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Happy Wednesday, Enjoyers! We’re giving away a free Enjoy mini hoop and Shooting Stars tee, and newsletter subscribers like yourselves are already halfway to being entered in the giveaway! Check out our IG for the full instructions.

And in case you weren’t aware, we’re hosting an NBA watch party on Playback tonight at 7pm! Come watch tonight’s slate of games with Kenny, Mike, Darrick, and Pierre—you won’t wanna miss it.

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to NBA legend Metta World Peace and Enjoyers Davis, Noor, Zach, James, Grayson, and Kellen! 🎉

Game Recaps

Steph spoils Klay’s return, Warriors beat Dallas 120-117

Klay Thompson (22 PTS, 6 3PM) made his return to the Bay Area, and it lived up to every inch of the hype.

Klay’s current and former teams locked themselves into a back-and-forth affair last night—the Warriors opened up a nine-point lead in the first quarter, the Mavs answered by taking the lead in the second and stretching it to eleven, and Golden State responded by taking a 13-point lead in the third. You get the idea. This game was nuts!

After a tighter fourth quarter, the Warriors grabbed a one-point lead with under two minutes to go. And if you watched this game and saw the ball find Steph Curry (37 PTS, 9 AST) in this moment, we know you knew what was going down: ⬇️

SGA drops career-high 45 as Thunder beat Clippers 134-128

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was out for revenge on Monday night, and he delivered. During a career-high 45-point performance against the team that traded him away for Paul George, SGA pulled out every trick in the bag—he knocked down smooth threes, nailed tough mid-range shots, and used dark magic to get himself to the line whenever OKC needed a bucket.

And they needed every single one, because the Clippers didn’t make it easy. Norman Powell (31 PTS) continued his scorching start to the season, lighting up OKC from all over, while Ivica Zubac (22 PTS, 14 REB) feasted in the paint against an undermanned Thunder frontcourt. The Clippers kept it tight right down to the wire, but Lu Dort (19 PTS) came up with the stop of the night, clamping down on James Harden (17 PTS, 11 REB, 9 AST) in the final seconds to secure the win. Take a look: 🔒💪

Elsewhere around the NBA…

• The first game of the NBA Cup was an absolute classic. Without Trae Young, the Hawks marched into Boston and stunned the Celtics 117-116 behind Dyson Daniels (28 PTS, 7 AST, 6 STL) and Jalen Johnson (18 PTS, 13 REB, 10 AST).

• The Cavs escaped the United Center by the skin of their teeth, maintaining their undefeated record in a 119-113 win over the Bulls thanks to some sweet spin moves from Donovan Mitchell (36 PTS) and a gorgeous scoop shot by Darius Garland (17 PTS) to ice it.

• Are the Nets legit? Brooklyn is fifth in the East and an impressive 3-1 against Western Conference opponents, most recently a 107-105 win over the Pelicans facilitated by Ben Simmons (12 AST) and finished off by a filthy sidestep three from Cam Thomas (17 PTS).

• Victor-y Wembanyama is officially on a roll. Wemby (34 PTS, 16 REB) and the Spurs put together their most complete performance of the season in a 116-96 drubbing of the Kings on Monday night. Their win can be summed up by the French phenom’s ridiculous block on Domantas Sabonis (23 PTS)—despite getting faked out of his shoes.

• Tyler Herro (40 PTS, 10 3PT) is that dude.. but we’re not done. The Heat star went on, well, a heater to force OT against the Pistons and buried what seemed to be the game-winner with 1.6 seconds left. But a great inbounds lob to Jalen Duren (8 PTS, 11 REB) and some timeout mismanagement ended up handing the 123-121 win to Detroit.

Injury Updates

We know it’s not the most Enjoy-able topic, but we’re due for an update on some of this year’s most notable injury setbacks. Here’s hoping for some smooth recoveries for these guys! 🤞

• Chet Holmgren: Out for 8-10 weeks with a pelvic fracture. We think I-Hart will end up helping OKC stay competitive.

• Paolo Banchero: Out indefinitely after an oblique tear; will be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks. That 50-bomb was magical!

• Kevin Durant: Out for 2 more weeks after a calf strain. It’s up to Book to step up now!

• Tyrese Maxey: Out for 1-2 more weeks with a hamstring injury. Philly has some work to do to stay afloat in the East…

• Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Jordan Hawkins, and Jose Alvarado: Yeah. You read that right. It’s tough to see a team with as much potential as New Orleans get hit this hard.

Numbers to Remember

With the NBA in full swing, some intriguing trends are taking shape. Let’s look at the numbers:

55.1: Nikola Jokic’s combined PTS + REB + AST

With Jamal Murray’s struggles and the departure of KCP looming large after an 0-2 start, many were wondering if the Nuggets’ title window was quietly closing in an increasingly crowded West. Now, less than two weeks later and riding a scorching hot 7-1 stretch, we’re wondering whether anyone in the league is even capable of slowing down Nikola Jokic. The Serbian supercomputer has jumped off the blocks at a near-historic pace—his 55.1 combined points, rebounds, and assists per game are better than any player since Kareem Abdul-Jabaar in 1971-72!

+5.9: The Spurs’ net rating with Chris Paul on the court

His burst may have been slowing over the years, but Chris Paul still has the expert mental game to run an NBA offense. The Point God was brought to San Antonio to serve as a wise veteran table-setter, similar to his role in OKC back in 2019-20, and the move has more than paid off for both sides so far. Already sporting a great rapport with Wemby and the Spurs’ other young guns, things just happen when CP3 is on the court. Let’s put it this way: his net rating this season would be better than all but three teams last year.

4: The number of rookies averaging 10+ points per game

While some may use this stat as an “I told you so” about the quality of this rookie class, we don’t think it should automatically be taken negatively. Let’s not forget that the 2016 draft class only had three rookies average double digits, yet still went on to produce All-Stars like Jaylen Brown, Brandon Ingram, and Domantas Sabonis! Plus, we’ve seen quite a few rookies already insert themselves into the rotations of playoff teams, like Ryan Dunn on the Suns, Jared McCain on the Sixers, and Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells on the Grizzlies.

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Three in the Key

Signing Off

Just like the NBA Cup adds an extra spark to the regular season, remember to find meaning in the small things in your day-to-day life. Whether it's tackling a quick task, sharing a laugh, or reaching a tiny goal, those little moments can make a big impact. Keep Enjoy-ing your journey, both on and off the court! 🏀💪 

Talk soon,

-Spencer Poole