Marcio Sanchez- Associated Press
The long-awaited playoff run is finally here for the Golden State Warriors. After clinching home-court advantage for weeks now, they’ve been clamoring to play in meaningful games. It showed in a 106-99 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Don’t let the score fool you in believing that this game was truly competitive. The Warriors had an 18-point lead going into the fourth quarter through their balanced play. All five starters were in double figures led by Stephen Curry’s 34 points.
Andrew Bogut contributed significantly with 12 points, 14 points, and five assists. With superstar forward Anthony Davis battling against Draymond Green, Bogut commanded the paint over Omer Asik. New Orleans shot only 42 percent and needed another absurd performance by Davis (35 points) to stay competitive. Golden State moved the ball efficiently and had their way offensively, before cooling down in the fourth quarter.
It was a far different contest in game two, which featured both teams going on unbelievable stretches. New Orleans had an eleven point lead going into the second quarter. That changed quickly, as Golden State outscored them by fourteen to take the lead going into halftime. Eventually, the Warriors took control in the fourth quarter and outscored the Pelicans by ten. Bogut played 33 minutes, which is now expected of him in the playoffs. The game was ended emphatically by Curry’s unbelievable pass to Bogut for the easy dunk.
Bogut finishes off Curry’s fine work.
The seven footer contributed with five points, fourteen rebounds, and three blocks. Bogut played a significant part in holding New Orleans to just 39 percent shooting. It’s going to take a team effort to contain Davis. While Green is an exceptional defender with his length, Davis has the size and craftiness to be an absolute nightmare for any team. Bogut’s support will be vital in completing a clean sweep from this series.
After two successful games, Golden State will now travel to New Orleans and attempt to finish them off. The next game will be tomorrow night on TNT. They can finish the series on Saturday on ESPN. With the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers likely engaged in a long series, an extra period of rest could prove to be essential for the Warriors. If game five needs to be played, that will take place on Tuesday in Golden State.
Dale Zanine- USA Today Sports
There are two major reasons why the Brooklyn Nets are in the playoffs. The Memphis Grizzlies deserve credit for defeating the Indiana Pacers in convincing fashion. Brooklyn’s opportunity to make the playoffs was there with an Indiana loss. A win over the lowly Orlando Magic would push them into the eighth seed. Bojan Bogdanovic made that happen through 28 points off the bench. After being down for three quarters, Brooklyn depended on Bogdanovic for a spark off the bench.
In 32 minutes, Bogdanovic scored 28 points from shooting 12 for 17 in impressive fashion. Whether it was attacking the lane or showing off his quick release from the perimeter, the rookie shooting guard was unstoppable. Bojan has shown more confidence in taking defenders off the dribble as well. All of Lionel Hollins’ demands for Bogdanovic has started to become answered over the past two months. It was the best performance of Bojan’s rookie season, as it couldn’t have happened at a more opportune time in Brooklyn’s 101-88 win. This pushed Brooklyn into a daunting first-round playoff match-up against the Atlanta Hawks.
https://youtu.be/LWfp4hIyzic
Bogdanovic plays the best game of his career
It wasn’t a memorable playoff debut for the Croatian. Bogdanovic managed to play 32 minutes again, but only shot two for eight from the field. His defensive shortcomings were also evident through Atlanta’s quick ball movement. Atlanta knows how to utilize pick-and-rolls consistently and have players that can shoot from the outside. Bogdanovic was on the receiving end of a few late rotations. Unlike in past meetings, Brooklyn managed to stay competitive through a 99-92 defeat. If they want to get anything out of this series, turnovers can’t happen frequently. They were forced into 17 turnovers, which is an unacceptable amount for any playoff team.
The second game of the series happens tonight on NBA TV. Brooklyn will be looking to get the series on their home-court immediately, as Atlanta has one of the best home court advantages in the league. An afternoon showdown takes place on Saturday for game three in Brooklyn. A quick turnaround will take place on Monday for game four. This should be a good experience for Bogdanovic in a win-win situation. With no expectations, Bojan has the opportunity to develop in high-pressured situations. It would be nice to see Brooklyn stretch the series out, after not beating Atlanta once in the regular season.
>Twitter: @Allen_Strk
Just happen to turn on the pre-game right now and then said “Bogdanovich coming from Boznia?
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Well Bogut has become pretty popular through being a rugged/reliable player. It always helps to have a personality in anything. The biggest bonus in popularity comes from a team’s success. Unless you are posting Kevin Love like numbers, it’s hard to gain popularity on a mediocre team. Look at Vucevic in Orlando as a prime example.
Allen my man. Good stuff on NBA this year.
I don’t think these guys will become popular until they become personalities in the NBA. Look at Duncan and the Spurs. Great team. Great talent. Not fun to talk about.
Same will go for Bog even if he continues draining 20 points a game.
The guy is awesome. Denis and I spoke to him for 20 minutes. Super genuine guy. But I’d like to see some more fire and personality out of him.
Still a rookie. But this guy has potential 20 be a 15 ppg guy.
Allen and Denis,
Thank you.
Bogdanovic is relatively unknown. How he can take the next big step is obviously better exposure from the team. A starting role would be nice as well.
Mr Black,
Bogdanovic is a rookie in the NBA. He will probably finish as the fourth or fifth best rookie in the league. Bojan has so much to improve if he wants to be “big”. At the same time, Brooklyn is a terrible organization and team.
Hi Allen,
I don’t know much of basketball but how big is Bogdanovic in the States right now and can he still improve and take a few big steps?