Are we back in the bubble?

Welcome back, Enjoyers. How we doing today? No matter what’s stressing you out, let’s all take a minute to just relax and talk some hoops.

Speaking of hoops, a BIG thank you to everyone for your support on the Mini Hoop! We're already more than halfway through selling out, so if you need that holiday gift or just want to spoil yourself, grab yours now! Like Kenny said, "don't miss out on greatness."

Newsletter Preview

The Bubble Is Back: Dame and Murray turn back time to 2020 in a classic duel

She’s Home 🙏: WNBA Star Brittney Griner finally free from Russian prison

More Than Just Luck 🍀: How the Celtics have built an all-time offense

PrizePicks

Guess who’s back? Our friends over at PrizePicks are here once again with daily fantasy projections to help you add a bit of extra enjoyment to your hoops-watching experience.

PrizePicks entries are as simple as it gets and can be done in 60 seconds or less. All you have to do is choose 2-6 players, guess if they will get more or less than their projection for a given stat, and then sit back and enjoy the high-octane NBA action.

At 10-6, we’ve been as reliable as a wide-open Steph Curry three with our picks this season! Whether you’re riding with the EnjoyBBall crew on our picks for the Magic-Raptors game or cooking up your own selections, remember to share your choices with us on Twitter!

Sign up HERE and use promo code ENJOY to receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100! With the chance to earn up to 10x your money in less time than it takes to read this newsletter, what are you waiting for?

*PrizePicks is available to residents 18+ in AK, AR, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, KS, KY, MI, MN, NE, NY, NM, NC, ND, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TX, UT, VT, VA, WI, WY. 19+ in AL. 21+ in AZ, MA.

Yesterday's Games

Butler's clutch buckets help Heat hold off Clippers 115-110 

Just when it seems like you’re about to let go of the Heat (12-14) as a playoff threat, they pull you back in with a really solid performance from their stars. Bam Adebayo has been riding a newfound wave of offensive confidence over the last couple of weeks, and that was no exception last night when he dropped 31 and 10. But it was Jimmy “Himmy” Butler who came up big down the stretch, scoring each of Miami’s last eight points to put this one to bed.

Without Kawhi Leonard for the 20th time this season, the Clippers (14-13) did well to stay in this one on the road but came up just short in the final minutes. Paul George finished with 29 and nearly brought LA back from an eight-point deficit with two minutes remaining. He scored five straight points and helped force a turnover on the ensuing inbounds pass to give the Clippers the ball down three, but they couldn't capitalize on the ensuing possession.

Box Score

Spurs beat Rockets 118-109 in battle for Wemby

Spurs (7-18) fans make some noise! Your team just doubled the number of games they’ve won since the beginning of November, which might be a good or bad thing, depending on your perspective. Despite this game against the Rockets (7-18) probably not having playoff implications, it was still a good opportunity to check out some of the league's young talent.

With 59 points over his last two games, Keldon Johnson seems to finally be shaking off some early-season rust. And congrats to Tre Jones who set a new career-high of 26 while holding Kevin Porter Jr. to just 12 points on 16 shots.

It was always going to be tough for Houston to win when Porter and Jalen Green combined to shoot just 10 for 32 from the field, but at least they got a great game from Jabari Smith Jr., who set a career mark of his own with 23. And we don’t like to bring up the refs often, but it has to be mentioned that Alperen Sengun was absolutely ROBBED of a potential dunk of the year. Sometimes you just gotta hold your whistle for the sake of the highlight.

Box Score

Dame Time Is Deactivated By Murray as Nuggets Beat Blazers 121-120

Wait, Dame Time can be canceled? They can just do that?

Well ... apparently! Damian Lillard went absolutely bonkers down the stretch with 32 second-half points, including a backbreaking stepback three more than worthy of his iconic celebration ⌚. So it’s too bad the Nuggets (15-10) had to come through and ruin everything.

The Blazers (13-12) had few answers for Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon, who combined to score 53 points on over 60% shooting, but it was Jamal Murray who delivered the killing blows in the final minute. First, with a tough-as-it-gets midrange fallaway with 48 seconds left, and finally, with the dagger right into the heart of the Moda Center crowd with less than a second to go.

They played in the playoffs in 2019, they played again in 2021, and after a game like tonight, we don’t think anyone would mind if they played each other in 2023 as well.

Box Score

Monday Night Notes

We have a new #1 seed out West! The Pelicans (16-8) officially took the top spot following a 104-98 win over the Pistons (7-20). Their five-game win streak has been fueled by two things: a dominant 107.6 defensive rating and Zion Williamson. Hot on their heels, the Grizzlies (16-9) kept on cooking in an explosive 123-102 win over the Thunder (11-14) despite Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. playing zero minutes together all season. Even Ja’s daughter is having fun out there!

And just in case you somehow weren’t buying the Boston hype just yet, maybe absolutely obliterating one of the best teams in the West will convince you. The Celtics (21-5) built up a 39-point lead after three quarters against the Suns (16-9) in a game that certainly brought back some unsavory memories for Chris Paul and Phoenix. But if there’s one team that can slow down the C’s, it's Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks (18-6). The Greek Freak is scoring at more than a point per minute pace recently, and combined with Jrue Holiday to drop 66 points in a 126-113 W over a Kings (13-10) team who were 10-4 in the past month heading into this one.

