Basketball is back in a BIG way—24 teams were in action last night. To the fans of those six unlucky teams… it’ll be worth the wait! Meanwhile, here’s the rest of us:

Today’s Lineup

Last Night’s Action

Jokic joins history books as Nuggets handle Wizards 130-110

This was a clinic from Denver. Jamal Murray (18 PTS, 8 AST) wined and dime-d all night and seven Nugs scored in double figures. But the story of the night was Nikola Jokic recording his first triple-double against the Wizards, which makes him the third player in NBA history (along with LeBron and Russ) to record a triple-double against every opposing team.

It’s a crazy feat to accomplish, and it made for a pretty typical Jokic interview moment, too:

Thunder secure big 129-107 win over Clippers

This game meant so much more than just the final score. A win over Los Angeles was crucial for the Thunder with regards to a potential playoff seeding tiebreaker, and they played like they knew that. OKC’s domination came on both ends, highlighted by another MVP-like performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31 PTS, 8 AST).

Celtics torch Bulls 129-112 for seventh straight W

In a classic Eastern Conference matchup, the Celtics came to play. Or rather, they came to shoot. Boston hit 23 threes in this game, including five from both Jayson Tatum (25 PTS, 5 AST) and Derrick White (28 PTS, 5 AST) and at least two from five other players. Ayo Dosunmu (14 PTS, 8 AST, 7 REB) and Coby White (20 PTS, 4 3PM) both balled out but couldn’t surmount the Celtics’ dominance. Also, this, from Luke Kornet:

Elsewhere around the Association…

• The Knicks had no problem putting away the 76ers in a 14-point win, thanks to six threes from Bojan Bogdanovic (22 PTS). Tyrese Maxey had a clean 35 and Kyle Lowry put up 11 in his Philly debut.

• Dallas took down Phoenix 123-113 for its seventh straight win, thanks to a routine 40-piece from Luka (41 PTS, 11 AST, 9 REB) and a super efficient game from Kyrie Irving (29 PTS, 11-18 FG, 6-8 3PT).

• 55 combined points from Zion (27 PTS) and CJ McCollum (28 PTS) led the red-hot Pelicans over Houston, 127-105

• The Spurs came this close to a comeback win in Sacramento, but Domantas Sabonis (22 PTS, 11 REB, 11 AST) and the Kings prevailed 127-122 thanks to a clutch De’Aaron Fox (28 PTS, 9 AST) block and bucket.

• Steph Curry (32 PTS, 8 AST, 6 3PM) torched the LeBron-less Lakers, leading the Warriors to a 128-110 win despite a great performance from AD (27 PTS, 15 REB). Golden State is 7-2 in their last nine!

• And finally, who would have though that it would be Mo Wagner (22 PTS, 7 REB) handing the Cavaliers a rare loss during their incredible hot streak! Orlando took care of Cleveland, 116-109.

When you think about the greatest NBA teams of all time, you usually think of championship winners like the 1990s Bulls, the 2010s Warriors, or maybe even the 1960s Celtics. But what about a squad that never got the big one?

That’s right—we’re talking about the 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks. This squad, centered around a core of Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver, Jeff Teague, and Al Horford, is regarded as the best team in Hawks history. Some claim them as one of the best teams to never win a championship— but how did it all happen? And how come they couldn’t win a chip?

Despite a mediocre 7-6 start, this Hawks team turned UP in the middle of the season and went on an absolutely blistering 33-2 stretch from November through January. With one of the best defenses and a well above average offense, they dominated their competition all season en route to a 60-22 regular season finish, granting them the Eastern Conference’s first seed.

But how were they so successful? An immense level of All-Star level talent, that’s how! The Hawks had FOUR players named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team, becoming one of only eight squads in NBA history to accomplish that feat.

• Jeff Teague averaged 15.9 points and 7.0 assists per game, which made him one of the most impactful point guards in the game given he grabbed almost two steals a game as well.

• Kyle Korver was an ELECTRIC three-point threat, shooting 49% from three on six attempts a game and averaging 12.1 points per game in one of the best statisctical seasons of his career.

• Paul Millsap led the team in scoring (16.7 PPG) but did way much more than just put the ball in the basket—he was an elite rebounder for his size and a great hustle player who would get steals and blocks at just the right moments.

But alas, an overall decrease in efficiency and a few key injuries (including a controversial injury to crucial bench wing Thabo Sefolosha in April) weakened the Hawks going into the playoffs. While they did make it all the way to the ECF, they ran into the worst nightmare of any Eastern Conference championship hopeful: LeBron James. LBJ’s Cavs swept Atlanta, placing the 2014-15 Hawks in the halls of niche NBA history forever.

Three in the Key

Signing Off

TBH… we didn’t know if we were gonna make it to the end of this week. Life without basketball is just dull, you know? Just like life without all of you Enjoyers—we couldn’t (and wouldn’t!) do it without each and every one of you. Talk soon. ✌️

-Austin Zeglis