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After a 14-game Wednesday slate, we bet you took some time off basketball for Thanksgiving. Luckily, we’re here to catch you up.

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Julius Randle, Nick Richards, and Enjoyers Andrew and Steven! 🎉

Wild Wednesday Wrap-Up

Green, Maxey duel in Rockets’ 122-115 win over 76ers

The tale of the tape in this one was how young guards Jalen Green and Tyrese Maxey would stack up against each other. Luckily enough, we saw what we wanted to see.

Green (41 PTS, 7 REB) and Maxey (39 PTS, 10 AST) led their respective teams through the entire game, but the Rockets were able to pull away a little bit when Alperen Sengun (22 PTS, 14 REB, 7 AST) came to play. And after the Sixers forced OT, Sengun really stepped up—he dropped 11 of Houston’s 14 overtime points to deliver Philly a win.

Harden drops 43, Clippers trounce Wizards 121-96

Wow. Nothing feels quite like a vintage Beard performance, does it?

James Harden (43 PTS, 7 AST) led an absolute ROUT of the Wizards in this one, as the Clippers led by as many as 33 in the fourth quarter before Washington cut into the lead in the final minutes. And it wasn’t all Harden—Ivica Zubac (18 PTS, 16 REB) dominated the glass as usual and Jordan Miller (15 PTS) contributed on the offensive end as well.

As for Washington, Malcolm Brogdon and Jonas Valanciunas both had 17, but it just wasn’t enough. Is it 2018 right now?

Elsewhere around the NBA…

• It got close in the fourth, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (35 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST) and the Thunder wrapped the Warriors up in the end last night, 105-101.

• Jalen Brunson dropped 37 PTS against his old team, but the Knicks still fell to the Mavs 129-114 thanks to big nights from Kyrie Irving (23 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST) and Naji Marshall (24 PTS).

• The Nets beat Phoenix 127-117—shoutout to Tyrese Martin (30 PTS) and Dennis Schroder (29 PTS)—but Brooklyn will be without Cam Thomas (hamstring) for the next 3-4 weeks.

• Orlando won their fourth straight game, a 133-119 win over Chicago behind Jalen Suggs’ career-high 31 PTS and a great shooting night from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (24 PTS, six threes).

• Tyrese Haliburton’s big playmaking night (28 PTS, 10 AST) powered the Pacers past Anfernee Simons (30 PTS, 6 AST) and the Blazers 121-114.

• Finally, Trae Young (20 PTS, 22 AST) and a well-rounded Atlanta attack (seven Hawks in double figures) handed the Cavs a rare eleven-point loss, but Donovan Mitchell (30 PTS) still got his.

Top Five Friday

With the new All-Star Game format announced, we got to thinking about some of the new faces we might get to see in San Francisco this February! Here are five names we think could become first-time All-Stars this season:

1. Victor Wembanyama, SAS

STATS: 23.4 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 3.1 APG, 3.6 BPG, 1.3 SPG, 47.4/33.8/86.8

While he may not be performing as dominantly as some of his biggest fans expected this season, Wemby’s season so far has been a more efficient, more composed version of what he did last year. And given how good he was as a rookie, we think that warrants some All-Star consideration.

2. Jalen Williams, OKC

STATS: 21.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 52.2/39.8/80.7

Some thought the Thunder might have a little bit of a hangover after improving so much last year, but it’s been anything but that in reality. And alongside SGA, Jalen Williams has been a MAJOR part of OKC’s success.

Spoiler alert: J-Dub isn’t the only member of the Thunder on this list…

3. Franz Wagner, ORL

STATS: 23.3 PPG, 5.7 APG, 5.4 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 46.7/34.7/84.9

You always hate to see a young star like Paolo Banchero go down with an injury, but one of the few positive effects is getting to see second options like Franz Wagner blossom into true number ones! Franz is averaging over 25 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds since P5 went out—those look like All-Star numbers to us.

Oh, and remember this? Unreal:

4. Chet Holmgren, OKC

STATS: 16.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.6 BPG, 50.5/37.8/77.6

We told you there would be another OKC player here! Both Williams and Chet Holmgren have been electric to start the year, and we could see a world where the Thunder get three names in the All-Star field this year—they’re just that good.

5. Alperen Sengun, HOU

STATS: 18.7 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.3 BPG, 1.2 SPG, 47.5/26.7/76.5

The Rockets have been one of the most surprisingly good teams this season, and that’s due majorly in part to the play of fourth-year center Alperen Sengun. He balled out this week against Philly and in Houston’s recent NBA Cup action—we know it’s been said to death, but this guy really feels like a mini-Jokic.

Three in the Key

Signing Off

TGIF, Enjoyers! Rest, relax, and recharge this weekend—we bet you’ll need to after all that turkey. See you Monday!

Austin Zeglis