#triple seven hive king

[lost-kinn]

so since we’re all talking about the pale king, i’d like to talk about the moment you see the pale king and realize Hey @ Team Cherry Why’s He So God Damn Short?

i’d like to pose the idea that it is crucial in any coming-of-age story to realize that your parents are people too, because this is what enables you to grow past them and cease to be defined by them.

and if there was ever a coming-of-age story, it’d be hollow knight. it’s the story about the knight growing up, finding out who they are, and becoming their most realized self--which might be returning to the greater void, or becoming the shade lord, depending on your opinion on which ending is the “True” ending. 

but growing up is, as hollow knight recognizes, not only reconciling yourself with your parents. it’s an act of reconciling who you are in relation to your society, to your peers, to your place and history, and religions if they’re involved in any of the aforementioned things.

so just to put that out there: i do think that one of the big narrative arcs of hollow knight is for the knight to grow up, and the rest of this argument follows that one of the big goals of the game is charting the knight’s journey in growing up.

for a child to grow up, they have to realize that their parents are not infallible.

and in order for a person to self-actualize themselves outside of the totalizing influence of a state or god, they also have to realize that their societies and their gods are not infallible.

it’s a very good thing, then, that the pale king is a triple-whammy of three of the most prevalent patriarchal figures of all time: Patriarch, God, and State.  

firstly, i want to highlight that when it comes to fathers, there’s a pretty common narrative that because a child is so young, all they know is their father and their father’s influence (or their parent’s influence, alternatively). their parent’s influence is totalizing.

in the process of having such an all-encompassing influence on their child and their child’s world, the parent creates their child, both biologically and in the act of raising their child.

it’s the issue of “raising” that hollow knight does a really good job of expanding.

think about your own childhood. was it necessarily your parents who had complete influence over you? considering that most of us spend seven hours in school every day, can we say that our parents are most influential, even if our parents were very involved in our lives (to say nothing of people with less involved parents)?

think about the way the government structured your schooling. even if you went to private school, the government still had standardized tests. if you went to public school, the state had a say in everything you learned, the people you were in contact with, even what you wore and what you ate.

if you spent any time in church, religion had a direct impact on your life. but even if you didn’t, religion shaped the history of the country you’re in, shapes the way that you probably think about the world, shapes the values you hold, just by osmosis.

when it comes to creating (“raising”) a young person, hollow knight rightfully pings three sources: parentage/family, state, and god:

1) their influence is usually complete and all-encompassing. particularly in a monarchy, government rule and influence is complete and supreme. in conceptualizations of god, gods are omnipotent and omniscient. for a young child, their parent’s influence is similarly complete.

2) gods are the creation myth of how everything came to be, and the way that the world should be. states will usually also tell you something similar; the american government spoonfeeds a particular history about the american revolution, for example, and posits a set of values such as freedom, individuality, and meritocracy, and all of these values can be difficult to see alternatives to if you’ve never known anything different. similarly, a parent will also provide for you a genesis story—quite literally, your parent fucked your other parent and then you happened—and also impose a set of values.

3) because of these previous two points, family, god, and state are the processes by which people are created, as a direct consequence of the all-encompassing influence they wield.

in hallownest, these influences are easy to see. gods are so prevalent for the sheer extent of their influence, their ability to shape their followers and their subjects to their will (e.g. unn and the mosskin, grimm and the grimm troupe). the extent of hallownest’s government was so strong that its monarch was revered as a god. the actual subjects of the city of tears are physically molded to the king’s will, and the followers of unn, the grimm troupe, and the radiance are all physically altered by the god’s influence. vespa commands a similar control over her hive even in death, even though she’s only a queen and not a god.

the expansiveness of god’s influence is also what aligns god so well with the state, of course; they’re hugely influential, they tell you why the world is the way it is, and they also tell you the way the world should be, brooking (usually) no argument.

we can see this easily paralleled with the child’s point of view of their parent when they’re very young; unable to see past their parent’s influence, their parent’s influence is totalizing.

    of course, the reason why it’s important to see that influence and to name the sources of these influences is because this pattern of influencing the world had some pretty disastrous effects for literally everyone.

a lot of hollow knight is realizing that the kingdom-state of hallownest gave you, the knight, a VERY short end of a societal bargain.

like. that society killed you (the knight), and your siblings, so that it could maintain itself.

hallownest is a Fucked Up Place, one that structured its entire society to give you, the knight, a REALLY short end of a bargain. your society--the kingdom of hallownest--did you, the knight, a huge fucking dirty.

here’s the thing about tying father, god, and state together: it provides the player with personal, ideological, and political reasons to say, “fuck this system.”

it collapses the knight’s coming of age story as a young child into an adult with other storylines, such as the knight’s ascension to godhood and the killing of god herself, and knight’s ascension to kinghood and overthrowing the last vestiges of hallownest (also known as being a revolutionary).

it’s not just that your personal father fucked up—it’s the realization that the entire society has done you wrong, and needs to be either fixed or surpassed. at the very least, it needs to be recognized for its shortcomings. (again, remember that it’s not just a parent who raises a child; it’s an entire society that has a hand in it.)

the pale king becomes the focus of that, even though we know that there were multiple other people who were involved in the plan--the white lady, for one, but it seems like even ogrim was aware of the plan to sacrifice thk, and deemed it an acceptable sacrifice so that hallownest could maintain its power. 

in short, the pale king becomes the embodiment of all of these plotlines in one person.

he gives give the state’s power a face and a name, and that’s not incorrect, per se, since hallownest is a monarchy. he gives godhood a face and a name.

the pale king is a character that says there is no divide between political and personal. it is all personal. the state if our father, god is the state, and if we want to settle the score for the wrongs that have been done to us (and i mean us as both the knight and us as players), then we need to start looking at family, god, and state.

and in hollow knight, the narrative has neatly combined all of these into one character.

    ultimately, the reason why it’s so important to embody father, state, and god all in the same body is because then the issue becomes manageable.

and by manageable, i mean SHORT.

(firstly, i should add that it’s not like the coalescing of father, state, and god is uncommon. if you wanna know how common it is, take a look at that old joke about how the final boss of any JRPG is either god, your father, or both. for a really prominent cultural example, take a look at none other than gendo ikari, who’s shinji’s father, the director of the instution that runs shinji’s life (“state”), and aspires to either kill god or become god or both, depending on your interpretation of evangelion.

and hollow knight brings up this conflation of father, state, and god in a lot of other ways, which i think is important to note. it’s not like the pale king has a monopoly on it. see: the hunter’s remark where he says that the sum of his being goes to the knight because he has “no children, no subjects, no followers.” see also: grimm, who’s an excellent foil to the pale king in this way; he is the master/monarch of his troupe (state), he is a god and The Singular God of his domain, and he’s also a literal father. like, that last bit is almost the entire point of the grimm troupe DLC.)

but returning to my point, the pale king embodies all three at once partly because he then because easily targetable.

it’s like that old adage they say about the monster in a horror film—the monster is only scary up until the point that you see it, and realize that it has a corporeal body that you can kill. (monster theory operates on this, anyway—monsters put a vague, incorporeal anxiety into physical body, which you can then confront.)

but also think about it in terms of government. locating the state in a single person makes it easier to oppose, easier for you to locate its “source.” think about a lot of governments today: their “rulers” are more dispersed, but therefore are more dispersed, and therefore society is more difficult to revolutionize. locating everything within the pale king cuts down the entire idea of The State to a human size.

and think about it terms of god, too. god’s been discussed to death--possibly literally--for centuries. nietzsche declared god dead in 1882. hegel posited that god was only a reflection of ourselves, in that we have created the world around us with the power innate to human beings, and then created god to house that power and use that power against us. god’s been dying for a long-ass time, and it’s been a huge source of both liberation and anxiety, because if there’s no god to keep the world together, what the fuck are we supposed to do? at least when there was a god that ran everything, we had someone to be fucking pissed at when shit went wrong.

and then you put all three of these into a physical body—

—and he’s SHORT.

ITTY BITTY.

TEENY TINY.

and then to add on to the fact that he’s short—poke around the white palace and the extra lore, and you realize that the pale king would have lost in a fight to the radiance because he wasn’t invincible, and that he was desperate for a solution, and that he made some good decisions and some fucking awful decisions, and his influence on the world was insane in its reach but he was still a person who walked on two legs and had a child and a wife and probably actually felt some kind of positive emotion for both of them. this is the part where we realize that the pale king is not infallible, and isn’t some cartoon villain who controlled everything everywhere.

the moment you see the pale king with your own eyes is seeing that the Very Society You Live In, the same society that fucked you over so horrendously, was made by a person who was fallible and even weak like you. this is the culmination of the storyline of the knight as someone who, literally, overthrows the last vestiges of hallownest, and surpasses the society that victimized them.

god was made--or maybe is--a person like you. this is the culmiation of the storyline of the knight who kills god and becomes their own god in the godmaster ending.

your parents are people like you. this is the culmination of the storyline in which the knight grows up.

you were made by people like you. the processes by which you were made are not beyond your power.

the process of growing up, as described by hollow knight, is empowerment. it’s realizing that you have more control than you thought.

like a child realizing that their parent is human for the first time, they realize that their parent’s influence, the world created by their parent, is not infallible or invincible. they realize that their parent’s influence on them is vast, but has a limit. and that this isn’t terrifying or awful, but is a freeing experience. they realize that their parent’s influence can be escaped, destroyed, or surpassed.

in the act of recognizing the humanity of the people who created you, you can recognize firstly the limitations of their power, and the extent of your own.

