Want to get caught up on all of the games, news, and highlights from around the Association in the past week? I’ve got you covered.
That’s right! After an arduous 5 month wait, the NBA is back baby! I’ll look back at the most interesting storylines from each day in the week, with highlights, analysis, and whatever else I choose to throw in at random. It should be a great time.
10/18: Tipping Off the New Season and Honoring Bill Russell
Bill Russell’s legacy is simply too great to overstate. On the court, he was obviously phenomenal, the resume speaks for itself, but his real impact was off it. A champion of civil rights, the first African-American head coach in league history, a man extremely well regarded and loved by everyone, Bill Russell just made everything better just by his being apart of it. He’s truly a legend, and will be sorely missed by all. The ceremony was very classy, I highly recommend you watch for yourself.
As for the basketball games tonight, one was a showcase of two heavyweight title contenders that lived up to the hype, and the other was an absolute ass-kicking, the equivalent of the older brother putting his younger sibling in a headlock and letting them know who’s in charge. Let’s start with the more interesting of the two:
Celtics(1-0) 126 – 76ers(0-1) 117
Top Scorers (BOS): Jayson Tatum: 35-12-4, Jaylen Brown 35-3-2 Top Scorers (PHI): James Harden: 35-8-7, Joel Embiid: 26-15-5
The first half of this game was an intense back and forth, with both teams throwing haymaker after haymaker. The first quarter was a bit of slog thanks to the 1500 free throws, but the game started to flow better after that (hey, it’s the ref’s first game back too). Most notably, James Harden looked like the Harden of old, dominating the ball, drawing fouls, and hitting tough shots. He also did this:
Embiid played well, but the Celtics’ defensive game plan did a great job getting him out of rhythm. Sending doubles whenever he touched the ball, and doing everything in their power to force him to catch the ball at the elbow instead of in the post, making him work for every basket. On the other side, the Jay’s of Boston put on a show.
Both Tatum and Brown finished with 35, and it felt like whenever Philly was pulling away, one of them would make a play to stop the run and keep the C’s in it. For my money, they’re the best 1-2 punch in the league, and the reason why the Celtics are still so dangerous this season. But there’s another reason for why I think Boston is actually better this year then last year: Malcolm Brogdon and the Celtics bench as whole. The differences in the subs were evident, as Boston pulled away when Philly’s stars sat in the second half, stretching the lead to where Embiid and Harden couldn’t catch back up.
In the most underrated move of the offseason, the Celtics rescued Brogdon from Indiana’s tank for basically nothing (All it took was a first and few scraps). The bench unit of Boston last year really lacked self creation and an instant scoring punch. Enter Brogdon, who averaged 19-5-6 last season for Indiana. A big (6′ 5″) guard with both defensive chops and the playmaking ability Boston so desperately needs when Tatum and Brown need to rest, he’s a perfect fit. He came off the bench to contribute 16 points(7-11 from the field) to go along 2 boards and 4 assists in just 23 minutes. He kept the ball moving, played well on defense, and kept the Sixers on the back foot by being yet another scoring threat to worry about. Don’t be surprised if you see him hold the 6MOY trophy at the end of year(if he isn’t already starting at that point).
Warriors(1-0) 123 – Lakers(0-1) 109
Top Scorers (GSW): Steph Curry: 33-6-7, Andrew Wiggins: 20-6-4 Top Scorers (LAL): Lebron James: 31-15-8, Anthony Davis: 27-6-0
This game was nowhere near as close as the final score indicates, and the final score was a 14 point win. As a team, the Lakers shot 10-40 from behind the arc. I don’t have to tell you why that’s not winning basketball. Notably, Anthony Davis was 0-3, Lebron 3-10, and Russ 1-3. When your three stars are inefficient three point shooters, logic tells you to surround them with guys that are capable of hitting shots. The Lakers did not do that. If moves are not made, I’ll be amazed if this team wins 35 games.
Let’s talk about Anthony Davis for a minute. Nobody in the league annoys me more than AD. He cannot shoot, yet plays like he’s Kevin Durant. One fluke run in The Bubble has convinced this man he’s something he’s not. He’s one of the most talented athletes in the game, but instead of getting his big ass in the post and taking advantage of this, he lets the defense off easy every time he takes a jumper. Don’t let the counting stats fool you, Davis did not play like the player he should be. And that should concern Lakers fans more than the supporting cast around him. Russ is gone next season, Lebron likely only two seasons left, all of the role players can be replaced, but Davis is 29 years old, he should be in the prime of his career, the star leading the purple and gold to glory. Instead, he’s doing this shit:
As for the only serious team on the floor in San Francisco, the defending champs looked real good. Golden State is attempting one of the most ambitious team building strategies ever; trying to bridge two generations while still competing a championship level. For last night at least, both sides held up their ends of the bargain. Steph Curry was his usual incredible self(making me look smart for having as my top PG in the league, thanks Steph), but everyone around him was on their game too. Andrew Wiggins, now on one of the best value contracts in the league, was sublime on both ends of floor. Klay, though inefficient, put up 18 points. Draymond and Jordan Poole played well and played together, perhaps the most promising sign of the night for Warriors fans. Jonathon Kuminga, Donte DiVincenzo(Kings legend!), JaMychal Green, Moses Moody, James Wiseman, the ever solid Kevon Looney, this team is deep, well coached, and is going to be a problem to stop. We might be seeing another ring ceremony in the Bay around the same time next year.
In unrelated news but equally important news,The Kings dropped Episode 4 of The Run tonight. The Run is a behind the scenes documentary that’ll follow the team throughout the season. I bring it up because not only was it a lot of fun and extremely well put together, but it was also hilarious:
10/19: A 12 Game Slate of Beautiful Chaos
Ok, wow. With 24 teams beginning their seasons today, I won’t be able to give each team the same depth of analysis I gave for the games yesterday. So let’s do a quick speedrun of the all the outcomes from tonight:
Pistons(1-0) 113 – Magic(0-1) 109
Top Scorers (DET): Bojan Bogdanovic: 24-5-2(6 3PM), Jaden Ivey: 19-3-4 Top Scorers (ORL): Paolo Banchero: 27-9-5, Jalen Suggs: 21-1-3
I was looking foraward to this game, not only is it a matchup between the 1st and 5th overall picks, but both teams are young with lots of interesting players. The Magic might be the most fun League Pass team this season, with an absurd amount of giant people that can do everything on the court. They play fast, play free, they even play Bol Bol regular minutes, how much fun is that? For Detriot, Jalen Duren looks awesome, I can’t believe dude is the same age as me. Look at this dunk. Damn. Ivey was dynamic in his first game, Cade ran the show effectively, but Bojan Bogdanovic stole the show, cashing 6 threes and leading Detriot in points. Some contender is going to be very glad they traded for him. Banchero was phenomenal in his debut, catching a nasty body along the way. Crucially for Orlando, Jalen Suggs shot 8-11 from the floor and 4-6(!!) from 3. Offensive development from Suggs will be huge for the Magic going forward, as he’s already a great defender. Overall, a really fun, down to the wire game between two teams with greater things to come.
