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Ali threw it
Best dunk or slunk of the year?it doesn't matter
Slunk is when you throw the ball over the top and into the rim. A dunk is performed with your hands on the rim. What Anthony Edwards did late last night can only be described with expletives and words that would make George Carlin blush.
His dunk/slunk/baptism of jazz big man John Collins last night took the internet hostage. Before we dive into the details below the GIF, take a look at what he did with Collins.
In fact, Edwards was injured on this play when his left hand hit Collins in the face. (Collins left the game with a head contusion and did not return. There were initially concerns that he was being treated for a concussion, but Shams said that was fortunately not the case. It was just a bruise – and maybe some embarrassment.)
Look at the reaction from the Wolves bench.
It's fun to watch everyone jump out of their seats. It looked like Monte Morris had accidentally walked into the crime scene and was trying to retreat, which wasn't the best reaction. Ant also didn't watch the highlights after the game (warning: adult language, wear headphones). Look at the look on Kyle Anderson's face.
We are all in slow mo. We must protect Ant at all costs. Obviously, from his own dunks as well.
Continuation from last night:
Knicks 119, Warriors 112: OG Anunoby will likely miss more time with his elbow, but Jalen Brunson (34 points) is unstoppable. — Miles McBride's career-high 29 points also fell short.. And all five of Josh Hart's career triple-doubles have come in his past 21 games. New York (41-27) is two games behind third-place Cleveland (43-25).
Cavs 108, Pacers 103: The new NBA is still here. The Cavs' No. 3 defense completely shut down the Pacers' No. 2 offense. And no Donovan Mitchell or Evan Mobley. Indiana (38-31) fell to seventh place in the East.
76ers 98, Heat 91: No Jimmy Butler. No Joel Embiid. Tyrese Maxey had 30 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds to lead Philadelphia (38-30) to sixth place in the East. Miami (37-31) remains in eighth place.
Bulls 110, Blazers 107: The Bulls' big three of DeMar DeRozan, Ayo Dosunmu and Nikola Vucevic were too much for the furious comeback by Anfernee Simmons, Deandre Ayton and Ayton's newfound mattress. Chicago (34-35) is 3.5 games back of eighth place.
Lakers 136, Hawks 105: Jalen Johnson dunked over Austin Reeves, but 1) Anthony Edwards and 2) the Lakers (37-32, 9th in the West) defeated the Hawks (30-38, 10th in the East). Because it was rolled up, no one noticed.
Kings 121, Grizzlies 111 in OT: Domantas Sabonis achieved his 50th consecutive double-double with 25 points and 18 rebounds. Malik Monk scored 28 points off the bench in overtime as the Kings (39-28, 6th place in the West) loaded the bases.
Wolves 114, Jazz 104: Oh, and I forgot to mention, Edwards scored 32 points as Minnesota (47-21) fell a half-game behind No. 1 seed OKC (47-20).
Celtics 119, Pistons 94: What did you think would happen with this?
Shams latest information
Kai Jones opens his mouth
We first noted here last week that the 76ers were working on and had interest in 2021 first-rounder Kai Jones. On Friday, Philadelphia signed the 23-year-old to a 10-day contract after being released by the Hornets in October.
I had the opportunity to meet Jones one-on-one earlier this week. At the time, he spoke to me about several topics, from dealing with the eviction and death in his family in Charlotte to making the most of this new opportunity. 76ers etc. Check out how we sit here.
“I didn’t want to die.” – New Philadelphia 76ers C/F Kai Jones says @Stadium: On dealing with loss in life, currently undergoing important treatment, returning to the NBA, and more: pic.twitter.com/o0emOIIvG3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 18, 2024
Was the prediction correct or incorrect?