if they could do those sorts of great feats while also being a fallible person, then so can you.

the playing field becomes equal. they were a person. you’re a person. 

if the pale king is a person, then the pale king is no longer a cataclysmic event that happened to you (the knight). and the instant the pale king is no longer a chaotic, incomprehensible event that Happened To You, you can remove yourself from the position of a passive receptor of someone else’s actions.

you (the knight) are not simply void to be molded by a god, or a knight to be molded by a king, or a child to be molded by your father. you, the knight, are a person.

you, the knight, the victim of this situation, don’t just have to lie back then and let yourself be defined by your own persecutor, or the society that threw you away, and no longer have to be defined purely by your own tragedy.

you have to become more than your tragedy to become a person, but before you can do that, you have to realize that your persecutor had his limits too. you have to define yourself, and your own abilities and your own power, beyond the scope of your persecution.

the pale king needs to be more than the cause of a tragedy to let you do that. he needs to have limits, and in order to grow past him, his limits have to be seen for what they are.

now, let me say for the record: you need never forgive a persecutor, and personally speaking, i don’t recommend it. but i’d propose that it is required to their strengths, their failings, their mistakes, and their limitations, that you can really start to grow past them. and that hollow knight makes this requirement pretty literal, in that you have to see the pale king (and the white lady) to get voidheart.

you can only realize yourself and your potential when you’ve seen, for your own eyes, the remaining husk of your god, your state, and your father, sitting small and shriveled and dead on his throne. 

#hollow knight #lore #i'd also like to talk a bit about how the act of recognition is one of the most powerful tools hk uses #in that the knight recognizes themselves in thk #and the hunter #and hornet #and the broken vessel/lost kin #and in the greenpath vessel #and in all the faces at the bottom of the abyss #and i'm very sorry to say probably zote too #but that's a very connected train of thought that i'm just not going to tackle rn #fun fact: this also fits very well with the deconstruction era of being a subject that is produced by external societal power #not just a subject as a discursive entity that is produced by a subject that is ruled in the process of being produced as discursive #and i think one of the excellent strengths of hollow knight is that it explicitly acknowledges subjectivity in the deconstruction sense #and then rebuilds after the deconstruction #quite literally: the apocalypse has already happened to hallownest and we are in the process of picking up the pieces #the literary apocalypse has already happened and now we are rebuilding our own personal agency #which brings me to thk and their agency but i am going to cut that thought off at the pass #not today folks #anyway sry if this is not a post that is easy to read #i definitely did my best but i can only pare this line of thought down so far

[mentalmars]

Borderlands 3 Farmable Bosses and Their Legendary Drop Guide

Bosses and Loot Pools Like in previous Borderlands games,  the Bosses in Borderlands 3 also have a unique legendary item assigned to them.  Since Bosses respawn, they are farmable. The great thing about Borderlands 3 is that there is a checkpoint before each boss. This makes farming bosses less tedious as you can spawn just outside their doorstep when you want to defeat that boss again. Just simply go in the menu, save&quit, and hop back into the game. That checkpoint will now function as a spawn point. So you don’t have to run through entire dungeons anymore in order to farm bosses. Unique Legendary Boss Drops Below you will find a quick overview of all the boss drops. As soon as I have all the individual pages up of all the specific items I’ll link to them. I’m currently working on a complete overview of all the legendary items. Story Bosses Mouthpiece Pandora Mouthpiece drops the Mindkiller, Shotgun with Dubstep projectiles. Gigamand Promethea Gigamand drops the Smart Gun XXL, SMG Warden Promethea Warden drops the Freeman, Rocket Launcher with guided missiles. GenIVIV Eden-6 GenIVIV drops the Messy Breakup, Shield with follow drones. Aurelia Eden-6 Aurelia drops the Frozen Heart, Shield that creates lifesteal cryo nova. The Graveward Eden-6 The Graveward drops the Grave, Artifact that gives bonuses as your health gets lower, increased FFYL duration, also drops Ward, Shield that buffs stats when shield is depleted (great melee shield usually). Troy Calypso Nekrotafeyo Troy Calypso drops the Double-Penetrating Occultist, Pistol with fiery rocket projectiles. Tyreen Calypso Pandora Tyreen Calypso drops the King’s Call and Queen’s Call, Pistols with 3x tracking split shots on crit. Side Mission Bosses Killavolt Promethea Lectra City Killavolt drops the Shocking 9-Volt, Pistol with triple projectile three-round burst. Private Beans Athenas Side Private Beans  drops the Westergun, SMG that fires energy projectiles without charging. Rare Spawn Drops Road Dog Pandora Splinterlands  – Location Video Road Dog drops the Double-Penetrating Redline, Shotgun that shoots missile barrage. Tarantella Pandora Splinterlands  – Location Video Tarantella  drops the Hive, Rocket Launcher that shoots Hive rockets that shoot mini missiles. Captain Thunk and Sloth Pandora Konrad’s Hold  – Location Video Captain Thunk and Sloth  drops the It’s Piss, a grenade that clears ally status effects and causes enemies to take more damage. Also drops Mongol, Rocket Launcher that shoots out small rockets from a big rocket. Rakkman Pandora Carnivora  – Location Video Rakkman drops the Night Flyer, Pistol that leaves enemies at one health, fully auto when airborne. Borman Nates Promethea Meridian Outskirts  – Location Video Borman Nates drops the Psycho Stabber, Pistol with 120% Melee damage that shoots daggers. Dinkeblot Promethea Skywell-27  – Location Video Dinkeblot drops a Loot-o-gram you give to Earl that has a chance to turn into a random legendary. Wick and Worty Promethea Lectra City  – Location Video Wick and Worty drops the Redundant Savvy Phebert, Shotgun, radioactive that consumes two ammo per shot. Urist McEnforcer Promethea Lectra City  – Location Video Urist McEnforcer drops the Crossbow, Sniper that shoots crossbow bolts. One Punch Promethea Lectra City  – Location Video One Punch drops the One-Pump Chump, Shotgun with one round and massive damage. Maxitrillion Eden 6 Voracious Canopy  – Location Video Maxitrillion drops The Horizon, Shotgun that creates bouncing hologram target that explodes when shot. El Dragon Jr Eden 6 Jakob’s Estate  – Location Video El Dragon Jr drops the Unleash the Dragon, Artifact that makes slide, slam and melee all ignite. The Unstoppable Eden 6 Ambermire  – Location Video The Unstoppable drops the Band of Sytorak, Shield with weapon bonuses when depleted and higher max health. Hammerlock’s Crew Challenge Drops Crawly Family Pandora Droughts – Location Video The Crawly Family drops the Predatory Lending, SMG that uses money instead of ammo. Skrakk Pandora Ascension Bluff – Location Video Skrakk drops the SkekSil, Pistol with seven round burst that also shoots energy balls. Hot Karl Pandora Devil’s Razor – Location Video Hot Karl drops the Sledge’s Shotgun, Shotgun with huge mag and double burst fire. Phoenix Pandora Splinterlands – Location Video Phoenix drops the Phoenix Tears, Artifact with 100% health on Second Wind and longer FFYL duration. Manvark Pandora Konrad’s Hold – Location Video Manvark drops the Headsplosion, Sniper with explosive rounds and 3 richochets. Chupacabratch Athenas – Location Video Chupacabratch drops the Chupa’s Organ, Grenade that lifesteals through shields. Zero’s Crew Challange Drops Baron Noggin Promethea Meridian Metroplex  – Location Video Baron Noggin drops the EMP, Grenade that destroys shields. Handsome Jackie Promethea Skywell-27 – Location Video Handsome Jackie drops the Iron Willed Nimble Jack, Shotgun with good airborne accuracy, one shot. Judge Hightower Promethea Lectra City – Location Video Judge Hightower drops the Scorpio XL, Pistol that when thrown has its own shield. Heckle and Hyde Eden 6 Jakob’s Estate – Location Video Heckle and Hyde drops the Whizzy Pestilence, Pistol that shoots radiation rounds very fast. Psychobillies Eden 6 Ambermire – Location Video The Psychobillies drops the Electric Banjo, Artifact with 20% chance for chain lightning on shot. Sky Bullies Eden 6 The Anvil – Location Video The Sky Bullies drops the Shooting Star, Shield that when depleted turns melee into projectile.

Continue reading on https://mentalmars.com/guides/borderlands-3-farmable-bosses-and-their-legendary-drop-guide/

#Borderlands 3 Guide

[akiramae554]

Dana White Gets Banned From 코인카지노 After Winning Millions #2295

When it travelled over to America, casinos promoted the game by offering additional winnings for any player whose winning hand contained a ‘black jack’. A variety of computer poker players have been developed by researchers at the University of Alberta, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Auckland amongst others. If some of your other preconceived notions about casinos are a little out of whack, here's a guide to what you should expect on the gambling floor. * Straight – five numerically adjacent cards ignoring suit (Example – 7 of Spades, 8 of Spades, 9 of Clubs, 10 of Diamonds and Jack of Diamonds). Where both the player and dealer hold a Straight the hand with the highest card is considered the winner.

Some casino games combine multiple of the above aspects; for example, roulette is a table game conducted by a dealer, which involves random numbers. One of the newest variations that has become extremely popular is Caribbean Stud. According to popular Caribbean Stud history, it is believed the game originated in Aruba, an island in the Caribbean some time in the 1980s. This bet must be at least the table minimum and at most the table maximum. It’s tempting to check the displays for patterns and change your bets according to what you see.

