BBNBA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Scores 34 in 4th Straight Win
The Oklahoma City Thunder are 4-3 and riding a four-game win streak — that is not a typo. OKC pulled out a win over the (very, very bad) Orlando Magic 116-108 to improve to a winning record on Tuesday. According to Vegas Insider, the Thunder’s over/under win total was set at 23.5. Sure, it’s still early in the season, but OKC is on pace to shatter that. The change of fortune is in large part due to the fifth-year leap of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week on Monday.
Gilgeous-Alexander has steadily improved each year in the league. After averaging 10.8 points in his rookie year, he made a huge leap to 19 points in his second year. SGA jump to 31 ppg in year five is surprising to the entire NBA, but not to Kentucky fans. He came to Kentucky as the team’s seventh highest-rated recruit (one behind Quade Green — woof) and 31st recruit in the nation. To say he was an afterthought coming to Lexington would be a nice way to put it.
By the end of the year, Gilgeous-Alexander was starting on a team that featured seven future NBA players. His mental toughness and competitive drive have made him a favorite in Oklahoma City. As of right now, he’s a frontrunner for Most Improved Player.
Devin Booker’s Suns Defeat KAT’s Timberwolves 116-107
Tuesday was a reunion of two pieces from the 2015 Kentucky team that finished 38-1 — the undeniably greatest roster in college basketball in the last 20 years. Devin Booker‘s Phoenix Suns improved to 6-1 with a win over the 4-4 Timberwolves.
Booker scored 18, which dropped his scoring average this season to 27.7 ppg. Karl-Anthony Towns had a double-double with 24 and 10 for Minnesota. Booker is trying to lead the Suns to the team’s first NBA championship. Towns, meanwhile, has taken a step back only averaging 21 and 8, but I wouldn’t bet against a resurgence as the season progresses.
Bam Adebayo Leads Miami to Much-Needed Win
The Miami Heat defeated last year’s NBA Champion Golden State Warriors 116-109 on Tuesday night. Bam Adebayo continued his impressive defensive season with three steals and a block. He’s renowned throughout the league for his on-ball defense, especially for someone his size. He is one of the most valuable players in the entire league on both sides of the ball.
Tyler Herro, unfortunately, suffered from a left eye injury after only playing nine minutes. It doesn’t seem like anything serious as you can see Herro joking about it in the clip below.
Stats from 11/1/2022
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | MIN | +/- |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | 116-108 W vs. ORL | 34 | 12-18 (0-3) | 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 33 | -2 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) | 116-107 L @ PHX | 24 | 9-18 (3-7) | 10 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 37 | -12 |
| Bam Adebayo (MIA) | 116-109 W vs. GSW | 19 | 8-15 (0-0) | 7 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 37 | -6 |
| Devin Booker (PHX) | 116-107 W vs. MIN | 18 | 6-18 (2-7) | 7 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 30 | 11 |
| Tyler Herro (MIA) | 116-109 W vs. GSW | 2 | 1-4 (0-0) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
Tonight in the NBA
6:00: Wizards @ 76ers (Maxey)
7:30 (ESPN): Celtics @ Cavaliers
7:30: Kings (Fox, Lyles, Monk) @ Heat (Adebayo, Herro)
7:30: Hawks @ Knicks (Randle, Quickley)
8:00: Hornets (Richards, PJ Washington) @ Bulls
8:00: Clippers (Boston, Wall) @ Rockets (TyTy Washington)
8:00: Pistons (Diallo, Knox, Noel) @ Bucks
8:00: Raptors @ Spurs (Johnson)
8:30: Jazz (Vanderbilt) @ Mavericks
10:00 (ESPN): Grizzlies @ Trail Blazers (Sarr, Sharpe)
10:30: Pelicans @ Lakers (Davis, Gabriel)
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