BBNBA: Kentucky tears up the Garden, Anthony Davis calls game
The NBA regular season is past the halfway mark, but former Kentucky Wildcats are just getting started.
Seven previous UK players saw NBA action on Thursday night. The matchups included a good, old-fashioned two-on-two, a game-winning bucket and block, and, of course, countless highlight plays. Let’s get started.
Chaos in the Garden
No Kentucky fans want to see former ‘Cats fight, but it’s exhilarating to watch them go to war. On Thursday evening, Julius Randle dropped 23 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and three steals in the New York Knicks’ 106-104 triumph over the Miami Heat.
The performance came just hours after Randle was named an NBA East All-Star reserve. The 6-foot-8 forward has 33 double-doubles this season, leading his team to the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference.
Randle wasn’t the only once-Wildcat to contribute to the win. Immanuel Quickley added eight points, six rebounds, and four assists in the victory effort. While Randle and Quickley came out on top, they weren’t the standout ‘Cats in the contest.
Fellow East All-Star Bam Adebayo put on a masterclass with 32 points and nine rebounds on 11-16 shooting. Tyler Herro followed suit, recording 25 points, five rebounds, and eight assists while shooting 40% from beyond the arc.
Herro’s performance was three points shy of being unforgettable. The Kentucky fan favorite failed to convert a clutch shot from the corner at the buzzer to steal the win. Nonetheless, the tightly-contested game was jam-packed with jaw-dropping highlights.
Anthony Davis makes a statement
While the Heat and Knicks’ stars happily shined, Anthony Davis burned with rage. The former Naismith Player of the Year was snubbed from the Western Conference All-Star Team despite averaging 26.8 points and 11.9 rebounds this season. Injuries have restrained Davis to the sideline this season, but the restraints were off Thursday night.
In the Lakers’ heated 112-111 win over the Indiana Pacers, Davis put up a game-high 31 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks. Davis was dominant from start to finish, making the two biggest plays of the game on back-to-back possessions.
The 6-foot-10 superstar didn’t hold back after the stunning 30-second stretch. The pain of a month-long recovery came out of Davis in the most entertaining way possible. Lip-readers, do with this what you will.
On the losing end of the hard-fought affair, a fellow Kentucky big struggled to match Davis’ performance. Isaiah Jackson recorded four points, six rebounds, and three blocks in nine minutes. The modest stat line included a monster dunk.
PJ Washington falters in Chicago
Not every once-Wildcat had a night to write home about. Charlotte Hornets forward PJ Washington struggled in the Hornets’ 114-98 loss to the Bulls. The former All-American recorded just six points in 39 minutes while shooting 3-15 from the field and 0-8 from beyond the arc.
A slump isn’t a familiar landscape for Washington. The 6-foot-8 stud averages a career-high 14.9 points per game this season. Washington’s positive mindset has been key to his development. On Jan. 30, Washington put out a relevant tweet.
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.“
Here’s to progression.
2/02/2023 Statistics
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | MIN | +/- |
| Bam Adebayo (MIA) | 106-104 L @ NYK | 32 | 11-16 (0-0) | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 33 | -3 |
| Anthony Davis (LAL) | 112-111 W @ IND | 31 | 13-27 (0-3) | 14 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 35 | -6 |
| Tyler Herro (MIA) | 106-104 L @ NYK | 25 | 10-22 (4-10) | 5 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 40 | -9 |
| Julius Randle (NYK) | 106-104 W vs. MIA | 23 | 8-19 (3-9) | 10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 34 | +14 |
| Immanuel Quickley (NYK) | 106-104 W vs. MIA | 8 | 3-8 (2-5) | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 37 | 0 |
| PJ Washington (CHA) | 114-98 L @ CHI | 6 | 3-15 (0-8) | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 39 | -12 |
| Isaiah Jackson (IND) | 112-111 L vs. LAL | 4 | 2-3 (0-0) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | -7 |
| Brandon Boston Jr. | 106-105 L @ MIL | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nick Richards | 114-98 L @ CHI | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Tonight in the NBA
7:00: Hornets (Washinton, Richards) @ Pistons (Diallo, Knox, Noel)
7:00: Kings (Fox, Monk) @ Pacers (Jackson)
7:00: Trailblazers (Sharpe) @ Wizards
7:30: Suns @ Celtics
8:00: Raptors @ Rockets (Washington)
8:00: 76ers (Maxey) @ Spurs (Johnson)
8:00: Magic @ Timberwolves (Towns)
9:00: Hawks @ Jazz (Vanderbilt)
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