October 30, 2023 Games

Not that many exciting games today but still a busy day for the league overall.

Brooklyn Nets 133 (1-2) @ Charlotte Hornets 121 (1-2)

Not much defense played this game, it was pretty free flowing for both teams. Hornets got too far behind after the first quarter and couldn't quite catch up after that. Continuing his strong start to the season, Cam Thomas led all players in scoring with 33 points.

Chicago Bulls 112 (2-2) @ Indiana Pacers 105 (2-1)

This was an entertaining/funny one. It was a close game all throughout. It was a battle of two middle-of-the-road teams. The shooting wasn't all that great, and there were plenty of turnovers and mistakes made by both teams. Nikola Vucevic had the nicest stat line with 24 points and 17 rebounds, which led all players in each of those categories.

Boston Celtics 126 (3-0) @ Washington Wizards 107 (1-2)

This one wasn't much of a game. Celtics were supposed to win, and they did. They also looked like a team, they were passing well and were playing off each other well. The Wizards did not look like a real team and not sure if they will at any point this season.

Minnesota Timberwolves 113 (1-2) @ Atlanta Hawks 127 (2-2)

What a turnaround performance for the Hawks in this game led by Dejounte Murray who finished with 41 points, 22 of which came in the third quarter alone. Furthermore, the poor shooting of the Wolves helped the Hawks comeback as they shot ~67% in the first two quarters then dropped to ~26% in the third quarter, a huge decrease. Prior to that though, the Wolves did look good and looked like they're gradually building their chemistry.

Portland Trail Blazers 99 (1-3) @ Toronto Raptors 91 (1-3)

This one was a tough watch. There was a plethora of missed shots and it felt like there was no rhythm to the game. With all the missed shots, especially from the Raptors who got good looks but couldn't make them, came a lot of rebound opportunities. DeAndre Ayton of the Blazers capitalized on this opportunity and racked up an insane 23 rebounds. Malcolm Brogdon also showed his value for the Blazers but I don't think he'll be part of the team long term.

Dallas Mavericks 125 (3-0) @ Memphis Grizzlies 110 (0-4)

No Kyrie Irving tonight for the Mavs so there was a heavy workload for Luka Doncic tonight who didn't disappoint and ended the game with 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists. One thing that's been apparent since the season started has been how fit he has been looking. He looks like he's been working out this summer and maintained his conditioning, which has been an issue in prior seasons. That was an advantage this game which was fast paced and had lots of 3s. The Grizzlies continued struggle will be how they operate without Ja Morant.

Miami Heat 114 (1-3) @ Milwaukee Bucks 122 (2-1)

This also wasn't much of a game either. The Heat tried a little comeback toward the end of the game but it fell short. The Bucks dominated the game after the first quarter. No real notes for this game. I think a couple interesting things I saw was: 1) the Heat giving the ball to Thomas Bryant early on and letting him work inside 2) Kris Middleton's value was shown today as he was a stable player to help take the load off of Giannis and Dame, and that'll be important for the success of this team.

Golden State Warriors 130 (3-1) @ New Orleans Pelicans 102 (2-1)

It was a close game until halftime. Then the Warriors did their thing and took over on offense and defense. Curry finished the game with 42 points as well. Don't really want to say much more.

Detroit Pistons 112 (2-2) @ Oklahoma City Thunder 124 (3-1)

This was a fun one. My two favorite young teams right now. The Thunder led for all of the game. SGA looked good and Chet is just so long, he makes a big difference on defense. There wasn't much defense played but they were definitely hustling out there. I like how the Pistons look right now after this performance though, they had a good balance of scoring and everyone contributed. Good game.

Utah Jazz 102 (1-3) @ Denver Nuggets 110 (4-0)

The defending champions are continuing their strong start. I think this was their best team performance today, although still dominated by Jokic. They led for the entire game. They're just so good right now, it looks like they'll continue to win lots of games.

Orlando Magic 103 (2-1) @ Los Angeles Lakers 106 (2-2)

I just don't get it. Why do the Lakers make it so hard on themselves. It makes no sense. This was a good game though, AD played great defense for the Lakers and Magic's role players contributed well. The Magic also had more energy, maybe because this was the second leg of back-to-back games for the Lakers.