Make sure your clocks are set.
Wemby’s tipping off early today.
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THE LINEUP
- C’s & Nuggets keep winning ️
- Monster dunks, Embiid stays hot
- Wemby matinee on 5-game day
- What to do with your extra hour ⏳
- Signature Move: Nikola Jokic
1. CELTICS, NUGGETS: LEADERS OF THE PACK
Celtics 124, Nets 114
Jayson Tatum reached 10,000 points in style, converting a spin-move layup with an and-one and knocking down the free throw to reach 10k.
- He’s the 15th player in NBA history to reach 10,000 points before turning 26
- He’s the first player in NBA history to reach 10k and 1k 3PM at age 25 or younger
- He’s the youngest player in Celtics history to reach 10,000 points
- He’s averaging a career-best 30.2 ppg, 4th in the NBA
- He’s keeping the Celtics unbeaten at 5-0
⚒️ Nuggets 123, Bulls 101
After being held to 89 points in their only loss of the season, the Nuggets have scored 125 and 123 on consecutive nights to return to the top of the West at 6-1. Nikola Jokic has caught fire (even more than usual), shooting 71.9% the past two nights.
- Jamal Murray left the game due to hamstring tightness and did not return. Keep an eye on his status heading into Denver’s next game on Monday
- After scoring just five points in Denver’s loss to Minnesota, Michael Porter Jr. has bounced back with consecutive 24+ point games
2. WINDMILL DUNKS, A 25-POINT QUARTER & A BIRTHDAY 20/10
Two of the game’s top dunkers blessed us with big windmills yesterday, while two of its brightest rising stars erupted and the Sixers won their fourth straight.
T-Wolves 123, Jazz 95
Our first windmill dunk came from Anthony Edwards, who got the steal near midcourt, was all alone on the break and threw down the showtime dunk for two of his 31 points as the Wolves cruised to the win.
- Meanwhile, Minnesota’s defense has been about as spectacular as Edwards’ dunks this season. The Wolves have the league’s top-ranked defense (101.2) and have held four of their five opponents below 100 points
️ Hawks 123, Pelicans 105
Windmill No. 2: Here’s Zion Williamson with an uncontested elevation during New Orleans’ loss to the Hawks.
- Zion had a few of the highlights of the night – including this 1-on-5 fast break – but Atlanta got its fourth straight win behind double-doubles from Trae Young (22 pts, 12 ast) and Jalen Johnson (21 pts, 11 reb)
Sixers 112, Suns 100
Another team in the East with four straight wins – the Sixers, who handed the Suns their third-straight loss on Saturday afternoon.
- Joel Embiid had 26 points, 11 boards and one impressive spike block, while Tyrese Maxey celebrated his 23rd birthday with 22 points and 10 dimes
Hornets 125, Pacers 124
Charlotte survived the NBA’s first 25-point quarter by a player and first 50-point quarter by a team this season, holding off Indiana to snap a three-game skid. Tyrese Haliburton scored 25 of his career-high tying 43 points in the third quarter as the Pacers put up 50 points on 17-of-21 shooting. How rare were these feats?
- There were just 11 25+ point quarters by a player last season, two by Damian Lillard
- There were just six 50+ point quarters by a team last season, two by Golden State
Magic 120, Lakers 101
Paolo Banchero, who scored a combined 13 points in two prior matchups against his favorite player LeBron James, broke out for 25 points and 10 dimes as the Magic snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Lakers.
- Here’s Paolo using the crossover to get by LeBron, scoring the layup with an and-one from AD
Rockets 107, Kings 89
Dillon Brooks scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter as the Rockets won the quarter 36-21 to win their second straight game after opening the season 0-3.
- How much do the Kings miss De’Aaron Fox? In three games with Fox, Sacramento averaged 125.3 points and went 2-1. In two games without him, they have averaged just 95 points and gone 0-2
3. TODAY: A SUNDAY WEMBY MATINEE
Where do you even start with Victor Wembanyama?
Before he & the Spurs take on Toronto in a Sunday matinee (3:30 pm, NBA App), maybe you start with how he’s already in exclusive company with …
- LeBron & KD as the only teenagers with 35+ points, 10+ rebounds & 2+ blocks in a game
- Luka as the only teenagers to have 35+, 10+ and three 3-pointers
- David Robinson as the only Spurs rooks with 100+ PTS in their first five games
- LeBron, Blake Griffin, Zion, Ant Edwards and KAT as the only No. 1 picks with 35+ in a game in Year 1 since 2003-04
- Just seven other players ever to have 85+ points, 35+ rebounds and 10+ blocks in his first five career games
Maybe it’s the highlights, with the 7-foot-4 phenom rolling out stuff that just didn’t really seem possible on a nightly basis. (Tap here to see all his best work)
Maybe it’s how he leads all rookies in scoring and steals, sits in the top 5 in every major category among first-year players and ranks top 5 in clutch scoring across the entire NBA.
And it’s all on display this afternoon, as the 3-2 Spurs host 2022 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes and the 2-4 Raptors in San Antonio.
Warriors-Cavaliers
6 ET, NBA App
Four players have put up 30+ ppg so far this season. Two of them are in this game.
- Donovan Mitchell (2nd in NBA, 32.8 ppg) and Steph Curry (3rd, 30.8 ppg) have started on fire, though their squads have taken different paths
- The Warriors are second in the West at 5-1, thanks to four wins on the road – after winning just 11 away from home last year
- The Cavs, meanwhile, are off to a slower start at 2-4, with an 0-3 record at home. Good news? Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland just returned to the lineup
What Else
- Suns at Pistons, 3 ET, NBA App
- Hornets at Mavs, 7:30 ET, NBA App
- Grizzlies at Blazers, 9 ET, NBA App
4. LONG WATCHES: WAYS TO SPEND YOUR EXTRA HOUR TODAY
This morning in the US, the clocks ‘fell back’ an hour as Daylight Savings Time ended.
While the end of DST means that it soon gets dark right around noon, you do get an extra hour today.
Which sounds like a good opportunity to be kind to yourself and curl up with a book and a heavy dose of hoops.
Let these longform compilations lend a hand.
- ▶️ 43 Minutes of Fantastic Finishes On In-Season Tournament Night 1: One of the most competitive regular-season nights in the last decade saw almost every game come down to the wire
- ▶️ 93 Minutes of the Top Performances of the Season So Far: 2023-24’s already off to a wild start. Catch up on the biggest nights of the season here
- ▶️ 110 Minutes of Every LeBron Dunk Of His Lakers Career: ALL. OF THEM.
- ▶️ 111 Minutes of the Full Bring it Home Documentary: All 9 episodes, deep inside the Nuggets’ first-ever title run last year.
- ▶️ 113 Minutes ofThe WILDEST Endings From Week 1: Yes, the Luka shot is in here (just before 90 min mark)
More at NBA YouTube.
5. SIGNATURE MOVES: THE SOMBOR SHUFFLE
Nikola Jokic just had himself a weekend, with 61 points on 72% shooting across two games.
One of those buckets?
A little shimmy, turnaround, rainbow jumper and splash late in the 4th quarter on Friday that Doris Burke called the ‘Sombor Shuffle.’
That unorthodox stepback & fadeaway jumper off of one leg – named after his hometown of Sombor, Serbia – has become Jokic’s signature shot.
Not to mention one of the most unstoppable moves in the NBA.
The move gives shades of Dirk Nowitzki’s signature one-legged fadeaway but with a little twist.
Take a look at this artistry:
Tap here to spend some time Sunday with the Sombor Shuffle, as part of our new signature moves series.
