Look out, NBA. It’s possible Giannis may have gotten even better…. 😳

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday Evan Fournier, Dillon Jones, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton! 🎉

Game Recaps

Markkanen explodes for 51 points, Jazz hold off Suns in 138-134 OT win

The first week of the season has been filled with 40 and 50 pieces across the league. On Monday night, Lauri Markkanen decided to join the club.

The Finnisher dropped an outrageous statline (51 PTS, 14 REB, 6/13 3PT, 17/17 FT) in the victory, and became the first Jazz player to drop 50 in a regular season game since 1998 (Lauri was just a year old, that’s how long it’s been).

Lauri led the way, but he got some much needed assistance from his squad in this one. Keyonte George put up a double-double (26 PTS, 10 AST) including a go-ahead runner in OT, and Walker Kessler (25 PTS, 11 REB, 4 BLK) was a two-way machine. 🔒

What seemingly looked like a Jazz route in the first quarter turned into a WILD finish to end regulation. Trailing by seven with 19 seconds to go, Devin Booker (34 PTS, 24 in the second half) hit two huge threes in the final minute…and got fouled with 4.9 seconds to go. He made the first, missed the second… but Mark Williams (25 PTS, 11 REB), came in clutch with the OREB tip-in to tie the game and force OT!

Booker and Williams’ heroics weren’t enough in the end, as Markkanen scored seven of his 51 in the extra period to seal the win for Utah. Hat’s off, Lauri! 🙌

Giannis dominates again, lifts Bucks past Knicks in 121-111 win

It’s possible we all may be taking Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dominance for granted.

The Greek Freak took the Knicks to school Tuesday night, going off for 37 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, on 16/22 shooting. Those numbers are INSANE, and yet, it still feels like just another day at the office for the two-time MVP.

When his name is called upon, he always seems to pick up. Trailing by 12 points at half, Giannis led the way in the Bucks (3-1) outscoring New York 62-40 in the second half, capped off by this ferocious flush: 🔥

In addition to the unsurprising Giannis performance, Milwaukee saw yet another standout game from guard Ryan Rollins (25 PTS, 8/11 FG) who was an absolute menace on both sides of the ball. If he keeps this play up, that contract he signed this offseason will look like a financial steal for the Bucks…

Jalen Brunson (36 PTS) did all he could to keep the Knicks (2-2) in the game late, but Tuesday night was one of those nights where Giannis was simply inevitable. When that happens, there’s not much you can do. 😅

Elsewhere around the NBA:

• Before Monday night, The Nuggets hadn’t beaten the Timberwolves since May 2024. The trusty duo of Jamal Murray (43 PTS, 16/29 FG) and Nikola Jokić (25 PTS, 19 REB, 10 AST) made sure that streak came to an end in DEN’s 127-114 win over MIN. 😎 Talk about getting a weight off your shoulders…

• After his 51 piece on Sunday, Austin Reaves picked up right where he left off 24 hours later, dropping an electric 41 points against Portland. This time though…it wasn’t enough. The Blazers got the last laugh in the 122-108 road victory over LAL, led by Deni Avdija’s 25 points, who’s scored 20+ in each game so far this season. He may be the team’s Vet, but Jrue Holiday (24 PTS, 5 AST) is proving that even at 35 years old, he still has a LOT left in the tank! 😤

• Right now in Philly, perhaps the only thing better than a cheesesteak is the way VJ Edgecomb has been hooping. The rookie continued his stellar play to open his NBA career in the 76ers’ 136-124 win against Orlando on Monday (26 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST), and has been a seamless fit next to Tyrese Maxey (43 PTS, 8 AST). Here’s to hoping this is just the beginning for this dangerous backcourt…

• Will OKC ever lose again? The defending champs improve to 5-0 to start their title-defense season with a 107-101 win over the Kings on Tuesday. After being down 97-90 halfway through the fourth, a late rally led by young stud Ajay Mitchell (18 PTS) helped inch OKC back into the game….with a pair of clutch treys from Alex Caruso (2/5 3PT) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31 PTS) putting the dagger in the Kings’ heart.

Injury Report

Anthony Edwards expected to miss two weeks with Hamstring Strain

The injury bug made its way to Minnesota early on in the season… 😪

Wolves star Anthony Edwards left Sunday’s matchup against the Pacers in the first half with an hamstring injury, and it’s now confirmed he’s expected to be sidelined for about two weeks, per Shams.

Ant’s absence has already been felt, with Minny dropping their first game without him to the Nuggets on Monday. The back-to-back Western Conference Finalists have plenty of weapons to keep the team afloat though, and we should expect to see an increase in usage from Donte Divincenzo, Bones Hyland, and Rob Dillingham to weather the storm in the backcourt while Edwards is out.

Heal up fast, Ant! 🙏

Three in the Key

With all of the huge individual performances to open the season, it’s almost impossible to keep track of them all. Thankfully, the guys at Numbers on the Board pod got you covered. 😎

Kenny, Pierre, Mike, and Darrick share which players they think have been most impressive so far this season…give it a listen!

Signing Off

That’s a wrap for today, Enjoyers! Thanks for making us a part of your day. As the days get shorter moving into winter, it’s easy to spend more time indoors in the dark. Make sure to still get out in the sun during the day if you have time!

See you on Friday!

Bobby Kasmire