NBA Weekly Recap
The NBA is finally back. The opening week of the 2021-2022 NBA season was as jam-packed as it could get. Here is a weekly recap of the biggest events so far just in case you missed them.
Knicks Vs Celtics Opening Game
One of the best opening week games of all-time took place between the Knicks and Celtics.
A game that finished in double overtime seeing the Knicks scrape out a win.
The Celtics were led by Jaylen Brown who finished with a career-high 46 points.
Regulation ended with a Marcus Smart buzzer-beater to force overtime in a dramatic fashion.
Overtime started with both the Knicks and Celtics drilling 3’s back and forth.
Eventually, the Knicks outlasted the Celtics with a heroic effort from Evan Fournier who broke the Knicks debut point record with 32 and shined bright especially in overtime.
It was a great way to kick off the new NBA season.
Warriors Off To Hot Start
The Warriors opened the season beating both LA teams.
Despite Steph Curry’s struggles against the Lakers, the Warriors took control in the 4th quarter leading them to victory.
Against the Clippers, Curry was unbelievable finishing with 45 points and hit the go-ahead shot with 56.8 seconds left.
Beating two contenders to start the season is huge for the Warriors to gain momentum to continue for the rest of the season.
This team could be a real problem if Klay Thompson returns to any form close to what he was.
Lakers Dysfunction
It has not been the greatest start for the Lakers, to say the least.
The new-look Lakers were met with some skepticism when it was formed. Is a ball-dominant guard like Russel Westbrook the true answer to last season's failure?
To start Westbrook struggled massively in their opener against the Warriors finishing 4-13 from the field.
Then against the Suns, Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard had a confrontation on the bench sparking all kinds of drama. The Lakers were down 30 points in the 3rd quarter.
Also after a block from Lebron James on Cam Johnson, Lebron did not come back on offense for a whole possession.
When you look at the current status of the Lakers you scratch your head. There is still a whole season to go and it is practically a whole new roster but this team is something to keep your eye on.
Bulls Look Impressive
After a busy offseason and multiple acquisitions, the Bulls look to finally be a playoff team again. The Bulls have won three straight games.
Newly Acquired Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso are getting all the social media hype currently for their flashy plays. Zach Lavine and Demar DeRozan also are hot to start the season.
This will be an interesting team to see how they perform as the season goes on but they couldn’t have asked for a better start especially with all the new players meshing as quickly as they are.
Ben Simmons Still Not Back
The Ben Simmons saga continues as he has not played a single game since returning back to Philadelphia.
Simmons was suspended for the opening game due to noncommitment at practice. He was then ruled out for the following games due to back tightness and mental readiness.
This seems more like a smokescreen for Simmons in his desire for a trade rather than an actual issue.
It’s quite obvious the Simmons era hasn’t worked out as well as expected and you might as well see what you can get before his trade value drops even more.
Patrick Lepre is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email pjl5466@psu.edu
