Huge Performances From Elite Big Men

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope you had a wonderful weekend. We had a full slate of games in the NBA, which included a preposterous amount of great dunks, last-second primetime drama, a statement performance from last year's MVP runner-up, and about a million other story lines. We have no time to waste. Let's get to it!

Today's Lineup

Rivalry Week Wrap Up 🤜🤛 What did you think of the NBA's new showcase?

BIG Performances 👀 Embiid & Giannis showed why they're two of the NBA's best.

EB Roundtable 🍽️ What position should your favorite team trade for?

Highlights From Friday & Saturday

Friday night in the NBA was sponsored by Oprah Winfrey; you get a poster, you get a poster, everybody gets a poster!

All-Star Captain Giannis Antetokounmpo (41/12/6) appears to be solidly back at full strength, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (35/5/8) shows absolutely no signs of slowing down, and a dazzling Steph Curry performance (35/7/11) led Golden State past Toronto. The stars were out and shining on Friday.

Saturday

A Saturday afternoon battle between Nikola Jokic & Joel Embiid? It doesn't get much better than that. Denver took a 15-point lead in the second half, but then; Jo went to work. His full arsenal was on display, and Denver simply had no answer. Dominant. It's still early in the season, but if you're ranking potential NBA Finals matchups on a "fun" scale ... this has to be near the top.

In the later slate, Kyrie Irving took over in the fourth, scoring 21 in the final frame as Brooklyn topped New York. A missed foul call on LeBron James' drive to the hoop sent the Lakers game vs. Boston into OT, where Jaylen Brown got hot and closed out LA. Jeremy Sochan (get familiar) scored a career-high 30 points in San Antonio, but Mikal Bridges' mastery in OT helped Phoenix prevail, while the Wizards rolled to their fifth straight win behind a great Daniel Gafford performance.

Sunday's Best

Hornets get hot in second half, beat Heat 122-117

Terry (Rozier) was at his scariest (31 points, seven assists) as Charlotte (15-36) upended Miami (28-23) in a Sunday afternoon showdown. PJ Washington poured in 27 points of his own, and the Buzz Boys did enough to overcome an efficient Jimmy Buckets (his legal name) performance.

Box Score

Grizzlies stop skid with 112-100 win over Pacers

Even the NBA's best teams will experience some rough stretches over the course of an 82-game season; enter, the Grizz losing five straight coming into Sunday. But a Ja Morant triple-double and a 28-point, five (VERY REAL) block performance from Jaren Jackson Jr. helped Memphis (32-18) get back on track after a fruitless road trip. Indiana (24-28) continues to struggle without Tyrese Haliburton, but Ben Mathurin (27 points) remains a bright spot on a nightly basis. Plus, this cool Myles Turner dunk.

Box Score

Cavs stomp short-handed Clippers 122-99

One of these teams was at full strength. One of them was missing two superstars. BONUS TRIVIA: which team do you think won? Cedi Osman was nearly flawless (29 points, 7/7 3PT) as Cleveland (31-21) barely broke a sweat. Clippers (28-25) fans should simply forget this game ever happened! Just Men In Black yourself! Poof! It's gone!

Box Score

Giannis unstoppable in Bucks 135-110 thrashing of Pelicans

91 points, 25 rebounds, 10 assists. That's Giannis Antetokounmpo's statline from two games this weekend. Freakish! His 50-piece on Sunday was more than enough for Milwaukee (33-17) to topple a depleted New Orleans (26-25) team. Sometimes there's just nothing you can do. Also, Khris Middleton dunked? We've entered Bizzarro World. There's no better example of why the NBA needs expansion teams ASAP than a guy like Kira Lewis Jr. Too much talent is being wasted away on the outskirts of this league.

Box Score

EB Roundtable

Gather 'round, gather 'round! It's time for another installment of the EB Roundtable, where we let you, the wonderful Enjoyers of basketball, lead the discussion. With the trade deadline looming, we wanted to know:

So what deals do you think your teams should swing?

Is a reliable SF the piece that lifts Cleveland to even greater heights? Isaac Okoro and Cedi Osman are both good, productive players, but in a league dominated by big wings, a bit more scoring punch at the three certainly wouldn't hurt. Could guys like Kelly Oubre Jr. and Tim Hardaway Jr. be on their radar?

The Miami Heat don't really have a regular power forward on their roster, so we're inclined to agree with this. While they can get production out of seemingly every NBA MyPlayer that finds their way to South Beach, an established stretch 3&D power forward could do wonders for Erik Spoelstra and company. If John Collins is finally, actually available, Miami should be texting Atlanta a few times a day.

This tweet is talking about the Spurs specifically, but it could apply for about a half-dozen teams. Of course, the trade deadline is a time when teams try to get better, but how will teams in the Wemby sweepstakes handle the deadline? Will there be fire sales all around? Will players get dealt for less than they're worth, just because teams are desperate to bottom out?

Pacers Pay Up

Myles Turner and the Indiana Pacers agreed to a 2-year, $60-million contract extension on Saturday, keeping him in Indianapolis through 2025. Turner is enjoying a career year, posting 17 points per game and shooting nearly 40% from deep. For a guy who constantly seems to be in trade discussions, getting some job security must be a great feeling. Mood, probably:

Good Reads

Can Mexico City Become The Next Great Basketball Town? - Alan Chazaro (GQ Sports)

The multifaceted value of Donte DiVincenzo - Joe Viray (Golden State Of Mind)

What We're Enjoying

True Blue by boygenius: Let's get in our feels, folks. One of three singles that boygenius (the combination of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker) released before their first full-length album drops on March 31st, True Blue will hit home for anyone who's ever felt any sort of emotion, ever. Just let it overtake you.

Signing Off

Well, sadly, this is where we must part ways. As always, you're massively appreciated. Have a great week, and remember to check on your friends! Talk soon. Rest In Peace Tyre Nichols.

-Quinn Everts

Trivia Answer: The most steals in a season? A surprising answer, it's Alvin Robertson, who did it in 1985-86!

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