Time to get fired up for another day of NBA talk. Check out what the former ‘Cats were up to last night.

RECAP

Booker with 35 and the win in thrilling Suns/Jazz game

The two best teams in the NBA (by record) met in Phoenix last night for a fantastic basketball game. Each team’s star player delivered–Jazz star Donovan Mitchell with 41 points and the tying three to send it to overtime, and Suns’ All-Star Devin Booker finished with 35 in a winning effort.

The game was tight throughout, and in the fourth quarter, no team led by more than four points. Booker was the man down the stretch. Since his jumper wasn’t falling, he attacked the basket in transition like a runaway train and set up teammates with open looks. Aside from a pair of 3-pointers by Suns wings, Booker essentially powered everything on offense late in regulation and in overtime.

The win marks seven straight for the Suns and Devin Booker is at the helm of the success. In his last four games, he’s averaged 37 points on 54% shooting, the second-highest mark of anyone in the NBA over that stretch, trailing only Stephen Curry. If D-Book keeps this up could he be an MVP candidate in a year where the award is wide open? It’s not impossible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQakQ9ui4wQ

Vintage John Wall leads Rockets over Mavericks

There may be some life left in those Houston Rockets after all. Last night, they defeated a surging Dallas Mavericks club and held one of the NBA’s most prolific offenses to under 100 points (93) in a nine-point win for Houston–just their third win in the last 30 games.

John Wall, after missing Houston’s last four games (all losses), returned to finally shoot over 50% from the field! In case you’re confused by the excitement, I wrote last week about how Wall hadn’t shot 50% or better from the field in a single game since February 6th. Last night, he went 12-23, good for 52.2%. Those 12 made shots plus three made free throws netted him 31 points as he added 7 assists, 4 steals and 3 rebounds while finishing with a game-high +22.

That’s the John Wall we all know and love.

Efficient explosion from KAT

John Wall rarely shoots above 50% but Karl-Anthony Towns lives above the 50-line from the field. The efficient big man had another huge night in a 141-137 barnburner with the T-Wolves coming up short vs. Indiana. Towns was 12-17 from the field for 32 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists.

Minnesota continues to be the Edwards-Towns show. KAT’s rookie running mate, Anthony Edwards, has been handed the keys/given full control/was wrote a blank check/whatever euphemism you want to use…Edwards has supreme freedom on offense. Since the start of March, he’s 8th in field goal attempts per game and Karl is 14th. Minnesota is the worst team in the West yet they have two of the shot-happiest players in the whole league.

Something is brewing in Minnesota. Given the offense Towns produces, if Edwards maintains the level of volume he currently operates at but figures out how and where he can score efficiently, Minnesota would immediately have one of the deadliest two-man duos in the League.

OTHER NOTES

Bledsoe scores big in bigger loss. The Brooklyn Nets finally got Kevin Durant back from injury, and even though he only took five shots, the rest of the Nets pummeled the Pelicans, 139-111. Whew. At least Eric Bledsoe played well. He notched 26 points on 9-17 shooting along with 5 rebounds. 

Randle gets 22 in close loss to Celtics. Julius Randle finished with 22-9-6 in New York’s two-point loss in Boston, marking the Knicks’ fifth loss in their last six games. Since the start of April, New York has slipped a little bit, now falling two games under .500. Randle hasn’t been as efficient, Immanuel Quickley hasn’t shot the ball as consistently and the loss of Mitchell Robinson has seriously hurt their big man depth. Fixable problems that need fixing ASAP if New York still wants to compete for the Playoffs. 

STATISTICS

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TODAY IN THE NBA

7:30: Lakers @ Heat (Herro, Adebayo)

7:30: Bulls @ Raptors

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

9:00: Bucks @ Mavericks (Cauley-Stein)

10:00: Trail Blazers (Kanter) @ Jazz

10:00: Suns (Booker) @ Clippers (Rondo, Patterson)

10:00: Pistons (Diallo) @ Kings (Fox)