Lakers-Pelicans, Pacers-Bucks preview and predictions + NBA’s best dunks (so far)

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Of course, the NBA needed to make the Vegas court blue and red. 🤦

The Air Bouncies

This season’s best dunks … so far

Yesterday, we gave out all but one of The Bouncies for the first quarter of the 2023-24 season. We reserved the best for last. Why? Because there were so many great dunks that we needed to have their own section.

With that said, we introduce the All-Bouncies Dunkers First Team. In the future, we’ll probably have a second team. For now, let’s recognize this season’s top dunkers and the best finish up to this point:

G – Malik Monk, Kings. He baptized Kris Dunn. He also dunked on two Spurs.

G – Shaedon Sharpe, Trail Blazers. Sharpe is hell going downhill with the ball. Look at what he did to Walker Kessler. This was tough to not name the winner.

F- Ausar Thompson, Pistons. He dunked on Myles Turner with two hands, but it’s not even his best dunk.

F – Paolo Banchero, Magic. Paolo has a handful of monster posters this season.

C/F – Alperen Şengün, Rockets. He dunks on Zach Collins every year. This year, it counted.

Runner-up best dunk: Jaylen Brown brings down the Stifle Tower

JAYLEN BROWN ON RUDY GOBERT’S HEAD 🔨
🎥 @NBA
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) November 7, 2023

Brown’s vicious dunk made Gobert crumble to the ground after. He recently said he feels he’s playing the best basketball of his career.

Best dunk of the quarter: Ausar Thompson obliterates Clint Capela on the break.

I have a feeling he’ll end up being the best dunker of the season.

The Latest From Shams

New York sizes up trade market

Trade season seems likely to heat up beginning next week, as Dec. 15 is the date many players who signed contracts in the offseason can be moved. One team to keep an eye on over the next couple of months is the New York Knicks. I’m told the Knicks are monitoring the marketplace across the league and keeping an eye on whether a star player becomes available and for whom they would go all-in on a deal.

“[The New York Knicks] are monitoring the marketplace, they want to see if there’s a star player that’s available.”@ShamsCharania on the Knicks possibly trading for a star player.
📺:
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 6, 2023

The Knicks, who are 12-8 and in fifth place in the East, have several draft picks, young players and tradeable contracts that could be moved should the organization decide to go that route ahead of the Feb. 8 deadline. Which stars will be on the market, and are the Knicks willing to meet whatever potential asking price is presented? Those are questions that’ll be answered in the coming weeks and months.

IST Final Four

What can we expect?

Are we allowed to call this In-Season Tournament the Final Four? That feels like it’s trademarked. It’s like having to call that one big game at the end of the NFL season “The Big Game” in advertisements. Regardless, we’re down to the IST’s last four teams. They play later today/tonight in Las Vegas, so let’s preview what could happen (all times Eastern):

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers, 5 p.m. on ESPN:

Have they played this season? Yes, about a month ago. The Pacers won 126-124. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 54 points, but Tyrese Haliburton had 29 points and 10 assists. Also, the Pacers hit 20 3s!

What’s the key matchup? Haliburton versus Damian Lillard. Dame didn’t play last time they played, and that’s the premier positional matchup. I’d imagine we won’t see them defending each other too much. Haliburton has been tremendous to begin the season, and we’re still waiting for Dame to find his groove.

Key stat: Points. Yes, that advanced analytic known as points. These are two of the NBA’s worst defenses and two of its best offenses. It wouldn’t shock me if both cracked 150 in this game. The Vegas over/under is 256.5, possibly the highest in NBA history.

Prediction: Riding the Haliburton wave until it crashes to the shore. Pacers by six.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans, 9 p.m. on TNT:

Have they played yet? Not yet, but we do have Anthony Davis against his former team. We also have the Lakers reportedly being banned from wearing their black uniforms due to television aesthetics.

What’s the key matchup? AD versus Zion. Davis is 3-0 when he plays against Zion, but Zion is averaging 25 points against him. The Brow averaged 19-12-4-4 in those three games.

Key stat: Free throws. Both teams shoot many and don’t allow a lot.

Prediction: The Lakers edge out the Pelicans by four, embroiled in controversy

Around the League Pass

Big numbers grew last night

We had big performances and even bigger numbers being produced as the NBA returned to full swing before the IST semifinals. Here’s everything to know about last night:

76ers 131, Wizards 126: Should you need a 50-point performance to squeak by the 3-17 Wiz? No, but Joel Embiid did it anyway. He was 19-of-29 from the field and 11-of-13 from the line. Philly is 13-7.

Grizzlies 116, Pistons 102: What’s the bigger number? Desmond Bane’s career-high 49 points or the Pistons’ 18th straight loss since starting 2-1? Both happened. Memphis has won three of four.

Rockets 110, Thunder 101: The Rockets improved to 9-9 overall and 9-1 at home, where they dominate. Aaron Holiday had 22 points off the bench. OKC (13-7) still tied its best 20-game start in a decade.

Wolves 102, Spurs 94: Spurs lost their 15th straight. The 16-4 Wolves lead the league with eight games holding opponents under 100 points.

Cavs 121, Magic 111: Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell combined for 61 points and 15 assists to combat Paolo Banchero’s career-high 42. Cleveland has won seven of 10. Orlando has lost two in a row.

Mavs 147, Jazz 97: Dallas indeed won by 50! Luka Dončić had a first-half triple-double and finished with 40 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in under 32 minutes. He also hilariously said bad words on TV after.

Clippers 111, Nuggets 102: Maybe the best energy we’ve seen from the 10-10 Clippers this season, and Nikola Jokić had 22 points on 32 shots. Yes, you read that correctly. Denver has split its last 10 games.

Warriors 110, Blazers 106: No Jerami Grant. No Deandre Ayton. Malcolm Brogdon got hurt after 13 minutes. The 10-11 Warriors squeaked by at home. Is it possible to have bad wins?

Nets 114, Hawks 113: Mikal Bridges had 32 points to continue his recent tear and hit the game-winner in this one too. Atlanta (9-11) has lost seven of its last 10 games. Brooklyn improved to 11-9.

Heat 112, Raptors 103: No Bam Adebayo, no problem for the 12-9 Heat on the road. Do you know who Orlando Robinson is? He had 15 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block in Bam’s place.

Bulls 111, Hornets 100: Don’t look now, but the Bulls (8-14) have won three straight. Zach LaVine hasn’t played in any of those wins.