games against sub .500 teams. 

Of their 23 victories this season by at least 15 points, 14 of them have come against teams under .500, which has allowed Lowry and DeRozan the chance to spend many fourth quarters on the bench resting.

A team that for the past few seasons offensive an isolation team, has become a team that relies on ball movement and the ability to take and make three-pointers. That has resulted in a franchise record of 21 straight games scoring over 100 points, breaking the old mark of 20 in a row from Jan. 6-Feb. 20, 2010.  

The other key for the Raptors success is the fact that they have a grittiness and a competitive spirit that when they have gotten challenged to raise their level of play in a game, they have done so, and that has been proven in their ninth and 10^th wins in a row. 

“To be successful in this league, you have to have grit,” Casey, whose squad is 2-1 against the Pacers this season said after the win at the Pacers. “That’s something our guys have developed. As long as we have that grit and togetherness, we’ll be OK.” 

This has been the best stretch of basketball for the team, whose mantra has been “We the North” over the past five seasons. The last three have produced 50 wins and barring a serious losing streak, the Toronto Raptors will win their fourth Atlantic Division title in the last five seasons. Will set a new franchise mark for victories in a single-regular season and be the No. 1 Seed in the East. 

Even with all of those great goals, this season for them is about getting back to the Eastern Conference Finals and having a chance to compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy this June. 

That means that at some point they will met James and the Cavs again, and they will have to get pass them for that opportunity to play for a NBA title to become a reality. 

With a strong bench, being a Top 5 team on both offense and defense and that Kyle Lowry has changed his game for the betterment of the team and DeRozan has risen his game to where he is an MVP candidate, this is the Raptors best chance to win it all. 

“It’s good for our team, our franchise,” Casey said on Tuesday night about winning 50 games for a third straight season. “But we’re playing for something more than that. We’re playing for something special. To do that, you have to play as close to as many 48-minute games as you possibly can from here until the end of June. You have to be selfless.” 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of www.nba.com/games/201803013/TORBKN#/preview/recap/matchup/boxscore; www.nba.com/games/20180315/TORIND#/preview/recap/matchup/boxscore;  

www.nba.com/games/20180316/DALTOR#/preview; www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/tor/toronto-raptors; www.espn.com/nba/standing; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Toronto_Raptors_seasons.  

J-Speaks: More Triple-Double History for Russell Westbrook

Last season in earing league MVP honors for the 2016-17 National Basketball Association campaign, perennial All-Star lead guard of the Oklahoma City Thunder Russell Westbrook set a new single-season record with 42 triple-doubles, surpassing the record of 41 by Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson in the 1961-62 season, while also joining him as just the second player ever to average a triple-double in a single-season. Coming into this season, Westbrook had 79 career triple-doubles, which is one more than the late Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlin’s 78. With his latest triple-double on Tuesday night, Westbrook made even more NBA history. 

With his effort of 32 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in leading the Thunder (41-29) to a 119-107 win at the Atlanta Hawks (20-48), their fourth in a row, Westbrook notched his 21^st triple-double on the season and the 100^th of his career. 

The seven-time All-Star, who also garnered the 36^th triple-double of his career with scoring 30-plus points joined Robertson (181), fellow Hall of Famer and current Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Los Angeles Lakers Earvin “Magic” Johnson (138) and future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd (107) as the only players to garner 100 or more triple-doubles in their careers. 

Westbrook etched his name into the record books at the 2:38 mark of the fourth period with his 10^th carom of the night off a three-point miss by Hawks’ forward Taurean Prince. 

“Oh man, it’s a blessing man,” Westbrook said to FOX Sports Oklahoma’s Nick Gallo after the win. “I give all thanks to the man above just for blessing me with the ability to play basketball, to do something I love, and I’m just thankful to be able to do it here in Oklahoma City man, with my teammates. And I’m just happy I’m able to accomplish something like that.” 

To put into perspective what the No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 draft accomplished on Tuesday night, Westbrook became the third fastest player in league history at 736 career games to record 100 triple-doubles. “Magic” Johnson was the second fastest to 100 in 656 career games, with Robertson doing it in 277. 

“The group of guys that’s ahead are Hall of Famers,” he said. “I’m just happy to be a part of the crew with those guys.”

To many what Westbrook accomplished might be considered meaningless, but if you look at the significance of what it means to the Thunder when he has double-figures in points, rebounds, and assists, what the Long Beach, CA native did means everything to his team. 

