NBA Starting 5, Nov. 22: LeBron, KD make history
Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers …
Welcome to the Knockout Rounds.
THE LINEUP
- Must-see from Tuesday
- Pacers, Lakers clinch groups ✅
- In-Season Tournament update
- Jrue v. Dame in East showdown
- Fast Break: 14-game night
- WEDNESDAY MORNING MUST-SEE
- Pacers 1st to Clinch: Indiana became the first team to advance to the In-Season Tournament Knockout Rounds, rallying from 20 down to top the Hawks, 157-152, and take East Group A
- Lakers Sweep Group: L.A. became the first team to go undefeated in Group Play, going 4-0 in West Group A
- Points on Points: The Pacers and Hawks combined for 309 points, only the 12th game in NBA history with 300+ points without overtime
- Two Of Those Points? This monster Obi Toppin dunk
- 39K for LBJ: LeBron James needed one shot to reach two milestones: first player with 39,000 points and seventh place on the all-time 3s list. See it from in the arena
- KD Moves Up: Kevin Durant continued his ascension up the NBA’s all-time scoring list, passing Elvin Hayes for 11th all-time. Don’t know the Big E? Here are 11 stat facts about the legend
- Ambidextrous Trae: It doesn’t have the same ring as Ice Trae, but it accurately describes the lefty and righty dimes he was dropping in the first half as Atlanta put up a franchise-record 86 points
- Defensive Pride: Jalen Suggs was pumped after his steal launched a Magic fast break that ended in a Franz Wagner triple. Suggs ranks third in the league in steals (2.1 spg)
- PACERS, LAKERS ADVANCE, THREE OTHERS MOVE CLOSER
Need a refresher on how teams advance? Tap here.
️ Pacers 157, Hawks 152 (East Group A)
IND: 3-0 (Clinched), Next: Friday vs. DET
ATL: 1-2, Next: Nov. 28 at CLE
- Game For The Ages: The Pacers and Hawks had the first 300-point game without OT since 2019, with Indy securing the W to move on. Watch the final 5:50
- First Time In 40 Years: In the shot clock era, only three other games have seen both teams shoot 60% or better while attempting at least 90 shots. This was the first time it happened in 40 years
- Haliburton Creates 74 Pts: Tyrese Haliburton had 37 points (with nine 3s) and created 39 more with 16 dimes. He joins James Harden (twice) as the only players ever with 35+ points, 15+ assists and 9+ 3s in a game
- Trae Young finished with 38 points and eight assists as Atlanta dropped its third straight
Lakers 131, Jazz 99 (West Group A)
LAL: 4-0 (Clinched)
UTA: 2-2
- Wire To Wire: While Indy had a track meet to secure its spot in the Knockouts, the Lakers led the whole way to sweep West Group A
- Anthony Davis paced seven Lakers in double figures with 26 points and 16 boards – his third 25/15 game of the season and first in November
- The King’s Quest: Hear from LeBron in his own words about his journey
Suns 120, Blazers 107 (West Group A)
PHX: 2-1, Next: Friday at MEM
POR: 1-3 (Eliminated)
- The Suns eliminated the Blazers and stayed in contention for the West wild card with a 13-point win, boosting their point differential
- Before he went out and dropped 31 points and nine assists in the win, Kevin Durant made a young fan’s night with a pregame picture (stay until the end of the clip, it’s worth it)
⚔️ Cavs 122, Sixers 119 (OT) (East Group A)
CLE: 2-1, Next: Nov. 28 vs. ATL
PHI: 2-2
- Cavs Stay Alive: Indy may have locked up East Group A, but Cleveland’s still in the East wild card mix thanks to an overtime win over Philly
- After Tobias Harris hit a corner 3 to put Philly up, Jarrett Allen hit the go-ahead floater with 17.9 seconds left, giving him 26 points on the night. It was Allen’s highest-scoring game since Feb. 4, 2022
- Darius Garland added 32 points and eight assists for the Cavs, who withstood the third game of the season with Joel Embiid (32) and Tyrese Maxey (30) both going for 30+
Magic 126, Raptors 107 (East Group C)
ORL: 2-1, Next: Friday vs. BOS
TOR: 0-2, Next: Friday vs. CHI
- Magic Pick Up Big W: Paolo Banchero scored 25 (including this tough finish and flex) to lead Orlando to its fourth straight win overall and second win in Group Play – and setting up a big matchup with Group leader Boston Friday
- Jalen Suggs added 18 and Cole Anthony had 15 points and 10 dimes off the bench to help the Magic stay in contention for the Knockouts
- LATEST ON THE IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT
- Two Down, Six To Go: With the Pacers and Lakers winning their respective groups tonight, two of the eight spots in the Knockout Stage have been claimed
- What Lies Ahead: 10 more games on Friday in the penultimate night of Group Play, including a West Group C showdown between the Wolves and Kings as both teams enter at 2-0
- Closing out Group Play: Four teams completed Group Play on Tuesday and another 10 will do so on Friday.
