Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his scoring spree for the Milwaukee Bucks side that is slowly climbing up the standings, while the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, and OKC Thunder are back in the winning column.
Also, the New York Knicks and LA Clippers kept rolling while the opposite can be said for the reeling Philadelphia 76ers.
ANTETOKOUNMPO GOES FOR 41 POINTS AS CAVS, WARRIORS, THUNDER, ROCKETS REGAIN WINNING FORM
- Milwaukee Bucks (6-9) def. Chicago Bulls (6-10), 122-106: For the third time this month, Giannis Antetokounmpo broke the 40-point barrier to lift the Buck past the Bulls.
[ALSO READ: Giannis Antetokounmpo wrecks havoc with 41-point outburst as Bucks thwart visiting Bulls]
- One-man wrecking freak: Antetokounmpo continued his scoring onslaught against their Central Division by dropping 25 points alone in the third frame.
That is one point short of his personal-high of 26 markers he scored in last season against the Indiana Pacers.
Brook Lopez added 21 markers while Damian Lillard tallied a second straight double-double with 20 points and 10 assists.
- Weird things in… Wisconsin?: During halftime, a lucky Bucks fan sunk a halfcourt shot from an insane bounce off the backboard to win $10,000.
A Bucks fan hit the halfcourt shot off the top of the backboard to win $10,000 💰
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 21, 2024
(via @Bucks)
In one sequence of the game, Lopez and Niokola Vucevic are involved in a possession battle and the former slap the ball so hard it went in on the Bulls’ basket.
Brook Lopez with the basket of the YEAR 😳
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) November 21, 2024
- Antetokounmpo on the Bucks slowly piling up wins: “We’re getting better. We trust one another. We're improving."
- Cleveland Cavaliers (15-1) def. New Orleans Pelicans (4-12), 128-100: Ty Jerome was a man possessed in the opening half as the NBA-best Cavaliers bounced back a day after suffering their first loss of the season.
- Tornado Ty: Jerome shot the lights out in the first 24 minutes of play, dropping 27 points and making seven threes already.
He finished with a career-high 29 as the Cavs led by as many as 34 points to remain unbeaten at home at 9-0.
All 7 of Ty Jerome's 1st-half 3-pointers:
— NBA (@NBA) November 21, 2024
🔥 27 PTS (career high)
🔥 7-10 3PM (career high)
A whole half left to play... 👀
- Golden State Warriors (11-3) def. Atlanta Hawks (7-9), 120-97: Much like the Cavs, the Warriors put the pedal to the metal early en route to a dominating rout of the Hawks.
[ALSO READ: West-leading Warriors deliver 23-point beatdown of Hawks for bounce-back win]
- Strength in Numbers: Andrew Wiggins scored 12 of his team-high 27 markers in the fourth quarter while Stephen Curry added 23 markers on just 10 shots.
Four other Warriors scored in double- digits in a game where Brandin Podziemski left the game in the final frame after getting hit in the face.
Coach Steve Kerr revealed in the post game interview that the X-rays on Podziemski's nose, which he broke in a preseason game, were negative.
- Wiggins on mindset after his season-best outing: “Got a lot of work in. Had a lot of time to myself. And feeling motivated this year and just gonna stay like that.”
“I had a great summer of work. Got a lot of work in. Had a lot of time to myself. And feeling motivated this year and just gonna stay like that.”
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) November 21, 2024
Andrew Wiggins on what’s helped him get in a groove early this season 👏
- Oklahoma City Thunder (12-4) def. Portland Trail Blazers (6-9), 109-99: The Thunder kept the pace atop of the West with a skid-stopping win against the Trail Blazers.
- Great debut gift: Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander combined for 58 points to give teammate Isaiah Hartenstein a winning season debut.
Hartenstein has been out due to a left hand injury that made him miss OKC’s first 15 games.
He came off the bench and finished with 13 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks in 29 minutes, becoming the second Thunder ever to record a double-double in his debut game.
Isaiah Hartenstein vs Portland Trail Blazers Highlights
— 𝐙 (@homahoops) November 21, 2024
13 PTS
14 REB
3 AST
4 BLK
6-12 FGM
Excellent debut for IHart in OKC. Game changer.
And of course, he got the loudest bark in Oklahoma City’s post game interview.
- Hartenstein on playing in front of the Thunder crowd for the first time: “It was special. It was very welcoming…just so easy to just let my heart out and play.”
Isaiah Hartenstein talks about the OKC crowd welcoming him in his debut 💙
— NBA (@NBA) November 21, 2024
- Houston Rockets (11-4) def. Indiana Pacers (6-9), 130-113: Alperen Sengun uncorked a season-high 31 markers alongside 11 rebounds for the Rockets’ sixth win in the last seven games.
KNICKS, CLIPPERS EXTEND WINNING STREAKS AS GRIZZLIES ADD TO SIXERS WOES
- New York Knicks (9-6) def. Phoenix Suns (9-7), 138-122: Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns torched the Suns with a combined 70-point outing for a fourth straight win.
- Knicks duo delivered: Jalen Brunson dropped 36 points built on seven threes while Towns added a 34-point,10-rebound double-double as the tandem was simply unstoppable for the Suns side, which was missing Kevin Durant for the seventh straight game.
With the Orlando Magic’s loss earlier against the Clippers, the Knicks jumped to the no.3 spot in the East at 9-6.
Without Durant, the Suns are 1-6 this season and stumbled to 9-7 for the no.7 in the West overall after starting the season 8-1.
- LA Clippers (8-7) def. Orlando Magic (9-6), 104-93: James Harden paced the Clippers with 24 points for a sixth straight home win at expense of the Magic.
- Memphis Grizzlies (9-7) def. Philadelphia 76ers (2-12), 109-99: Jaren Jackson Jr. led six Grizzlies in double figures to hand the cellar dweller Sixers their fifth straight loss.
Jackson Jr. poured 25 points on the night head coach Taylor Jenkins became the winningest coach in franchise history.
Jenkins passed Lionel Hollins by recording his 215th career victory with the team despite missing superstar Ja Morant.
Congratulations to Coach Taylor Jenkins on making Grizzlies history.
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) November 21, 2024
Presented by @RobinhoodApp
- Rough time to be a Sixer Fan: For the first time this season the trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey started for the Sixers.
Embiid had his best game of the season with 35 points but he had the brightest spot among his two other co-stars.
George exited the game after injuring his left knee early in the third frame. He did not return to the game after Philadelphia ruled him out with a left knee hyperextension.
It was the same injury the George suffered in the preseason that cost him to miss the Sixers’ first six games of the season.
BREAKING: Paul George went to the Philadelphia 76ers locker room after twisting his ankle.
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) November 21, 2024
Get well soon, PG! 🙏
Maxey returned from a six-game absence and shot poorly with a 3-of-13 clip and finished with eight points.