Wizards(1-0) 114 – Pacers 0-1) 107
Top Scorers (WAS): Bradley Beal: 23-5-6, Kyle Kuzma: 22-13-2. Top Scorers (IND): Tyrese Haliburton: 26-4-7, Benedict Mathurin: 19-7-2
This one’s brief, both teams got the outcomes they were looking for. Indiana had stellar performances from their two franchise cornerstones and lost(helping the tank for Victor). Meanwhile, Washington’s collection of oddball talent dominated a game against an inferior team, like good teams are supposed to. Shake hands and move onto the next game.
Hawks (1-0) 117 – Rockets 0-1) 107
Top Scorers (ATL): John Collins: 24-8-1, Trae Young: 23-3-13 Top Scorers (HOU): Kevin Porter Jr. : 21-7-7, Jabari Smith Jr. : 17-7-1
Just like the game above, the tanking team got a loss and the playoff hopeful team got a win. While KPJ impressed, Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. both had inefficient nights from the field. I’m not concerned, they have plenty of time. The Hawks got 20+ points from 4 of their starters, with Hunter, Murray, Young, and Collins all stuffing the stat sheet. This game was back and forth for a little, but the superior team pulled it out.
Pelicans (1-0) 130 – Nets (0-1) 108
Top Scorers (NOR): Brandon Ingram: 28-7-5, Zion Willamson 25-9-3 Top Scorers (BKN): Kevin Durant: 32-3-2 (4 Blks), Patty Mills 16-0-1
In one of the more shocking outcomes of the day, the Pelicans completely dismantled Brooklyn. They started the game by jumping out to 20-4 lead, and never looked back. KD was the only one on the Nets who showed up, while New Orleans looked like a well oiled machine. Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving looked rusty, with Simmons dropping a whopping 4-5-5 before fouling out. The Nets have too much talent to get outclassed that badly, plain and simple. On the opposite end of the spectrum, this was a statement game from a hungry Pelicans team looking to prove they belong at the top in a packed Western Conference. Also: Zion back.
Bulls (1-0) 116 – Heat (0-1) 108
Top Scorers (CHI): DeMar DeRozan: 37-6-9, Ayo Dosunmu 17-6-4 Top Scorers (MIA): Jimmy Butler: 24-8-3, Tyler Herro: 23-6-1
In another surprise upset, Chicago took care of business against a Miami team thought to be a full tier above them. It’s opening night, so let’s not overreact, but good for the Bulls for weathering the storm of negativity over the offseason and coming out with a big win. DeMar continued his resurgence, he’s just a joy to watch. A poor shooting night from Bam Adebayo was the difference in this game (5-15 from the field). After an offseason full of promises for offensive improvement, you hope this is just a one game blip and not a theme for the year.
Raptors (1-0) 108 – Cavaliers (0-1) 105
Top Scorers (TOR): Pascal Siakam: 23-11-1, Gary Trent Jr. : 19-5-0 Top Scorers (CLE): Donovan Mitchell: 31-2-9, Cedi Osman: 17-3-1
Despite an early exit due to injury from Darius Garland, the Cavs rallied to keep the game close down to the final buzzer. Unfortunately, without Garland they lacked a secondary playmaker to take the pressure off Donovan Mitchell, who was sublime in his Cleveland debut. Toronto deserves credit for gutting out a tough win on a night when shots weren’t falling, the exact kind of game the Raptors excel at.
Grizzlies (1-0) 115 – Knicks (0-1) 112 (OT)
Top Scorers (MEM): Ja Morant: 34-4-9, Santi Aldama: 18-11-1 Top Scorers (NYK): Julius Randle: 24-11-6, Cam Reddish: 22-5-0
Ja Morant exploded back onto the scene, leading both the game in points and the Grizzlies to a hard fought W. A controversial missed goaltend in overtime aside, Memphis played a clean game and won the same way they won last year: superstar play from Morant and a supporting cast of well coached super-subs. Losing Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton in free agency and Dillion Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. to injury hurts, it seems like (for tonight at least), the Grizz have the capability to weather the storm. As for New York, how about Cam Reddish and Julius Randle? Both came into the season with major questions, and played well enough tonight to quiet the doubters for a bit. Jalen Brunson was Jalen Brunson, which is to say very good, and Isaiah Hartenstein played 40 minutes and was +1 in those minutes. Were it not for an out of character shooting night from RJ Barrett(3-18, 0-6 from 3), New York would’ve walked away with the win.
Timberwolves (1-0) 115 – Thunder (0-1) 108
Top Scorers (MIN): Rudy Gobert: 23-16-3, D’Angelo Russell: 20-5-2 Top Scorers (OKC): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 32-6-5, Josh Giddey: 14-11-4
On a night where KAT (2-10) and Ant (4-17) couldn’t hit a shot, it was new arrival Rudy Gobert that carried the team to a win over a scrappy Thunder team. It was a perfect debut for the Frenchman, and a huge win for a Timberwolves, before they would’ve been toast on a night where two of their best scorers were off. OKC got the L, which is nice for Victor, but man SGA is so special. He deserves to play meaningful basketball. The Thunder had this game tied going into the 4th quarter against a really good Minnesota squad, the future is bright in Oklahoma City.
Hornets (1-0) 129 – Spurs (0-1) 102
Top Scorers (CHA): Terry Rozier: 24-6-6, Gordon Hayward: 20-5-2 Top Scorers (SAS): Keldon Johnson: 20-11-4, Tre Jones 14-3-2
Honestly, this was a pretty boring game, outside of 19-10 off the bench from Nick Richards(see below). This went as expected, with a good but not great Hornets team dominating an overmatched tanking Spurs. Young stud Keldon Johnson played well, along with my favorite son Tre Jones(who went 1-2 from 3 tonight!). I know it hurts San Antonio, but remember why you’re doing this.
Jazz (1-0) 123 – Nuggets (0-1) 102
Top Scorers (UTA): Collin Sexton: 20-5-8, Lauri Markkanen: 17-4-4 Top Scorers (DEN): Nikola Jokic: 27-4-6, Aaron Gordon: 22-10-2
Ok I take it back- THIS is the most shocking outcome of the night. This much hyped Nuggets squad got punked by Collin Sexton and the supposedly tanking Jazz. Let this be a lesson, front offices tank, not players and coaches. With Denver, it’s all about time, letting MPJ and Jamal Murray get their reps and get reintegrated after injury. It’ll rough at first like tonight was (Jokic is aware of this as well), but the Nuggets aren’t worried about game 1 of 82, their focus is much further down the line.
