February 28, 2025 Game of the Day Preview
We go back into the NBA tonight as Cleveland takes on Boston in Boston in a battle of the top 2 in the West and maybe an Eastern Conference Finals preview. This could be a best-on-best matchup, as there are only 3 injuries on the injury report, and all are game time decisions for the Celtics.
With 5 players averaging more than 10 points in their last 8 games and 4 of those guys being north of 15. Even though the Celtics are one of, if not, the best defensive team in the NBA, I don’t think they’ll be ready for this firepower of an offense.
I like the Cavs ML tonight plus money on the road. In a best-on-best game, it’s hard to pick against the Celtics because of their depth, but I think I think the Cavs extend their win streak to 9. It should be another great game of the night.
February 27, 2025 Game of the Day Game 1 Recap
The Nuggets had a very slow start in Milwaukee falling behind 9 points early into the game. The team could not get anything going before Russell Westbrook got onto the court. Once he stepped on the court, they made their next 6 out of 8 field goals, and he ended the quarter scoring 8 himself. Nikola Jokic ended this quarter on an extremely efficient 16 in the first. I was hoping to see Giannis guarding Jokic early, but that was not the case sadly. After that first initial burst from the Bucks, things started to even out as the game was tied going into the second.
The second quarter was getting ugly offensively for both teams at different points, while the Bucks were doing most of it. There was one point where the plays that were being made, looked worse than some of the plays I made in high school. Kyle Kuzma needed to take over whenever Damian Lillard and Giannis were out for a bit in the second, but he didn’t seem to want to be that guy. Nikola Jokic was already on triple-double watch by the end of the half as his historic season just keeps going. Giannis had some tremendous defense at the end of the half and shows why he has been in Defensive Player of the Year conversations in the past.
Milwaukee started the quarter on a better note and Giannis began to turn it on a bit more. He hit a three pointer in the quarter and also added a few dunks on top of that. This was a big boost at the beginning/middle of the quarter to help the Bucks take the lead (getting up by as much as 7 again) and keep it going into the final quarter of the game.
AJ Green hit two huge threes in a row right out the gates in the 4th. The Northern Iowa, and Cedar Falls, alumni was shooting 42% from three on near 5 attempts per game on the season. Whenever the Nuggets did anything in the first half of the 4th quarter, the Bucks responded. Denver could not keep up throughout the second half of the quarter as the Bucks began pulling away.
If the Nuggets had any chance to come back after being down 12 in the 4th it was after a poster dunk by Christian Braun over Brook Lopez.
Denver did get more fire under them for a little bit after that moment as they got it to within 5 at one point. Getting it to 5 was not enough however, as the Bucks still did not let up anymore. They pushed the lead higher and getting up to 11 at one point with under a minute to play via a Damian Lillard three pointer.
Nikola Jokic: 32 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists, 13-16 FG, 1-2 3P
Jamal Murray: 20 points, 9-20 FG, 2-5 3P
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 28 points, 19 rebounds, 7 assists, 11-23 FG, 1-2 3P
Damian Lillard: 19 points, 5-9 FG, 3-6 3P
February 27, 2025 Game of the Day Recap Game 2
For my third ever NHL game I have watched in full, I am pleased to say I thoroughly enjoy watching the sport. If anyone has any ideas for a team to follow let me know either in the comments below or personal message me if you can contact me.
I became intrigued by Anton Lundell and the third line in the first period simply because they seemed to play so hard. While his line might not have the most firepower or notable names on it, they came out the gates and were ready to punch someone in the mouth. They were responsible for the goal that got the scoring starting in the first, along with playing passing lanes well and getting physical when they needed to be. The Oilers tied it back up off the stick of Brett Kulak. Great teamwork in transition got Kulak open for a clean shot and he capitalized with about 5:15 left in the first period.
The second period was electric. Hits were starting to become more frequent, mostly for the Panthers, and the teams were opening up a bit more. There were quite a few more shots and Sergei Bobrovsky had a very impressive string of saves at one point in the period. The line of Anton Lundell and friends got the scoring started late in the second off the stick of Lundell himself on a beautiful deflection.
This was matched extremely quickly by Draisaitl with his 44th goal of the year when he had an impressive move keeping the puck away from the defense. He manhandled the defenseman’s stick and pushed it far away from where he needed to be, and got it past Bobrovsky.
I was pleased to get the chance to see McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice a few times and it is so crazy to see how much attention each one of those players needs. It’s almost impossible to deal with, but the Panthers did a very good job I thought, handling it.
The Lundell line was yet again the first line to get on the board in the third as Nate Schmidt got a goal to break the tie right around halfway through a physical third period. Instead of being instantaneously matched by Edmonton, as they added another one just a few minutes later to go up 4-2. The Oilers got one more in the net to make it 4-3 Panthers with 3:25 to go and in need of another one quick. Unfortunately for the Oilers, they got a penalty almost right after, so their empty net at the end of the game didn’t do as much as it could have.
The Panthers win this Stanley Cup Finals rematch game 4-3. For the third hockey, and first NHL, game I had watched in full, this was great. I was constantly finding myself sitting upright when pressure was on.
Looking ahead to March, if anyone has good ideas for a Game of the Day or a team they would like me to talk about, please comment below and I will do my best.