Even during the wintry dog days of winter, the NBA never sleeps. A constant content machine that keeps on plowing ahead. This week has been particularly invigorating.<\/p>\n
Wednesday night in the NBA was bonkers<\/em>. Take a look at this:<\/p>\n As if you needed any more evidence: 15 players scored 30 points or more on Wednesday night, tying the most in a day in NBA history.<\/p>\n WHEW. What a night!<\/p>\n Miles Bridges<\/a><\/strong> was not the only one who brought his A-game from Charlotte to MSG on MLK Day.<\/p>\n The always fantastic Charlotte Hornets broadcast team featuring the always ecstatic Eric Collins and the always lovely Ashley ShahAhmadi dropped a great nugget about how New York Knicks Quentin Grimes<\/a><\/strong> and his brother, Tyler Myers<\/a><\/strong>, are the first-ever brothers to be in both the NBA and NHL. Myers is a 13-year NHL veteran who plays for the Vancouver Canucks and his maternal half-brother Grimes is a Knicks rookie that started college at Kansas and transferred to Houston, putting the Cougars on the map. Hornets color commentator Dell Curry<\/strong><\/a> joked that they might hold this distinction forever.<\/p>\n As chronicled with a mega-preview<\/a> and mega-review<\/a>, the NBA featured 12 games on MLK Day, beginning at 12:30 pm and stretching across 12+ hours the rest of the day. This is an immensely easier way to try to watch every game than on a regular busy NBA Monday, Wednesday, or Friday night that can feature 12 or even 13 games jam-packed into a 5+ hour window from 7:00 pm to 12:30 am. Like this past Wednesday night: at one point there were eight games all on at once with two more getting ready to tip-off. Madness!<\/p>\n Hoops fanatics wouldn\u2019t mind if the NBA trotted out a few more matinees during the week. If the MLB can pull it off for seven months, the NBA could sprinkle a few<\/em> in. Right?<\/p>\n In a recent ESPN Friday night primetime showdown between the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks, Nets head coach Steve Nash<\/strong><\/a> waved an early white flag, pulling his starters with 6:58 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Nets were down 20 points as Kevin Durant<\/a><\/strong>, James Harden<\/a><\/strong> and co. took a seat on the bench while Bruce Brown<\/a><\/strong>, Jevon Carter<\/a><\/strong>, Day\u2019Ron Sharpe<\/a><\/strong>, David Duke Jr.<\/a>,<\/strong> and Kessler Edwards<\/a><\/strong> entered the game.<\/p>\n Who remained in the game for the Bucks? The two-time MVP and reigning Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo!<\/p>\n To be fair, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer<\/strong><\/a> was out in the health and safety protocols and top assistant coach Darvin Ham<\/strong><\/a> was the acting head coach. Giannis had also only logged 25 minutes up to that point. BUT STILL. Giannis had zero business still being in the game, going head-to-head against Kessler Edwards over the next few minutes in a 20-point fourth-quarter blowout. There was nothing to gain, but everything to lose.<\/p>\n Another prime example of this was on Monday night in the MLK Day matchup between the Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies on TNT. With five minutes left in the fourth quarter and down by 21 points, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan<\/strong><\/a> pulled DeMar DeRozan<\/a><\/strong> which all but signaled the game was over. Grizzlies acting head coach Darko Rajakovic (yup, Taylor Jenkins was out in the protocols) not only left Ja Morant in the game but also subbed in Jaren Jackson Jr.<\/a><\/strong>! So the Grizz star-studded young duo played the next couple of minutes against Ayo Dosunmu<\/a><\/strong>, Troy Brown Jr.<\/a><\/strong>, Malcom Hill<\/a><\/strong>, Matt Thomas<\/a><\/strong> and Tony Bradley<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Not to mention this was right after Bradley stuck out his leg and knocked knees with Ja, igniting the scuffle that saw Steven Adams<\/a><\/strong> play his role as bouncer and literally pick up the 6-10 248-lb Bradley.