Fuck em'. No lies told.
I can't even begin to believe that this will be his fifth year in the league.
Feels like he still hasn't really done anything of note yet.
}~~~> Official 2024/2025 NBA Thread<~~~{ (Load management)
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Fuck em'. No lies told.
I can't even begin to believe that this will be his fifth year in the league.
Feels like he still hasn't really done anything of note yet.
That's dope. I love seeing the big kid smile. And it great he gets to see some family this week.
Coming into the league and becoming a instant star got the Timberwolves penciled in for back to back Christmas game.
Pretty sure they ain't seen that kinda national TV love since the KG days.
The only one I knew for sure was Kangroo Bennie having the top spot. It's the only NBA record he'll ever hold
The only one I knew for sure was Kangroo Bennie having the top spot. It's the only NBA record he'll ever hold
The only one I knew was Draymond.
Barnes had a point about money in his day vs now. Like with NBA stats, inflation needs to be taken into account.
If you did, I think Rasheed Wallace was a good guess. Rodman would probably be top 5.
Those Simmons and Irving numbers were crazy though.
Yeah man the whole 76s looked great as the Cavs blew them out on Saturday..... great team chemistry. Everyone held that L equally!
SN: fans were giving the ref (Tony Brothers?) The business!! Seeing the game on TV is mad different from being there. I never knew just how much you can hear on the court and from nearby fans......
It's cool bro, the Cavs are hot.
I hope y'all have that same energy for the playoffs as well.
There's no championship in the regular season.
That's the #1 team in the league right, Boston...... giving up a 15 pt lead to lose to Orlando........hahaha
Yeah ok.
And still the best team in the league, 26 - 4
LETS GO CAVS!!
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Bruh, I've been a die hard Cleveland fan for AGES!!
I know how this shit goes. But never during the LeBron years was the team this hot out of the gate!
A lot of you mfkrs had runs, Philly, Mia, LA Memphis, Bucks, ATL, and even Boston the past 5-10 seasons.
I'm enjoying the opportunity to talk my shit for once!! Cuz lord knows the Browns ain't doing shit and it's 5 more months until baseball!
Rightfully so, y'all deserve it, because y'all are the best team in the league. I like seeing the Cavs play until it's my team they play against.
But yeah, if my sixers don't make it far in the playoffs, I'll be rooting for the cavs to win it. Donovan Mitchell deserves a ring and it's crazy how good this team has become this fast after the Cavs made that trade for Mitchell.
I'm wishing the cavs to stay healthy.
Talk ya shit cuz.
Geez.
I've thought for a long time that it would be best to move him but this season has been worse than expected from a trade value perspective.
Ten Takeaways From 12/23/24
ONE) Players Only Meeting
What a stupid, stupid day. Between all the Q tags, fake injuries, and refereeing, this is gonna be a night to forget. Let’s start with the Rockets' ass-whipping.
They doubled up the Hornets at the half, 62-31. The rest of the game was pretty much, Houston wanting to get out of the game healthy while the Hornets kept starters in late. Houston was without Villain (ankle) and Tari (leg), which allowed Amen (19 points, 11 rebounds, 38 minutes) to enter the starting lineup. He attempted five threes (6 total) in the second half, which makes me think they were just trying shit. Most he’s ever taken in a game is seven. Cam Whitmore cracked the rotation for the second straight game and led the team with a 28.2 USG%. Classic.
LaMelo Ball only took 18 FGA which is wild for him considering he’s taken 30+ in four of their last five. Since returning from his knee injury, Miles Bridges is shooting 16.1% from three. Miles also said that they guys had a players-only team meeting after the loss and that Taj Gibson gave a speech that got everyone riled up. Maybe that and the return of Brandon Miller can help turn things around. It won’t but it sounds like he’s close…
“Making good process I would say, last couple of days rejoined some group activities, after tonight we will evaluate and see where he stands." - Charles Lee on Brandon Miller
Rockets beat the Hornets 114-101.
