NBA report card: Grading Week 16 performances of Nuggets, Pacers, Celtics and more
Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and more have their Week 16 efforts assessed
Monday 10 February 2020 12:11, UK
Which teams have sparkled and which have flattered to deceive over the last seven days in the NBA? Sky Sports NBA assesses the contrasting Week 16 fortunes of four teams.
Denver Nuggets (37-16, Wk16 record 3-0) - Grade A
How much heart and confidence will the Nuggets take from their Week 16 road win over the Utah Jazz? With just seven fit players, Mike Malone's undermanned team scored a memorable win over their Western Conference rivals, 98-95, thanks primarily to a historic contribution from Nikola Jokic.
The Serb center produced a 30-point, 21-rebound, 10-assist triple-double and hit a clutch step-back jumper in the final minute to see the Nuggets through to an unlikely win. In doing so, Jokic became the ninth player in NBA history to post a 30-20-10 stat line and his status as the Nuggets' talisman shone through in his post-game comments.
"Nobody would think that we could win it, Jokic said on court after the win. "We had seven healthy bodies. Everybody stepped up. Everybody was there. We just didn't want to quit. We didn't want an excuse tomorrow. We just went out there and [tried] our best."
That win was sandwiched by victories over Portland and Phoenix enabling Denver to complete a perfect week. They were also active at the trade deadline, ultimately acquiring bench scorer Jordan McRae from Washington in exchange for Shabazz Napier, who they had picked up as part of an earlier four-team deal involving Houston, Atlanta and Minnesota in which they also received a 2020 first-round pick from the Rockets
Indiana Pacers (31-22, Wk16 record 0-4) - Grade D
A five-game losing streak should not be cause for huge alarm for the Indiana Pacers - yet. Four single-digit Week 16 losses, including two against the red-hot Toronto Raptors, have seen them slip back in their pursuit of a top-four Eastern Conference seed.
However, the team's priority is to reintegrate their best player, Victor Oladipo, following his return from the ruptured quad tendon that cost him 12 months of his career.
The Pacers are 1-5 since Oladipo returned to the court. He came off the bench in the first three of those games before returning to the starting line-up against the Raptors last Wednesday and sitting out of the Pacers' loss to the Pelicans on Saturday night.
Oladipo, a two-time All-Star, has increased his playing time from 20 and 27 minutes across the five games he has played, but he's nowhere close to his best yet, as his 28.2 per cent field goal percentage attests.
While their current recent losing will hurt, Indiana must stay patient. Their place in the playoffs is all-but assured and their ability to make a deep run once there will depend on Oladipo being somewhere close to his best.
Boston Celtics (37-15, Wk16 record 4-0) - Grade A
The second-hottest team in the East extended their winning streak to seven games with a perfect 4-0 week featuring wins against Atlanta (twice), Orlando and Oklahoma City.
Their 112-111 Sunday night road success against the Thunder was the best of the lot, with Kemba Walker leading the charge with 27 points and draining a pair of clutch three-pointers to seal the win.
Speaking on NBA TV's Gametime following the Celtics' win, analyst Grant Hill said: "This is an underrated team, I think. A team that not everybody is focusing on. I like their versatility and their maturity. You have young players who are all about winning. It looks like they play winning basketball and have bought in.
"This is an impressive team [moving] quietly under the radar and handling their business. They have a shot to go really, really far in the playoffs."
Minnesota Timberwolves (16-35, Wk16 1-2) - Grade C+
What better way of celebrating the acquisition of an All-Star at the trade deadline than by hammering one of the league's premier teams to end a miserable 13-game losing streak?
That's exactly what the Timberwolves did on Saturday night as they doled out a stunning 142-115 beatdown to a full-strength LA Clippers.
D'Angelo Russell, acquired from the Golden State Warriors for the underachieving Andrew Wiggins, did not play but his presence certainly shook star center Karl-Anthony Towns out of his long slumber. Immediate contributions from Malik Beasley and James Johnson (also acquired at the deadline) will have also pleased the Timberwolves front office.
One win cannot change a season and, in Minnesota's case, their potential challenge for the postseason ended some time ago. But with a revamped roster, including the star guard Towns himself had pined for, the Timberwolves have acted to appease their star.
Once Russell gets on the court, their partnership should provide Minnesota with a positive end to a lost season.
