This week we have an analysis of Game 1 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, why the Warriors are like the Avengers, and, now that we have had some separation from the Game of Thrones Final Season, a ranking of the top 10 moments. I'll just tell you know: spoilers for Endgame and Game of Thrones are in this article. Also if you don't like my top 10 moments, then feel free to make you're own. I think it's great if we don't agree! I always like hearing what someone else has to say about something I enjoy.
1) The Siakam Game!
The NBA Finals have begun! The most important basketball all year long is finally being played after waiting almost a week for it to begin. The Toronto crowd lived up to the hype and the Raptors came to play! The Raptors are officially over their Game 1 woes as they beat the Warriors in a physical 118-109 Game 1.
The Raptors
This is the game that will forever be known as the Siakam game in Toronto basketball history. From the opening tip, Pascal Siakam was ready for the big stage. He dropped 32 on 14-17 shooting while glassing Draymond Green late in the 4th quarter. He scored in just about every way possible: He made contested layups, hook shots, pull up mid range jumpers, threes, free throws, and an offensive put back with about 6 minutes to play.
Kyle Lowry, although he didn't have a great game offensively, played with a speed and poise that I am not used to seeing from him in Game 1. He made quick decision with the ball, he looked confident in his shot as it left his hands, and he had the biggest shot of the game.
Even when he wasn't scoring his presence was known. Look at this quick bounce pass he had to Siakam for a score in the second quarter
His decision making was on point tonight both on offense and defense.
Lowry wasn't the only guard to play well for the Raptors either. Fred Van Fleet made a miracle fade away three late in the 4th quarter.
He also passed up good shots for great shots.
Watch as Fred VanVleet passes up this decent look at a three for a guaranteed two points to Gasol down low. This is basketball at its finest. Passing up a good shot for a great shot.
The Raptors overall defense on Curry (despite his 34 points) was actually pretty good. They hit him hard, they trapped, and they even let Kawhi guard him for stretches. Basically they guarded him by committee. They used VanVleet plus Gasol to trap, Kawhi at points in the 4th quarter, and even has Lowry or Green pick him up if they needed to in transition. They constantly threw different looks at Curry to make him uncomfortable. Unfortunately, he still had 34. That's just how Steph operates though.
The combination of Gasol and VanFleet on the defensive end against Curry in the first half was very impressive. Their double teams against him were quick, aggressive, physical and effective. Every time Gasol stepped up to trap Curry, his hands were active and he made it nearly impossible for Curry to find the open man.
They do it again here in the clip below:
The only player who was really didn't play his best game was Kawhi Leonard, who was nonexistent in the first half and then came alive in the second half. He guarded Curry a little bit in the 4th quarter (to no avail) CLIP OF CURRY GOING BY FOR AND-1.
The Raptors big men also beat the Warriors pretty hard too, especially in the transition game. Ibaka got an easy transition dunk early on.
He also grabbed a couple offensive rebounds. The Raptors also were able to keep Gasol on the floor against the Raptors much more than I anticipated. Although I expect next game the Warriors will exploit that (more on that later).
Overall, the Raptors defense was aggressive, fast and frustrating for the Warriors. Coupled with their ability to get out in transition, the Raptors played really well and stuck to their game plan.
A Danny Green wide-open transition three in the 4th quarter.
The Warriors also got a taste of their own medicine as they had to deal with the fact that, like the Warriors, the Raptors have four players that all can start their fast-breaks. They switched when they needed to on off-ball screens (especially with Klay Thompson) and made the Warriors work really hard at the end of the game to get good shots.
The Warriors
The Warriors, besides Steph Curry, didn't really play that well all around. Klay made only three 3-pointers (his last one came with 5:42 left in the 3rd) and the Raptors frustrated him by sticking to him like glue. He was consistently driven off the three point line and even picked up a technical foul in 4th out of frustration.
