10 Takeaways for Wednesday Night's NBA Action
Wednesday's NBA action featured a shoving match between the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder, an out-of-nowhere return to Linsanity and a major milestone for the Utah Jazz.
Plus, Tim Duncan turned in one of the worst performances of his career, but the San Antonio Spurs still managed to extend their streak of dominance against the Washington Wizards. Big surprise there, huh?
In other totally unsurprising news, Kevin Garnett is pissed, the Memphis Grizzlies still can't score and Giannis Antetokounmpo did something that regular humans can't do.
So, you know, it was just another Wednesday night of eye-popping, standings-shaking hoops. No biggie.
It Is Impossible Overthrow Giannis Antetokounmpo
1 of 10Giannis Antetokounmpo's scouting report is wrong.
Everywhere you look—Hoopsworld, NBA.com, NBADraft.net—his wingspan is listed at 7'3".
After seeing the Greek rookie's incredible first-quarter finish (unfortunately, in a 94-91 losing effort to the Orlando Magic), his wingspan should clearly be listed as "infinity."
Appropriately, the play started after another of the Bucks' tentacle-armed bigs, John Henson, rudely swatted away a layup attempt by E'Twaun Moore. Nate Wolters drove the ball up the floor in transition and floated an entirely-too-high lob to a streaking Antetokounmpo.
The 6'9" rookie extended his telescoping right arm as far as it would go, stretched his impossibly long fingers and caught the ball. He gently guided it through the rim in one motion.
Look, Antetokounmpo is a long way away from being much more than an occasional highlight generator. But he's got a truly unique set of physical skills and if the Bucks stay patient, he could soon develop into a disruptive force on both ends.
In the meantime, somebody get in touch with Milwaukee's media relations department. We've got to get that scouting report corrected.
You Totally Blew It
2 of 10
Before you get offended, let me clarify: You totally blew it if you missed the ridiculously incredible game between the Houston Rockets and the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night.
If it's any consolation, you certainly weren't alone if you skipped out on a contest that was missing both Michael Carter-Williams and James Harden because of injuries. Despite the lack of star power, the Sixers' 123-117 overtime win might have been the most entertaining game of the year.
For starters, neither team played any defense at all, which led to plenty of breakaways and a boatload of open threes.
Plus, Jeremy Lin was in control of Houston's offense with Harden sidelined, and he did his very best to channel Linsanity one day before returning to New York for the first time this season. Lin poured in 34 points, handed out 12 assists, made a career-high nine three-point shots and committed eight turnovers in 49 lung-bursting minutes.
He was everywhere, affecting every play, for better and worse.
And we haven't even gotten to Tony Wroten, who registered a triple-double in his first career start. Nor have we mentioned James Anderson, who erupted for 36 points on 12-of-16 shooting and hit a miracle three that sent the game to overtime against the team that waived him before the season.
Dwight Howard had a huge night of his own, logging 23 points, 15 boards, six assists and six blocks.
In hindsight, it would have been easier to list the things that weren't awesome about this game.
Too bad you missed it.
Memphis Has Hit the Bottom
3 of 10
Things have fallen apart fast for the team that made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals last year.
The Memphis Grizzlies dropped a home game to the Toronto Raptors by an embarrassing final score of 103-87 on Wednesday. The offense was horrendous—shooting just 42.7 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from long range—and the bench continued to disappoint.
Mike Miller "led" all Memphis reserves with eight points on 3-of-10 shooting.
To make matters worse, former Grizzly Rudy Gay pumped in 23 points, grabbed six boards, handed out four assists and snatched five steals.
Memphis hit a real low in the games waning moments, though, as fans who were fed up with this season's nonstop diet of ugly basketball let the Grizzles know how they felt.
"Grizzlies guard Jerryd Bayless dribbled into the lane, jumped and looked to pass.
It was an ill-advised decision because his former teammate, Rudy Gay, intercepted the ball with ease. Gay led a Toronto Raptors fast break that Terrence Ross finished with a one-handed slam.