TWO) 4 20
It’s more like 7 20 if you combine both teams but it’s always impressive when four guys from the same team score 20+, which is what the Cavs have done multiple times this season.
Darius Garland: 23 points, 8 assists, 71.0 TS%
Donovan Mitchell: 22 points, 7 assists, 64.0 TS%
Evan Mobley: 22 points 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 61.5 TS%
Sam Merrill, yes Sam Merrill: 20 points, 3 steals, 77.6 TS%
Cleveland has scored 120+ in four straight games and they’ve made 20+ three-pointers in three straight (first time in franchise history). This team’s on a 70-win pace whether you like it or not.
Shoutout to Walker Kessler for holding his own in this matchup. He was dominant on the boards, pulling down 16 rebounds. Half of them were offensive. Cleveland did hack him late to send him to the line. He shot 1-6 but whatever. He was great. Lauri attempted a season-high 13 threes which is hopefully a sign of things to come. His 8.0 3PA is the lowest it’s been since joining the Jazz. Cody Williams got called back from the G League and still getting DNP-CDs.
THREE) +650
Last time I suggested you run and grab Jamahl Mosley COY tickets, he was at +900. The gap between him and Atkinson is getting tighter. It’s not close enough. This Magic team has gone through hell and back with these injuries. We haven’t even spoken since they lost Moe Wagner to a torn ACL. We’re at the point of the season where Trevelin Queen is starting games for them and scoring a career-high 17 points against the Boston Celtics. I mean, credit to Queen cause that’s crazy but that’s some incredible coaching. Wendell Carter moved to the bench cause the team is desperate for depth behind Goga. Maybe he can get his usage up and thrive in that role moving forward. Orlando has overcome 15+ point deficits in back-to-back games. I’m telling ya… Mosley. They almost lost after Goga Bitadze was ejected for essentially grabbing Porzingis’ throat with under four minutes to go. Boston immediately went on a 10-2 run but it was too little, too late.
Jayson Tatum was a late scratch with an illness. Like we’re talking about a few minutes from jump late scratch. Not even on the injury report beforehand or anything. I’m not gonna sit here and tell you that I’m furious about this or anything. I’m married to the NBA. We’re partners for life but I can tell you that there are people out there who aren’t as in love and it’s shit like this that can be the last straw in a breakup. This stuff is happening way too often in a sport that’s openly trying to promote betting. And no, a fine isn’t gonna do anything.
“For me individually it was just always having the mental. I think I believed in myself that I belong. When the opportunity came but it was a belief in myself and my teammates talking to me giving me all the confidence I needed.” - Trevelin Queen on his performance
Magic beat the Celtics 108-104.
FOUR) She’s All We’ll Remember
I’m having a difficult time deciding if it’s cool to write her name or not. Worried people might think it’s wrong to single out a female referee but I critique male refs all the time so it shouldn’t be a big deal. Remember Mousa Dagher? The ref who ejected Nikola Jokic in Chicago on Serbian Heritage Night last year? He’s actual family and I didn’t hold back then so fuck it… Jenna Schroeder called one of the worst games I’ve ever seen.
Underdog sent out a clear timeline of events so let’s just copy/paste:
Chaos in 76ers vs. Spurs 2nd quarter:
- Andre Drummond ejected for two technical fouls
- Drummond's ejection overturned; Wemby called for flopping instead
- Wemby's flopping technical foul overturned
- Embiid ejected for screaming at the ref
We got video and audio of her telling Nick Nurse “I fucked up” after the Drummond ejection. Oh and later in the game, she T’d up Yabusele for hanging on the rim on a dunk. Again, this is the last thing you need when you’re worried about NBA ratings plummeting. This game was supposed to be a rematch between Wemby and Embiid. We all wanted to see how many points Joel would score after dropping 70 on them last season and this is what we get instead.
Nick Nurse tried to get an explanation as to why Embiid was ejected. The other members of the crew told him, “Ask her.”