Curry, after not responding well to the Raptors' double team by Gasol and VanVleet in the first half, played well against it in the 4th quarter. He attacked the double team much faster and was able to split it which led to open opportunities like this one:
The rest of the Warriors struggled to sore though. As I mentioned, Klay was smothered all night, Draymond could barely score at all, Iguodala missed shots that he made against Houston and Portland, and Livingston provided only 6 points on offense. The Warriors outscored the Raptors' bench 30-25, but it didn't feel like they actually played better when I watched the game.
A small bright spot on offense for the Warriors though was DeMarcus Cousins, who, passed the ball pretty well on offense. Here he is making the smart play by absorbing the double team and passing to the open Jerebko in the corner.
He made another good pass to Cook in the 4th who missed his open 3.
Despite the miss, it was sill the right basketball play. He was slow on defense, especially after a couple possessions in a row of non-stop action, but he still had active hands and even forced this turnover which led to a Warriors' transition layup.
Takeaways and Adjustments
If I'm the Warriors I'm not panicking after this loss. If I'm the Raptors I'm not thinking we have this thing wrapped up yet either. Game 1 of the NBA Finals are often a feeling out process for both teams. LeBron James often used Game 1s as a scouting technique in order to figure out how the other team will play them so that he can make adjustments later on in the series.
However, if anything is to be taken away from Game 1, it is that this series is set to be very physical. Both teams combined to commit 53 fouls. If this fouling pace keeps up then we're in for an incredibly physical series. For comparison, the average fouls per game by both teams combined in the 2018 Finals were 39. In 2017 and 2016 the fouls per game were 46 and 42. This years' fouls per game combined would be the highest since the Lakers and Pacers in 2000 when both teams committed 53 fouls per game as well. Each game of a series usually takes on a life of its own so I don't think every game in the rest of the series will be as physical as this one. It is still something to look out for because it will effect how the refs call Game 2.
The Warriors were clearly rusty, as indicative of their terrible transition defense (24 fast-break points for the Raptors) and turnovers (16). The Raptors also shot 39% from three when they are usually a 34% three point shooting team. On top of that, some of the threes the Raptors made, the Warriors will live with going forward because the Raptors can't make those every time. The threes that they can live with are: The McCaw three with the shot clock expiring, the Kawhi step back three at the end of the shot clock, a couple of the Gasol open threes, and VanVleet's miracle bank shot (it wasn't a three, but the Warriors will still live with that type of shot). Those are shots that are very difficult to replicate (besides the Gasol ones) so you have to assume that Toronto will not make those next game or in Golden State.
The Warriors could also be a bit better on offense. Curry attacking the double teams by VanVleet and Gasol (now that he knows their coming) quicker will help open up their offense a ton. This will force more Raptors players to rotate which will then in turn give Green and Klay more open looks if either of their defenders are forced to rotate over.
The Raptors also have some adjustments they can make. In an attempt to get out and run against the Warriors, they compromised the offensive glass and gave up 20 second chance points. So the Raptors will have to decide going forward if they can live with those second chance buckets in exchange for their own transition points.
The Raptors should also be very encouraged that Kawhi went 5-14 from the field and they still won. Their half court defense at the end of the game was also awesome and they should be happy that they won a Game 1 at home! Just look how far this team has come since losing Game 1 to the Magic in the first round of the playoffs.
Both of these teams are in for a battle the rest of the series and starting Game 2, both teams are going to attack major weak points they saw in Game 1. Except Steph Curry to attack Siakam and Green in the pick n roll game because Siakam couldn't defend it very well this game.
Also expect the Raptors to test DeMarcus Cousins' defense if he plays more minutes again in this series. Finally, Siakam should expect to get a lot more of a focus on defense next game. The Warriors won't overreact to one big Siakam game, but they won't ignore him as much as they did this game.
In not-basketball related content, last nights game had tons of great movie trailers! We got The Lion King, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, new Terminator, and a trailer for Pixar's Onward.
