BBNBA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Davis each score 37 points

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been on a tear as of late and it did not stop Sunday. One of the three former Kentucky players who are thick in the heart of the NBA’s Most Improved Player race, SGA put on yet another dominant performance against the New York Knicks, posting a ridiculous stat line of 37 points, eight assists, five rebounds, three steals, and two blocks to help the Oklahoma City Thunder secure a win.

Sunday’s scoring explosion raises Gilgeous-Alexander’s season average to 31.1 points per game, and the presumed bottom dwellers of the Western Conference find themselves close to the .500 mark at 6-7. If the postseason began today, the Thunder would make the play-in.

The player who used to back up Quade Green at Kentucky has evolved into an absolute star in the NBA and he seems only to continue to improve.

For the Knicks, both Julius Randle and Immanuel Quickley didn’t shoot the ball so badly themselves. Randle had 25 points to go along with his 10 rebounds while IQ racked up 24 points off the bench. That means the former Kentucky players in Sunday’s matchup were three of the game’s top four scorers.

Anthony Davis scores 37 points of his own

Not to be outdone by this younger Kentucky alum, Anthony Davis not only put up 37 points but also snagged 18 rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 116-103 win over the Brooklyn Nets. With no LeBron in the game, the scoring load rested upon Davis’s shoulders and he was happy to carry it.

He shot an efficient 15-25 from the field with surprisingly none of his attempts coming from behind the arc. Some of the criticism of Davis over the last few years is that he has relied too much on his outside shot, settling instead of getting to the rim.

Apparently, he has taken some of that critique to heart, as his 3-point attempts per game this year (1.3) is his lowest average since the 2014-2015 season. Somewhere, John Calipari is chuckling.

Clearly, LeBron’s absence played a part in Davis’s ability to dominate and have his best game of the season, but Lakers fans would love to see more of this assertion even when the King is on the court. They don’t need someone of Davis’s caliber taking the fifth-most shots.

The oft-forgotten other Kentucky player on the Lakers, Wenyen Gabriel, contributed to the team’s win as well. He came in off the bench, knocked down a three, and played solid defense. He finished with nine points on the night.

Tyrese Maxey was good and all, but holy crap, Joel Embiid

I know this is a Kentucky blog, but Joel Embiid…damn.

The former Kansas big man not only posted a career-high 59 points, but also flirted with a quadruple-double, grabbing eight boards, dishing out seven assists, and blocking seven shots. It was an incredible individual performance, especially considering he only made one 3-pointer.

That brings Embiid’s two-day scoring total to an insane 101, having put up 42 on Saturday.

Tyrese Maxey scored 31 fewer points than Embiid on Sunday (18), yet was the next highest-scoring player on the Philadelphia 76ers. He was also the only other player in double figures.

After the game, Utah Jazz veteran guard Mike Conley praised Maxey on his play this season:

Really, just the way [Tyrese Maxey has] taken a jump. Especially, this year. Just his ability to be a playmaker. Not only just setting guys up, but looking for his offense and his ability to make 3s, be a 3-level scorer, really allows him to take his game to another level.

Mike Conley on Tyrese Maxey

The 76ers beat the Utah Jazz 105-98, giving them back-to-back losses. This is fitting, considering I just wrote a post spewing about how well the Jazz have been playing this year. Former Kentucky player Jarred Vanderbilt came close to his season averages, putting up nine points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

Vanderbilt guarded Embiid for a good chunk of the game, but there wasn’t anyone stopping that buzz saw.

Best of the rest of the former Kentucky players

The two other teams featuring former Kentucky players got the win Sunday with the Sacramento Kings besting the defending champion Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves topping the Cleveland Cavaliers.

De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 22 points and eight assists, while his former Kentucky running mate Malik Monk contributed 12 points off the bench.

For the Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double-double with 29 points and 13 rebounds. KAT’s 3-point shooting percentage is the lowest it has been since his rookie year but he’s still a walking 20-10 double-double.

Good day overall for former ‘Cats.

11/13/2022 Statistics

Player	Score	PTS	FG (3PT)	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	MIN	+/-
Anthony Davis (LAL)	116-103 W vs. BRK	37	15-25 (0-0)	18	2	0	0	1	34	+15
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)	145-135 W vs. NYK	37	13-22 (2-3)	5	8	3	2	6	36	+4
Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN)	129-124 W vs. CLE	29	11-16 (3-6)	13	3	1	1	2	37	+15
Julius Randle (NYK)	135-145 L vs. OKC	25	7-14 (3-6)	10	3	0	0	2	33	-10
Immanuel Quickley (NYK)	135-145 L vs. OKC	24	8-17 (1-4)	1	5	3	1	0	23	+5
Jamal Murray (DEN)	126-103 W vs. CHI	23	9-18 (2-6)	2	2	2	0	2	32	+10
De’Aaron Fox (SAC)	122-115 W vs. GSW	22	10-19 (2-4)	4	8	3	1	3	34	+15
Tyrese Maxey (PHI)	105-98 W vs. UTA	18	8-24 (2-8)	3	3	4	1	1	37	+15
Malik Monk (SAC)	122-115 W vs. GSW	12	2-8 (1-4)	1	4	0	0	3	24	-2
Wenyen Gabriel (LAL)	116-103 W vs. BRK	9	4-7 (1-1)	0	0	0	0	1	14	-2
Jarred Vanderbilt (UTA)	98-105 L vs. PHI	9	4-6 (0-2)	10	3	0	0	3	24	-17
Trey Lyles (SAC)	122-115 W vs. GSW	0	0-2 (0-2)	0	1	0	0	0	5	-9

Tonight in the NBA

7:00: Raptors @ Pistons (Knox, Diallo, Noel)
7:00: Hornets (PJ Washington) @ Magic
7:30 (NBA TV): Thunder (Gilgeous-Alexander) @ Celtics
7:30: Suns (Booker) @ Heat (Herro, Adebayo)
8:00: Clippers (Wall, Boston) @ Rockets (T. Washington)
8:00: Hawks @ Bucks
10:00: Spurs (Johnson) @ Warriors