Trail Blazers (1-0) 115 – Kings (0-1) 108
Top Scorers (POR): Jerami Grant: 23-8-1, Anfernee Simons: 22-3-2 Top Scorers (SAC): De’Aaron Fox: 33-7-7, Kevin Huerter: 23-3-2(6 3PM)
This one hurts. A massive putback dunk from Terence Davis brought the house down late in the 4th, but after he was called for a technical foul, the wheels fell off for Sacramento. There were some atrocious calls late in the game, most notably a phantom kickball that changed a turnover in a tied game to a made three for Portland, but this game was frustrating because the Kings should’ve won regardless. Sloppy turnovers, careless fouls, and getting killed on the offensive glass(11 OREBS for Portland) lost this game just as much as the referees. De’Aaron Fox was incredible, hitting five 3 pointers. If he can keep this up, that All-Star spot is looking more and more attainable. Kevin Huerter is awesome, he was the only King outside of De’Aaron that was hitting shots consistently, and battled on defense. Already a fan favorite. Sabonis had a quiet night, Justice Winslow and Jusuf Nurkic did an admirable job frustrating him. The Trailblazers had a similar problem, Damian Lillard had an off night(by his lofty standards), largely due to the defensive pressure of KZ Okpala and Davion Mitchell, but the supporting cast did their jobs. Jerami Grant was excellent in his debut game, Anfernee Simons left the defense spinning, and the ever solid Josh Hart chipped in 19-7-5. I’d also like to take. a moment to credit Shadeon Sharpe, the rookie looked mostly unfazed by a ravenous home crowd, dropping 12 points on 3-3 from behind the arc, making some tough shots along the way.
(I’m laughing my ass off at the fact that my Kings segment is twice as long as everything else. This is going to be a nightly occurrence isn’t it)
Suns (1-0) 107 – Mavericks (0-1) 105
Top Scorers (PHX): Devin Booker: 28-4-9, Deandre Ayton: 18-10-2 Top Scorers (DAL): Luka Doncic: 35-9-6, Christian Wood: 25-8-2
As painful as the Kings’ loss was, it’s not as bad as getting gamed by Damion Lee after blowing a 20 point lead. At the half this looked like the same story, the Suns are dysfunctional and getting destroyed by the same team that started the problems after whooping them in that infamous Game 7. After Phoenix cut the lead to 77-76 in the 3rd, the Mavericks pulled back ahead thanks to some sweet shooting from Christian Wood, who showed out in his team debut. The Suns were down by 10 when Chris Paul checked out at 6:41 in the 4th, and Monty Williams deserves credit for not putting Paul back in, running with a unit of Devin Booker-Cam Payne-Damion Lee-Mikal Bridges-Deandre Ayton that blitzed Dallas, ultimately winning the game thanks to a Damian Lee bucket. They say winning cures all, and we’ll see how true that is as this season unfolds in Arizona. For the Mavs, they looked good for 40 of the 48 minutes tonight, so they just have to try not to make choking a habit.
10/20: Giannis, Harden Show Out – The Battle of LA Comes Down to the Wire
Only two games today, both games are direct mirrors of the ones we saw on Tuesday. The Sixers are playing against an Eastern Conference heavyweight, and the Lakers are playing a Western Conference contender that’s way better than them. At least one of these games will be good. Hey, who knows– maybe the Lakers manage an inspired effort after disappointing in the season opener.
Bucks (1-0) 90 – 76ers (0-2) 88
Top Scorers (MIL): Giannis Antetokounmpo: 21-13-8, Brook Lopez: 17-4-1 Top Scorers (PHI): James Harden: 31-8-9, Joel Embiid: 15-12-3
This game was grind-it-out slugfest, but the fun kind where the intensity can be felt through the screen. Both sides played like this was a win or go home game, clearly understanding the gravity of the matchup. Milwaukee controlled the game throughout, but a late run from Philly powered by James Harden gave the Sixers their first lead since 2-0 with 1:43 left in the 4th. Some late game heroics from Wesley Matthews saved Milwaukee; namely a clutch offensive rebound that allowed them to tie the game back up, and a 3 that put the Bucks ahead for good. Philly couldn’t get a clean look, and Harden had to force a shot at the end that couldn’t go. Bucks win. The Sixers proved their mettle, but Milwaukee’s championship experience ended up winning the day. What a game.
Tonight’s game resembled Tuesday’s game for Philadelphia, and that’s not a good sign. James Harden’s been the only Sixers player who’s shown up in the first two games, tonight again he nearly had a 30 point triple double, and scored 16 points in the 4th, including the go-ahead bucket with 1:43 in the 4th. I honestly can’t give him enough credit, without Harden, the Sixers would’ve been toast on both nights. Which was not expected coming into the season after his disappointing playoffs, but it’s clear an offseason of rehab and training has put him right back in MVP form. Honestly a big reason he’s been so good is he’s finally taking mid-range shots again, something he’s very good at that but just stopped doing after being told not to because it’s not “analytically sound”. Shooting middies opens up driving lanes (among many other benefits), and it’s promising to see Harden’s shot diet improving.
The biggest concern for the Sixers is Embiid’s scoring abandoning him. 6-21 from the floor tonight, as Milwaukee sent constant double teams his way and forced him to catch the ball high and away from the post. And when his shots aren’t falling (like tonight), he can’t punish the defense for forcing him away from the basket. Let’s not put all the blame on Embiid, the entire supporting cast forgot to show up too. Tyrese Maxey had 15, but was inefficient from the floor (6-13, 0-3 from 3). Matisse Thybulle has disappeared from the rotation, logging 18 seconds tonight after only 24 seconds on Tuesday. De’Anthony Melton and Danuel House have been solid pickups, but Philly’s also playing 37 year old PJ Tucker nearly 40 minutes a night, which I highly doubt is sustainable. The record doesn’t concern me, they’ve played two of the best teams in the league and played them close, but Doc Rivers and Darryl Morey have to find the root of the problems ASAP.