The Drake Factor
Also I guess we do need to account for the Drake Factor because he is starting some beef with the Warriors! He rolled up in a Dell Curry jersey, got in Draymond Green's face, and took part of Steph Curry's jersey?
2) The Warriors without KD are like the Avengers in Endgame
*Endgame spoilers to follow, obviously*
In Game 5, of the Western Conference Semi-Finals, the world took a collective gasp as Kevin Durant went down with what looked like a torn Achilles (I mainly blame Reggie Miller for immediately thinking that and scaring all of us). Once that happened, just about every analyst and basketball prognosticator predicted the Rockets would go on to win Game 6 and then maybe even Game 7. It felt like the Warriors were done and their title hopes died with KD’s calf injury.
However, we all forgot one important thing about the Warriors. They're still the Warriors! They won a title before Kevin Durant got there and they are just as capable of winning it again. Many still counted them out anyway because they forgot that Klay, Steph, and the rest of the team would revel in the moment as they returned to their old roles before the arrival of KD two summers ago.
In my mind, this is just like the Avengers in Endgame. They lost a major piece of themselves and seemingly the battle along with it. Half of the universe's population was snapped and basically only the original six Avengers remained, along with Ant-Man and a couple others. In this scenario, we counted out the Avengers too because they had lost. We had never seen them suffer such a devastating blow before and withstand it. They were stripped down to the team they had before Infinity War. They were the original six Avengers and needed to find a way to win despite all of their setbacks.
Additionally, the characters and players for both franchises line up well, including their roles within both of their respective universes (the Marvel one and the real one).
Steph Curry is Iron Man in this case. He doesn’t need to win this series because he still has the reputation of being the best shooter ever and he has a family who loves him. Tony Stark had a family in Endgame and didn’t need to go back in time to save everyone despite Natasha and Steve's plea for him to help them do so. Steph and Tony are also the most important members of their teams. While they aren't the strongest, they are the lifeblood of their organizations and their teams move as they do. If you want to beat the Avengers, you need to beat Iron Man. If you want to beat the Warriors, then you have to take out Stephen Curry.
Klay is the model of consistency and the selfless shooter who will play defense and dive for a loose ball if that's what it takes to win. So he's Steve Rodgers in this case. You forget how good he is until he takes a center role in the plot again after other major characters have been wiped out (or KD). He also motivates the team with his play like how Steve motivates the team with his big-time, pre-battle speeches. He also bails out his team by making a big time play when something goes wrong. Steve was able to get the Pym particles he and Tony needed to return to their time while also successfully going back in time and returning all of the Infinity Stones to their proper places in history. The only other person I'd trust to do this is Klay himself.
On to the second strongest Avenger. Thor is Draymond Green and vice versa. Draymond is a little out of shape, but he can still throw down when he needs to and he can play up to the level of some of the best players of all time on defense. Secondly, he is one of the smartest players I've ever seen play basketball (besides the Game 5 ejection in the 2016 Finals) and his mother is very supportive of him. Just like Thor's mother was in Endgame. Next up is Igoudala and Sean Livingston. Iggy is Ant-Man. You didn’t realize how important he was until this movie and this most recent series. He can slide into any position from 2-4 and fill any role. He also can play big or small with lock down defense. He is also an incredibly smart player and understands his role within the team. Livingston is Black Widow. He can maneuver sneakily into his free throw line spot on the court and get hid range jumper off against anyone. He is also a veteran leader for the team and would be more than willing to sacrifice himself in order for his team to get the soul stone, just like Black Widow does.
To fill out the rest of the original: Andre Bogut is the Hulk because he's huge (and sets massive illegal screens); Alfonzo McKinnie is Hawkeye.
You know McKinnie is important to their rotations and plan, but you don’t really feel attached to him or feel like he's that important to the overall picture. If he sacrificed himself for the soul stone instead of Black Widow, you wouldn’t really feel to indifferent towards that decision.
