AROUND the NBA:

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson couldn't quite explain what happened after sealing a 114-110 victory over the San Antonio Spurs by swatting away a last-gasp attempt at the rim by Victor Wembanyama. In the aftermath of the game-saving play, Rockets forward Kevin Durant scurried over in excitement to deliver Thompson a message Friday as the sellout crowd at Moody Center groaned in disbelief. "I said, 'What the f--- is wrong with him, thinking he was just going to lay it up so easily?'" Durant recalled. "I don't know," Thompson shot back. Kevin Durant on Amen Thompson's game-saving block on Wemby: "Wemby caught the ball and just thought he'd be tall man and just try to rise over top, but twin is just a freak athlete... What a game-saving block." “Hell of a play, hell of a play…He's one of the best athletes that has probably ever graced the face of this earth.

ESPN

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Steph on the NBA's early leading scorer Ty Jerome: "I know he's happy to be healthy, and he's obviously gotten a lot better since he was here. He was a great player when he was here, but over there he has a full green light to do whatever he wants, run their system, and initiate a lot of their scoring. He's a tough cover and has a lot of weapons around him...he's doing a great job"

x.com

[Mavs2021]

Warriors are finished. Yet Klay possibly found their East version.

They should just move the Pelicans franchise. It is infected with a physical and mental disease. Nobody can stay healthy. Nobody is mentally tough. Always settled with players that are not up for it, either physically, mentally or both.

[cow]

Luka with the first 50 point performance of the season. Damn, I miss him.

[rocky164]

Luka with the first 50 point performance of the season.  Damn, I miss him.

I’m with you.  But this current version of the Mavs is fun to watch unlike what we‘ve had to slog through since the trade which was basically unwatchable.

[dirkfansince1998]

Some really bad injuries tonight. Suggs went down with a knee injury after going up for a layup. Jalen Williams probably fractured his ankle. Looked almost as bad as the Paul George injury a couple of years ago.

Jalen Williams (trigger warning)

https://x.com/TheHoopCentral/status/2114528126877499579

Jalen Suggs

https://x.com/TheHoopCentral/status/2114529803055534139

[Knutsen]

I wasn’t really a fan of Williams because I didn’t like the cockiness of the whole Thunder squad, but man it’s been rough for him - missed most of last season already, which maybe kept them from repeating, now going down with a cruel injury and who knows how that changes his trajectory.

Who would have thought two years ago that Chet is the more reliable one of their two young rising superstars?

Never take anything for granted in this league, so fingers crossed for Williams to make a full recovery and Flagg never having anything serious in his whole career, just like Dirk.

[Mavs2021]

Some really bad injuries tonight. Suggs went down with a knee injury after going up for a layup. Jalen Williams probably fractured his ankle. Looked almost as bad as the Paul George injury a couple of years ago.

Jalen Williams (trigger warning)

https://x.com/TheHoopCentral/status/2114528126877499579

Jalen Suggs

https://x.com/TheHoopCentral/status/2114529803055534139

I´m not even going to watch those. Orlando without Suggs is going to be tough. They beat the Knicks, but without Suggs it´s going to be rough. Also seems pretty obvious the Banchero/Wagner thing won´t work. Somebody will buy lowish on Banchero. Team just plays better with a clear hierarchy and Wagner as the #1, though I think he´s more of a #2.

[WillE]

Luka with the first 50 point performance of the season.  Damn, I miss him.

I have seen the first half and can't say I want anything of this back. Watching Luka and the rest of these Lakers yesterday made me wonder, how Luka might play with a group full of egos like him.

But that kind of play, centered around one player who carries the ball most of the times and takes most of the shots is not a reciepe for sucess imho. And while his individual performance was omce again of the charts, I hardl can imagine that this gruop will be really relevant for the championchip.

[Chicagojk]

I read earlier that Acuff has the second most shot attempts so far this year.  He is not shooting at a good percentage.    The reason he is #2 is the #1 person has played one more game.    

