Top Stories

• Celtics EMBARRASS Warriors

• Knicks beat Cavs without Brunson, Anunoby, or Randle

• Wemby posts another 2K statline

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Games of the day

Last Night’s Top Games! (link to the box scores of every game from yesterday)

This game was one of the most unfair matchups i’ve seen in a long time. Normally you’d go into a Warriors-Celtics matchup hype for a finals rematch, but instead we got a 52 point blowout. After 1 quarter the score was 44-22, and it only got worse for the Warriors. This game marked the first time EVER, that the trio of Steph, Klay and Dray all scored less than 10 points in a game where all 3 started. Boston dominated from the opening tip, but this game was an absolute beatdown, with the final score being 140-88.

In a game where Jalen Brunson went down with a knee injury in the first minute, the New York Knicks rallied to beat one of the NBA’s hottest teams. Josh Hart dropped his 3rd career Triple Double (all of which have come in the last 12 games), finishing the night with 13/19/10. Between the duo of Hart and DiVincenzo, New York came up clutch on both ends of the floor to beat Cleveland. The Knicks need health more than anything right now, but with coach Thibs at the helm, how much can you expect your Stars to be healthy?

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League News

Around the League

• Luka Doncic and Donovan Mitchell have been named Players of The Week for Week 16.

• Victor Wembanyama has all but guaranteed himself as the ROTY. He’s getting better as the season continues on, as last night he showcased his full skillset against the Pacers. Dribbling like a guard into stepback 3’s all night, while being the best rim protector in the league. Wemby posted 31/12/6 with 6 blocks against one of the better offensive teams in the league. He continues to be a defensive force, while being the best at EVERYTHING on his team. Other than Devin Vassell’s shooting and creating ability, Wemby is the best passer, rebounder, and defender on this horrible Spurs team. Get him some help, and see just how far he can go.

• Injury Updates: Russell Westbrook (hand) is out indefinitely. Scottie Barnes (hand) is out indefinitely. Trae Young (hand) had surgery and will be re-evaluated in 4 weeks. Dyson Daniels (meniscus) will be re-evaluated in 3 weeks. OG Anunoby (elbow) will miss 2+ weeks. Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) will miss “several weeks”. Joel Embiid (torn meniscus) will be out for 1-2 months. Julius Randle (shoulder) will be out 2-3 weeks. Desmond Bane (ankle) will miss 3-5 weeks. Marcus Smart (finger) will be out 3 weeks. Gabe Vincent (knee) will be out at least 3 more weeks. Mitchell Robinson (ankle) underwent surgery and will be out 2-5 weeks. Tari Eason (leg) had surgery and will be out for the season. Patrick Williams (foot) had surgery and will be out for the season. Zach LaVine (foot) underwent surgery and will be out for the season. Robert Williams underwent knee surgery and will be out for the season. Ja Morant had surgery on a torn labrum and will miss the rest of the season. We wish all these guys speedy and successful recoveries.

Front Office Moves

• The Lakers signed Harry Giles lll. The Knicks signed Shake Milton. The Timberwolves signed TJ Warren. The Free Agent market is still deep with vets like Nerlens Noel, Isaiah Thomas, Dwight Howard, Rudy Gay, Blake Griffin, Tyreke Evans, Austin Rivers, Montrezl Harrell (he’ll be out for a few months), and John Wall ready to contribute to winning or to mentor young guys. Joe Harris, Victor Oladipo, and Killian Hayes were all cut or waived by their teams and are available to be signed. There are a few younger names on the market, like Kai Jones (yikes), Kevin Porter Jr (yikes again), Sharife Cooper, and Darius Bazley.

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NBA MVP Race

1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Last ranking: No. 1

Season stats: 25.8 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 9.3 apg

His case: Four-straight triple-doubles propelled four consecutive victories for Denver headed into Thursday’s win against Miami. Nuggets coach Michael Malone passed off to Jokic some well-earned hardware Wednesday after the two-time MVP bolstered his triple-double with three steals.

He recently joined Westbrook as the only players since 1997-98 to post a triple-double before the fourth quarter in at least four consecutive games. All told, Jokic is spearheading Denver’s push to seize the West.

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Last ranking: No. 2

Season stats: 31.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 6.5 apg

His case: The battle between rookies Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama caught all the eyeballs, but Gilgeous-Alexander remains the real headliner, despite OKC falling to the Spurs.

The 25-year-old continues to drop 30 points like it’s nothing. He’s now up to seven straight 30-point outings, and his 44 games with 30-plus points leads the NBA. The loss at San Antonio tipped off a four-game road trip that continues today at Phoenix (9:30 ET, ESPN).

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Last ranking: No. 3

Season stats: 30.6 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 6.3 apg

His case: We’re starting to see Milwaukee settle in under new coach Doc Rivers, and we can’t diminish Antetokounmpo’s role on the team. The two-time MVP is putting together his best shooting month of the season and he’s draining a career-high from the field by a longshot.

The Bucks have a long way to go to catch Boston for No. 1 in the East, but second place is within reach.

4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Last ranking: No. 5

Season stats: 27 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 4.9 apg

His case: Yes, the Celtics are loaded. But teams gear up every night to shut down Tatum, and he consistently finds ways to lead Boston to victories. We listed the statistical credentials above and mentioned the fact Boston owns a sizeable lead in the Eastern Conference standings.

5. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Last ranking: No. 4

Season stats: 34.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 9.7 apg

His case: Sorry Mavs fans, but the standings matter. The NBA’s leading scorer, Doncic dropped a 30-point triple-double (his 11th of the season) Wednesday on his 25th birthday to pace a 136-125 win at Toronto.

We understand he’s scored 25-plus in nine straight games. But flashy highlights and massive numbers aside, Doncic needs to lift Dallas out of Play-In Tournament territory to climb near the top of this list.

The next five

6. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings (Last ranking: T-6)
7. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers (Last ranking: No. 8)
8. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers (Last ranking: No. 10)
9. Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers (Last ranking: T-6)
10. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns (Last ranking: No. 9)

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Fantasy Leaders

Jokic and MPJ are the latest teammates in the Top 3

Overtime Thoughts

Hoopgrids

Hoopgrids is a daily basketball trivia game. You cross match each category to find a player that fits both. The rarer the player, the lower the score. The goal is to get the lowest rarity score possible.