Guerschon Yabusele and Caleb Martin started the second half in place of Joel Embiid, and KJ Martin. Martin left with foot soreness and Drummond left with a big toe contusion. Anyway, the game went on and Wemby (26 points, 9 rebounds, 6-13 3PT) keeps doing things no one’s ever done. He becomes the first player in NBA history with 15 3-pointers and 20 blocks over a 3-game span. My guy follows up his 10-block game against Portland with 8 against Philly. So stupid lol. You must be curious of Kyle Lowry’s USG% after what I showed you on Friday: It came up to 13.0%. He made more than one bucket for the first time since 11/15/24. Tyrese Maxey took over late with 12 fourth-quarter points, nearly all of them in clutch time.
"Just the whole thing was really strange. Without looking at the tape to see what was actually going on there, I doubt that [Wemby] was going down because of such aggressive pushing... All 3 of the calls seemed really strange to me but on we go." - Nick Nurse on the Wemby/Drummond fiasco
Sixers beat the Spurs 111-106.
FIVE) Wolves Changes Coming?
It felt like it took ten minutes to decide the outcome of this game. This game opened up with a Hawks 27-9 run. The only Wolves starters to score in the quarter were Ant (7) and Conley (2). All that was playing in my head was that clip of Ant over the weekend, talking about their offense.
“We don't have sh** on offense. We don't have no identity. We know I'm gonna shoot a bunch of shots, we know Ju gonna shoot a bunch of shots, and that's all we know.” - Ant after their loss to the Knicks
Ant finished with 16 points (1-7 3PT) and was a team-worst -23. He hasn’t scored 20 points in three straight games. Chris Finch was asked afterward if he was considering any changes to the starting lineup…
"Everything's always on the table, for sure, but we also need to keep looking at lineup combinations as the game goes on, too." - Chris Finch
You can throw out a bunch of different ideas but the one that feels most logical is inserting Naz Reid (23 points, 10-19 FG) into the starting lineup for Julius Randle (19 points, 13 rebounds). Or maybe cut back the minutes of other starters like Jaden McDaniels, I don’t know but you gotta do something. I feel like NAW (11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists) and Naz have been their two most important players in this bummer of a season so figure out a way to get them more involved.
Minnesota left Garrison Matthews wide open multiple times in the corner and boy, did he make them pay. Four of his career-high seven three-pointers were from the corner. If you’re asking why Garrison Matthews was a part of the rotation, it’s because Atlanta was without Bogdan Bogdanovic. Dyson Daniels seems to break a steal record every other week. He had 8 in this one, which is a new career high. Big reason Ant struggled in front of his Grandfather.
Hawks beat the Timberwolves 117-104. Man, Atlanta had a 69.3 TS%. What happened to that Wolves defense?
SIX) Dru
This one really sucks. Dru Smith is probably going to be out for a very long time. He slipped and you could see his lower leg kind of buckle up in a scary way. He knew it right away too. Had to be helped off the court and was ruled out immediately. If you’ve been paying any attention to this Heat team, you know how crucial he’s been. Miami's net rating with him on the court is +6.8 which is 4th best on the team. Dude tore his ACL last November and worked his ass off to get to where he is now, averaging 29.3 mpg in the 6 games before this one. He was a few weeks away from a standard contract too. We’ll find out more tomorrow after the MRI. They were already without Jimmy Butler (illness) and Terry Rozier (knee inflammation) which is why Alex Burks played 24 minutes. Kel’el Ware (9 points, 7 rebounds, 17 minutes) was the first big off the bench in back-to-back games even with Kevin Love healthy.
“Pray for him. he’s the hardest-working and best guy I have ever met. We need him” - Nikola Jovic on Dru Smith
The Nets offense has looked pathetic since the Dchroder trade. Over their last four games, their offensive rating is 102.9.
Heat beat the Nets 110-95.
