Hornets

In the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins had to turn elsewhere. Surprisingly, the Western Conference&rsquo;s second seed was outplayed by the upset-minded Minnesota Timberwolves in its own building in a Game 1 loss, and needed to pack a more powerful punch to ensure the series would be tied going back to Minneapolis.
Enter Xavier Tillman Sr., a then-second-year big man who had seen his playing time diminish from his rookie campaign. The Michigan State product rewarded the team&rsquo;s decision with a critical 13-point, 7-rebound effort, all the while holding Wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns in check over 20 minutes in a Game 2 victory.&nbsp;
&ldquo;And then, it was kinda downhill from there. I didn't have a performance like that again in the playoffs,&rdquo; Tillman told Basketball News in a phone interview.&nbsp;
As for why that was the case, according to him, it ultimately came down to his approach. Tillman spent most of his second season in play groups in practice, participating in scrimmages and weight-lifting. Admittedly, he would save his legs on certain days because he figured he&rsquo;d need extra energy to perform on game days.&nbsp;
Tillman waited for his number to be called as the year progressed. He was certain it would happen, but it didn&rsquo;t&hellip; until the postseason. He was shocked, and, to him, it showed.
&ldquo;I didn't take advantage of it as much as I should have, and I knew it by the end of the season,&rdquo; Tillman said. &ldquo;I was like, &lsquo;Man, I could've been at least like five times better than what I finished the season out with in the playoffs,&rsquo; simply because I wasn't playing and it was a great opportunity for me to work on me. But I didn't see it as that.
&ldquo;I would just keep like stacking and wasting those days, day-by-day. Then, you have the same mentality. And eventually... maybe you could say it caught up with me?&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Entering Year 3, Tillman vowed to be proactive. Whether he forced his way into the Grizzlies&rsquo; rotation or not, he was determined to &ldquo;work my butt off&rdquo; this past summer and during the season.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I'm gonna get up early before we have team meetings and team shootarounds. I'mma get on the bike for 30 minutes and I'mma go 11-to-12 miles on the bike. I'm gonna lift every two days instead of every three days to take advantage of that. And (in) these play groups, I'm trying to win, I'm trying to make winning plays,&rdquo; Tillman explained of his mindset.
To this point, aside from a handful of games where he&rsquo;s played 20 or more minutes with the Grizzlies when they&rsquo;ve been shorthanded, it&rsquo;s been much of the same as far as his playing time is concerned. (In fact, he&rsquo;s averaging just over 11 minutes a night, a career-low). With that being said, it hasn&rsquo;t deterred him from trying different things.
At the beginning of the season, Tillman personally requested that the coaching staff allow him to play with the Memphis Hustle, the organization&rsquo;s G League affiliate, to stay fresh &mdash; especially with home games being only a 40-minute drive from the team&rsquo;s home arena.
&ldquo;If we don't have a game that day, I can definitely go down there and play and get some good minutes. And that's been a blessing for me to just, honestly, keep my flow of playing,&rdquo; Tillman shared. &ldquo;Because even in those play groups and those workouts, you can't get in the flow of boxing somebody out, grabbing a rebound, pushing it, being in help defense. 'Cause it's a workout, all you work on is offensive scoring.
&ldquo;So being in a Hustle game allowed me to just play and play in a real game. So when I got my opportunity called &mdash; like now due to injury &mdash; I was ready to go and ready to help the team in all ways.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
X is so inspirational man. <a href="https://t.co/uAnVhnf9dl">pic.twitter.com/uAnVhnf9dl</a>
&mdash; Memphis Hustle (@MemphisHustle) <a href="https://twitter.com/MemphisHustle/status/1603087828589711371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
Team-first is Tillman&rsquo;s M.O. Whatever his squad needs and asks of him, he does it. It&rsquo;s been that way from an early age, particularly when he was playing with current Phoenix Suns guard Duane Washington Jr. at Grand Rapids Christian High School in West Michigan.
