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League News

• De’Aaron Fox and Julius Randle have been named Players of The Week for Week 6.

• On a packed day of NBA action, so much happened. The Wolves continue their hot streak and are now a league best 17-4. Wemby became the youngest player to ever have a 20-20 game. The Thunder barely edged out the Warriors in an OT thriller. Nikola Jokic put up another stinker (9-26 from the field) as Denver dropped their 2nd straight. Kawhi dropped a season high 41 points in a win against the Jazz. The Pistons started the season 2-1 and have lost 19 STRAIGHT to have them sitting at 2-20. The Spurs are right behind them, losing 16 straight, and currently sitting at 3-18.

• In other news: Jaylen Brown got ejected while he was on the bench, Dillon Brooks continues his odd pregame ritual, and Draymond arguably cost the Warriors the game.

• Injury Updates: Gary Payton ll (torn calf) is out indefinitely. Jalen Johnson (fractured wrist) will be reevaluated in 3-4 weeks. LaMelo Ball’s (ankle) injury was described as “severe”, so expect him to miss some serious time . Jaden McDaniels sprained his ankle and will be reevaluated in 1-2 weeks. Marcus Smart (foot) is expected to miss 3-5 weeks. Bradley Beal (hamstring) will be re-evaluated in 2 weeks. Ben Simmons (nerves) will miss 2+ weeks. Robert Williams underwent knee surgery and will be out for the season. Jae Crowder had surgery for an adductor/abdominal tear and will be out for 8 weeks. Mason Plumlee (MCL) will be out for 2 months. Tyler Herro has an ankle sprain and will be in a boot for 10 days before being re-evaluated. Wendell Carter Jr. suffered a fractured hand and underwent surgery, so he’ll be out for 2-3 weeks. We wish all these guys speedy and successful recoveries.

Trade News

• The Clippers signed Daniel Theis since Mason Plumlee will be missing time. Look for more moves sooner than later with veterans like Malcolm Brogdon looking to be moved in the coming weeks.

• The Free Agent market is still deep with vets like Isaiah Thomas, Dwight Howard, Rudy Gay, Blake Griffin, Montrezl Harrell (he’ll be out for a few months), and John Wall ready to contribute to winning or to mentor young guys. There are a few younger names on the market, like Kai Jones (yikes), Kevin Porter Jr (yikes again), Sharife Cooper, and Darius Bazley.

NBA MVP Race

1. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Last week’s ranking: No. 2

Season stats: 33.1 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 6.6 apg

His case: An illness limited the reigning Kia MVP to only one game this week, but he returned Wednesday with a vengeance. Embiid lit up the Wizards for 50 points, joining teammate Tyrese Maxey, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Zach LaVine as the fourth player this season to rack up 50 points or more in a game.

Jot that performance down as Embiid’s sixth consecutive contest with 30 points or more.

2. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Last week’s ranking: No. 1

Season stats: 28.6 ppg, 12.9 rpg, 9.8 apg

His case: The two-time MVP captured Western Conference Player of the Month for the seventh time in his career, but Denver is on a two-game skid.

Jokic led the NBA in total points earlier in the week as well as total rebounds and assists. He’s also produced two triple-doubles with 30 points or more and no turnovers over his last five outings. No other player in the last 40 years has accomplished that feat in multiple games.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Last week’s ranking: No. T-3

Season stats: 30.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 6.3 apg

His case: Most take note of Gilgeous-Alexander’s gaudy offensive numbers, which is understandable after watching the 25-year-old tally his 13th game Wednesday with 30-plus points. He’s connected on 61.3% from the field in his last two games.

The sixth-year vet is making a major impact defensively, too, having notched back-to-back outings with five-plus steals for the first time in his career going into Friday’s matchup against Golden State.

4. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Last week’s ranking: No. T-3

Season stats: 31.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 8.6 apg

His case: The man one rung above won the head-to-head battle on Saturday, but you can’t deny Doncic’s outrageous production as of late with consecutive triple-doubles.

Doncic’s latest 40-point triple-double masterpiece involved the 24-year-old piling up 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists by halftime. That marked Doncic’s first career triple-double in one half. Turnovers remain a concern, but the Mavs star passed Larry Bird (59) for ninth in all-time triple-doubles (60).

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Last week’s ranking: No. 5

Season stats: 30.5 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 5.0 apg

His case: Haliburton generated the headlines, but Antetokounmpo cobbled together his 10th game of the season Thursday with 30-plus points and 10-plus rebounds to tie Jokic and Embiid for the league lead in such games.

We’ve mentioned that Antetokounmpo may need to contribute even more defensively. Well, the Bucks are in the midst of five consecutive games in which they’ve allowed 120 points or more.

The Next Five:

6. Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers (Last week: No. 6)
7. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics (Last week: No. 7)
8. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns (Last week: No. 8)
9. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers (Last week: No. 10)
10. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns (Last week: unranked)

🏀Highlights🏀

The highlights from the top games of the night!

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.

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