On a Sunday in which eight games were played in the Association, many of the day’s the biggest stars were front court players. Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and LA Clippers forward Tobias Harris continue to build on excellent seasons, and New York’s Enes Kanter established a new single-game career high for rebounds in a game.
Below is a look at Sunday’s action, beginning with Vucevic. Follow Raphielle on Twitter by clicking here.
Orlando Magic forward Nikola Vucevic has been a solid front court option for the franchise since he was acquired from Philadelphia during the summer of 2012, but in 2018-19 he’s on pace to produce the best season of his NBA career. Entering Sunday’s game against the Lakers averaging 19.8 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game,
Vucevic was outstanding in Orlando’s 108-104 victory. In 36 minutes the 7-footer tallied 31 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks, two steals and three three-pointers as he outplayed Lakers centers JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler.
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A small part of the USC product’s success Sunday could be the matchup, as he lit up the Lakers for 36 points, 13 rebounds, two steals and two three-pointers on 15-of-23 shooting from the field back on November 17. But the bigger reason for Sunday’s performance is the fact that Vucevic is playing excellent basketball. He entered Sunday shooting 55.1% from the field, 40.4% from three (on 2.5 attempts per game) and 82.7% from the foul line, and has now shot 50 percent or better from the field in six straight and eight of his last nine games.
As for the scoring Vucevic, who scored 30 points or more in a game just three times all of last season, has matched that total in the first 19 games of the 2018-19 campaign. His ability to both score has opened things up for his teammates and the center is a good passer, as evidenced by his seven assists against the Lakers and his career-best assists average (matching last year’s number). Vucevic is owned in 96% of Yahoo leagues currently, and with good reason.
D.J. Augustin also had a solid afternoon at Staples Center, scoring 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting with a game-high nine assists, and Terrence Ross added 16 points, six rebounds, two steals, one assist and four three-pointers in 29 minutes off the bench.
LeBron James matches season-high with six turnovers
While James did account for 24 points, seven assists, four rebounds, one blocked shot and two three-pointers in Sunday’s loss, he was also responsible for six of the Lakers’ 18 turnovers (Brandon Ingram finished with five). The turnover count matches the season high established in the Lakers’ season-opener, and over the last two games he’s committed 11. However from a fantasy standpoint this isn’t a huge deal, given how much James has the ball in his hands and everything he does on a game-to-game basis.
One player who did not have a turnover problem Sunday was Kyle Kuzma, who had just one and finished the game with 21 points, five assists, four rebounds, one steal and two three-pointers in 35 minutes played.
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Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler lead Sixers past Nets
Philadelphia managed to survive Sunday’s battle with Brooklyn, thanks in large part to the play of Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler. While Embiid finished the game with 32 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots, it was Butler’s three-pointer with 2.3 seconds remaining that gave Philadelphia the 127-125 win. Butler racked up 34 points, 12 rebounds, four steals, two assists and five 3-pointers, shooting 11-of-20 from the field. Butler’s 34-point effort marks the first time that he’s surpassed the 30-point mark as a member of the 76ers, and he has two game-winning shots to his credit as well.
This new rotation remains a work in progress, as according to Basketball Reference the Butler/Wilson Chandler/Ben Simmons trio has been better together points-wise (plus-6.3) than Butler/Embiid/Simmons (minus-4.3). But given the talent that Butler, Embiid and Simmons all possess, it feels like a solid bet that they’ll be fine in the long run.
D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie go off
The Nets may not have come away with the win Sunday, but they did watch guards D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie put forth excellent performances. Russell scored 38 points while also grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out eight assists. As for Dinwiddie, he went off for 31 points, five assists, three rebounds and four three-pointers in 29 minutes off the bench. The point total is a season-high for Dinwiddie, who has not failed to score in double figures since Brooklyn’s October 24 victory over Cleveland.
Enes Kanter dominates glass in Knicks victory
Knicks forward Enes Kanter re-entered the starting lineup for the team’s November 20 game against Portland, and after struggling in that loss he’s put forth some solid numbers. But Sunday’s performance in New York’s 103-98 win at Memphis took the cake, as Kanter posted a stat line of 21 points, 26 rebounds and three assists in 41 minutes of action. The rebound total is a career-high for Kanter, who corralled 24 rebounds in New York’s November 5 loss to Chicago. The big man has now posted a double-double in three straight games, a run in which he’s shooting 52.6% from the field and averaging 16.0 points and 16.0 rebounds per game.
Also worth noting for the Knicks in this win is the 17-point, four-rebound effort put forth by Emmanuel Mudiay. Mudiay scored 27 points in Friday’s win over New Orleans, and he managed to back that up with a solid performance against Memphis.
Tobias Harris continues career-best season
Clippers forward Tobias Harris is in the midst of the best season of his NBA career, playing well enough to merit All-Star Game consideration. Harris put forth another high-level performance in Sunday’s 104-100 win in Portland, scoring 34 points on 14-of-22 shooting from the field with 11 rebounds, two three-pointers, one assist and one steal. Over his last five games Harris is averaging 25.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, shooting 58.1% from the field, 46.2% from three (4.6 attempts per game) and 87.5% from the foul line.
