🎵 “I might swerve, bend that corner, woahhh-woahhh” 🎵

Oh, there was supposed to be an actual intro here? Our bad.

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Tre Jones, Glenn Robinson III, Keon Ellis and Enjoyers Nate and Mick! 🎉

Game Recaps

Ice Trae stuns Jazz 124-121 with half-court heroics

It’s starting to feel like Atlanta may have cracked the code. Surround Trae Young (24 PTS, 20 AST) with a dream team of lanky defenders and knockdown shooters, and he’ll reward you with absolute playmaking magic. Trae was dropping dimes left and right in this one, finding DeAndre Hunter (17 PTS), Bogdan Bogdanovic (3 3PM), and Dyson Daniels (16 PTS) for open looks as the Hawks’ offense put on a clinic.

With Atlanta firing on all cylinders, you’d think this game wouldn’t have even been close against a Jazz squad that’s struggled this season. But Utah had other plans: Lauri Markkanen (35 PTS) delivered a monster first half, Walker Kessler (21 PTS, 10 REB) chipped in with some key buckets, and Collin Sexton (24 PTS) hit a clutch three in the dying moments to tie it up, seemingly sending the game to OT… right?

Not on Ice Trae’s watch! With the game tied and just one second left, Trae pulled up from a step behind half-court like it was nothing. The ball barely touched the net as it dropped, and the Hawks’ bench erupted.

Cold. Blooded.

Cade & Co. lead Pistons’ huge rally past Portland 118-115

Highlighting the Pistons in back-to-back newsletters? It’s more likely than you think. Detroit has been one of the league’s most fun, feel-good stories this season, and the last few weeks have proven they’re more than just a flash in the pan.

The Blazers came out hot against Detroit, racing to a 22-point lead behind Anfernee Simons (36 PTS, 9 AST) hitting some tough threes and Shaedon Sharpe (20 PTS) showing off his smooth scoring touch. But the Pistons clawed their way back as the game wore on, with Cade Cunningham (32 PTS, 9 AST) leading the charge. Detroit’s budding star oozed confidence as he calmly picked apart Portland’s defense, creating open looks for teammates and burying timely shots.

Then, in the fourth quarter, Tim Hardaway Jr. took over and ended his strictly-buckets stat line (26 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK) with some clutch threes. The Pistons are .500 in January for the first time since 2018!

Elsewhere around the NBA…

• Coming off a 50-piece in an L, Anthony Edwards (37 PTS) made sure to pick up the W this time around. He went for 28, including five threes, in the second half and led the Timberwolves to a 108-106 comeback win over the Clippers on Monday night.

• The Bulls grabbed back-to-back big wins at the United Center, this time staving off Wemby and the Spurs 114-110 behind a huge effort from Zach LaVine (35 PTS, 10 REB, 8 AST) and this monster Coby White (35 PTS) jam in the closing seconds.

• Despite missing key guys up and down the roster, the Magic are still finding ways to win games. Behind a big night from Cole Anthony (24 PTS) and an all-around strong defensive effort, Orlando came into MSG and snagged a 103-94 win over the Knicks.

• Things are starting to click out in SacTown! The Kings have won five of their six games since moving on from HC Mike Brown, most recently a 123-118 win over the Heat in double OT capped off by some incredible DeMar DeRozan (30 PTS) heroics.

• The season may be all but over for the Pelicans, but they’ll be happy to have Zion Williamson back and balling. The former #1 pick looked like he was in great shape during New Orleans’ 104-97 loss to the Timberwolves, even throwing down an explosive windmill on the break.

• Despite a valiant effort led by Russell Westbrook (26 PTS), the Jokic-less Nuggets couldn't hang with Boston last night, as the C’s used a late 12-0 run powered by Kristaps Porzingis (24 PTS, 11 REB) to pull away for a 118-106 win.

• LeBron James (18 PTS) may have blessed us with one of the dunks of the year, but it ended up being a rough night for the Lakers, who were easily overrun 117-98 by a shorthanded Mavs squad led by Spencer Dinwiddie (19 PTS, 8 AST) and Quentin Grimes (23 PTS).

Numbers to Remember 🔢

How often do we get a midseason matchup that feels this massive? The Cavs and Thunder aren’t just sitting atop their respective conferences—they’re making legitimate runs at history. On today’s special edition of Numbers to Remember, let’s dive into the details behind what makes tonight’s game truly one for the ages: ⬇️🏀

3

…the number of times in NBA history that two teams with winning streaks of 10+ games have squared off—tonight included. The Thunder (franchise-record 15 straight wins) and Cavs (10 straight wins) are joining rarefied air alongside the Lakers vs. Trail Blazers on February 9, 2000 and the Jazz vs. Sonics on January 26, 1995. As if that wasn’t enough, they’re also just the second pair of teams to start a season 30-5 or better in the same year.

The first? The 1971-72 Lakers and Bucks, who ended up clashing in the NBA Finals. Could history repeat itself? 👀

0

…the total number of losses the Cavs and Thunder have against each other’s conferences. That’s right—Cleveland and OKC are a combined 21-0 vs. the West and East, respectively, and have both done it in style.

The Cavs have won 9 of their 10 against the West by double digits, dominating heavyweights like the Nuggets and Lakers while Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley each average over 20 PPG. Meanwhile, the Thunder have been road warriors, coming off back-to-back double-digit wins at MSG and the TD Garden. No matter what happens, someone’s perfect inter-conference record is going up in smoke by the end of the night.

#2 and #4

…where the Thunder (+12.4) and Cavs (+11.8) rank on the all-time net rating list. No big deal—just two teams flirting with top-five-in-NBA-history status. Even more impressive is how they’ve done it in completely different ways.

Cleveland’s offense has blossomed into the definition of efficiency, pushing to become the first team in league history to shoot 50% from the field and 40% from three. The Thunder, on the other hand, have leaned into their identity as defensive juggernauts, with their long-limbed lineup smothering opponents and SGA putting up MVP-caliber numbers on the other end.

Three in the Key

Signing Off

Thanks for hanging with us today, Enjoyers! We’re a week into 2025, but the game is far from over. Haven’t started on your goals? That’s okay—you’ve got 51 weeks left to make things happen. 💪

Talk soon,

-Spencer Poole