Two Superstars Shine Brightly

Luka and Curry go off. Plus, a Q&A with an NBA Pro

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Luka Magic: The Slovenian superstar leads the way in a fun slate of Thursday night hoops

The Greek God: Giannis's historic second half and more tidbits from Wednesday night's action.

Enjoy with the Pros: A Q&A with the Wizards' Corey Kispert on inspirations, motivations, and basketball.

Welcome back fellow Enjoyers™ of the game! Whether it was Luka putting the entire city of Dallas on his back, or Curry twisting the dagger into Miami's heart, Thursday brought us the very best from some of the game's very best, and we can't wait to tell you all about it.

And we also can't wait to see all of you later today at the Enjoy Basketball x Shopify event in NYC! Pop Up Shop, Meet & Greet with Kenny, exclusive merch, we got it all in the Big Apple.

Oh, and one more thing before we begin: answer this all-time classic basketball hypothetical for us.

Thursday's NBA Games

Doncic Dazzles as Mavericks top Nets in OT 129-125

The Luka Dončić show had an Emmy-award-winning episode last night, as the European sensation recorded "just" the third 40-point triple-double of his career during the Dallas Mavericks (2-2) 129-125 overtime victory over the Brooklyn Nets (1-4). Whether it was backing defenders down in the post, stepping back for three over outstretched arms, or playmaking so good it seemed like he had eyes in the back of his head, Doncic impacted the game in every aspect.

The Nets still put up a stellar fight compared to some of their other recent performances. It's always a treat to see Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving match each other bucket-for-bucket. And how about a little love for the newcomer Ben Simmons? He's been catching a lot of flak early in the season but still came up clutch at the end of regulation with this dazzling display of defensive acumen.

But in OT, Dončić had the wherewithal to facilitate as the Nets' defense ramped up the aggression. He assisted on three Mavericks long-range makes in the extra period to put the game out of reach. Be thankful, Dallas. The word generational might get thrown around to describe players a lot these days, but you all have a truly generational talent on your hands.

Bane's 31 Helps Grizzlies handle Kings 125-110

The Memphis Grizzlies (4-1) took care of business against a Sacramento Kings (0-4) squad that still appears to be finding its way.

For Memphis, Desmond Bane (31 PTS, 6-8 3PT) has as good an argument as anyone as the hottest hand in basketball. The sharpshooter from TCU is shooting a white-hot 14-19 from beyond the arc over the past two games, both Memphis W's. And he's hitting shots like this, which we feel like should count for more than three points.

Sacramento has the pieces of a fun team, but they still need a little bit of work on the defensive side of the ball. But, on the bright side, Keegan Murray (18 PTS, 6 REB) is looking like an incredible pick early on.

Curry Comes up Clutch as Warriors Best Heat 123-110

So there's this guy named Stephen Curry who plays for Golden State, and apparently, he's pretty good at the whole basketball thing.

Seriously, it seems like Curry (33 PTS, 9 AST, 7-14 3PT) has not missed a beat since his Finals MVP performance just a few months ago. The Baby-Faced Assassin helped the Golden State Warriors (3-2) fend off a feisty Miami Heat (2-4) squad coming off a big win against the Portland Trail Blazers (4-1) last night.

Curry put the game to rest with a few back-breaking buckets down the stretch, including a double-crossover three that had Tyler Herro looking like he was playing Twister which put the Warriors up eight. Miami got big games from Jimmy Butler (27 PTS, 8 AST, 6 STL) and Bam Adebayo (26 PTS, 4 STL, 3 BLK) but simply ran out of steam on the second night of a back-to-back.

Thunder go Back-to-Back against Clippers 118-100

And they say lightning doesn't strike twice? Or in this case, Thunder.

Whether it was Poku off the bench pouring in 15 points, Lou Dort dropping 21 while locking down Paul George (10 PTS, 4-12 FG), or SGA fighting for tough buckets down the stretch, everyone on the Oklahoma City Thunder (2-3) contributed to this fantastic team win over the Los Angeles Clippers (2-3) for the second time in three nights. As for LA, their 19 turnovers ended up being the killer, leading to 31 Thunder points. Props to Norman Powell (21 PTS, 9-15 FG) for breaking out of his slump, though!

Wednesday Night Notes

The Milwaukee Bucks (3-0) looked down and out after one half against the Brooklyn Nets (1-3), but the Greek Freak had other ideas. Giannis Antetokounmpo completely took over the second half to a near-historical proportion. He became the first forward since Carlos Boozer in 2007 to score 34+ points in a half on 80% or better shooting, turning Milwaukee's 12-point halftime deficit into an 11-point W in the process. And he wasn’t the only former MVP to have an explosive second half…

Lauri Markkanen blossoming into an all-star caliber player probably wasn’t on too many people's bingo cards to start the season, but it’s certainly a pleasant surprise. The Marksman dropped an efficient 24 points and 9 boards during the Utah Jazz's (4-1!) 109-101 victory over the Houston Rockets (1-4). Markkanen is one of just nine players this season to average over 22 points, eight rebounds, and three assists per game, a list that includes superstars like Luka Dončić, Joel Embiid, and LeBron James. Oh, and he also put Jalen Green on a poster.

It took a few games, but Anthony Edwards (34 PTS, 9 AST, 7-12 3PT) finally blessed us with a stellar performance in Minnesota's (3-2) 12-point victory over the Spurs (3-2). The former first overall pick drained five first-quarter threes to give the Wolves an early lead which they never relinquished. And big props to the young guy Jaden McDaniels! With near-perfect shooting (8-9 FG), and big-time defensive plays like this, he’s blossoming into a special player before our eyes. (Also, remember when we put him on our 2023 breakout player list?)

