Weekend Recap: Keeping an Eye On Kemba + 20 Games from Fri-Sat

Neck injuries no laughing matter …
When you saw the collision between Kemba Walker and Semi Ojeleye, you thought maybe a concussion, as did the team trainers for the Boston Celtics, who tended to Walker after he lay crumpled on the hardwood in the Pepsi Center for several minutes after running headfirst into the midsection of his teammate, chasing down the basketball.

Upon watching replays, however, you knew it was going to be something worse, definitely a neck injury as he basically ran into a brick wall, despite his teammate’s name sounding more like a bowl o’ jelly. Jesusemilore Talodabijesu “Semi” Ojeleye is a 6’6’ 240 lb. wall of sinew, muscle and bone, not as dense as brick, but with tissue and sinew and at the rate Walker hit hit middle torso, potentially just as bad.

It’s a sprained neck, but it’s not as over and done as it sounds.

With a hit like that, not only should one be concerned about neck and cervical spine, but brain injury can become a concern. According to aans.org, basketball is the fourth highest sport responsible for neck and brain injuries at 14,952 to date, counting all areas of sport, not just the NBA. 

If Walker is experiencing pain that doesn’t go away or is severe, shooting pain in his arms or legs, numbness, weakness, or tingling in his arms or legs, or trouble controlling his bladder or bowels, we may have an issue.

Luckily, initial reports are that he’s simply going to miss the game versus the Sacramento Kings on Monday night … for now. He cleared concussion protocol in Denver and was able to fly home to Boston for further evaluation and follow-up. That’s a good sign and even better news.

But it’s something that Boston’s medical staff is going to have to watch, and proceed with caution. No need to bring Walker back any earlier than necessary. We’re only 15 games in. Much rather have Kemba Walker healthy and fully cleared for the last 15 games of the season than the next.

God bless, young man.

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FRIDAY NIGHT’S GAMES

Young Shoots Poorly as Hawks Lose

Atlanta Hawks (4-11)	103
Detroit Pistons (5-10)	128

Detroit, Michigan – The Pistons had seven people in double digit scoring while Trae Young shot 25 percent in the Hawks’ 11th loss of the season, after starting off winning three of their first six games, giving Atlanta fans hope that has faded into a repeat of last year’s record. Blake Griffin led with 24 points, Andre Drummond had 23 and 15, Bruce Brown, Jr. had 14 points and seven assists, and Markieff Morris came off the bench for 13. Langston Galloway popped for a dozen, and it was 11 apiece for both Derrick Rose and Christian Wood.

Atlanta
PTS: DeAndre’ Bembry – 22
REB: Trae Young – 6
AST: Trae Young – 8
Detroit
PTS: Blake Griffin – 24
REB: Andre Drummond – 15
AST: Luke Kennard – 9

NEXT UP
Raptors at Hawks – Saturday
Pistons at Bucks – Saturday

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Wizards Squash Hornets Behind 30 from Beal

Charlotte Hornets (6-10)	118
Washington Wizards (5-8)	125

Washington, DC – Miles Bridges may have been the game’s leading scorer with 31 points, but the Washington Wizards had six people hit double figures in scoring compared to Charlotte’s four. Bradley Beal finished with 30 points and 12 assists, Thomas Bryant had 21 and 11, Davis Bertans finished with 20 and eight, and Rui Hachimura hit for 58.3 percent to net 15 on the night. Jordan McRae added 13 and it was 10 from journeyman Ish Smith.

Charlotte
PTS: Miles Bridges – 31
REB: Miles Bridges – 8
AST: Devonte’ Graham – 7, Nicolas Batum – 7
Washington
PTS: Bradley Beal – 30
REB: Thomas Bryant – 11
AST: Bradley Beal – 12

NEXT UP
Bulls at Hornets – Saturday
Kings at Wizards – Sunday

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Nets Inch Closer to .500

Sacramento Kings (6-8)	97
Brooklyn Nets (7-8)	116

Brooklyn, New York – Still without Kyrie Irving (who will not make the Nets’ upcoming three game road trip – interestingly missing the Knicks game and a return to Boston Garden – coincidence?), the Nets dug deep to crown the visiting Sacramento Kings. Spencer Dinwiddie had 23 points and seven assists, Joe Harris added 22 on 72.7 percent from the field, Garrett Temple added 18, Jarrett Allen had 11 and nine, while it was 10 from Dzanan Musa. The Kings were led by Harrison Barnes’ 18 points and eight rebounds.

