Kyle Terada-USA Today Sports
Despite clinching home-court advantage last week, the Golden State Warriors pushed their winning streak to twelve games. It continued in dramatic fashion last Thursday against the Phoenix Suns. After a back-and-forth game featuring several ridiculous shots from both teams, Harrison Barnes scored on a well-contested runner at the buzzer for the 107-106 victory. Andrew Bogut contributed with eight points, nine rebounds, and three assists in 23 minutes of action. It was another solid game for the big man, who looks to remain active in avoiding rust before the playoffs.
Golden State continued to roll on, as they continued their success over the Dallas Mavericks. Bogut was limited to just 18 minutes of action, due to foul trouble. That didn’t stop him from contributing with eight points and eleven rebounds in a 123-110 win. The Warriors connected on 14 three-pointers that contributed heavily towards their high scoring rate. Instead of Stephen Curry, it was Andre Iguodala leading the charge from the outside with four three-pointers.
The winning streak came to a screeching halt against the San Antonio Spurs on Easter Sunday. In a possible playoff preview, San Antonio shot 53 percent and picked them apart offensively. A 57-38 scoreline wasn’t expected by Steve Kerr in a big game environment. Bogut was limited to 18 minutes, but managed to contribute with ten points and seven rebounds. The seven footer was on the receiving end of several slick passes by the Spurs in decimating their interior defense. They ended up losing 107-92 in their biggest defeat of the season.
An actual losing streak started last night against the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite Bogut’s season high of nine blocks, Golden State lost 103-100 in what could be a playoff preview. New Orleans moves into the eighth seed with just one week remaining in the regular season. In 28 minutes of action, the potential first-team all NBA defender scored eights points and had eight rebounds to go along with the ridiculous block amount. While the loss is meaningless now, this game could ensue into a playoff series following this game. Bogut will have to play a bigger role in trying to contain superstar power forward Anthony Davis, if the matchup occurs in over a week.
With one week remaining in the regular season, it’s expected that the starters will receive rest soon enough. We may see the starters against Portland on Thursday for the last time in the regular season. They continue their home stretch against Minnesota on Saturday and Memphis on Monday. The games that matter will begin shortly, which should be a sigh of relief for Bogut. Besides one injury layoff, the seven footer has stayed reasonably healthy in his resurgent season for Golden State.
Brad Penner- USA Today Sports
The Brooklyn Nets have won nine out of their last eleven games. It was an unforeseen winning streak, as this team was 29-40 at one point. They were dead in the water, yet now sit at 36-41 on the cusp of a playoff berth. It started off with a close win over the Knicks last Wednesday in a 100-98 win. Brooklyn nearly choked away a 14-point lead going into the fourth quarter before Brook Lopez scored on a tip-in with two seconds remaining. Bojan Bogdanovic played 18 minutes, yet once again struggled from the field. The rookie shooting guard shot only two for six from the field, along with having a minus 14 in the plus-minus scoring ratio department. Lionel Hollins has started to prefer Markel Brown over Bogdanovic in the past few weeks.
Brooklyn’s winning streak continued led by Deron Williams and Brook Lopez. The two stars combined for 61 points in the 114-109 win over the Toronto Raptors. It was another pivotal win for the Nets, as they needed to get over the hump and beat a playoff caliber team. They’ve notoriously struggled at home this year through their 17-20 record. Bogdanovic struggled once again shooting one for four from the field in 18 minutes of action. With Thaddeus Young playing more of a significant role, shots are hard to come by in Brooklyn.
The winning streak was ended emphatically by the best team in the Eastern conference. Brooklyn was torched by the Atlanta Hawks in a 131-99 defeat. Atlanta shot nearly 60 percent from the field and had a 66-48 lead going into halftime. The talent discrepancy couldn’t have been more evident, as the Hawks showcased what would happen if these teams met in the first round. Brooklyn’s defense is too slow and lacks the size up front to contain Atlanta’s explosive front line. Bogdanovic had one of his better games, although his production came from when the game was mostly out of reach. In 33 minutes of action, Bojan scored 18 points on eight of eleven shooting. The game was so lopsided that it was hard to examine his actual play. Bogdanovic picked his spots and managed to take advantage of small defensive breakdowns. Besides that, many of the shots were rather difficult to convert. It goes to show you how his shooting ability makes him a threat to explode on any given night.
https://youtu.be/j-N09TxCZFc
Bogdanovic has one of his better shooting nights.