This season is a lost one for Sacramento, so Acuff doing what he does is not a big deal.   Although, you have to be careful of bad habits

Memphis is 3-0 and Ty Jerome has turned into Luka.

[windjc]

I wasn’t really a fan of Williams because I didn’t like the cockiness of the whole Thunder squad, but man it’s been rough for him - missed most of last season already, which maybe kept them from repeating, now going down with a cruel injury and who knows how that changes his trajectory.

Who would have thought two years ago that Chet is the more reliable one of their two young rising superstars?

Never take anything for granted in this league, so fingers crossed for Williams to make a full recovery and Flagg never having anything serious in his whole career, just like Dirk.

Gordon Haywood was never the same again after same injury.

[RasheedsBigWhiteSpot]

I wasn’t really a fan of Williams because I didn’t like the cockiness of the whole Thunder squad, but man it’s been rough for him - missed most of last season already, which maybe kept them from repeating, now going down with a cruel injury and who knows how that changes his trajectory.

Williams' contract was already ugly, with him being paid like a Batman while he's more of a Robin. But now, this could be the nail in the coffin, especially with OKC having dealt off their depth.

I think the West is more open than people think.

[KillerLeft]

Williams' contract was already ugly, with him being paid like a Batman while he's more of a Robin. But now, this could be the nail in the coffin, especially with OKC having dealt off their depth.

I think the West is more open than people think.

I'm sure Minnesota fans are cautiously excited right about now. Lakers fans, too, maybe. Other than those two teams, I'm not sure anyone has enough to challenge OKC or SA, even in those teams' worst case scenarios.

[Winter]

I'm sure Minnesota fans are cautiously excited right about now. Lakers fans, too, maybe. Other than those two teams, I'm not sure anyone has enough to challenge OKC or SA, even in those teams' worst case scenarios.

I think Memphis is truly scary. That's a great young roster.

[windjc]

I think Memphis is truly scary. That's a great young roster.

I don’t think Ty “Linsanity 2.0” is to be feared. Anyone can be all-world for 15-20 games.

I like the Mavs roster better honestly.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

The NBA announced Monday that it is partnering with leading prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket, becoming the latest major U.S. sports league to team up with the controversial industry that opponents say blurs the line between gambling and financial trading. The NBA said the partnerships create an integrity framework, including giving the league greater influence over the markets offered, information sharing, and a memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the federal regulator that oversees the prediction market industry.

ESPN

[windjc]

The Thunder don’t need Jalin to competed for a championship, which is exactly why I’ve criticized his max deal.

But if he is never the same then at the end of this season the real problems start for them.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

NBA Stat: Luka Dončić scored 52 points on Sunday and became the fastest player in franchise history to reach 3,000 regular-season points, doing so in 95 games. In NBA history, only Wilt Chamberlain reached the milestone in fewer games (with the Warriors and with the 76ers). (via CrazyStats) #NBA Luka Dončić also passed Kobe Bryant for the most games with 8+ threes in Lakers history, with 6. No player has more 40-point games over the last five seasons than Luka Dončić, who has 48. Tenth 50-point game of his career for Luka Doncic. Since Doncic entered the NBA in 2018, only James Harden (16) and Damian Lillard (11) have more 50-point games than Luka

bsky.app

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Ohm Youngmisuk: Oh no. Jalen Williams took a hard fall, and his left ankle bent the wrong way. There’s a stretcher out for Williams. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has his face covered with a towel.

Twitter

I saw pics of his injury. Very hard to look at, with his ankle turned the opposite direction of his leg. Very gruesome. Looks very similar to Gordon Hayward's injury with Boston, some years back.
Hope he has a complete recovery.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

I´m not even going to watch those. Orlando without Suggs is going to be tough. They beat the Knicks, but without Suggs it´s going to be rough. Also seems pretty obvious the Banchero/Wagner thing won´t work. Somebody will buy lowish on Banchero. Team just plays better with a clear hierarchy and Wagner as the #1, though I think he´s more of a #2.

They beat the Knicks without Banchero. He's out with a high ankle sprain. Better question: what's going on with the Knicks, who are 0-3?