BBNBA: Booker's 35 Not Enough to Stop Harden, Rockets

[caption id="attachment_275171" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (NBAE | Getty Images)[/caption] Good afternoon, folks. Devin Booker popped off for 35 points, but James Harden's 34 proved to be too much. Let's talk NBA.

RECAP

Booker and Harden scrap

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker was the BBNBA star of the night on a slow Saturday in the Association. Dropping 35 points on 11-19 shooting, including 2-4 from deep, the former Wildcat was coming off a 44-point performance just two days beforehand. Behind 35 points from James Harden - 18 of the coming in the fourth quarter - the Rockets were able to sneak past the Suns for a 115-109 victory that moves Phonix down to 10-12 on the season. Booker and Harden also had an exchange of words after a hard foul by Book in the fourth period on the league's leading scorer. https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1203513271409471488

Knicks lose in first game since firing head coach

The New York Knicks played host to the Indiana Pacers in the team's first game since firing David Fizdale for no other reason other than systemic incompetence. The Knicks did put up a solid effort, but a missed free throw by Julius Randle down just one point with 0.1 seconds remaining gave Indy a 104-103 win. New York moves to 4-19 on the season, officially the worst record in the NBA. Randle finished the night with 16 points and 12 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season while dishing out three dimes, although he shot just 6-18 from the field. Kevin Knox was not a featured piece of the lineup, playing in a mere 13 minutes for eight points on 3-6 shooting.

Other notes

• Brandon Knight posted seven points and two assists on 3-7 shooting (1-5 from three) in the Cleveland Cavaliers 141-94 blowout loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. If you haven't' heard, my Cavs are in crisis mode right now. Three players on the current roster recently came out in a story by The Athletic detailing their displeasure with first-year head coach John Beilein. Then, following its 47-point beatdown courtesy of Philly, Cavs forward Kevin Love had this to say.

https://twitter.com/FOXSportsCLE/status/1203515109584359425

• On Saturday, ESPN reported that Love was officially on the trading block. I have been watching Love and the Cavs ever since he was traded to Cleveland and he has NEVER looked this defeated. Changes are a-coming.
• Things are NOT good in Cleveland.
• Check out the full stat sheet below.

STATISTICS

[table id=441 /]

TODAY IN THE NBA

3:00: Nuggets (Murray, Vanderbilt) @ Nets 5:00: Hawks @ Hornets (Kidd-Gilchrist, Monk, Washington) 6:00: Bulls @ Heat (Adebayo, Herro) 6:00: Raptors @ 76ers 6:00: Clippers (Patterson) @ Wizards (Wall-out) 7:00: Kings (Fox-out, Gabriel) @ Mavericks 9:00: Thunder (Diallo, Gilgeous-Alexander, Noel) @ Trail Blazers (Labissiere) 9:30: Timberwolves (Towns) @ Lakers (Davis, Rondo)