Yesterday in the NBA #1

This is a just little series that I want to start as a recap for if there were any impactful or interesting games on a certain day. Yesterday, there were several interesting results and nailbiter endings, so I figured that it was the perfect way to start this.

Pistons @ Hornets – 107-108

Coming off the back of 3 wins in 4 games against several good or decent teams, including a double digit win against the Lakers, the Pistons wanted to make a statement and earn their longest win streak of the last 3 years. For most of the game, it looked like they had the chance to do so despite Jalen Duren leaving early due to an ankle injury, with Cade Cunningham getting his second consecutive triple double and Jaden Ivey continuing his consistent shooting year.

Brandon Miller had other ideas, however. Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball kept the Hornets in the game throughout, but it was Miller’s last second, replay-reviewed tip shot that sealed the game for the Hornets with a narrow, 1 point victory over the hot Pistons.

That’s not to say that the game was a total loss for the Pistons. Despite his inconsistent shooting, Cade has continued to play like the superstar the Pistons have desperately needed, and on the whole he has been committing fewer turnovers than past years (he has averaged 4.9 on the season, but that average is held up with an outlier of 7 TOs against the Nets), only turning the ball over twice. Again, Ivey has been shooting very consistently so far this season, averaging 19.6 points (21 tonight) on a 46.7/39.0 split, shooting 50% from the field and 60% from 3 at Charlotte. Holland looked good defensively, and the rest of the team shot pretty well all around, and the Pistons are looking significantly better than last year.

Knicks @ Hawks – 116-121

Despite all starters scoring double digits once again, the Knicks had no help off the bench outside of Miles McBride, evidenced by the fact that only 19 minutes were played by any players outside of the six mentioned (Jericho Sims played 10, Tyler Kolek played 9).

The Hawks’ win came largely due to a career night for Zaccharie Risacher, who finished the game with a stat line of 33/7/3/3/2 with 0 turnovers, shooting 61.1% from the field and 60% from 3. Trae finished with his typical 23 point, 10 assists game, tacking on 6 rebounds and 2 steals with only 2 turnovers, though it was an inconsistent night for him. Jalen Johnson was a beast on the boards, racking up 15 of them to go with 23 points and 7 assists. Okongwu and Daniels were quiet tonight, but each played solid roles in the win, bringing the Hawks up to the 5th seed while the Knicks fall just below at the 6th seed.

In his post-game interview, Trae Young said, “I hope these New York fans find their way to the exit real, real quick.” Such fans booed in response, and the star booed in return. It’s safe to say that Trae Young has resumed his villain role when it comes to the Knicks.

Warriors @ Celtics – 118-112

In a rematch of the NBA Finals from 3 years ago (though with vastly different teams), the Warriors once again came out on top, which they haven’t been able to do at Boston’s TD Garden since that finals series. Tatum racked up 32 points with a relatively small stat line for him, only getting 4 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block to go with it. With Jaylen Brown unable to play, Derrick White picked up the slack, scoring 26 points, with 7 of his 8 made shots on the night coming from behind the arc, and playing his usual phenomenal defense, though he did get into foul trouble. The Celtics bench was the most concerning part of the night, as Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser each struggled shooting the ball and the Celtics didn’t trust anyone else to play for significant stretches of time (Luke Kornet played 14 minutes, Jordan Walsh played only 8).

The Warriors were the bigger story of the game. Steph Curry was doing normal Steph Curry things, flirting with a triple double with a stat line of 27/7/9/4/1 on 44.4% shooting from 3. Andrew Wiggins didn’t hit any of his 3 pointers, but he did step up with 16 points. One of the newest Splash brothers, Buddy Hield also scored 16 points, going 4/7 from 3 and racking up 6 rebounds to go with a game high +20 BPM rating. The Warriors played well as a whole, including significant stints from Kyle Anderson, Moses Moody, and Jonathan Kuminga, particularly in the absence of Brandon Podziemski, who missed the game with an illness.

Despite the fact that the Celtics were not fully healthy, this win is huge for the Warriors, as it symbolizes the fact that they are right back where they were just a few years ago, still able to play with the best as they attempt to hold Curry’s title window open a little bit longer.

Thunder @ Nuggets – 122-124

A rematch of opening night, I was very concerned with how the Nuggets would play, especially with the second and third best players missing the game with injuries (Jamal Murray is dealing with a concussion, Aaron Gordon sustained a calf injury on Monday). That being said, evidently I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw against one of the best teams in the league.