Sacramento
PTS: Harrison Barnes – 18
REB: Richaun Holmes – 8
AST: Buddy Hield – 5, Cory Joseph – 5
Brooklyn
PTS: Spencer Dinwiddie – 23
REB: DeAndre Jordan – 10
AST: Spencer Dinwiddie – 7

NEXT UP
Kings at Wizards – Sunday
Nets at Knicks – Sunday

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Heat Freeze Out the Bulls

Miami Heat (11-3)	116
Chicago Bulls (5-11)	108

Chicago, Illinois – Jimmy Butler returned to Chicago and took out any frustrations he had on his former franchise Friday night as the Miami Heat nailed their 11th victory in 14 games. Kendrick Nunn joined the party with 21 points, Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo dropped 16 points apiece, and Kelly Olynyk added 10 points. Dragic also had seven assists to tie Butler, and Adebayo grabbed 14 rebounds. The underwhelming performance from the Bulls was led by a paltry 15 from Zach LaVine.

Miami
PTS: Jimmy Butler – 27
REB: Bam Adebayo – 14
AST: Jimmy Butler – 7, Goran Dragic – 7
Chicago
PTS: Zach LaVine – 15
REB: Thaddeus Young – 8
AST: Tomas Satoransky – 5, Kris Dunn – 5

NEXT UP
Heat at Sixers – Saturday
Bulls at Charlotte – Saturday

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Spurs Winless Streak Reaches Seven

San Antonio Spurs (5-11)	104
Philadelphia 76ers (10-5)	115

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – The student outdid the teacher in Philadelphia last night as 76ers head coach Brett Brown kept his old boss, Gregg Popovich, winless through seven games, something never done to Pop before. #VFL Tobias Harris led the Sixers with 26 points on 62.5 percent shooting, Joel Embiid added 21 and 14, and Al Horford finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Furkan Korkmaz added 17 points, James Ennis III came off the bench for 11, and Ben Simmons finished with the quietest of triple doubles with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 29 and Rudy Gay finished with 22 points in the loss. 

San Antonio
PTS: DeMar DeRozan – 29
REB: DeMar DeRozan – 7
AST: Dejounte Murray – 4, Patty Mills – 4
Philadelphia
PTS: #VFL Tobias Harris – 26
REB: Joel Embiid – 14
AST: Ben Simmons – 13

NEXT UP
Heat at Sixers – Saturday
Spurs at Knicks – Saturday

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Thunder Get Close, but No Cigar

Los Angeles Lakers (13-2)	130
Oklahoma City Thunder (5-10)	127

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – The Oklahoma City keep playing people close, but a loss is a loss is a loss times 10, and they are at the .333 mark we expected. No moral victories, especially when they’re playing LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Thunder drowned in a sea of purple and gold, led by Anthony Davis’ 33 points and 11 rebounds. James added 23 points and 14 assists, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope chipped in 17, and it was 10 apiece from Kyle Kuzma and Dwight Howard. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 24 points and seven rebounds.

Los Angeles
PTS: Anthony Davis – 33
REB: Anthony Davis – 11
AST: LeBron James – 14
Oklahoma City
PTS: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 24
REB: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 7
AST: Chris Paul – 7

NEXT UP
Lakers at Grizzlies – Saturday
Thunder at Warriors – Monday

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Mavs – Specifically Doncic – Destroy the Cavs

Cleveland Cavaliers (4-11)	101
Dallas Mavericks (10-5)	143

Dallas, Texas – Luka Doncic’s play is certainly doing the talking for him in making the case for the second year young’n to steal consideration from reigning MVP Giannis Antetokuonmpo to make the award move from Milwaukee to Dallas. Doncic had 30 points and 14 assists to lead the Mavericks to their 42 point win, their second in as many nights (they beat the Golden State Warriors by 48 on Wednesday) and their second game of 142+ points in offense in as many games. Justin Jackson also went for 19 and six, it was 17 and seven for Kristaps Porzingis, and 16 from Tim Hardaway, Jr. J.J. Barea came off the bench for 12 points, and it was 10 apiece from Dorian Finney-Smith and Delon Wright. The positive takeaway for Cleveland was the breakout performance from Vanderbilt rookie Darius Garland, who led the Cavaliers with 23 points on 56.3 percent shooting – Garland had been averaging around 10 points per outing in the previous 12-14 games.

