🏀 Time to Fear the Deer

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Look over your shoulder because it’s likely Giannis is charging at you. Spared? Good, because Torrey Craig wasn’t so lucky last night.

Before we forget, take a second to join our bracket pool and experience the madness of March Madness with us!

Today’s Lineup

Fear the Deer 🦌 Giannis and the Bucks looked unstoppable in a big win last night…

Future has Arrived ⚡️ OKC just proved they could be scary in the play-in

DPOY 🛑 We give our thoughts on the two-man Defensive Player of the Year race…

First, a quick trivia quiz:

RunYourPool

The madness is almost upon us…so we’re back again with RunYourPool AKA The Home of Competition. Play against us and the entire community to win $500 in cash prizes.

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The best part? It’s completely free to play. Join our pool and make sure to get your picks in before they lock tomorrow! May the odds be ever in your favor.

Last Night’s Action

Last night we had an eight-game slate. If you’re about the numbers, here’s the box scores, but otherwise let’s talk ball.

Bucks beat Suns 116-104 in 2021 Finals rematch

Though tied halfway through the fourth quarter, the Bucks (50-19) broke the game open with solid offensive execution and smothering defense down the stretch. Jrue Holiday’s ability to get around screens was truly admirable, but Devin Booker somehow still managed a 30-piece for Phoenix (37-32).

Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo attempted 24 free throws, more than the entire Suns team, and scored 36 points as he asserted his brute force on the Phoenix defense. Poor Torrey Craig hit the ground many times and lost a tooth in the process—and the absence of Mikal Bridges was jarring. In this 2021 Finals rematch, history repeated itself.

Thunder beat Brooklyn in impressive 121-107 win

The quartet of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (35 points), Lu Dort (24 points), Jalen Williams (23 points), and Josh Giddey shouted to the rest of the NBA tonight: we aren’t just coming for the future, we’re here now. SGA tore apart the monstrous Brooklyn defense, Dort provided much-needed second-half shot-making, and Giddey recorded his fourth triple-double of the season.

Mikal Bridges continued his hot streak with 34 points, but Brooklyn (39-30) fell to the Thunder (34-35). We’re seeing shades of the 2021 Grizzlies and the 2022 Pelicans in this OKC team: a young team that surges to the play-in before making a major jump the following season.

Knicks scorch Trailblazers 123-107

The generational shotmaking of Damian Lillard (38 points) kept the Blazers' (31-38) offense afloat tonight, like many other nights. Eventually, however, the Knicks (41-30) pulled away in the second half, in large part due to them trapping Dame and Anfernee Simons on ball screens.

Ultimately, the role players decided the fate of this game. In Josh Hart’s post-trade return to Portland, he posted a quintessential 16-point, 8-assist, 9-rebound, 3-steal performance with a game-high +26. Certified Enjoyer of Basketball Miles McBride scored a career-high 18 points and 3 stocks. Additionally, Immanuel Quickley (26 points) continues to narrow the gap between Malcolm Brogdon and himself for 6th Man of the Year with scrappy defense and great shot-making!

Sochan and Spurs beat Magic 132-114

It was a great night to be a Spurs fan. Jeremy Sochan had perhaps his best game as a pro, with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and a jaw-dropping assist. Also, San Antonio buried a franchise record 22 three-pointers for a Spurs (18-50) win over the Magic (28-41). Shoutout to Paolo Banchero for his 27 points and Bol Bol for a flashy pass that should be illegal for someone over 7 feet.

Lakers dominate Pelicans 123-108

In the absence of LeBron James, the Lakers looked…incredible! Anthony Davis (35 points, 17 rebounds) showed up in New Orleans (33-36) and played like Pelicans AD. On the perimeter, Malik Beasley (24 points) shot the skin off the ball, and things seemed to click on all cylinders. This one also had BIG play-in consequences because it moved LA (34-35) one game ahead of NOLA to secure sole possession of the #10 seed.

Cleveland cruises past Hornets 120-104

Despite missing Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen, the Cavaliers (44-27) took care of business against a Hornets (22-49) team still missing LaMelo Ball. Charlotte had 19 turnovers, to be exact, compared with Cleveland’s eight. For the ‘Land, Evan Mobley was terrific with 26 points, while Cedi Osman (24 points) and Caris LeVert (22 points) helped in the winning effort.

