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If you watched a preseason game, you saw it. If you haven’t been watching the preseason you’re going to see it a lot starting next Tuesday.
This season’s “NBA rule we’re going to enforce like crazy until mid-December then forget about” is delay of game after a made basket. Meaning after a made basket a player on the offensive team (that just scored) cannot catch the ball as it goes through the net and toss the ball to the referee.
Odd, I know, but here’s the thinking: More and more teams want to push the ball up court even after a make to probe the defense before it gets set, and that toss to the official is another step to slow down those running teams.
NBA Director of Officials Don Vaden talked about it in a Q&A on NBA.com.
“This season you will notice a change in how we enforce the delay of game penalty based on conversations with the Competition Committee. It’s not a “no-touch” provision, but players will no longer be permitted to direct the ball after it clears the net. Going forward, an offensive player who catches the ball after a made basket and passes it to a referee will receive a delay of game warning (if team’s first delay) or a delay of game penalty if it’s their second.”
Do it twice, get a technical.
As always, expect teams to fall in line for the most part, referees to forget about the edict starting around Thanksgiving and by Christmas things are back to normal.
That said, I don’t hate this. Anything that speeds up the tempo of the game I’m good with.
Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns out 4-6 weeks with calf strain
Rob Carr/Getty Images
It’s not good news, but it looked like it could have been much worse.
Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns is out for weeks with a right calf strain, the team announced Tuesday following an MRI exam. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports it is likely 4-6 weeks.
The injury occurred midway through the third quarter Monday when Towns started to run back upcourt and went to the ground without contact, grabbing his knee and calf. It looked scary — Achilles scary — and he had to be helped off the court.
KAT suffered a non-contact injury and was helped to the locker room.
Prayers up 🙏 pic.twitter.com/NpitMW9arI
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 29, 2022
Towns has averaged 21.4 points and 8.5 rebounds a game, and while his numbers are down this season — just 32.8% on 3-pointers — the team has struggled at times without him, particularly lineups with Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards together, an -11.8 net rating (in non-garbage time minutes, via Cleaning the Glass).
Kevin Durant on chasing MVP: ‘Not really, I’ve been there, done that’
Mike Stobe/Getty Images
Kevin Durant carried the Nets to another win Monday night, scoring 45 points on 19-of-24 shooting, plus seven rebounds and five assists.
If you’re having an MVP conversation a quarter of the way into the NBA season, Durant has to be part of it: 30 points per game on 54.8% shooting (and a ridiculous 65.9 true shooting percentage), 6.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists a game, plus playing solid defense and being the anchor of the Nets. After his 45-point outing to get Brooklyn a win over Orlando, Durant was asked about MVP chants and the chase for the award and was clearly not interested.
Kevin Durant when asked if he's motivated to win MVP amid chants from tonight's crowd during his 45-point performance:
"Nah, not really. I've been there, done that." pic.twitter.com/eiJT6Dcnnx
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 29, 2022
Durant has MVP numbers, but so do Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum and others. If Durant is going to move to the front of the conversation, the first thing that has to happen is Brooklyn has to win a lot more games — 11-11 is not going to cut it when Tatum’s Celtics and Antetokounmpo’s Bucks have the two best records in the NBA. Winning games and finishing on a top-three team in the conference matters to some voters (and traditionally is one measure of an MVP).
Watch Herb Jones inbound off Pokusevski’s back, seal win for Pelicans
Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images
With 2.3 seconds left in the game and the Thunder down 2, they needed to steal the inbounds pass from New Orleans to have a real chance. That’s why when Aleksej Pokusevski walked on the court it looked like he was going to guard the inbounder, Herbert Jones.
Instead, Pokusevski turned his back to Jones, putting himself in position to step in front of anyone cutting to the ball to catch the inbounds. Except, Jones made the clever play to seal the game.
HERB PULLING OUT ALL THE TRICKS!!! 🪄@PelicansNBA | #Pelicans |📺:BSNO pic.twitter.com/oPUNsBdRwt
— Bally Sports New Orleans (@BallySportsNO) November 29, 2022
Pokusevski fouled Jones, who sank both free throws and sealed the 105-101 Pelicans win.
The Pelicans got 23-8-8 from Zion Williamson and picked up a win without CJ McCollum or Brandon Ingram in the lineup. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his dominant start to the season and scored 31.
Watch Lakers fan drain half-court shot to win $75,000
Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
It might have been the loudest the crypto.com Arena was all night.
Between the third and fourth quarters, Lakers fan Jamie Murry of Downey won $75,000 draining a half-court shot — and he got to celebrate with Anthony Davis.
Sink the @MGMRewards Big Shot Jackpot ✅
HIt the Griddy ✅
Celebrate with AD ✅ pic.twitter.com/kDqbSobdS2— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 29, 2022
Murry’s celebration is the best part — with Anthony Davis coming out to celebrate with him (and seeming a little shocked by the hug).
One other big shot fell at this game, but Lakers’ fans didn’t like it as much — Pacers’ rookie Andrew Nembhard drained a game-winning 3-pointer as time expired.
Andrew Nembhard hits the #TissotBuzzerBeater to win it for the @Pacers! #TimingEmotions pic.twitter.com/lFv43RTHxG
— NBA (@NBA) November 29, 2022
