After a few hum-drum days of NBA action following the All-Star Break, last night delivered quite an entertaining slate of basketball that included several big performances from our former ‘Cats. Check it out.

RECAP

Julius Randle and Immanuel Quickley go toe to toe with Brooklyn

Last night featured a monumental clash between the basketball teams representing New York’s two largest boroughs. With Kevin Durant still out, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets fended off a scrappy Knicks club by just five points, 117-112.

Despite the loss, the Knickerbockers put up enough of a fight to prove they belonged on the court with the Eastern Conference favorites–also a team looking to demolish offensive records. Immanuel Quickley got his first start of the season yesterday against the hottest team in the NBA, a telling sign of the trust Tom Thibodeau has in the rookie, and he held his own against Kyrie Irving.

IQ finished with 21 points and was second on the team in shot attempts. The man in first…

Julius Randle nearly single-handedly carried New York offensively. On a defensive-minded team, Randle is really the only guy who can create a shot for himself or for his teammates; he leads the team in points, rebounds and assists; and he’s the only big who’s proven he can knock down 3s at a consistent rate.

Last night he finished with 33 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists while playing 41 minutes and chucking up 27 shots. New York sits at an even .500 at 20-20–the exact same record as Golden State–and Randle, Quickley and the coaching changes (which includes Kenny Payne) are why a Knicks team that was hapless a year ago is now competing for a playoff spot.

Check out Randle’s reaction to the final play and the atrocious missed call. It’s a funny little tantrum, but it’s deserved. Referees will spend two hours at a monitor with a magnifying glass trying to see if a fingernail grazed a ball, but they won’t review an obvious missed call on a walk?

Fox and Sacramento blow another late lead vs. Charlotte

It’s Deja Vu. Just two weeks ago I sat in my room pulling out my hair at how ridiculous a comeback Charlotte had pulled off against Sacramento. Last night, while watching the Bachelor finale, my attention was drawn to an even more dramatic event: another Kings’ meltdown vs. the Hornets.

This one wasn’t as shocking, but Sacramento was up seven with just over four minutes left, good for an 89.2% win probability per ESPN. In the final four minutes, Charlotte stormed back and Gordon Hayward capped off the comeback with a two-hand dunk directly on top of De’Aaron Fox; and at the other end, Fox had a tying layup rejected by the rim. Not his finest moments.

Fox still finished with 29 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists, and his situation becomes more depressing by the day. I’m not sure how head coach Luke Walton still has a job. His tenure there has been nothing but frustrating and unsuccessful. Sacramento has De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and several other quality starters, as well as the second-best rookie so far this season, and yet sits at 15-24, is increasingly hopeless for the playoffs, and blows leads like 2021 Kentucky. He’s got to go.

Across the way, PJ Washington finished with 10 points and added five assists while aiding with the comeback effort, and Malik Monk is seeing a chunk of his minutes go to DeVonte Graham, who just returned from an injury. Monk still got on the court for 14 minutes but went 2-8 for 5 points. He was active in other areas though, grabbing 3 boards, dishing out 4 assists and collecting a pair of steals.

Even with Graham back in the rotation, Charlotte only has three or four true guards so the minutes should be there for Malik, he just has to re-adust to sharing the backcourt with Graham off the bench.

OTHER NOTES

Devin Booker scores 27 in another Suns victory. Phoenix beat up on the young Memphis Grizzlies last night, and Devin Booker kept up with the recent tear he’s been on, dropping his 27 on 10-19 shooting with 5 assists and 4 rebounds. With Chris Paul running the offense, Booker powering it, Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder playing excellent two-way basketball and Deandre Ayton cleaning things up inside, the Suns have as complete a starting lineup as anyone. Their record beckons they be taken seriously, but after years of binge-losing, they’ll still have to prove it in the postseason. 

Jamal Murray with 16 as Nuggets quietly sprinting up the stands. Denver has now won six of their last seven and advanced to 23-16 on the year with a 15-point win over Indiana, a team that’s in free fall as of late. Jamal Murray was heating up heading into the break and hasn’t had a WOW! performance since returning, but another hot stretch from him could have Denver in the same conversation as Phoenix, Utah and the LAs. 

STATISTICS

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TODAY IN THE NBA

7:30: Jazz @ Celtics

8:00: Cavaliers @ Heat (Herro, Adebayo)

8:00: Knicks (Randle, Quickley, Noel, Knox) @ 76ers (Maxey)

8:00: Thunder (SGA, Miller) @ Bulls

8:00: Hawks (Rondo) @ Rockets (Wall)

10:00: Pelicans (Bledsoe) @ Trail Blazers (Kanter)

10:30: Timberwolves (Towns, Vanderbilt) @ Lakers