BBNBA: Nick Richards dominates in Suns debut, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets revenge

As a Kentucky who has followed his career since his high school recruitment, it is hard not to look at 7-foot, 245-pound Nick Richards like a proud parent. It took a few years for his potential to flourish at Kentucky, and the NBA was no different. However now, in his fifth year in the league, Richards has become a coveted trade asset and did not disappoint his new teammates after the Hornets sent him to Phoenix. In his first game as a Sun on Saturday, Big Blue Nation’s favorite Jamaican came off the bench and put up a monster double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

Richards, who wears No. 2 for the Suns because rookie Oso Ighodaro wears No. 4, was extremely efficient getting to those numbers in a game where Phoenix beat Detroit 125-121. He shot 7-8 from the field and 7-9 from the free-throw line. He also added on a steal and an assist.

Not bad for someone who doesn’t know where this home arena’s locker rooms are yet.

Rumors suggest the Suns are still active in the trade market, so Richards and Booker could welcome some new faces to the Valley before the February 6th deadline.

Speaking of Devin Booker, the man with the best signature shoe on the market right now has been putting those kicks to work. Book has scored at least 30 points in six of his last seven games, helping propel the Suns to a 5-2 record over that stretch.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the best player on Planet Earth right now

That headline is not hyperbole. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an absolute phenom and somehow continuing to get better. In the much-anticipated rematch between the NBA’s two best teams, SGA’s OKC Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers led by former Lousiville Cardinal Donovan Mitchell, Gilgeous-Alexander got revenge for his team’s loss from eight days earlier.

And it was convincing.

Shai racked up 40 points, eight assists, and two steals as the Thunder routed the Cavs 134-114. It makes the previous loss to Cleveland OKC’s only loss in a game where SGA played since December 1st. That little caveat is important because Gilgeous-Alexander missed his Friday game with a sprained wrist.

“[His wrist] was fine this morning and then came to the arena and was a little bit sore,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. He is not expected to miss extended time, but this was the first game SGA sat out all season long. Look for him to be back soon and for the Thunder to keep rolling.

Other BBNBA Notes since Thursday

Let’s take a look at BBNBA’s other top performers, aside from Nick Richards, since we last checked in on Thursday.

• Rob Dillingham has shifted his way back into the Minnesota Timberwolves’ rotation. After sitting out 12 straight games, Dillingham had games of nine and 12 points back to back this week. In a post-game interview alongside the team’s star Anthony Edwards, Rob gave credit to the Ant-Man for telling him to just keep shooting.
• Justin Edwards followed up his explosive 25-point breakout game with a 10-point outing the very next day. He only had four points in the Sixers’ loss to the Pacers on Saturday, but it looks like the former Kentucky wing might have found himself a spot in the rotation.
• Malik Monk has settled into his new starting role well. Monk put up 26 points in Sacramento’s win over Houston, bumping up his scoring average to 24.1 points over his last six games. His teammate, De’Aaron Fox has been his usual self amidst trade rumors.