About Last Night: A contrast of contenders

The contrasting performances of the two leading teams in the West were startling, as Golden State took the lead with a killer instinct, while Denver surprisingly stumbled.

Neither team faced world-beaters, though the Warriors’ opponent (Charlotte) had playoff aspirations at stake that Denver’s opposition (Washington) had forfeited weeks ago. Yet it was Golden State demolishing the playoff-hopeful Hornets 137-90, while the Nuggets suffered a shocking 95-90 letdown to the lottery-bound Wizards.

Despite DeMarcus Cousins only playing for 11 minutes before being ejected for a Flagrant 2 due to his misguided elbow to Willy Hernangomez’s face, the Warriors still managed to cruise to victory.

Despite Cousins’ absence and a subdued Kevin Durant contributing 11 points and nine assists, Golden State managed to secure a 22-point lead by halftime, courtesy of the Splash Triplets – Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Quinn Cook. The three collectively scored 70 points, with a 16-for-23 performance from beyond the three-point line. The Warriors consistently scored over 30 points in each quarter, while keeping the Hornets under that score.

Three states away, in Denver, where the city’s team holds an impressive 31-6 record at the Pepsi Center, the Nuggets struggled to find their rhythm, with the exception of Nikola Jokic who scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. However, even Jokic had a challenging night, highlighted by a bloody nose incident.

Bobby Portis then made the decision to turn what was a hard foul into a long-lasting hug at the expense of Jokic.

When the night ended, the Nuggets were undoubtedly relieved not to see the Wizards in the Mile High City anymore. The defeat significantly dented Denver’s chances of clinching the top seed in the Western Conference. They are now a full game behind Golden State with only six games left.

The Nuggets are certainly regretful about their lackluster performance on the same day Golden State showcased an impressive performance on national television. The perceived difference between the two teams has been considerably larger than their actual standings for most of the season. Undoubtedly, Denver is keen to reduce both on Tuesday when the Nuggets and Warriors compete under the TNT spotlight, with a potential tiebreaker, the top spot in the standings, and a possible psychological advantage up for grabs.

Trae’s sixth sense

The last nine weeks have provided Trae Young supporters all the proof they need to back their man, both in general and in a Kia Rookie of the Year race that seemed over months ago. The Hawks’ young guard added to the portfolio on Sunday with his second game-winner in as many weeks, a ridiculously intuitive push shot as time expired to give Atlanta the 136-135 victory over East-leading Milwaukee.

Reminder: The Horry Scale breaks down a game-winning buzzer-beater (GWBB) in the categories of difficulty, game situation (was the team tied or behind at the time?), importance (playoff game or garden-variety night in January?) and celebration. Then we give it an overall grade on a scale of 1-5 Robert Horrys, named for the patron saint of last-second answered prayers.

DIFFICULTY: Like many entries in the dunk contest or simple layups in traffic, a slow-motion replay is the best way to appreciate Young’s last-second heroics.

Reading and reacting to live-ball situations timely is extremely challenging. However, Young manages to do both in less than a second. His skillful maneuvers include catching the ball with his left hand, swiftly switching it to his right, dodging George Hill’s extended defense, and releasing the ball before the jump he initiated the play with is over.

You can’t rehearse this. It’s a fusion of instinct and touch in a literal split-second of NBA action.

GAME SITUATION: The Hawks will take every confidence-inflating breath to come with victory. That being said, almost nothing rode on this game. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe were all no-go’s for the NBA’s best team, which even after the loss boasts a three-game lead over second-place Toronto.

CELEBRATION: Do we dock Young for his teammates’ initial lack of response? His game-winner was met by a vacuum of space and a startling absence of mob-forming, chest-bumping Hawks. Even after Young admirably crows to his adoring fans, he walks several steps down the court before one teammate gives him a well-deserved bear hug.

GRADE: Young’s crunch-time chops are already a thing, something no one would have predicted just three short months ago. Yet the game’s lack of import and post-shot euphoria left a lot to be desired when it comes to the overall magic of buzzer-beaters. 2.0 Horrys.

Sunday’s standings

Four playoff-bound teams — Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Denver — lost to lottery squads, with the latter three providing unintentional help to the rest of the Western Conference. Once the dust settled:

• The Spurs and Thunder continue to be tied for seventh place, but they won’t find out until Game 82 if they’ll be facing Golden State or Denver as the first or second seed.
• The Clippers’ rout of Memphis, combined with the aforementioned defeats, launched LA to a tie for fifth with Utah. Yet with third and fourth place just as unsettled between Houston and Portland, neither the Clippers nor Jazz can assume who would wait for them in the first round.
• The Hornets’ 47-point defeat against the Warriors leaves their playoff hopes on thin ice. They are currently three full games behind eighth-place Miami, with Orlando in the middle. Their challenging week ahead includes a game in Utah (Monday) and a home game against Toronto (Friday).

A different kind of Hussle

The worlds of basketball and popular music often intersect, so it’s unsurprising that the NBA was deeply saddened by the passing of Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle. At just 33 years old, the rapper was tragically shot outside his Los Angeles store on a Sunday afternoon. This event led to an outpouring of sorrow and appreciation from many, in honour of the NBA enthusiast who became a music icon.

Numerous NBA stars were aware of and admired Hussle’s journey from a difficult childhood to a successful and hopeful adulthood. Recognizing the impact his death would have on their players and the broader community, their teams played Hussle’s music during their games and captured moments of reflection following his passing.

The Clippers honored Nipsey Hussle, who was killed today in LA, with a tribute before tipoff against Memphis. Hussle was close with Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell. pic.twitter.com/OMOEUQ2DY3

— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) April 1, 2019

Nipsey was played at the Oracle Arena. KD and Draymond showed their respects.

(via @loganmmurdock)pic.twitter.com/OKu1f3jOpk

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 1, 2019

Rest in peace, Nipsey Hussle. pic.twitter.com/SgxhQ16Zi9

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 1, 2019

I’m sorry, but I can’t access this link because it’s a private or internal URL. Please provide the text you’d like me to rewrite.

Steph Curry had developed a recent friendship with Nipsey Hussle. He shares some thoughts on his death. pic.twitter.com/sBeD4YnOQz

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 1, 2019

Pop pops off

If you assumed Gregg Popovich would take it easy after the Spurs secured their NBA-record 22nd playoff spot on Saturday, then you clearly need to watch more Spurs basketball. The five-time champion coach doesn’t let a guaranteed postseason presence or a lottery opponent lessen his reaction to what he deems as poor referee decisions.

Numerous reasons exist as to why ex-Spurs rave about the franchise’s familial environment. One significant reason is that Popovich defends them as fiercely as any parent would in youth sports. Equally noteworthy for this singular observer is his calm departure as soon as he perceived the outburst had reached its conclusion.