2022-23 NBA Game Thread

Light-Tower-Power

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A sucker punch to the back of the head like that should be at least 10 games. That's incredibly dangerous. Doubt it will actually be 10, but Artest got 7 for his elbow to Harden back in 2012 so that should be the starting point.
 

Euclis20

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Kyrie misses a shot and the Hawks grab the rebound down 1 with 5.1 seconds left...and instead of using one of their 2 timeouts, they opt to take the ball up court for a desperation 30 footer by Murray (double covered). One of the worst late game decisions I've seen in awhile.
 

Leon Trotsky

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A sucker punch to the back of the head like that should be at least 10 games. That's incredibly dangerous. Doubt it will actually be 10, but Artest got 7 for his elbow to Harden back in 2012 so that should be the starting point.
Moe Wagner had a clear bruise mark already showing up on his neck from the sucker punch, not to mention looked like he was going to fall over going back to the Magic bench. Hayes is going down for awhile (or at least should).
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Kyrie misses a shot and the Hawks grab the rebound down 1 with 5.1 seconds left...and instead of using one of their 2 timeouts, they opt to take the ball up court for a desperation 30 footer by Murray (double covered). One of the worst late game decisions I've seen in awhile.
Murray also missed a game tying FT too right before so the whole ending was odious.
 

benhogan

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Kyrie misses a shot and the Hawks grab the rebound down 1 with 5.1 seconds left...and instead of using one of their 2 timeouts, they opt to take the ball up court for a desperation 30 footer by Murray (double covered). One of the worst late game decisions I've seen in awhile.
Ha, I was watching the same thing. Absurd

ALSO Claxton and Simmons play 60 minutes tonight, go 13-19 from the field and shoot 1 for 4 from the FT line.

It's been over a month since Ben Simmons made a free throw

Nate may get fired but it won't be on Trae
 

Euclis20

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Honestly, that’s got to be a multiple game suspension for Hayes. Wagner’s play was certainly dirty but that shot to the back of the head was pure assault.
Yup. Without the reaction after the fact, Wagner's foul is probably a flagrant 1 (it was called a flagrant 2), and Hayes should be off the court for a couple of weeks.

Bol Bol just standing there wanting nothing to do with anything. Good job teammate.
Agreed, but in his defense, Bol Bol wading into a potential fight with his toothpick legs is a great way to derail a career year for him.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Bol Bol just standing there wanting nothing to do with anything. Good job teammate.
Soft generation. His dad would catch lions so the family could have dinner.

Edit: Wagner got exactly what he deserved imo for that cheap shot endangering the defenseless Hayes going at full speed in front of the scorers table. He should have been tossed and face his own suspension.
 
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DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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This Wolves @ Pels game was pretty great with NO winning 119-118. Zion essentially kept NO in the game with a career high 43 and with about 11 of them in the last few minutes. He looks pretty unstoppable offensively and was the difference down the stretch.

Pels are fun as advertised.
 

RorschachsMask

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This Wolves @ Pels game was pretty great with NO winning 119-118. Zion essentially kept NO in the game with a career high 43 and with about 11 of them in the last few minutes. He looks pretty unstoppable offensively and was the difference down the stretch.

Pels are fun as advertised.
He scored their last 14 points over the final 2:44, was crazy lol.

43 on only 21 shots.
 

HomeRunBaker

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42 points from DeRozan in comeback OT Bulls win over Bucks.
Bucks blew an 11 point lead with just over 2 min to go…..one night after the Knicks gave up 9 in the last :45

Remember these games when starters aren’t being pulled up 17 w/ 3 min to go.
 

the moops

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Edit: Wagner got exactly what he deserved imo for that cheap shot endangering the defenseless Hayes going at full speed in front of the scorers table. He should have been tossed and face his own suspension.
Oh come on. He barely used his body to push him out of bounds. Way overreaction from Hayes there
 

bigq

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View: https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1608307587396800512

hoooooly shit. Zion has a career-high 42 points, scored the Pelicans’ last 13 points, and given them the lead with this sequence. unleash hell. https://youtu.be/yAJYoCMYz-U
Zion was a one man show for the last three minutes of that game. Literally. There was only one possession where another Pelican even touched the ball. I don’t know much about the team but I did not expect to see Zion bringing the ball up the court on every possession in the closing minutes.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Oh come on. He barely used his body to push him out of bounds. Way overreaction from Hayes there
Hayes was in a vulnerable position running full speed toward the scorers table/bench. It didn’t take much of anything to put him in a terrible position…..and it wasn’t necessary.
 