&ldquo;We played high school ball together my junior and my senior year, and having him on my team, I knew that I didn't have to be a 20-point scorer for us to win these games. Especially 'cause he was a bucket-getter himself. I'm like, 'Okay, if I can get him shots and then fill the gaps on our team, we'll be great,&rsquo;&rdquo; Tillman said. "Start to try to fill the gaps instead of like, 'Hey, this is what I bring and then let everybody else fill it around me.' I've learned as I've gotten older. See the identity of your teammates and then work around that to help us win games.&rdquo;
If you&rsquo;re a teammate of his, it helps that Tillman can &ldquo;think the game&rdquo; the way he does. He&rsquo;s constantly one step ahead of his defender on offense and the opposing player when he&rsquo;s on the defensive end. If he gets an offensive rebound, it&rsquo;s either going up or going to a teammate. If he sees one of his guys getting doubled, he&rsquo;s freeing them up or cutting to the bucket.
Screens are precise, handoffs are well-timed, backdoor passes to cutters are on point and short-roll spray-outs to the corner are on target. There&rsquo;s a knack for the intangibles of the game and the little things that, when added up, become big.
&ldquo;I've always played on teams, for the most part coming up, where I've had shooters and scorers on my teams, but I didn't always have guys who cared about defense, who wanted to get blocks and steals and rebounds and stuff like that. So that was kinda the role I filled on my teams early on in life,&rdquo; Tillman said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The main skill part that I would bring to the table was me being able to bring the ball up after a rebound and then, make a play after that to pass it to somebody else. But early on in my career playing basketball, I had people on my team who could score the ball, so my job then at that time wasn't even that. So I guess I kinda always had that... I don't know if anything is truly, truly natural, but my experience has made it natural, I guess you would say.&rdquo;
Tillman&rsquo;s distribution prowess is impressive, whether he&rsquo;s pushing the ball up the floor on the fast break or searching for guys in space in the half-court. Being a Michigan State Spartan, the recently-turned 24-year-old looked up to Draymond Green as somebody with a comparable height, build and playstyle.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Being able to facilitate, being to able to lock up on defense, being able to rebound with the big 7-footers and stuff like that. So I just drew similarities from him for sure,&rdquo; Tillman said. &ldquo;I loved watching guys coming up like LeBron [James], and not necessarily like the athleticism and scoring aspects, but the same thing I was talking about (with Draymond) &mdash; the way he can find people, the way on defense he'll be on the back line communicating crazy to everybody and letting everybody know what's up. And then, in transition, being able to make the plays that he does.&nbsp;
&ldquo;So those two guys are two that I kinda looked up to as far as my game and how I could find similarities between them.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
When on a G League assignment, there is a noticeable difference in Tillman&rsquo;s focus areas. Unlike the role he plays for the Grizzlies, he is granted freedom to expand his game with the Hustle. In five games, Tillman is averaging 17.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals per contest, taking 13.0 shots a game and converting on 52.3% of his total attempts.
Hustle head coach Jason March sends him out there for a predetermined allotment of minutes and draws up plays for the big man to take shots and score that don&rsquo;t usually come with the Grizzlies.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Him telling me stuff like that, it's like, 'Man, okay, I gotta shoot it.' So now when I catch the ball down there, I'm thinking, 'Okay, what's the best move I can make here to get a shot off?'&rdquo; Tillman explained.
&ldquo;When I'm on the Grizzlies, I got Des [Bane] on the court with me or I got Ja [Morant] on the court with me or I got DB (Dillon Brooks) on the court with me or I got JJ (Jaren Jackson Jr.) on the court with me or I got Tyus [Jones] on the court with me, and I'm like, 'These are our scorers. I need to find ways to get them open, and then if two people go to them, cool. I can finish the easy layup, I can finish my floater, whatever.'&rdquo;
For somebody like Tillman who has capabilities outside of the role he plays with the big club, those opportunities in the G League are helpful and reassuring.
