The Atlanta Hawks lost their hero while another Herro was made, all the other Dallas Mavericks stepped up, and the Lakers keep pace with the Clippers on Anthony Davis’ shoulders. Three games in the NBA last night …
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Hawks Lose Young, Momentum, Game
| Atlanta Hawks (2-2) | 97 |
| Miami Heat | 112 |
The Atlanta Hawks lost Trae Young last night as he drove through the crowd and landed on Justise Winslow’s foot early in the second quarter, and severely rolled his ankle. The bad news is, the Hawks lost their leader, their momentum and ultimately the game. The good news is that the x-rays came back negative, but count Young out when these two teams meet again in Atlanta on Thursday.
Hawks
- John Collins: 30 points – seven rebounds – four assists
- Jabari Parker: 12 points – two rebounds – two assists
- DeAndre’ Bembry: Nine points – one rebound – five assists
Heat
- Tyler Herro: 29 points – seven rebounds – two assists
- Jimmy Butler: 21 points – five rebounds – two assists
- Goran Dragic: 21 points – three rebounds – three assists
That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a fun game to watch, unless you’re an Atlanta Hawks fan. Rookie Tyler Herro made his presence felt by leading all Heat scorers, including 19 points in the second quarter alone, shooting 77.8 percent from the field and 75 percent from downtown.
Yes, Jimmy Butler finally showed up in Miami, but was overshadowed by Herro’s heroics. Undrafted rookie Kendrick Nunn continues to make his presence known as well, dropping 17 in a starting role, albeit with 38.9 percent shooting. Maybe make Herro his travel roomie and shootaround partner and there’s your future, Miami. Unlike Butler, these guys will show up every night.
For Atlanta, although it’s another loss, they have a fairly light schedule to work on a plan for when Young goes down, God forbid he ever does again. (But it’s the NBA, it’s inevitable). Beyond John Collins they had/have nothing. Rookies DeAndre Hunter (4-3-2) and Cam Reddish (6-3-6) are bring rookie-like number to the table, and – like Reddish – Jabari Parker is nowhere near his Duke days.
Time heals all. Hope the Hawks medical staff can rebuild Trae Young. They have the technology.
They’d better.
SIDELINES
- Herro’s 19 matched Caron Butler’s output from back in March of 2003 for most points by a rookie in a quarter for the Miami Heat; Herro also set a record for most points by a rookie since Michael Beasley in March of 2009.
- Miami has a franchise high with 472 points through four games, and Butler was only in one of them, though his 22 last night was the most he’d scored in a debut for a team.
- Collins has a career-best five three-pointers.
NEXT UP
Miami @ Atlanta on Thursday
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Nine Mavericks Hit Double Digits in Stampede of Nuggets
| Dallas Mavericks (3-1) | 109 |
| Denver Nuggets (3-1) | 106 |
It’s like the Dallas Mavericks are reading my column (they’re not). But, over the last week, I have asked repeatedly, “who’s going to stand up on this team besides Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis?” Last night, the Mavericks answered me: EVERYONE!!!
Mavericks
- Maxi Kleber: 14 points – seven rebounds – one assist
- Tim Hardaway, Jr.: 14 points – three rebounds – two assists
- Luka Doncic: 12 points – four rebounds – five assists
Nuggets
- Paul Millsap: 23 points – eight rebounds – 0 assists
- Will Barton: 19 points – 11 rebounds – one assist
- Jamal Murray: 16 points – six rebounds 0 one assist
Nine Dallas players scored in double digits to ease the pressure put upon Porzingis and Doncic, in a very balanced attack. Actually, so balanced that it’s easy to see why the Nuggets had a fourth quarter collapse – they were stampeded.
Paul Millsap finally showed up, but the biggest story lies in the stat lines – assists, specifically. The Nuggets only had 24 assists and lost the shot block battle 5-1, despite having one of the best centers in the league on their roster. Nikola Jokic had a nice, quiet triple double of 10, 10, and 10, but lost out in the paint to a cast of also-rans.
Tim Hardaway, Jr. (14), Maxi Kleber (14), Dorian Finney-Smith (12), Luka Doncic (12), Delon Wright (12), Jalen Brunson (11), Kristaps Porzingis (10), Seth Curry (10), and Justin Jackson (10) all came to play. Porzingis grabbed 14 rebounds.