PedroKsBambino

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I'm with HRB---what Wagner did was worse than what Hayes did risk-wise. You can really hurt someone taking them out full-speed----that's the same reason they don't allow contact when you're coming in for a lay-up. On the slow-mo you can see Wagner knew someone was coming up and lined him up for the shoulder. He may not realize the guy is going full-speed, but that's very intentional and outside of the rules.

A punch is bad, and never part of the game, but there's little force there (well, maybe not 'little' but limited?) NBA being what it is I expect the punch will get more punishment, but on the merits--and I bet if you ask players--they'd say the Wagner one is more worrisome. The reaction of the Pistons bench is pretty appropriate given Wagner's cheap shot and the danger level (not excusing the punch itself)
 

the moops

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I'm with HRB---what Wagner did was worse than what Hayes did risk-wise. You can really hurt someone taking them out full-speed----that's the same reason they don't allow contact when you're coming in for a lay-up.

A punch is bad, and never part of the game, but there's little force there. NBA being what it is I expect the punch will get more punishment, but on the merits--and I bet if you ask players--they'd say the Wagner one is more worrisome.
The dude was knocked out cold with a punch to the back of the head. That sort of play where guys are running full'ish speed and jostle for the ball happens all the time
 

PedroKsBambino

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The Wagner part looks MUCH worse slo-mo than full-speed. in slo-mo you can see Wagner line him up, and that's the problem. Full-speed, it looks like your description---but not slowed down.

Both are very bad. The risk from checking someone into the stands is simply higher, though.
 

sonofgodcf

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The toilet.
Moe Wagner had a clear bruise mark already showing up on his neck from the sucker punch, not to mention looked like he was going to fall over going back to the Magic bench. Hayes is going down for awhile (or at least should).
Pretty sure that's a mark from a cupping massage, and not a bruise (he's grabbing higher on the head, and it's too neatly round).

Oh come on. He barely used his body to push him out of bounds. Way overreaction from Hayes there
I also agree with HRB, complete bullshit move by Wagner. It's not like he's going for the ball, he cuts in away from OOB so he can intentionally shove Hayes into the scorers table. Both need to be suspended, that sort of play needs can't be allowed.
 

Leon Trotsky

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Pretty sure that's a mark from a cupping massage, and not a bruise (he's grabbing higher on the head, and it's too neatly round).
I thought it could be that, but seemed too coincidental with where he was hit.

I also agree with HRB, complete bullshit move by Wagner. It's not like he's going for the ball, he cuts in away from OOB so he can intentionally shove Hayes into the scorers table. Both need to be suspended, that sort of play needs can't be allowed.
I just read a recap that said that if Wagner touched the ball it would have been a backcourt violation, so he did a soccer-like move of trying to shield the ball and ended up shoving Hayes off, which makes sense. It was dumb, but not necessarily dirty.
 

Light-Tower-Power

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I see Wagner's shoving of Hayes as reckless and unnecessary, but Hayes knocking him out with a rabbit punch was fucked up. I think that's a lot more serious than what Wagner did.
 

TrapperAB

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One factor I would weigh pretty heavily here: the amount of time Wagner and Hayes had to consider their actions.

I agree that what Wagner did was dirty as hell. Were I Adam Silver, I'd suspend him for a couple of games (EDIT: I got annoyed as I thought through everything while I wrote this post, and handed down a stiffer punishment at the end). Can't have players hip checked into the first row (imagine the shit-show if Hayes was sent flying into fans instead of the Detroit bench?). But Wagner had maybe a second to look over his shoulder, see someone coming, and decide to be a complete asshole. Not really enough time to think through the ramifications. Indeed, when he sees what happens to Hayes, he stops right in front of the Detroit bench (not the smartest move, right?) and starts to raise his left hand -- his body language suggests that maybe he's trying to show some contrition. It's cut off abruptly, though, when Diallo hits him in the back.

Hayes, meanwhile, flies into his teammates. He's pissed. He's scrambling to get up, presumably intent on retaliating. A coach is trying to hold him back. Hayes pushes past him, sees Wagner turned the other way. Instead of understanding that a punch under these circumstances would be an unforgivable cheap shot, he pulls back his arm and hits Wagner in the neck/back of the head with his forearm. Wagner is out cold on his feet.

Several seconds, several choices. Anger undoubtedly clouded Hayes' judgment, but he had multiple opportunities to deescalate. He chose not to.

I used to run an upperclassmen boys dorm at a boarding school, and when kids screwed up (all the damn time), I talked with them about the one-shot bad choice, and the clusterfucks where a whole series of bad decisions were made, moments when they could have done the right thing but didn't.

I'm draconian when it comes to shit like this, so I'd suspend Wagner for eight games, Hayes for twenty. Fuck cheap shots. You want to play dirty? Take a seat, lose your paycheck, and think about what you've done.
 