Toronto triumphs over sluggish Nuggets 125-110

The Raptors (33-36) torched the Nuggets (46-23) with 49 first-quarter points on their way to a win. For Toronto, Fred VanVleet scored 36 points while human Swiss Army knife OG Anunoby added 24 in a statement win with play-in implications. Meanwhile, Denver couldn’t hit a three-pointer last night and seems to be in a bit of a rut as they drop their fourth straight game. Still, they got that #1 seed on lock (probably).

Wizards wax Pistons 117-97

Despite Kyle Kuzma’s absence, the Wizards (32-27) clobbered the Pistons (16-54) behind Bradley Beal’s efficient 36 points. It was honestly never close after a 22-point first-quarter lead, but at least we saw young guard Killian Hayes cook up a 20-piece and Johnny Davis, Washington’s 10th pick in the 2022 Draft, score 11 points in 18 minutes—easily career highs in both.

Monday Night Notes

Klay Thompson is low-key back, people! Monday night, he had 18 points in the first quarter and 38 in total in a 123-112 win over Phoenix. In 28 games in 2023, he is averaging 25 points on 47/44/87 shooting splits! While one 2022 Finals team thrived on Monday, the other did not. The Celtics lost 111-109 vs. the lowly Rockets led by a red-hot Jabari Smith Jr. (24 points), who is playing his best basketball right now!

While we stay positive at Enjoy Basketball, some of the ~passion~ players express is interesting too because we know they care! As the clock wound down in a 133-124 Bucks win over the Kings, Giannis Antetokounmpo (46 points) dribbled the ball out in front of Trey Lyles, prompting a brawl in which Lyles and Brook Lopez received harsh blows and harsher ejections.

Latest News

🚨 Round 1 of March Madness, otherwise known as the best two days of the basketball year, tips off tomorrow! It’s basically the Enjoy Basketball high holidays! Truly no better month of hoops than March! Now, let us bow our heads in a moment of silence for how absolutely destroyed all our brackets will be approximately 48 hours from now 🙏 

Award Watch

We come to you on this Wednesday with important news: the Defensive Player of the Year contest is a two-man race—no more, no less. The front runner, Brook Lopez, has -150 betting odds to take home the hardware, but Jaren Jackson Jr. is not far behind at +160.

Lopez helms the league’s third-best defense in points per 100 possessions, while Jackson leads the absolute best. The advanced numbers also love these two. Both are above the 97th percentile in rim defensive FG%, block percentage, and crafted defensive plus-minus.

Lopez leads the NBA in total blocks (170) and block percentage, as well as being the runaway leader in contested shots. His ability to contain guards in space and stifle any rim attack has given offenses nightmares all year. His career-high nine blocks last week would make even Hakeem Olajuwon proud!

Meanwhile, Jackson Jr. leads the NBA in blocked shots per game (3.1), defensive rating (103.7), and defensive win shares (0.155). The odd twist? JJJ only plays 27.8 minutes per game, which makes his lofty block numbers even more impressive…but it's also a byproduct of his prolific fouling. This tendency would limit his minutes to the least by a DPOY winner since Michael Cooper in 1987.

Frozen Moments

• In the fight, Brook Lopez said something that proved his loyalty to Giannis

• Steph Curry had a serious news flash for Chris Paul

• Anthony Edwards’ electric dunk was even sweeter against his hometown team

• After the no-call Bradley Beal, is a mood

Good Reads

The Balkan Booms - Jordan Ritter Conn (The Ringer)

The perfect bracket to win your March Madness men’s pool - Neil Greenberg (The Washington Post)

NBA Playoff Bracket Predictions with 1 Month to Go - Greg Swartz (Bleacher Report)

What We’re Enjoying

One Shining Moment: With March Madness 2023 starting tomorrow, we rewatched the magical rollercoaster of last year’s tournament!

Smiling with Father Time: Steph Curry reflected on Instagram how he is still Enjoying life on his 35th birthday, and we love that from him. One of the GOATs of this century as a player and person. 🐐

Signing Off

Here’s wishing you and your loved ones a very mad March full of buzzer-beaters, big buckets, and busted brackets!

-Conor Geelan

Trivia Answer: Oddly enough, the New York Knicks are an amazing 22-14 on the road compared to a respectable 19-16 at home.

Before you go…