Cleveland
PTS: Darius Garland – 23
REB: Tristan Thompson – 8
AST: Collin Sexton – 5
Dallas
PTS: Luka Doncic – 30
REB: Luka Doncic – 7, Kristaps Porzingis – 7
AST: Luka Doncic – 14

NEXT UP
Blazers at Cavaliers – Saturday
Mavericks at Rockets – Sunday

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Celtics Drop Second Straight Out West, Walker Uncertain

Boston Celtics (11-4)	92
Denver Nuggets (11-3)	96

Denver, Colorado – The Boston Celtics did something on Friday night they hadn’t done all season – lost two games in a row. They also lost Kemba Walker to what looked like a concussive injury, but could be more when you look at the replay over and over again. That’s gonna be a neck, as my kids would say. The Nuggets squeaked out their 11th win against one of the best teams in the league. Jamal Murray led Denver with 22 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Nikola Jokic registered a solid triple double with 18 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. Will Barton added 15 points and Paul Millsap finished up with 14 and 10 on the night. Walker was seen locally, but was cleared to make the flight home with the Celtics. He left the game with 0 points but three assists after 12 minutes of play. Jaylen Brown matched Murray’s game high score of 22 and also had 10 rebounds and four assists for Boston.

Boston
PTS: Jaylen Brown – 22
REB: Jaylen Brown – 10
AST: Jaylen Brown – 4, Brad Wanamaker – 4
Denver
PTS: Jamal Murray – 22
REB: Nikola Jokic – 16
AST: Nikola Jokic – 10

NEXT UP
Suns at Nuggets – Sunday
Kings at Celtics – Monday

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Burks Makes a Showing Against Former Team

Golden State Warriors (3-14)	109
Utah Jazz (10-5)	113

Salt Lake City, Utah – For Alec Burks, he’s been getting the opportunities in Golden State that he never really got as a member of the Utah Jazz. It’s just sad the circumstances that afford him those opportunities, but they’re opportunities nonetheless. However, it’s not like the Warriors were going to go into Salt Lake and catch the Jazz napping. Donovan Mitchell pulled out a 30 piece and had four rebounds and four assists as sides. Mike Conley added 27, four and four, Bojan Bogdanovic threw in 17 points, and Emmanual Mudiay had 11 points, and that’s about all it took to beat Golden State. The Warriors were led by Burks’ 20 points, and fell by four despite seven Warriors scoring in double digits.

Golden State
PTS: Alec Burks – 20
REB: Eric Paschall – 7
AST: Eric Paschall – 5, Ky Bowman – 5, Glen Robinson III – 5
Utah
PTS: Donovan Mitchell – 30
REB: Rudy Gobert – 19
AST: Royce O’Neale – 5

NEXT UP
Pelicans at Jazz – Saturday
Thunder at Warriors – Monday

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Rockets Meet a Real Team

Houston Rockets (11-5)	119
Los Angeles Clippers (11-5)	122

Los Angeles, California – The league’s leading scorer went up against the dynamic duo of the Los Angeles Clippers, and ended up getting his ass whupped by a perennial Sixth Man of the Year. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Lou Williams combined to outscore the Houston Rockets 10-2 in the final minute of Friday night’s game and the Clippers came away victorious in a Best of the West game. Williams led the Clippers with 26 points on 56.3 percent shooting. Leonard hit the game winning shot, and combined with George to net 43 points (Leonard, 24, George 19), bailing George out from a 26.7 shooting performance. Montrezl Harrell added 18 and seven. James Harden scored a game high 37 and Russell Westbrook added 22, but it wasn’t enough. 

