Category / Last night in the atlantic

marcus smart, boston celtics
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/28/21)

Only a one-game slate of some Atlantic division action with two of the bottom three teams going at it!

Standings:
Brooklyn Nets 14-6
New York Knicks 11-9
Boston Celtics 11-10
Philadelphia 76ers 10-10
Toronto Raptors 9-12

Let’s talk about last night!

Marcus Smart

As I sat down to write this, I realized that we haven’t really highlighted Marcus Smart much at all this year. Sure, we might have mentioned his name on here and on the podcast, but not as the highlight guy. Well, this is his time to shine! Last night he guided the Boston Celtics to a nice win over a division opponent. He finished his well-rounded game with 21p, 8r, & 6a on 43.8% FG and 40% 3P. That guiding force is exactly what the Celtics need out of him more often, especially if Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are going to combine for only 24 points! It was that veteran leadership on both ends combined with the same leadership of Al Horford that willed this team to a victory!

Fred VanVleet

On the other side of last night’s game, Fred VanVleet tried to do much of the same. He put up 27p, 6r, 3a, & 2s, on 8-16 FG and 5-10 3P! So, his shooting stats were much better compared to Smart, but the end result didn’t follow the trend. There’s only so much he can do when the rest of the team shot 33.8% from the floor combined…

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, Sixers
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/27/21)

I’m back everyone! Finally done moving enough that I can sit down and watch some basketball and talk about it for any of those that care to read and listen!

Standings:
Brooklyn Nets 14-6
New York Knicks 11-9
Boston Celtics 10-10
Philadelphia 76ers 10-10
Toronto Raptors 9-11

So let’s talk about last night!

Joel Embiid

If you didn’t tune in to the Sixers vs Timberwolves game last night, I really feel bad for you. Being at the game was even better, but I digress. Joel Embiid, in his first game back from Covid, put on a show for the home fans! He looked almost unstoppable until the last play of the game. His final stat line was 42p, 14r, 3a, 2b on 52.2% shooting from the floor. The superstar level Embiid was back, but he did seem a little skinnier and even more out of breath than usual. Hopefully, Covid didn’t take too much out of him. The game itself started off terribly for Philly only for them to come roaring back and force overtime. Then the sequence from D’Angelo Russell and Andre Drummond to force double overtime was even crazier. When it’s all said and done though, the Sixers could not complete the comeback and ultimately fell as their other three scorers only shot 37% or worse.

Alec Burks

The Knicks grabbed the lone Atlantic win last night and it was due in large part to Alec Burks! Derrick Rose and Kemba Walker were out and Julius Randle put up another stinker of a game, but Alec Burks with some help from Evan Fournier and RJ Barrett willed the team to a win. Burks was especially hot from three and he started looking very comfortable on every type of shot imaginable. Having a guy that can heat up like a microwave coming off of your bench and able to make spot starts is always a great commodity.

DeAndre’ Bembry

Brooklyn dropped another one to a top team from the West. They really looked like they just lacked scoring and we all know someone that could help in that department. If James Harden is only contributing 12 points, then you know it’s a tough game. DeAndre’ Bembry chipped in with some great minutes though. He was the only positive player in the starting five! 18p, 9r, & 2s was the line he finished with.

James Harden, Brooklyn Nets
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/17/21)

Brooklyn, at least, bounced back last night! Can’t really say the same about the Knicks or the Celtics though…

Standings:
Brooklyn Nets 11-5
New York Knicks 8-7
Philadelphia 76ers 8-7
Boston Celtics 7-8
Toronto Raptors 7-8

So let’s talk about last night!

James Harden

Sort of feels like a broken record to say that James Harden is finally looking more and more like himself. It’s been a process, a slow one at that, but he’s progressing! MVP level Harden is going to need to show up for the Nets to beat teams like the Warriors. Especially if Kyrie isn’t going to come back, everyone except KD has to step up. Harden finished this one with 27p, 10r, 7a.

Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum was getting back to business! His efficiency was back up, he was unstoppable again, and he was pouring in buckets! The rest of the team and the team’s defense was a completely different story. I just enjoyed watching Tatum again though after a stretch of some bad games that were just hard to watch all-around. Despite his 34p, 9r, 5a, the team slipped to below .500 again.

New York Knicks

I don’t even need a video to talk about the Knicks this time. The way this team went from looking legit to looking horrid so fast is crazy! Between October and November, it’s like we’ve seen two completely different Knicks teams. Evan Fournier, RJ Barrett, and Julius Randle have been in the forefront of this skid too…

Bruce Brown, Brooklyn Nets
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/16/21)

Both Philly and Brooklyn went up against a couple of the top Western teams and fell pretty hard. The loss was a little uglier for the Nets since it was a battle of the MVP’s and by the time the game was over, the home crowd was chanting MVP at the opposing player…

Standings:
Brooklyn Nets 10-5
New York Knicks 8-6
Philadelphia 76ers 8-7
Boston Celtics 7-7
Toronto Raptors 7-8

So let’s talk about last night.

Bruce Brown

Bruce Brown gave Steph Curry some great bulletin board material when he was laughing about Curry being a good player. Whether he meant it in a disrespectful way or not, it seemed like Curry took it personally. Steph dropped 37, but Bruce Brown had one of the more efficient games for the Nets starting five. He ended up with 14p, 5r, 3a, 3s on 6-8 shooting. He has for sure earned the minutes that he’s getting right now and when you’re going up against the greatest shooter of all time, then you’ll take your lumps. For his role, he played it very well, but the stars just did not play star-like enough to win.

Shake Milton

Honestly, there’s not a whole lot to say about this game for the Sixers. Shake Milton was the lead scorer with 18 points, but that was on 7-19 shooting. Joel Embiid is desperately needed on this team if they want to get back into form. Not having Matisse Thybulle doesn’t help either on the defensive end. Covid really shoved a thorn in the side of this team recently, hopefully, they can bounce back.

Kevin Durant

Here is some quality Stephen A. Smith entertainment as he talked about Kevin Durant making the wrong decision by going to Brooklyn.

Al Horford, Boston Celtics
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/15/21)

Boston and New York grab themselves a win while Toronto continues their slide. Which makes it weirder that Toronto was also the one with the best offense in their respective games.

Standings:
Brooklyn Nets 10-4
Philadelphia 76ers 8-6
New York Knicks 8-6
Boston Celtics 7-7
Toronto Raptors 7-8

So let’s talk about last night!

Al Horford

Al Horford is the one getting highlighted right now, instead of Jayson Tatum, because he made the same amount shots that Tatum did in 10 fewer attempts. He also hit one more three but didn’t get the free throws to bolster his point total. Horford has been playing some very meaningful minutes lately as the Celtics have needed him dearly in every win of theirs. He’s provided the inside presence when Robert Williams isn’t on the floor and he’s also given them some floor spacing and defensive leadership. While it was a great move to bring him back this season, they’re still going to need a bit more than just Horford. He ended up with 17p, 9r, 3a, & 2b.

OG Anunoby

OG Anunoby cashed in another great offensive night for the Toronto Raptors. 29 points on 9-19 from the floor and 6-10 from three is not too shabby of a performance. Everyone in the starting five actually shot 42% or higher, but the bench minutes were the biggest minus in this game. That’s where Portland started pulling away, any time each time had their bench players in. Anunoby, on the other hand, added 6r, 2a, 3s to his 29 and did a great job keeping the Raptors in this game.

Derrick Rose

This New York Knicks game was quite ugly. Which has been the case the last handful of games if we’re being honest. Derrick Rose put together a nice stat line off the bench with 14p, 5r, & 7a. The main reason I decided to highlight him over the leading scorer, Kemba Walker, is because he also took the team on their best scoring runs. Rose was +21 compared to Walker’s -15 because he was affecting the game in more ways than just straight scoring. There have been legitimate arguments for Derrick Rose being moved to starting point guard, but it looks like there are more issues than just that in the month of November.

Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons is receiving fines yet again. This time for missing the team’s west coast road trip. If you listen to the latest episode of our podcast, we talked a bit about this saga and the role Rich Paul is playing in the whole thing. I wish both sides would just set the record straight without having to talk through agents, media, and other talking heads. Once this is resolved, both parties can finally breathe a sigh of relief and just move on with life.

Patty Mills, Brooklyn Nets
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/14/21)

Sunday was quite a relaxing one with only one Atlantic game. Atlantic fans, even Brooklyn Nets fans who had the game, could all just chill and watch some football.

Standings:
Brooklyn Nets 10-4
Philadelphia 76ers 8-6
New York Knicks 7-6
Toronto Raptors 7-7
Boston Celtics 6-7

So let’s talk about last night.

Patty Mills

Patty Mills added another great game to his Sixth Man of the Year candidacy. Even though this was a homecoming for both Kevin Durant and James Harden, Mills stole the show. He hoisted up 12 threes and made nine of them! The game overall wasn’t even a super competitive one as we all know that Oklahoma City is in year 25 of their rebuild right now. Mills and Durant didn’t let that stop them from scoring 29 and 33 points each! Everything was falling with ease and Mills looked like he was just playing a fun game of playground hoops.

Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/13/21)

The Atlantic suffered a rough go of it last night. Out of the three teams that played, not one of them pulled out a win.

Standings:
Brooklyn Nets 9-4
Philadelphia 76ers 8-6
New York Knicks 7-6
Toronto Raptors 7-7
Boston Celtics 6-7

So let’s get to it and talk about last night.

Tobias Harris

Tobias Harris is getting himself right back into the flow now. He’s getting back to his three-level scoring, but just a little inefficient at the moment. The bout of Covid he dealt with sounded like it was going to keep him out for much longer. So, we’re glad he’s just back in general! The biggest issue is that the team is on a four-game skid now and they’re going to have to figure something out since Joel Embiid is still out. Harris finished up this one with 32p, 11r, & 3a.

Pascal Siakam

Pascal Siakam is back baby! I know this was his second game back, but he was reeeeally back in this game. The experiment of him at the five in the starting squad hasn’t been too shabby. His offensive versatility as a five is only matched by very few players, but the defense and rebounding against true fives is the real question. Either way, it was nice seeing him get into the thick of the action and get scrappy with his buckets. He ended the game with 25p, 12r, 7a.

Robert Williams III

Robert Williams continues to play some very good basketball for Boston. Sometimes I scratch my head wondering why they don’t run some more things through him. Yes, his offensive game is a little limited, but expanding the inside game would only help take some heat off of Jayson Tatum and company. His rebounding and defense have been a major key for this team. DJ Khaled would even agree! His stat line for the night was 13p, 16r, 3a, & 3b.

Dennis Schroder, Boston Celtics
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/12/21)

Overtime games, near triple-doubles, and a disappointing loss. I’ll let you guess which refers to which team!

Standings:
Brooklyn Nets 9-4
Philadelphia 76ers 8-5
New York Knicks 7-6
Toronto Raptors 7-6
Boston Celtics 6-6

Anyway, let’s talk about last night!

Dennis Schroder

We finally have a Dennis Schroder game! Boston took the reigning champs to overtime and got themselves a hard-fought win! In retrospect, it probably shouldn’t have been this hard to beat a Giannis-less Bucks team, but nevertheless, a win is a win. Schroder had himself a night to lead Boston to the win. He finished with 38p, 8r, & 3a! His mission continues to prove he’s worth more than the contract he signed this off-season.

James Harden

James Harden is back again doing James Harden things! Hitting threes, step-backs, attacking the rim, and finding the open man. Love watching his game when he’s running at 100%. When he and KD are playing like they did last night, then the Brooklyn Nets are truly the team that everyone should be scared about! He ended up with 39p, 5r, 12a on 11-18 FG & 6-10 3P.