This is a really promising win for Milwaukee. They had every excuse to lose this game; they were missing All-Star Khris Middleton and crucial role-player Pat Connaughton, and it was their first game of the year while the 76ers had already played. Despite this, the Bucks handled a really talented opponent. Mostly because of this guy:
While he only scored 21 points(though he did so efficiently, 9-16 from the field), The Greek Freak showed the world why he’s the best player in the world. With Middleton out, Giannis was the only reliable creator the Bucks had(Jrue was his usual bipolar self on offense, shooting 2-15 with 0-6 from 3), and despite having to shoulder nearly all of the offensive burden only turned the ball over once. He was also superb defensively, which is just expected at this point. Overall, it was yet another standout performance by the best basketball player on the planet. Of course, Giannis wasn’t the only Bucks player on the court, the ever solid Brook Lopez chipped in 17 points of his own, and while they all shot poorly for the most part, Bobby Portis, Jevon Carter, and professional heel Greyson Allen all worked their asses off on defense. And of course, Wesley Matthews with his 4th quarter heroics saved the game for Milwaukee. This is a battle tested, veteran roster that’s already dangerous without two of their best players. They’re my early bet to win the whole thing.
Clippers (1-0) 103 – Lakers (0-2) 97
Top Scorers (LAC): John Wall: 15-4-3, Paul George: 15-10-4 Top Scorers (LAL): Lonnie Walker IV: 26-3-2, Anthony Davis: 25-8-0
Break it up for the Lakers! I was shitting on them before the game, but they came to play tonight against a rusty Clippers team. The shooting still left a lot to be desired, but through some hellacious defense and more fight than they showed all of last year(credit Darvin Ham for rallying his team), the Lakers managed to keep it close against a much better team.
I was pretty harsh towards AD on Tuesday, so I’ll give him some credit here. He shot an efficient 9-16(and a promising 2-4 from 3), and actually battled hard inside for buckets. It still wasn’t the Anthony Davis of old, but it was a much more encouraging performance for the maligned big man. If I may still be a critic, Davis still has yet to record an assist after two games, which is both understandable given the shooting situation, and unacceptable if he wants to be considered a top-25 player. Lonnie Walker had his breakout game for LA, actually leading the team in field goal attempts(he took 21 shots, 4 more than Lebron. I don’t know if that’s a good thing), which is another positive. So what’s the big concern? It’s the backcourt. The stats say it all:
Westbrook was atrocious last night, don’t get me wrong. He finished 0-11 from the floor, the first time he finished a game with recorded a made field goal since 2016, where he was ejected early. But his poor play is not an excuse for the amount of targeted hate he’s received. It feels like people(especially big media groups) are hoping he fails so they can get likes and retweets for just for shitting on Russ. Just a thought: maybe the more pressure and scrutiny you put on his every move, the worse it is not only for his play, but more importantly his mental health.
It felt like the Clips were playing at half speed the whole game, and were still in control the whole time. I mean, just looking at the box score, nothing really leaps off the page. It’s indictative of how deep and talented this roster is. The story of the night was John Wall, what a return. His first action in a year and looked great. He still has that unrivaled burst, and gives the Clippers a go-to scoring option they’ve missed next to Kawhi and Paul George. Speaking of Kawhi, he’s being slowly eased back into action, but even coming off the bench he was the same old Kawhi, hitting tough middies and icing the game with clutch shooting. Ivica Zubac pulled down 17 boards with 14 points, and Luke “Nuke” Kennard hit his threes. The Clippers are stupidly deep, so even when some guys are off, others will pick up the slack. As far as the Western Conference goes, they’re the team to beat in my eyes.
10/21: Ja, Dame, and Siakam Go Nuclear, Washington Holds Off a 17 Point Comeback from Chicago, and Utah Stuns Minnesota
Pelicans (2-0) 124 – Hornets (1-1) 112
Top Scorers (NOP): Jonas Valanciunas: 30-17-4, Brandon Ingram: 28-9-7 Top Scorers (CHA): Gordon Hayward: 26-2-7, Terry Rozier: 23-8-11
The Pelicans are a scary team man. When you have a 4th option that can drop 30 and 17 while shooting 73% from the floor(8-11), you’re doing something right. The starting 5 of CJ-Herb Jones-Zion-BI-Valanciunas is so so nasty, 4 guys who can go get a bucket at any time with a knockdown shooter running off them, and defensively Herb just cleans up everything. This game showed not only Charlotte’s need at the 5, but their limited ceiling without Lamelo. They’re an ok team with proven solid vets like Hayward, Rozier, PJ Washington, and Kelly Oubre, but that’s all they are right now; ok.
Spurs (1-1) 137 – Pacers (0-2) 134
Top Scorers (SAS): Josh Richardson: 27-2-1, Keldon Johnson: 23-3-6 Top Scorers (IND): Tyrese Haliburton: 27-3-12, Benedict Mathurin: 26-5-2
Another great game for Indy. Tyrese and Benny went nuts, other young dudes showed flashes (looking at you Isaiah Jackson), and most importantly they lost the game and improved their draft position against a fellow tanking team. San Antonio had 4 guys with 20+ points, the guys I shouted out above of course, but additionally Devin Vassell had 23 and the ever underrated Jakob Poeltl had 21-8-5. This was a 1 point game late in the 4th, but my future MVP Tre Jones hit two clutch free throws to ice the win (he also finished with 18-4-4. The #trewave is going well).
Wizards (2-0) 102 – Bulls (1-1) 100
Top Scorers (WAS): Kyle Kuzma: 26-5-2, Bradley Beal: 19-1-8 Top Scorers (CHI): DeMar DeRozan: 32-6-6, Nikola Vuevic: 24-8-1
From being down 17, the Bulls rallied behind some absurd shooting from DeMar DeRozan to mount a furious comeback. It was a mid-range masterclass from DeRozan, you could’ve squinted and see prime Kobe in his shoes. After a clutch and score from DeMar tied the game up at 100, the Wizards had one final possession to win it. Who else but newly minted 250 million dollar man Bradley Beal to hit the go-ahead bucket with 7 seconds left. A DeRozan three rimmed out(a call may have been missed), and Washington escaped with the win. I’m a fan of the Wizards’ funky little big three, Kyle Kuzma has elevated his game to a near All-Star level, Bradley Beal is always a stud, and despite fouling out, Kristaps Porzingis was +17. There’s something interesting here, I’m not sure what it is, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
Hawks (2-0) 108 – Magic (0-2) 98
Top Scorers (ATL): Trae Young: 25-4-13, John Collins: 23-13-0 Top Scorers (ORL): Cole Anthony: 25-0-2, Paolo Banchero: 20-12-2
After having a historically good debut, Paolo came back to earth tonight, posting nice stats but scoring really inefficiently (6-18, 1-6 from 3). It was like that around the board for Orlando, as Dejounte Murray and the rest of the Hawks played some nice defense. They needed to, since they had a rough night shooting the ball as well (just 45% from the field as a unit). The player of the game was Dejounte for sure, hitting half of his shots on his wau to a 20-9-9 line. Orlando battled, but the better team pulled away at the end.