Houston
PTS: James Harden – 37
REB: Clint Capela – 19
AST: James Harden – 12
Los Angeles
PTS: Lou Williams – 26
REB: JaMychal Green – 9
AST: Lou Williams – 8

NEXT UP
Mavericks at Rockets – Sunday
Pelicans at Clippers – Sunday

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SATURDAY’S LINEUP/MY PICK ‘EMS
Phoenix Suns at Minnesota Timberwolves – 5 p.m. EST – Fox Sports Arizona
Orlando Magic at Indiana Pacers – 7 p.m. EST – Fox Sports Midwest-Indiana
Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets – 7 p.m. EST – NBC Sports Chicago
Toronto Raptors at Atlanta Hawks – 7:30 p.m. EST – Fox Sports Southeast
San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks – 7:30 p.m. EST – Fox Sports Southwest
Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers – 7:30 p.m. EST – NBC Sports Philadelphia
Portland Trailblazers at Cleveland Cavaliers – 8 p.m. EST – Fox Sports Ohio
Los Angeles Lakers at Memphis Grizzlies – 8 p.m. EST – Fox Sports Southeast
Detroit Pistons at Milwaukee Bucks – 8:30 p.m. EST – Fox Sports Detroit
New Orleans Pelicans at Utah Jazz – 9 p.m. EST – NBATV

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SATURDAY’S GAMES

Who Said the Minnesota Timberwolves Were Good?

Phoenix Suns (8-7)	100
Minnesota Timberwolves (8-8)	98

Minneapolis, Minnesota – A few weeks back on SB Nation Radio, a certain ‘expert’ claimed that the Minnesota Timberwolves were a lot better than people give them credit for. Another of my colleagues, said “yeah, wait until December.” Looks like we don’t have to wait; it’s still November and they’re back to being a .500 team. The Phoenix Suns, however, are not. As was the case through most of last season, Devin Booker seemingly did it all last night against the Timberwolves in their own den. He had 35 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and the game-icing final two free throws in the Suns’ eighth win of the season. Kelly Oubre, Jr. added 25 and 11, the young guns combining for 60 to gun down the Wolves. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 31 and 17, and Andrew Wiggins had 21 in the loss.

Phoenix
PTS: Devin Booker – 35
REB: Devin Booker – 12
AST: Devin Booker – 9
Minnesota
PTS: Karl-Anthony Towns – 31
REB: Karl-Anthony Towns – 17
AST: Jeff Teague – 8

NEXT UP
Suns at Nuggets – Sunday
Timberwolves at Hawks – Monday

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Loss of Vucevic Hurts Magic

Orlando Magic (6-9)	106
Indiana Pacers (9-6)	111

Indianapolis, Indiana – Domantas Sabonis had a field day in the paint without Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic there to impede his progress. So much fun that the Indiana Pacers notched their ninth win of the season, having gone through injuries and adjustments of their own this year, Sabonis included. Last night he led the way with 25 points and nine rebounds, Jeremy Lamb returned to hit 14 and five, Aaron Holiday and Doug McDermott finished with 13 points apiece, Justin Holiday had 12, and Myles Turner finished with 10 and five. Orlando was led by Evan Fournier’s 26 and Jonathan Isaac’s 25.

Orlando
PTS: Evan Fournier – 26
REB: Jonathan Isaac – 9
AST: Markelle Fultz – 9
Indiana
PTS: Domantas Sabonis – 25
REB: Domantas Sabonis – 9
AST: T.J. McConnell – 7

NEXT UP
Magic at Pistons – Monday
Grizzlies at Pacers – Monday

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LaVine Bounces Back with a Vengeance

Chicago Bulls (6-11)	116
Charlotte Hornets (6-11)	115

Charlotte, North Carolina – A night after hitting for 15 against the Miami Heat, Zach LaVine went on the road and hit for 49 against the Charlotte Hornets in the Hive. LaVine shot 17 of 28 for 60.7 percent, 13 of 17 (76.5 percent) from downtown in the Bulls sixth win of the season, including a game winning three with 0.8 seconds remaining. I think his coach trusts him. Coby White added 28 points, Wendell Carter, Jr. went for 17 and 11, and Tomas Satoransky finished with 10 points and eight assists. Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 28 points, Marvin Williams finished with 21. The teams have matching records after 17 games – Charlotte has the edge with strength of schedule at this point.

