Brooklyn Nets

The NBA announced that 242 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft. Here is the complete list.

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Stories of New York City point guards have an almost mythical quality.
There are Hall of Famers and trailblazers such as Bob Cousy and Nate &ldquo;Tiny&rdquo; Archibald. In the 1980s, Kenny Smith and Kenny Anderson followed a similar path &mdash; from the same Catholic high school in Queens to the Atlantic Coast Conference to the NBA.
From Pearl Washington to Mark Jackson, Stephon Marbury to Sue Bird, tenacious players forged by rugged games played at the famous courts at Rucker Park and West Fourth Street are a part of basketball lore.
And while New York City high schools haven&rsquo;t been pumping out stars in recent years the way they used to, three of the four teams that have reached the NCAA Tournament's&nbsp;East Regional at Madison Square Garden have point guards with Big Apple backgrounds.
Michigan State&rsquo;s Tyson Walker and Kansas State&rsquo;s Markquis Nowell will renew their acquaintance in the Sweet 16 when the seventh-seeded Spartans (21-12) face the third-seeded Wildcats (25-9) on Thursday night.
&ldquo;I grew up playing in parks with him,&rdquo; Nowell said. &ldquo;I just want to give a big shoutout to New York City for breeding tough and gritty guards and just give him a shoutout.&rdquo;
The other point guard who&rsquo;s making a homecoming this week will only be able to watch his team at The Garden. No. 4 seed Tennessee managed to reach the second weekend of the tournament without the injured Zakai Zeigler,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/zakai-zeigler-injury-tennessee-basketball-0fa91f6e3e517321879a013285ed97d9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who blew out his left knee on Feb. 28.</a>
&ldquo;I had no doubt in my mind that we were going to be here in this situation,&rdquo; said Zeigler, who grew up on Long Island and finished his high school career in the Bronx. &ldquo;So now that I&rsquo;m back here and I can have some pizza, I feel great.&rdquo;
The Volunteers (25-10)&nbsp;face&nbsp;ninth-seeded FAU (33-3)&nbsp;in the late game of the doubleheader.
The 5-foot-8 Nowell became one of the breakout stars of this NCAA Tournament when he went off for 27 points in a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kentucky-kansas-state-e0f322d3422ce45e56ec92d210ea55d8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second-round victory against Kentucky.</a>
Nowell, whose Twitter handle is&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/MrNewYorkCityy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@MrNewYorkCityy</a>&nbsp;and is&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.instagram.com/mr.newyorkcity/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@mr.newyorkcity</a>&nbsp;on Instagram, grew up in Harlem, attended high school in the Bronx and went to college at Arkansas Little-Rock before transferring to Manhattan &mdash; Kansas, that is.
&ldquo;I made a promise to myself back when I was in high school that I was going to do anything and everything in my power to be the best player that came out of New York,&rdquo; Nowell said. &ldquo;So I kind of keep that edge and that kind of just reminds me every day that I wake up that I still have more work to do. Guys like Carmelo (Anthony), Bernard King and all the greats came out of New York, so that just keeps me grounded and keeps me working hard.&rdquo;
Ask Nowell about the New York City point guards he idolized in high school and he brings up the Mavericks&rsquo; Kemba Walker, who led UConn to a national championship and was a first-round pick in the NBA draft in 2011, and the Pelicans&rsquo; Jose Alvarado, who played at Georgia Tech.
Alvarado went to Christ the King High School in Queens, a power in both boys and girls basketball that also produced Bird and the Spartans&rsquo; Walker.
Like Nowell, Walker started his college career at a mid-major (Northeastern) and transferred after two seasons to Michigan State in 2021.
According to 247 Sports rankings, the last top-30 national recruit to come from a New York City high school was Moses Brown, a 7-footer who went to UCLA from Archbishop Molloy, where Smith and Anderson starred in the &rsquo;80s.
&ldquo;Are we as good as we once was? Well, if you take away all the kids that grew up in New York that go to prep school outside of New York ... and consider them New York, yes, we are,&rdquo; said Cardozo High School coach Ron Neclario, the winningest NYC public school coach ever. &ldquo;Do we have as many high, high, high majors? Maybe not, but we have plenty of low-majors. We have plenty of mid-majors.&rdquo;
Where Nowell leans into his New York roots, Walker takes a low-key approach.
&ldquo;Just got to be tough. Got a different type of finesse with you,&rdquo; he said.
Walker was also a difference-maker in the second round of the tournament, scoring 23 points to lead&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-michigan-state-marquette-izzo-690d24a67256a2bf187353c0bfed577a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan State past second-seeded Marquette.</a>
&ldquo;I think sometimes the New York swagger is a very cocky swagger, and sometimes that&rsquo;s good,&rdquo; Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s kind of had the happy medium. He&rsquo;s got enough cockiness to be confident, and yet he&rsquo;s an unbelievable kid.&rdquo;
Izzo joked after beating Marquette about how Walker owed him cab ride and a slice of pizza for helping him earn a trip home.
&ldquo;Got me my pizza last night,&rdquo; Izzo said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking for the cab ride today.&rdquo;
Nowell is one of four Kansas State players from the New York area, along with Tykei Greene, Nae&rsquo;Qwan Tomlin and Ismael Massoud. None has ever played at The Garden, only dreamed about it.
&ldquo;I had my big brother, my father, my uncles working me out every day for a moment like this,&rdquo; Nowell said. &ldquo;Standing here, being here at Madison Square Garden.&rdquo;

