December 2019 General NBA Game Thread

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,428
Notable national games:

Tuesday December 3:
Mavs @ Pelicans, 7:30 TNT
Blazers @ Clippers, 10:00 TNT

Friday December 6:
Nuggets @ Celtics, 8:00 ESPN
Lakers @ Blazers, 10:30 ESPN

Wednesday December 11
Clippers @ Raptors, 7:00 ESPN
Pelicans @ Bucks, 9:30 ESPN

Thursday December 12
76ers @ Celtics, 8:00, TNT

Wednesday December 18
Heat @ 76ers, 7:30, ESPN

Thursday December 19
Lakers @ Bucks, 8:00 TNT
Rockets @ Clippers, 10:30 TNT

Friday December 20
Mavs @ 76ers, 8:00 ESPN

Christmas Quintupleheader
Celtics @ Raptors, 12:00 ESPN
Bucks @ Sixers, 2:30 ABC
Rockets @ Warriors, 5:00 ABC
Clippers v. Lakers 8:00 ABC
Pelicans @ Nuggets 10:30 ESPN
 

Sam Ray Not

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
8,848
NYC
Dangit, the stupid NBA took all the drama out of Monday’s potentially epic ATL-GSW matchup by flattening out the lotto odds!

Tonight’s DAL-LAL tilt should be interesting.
 
Last edited:

Fishy1

Head Mason
SoSH Member
Nov 10, 2006
5,867
Jeff Green just got away with a double dribble in the open court. So there's that.
 

PedrosRedGlove

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 5, 2005
670
I would say that anyone sleeping on Luka and Dallas is waking up right now.
27 pts, 10 assists, 9 rebounds, 3 steals in LA to hand the Lakers their third loss of the season.

30.6p/9.9r/9.6a on the year. He's 32nd in the league with a .562 eFG%, despite the fact that he's taking 9.5 3PA/g at a lowly .325 clip...

The kid is nothing short of unbelievable, he already operates in such a crafty, veteran way...and doesn't turn 21 for another 3 months.
 

Montana Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 18, 2000
8,879
Twin Bridges, Mt.
Posting off my phone but I heard Simmons making some awful nice comments about TJ McConnell today. Did a quick search to find out how much TJ signed for with Indy (7mil - 2 yrs) and saw that Philly gave him a tribute video. He was always a PITA and apparently was very well liked by his teammates.
 

Devizier

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 3, 2000
19,463
Somewhere
Luka, Giannis, Harden, old man 'Bron, Trae, even a guy like Towns putting up a comparatively pedestrian 25/13 with the most range that he's ever shown in his career.

I always wondered what it would be like to witness the video game performances players put up in the late 70s/early 80s and here we are.
 

lovegtm

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 30, 2013
11,996
Just got a chance to watch Lakers-Mavs...the Lakers' offense looked shockingly stagnant in the 2nd half. Not much dynamism or hard choices for the defense, a lot of trying to iso LeBron and AD. I think they have the tools between those two to find stuff that works for sure, but the lack of threatening secondary players really shows. I definitely would put the Clippers a tier above them if we're talking playoffs.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,837
The NBA gave Carmelo Anthony the Western Conference POW award. Because of course they did.
 

terrynever

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 25, 2005
21,717
pawtucket
76ers are awesome at home and mediocre on the road. Up 25 on Jazz in second quarter tonight. Horford 6-for-6 from field, including three treys. Jazz beat them in Utah last month. 9-0 at home, 5-6 on the road. Speaks to a lack of maturity, or focus.
Thybulle getting more minutes. He is shooting 70 percent at home on threes. Not many attempts but the stroke looks good. When he pairs with Simmons in half-court press, it is fun to watch.
thybulle just hit another three. Over 40 percent from season, 15-for-36 after a 5-for-20 start.
 
Last edited:

terrynever

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 25, 2005
21,717
pawtucket
Thybulle starts over Korkmaz in third quarter. (Josh Richardson still resting sore hamstring).
Matisse makes it 3-for-3 from treyland, top of the key with shot clock winding down.
 

benhogan

Granite Truther
SoSH Member
Nov 2, 2007
20,111
Santa Monica
Thybulle starts over Korkmaz in third quarter. (Josh Richardson still resting sore hamstring).
Matisse makes it 3-for-3 from treyland, top of the key with shot clock winding down.
He also has 3 steals.

Utah running on fumes 2nd night of a road back-to-back. 5 game road trip over the last week, going through the EC gauntlet (Bucks, Pacers, Raptors, Sixers). Maybe the Celtics can quickly schedule them for tomorrow night while they're in the neighborhood.
 

terrynever

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 25, 2005
21,717
pawtucket
He also has 3 steals.

