🏀 From "All-Star Reserve" to "Superstar"

We all want a friend like Tyrese Haliburton, right? Always setting you up for success, always with a smile on their face, and always dismantling the top seed in the East. Ya know, just friend stuff!

One quick pre-game announcement: we’d LOVE for everyone to fill out this new survey. It’ll help us get to know you better and will boost Enjoy Basketball’s locker room chemistry. 💪 

Today’s Lineup

Last Night’s Action ⛹️‍♂️: Tyrese Haliburton makes history against the 76ers.

LaVine Trade Rumors 🧐: After a disappointing start, where could Chicago ship the two-time All-Star?

Beyond the Box Score 🔢: This big man has been DOMINATING the offensive glass this year…

Last Night’s Action

Twenty teams hit the court during last night’s In-Season Tournament action—that’s a lot of hoops! Luckily, we’re here to catch you up on all the exciting stuff you missed. ⬇️

Pacers beat 76ers 132-126 behind Haliburton’s heroics

Tyrese Haliburton is special—like special special. He poured in 33 points and 15 assists with ZERO turnovers last night to snap the 76ers’ 8-game win streak. Joel Embiid also played incredibly (39 points), and we didn’t forget Jedi Master Obi Toppin (27 points) either. Indiana moves to 2-0 in the In-Season Tournament behind Haliburton’s dedicated effort:

“I've never played in a playoff game, so this is my first chance to compete for a championship and I took it very seriously,” he said after the game.

Rese joins John Stockton, Chris Paul, LeBron James, and James Harden as the only guys to ever post a 30 point/15 assist/0 turnover game. And he’s only 23! Give it up one time for the man himself. 👏

Wolves withstand Warriors’ warriors, win 104-101

A full-on brawl broke out 90 seconds into this game, which ended up in ejections for Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Jaden McDaniels 😭. Once again, Draymond seems to be auditioning for the WWE…

Steph Curry was already out due to injury, so the ejections left Golden State severely handicapped. However, rookie Brandin Podziemski stepped up big-time with 23 points (including this fadeaway 3Q buzzer beater). Still, Minnesota’s firepower was too much as Karl-Anthony Towns dominated with 33 points.

Nuggets outlast Clippers 111-108 in hectic finale

The Clippers can’t buy a break, and they definitely don’t have the picks to trade for one either. Harden and Paul George combined for an efficient 56 points, but things just unraveled down the stretch. When the Clippers went small, Jokic and Aaron Gordon picked the defense apart and locked up PG13 and Kawhi on the other end. This was still definitely the best game of the Clippers Harden era, so good on them for taking the defending champs down to the wire. 🤝 

Best of the Rest:

• Jimmy Buckets pivoted, pump-faked, and pounded his way to an efficient 32 points in Miami’s 111-105 win over the Hornets. Charlotte’s performance was perfectly represented by LaMelo Ball’s statline: 26 flashy points and 11 assists 🙂, but 9-26 from the field with eight turnovers 🙁.

• We were hyped to watch the official debut of Chet vs Wemby, but their defense against each other precluded any crazy highlights. The real fireworks came from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who dropped 28 points and (a record) seven steals as OKC obliterated San Antonio 123-87. 

• Dejounte Murray led the charge with 32 points and nine assists as the Hawks soared past the Pistons in a 126-120 victory. Despite a valiant effort (highlighted by Marvin Bagley III's 22-point double-double) Detroit's turnover struggles led them to their ninth consecutive loss.

Monday Night Notes

Missed out on Monday’s hoops? Get caught up with us right here:

• The Bucks secured a 118-109 victory over the Bulls, led by a dominant performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo (35 points, 11 rebounds). Although DeMar DeRozan (3-17 FG) struggled, he made one of the best passes we’ve ever seen. Literally.

• Nothing is better than watching greatness, like LeBron’s 3-1 comeback, a Steph Curry 3-point barrage, and the Wizards’ tank job last night en route to a 111-107 loss in Toronto. Washington scored 0 points in the final 5:47 of regulation, although Kyle Kuzma really wanted this to count. Shout-out to the Raptors, who closed the game with 16 straight points behind Pascal Siakam’s 39 including this game winner:

• In a 132-120 win over Cleveland, the Kings’ offense got back to the face-paced, three-point slinging powerhouse that it was last season. De’Aaron Fox led the charge with 28 points in his return from injury, while Domantas Sabonis nearly notched a triple-double and Keegan Murray posted a season-high 25!

LaVine Trade Rumors

NBA teams are “probing the availability” of Zach LaVine, and there is “increased openness from both sides about exploring a trade,” according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

The veteran guard probably won’t get moved any time in the near future, although his name is definitely one to monitor throughout the season as a pure three-level bucket-getter. He’s making $178 million over the next four years, but Chicago’s lack of success so far could motivate them to cash in on his value even if his contract makes him less of a desirable trade candidate…

Beyond the Box Score

Welcome back to Beyond the Box Score, our segment about the things your favorite players do that don’t show up on normal stat sheets. Today, we’re talking about how Mitchell Robinson is an incredibly good offensive rebounder. Like, all-time historically good.

As of now, Mitch is grabbing 5.8 offensive rebounds per game as New York’s starting center. Even when accounting for equal playing time, Robinson’s 7.3 offensive boards per 36 minutes would be the second most EVER.

Quick note: offensive boards were first tracked in 1974, so Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell were probably raking in dozens per game that we’ll never know about. Still, that’s insane company to be in as the 36th pick in the 2018 draft.👏

Robinson, the longest-tenured player on the roster, embodies the Knicks’ blue-collar energy and anchors a defense that is happy to grind for 48 full minutes under Tom Thibodeau. After terrorizing Cleveland’s big man duo in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, New York is currently first in defensive rating, second in offensive rebounding percentage, and first in defensive rebound percentage.

The bottom line? You better make your shots at The Garden, because MitchRob isn’t letting you get a second chance. 💪 

Three in the Key

• We’re still processing what the heck Josh Hart did right here. 🤯

• The Kings got Mike Brown some perfectly-themed gifts to commemorate his 400th win. 👑

• Why are these movie-themed In-Season Tournament courts so clean? 🔥 

What We’re Enjoying

Enjoy Basketball founder Kenny Beecham hosted new Mavericks addition (and general fun guy) Grant Williams on The Kenny Beecham Podcast! Take a listen, leave a like, and comment who should be the next guest!

Signing Off

5… 4… 3… 2… 1… BANG! You made it to the end just before the buzzer. Good stuff. Take that ice in your veins and go tackle the day. 💪 

-Conor Geelan

Trivia Answer: Not only does Moses Malone have the season with the most offensive boards, but he has the top THREE seasons! One of the most underrated legends of all time!