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After all that talk about Eastern Conference teams making big acquisitions this offseason, who would’ve thought the season’s hottest squad would be the one team who stood still…

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Tyrese Maxey and Enjoyers Travis, David, and Luke! 🎉

Weekend Wrap-Up

D-Mitch lifts Cavs over Bucks 114-113 in Cleveland’s latest W

The last time the Cleveland Cavaliers began the season 7-0 was 1976, when bell-bottoms were high fashion and disco filled the radio waves. Now, in 2024, the Cavs are feeling groovy amid another blazing start.

On Saturday, the Cavs took down Milwaukee 114-113 behind 30 PTS and a sweet game-winner from Donovan Mitchell—not to mention five other scorers in double figures. On the flip side, the Bucks saw Giannis Antetokounmpo (34 PTS, 16 REB, 9 AST) and Damian Lillard (41 PTS, 9 AST) combine for 75 PTS, but the squad was unable to hold on to an early lead and dropped to 1-5 on the year.

It’s impossible to credit one person for Cleveland’s red-hot start, primarily because the Cavs are spreading the love at a historic rate. The only other team to ever start the year 6-0 or better without a player averaging over 30 MPG was the 1979 Seattle Supersonics, who brought home the ‘79-’80 NBA title. While it’s too early to call this season for the Cavs, we love seeing great basketball back in Cleveland! 👑

Luka, Mavericks shine in 108-85 blowout over Orlando

Orlando got a taste of their own medicine on Sunday, with a shooting slump that can only be explained by supernatural forces. The Magic fell to Dallas by 20+ in a game that saw Orlando shoot 33% from the field and 19.5% from three.

The Mavs were the ones who had a little presto of their own with Luka Doncic on their side. Luka dropped a near triple-double with 32 PTS, 9 REB, and 7 AST, getting Dallas out to a 4-2 start. When Kyrie Irving (17 PTS) and Klay Thompson (9 PTS) can both have quiet games in a comfortable Mavs win, it’s a scary sight for the rest of the league.

Elsewhere around the NBA…

• After Brooklyn traded Mikal Bridges in the offseason, we all knew that Cam Thomas was gonna light up the scoreboard as the Nets’ go-to guy. Through six games, Thomas is averaging 28.2 PPG, good for top 10 in the league, including 32 PTS in an eight-point win over Chicago on Friday.

• In a big-time battle of the birds, Atlanta dispatched New Orleans 126-111 as Jalen Johnson tied a career high with 29 PTS. It’s tough to see the Pels losing games when you look at their injury report, which currently includes Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, and Dejounte Murray. Wishing them all speedy recoveries in the Big Easy!

• The JJ Redick era is well underway in Los Angeles, and no one is enjoying it more than Anthony Davis. The longtime superstar is off to his best start in years, putting up nearly 32 PPG to start the season including 38 PTS in Friday’s 131-125 LA win over Toronto.

News Update: Joel Embiid, columnist engage in altercation in Philly locker room

On Saturday, following the 76ers’ 124-107 loss to Memphis, reports emerged that Joel Embiid shoved columnist Marcus Hayes after Embiid expressed displeasure with a recent story in which Hayes mentioned Embiid’s son and late brother while criticizing Embiid’s recent absence and comment about his availability for back-to-backs.

According to ESPN, Embiid and Hayes engaged in a verbal back-and-forth in the Sixers’ locker room before Embiid shoved Hayes and the two got separated by team security. Hayes met with 76ers brass Daryl Morey and Elton Brand following the altercation. No details regarding next steps from either side—or a potential suspension for Embiid handed down by the NBA—have been released at this time.

Record Retrospective

The NBA Finals are where legends are made, but they aren’t where records are broken—at least in the scoring sense. Let’s take a look back at Elgin Baylor’s 61-point Finals masterpiece, a mark that has stood since 1962.

After being drafted No. 1 overall in the 1958 NBA Draft, Baylor wasted no time making his mark on the league—he was selected to the All-NBA First Team and finished third in MVP voting as a rookie. In 1962, during the Lakers’ second season in Los Angeles, Baylor only played for the team part-time after being called into active duty for the U.S. Army Reserve. Baylor only donned the purple and gold on weekends and was unable to practice with the team.

But despite that, Baylor averaged 38.3 PPG and led the Lakers to the NBA Finals, where they faced off against the reigning champion Boston Celtics. In Game 5, with the teams knotted at 2-2, Baylor delivered a performance for the ages, pouring in 61 points and 22 rebounds to lift the Lakers to victory.

Though L.A. ultimately fell in the series, Baylor’s record stands to this day. Who knew the secret to big games on the biggest stage was skipping team practice to serve your country?

Three in the Key

Signing Off

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, try to have as much patience as you can with those around you. Everything is easier when we give each other the benefit of the doubt. See you soon!

-Walker Carnathan