Nets (1-1) 109 – Raptors (1-1) 105
Top Scorers (BKN): Kyrie Irving: 30-1-7, Kevin Durant: 27-5-6 Top Scorers(TOR): Pascal Siakam: 37-12-11, Fred VanVleet: 18-7-9(4 STL)
This was the coming out game for Brooklyn, all their stars came to play. Kyrie had a quintessential Kyrie game, hitting crazy shots and dropping a few dimes. Ben Simmons looked like, well, Ben Simmons. 6-10-8 with 2 blocks, and holding the defense together when the game got tight. Nic Claxton had a big night, 19-11 with 4 blocks, showing some nice chemistry with Simmons. KD was the Nets best player, best the best player on the floor was Pascal Siakam. He keeps taking on more responsibility for Toronto and he keeps delivering. He single handily kept the Raptors in this game, but couldn’t get enough help to come away with the win(despite nice games from VanVleet and ROTY Scottie Barnes).
Celtics (2-0) 111 – Heat (0-2) 104
Top Scorers (BOS): Jayson Tatum: 29-5-4, Jaylen Brown: 28-4-3 Top Scorers(MIA): Tyler Herro: 25-6-3, Bam Adebayo: 19-8-5
Just like their last game, the Jays dominated a championship hopeful for an empathic win. Good news for Miami is that Bam had a much better game on offense, which is the most important development the Heat are banking on this season. Boston always felt like they were in control, even when the game got tight and Miami took a narrow lead, they stayed calm and took the lead right back. That’s what championship caliber teams do.
Knicks (1-1) 130 – Pistons (1-1) 106
Top Scorers (NYK): Immanuel Quickley: 20-7-7, RJ Barrett: 18-3-4 Top Scorers(DET): Saddiq Bey: 26-7-0, Bojan Bogdanovic: 18-4-1
In a relatively boring but successful game, New York took care of business against an inferior team. It was a balanced attack, the Knicks had 6 players in double figures. Jalen Brunson still has yet to turn the ball over, currently posting a ridiculous 15:0 assist to turnover ratio. For the first time since Linsanity, there’s a real point guard in New York. For Detriot, Cade’s jumper looks off. It was so smooth in college, I’m not sure what happened. It’s not all bad, Bojan keeps increasing his trade value, Ivey and Duren both had good games, and of course Saddiq Bey continues to be one of the most underrated scorers in the league.
Grizzlies (2-0) 129 – Rockets (0-2) 122
Top Scorers (MEM): Ja Morant: 49-4-8, John Konchar: 17-5-0 Top Scorers(HOU): Jalen Green: 33-5-2, Alperen Sengun: 23-12-1
Houston can definitely score the rock, the defense is still very much a work in progress. Ja just got anywhere he wanted with ease, absolutely dominating the game. Jabari Smith Jr. had a rough night, expected for a rookie. Wins for the Rockets aren’t going to come in the record, they’ll come in the continued development of their raw young talent. Tari Eason played 19 minutes, I’d like to see him play 25+. Memphis is just happy to be past that phase. They just get to enjoy the Ja Morant show every night.
Jazz (2-0) 132 – Timberwolves (1-1) 126 (OT)
Top Scorers (UTA): Jordan Clarkson: 29-5-6, Lauri Markkanen: 24-13-5 Top Scorers(MIN): Anthony Edwards: 30-5-2, Karl Anthony-Towns: 27-8-2
Honestly, who the hell saw Utah coming? I thought they’d be solid, a tough out on any night, but I had no clue they were gonna do THIS. A very emotional matchup (thanks to the blockbuster offseason trade between the two teams) came down to the wire in one of the best games of the night. A clutch D’Angelo Russell step back sent the game to overtime, but then KAT took 7 of the 8 shots for Minnesota in OT and only made 3 of them. The Jazz’s cast of misfit toys just keeps knocking off contenders. Let’s all say a prayer for New Orleans in this coming game.
Nuggets (1-1) 128 – Warriors (1-1) 123
Top Scorers (DEN): Nikola Jokic: 26-12-10, Bruce Brown: 20-1-5 Top Scorers(GSW): Stephen Curry: 34-5-4, Andrew Wiggins: 23-8-3
Sure, questionable decision making almost lost the game for the Denver at the end, but they managed to hang on for the W. Steph and Wiggins continued their hot start, while Klay and Poole struggled from the field. It was good day for the Nuggets’ offseason acquisitions, as KCP shot 50% from the field and played some great defense, while Bruce Brown dropped 20 and showed why his cerebral cutting ability is a perfect fit with the back-to-back MVP. As for that guy, yea he’s pretty good.
Trail Blazers (2-0) 113 – Suns (1-1) 111
Top Scorers (POR): Damian Lillard: 41-7-3, Jusuf Nurkic: 20-17-2 Top Scorers(PHX): Devin Booker: 33-5-3, Deandre Ayton: 26-6-3
After a quiet debut, it’s finally Dame Time again. 28 at the half, 41 in the game, I’m so happy he’s back. In an inverse of the debut, the Blazers’ role players had off nights (Grant: 8 points, Hart: 10, Sharpe: 0), and Dame carried Portland to the win. Phoneix had a 12 point halftime lead they squandered, but I still think the Suns played tonight. Outside of missing game tying free throws, Ayton was great(I blame Dame’s Jedi mind tricks), CP3 had 12 assists, Mikal Bridges was his usual all around disruptive self. The core of the team that won 64 games is still here, but they need to A: Trade Jae Crowder for value(maybe one slumping Harrison Barnes?) and B: Figure out who on the bench can give them quality minutes.
