Statement Game

Welcome back, Enjoyers! We've been loving watching the J's, treys, and fadeaways from the best hoopers in the world in the best league in the world. Before we get into some hoops, we have a new section at the end of the newsletter that we like to call "What We're Enjoying," so check it out and respond to this email with your recs!

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Smooth Jazz: Jordan Clarkson & the Jazz derail Pelicans' hype train in overtime

Bear's Den: Grizzlies bash Bucks and send a message to the league

Performance of the Week: Did LeBron James pass the torch to Jayson Tatum?

Yesterday's Games

Jazz overcome Pelicans in OT

The Jazz (17-14) prevailed over the Pelicans (18-10) in a back-and-forth overtime game, 132-129. The Jazz pulled away down the stretch of regulation, but a clutch Trey Murphy III three-pointer tied it up and Larry Nance Jr.'s block, initially called a game-ending goaltend, sent it to OT. Once in overtime, the Jazz completely outplayed New Orleans, despite temporarily forgetting how to shoot free throws.

Lauri Markkanen had an efficient 31 points, but it was the isolation shot-making of Jordan Clarkson (39 points!) which catapulted them to victory. Zion Williamson (31 points) and CJ McCollum (28 points) did their best, but Utah’s hustle won the day.

Box Score

Heat pull out tight win over Rockets

Tyler Herro made Jack Harlow proud last night with a career-high 41 points and a Heat (15-15) win over the Rockets (9-19) by a score of 111-108. Herro shot 10-15 from three-point land and looked smooth as Harlow while doing it. Dua Lipa, you watching?

The Rockets' defense surged at the end to make it a one-possession game, but Kevin Porter Jr. came up short on the final shot. It’s the closest thing to a win-win: a sliding Heat team gets a much-needed victory, and the Rockets compete with a playoff-caliber team while also becoming one win closer to Victor Wembanyama.

Box Score

Grizzlies batter Bucks 142-101

The Grizzlies won this game about five minutes in, and the entire second half was garbage time. Still, in just 26 minutes, Ja Morant put up a 25-point triple-double, and the Memphis Grizzlies smothered and out-hustled the Bucks on defense. With this televised massacre, the Grizzlies won their seventh straight, conquered the #2 ranked team in the league, and took sole control of the #1 seed in the West. The best part? Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. haven't even played a minute together yet.

Box Score

Phoenix crushes Clippers 111-95

The Suns (17-12) dominated a heavily undermanned Clippers (17-14) who were missing Kawhi, PG13, Reggie Jackson, and Norman Powell. It was a pretty ugly match, with the Suns and Clippers shooting 46% and 38% from the field, respectively. Still, Point God Chris Paul turned back the clock a few years with 15 points and just 1 turnover. Man keeps the ball on a string! Plus, a shoutout to Mikal Bridges (27 points) and Aussie big man Jock Landale (15 points, 10 rebounds)!

Box Score

Wednesday Night Notes

The Hawks fell to Orlando as Bol Bol made his own magic. Meanwhile, the Knicks scraped an OT win over the Bulls on primetime thanks to Jalen Brunson absolutely shattering Alex Caruso’s ankles. In other news, Nikola Jokic had one of the best individual performances of the season with 43 points on 17-20 shooting and added 14 rebounds, eight assists, and five steals in a win over the Wizards!

The Pacers fended off the Warriors 125-119 behind Tyrese Haliburton’s 29 points. Steph Curry scored 38 points in 30 minutes before exiting the game with a shoulder injury that will sideline him for "a few weeks," per ESPN. Fingers crossed for a quick recovery!

Performance of the Week

Jayson Tatum had a season-defining performance Tuesday night. We covered it a bit in Wednesday’s newsletter, but we can’t help but gush about this guy more. On December 13th, Jayson Tatum scored 44 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in an overtime victory over the Lakers. It was one of his most efficient performances of the season, posting 52% FG, 50% 3PT, and 90% FT.

But the most impressive aspect of this performance was the stage: primetime on TNT against the Lakers at the Staples Cen—we mean Crypto.com Arena. Down double digits with 3:30 left, JT made 2 free throws and then hit a nasty step-back three the next possession. Then, with 17 seconds remaining in regulation, Tatum called an iso on LeBron and hit a beautiful fadeaway baseline jumper to tie it up and send it to OT. Torch = passed.

With the Celtics at an NBA-best record of 22-7, Jayson Tatum is the frontrunner for MVP. History shows that championship contenders need a top-five player to win a Finals—the last five Finals MVPs are Steph, Giannis, LeBron, Kawhi, and KD. We think Tatum has officially entered that realm, and this performance exemplifies it.

Good Reads

Domantas Sabonis Is Becoming the NBA’s Apex Post Player - Michael Pina (The Ringer)

For Chris Paul, Studying at an H.B.C.U. Was a ‘Natural’ Fit - Tania Ganguli (New York Times)

Adam Silver Will Be 'Hugely Disappointed' If NBA Doesn't Hire Female HC In 5 Years - Doric Sam (Bleacher Report)

What We're Enjoying

Today we're Enjoying...

Alerts Daily: Get the latest news about the sneakers you see on & off the court. Click here to join the free 6x weekly newsletter and never miss another release!

ChatGPT: Maybe we'll use the AI program to write a newsletter segment...

World Cup: Messi and Argentina looked sick in the semifinals ... but so did France!

Signing Off

Okay, Enjoyers! That's enough from us. Before you go, if you haven't secured the Enjoy Mini Hoop yet and want to dunk like Bol Bol, there are still some available! Go make this day productive, worthwhile, and fun!

-Conor Geelan

Trivia Answer: JaVale McGee is the only active player with 12 blocks in a game. McGee did this in 2011 as a part of the Wizards.

Trivia Question: Four players have recorded 30 rebounds in a single game in the 21st century. Which one of these players has NOT?