Enjoy Basketball: Nikola Jokic calls lob, Herb Jones hosts a block party

Welcome back to another edition of Enjoy Basketball!

The first round of the NBA Playoffs are in full swing and there has been no shortage of entertainment. We’ve had game-winners, we’ve had blowouts, but most importantly, we’ve had battles. Almost every series has been amazing so far and this is only Round 1. Just think about how great the rest of the postseason will be.

Yesterday a saw a four-game slate that featured some good games and some not-so-good games. But hey, not every day’s games can be as good as Saturday’s. Jayson Tatum led the Boston Celtics to a 3-0 lead, the Utah Jazz stole a win on a game-winner, Pascal Siakam took a game over the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Minnesota Timberwolves tied things up against the Memphis Grizzlies. That's hard to beat that.

But regardless, yesterday was still exciting. Let’s take a look at the games.

Bucks put stranglehold on Bulls

The Chicago Bulls had their moment in the sun in Game 2. Unfortunately, that moment is gone, and the Milwaukee Bucks are back to dominating this series. Even without Khris Middleton, the Bucks were able to stomp the Bulls thanks to a Master Class performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo. But it was Grayson Allen who stole the limelight, dropping 27 points off the bench.

In a painfully ironic twist of fate, in the same game that Allen popped off in, Alex Caruso got hurt. We live in a cruel, cruel world. Caruso took an inadvertent forearm to the face from Jevon Carter and would not return to the game. According to head coach Billy Donovan, Caruso wanted to re-enter the game, but his face began to bleed. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Caruso will be examined for a possible concussion. Apparently Allen and Caruso just can’t coexist peacefully, and unfortunately for Caruso, he always seems to be on the wrong end of that deal.

Bucks lead 3-1

Nuggets scrape by, avoid sweep against Warriors

With their backs against the wall, the Denver Nuggets staved off elimination, winning Game 4 against the Golden State Warriors. They were up by as much as 17 points in this one, but the Warriors made sure to make things interesting down the stretch. It was a tie game with under two minutes to go, but a clutch plays from Austin Rivers, Nikola Jokic, and Will Barton secured Denver the win.

Jokic and Monte Morris combined to score 61 points while the Splash Bros combined for 65. It was truly a game of stars where The Joker just managed to win the battle. Jordan Poole also came down from the clouds in this one, which also contributed to the Warriors’ struggles. Can the Nuggets be the first team to ever come back from a 3-0 deficit? (Probably not, but that’d make for a fun series, huh?)

P.S. Nikola Jokic calling out the lob play from the bench was awesome.

Warriors lead 3-1

Heat steamroll Hawks, Butler goes nuclear

After the first quarter, this game seemed like it was going to be a fun one. It was a one-point game heading into the second and both teams were trading punches. But then the Miami Heat turned things up a notch. They outscored the Atlanta Hawks 30-15 in the second and the Hawks would never recover. Jimmy Butler's 36-point bomb was enough to carry his team to a convincing victory in Game 4.

For the second time this series, Trae Young put up a dud. He only managed to score nine points in this one, shooting 3-of-11 from the field and 3-of-10 from three-point range. You read that right - he only took one shot from inside the three-point arc. The only Atlanta players who scored in double figures were De'Andre Hunter and... *checks notes*... Kevin Knox II (12). Knox played 4:16 of garbage time and was the team's second-leading scorer. Yikes.

Heat lead 3-1

Pelicans shock Suns with second-half explosion

Similar to the Heat-Hawks game, this one was close early on. The Phoenix Suns were up by two points at halftime, but that's when the New Orleans Pelicans decided to go berserk. Brandon Ingram scored two buckets to start the third to give the Pelicans a two-point lead. They wouldn't trail again for the remainder of the game. By the time the fourth quarter hit, they were putting on a clinic and led the game by as much as 18 at one point.

But while Ingram stole the show on the offensive end, it was Herbert Jones' suffocating defense that helped the Pelicans keep their lead in the fourth. He managed to block three three-point attempts (all in the second half, two in the fourth quarter) and finished the game with two steals and three blocks. It was a masterful performance on the defensive end. New Orleans simply outplayed the Devin Booker-less suns as Chris Paul could only scrounge up four points on 2-of-8 shooting. (And 11 assists, but still.)

Series tied 2-2

Scottie Barnes wins Rookie of the Year

Not only did Scottie Barnes win Rookie of the Year, but he did so in what was the closest race in modern history. In the end, Barnes earned 378 points (48 first-place votes) while runner-up Evan Mobley got 363 points (43 first-place votes). That 15-point margin is the smallest since the current voting format was put into place during the 2002-03 season.

Barnes became the third-ever Raptor to win the award, joining Damon Stoudamire (1995-95) and Vince Carter (1998-99). Carter actually presented the award to Barnes in a video that was shown at a Toronto practice in front of the entire team. Congrats, Scottie!

Hornets fire James Borrego

In a shocking turn of events, the Charlotte Hornets relieved head coach James Borrego of his duties. Borrego had just signed an extension in August. He spent four years with the team, and in the latter three (since Kemba Walker left town) the Hornets have improved in every season.

