🏀 We're Giddy for Giddey

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Hey you, didn't you hear? There was a full slate of high-quality NBA hoops last night that you NEED to read about. From delicious dimes to ferocious throwdowns, there was a little bit of everything. Let's sit down and dig in.

Today’s Lineup

Buzz Buzz 🐝: The Hornets shut down New York's nine game win streak

The Dimer from Down Under 🦘: Josh Giddey put on a passing CLINIC

From 10th to 1st 🥇: A look back at the most unlikely win streak in NBA history

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Tuesday’s Throwdowns

Want all the #’s from last night’s action? Click here

Gafford beats the buzzer to give Wizards 119-117 win over Pistons

It may not have been pretty, Wizards fans, but a win’s a win!

Despite being in full tank form, the Pistons (15-51) kept this one close right down to LITERALLY the last second. Jaden Ivey exuded confidence with his dynamic scoring and playmaking, James Wiseman poured in an efficient 21, and Eugene Omoruyi put in an inspired shift off the bench. But it was the Wizards (31-34) who got the last laugh, thanks to Daniel “right place right time” Gafford.

Short-handed Bucks cruise past Magic 134-123

Giannis Antetokounmpo? Jrue Holiday? No idea who you’re talking about. The only star we know in Milwaukee is Jevon Carter. Seriously, Carter (24 PTS, 5 AST) has been incredible on both sides of the ball this year and was a big reason why the Bucks (47-18) were firmly in control against the Magic (27-39) tonight—even without two of their best players. Just look at him stop this 3-on-1 fast-break all by himself!

Embiid bullies Timberwolves en route to 117-94 Sixers victory

Most big men don’t look forward to facing off against 3x DPOY Rudy Gobert—then again, Joel Embiid isn’t most big men. The Sixers (43-22) superstar sliced and diced his way through the Timberwolves (34-33) defense to the tune of 39 points and a perfect 4-for-4 combo from beyond the arc. And don’t forget about Tyrese Maxey either, who had 27 of his own!

Anthony Edwards did everything he could for Minnesota last night, including putting the fear of god into Jalen McDaniels, but the rest of the team couldn’t get anything going on offense—they hit just 35% of their shots.

Nets brush Rockets aside, 118-96

It’s a joy to watch a player blossom into a star before our very eyes, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing happen with Mikal Bridges in Brooklyn (37-28). The former Phoenix Sun dropped an even 30 to lead the way for Brooklyn, who also got an incredible interior performance from young center Nic Claxton. The Rockets (15-50) had a strong first quarter led by an eye-popping Jalen Green poster, but the tank for Wemby inevitably marches on in H-Town.

Thunder ride Giddey's talismanic passing to 137-128 win over Warriors

It takes a special kind of night to overcome the Warriors (34-32) when they get a 40-point performance from Stephen Curry, but that’s exactly what Josh Giddey and the Thunder (31-34) did tonight. The Australian floor general dished out a career-high 17 assists and was a huge reason why OKC was ruthlessly efficient from beyond the arc in the second half.

Luka and Kyrie help Mavericks squeak by Jazz 120-116

Although it was closer than Mavericks (34-32) certainly would have liked, it's nice to see the dynamic duo of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic come through in the clutch. Irving was especially elite in the fourth—hustle plays like this great rebound over Kelly Olynyk will certainly endear him to the Dallas faithful. The Jazz (31-35) got their usual stellar showing from Lauri Markkanen plus a refreshing 21 from Talen Horton-Tucker, but a botched FT routine late in the game ended up sealing their fate.

Hornets sting Knicks with surprise 112-105 win in MSG

This is why EVERY game counts, people! The Knicks (39-28) were the hottest team in basketball playing at home against a Hornets (21-46) squad who just lost their best player for the season last week. But Charlotte quickly threw any thoughts of tanking out the window and had one of their best games of the year. Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre Jr. provided an efficient scoring burst, but it was Gordon Hayward who was really pulling the strings out there—he turned the clock back to his Utah days with an all-around versatile performance.