SEVEN) OH GEE
OG Anunoby was nearly perfect. Made his first eleven shots of the night and scored 31 points on 95.0 TS% (13-15 FG). He was a team-high +25 and spectacular defensively (as usual) against his former team. They needed it too cause Brunson (12 points, 0-5 3PT) was off all night. All that talk about his elbow bothering him seems a tad overblown now. Of the players averaging 30+ minutes, OG has the seventh-best net rating (+11.2) in the league. Just a ridiculous year that’s probably going unnoticed. Landry Shamet made his Knicks debut but only checked in for garbage time.
"I have some really good friends over there, really good people over there." - OG Anunoby on if it’s “still weird” to play his former team
RJ Barrett (23 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) was a game-time decision with an illness but ended up playing against his former team as well. Didn’t touch OG levels of greatness but was fine considering. I’m still confused about Scottie Barnes playing 36 minutes though. Darko Rajakovic admitted that Barnes’ ankle and hip are still bothering him. He said that he hasn’t been himself and that he’ll get better but why was he in the game with five minutes left down 20+?
Knicks beat the Raptors 139-125.
EIGHT) No Dame, No Giannis, No Problem
I thought for sure the Bulls were going to win another meaningless game when Giannis was ruled out along with Dame. I’m not mad at Milwaukee. Makes all the sense in the world with the illness going around that locker room. Besides, they don’t have a Christmas Day game this year (still wild to me) it’ll give him 5 full days to rest since the Bucks don’t play again until Thursday.
"He just had to feel better and he didn't, so we sat him down." - Doc on Giannis going through shootaround and then getting scratched.
It didn’t even matter cause we got to see healthy Middleton do his thing. He starts his second game in a row and scores 21 points (70.0 TS%, 5 assists, 5 rebounds) in 23 minutes. It’s his first 20-point game of the season but he’s still on a minutes limit (12 first-half minutes). Bobby Portis (19 points, 13 rebounds, 28.0 USG%) is still very vengeful against the Bulls. The Bucks are 3-0 when Ryan Rollins (8 points, 5 rebounds, 22 minutes) starts.
How many times have I told you about Vuc 3s against the Bucks? He makes his first two in the first five minutes of the game but misses his next six. The eight attempts is the predictable part. Just gotta hope he makes a couple of them. Coby White is on one of the coldest stretches of his career, shooting 20-of-72 (27.8%) from three in his past 9 games
"I ain't never got cold like this.” - Coby White on his shooting struggles
“I love playing in Chicago." - Bobby Portis on playing the Bulls
Bucks beat the Bulls 112-91.
NINE) Zubac Deserves a Break
Ivica Zubac was downgraded to Questionable earlier with right calf soreness. Same calf that caused him to miss more than 3 weeks last January. Thought he was 100% going to sit but nope. This guy hasn’t missed a game all season and has been carrying this team. Today was no different. He played 40 minutes and put up 20 and 19 (9 offensive) in the win. Was abusing Jaren Jackson Jr. for the entire 40. Now that the NFL Best Ball season is over for me, all I’ve been thinking about is my 31% exposure to him in my NBA portfolio.
"I was assured it's not going to get worse since it was a contusion. So I felt pretty good that I could go out there and give it a go.” - Zubac on playing with the calf soreness
Wanna guess how much Norm Powell I have? You can’t count that high. My guy scores 29 points for the third time in four games. He’s got that Paul George role down. This was the fifth time this season Powell, Zubac, and Harden all scored 20+ in the same game.
Desmond Bane (21 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists) was also added to the injury report with an illness but played. He’s starting to get into a groove after shooting poorly to start the season. In October and November, he was averaging 13.8 PPG on 51.2 TS%. In December, he’s averaging 17.1 PPG on 65.1 TS%.
Clippers beat the Grizzles 114-110.
TEN) Spead Round
K, it’s getting late and I still haven’t finished wrapping gifts. Let’s speed round these last five games…
Washington actually stuck around for 3 quarters before OKC pulled away and barely covered the 17.5-point spread. Jaylin Williams made his season debut and played 8 minutes. Hit his first three. Marvin Bagley suffered a gruesome-looking leg injury late.