The other 56% of the time, the dealer will qualify, and you’ll have about a 50/50 chance of beating the dealer. But in order to stay in the game and try to beat the dealer, you have to triple the amount of money you’re wagering. (Remember–the bet is always twice the size of the ante, and you have to place the bet in order to stay in the hand). https://en.search.wordpress.com/?src=organic&q=우리카지노계열 Meanwhile, by the end of the fifteenth century, playing cards had spread over most of Western Europe. The diverse cultural contexts and printing techniques led to a diversity of playing card types and styles. Stereotyped designs peculiar to particular regions evolved and became standard patterns. But the combinations of court hierarchy and suit symbols were not always stable or uniform. In some cases we see Kings mounted on horseback, in other cases seated on thrones. Some packs contained Queens and attendants, others preferred horsemen and foot soldiers. Some packs had additional trump cards or five suits. In some regions the suit signs were somewhat fluid and included everyday objects, animals, helmets, hunting equipment or flowers. Packs are known with suit symbols such as: roses, crowns, pennies and rings or bells, hearts, leaves and acorns. The same game also offers 5+1 side bet with the objective to make the best possible five-card hand by combining your own cards and the dealer’s face-up card. It pays on Three of a Kind or better, and comes with the highest potential win of 1,000 to 1. To make matters more interesting regarding suit symbols and indicators, there are large variations today since card manufacturers not only make playing cards for their own country, and regional groups within their country, but also make decks for foreigners living in that country. Manufacturers also make special decks for card collectors (a very popular hobby), special decks for special games, travel sized decks, commemorative decks, historic decks, and also decks for export to countries which don't make their own playing cards.

24 card decks, removing 2s through 8s are also sold in Austria and Bavaria to play schnapsen. The Double Fanucci deck from Zork takes the most imaginative licence with the suits: it has no fewer than fifteen, with the names Mazes, Books, Rain, Bugs, Fromps, Inkblots, Scythes, Plungers, Faces, Time, Lamps, Hives, Ears, Zurfs, and Tops. Advanced Caribbean Stud Strategy is far more complex than basic strategy. Nonetheless, if you learn how to implement the basic strategy well, then you’ll easily be able to build upon the knowledge you’ve gained and you’ll be able to turn the odds in your favor. 모바일현금섯다 The French have a unique habit of associating their face cards with historic or mythical personages which survives only in the portrait officiel

While it hasn’t been around for nearly as long as other games in a casino, Caribbean Stud has quickly risen to be one of the more popular table games found both online and in a land-based environment.  If the point is a 4 or 10 players can bet as little as $1 on odds if the table minimum is low such as is $5, $10 or $15. If the player requests the pass odds be not working ("Off") and the shooter sevens-out or hits the point, the pass line bet will be lost or doubled and the pass odds returned. What about slot machines makes them such reliable money makers?One of the best ways card counters get house edges is by adjusting their strategy decision on every count.

Whether it will remain a popular casino top table game in the United States for long is unpredictable. Blackjack is one of the most popular card games and the first choice for many gamblers on online casinos and the on gambling floor. Harrah's Entertainment finds that in 2005 the typical casino gambler was a forty-six-year-old female from a household with an above-average income.Winnings take the form of additional balls, which players may either use to keep playing or exchange for prizes (景品 keihin).

Starting in 2007, the majority of Japanese pachinko machines started to include koatari (小当たり, small jackpot) into their payout systems. Which of those variants is best to play depends on the individual. It is based on a mathematical equilibrium theory devised by a French mathematician of the same name.The five columns of the card are labeled 'B', 'I', 'N', 'G', and 'O' from left to right.

If you are a blackjack fan or just want to learn more, you should read on. You can learn its origin and other useful information. Be sure you know the bet requirements at a particular slot machine or table game before you sit down. Dealers will usually announce if bets are working unless otherwise called off. If a non-working point number placed, bought or laid becomes the new point as the result of a come-out, the bet is usually refunded, or can be moved to another number for free.Manufacturers in this period included Nishijin and Sankyo; most of these machines available on online auction sites today date to the 1970s.

[junker-town]

The Wizards make their best Jekyll and Hyde impression and 12 other things from Friday night

Blake Griffin is also back!

The Wizards seriously might be the weirdest team in the NBA. The dominated the Houston Rockets on Friday night to push their record to 11-6 against teams .500 or better. Their record against teams below .500? 9-10. They don’t make any sense.

The Wizards look dominant sometimes -- other times they look like a team that should be in the lottery. They dominated the Rockets the way the Rockets normally dominate teams on both ends of the floor. They made 18-36 threes, forced 14 turnovers and held Chris Paul and James Harden to a combined 28 points on 25 shots.

They looked like a team that should be in contention for the top of the East, but they aren’t. The team will tell you that they play differently when they play better teams — they share the ball more, take smarter shots and play hard. When teams are bad they just don’t and it’s reflected in their record.

Will they flip the script? Maybe. I sure hope so because when this team is right? It’s really fun to watch. We got a great glimpse of that on Friday night.

The Wizards had the more impressive backcourt on Friday

Granted, Paul was coming back from injury. But John Wall and Bradley Beal ran circles around Paul and Harden. The two combined for 38 points and went a combined 5-10 from deep. Wall had 5 steals himself just by being so active on defense and Beal caught fire in the second half.

They looked like they were having fun. They made plays like this.

Call 1-800-SAUCE. John Wall #NBAVote#WizRockets http://pic.twitter.com/yXNUT2qPMs

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) December 30, 2017

SAUCY.

Blake Griffin byke, y’all!

Griffin returned from a sprained MCL a bit ahead of schedule and got some good run in against the Lakers. He finished with a solid 24, six and six in his return and was already hitting his teammates in stride like he never left.

@BlakeGriffin32 @DeAndre #NBAVote : https://t.co/eztxbViwUp #PrimeTicket http://pic.twitter.com/PI898zAxCa

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) December 30, 2017

Stay healthy, Blake. If not for you, then for us.

Dwight Howard dominated the Warriors

And the Hornets beat the best team in the league handily because of it — on the road, no less. Howard was straight up dominant on both ends of the floor. He finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

I’d love to say Howard turned back the clock in Charlotte, but to be honest, he’s making plays we’ve never really seen him make before. Here he is facing up and passing the ball off the dribble.

#TripleDoubleWatch Dwight Howard: 25 PTS, 11 REB, 7 AST#BuzzCity http://pic.twitter.com/laNGUCVMtl

— NBA (@NBA) December 30, 2017

He legitimately walked the ball down from the wing and made a play like a guard. And he’s been doing this all year long.

What the hell did they do with the old Dwight Howard in Charlotte? Never mind — don’t answer that. Because this one is hella fun.

Somebody explain Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to me

Because I seriously have no idea what he was thinking here.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope really got the audacity to wipe his hands off after throwing an alley-oop to himself over the backboard CMON MAN http://pic.twitter.com/qfrkdxEoD4

— Agent of NBA Chaos (@World_Wide_Wob) December 30, 2017

Like, KCP, we saw you. We know your hands aren’t slippery. You just tried to stunt and it ain’t work. Just ... man. Not a good stretch for Caldwell-Pope this season. Hopefully his season gets better.

Have you ever seen Dwane Casey mad? Well you have now

Since I had to, you have to as well. It’s scary. And he’s saying NSFW things.

Dwane Casey and Mike Bud. exchanging some unfriendly words http://pic.twitter.com/mhbde3sU8q

— The Render (@TheRenderNBA) December 30, 2017

The Raptors won by 13, but apparently Casey still had some words for Mike Budenholzer. Bud gotta be a brave man because, boy, if Casey was yelling at me like that? I’m chilling.

He looks like that one uncle you have who, for whatever reason, always fake boxed with you when you were a kid. Except for this is the real thing. And I ain’t messing with that uncle. Shoutout to Casey.

Dennis Smith Jr. had his first triple double!

With many more to come, hopefully.

Shoutout to the rookie.

More

An awful week of officiating continued with Giannis Antetokounmpo and this game winner.

Houston vs. Washington was a dunk fest early on.

Speaking of a dunk fest, RUSSELL WESTBROOK IS INSANE

MILOS TEODOSIC IS A PASSING GOD.

The defense literally went the other way on this play.

The Mavs had a really nice half shooting the ball.

Scores

Raptors 111, Hawks 98 (Raptors HQ Recap | Peachtree Hoops Recap)

Nets 111, Heat 87 (Hot Hot Hoops Recap | Nets Daily Recap)

Bulls 119, Pacers 107 (Indy Cornrows Recap | BlogaBull Recap)

Wizards 121, Rockets 103 (Bullets Forever Recap | The Dream Shake Recap)

Mavericks 128, Pelicans 120 (The Bird Writes Recap | Mavs Moneyball Recap)

Bucks 97, Thunder 95 (WLTC Recap | Brewhoop Recap)

Suns 111, Kings 101 (Bright Side of the Sun Recap | Sactown Royalty Recap)

Hornets 111, Warriors 100 (Golden State of Mind Recap | At the Hive Recap)

Clippers 121, Lakers 106 (Silver Screen and Roll Recap | Clips Nation Recap)

[chicbamboowear]

“Frozen” heats up Denver: Inside Disney’s multimillion-dollar quest to conquer Broadway

Patti Murin will portray Anna in Disney’s pre-Broadway musical "Frozen," coming to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts on August 17. (Provided by the DCPA.)

Broadway singer and actress Patti Murin shares nearly everything about her work with her actor husband, Colin Donnell.

But not her latest project.

