Around the NBA: Friday Night Lights

There were 11 NBA games last night and a ton of exciting finishes. Here is what was going on around the NBA last night. (Full disclosure: I did not watch every game so there will be more details in some than others).

Celtics 119 - Heat 111

The Celtics opened their NBA season at home against the Miami Heat in a Eastern Conference Finals rematch from last season. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro were able to get out to a hot start and help the Heat end the first with a lead, but Jayson Tatum got going in the second with 11 points and was able to give the Celtics the leader after 2 quarters. Throughout the game, Derrick White was all over the floor making plays and in the second half he exploded for 20 points along with Jaylen Brown, who had 14 of his own. The Celtics were able to slow down Adebayo in the second half and ended with the win in the end, thanks to a very spread out scoring performance from their starters. The Celtics were lead by Jaylen Brown and Derrick White who combined for 55 points. The Heat were lead by Adebayo and Herro who had the same.

Takeaways

The Celtics have the best 5 man lineup in the league. White, Brown, Kristaps, Tatum and Holiday combined for 111 points this game the lowest total between them was 17. This is a lineup where opposing teams need to worry about all 5 of them at all times, on both ends of the court. They can all shoot, they can all defend and they can all create a shot if needed. The addition of Kristaps Porzingis has added some length rim protection and give them the ability to really stretch the floor on the offensive end since he can consistently make 3s from 2-3 feet behind the arc. The Celtics look to have their rotation pretty solidified early in the season, and assuming they all can stay healthy, anything less than a Championship is a huge dissapointment for this team.

Warriors 122 - Kings 114

The Warriors traveled to Sacramento for a playoff rematch, and with it came some all start individual performances. The Warriors were able to seperate themselves from the Kings in 3rd quarter following a 16 point outburst from Stephen Curry. The Kings were able to catch up in the 4th thanks to a 22 point quarter from De'Aaron Fox, but it was not enough to get the win as they fell by 8 to the Warriors at home. Curry finished the game with 41 points and Klay Thompson contributed 18 as well. Fox finished with 39 points and Domantas Sadbonis had 19 points 18 rebounds and 7 assists.

Takeways

After Fox's new shoe deal, two of the best guards in the league are now signed to Curry brand. Curry and Fox both put on a show and although we are pretty much used to that on a nightly basis from Curry, we should start to get used to performances like this form Fox as well. The Kings are picking up from where they left off last season, and the duo of Fox and Domantas Sadbonis is still going to lead this team to the playoffs.

The Chris Paul fit with the Warriors is still starting to settle in. He had a 10 point 12 assist double-double tonight, and this isn't the last time we will see games like this from him. The Warriors still are waiting on Draymond Green to return, which will certainly affect the rotations as they are now, but I really like the way Paul can act as a floor general for the second unit. Moody and Kuminga are young, athletic and talented, but Paul can also keep them under control with his veteran presence. It will be really interesting to see how this Warriors team continues to develop in the next few weeks.

Spurs 126 - Rockets 122 (OT)

This was one of the most entertaining games of the night. It was a back and forth game with 6 players scoring 20+ points. Victor Wembanyama got off to another slow start shooting 2-10 for the first half, but Devin Vassel's 14 point first half helped the Spurs keep pace with the Rockets with a score of 52-52 at the half. Despite the slow start, Wembanyama made his presence felt late in the 4th with some clutch buckets and incredible blocks on the defensive end. The Spurs were able to outlast the Rockets in overtime and get their first win of the Wembanyama era in San Antonio. Devin Vassel lead the Spurs with 25 points, followed by Wembanyama with 21 points and 12 rebounds, then Keldon Johnson with 20 points. The Rockets had 3 20 point scorers of their own with Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green scoring 25, 24 and 22 respectively.

