Three Things To Know is NBC’s five-days-a-week wrap-up of the night before in the NBA. Check out NBCSports.com every weekday morning to catch up on what you missed the night before plus the rumors, drama, and dunks that make the NBA must-watch.
1) Saddiq Bey one-ups Klay Thompson with game-winner
Klay Thompson is a sharpshooter, arguably the second-greatest shooter ever to play the game. So when he rises up to drain a 3-pointer to tie the game like he did Wednesday night, it almost feels expected (excellent play design by Steve Kerr here).
OMG KLAY TIES THE GAME pic.twitter.com/Jac3goP3F9
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 5, 2023
Saddiq Bey is not exactly known as a sharpshooter. The Pistons wing was shooting 30.3% this season from the part of the floor where he caught the ball with :01 second left in the game and had to throw up a turnaround heave to beat the buzzer. But for one night, he was the hero.
pain ... pic.twitter.com/L21pBfSBJ6
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 5, 2023
That was not the play Dwane Casey drew up.
Bey said he messed up on the play. "I was supposed to set another screen. But I wanted the ball so bad. I (might get) yelled at in the film session."
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) January 5, 2023
For just the third time this season, the Warriors lost at home, and this loss snapped their five-game winning streak at home.
Bey had hit another big 3-pointer with 1:25 left in the game, leading to a shoving match between Draymond Green and Isaiah Stewart as they battled for rebound positioning. The referees went with the double-technical for this, but that was Green’s second tech of the night so he was ejected and back in the locker room when Bey drained his next 3.
A little pushing and shoving between Draymond and Isaiah Stewart 👀 pic.twitter.com/U7CWG4iWEe
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 5, 2023
Green was frustrated after the game saying that was a reputation technical for him, one he didn’t deserve. There was not a lot there, and Green did try to de-escalate the situation. Not sure it would have changed the outcome of the game, however.
Golden State is 6-4 without Stephen Curry and have two more games at the Chase Center on this homestand (the Magic and Suns) before things get tougher on the road. The good news is Curry could return on that road trip later this month.
2) Kevin Durant puts up 44 but it’s not enough as Bulls snap Nets win streak at 12
It felt like this might be the Bulls’ night when they put up a 40-spot in the first quarter. The Nets didn’t seem focused.
Well, Kevin Durant did as he scored 44 points.
Kevin Durant tonight:
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2023
44 PTS
4 REB
5 AST
5 Threes pic.twitter.com/QyLPmx3L05
But the Bulls had balance: DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams each scored 22, center Nikola Vucevic had 21 points plus 13 rebounds, Ayo Dosunmo scored 17 points and Zach LaVine had 13.
“They came to play,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said, via the Associated Press. “They were pretty desperate to get a win, and we needed that same desperation.”
One concern for the Bulls out of this game: guard and key defender Alex Caruso left in the first quarter due to a sprained right ankle.
3) Toronto comes from 21 down in final 3:08 to force OT, where Allen wins it for Bucks anyway
That the Raptors even forced overtime is worth watching. A Brook Lopez dunk put the Bucks up 90-69 with 3:50 left in the low-scoring game, and that score remained until 3:10 left in the contest.
That’s when Toronto went on an insane 28-7 run to force overtime.
But in overtime, with the game tied and less than :15 on the clock, Giannis Antetokounmpo drove the lane and drew all of the defenders, leaving Grayson Allen wide open in the corner. That’s your game-winner.
GRAYSON ALLEN PUTS THE BUCKS UP BY 3 WITH 0:10 REMAINING 😱
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2023
FINAL SECONDS LIVE ON ESPN pic.twitter.com/yZxLiO2aqx
Antetokounmpo finished with 27, continuing his run of insane play.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's last 5 games:
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2023
30 PTS, 21 REB, 10 AST
55 PTS, 10 REB, 7 AST
43 PTS, 20 REB, 5 AST
45 PTS, 22 REB, 7 AST
27 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST
He's the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972 to drop 200+ PTS, 80+ REB, and 30+ AST over a 5-game span. pic.twitter.com/gktMMk1a9Y
BONUS THING TO KNOW: De’Aaron Fox put Onyeka Okongwu in a poster. This is your dunk of the night.
DE'AARON PUT 'EM ON A POSTER pic.twitter.com/LE3DxvIm8R
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 5, 2023