Alec Burks

Alec Burks had quite the efficient night off the bench and even had the most amount of rebounds on the team. That fact alone about rebounds should tell you a lot. He continues to be a very nice rotational piece for the Knicks, but this loss was outside of his power. He delivered in his 25 minutes and the rest of the bench actually had a positive +/- as well. The starters, however, did not keep their end of the bargain.

Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/11/21)

Only a one-game with two teams slate for the Atlantic last night. Always love the Atlantic matchups since the division is much closer than expected!

Standings:
Brooklyn Nets 8-4
Philadelphia 76ers 8-5
New York Knicks 7-5
Toronto Raptors 7-6
Boston Celtics 5-6

Anyway, let’s talk about last night!

Fred VanVleet

There’s something poetic about an undrafted Fred VanVleet leading and running this young team full of promising young players and even a new top pick rookie. The poise, the leadership, the scoring ability, and the passion that VanVleet brings to this team are unmatched. He can to nuclear on the court at any point as we saw last night. In the first quarter alone he already had 15p, 3r, 3a and set the Raptors up with an energy that wasn’t going away. So far, he definitely deserves an All-Star selection! In this game, he finished with 32p, 6r, & 7a.

Tyrese Maxey

It’s just necessary to highlight Tyrese Maxey for the second game in a row. In these last two games, his averages are as follows: 32p, 4.5r, 4.5a, 1s, 1.5b, 1to on 55.8% FG, and 41.7% 3P! Those are some big-time stats for a second-year player that was thrust into the spotlight due to the Ben Simmons circumstances! As a team though, the Sixers were obviously going to take a hit with all of the drama, injuries, and Covid going around. Last season they were one of the best teams at home in the NBA, they only lost seven games at home all year. So far this year, they’re 4-4 at home compared to 4-1 on the road. That’s going to be an interesting tidbit to keep an eye on.

Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/10/21)

The entire Atlantic except for the Sixers got some action last night. They went an even 2-2, but that isn’t exactly fair since two went head-to-head. How about this November weather on the East Coast though, right? This stuff is weird!

Standings:
Philadelphia 76ers 8-4
Brooklyn Nets 8-4
New York Knicks 7-5
Toronto Raptors 6-6
Boston Celtics 5-6

Anyway, let’s talk about last night.

Kevin Durant

Look, I usually don’t like to mention the same player that often, but with Kevin Durant… How can I not continue to mention him?! He’s leading the league in scoring and only missed ONE shot last night. He took 12 total shots and ended with 30 points! The Brooklyn Nets really need to just make the NBA Finals already because it’s long overdue to see Durant playing in it again.

Immanuel Quickley

Immanuel Quickley popped off real quick in their game against the Bucks. While they did lose by 12, he still shot 50% from the floor and finished with 18p, 5r, & 4a. His minutes have been a little sporadic as Thibs just works some lineup magic all the time. Not sure if magic might be the correct word, but you catch my drift. Quickley is still one of the better offensive talents at his age and continues to grow. A lot of the time, I’d probably rather have him on the floor than Evan Fournier.

Robert Williams

Am I finally highlighting the Time Lord, Robert Williams, right now? Why yes, yes I am! He’s continued to be the steadying force in the middle for the Boston Celtics and that was on full display against the Toronto Raptors. 16p, 13r, 2s, & 1b was the stat line he produced. His offensive rebounds are always the best part because this team does jack a good amount of shots and he at least gives them some extra chances to jack some more.

Scottie Barnes

On the other side of the Celtics game, the rookie Scottie Barnes had himself another good night. I’d say he was the best of the bunch when it comes to the starters. His line was 21p, 7r, & 4a and shot 63.6% from the floor. His all-around game continues to shine and each game it improves a little more. With Pascal Siakam back on the floor, the next hurdle is how to figure out how to play well together since they’re running lineups with Siakam at center and Barnes at power forward.