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Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combine for 48 points...on 48 shots
The Trail Blazers went cold in the third quarter, scoring just 16 points and being outscored by the Clippers in 22 points. While Portland’s star guards weren’t the sole reason for this, the tandem of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum struggled to knock down shots Sunday night. Lillard scored 30 points on 12-of-27 shooting (3-of-13 3PT), and McCollum was limited to 18 points on 8-of-21 shooting. The Clippers have two very good perimeter defenders in Patrick Beverley and Avery Bradley, and they managed to force Lillard and McCollum to take challenged shot for much of the night. Add to this the departure of starting center Jusuf Nurkic, who left the game with a right shoulder contusion, and it’s understandable why Portland was unable to hold off the Clippers Sunday night.
Andre Drummond tallies season-high five steals
From a fantasy standpoint Pistons center Andre Drummond‘s value comes primarily from points, rebounds and blocked shots, with the hope being that he does enough in those areas to offset his poor foul shooting. In Sunday’s 118-107 win over the Suns the big man was a factor in another statistical category: steals. In addition to scoring 19 points and grabbing 16 rebounds, Drummond tallied a season-high five steals on the day. Detroit finished the game with six double-digit scorers, and Blake Griffin dished out a game-high 11 assists. But it was Drummond’s effort in the steals category that grabs the headlines, especially when considering the fact that he had a total of three steals in the four games prior.
Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton productive in defeat
The Suns were already fighting an uphill battle Sunday afternoon when the task of winning in Detroit became even tougher, as T.J. Warren was ejected in the first half. That left Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton to shoulder much of the load offensively, and the inside/out tandem combined to score 62 points. Booker finished the game with 37 points, five assists, four rebounds and three 3-pointers, with Ayton adding 25 points, 13 rebounds, three blocked shots and two assists. Both players should produce from an individual standpoint, but it’s unlikely to result in many wins for a team in the midst of a major rebuild.
Dwyane Wade sets franchise record in loss
Heat guard Dwyane Wade managed to make some history in Sunday’s 125-115 loss in Toronto, as his 35 points scored are a single-game franchise record for a reserve. Wade shot 13-of-22 from the field (4-of-7 3PT), and in addition to the points he also accounted for six assists, five rebounds and one blocked shot. Prior to Sunday Wade surpassed the 20-point mark just once this season, and he last scored 30 points or more in a game back on February 6, 2017 as a member of the Chicago Bulls. Another reserve that played well against the Raptors was forward Bam Adebayo, who posted a stat line of 16 points, 21 rebounds, two blocked shots, one rebound and one assist.
Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam combine to score 50 points
Raptors forwards Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam led the way offensively for a Raptors quad that finished Sunday’s win over Miami with seven double-digit scorers. Leonard racked up 29 points, ten rebounds, two assists, two blocks and three three-pointers, with Siakam adding 21 points with six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots. For Siakam, Sunday’s effort was a nice rebound from his seven-point output in Toronto’s November 23 win over Washington. The third-year forward out of New Mexico State has been one of the league’s most improved players, as he’s averaging 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game after accounting for 7.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game last season.
Malik Monk matches career-high in Hornets win
Charlotte guard Malik Monk had his most productive outing of the season in Sunday’s 124-123 loss to Atlanta, scoring 26 points with two rebounds, one steal and seven three-pointers. The point total matches Monk’s career-high, and this is the third time that he’s scored at least 20 points in a game this season. The three-point shooting certainly stands out, as Monk was 7-of-11 on the day. The second-year guard entered Sunday’s game shooting just 30.0% from beyond the arc, and as a rookie he made five three-pointers in a game on just three occasions. While Monk has scored in double figures in each of his last two appearances, it would be wise for fantasy players to wait and see if he can build on this effort before rushing to add him to their teams.
Kent Bazemore excels in new role
On the Atlanta side of things, Kent Bazemore was being used in a reserve role for the first time this season. The seventh-year wing looked good against the Hornets, scoring 20 points, with five assists, four rebounds, one blocked shot and two three-pointers in 25 minutes. Bazemore shot 9-of-11 from the field on the day, and this performance ended a three-game streak of failing to score in double figures. It will be interesting how Bazemore takes to this new role, and whether or not he can experience long-term success coming off the bench. The move certainly worked for Bazemore and the Hawks Sunday, as they managed to end their ten-game losing streak.
John Collins added 23 points, with 11 rebounds, four assists and one blocked shot, and Trae Young finished with 18 points, five assists, two rebounds, two steals, one block and four three-pointers.
Ricky Rubio sparks Jazz with big first half
In the two games prior to Sunday’s meeting with Sacramento, Rubio scored a total of 20 points. The point guard, who was playing without Donovan Mitchell, surpassed that number in the first half Sunday as he scored 23 of his game-high 27 points. Utah would go on to beat the Kings by a 133-112 final score, with Rubio and Rudy Gobert both playing far better than they did in Utah’s nine-point loss to Sacramento just four days prior. In addition to the 27 points Rubio accounted for seven rebounds, five assists and two three-pointers, with Gobert adding 18 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, one steal and one blocked shot.
Marvin Bagley III extends double-figures streak to five
After tallying 18 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots in 30 minutes off the bench, the Kings rookie has now produced five consecutive double-digit scoring games for the second time this season. Over his last five games, which came after it was reported that the front office wanted to see him on the court more, Bagley’s averaging 16.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in nearly 29 minutes per game. Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Kings with 20 points while also accounting for three rebounds, three assists and two three-pointers.
