There were eleven NBA games played on Saturday night, and unless you’re a basketball fiend, you probably didn’t watch a single one of them. That’s what I’m here for, the resident basketball fiend and content curator.
NBA scores 2017: Lonzo Ball’s historic triple double and other things from Saturday night
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
If you missed hoops on Saturday or just want a tune up, here’s what you need to know:
Lonzo Ball made NBA history
Ball posted 19 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds in the Lakers’ loss to the Bucks on Saturday. He did it at age 20 years and 15 days, surpassing LeBron James as the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple double.
Kristaps Porzingis is a beast
Add another 30-point game under the belt of Kristaps Porzingis, the Knicks’ star who unleashed 34 points in 27 minutes against the Kings to lead New York to a 27-point victory at home.
Porzingis now has eight 30-plus-point games on the season and his Knicks are 7-5 to start the year.
Steph Curry got his 4,000th assist
Earlier this season, Stephen Curry moved ahead of Tim Hardaway to become the second-leading assist man in Warriors history. On Saturday night, he added to that total, recording the 4,000th assist of his career.
Curry finished with 22 points and 9 assists in Golden State’s win over the 76ers on Saturday. He now has 4,0004 dimes in his ninth season with the Warriors, trailing only Hall of Fame point guard Guy Rodgers for most in Dubs history.
Joel Embiid ate his words
Hours before the 76ers took on the Warriors on Saturday, Embiid shared a conversation he had with Draymond Green over the summer. Apparently he told Green, one of the league’s vaunted trash talkers, he was going to kick his ass.
“I saw Draymond this summer and I told him I was going to kick his ass, so I can’t wait to play against him,” Embiid said. “I love the way he talks trash and I feel like I’m kind of like the same. So it’s gonna be a fun battle, especially going against Steph, Klay and KD.”
Well, two things happened after those words: The Warriors won by 21 (pass the sticks), and Embiid had his worst game of the season, scoring just 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting while turning the ball over seven times. Green, as expected, finished with a cool 10 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, five steals and two blocks.
Green and Durant then had what seemed to be cool words for Embiid after the game.
The Suns beat the Timberwolves
One team has Karl-Anthony Towns, Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, Jeff Teague, Jamal Crawford, Taj Gibson and head coach Tom Thibodeau. The other has nine losses in 13 games, Devin Booker... and T.J. Warren.
Turns out Booker and Warren were all Phoenix needed to to hand Minnesota’s hella deep cast of stars a 118-110 loss on Saturday. The Suns’ pair of scorers each scored 35 points on better than 50 percent shooting, and Warren was plus-26 during his time on the floor.
Wiggins and Butler scored 27 and 25 points respectively, and Towns had 17 points and 12 rebounds of his own. Where did Minnesota go wrong?
LeBron James said Dennis Smith Jr. should have been a Knick
The Knicks drafted French point guard Frank Ntilikina with the No. 8 pick in the draft, allowing the Mavericks to snatch Smith up at pick No. 9. LeBron thought New York made a terrible mistake.
“The Knicks passed on a really good one,” James said. “Dallas got the diamond in the rough. He should be a Knick. That’s gonna make some headlines but he should be a Knick. Dallas is definitely excited that he didn’t go there.
“He’s an unbelievable talent, athleticism. He’s very poised to be his age, can shoot the ball, penetrate; can only get better and better with the opportunity that he’s getting here to play. So Dallas got a good one. I’ve been known that, I’ve been with him for so long now, so I’ve been knowing his talent level.”
Welp.
The Pelicans’ two-man crew put in work
DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis combined for 60 points andn 25 rebound to schlep the Pelicans to a 111-103 win over the Clippers on Friday. Cousins had himself a night, putting up 35 points and 15 rebounds. He even made four of his eight three-point attempts.
Then he said it doesn’t matter who scores as long as New Orleans is winning.
The Pelicans are 7-6, so they’re winning more than they’re losing. And with Rajon Rondo set to return soon from a hernia, New Orleans could be hitting its stride.
This score is savage
Standings check
Saturday’s NBA scores
Knicks 118, Kings 91
Cavaliers 111, Mavericks 104
Bucks 98, Lakers 90
Warriors 135, 76ers 114
Suns 118, Timberwolves 110
Kristaps Porzingis uses Melo’s up-and-under
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