Chicago
PTS: Zach LaVine – 49
REB: Wendell Carter, Jr. – 11
AST: Tomas Satoransky – 8
Charlotte
PTS: Terry Rozier – 28
REB: Bismack Biyombo – 12
AST: Devonte’ Graham – 10

NEXT UP
Blazers at Bulls – Monday
Hornets at Heat – Monday

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Young’s Triple Double Not Enough

Toronto Raptors (11-4)	119
Atlanta Hawks (4-12)	116

Atlanta, Georgia – Trae Young nearly double the shooting percentage from his prior game, but two games in two consecutive nights and coming home from the first one proved too much for Young, despite the fact that he led his Hawks with a triple double of 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Pascal Siakam pulled off an impressive 34 point night, Fred VanVleet added 25, Norman Powell had 20, and Chris Boucher finished with 13 points and eight rebounds on 71.4 percent shooting. Vince Carter went for eight and four against his former team.

Toronto
PTS: Pascal Siakam – 34
REB: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson – 9
AST: Fred VanVleet – 9
Atlanta
PTS: Trae Young – 30
REB: Trae Young – 10
AST: Trae Young – 10

NEXT UP
Sixers at Raptors – Monday
Timberwolves at Hawks – Monday

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Spurs Get Back on Track in New York

San Antonio Spurs (6-11)	111
New York Knicks (4-12)	104

New York, New York – The monkey is off the San Antonio Spurs’ back. There won’t be an eight game losing streak. At least not right now, thanks to having the New York Knicks on their schedule. (Lakers are up next, though). LaMarcus Aldridge’s 23 points and six rebounds made sure of that, as did DeMar DeRozan’s 21 and nine effort. Patty Mills came off the bench for 17, Trey Lyles had 12, and Jakob Poeltl had 11 and 10 at center. Marcus Morris, who spurned the Spurs by walking away from a free agent contract to sign with the Knicks, led New York with 20 points and seven rebounds.

San Antonio
PTS: LaMarcus Aldridge – 23
REB: Jakob Poeltl – 10
AST: Derrick White – 5
New York
PTS: Marcus Morris – 20
REB: Julius Randle – 8
AST: Frank Ntilikina – 9

NEXT UP
Nets at Knicks – Sunday
Lakers at Spurs – Monday

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Heat Stifled in Philly

Miami Heat (11-4)	86
Philadelphia 76ers (11-5)	113

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – It’s been a great weekend for Tennessee Volunteers, far and wide. Not only is the football team bowl eligible for the first time in four years, but the #VFL (Vols for Life) in the NBA are giving the 76ers wins over the weekend. #VFL Tobias Harris did it Friday night, and #VFL Josh Richardson did it again last night, leading the Sixers to a huge win over the Miami Heat by 27 points. J-Rich had 32 points on 73.3 percent shooting, Joel Embiid had 23 and 11 on the night, Harris had 19 and eight a night after leading the Sixers in scoring against the San Antonio Spurs, and Al Horford shot 77.8 percent en route to a 16 and six night. The Heat were holding out for a Herro and got one in Tyler Herro’s 20 point night, but to get but 10 points and six rebounds from Chris Silva, and not much from Kendrick Nunn or Duncan Robinson, the Heat’s young but inexperienced core.

Miami
PTS: Tyler Herro – 20
REB: Kelly Olynyk – 7
AST: Jimmy Butler – 3, Chris Silva – 3
Philadelphia
PTS: #VFL Josh Richardson – 32
REB: Joel Embiid – 11
AST: Ben Simmons – 7

NEXT UP
Hornets at Heat – Monday
Sixers at Raptors – Monday

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Lillard’s Back, Needs More Help

Portland Trailblazers (5-12)	104
Cleveland Cavaliers (5-11)	110

Cleveland, Ohio – Are we sure Carmelo Anthony is the answer? Has he been the answer anywhere but the time he spent in Denver? Not shooting 33.3 percent from the field. I can shoot at least that. It’s not a surprise that Damian Lillard’s back is spasming – he’s carrying the load of expectation, and the actual workload on his back as the Blazers a meager 44 percent and got outscored in the second quarter 30-23 to spell the difference in last night’s game. Jordan Clarkson broke out for the first time this season with a 28 point night. Tristan Thompson had 25 and nine, Collin Sexton finished with 19, and Larry Nance, Jr. had 11 and 12 in the win, Cleveland’s fifth to match Portland’s. Lillard had 23; Anthony had 11.