<\/p>\n Now, the Grizz did put on a show in garbage time. That\u2019s when Ja treated us with that sparkling spinning 360 layup. But even so, it is difficult to watch the game\u2019s best players play in minutes they don\u2019t need to. Yes, an injury can happen at any time. But an injury can\u2019t<\/em> happen if you are not in the game when you don\u2019t need to be.<\/p>\n It must be noted that both of these instances did involve acting interim coaches and not the usual head coach. But there have been too many other occasions this season to only blame the assistants.<\/p>\n On the East Coast in the city of brotherly love, the Los Angeles Clippers trailed the Philadelphia 76ers by 24 points in the second half, but they kept clipping away. Amir Coffey<\/a> <\/strong>(the brewmaster with an unexpected evolution<\/a>) and Marcus Morris Sr.<\/a><\/strong> (who was not wearing his usual headband because of a fresh line\/haircut) were vital. But it was Reggie Jackson<\/a><\/strong> who scored the most points for the Clippers with 19, including seven big ones in the final five minutes. Down by one point with five seconds left, the Sixers\u2019 Tyrese Maxey<\/a><\/span><\/strong> did have a chance at a game-winner at the buzzer but instead of a buzzer-beater, it was a near wedgie. Final: Clippers 102, 76ers 101.<\/p>\n This was the Clippers’ second 20-point comeback in the last ten days, having that 25-point comeback against the Nuggets as previously mentioned. It must be noted that Joel Embiid scored 40 points for Philly which runs Embiid’s average over the last 16 games up to an insane 33.5 points per game.<\/p>\n Although the Miami Heat did not pull off the W Friday night in Atlanta, the Heat had a furious run in the fourth quarter to make it a super close game. Down by 14 entering the fourth quarter, a Duncan Robinson<\/a><\/strong> 3-pointer brought the Heat to within one point with 55 seconds remaining. The Heat would have two opportunities to make a go-ahead shot in the final minute, but Jimmy Butler<\/a><\/strong> missed a wide-open look right at the basket and then a far corner 3-pointer in the game’s final seconds. Final: Hawks 110, Heat 108.<\/p>\n Securing the win also achieved some revenge for the Hawks who recently lost to the Heat just last Friday night down in the 305.<\/p>\n Up in Boston, The Portland Trail Blazers trailed the Boston Celtics by 11 points with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Celtics, however, would not make another field goal the entire rest of the game. Jusuf Nurkic<\/a><\/strong> made the go-ahead bucket, a turnaround push-shot, in the final 15 seconds after snagging an offensive board. Nurkic finished with a game-high 29 points and 17 rebounds. Final: Blazers 109, Celtics 105.<\/p>\n Per StatMuse, the Celtics are 9-17 in 26 clutch games this season, the fourth-worst record in the NBA. Meanwhile, this was the Blazers’ fifth road win of the season and their third road win in the last week.<\/p>\n STEPHEN CURRY WINS IT AT THE BUZZER \ud83d\udea8 https:\/\/t.co\/6MTKZhpX5X<\/a><\/p>\n — NBA TV (@NBATV) January 22, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n
Triple-Doubles<\/h4>\n
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More Monster Performances<\/h4>\n
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2. The First-Ever NBA\/NHL Brother Combo<\/h3>\n
3. The Spacing of the Games on MLK Day was Glorious<\/h3>\n
4. Coaches, Get Your Superstars Out of Games That Are Over!<\/h3>\n
Milwaukee Bucks<\/h4>\n
Memphis Grizzlies<\/h4>\n
5. Three Wild Friday Night NBA Fourth-Quarter Road Comebacks<\/h3>\n
Los Angeles Clippers<\/h4>\n
Miami Heat<\/h4>\n
Portland Trail Blazers<\/h4>\n
BONUS BUZZER BEATER: STEPH CURRY FOR THE WIN!<\/h3>\n
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