The Thunder overall played really well. Shai was his typical consistent self (albeit with 8 turnovers), scoring 28 points on over 50% shooting from the field. Jalen Williams played well all night, looking like the clear second option on the team and coming only an assist shy of a 29 point triple double with 3 steals. Chet didn’t look as unstoppable as he did on opening night, but he had a solid, if inconsistent game. The primary Thunder role players all played well too, with Isaiah Joe (11/5/3/1, 33.3% from 3), and Aaron Wiggins (13/2/1) shooting well and Lu Dort (11/6/3/3/2, 60% from 3), Alex Caruso (2/6/4/4/2), and Cason Wallace (4/2/2/2) playing ferocious defense.

The real story of the night was Denver, with 4 out of their 5 starters scoring above 20 points. Jokic had a monster game, going for 23/20/16/2/2 on the night (so far, he is averaging a triple double on the season). The other triple double king on this team, Russell Westbrook had the best night of his Nuggets tenure thus far, going for a team high 29 points and total stat line of 29/6/6/1 on 66.7% from the field and 75% from 3. Michael Porter had a good night, going for 24 points and 7 rebounds on 60% shooting from 3. Christian Braun continues to expand his game, scoring 24 points on 50% shooting from the field (4/8 from behind the arc) to go with 8 rebounds, 2 steals and a block and fantastic defense. The final starter, Peyton Watson filling in for Gordon, had a modest yet impressive stat line, with 10/3/3/1/3 and the game winning block on Shai at the last second to prevent overtime. Though from a statistics perspective this wasn’t a career game, this might have been Watson’s best night as a Nugget. The new 6th man Julian Strawther couldn’t find his shot tonight, going an abysmal 1/7 from 3, but he found other ways to contribute, going for 9/5/6 and a game high +12 BPM.

This was a massive step in the right direction for the Nuggets, as they seem to have found a new identity to fit with their younger pieces, especially if Braun and Watson can continue to perform like this consistently. The win pushes the Nuggets to a 5-3 record, tied for the second best in the west with other teams of similar caliber, behind only the Warriors, Suns, and Thunder. This loss is not the worst thing in the world for the Thunder, they are still widely viewed as the team to beat in the West (though that may not be the case if Denver continues playing like this) and we still haven’t seen Hartenstein play with the rest of this team in the regular season. There is no reason to panic, a single loss is not the worst thing in the world for this team.

Other Games

Magic @ Pacers

Spurs @ Rockets

Cavaliers @ Pelicans

The Magic, Spurs, and Pelicans are struggling with significant injury issues to several rotation pieces, so they all (unsurprisingly) lost.

The Cavs continue their win streak and remain the top team in the NBA from a record standpoint, while the Pacers and Rockets seem to be finding their feet as teams.

Lakers @ Grizzlies

LeBron scored 39 points in a game without Anthony Davis or Rui Hachimura, but the rest of the team couldn’t shoot consistently as the Lakers fall to 4-4 after a hot start to the year.

Ja Morant had a vendetta to settle, upset that the Lakers mocked the Grizzlies last year yet are silent now. He, Jaren Jackson, and rookie Jaylen Wells each scored 20 on solid efficiencies, while Santi Aldama and Jake LaRavia continues their breakout years.

Heat @ Suns

Kevin Durant continues to take the Suns on his back and carry them to wins, this time with a last minute drive, leaving Tyler Herro unable to do the same for the Heat. The Suns remain a top team in the West, being tied for the best record.

76ers @ Clippers

Even with Paul George, the 76ers fell to a surprising Clippers team thus far without Kawhi Leonard, as Norman Powell and James Harden lead the way to the win. The 76ers (who fell to 1-6 with this loss) desperately need Embiid, especially since they’re going to be without Maxey for a few weeks due to a hamstring injury.

Raptors @ Kings

The Raptors had the lead for a decent portion of the game, but ultimately the all-star jump that RJ Barrett has had so far can only take a team so far, especially against a team with a 7 man rotation as good as the Kings,’ who took control to end the game. Sabonis had a triple double, shooting perfectly from the field while DeRozan continues to put up monster scoring performances. Murray and Fox each had great games in their own rights as well.

Last night was a crazy night for NBA hoops. Several surprises and upsets, and I can’t wait to see more as the season progresses.