Thunder beat the Wizards 123-105.
Luka Doncic (heel) returned from a two-game absence. He said he hurt his heel in the first quarter against Golden State on December 15th. Said it feels fine now. He scored 27 points in 29 minutes.
Dallas beat the Blazers 132-108.
Kerr doubles down on his Kuminga criticism: “I’m not going to stop coaching (him). The last two games, his field goal attempts, his decision making has been poor. That needs to improve.”
Pacers beat the Warriors 111-105. GS is 3-10 in their last 13 games.
Jalen Pickett? With Jamal Murray (ankle) out, Jalen Picket (11 points, 8 assists) plays a season-high 23 minutes and helps Denver blow out Phoenix.
"I want to give Jalen Pickett a shoutout. He was DPOG." - Michael Malone
Nuggets beat the Suns 117-90.
LeBron’s eighth triple-double of the season is not enough. Pistons sweep the season series against the Lakers for the first time since the ‘16-’17 season.
Pistons beat the Lakers 117-114. Detroit is one win away from last season’s win total.
ONE) Players Only Meeting
What a stupid, stupid day. Between all the Q tags, fake injuries, and refereeing, this is gonna be a night to forget. Let’s start with the Rockets' ass-whipping.
They doubled up the Hornets at the half, 62-31. The rest of the game was pretty much, Houston wanting to get out of the game healthy while the Hornets kept starters in late. Houston was without Villain (ankle) and Tari (leg), which allowed Amen (19 points, 11 rebounds, 38 minutes) to enter the starting lineup. He attempted five threes (6 total) in the second half, which makes me think they were just trying shit. Most he’s ever taken in a game is seven. Cam Whitmore cracked the rotation for the second straight game and led the team with a 28.2 USG%. Classic.
LaMelo Ball only took 18 FGA which is wild for him considering he’s taken 30+ in four of their last five. Since returning from his knee injury, Miles Bridges is shooting 16.1% from three. Miles also said that they guys had a players-only team meeting after the loss and that Taj Gibson gave a speech that got everyone riled up. Maybe that and the return of Brandon Miller can help turn things around. It won’t but it sounds like he’s close…
“Making good process I would say, last couple of days rejoined some group activities, after tonight we will evaluate and see where he stands." - Charles Lee on Brandon Miller
Rockets beat the Hornets 114-101.
TWO) 4 20
It’s more like 7 20 if you combine both teams but it’s always impressive when four guys from the same team score 20+, which is what the Cavs have done multiple times this season.
Darius Garland: 23 points, 8 assists, 71.0 TS%
Donovan Mitchell: 22 points, 7 assists, 64.0 TS%
Evan Mobley: 22 points 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 61.5 TS%
Sam Merrill, yes Sam Merrill: 20 points, 3 steals, 77.6 TS%
Cleveland has scored 120+ in four straight games and they’ve made 20+ three-pointers in three straight (first time in franchise history). This team’s on a 70-win pace whether you like it or not.
Shoutout to Walker Kessler for holding his own in this matchup. He was dominant on the boards, pulling down 16 rebounds. Half of them were offensive. Cleveland did hack him late to send him to the line. He shot 1-6 but whatever. He was great. Lauri attempted a season-high 13 threes which is hopefully a sign of things to come. His 8.0 3PA is the lowest it’s been since joining the Jazz. Cody Williams got called back from the G League and still getting DNP-CDs.
THREE) +650
Last time I suggested you run and grab Jamahl Mosley COY tickets, he was at +900. The gap between him and Atkinson is getting tighter. It’s not close enough. This Magic team has gone through hell and back with these injuries. We haven’t even spoken since they lost Moe Wagner to a torn ACL. We’re at the point of the season where Trevelin Queen is starting games for them and scoring a career-high 17 points against the Boston Celtics. I mean, credit to Queen cause that’s crazy but that’s some incredible coaching. Wendell Carter moved to the bench cause the team is desperate for depth behind Goga. Maybe he can get his usage up and thrive in that role moving forward. Orlando has overcome 15+ point deficits in back-to-back games. I’m telling ya… Mosley. They almost lost after Goga Bitadze was ejected for essentially grabbing Porzingis’ throat with under four minutes to go. Boston immediately went on a 10-2 run but it was too little, too late.
