Booker Calls Game

QUARANTITLE - 8/4

Upset of the Season? - No. Not only is this game not the upset of the season, it's not much of an upset at all. Those who actually watched the game would know that both Giannis and Khris Middleton sat out the entire second half as Milwaukee played their bench unit for the majority of the game. Brooklyn's best lineup is just about as good as the Donte DiVincenzo-led group that closed the 4th quarter. If this victory is an upset to them, let them have it. Nets fans have enough to be upset about as it is.
Tattoos - Prior the "shocking" result of this game, multiple fans wagered their own bodies in confidence that the Nets would lose. The Nets won. Riding high on the victory over the NBA's best team, Nets players Jarrett Allen and Chris Chiozza called out those fans who promised to get a tattoo following a Nets victory. It was nice to see a somewhat lighthearted moment involving the Brooklyn Nets after such a depressing season and series of events.

Time to Worry About Dallas? - Coming within 4 points of losing to the Sacramento Kings should not happen to a surefire playoff team in the west. Let's face it, Dallas should be 0-3 in Orlando. 3 straight ugly games from them has given way to a concerned fanbase. A member of that fanbase, Owen Daryani, shared his concerns with the current state of the team in an article earlier today. Check it out here.

Booker Calls Game - When I checked the schedule this morning, I immediately wrote this game off for Phoenix. "This is where the streak ends and they go back to sucking." I thought. By 10am I had already created an entire media narrative around my assumptive result of this game. Phoenix proved me and all others wrong by stunning the Clippers on a buzzer beating jumper from Devin Booker over Paul George, of course. They've won back to back games 117-115 over quality opponents. I'm starting to believe in them.

Drug Test TJ Warren - The TJ Warren Show continues to deliver. Warren (who is in desperate need of a nickname) dropped 31 points without missing a shot in the first half for a blowout win over the Magic. I'll reiterate my point from yesterday's Quarantitle, if you aren't tuning into Pacers games, you're missing out. Warren is as close to unstoppable offensively as you can get. What's even shocking is his consistent impact defensively as well. Warren is playing like a superstar in Orlando and hasn't gotten the recognition for it. Indiana is 3-0 and looking dangerous, especially if Domantas Sabonis were to return for the playoffs.

Massive Seeding Implications - Miami, Boston, and Indiana all sit within a game of each other in the East standings. Tonight was the first of three matchups between any of those teams, causing a 1 game swing in the playoff picture. Every game from here on out is crucial for these three, two of which will play each other and one will likely play Philly. I couldn't figure out a good way to word that sentence, so I apologize if you didn't understand.
No Jimmy No Problem - Miami beating Boston without Jimmy Butler is a bigger deal than it seems. This young core was able to handle the more seasoned Celtics squad in a non-fluke fashion. This wasn't a one-off win in any regard. Both teams executed to the best of their ability and Miami just did it better. That speaks volumes about this team's potential in the playoffs if they're able to succeed at this level.

Skinny Melo Delivers Again - My two biggest revelations in Orlando have both involved Portland. The first being Gary Trent Jr's overwhelming competence in any role. The second and more noticeable is Skinny Melo's consistent aptitude in the clutch. All of Portland's games thus far have come down to final possessions and Melo has emerged as a guy who can be counted on in those situations. While Melo has been great in the clutch throughout his career, his role in Portland is vastly different from the ball dominant days in New York and Denver. The way he's been able to adjust his style and sacrifice usage for the new team is among the most impressive aspects of his career.

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