&ldquo;It's always a balance. It's not easy, I will say that. The only part that's not easy is... I guess the ego side, the pride side of it,&rdquo; Tillman acknowledged. &ldquo;Because at the end of the game, everybody's looking at stats and you see like, 'Ah man, I only took 4 or 5 shots today and I played this many minutes? What's that about?' And then, you watch the film and you can watch the film and say, 'Damn, you're passing up all these shots.'
&ldquo;But in my head when I'm in the game, my mind is already set on, 'I need to get so-and-so open, I need to get so-and-so a shot here.' And so like, that's kinda the hard part is the aftermath when I watch film and I watch myself because I'm like, 'Man, I had way more shot opportunities than I took.' But then when I'm in the game, I'm like, 'Man, you played good out there. You got some assists, you got some rebounds. We went up 10 points while you were out there.' So it's just those things, trying to balance that for sure.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
X Gon' Give It To Ya<a href="https://twitter.com/Rookiedunker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Rookiedunker</a> <a href="https://t.co/0SpoKi2FfU">pic.twitter.com/0SpoKi2FfU</a>
&mdash; Memphis Hustle (@MemphisHustle) <a href="https://twitter.com/MemphisHustle/status/1602843540048023552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
With Brandon Clarke back from a sore hip that sidelined him for six games, Tillman&rsquo;s playing time has started to diminish again.
But at 31-13, the Grizzlies are the hottest team in the NBA with 11 straight wins, a rung barely below the Denver Nuggets at top of the Western Conference ladder. Tillman&rsquo;s been a part of that and will continue to do whatever he can to help his team along throughout the rest of this campaign.&nbsp;
A young, hungry and deep group that continues to blossom with each passing season, Memphis poses a legitimate threat to the rest of the NBA &mdash; both right now and down the road.
&ldquo;It's definitely been awesome to see, especially this early in our careers,&rdquo; Tillman said. &ldquo;Being my third year, Des's third year, Ja's fourth year, JJ's fifth year. It's pretty cool to see the success happen so early in our career. But at the same time, we have to have that knowledge in the back of our heads that it is early in our careers. So when things don't pan out the way we feel like it should, we shouldn't freak out and blow up the bus. We should say, 'Hey, alright, we made mistakes.' But we're a super, super young team. Mistakes are bound to happen.
&ldquo;So, it's just awesome that we have the success that we have now and the camaraderie that we have because we'll ride for one another every night, making sure that everybody's good, is getting cared for. We'll play hard for one another. The success that we've had, I can't lie, it's been awesome. Especially because our fan base has been pretty amazing, on the road or at home, where people are just still rooting for us, and the energy's amazing.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies goes 1-on-1 with Grizzlies big man Xavier Tillman to discuss his mentality in Year 3, his games with the Hustle and more.

No wasted days: Xavier Tillman waiting in the wings for Grizzlies' call

Zach LaVine has an Olympic gold medal. What he doesn&rsquo;t have is NBA playoff experience.
At last, that part is about to change.
No active NBA player has been in more regular-season games without making his playoff debut than LaVine, who has appeared in 478 games with the Chicago Bulls. He&rsquo;s expected to play in his first playoff game Sunday night when the Bulls visit Milwaukee.
Once LaVine makes his playoff debut, the title nobody wants &mdash; active player with most games and no playoff appearances &mdash; will fall to Buddy Hield. He&rsquo;s been in 468 games with Sacramento, New Orleans and Indiana.
If Hield appears in at least 32 games next season, he will become the eighth player with at least 500 regular-season appearances but zero playoff contests. He&rsquo;ll join Tom Van Arsdale (929), Otto Moore (682), Nate Williams (642), Omri Casspi (588), Sebastian Telfair (564), Popeye Jones (535) and Eddy Curry (527) in that club.