Jimbodandy

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Wagner's play was super dirty, which is totally in line with how Mo Wagner plays basketball. He takes extra shots and hits people because being a goon is helping him stay in the league. Someone finally punching Mo Wagner is the least surprising thing that I've discovered today.

That said, I disagree with the idea that Wagner's play was worse. Punching a guy in the head when his back is turned is worse. Much worse. Hayes deserves and will get some time off. Wagner deserves a fine.
 

Deathofthebambino

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The Wagner part looks MUCH worse slo-mo than full-speed. in slo-mo you can see Wagner line him up, and that's the problem. Full-speed, it looks like your description---but not slowed down.

Both are very bad. The risk from checking someone into the stands is simply higher, though.
Hayes deserves whatever suspension is coming to him here. No doubt about that. You simply cannot punch a guy in the back of the head.

But I'm with you and @HomeRunBaker regarding Wagner's actions. That wasn't something you see in every game, unless it's a fucking hockey game, but at least in hockey, there are boards to stop a player from ending up taking out the front row of the court. Wagner couldn't touch the ball, they were losing possession either way, and he sees Hayes coming and shoulder checks him into the stands at a sprint. Hayes (and the folks sitting on those sidelines were all at risk of injury as a result). It was a completely bullshit, dirty play and he deserves a suspension as well. Maybe not as much as Hayes, but if anyone on the C's made that move that Wagner did, I wouldn't defend that either. That's chicken shit stuff on the level of what Mac did to Eli Apple last week.
 

PedroKsBambino

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Three games for Hayes, two for Wagner.

Certainly the league was not at all confused about Wagner’s intent
 

TrapperAB

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Three games for Hayes, two for Wagner.

Certainly the league was not at all confused about Wagner’s intent
Asinine that Wagner got only one more game than his teammates (eight of whom got a game for leaving the bench).

And a cheap shot that knocks someone unconscious gets only three games? Really? He does that outside the arena and he's up on assault charges.
 

Imbricus

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Two former C's with good games last night. Langford 11/16 for the Spurs for 23 points, and Nesmith 7/10 for the Pacers for 22. Indiana also shot 61% from three that game, mostly because of Haliburton and Hield. I guess if you're the Cavs, all you can do is tip your hat.

Edit: to fix the blooper on the double Langford. Thanks for pointing that out, HRB.
 
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wade boggs chicken dinner

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Two former C's with good games last night. Langford 11/16 for the Spurs for 23 points, and Langford 7/10 for the Pacers for 22. Indiana also shot 61% from three that game, mostly because of Haliburton and Hield. I guess if you're the Cavs, all you can do is tip your hat.
Romeo highlights below. Looking at NYK size, Romeo must have felt he was back in the B10 again. Nice to see him a jump shot from the left baseline.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tElR9SMKQlk
 

DannyDarwinism

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Word. Wagner has 50 pounds on Hayes. 50. Hayes is not selling anything there. It's a dirty play and, as dotb noted, completely unnecessary. That's Wagner though.
Not to mention, why would Hayes be upset at Wagner in this situation? If one thinks Hayes was just trying to sell it to get the foul, you'd then have to believe that what, Hayes was only pretending to get irate and that the punch to the back of the head was just really commitment to the bit?

Watching it at regular speed, that shove, from that angle, with Hayes in an all-out sprint, inevitably results with Hayes going head first, full-speed into the bench. It's dangerous and dirty and the relative punishments reflect that.
 

bigq

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Romeo highlights below. Looking at NYK size, Romeo must have felt he was back in the B10 again. Nice to see him a jump shot from the left baseline.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tElR9SMKQlk
Watching Romeo's highlights from last night and seeing Fournier give the ball away under the basket for a Langford layup got me interested in seeing how Evan has been doing. He is having a poor start to the season with career lows in the 2P% and 3P%. He is also getting less than 20 minutes per game. He has only played in 14 games this season so I guess he has been injured. It's still early in the season and there is plenty of time for him to turn things around but I wonder if he is falling out of favor with Thibodeau.

It wasn't that long ago that Fournier, Langford and Nesmith got big minutes in a playoff series with the Celtics. I wish them all well but don't really miss seeing them in green.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Watching Romeo's highlights from last night and seeing Fournier give the ball away under the basket for a Langford layup got me interested in seeing how Evan has been doing. He is having a poor start to the season with career lows in the 2P% and 3P%. He is also getting less than 20 minutes per game. He has only played in 14 games this season so I guess he has been injured. It's still early in the season and there is plenty of time for him to turn things around but I wonder if he is falling out of favor with Thibodeau.