This was a very unexpected move and one that has led to a lot of speculation. Some believe that the players tuned out Borrego, so the team decided to let him go, while others have reported that Michael Jordan was the one who spearheaded the firing. Regardless, Charlotte will now be on the hunt for a new leader this offseason.

Joel Embiid needs surgery, will wait until offseason

After injuring his thumb in Game 3 against the Raptors, it was revealed that Joel Embiid tore a ligament in his right thumb. And on Sunday, it was announced that the big man will require surgery to repair the damage. However, Embiid plans to wait until the offseason to get the surgery and will play out the rest of the postseason.

Embiid has been adamant about not missing the playoffs. He’s said “nothing is going to stop me” and that he’s “just going to keep going and hope for the best.” With all the injuries occurring in the playoffs this year, we’re hoping for the best, too, Joel.

Kings begin head coach interviews

Wojnarowski of ESPN and Shams Charania of The Athletic tag-teamed this report, listing off a bunch of candidates who the Sacramento Kings will be interviewing for their open head coaching position. The listed candidates are as followed: Mark Jackson, Mike D’Antoni, Mike Brown, Steve Clifford, Charles Lee, Darvin Ham, and Will Hardy.

SIKE, no Ben Simmons debut today 

Remember when it was reported that Simmons would be making his debut in Game 4 against the Celtics? SIKE! Simmons reportedly had a sore back yesterday when he woke up, so told the team that he will no longer be playing. According to reports, the Nets were both surprised and disappointed by this news. 

The Celtics fan in me thinks this is a ridiculously ironic (and suspicious) turn of events, considering the decision was conveniently flipped by Simmons after the Nets went down 3-0. However, the NBA fan in me is disappointed that we won’t get to see Simmons play for another few months (barring the Nets making NBA history and coming back after being down 3-0).

Brandon Clarke is slipping through the cracks - Nekias Duncan, x

Karl-Anthony Towns channels his anger into a dominant performance for the Timberwolves - Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic

Jayson Tatum's Superstar Leap Is Making the Boston Celtics a Superteam - Andy Bailey, Bleacher Report

13 minutes that defined the Grizzlies Standard - Joe Mullinax, Grizzly Bear Blues

Pascal Siakam Sounds Off on Joel Embiid’s Game 4 Actions: ‘It’s All Fake Toughness’ - Jelani Scott, Sports Illustrated

Oh baby! Today is going to be a fun day of hoops. Two series could be ending while the other is playing a pivotal Game 5 with both teams tied at 2-2. All three of these series were projected to be hard-fought, and while two of them started with one team going up 3-0, it’s still been fun to watch. So, who’s going to win today?

Boston Celtics @ Brooklyn Nets - 7:00 p.m. EST

The Nets are done. Boston has played hard throughout the entire series, and though the games have been close, they’ve looked like the better team by far. Brooklyn could maybe steal a game just like the Nuggets did last night, but right now, things aren’t looking good for them.

Toronto Raptors @ Philadelphia 76ers - 8:00 p.m. EST

While the Raptors were able to steal a game in Toronto, it feels inevitable that the Sixers finish this series off in Philly. Sure, Embiid is playing through an injury. But Toronto is beat up, Embiid is hungry, and the 76ers undoubtedly want to finish things off at home. Expect a Philly win tonight in front of their home crowd.

Utah Jazz @ Dallas Mavericks - 9:30 p.m. EST

Donovan Mitchell’s lob to Rudy Gobert to steal Game 4 was awesome, but in my opinion, it doesn’t change much about this series. Yes, a loss would have put the Jazz in an even bigger hole, but in my eyes, the Mavs are winning the next two games. First, they’ll take care of business in Dallas, and then they’ll do it in Utah. Luka Doncic won’t go out like that again. Dallas in 6.

I’m coming at you from Ireland with this newsletter! Well, kind of. My flight home leaves this afternoon, but as I’m writing this I’m in Dublin. Very cool experience, but having to stay up until 3:00 a.m. to watch games is not very fun. Other than that, though, it was great. (Although I don’t think my screaming was appreciated in the late hours of the night watching game-winner after game-winner.)

As the playoffs progress, the series are only going to get better, which is crazy, considering how fun they’ve been so far. Just think about it this way: no matter what conference you look at, at least three of the four teams that will be advancing to the second round have a serious shot to win the title. That’s insane! Enjoy it while you can.

That'll be it for me. Thanks for reading. See y'all next time.

- Jack Simone

Last trivia answer: Spencer was definitely thinking of Kenny when he wrote this question because the answer is the Windy City Assassin himself, Derrick Rose. He dropped 44 points in a playoff game against the Atlanta Hawks back in 2011. The Bulls won that game by 17 points and beat the Hawks in six games.

Trivia Question: In Game 3, Tatum and the Celtics held Durant to just 16 points. We’ll keep this week’s question simple: what is the least number of points Durant has ever scored in a playoff game?