In-Season Tournament roundup: Knicks send Wizards packing
The inaugural In-Season Tournament continued Friday with 11 games in group play. For an explanation of how the tourney works, including the breakdown of the groups, tap here.
To see what happened during Tuesday's action, tap here.
Friday's results
- Hornets 99-130 Bucks (Recap)
- Wizards 99-120 Knicks (Recap)
- Hawks 116-126 76ers (Recap)
- Cavaliers 108-100 Pistons (Recap)
- Raptors 105-108 Celtics (Recap)
- Spurs 120-129 Kings (Recap)
- Bulls 97-103 Magic (Recap)
- Pelicans 115-110 Nuggets (Recap)
- Jazz 128-131 Suns (Recap)
- Trail Blazers 97-105 Lakers (Recap)
- Clippers 106-100 Rockets (Recap)
Top performers
Jalen Brunson (Knicks): Brunson was a nightmare Friday for the Washington Wizards, putting up 32 points on 6-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc to go with seven rebounds and seven assists. It was New York's first win in the tourney and mathematically eliminated the Wizards.
De'Aaron Fox (Kings): While the San Antonio Spurs kept it close, they ultimately had no answer for Fox, who torched them for a season-high 43 points while adding eight rebounds and seven assists for good measure. That keeps Sacramento on pace with the Minnesota Timberwolves for first place in Group C out West.
Kevin Durant (Suns): With Bradley Beal now set to miss the next three weeks, Durant let Phoenix fans know they're still in good hands. He capped off his 38 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists against the Utah Jazz with an ice-cold dagger to keep the Suns alive in the West's Group A.
Highlight of the night
Max Strus ELEVATES for the jam! π³ pic.twitter.com/CkjfW0w1n1
β NBA TV (@NBATV) November 18, 2023
It's likely that everyone was left surprised by this absolutely nasty Max Strus poster - including Strus himself.
Tweet of the night
Drake on the Raptors' broadcast:
β Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) November 18, 2023
"Payton Pritchard out there lookin' a Crypto scammer" π pic.twitter.com/Xaf1KBOdW4
Fresh off of releasing six new tracks at midnight, Drake joined the Toronto Raptors' commentary team during Friday's game against the Boston Celtics and, for some reason, caught Payton Pritchard with one of the oddest strays ever heard.
Stat of the night
He probably would have preferred the win, but Nikola Jokic's absurd stat line of 26 points, 18 assists, and 16 rebounds in Denver's loss to New Orleans put him in esteemed company. The Nuggets center tied Wilt Chamberlain with his fourth career game of at least 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists, good for second-most all time.
What's next?
The In-Season Tournament continues next Tuesday with five matchups on the fifth of seven group-play game nights. Tap here for the current group standings.