POV: You’re Jalen Green in 2025 staring down a defender in iso.

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to HOFer Bob Davies and Enjoyers Dylan and Artie! 🎉

Game Recaps

Zion dishes, Murphy swishes in 119-113 NOLA W over Chicago

On a quieter night in the hoops world, why not take a moment to highlight a team finally starting to get healthy again and playing well, even if they’re all but out of the playoff race?

The Pelicans still have a roster with plenty of talent, especially Trey Murphy III (32 PTS), who has taken full advantage of the injury crisis in New Orleans to show that he’s far more than just a catch-and-shoot threat. Even on a tough 2-for-13 night from deep, Murphy powered his way to his third 30-piece of 2025, with his offensive bag seeming to grow every game.

And of course, having Zion (22 PTS, 9 AST) back and balling doesn’t hurt either. The former top pick is always a physical force, but this game reminded us just how well-rounded he really is, especially as a playmaker. For the Bulls, this loss has to sting as they try to keep pace in the East play-in race. But hey, at least Lonzo Ball (11 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST) stuffed the stat sheet off the bench against his old team!

Jalen Green’s gem helps Rockets stave off Grizzlies 120-118

Jalen Green (42 PTS) is one of those players who feels like he’s been on the verge of a breakout for years. But out of all his great scoring outbursts, Monday night truly felt like a turning point for the Rockets’ young star. ⭐

In a clash between the second and third best teams out West, Green was far and away the best player on the court. Using his world-class hangtime to relentlessly attack the rack while showcasing supreme confidence in his shot, the former second-overall pick was instrumental in the Rockets’ double-digit fourth-quarter comeback, overcoming big nights from Ja Morant (29 PTS) and Desmond Bane (25 PTS) in the process.

And he wasn’t alone. Amen Thompson (19 PTS, 13 REB, 5 BLK) continued his crusade to stuff the stat sheet since entering Houston’s starting lineup, and Cam Whitmore (16 PTS) had another electric game as a spark plug off the bench. Houston now sits two games above the Grizzlies in the West!

Elsewhere around the NBA…

• Operation “Let Jamal Murray (45 PTS) Cook” was a massive success over in Denver—his highest-scoring night of the season powered the Nuggets to an easy 118-99 win over the Mavericks.

• Props to the Pacers for hanging tough for a while without Tyrese Haliburton, but you really need to be at full strength to beat the Cavs this season, especially when Donovan Mitchell (35 PTS) is cooking like this. Cleveland walked away with the 127-117 win.

• Matching 30-pieces for Kevin Durant (31 PTS) and Devin Booker (35 PTS) weren’t enough to overcome yet another Trae Young (43 PTS) masterclass. Add in a surprise 20-20 game off the bench for Onyeka Okongwu, and the Hawks came away as 122-117 victors.

• Sacramento’s seven-game win streak, meet Giannis Antetokounmpo (33 PTS, 11 REB, 13 AST). The Greek Freak became just the 12th player in NBA history with 50 career triple-doubles as the Bucks moved to four games above .500 with a 130-115 win.

• LeBron’s (18 PTS) tough bucket over Wemby (23 PTS, 3 STL) and a big night from AD (30 PTS, 13 REB) had the Lakers cruising up 10 against the Spurs, but a monster 37-13 fourth quarter from San Antonio led by Harrison Barnes (17 PTS) left the crowd in the Crypt stunned—the Spurs turned what had been a close game into a 126-102 blowout.

• Chris Boucher (18 PTS) came in clutch for the Raptors, dropping 17 off the bench in the 4Q including this insane fall-away three as the shot clock expired to help Toronto pick up a surprise 104-101 win against a struggling Golden State squad.

• Was there a more impactful signing this summer than Malik Beasley (22 PTS)? The Pistons’ sharpshooter buried six threes during Detroit’s 124-119 win over the Knicks at MSG, including two daggers in the final minute. He’s now second in the entire league in threes made. 🤯

Hoops History Spotlight

OTD in History: Seattle Doubles Up On NBA Records

On a chilly January night back in 1997, the Seattle Supersonics reminded everyone why they were one of the most fearsome teams of the 1990s.

Anyone who knows anything about these 90s Sonics squads knows they were absolutely relentless when it came to taking the ball away. So naturally, they’d be the team to set a near-untouchable steals record. Facing the Toronto Raptors, Gary Payton and company locked in on defense and made history with 27 team steals, setting an NBA record that feels downright unbreakable. Here’s the wildest part: 11 of the 12 players who saw the court for Seattle recorded at least one steal. Nobody even had more than four. Talk about a team effort!

But as if the steals weren’t enough, Sam Perkins went ahead and made some more history. The trailblazing stretch big—one of the first to make the three-pointer a weapon in a big man’s arsenal—had himself a night, draining all eight of his three-point attempts. At the time, it set the NBA record for most threes made without a miss in a single game. Even crazier? He was breaking his own record, as back in 1993, Perkins went a perfect 7-for-7 from beyond the arc in another Sonics win.

Sadly, footage from this game is tough to find, but if you’ve never seen highlights of the Payton/Kemp-era Sonics, do yourself a favor and dive into the archives. The energy, the defense, the dunks—basketball doesn’t feel like this anymore.

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Signing Off

Thanks for reading, y’all! As the days stay cold and the nights stay long, remember this is the perfect time to focus on yourself. Whether it’s hitting the gym, picking up a new hobby, or just setting aside time to unwind, use these winter months to lock in and build something great.

Talk soon,

-Spencer Poole