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Hawks at Wizards
6:00 pm CDT
NBAtv
The Wizards, like the other home teams in tonight’s games, will be looking to go up 2-0 on a Hawks team that appears to lack the necessary punch. Hopefully Washington is not looking ahead, but right now they look to have a pretty good path to the Eastern Conference Finals. In game one, John Wall and Bradley Beal combined for 54 points, and every Wizards starter was in double figures. They were also all at least +8 in a seven point win. The problem for them all season has been their bench, something to keep an eye on going forward.
Thunder at Rockets
7:00 pm CDT
TNT
As is true in many Rockets games, their high octane offense eventually found its footing after a close first half and they blew out the Thunder in game one. They are relentless and deep, and despite going only 10-33 from three in game one, they won’t stop coming. Oddly, they dominated the offensive glass against the Thunder, expected to be a strength for OKC. Russell Westbrook must play better to give the Thunder any kind of chance tonight, and they have to get impact performances from a couple of other guys. Outside of Andre Roberson’s bizarrely hot shooting, they got very little from their role players in game one.
Blazers at Warriors
9:30 pm CDT
TNT
Kevin Durant’s availability is in question as of this writing. He sat out practice with a strained calf sustained in game one. Jusuf Nurkic will once again be out for the Blazers.
Game one was tied headed to the fourth quarter, but the Warriors used their superior depth to outlast the Blazers in a 121-109 win. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum were amazing, combining for 75 points, but the Blazers got very little else and could not withstand the constant pressure the Warriors put on opponents. They got only nine points off the bench, which isn’t nearly good enough when the Warriors are coming at you with multiple guys who can and do make plays. Still, if the Warriors are without Durant, or he is limited, Portland might have a chance to steal one.
Enjoy the games. Chat here.