That mistake, four minutes into the fourth quarter, compelled Griz coach Dave Joerger to call for time—and boos rang out in FedExForum.
"
Yep, boos.
Maybe it's an aging core of Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince. Maybe it's the absence of fired coach Lionel Hollins. Or maybe grit and grind just aren't enough to make up for an inability to score.
Whatever the case, the Grizzlies have hit a low point. They've still got talent and plenty of time to figure things out, but it's safe to say Memphis fans are tired of waiting for the team to get on track.
This Isn't Going the Way Kyrie Irving Had Planned
4 of 10
The Cleveland Cavaliers were supposed to be this year's breakout sensation, and Kyrie Irving was the man many assumed would be right in the middle of their ascent.
But inconsistent play and an offense that has ranked near the very bottom of the NBA left Cleveland with a 3-5 record going into its tilt with the resurgent Minnesota Timberwolves. Worse still, Irving had been mired in a season-long shooting slump that simply wasn't showing any signs of breaking.
So, on top of all that, Irving probably could have done without getting clocked in the head in the first quarter.
Corey Brewer's inadvertent elbow stunned the Cavs point guard, and although X-rays on his face were negative, Irving had to be thinking, "What next?"
Well, actually, "next" was Ricky Rubio badly outplaying him, piling up 16 points and 16 assists while leading a Wolves attack that accumulated a 29-6 advantage in fast-break points. Irving scored 20 points, but he needed 17 shots to get do so.
When the dust settled, Minnesota had won by a final score of 124-95.
Per ESPN, Cleveland now has the worst per-game point differential in the Eastern Conference. On average, the Cavs have been outscored by opponents by 8.7 points per game.
This isn't how Kyrie Irving thought things were going to go.
The Knicks Are Cool with Chaos
5 of 10
Surrounded by controversy and playing under the pressure of a victory guarantee from partially crazed owner James Dolan, the New York Knicks somehow managed to pull themselves together.
New York knocked off the Atlanta Hawks on the road, prevailing by a final score of 95-91 despite being burdened by an ever-growing mountain of distractions.
Iman Shumpert's name came up in trade rumors a few hours before the game (again), J.R. Smith was going to join the starting lineup (to the great dismay of Knicks fans) and Andrea Bargnani was still probably reeling from the chorus of boos he'd been hearing at Madison Square Garden.
But Bargs played well, totaling 20 points and 11 rebounds on the night. In addition, Shumpert shook off the uncertainty surrounding his future to play a terrific all-around game, finishing with five points, six rebounds, nine assists, four steals and a block in 35 minutes.
All things considered, it was an impressive showing by the Knicks. Not every team could have rallied amid the din of off-court worries.
Those distractions aren't going away, though, so it's probably a good thing that Carmelo Anthony and Co. have shown the ability to fight through them.
The Spurs: Starfish of the NBA
6 of 10
The San Antonio Spurs have been compared to many things during their 15-year run of NBA dominance: machines, military outfits—you know, that kind of stuff.
But I'm willing to bet that this is the first time they've ever been likened to a starfish.
See, starfish can regrow their arms, replacing their vital assets from within. The Spurs do the same thing.
Against the Washington Wizards, Tim Duncan had one of the worst games of his career, totaling just two points on 1-of-12 shooting in 26 abysmal minutes. But Boris Diaw stepped in, replacing Duncan's production with 15 points and five boards on 7-of-8 shooting off the bench.
And when Danny Green put up a goose egg in 20 minutes, Marco Belinelli hopped off the bench to lend a hand, scoring 10 points and handing out eight assists in 23 minutes.
In beating the Washington Wizards by a final score of 92-79, San Antonio extended its winning streak over the hapless Wiz to 15 games. The Spurs couldn't have done it without their starfish-like regeneration skills.
The Lakers Were Doomed from the Start
7 of 10
Even in their drastically weakened state this year, the Denver Nuggets are still awfully tough to beat at home. And with the Los Angeles Lakers rolling into the Mile High City for the second game of a back-to-back set, coming out of the Pepsi Center was going to be nearly impossible.