Pro: The Los Angeles Lakers (0-4) had their best three-point shooting game of the season. Con: They shot under 27%. The Result: a 110-99 loss to the Denver Nuggets (3-2). To be fair, it’s tough to win when Nikola Jokic is doing stuff like this. 

Is it too early to pronounce Jalen Brunson as The King of New York? The New York Knicks (3-1) have been dying for a top-tier point guard for what seems like a century at this point, and it looks like they’ve finally found him. Brunson (27 PTS, 13 AST) put on an absolute clinic during the Knicks' 134-131 OT victory over the Charlotte Hornets (2-2) despite poor shooting nights from RJ Barrett and Julius Randle. He’s one of just eight players this season averaging over 20 points and eight assists per game. Potential first-time all-star? 🤔

The Philadelphia 76ers are a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. They’re the only team in the conference with three players averaging 20+ points per game, they have a top-ten offense in basketball, and they shoot five more free throws a night than their opponents. And yet, after a 119-109 loss to the Toronto Raptors (3-2), the Sixers sit at just 1-4. The problem? Offensive rebounding and interior defense. Philly sits dead last in the league in both offensive rebound percentage (16.4%) and two-point percentage allowed (59.2%).

Q&A with Corey Kispert

Thank you to Gonzaga and Washington Wizards legend Corey Kispert for hopping on our Twitter Spaces 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 made you first fall in love with basketball?

A: My family growing up, we were athletic. My dad played basketball in college, my mom played volleyball in college, and so the gym was always a part of our lives. But I didn't really fall in love with the game until elementary or middle school. I have a brother who's two years older than me and we'd play dunk hoops in the backyard. Just like spending hours outside, lights on, kinda in the dark, dunking on each other. A lot of scraped knees, a lot of fights. But, looking back on it now, and even when I was doing it then, those were some of the best times -- where you kind of celebrated athletic plays and you gotta be above the rim.

Q: Who was your biggest inspiration growing up?

A: it was my dad. Number one, he loved the game of basketball and loved being around it. That's how we spent quality time together. A lot of guys, you know, go hunting or fishing with their dads. My dad went and rebounded for me. He's who I've modeled my jump shot after, he modeled consistency for me. On days where I didn't want to go to the gym or I had other things going on, he was always dragging me in there. The way that he modeled consistency and worked hard day in and day out without necessarily anybody thanking him for it is something that I carry into every day.

Q: What's one piece of advice you could offer to young hoopers on how to enjoy the game?

A: Find other things too that you really, really, really, enjoy. Especially at a young age, you want to be at a point where you enjoy every second you have on a basketball court. And you see a lot of young guys who specialize in basketball really early, the love of the game gets drained out of them. And it’s the ultimate career killer, losing the love of the game. So for me, it was playing other sports. I made a lot of connections and a lot of friends through playing other sports. I learned how to train in different ways and use my body in different ways, which translated to basketball as well. Obviously, there's a point where you have to focus on basketball solely in order to take that next step but, as you’re young, do as much different stuff as you can because you’d be amazed at how much translates into your life.

Q: What is your “why?" What has made you work so hard for so long, and what keeps you going?

A: I love this game so much, and I feel like I've been given an amazing gift to play the game. So I feel like I owe it to everybody who's helped me along the way, I owe it to myself, and I owe it to the god given ability that I was given to try to master this thing and try to take this thing as far as I can. You think about players like Kobe for example, he's always talking about figuring the game out, and that's how he gets up every day and works hard, harder than anybody's ever worked to try to squeeze every single ounce of talent that he has in his body out for this game. And that’s what gets me up in the morning; I know that there’s so much untapped potential that I have. It’s a competitive nature that I was born with and it’s not gonna go anywhere, even when I stop playing basketball.

Q: Best dressed Wizards teammates + Teammate who needs a stylist?

A: He's controversial, but Kuz brings it every game for sure. I can't do the stuff that he does, and I don't have the confidence to do the stuff that he does, but he's been in the league longer. Like he's modeled and walked in fashion weeks across the world, he's willing to try anything. But I'm also willing to give him all the crap in the world about the style choices that he makes. Another guy that I respect, but I think he needs a stylist is Anthony Gill. He wears pretty much the same joggers, hoodie, and slippers every game, and I mean like the same. But to that point he does what he does, and he wants to keep his focus on being a break basketball player. But I subscribe fully to the "look good, feel good" mantra, so I wonder if he decided to step up his game a little bit, he'd become that much greater of a player, as good a player as he already is.

Good Reads

5 Early NBA Storylines We Didn't See Coming - Grant Hughes (Bleacher Report)

Inside Overtime Elite’s Pro Day Featuring the Thompson Twins - Jeremy Woo (Sports Illustrated)

Professional pest Jose Alvarado making presence felt for Pelicans - Alex Kennedy (Basketball News)

Signing Off

Thanks for reading this week, everybody! In the wisdom of Corey Kispert, don't just Enjoy Basketball, enjoy everything else life has to offer too.

Until next time,

-Spencer Poole

Trivia Answer: The oldest player to ever record a triple-double is Karl Malone! The Mailman put up 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists at the age of 40.

Trivia Question: Which player has recorded the most games with 20 or more rebounds since 2000?