Daily MVP Film Breakdown: Aldridge’s Career High 56
On Thursday night, LaMarcus Aldridge put together a big man performance for the ages in arguably the game of the year. It took double overtime, but he notched his first ever 50-point game in a 154-147 win over Oklahoma City.
LaMarcus Aldridge’s 56 were the most points without attempting a 3 since Shaq in 2000.
Barbecue chicken all day 🍗🍗🍗 pic.twitter.com/WT8cG3GyQH
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zEWLcCU–M
This performance is even more impressive considering he played 30 minutes in a loss the night before, scoring just 13 points on 4/12 shooting in Memphis. However, Aldridge put up huge numbers by outworking and simply beating Steven Adams, who Coach Pop said scared him before the game. Adams would be my first pick if I were to choose a bouncer from the NBA ranks, but he could not toss LaMarcus out of the club all night.
Ok here’s the game: drink every time you see LaMarcus Aldridge beat Aquaman pic.twitter.com/8a4pPoiF9X
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
LA worked hard off the ball to seal Adams, perfect high low from Pau pic.twitter.com/gDfgvvrJNX
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
Aldridge set the tone by establishing unbeatable interior position on Adams, and then he went to the fadeaway that he’s famous for. It was too wet even for Aquaman on this night.
This a tough shot fading against a seven footer.
Aldridge was bricking these to start the year, but no more. pic.twitter.com/afCtNDcJWB— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
Adams is in LA’s jersey after the bobble, LA does not care pic.twitter.com/5BZKSmrTF1
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
LA had it all going in this one, and a big part of his game now is setting screens, rolling, and working off the ball. DeMar DeRozan has a knack for drawing multiple defenders,
DeRozan draws a triple team, Aldridge finds the opening under the basket, loses it for a second, pumps, and gets it in. pic.twitter.com/cqFLatkfyT
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
If the plan is to double on the pick and roll, there has to be weak side help on the big man. Westbrook never got the memo. pic.twitter.com/pqihMXCD2N
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
Pick, pop, pump, punish pic.twitter.com/qKykpimluH
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
Derrick White has been phenomenal for San Antonio lately, and he hit Aldridge with a few perfect dimes to put him in great position to get a basket.
Excellent pass by White to get LA the ball this close to the basket.
Once he catches there, the fadeaway is muscle memory. pic.twitter.com/oOQ8BMJS5U— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
Double screens confuse the hell out of people.
Another dime by Derrick. pic.twitter.com/yE6kL4rh1y— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
Aldridge got a ton of help from his friends, but his game was a perfect balance between working off the ball and dominating in the post against the seven-foot anchor of the best defense in the league.
This little shoulder bump on Adams gives LA all the space he needs pic.twitter.com/sW4P8L4BxF
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
Usually Steven Adams in a dude’s face with his hands up at the buzzer is great defense. Usually. pic.twitter.com/RPSD6XoQ4i
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
If you decide to double Aldridge, the Spurs have enough shooters and playmakers around him to make you pay.
White is a perfect triple threat off of an LA post up. pic.twitter.com/3GwRR6NJLv
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
When Adams limped to the locker room late in the fourth, Aldridge set about abusing anybody who dared to attempt to guard him on the left block.
Often you’ll see LA pass or turn around and fade to his left when the double comes. Here, he powers through it to the center of the paint instead. pic.twitter.com/L7Icc8WsrR
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
LaMarcus really threw it to himself off the glass with 3 seconds left on the clock and still beat the buzzer. A skinny legend. pic.twitter.com/HTOuS62Jdk
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
Poor Jerami Grant got the worst of it. If Steven Adams couldn’t stop the jumper, there was no way Grant was gonna do it.
This is a tough shot, but LA makes it look easy pic.twitter.com/5rxAaeo4Fk
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
Aldridge has this one patented pic.twitter.com/DW2dsAGrRu
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
Jerami Grant is now LaMarcus Aldridge’s son, I’m sorry I don’t make the rules pic.twitter.com/NkWFnpi9tR
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
When Adams came back into the game, Aldridge kept giving him the work.
Defense not terrible, but LaMarcus Aldridge is a bad man pic.twitter.com/hlYeQkRVRJ
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
LA’s shot so wet 😥 pic.twitter.com/9C4twArlL7
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
Aldridge has ninja style timing on his pump fakes down low. He knows exactly how to protect the ball and get defenders out of position.
Aldridge’s timing on these pump fakes, good grief pic.twitter.com/Uak1EBplPt
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
This teeny pump fake gets LA over 50. Just perfect. pic.twitter.com/FkLspmPg5D
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
Aldridge’s timing is also exquisite on the defensive end of the floor, where he anchors the best defense in the NBA over the last month. He isn’t the scariest rim protector, but he ends possessions with ninja moves at the basket.
This is the Wu Tang sword style pic.twitter.com/t4ymwsTRKQ
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
JUDO CHOP pic.twitter.com/zhPduxCVEK
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
If the situation calls for standing tall and swatting a shot at exactly the right moment, he can do that too.
LaMarcus has turned into a damn good rim protector pic.twitter.com/tbq8ye4dHT
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
LaMarcus is serving you lateral quickness, strength, balance, and timing. pic.twitter.com/BqkatsFT5y
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
DeRozan finished this game with just 16 points, but 11 assists, and Aldridge finished with 56 and just 4 assists, so naturally, one of the last plays of the game was Aldridge’s slickest pass of the year to a cutting DeMar for the layup.
🚨 BIG MAN DIME ALERT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/qBYLfzPzZr
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 12, 2019
There are so many ways LaMarcus Aldridge can beat you, and he showed damn near every one of them in the first 50-point game of his career. You bet he took the game ball with him when he was done.
Go ahead and take that game ball, LaMarcus. 🏀#GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/CjmeRqHZ1X
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 11, 2019