10/22: The Kings Break My Heart, Spurs Stun Sixers, and Giannis Dominates
Spurs (1-2) 114 – 76ers (0-3) 105
Top Scorers (SAS): Devin Vassell: 22-4-3, Keldon Johnson: 21-8-0 Top Scorers (PHI): Joel Embiid: 40-13-3, Tyrese Maxey: 25-3-6
Remember how earlier I said “hey the Sixers have been ass but at least Harden’s played well?” Well now they don’t even have that. Perhaps scared of Tre Jones’ extreme talent(17-4-1 with excellent defense tonight btw), James Harden played like he had an injured hamstring again, selling the game along with my parlay(this is why I’ll never trust you James, you never show up in the clutch, aka when I need to win 40 bucks). Harden’s meager 12-9-12 line(ok he didn’t play that bad but his defense was awful and he cost me money. I have a right to be upset) was contrasted by Embiid’s long awaited MVP level performance and Tyrese Maxey’s return to form. Philly needs to get all their stars online at the same time, otherwise they’ll have more frustrating nights ahead. For San Antonio, fuck the tank, you take wins like this all day. Second day of a back to back against a team predicted to win 30 more games than them? No problem. What an incredible win for this group of youngsters, gives Spurs fans a glimmer of hope to latch onto in what’s going to be a long season
Pacers (1-2) 114 – Pistons (1-2) 105
Top Scorers (IND): Benedict Mathurin: 27-7-2, Tyrese Haliburton: 24-4-10 Top Scorers (DET): Cade Cunningham: 22-4-4, Saddiq Bey: 20-11-3
Analytically, sure, this is game you want to lose. But analytics don’t account for the important human aspect of the equation. And for the humans, this was a much needed win, Indiana finally broke their 12 game losing streak. You know the story by now, Hali and Benny were terrific. When are the Pacers going to stop kidding themselves and start Mathurin? You have a Rookie of the Year on your team and you’re making him play behind Buddy fucking Hield. Detriot got a crucial loss in the #tankrace, as well a nice bounce back game from Cade. He hit 4-8 from behind the arc tonight, which should quiet concerns about his jumpshot until he shoots somewhat poorly again, restarting the cycle all over again. NBA fans are really a reactionary bunch, aren’t they
Celtics (3-0) 126 – Magic (0-3) 120
Top Scorers (BOS): Jayson Tatum: 40-8-1, Derrick White: 27-4-4 Top Scorers (ORL): Terrence Ross: 29-4-1, Paolo Banchero: 23-5-3
The Celtics got a taste of the future tonight as they barely escaped a hungry Magic squad. Without a great game from Derrick White, the steal of last year’s trade deadline, Boston would’ve been handed their first loss by Orlando. Oh, well I guess Jayson Tatum also had 40, that probably helped too. For as long and athletic as the Magic are, it’s surprising they don’t have one elite wing defender. Well, they do, but he’s too busy writing shitty propaganda pieces nobody wants to actually play basketball.
Heat (1-2) 112 – Raptors (1-2) 109
Top Scorers (MIA): Jimmy Butler: 24-4-5, Max Strus: 20-5-3 Top Scorers (TOR): Pascal Siakam: 23-8-9, Gary Trent Jr. : 23-1-2
Fans actually got two for the price of one in this game: a basketball game and a WWE main event. Christian Koloko and Caleb Martin got into it, or more accurately Caleb Martin didn’t give Christian Koloko any room to stand up, then got mad that Koloko was in his personal bubble. For as stupid as the conflict was, you gotta give Martin credit, what excellent tackle form(tucked the neck, wrapped the arms around the legs, finished through the whistle, this kid’s got a future). As for the game, these are two teams that pride themselves on a culture of hustle and defensive intensity. The result was a fun back and forth affair that Miami just barely eeked out at the end.
Cavaliers (1-1) 128 – Bulls (1-2) 96
Top Scorers (CLE): Donovan Mitchell: 32-9-8, Evan Mobley: 16-3-1 Top Scorers (CHI): Zach LaVine: 23-3-4, Nikola Vuevic: 16-4-3
Kids, this is what you call a good old fashioned ass kicking. Cleveland was up big from the start, let Chicago close the gap just enough to give them hope, then crushed that dream brutally and immediately, like when you find out Santa isn’t real. As a Kings fan, I’ve seen this type of game a lot, and the Cavs followed through here with perfect execution. They even had one random role player go off just to twist the knife a little more. But in this case it was 5 time All-Star Kevin Love (killing it as a 6th man once again) going 5-6 from deep. So I guess that makes it hurt a little less?
Bucks (2-0) 125 – Rockets (0-3) 105
Top Scorers (MIL): Giannis Antetokounmpo: 44-12-3, Jrue Holiday: 19-5-10 Top Scorers (HOU): Jalen Green: 22-4-2, Kevin Porter Jr. : 18-5-7
Have you ever seen a lion take down a wildebeast? I mean sure, you feel bad for the wildebeast, but the lion is the top of the food chain. This is just the way it is, what can it even do to such an unstoppable force? Basically, the lion is Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the wildebeast is the Rockets, the city of Houston, and the ghost of James Harden all at once. Shooting 81% from the field on 21 shots is so stupid good I don’t even need to explain.
Mavericks (1-1) 137 – Grizzlies (2-1) 96
Top Scorers (DAL): Luka Doncic: 32-7-10, Christian Wood: 25-12-3 Top Scorers (MEM): Ja Morant: 20-1-4, Desmond Bane: 14-5-4
It would appear the plan of “Ja does everything and a random role-player goes off” is not a sustainable strategy. Ja will return to Earth, or more accurately defenses will do everything in their power to stop him from scoring 40. The Grizzlies have to be able to make teams pay for focusing on Ja. Luka has a well-documented history of killing the Grizz, and tonight was no exception. This game was over fast, at one point it was 42-17. This was with 10 minutes left in the 2nd quarter.
Nuggets (2-1) 122 – Thunder (0-2) 117
Top Scorers (DEN): Micheal Porter Jr. : 22-6-1, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 21-5-2 Top Scorers (OKC): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 28-3-7, Josh Giddey: 19-12-6
I swear, it feels like the Thunder are winning every game they play until Sam Presti calls in from the booth and says “hey guys, we want to lose”. The foundation of this organization is rock solid, and after this draft class I wouldn’t be surprised to see them make a massive leap next year. For Denver, they pick up both games on a back-to-back, a great rebound from their disappointing start. In addition to forcing me to shrink the font size to fit both names on one line, MPJ and KCP(this is why we have acronyms) led the way for the Nuggets, with Porter Jr. cashing 5 of 10 three point attempts. Jokic is also hilarious, he played 38 minutes and dropped a triple double, but only took 10 shots all game. He just plays at a different wavelength then the rest of us can comprehend.
Clippers (2-0) 111 – Kings (0-2) 109
Top Scorers (LAC): Paul George: 40-6-6, Reggie Jackson: 14-2-5 Top Scorers (SAC): De’Aaron Fox: 36-5-4, Keegan Murray: 19-5-2
This is the kind of loss that makes you question your love for the game. Just a real soul-crushing, heart-stabbing loss. Makes you question if there’s really a God. And if so, why does he hate you? Despite 40 points from Paul George and an off night from Sabonis, the Kings still could’ve won this game if they’d done the most basic thing in basketball: make free throws. 15-26, 57.7% from the charity stripe. If we made 19-26(just 73%, just under league average), then we win with margin for error. Little shit like this will cost you against good teams, and in a season where every game matters, you can’t afford to lose on stupid shit. The Kings are 0-2, both games lost because they couldn’t execute the little things. It’s ok, maybe we’ll right the ship tomorrow. Who do we play again? *checks notes* Fuck.
