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THE LINEUP 🏀
- Pacers overcome Giannis 5️⃣4️⃣
- Hawks rally to win in Mexico 🇲🇽
- KD and LeBron run it back 🏃🔙
- Get ready for Tournament night 2️⃣
- In-Season Tournament primer 🏆
- PACERS OVERCOME GIANNIS’ 54-POINT GEM 🏎️
The Pacers just became the second team ever to beat Giannis Antetokounmpo when he scores 50+ points. And what a 50 points it was (more on that below).
- Tyrese Haliburton scored 10 of his team-high 29 points in the fourth quarter as the Pacers rallied late for the win
- Giannis reached 54 points with 5:18 to play to put the Bucks up nine. Indiana outscored Milwaukee 18-7 the rest of the way. Watch the final 3:50 here
Giannis Drops 54. With No Treys: Despite the loss, Giannis put together a game for the ages – 54 points, 12 rebounds, 19-25 FG (76%), 16-18 FT (88.9%). With every one of those points scored inside the 3-point line. Watch all 54 points here
- It marks the seventh 50+ point game of Giannis’ regular-season career and his second without a 3-pointer
- Only 21.5% (78-of-362) of 50+ point games have come without a 3-pointer since the shot was introduced in 1979-80
- The only players with more 50+ point games since Giannis entered the NBA in 2013-14: James Harden (23), Damian Lillard (15) and Stephen Curry (11)
- Giannis (three) trails only Wilt Chamberlain (eight) for most games with 50+ points, 10+ rebounds and 75+ percent shooting in NBA history
Wondering which other team beat Giannis on a 50-point night? The 76ers beat the Bucks 130-125 on March 17, 2019 despite 52 from Giannis.
- HAWKS RALLY PAST MAGIC AS TRAE SETS RECORDS 🇲🇽
On a night that Trae Young scored 41 points – matching the most ever in an NBA game in Mexico – his biggest play was his final pass.
- With Atlanta down by two with under 40 seconds left, all Magic eyes were on Trae, expecting the hot hand to shoot
- Instead, Young drove past Paolo Banchero, drew two defenders into the paint, and whipped a wraparound pass to a wide-open Dejounte Murray in the corner for the game-winning 3, capping an 11-point comeback
- Young was on fire early, scoring a Global Games first-half record 33 points, topping the 32 scored by Devin Booker in the same arena in 2017
- The fans in Mexico were treated to some dazzling plays: Jalen Suggs’ acrobatic up-and-under, Trae with the showtime lob to Jalen Johnson, the behind-the-back dime to Bogdan Bogdanovic, and, of course, a logo 3
- IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT: KD AND LEBRON RUN IT BACK 🔥
📺 LAKERS AT SUNS, 10 ET, ESPN
Oct. 26, 2023: The first LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant matchup in five years
Nov. 10, 2023: The second Bron-KD matchup in two weeks
The wait’s been shorter for this one. But when two all-time greats meet for the 37th time tonight – after 22 regular-season and 14 NBA Finals games – it’ll come on a brand-new stage: the NBA In-Season Tournament.
How special is this matchup?
- LeBron (1st all-time) and Durant (12th) are the NBA’s top two active scorers
- They’re also both top six in all-time average ppg (KD at 4th, Bron at 6th), not to mention 32 combined All-Star selections, 19 combined All-NBA First Team honors, five combined scoring titles and five combined Olympic gold medals
- They’ve been at their best against each other. LeBron vs. KD is the only head-to-head matchup in history where both players have averaged 29+ ppg on 50% or better shooting (min. 20 games)
After much of their rivalry was spent in opposing conferences – 15 years in the East for LeBron, 12 in the West for KD – the two are now in the same division, giving us more opportunities to see them clash.
