Only one player in NBA history holds the single-game scoring record for multiple franchises. And it’s not LeBron— but it is James.

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Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday Vin Baker, Andrew Toney, and Malik Rose! 🎉

Game Recaps

James Harden drops 55 PTS 131-116 Clips win, becomes first player with multiple franchise single-game scoring records

Even at 36 years old, James Harden can still cook with the best of them.

On Saturday, the former MVP delivered a vintage performance in L.A.’s win over Charlotte, going off for 55 PTS with 10 threes and 7 AST. Harden was raining from beyond, but also got the cup for some crafty drives and converted on 11 of his 14 free throw attempts. For today’s stars, 35 is the new 25.

For the Hornets, Kon Knueppel continued his strong rookie season with 26 PTS on 9/12 shooting. But in a clash between student and master, Harden got the last laugh. It hasn’t been the season Clippers fans may have envisioned thus far— after a Sunday night loss to Spida and the Cavs, L.A. is currently 5-12 and sits at 12th in the Western Conference. But if other stars get healthy and Harden keeps playing like this, anything can happen.

Powell’s 32 PTS power Heat to 127-117 win over Sixers

Tyler Herro has not played a game yet and the Miami Heat are 11-6. Coach Spo, you genius.

On Sunday, the Heat continued their strong start to the year with a double-digit win over Philly thanks in large part to a 32-point performance from Norman Powell. Powell has been an efficient bucket for Miami (25 PPG, 49.1% FG) as they await the return of their All-Star SG. Kel’el Ware also had a day for Miami, racking up 20 PTS and 16 REB (including 8 OREB) while logging a plus-minus of +26.

The Sixers, who were missing Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, and Adem Bona, got 27 PTS from Tyrese Maxey but were outshot (49% vs. 45% from the field) and outrebounded (58-46). Erik Spolestra has this year’s Heat playing like a well-oiled machine— they currently lead the league in both pace (106.4) and points per game (124.9), and with Herro reportedly set to return tonight against Dallas, it’s only up from here.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

• MoTown Madness is not going ANYWHERE! The Pistons have won 12 in a row after a 129-116 victory against Milwaukee, and this dub was especially sweet given the return of a fan favorite: Jaden Ivey suited up for the first time since January after recovering from a broken fibula, scoring 10 PTS as one of five Pistons to reach double-figures. Keep the train moving!

• The Pistons have the second-best defensive rating in the NBA at 110. They are closer to the 21st-place Milwaukee Bucks (117 DRTG) than they are to the first-place Thunder (102.8 DRTG). Amid OKC’s electric 17-1 start (including a 122-95 Sunday night win over Portland), the most impressive aspect has undoubtedly been their stop troops— even without All-Defense selection Jalen Williams, the Thunder have put opponents in jail thanks to a “no-weak-link” set of perimeter stoppers and an elite shot-blocker named Chet Holmgren at the cup. Other teams can try to take the crown from the reigning champs, but first, they’ll have to find a way to score.

• Luka Doncic routinely does ridiculous things on the basketball court, but few reach this level of absurdity. In a 108-106 win over Utah, Doncic poured in 33 PTS, 11 REB, and 8 AST, one of which came on a fastbreak alley-oop that was preceded by a mid-dribble nutmeg. You have to see it to believe it.

• Just a few months ago, Russell Westbrook was playing for the Nuggets in a playoff Game 7. Now, he’s dropping 15-point fourth quarters against them. The Kings beat Denver 128-123 despite 44 PTS from Nikola Jokic, who continues to stake his claim for a fourth MVP trophy. But in this case, it wasn’t enough against SacTown and Brodie, who scored all but 6 of his points in the final frame to lead a late Kings surge.

CP3’s Curtain Call

Chris Paul set to retire after 2025-26 season

The Point God is ready to hang ‘em up.

Over the weekend, reports broke that this season will be the last for legend Chris Paul, who’s set to retire at the close of his 21st NBA campaign. A 12x All-Star and 11x All-NBA selection, Paul ranks second in NBA history in both assists and steals.

That level of passing output is only possible when a player makes his teammates better, and Paul has done that at each and every stage. Paul has been a part of four separate teams that set wins records for their respective franchises, an NBA record and a testament to the way he plays the game.

We’ll be sad to see him go, but in the meantime, let’s Enjoy these dimes while we still can.

Record Retrospective

In honor of Harden’s 55-point outburst, you may be wondering who owns the title of the oldest player in NBA history to score 50 PTS. Well, wonder no more: Jamal Crawford is your man.

J-Crossover entered the NBA in 2000 with plenty of expectations— after being selected 8th overall by the Cavs, Crawford was dealt to Chicago, where he spent the first four seasons of his career. From there, he bounced around from team to team while developing a reputation as one of the league’s most skilled ball-handlers. In 2008, Crawford averaged 20.6 PPG for the Knicks while starting all 80 games he played in.

But after arriving in Atlanta at the start of the 2010 season, Crawford transitioned to the role he’s most known for today: bench killer. That year, he averaged 18.6 PPG en route to his first Sixth Man of the Year award, an honor he’d win twice more with the Clippers in 2014 and 2016.

But the record in question didn’t come until later— almost by default. On April 9, 2019, Crawford made history as a member of the Suns, dropping 51 PTS on 18/30 from the field and 7/13 from three. Though the Mavericks won 120-109 as Dirk Nowitzki scored 30 PTS in his final home game, Crawford nonetheless wrote his name in the history books— at 39 years and 20 days old, he surpassed Michael Jordan (38 years and 315 days old) as the oldest player to score 50+ points in a game. The effort also marked Crawford's fourth career 50-point game with a different franchise, another NBA record.

J-Crossover last appeared for the Nets in 2020 before officially announcing his retirement in 2022. Crawford’s full career mixtape is one of the silliest you’ll ever see, but what’s even more impressive? Even age couldn’t catch his handle.

Three in the Key

Signing Off

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, be sure to get the rest you need to be your best self! Whether that means getting good sleep or just taking breaks, you’ll find everything goes more smoothly when you take time for yourself. See you soon!

Walker Carnathan