Finally, you may be wondering who KD is. KD is all the Avengers that show up for the massive battle at the end of Endgame. His arrival essentially locks up their victory.
3) Top 10 Game of Thrones Season 8 Moments
It’s been almost a full two weeks since the end of Game of Thrones and now that we’ve had time to think about the season and show as a whole, we can start making some big picture assessments. So I wanted to start that by ranking the top 10 moments from the last season of Game of Thrones.
There were plenty of moments to choose from, but there can only be 10! I also did a little bit of cheating by combining some scenes together and including a montage (it’s the only one in the season so you know which one I’m talking about). Let’s get right into this with Number 10
10) Jaime sees Bran at the end of Episode 1. – Winterfell
To me, this was a moment the show didn’t have to give us, but they did. Like most of Season 8, they could have just skipped over a minor plot like this and left Jaime’s attempted murder of Bran unresolved. Instead they delivered a subtly hilarious moment and the internet created dozens of high-quality memes as a result. Plus Jaime’s reaction when he turns and sees Bran is priceless. It is the last person he wanted to see, and it ended up being the first person he ran into. Thus this moment is number 10.
9) Clegane Bowl!! – The Bells
GET HYPE! This battle was absolutely brutal and lived up to all the hype we expected of these two brothers. Juxtaposed with the destruction of King’s Landing and fire burning down the Red Keep in the background, the battle between the two Clegane brothers rivaled some of the best battles in show history.
This battle also started out satisfyingly as Qyburn was chucked into a rock and killed by his own creation. Couple that with Cersei awkwardly trying to exit stage left before the two fought, you had some needed brevity in a scene that you knew would end poorly for each character.
Finally the fact that they both killed each other in the process was a poetic sendoff and the only way this fight between the two could have actually ended.
8) The Arrow Shot (the end of the Dothraki) – The Long Night
This scene ended up not having a massive impact in the show long-term, but in the moment, it was jarring because of how majestic and frightening the single shot of the Dothraki light going out was. You saw Dany lose her army in front of her and you understood how powerful the army of the dead really was. It was a perfect tone setter for an incredible episode.
7) Jorah saves Dany – The Long Night
When Dany was surrounded by the dead, you thought that she was doomed (she did have plot armor, but it was still dramatic). Then Jorah emerged and took several swords to the gut protecting her. Dany, in a desperate attempt to help Jorah, picked up a sword of her own and they fought off the dead together until Jorah’s end. He never collapsed either until every single dead wight coming her way was finished. He died the only way he wanted to, at his Khaleesi’s side protecting her.
6) Dany burns down King’s Landing – The Bells
This turn by Dany from liberator to mass murder was sudden and unearned in many ways, but the devastation and digital effects surrounding it were amazing. Emilia Clarke’s face portrayed pain, anger, and heartbreak all at once as you saw the turn happening in real time.
The fire itself was incredibly realistic, and the absolute fear and shock on every character’s face was horrifying to watch as they were witnessing the horror before them unfold. This scene was also a massive turning point in the show because it officially solidified Dany’s turn from being a hero to a villain. We knew as well that because there was no turning back, either Arya or Jon would have to kill her in order to protect the realm.As a 6a, I also want to include this shot:
5) Jon kills Dany – The Iron Throne
This moment was effectively the end of the show. All of the real drama was over, and Jon finally became a king slayer as he betrayed his honor and committed regicide. As Jon went to stab Dany, they both embraced like lovers for one last time…then the sound of the knife being driven into the gut of a character was heard. At first, we couldn’t tell who killed who, but then, we saw the look in Dany’s eyes, and we saw blood drip from her mouth. At this moment we knew Jon went through with his final act to defend the realm. This tragic scene, coupled with Drogon’s destruction of the Iron Throne, was a truly moving scene both literally and symbolically.
It symbolized the breaking of the wheel just like how Dany had always imagined. And while she did not live to see her vision, her dream was fulfilled, nonetheless.
