BBNBA: Justin Edwards breakout game, De'Aaron Fox returns, and Nick Richards to PHX

It’s time for another BBNBA recap. Since our last update on Sunday, plenty has happened across the Association. Let’s dive right into today’s edition with a rookie from Philadelphia having his first major NBA moment.

Justin Edwards breakout game (with a sprinkle of Tyrese Maxey)

Injuries all season long to the Philadelphia 76ers have 2024-25 looking like a waste for the franchise. Joel Embiid has played just 13 games this season and Paul George is at 27. Even Tyrese Maxey has missed some games, which has forced Philly to dig deep into its bench. One of the players shoveled out of the hole has been Justin Edwards, who is taking advantage of his extended minutes.

Edwards has appeared in eight of the 76ers’ last nine games. But over the last two contests, the rookie wing looked like a real NBA player. He exploded for 25 points in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, adding six rebounds and four assists to his 35-minute stat line. Edwards shot 9-16 from the field and 4-9 from deep in a game that did not feature Embiid, George, or Maxey. He followed that performance up by chipping in 10 points, three assists, and two rebounds in 35 minutes the night after in an overtime loss to the New York Knicks.

After missing the Thunder game, Maxey was on the floor against the Knicks. He recorded 33 points (13-32 FG), six assists, and six rebounds in 46 minutes. But Edwards is the storyline this week in Philly.

De’Aaron Fox back in the lineup

After missing three straight games due to a bruised right glute, Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox returned to the lineup on Sunday. The Kings were riding a six-game win streak at the time and extended that to seven with Fox back in the lineup. He didn’t miss a beat either, finishing with 26 points (9-16 FG), nine rebounds, and three assists in 33 minutes as the Kings beat the Chicago Bulls 124-119.

Fox and the Kings would come up short the next time out against the Milwaukee Bucks, falling 130-115, but he was solid once again. He went for 20 points (9-23 FG), 11 rebounds, and six assists for his sixth double-double of the season. Meanwhile, Malik Monk posted 18 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds in the win over Chicago, but he was inactive against the Bucks due to a minor groin injury.

Cavs-Thunder: Round 2

It was just eight days ago the NBA’s two best teams clashed in Cleveland. The league-leading Cavaliers came on top against the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder by a final score of 129-122. It was a close game from start to finish with the Cavs pulling away late. The NBA hyped up the matchup in the days leading up to that primetime showdown and it more than lived up to. We’ll get round two later tonight.

The 33-6 Thunder will host the 34-5 Cavaliers tonight at 7:30 p.m. EST on TNT. Led by MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC has won three straight since falling to Cleveland. He was excellent in the first matchup with 31 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks on 13-27 shooting. Next to SGA in the backcourt was Cason Wallace, who contributed 15 points, three assists, and two rebounds in the loss.

As KSR’s resident Cavaliers fan, I am as excited as ever to watch my squad on national TV in another primetime game.

Nick Richards traded to Phoenix

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Charlotte Hornets are trading Nick Richards to the Phoenix Suns. Now in year five as a pro, Richards has appeared in 21 games this season for the Hornets, including nine starts. The seven-footer is averaging 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game this season on 56.1 percent shooting. He’ll team up alongside Devin Booker on a Suns team that desperately needs some juice.

In making the move from Charlotte to Phoenix, Richards will be going from one of the worst teams in the entire league to one hunting for a playoff bid. That being said, the Suns are only 19-20 on the season, which puts them at 11th in the Western Conference and one spot out of the Play-In. Richards should play a significant role right away though, possibly as the starting center. Phoenix’s current starting big man, 30-year-old Jusuf Nurkic, is having his least productive season since 2015-16 and is on the trade block.

I love this move for Richards. Playing next to Booker and Kevin Durant should make his life quite easy down low. Block shots, rebound, and clean-up shots around the rim will be his bread and butter.

Top performances since Sunday

• Karl-Anthony Towns put together two excellent games in back-to-back outings to start the week. The New York Knicks center posted 30 points (10-16 FG), 18 rebounds, and four assists in a blowout 140-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. A day later, Towns showed up again with 26 points (7-17 FG), 12 rebounds, and three assists (plus six turnovers), although it came in a 124-119 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
• Anthony Davis also dropped two straight double-doubles this week. The Los Angeles Lakers big man went for 30 points and 13 rebounds in a 126-102 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday before adding 22 points and 11 rebounds in a 117-108 win over the Miami Heat last night.
• Jamal Murray played his best game of the entire season on Tuesday in the Denver Nuggets 118-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Murray scored a season-best 45 points on 18-26 shooting, including a 5-9 clip from long range. He also added six assists, two rebounds, and two steals (albeit with five turnovers). Denver needs this version of Murray more often the rest of the season.
• Tyler Herro doesn’t seem concerned about the ongoing Jimmy Butler trade rumors. Herro has gone for 32 and 34 points in two games this week for the Miami Heat, although both came in losing efforts. Against the two Los Angeles-based teams, Herro posted a 32-point, 11-rebound, 7-assist game on Monday before adding 34 points on 12-18 shooting (7-12 3PT) on Wednesday.