Scoreboard
Hornets 123, Rockets 99
Bulls 130, Hawks 118
Timberwolves 108, Celtics 103
Jazz 110, Spurs 104
Grizzlies 114, Suns 113
Mavericks 132, Trail Blazers 117
Nets 124, Clippers 108
What went down
Ja Morant hit an extremely tough and incredibly clutch basket to propel the Grizzlies past the Suns. Morant’s hang-time game-winner with 0.5 seconds remaining capped off his 33-point outing (21 in the second half).
The upstart Grizzlies have been making noise in the Western Conference and this win over the Suns is as loud as it gets. Before Morant’s basket, Devin Booker knocked down a 3-pointer with five ticks left to give Phoenix the lead. It looked like the more veteran team, the one who went to the NBA Finals last season, was executing better than their young opponents. But Morant and the Grizzlies rose to the occasion and delivered.
Ja Morant drives, hangs, switches hands and gets it to on his way down, FOR THE @memgrizz WIN! pic.twitter.com/GnTl4RbAEJ
— NBA (@NBA) December 28, 2021
Big-time ballers
DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine combined for 65 big points to lead Chicago. The pairing of these two stars has been nothing short of spectacular and this game was another proof that they can produce beautiful basketball together. DeRozan shot 70 percent from the field for his 35-point game, plus dished out 10 assists and grabbed five rebounds. LaVine, meanwhile, hit 52.4 percent of his shots, including five triples to go along with his nine dimes and four boards.
By the way, Nikola Vucevic wasn’t too shabby himself with his 24-17-6 performance, plus four blocks.
DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine are the second pair of @chicagobulls teammates with 30+ points and 9+ assists in the same game.
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) December 28, 2021
The first was Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on March 31, 1991. pic.twitter.com/4pPngDUunP
What he said
James Harden was a bucket-getter, tying his season-high of 39 points, as well as a bucket-giver with 15 assists. He was also two rebounds shy of a triple-double in a signature performance from the Beard.
“I’ve seen how resilient our team was,” Harden said about his team after spending time in the league’s health and safety protocols.
🎮 GAME OVER! James Harden shares his reaction on tonight’s win.#NETSonYES pic.twitter.com/D5hoPmTZRa
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) December 28, 2021
What’s in a number?
We’re only a little over 30 games in and we already have a record number of players suiting up for this season—541 players to be exact. Remember Greg Monroe? He last played in the NBA in 2019 but now he’s back in the league with the Timberwolves. We’ve had a couple of OGs returning like Joe Johnson, CJ Miles, and Lance Stephenson. From young players, undrafted players, G League standouts, journeymen, there have been many who are getting their shot on the big stage.
Greg Monroe is the 541st player to play in the NBA this season, the most in a season in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/QqDXkSECsi
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 28, 2021
