This season marked the first time since 2002 that the NBA season began without LeBron James. But in his absence, another Laker is grabbing the spotlight.

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday Elvin Hayes, Dragan Bender, and Steve Stipanovich! 🎉

Game Recaps

Luka drops 41 as Lakers down Bucks 119-95, Giannis settles game ball feud

A year ago, the sentence “Luka Doncic is having an MVP-caliber season for the Los Angeles Lakers” would have sounded like pure fiction. Now, it’s the new reality.

Luka penned the latest chapter in his dominant start to the campaign on Saturday night, dropping 41 PTS, 9 REB, and 6 AST to lead LA to a comfortable road win at Milwaukee. Austin Reaves also added 25 PTS for the Lakers, who are 10-4 despite the absence of LeBron James (he’s set to return to practice on Monday).

Giannis also scored 32 PTS, but his greatest play of the night may have been an assist. At the end of the game, LA’s Jarred Vanderbilt attempted to keep the game ball to gift to rookie Adou Thiero, who scored his first NBA points in the matchup. But after a game official said the ball was not the Lakers’ to take, Giannis had to step in and make sure the young gun got his flowers, ensuring the Thiero got the ball.

Jazz outduel Bulls 150-147 in wild 2OT battle, Lauri scores 47

The mountains are high in Salt Lake City— and so are the final scores.

The Bulls and Jazz closed out the Sunday night slate with a good old-fashioned barn-burner. Lauri Markkanen went nuclear, dropping 47 PTS in 46 minutes, while Keyonte George added 33 PTS and 4 STL for Utah. The Bulls had a more balanced scoring effort, with four players scoring 18+, but in the end, it all came down to the clutch.

After trailing by 11 at halftime, Utah battled back to send the game to OT, where Chicago’s Coby White finished a lay-in through contact to force a second. White again connected on a pair of free throws to tie the game at 147 with eight seconds to go, but Keyonte had seen enough. The following possession, he cashed in a triple from the right wing to put Utah ahead, a lead they would hold after Nikola Vucevic’s attempt to answer was no good.

Any night in the league can be a special one, and this game is just another example. Take a bow, guys.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

• The clash between Wemby and Steph on Friday night was absolutely legendary, but life moves fast in the NBA… and the Warriors had another game two days later. But Moses Moody woke up ready to rock, giving the Pels buckets en route to a 124-106 win and a career-high 32 PTS— a total which included eight threes and seven in the first quarter alone. Something in that bay area water…

• Houston, we have a problem: the Rockets. H-Town has won nine out of ten after their most recent victory, a 116-108 dub over Orlando. This one was essentially the blueprint for the Rockets’ Finals plan: KD scores 35, Sengun goes for 30 PTS and 12 REB, and the team comes up with enough tough plays down the stretch to win. Scary stuff…

• Just a few years ago, the Thunder were the new kids on the block. Now, they’re the ones welcoming rookies to the league. OKC moved to 13-1 with a 109-96 win over Charlotte, with SGA scoring 33 PTS and the Thunder defense limiting the Hornets’ young stars. Charlotte’s first-year trio of Kon Knueppel, Sion James, and Ryan Kalkbrenner were held to a combined 24 PTS and shot a combined 9/30 from the field.

• If you watched Michael Porter Jr. in Denver, you might be used to a player who was more of a pure scorer than anything else. In Brooklyn, MPJ has evolved. On Sunday, the Nets earned their second win of the year with a comfortable 129-106 win over Washington. But Porter’s play was especially notable— in addition to 34 PTS, he matched his career-high in assists with 7 dimes for the second game in a row. Kyshawn George also had 29 PTS on 5/10 from three for the Wizards.

• It hasn’t been the start to the season Dallas fans may have hoped for, but one thing is certain: the Mavs’ No. 1 pick is rounding into shape. Cooper Flagg helped the squad to their fourth win of the season, racking up 21 PTS, 8 REB, and 5 AST in the sort of all-around effort he was projected to provide out of Duke. PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford also got theirs, scoring 21 and 20 PTS, respectively. Shaedon Sharpe scored 36 PTS for Portland, one off his career-high, but he was held to just one basket in the extra period as Dallas locked up to secure the victory. Flagg has found night-and-day success since switching back to his natural forward position, and it’s safe to say there’s reason for optimism in Dallas. COOOOOOOOOP!

New Beginnings in NOLA

New Orleans moves on from head coach Willie Green

After a 2-10 start to the season, the Pelicans fired head coach Willie Green on Saturday. Former Hornets head coach James Borrego will serve as the interim HC for the remainder of the season.

Green was first hired as New Orleans’ head coach in 2021. He coached the Pels to winning seasons in 2023 and 2024, including a 49-win campaign in the latter year. Green also played a decade-plus in the league himself, making stops with the 76ers, Pelicans, Hawks, Clippers, and Magic.

Green was an assistant in Golden State from 2016-2019 and Phoenix from 2019-2021 before being hired in NOLA, his first gig as a head coach. Borrego will reportedly receive consideration for the full-time position, and former UConn coach Kevin Ollie has also been linked as a potential candidate.

We wish NOLA the best in their search for a new coach, and we wish Willie the best in the next step of his career!

Three in the Key

Signing Off

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, don’t be afraid to carry on through the challenges life throws at you. The greatest successes often lie on the other side of perseverance. See you soon!

Walker Carnathan