No Curry, no Draymond, no Markkanen, but apparently, no problem because what an excellent game we got in Utah! Jordan Poole tied his season-high with 36 and hit the tallest floater we’ve ever seen, Jordan Clarkson got ejected after trying to square up with Jonathan Kuminga, rookie Walker Kessler celebrated his first career start with a block party, and the Jazz (15-12) pulled off the gutsy win over the Warriors (13-13) thanks to great team defense and a last-second bucket from … Simone Fontecchio?

Elsewhere, Minnesota’s (12-12) Rudy Gobert got the game-sealing block to send the Pacers (13-12) packing 121-115. The Bol Bol-led Magic (6-20) had Kawhi and PG in prison during a 116-111 OT victory over the Clippers (14-12). KD and Kyrie combined for 63 as the Nets (14-12) scraped by the Hornets (7-18) 122-116. The Knicks (12-13) demolished the Hawks (13-12) and clowned Trae Young's kicks in a 113-89 win. The Carushow pulled off a nutmeg in the Bulls' (10-14) 115-111 win over the Wizards (11-14). And the Raptors (13-12) cruised to an easy 126-113 W over the LeBron and AD-less Lakers (10-14).

Latest Basketball News

Brittney Griner Finally Freed after Nearly 10 Months in Russian Jail

294 days after she was arrested in a Moscow airport, Brittney Griner is coming home.

The 7x WNBA All-Star was finally released following a tense prisoner exchange that involved the US granting clemency to notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. As one of the greatest players in the history of women's basketball, Griner’s imprisonment and subsequent transfer to one of Russia's harshest penal colonies brought national attention to the plight of wrongful detainees in foreign countries.

The Phoenix Mercury legend is expected to be back in the United States within the next 24 hours to the delight of figures across the basketball world and beyond. Everyone at Enjoy Basketball is thrilled at Griner's return, and we can’t wait to see her back out on the court soon. 🙏

Film Friday

Breaking Down the Celtics Historic Offense

Welcome to Film Friday! Once a month, we’ll be doing rapid-fire breakdowns of a team or players' game to figure out what makes them work. Today we’ll be using plays from the Celtics' blowout win over the Suns to figure out the inner workings of their seemingly unstoppable offense.

Of course, any discussion of the Celtics has to start with their two stars. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are in the middle of career years as scorers in terms of both volume and efficiency. They aren’t quite at Curry and Durant in Golden State level, but having your two best players average over 57 points per game on 61% True Shooting is certainly a great base for an all-time offense. The Celtics aren’t afraid of passing the ball, but having Tatum and Brown gives them multiple high-level shot-makers who can create points out of nowhere with off-the-dribble threes and tough iso buckets.

The threat these two pose to opposing defenses perfectly intertwines with Boston's seminal offensive attribute, their catch-and-shoot ability. Shooting 76% within three feet of the basket, Tatum is one of the best finishers at the rim among forwards. Combine that with Brown and Marcus Smart being two of the league's most efficient scorers as PnR ball-handlers, and you have the perfect formula to collapse defenses and get loads of open threes.

The Celtics haven’t just capitalized on these C&S opportunities off drives: they’ve thrived on them. Boston is making more catch-and-shoot threes per game than any other team in NBA history (since catch-and-shoot stats were first recorded in 2013-14) and hitting them at a mind-boggling 41.3%. And it’s not just one player doing the damage. They have six qualified players who are shooting at least 40% on long-range catch-and-shoot threes. Whether it’s Malcolm Brogdon, Sam Hauser, Al Horford, or Grant Williams, the Celtics always seem to have an elite shooter in the right place at the right time.

One final thing you’ll notice watching this Celtics team is that they LOVE to set off-ball screens, often multiple in quick succession. They also take a great page out of the Warriors' playbook by getting their stars involved in the off-ball action to cause maximum chaos. Look at the attention Brown commands in the play below, for example. He sets the off-ball screen on Torrey Craig, then immediately cuts to the basket, taking Craig and Devin Booker with him in the process. An extra screen from Blake Griffin is enough to get White a wide-open corner three.

Good Reads

‘What other owner is playing full court?’: Luis Scola’s transition from the NBA to owning an Italian basketball team - Mike Vorkunov (The Athletic)

The Awakening: Don’t Label Pistons Guard Killian Hayes a Bust Just Yet - Matt Issa (Opta Analyst)

This NBA Season’s Dirty Middle Secret: Unparalleled Parity - Howard Beck (Sports Illustrated)

Signing Off

Thanks for reading, everyone! We hope you have a great weekend; filled with good times and W’s for your favorite team. And before you go, let us know what you think of the new segment in the poll at the bottom. 👇

Until next time,

-Spencer Poole

Trivia Answer: The answer to Wednesday's trivia question WAS the Houston Rockets, who were 6-1 when favored since 2021-22, but their loss tonight as the favorites actually dropped them from the top spot. So in a come-from-behind trivia victory, the actual answer is the Phoenix Suns with a winning percentage of 78.3%!

Trivia Question: Which of these legendary passers is one of just four players who have recorded 20 assists in a game without a single turnover?