10/23: The Kings Break My Heart Again, Utah Continues to Play Spoiler, and Vintage Dame Finishes the Lakers Off
Trail Blazers (3-0) 106 – Lakers (0-3) 104
Top Scorers (LAL): Lebron James: 31-8-8, Anthony Davis: 22-10-3(5 BLKS) Top Scorers (POR): Damian Lillard: 41-5-2, Jerami Grant: 16-2-1
What a fun game to start off the day. Despite hitting the illustrious mark of 100 missed threes (only three games into the year btw), the Lakers came so, so close to pulling this one out. Dame had other ideas, cashing the final 3 of his 41 points in a classic go ahead bucket (I’ll note Jerami Grant had the official game winning bucket, good for him. The thing is, the Blazers never should’ve had the chance to get back in the game. Russell Westbrook took an absolutely boneheaded shot with 33 seconds left that gave Portland just enough of a margin to win. I’ve defended Russ, but this was just awful. Portland continues to look impressive, I’m happy Dame has a good supporting cast around him, it only took 10 years. Better late than never, right? (I couldn’t fit this anywhere else, but Josh Hart got 16 boards today. What a wild random stat)
Hornets (2-1) 126 – Hawks (2-1) 109
Top Scorers (CHA): Kelly Oubre Jr. : 24-10-0, Nick Richards: 20-11-1 Top Scorers (ATL): Trae Young: 28-5-9, Dejounte Murray: 19-8-5
No Terry Rozier, no problem. Dennis Smith Jr. filled in admirably, scoring 18 with 6 assists in first Charlotte start. Maybe his 4th team is the lucky charm. Nick Richards. hello again. The Hornets need a real big man so badly, they’d better pray Richards is for real. He certainly looks the part right now, hopefully he keeps it up. Atlanta, I wouldn’t sweat this one too much. Winnable game, definitely a frustrating loss, but there’s a lot more basketball left to play.
Cavaliers (2-1) 117 – Wizards (2-1) 107 (OT)
Top Scorers (CLE): Donovan Mitchell: 37-5-4, Cedi Osman: 16-0-3 Top Scorers (WAS): Bradley Beal: 27-4-5, Kristaps Porzingis: 18-11-3
3 games players, 3 games in a row with 30+. Donovan Mitchell is playing like a dude you pay a massive price to trade for. Since Darius Garland went down with an eye injury, Mitchell has been the machine that’s powered Cleveland to two straight wins. I shudder to think about where Cleveland would be without him. Washington should be proud of themselves, 2-1 and battled to the very end with a very good Cavs team. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, the Wizards have something.
Jazz (3-0) 122 – Pelicans (2-1) 121 (OT)
Top Scorers (UTA): Lauri Markkanen: 31-12-2, Kelly Olynyk: 20-3-5 Top Scorers (NOP): Cj McCollum: 28-4-12, Zion Williamson: 25-6-1
So this just gonna be a normal thing for Utah, huh. The Jazz simply outwork their opponents, diving on every loose ball, running out on every fastbreak, flat out refusing to lose. This is the third straight Western conference heavy weight they’ve beat, tanking my ass. The Pels lost the game, but the greater concern was losing both Zion and Brandon Ingram to injury. If those guys can’t go, the road gets veryyyy treacherous for New Orleans, even with their impressive depth. Kelly Olynyk won the game with a nasty (bad nasty not good nasty) shot, but a bucket is a bucket no matter how it falls. Another great win for Utah.
Timberwolves (2-1) 116 – Thunder (0-3) 106
Top Scorers (MIN): Anthony Edwards: 30-11-3, Rudy Gobert: 15-15-1 Top Scorers (OKC): Luguentz Dort: 20-3-2, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl: 15-2-3
That Minnesota starting 5 still looks a little rough, but it’s early, and running double 7 footers is a tough adjustment to make. When Ant drops 30, you have the leeway for growing pains. Naz Reid with all 14 of his points in the 4th quarter helps a lot too. Folk hero Lu Dort finally got his offense back online, and everyone on the active roster played, so that’s two good things for the Thunder. The loss is beneficial too, let’s check in on how that Victor guy is doing.
Warriors (2-1) 130 – Kings (0-3) 125
Top Scorers (GSW): Stephen Curry: 33-5-2, Jordan Poole: 24-0-4 Top Scorers (SAC): De’Aaron Fox: 26-5-10, Domantis Sabonis: 19-14-4
If Steph Curry wasn’t the best PG on the planet, and if the Warriors didn’t shoot 75% from the floor to score 50 points in the second quarter, we could’ve won this game. Even with giving up the most points in a half in franchise history and being down by 26 at one point, the Kings clawed their way back to only down 4 with 1:04 left. They didn’t win(though they had some great looks at the end), but there’s so many encouraging signs from this game. De’Aaron Fox is an All-Star, only record and bias can keep him out. Sabonis(above), Richaun Holmes(15-5), and Malik Monk(16-7-8) all broke their slumps from the beginning of the year. Keegan Murray was great again, and although Red Velvet had an off night, he still made some circus shots and had 5 straight in the 4th to close the gap. The real exciting thing from the Kings was their small ball lineup. After getting killed in the first three games by small ball, Mike Brown rolled Chimezie Metu out as at the 5. What resulted was the torrid comeback, and Mezie being +15 on the night in just 11 minutes. His switchability, hustle, and length allowed the Kings to switch everything and create enough chaos to get back into the game. If Mezie can allow Coach Brown to counter teams shifting to small ball, then the Kings may be in business. Just clean up the fouling on defense, find wherever Harrison Barnes disappeared too, and we gonna be all right. Also, Andrew Wiggins had 24-5 and 2 blocks, he might just play himself into another All-Star game, dude is hooping.
Suns (2-1) 112 – Clippers (2-1) 95
Top Scorers (PHX): Devin Booker: 35-1-4, Deandre Ayton: 13-8-1 Top Scorers (LAC): Marcus Morris Sr. : 22-5-1, John Wall: 17-0-4
The Clips came out flat on the second half of a back-to-back, and Phoenix drilled them for it. Chris Paul became the third player to ever record 11,000 assists, and got to do so in the arena he helped build with the Lob City Clippers. Devin Booker has been phenomenal so far, the competition for the two guard spots on the All-NBA First Team, but he might end up forcing the voters hands, he’s been that good. John Wall looked pretty nice again as well, nobody deserves this second chance more than him. If you haven’t already, read his piece in the Player’s Tribune. It’s a tearjerker. Kawhi and PG had quiet nights, but that’s not too big of a concern this early(especially PG after the masterclass he had the previous night against the Kings). These two teams are probably gonna meet each other in the playoffs, I can’t wait.