- Enjoying the Competition: Count Pacers coach Rick Carlisle and rap legend Jadakiss as fans of the In-Season Tournament
- Reminder: With two teams clinched and five teams eliminated, 23 teams are still alive for the final six spots in the Knockouts – four group winners and two wildcards. Not every group will be won with a sweep like L.A. in West Group A. Tap for tiebreakers
Check out the In-Season Tournament Tracker for more
- JRUE VS. DAME MATCHUP LEADS 14-GAME NIGHT
Jrue Holiday breaks down what it will be like to face his former team.
A week before training camps opened, a chess game broke out among East contenders with two moves that changed the conference.
- Milwaukee acquired Damian Lillard from Portland on Sept. 27 in a three-team deal that sent Jrue Holiday to the Blazers
- Dame’s Impact: The 10-4 Bucks are 4-0 when Dame scores 30+ points. Milwaukee is 5-1 in clutch games, with Dame leading all players in clutch points
- Boston acquired Holiday from Portland on Oct. 1
- Jrue’s Impact: The Celtics are a league-best 11-3. They ranked second in defense last season (110.6) and have been even better this season (107), with Holiday ranked fourth among guards in defensive rating
Tonight: The two teams meet for the first time this season (7:30 ET, ESPN)
Milwaukee upgraded its offense and clutch play by adding Lillard, but did Boston make the perfect counter-move by adding Holiday? He’s had some of the most head-to-head success of any guard defending Dame.
- Only. One. Foul: Jrue has guarded Dame for 101.4 minutes in their careers, only fouling him one time and holding him to 41.4% shooting. He’s also forced Dame into 14 turnovers and four blocks
- He’s the only player to guard Dame for at least 65 minutes and only have one or less fouls called on him
Don’t Forget About Giannis: The Celtics know who they’ll put on Dame. But they also have to contend with Giannis, who is averaging 33 points on 70% shooting over Milwaukee’s last five games, and that doesn’t include his NBA season-high 54-point game from Nov. 9.
- Al Horford was the primary defender on Giannis last season, allowing 29 points on 46.4% shooting in 10:06 of matchup time
- The other Celtics that defended Giannis the most last season – Grant Williams, Malcolm Brogdon and Marcus Smart – are no longer in Boston
- Newcomer Kristaps Porzingis had little success against Giannis last year in D.C., allowing 28 points on 71% shooting in 3:05 of matchup time
- Jaylen Brown may get additional time on Giannis, after holding him to six points on 22% shooting last season
- FAST BREAK: CP3’S RETURN, LUKA VS LEBRON & MORE TONIGHT
Tonight, Chris Paul returns to Phoenix (10 ET, ESPN) for the first time since joining the Warriors this offseason.
- Instant Impact: Second on the Dubs in assists per game (7.7), CP3’s second in the NBA in AST/TO ratio among players with 25+ mpg
- Changing Course: The Dubs just ended the Rockets’ six-game win streak — and their own six-game skid. The Suns, riding a four-game streak, have gotten a combined 62.1 ppg from KD (34.8) & Book (27.3) in that run
- Steph’s Streak: Curry’s made 4+ treys in all 13 games to start the NBA season, more than anyone in history
What else, on a 14-game night?
- Luka x LeBron: Doncic, 2nd in NBA.com’s Kia MVP Ladder, leads the NBA’s second-best offense against LeBron, who just reached 39K career points, and L.A. in a battle of two of the West’s top six (10:30 ET)
- Red-Hot Starts: Three more players on the Kia MVP Ladder (Joel Embiid, Ant Edwards & Tyrese Maxey) meet in Sixers-Wolves (8 ET). Minnesota is in first place through 13 games for the first time ever, while Philly hit 10 wins in 13 games for the first time since 2011-12
- Champs vs. Challengers: Jokic & the Nuggets (2nd in West) haven’t lost at home yet, though they’re just 3-4 on the road. Can Paolo Banchero and the NBA’s second-best defense keep the Magic’s hot start going? (7 ET)
Get the full schedule, with no games on Thanksgiving in the U.S.
