BBNBA: SGA, Bam Adebayo score 20+, power respective teams to victories

On Thursday night, there weren’t a whole lot of former ‘Cats in action, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Bam Adebayo put up some solid numbers in the scoring column to power their respective teams to victories. Clearly, both players play pivotal roles on their teams, so let’s take a look at what those guys brought to the table during Thursday’s slate.

SGA continues MVP campaign in road win

Gilgeous-Alexander finished 5th in MVP voting last season while scoring 31.4 PPG, which was fourth-best in the league in the 2022-23 season. The former ‘Cat could earn himself a lot of money if he keeps that pace up. Against the Golden State Warriors, SGA once again reaffirmed why he’s an MVP candidate in 2023-24.

The Oklahoma City star led the Thunder with 24 points on the night. He efficiently made three out of seven three-pointers (42.9%) and he also racked up seven assists to along with that. OKC was playing crisp all game long, and it seemed like they were just one step ahead of the Golden State Warriors all game, winning 128-109.

This ball movement 👌 pic.twitter.com/xzeBhlm7NQ

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 17, 2023

SGA could be the reason that the Oklahoma City Thunder make some noise in the Western Conference and even in the NBA Playoffs. He is getting better on a game-by-game basis, and soon enough, the former four-star recruit will have some hardware to show for it.

Additionally, Gilgeous-Alexander received some help in the Thunder backcourt from another former Wildcat. Rookie Cason Wallace went for 10 points on 4-7 shooting (2-2 3PT) to go along with two rebounds and four assists with zero turnovers in 25 minutes.

Bam Adebayo takes over in Tyler Herro’s absence

With Tyler Herro expected to be out for multiple weeks due to an ankle injury, it was up to big man Bam Adebayo to carry the load against the Brooklyn Nets. While Miami was certainly the better team entering the contest, no NBA game is a “gimme” game. Adebayo and the Heat were going to have to play well to come away with a win, and that’s exactly what happened.

Adebayo’s 20 points were third-best for the Heat on the night behind Jimmy Butler (36) and Duncan Robinson (26), but he contributed all over for floor in the win. He also recorded seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 33 minutes. Miami was simply bullying Brooklyn all game, much like Abebayo did on this play:

MOVE OR GET MOVED pic.twitter.com/hJbXa9lDfN

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 17, 2023

Even without Herro, who is averaging 22.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.6 APG, and 1.4 SPG, Adebayo and the Miami Heat were able to will their way to victory. If Erik Spoelstra and the Heat want to compete in the Eastern Conference, then they will need to see Adebayo have continued success in Herro’s absence.

11/16/23 Statistics:

Player	Score	PTS	FG (3PT)	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	+/-	MIN
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)	128-109 W @ GSW	24	6-21 (3-7)	2	7	3	1	2	12	29
Bam Adebayo (MIA)	122-155 W vs BKN	20	8-15 (0-0)	7	4	2	0	2	-6	34
Cason Wallace (OKC)	128-109 W @ GSW	10	4-7 (2-2)	2	4	1	0	0	22	26
Olivier Sarr (OKC)	128-109 W @ GSW	DNP – CD	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Tyler Herro (MIA)	122-155 W vs BKN	DNP – Ankle	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Tonight in the NBA (In-Season Tournament):

• 7:00 ET | Knicks (Quickley, Randle, Toppin: G League) @ Wizards
• 7:00 ET | Bucks (Livingston: out, TyTy Washington) @ Hornets (Richards, PJ Washington)
• 7:30 ET (ESPN) | Kings (Fox, Lyles: out, Monk) @ Spurs (Johnson: probable)
• 7:30 ET | 76ers (Maxey) @ Hawks
• 7:30 ET | Celtics @ Raptors
• 7:30 ET | Pistons (Knox) @ Cavaliers
• 8:00 ET | Nuggets (Murray: out) @ Pelicans
• 8:00 ET | Magic @ Bulls
• 10:00 ET | Lakers (Davis: probable, Vanderbilt: out) @ Trail Blazers (Sharpe)
• 10:00 ET (ESPN) | Suns (Booker: probable) @ Jazz (Juzang: G League)
• 10:30 ET | Rockets @ Clippers (Boston: out)