The week ended on a high note, as Brooklyn took advantage of a short-handed Portland Trail Blazers team in a 106-96 victory. Bogdanovic played 31 minutes and scored 15 points on six of thirteen shooting. It was the first meaningful and efficient performance from him in nearly two weeks. While the competition wasn’t that strong with Nicolas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge out, it was critical for Bojan to make an impact in a competitive game. Bogdanovic also contributed with five rebounds and one excellent assist to Mason Plumlee in the second quarter.
Bogdanovic makes the unselfish pass to Plumlee for the slam
After a season full of disarray, the Nets are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot. They are sitting as the seventh seed with a two game lead over Indiana and Miami. The games don’t get any easier for Brooklyn through more difficult challenges at home. It starts against the Hawks tonight in a must-win game. Brooklyn should not play only for a playoff berth, but to avoid the eighth seed. Atlanta is a nightmare matchup for them. They play another playoff team in Washington on Friday before traveling to Milwaukee on Sunday. The week ends against another playoff team in Chicago on Monday. Four playoff teams in a week should prove to be ultimate test in determining Brooklyn’s fate.
 Brent Smith- AP
It was a relatively positive week for the Indiana Pacers. After losing three out of their past four games, they bounced back this week against teams vying for the last two playoff seeds. The week started off poorly in a 100-87 loss to the Boston Celtics. Indiana shot just 56 percent from the free throw line and failed to get going offensively. Damjan Rudez couldn’t provide a spark, as the rookie small forward missed both of his shots in 14 minutes of play. The main Achilles heel for Indiana was always their lack of a number one scorer without Paul George. It has come back to haunt them on various occasions this year, including big games that could determine playoff positioning.
Indiana bounced back in a major way by dominating the Charlotte Hornets in a 92-74 win. Rudez only played 12 minutes, but managed to connect on all three of his attempts from three-point range. The Pacers desperately needed this win to stay relevant in the battle for the final two playoff spots. They showcased their above-average defense by limiting Charlotte to just 35 percent shooting. Strong defense continues to be their anchor in being successful. With 60 of the 93 points coming from the bench, the depth of their squad can overwhelm teams on occasion.
The triumphant return of Paul George finally happened on Sunday against the Miami Heat. It’s fitting that George would return against the team that eliminated him from the playoffs last season. George’s return was special, as the crowd roared and the star small forward responded by hitting his first shot. Indiana outscored a short-handed Miami team by 19 points in the second half. That led them to a massive 112-89 win to move them a half-game behind Miami. With George coming back, Rudez’s minutes were reduced significantly as expected. Damjan received only five minutes, when the game was already out of Miami’s reach.
The Pacers remain one game out of the final seed behind Boston. Every win will prove to be vital with only five games left to go. The season-defining stretch starts in New York tonight against the lowly Knicks. They travel to face Detroit on Friday, before heading home for two major tests. A Sunday showdown against Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder will prove to be a stern test. The week ends against Washington on Tuesday, who have already clinched a playoff spot. Rudez’s role will likely be limited with the return of George. Don’t discount his value as a shooter though, along with Frank Vogel constantly changing up his player rotations. Rudez may still play a factor in this critical stretch for Indiana.
 NBA.com
The long season is almost over for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are 16-61 and have the worst record in the Western conference. Justin Hamilton continues to start at center, as Minnesota has started to give him more opportunities. The former LSU Tiger played 31 minutes and scored 13 points in a 113-99 loss to the Toronto Raptors. It was disappointing that Hamilton only had two rebounds, which is an extreme low number for a center playing extensive minutes. It’s becoming more evident that Hamilton is suited more towards playing power forward. Justin tends to get overwhelmed, when asked to be the main defender on the interior.
Hamilton continued to receive heavy minutes, as Gorgui Dieng has been suffering from a concussion. In 38 minutes, Hamilton had 14 points and nine rebounds against the Orlando Magic. Justin played more physical and seemed capable of playing through long stretches for the injured-plagued Timberwolves. They lost 97-84 to Orlando, as they simply don’t have enough talent right now to succeed. No team should be subjected to playing an eight man rotation at this point in the season. Minnesota is facing that obstacle right now through suffering from several injuries. The season couldn’t end soon enough for Minnesota.
Twitter: @Allen_Strk
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