Curry has a ring from his time with the Miami Heat in the 2011-12 season, but didn&rsquo;t play in a game during that postseason run.
EIGHT IS (USUALLY) ENOUGH
Phoenix won eight games more than any other team this season. That usually means a championship.
Not always, though.
The last four teams to have at least eight more wins than any other team in the regular season have gone on to win a title. Those clubs are the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000, the Chicago Bulls in 1992 and 1996, and the Boston Celtics in 1984.
The 1971 Milwaukee Bucks, 1967 Philadelphia 76ers, and both the 1960 and 1965 Celtics also ended seasons with such huge regular-season margins with championships. But the Celtics in both 1958 and 1973 did not, nor did the Washington Capitols in 1947 &mdash; the inaugural season of the BAA, which was the precursor to the NBA. The Capitols (49-11) won 10 more regular-season games than anyone else in 1946-47, but the Philadelphia Warriors (35-25) won that first season&rsquo;s championship.
PLAYOFF MONEY
The NBA has set this season&rsquo;s playoff pool at $17,317,334. All 16 playoff teams are guaranteed $258,449 just for making the field; most teams will make more, and the deeper teams go in the playoffs, they&rsquo;ll make much more.
Phoenix is already assured at least $1,194,952. The Suns would claim $5,077,456 if they win the NBA title.
Miami has secured $695,527 already. The Heat would get $4,578,031 if they win the championship.
Any team that makes the NBA Finals is guaranteed $3,106,286; any team other than the Suns or Heat that wins the championship would receive at least $4,140,953.
BEST EVERYWHERE
Phoenix had the NBA&rsquo;s best home record and the NBA&rsquo;s best road record this season &mdash; 32-9 in both instances.
Only four of the last nine teams to pull off that feat, including ties in the standings, went on to win the NBA title. Those clubs were Golden State in 2015 and 2017, the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000 and the Chicago Bulls in 1996.
The most recent teams to be best at home, best on the road and still not win a title: Houston in 2018, Dallas in 2007, Seattle in 1994, Portland in 1991 and the Lakers in 1990.
MILESTONE WATCH
Philadelphia&rsquo;s Doc Rivers is on the cusp of becoming the fifth coach in NBA history to win 100 postseason games. The 76ers need just two wins in their first-round series against Toronto to get Rivers to the milestone.
The other coaches with 100 wins: Phil Jackson (229), Pat Riley (171), Gregg Popovich (170) and Larry Brown (100).
Miami&rsquo;s Erik Spoelstra can also get to 100 playoff wins this year &mdash; but the Heat would have to get to the NBA Finals, then win three games in the title round to get him there. Spoelstra enters these playoffs with 85 postseason victories.
Among players, Brooklyn&rsquo;s Kevin Durant is three points shy of matching Jerry West (4,457) for eighth on the all-time playoff list. Durant needs 307 points to tie No. 7 Karl Malone (4,761) on that list, meaning the Nets would likely have to get to at least the second round for that to occur this year.
FAVORED TEAMS
Utah was favored in more games than any other team this season, picked by oddsmakers 73 times in the 82-game regular season. The Jazz were followed by Phoenix (70), Milwaukee (66), Golden State (62), Boston (61) and Miami (59) on the most-favored list.
The team that covered a spread with the most regularity this season: Memphis, which rewarded its backers 64.6% of the time. Utah was tied for next-to-last in that department, covering at a 40.2% rate.
Oklahoma City was favored the fewest times in the league, just on three occasions. Portland was the worst at covering, doing so 37.8% of the time.
BACK TO BACK
If Milwaukee&rsquo;s Giannis Antetokounmpo wins his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP award &mdash; now named for Bill Russell &mdash; he would join select company.