Jayson Tatum was a late scratch with an illness. Like we’re talking about a few minutes from jump late scratch. Not even on the injury report beforehand or anything. I’m not gonna sit here and tell you that I’m furious about this or anything. I’m married to the NBA. We’re partners for life but I can tell you that there are people out there who aren’t as in love and it’s shit like this that can be the last straw in a breakup. This stuff is happening way too often in a sport that’s openly trying to promote betting. And no, a fine isn’t gonna do anything.
“For me individually it was just always having the mental. I think I believed in myself that I belong. When the opportunity came but it was a belief in myself and my teammates talking to me giving me all the confidence I needed.” - Trevelin Queen on his performance
Magic beat the Celtics 108-104.
FOUR) She’s All We’ll Remember
I’m having a difficult time deciding if it’s cool to write her name or not. Worried people might think it’s wrong to single out a female referee but I critique male refs all the time so it shouldn’t be a big deal. Remember Mousa Dagher? The ref who ejected Nikola Jokic in Chicago on Serbian Heritage Night last year? He’s actual family and I didn’t hold back then so fuck it… Jenna Schroeder called one of the worst games I’ve ever seen.
Underdog sent out a clear timeline of events so let’s just copy/paste:
Chaos in 76ers vs. Spurs 2nd quarter:
- Andre Drummond ejected for two technical fouls
- Drummond's ejection overturned; Wemby called for flopping instead
- Wemby's flopping technical foul overturned
- Embiid ejected for screaming at the ref
We got video and audio of her telling Nick Nurse “I fucked up” after the Drummond ejection. Oh and later in the game, she T’d up Yabusele for hanging on the rim on a dunk. Again, this is the last thing you need when you’re worried about NBA ratings plummeting. This game was supposed to be a rematch between Wemby and Embiid. We all wanted to see how many points Joel would score after dropping 70 on them last season and this is what we get instead.
Nick Nurse tried to get an explanation as to why Embiid was ejected. The other members of the crew told him, “Ask her.”
Guerschon Yabusele and Caleb Martin started the second half in place of Joel Embiid, and KJ Martin. Martin left with foot soreness and Drummond left with a big toe contusion. Anyway, the game went on and Wemby (26 points, 9 rebounds, 6-13 3PT) keeps doing things no one’s ever done. He becomes the first player in NBA history with 15 3-pointers and 20 blocks over a 3-game span. My guy follows up his 10-block game against Portland with 8 against Philly. So stupid lol. You must be curious of Kyle Lowry’s USG% after what I showed you on Friday: It came up to 13.0%. He made more than one bucket for the first time since 11/15/24. Tyrese Maxey took over late with 12 fourth-quarter points, nearly all of them in clutch time.
"Just the whole thing was really strange. Without looking at the tape to see what was actually going on there, I doubt that [Wemby] was going down because of such aggressive pushing... All 3 of the calls seemed really strange to me but on we go." - Nick Nurse on the Wemby/Drummond fiasco
Sixers beat the Spurs 111-106.
FIVE) Wolves Changes Coming?
It felt like it took ten minutes to decide the outcome of this game. This game opened up with a Hawks 27-9 run. The only Wolves starters to score in the quarter were Ant (7) and Conley (2). All that was playing in my head was that clip of Ant over the weekend, talking about their offense.