AD demolishes Grizzlies in 112-103 Lakers W

It's always good to see Anthony Davis healthy and thriving, and that's exactly what we experienced last night. AD took full advantage of the Grizzlies’ (38-26) Steven Adams-lessness, grabbing 22 boards along with 30 points. And what can't Austin Reaves do? The Lakers (32-34) fan favorite dropped 7+ assists for the third time in the last five games and topped it off by crossing up Desmond Bane.

Monday Night Notes

Philly overcame a strong effort from the Pacers, as Tyrese Haliburton (40 PTS, 16 AST) went blow-for-blow with Joel Embiid (42 PTS) and James Harden (14 PTS, 20 AST) in a wild shootout in Indy. The Raptors took the Nuggets down to the wire in Denver, but it was referee Scott Foster who stole the show late with a suspicious ejection call that even had his coworkers looking confused.

And in the game of the night, Cleveland beat Boston in OT thanks to a cool 40 from Donovan Mitchell (including this baptism of Mike Muscala) and an unfortunate Grant Williams late-game meltdown.

Elsewhere, a rare triple double from Damian Lillard led the Blazers over the Pistons, “light the beam” chants were in full effect during the Kings’ 15-point W over New Orleans, and some great shooting and a clutch steal sealed Miami's narrow win over Atlanta.

NBA History Spotlight

The Bucks’ recent 16-game winning streak was absolutely impressive, but certainly not unexpected given the sheer individual dominance of Giannis Antetokounmpo. But what if we told you that a team once went on a win streak six games longer than Milwaukee’s and they weren’t even in the playoffs when they started it?

If you didn’t know, we’re talking about Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, and the 2007-08 Houston Rockets.

In a hyper-competitive Western Conference playoff picture, the tenth-seeded 24-20 Rockets found themselves on the outside looking in on January 27th. But little did they know that they wouldn’t lose another game until the middle of March. 🤯

And to make matters even more impressive, Houston lost Ming to a season-ending injury halfway through their streak. H-Town didn’t lose a step in his absence, as key role players stepped up around T-Mac to keep the party going. Rafer Alston drained a ton of threes and ran the offense to perfection, Shane Battier clamped everyone in sight with his all-out hustle, and rookie Luis Scola proved he could get it done in the US with the best scoring stretch of his young career.

With wins over LeBron's Cavs, CP3’s Hornets, Dirk’s Mavericks, and Kobe's Lakers, this 22 game streak propelled the Rockets to a 46-20 record and the top spot in the West. And while their season might not have ended how they wanted—they got bounced by the Jazz in the first round—but the streak remains one of the most unlikely and exciting runs in NBA history.

Frozen Moments

• The Clippers suited up in full construction gear for a team event at their new stadium.

• Kyle Kuzma's hilarious attempt at Steph Curry’s trademark turnaround.

• Doc Rivers and Anthony Edwards had a hilarious sideline conversation…

• Pao Gasol's emotional Lakers jersey retirement.

Good Reads

Trae Young is going to soar in Quin Snyder’s offense - CoachSpins (SB Nation NBA)

Michael Porter Jr.’s “maturation” is the best story of this Nuggets’ season - Harrison Wind (DNVR)

Andrew Bernstein: The Photographer Behind Iconic NBA Photos - Phil Mistry (PetaPixel)

What We’re Enjoying

CraftedNBA Lineup Builder: CraftedNBA has loads of fun tools to mess around with, but lately we’ve really been enjoying their lineup builder. It’s the classic “$25 to build your team” format, except you’ll actually get feedback about their predicted net rating and cohesion—pretty cool stuff.

Signing Off

That’s it from us today! If you like what you read, how about recommending us to a friend, coworker, or maybe even that one guy at the park who keeps cooking you in pickup games? Any and all are welcome.

Until next time,

- Spencer Poole

Trivia Answer: The answer to today’s trivia is surprisingly Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls! His Airness did plenty of winning during his time in the Windy City, but he never strung more than 18 W’s together in a row.

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