Here’s the best news from week 14 in the NBA, and other news from around the world of basketball.
☀️ The Suns are on fire (22/01)
🫡 The Phoenix Suns are back to a level worthy of the squad they have at their disposal. Frank Vogel’s men have the Durant-Beal-Booker trio back to full health and can finally get their season underway.
🔥The Phoenix Big 3 scored 91 points last night against the Pacers, with 40 for KD, 25 for Beal and 26 for Booker. The latter added 8 assists and played point guard, which is not his usual position. Booker scored 52 points against the Pelicans on Friday night. But the key man in the rotation is Grayson Allen, who has the best 3-point percentage in the league (48.2%)!
🤝 5 wins in a row for the Suns, who are currently tied for 7th in the Western Conference with Dallas. Cult clash, really important to watch, between the two teams on Wednesday night!
🚨Terry Rozier joins the Miami Heat in exchange for Kyle Lowry! (23/01)
💣 Trade between the Hornets and the Heat that sends Kyle Lowry and a 2027 draft round in exchange for Terry Rozier, Adrian Wojnarowski reports. There’s a good chance that Lowry won’t be retained by Charlotte. The veteran will be the object of covetousness from many franchises to get some minutes at the end of the bench.
📈 Rozier is averaging 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists this season and looks to be a very good signing for Miami! The sniper will provide Erik Spoelstra with an extra option to take the Heat safely into the play-offs.
🥼Doc Rivers takes over from Adrian Griffin! (24/01)
🫎 As expected, it’s the experienced Doc Rivers who will take over as Head Coach of the Milwaukee Bucks according to CNN.
😬 Griffin was fired last night after an accumulation of problems led him to lose the confidence of the dressing room.
🏆 Milwaukee, currently 2nd in the Eastern Conference, with 30 wins and 13 losses. The Wisconsin management may be trying to replicate the 2016 Cavs, who hired Tyron Lue at the same time when the team also had 30 wins… and finished champion at the end of the season!
🥶 The streak comes to an end for Cleveland! (25/01)
❌ All good things must come to an end, and that was the case for the Cavs’ 8-game winning streak, which came to an end against Milwaukee last night.
📈 Between 18 December and 20 January, Cleveland dropped from 8th to 4th place in the Eastern Conference. Donovan Mitchell and Co are also expecting the return of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, two major players in the Cavs’ rotation!
💪 We’ve seen the explosion of Sam Merrill, Cleveland’s sniper. He’s approaching the style of a JJ Redick and becomes unstoppable when he finds some skill. Donovan Mitchell is also in fine form, averaging 28 points and 6 assists. Finally, Jarrett Allen, averaging 10.3 rebounds, is as indispensable as ever for the Ohio squad.
😬 The only downside for the Cavs is the 25-game suspension of veteran Tristan Thompson for testing positive for substances banned by the NBA.
🚨 Brian Keefe is the new Wizards coach (25/01)
😱 While Wes Unseld Jr. has moved from coaching the Wizards to a position in the front office, we know his replacement. It’s Brian Keefe, senior assistant, who will lead Washington until the end of the season.
👀 So this is an interim position, until a coach is found this summer for the coming season. Mike Budenholzer and Adrian Griffin, both fired by the Bucks, may well make their return to the NBA bench in the US capital…
🥶SGA steals Stephen Curry’s spot! (26/01)
😱 The Warriors point guard won’t be starting at Indiana’s All-Star Game, a first for him since the 2013-14 season (excluding the 2019-2020 season: injured)!
🎯 It’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Dončić who have been chosen in the « guards » category to be All-Star Game starters. Curry will, barring an earthquake, be drafted by the coaches to be a reserve.
🗳️ Remember the voting rules: 50% the fans, 25% the media and 25% the players themselves. While Curry was still in second place after the fans’ vote, it seems that the media and the players have reversed the trend in favour of SGA. The latter is enjoying an exceptional season at the helm of the Thunder, who are 1st in the Western Conference.
🎯 Two players hit the 70-point mark (27/01)
🤯 Joel Embiid and Luka Dončić have made history, scoring 70 and 73 points respectively. This is the first time in NBA history that there have been 2 players reaching the 70-point mark in the same week.
🔥 This NBA week is completely crazy with two performances already on Monday night: Embiid with 70 points and Karl Anthony-Towns with 62 points. Another one last night with Doncic at 73 and Devin Booker at 62.
😳 Booker has also joined the club of players to have scored 70 points in a game. There are now 10 to have done so, including Damian Lillard and Donovan Mitchell, both last year. That leaves Kobe Bryant’s 81 points and Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points almost unattainable.
🔥 Mike James drills 28 points in 15 minutes against Chalon! (28/01)
🤝 Betclic Elite leaders Monaco were hosting Elan Chalon on this Sunday afternoon and Mike James was unstoppable.
🥶 He started with ease, scoring Monaco’s first 11 points while Chalon still couldn’t find the way to the basket. The American scored 24 points in the first half and was preserved by his coach in the second half.
🤯 In just 15 minutes of play, MJ scored 28 points, 7/13 from the floor including 4/6 from 3-point range and 10/10 from the free-throw line. He and team-mate Elie Okobo combined for 52 points as Monaco won 82-69 to remain unbeaten at home.
Eliott Caillot 