Rethinking preseason predictions
I was thinking about some of the preseason predictions I made in this newsletter. And by “we” I mean I am lumping you all together as accomplices in my predictions. We made 20 predictions before the season and wanted to know how many were good, how many were bad, and how many were terrible. We will revisit these over the next three installments. today? We go with good people!
good prediction
For ROY, I predicted Victor Wenbanyama. I know there was some thought that Chet Holmgren or Scoot Henderson might take on this. Holmgren put in a great effort and had a great season. But this is all Wenby. The betting odds are dramatically in his favor.
I predicted Willie Green in COY. I doubt the Pelicans coach will ultimately win this award. He might not even crack the top three ahead of Mark Daigneault (OKC), Chris Finch (Minnesota) and Joe Mazzula (Boston). However, if the Pelicans move up to the No. 4 seed, Green should be able to earn more minutes.
For the sixth man, I predicted Malik Monk. The Kings' sixth man is now the favorite to take home the hardware, and that's rarely a mistake this time of year.
We predicted Rudy Gobert as the rebounding leader. Gobert currently ranks second in the NBA in scoring behind Domantas Sabonis, who averages 13.6 points per game. Gobert is averaging 12.9 shots per game. Technically it's still doable, but it seems unlikely.
Tyrese Haliburton was expected to be the assist leader. The Pacers All-Star is on track for this correct prediction at 11.2 times per game. Trae Young is second with 10.8 points, but it's unclear when he will be healthy again.
I expected Wenbanyama to be the block leader. With 3.5 blocks per match, Wenbanyama will easily win this one. He has a lead of almost one block over second place.
I predicted Dillon Brooks to be the technical foul leader. He is currently one spot behind Luka Doncic for the league lead. Things like this can still happen often.
Yes, this is just 7 of 20 predictions made during the preseason. I'll explain the bad points on Bounce tomorrow. Until then, feel free to read up on the NBA's biggest storylines as the stretch run takes shape.
Goodbye, Pistons
I hope the Detroit play-in is completed.
The Pistons set a record for most consecutive losses in a single season (28), so it wouldn't be surprising if they missed out on a spot in the play-in tournament with less than a month left in the season. But they weren't the first team to be eliminated from postseason contention, so that's pretty cool, right? Tie a cute ribbon on their season while looking ahead to the off-season.
What are the bright spots for Detroit this season? Cade Cunningham, 22, can be spectacular at times, but his numbers this season are pretty impressive. Jaylen Duren (20) looked like a legitimate big man for their future. Jaden Ivey (22) is a lot of fun when Monty Williams actually trusts him. Author Thompson, 21, is already an impactful defender. And they fired Killian Hayes.
Detroit's key free agents: Evan Fournier (team option), James Wiseman (restricted free agent), Malachi Flynn (restricted), Simone Fontecchio (restricted)
The biggest position to address: all. There isn't one area where the Pistons feel comfortable and settled. Cunningham needs a lot of talent and veterans around him if he believes he is that guy.Remember, this team It wasn't Tamping this season.
What is the status of draft picks? They owe the pick to the Knicks, but it's protected in the top 18, so there's still Detroit at safety.
Will there be cap space? I would. By cutting Fournier, Wiseman and other free agents, the Pistons could finally get enough money for a max contract, and possibly even half of another max contract. That would give them a lot of flexibility in trades and signing veterans permanently.
2023-24 Yearbook Citation: “Smile because next year we will be pistovs.”
bounce pass
John Hollinger said the West won't like this offseason.
JJ Redick and LeBron James have started their own nerdy basketball podcast.
NBA players explain how to charge correctly.
Screen Game (All Time Eastern)
- Main screen: Nuggets vs. Wolves (9 p.m. NBA TV). Minnesota regains the No. 1 seed with the win, as does Denver State.
- Second screen: Pelicans vs. Nets (7:30 p.m.). Watch Zion Williamson bully a grown man.
- League Pass Game of the Night: Mavs vs. Spurs (8 p.m.). Wenby tries to solve the problem between Luka and Kyrie. Click here for detailed schedule.
(Top photo: Alex Goodlett / Getty Images )