This Dallas team is making me want to do a road trip, if they keep playing like this.
SIDELINES
- Millsap’s previous season high was 11 points.
- Dwight Powell debuted for the Mavericks with four points in 13 minutes.
- The Nuggets got within 107-106, but no closer in the waning moments of the game.
NEXT UP
Denver @ New Orleans on Thursday
Los Angeles (Lakers) @ Dallas on Friday
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The Next Great Lakers Center Is ….
| Memphis Grizzlies | 91 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 120 |
I love seeing this type of game from Anthony Davis, who before the game was being checked for shoulder soreness and who hurt his thumb in pre-season. #FakeNews No shoulder soreness when you can shrug off the Memphis Grizzlies and go 40 and 20 on the night.
Grizzlies
- Ja Morant: 16 points – three rebounds – two assists
- Jonas Valanciunas: 14 points – 11 rebounds – two assists
- Grayson Allen: 13 points – five rebounds – one assist
Lakers
- Anthony Davis: 40 points – 20 rebounds – two assists
- LeBron James: 23 points – two rebounds – eight assists
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 13 points – six rebounds – three assists
Davis gave Lakers fans a glimpse into the crystal ball of the next legendary Lakers center, built for the evolution of today’s NBA, not Shaquille O’Neal’s or Michael Jordan’s. This boy can do it all, including going 26-of-27 from the line last night – take that, @SHAQ!
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finally decided to start earning that two year, $16 million extension last night, showing up to the party in Game Four. Avery Bradley (12 and three) and JaVale McGee (10 and nine) also showed, too, giving Davis and LeBron James some help in what hopes to be a grinding, fortuitous, and hopefully injury-free season.
That’s the only thing that can slow or stop James and Davis’ Lakers – injury. We have to remember that LeBron James has carried the brunt of responsibility and load for 15+ seasons now. Injury is inevitable, so the Lakers duo have to take this time to develop the rest of the team. The good ones went to New Orleans. The great one stayed back and I cannot wait until the return of Kyle Kuzma.
SIDELINES
- Davis’ 26 made free throws were a franchise record.
- It was Davis’ first 40-20 game since 2016. It was the Lakers’ first 40-20 since Shaq did it in 2003. He did it in 31 minutes. No one has done it that swiftly since 1954-55. Elgin Baylor did it in 33 minutes in 1961.
- The Grizzlies were 22-of-23 from the line, but that took more than one player.
NEXT UP
Los Angeles @ Dallas on Friday
Phoenix @ Memphis on Saturday
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TONIGHT’S GAMES
Chicago Bulls @ Cleveland Cavaliers – 7 p.m. EDT – NBC Sports Chicago
***GAME OF THE NIGHT***
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Philadelphia 76ers – 7 p.m. EDT – NBC Sports Philadelphia
New York Knicks @ Orlando Magic – 7 p.m. EDT – Fox Sports Florida
Indiana Pacers @ Brooklyn Nets – 7:30 p.m. EDT – YES
Milwaukee Bucks @ Boston Celtics – 7:30 p.m. EDT – ESPN
Detroit Pistons @ Toronto Raptors – 7:30 p.m. EDT – Fox Sports Detroit
Houston Rockets @ Washington Wizards – 8 p.m. EDT – NBC Sports Washington
Portland Trailblazers @ Oklahoma City Thunder – 8 p.m. EDT – Fox SportsNet Oklahoma
Charlotte Hornets @ Sacramento Kings – 10 p.m. EDT – NBC Sports California
Los Angeles Clippers @ Utah Jazz – 10 p.m. EDT – ESPN
Phoenix Suns @ Golden State Warriors – 10:30 p.m. EDT – NBC Sports Bay Area
*** The Rundown w/T-Money is a daily column “all things NBA” that will run through the entirety of the season, and the playoffs through the NBA Finals ***
Tracy Graven is a Senior Analyst for BackSportsPage.com. He has written the NBA for the last two decades and is also tackling the NFL, NCAA, and pinch-hitting on some Major League Baseball coverage for BackSportsPage. He’s spent 20 years in locker rooms in Orlando, Boise (G League), San Antonio, Phoenix, and Oklahoma City. He currently lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with his wife and five children.
Reach him on Twitter at @RealTMoneyMedia
