Pacers shut down Bucks AGAIN, James Harden thriving & Zion’s consistency w/ Tim Legler | SC with SVP

Pacers shut down Bucks AGAIN, James Harden thriving & Zion’s consistency w/ Tim Legler | SC with SVP

M 40 seconds left we’re tied at 132 Jordan Clarkson all three of these the Jazz lead by three next Pistons possession buan bonovich steps into it why wouldn’t you iole we’re tied at 135 next Jazz possession under 10 Lowry marinan again Jazz up three Pistons uing inbounds

Timeouts get it to Alec Burks he’ll tie the game just like that that’s 4 threes in under 40 seconds and we’re going to OT tight at 138 legs was excited cuz it meant for sure we were going to get a record of teams that have 140 in one night noot Clarkson again same

Spot Jazz powered by Clarkson’s 36 win 154 148 both of the those teams top 140 three others who reached that Mark on Wednesday it’s the first night day whatever in the history of the NBA where five teams scored 140 or more we will show you how those teams got there as we

Continue on speaking of Fifth and final regular season meeting between the Bucks and the Pacers Pacers have had their way in this one it’s been interesting to see no doubt the Bucks are one of the very best teams in the league league but when Indiana sees them it’s like have some of

This down low the Bucks Take the Lead as Giannis got doubled found Maran bamp fifth straight game with 25 points 10 10 or more boards and five or more assists which is his longest streak of the season they LED at the half but now the Pacers lead into the third Tyrese

Halberton love everything about the way this guy carries himself and plays the game pulls from three peculiar looking shot but man he knows it’s going in and he let the Bucks bench know about it unless you’re a bucks fan it’s hard not to enjoy the panach that these

Youngsters play with how about that dime halberton where you at Miles Turner right here that’s gorgeous Hoops Pacers carrying a 16-point lead into the final 12 minutes more the same in the fourth Halton come on bottoms and again the chitchat continues hurton I can do it again if you need a closeup oh

Pacers I me look at this you 14 handles all behind the back Miles Turner Halton 31 12 assist zero turnovers and the Pacers just enjoying every last bite of this one they win by a dozen the Pacers five over 500 but they’re doing much better against the Bucks the regular season

Series comes to an end five times in 56 days including the inseason tournament Indiana won four of the five between the two Halle Burton averaged 271 and six but halberton was not the only star who showed up and showed out in these meetings Giannis averaged a robust 4213

And five against the Pacers he also went for that franchise record to 64 in Milwaukee and then who got the ball afterwards there’s a little bit of bookkeeping discrepancy on the whole Pacers offense just too much they go over 120 in all five average 129 for context the Bucks are allowing just 118

All Season against other teams here’s halberton afterwards on the season series it’s been interesting uh to see a team this many times and I think we’ve handled it the right way um obviously there was you know the game game in Milwaukee got a little chippy and uh I

Thought we responded the right way a lot of things said from from both sides and we we we came out and we’re prepared for that and we’ve handled it the right way but it’s been cool to play you know these really good teams this early in

The year cuz our fans are coming out and we’re just you know trying to you know make Pacers basketball fun and and uh interesting for the fans to be here Guys fan club is growing hard not to like he’s got multiple games with 25 10 assists and zero turnovers against

Bucks this season sixth instance of a player having that statline an entire career he’s now done it twice and both have come this season Tim legler smile on his face alongside because look we know what this Bucks record says they are they’re one of the very one of the

Very best teams in the league but they see Indiana and Indiana’s eyes light up and they just there’s just there’s a certain level of disrespect with which they treat this former Champion team what do you make of it all yeah you think about it now you’re talking about

A team in walk first of all they’ve won a championship okay and they added Damen ller they’re expecting to win another championship this year and the Pacers are saying we can’t get enough Milwaukee because defensively there it’s a problem for Milwaukee to guard this team for specific reasons and the Pacers know it

And they take advantage of it and let’s get into it right now so it’s what they do well it’s about the fact that Milwaukee’s not that quick and they play multiple bigs and even some of their wings aren’t as quick and what you’re going to do you’re going to use Brook

Lopez instincts against him to go get everything at The Rim so if this ball right here is not contained if you don’t stop that right there and you allow somebody to get downhill you’re going to force Brook Lopez to respond to that and his inclination is always going to be to

Run to the rim and it starts a chain of events where on the perimeter they’re just not very quick and they don’t make great readon now Giannis does the right thing here first pass comes out he goes to it that’s the right thing to do you got the basketball contained right here