“I’ve been involved in this for a year and my husband doesn’t know a single thing about it,” Murin, 36, said of “Frozen: The Musical,” the stage adaptation of Disney’s 2013 hit animated movie. “It’s been such a closed process. And I mean closed. Nobody we love has been able to see it.”

Dozens of people working on the top-secret production have been camped inside the Buell Theatre in the Denver Performing Arts Complex since May. Even before that, Disney executives had been considering “Frozen” for a stage musical, given the established pipeline for animated Disney features such as “The Lion King” and “Aladdin” to become Broadway (and later, nationally touring) productions.

When “Frozen: The Musical” debuts for the public at the Buell on Aug. 17, it could mark the launch of another theatrical production worth millions, or perhaps a billion, dollars for Disney, which plans to move the show to Broadway’s St. James Theatre in February.

But first, the “Frozen” team must work out countless kinks during the seven-week “pre-Broadway engagement” in Denver, a city in which Disney has learned to rely on the quantity and quality of theater-going audiences, plus skilled crews and facilities that mirror the production’s eventual home in New York City.

“We have about 150 people in Denver working on the show,” said Jack Eldon, vice president of domestic touring for Disney Theatrical Group. “That includes performers, technical crew, the creative team and all our designers. But we also need to make sure audiences there can sustain the number of performances that we need to revise some set pieces, and tweak things like the costumes and music.”

Landing “Frozen: The Musical” is a coup for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA), which hosts the region’s biggest touring theater productions. But it’s not unprecedented. In 2007, DCPA also hosted the six-week, pre-Broadway run of the stage adaptation of “The Little Mermaid” at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, selling a record 95,000 tickets. It has also served as the launchpad for the national-touring production of “The Lion King,” which has been seen by tens of millions since that road version opened in Denver 15 years ago.

“Frozen: The Musical” is just the latest example of the DCPA’s national influence and evolution into touring-show powerhouse, DCPA president Janice Siden told The Denver Post.

“Everywhere I go, our Broadway group is the envy of theater groups around the country,” added Martin Semple, DCPA chairman, who credited DCPA Broadway executive director John Ekeberg with keeping the Disney relationship strong. “Going to the Tonys with John and meeting all these people just confirmed the respect people have for us.”

The DCPA has driven ticket sales for its 2017-18 season by dangling “Frozen” in front of its more than 28,000 subscribers. It has every reason to expect that the broad, crossover appeal of a “Frozen” tryout will help this season surpass last year’s numbers.

As the largest nonprofit theater company in the country, the DCPA sold 685,375 tickets to its touring-Broadway and in-house theater company shows in fiscal 2016, generating $150 million in economic impact and attracting roughly 1.2 million visitors to downtown Denver, according to a DCPA report.

Despite employing the original, Oscar-winning creative team from the film version of “Frozen,” and big-name Broadway veterans — including Tony winners such as director Michael Grandage (“Red”), choreographer Rob Ashford (“Thoroughly Modern Millie”) and music supervisor Stephen Oremus (“Wicked,” “The Book of Mormon”) — Disney is leaving nothing to chance.

Past musical adaptations of the animated Disney films “The Little Mermaid” and “Tarzan” were high-profile flops, and “Frozen: The Musical” has already burned through a couple of directors, three choreographers, two set designers and a pair of Elsas, according to The New York Times.

But flesh-and-blood audiences will have the last word on this reportedly $25 million-$30 million production — not the first.

“The creators get so close to it (that) I promise you they will be shocked at least once in that first performance — for good or bad,” said Dennis Crowley, senior publicist at Disney Theatrical. “If it’s like every other musical ever written, the creators will find something they absolutely did not expect, either something they thought would be a knock-’em-dead moment that won’t, or a laugh they never saw coming.”

Crowley cited the example of “Aladdin: The Musical,” the pre-Broadway engagement of which involved major retooling in the show’s first 40 minutes after theater goers in Toronto failed to respond to voice-over narration, which diverged significantly from the film.

“Audiences said, ‘We don’t know these people. We don’t care about these people. Where’s the pretty girl in the midriff and the hot boy and the genie?’ So they cut all the narration, brought in the genie at the top of the show and,” Crowley said, snapping his fingers, “from the first New York performance it was a different show. And that’s not atypical.”

Disney Theatrical has built in at least three months of downtime between the end of the 46-show Denver run on Oct. 1 and its New York roll-out early next year, just in case it needs a new song, new sets or more. Already, a creative team that includes the married songwriters from the film, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, has expanded “Frozen” from a 102-minute movie to a roughly two-hour musical, with triple the number of songs and a cast of more than 40.

Like most film shooting schedules, the pre-Broadway engagement is a grueling sprint that squeezes the most out of everyone’s time and energy — even if it started in earnest more than a year ago with the film’s original co-director, Jennifer Lee, writing the script and rehearsing the show at Manhattan’s New 42nd Street Studios.

“Right now in (technical rehearsals) in Denver it’s pretty intense,” said Caissie Levy, a Broadway veteran who plays Princess Elsa in the musical. “We’re there for nine or 10 hours a day, popping in for wig fittings and slotting things in like that. The first month of previews we’ll rehearse all day, and there will be a lot of maintenance for Patti and me. A lot of justified massages, sleep and steam rooms.”

There’s plenty of pressure on Levy the role of Princess Elsa, which includes belting out the instantly familiar and Oscar-winning song “Let It Go.” But there’s also opportunity in evolving an animated princess into a three-dimensional character.

It’s a tricky balance: “Frozen: The Musical” must mirror major aspects of the movie, because that’s what is selling tickets for the DCPA right now. Loosely based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale “The Snow Queen,” “Frozen” has resonated with global audiences thanks to its empowering female characters, humor and melody-drenched songs.

But the musical version must also find its own voice. Merely mimicking the film risks alienating fans with a hokey copy of the original — no matter how eye-popping the sets, costumes and special effects are.

And the potential audience is huge: “Frozen” is the highest grossing animated film in history, with more than $1 billion in worldwide revenue. DCPA and Denver tourism officials are anticipating plenty of out-of-state visitors to attend this pre-Broadway run, since 8 percent of DCPA patrons came from out-of-state last year — versus about 4 percent 20 years ago. The percentage of out-of-state visitors increases into the double digits for touring Broadway shows like “Wicked” and “The Lion King,” the DCPA said, which gives officials a good idea of “Frozen’s” potential draw.

This story features a bucket-list experience — check out our complete Colorado Summer Bucket List!

The stakes and tension are high for all involved, even without considering the instantaneous reactions will be posted to social media for all — including curious New York audiences and critics — to see. For that and other reasons, the show will run for about a month in Denver before critics are allowed to officially review it on Sept. 14.

“We must be adrenaline junkies and masochists and overall crazy people to do this, because it’s so thrilling and so terrifying at the same time,” said Levy, 36, who has appeared in “Rent,” “Hairspray,” “Wicked,” “Hair” and other pillars of Broadway success.

“But we need to make sure everyone who’s seeing the show for the first and only time, who bought tickets when they went on sale months ago and are bringing all their kids in their ‘Frozen’ gear, or who got a babysitter and went out to dinner, are getting the show that they’re meant to get,” added Levy, whose 18-month-old son and (as often as he can make it) husband are joining her from New York.

The Denver Post got the first peek at the production, provided this reporter swore to secrecy about any sets, special effects or details that he witnessed.

Inside the Buell Theatre looked like more of a buzzing hive than an empty shell, with dozens of designers and technical staff camped out among the audience seats at tables filled with lamps, computer workstations, hardwired phones and rivers of overlapping wires — more like NASA’s Mission Control than a stereotypical row of producers critiquing from the front row.

Many of them were designers and their associates, including Tony winner Christopher Oram (sets and costumes), six-time Tony winner Natasha Katz (lighting) and Tony winner Finn Ross (projections).

But the final collaborator in the musical, as the cast and crew likes to say, will be Denver audiences. The creative team is hoping to make something that will run for years to come, if not decades — less a time capsule of ideas, more a vehicle for their continual delivery.

Still, no amount of preparation can predict what happens on opening night.

“That is the day that I always say to myself, ‘Why did I do this?’ Because you’re always terrified,” Murin said. “You could be as ready as you could possibly be and still be like, ‘Why did I choose this career?!’ ”

Levy, who already feels a sisterly bond with both Murin’s “hot-mess” Princess Anna character and the actress as a person, said Denver is an ideal place to get acclimated to the show and its audiences. But she won’t refuse off-stage help if she needs it.

“Self-care is super important,” she said. “I’m sure we’re going to get very chummy with that oxygen tank in the wings.”

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[junker-town]

Kyle Kuzma torched the Rockets, and 12 other things from Wednesday night

Houston’s winning streak is over!

Lakers’ rookie Kyle Kuzma swooshed his first five, three-point attempts and never slowed down. In just the 28th game of his career, he took off for 38 points, and did something only Magic Johnson had ever done as a rookie in an L.A. uniform by adding seven rebounds and four assists to that total. That’s how Luke Walton’s team snapped the Rockets’ 14-game winning streak, and gave Chris Paul his first loss in Houston.

Kyle Kuzma resets his career high once again with 38 points, shooting an efficient 70% from the field with 7 triples #LakersWin http://pic.twitter.com/C1X1ieY1Me

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 21, 2017

The Lakers put on their best Rockets impression, draining 15 threes out of 35 attempts (seven belonged to Kuzma). Though James Harden went off for 51 points, Houston never seemed within reasonable range to pull this one out down the stretch.

It was an impressive win for L.A.’s youth.

