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BBNBA: Shai posts career-high 42, Monk dazzles & Vanderbilt emerges

by: Alex Weber02/25/21@alexweberKSR
Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander
<small>(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)<small>

(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

Good afternoon everybody, and especially to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s probably mid-ice bath after setting a new career-high last night. Let’s talk SGA and the rest of another HUGE night in BBNBA action.

RECAP

Shai sets career-high with 42 in buzzer-beater win over Spurs

A few days after not hearing his name called for the All-Star reserve list, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went out and demolished his previous career-high of 32 with a 42-point effort in an exciting victory over San Antonio. His team scored just 102 points in a game played at a typically Spursian snail’s pace, making the total even more impressive in context.

SGA also reached his 42 on a crazy-efficient 20 shots, converting 13 of them, 6-11 from three and 10-11 at the stripe. Scoring 42 has become commonplace in the modern NBA, but doing so in such a productive manner is rare. Congrats to Shai on quite literally the best statistical night of his life on a basketball court.

Hamidou Diallo didn’t have a huge night offensively with just five points, chipping in a three and a WOW! dunk. He still played solid defense and helped facilitate. Enjoy some gifs of Diallo’s slam and the buzzer-beating game-winner by my vicarious NBA-er Lu Dort.

Malik Monk explodes for 29 off the bench

Malik Monk has been a terror off the bench as of late. As the reserve spark, Monk’s had totals of 29, 23 and 20 in three of his last four games, and last night helped his young Hornets to their most impressive win of the season, beating a Suns team that had won nine of 10.

Monk’s per-game numbers for the year still aren’t great due to his inconsistencies in playing time early in the season, but his per-36 stats bear out a much more impressive start to Malik’s fourth year. So far he’s scoring 19.8 points per-36, shooting a bonkers 47.3% from three and 45.1% from the field, adding 4.5 rebounds and 3 assists.

His per-36 averages have always been strong in raw scoring, and he’s at a career rate in 2021, but it’s his spike in shooting that has caught the eye of the coaching staff. He was in the low-40s from the field and never above 34% from three previously and now he’s sniping from range with the best of them in a role that suits him.

His teammate PJ Washington had an okay night, finishing with 10 points on 50% shooting while grabbing just one rebound.

Across the court…

Suns streak snapped but Booker hangs 33

The Phoenix were winning games like the red-hot Utah Jazz, but had a bit of a falling back to Earth in last night’s home loss to Charlotte. Probably the most exciting game in the NBA yesterday, a pair of former Kentucky shooting guards matched jumpers throughout with Monk’s Hornets holding the narrow edge down the stretch.

Devin Booker shot 13-24 from the field, 4-10 from three and continued his scoring rampage despite Phoenix’s minor setback. Chris Paul again was terrific as he and Devin are reaching closer to nirvana with their pairing. Perhaps Booker is the next Harden to the Houston version of Paul, except the two get along and have a much deeper, more-versatile surrounding roster. Exciting times in south Arizona.

Timberwolves lose another but Vanderbilt and Towns shine

I want to take some time to talk about Jarred Vanderbilt‘s emergence. Guys, this dude is going to be a professional basketball player for a looong time, and an impactful one too. Vanderbilt is already one of the most energetic forwards in the NBA. He was the best rebounder by percentage during his stint in college, and he bears out that Rodman-esque intensity and nose for the ball on the glass in the NBA. His instincts are just remarkable, and kind of remind me of Isaiah Jackson nowadays.

He’s a joy to watch. A caffeinated jackrabbit with endless stamina that also has the ability, at 6-foot-9, to grab a rebound and lead a fast break. That’s the thing: he’s not just a defensive and rebounding specialist, he also has a handle and can whip cross-court passes like LeBron James.

Vando has a long way to go to reach the level of similar players like Rodman or Draymond Green, or even a Chris Boucher, but he has the potential to develop into one of those elite hybrid role players that can have the impact of a star. Check out these highlights just from last night. He dives on the floor half a dozen times and you can feel his hustle through the screen.

His teammate Karl-Anthony Towns is still getting back into the groove of things after missing extended time, but finished with 24 points on 10-20 shooting, to go along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists as he and Vanderbilt did their best to will the Wolves to an overtime win in Chicago, but ultimately fell short.


Here’s to another fun and productive night of Cats In The League action. Check out the full stat sheet and the rest of the BBNBA guys, including Bam Adebayo who dropped 19 & 13 in a win.

STATISTICS

[table id=704 /]

TODAY IN THE NBA

7:00: Mavericks (Cauley-Stein) @ 76ers (Maxey)

7:30: Magic @ Nets

7:30: Kings (Fox) @ Knicks (Randle, Quickley, Noel, Knox)

8:00: Clippers (Patterson) @ Grizzlies

9:00: Wizards @ Nuggets (Murray)

9:30: Pelicans (Bledsoe) @ Bucks

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