“We don't have sh** on offense. We don't have no identity. We know I'm gonna shoot a bunch of shots, we know Ju gonna shoot a bunch of shots, and that's all we know.” - Ant after their loss to the Knicks
Ant finished with 16 points (1-7 3PT) and was a team-worst -23. He hasn’t scored 20 points in three straight games. Chris Finch was asked afterward if he was considering any changes to the starting lineup…
"Everything's always on the table, for sure, but we also need to keep looking at lineup combinations as the game goes on, too." - Chris Finch
You can throw out a bunch of different ideas but the one that feels most logical is inserting Naz Reid (23 points, 10-19 FG) into the starting lineup for Julius Randle (19 points, 13 rebounds). Or maybe cut back the minutes of other starters like Jaden McDaniels, I don’t know but you gotta do something. I feel like NAW (11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists) and Naz have been their two most important players in this bummer of a season so figure out a way to get them more involved.
Minnesota left Garrison Matthews wide open multiple times in the corner and boy, did he make them pay. Four of his career-high seven three-pointers were from the corner. If you’re asking why Garrison Matthews was a part of the rotation, it’s because Atlanta was without Bogdan Bogdanovic. Dyson Daniels seems to break a steal record every other week. He had 8 in this one, which is a new career high. Big reason Ant struggled in front of his Grandfather.
Hawks beat the Timberwolves 117-104. Man, Atlanta had a 69.3 TS%. What happened to that Wolves defense?
SIX) Dru
This one really sucks. Dru Smith is probably going to be out for a very long time. He slipped and you could see his lower leg kind of buckle up in a scary way. He knew it right away too. Had to be helped off the court and was ruled out immediately. If you’ve been paying any attention to this Heat team, you know how crucial he’s been. Miami's net rating with him on the court is +6.8 which is 4th best on the team. Dude tore his ACL last November and worked his ass off to get to where he is now, averaging 29.3 mpg in the 6 games before this one. He was a few weeks away from a standard contract too. We’ll find out more tomorrow after the MRI. They were already without Jimmy Butler (illness) and Terry Rozier (knee inflammation) which is why Alex Burks played 24 minutes. Kel’el Ware (9 points, 7 rebounds, 17 minutes) was the first big off the bench in back-to-back games even with Kevin Love healthy.
“Pray for him. he’s the hardest-working and best guy I have ever met. We need him” - Nikola Jovic on Dru Smith
The Nets offense has looked pathetic since the Dchroder trade. Over their last four games, their offensive rating is 102.9.
Heat beat the Nets 110-95.
SEVEN) OH GEE
OG Anunoby was nearly perfect. Made his first eleven shots of the night and scored 31 points on 95.0 TS% (13-15 FG). He was a team-high +25 and spectacular defensively (as usual) against his former team. They needed it too cause Brunson (12 points, 0-5 3PT) was off all night. All that talk about his elbow bothering him seems a tad overblown now. Of the players averaging 30+ minutes, OG has the seventh-best net rating (+11.2) in the league. Just a ridiculous year that’s probably going unnoticed. Landry Shamet made his Knicks debut but only checked in for garbage time.
"I have some really good friends over there, really good people over there." - OG Anunoby on if it’s “still weird” to play his former team
RJ Barrett (23 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) was a game-time decision with an illness but ended up playing against his former team as well. Didn’t touch OG levels of greatness but was fine considering. I’m still confused about Scottie Barnes playing 36 minutes though. Darko Rajakovic admitted that Barnes’ ankle and hip are still bothering him. He said that he hasn’t been himself and that he’ll get better but why was he in the game with five minutes left down 20+?
Knicks beat the Raptors 139-125.
EIGHT) No Dame, No Giannis, No Problem
I thought for sure the Bulls were going to win another meaningless game when Giannis was ruled out along with Dame. I’m not mad at Milwaukee. Makes all the sense in the world with the illness going around that locker room. Besides, they don’t have a Christmas Day game this year (still wild to me) it’ll give him 5 full days to rest since the Bucks don’t play again until Thursday.
"He just had to feel better and he didn't, so we sat him down." - Doc on Giannis going through shootaround and then getting scratched.