As expected, the Lakers fell by a final score of 111-99.
Pau Gasol put in 25 points, but he needed 27 shots to do it. Most distressing for the big Spaniard: His shooting woes seemed to migrate from the perimeter to the paint. All season long, Gasol has struggled mightily with his shot, leading to an accuracy rate of just 38 percent from the field.
But against the Nuggets, Gasol couldn't get anything to go in the lane.
He missed 10 of his 16 attempts in the paint, per ESPN, which went a long way toward holding the Lakers to just 39.4 percent shooting overall.
Under the difficult circumstances, L.A. had no realistic shot to be the Nuggets. But it had to hurt a little extra that Gasol's inability to straighten out his shooting was a major cause of the defeat.
The Utah Jazz Are off the Schnide
8 of 10
It took nine games and the brief appearance and disappearance of Jamaal Tinsley, but the Utah Jazz finally have a win.
Utah waived Tinsley on Nov. 12, immediately called up Diante Garrett from the D-League and—viola!—notched a 111-105 victory over the visiting New Orleans Pelicans.
To be fair, the Jazz still got next to nothing out of the point guard position. But thanks to 27 points, 10 assists and five boards from Gordon Hayward, Tyrone Corbin's club was able to sprint past the Pelicans with a 38-28 fourth-quarter advantage.
Fans in Utah had better savor this one because there may only be another dozen or so opportunities to enjoy a win between now and the end of the season.
In closing, the Pelicans should be ashamed of themselves. No team should ever lose against an opponent whose starting five features both Richard Jefferson (who scored 22 inexplicable points) and John Lucas III. It just shouldn't happen.
Time to Panic in Brooklyn
9 of 10
Generally speaking, it's never a good idea to get too caught up in anything that happens in the season's first couple of weeks. The NBA season is a six-month ordeal, so small sample sizes can lead to rash conclusions.
There's an exception, though, when you lose a game by at least 20 points to the Sacramento Kings. When that happens, it's perfectly acceptable to panic.
The Brooklyn Nets dropped a 107-86 stunner to the Kings on Wednesday, and frankly, it wasn't even as close as the 21-point margin indicates.
The veteran Nets somehow managed to turn the ball over 15 times while forcing just six giveaways from the typically sloppy Kings. And on offense, the Nets simply couldn't move the ball, finishing with 14 assists on 31 made baskets.
After the game, Kevin Garnett was predictably unhappy.
Per Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com, KG was livid in the locker room:
"Talking’s over with. There’s too much talking. We’ve done enough talking and now it’s time for some action.
… If we were playing five-on-five pickup at the park, you’ve been getting your ass whooped three or four runs now, OK? When are you going to pick it up and get a game, get a win, stay on the court? That type of mentality.
"
Brooklyn, now sporting a 2-5 record, needs to come together in a hurry.
Matt Barnes Forgot to Count to 10
10 of 10When Serge Ibaka balled up his fist and looked for all the world like he was going to throw a haymaker at Matt Barnes' head, the Los Angeles Clippers' enforcer simply smiled.
It's a shame he couldn't keep such a cool demeanor after he was ejected for mixing it up with Ibaka in the Clippers' 111-103 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Shortly after getting tossed, Barnes tweeted an expletive-filled blurb against his teammates, claiming he'd no longer stand up for them because it only ended up costing him money.
Well, if it's money he's worried about, he probably shouldn't have hit "send" on that tweet, as he's sure to receive a fine for that social media gaffe along with his league-mandated penalty for the ejection.
He really should have taken a moment to calm down before hopping on Twitter. Maybe counted to 10 or gone to his happy place.
And by the way, if Barnes is unhappy about having to stick up for his teammates, he should probably take a second to note that nobody forced him to shove Ibaka in the chest. He did that willingly.
On the other hand, you know the Clippers are soft when guys who are actually on the team start calling each other out.