10/24: Philly and Houston Get On the Board, The T-Wolves Drop Another Easy Game, and The Knicks Put On a Show
76ers (1-3) 120 – Pacers (1-3) 106
Top Scorers (PHI): James Harden: 29-9-11, Joel Embiid: 26-5-2 Top Scorers (IND): Tyrese Haliburton: 19-6-19, Buddy Hield: 18-6-6
Harden has scored more than 25 points in every single game this season, except for the one I put money on. I’m not mad, just disappointed. This was good get right game for Philly, I said in their last game they needed both stars to play well together, and tonight they did. Benedict Mathurin looked like he was going to have the first down game of his young career, but he went 6-6 and scored 17 in the second half. NBA awards voters: you’d better keep an eye on this dude. He did, however, have his welcome to the NBA moment, getting dropped by Harden on a nasty crossover.(Harden actually made the shot this time, good for him!)
Raptors (2-2) 98 – Heat (1-3) 90
Top Scorers (TOR): Fred VanVleet: 24-4-9, Pascal Siakam: 23-9-6 Top Scorers (MIA): Jimmy Butler: 26-8-4, Tyler Herro: 22-15(??)-4
Precious Achiuwa had a helluva revenge game, dropping 10 points with 22(!!) boards and stellar defense. It was how he scored that was so impressive, showcasing the newfound control he has over his staggering physical talent. Personally, I think Miami was cursed this game after Caleb Martin tried to act tough and got slapped with a one game suspension. The basketball gods don’t forget. (How the hell did Tyler Herro get 15 boards? Who let this happen?)
Knicks (2-1) 115 – Magic (0-4) 102
Top Scorers (NYK): Julius Randle: 25-12-4, Jalen Brunson: 21-3-6 Top Scorers (ORL): Paolo Banchero: 21-4-2, Bol Bol: 19-5-0 (4 BLKS)
Dude, the Knicks are fun. They aren’t being looked at with the same respect as other Eastern Conference contenders, and I’m not sure why that is. Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein have been a great signings, opening up the Knicks offense in all sorts of exciting new ways. They aren’t great defensively, but they hustle and work on every possession, almost reminiscent of that 4th seed team 2 years ago(almost). Julius Randle looks revitalized, the bench is deeper than it’s been in years, don’t be surprised if the Knicks take some games off of really good teams. For Orlando, the biggest story is Bol Bol, finally playing regular minutes, and scoring a career high in just his 4th game of the year. One of the biggest goals Orlando has this season is to discover if they have something in Bol, and early showings have been positive.
Bulls (2-2) 120 – Celtics (3-1) 102
Top Scorers (CHI): DeMar DeRozan: 25-5-5, Ayo Dosunmu: 22-6-2 Top Scorers (BOS): Jayson Tatum: 26-8-5, Jaylen Brown: 21-6-2
Man, when the Bulls are on, they’re ON. Vooch had 18-23-5, Lavine chipped in 19 of his own, and bench additions Andre Drummond and Goran Dragic have been steady veteran presences. The big story for Chicago is Ayo Dosunmu, killing it in the starting PG role since Lonzo’s been injured. The second year man has hit his shots, stayed steady on defense, and has upped his scoring by 4 points already since last season. Boston shouldn’t worry too much about this one. Some nights you just shoot 37% from the field and you lose. Oh well, onto the next.
Rockets (1-3) 114 – Jazz (3-1) 108
Top Scorers (HOU): Kevin Porter Jr. : 26-10-4, Jalen Green: 25-3-3 Top Scorers (UTA): Jordan Clarkson: 17-4-4, Lauri Marrkanen: 14-6-1
A sideline argument that spawned some hilarious memes aside, Houston’s young core looked great last night as they took down the unbeaten Jazz. I’m sorry Utah, the 82-0 season is dead. Jabari Smith Jr. had 21-9-3BLKS and shot 3-5 from 3 and 6-10 from the floor. Encouraging game from the young buck. The ending of this game was a hysterical mess, some guy named Simone Fontecchio had 13 points(I promise I’m not making this up), it was beautiful ugly basketball. The best kind, really.
Grizzlies (3-1) 134 – Nets (1-2) 124
Top Scorers (MEM): Ja Morant: 38-8-7, Desmond Bane: 38-1-7(8 3PM) Top Scorers (BKN): Kevin Durant: 37-5-4, Kyrie Irving: 37-8-2
Damnit Ben, I vouched for you. I put you at 15 in my Point Guard rankings, over really good players like Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Brunson, Tre Jones, I could go on. And you respond by playing like THIS. He’s fouled out of two of his three games, and hasn’t scored double digits once. Come on man. This game featured an incredible scoring duel between the young bucks and old legends. Ja/Bane/KD/Kyrie: 150 pts, 54-87 FG (62%), 15-26 3PM (58%). So much fun. Ja iced the game with a dagger 3, and Memphis escaped with a 10 point win in a game that was closer then the final score.
Spurs (3-1) 115 – Timberwolves (2-2) 106
Top Scorers (SAS): Devin Vassell: 23-9-7, Keldon Johnson: 18-3-4 Top Scorers (MIN): Karl Anthony-Towns: 27-11-5, D’Angelo Russell: 25-5-7
So uhhhhh, I was told the Spurs were tanking, not ripping off 3 game winning streaks. They’re extremely well coached(thanks to having one of the greatest basketball minds ever at the helm), play sound basketball, and have a surplus of talented young players. Jeremy Sochan has been impressive, the rookie did a great job marking Anthony Edwards and frustrating him all night. Tre Jones had 8-8-8, he’s such a cerebral facilitator, capable of advanced reads and threading the needle to anybody with even a sliver of space. Devin Vassell had another great game, his development has been so rapid, I’m not sure if even diehard Spurs fans expected him to be this good this early. The T-Wolves are still struggling to put the pieces together, especially offensively. The team as a whole just feels disjointed. It’s still too early to worry about Minnesota, if they’re still struggling in February, I’ll start to panic.
Trail Blazers (4-0) 135 – Nuggets (2-2) 110
Top Scorers (POR): Damian Lillard: 31-6-8, Anfernee Simons: 29-3-5 Top Scorers (DEN): Aaron Gordon: 26-6-1, Micheal Porter Jr. : 18-4-2
This was a tight, back-and-forth affair between two really good teams. Until about midway through the 3rd quarters, when Anfernee Simons went on one of the most insane heaters in recent memory(he hit 7 threes in the game!). It was never close again. Portland continues to win games by just playing really good basketball at every level. Nurkic and the rest of the Blazers especially deserve credit for forcing Nikola Jokic into his worst game of the year, the two time MVP only took 4 shots and posted 9-9-9 on the game in just 26 minutes. I’m giving Denver the same time I’m giving Minnesota: fix your shit by the All-Star break. Until then, I’ll take it with a grain a salt.
In case you’re wondering, here’s the official NBA players of the week and Power Rankings.
Ben Talks Ball 
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