Utah running on fumes 2nd night of a road back-to-back. 5 game road trip over the last week, going through the EC gauntlet (Bucks, Pacers, Raptors, Sixers). Maybe the Celtics can quickly schedule them for tomorrow night while they're in the neighborhood.
76ers fans just assume three steals for Matisse. He reminds me of a young Scottie Pippen. Not sure why. Long arms, similar stroke.
Good point about Jazz being gassed. But they are with 12 with 5 minutes left. Without Mike Conley, too.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,428
Thanks Raptors for taking Heat to OT on first night of a back to back! Apreesh
 

shawnrbu

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
39,690
The Land of Fist Pumps
Harden has 22 points at the Half against the Spurs. 3 for 10 from the field, 1 for 6 from 3 point land, 15 made free throws.
Harden is 9 for 28, 4 for 18 from 3. Only made 2 free throws in the 2nd Half.

Spurs with a furious rally in the last 2 minutes to send it to OT.

Lonnie Walker IV with the game of his life scoring 24 in 25 minutes.

DeRozan is 6 for 17 from the field, zero 3 point attempts.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Spurs overcome a 16-point deficit with 6 minutes to go while closing the game on a 8-0 run to take the Rockets to OT. Lonnie Walker IV with his coming out party with 24 points including all 8 Spur points in the final minute on a pair of 3's and a layup.
 

Sam Ray Not

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
8,848
NYC
Harden is 9 for 28, 4 for 18 from 3. Only made 2 free throws in the 2nd Half.

Spurs with a furious rally in the last 2 minutes to send it to OT.
Rox led by 16 with 7 minutes left; Lonnie Walker IV with *19 points in the last 7 minutes* to help close the gap.
 

Sam Ray Not

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
8,848
NYC
Lol, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that. Is that the hoops equivalent of not completing a catch?
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Is anyone else listening to Marv Albert make a mockery out of the broadcasting profession on TNT right now? What the hell did he just do?

Edit: Paul George hits a 3 and Albert makes the call....then "corrects himself" and says that it was Carmelo with the 3, then he says it was George, then he says Carmelo again...….finally he makes it knows that was Paul George in the Clipper jersey (and not Carmelo) while sharing his reasoning was that Carmelo looked like he was celebrating after George hit the shot. I have never seen anything like this by any broadcaster......is he even paying attention to the game?
 

Sam Ray Not

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
8,848
NYC
AHAHAHAH ... Offensive foul on Harden on the last possession, Spurs win in 2OT after being down 22. Suck it, Rockets.

Harden + Westy: 28-28 FT, 18-68 FG. Or I guess 18-67 FG if you don't count the one net spat back out, lol.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 24, 2002
48,204
AHAHAHAH ... Offensive foul on Harden on the last possession, Spurs win in 2OT after being down 22. Suck it, Rockets.

Harden + Westy: 28-28 FT, 18-68 FG. Or I guess 18-67 FG if you don't count the one net spat back out, lol.
Russ made a bid to become West Texas' largest homebuilder tonight. He was 7-30 of that total 18-68*. At least Harden's 38 takes make some sense in the context how the Rockets run their offense.
 

scottyno

late Bloomer
SoSH Member
Dec 7, 2008
11,304
Did the Rockets already use their challenge? I hate that you get one challenge per game. If you're going to issue challenges to the teams at least give them a chance to best utilize them.
Not sure if they'd used it or not, but I don't think they could challenge a no call like this anyway, it has to be an actual call that stops the clock.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 24, 2002
48,204
Not sure if they'd used it or not, but I don't think they could challenge a no call like this anyway, it has to be an actual call that stops the clock.
Yep. Not reviewable and cannot be challenged. I suspect Silver will look at this for a rule change in future seasons or else he isn't going to be dining out much at Landry's or Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
Harden's stat line is pretty incredible, 4 for 20 from three but 24/24 from the line. So inefficient yet efficient at the same time! My head is going to explode.
 

BigSoxFan

Member
SoSH Member
May 31, 2007
47,084
Harden's stat line is pretty incredible, 4 for 20 from three but 24/24 from the line. So inefficient yet efficient at the same time! My head is going to explode.
He and Westbrook combined to go 18-68 from the field. No idea how they almost won.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
He and Westbrook combined to go 18-68 from the field. No idea how they almost won.
Headline if Rockets won: Westbrook’s Triple Double helps lead Rockets to win!

Headline if Rockets lost: Westbrook’s 19 pts on 7-30 shooting cripples Rockets in loss!

Then there is Capela with the “quiet” 22/21 on 9-9 shooting.
 

benhogan

Granite Truther
SoSH Member
Nov 2, 2007
20,111
Santa Monica
Headline if Rockets won: Westbrook’s Triple Double helps lead Rockets to win!

Headline if Rockets lost: Westbrook’s 19 pts on 7-30 shooting cripples Rockets in loss!

Then there is Capela with the “quiet” 22/21 on 9-9 shooting.
after Toronto

only 1 of their next 12 games, will be against an above .500 team.

