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NBA winners and losers: Three-point history is made in multiple ways, 76ers seem cursed, Bronny James goes out

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It’s not every weekend you see a NBA set of records. It’s even more special when you see two records set, one of which is immediately broken two nights later. And, since we’re talking about the modern NBA, of course, those records involved three-point shots.

We’ll get to the details a little later, but the Mavericks, Warriors, Jazz, Suns, Bulls and Hornets all entered the record books this weekend for different reasons as teams continue to shoot from deep at historic levels.

Wait, did I bury the lede here? The NBA Cup, baby.!

The Thunder, Bucks, Rockets and Hawks put on a show in Las Vegas that would give Criss Angel a run for his money. In the end, Oklahoma City and Milwaukee emerged to set up a Tuesday showdown for the trophy that Sopranos kid really seems to want for some reason.

While we wait to see whether or not George Clooney and Brad Pitt show up, let’s take a look at some of the weekend’s winners and losers.

Winner: NBA trade season!

As fantasy football Unfortunately it ends for most of us (nice 3.4, Cade Otton…smh), the good news is that transactions in the NBA are just heating up. The shopping season officially began on Saturdaywhen news broke that the Warriors were bringing in Nets guard Dennis Schroder in exchange for injured guard De’Anthony Melton, a pair of second-round picks and Santa Cruz Warriors legend Reece Beekman. Nets G League player Jacky Cui, who tore his ACL last Wednesday, was released to make room for Beekman. Hard hit.

While Schroder will certainly help the Warriors in the short term, there is also speculation that could be used in another deal in the futureperhaps for a superstar whose name rhymes with Timmy Truckler. And isn’t that what change season is all about? We can’t even discuss a deal that’s already been made without recklessly speculating about what’s next.

Schroder is the first major chip to fall before the February 6 trade deadline, but he certainly won’t be the last. Stay tuned.

Loser: 76ers (again)

Just when you think things are starting to change in Philadelphia, Joel Embiid makes his last trip to the injury report thanks to a broken sinus he suffered when he was inadvertently hit in the face by a high-flying Bennedict Mathurin in Friday’s loss to the Pacers. As if that weren’t enough, rookie sensation Jared McCain, one of the 76ers’ few consistent bright spots this season, is expected to have knee surgery and missing an extended period after an awkward fall in the same game.

The Sixers have enough talent that if they all finally get on the court together for a significant period, they could make a lot of noise in the Eastern Conference. But at this point, whether you believe in curses or not, it’s fair to wonder if that will ever happen.

Winner: Ballin’ Bronny

Less than two months into his NBA career, Bronny James has already faced more criticism (some justified, most unjustified) than most players experience in their entire career. So no matter how you feel about where and how he was selected, you have to respect when he accomplishes something impressive.

Playing in his first G League road game on Friday night, James scored 30 points in 25 minutes in the South Bay Lakers’ 106-100 loss to the Valley Suns, making 13 of 23 field goals, including 3 of 9 from triples. range. The 20-year-old player added three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block.

James only has an NBA basket in 18 minutes total, but he’s put up solid numbers so far in the G League, averaging 14.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in five games. This is the goal of sending him to the G League. He can get reps, occasionally be the featured offensive center, and overcome his mistakes in the hopes that one day he can contribute significantly to the Lakers. A 30-point game is a positive step in that direction.

Loser: United Center tires

There have been some scary movies about Friday the 13th, but nothing could be more horrifying than the display the Hornets and Bulls put on last Friday (December 13). The two teams combined to miss 75 three-pointers in a single game. Let me say it again: They missed SEVENTY-FIVE three-pointers, the most in a regulation NBA game. according to Nate Duncan. The good news is that the people of Chicago were able to collect all the bricks and build a three-story youth center with an Olympic-sized pool and a full-court basketball gym.

The Hornets were 8 of 46 (17%) from deep, while the Bulls set the nets on fire going 14 of 51 (27.5%) on their own court. Per league rules, someone had to win the game, so Chicago earned a 109-95 victory. Shooting boards have more red Xs than a second-grader’s calculus test.

With NBA teams By making more threes than ever, a game like this was bound to happen. It’s not like these guys are particularly bad shooters, either, as the Bulls rank eighth in the league in 3-point percentage and the Hornets 17th. But missing out is contagious, and the tires at the United Center paid the biggest price.

Winner: Chase Center Tires

While the United Center hoops licked their wounds and nursed their bruises, their Chase Center counterparts emerged in pristine condition, virtually unscathed, after the Mavericks and Warriors combined for an NBA record 48 three-pointers on Sunday night. Golden State became the first team in league history to make at least 27 3-pointers in a losing effort.

It was actually pretty funny, because the previous record of 44 had just been tied by the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns. two nights before. You really have to take advantage of your moment in the sun in the modern NBA. Seriously, there’s a good chance the Mavs-Warriors record won’t even last until the end of the season as teams continue to shoot 3-pointers at historic volume.

Loser: NBA Cup ticket sales

It’s trite and a little heavy-handed to talk about the “big market versus small market” issue in the NBA, but it simply can’t be ignored when it comes to audience and fan engagement. This weekend’s NBA Cup semifinals could have featured three of the top seven markets (according to this list I found) with New York, Dallas and Golden State. But all of those teams lost in the quarterfinals, and instead the Bucks and Thunder (two of the NBA’s bottom four markets) made it to Las Vegas, along with Atlanta and Houston (Nos. 8 and 9, respectively).

The two semi-final matches were thoroughly entertaining, but interest wasn’t exactly overwhelming, at least based on ticket sales. Before the start of the first game, you could enter the building to watch the semifinal and championship matchups for less than $100 combined.

Having these games in Las Vegas instead of local markets is a great idea and gives the entire tournament a more glitzy feel, but you run the risk of limited ticket sales (or worse, empty seats) if teams They don’t have a large number of followers.

Winner: SGA’s quick theft

Sure, MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points and took over late as he led the Thunder to the NBA Cup Final. Brilliant. What’s really impressive, however, is the fact that he had four steals in less than two minutes in the first quarter of Saturday’s win over the Rockets. It was certainly helped by Alperen Sengun apparently mistaking him for a teammate a couple of times, but we’re pretty sure this is an NBA Cup record for most steals in a two-minute span in the first fourth of a semifinal game, which will undoubtedly go straight to the top of SGA’s resume.

Unfortunately, Gilgeous-Alexander couldn’t keep up with the pace of 96 steals, but added one more to finish with five for the game. Standing at 6-foot-6 with long arms and quick hands, SGA has become a master basketball stealer in addition to all his other talents. He is currently third in the league in total steals, after finishing tied for first last season. The fact that he is the “weak link” in the Thunder’s defense makes you understand why they are the hardest team in the league to score against.

Loser: servers on the court

One of the perks of spending a lot of money to sit courtside at an NBA game is the luxury of having waiters bring you food and drinks so you don’t have to miss any of the action while you wait in line for 45 minutes. sales stall. Nachos at $26. The setup is great for spectators, but sometimes becomes dangerous for the brave servers, who are forced to navigate the tightrope of a sideline while swinging a tray full of who knows what, trying to avoid fans, players and… sometimes referees. .

Let’s go to Sunday night, when this poor server was completely destroyed by a speed official who happened to be watching the game action instead of where he was running. It’s fitting that it happened Sunday, because it was NFL-worthy. We direct your attention to the bottom of the screen.

Fortunately, everyone was unharmed from the incident, except for the adult beverages on the tray, which sadly did not survive.





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