It didn’t even matter cause we got to see healthy Middleton do his thing. He starts his second game in a row and scores 21 points (70.0 TS%, 5 assists, 5 rebounds) in 23 minutes. It’s his first 20-point game of the season but he’s still on a minutes limit (12 first-half minutes). Bobby Portis (19 points, 13 rebounds, 28.0 USG%) is still very vengeful against the Bulls. The Bucks are 3-0 when Ryan Rollins (8 points, 5 rebounds, 22 minutes) starts.
How many times have I told you about Vuc 3s against the Bucks? He makes his first two in the first five minutes of the game but misses his next six. The eight attempts is the predictable part. Just gotta hope he makes a couple of them. Coby White is on one of the coldest stretches of his career, shooting 20-of-72 (27.8%) from three in his past 9 games
"I ain't never got cold like this.” - Coby White on his shooting struggles
“I love playing in Chicago." - Bobby Portis on playing the Bulls
Bucks beat the Bulls 112-91.
NINE) Zubac Deserves a Break
Ivica Zubac was downgraded to Questionable earlier with right calf soreness. Same calf that caused him to miss more than 3 weeks last January. Thought he was 100% going to sit but nope. This guy hasn’t missed a game all season and has been carrying this team. Today was no different. He played 40 minutes and put up 20 and 19 (9 offensive) in the win. Was abusing Jaren Jackson Jr. for the entire 40. Now that the NFL Best Ball season is over for me, all I’ve been thinking about is my 31% exposure to him in my NBA portfolio.
"I was assured it's not going to get worse since it was a contusion. So I felt pretty good that I could go out there and give it a go.” - Zubac on playing with the calf soreness
Wanna guess how much Norm Powell I have? You can’t count that high. My guy scores 29 points for the third time in four games. He’s got that Paul George role down. This was the fifth time this season Powell, Zubac, and Harden all scored 20+ in the same game.
Desmond Bane (21 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists) was also added to the injury report with an illness but played. He’s starting to get into a groove after shooting poorly to start the season. In October and November, he was averaging 13.8 PPG on 51.2 TS%. In December, he’s averaging 17.1 PPG on 65.1 TS%.
Clippers beat the Grizzles 114-110.
TEN) Spead Round
K, it’s getting late and I still haven’t finished wrapping gifts. Let’s speed round these last five games…
Washington actually stuck around for 3 quarters before OKC pulled away and barely covered the 17.5-point spread. Jaylin Williams made his season debut and played 8 minutes. Hit his first three. Marvin Bagley suffered a gruesome-looking leg injury late.
Thunder beat the Wizards 123-105.
Luka Doncic (heel) returned from a two-game absence. He said he hurt his heel in the first quarter against Golden State on December 15th. Said it feels fine now. He scored 27 points in 29 minutes.
Dallas beat the Blazers 132-108.
Kerr doubles down on his Kuminga criticism: “I’m not going to stop coaching (him). The last two games, his field goal attempts, his decision making has been poor. That needs to improve.”
Pacers beat the Warriors 111-105. GS is 3-10 in their last 13 games.
Jalen Pickett? With Jamal Murray (ankle) out, Jalen Picket (11 points, 8 assists) plays a season-high 23 minutes and helps Denver blow out Phoenix.
"I want to give Jalen Pickett a shoutout. He was DPOG." - Michael Malone
Nuggets beat the Suns 117-90.
LeBron’s eighth triple-double of the season is not enough. Pistons sweep the season series against the Lakers for the first time since the ‘16-’17 season.
Pistons beat the Lakers 117-114. Detroit is one win away from last season’s win total.
The Miami Heat are sorry
Guy sounds like 100% pure bitch. Trade this clown ASAP.
Yikes, you're too harsh talking to the brotha like that.
Inflation does heavily effect the numbers, but Kyrie & Bennie deserve to be 1 & 2. The rest of those guys got fines for in game shenanigans.
Kyrie and Bennie especially
, earned those fines because they were completely healthy but just chose not to play.
We know dumb CAC bitch.
She should be banned from being able to ref another game in the NBA
Damn, that sucks....
