Clippers' Comeback, Ageless Aces, and Poole's Puzzle: NBA's Latest Twists - 11/18/23

Catching you up last night’s NBA narratives

Author

Vikram Dimba
November 18, 2023

Welcome to Hoop’d There It Is - Catching you up on last night’s NBA narratives

Sam Altman's departure from OpenAI yesterday draws uncanny parallels to Steve Jobs' Apple exit. Will we see an 'I'm Back' moment à la Jobs/Jordan a decade later? This has nothing to do with this edition - I just thought it was funny.

11/17/23

Westbrook's Bench Chronicles

Russell Westbrook, in a plot twist no one saw coming, requested a bench role for the Clippers. Crushing narratives and egos alike, Westbrook's move is surprisingly savvy. Off the bench, he gets to be the Westbrook of old - more ball time, more up-tempo, and a nice little PR boost. It's like finding the perfect cheat code.

Harden's Heroics Snap Clippers' Skid: The Four-Point Finale

The Clippers snapped their 6-game losing streak with a 106-100 win over the Rockets, courtesy of Harden's clutch four point play to win the game. Harden finished with 24 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Down the stretch, the Clippers chose Norman Powell and his spot up shooting over Westbrook to seal the game.

Jordan Poole: The 'Not-So-Golden' Wizard

Welcome to the curious case of Jordan Poole, formerly known as a Warrior, now more of a 'Wandering Wizard' with stats that'll make you do a double-take. Tonight's performance? A meager 8 points on 2-11 FG, and let's not even talk about his 3-point attempts (0-6). The turnover count? 5, with a -18 plus/minus. Poole's been dishing out more turnovers than a bakery lately. In his last 6 games, he's managed 82 shots for just 75 points. And for the cherry on top, a near one-to-one ratio of assists (22) to turnovers (21). Talk about consistency! The Wizards' 2-10 record might just be the least surprising stat here.

De'Aaron Fox: Spurs' Nightmare, Kings' Dream

De'Aaron Fox in tonight's Spurs takedown? Unstoppable. Racking up 43 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists on 58/45/76 shooting splits. Fox is shooting threes like they're going out of style – 5-11 tonight, doubling his three pointers made per game average from last season. His confidence isn't just back; it's on a whole new level. Fox is turning the court into his personal highlight reel.

Pelicans vs. Nuggets: The Three-Point Tale

The Pelicans' victory over the Nuggets was a tale of two cities, or rather, two three-point lines. Nuggets shooting 10/40 from deep while the Pelicans hit 12/22 – that's the game in a nutshell. But let's not overlook Jokic's absurd 26/16/18 line. It's like he's playing a different game altogether. The man's a walking triple-double machine.

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We love bold way-too-early takes

In a league obsessed with youth and overly tall rookies, superstars that’s nickname is based off an ant, let's take a moment to appreciate the seasoned maestros: LeBron James and Kevin Durant. They're not just playing in the NBA; they're dominating it, defying Father Time with every game.

LeBron James: Age is Just a Number

LeBron, in what feels like his zillionth NBA season (actually, it's his 21st), is not just hanging in there; he's soaring. His latest masterpiece against the Trail Blazers? A cool 35 points on 13/22 shooting, including 5/9 from downtown. Add 5 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals to that stat line. But here's the real kicker – he's averaging a career-high in efficiency and rebounds. In his 21st season! It's like he's found the fountain of youth and decided to set up camp there.

LeBron, already having had pretty much every record in the book might be twistedly motivating himself to be the champion of the inaugural in-season tournament. The Lakers are the only 3-0 undefeated team in the NBA’s new tournament play.

Kevin Durant. You know his name.

On the other side of the age spectrum, Kevin Durant, a fellow member of the NBA's venerable 'old forward,' continues to dazzle. Dropping 38 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists on 15/22 from the field, 6/8 from three and a final dagger that was reminiscent of his shot in the NBA finals versus the Cavaliers. It's clear that Durant's game has transcended age – he's an embodiment of enduring basketball artistry.