Wir lieben Basketball! Sorry—hangover from yesterday.

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Greivis Vásquez, Zhou Qi, and Andrew Nembhard! 🎉

Hoops Recaps

Da Silva, Wagner bros. help Magic take down Grizzlies 118-111 in Berlin

In the first-ever NBA regular-season game hosted in Germany, Tristan da Silva (8 PTS, 4 REB, 4 STL) and Franz + Mo Wagner (25 PTS, 13 REB together) helped the Magic to a win over Memphis in their home country.

Orlando fought in grand comeback fashion after falling behind by 20 points in the second quarter of this game (the NBA’s first in Europe this season), retaking the lead in the third and seeing it out until the final buzzer. Paolo Banchero (26 PTS, 13 REB) and Anthony Black (21 PTS, 7 AST) were the main offensive catalysts for the Magic, especially from the perimeter on a night where nobody else seemed able to hit a three.

The Grizzlies (still without Ja Morant) witnessed the Wagner Bros. + da Silva’s homecoming from the losing side, as Jaren Jackson Jr. (30 PTS), Cedric Coward (17 PTS), and Santi Aldama (18 PTS) tried to get the Grizzlies back into the game after the 20-point margin they had built up evaporated. Memphis kept it close throughout the fourth quarter after Orlando took the lead, even briefly taking the lead with a few minutes left, but Wagner (the younger one) hit a few clutch shots and the Magic hit enough free throws to seal the deal.

This isn’t where this season’s European vacation ends—Memphis and Orlando will play this Sunday again in London! Look out for Manchester and Paris next year… someone’s trying to go global! 👀

Vucevic delivers game-winner, Bulls sneak by Jazz 128-126

Nikola Vucevic delivered when it mattered most on Wednesday, lifting the Bulls in a frantic finish at the United Center.

Behind 35 points from Vucevic, capped by a game-winning layup in the final seconds, the Chicago Bulls escaped with a home win over the Jazz. Vucevic was dominant throughout, shooting 14-22 from the field while anchoring Chicago’s half-court offense and sealing the game late after Utah briefly grabbed momentum.

The Jazz kept pace despite being without Lauri Markkanen, riding a career-best night from Brice Sensabaugh (43 PTS), who shot crazily efficiently the whole night, including a 5-10 mark from three. Keyonte George added 25 points and seven assists, consistently pressuring the Bulls’ defense and keeping Utah within striking distance.

Chicago had seven players in double figures, highlighted by Ayo Dosunmu chipping in 15 points and Patrick Williams (13 PTS) going a perfect 3-3 from deep. Props to Sensabaugh on the career-high performance, but the Bulls had too much to say about this one. 🔥

Elsewhere around the NBA:

• Detroit came back from down 15+ against the Suns to win 108-105, riding 12 second-half points from Jalen Duren (16 PTS, 18 REB) in an off-night for Cade Cunningham (10 PTS, 11 AST) to outlast the best efforts of Grayson Allen (33 PTS) and Dillon Brooks (16 PTS).

• The Clippers grabbed their fourth win in a row by taking down the Wizards 119-105 at home. Kawhi (33 PTS, 7-11 3PM) led the charge with an efficient offensive performance, with James Harden (22 PTS, 8 AST) making most of his impact playmaking. Kyshawn George (23 PTS) led Washington in scoring in the contest.

• A standout night from Anfernee Simons (39 PTS) off the bench helped the Celtics come back from down 19 to Norman Powell (26 PTS) and the Heat—Bam Adebayo (22 PTS) and Tyler Herro (22 PTS) also contributed for Miami, but the combo of Simons and Jaylen Brown (27 PTS, 7 REB) chilled the temperature. Celtics win, 119-114.

• Jamal Murray continued his hot streak in the absence of Nikola Jokic, dropping 33 PTS next to Aaron Gordon (22 PTS, 6 REB) as the Nuggets handled the Mavericks 118-109 on Wednesday. Naji Marshall (24 PTS) was the main focal point on offense for Dallas after Cooper Flagg left with an ankle injury, with Brandon Williams (20 PTS) contributing off the bench as well.

• Another great night from Donovan Mitchell (35 PTS, 9 AST, 7 REB) led the Cavaliers to a 133-107 win over Philadelphia, with Cleveland’s defense shutting Philly down (28% PHI three-point shooting) and out-assisting the Sixers 41-22.

Who’s Winning MIP?

Enjoyers: We’re bringing you here today to discuss a question of utmost importance. Winning Most Improved Player requires a delicate balance of skill and environment, and this year’s crop of contenders is finally coming into view.

As we approach the halfway mark of the season, let’s take a stats-backed look at who could come home with the George Mikan Trophy.

1. Jalen Johnson (ATL)

• Last season: 18.9 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 50.0%/31.2%/74.6%, 35.7 MPG

• This season: 23.4 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 8.1 APG, 52.0%/36.0%/79.1%, 35.3 MPG

Johnson’s case is built on breadth. He’s handling more responsibility offensively, creating more for others, and doing so with better efficiency—all while maintaining his defensive versatility. He’s young enough to be ascending, but established enough that the leap feels earned rather than inevitable, which helps JJ given how voters sometimes view this award.

2. Deni Avdija (POR)

• Last season: 16.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.9 APG, 47.6%/36.5%/78.0%, 30.0 MPG

• This season: 26.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 6.9 APG, 46.8%/35.5%/80.1%, 35.4 MPG

While he doesn’t have the efficiency jump or playing time consistency that Johnson has, Avdija’s scoring jump is larger and easy to contextualize. The sheer scale of the leap gives voters a clean before-and-after snapshot, which is the kind of archetype MIP awards historically gravitate towards.

3. Keyonte George (UTA)

• Last season: 16.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 5.6 AST, 39.1%/34.3%/81.8%, 31.5 MPG

• This season: 23.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.9 AST, 45.4%/36.5%/90.5%, 34.4 MPG

George’s rise is opportunity + skill. His scoring and assist totals have climbed sharply as he’s taken on a heavier on-ball workload, and his efficiency has followed rather than cratered. As a third-year guard, though, he sits in that gray area between true breakout and expected development that might make it tough to garner votes.

4. Nickeil Alexander-Walker (ATL)

• Last season: 9.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 43.8%/38.1%/78.0%, 25.3 MPG

• This season: 20.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.3 APG, 44.9%/37.7%/86.2%, 33.0 MPG

NAW’s case is stronger than it looks at first glance. He’s gone from a <10 PPG rotation piece to a real two-way contributor without sacrificing shot quality or effectiveness in any huge way. His improvement does feel structural rather than explosive, but the scoring jump is hard to ignore.

5. Jalen Duren (DET)

• Last season: 11.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 69.2%/0/66.9%, 26.1 MPG

• This season: 17.9 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, 63.3.%/0/72.4%, 28.4 MPG

Duren is scoring more, playing heavier minutes, and holding up physically over a larger workload, but his gains come in difficult areas for voters. The Pistons center’s growth is maybe hard to frame as “most improved,” but his leap feels truly substantial on the court.

Three in the Key

Signing Off

Happy Friday, Enjoyers! Goals and resolutions are great tools for this time of year, but not at the expense of your mental health. Stay true to yourself and recalibrate if you find yourself pushed too far! Talk soon. ✌️

Austin Zeglis