The Thunder is 82-18, an 82.0 winning percentage in the 100 times that Westbrook garners a triple-double, including 16-5 this season. When he has not registered a triple-double, the Thunder are 368-268, a 57.9 winning percentage. 

What this also is indicative of is that Westbrook night in and night out brings the ability to not just score from the lead guard spot, and make plays for others, but his ability to get rebounds ignite many fast break opportunities for the Thunder, and we have seen on many occasions the last decade the kind of force Westbrook can be in the open court. 

What it also does it give energy to his teammates and it makes them run with him in the open court, as well as find ways to get open in the half court. 

On a night where the Thunder lost All-Star guard Paul George to an injury from taking a hard fall from a foul in the third quarter that ended his night early and starting center Steven Adams was out due to a left hip contusion, the Thunder needed everything that Westbrook did on this night, especially his rebounding. His 12 boards were huge, because the Hawks out-rebounded the visitors 47-38 on the night, including 13-9 on the offensive glass. 

The Thunder, who outscored the Hawks 65-41 in the second half after trailing 66-54 at intermission registered 27 assists on their 42 made field goals on the evening, with again 12 of those assists coming from Westbrook. They also made 16 for 35 from three-point range, All-Star Carmelo Anthony going 6 for 11 from distance, scoring 21 points. The Thunder also had 11 blocks; converted 15 Hawks turnovers, nine of which were steals into 28 points and held them to 42.5 percent shooting from the floor. 

“What it takes to do that on a night-in, night-out basis, the focus that you have to have, the intensity that you have to play with,” Anthony said in reveling in what Westbrook accomplished. “For me, being able to be a part of that, be alongside him, it’s a special moment. It’s something that we should all appreciate, moments like this, and appreciate what we have and who we have.” 

What the Thunder have is one of the true all-time great talents that possesses the vision of “Magic” Johnson and Jason Kidd and the ability to create his own shot like Robertson with the ability to rebound, with a great deal of athleticism, speed, strength and power to leave defenders in his wake in the open court and half court, with the will confidence and relentlessness to always keep putting pressure on the defense. 

“For the young heads, you get an appreciation of what Oscar Robertson was,” NBATV analyst Greg Anthony said on the early Wednesday morning edition of “Gametime.” 

“Because this is in essence what he did in his career, was able to go out and play at this level. How hard that is to play every single night knowing your basically going to lead your team in scoring, rebounding and assists if you want to have a chance to win.”   

Along with that, he makes the opposition adjust to him and play the game on his terms and not theirs, which is something Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer pointed out after the loss. 

“We really wanted to show him a crowd, show him a lot of bodies,” he said about how he wanted his players to defend the reigning league MVP. “When Carmelo started hitting those threes, that hurt a lot, when he started teeing them up. Then you feel a little hesitant to show a crowd, and Westbrook’s starting to get a little more penetration, getting more the rim, getting to the free throw line more. That’s why they’re a good team.”  

On Tuesday night, Westbrook made history recording the 100^th triple-double of his career, with No. 21 occurring this season. He put his team on his back and was a big reason that they sit in the No. 4 spot in the tightly evolving Western Conference. 

In a season that has consisted of injuries, the roller coaster in terms of wins and losses early in the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder goals of at least making it to the Western Conference Finals are right in front of them and that is in large part due to the stellar play of Russell Westbrook III, who as NBATV analyst Brent Barry pointed out that it is hard to fathom that no NBA coaching staff has come up with a scheme to at least slow down him down as he is on the verge of averaging a triple-double again for the second straight season. 

“It’s an incredible in terms of the stamina, and effort, and energy that Russell Westbrook has used throughout the course of his career, but over the last two seasons especially,” the two-time champion with the San Antonio Spurs in the early 2000s said of the greatness of the former UCLA Bruin. 

“So, remarkable stuff, and hats off, and congrats to Russell on this individual accomplishment.”

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 3/13/18 7:30 p.m. game Oklahoma City Thunder versus Atlanta Hawks on FOX Sports Oklahoma with Brian Davis, Michael Cage and Nick Gallo; 3/14/18 3 p.m. edition of “NBA: The Jump” on ESPN with Rachel Nichols, Zach Lowe, and Jackie MacMullan; 3/14/18 2 a.m. edition of NBATV ‘s “Gametime,” presented by Kia with Matt Winer, Greg Anthony and Brent Barry;  www.nba.com/games/20180313/OKCATL#/recap/boxscore/matchup; www.espn.com/nba/recap/matchup?gameid=400975753; www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/3468/russell-westbrook; www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/okc/oklahoma-city-thunder; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Robertson