We’re pulling the best from across the NBA map. Check back for live updates throughout Tuesday’s slate of games.
Anthony Davis Knocked Out With a Knee Injury
The Pellies big man left the team’s 103-93 loss to the Trail Blazers in the first quarter after banging knees with Damian Lillard. Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters after the game that Davis underwent an MRI on his left knee and that it came back negative. ESPN reported that he is considered day-to-day.
One thing is for sure, daily NBA fantasy players on Twitter were not pleased.
Aaron Gordon and D’Angelo Russell Are Figuring It Out
Aaron Gordon was a man without a position. D’Angelo Russell was a man with a phone. The NBA world seemed ready to move on without them, but a funny thing happened on their ways to relative obscurity: Russell and Gordon started to find their place in the league.
While you were watching the World Series, the Magic and Nets played a real, live, entertaining, competitive basketball game on Tuesday, and we learned a lot. The Magic won, 125-121 (they’re 3-1!), and Aaron Gordon had a career-high 41 points, 14 boards, and an are-we-lucid-dreaming five 3-pointers, including this dagger to put the game out of reach.
For his part, Russell did his high-usage thing, scoring 29 points. In tribute to Kyrie Irving, he had one assist; also in tribute to Irving, Russell changed gears like he had a manual transmission, handing out an honest-to-goodness nutmeg assist.
Pregame Rituals
This is actually a traditional Latvian dance that brings on dunks from the opposing team. It worked.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum continued to soften the blow of losing Gordon Hayward, scoring 45 points between them and helping the Cs blow out the Knicks, 110-89.
Fathers and Sons
Here’s a tidbit of off-court news from the department of dads writing checks with their mouths that their sons are forced to cash against John Wall with their bodies. LaVar popped off about Wednesday’s Wiz-Lakers game, much to the delight of Wiz center Marcin Gortat.
ESPN has all the trash talk fit to print, but this is by far my favorite bit:
Ball said the quickest point guard he has faced in his career is Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox …
That’s weird. Don’t you actually have to play a guy to see how fast he is?
This Is Rudy Gobert’s Frédéric Weis Tribute
The Finnisher
Miss me with King of the North as a nickname. I’ve already printed up Finnisher bumper stickers. The Bulls lost to the Cavs, 119-112, but apparently Gar-Pax are geniuses. Lauri Markkanen finnished ([Marv Albert voice] YES!) with 19 points, shooting 5-of-8 from behind the arc.
