Christian Wood had a Block Party

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Welcome back, Enjoyers! Can y’all believe we're already halfway through the season? Think of all the incredible moments we’ve seen so far, and now think about how many more we have left to see this year … and that’s not even including the playoffs!

But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves: we have some great hardwood action from last night to talk about! Let’s go ahead and get into it.

Newsletter Preview

A Wild Night in LA: Luka and LeBron battle it out in a multi-OT thriller

Thunderstruck ⚡ SGA leads OKC to a monster win over Philly to headline Thursday night

Fear the Beard: James Harden's playmaking evolution led to a dominating performance against Detroit

PrizePicks

You already know who it is. Our friends over at PrizePicks have been with us since nearly the very beginning, helping you add a bit of extra enjoyment to your hoops-watching experience with daily fantasy projections.

The best part about PrizePicks? Entries are as easy as a breakaway layup, 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 some high-level NBA hoops.

If you’re struggling with who to pick, check out our expert picks below for some suggestions! Whether you’re riding with the EnjoyBBall crew, or concocting some selections of your own, remember to share your choices with us on Twitter!

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*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

Luka leads Mavs comeback over LeBron and Lakers in 119-115 2OT thriller

What. A. Game.

Back-and-forth all night, clutch plays on both sides of the ball, a Luka Doncic masterclass, this one had it all. The Slovenian superstar came up clutch for the Mavericks (24-19) not just once, but twice. First, with a smooth stepback to send the game to OT, and then with what looked like a carbon copy to make it double a few minutes later.

Christian Wood, congrats on having your best game as a Dallas Maverick! 24 points, 14 boards, and some of the clutchest blocks we’ve seen all year. And mad respect to Spencer Dinwiddie for saving this filthy throwdown for OT.

The Lakers (19-23) should be proud of the fight they put in. They nearly overcame a poor shooting night from LeBron James thanks to a great game from Russell Westbrook, plus some solid team effort forcing turnovers and on the offensive glass.

Monster night from SGA powers Thunder past Sixers 133-114

The Thunder (19-23) shot 43% from deep, forced 17 Sixers turnovers, and made the absolute most of their attempts at the charity stripe. SGA led the way with 37 (including this dazzling dribbling move), but he certainly wasn’t alone. The Williams duo of Jaylin and Jalen combined for an efficient 25, and how about Josh Giddey with 20 points and eight dimes? The Aussie has been playing some great ball as of late, averaging 17-8-6 since the start of December while hitting nearly 42% of his threes. 

James Harden dropped 24 points and 15 assists, while Joel Embiid led the scoring for the Sixers (25-16) with 30. 

Box Score

Celtics put the clamps on Kyrie to grind out 109-98 win over Nets

The Celtics (31-12) pushed through a tough shooting night from Jayson Tatum thanks to some solid effort from the role players. Malcolm Brogdon chipped in with 16 off the bench, Luka Kornet shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, and Derrick White added 15 to go along with seven boards. 

But the Celtics' real key to victory over the Nets (27-14) was locking up Kyrie Irving down the stretch, who needed 24 shots to score his 24 points. And lovers of weird statlines rejoice! Ben Simmons is just the third player in NBA history to score zero points while putting up at least nine rebounds and 13 assists, including this immaculate pass to T. J. Warren. 

Box Score

Bucks minus Giannis come up short against Heat 108-102

The Bucks (27-15) really missed Giannis Antetokounmpo tonight, and it absolutely showed on both ends of the court. The Heat (23-20) outrebounded Milwaukee by 22 and scored 40 more points in the paint. Bam Adebayo took full advantage of the Greek Freak's absence to drop 24 points and 12 boards, while Gabe Vincent exploded for a season-high 28, including this filthy stepback.

Jrue Holiday led the way for the Bucks with 24 and 11, and a quick shout-out to rookie AJ Green (not the Bengals receiver) for dropping a career-high 15.

Box Score

Cavs overcome 50 piece from Dame to beat Blazers 119-113

Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers (19-22) didn’t quite get the storybook ending they were hoping for. Lillard was questionable leading up to game time with an ankle sprain but gritted it out to not just play, but drop a 50 piece in style. 