Portland
PTS: Damian Lillard – 23
REB: Damian Lillard – 8
AST: Damian Lillard – 8
Cleveland
PTS: Jordan Clarkson – 28
REB: Larry Nance, Jr. – 12
AST: Cedi Osman – 5

NEXT UP
Blazers at Bulls – Monday
Nets at Cavaliers – Monday

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Lakers Edge Grizzlies for 14th

Los Angeles Lakers (14-2)	109
Memphis Grizzlies (5-10)	108

Memphis, Tennessee – The Memphis Grizzlies came close to an upset. So close, it was like a picnic basket in front of Yogi Bear. The part of the joy-killing Mr. Ranger was played by none other than LeBron James, who scored the game winning layup as the last two of his game high 30 points. James also had six rebounds and four assists. Anthony Davis tacked on 22 points, Rajon Rondo had 14, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished with 12, and Dwight Howard had another solid night with 10 points and a team high nine rebounds. Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 26 points, three rebounds, six assists and five steals.

Los Angeles
PTS: LeBron James – 30
REB: Dwight Howard – 9
AST: Rajon Rondo – 6
Memphis
PTS: Ja Morant – 26
REB: Brandon Clarke – 11
AST: Ja Morant – 6, Tyus Jones – 6

NEXT UP
Lakers at Spurs – Monday
Grizzlies at Pacers – Monday

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Bucks Trample Rose, Pistons

Detroit Pistons (5-11)	90
Milwaukee Bucks (13-3)	104

Milwaukee, Wisconsin – It’s now been 16 consecutive double doubles for the reigning MVP and his Milwaukee Bucks have won seven in a row, after last night’s 14 point win over the sputtering Detroit Pistons. The Pistons might as well have Katy Perry as their mascot, as hot and cold as they have been. The Bucks, on the other hand, have been the hottest in the Eastern Conference for the second year running.  Last night was no exception, proof positive that Milwaukee has what it takes to steal the East from Toronto, Philly and Boston. Giannis Antetokuonmpo led all scorers with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Wesley Matthews added 13 and Eric Bledsoe finished with 11 points. Derrick Rose came off the bench to be a spark plug for the Pistons, but no one could keep the RPMs that Rose had as Detroit ran out of gas in the fourth quarter.

Detroit
PTS: Derrick Rose – 20
REB: Andre Drummond – 17
AST: Derrick Rose – 6
Milwaukee
PTS: Giannis Antetokuonmpo – 28
REB: Giannis Antetokuonmpo – 10, Sterling Brown – 10
AST: Eric Bledsoe – 5

NEXT UP
Magic at Pistons – Monday
Jazz at Bucks – Monday

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It’s All About Rhythm as New Jazz Beat Old Jazz

New Orleans Pelicans (6-10)	120
Utah Jazz (11-5)	128

Salt Lake City, Utah – My, oh my, how the New Orleans Pelicans looked last night in a loss to their former namesake, the Utah Jazz. Five guys in synchronicity with Brandon Ingram leading the way with 33 points. Jrue Holiday had 28, J.J. Redick had 20, and Jaxson Hayes and Lonzo Ball chipping in 13 seemed like one of the best games of the 2019-20 season for New Orleans. The Utah Jazz were simply better – by one more guy. They had six in rhythm led by Donovan Mitchell’s 37 point night. Bojan Bogdanovic added 28 more, Jeff Green came off the bench for 15, Tony Bradley had 14 and nine starting for Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley had 11, and it was 10 and six for Emmanuel Mudiay off the bench.

New Orleans
PTS: Brandon Ingram – 33
REB: J.J. Redick – 7
AST: Brandon Ingram – 5
Utah
PTS: Donovan Mitchell – 37
REB: Tony Bradley – 9
AST: Royce O’Neale – 6

NEXT UP
Pelicans at Clippers – Sunday
Jazz at Bucks – Monday

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TONIGHT’S LINEUP/MY PICK ‘EMS
Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets – 4 p.m. EST – AT&T SportsNet Southwest
Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks – 6 p.m. EST – YES
Sacramento Kings at Washington Wizards – 6 p.m. EST – NBC Sports California
Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets – 8 p.m. EST – Altitude
New Orleans Pelicans at Los Angeles Clippers – 9 p.m. EST – FSN Prime Ticket

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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