The Rockets W/L record is about to get really healthy.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Not sure if they'd used it or not, but I don't think they could challenge a no call like this anyway, it has to be an actual call that stops the clock.
Yep. Not reviewable and cannot be challenged. I suspect Silver will look at this for a rule change in future seasons or else he isn't going to be dining out much at Landry's or Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.
There is always a dead ball though that comes with a window to challenge a call. It doesn’t have to be a dead ball at that exact moment. The only excuse Houston had was that they had already used their challenge which is why I was asking.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 24, 2002
48,204
There is always a dead ball though that comes with a window to challenge a call. It doesn’t have to be a dead ball at that exact moment. The only excuse Houston had was that they had already used their challenge which is why I was asking.
They did not use their challenge though but Capers said they could have done so. So they are kind of pinning this on D'Antoni.
 

thehitcat

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 25, 2003
2,376
Windham, ME
Per a clip on the Radio this morning D'Antoni asked to challenge the first call which was that the refs said it hit Harden and went back through for a goaltend but then the refs changed to that it had not gone through and gone out of bounds and told him he couldn't challenge when he said he wanted to...all that said. It happened with 8 minutes left in the game. Let's get over ourselves that this one basket actually changed an outcome that had 8 more minutes of basketball to be played. This wasn't a buzzer beater that they said didn't count.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,837
Harden's stat line is pretty incredible, 4 for 20 from three but 24/24 from the line. So inefficient yet efficient at the same time! My head is going to explode.
That's not very attractive basketball.
 

Jimbodandy

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 31, 2006
11,403
around the way
Did the Rockets already use their challenge? I hate that you get one challenge per game. If you're going to issue challenges to the teams at least give them a chance to best utilize them.
It's asinine that you don't get the challenge back if you win. If the officials suck so much that multiple successful challenges are going to slow the game down too much, solve that problem.
 

GoDa

New Member
Sep 25, 2017
962
Lol, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that. Is that the hoops equivalent of not completing a catch?
What wasn't complete?

He dunked it through the basket and instead of going straight through the net to the floor, the net kind of flipped it around before it dropped to the ground. It's 100% a good basket and yet another example of incompetent NBA officiating. It's really, really bad that they got this wrong.
 

Sam Ray Not

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
8,848
NYC
What wasn't complete?
Lol, the ball never completed its full downward motion by fully disengaging itself from the threads!

Kidding obviously; incompetent reffing for sure. But then the incompetent refs tried to make it up to the Rockets in OT with only-slightly-less-egregious awarding of a clear path foul — after review! — on a play where Harden pushed his defender behind him with his free arm.

The latest, per ESPN's designated Rockets shill Tim McMahon: "a Rockets source is optimistic that the NBA office will take action regarding James Harden's dunk that didn't count, either awarding the win to Houston or ordering that the final 7:50 be replayed because the Rockets outscored the Spurs in regulation." WTF? Both of those scenarios are fvcking laughable to me. Like they're the only team in NBA history ever to be at the wrong end of an egregiously wrong call. As hitcat notes, "let's get over ourselves that this one basket actually changed an outcome that had 8 more minutes of basketball to be played."

Meanwhile, Daryl Morey continues to peddle his mathematical theorem that the Rockets beat the Warriors in 2018 in 97.532% of all alternate universes. Dude, you got your chance for payback this spring with KD out ... and still choked like the choking losers you are.

I can't wait to see these whiny losers crash and burn again this year. I'll even be rooting hard for the Lakers against them, if it comes to it.
 
Last edited:

lovegtm

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 30, 2013
11,996
Lol, the ball never completed its full downward motion by fully disengaging itself from the threads! (Kidding, obviously).

The latest, per ESPN's designated Rockets shill Tim McMahon: "a Rockets source is optimistic that the NBA office will take action regarding James Harden's dunk that didn't count, either awarding the win to Houston or ordering that the final 7:50 be replayed because the Rockets outscored the Spurs in regulation." WTF? Both of those scenarios are fvcking laughable to me. Like they're the only team in NBA history ever to be at the wrong end of an egregiously wrong call. As hitcat notes, "let's get over ourselves that this one basket actually changed an outcome that had 8 more minutes of basketball to be played."

Meanwhile, Daryl Morey continues to peddle his mathematical theorem that the Rockets beat the Warriors in 2018 in 97.532% of all alternate universes. Dude, you got your chance for payback this spring with KD out ... and still choked like the choking losers you are.

I can't wait to see these whiny losers crash and burn again this year. I'll even be rooting hard for the Lakers against them, if it comes to it.
I'm a Dubs hater and even I find the Rockets insufferable.

Between Morey and Harden, it feels like they have a bet with someone that you can win an NBA championship entirely through legalistic procedures.
 

thehitcat

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 25, 2003
2,376
Windham, ME
That tweet is incredible.

Also I'm not sure if this makes me too old to appreciate the new or too young to appreciate the old but I can't stand Harden's game. I'd rather watch paint dry.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
Harden is a genius and a brilliant basketball player; honestly one of the most entertaining players in league history.
 

thehitcat

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 25, 2003
2,376
Windham, ME
Harden is a genius and a brilliant basketball player; honestly one of the most entertaining players in league history.
To each their own I guess. I'm with the fan above. To clarify, I'm not suggesting Harden isn't talented it's just not fun (for me) to watch him do his thing.