Takeaways

This is one of the most interesting and exciting Spurs teams I have seen in a while. Wembanyama is an incredible talent from his length/athleticism to the way he demands the ball late in the game despite starting slow. With all that said, him having a few slow games to start the season has given his teammates like Vassel and Johnson the opportunity to showcase their own individual skills. Vassel is an incredible offensive player and Johnson can be just as lethal with his athleticism. The show glimpses of classic Spurs ball movement, combined with athletic shot creators I am not sure they have ever had. This is a fun team to watch and when they are able to fix some of the young mistakes they have, ie. Turnovers and defensive lapses, the league better watch out.

Mavericks 125 - Nets 120

Luka Doncic had an MVP resume game against Brooklyn with 49 points, 10 rebounds 7 assists and 0 turnovers. This included a string of unbelievable 3 point shots in the final 3 minutes of the game to pull away from the Nets (he ended with 9 total for the game). Additionally, this was only his 5th game in his career with 30+ minutes played and 0 turnovers. The other side, Cam Thomas continue his incredible start to the season having another 30 point game to lead the Nets scoring. The Nets drop to 0-2 while the Mavs improve to 2-0.

Raptors 103 - Bulls 104 (OT)

The Bulls jumped out to an early lead in the first half going up by 19 points in the second quarter. However, the Raptors went on a run of their own and eventuall not only caught up to the Bulls but went up by as many as 17 midway through the 4th quarter. Demar Derozan was able to get the Bulls back in the game late by scoring 16 points in the last 5 minutes of the 4th quarter, forcing the game to overtime in the process. The Bulls were able to win the game in the extra 5 minutes with the help of a clutch 3 from Alex Caruso with 2 seconds remaining. Derozan finished with 33 points and 4 steals. Caruso had 13 points and 13 rebounds. His presence was definitely felt in this one as he ended with a +/- of +29 while the next highest on the Bulls was +10 . The Raptors were lead by Scottie Barnes and a triple double with 22 points 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Both teams come out of this one with a 1-1 record.

Thunder 108 - Cavaliers 105

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued to build the reputation he established last year with a statline of 34 points 11 rebounds 4 assists and 5 steals. Another stellar performance from a potential MVP candidate, he was also aided by a 25 point game from Luguentz Dort and rookie Chet Holmgren who had 16 points 13 rebounds and an incredible 7 blocks. Despite a 43 point game from Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs drop to 1-1 on the season while the Thunder improve to 2-0.

Nuggets 108 - Grizzlies 104

Nikola Jokic was able to lead the Nuggets to a win over the Grizzlies in Memphis. Jokic put up a near triple doubvle with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists, but also contribute 9 turnovers. Murray had 22 points of his own and Michael Porter Jr. had 13 rebounds and 9 points. Memphis was lead by Jaren Jackson Jr. who had 21 points and 9 rebounds.

Magic 102 - Trailblazers 97

Following the news of Afernee Simons thumb injury, the Portland Trailblazers fell to the Orlando Magic at home by 5. In Simons absence Shadeon Sharpe played 41 minutes (up from 28 in the previous game) and was the teams leading scorer with 24 points. Deandre Ayton, in his second game as a Blazer, had 14 points and 15 rebounds. Franz Wagner lead the Orlando Magic win with 23 points and 5 rebounds. Magic improve to 2-0 while the Blazers fall to 0-2.

Clippers 118 - Jazz 120

The Clippers fell to the Jazz in a two point loss after a Russell Westbrook rebound and air ball in the final seconds of the game. Lauri Markkanen lead the Jazz with 35 points and 12 rebounds. Paul George lead the Clippers with 36 points while Kawhi Leonard contributed 25 points 9 rebounds and 5 assists. They each played 38 and 37 minutes respectively, marking only the 26th regular season game in 4 years where they have each registered more than 35 minutes in the same game. Both teams are 1-1 after 2 games.

Pistons 111 - Hornets 99

The Pistons were able to go into Charlotte and get a solid 12 point win. Alec Burks had 24 points off the bench while Jalen Duren had a 14 point and 17 rebound double double. Lamelo led the Hornets with 20 points 9 assists and 2 steals. Both teams leave the game with a 1-1 record.