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An OT win in Miami, elite centers in Atlanta, and an unexpected hero in New Orleans

Plus, we interview a young New York Knick

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The G Stands for Gets: Jimmy G Buckets pulled out an OT win for the Heat in an unorthodox way...

Next Man Up: This bench guard proved just how talented the average NBA player is...

NYC Grit: We talk basketball, determination, and joy with Miles "Deuce" McBride of the New York Knicks

Hey, Enjoyers of Basketball! In the past two days, we've had some great hoops, interviewed Miles McBride of the Knicks, and saw the new City Edition Jerseys for every team. Let's talk about it all! This is also our 100th newsletter! We're so thankful to have you along the ride, whether you subscribed yesterday or in April. Now let's talk hoops!!

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Yesterday's NBA Games

Heat haunt Hornets in comeback OT victory: 117-112

The Heat (5-7) grabbed a much-needed victory at home last night, and free throws were critical to it. Last night, Miami shot 36 free throws...for context, the Pistons lead the league in FTA/game with 28. Incredibly, Jimmy Butler (35 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists) made more free throws (13) than the entire Hornets roster (12).

This is a disappointing one for the Hornets (3-10) because they did play well. They shot better than the Heat from the field and from three but couldn't buy a bucket in overtime. Kelly Oubre shined (as always) for Charlotte with 29 points, shooting 7-13 from three-point range, and Terry Rozier added 22.

But seriously, shoutout to Jimmy G Buckets. When the Heat offense dried up, he put them on his back and created points. Plus, he's got some of the best footwork of all time:

Wizards whack Mavericks: 113-105

The Wizards (6-6) brought their A-game in this upset, shooting a crucial 40% from three and 95% at the free throw line. Kyle Kuzma had a smoooooth 36 points and 11 rebounds which helped them lead the entire 4th quarter. The Mavericks' (6-5) Luka Dončić had his first truly off night of the season with an inefficient 22 points and 5 turnovers. Still, Spencer Dinwiddie (33 points) showed his value as a secondary playmaker and jumpstarted the offense at times. Also, we think the Wizards' new pink court and uniforms are pretty dope.

Hawks handle 76ers: 104-95

The Hawks (8-4) handily led in the 4th, aided by strong center performances. Clint Capela posted 18 points and 20 rebounds and was a stellar +24 in his minutes, while Onyeka Okongwu (10 points, 11 rebounds) had 8 points and 2 blocks in the final quarter. The Philly offense was generally lethargic, but on the bright side Joel Embiid (26 points, 13 rebounds) seems to be getting back into rhythm.

Lillard-less Trailblazers scorch Pelicans: 106-95

Though this game was neck-and-neck for 36 minutes, the Trailblazers (9-3) pulled away in the 4th quarter. With a shot-vacuum left by Damian Lillard's absence, Jerami Grant stepped up with 27 points and a plus +20 in his minutes. These Trailblazers got some RUN, with 4 starters playing over 36 minutes and Portland only playing an 8-man rotation.

Zion Williamson (29 points) flat-out carried the Pelicans (6-6) offense, while CJ McCollum (13 points, 5 turnovers) struggled against his former team. Focusing on the positive, shoutout to Trey Murphy III for continuing to be a GOAT role 3-and-D guy with 16 points off the bench. This dude is just 22 years old...keep an eye out!

Wednesday Night's Notes

26 of the 30 teams played on Wednesday, so we're just going to give you a few takeaways.

The Bucks (10-1) beat the Thunder (4-7) in double-OT in the game of the night, with crazy back-and-forth shots down the stretch. Jevon Carter's performance on Wednesday reminds us just how good the average NBA role player is. With Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton sidelined, the 6'1" backup guard stepped up with a beautiful 36 points and 12 assists.

The two leading Most Improved Player candidates had great nights. Lauri Markkanen dropped 32 points for a Jazz (10-3!) comeback win over the Hawks (7-4). Meanwhile, Tyrese Haliburton had a classic 21 points, 12-assist game that we are coming to expect from the young dimer.

The Clippers (7-5) beat the Lakers (2-9) in the battle of LA, while the Nets (5-7) dominated the Knicks (5-6) in the battle of NYC behind a 29-point triple-double from Kevin Durant. Meanwhile, baby-KD, aka Brandon Ingram, hit clutch buckets to elevate the Pelicans (6-5) over the Bulls (6-7).

The Magic (3-9) put an end to Luka Dončić's historic 30-game streak to start the season and walked away with a win. Their lanky team and gritty defense definitely threw off the Mavs (6-5), who scored just 87 points. That doesn't happen in 2022! We enjoy some good defense.

Q&A with Miles McBride

Thank you to West Virginia Mountaineers and New York Knicks legend Miles "Deuce" McBride for talking with us yesterday! We put his best answers below for you to enjoy, but make sure to tune in live every Thursday to hear the full conversation with our weekly special guests.

Q: What was the moment that first made you fall in love with the game of basketball?

A: I think my dad being a coach in high school, just going to those practices and seeing how competitive he was, and then on the weekends, him and his friends would play. They were older, so they called it "the old-timers." He would just be so competitive, even though at his old age, it would be guys that all were retired professionals, but they still just enjoyed the game so much.

Q: What NBA player, past or present are you giving the ball to and why?

A: Kareem. Skyhook. Easy.

Q: Who was your biggest inspiration growing up, basketball-related?

A: A hundred percent would be my father. He played at Xavier University, and then played overseas professionally in Germany for 10 years, and then came back to Cincinnati and was a high school coach and pretty much trained me and my older brother our whole lives.

Q: What was your "Welcome to the NBA" moment?

A: Honestly, when all the stars were sitting court-side at the first game. Alicia Keys, Tracy Morgan, Spike Lee - I was like dang, this is really the NBA.

Q: What is your why? What makes you work so hard for so long, on a day-to-day basis?

A: The love for the game and my competitive spirit. Not everyone's fortunate enough to play the game of basketball, so that keeps me going. And knowing that people use their hard earned money to come watch me play. I love competing. I hate losing more than I like winning. And trying to become perfect, even though nobody will ever be perfect in the game of basketball.

Good Reads

Is the NBA’s Superteam Era Already Over? - Justin Verrier (The Ringer)

Dear Brooklyn and Toronto - Yuta Watanabe (The Players' Tribune)

NBA City Edition jersey rankings: Breaking down every team's 2022-23 Nike uniform, from worst to first - Jasmyn Wimbish (CBS Sports)

Signing Off

That'll do it for us here at Enjoy Basketball! Shoutout to Miles McBride for the interview. Let's have a great weekend of hoops, everyone!

-Conor Geelan

Trivia Answer: The highest max vertical leap in NBA Draft combine history goes to Keon Johnson! He set the record of 48 inches in 2021.

Trivia Question: Who is the only player taller than 6'7" in the top-10 for all-time 3-pointers made?