Because there was apparently an important game in another sport, the NBA only had a few games on Sunday. How many exactly, Thanasis?

We kid, of course. Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs for winning Super Bowl 58! That Patrick Mahomes fella’ seems to have things figured out. Didn’t we just type this exact sentence?

Today’s Lineup

Sunday’s (Small) Slate

Boston (41-12) can beat you in a dozen different ways; yesterday, it was one of the more traditional routes. Jayson Tatum (26 PTS) led the way while Kristaps Porzingis (25 PTS) continued his hot streak and went stride-for-stride with JT. Also, we’re sending positive thoughts to Miami’s (28-25) Terry Rozier, who left the game with a leg injury.

🏀 🏀 🏀

J-Dub, SGA combine for 70 as Thunder beat Kings 127-113

No surprise stars in this game, either. OKC (36-17) pulled away behind great performances from Jalen Williams (32 PTS) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whose 38 is, like, a regular game for him now. A triple-double from Domantas Sabonis (21/11/14) wasn’t enough for Sacramento (30-22) to overcome the Thunder’s dominant third quarter.

New Players Everywhere!

The trades all happened last week, but the debuts happened this weekend and there were some mightily impressive ones. We assume there were plenty of these over the weekend:

• Buddy Hield wasted no time showing Philly what he does—shooting the basketball. But he did so much more in his Sixers debut, posting 23 PTS, 6 AST, and 4 STL in a W.

• Though he wasn’t the biggest name traded at the deadline, new Hornet Vasilije Micic might have had the best debut with 18 PTS and 9 AST in just 26 minutes.

• Simone Fontecchio is going to enjoy the green light he gets in Detroit. The newest Piston scored 20 PTS in his first game in the Motor City.

• Okay, Alec Burks didn’t make his debut with the Knicks this weekend. It was more of a re-debut. But he looked great regardless, scoring 22 on 7-14 shooting.

Weekend Wrap-Up

• Steph Curry. Game-winner. Cold. Sometimes you see your fate happening right in front of you, but there’s just nothing… you… can… do. What a singular, stunning talent Curry continues to be.

• Please! We’re begging! Someone tell the Cavaliers they’re allowed to lose!! Cleveland is 17-1 in their last 18 after a win against Toronto on Saturday.

• Franz Wagner is heating up! His third 30-point performance in his past five games powered Orlando over Chicago.

When a team becomes very good very quickly, there are always under-the-radar guys who assist in that ascent and go unnoticed. Aaron Wiggins is a perfect example of that.

The third-year player out of Maryland gives OKC valuable minutes on both ends. He hits over half of his threes, knows where to be on defense, and understands his role to perfection. Wiggins is only averaging six points per game, but his impact is felt on a near-nightly basis.

Three in the Key

Signing Off

And we’re gone! With football out of the way, basketball takes priority across the country for the next month or so. Right? Right. This week, our task for you is… to go outside and see a bird. Any bird. But you have to actually see one. Okay, talk soon.

-Quinn Everts