Top players on top seeds dominate

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Happy Friday, Enjoyers! The sun comes up, and the Suns keep winning. Let's talk about that, plus how Jayson Tatum is wowing us yet again, and, randomly, our Top Five favorite Short Kings in NBA History.

We also wanted to drop some news that we have our final drop of 2022 coming out next week, just in time for the holiday season. It’s something that’s been in the works for MONTHS and is unlike anything we’ve made. Stay tuned for a sneak peek in Monday’s newsletter! Yeah, it's one of those days. Let's do it!

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Hot as the Sun: Devin Booker drops historic 51 points in just 31 minutes

King in the East: Jayson Tatum's 49 points keep Celtics rolling

Short Kings Stand Up: For "Top Five Friday," we give out 5 favorite players under 6 feet

Pristine Auction

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Yesterday's Games

Pistons top Mavericks in OT, Hayes breaks out

There was only one game last night, but WOW, was it a good one! The Pistons (6-18) upset the Mavericks (10-11) in overtime 131-125. While Bojan Bogdanovic scored 30 points, the star of the show was Killian Hayes (22 points). The 21-year-old guard, who struggled tremendously to start his young career, created offense for Detroit in the 4th quarter and overtime, hitting several contested midranges and two stepback threes to seal the Mavs' fate. Hopefully, this is a sign of more to come from the young guard!

For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic (35 points, 10 assists) scored 20 in the first half to keep them in it but slowed down in the second, so Tim Hardaway Jr. (26 points) pitched in to maintain striking distance. Dallas managed to close a sizable 4th quarter lead and force OT, but Hayes' shot-making and Detroit's doubling Luka won the day.

Box Score

Monday Night Notes

Sad there was only one game yesterday? It's because there were THIRTEEN (yes, 13) games on Wednesday night. Let’s cover the essentials real quick…

Devin Booker scored 51 POINTS in just 31 minutes in a blowout Suns (15-6) victory over the Bulls (9-12). DBook is only the 8th player in the shot clock era to put up that many points in that few minutes. Plus, it was on crazy efficiency: 20-25 FG and 6-7 3PT! Also, shoutout to Deandre Ayton for a 30-point game that the media will skim over. But seriously, watch these Booker buckets for some happiness:

Another young star leading a 1-seed had a big night. Jayson Tatum scored 49 points for the Celtics (18-4) in a solid win over the struggling Heat (10-12). Take a look if you want some more beautiful shot-making.

Other incredible performances out East included 39 points from Kevin Durant in a Nets (12-11) victory over the Wizards (11-11), 37 points for Giannis Antetokounmpo to propel the Bucks (15-5) over the Knicks (10-12), and Trae Young with 30 points and 14 assists to launch the Hawks (12-10) past the Magic (5-17).

Back out West, the Timberwolves (11-11) conquered the Grizzlies (12-9) behind 29 points, 5 steals, and 3 blocks from (defensive wiz?) Anthony Edwards. Also, Zion Williamson had an electric all-around night with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 steals in a Pelicans (13-8) win over a quality Raptors (11-10) squad. Malik Monk and 50 Cent lit The Beam after the Kings' (11-9) win over the Pacers (12-9). Finally, the Lakers (8-12) beat the Lillard-less Trailblazers (11-11), led by LeBron James' 31 points. I hear that guy is still pretty good at basketball.

Top Five Friday

On some Fridays, we’ll be giving you a quick and fun segment, Top Five Friday, where we give you our Top Five anything based on … nothing. It's just for fun!

This week let’s list our Top Five Short Kings in NBA History! Again, don’t take this too seriously. It's based on nothing, and we aren’t including guys that are sometimes listed as 6 feet, like Allen Iverson, Chris Paul, or Fred VanVleet.

5. Calvin Murphy

Calvin Murphy is the most accomplished man on this list, but he might be the least heard of. The NBA Hall of Famer stood at 5’9” and played for the San Diego/Houston Rockets for his entire 13-year career–all 1,002 games–where he averaged over 20 points per game in five different seasons! Nowadays, you can still hear his voice watching local Rockets games, giving halftime and post-game analysis!

4. Spud Webb

This man Spud Webb was 5-FOOT-7 and outdueled Dominique Wilkins to win the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest! That alone makes him top-5, but he also had a 12-year NBA career, mainly for the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings.

3. Isaiah Thomas

Isaiah Thomas has the highs to be the greatest short king of all time and is many people’s favorite. After posting solid production in Sacramento and Phoenix, the 5’9” score-first guard broke out in Boston. The 2015-16 season brought him his first All-Star Game, but in 2017 he launched a full-fledged MVP candidacy filled with too many memorable moments to list here. Still, the 33-point playoff performance right after his sister’s death stands atop them all for us. We’ll just leave you with some vintage IT film so you can watch and smile.

2. Nate Robinson

6’10” Dwight Howard went by “Superman," so Nate Robinson became “Kryptonite,” and that is the whole point of this list. Robinson is a THREE-time winner of the Dunk Contest despite standing just 5'9", including an iconic dunk over Dwight Howard and an insane in-game block over 7’6” Yao Ming. Throw in playing on eight different teams and some iconic game-winners, and you can see how Robinson embodies the pep, energy, and ferocity required of shorter players to make it in the league.

1. Muggsy Bogues

Muggsy had to be #1. The most iconic Short King of all time, Muggsy Bogues stood at just 5’3” and remains the shortest player to play in the NBA. Not only did he make the league, but he played in 889 games across 14 seasons! He averaged highs of 11.1 points in 1995 and 10.7 assists in 1990! Shoutout to the GOAT Short King!

Good Reads

In Praise of OG Anunoby’s Stifling Defense - Tyler Parker (The Ringer)

What is the toughest job in men's college basketball? - Jeff Borzello (ESPN)

You Are Welcome To Be a Senegal Fan, Too - Kalidou Koulibaly (The Players' Tribune)

Signing Off

That'll do it for us here at Enjoy Basketball! We loved talking hoops with you and hope you carry the conversation forward. Now go make this day productive, memorable, and Enjoyable!

-Conor Geelan

Trivia Answer: Allan Houston holds the record for most points without a single rebound, assist, block, or steal. For the Knicks in 2000, he dropped 37 points and didn't do much else! Such a fun stat line!

Trivia Question: John Stockton is the NBA's all-time steals leader. Who is in second place?