BOBBY MOTUS
DOUBTERS finally had their mouth shut when Stephen Curry poured 35 points when the Golden State Warriors bullied the overmatched Houston Rockets in Game 3. There’s nothing much to say except that the WC Finals is all over except the formalities.
Both teams are still playing as of this writing and there’s a strong chance of GSW prevailing. The Rockets just don’t have an answer to Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and company. If only James Harden limits his dribbling and instead share the ball, things would have been different for them. His dribbles alone are probably far more than the combined dribbles of any Warrior five on the court.
Mike D’Antoni prefers a fast game, putting premium on offense with defense as an afterthought. Just like his days in Phoenix when he handled coaching duties, MDA created a dizzying pedal-to-the-metal pace with Steve Nash directing the play and Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire at the wings. It was fun to watch but it never did well in the playoffs.
Harden, Chris Paul and, to some extent, Eric Gordon are ball-dominant players. They need to have the ball at all times, often overlooking open teammates. Houston is playing too much one-on-one and with Golden State moving the ball around, it’s no wonder they’re losing by big margins.
Over at the East, both Cleveland and Boston need two games to advance to the Finals. This series is a better watch than the Western series. Today’s Game 5 is a must-win for either team as it gives them the momentum and the psychological edge going to the next meeting.
Guarding the game’s best player will most likely get you called for fouls and that’s what happened the other day. LeBron James is just too strong that defenders have to use force stop him and oh yes, he’s also a good actor that at the slightest nudge, he flails as if a car just bumped him. The refs are calling it too tight on players guarding him that often, the physicality of the game is gone. I think the East series will go the distance. As to the West, I will be surprised if Houston wins another game.
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Talk has it that a young and productive big man maybe dealt to another team. Because the KAT is not happy with his surroundings, Karl Anthony Towns is being rumored to be on the trading block and an interested team is reportedly the Celtics.
Boston can offer an attractive trade package to Minnesota considering their assets on hand. KAT is what the Celtics need to man the middle. Compared to Al Horford and Greg Monroe, Towns is young and very agile with averages of 21 points and 12 rebounds per game.
Without superstars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, Boston is giving Cleveland serious problems and if indeed KAT comes to town, imagine the Celtics rising further. These are all rumors but picture a Boston five of Towns, Jaylen Brown and Hayward up front and Irving and Marcus Smart manning the backcourt./PN