A few matchup moments from the vault:
- 2012 Trick Shot: LeBron shows KD his ‘unstoppable move’ at USA Basketball practice 🤣
- 2012 Finals Game 1 in Super Slo-Mo: Poetry in motion, as Durant goes for 36 in his Finals debut and Bron goes for 30, in OKC’s lone win in the series
- 2014 Duel: KD drops 33 and Bron goes for 34 in a January showdown
- 2016 Christmas Day Duel: KD wins the scoring duel 36-31, but LeBron’s Cavs get the win
- 2017 NBA Finals Duel: LeBron became the first player to average a triple-double in the Finals, while Durant’s 35.2 ppg was the second-highest average in a 5-game Finals
- 2018 Finals: See LeBron’s final games in Cleveland and KD’s run at Finals MVP
- 2022 NBA All-Star Game: A wild ending for Team Durant vs. Team LeBron
…and this Inside the NBA gem from 13 years ago, with the crew debating who’ll be the best player in the league in three years: KD or Bron.
- A NEW DAY IN BOSTON, MAVS-CLIPS RENEW RIVALRY 🏆
📺 NETS AT CELTICS, 7:30 ET, ESPN
Friday marks the start of a new tradition in Boston.
For the first time ever, the Celtics will play on a court that isn’t their traditional parquet, as they make their In-Season Tournament debut against Brooklyn.
- Brooklyn is 1-0 in East Group C after defeating Chicago last week. Cam Thomas had 17 points in that game, but is out with a sprained ankle
- Boston enters Group Play on a two-game losing streak, after opening 5-0. Can the C’s star trio get them going? They’re the only team to have three 20+ ppg scorers, in Jayson Tatum (28.4), Jaylen Brown (21.4) and Kristaps Porzingis (20.9)
📲 CLIPPERS AT MAVERICKS, 8:30 ET, NBA APP
It’s early. But this could be a critical one for the Mavs’ Tournament hopes.
After suffering its first loss of the season in their Group Play opener against Denver, the Mavs look to avoid an 0-2 start in a stacked West Group B.
- The five Group B teams have a combined record of 25-14 (.641) this year, best of any of the six groups. Starting 0-2 in this group could mean trouble
- The Clippers aren’t just looking to win their Group Play opener, they’re going for the first win with their newly-formed star quartet of James Harden, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook
- Will the tournament vibes bring back memories of the two intense playoff series these two teams had in 2020 (Clippers in six) and 2021 (Clippers in seven) when a young Luka Doncic got his first taste of the NBA Playoffs?
🏀 MORE GROUP PLAY ON FRIDAY 🏆
📲 Hornets at Wizards, 7 ET, NBA App
📲 Sixers at Pistons, 7 ET, NBA App
📲 Wolves at Spurs, 8 ET, NBA App
📲 Jazz at Grizzlies, 8 ET, NBA App
📲 Pelicans at Rockets 8 ET, NBA App
📲 Thunder at Kings, 10 ET, NBA App
- IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 🧠✍️
Before Group Play gets going again tonight, catch up on where things stand after last Friday’s In-Season Tournament opener.
- Closest Night Since 2016: Last Friday delivered the closest regular season slate of games in seven years, with an average margin of victory of 4.9 points (min. 7 games)
- Draymond Green: “We talk about this In-Season Tournament… it’s a playoff game“
- Who started with a W?: Check the full standings and group play schedule for each team
What’s on the way tonight?
- Nine teams begin Group Play: Clippers, Wolves, Spurs, Jazz, Pelicans, Rockets, Suns, Lakers and Kings in the West; Celtics, Hornets, Sixers and Pistons in the East
- Nine new courts debut: Pistons, Wizards, Celtics in the East; Rockets, Grizzlies, Spurs, Mavs, Suns and Kings in the West. How many of the nine can you match to their teams
- Schedule: After Tuesday’s pause for Election Day, the In-Season Tournament is now on its regular schedule with Group Play Tournament Nights every Tuesday and Friday through Nov. 28
Coming soon…
- Knockouts Next: The Knockout Rounds begin Dec. 4 for the eight teams that advance out of Group Play
- Semis and Championship: With the final two rounds on Dec. 7 and 9 in Vegas, we are less than a month away from the first NBA Cup being awarded
Who ya got?
Here are some slightly biased picks from NBA stars Steph Curry, Durant, Austin Reaves, Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama, Draymond Green, Karl-Anthony Towns, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Josh Giddey, Mike Conley and Nikola Jokic