Here’s though where now you start to use the lack of speed speed against them and also communication when this ball gets swung it really should be like this Lillard runs here and then you’re going to have Jackson should go here and match up and then Lopez should go here and

Take the Baseline guy they don’t do that watch got two guys run at the ball it’s one more swing and it’s an easy three so right after you score you come down the other end you give up an easy three now here’s another area in which they’re taking advantage of the Bucks not

Getting back in transition you should be in a good spot right here you got guys back but watch the Pacers run they’re going to take advantage of Giannis in the back court he knows who man is it’s right here Jaylen Smith on the Baseline problem is Giannis is trailing the play

To such an extent and Miles Turner is going to be the guy he’s supposed to be match up with but he’s not in the picture so when Miles Turner slips into the middle Watch What Happens Lopez has no choice but now to come up and take him because Giannis is still behind the

Play and on the weak side take a look at freezing guys with your eyes right here great job look at the shooter you’re going to freeze Chris Middleton on the weak side he’s Frozen back here and now you get the sneak along the Baseline for

An easy drop down and a dunk and again so you miss a layup on one end you give up a dunk on the other end 5 seconds later because the Milwaukee Bucks identity when they won a championship was really built around their defense first they’re not as good defensively

The league really isn’t it’s an offense driven league but they have a lineup in particular that really struggles to catch up to the basketball and the speed in the pace of the Indiana Pacers and the Pacers know it and that’s why they are having so much fun against this team

And and the Bucks are glad right now they don’t have to see them maybe until potential playoff series five times already we’re going to move to the Clippers here but you you made a point as we were talking I said maybe these are the kind of receipts that the Bucks

Hang on to until the spring your point was if if you were going to do it you’d have done it now enough’s enough already of this they just don’t they just don’t have an answer all right Clips have w three straight 12 of their last 14 Phoenix unfortunately without Kevin

Durant hamstring sess we were hoping to see strength on strength oneson ones in this one we saw the Clippers do their thing you see Paul George hit Paul George hit do it again I will he had 17 in the first that’s a season high on six of eight shooting three of four from

Three and the Clippers had a big 15-point lead after the opening stands up in Phoenix early in the second Clippers still up double figures Russell Westbrook working on bow Bowl got him on skates another look as Westbrook you talking about a guy he’s going to have fun until it’s

Done it’s a 12-point lead now it’s 14 as Kawai post up Grayson and it’s too small Paul George five of 10 from three team High 33 Clips up 20 can the home team get back in it still time for a run Devin Booker game high 35 all right it’s under 10

Eight-point game but now Kawai oh goodness you you know if you trip and stumble everybody laughs and does the thing Kawai had 30 and8 it’s an 11o game and then Harden didn’t get the foul call but made the three 22 and 11 for Harden and the clips win by

Nine Clips trade for Harden couple of months ago and struggled out of the gate but since then they are 13 and two leading the league and shooting from the field and on threes Tim legler is here and Tim you told us relatively early on this season that this was a team no

One’s going to want any part of in the spring because particularly of kawhai who we’ve seen be just absolutely dominant come playoff time and he’s he’s a champion as a result and you said if they’re going to be great it’s not because of Harden but it’s interesting because perhaps Harden has found the

Perfect spot and the perfect role how is he thriving with this team well he’s in a great space because he can score but doesn’t have to and that’s exactly where he needs needs to be at this stage of his career the pressure is not on him to

Be the primary guy to go to he doesn’t have to take 20 shots or score 35 for them to win so as a result they’re taking advantage of of what he really can do which is pick you apart with his passing this is one of the best passers

In the entire NBA but sometimes that would get muddled because he’d have some some tough nights as a scorer when his teams needed him to have it that might not be the case with this group now he’s going to pay great dividends in the regular season which he is right now

Because you might give Paul George kawhai a night off and you still have an elite offensive player question is going to be is this Lane still comfortable for him in the postseason when teams are starting to game plan a little bit more for kawh Paul George and there is more

Pressure on James Harden but right now there’s no other way to put this this has been a seamless transition with James Harden joining this group and you got to give him a lot of credit for that yeah and I think it’s interesting if he’s say your third option could say

George and Leonard clearly are are your one and two but this is a dude who last year what do you get 40 some OD against the Celtics with Philadelphia I mean he still got that in his bag I mean what a luxury that is if that’s your third

Score option yeah if it’s if that’s the guy right next to him be that you have to have it on a given night I felt that the pressure affected James said that about he won’t be feeling that nearly to the extent here because you’ve got kawhai and Paul George they’re the

