Photo: Associated Press
In a surprising move, Steve Kerr has decided not to bench the starters throughout this week. Andrew Bogut’s minutes have been surprisingly steady. The big man played 32 minutes in Golden State’s 116-105 win over Portland. Stephen Curry has another memorable game with 45 points and ten assists in what was a meaningless game. That hasn’t stopped the Warriors from playing hard, as all five starters reached double digits in the scoring department. Bogut had ten points, seven rebounds, and four assists in another solid game. Golden State started off with a bang from Bogut, which you can see below.
Bogut takes a Klay Thompson ally-oop and throws it down with authority
Bogut’s minutes were limited on Saturday in Golden State’s 110-101 win over Minnesota. Andrew only played 24 minutes, as the Australian-Croatian center fouled out, after contributing with seven points and six rebounds. It was a lackluster game, where the Warriors were relatively conservative. The playoffs couldn’t come sooner for this team.
The Warriors finished their undefeated week by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 111-107 in a surprising game. All the starters on both teams mostly played besides Mike Conley. Bogut was limited to only 17 minutes, as the potential first-team all-NBA defender had six points and seven rebounds. Klay Thompson took the scoring reigns from Curry in victory by scoring 42 points. The best back court in the NBA continues to showcase their scoring capabilities on a nightly basis. Both players are capable of going on shooting tears that defenses have no answer for.
Golden State will finish the regular season against the Denver Nuggets at home. They will face either the New Orleans Pelicans or Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. The race is coming down to the wire, as both teams won their respective games on Monday night. Oklahoma City would likely be the more preferred option. Despite having Russell Westbrook, New Orleans is a more well-rounded team through Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans. Both teams can push the Warriors to an extent through having one superstar player.
Brett Davis- USA Today Sports
The Brooklyn Nets have blown the opportunity in controlling their destiny for the final playoff spot. In losing three out of four games this past week, Brooklyn will need help from Memphis to beat Indiana to have a chance at the eighth seed. Bojan Bogdanovic has played significant minutes in what has been a roller coaster rookie season for him. The rookie shooting guard received 34 minutes in a 114-111 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Bojan had twelve points, three rebounds, and three assists off the bench. It was another tough home loss for Brooklyn, as Atlanta was still too much for them offensively by shooting 50 percent. They’ve had Brooklyn’s number all season long.
A major bounce back game was needed for Brooklyn and they responded perfectly. In a 117-80 win over the Washington Wizards, Bogdanovic had the best shooting game of his rookie season from three-point range. Bojan hit all six of his shots from downtown in a incredible performance. Regardless of how Washington defended him, it didn’t stop the Croatian shooting guard in hitting every shot. Brooklyn shot 50 percent and connected on 12 three-pointers in a dominant victory.
Bogdanovic can’t be stopped
The stretch of games against playoff teams continued in Milwaukee. Brooklyn disappointed in vintage fashion from losing 96-73. They still continue to be inconsistent offensively in struggling to score efficiently. In a game with major playoff implications, Brooklyn shot only 33 percent and were outscored by 21 points in the second half. Bogdanovic shot only four for eleven in scoring nine points from 26 minutes of action.
In a must-win game to control their destiny, Brooklyn couldn’t have played worse against Chicago. Despite Joakim Noah not playing, Chicago dominated inside the paint and had their way with Brooklyn’s soft interior defense. The Nets shot under 40 percent for the second consecutive game by shooting only 37 percent. Bogdanovic played fairly well in a 113-86 defeat. In 33 minutes of action, Bojan shot five for eleven that included 3 three-pointers for 17 points. Brooklyn played so poorly that Bogdanovic actually led Brooklyn in scoring. Brook Lopez and Deron Williams failed to to step up, after playing at an all-star level for the past weeks. Brooklyn fell to 18-22 at home, which is unacceptable for any playoff-caliber team.
Brooklyn doesn’t control their destiny any longer and will have to beat the Orlando Magic tonight to have a chance at the eighth seed. They need to win at home, then start hoping that the Grizzlies can beat the Pacers later on that evening. If that dream scenario occurs, they’ll play the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. It has been a disappointing season for the Nets that will most likely end in ugly fashion, regardless if it’s tonight or being on the receiving end of a first-round sweep from the Hawks.
NBA.com
With the return of Paul George, the Indiana Pacers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA. The face of the franchise has played under a certain minutes count, yet still has been fairly productive. His impact hasn’t been minimal, as Indiana is currently on a six game winning streak. The return of George has led to Damjan Rudez’s minutes being completely reduced. Other than playing garbage time in Indiana’s 102-86 win, the rookie small forward has fallen down the depth chart.
Indiana will be in prime-time tonight at Memphis in what looks to be a make-or-break game for their playoff hopes. If they win, they’ll have a rematch against the Atlanta Hawks from last season. The roles will be reversed, as Indiana will be an eighth seed. A loss to Memphis and their better than expected season will most likely come to an end. Don’t expect Rudez to receive any playing time, unless severe foul trouble occurs within the rotation. Damjan has played well through spurts, but he’s simply expendable on a team full of solid forwards such as Luis Scola and Solomon Hill.
Richard Mackson- USA Today Sports
As the Minnesota Timberwolves finish out the season, Justin Hamilton is looking to make the most out of a bad situation. Throughout the ten-game losing streak, Hamilton has received extensive minutes. The former LSU Tiger played 27 minutes in a 116-91 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. The lack of support against Portland’s talented front line was too much to overcome for Hamilton. Despite having six points and nine rebounds, his performance didn’t bring much an impact in defeat.
Due to foul trouble, Hamilton was limited to just 24 minutes of action against the Los Angeles Lakers. It was another lackluster game for the seven footer against a weak Lakers frontline. Justin contributed with just six points and four rebounds in a 106-98 loss. With Gorgui Dieng likely out for the rest of the season, Hamilton needs to be more commanding in the paint. Although it has proven that he’s not a natural center, great opportunities don’t come often to showcase yourself as a player.
In a battle of the best team against the worst team in the NBA, Minnesota faired well against Golden State in a 110-101 loss. It was one of Hamilton’s better games in contributing with twelve points, ten rebounds, and three blocks from 31 minutes of action. Justin displayed more confidence in being aggressive against the most explosive team in the NBA. Although it was evident that Golden State is clearly looking ahead to the playoffs, Hamilton’s activeness will be appreciated by coach Flip Saunders in proving that he’s worth a roster spot next season.
The season finally ends for Minnesota at home against Oklahoma City. Minnesota fans will be anxiously waiting to see the draft lottery, while Hamilton hopes to have convinced the front office for next season.
Twitter: @Allen_Strk
Few are. Then again, Hamilton probably lives as much of a “za dom….spremni” lifestyle as most diaspora hrvati.
we all may claim we are croatian, but we will never be as croatian as Justin Hamilton…..
Hvala for the writeup, Allen