Only six players have won that award in consecutive years. Chicago&rsquo;s Michael Jordan won it back-to-back-to-back on two separate occasions, 1991 through 1993 and then 1996 through 1998. Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal won three in a row for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000 through 2002. Hakeem Olajuwon won for Houston in 1994 and 1995, Kobe Bryant did for the Lakers in 2009 and 2010, LeBron James did for Miami in 2012 and 2013, and Kevin Durant did it for Golden State in 2017 and 2018.
Jerry West was the award&rsquo;s first winner in 1969. It has been named for Russell since 2009.
THREE&rsquo;S WIN
As one might guess, it&rsquo;s difficult to make up a significant disparity in 3-pointers made.
Teams that were outscored by 15 or more points from 3-point range this season won only 20.8% of the time &mdash; going 94-348 in those contests.
IGUODALA&rsquo;S FAREWELL
Golden State&rsquo;s Andre Iguodala has said he is retiring when this season ends. He wanted to go back to the Warriors for a farewell, and the Warriors welcomed him back for many reasons &mdash; what he brings at this time of year among them.
No player in this year&rsquo;s playoffs has played, counting actual appearances only, in more postseason wins than Iguodala. He has appeared in 103 playoff wins, five more than Philadelphia&rsquo;s Danny Green, eight more than Brooklyn&rsquo;s Kevin Durant, 16 more than Miami&rsquo;s Udonis Haslem and 17 more than Warriors teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
THE REFEREES
Tom Washington is working the NBA playoffs for the 24th time and Scott Foster was selected as part of the postseason referee corps for the 22nd time. They&rsquo;re the senior members of a 36-person group that will work games in Round 1.
There are three playoff newcomers: Eric Dalen, Mitchell Ervin and Justin Van Duyne.
Foster has worked 201 playoff games, while Washington has worked 172. Other veterans in this year&rsquo;s playoffs include Tony Brothers and James Capers (163 games apiece), Marc Davis (161), Ed Malloy (121), Bill Kennedy (120), Zach Zarba (117) and John Goble (100).
The rest of the first-round officials are: Brent Barnaky, Curtis Blair, Nick Buchert, Kevin Cutler, JB DeRosa, Kane Fitzgerald, Tyler Ford, Brian Forte, Pat Fraher, Jacyn Goble, David Guthrie, Courtney Kirkland, Karl Lane, Eric Lewis, Mark Lindsay, Tre Maddox, Rodney Mott, Gediminas Petraitis, Michael Smith, Ben Taylor, Josh Tiven, Scott Twardoski, James Williams and Sean Wright.
The NBA also selected eight alternates &mdash; including Lauren Holtkamp, the only woman to make this season&rsquo;s list. If picked for a game, Holtkamp would join Violet Palmer as the only female referees to work a postseason contest.

The AP's Tim Reynolds ties a bow on the 2021-22 NBA regular season and prepares us for the playoffs.

Playoff time: 10 things to know about the NBA's postseason

With the NBA six days into May and games winding down, the postseason is right around the corner. Teams are jockeying for position, and the competition is tightening up as we hit the home stretch in the Association.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Who is your dark-horse team to watch entering the playoffs?
Nekias Duncan: I think it&rsquo;s Miami, almost by default. As uneven as their season has been &mdash; due to injuries, COVID or otherwise &mdash; it&rsquo;s still hard to discount the type of playoff pedigree they have. Erik Spoelstra, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo is a big three nobody in the East wants to deal with.
Spencer Davies: The team that nobody believes can do it, and that&rsquo;s the current top seed in the Western Conference: the Utah Jazz. Although I like the Los Angeles Clippers to come out of the West, it&rsquo;s going to take a lot to slow these Jazz down from deep. Their playing style, similar to the Phoenix Suns, is half-court-based, something fit for the postseason environment when execution matters the most. You&rsquo;ve got a number of All-Star talents such as Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert; however, Utah features a plethora of players that star in their roles -- Bojan Bogdanovic with his three-point barrages, Royce O&rsquo;Neale defending with a purpose, Jordan Clarkson being a microwave off the bench, Joe Ingles looking to consistently make the right play and even Georges Niang and Derrick Favors producing when their names are called.