Primary guys and the best thing about it is kawh Leonard has been healthy the entire season if that’s still the case when they get to Mid April this team absolutely has enough talent to win the whole thing look you and I have sat here for a lot of years and we’ve been

Critical of him when it was worthy of being critical but absolutely give him the praise when he’s earning it and he it’s been it’s been a as you said seamless transition 13- two in the last 15 the wildly entertaining OKC Thunder looking for their sixth straight win visiting Atlanta Wednesday night off a

Big win at home over Boston you wonder how much gas in the tank and early on it looked like the answer was not a whole lot Atlanta out and running Jaylen Johnson with a little finger roll there and the Hawks lead by 14 then let’s run

Behind the back down the lane and oh Johnson drops the hammer Hawks lead by 15 17-point lead and look out Chad the thin man gets dunked on here Johnson and the Hawks with a big 17-point lead fourth quarter you wonder is this a night where the Thunder will just take their

Medicine and go quietly no Johnson a career-high 28 and the lead still seems comfortable with Shay gilis Alexander hits the three objects in the rear view closer than they appear here come the Thunder SGA down the lane to the rim five-point game five-point game again shil just Alexander makes it three

BD donov is trying to seal it he pulled that one a little quicker than he had to thunder get the stop and get one last chance and what a beautiful play gets drawn up here giddy Jen Williams Isaiah Joe gets a look from the corner to tie

No so Atlanta looked like they had this comfortably in hand but the Thunder able to make it very very close as you saw ball in the air chance to tie but Atlanta wins by three Zion Williamson in the Pelicans visiting Minnesota Anthony Edwards has scored over 30 his last three wolves

Have lost just one game at home all year nice take here Edwards three the hard way four straight 30-point games he had 35 in this one at ties Kevin Garett at the second longest streak in franchise history Brandon Ingram and the Pelicans up 15 Herbert Jones at a big game he’s

Been warm from three lately Corner three pushes the lead to 16 Zion little scoop off the window Minnesota’s largest halftime deficit at home all year long down 13 plenty of time though for a comeback but that was not in the offing in this one CJ his

Zion and he does such great work down there uses the rim as a Defender around Rudy goar and Edwards wo give me that another look Zion that bring the Kool-Aid to a Jin party on the other end Ingram such a versatile score he can

Do it a lot of different ways he had 19 can’s up 22 Zion out in transition still got the bounce he had 27 very efficient shooting night from the floor and pelicans get their fourth in a row dominating win four in a row led by the combo of Zion Ingram and McCullum

Lighting it up when they share the floor together in the 65 minutes that this Trio are on the floor see the Pelicans outscoring their opponents by more than 25 points per 100 possessions Tim legler here every Wednesday we continued the NBA conversation and looking at the schedule tonight we thought we might

Talk top of the West right Timberwolves and the Thunder they both lose right it’s early January we got plenty of time to get to them so let’s talk about this Pelican team because you got a you got a trio of stars you got capable scores you

Got versatility in the in in the lineup but what do you have big picture in the west what what are they well look they’ve got the three spots on the floor covered lead guard you got an elite level big Wing that can score and then

You’ve got this power play run Z so the talent is undeniable to make noise the west and be a second round team maybe maybe a conference finalist with that Squad is there a butt there there is a butt I would like to know definitively who their best player is and that may

Sound silly but when you go around and look at the contenders in this league and if I said a team name you’d immediately have a name jump off your tongue of who their best player is doesn’t mean every night that’s the case but you kind of know this is the guy and

It should be Zion and if I could definitively declare that it is Zion because he does it every night with the level of intensity that he did tonight that just did against the Lakers in an impressive performance I’d feel better about their chances I think that is

Where I think there’s more for them it it really lies with Zion Williamson and I just look at certain things like his rebounding numbers five games all year in double digit rebounds that just that shouldn’t be for a guy this athletic this powerful this strong so I would

Like to see it more consistent that would make me believe more in the Pelicans big three being a real serious threat to a team like Denver or Phoenix or the Clippers whoever it may be in the west so in a nutshell you’re saying they’re be tantalized they’re going to

Be fun to watch but can they bring it for this sustain it for series plural come spring that’s a question mark you still have I think that’s reasonable Tim legler every Wednesday with us during the NBA appreciate you my Friend

Tim Legler joins SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt to break down all the action from Wednesday night hoops in the NBA.

0:00 Detroit Pistons vs. Utah Jazz
1:16 Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers
7:46 LA Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns
11:31 OKC Thunder vs. Atlanta Hawks
13:13 New Orleans Pelicans vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

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