A Full Weekend Of NBA Basketball

Good morning, Enjoyers! It was a huge weekend over in the NFL, so if you sacrificed some basketball watching to see how the football regular season shook out, we forgive you (but just this time.) Luckily, we'll always be here to recap the NBA weekend. So let's get to it!

Newsletter Preview

Wrapping Up The Weekend: Relive all the best action from the last three days in the NBA.

Unsung Heroes: The deeper we get into the season, the more "sung" this Nets big man becomes.

Highlights From Friday & Saturday

Friday

Zach LaVine was stuck on automatic in a Bulls win in Philly; 11-13 from three-point range is just silly. Julius Randle was Too Groovy To Handle (shoutout to Marlon Craft), scoring 19 in the first quarter as the Knicks won, though they still can't decide if they want to be good or not. Denver got another impressive win, this one against Cleveland, behind a—you guessed it—Nikola Jokic triple-double. Charlotte (yes, the Hornets) scored a franchise-record 51 points in the first quarter en route to stomping Milwaukee (yes, the Bucks) 138-109 behind 39 points from Scary Terry Rozier.

Saturday

The Dallas Mavericks are getting there, slowly but surely. Winners of eight of their last ten games, the Mavs discarded a shorthanded Pelicans team on Saturday thanks mostly to Luka Doncic and Christian Wood. In the East, the Bulls are surging after a 126-118 win against Utah.

The young Magic aren't consistent yet, but the vision is clear on nights like Saturday, when they beat Golden State 115-101. Paolo Banchero scored 25 and it's really easy to forget that he's a rookie when you're watching him.

Sunday's Slate

No Embiid, no problem as Sixers handle Pistons 123-111

Philadelphia (24-15) was without their star center, so Montrezl Harrell did his best Embiid impression, scoring 20 points on 8-11 shooting. James Harden pitched in a triple-double (20/11/11) in the win. It wasn't all bleak for Detroit (11-32), though, as Killian Hayes continues his rapid improvement by posting 26 points & six assists.

Box Score

Turner comes in clutch as Pacers top Hornets, 116-111

29 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, and the biggest play of the night. Myles Turner is playing like someone who's sick of being in trade talks at every deadline since like 1973 and led Indiana (23-18) to the win. Don't worry Charlotte (11-30) fans: every loss increases your Wemby odds.

Box Score

Balanced attack helps Raptors get much-needed win, beat Blazers 117-105

Happy New Year, Toronto! The Raptors (17-23) got their first win of 2023 on Sunday, topping the Blazers (19-20). Neither of these teams is thrilled with how their season has progressed, so don't be surprised if they both look a little different in the next few weeks. Pascal Siakam (27 points) and Scottie Barnes (22/9/4/3/2) contributed to the win.

Box Score

An unlikely hero emerges in Brooklyn as Nets beat Heat 102-101

With less than ten seconds left, and the Nets down by one, Kyrie Irving launched a pull-up 30-footer (for some reason) and missed, but Royce O'Neale was there to lay in the game-winner for Brooklyn (27-13). Kevin Durant left the game with an apparent knee injury, so let us hope he's not seriously hurt. At least Miami (21-20) got this poster from Bam Adebayo.

Box Score

Grizzlies pull out win without two starters, defeat struggling Jazz 123-118

An elite backup point guard is a luxury in the NBA. Tyus Jones didn't miss a beat in Ja Morant's absence, posting 21 points and six rebounds. Memphis (26-13) looks like a real threat to come out of the West, while Utah (20-23) is just trying to regain their early-season magic.

Box Score

Wolves stay unbeaten in 2023 with 104-96 win over Rockets

The Minnesota Timberwolves (20-21) are tough to figure out. After a six-game losing streak to end 2022, they've started the new year by rattling off four straight wins, this one on the backs of D'Angelo Russell (22 points) and Rudy Gobert (18 points, 11 rebounds). Will Houston (10-30) become the first NBA team to have the worst record in the league for three straight years? That's not necessarily a distinction you want to have.

Box Score

Cavs use huge fourth quarter to beat Suns, 112-98

Raul Neto posted a statline of three points, one rebound, and one assist, so you may not think he provided much of anything for Cleveland (26-15) in this game. But you'd be wrong! The 30-year-old brought a surge of energy on defense for the Cavs, who outscored Phoenix (20-21) by thirteen points in the fourth, 32-19.

Box Score

SGA spins another gem as Thunder topple Mavs, 120-109

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is that dude. This isn't breaking news, of course, but the Thunder (18-22) star scored 33 in this one and has OKC in shouting distance of a playoff spot—with nothing even close to an All-Star cast around him. Dallas (23-18) got 27 & 16 from Christian Wood but were without Luka Doncic, who is nursing a minor ankle injury.

Box Score

Trae Young comes up clutch in LA as Hawks beat Clips, 112-108

After Kawhi Leonard answered Trae Young's go-ahead floater and tied the game up at 108 with under a minute left, Young responded with another floater in the lane that ended up being the shot that sunk the Clippers (21-21). Big-time players make ... well, you know. Could this be a turning point for Atlanta (19-21)?

Box Score

Latest Basketball News

Slam Dunk Contest Taking Shape: Rockets forward KJ Martin committed to the Slam Dunk Contest on Sunday, joining Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe. We're going to go out on a limb and say they will both put on a show.

Here's Martin:

And Sharpe:

Video game bounce!

Unsung Heroes

The Brooklyn Nets had far more questions than answers before the season started, and one of the biggest was whether or not their center position is sturdy enough to help propel them to the heights they wished to reach in 2022-23. Nic Claxton answered that question early on—empathically. The fourth-year center is posting career highs in pretty much every major statistical category. He hasn't just become a better version of last year's Nic Claxton—he's become one of the best defenders in the entire league.

His 2.6 blocks per game is tied for first in the NBA. His Defensive Rating of 106.6 is second in the NBA. Claxton has five games with five or more blocks. He's become a defensive stalwart and a picture-perfect fit on a Nets team with plenty of offensive firepower. That's not to say Claxton is a liability on the offensive end either; his 74% field goal percentage also ranks first in the NBA, and he's a formidable lob threat. Claxton understands his role perfectly on both ends.

Good Reads

Dispatch: Never Hungover at the Smoothie King Center - Ock Sportello (Never Hungover)

The Basketball Feelings Feeling Of The Year (FOTY) - Katie Heindl (Basketball Feelings)

What We're Enjoying

EO, Directed by Jerzy Skolimowski: You probably didn't expect to be recommended a Polish movie about a donkey in a basketball newsletter, but you are! An emotional, thought-provoking film with some incredible sound design.

Laughing So Hard, It Hurts by Mavi: One of the most gifted rappers of this generation, Mavi dropped this album in mid-October, and it somehow gets better with every listen. Honest, musical, hard-hitting rap from the Charlotte, North Carolina native. Do yourself a favor and give it a listen.

Signing Off

At what point can you say a year is in "full swing?" A week in? If you're not feeling in full swing yet, that's fine. Take your time! Humans aren't even supposed to be this productive all the time. We're supposed to be just like picking berries. Talk soon!

-Quinn Everts

Trivia Answer: The most games of 10+ assists since 2000? The Point God himself, Chris Paul.

Trivia Question: Who is the oldest rookie in NBA history?