BBNBA: Devin Booker drops 30 on his 26th birthday
He might not have received brownies from Mrs. Cal like he did when he was at Kentucky, but Devin Booker celebrated his 26th birthday by cooking up 30 points and gift-wrapping a win for his Phoenix Suns on Sunday. This makes Booker’s fourth 30-point output in just six games this season. He has now scored more points in the first six games than any player in franchise history.
The Suns beat the Houston Rockets on Sunday, but unfortunately, rookie TyTy Washington did not play once again as he recovers from the knee injury he suffered in the preseason.
Booker is on a mission this season for playoff success, and early on, he’s locked in. Combine his scoring prowess with the Suns’ exciting brand of basketball, and they will be a team to watch all season long. Being on the West Coast, their games start late for those in Kentucky, but they are definitely worth falling asleep to on the couch a few times this year.
Keldon Johnson and Spurs best KAT, Wolves
Former Kentucky players, Karl-Anthony Towns and Keldon Johnson played like the stars they are for their respective NBA teams on Sunday when the Minnesota Timberwolves took on the San Antonio Spurs. Led by Johnson’s 25 points, eight assists, and six rebounds, the Spurs beat the Wolves 107-98 despite a double-double from KAT, who had 26 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.
In addition to his impressive scoring and playmaking, Johnson also had the block of the night, rejecting, of all people, Rudy Gobert. It is not too often the 7’1″ center gets turned away at the rim, but Keldon got up!
Johnson continues to improve year after year since he left Kentucky for the NBA, and with not a lot of competition for the ball surrounding him, he has been the go-to scorer for Gregg Popovich’s humble yet scrappy team. He will make a serious run to be the league’s most-improved player. The Spurs have surprisingly won five of its first seven games and find themselves third in the Western Conference early on.
Meanwhile, it’s been a meh start for the Timberwolves, as Towns and Gobert are still trying to figure out how to play alongside each other, but with a potent starting five, I expect the Wolves to find their way into the playoffs this season.
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The Lakers finally earn first win of the season
Sunday’s other game featuring high-profile former Kentucky players saw Anthony Davis help get the Los Angeles Lakers their first win of the season at the expense of Jamal Murray‘s Denver Nuggets. Davis posted 23 points and 15 rebounds on the night as he looks more and more like the AD of old each game out.
Speaking of getting healthier, Murray played a season-high 31 minutes and scored a season-high 21 points in the loss. We knew it would take at least a few weeks for him to get comfortable again, but the Blue Arrow is gaining confidence each game out and his quiver is fully stocked.
Also on comeback watch, John Wall is still trying to get back into the swing of things after missing all of last season. He came off the bench for the Clippers on Sunday and posted a modest eight-point, six-assist performance in a Clippers loss. With Wall on a minutes-restriction and the Clippers’ other stars struggling with getting healthy, it has been a rocky start for LA’s other team, but look for them to find their stride in the next month or so if they get everyone back on the court.
10/30/2022 Statistics
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | MIN | +/- |
| Devin Booker (PHX) | 124-109 W vs. HOU | 30 | 14-24 (1-7) | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 35 | +11 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) | 98-107 L vs. SAS | 26 | 10-19 (1-7) | 11 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 34 | -22 |
| Keldon Johnson (SAS) | 107-98 W vs. MIN | 25 | 8-15 (5-10) | 6 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 38 | +25 |
| Anthony Davis (LAL) | 121-110 W vs. DEN | 23 | 10-18 (0-0) | 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 37 | +15 |
| Jamal Murray (DEN) | 110-121 L vs. LAL | 21 | 9-21 (3-7) | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 32 | +13 |
| Julius Randle (NYK) | 108-121 L vs. CLE | 15 | 5-13 (0-3) | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 33 | -8 |
| John Wall (LAC) | 91-112 L vs. NOP | 8 | 2-5 (0-1) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 21 | -19 |
| Immanuel Quickley (NYK) | 108-121 L vs. CLE | 7 | 2-7 (1-4) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19 | -6 |
| Hamidou Diallo (DET) | 128-114 L vs. GSW | 4 | 1-3 (0-0) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | -6 |
| Wenyen Gabriel (LAL) | 121-110 W vs. DEN | 4 | 2-4 (0-1) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| TyTy Washington (HOU) | 109-124 L vs. PHX | DNP – Knee | ||||||||
| Kevin Knox (DET) | 128-114 L vs. GSW | DNP – CD | ||||||||
| Nerlens Noel (DET) | 128-114 L vs. GSW | DNP – CD |
Tonight in the NBA
7:00: Kings (Fox, Lyles, Monk) @ Hornets (Richards, PJ Washington)
7:00: 76ers (Maxey) @ Wizards
7:30 (NBA TV): Pacers (Jackson) @ Nets
7:30: Hawks @ Raptors
8:00: Pistons (Diallo, Knox, Noel) @ Bucks
9:00: Grizzlies @ Jazz (Vanderbilt)
10:00: Rockets (TyTy Washington) @ Clippers (Boston, Wall)
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