The Daily Dose: Dose: Rose Rages vs. Thunder
Well, I’m back in McDonald’s again and it sounds like it could be my new Internet home for the next few days. Thursday night was fun, as Kevin Durant went berserk, Derrick Rose said ‘not so fast,” Dwyane Wade came through despite his migraine issues, and Derrick Favors finally succumbed to the flu. It was only a five-game night and the surprise returns of Marc Gasol and Meyers Leonard may have ruined some of our plans.
Follow me on Twitter by clicking here!
Bulls hand Thunder third straight loss, 104-98
The Bulls got 29 points, five boards and seven assists on 12-of-25 shooting from Derrick Rose, who may have been making a personal statement to writer Brian Windhorst and the Bulls. Windhorst reported earlier on Thursday that the Bulls and Rose are in the process of breaking up, which might have caused Rose to go bananas. He had scored a total of just 33 points in his previous four games combined, and hadn’t scored more than eight in three straight. He didn’t have a steal, block or 3-pointer on Thursday, but he certainly opened some eyes against Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. Hopefully this was the jumpstart he needed to start performing for his various owners. This is the ultimate sell-high moment on D-Rose.
Jimmy Butler, as usual, went off for 26 points, four 3-pointers and a full stat line, while Pau Gasol was the only other Bull in double digits with 11 points, 10 boards, a steal and a block. The Nikola Mirotic hot streak is definitely over, as he played just 16 minutes and scored two points. After scoring 18, 22 and 16 points in his first three games, he’s scored just seven on 3-of-16 shooting over his last two. He’ll get it worked out sooner than later. Doug McDermott came back to earth and the bench didn’t do much of anything. That includes Joakim Noah, who was quiet again with 2-of-5 shooting, four points, seven rebounds and a block in 26 minutes. He’s scored zero or two points in three of his five games and his season highs are eight points, nine rebounds and one block. I still have a difficult time just dropping such a talented player, but something’s got to give here, and soon.
The Thunder got a stellar 33 points, six boards, five dimes, two blocks and three 3-pointers from Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook went for 20 points, eight boards and 10 assists in the loss. He joined Oscar Robertson as the only other player in NBA history with at least 160 points, 60 assists and 40 rebounds in his team’s first six games of a season, per Elias. Wow. Serge Ibaka was effective with 17 points, six boards, two blocks and a 3-pointer, while Enes Kanter chipped in with 11 points, eight boards and a block off the bench. Unfortunately, those are the only four relevant OKCers in fantasy right now.
Editor’s Note: Sign up for FanDuel today and receive a FREE ENTRY into a one-day fantasy basketball league for real money! And all you have to do is finish anywhere in the top-half to win cash. Enter now.
Heat tame Timberwolves 96-84
All five Heat starters scored in double figures and Miami shot 49 percent from the floor as a team in a highly efficient game. Dwyane Wade led the way with 25 points, five boards, two assists, three steals and a 3-pointer on 11-of-19 shooting. There was a chance he might not play due to his migraines, but he really came through. Enjoy it while it lasts and consider trying to deal him if you are scared of him going at some point in the future. Goran Dragic scored 18 but had just two assists (five total in last two games), Chris Bosh was nice with 16 points, 12 boards, a steal and a 3-pointer, Hassan Whiteside added 12 points, nine boards and four blocks, and old man Luol Deng had 10 points, a steal and a block on 4-of-12 shooting. Whiteside is playing much better now, but also committed a wild seven turnovers to ruin an otherwise stellar night. Rookie Justise Winslow played 36 minutes off the bench and should be on your radar, even though he managed just seven points to go along with three boards, two assists, a steal and a block. He could end up in a timeshare with Mirotic, if he’s not there already. Tyler Johnson also deserves a deep-league eye with his 25 minutes, eight points, four boards, three assists and a 3-pointer.
The Wolves starters were dreadful last night, scoring a grand total of 29 points, led by Andrew Wiggins’ 12 points and four boards on 5-of-18 shooting. Kevin Garnett and Tayshaun Prince combined for two points (as usual), Karl-Anthony Towns had just six points and four boards on 3-of-13 shooting, but did have three blocks, and Ricky Rubio was 2-of-6 for nine points, five assists and three steals. Shabazz Muhammad and Kevin Martin each scored 14 points off the bench, and if someone can tell me why Sam Mitchell insists on starting Prince and KG, I’m all ears. I get that he’s an old-school coach, but this is ridiculous. The most interesting line of the night was probably Nemanja Bjelica’s 24 minutes for five points, seven rebounds, three assists and a 3-pointer on 2-of-7 shooting. If he ever ends up in the starting lineup, look out. I’ve answered a ton of Gorgui Dieng questions lately and he played a season-high 26 minutes for 10 points, six boards and two blocks. Eventually Mitchell is going to have to put Bjelica and Dieng in the starting lineup, in my opinion. I’d try to hang onto Dieng for as long as you can, and you should also consider stashing Bjelica if you have room.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.