Brandon Ingram contributed 13 points, six assists and six rebounds, and Lonzo Ball had 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

WHAT ARE THE BULLS DOING?

With Nikola Mirotic back in the lineup, Chicago is on a SEVEN game winning streak. They beat the Magic, 112-94, behind 15-point outings by Nikola Mirotic and Jerian Grant, and a 16-points, 10-rebound night from Denzel Valentine.

Winning is bad for a team looking to score a top-3 or better pick in the upcoming draft. There is solace in all of the winning though, or at least that’s what our resident Bulls fan wants to believe.

Who’s going to stop the Warriors?

Don’t look now, but they’ve officially got the longest winning streak in the NBA for the first time this season. They’ve won 10 in a row and could make it 11 when they play the Lakers on Friday. And here’s the kicker: They’ve done most of this work without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. This team is incredible.

I’m not sure when the next time they’ll lose is. They don’t go back on the road until 2018. The only challenge it looks like they’ll have in the next week is against the Cavaliers.

This team is hitting their stride at a great time and they’re just getting started. Watch out, Houston, here they come.

J. Cole showed up for Dennis Smith, Jr.

And he got super excited when he made this tough shot.

Dennis Smith Jr. nails the bucket and J. Cole approves #NBARooks http://pic.twitter.com/1v61uGVxeg

— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) December 21, 2017

Smith showed out for the Mavericks with 15 points, five assists and five rebounds for the Mavericks in a win over the Pistons with Cole in the crowd. The two North Carolina natives are both from Fayetteville, so you know it’s all love.

Fayetteville NC proud, @Dennis1SmithJr and @JColeNC. http://pic.twitter.com/hxkSmgDxgg

— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) December 21, 2017

Now, if only Cole would drop an album.

Russell Westbrook: Still a great dunker

RUSSELL WESTBROOK. http://pic.twitter.com/QIt4KJJMjz

— Bonner MVP (@BonnerMVP) December 21, 2017

NBA rims should fear this man.

More

James Harden cooked up four Lakers defenders in one half.

Jayson Tatum’s dislocated finger looks SO awful. But he’s all good, though.

Isaiah Thomas looked so hurt after he was traded.

Zach LaVine surprised a young fan with an adorable new puppy

Lonzo Ball slipped into Kyle Kuzma and it was hilarious

James Harden was unstoppable on his way to 30 first half points

Kyle Kuzma’s sublime performance should have Lakers fans excited

Klay Thompson looked unstoppable to start against the Grizzlies

Scores

Raptors 129, Hornets 111 (Raptors HQ recap | At the Hive recap)

Pacers 105, Hawks 95 (Indy Cornrows recap | Peachtree Hoops recap)

Heat 90, Celtics 89 (Hot Hot Hoops recap | Celtics Blog recap)

Kings 104, Nets 99 (Sactown Royalty recap | Nets Daily recap)

Bulls 112, Magic 94 (Blog a Bull recap | Orlando Pinstripe Post recap)

Lakers 122, Rockets 116 (Silver Screen and Roll recap | The Dream Shake recap)

Thunder 107, Jazz 79 (WTLC recap | SLC Dunk recap)

Mavericks 110, Pistons 93 (Mavs Moneyball recap | Detroit Bad Boys recap)

Timberwolves 112, Nuggets 104 (Canis Hoopus recap | Denver Stiffs recap)

Spurs 93, Trail Blazers 91 (Pounding the Rock recap | Blazers Edge recap)

Warriors 97, Grizzlies 84(Golden State of Mind recap)

Clippers 108, Suns 95 (Bright Side of the Sun recap)

[junker-town]

NBA scores 2017: Manu Ginobili isn’t done having Manu moments, and 7 more things from Friday

Ginobili will never stop being him.

Watching Manu Ginobili is 2017 is a strange thing. For a decade, he felt like a post-modern sign of things to come. His game always had a futuristic feel to it, with his rainbow three-pointers and craftiness around the rim. It’s weird to see him in a league that has adopted all of his tricks.

Well, not all of them. Ginobili proved that on Friday, as he buried a game-winning three-pointer against the Boston Celtics to push the San Antonio Spurs past them. The Spurs are still treading water while Kawhi Leonard’s return is imminent, but Ginobili didn’t allow that to disrupt them thanks to this skyscraping triple that pushed San Antonio ahead for good.

Manu stole an offensive rebound, then he did thishttp://pic.twitter.com/4PHZ3mm67Y

— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) December 9, 2017

Ginobili’s still here. In fact, he’s more here than the previous two seasons, averaging nearly 21 minutes and 8.3 points per game. After two seasons shooting 39 percent from deep, Ginobili’s efficiency behind the arc is down. He’s only played 21 games, so that might just be a small sample size problem — we’ll see if Ginobili can pick things up once Leonard returns. Still, it’s adequate for a player who is currently 40 — FORTY — years old.

You could argue that it was Manu Ginobili who truly introduced the Eurostep into this league, and now it’s something that even lumbering big men pull off with ease. His overall craftiness still translates to 2017. His bald spot has grown into a bald head, something that truly signals his age. And clearly, his clutch three-pointers have survived the years — this is far from the first one that he has knocked down in a crucial moment.

The rest of the league has become more like Manu Ginobili, but don’t think for a second that Ginobili still isn’t just as special.

Cleveland’s streak has finally been snapped!

I’ll let LeBron James eulogy this one.

"Listen, that was a good streak," James told reporters. "We never talked about it, we just played each game, executed each game. Streaks are meant to be broken, obviously. We came in, we knew this was going to be a tough game for us, they've been playing extremely well at home. But we gave ourselves a chance. That's all you can ask for. Best thing about this league is you always, most of the time you've got another one less than 24 hours. We definitely have that."

Of course it was the Indiana Pacers, who have survived all preseason expectations and turned into a fun, lively crew who might even make the playoffs. Who knows! LeBron James still had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, but he was somehow outplayed by Victor Oladipo’s 33 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

I’m still worried about Jae Crowder, who has been a shell of his Boston self with the Cavaliers. He shot 1-of-7 in the starting line up on Friday. He hasn’t scored double figures in four games.

Jaylen Brown is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Proof:

Jaylen (Abdul-Ja)Brown http://pic.twitter.com/UWrkacbuB7

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 9, 2017

Jaylen Brown can also JUMP

CONFIRMED: Jaylen Brown can jump. http://pic.twitter.com/fYrSz2Y1XI

— NBA (@NBA) December 9, 2017

This is confirmed.

The Warriors held on against Detroit

Golden State hasn’t been swept by any team since Charlotte during the 2013-14 season. The Pistons had beat the Warriors earlier in the year, so technically, they could be the first team in four seasons to do so. They came within five points of it!

... but no, the Warriors won 102-98 against the Pistons on Friday. Kevin Durant had 36 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists while Stephen Curry remains out. He also had five more blocks! Man, Durant is in a groove and that is scary.

"Where I'm from bullies get bullied. In my hood bullies get bullied.”

Z-Bo to Cousins: "Where I'm from bullies get bullied. In my hood bullies get bullied." http://pic.twitter.com/17Pq9Pu8Ep

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 9, 2017

Zach Randolph ain’t taking s*** from DeMarcus Cousins, that much is clear.

This Giannis dunk ain’t fair ...

Was this ........ a pass?

Just like they drew it up http://pic.twitter.com/cbNkEwvyab

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 9, 2017

I don’t think this was intentional, but it sure doesn’t look like a normal shot, either.

Friday’s NBA scores

Bulls 119, Hornets 111 (Blog a Bull recap | At the Hive recap)

Warriors 102, Pistons 98 (Golden State of Mind recap | Detroit Bad Boys recap)

Pacers 106, Cavaliers 102 (Indy Cornrows recap | Fear the Sword recap)

Nuggets 103, Magic 89 (Denver Stiffs recap | Orlando Pinstriped Post recap)

Raptors 116, Grizzlies 107 (Raptors HQ recap | Grizzly Bear Blues recap)

Bucks 109, Mavericks 102 (Brew Hoop recap | Mavs Moneyball recap)

Kings 116, Pelicans 109 (Sactown Royalty recap | The Bird Writes recap)

Spurs 105, Celtics 102 (Pounding the Rock recap | Celtics Blog recap)

[junker-town]

NBA Scores 2017: Steven Adams went perfect to beat the Timberwolves & 6 other things from Friday night

The Thunder still don’t look right, though.

The Thunder finally beat the Timberwolves in the teams’ third matchup of the season, 111-107. It was a win that might silence some critics of the underperforming 9-12 team — at least temporarily.

This win answered few, if any questions though, as Steven Adams’ 11-of-11 shooting night for 27 points propelled OKC to the win along with Paul George’s 36 on 10-of-21 shooting. The Thunder won’t expect that type of offensive contribution from Adams on a nightly basis.

Russell Westbrook was still Russell Westbrook with a near-triple double on 15 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds. But he took 21 shots and missed 15 of them, turning the ball over seven times. Carmelo Anthony had a forgettable night of his own with just nine points on 4-of-7 shooting.

OKC’s “Big 3” still hasn’t meshed, and a quarter of the way through the season, that’s concerning. Something is going to have to change for this team to propel itself among the elites, but for now, the Thunder’s defense is keeping playoff hopes alive.

For now, they can enjoy a win over another playoff-caliber Timberwolves squad. And hopefully rewatch Adams’ mini euro-step on repeat.