It’s just too bad that Portland couldn’t hold it together down the stretch. The Cavaliers (27-16) stars got hot late, particularly Donovan Mitchell, who scored 18 of his 26 points in the second half. 

Box Score

Raptors cruise past Hornets 124-114

The Raptors (19-23) got another big win last night over the Hornets (11-32) to start their first multi-game win streak of the season. Pascal Siakam was the definition of efficiency in this one, with 35 points on 85% shooting. And you gotta love the big night from Scottie Barnes, who's been tuning out the sophomore slump talk to put up some solid numbers lately. 

Charlotte got a combined 53 from their backcourt of LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier, but their chances at victory slipped away thanks to a -13 turnover differential. 

Box Score

Wednesday Night Notes

Zach LaVine buried a crazy three with seconds remaining to bring the Bulls even against the Wizards, only to be outdone by the definition of a tuff bucket from Kyle Kuzma. Jaylen Brown went off for 41 in the Celtics' 125-114 W over the Pelicans. Down in Atlanta, Jrue Holiday worked some magic to give the Bucks a 114-105 win over the Hawks, while Saddiq Bey dropped 31 as the Pistons picked up a surprise 135-118 blowout victory against the Timberwolves.

Despite the Rockets' loss to the Kings, Alperen Sengun dropped an even 10, 10, and 10 to become the youngest center ever to record a triple-double. Quentin Grimes clutched up for the Knicks as they took down the Pacers 119-113. The Nuggets clapped the Suns 126-97 to move to 18-3 (!!) at home thanks to Nikola Jokic's 21-18-9. And finally, Ja Morant blessed us with yet another ridiculous poster as the Grizzlies cruised past the Spurs 135-129.

Performance of the Week

The Absolute Best of Point Harden

Nagging injuries have bothered James Harden ever since he left Houston, leaving some to question whether his best days were behind him. But now fully healthy, he's playing some sublime basketball for a Philly squad creeping within striking distance of the top of the Eastern Conference. Starting next to Joel Embiid, Harden doesn't have to carry the Sixers' scoring load the way he did for the Rockets, and it's unlocked a completely new version of his game.

The Beard has always been a talented facilitator, even leading the league in assists back in 2016-17, but he's taken his playmaking to another level during this recent stretch. Over his last fifteen games, Harden is first in assists per game with 11.8, and he's doing it all with better ball security and higher efficiency. Harden's 3.6 turnovers per game and three-point percentage of 38% are both career bests as a starter.

And he compiled all those improvements into a spectacular 15-assist triple-double against the Pistons on Tuesday night. Harden showcased a near-telepathic connection with Embiid, a hyper-efficient shot selection, and a great tendency to always make the right read. It might not be the flashiest highlight reel ever, but in three quarters, Harden gave us an incredible crash course on how to run a modern NBA offense.

Good Reads

How Dennis Schröder has helped stabilize the Lakers - Alex Regla (Silver Screen and Roll)

Meet Christian Siakam: Pascal’s brother, aspiring NBA coach and nurturing ‘truth-teller’ - Eric Koreen (The Athletic)

Robin to the Joker’s Batman: Is Aaron Gordon Denver’s Second All-Star? - Mat Issa (Opta Analyst)

What We're Enjoying

Back to Black: Okay, hear us out, but Back to Black by Amy Winehouse is surprisingly an elite album to shoot hoops to, especially if you're practicing free throws. Do yourself a favor and listen to one of the most acclaimed albums of this century next time you're out on the court by yourself.

Jet Lag: Want to watch four dudes race around the world performing weird challenges? Then this is the channel for you! Jet Lag is a channel with an incredible premise that never fails to spice things up. Definitely check out their most recent season if you haven't already.

Signing Off

That’s all from us today! We’re looking forward to enjoying the back half of this season with you all.

Until next time,

-Spencer Poole

Trivia Answer: The answer to Wednesday's trivia question was the Minnesota Timberwolves! The Sixers, Spurs, and Rockets all have at least one lefty among their top two scorers. 

Trivia Question: Which one of these players does NOT have at least 50 career triple doubles?