Each night, Eye on Basketball brings you what you need to know about the games of the NBA. From great performances to terrible clock management the report card evaluates and eviscerates the good, the bad, and the ugly from the night that was.
Team
Grade
Analysis
A
Who's gonna stop the Knicks? That's three straight, with this one coming over the Miami Heat. There's drama brewing with the J.R. Smith situation, but the Knicks showed some heart and fight, got stops and made shots. They're still 13-22, but they're at least giving this a go. The Heat appeared to get a bit complacent as the game clearly meant more to the Knicks, but you can't take the win away from them.
A
The Nuggets have ridden the rollercoaster this season, but make it four straight wins for them. They dispatched the Westbrook-less Thunder without much issues, getting 24 from Randy Foye as the team hit 14 3s. The Nuggets are dealing with their own bit of drama, but winning certainly makes things feel better.
D-
I'm not entirely sure the Heat started worrying they'd lose this game until there was about four minutes left. And at that point, they couldn't flip their customary switch. This is a bit of a problem with the Heat, but as we've all learned with them, it's not really that big of a deal.
F
Just a complete stinker by the Thunder. Yes, they were missing Russell Westbrook and it showed. Kevin Durant had 30 in three quarters, but he sat the entire fourth because the game was over. He's not getting much help at all and outside of him hitting shots all over, the Thunder have big problems.