The EuroStep. New Zealand style. http://pic.twitter.com/P9NLgzZatm

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 2, 2017

Donovan Mitchell went for FOURTY-ONE (41!) points

The Jazz beat the Pelicans, 114-108, behind a 41-point night from their rookie, Donovan Mitchell. That’s the most points in a single game by a rookie since Blake Griffin, and he did it shooting 52 percent from the field.

Donovan Mitchell dropped 41! It’s a new Jazz rookie record

A post shared by Sports Blog Nation (@sbnation) on Dec 1, 2017 at 8:32pm PST

Please watch how he did it:

Donovan Mitchell: 41p/4a/4r (Broke Darrell Griffith's rookie scoring record tonight) #ROTY http://pic.twitter.com/qF8RE6Y6RU

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 2, 2017

Anthony Davis got hurt?! [frowning face]

Here’s the play.

Davis just collapsed without contact, although it’s possible he was hurt on a previous play. Davis played 75 games last season, the most of his career, and an injury now while the Pelicans are sitting pretty as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference would be terrible timing.

It’s good that it’s not a knee or ankle, though, so hopefully this is an injury that isn’t as serious as it appeared.

Superstars, you’re gonna get ejected, sorry

On Tuesday, LeBron James got ejected for the first time in his career. On Wednesday, it was Davis who got the boot. Now, on Friday, Kevin Durant was thrown out of a game — once again off a single technical when it seemed like the referee might be jumping the gun.

Kevin Durant ejected in the 4th Quarter http://pic.twitter.com/idEBuIs4UY

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 2, 2017

Is the NBA cracking down on this? It seems like it. After all, twice is a coincidence but three times is a trend.

LOOK. AT. THE. GAMES.

Stephen Curry passed Jason Kidd in made three-point field goals on Friday, but please, look carefully at this graphic.

Stephen Curry need two three-pointers to move past Jason Kidd for 8th on the all-time list. Tonight is Curry's 595th game; Kidd played 1,391 in his career. http://pic.twitter.com/wg9tY2t3AW

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 2, 2017

Curry changed this sport. This is what people mean when they say that.

More Stuff:

Nikola Jokic is out “several games” after spraining his ankle

Nicolas Batum’s inbounds pass hit Josh Richardson right in the nuts

Friday’s scores

Warriors 133, Magic 112 (Golden State of Mind recap | Orlando Pinstriped Post recap)

Wizards 109, Pistons 91 (Bullets Forever recap)

Raptors 120, Pacers 115 (Raptors HQ recap | Indy Cornrows recap)

Heat 105, Hornets 100 (Hot Hot Hoops recap | At the Hive recap)

Kings 107, Bulls 106 (Sactown Royalty recap | Blog a Bull recap)

Spurs 95, Grizzlies 79 (Pounding the Rock recap | Grizzly Bear Blues recap)

Thunder 111, Timberwolves 107 (Welcome to Loud City recap | Canis Hoopus recap)

Jazz 114, Pelicans 108 (SLC Dunk recap | The Bird Writes recap)

[junker-town]

NBA scores 2017: Kemba Walker’s incredible night turned sour and 4 more things from Friday night

Walker had 47 points and missed the game-winning layup. UNFORTUNATE.

Kemba Walker scored 52 points while nearly recording a triple double (nine rebounds, eight assists) last season. It’s the only game that could really compete with Friday, where Walker had another performance of his life. He scored 47 points on extreme efficiency — 17-of-27 shooting with five triples — while notching six rebounds and five assists. Walker, for nearly 48 minutes, was damn near unstoppable.

Unfortunately, Walker will never be able to look back on this showing with a clear conscious. Down by one point and with seconds left, Walker shook his man, drove into the lane, and attempted a layup he has hit a hundred times — not an easy one, but a make-able one. It hit backboard, rolled around on the rim, and fell off. The Hornets lost 103-100 because of that miss.

Kemba Walker missed the game-winning layup... Bulls win http://pic.twitter.com/SQHhdcG2RA

— NBAFL⚡️SH (@TheNBAFlash) November 18, 2017

Players sometimes miss layups. Without Walker’s 47 points preceding this moment, would the Hornets even have had a chance against Chicago? The Bulls aren’t an intimidating opponent, necessarily, but they had two unexpected 20-plus scorers (27 from Justin Holiday and 22 from Kris Dunn). Sometimes, you get unlucky.

Still, it’s Kemba, and misses like this are haunting. He’ll just have to drop 49 next game.

Oh no, the Clippers

Los Angeles lost their seventh straight game on Friday, which almost perfectly coincides with Danilo Gallinari’s absence from the lineup. (He has missed five straight games.) In another situation, an overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers would be ripe picking grounds for a moral victory. But there are no moral victories during a seven-game losing streak, nor this Cavaliers team, which has limped through the regular season despite LeBron James still being amazing. (He had 39 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists on Friday.)

Gallinari is crucial to this team. The shooting and scoring he provides for about 30 minutes per night are essential and not really replaceable by the rest of the roster. Unfortunately, he is injury prone, and this simply isn’t a surprise.

Oh no, Austin Rivers

NOT IN FRONT OF DAD.

@KingJames http://pic.twitter.com/GENsXguzrl

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 18, 2017

Oh no, Anthony Davis

The big man left the game with concussion-like symptoms. You know how he has an injury-prone label? Davis actually played 75 games last season, but he hasn’t quite shed that reputation just yet. Hopefully this is a minor concussion and a swift recovery.

Oh wow, another Brooklyn find in the rough

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 25 points while shooting 6-of-10 on three-pointers and added eight assists, too. The Nets have been good at finding these overlooked players who they can develop into decent players, and the 24-year-old Dinwiddie had bounced out of Detroit and floated around the league before the Nets targeted him. He hasn’t been perfect this season, but performances like this make you think he’ll figure it out and spent a decade playing basketball at this level.

Oh, Gregg Popovich

Pop just called all 3 referees blind, I'm cracking up http://pic.twitter.com/aIzFmqDurM

— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) November 18, 2017

I inherently believe everything Gregg Popovich says, so those referees really must have been blind.

Friday’s final scores

Timberwolves 111, Mavericks 87 (Canis Hoopus recap | Mavs Moneyball recap)

Spurs 104, Thunder 101 (Pounding the Rock recap | Welcome to Loud City recap)

Bulls 123, Hornets 120 (Blog a Bull recap | At the Hive recap)

Raptors 107, Knicks 84 (Raptors HQ recap | Posting & Toasting recap)

Cavaliers 118, Clippers 113 (Fear the Sword recap | Clips Nation recap)

Nets 118, Jazz 107 (Nets Daily recap | SLC Dunk recap)

Heat 91, Wizards 88 (Hot Hot Hoops recap | Bullets Forever recap)

Pacers 107, Pistons 100 (Indy Cornrows recap | Detroit Bad Boys recap)

Kings 86, Trail Blazers 82 (Sactown Royalty recap | Blazer’s Edge recap)

Nuggets 146, Pelicans 114 (Denver Stiffs recap | The Bird Writes recap)

Suns 122, Lakers 113 (Bright Side of the Son recap | Silver Screen & Roll recap)

[junker-town]

NBA scores 2017: Everyone gets a 40-point game, and 6 more things from Wednesday night

Khris Middleton? T.J. Warren? Wednesday gave us two unexpected 40-point games and some more fascinating storylines.

Bucks guard Khris Middleton scored a career-high 43 points while T.J. Warren dropped 40 himself, also a career high. It’s a random Wednesday night in the league — is the season still too new to call things random? maybe? — and we added two new 40-point scorers to the club. Please never leave us ever again NBA.

Middleton’s scoring outburst came as Giannis Antetokounmpo and his MVP campaign briefly faltered — Antetokounmpo only scored 14 points. The Bucks lost 126-121, but Middleton acquitted himself well.

For Warren, his performance helped led a comeback against the Washington Wizards. The Suns are 4-4 this season! They lost their first three games, including two by 40-plus points, but after Eric Gordon was sent home and Earl Watson was fired, Phoenix is making it work. This will cool off — they’ve currently won four out of their last five, and that obviously won’t last. But it’s an impressive, unexpected feat.

Cavaliers still can’t — won’t? — play defense

Cleveland lost again, this time to the Indiana Pacers. That’s not good. That’s actively bad. They lost 124-107, and the 17-point loss was their fourth by 15-plus points in their eight games so far this season. For a supposed title contender, that’s awful!

The Suns have more wins than them. I wrote this:

I wrote that the Cavaliers were hot garbage a few days ago, and I will confirm that yes, they are still hot garbage. I don’t know why J.R. Smith can’t shoot worth a damn right now, or why Jae Crowder has been so bad. I’m not surprised that Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose aren’t great — Rose was actually the only non-LeBron player who was good offensively on Wednesday, but his defense is still painful — but there are roles that the Cavaliers can fit them into and have them be productive. In theory, at least.

Kris Dunn even impressed Zach LaVine with a dunk

Here’s the dunk.

Kris Dunn brought the heat! http://pic.twitter.com/Wk5WNXwkhw

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 2, 2017

Here’s the reaction.

— Zach LaVine (@ZachLaVine) November 2, 2017

LaVine won a couple Dunk Contests, y’know.

Blake Griffin, dark horse MVP candidate

Griffin had 20 points, seven assists, and six rebounds on Wednesday on 7-of-12 shooting. He only needed to play 28 minutes in a Clippers blowout of Dallas, after all.

His numbers don’t compare to the top of the league, but Griffin has increasingly shown his jumper — at least two made threes in every game so far — and has free range to use his wide repertoire of other skills, too, in Chris Paul’s absence.