Chris Sheridan: The dark-horse team to watch going into the playoffs is the Atlanta Hawks, because they have needed an entire season to achieve some chemistry. They are a nifty mix of young and old, and Nate McMillan has them peaking at the right time. Their size will be a problem for every single team in the East.
Alex Kennedy: All season, the Miami Heat have dealt with injuries and COVID absences, so this team is much better than their record indicates. We just saw this same group shock everyone last year when they became the first No. 5 seed to advance to the NBA Finals. They have a terrific coach (Erik Spoelstra), multiple stars (Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler), solid depth and a terrific culture. James Posey <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/basketball-news-james-posey-as-long-as-pat-riley-is-in-the-picture-the-miami-heat-have-a-shot-nba-championship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently wrote about why you can never count out the Heat</a>, and I agree with the three-time NBA champion.
Kelsea O'Brien: Remember that guy at the beginning of the season who bet $10,000 on the Wizards winning the Finals (which would result in a $5 MILLION payout)? He&rsquo;s not looking so silly anymore.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_16008535_lg.jpg" alt="" />
Imman Adan: Oddly enough, I&rsquo;m picking a team that might not even make the playoffs, but what they&rsquo;re doing right now is hard to ignore. The Washington Wizards have won 13 of their last 17 games. At the time of this writing, over their last 10 games, they have the second-best offensive rating in the league (120.1), while also boasting the league&rsquo;s fourth-best net rating (8.3). The Wizards have been fantastic on both sides of the ball, playing their best basketball of the year heading into the play-in tournament. With Bradley Beal&rsquo;s scoring tear and point-GOAT Russell Westbrook activated, they are not a team anyone should want to see come playoff time.
Ethan Fuller: A lot of people crossed Denver off their contender lists when Jamal Murray tore his ACL. That is a brutal loss, but I sort of think people are sleeping on the rest of this roster. Nikola Jokic is the MVP frontrunner right now, and Michael Porter Jr. has quietly become a menacing three-level scorer. They'll need him and the rest of an extremely deep supporting cast to replace what Murray did last postseason. The Nuggets are a year removed from a Western Conference Finals appearance, and I fully expect them to make serious noise again.
Jonathan Concool: The Denver Nuggets. Since losing Jamal Murray, the Nuggets have won six of their last seven (and 10 of 12), and Michael Porter Jr. has been playing the best basketball of his young career over the past few games. We all know what we are going to get from MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, but Denver has a real supporting cast behind the Joker, so don&rsquo;t overlook the Nuggets just because Murray is lost for the season. They can still make some noise this postseason.
Yasmin Duale: My dark-horse team come playoff time is the Golden State Warriors. It feels weird to say, but if we end up seeing Steph Curry face off against the LeBron-led Lakers in the play-in tournament, I can&rsquo;t really say with certainty who&rsquo;d come out on the other side. All it&rsquo;d take is one possessed performance from the greatest shooter of all-time to usher in some chaos.&nbsp;
Jannelle Moore: My dark-horse playoff team to watch is Boston. Yeah, they have underachieved this season, but you can&rsquo;t underrate their experience and don&rsquo;t count out the possibility that they'll gain momentum as the season closes.

Who is the dark-horse team to watch entering the NBA Playoffs? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

NBA Roundtable: Who is the dark-horse team to watch entering the playoffs?

Each day, BasketballNews.com scours #NBATwitter to bring you the best tweets from the previous day. Some are insightful, some are just hilarious (so we had to include them).
Without further ado, here are the tweets of the day for February 8, 2021.
sNOw Excuses
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I won't truly believe it's Ersan until he takes a charge from a snowman <a href="https://t.co/kXX8dO5hP3">https://t.co/kXX8dO5hP3</a>
&mdash; Div B (@statcenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/statcenter/status/1357726361255821312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Illy's caption was too good not to steal. Shout out to the vet for rocking a t-shirt, shorts and high-tops in the middle of a blizzard. Ball is life.
