BBNBA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander outduels Kyrie Irving in OKC win
Thursday was a good night if for no other reason than Duke lost. Not only is that a celebratory event by itself, but it should also help Kentucky’s seed in the NCAA tournament, as the Blue Devins are jockeying along the same 3-seed line as the Wildcats in most bracket projections. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added insult to injury for the Duke faithful as he outdueled former Blue Devil, Kyrie Irving, to help the Oklahoma City Thunder upend the Dallas Mavericks 126-119.
Irving put on a show for the away crowd with Luka Doncic sitting out, finishing with 36 points and 12 assists, but MVP candidate, SGA, was right there with him, closing the night out with 31 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and most importantly, the win.
As for the other former ‘Cats on the court, there was a lid on the basket for PJ Washington. SGA’s former teammate at Kentucky shot just 1-11 from the field, 0-7 from 3, and 4-8 from the free throw line as his adjustment to a new environment in Dallas has not been as smooth as anticipated.
Gilgeous Alexander’s current Kentucky alumni teammate, Cason Wallace, also had a quiet offensive outing (he scored three points), but he entered the game late in the 4th quarter for defensive purposes and helped seal the win for the Thunder. He also came up with a clutch offensive rebound and assist in the final minute which served as the death knell for the Mavs.
Tyrese Maxey drops 30, but Sixers fall to Bucks
Without Joel Embiid driving the ship, the Philadelphia 76ers have been on the struggle bus. They would be completely under the bus altogether if it were not for Tyrese Maxey. On Thursday, Maxey did what he could for his team, dropping 30 points on an efficient 12-23 from the field and 5-9 from behind the arc, however, the Sixers fell to Milwaukee Bucks 114-105.
This is only Maxey’s second game back after missing four straight due to concussion protocol. While their leading scorer might be fully recovered, the Sixers lost their 7th game in their last 10 contests.
Other BBNBA Notes:
- Devin Booker joined Tyrese Maxey as another former Wildcat to post big numbers in a loss. He had 23 but the top-heavy Suns fell to the well-rounded Celtics 127-112.
- Brandon Boston Jr. got some run for the LA Clippers for the third straight game. He chipped in five points during mop-up time as the Clips rolled the Chicago Bulls.
- Up in the Pacific Northwest, Ashton Hagans just keeps producing for the Portland Trail Blazers. He had eight points, five rebounds, and three assists in the Blazers’ loss to the Knicks. And for what it is worth, he also closed out the end of each half with star rookie Scoot Henderson on the bench.
BBNBA Stats for 3/14/2024
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | P/M | MIN |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | 126-119 W vs. DAL | 31 | 9-16 (1-4) | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | +16 | 37 |
| Tyrese Maxey (PHI) | 105-114 L vs. MIL | 30 | 12-23 (5-9) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -8 | 37 |
| Devin Booker (PHX) | 112-127 L vs. BOS | 23 | 9-20 (1-6) | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -16 | 38 |
| Ashton Hagans (POR) | 93-105 L vs. NYK | 8 | 3-5 (2-3) | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +3 | 22 |
| PJ Washington (DAL) | 119-126 L vs. OKC | 6 | 1-11 (0-7) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +1 | 36 |
| Brandon Boston Jr. (LAC) | 126-111 W vs. CHI | 5 | 2-3 (0-1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4 | 8 |
| Cason Wallace (OKC) | 126-119 W vs. DAL | 3 | 1-2 (1-2) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 18 |
| Julius Randle (NYK) | 105-93 W vs. POR | DNP-Shoulder | ||||||||
| Olivier Sarr (OKC) [Two-way] | 126-119 W vs. DAL | DNP-G League | ||||||||
| Chris Livingston (MIL) | 127-112 W vs. PHX | DNP-G League | ||||||||
| Shaedon Sharpe (POR) | 93-105 L vs. NYK | DNP-Core | ||||||||
| TyTy Washington (MIL) | 127-112 W vs. PHX | DNP-CD |
Tonight in the NBA
7:00 (NBA TV) Suns (Booker) @ Hornets (Richards)
7:00: Heat (Herro, Adebyo) @ Pistons
7:30: Magic @ Raptors (Quickley)
8:00: Clippers (Boston) @ Pelicans
8:30: Nuggets (Murray) @ Spurs (Johnson)
9:30 (NBA TV) Hawks @ Jazz (Juzang – Two-way)
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