I’m not saying Griffin will win MVP. He almost certainly won’t. But it’s possible, if some good fortune came his way, and that’s probably more than the odds gave him before the season.

An extremely Joel Embiid line

Embiid: 21 points, 9-of-16 shooting, 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals, three blocks.

The 76ers won, and there was this Ben Simmons dunk, too.

Ben Simmons tallies a near triple-double (19 PTS, 13 REBS, 9 ASTS) to give the @sixers the win over the @ATLHawks, 119-109!#NBARooks http://pic.twitter.com/9VL4GXspUS

— NBA (@NBA) November 2, 2017

WHEW.

Malik Monk went OFF

He scored 14 points in four minutes, in the fourth quarter of a close game!

LeBron vs. Lance back!

Lance Stephenson got a flagrant 1 for this shot to LeBron's groin. http://pic.twitter.com/nFs0o9lyTY

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 2, 2017

Wednesday’s scores

Hornets 126, Bucks 121 (At the Hive recap | Brew Hoop recap)

Pacers 124, Cavaliers 107 (Indy Cornrows recap | Fear the Sword recap)

76ers 119, Hawks 109 (Liberty Ballers recap | Peachtree Hoops recap)

Suns 122, Wizards 116 (Bright Side of the Sun recap | Bullets Forever recap)

Celtics 113, Kings 86 (Celtics Blog recap | Sactown Royalty recap)

Heat 97, Bulls 91 (Hot Hot Hoops recap | Blog a Bull recap)

Rockets 119, Knicks 97 (The Dream Shake recap | Posting & Toasting recap)

Magic 101, Grizzlies 99 (Orlando Pinstriped Post recap | Grizzly Bear Blues recap)

Timberwolves 104, Pelicans 98 (Canis Hoopus recap | The Bird Writes recap)

Nuggets 129, Raptors 111 (Denver Stiffs recap | Raptors HQ recap)

Jazz 112, Trail Blazers 103 (SLC Dunk recap | Blazer’s Edge recap)

Clippers 119, Mavericks 98 (Clips Nation recap | Mavs Moneyball recap)

[junker-town]

NBA scores 2017: The Warriors can still flip the switch and beat anybody

Golden State is fine, and they showed that Wednesday.

Oh, the Warriors are fine.

Since losing five games in seven games that had everyone in a panic, they’ve rebounded to win nine straight outings. (The turning point must have been Klay Thompson signing a toaster.) On Wednesday, Golden State basically spotted the Spurs the first quarter and a 22-point lead, before roaring back in one of the most dominant showings we’ve seen from them in months.

The two team’s last meeting had been the flashpoint for a league-wide talking point, after the top players on each side sat due to rest and injury. The NBA hated it, wanting their product shown at its best on national television. While it wasn’t an overtime thriller, that happened on Wednesday. It just wasn’t an equal distribution of wealth — for a quarter and a half or so, the Spurs were at their best. For the rest of it, Golden State took over.

The loss will almost certainly keep San Antonio from the overall No. 1 seed, something that briefly appeared to be in reach after Golden State’s brief burnout and the Spurs walloping them in that now notorious rest game. But as quickly as the Spurs have drawn close, they’ve fallen back off — and this game was the death knell. With seven games remaining, Golden State has a two-game cushion, even if the Spurs are perfect. (If they’re not, the Warriors have even more flexibility.)

Who knows why it took so long for Golden State to heat up, but they did. It took more than four minutes for the Warriors to score, and at one point, they were 1-of-11 shooting the basketball for five turnovers. Well, the rest of the game, the Warriors shot 42-of-73 (58 percent).

It wasn’t a peak Golden State performance, and that’s somewhat scary. Obviously, Kevin Durant remains out, with the latest news predicting a return during the team’s final three home games. Draymond Green was miserable, especially early on but barely improving after that. He finished with four points on four field goal attempts, with four assists stacked up against seven turnovers.

But the rest of the Warriors were enough on Wednesday. Stephen Curry had 29 points while Klay Thompson heated up late for 23 of his own. Golden State’s bench may be ragtag, and you can never really know what to expect from them, but they came alive on Wednesday, too. David West had his best game in a Warriors uniform, setting season highs with 22 minutes and 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting. West has been a steady part of the rotation of late, but he was also mothballed for a stretch earlier this year. His emergence can mean nothing but good things for the Warriors.

Andre Iguodala came alive for 14 crucial points, too. Many of his came in the first half, keeping the game close and refusing to let San Antonio run away with it. They didn’t, thanks to his efforts, and the Warriors firmly closed out the game in the second half.

It feels like we’ve been viewing the Warriors more existentially with each passing week, but those times are over. Oh that’s right. Golden State is still a deadly basketball machine built to truck your favorite team. Oh, guess what. They’ve won nine straight and looked like this without Kevin Durant, whose return is likely imminent.

If for even a moment, you wondered if the Warriors could still flip the switch, they can. We just saw it.

Around the rest of the league

Russell Westbrook did his whole “oh hey look I deserve the MVP” thing again, with a 57-point triple-double and 19 points in the final seven minutes to help the Warriors win a basketball game against Orlando. Yes, that’s a FIFTY-SEVEN point triple-double. Yes, HERE’S the game-tying three-pointer he hit with seconds left in the fourth quarter.

(Reminder: Westbrook literally did this last game, too, scoring 12 points in the final 3:30 for a nearly impossible comeback vs. Dallas. I wrote about it here.)

I’m curious to see how James Harden responds in his final game against the Warriors on Friday, which is a nationally televised affair. I still think Harden has the tiniest bit of an edge for me in the MVP race, but one thing he’s lacking is clear “MVP moments.” Why we need MVP moments is a bit silly, since the only thing that should matter is a player’s front-to-back performance throughout a season. But here we are, and that’s why Kawhi Leonard earned so much buzz for his go-ahead three plus game-saving block against Houston earlier this month. Harden has been terrible in three games against Golden State, but maybe something on Friday can allow him to show how good his season has been.

Then again, it’s not like Westbrook has been good going up against Golden State, either, so this is probably unfair. Just like it’s unfair to look at Westbrook’s absurd fourth quarter comebacks, when Harden has the Rockets playing well enough that they don’t need many absurd fourth quarter comebacks. And here’s the impossible dilemma of the MVP race, and why teammates inevitably impact each player’s candidacy.

The impossible to understand Clippers won again, this time a high-scoring affair against Washington that featured 41 points from John Wall in a loss. Four Clippers scored 23 points or more.

Wednesday’s final scores

Pelicans 121, Mavericks 118 (The Bird Writes recap | Mavs Moneyball recap)

Hawks 99, 76ers 92 (Peachtree Hoops recap | Liberty Ballers recap)

Thunder 114, Magic 106 (Welcome to Loud City recap | Orlando Pinstriped Post recap)

Bucks 103, Celtics 100 (Brew Hoop recap | Celtics Blog recap)

Hornets 110, Raptors 106 (At the Hive recap | Raptors HQ recap)

Heat 105, Knicks 88 (Hot Hot Hoops recap | Posting & Toasting recap)

Grizzlies 110, Pacers 97 (Grizzly Bear Blues recap | Indy Cornrows recap)

Warriors 110, Spurs 98 (Golden State of Mind recap | Pounding the Rock recap)

Clippers 133, Wizards 124 (Clips Nation recap | Bullets Forever recap)

Jazz 112, Kings 82 (SLC Dunk recap | Sactown Royalty recap)

[junker-town]

NBA scores 2017: Cavaliers spoil Saturday night by resting their Big 3, and you really can’t blame them

The Cavaliers rested their big three, but the NBA’s rough scheduling didn’t leave them much of an option.

For the second week in a row, ABC’s nationally televised NBA game featured a powerhouse team sitting its starters due to rest.

Last week, the Golden State Warriors rested Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green against a San Antonio Spurs team lacking star power due to legitimate injury (LaMarcus Aldridge - heart; Kawhi Leonard - concussion protocol; Tony Parker - back).

The Warriors lost that game, 107-85, and shot 36 percent from the field.

On Saturday, the Cleveland Cavaliers sat LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to rest up in the first game of a back-to-back. Kyle Korver is out with a foot injury.

Instead, they trotted out a lineup of Deron Williams, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye and Tristan Thompson against a fully healthy Los Angeles Clippers team.

More over, the Cavaliers didn’t announce they were resting their stars until just moments before tip-off. That prompted a call from the NBA league office to team general manager David Griffin.

When did the league call? Griff: "Seven minutes after it was announced. Yeah, they were not happy."

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) March 19, 2017

Cleveland rested its big three for a reason.

The Cavaliers had a grueling stretch of games coming into their Saturday night loss to the Clippers. Just six days ago, Cleveland finished its second game of a back-to-back: a fast-paced matchup against James Harden and the Houston Rockets — a game where James and Irving played a combined 77 minutes and still lost, 117-112.

The defending champs never got a break. Between March 11 and March 18, the Cavaliers played five games with a sixth looming against the Lakers on March 19. The next tidbit of information likely made the decision even easier.

A Utah School of Medicine study cited in an ESPN TrueHoop report by Tom Haberstroh found that back-to-back games on the road yield 3.5 times more in-game injuries than those played at home. Cleveland’s upcoming Sunday matchup against the Lakers is their second set of road back-to-backs in a week. With that knowledge, it wouldn’t have taken a sports doctor to pinpoint Saturday’s game against a hungry Clippers team as a day for optimal rest.

The NBA took a step forward slashing the number of back-to-back games this season, but expecting players to play two sets of back-to-backs in a nine-day span without adequate rest time in-between is borderline negligence.