Stop The Count? 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
WE WON THIS GAME <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TRAILBLAZERS</a>, BY A LOT! <a href="https://t.co/EOwNw24bco">pic.twitter.com/EOwNw24bco</a>
&mdash; Daryl Morey (@dmorey) <a href="https://twitter.com/dmorey/status/1357793163876925440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
Four Seasons Landscaping stock must be BOOMING.
Like Father, Like Daughter 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
my twin 🖤 <a href="https://t.co/66Ijb89wRB">https://t.co/66Ijb89wRB</a>
&mdash; Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1357786987802095616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
Maybe little Kaari wants to follow in her daddy's footsteps? Her aunt and Ja's sister, Teniya, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiF5M-I7truAhXFRTABHd46BdsQFjAMegQIAxAC&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commercialappeal.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fhigh-school%2F2021%2F01%2F29%2Fteniya-morant-sister-ja-morant-ready-her-basketball-journey%2F4183671001%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw3m3fmtWXjgNOVJGrPTP4LP" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is doing that</a>!
Carbonation Sensation 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
KD sent a video of him opening a fresh Canada Dry Ginger Ale and Adam Silver sent back a 👍
&mdash; Dub (@WMsDiary) <a href="https://twitter.com/WMsDiary/status/1357861809194164231?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
I mean hey, it cures everything.
Manu McConnell 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
T.J. McConnell is the first bench player with 15 Ast in under 30 minutes of playing time since Manu Gin&oacute;bili did it on March 1, 2013. Other than Gin&oacute;bili, the last player to do this was John Lucas in 1988. <a href="https://t.co/wcnNYtYqv0">pic.twitter.com/wcnNYtYqv0</a>
&mdash; ESPN Stats &amp; Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1357884235911151618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
Since Jan. 14, McConnell is averaging 8.1 assists in 25 minutes per game off the bench for the Pacers. The new father has had 13 straight games with six or more assists. No, he's not quite Mr. Ginobili, but that's a quality backup point guard that can run an offense.
The Kid Doesn't Miss 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I spotted Popeyes... <a href="https://t.co/VVh2lM4h1W">https://t.co/VVh2lM4h1W</a> <a href="https://t.co/jg1znFE1h5">pic.twitter.com/jg1znFE1h5</a>
&mdash; Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaneMooreNBA/status/1358310949619458050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
It seems like every game Anthony Edwards has a viral moment. And when you can get a tasty postgame dinner delivered to you, why not eat it while it's hot?
Kiss From A Rose 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Thibs also thinking of calling up his high school sweetheart. <a href="https://t.co/UdXAhtGOjd">https://t.co/UdXAhtGOjd</a>
&mdash; Daniel Reynolds (@aka_Reynolds) <a href="https://twitter.com/aka_Reynolds/status/1358475784877449223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
Does this man love his vets or does he love his vets?
Giannis Got Jokes
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I heard Shakira and JLo are not performing because it&rsquo;s The Weekend...they don&rsquo;t work on Sunday?
&mdash; Giannis Ugo Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) <a href="https://twitter.com/Giannis_An34/status/1358576855926849546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
If you needed any more evidence that Giannis is a dad, feast your eyes on this. Greek Freak? More like Geek Freak. (I'm so, so sorry)
See a tweet that should be featured in tomorrow's Tweet of the Day piece? Send it to <a href="https://twitter.com/kelsea_lately" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@kelsea_lately</a>.

Every day, our staff scours #NBATwitter to find the best posts. Here are the tweets of the day for Feb. 8, 2021.

NBA Tweets of the Day: McConnell matches Manu with 15 bench dimes

Nekias Duncan previews the Central Division's five teams (the Bulls, Cavs, Pistons, Pacers and Bucks) ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season.