It wasn't that long ago that Fournier, Langford and Nesmith got big minutes in a playoff series with the Celtics. I wish them all well but don't really miss seeing them in green.
Per one of the NY tabloids, Fournier fell out of Thibs rotation over the past few weeks (when they won eight in a row).
 

benhogan

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It wasn't that long ago that Fournier, Langford and Nesmith got big minutes in a playoff series with the Celtics. I wish them all well but don't really miss seeing them in green.
Agreed. I definitely find myself cheering for Nesmith and Romeo, with no hard feelings whatsoever.

Brad really doesn't get enough credit for what he lopped off this roster when he took over.
Adding White, Brogdon, and Horford are clear heists, we can all agree on that.

Unloading Kemba, Fournier, Schroeder and Tristan Thompson also deserves massive applause. Cutting ties with Nesmith/Romeo while retaining Hauser/PP/Luke has been a PLUS. Even getting something out of Theis and then using his expensive contract to match for Brogdon. Freaking brilliant. Brad has done some amazing finishing work on this roster in 18 months.

When they passed on re-signing Fournier there was a "where would the points come from" concern? I was definitely guilty of hoping there was a discount price for Fournier, but glad they didn't bring him back at any price. A one-dimensional, older POINTZ scorer, always appears sexy until you wake up the next morning with that defensive hangover.

POINTZ aren't an issue for this team and now we can delight in the Knicks holding the Fournier & previously Kemba bags
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Got it. For roughly the same salary I prefer White over Fournier.
Fournier stopped playing on November 15 and racked up DNPs until last night.

The problem with Fournier is if he's your best scorer, your likely isn't going to go far (unless you're playing international ball; LOL!) but if he's not your best scorer, hes going to give up more on the defensive end that he will score on the offensive end.

If I were running a NBA franchise, I'd fill my roster with every wing (player) who can defend multiple positions and hope they can figure out how to shoot. Those guys are insanely valuable when paired with superstars.
 

Euclis20

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Fournier stopped playing on November 15 and racked up DNPs until last night.

The problem with Fournier is if he's your best scorer, your likely isn't going to go far (unless you're playing international ball; LOL!) but if he's not your best scorer, hes going to give up more on the defensive end that he will score on the offensive end.

If I were running a NBA franchise, I'd fill my roster with every wing (player) who can defend multiple positions and hope they can figure out how to shoot. Those guys are insanely valuable when paired with superstars.
Agreed very much on both. A player like Fournier can still be an effective bench player (against backups who can't fully take advantage of his defensive shortcomings), but at his price it's not worth it.

it's too bad Romeo wasn't a hit. His defensive potential really is something, and his success would've been the icing on the cake of the Tatum/Fultz trade.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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it's too bad Romeo wasn't a hit. His defensive potential really is something, and his success would've been the icing on the cake of the Tatum/Fultz trade.
Romeo got White, who is actually 90% of what we hoped Romeo would be so that's enough icing on the cake for me.

Romeo is still only 23 and is incredibly physically gifted (though maybe not in the Jalen Green sense). Don't want to re-hash the Romeo debate but he still has a chance to figure things out. I also wish he'd see a shooting coach too.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Romeo got White, who is actually 90% of what we hoped Romeo would be so that's enough icing on the cake for me.

Romeo is still only 23 and is incredibly physically gifted (though maybe not in the Jalen Green sense). Don't want to re-hash the Romeo debate but he still has a chance to figure things out. I also wish he'd see a shooting coach too.
Unless Romeo is a complete dog (in the basketball sense, not in the MMA sense) I don’t see how he doesn’t have a 12-15 career in this league. His physicals and skillset ooozes of finding his niche as a role player.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Unless Romeo is a complete dog (in the basketball sense, not in the MMA sense) I don’t see how he doesn’t have a 12-15 career in this league. His physicals and skillset ooozes of finding his niche as a role player.
Agree with wholeheartedly(I've said in the past that I think RL will have a long NBA career) but he might have to spend a couple of years in Europe. I wonder if SAS will give him a qualifying offer. Biggest issue is that he keeps getting hurt/sick. He's only played 20 out of 35 games this year so I'm wondering what kind of market there will be u ntil he demonstates he can be on the court consistently.
 

TripleOT

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Romeo was pretty good when taking all but two of his makes near or in the restricted area. Not exactly lock down defense from the. Knicks. He’s been efficient inside the arc this season, at 60%, but still can’t make threes, at 25%.

He has played in only 20 of 60 games with the Spurs. IDK if they will want to exercise their QO and pay him $7 million next season. Are no three and D wings coveted?

Maybe Josh Richardson will get a buyout this season. He would be a nice insurance piece for the Cs title run