It just so happened this game was nationally televised.

The lackluster lineup provided the most stale matchup of the NBA season.

Cleveland and Los Angeles combined for 30 first-quarter points before the Clippers pulled away and made a mockery of their opponents in a 108-78 rout. Jamal Crawford scored 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting, toying with his possessions much of the game.

Had it not been for a Blake Griffin put-back dunk off of a missed DeAndre Jordan free throw, Saturday night’s headliner would have been without a highlight. Even the Staples Center crowd pandered for The King to play.

Cavs fans chanting "We want LeBron!" during Clippers-Cavs: http://pic.twitter.com/KwAk7CSUUk

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) March 19, 2017

The Cavaliers’ big three are expected to play in their Sunday matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. They’ll exact their revenge against a Lakers team that may as well start its worst five players.

James Harden picked up his seventh 40-point triple double

... And the NBA picked out the best moments of all those games in a video they tweeted last night. Harden scored 18 points in the third quarter and finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on the night.

The best from James Harden's SEVEN 40+ point TRIPLE-DOUBLES!#Rockets50 http://pic.twitter.com/UMAWnFiZj5

— NBA (@NBA) March 19, 2017

Russell Westbrook hit us with another beautiful dime

Russell Westbrook threads the needle to Roberson for the SLAM!#AssistOfTheNight http://pic.twitter.com/y2Hq90ckQg

— NBA (@NBA) March 19, 2017

Westbrook fell short of a triple double, though, with only eight rebounds to go with his 28 points and 10 assists.

Steph Curry drilled a three from the logo

Casual. #DubNation http://pic.twitter.com/9qLq1bTZ8I

— NBA (@NBA) March 19, 2017

Wow. Just wow.

Saturday’s top performances

James Harden: 40 points (11-of-23 shooting), 10 assists, 10 rebounds

Harden hardened his case for MVP with yet another 40-point triple double to lead the Rockets to a win over a tough Denver Nuggets team on Saturday.

Russell Westbrook 28 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds

Westbrook fell short of a triple double, but he led the Thunder to a huge win over the Kings. Oklahoma City is breathing down the Clippers’ neck for fifth place in the West.

Jusuf Nurkic: 12 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals

Damian Lillard dropped 27 points, but Jusuf Nurkic’ all-around assault helped power Portland to a much-needed win that’s brought them within arms reach of the eighth seed.

Stephen Curry: 28 points (9-of-13 shooting, 6-of-8 on threes)

Curry was in a three-point shooting funk not too long ago, but he may have found himself rebounding with an efficient performance in a 25-point win over Milwaukee.

Final scores

Thunder 110, Kings 94 [Welcome to Loud City recap | Sactown Royalty recap]

Trail Blazers 113, Hawks 97 [Blazer’s Edge recap | Peachtree Hoops recap]

Hornets 98, Wizards 93 [At the Hive recap | Bullets Forever recap]

Clippers 108, Cavaliers 78 [Clips Nation recap | Fear the Sword recap]

Bulls 95, Jazz 86 [Blog a Bull recap | SLC Dunk recap]

Grizzlies 104, Spurs 96 [Grizzly Bear Blues recap | Pounding the Rock recap]

Rockets 109, Nuggets 105 [The Dream Shake recap | Denver Stiffs recap]

Warriors 117, Bucks 92 [Golden State of Mind recap | Brew Hoop recap]

[junker-town]

NBA scores 2017: The Wizards came back from down 21 to beat the Trail Blazers in OT, 125-124

Markieff Morris got away with stepping out of bounds before his game-winner, Portland’s guards combined for 67 points, and John Wall stole the show.

When the Portland Trail Blazers extended their lead over the Washington Wizards to 21 points in the third quarter, the game seemed out of reach. The Trail Blazers have been desperate for wins since the All-Star break, having won their last four games.

A win on Saturday would have brought them closer to reaching the Denver Nuggets for the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoff picture. But the Wizards fought back and made an improbable fourth quarter push to force overtime before coming away with a 125-124 win on the road that included a controversial ending.

Wizards forward Markieff Morris stepped out of bounds shortly before hitting a game-winning jump shot with 0.4 seconds remaining, but officials were unable to review the play because the rulebook does not permit it. Damian Lillard missed a near half-court heave on the ensuing possession.

Still, games are not won or lost on the final possession, especially when a team blows a 21-point lead.

John Wall powered Washington with 39 points on 13-of-23 shooting from the field. He finished with nine assists, diming five other players to score in double figures. Bradley Beal also helped pick apart the Trail Blazers defense for 26 points on five-of-10 shooting, and Washington outscored Portland by 27 with Marcin Gortat on the floor.

The Wizards won despite a monstrous effort from Lillard and C.J. McCollum, who combined for 67 points on 26-of-50 shooting. Skilled big man Jusuf Nurkic got into foul trouble and only posted seven points and seven rebounds, though he was able to block three shots in his 28 minutes on the floor.

Washington (41-24) has been one of the NBA’s hottest teams and is now only 2.5 behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed. Portland (28-36) falls to two games behind the Denver Nuggets, clinging onto the West’s eighth seed.

Russell Westbrook moved past Wilt Chamberlain in triple doubles in a season

Russell The Hustle Westbrook. http://pic.twitter.com/TBma7wPz5D

— NBA (@NBA) March 12, 2017

Westbrook nearly lost his standing averaging a triple double last week. He responded by blasting the stat sheets on Saturday in a win over Utah.

The MVP candidate posted 33 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists to record his 32nd triple double of the season. Doing so, he moved past Wilt Chamberlain for the second-most triple doubles in a season in NBA history. The only person left to pass is Oscar Robertson — the only person in league history to average a triple double over an entire season.

LeBron James recorded a career-best ninth triple double

Throw it anywhere near LeBron and you're http://pic.twitter.com/kY3o8YxVKc

— NBA (@NBA) March 12, 2017

Russell Westbrook is making headlines for his triple double rampage this season, but he isn’t the only player stuffing stat sheets this season. James racked up his ninth triple double of the season in Cleveland’s 116-104 win over Orlando on Saturday.

His ninth triple double marks the most he’s had in a season, ever. That’s just another milestone for the King as he presses onward toward repeating as an NBA champion.

Devin Booker hit a buzzer-beater to bury the Mavericks

BOOKER CALLS GAME#WeArePHX http://pic.twitter.com/dTxPEfSgGl

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 12, 2017

Some players are just born with the clutch gene, and the jury is still out on Devin Booker. But he made his case for the designation on Saturday, when he drilled his second game-winner of the season over Wesley Matthews.

Booker scored 36 points and scored Phoenix’s last eight points. If that ain’t clutch, what is?

This isn’t NBA but you should see this poster dunk, too

You’ve probably never heard of Deondre Burton. He’s a dunker at Iowa State, and he absolutely obliterated a defender as his Cyclones claimed the Big 12 Tournament championship on Saturday.

If that doesn’t do it for you, here’s another angle.

Deonte Burton. Get hyped, stay hyped. Dunk you very much. http://pic.twitter.com/cNu1ZdUYLv

— Troy Machir (@TroyMachir) March 12, 2017

My goodness.

Saturday’s top performances

Russell Westbrook: 33 points (9-of-26 shooting), 11 rebounds, 14 assists

Westbrook picked up his 32nd triple double and a win over Utah in the same night. If he keeps it up, he’ll be well on his way to surpassing Oscar Robertson.

LeBron James: 24 points (8-of-14 shooting), 12 rebounds, 13 assists

James picked up his ninth triple double of the season. It’s amazing to think he hasn’t had a season with this many before. It’s also amazing that he’s doing this at 32 years old.

Anthony Davis: 46 points (18-of-31 shooting), 21 rebounds

The Pelicans are still figuring out how to mesh DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis together. Until then, Davis posting video game-like stat lines will help them string some wins together.

John Wall: 39 points (13-of-23 shooting), 9 assists

Wall calmly helped the Wizards erase a 21-point deficit in a comeback victory over Portland.

Devin Booker: 36 points (12-of-20 shooting)

Booker drilled a game winner over Wesley Matthews, who’s no shabby defender. If this is a sign of things to come, Phoenix could have a gem on its hands.

Other notables: Karl-Anthony Towns: 35 points (14-of-21 shooting), 14 rebounds, 2 blocks; Chris Paul: 30 points (20 in the second half)

Final scores

Thunder 112, Jazz 104 [Welcome to Loud City recap | SLC Dunk recap]

Clippers 112, 76ers 100 [Clips Nation recap | Liberty Ballers recap]

Pistons 112, Knicks 92 [Detroit Bad Boys recap | Posting and Toasting recap]

Pelicans 125, Hornets 122 OT [The Bird Writes recap | At the Hive recap]

Cavaliers 116, Magic 104 [Fear the Sword recap | Orlando Pinstriped Post recap]

Bucks 102, Timberwolves 95 [Brew Hoop recap | Canis Hoopus recap]

Heat 104, Raptors 89 [Hot Hot Hoops recap | Raptors HQ recap]

Spurs 107, Warriors 85 [Pounding the Rock recap | Golden State of Mind recap]

Hawks 107, Grizzlies 90 [Peachtree Hoops recap | Grizzly Bear Blues recap]

Suns 100, Mavericks 98 [Bright Side of the Sun recap | Mavs Moneyball recap]

Nuggets 105, Kings 92 [Denver Stiffs recap | Sactown Royalty recap]

Wizards 125, Trail Blazers 124 OT [Blazer’s Edge recap | Bullets Forever recap]