4) Sam reveals Jon’s parentage to him
Having just heard the news about his family from Dany himself, Sam is then forced to reveal life changing news to Jon. He is burdened with the biggest secret in all of Westeros and one of the driving forces in the story up until this point (obviously the reveal ended up not meaning much after, but it was still a big deal in the moment). It was also a reveal we were waiting for since the first Tower of Joy scene in Season 6. Book fans had been waiting for over 20 years to hear this news.
The mystery of Jon’s parentage is just one of the many, world building secrets that made watching this show so enjoyable. The news also complicated his relationship with Dany and was one of the contributing factors that caused Dany to feel even more isolated and broken.
3) Fire Side Chats with our favorite B-Level characters (plus the knighting of Brienne) – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Jaime and Tyrion sit alone by the fire in the Winterfell Great Hall. They talk about their impending doomed when they are interrupted by Brienne and Podrick. Then Tormund, along with his Giant’s Milk, arrives followed shortly by Davos. All of the sudden we have some of our favorite characters all together in a room and the scene did not disappoint. Tyrion does his best to get everyone drunk and talking. Tormund tells perhaps the greatest story of all time about how he suckled at the teat of a giant when he was 10 years old. Podrick busts out his beautiful voice as he sings a rendition of “Jenny’s Song” which ended up being foreshadowing for Jon and Dany’s doomed relationship.
Finally the scene culminates in the knighting of Brienne as she finally earns the reward for her courage and bravery that she has deserved all along. And to make it even better, Jaime is the one who knights her. There is not a better character in the entire show who could have done that for her because of the history they shared together. It was a true exemplification of their love for each other.
2) Arya kills the Night King – The Long Night
All hope is lost. Theon has just died trying to protect Bran, Jon can’t get past Viserion, and Dany is surrounded by the dead. It seems like Bran is about to die and the Night King is about to win when suddenly Arya leaps from behind him, switches her dagger and drives her Valyrian steel dagger into the heart of the Night King.
This kill was a payoff after multiple seasons of setup (although maybe not intentionally) – ARTICLE ABOUT NK. From Melisandre’s words to Arya in Season 3 about her shutting “blue eyes”, to her training to be a super ninja at the House of Black and White, to Bran placing the dagger in Arya’s hand at the Godswood last season; Arya’s kill of the Night King was earned and satisfying.
It also ended the biggest bad in the entire series and her single action saved the entire realm. I jumped off my couch and screamed when she made the kill, so this scene comes in at number two for me.
1) A Time for Wolves Montage
The number one on this list is absolutely no surprise and it deserves to be the top spot for multiple reasons.
This final montage, despite my issues with the finale as a whole, was perfect to me in just about every way. It ended with the Starks all fulfilling their life’s goals. Arya got to be an explorer and set out to discover “what’s west of Westeros”, Sansa finally earned the title of “Queen in the North”, and Jon got to be free of the political drama that he hated so much. Plus Jon pet Ghost which was super emotional, and I was so proud of him for finally going back and doing what she should have done in Episode 4!
This story was always about the Starks and so it made sense that the show ended by showing you where all the Starks ended their story. It also gave us a sense that these characters all have many more adventure ahead of them in their journeys as they now are free to do what they want. Jon can explore the north and see what else is out there besides wildlings and “Ice Spiders as big as hounds”. Arya can find out if Krakens exist and Sansa will have plenty of more political drama to deal with as she attempts to govern a now independent nature.
This final montage reminded who the story was about while also leaving us with a feeling of joy for the places each of these characters ended up in. Because of those reasons, the final montage to end the show is the best moment from all of Season 8.
*all photos are screenshots taken from HBONOW.com
*images found via NBA.com and Marvel ScreenGeek
*Siakam Layup image found via SI.com
*stats and info found on NBA.com/stats
*clips and screenshots taken via Youtube and ABC