Three of the four teams that reached the NCAA Tournament's East Regional at MSG have point guards with New York backgrounds.

NYC guards lead Michigan State, Kansas State to Sweet 16 at MSG

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Julius Randle scored 57 points to tie the third-highest game in Knicks history, but the Minnesota Timberwolves rode a sizzling start and a steady finish to beat New York 140-134 on Monday night.
Taurean Prince scored a season-high 35 points and went 8 for 8 from 3-point range for the Timberwolves, while Mike Conley added 24 points and 11 assists. His three free throws gave Minnesota the lead for good with 2:17 remaining.
Randle&rsquo;s final basket, a three-point play with 42 seconds remaining, cut it to 137-134, but he was beaten to a rebound by Kyle Anderson on Minnesota&rsquo;s next possession, and a cutting Prince scored inside with 10.1 seconds left before Conley made a free throw after Randle was called for a technical foul.
In a spectacular display of shooting and scoring, the Timberwolves made more than 70% of their shots in the first half and led by 17, before Randle carried the Knicks back with a franchise-record 26 points in the third quarter.
He finished tied with Richie Guerin behind the only two 60-point games in Knicks history, Carmelo Anthony&rsquo;s 62 on Jan. 24, 2014, and Bernard King&rsquo;s 60 on Christmas Day in 1984. But the Knicks had their three-game winning streak snapped.
The All-Star forward threw down a powerful driving dunk in the first quarter but did most of his damage from much farther away. Randle made eight 3-pointers in surpassing his previous career high of 46 points.
The Wolves made their first 10 shots in the most sizzling start by an NBA team this season and didn&rsquo;t cool off much the rest of the game, finishing at 61.4% despite playing without Anthony Edwards for a second straight game because of a sprained right ankle.
Rudy Gobert&rsquo;s basket made the Wolves the first team this season to make its first 10 shots, and Knicks fans loudly cheered when Jaden McDaniels missed Minnesota&rsquo;s next attempt, nearly seven minutes into the game. The Wolves led 42-32 after one, shooting 16 for 22 (72.7%).
Prince&rsquo;s 3-pointer made it 70-53 with 4:35 left in the first half, but the Knicks finally put together some stops to cut it to 79-70 at the break.
Then Randle came back and went 9 for 10 in the third, hitting 5 for 6 beyond the arc. He raised his hand to fault himself after the one miss, an ill-advised attempt that missed the rim by a couple feet. But he could hardly be blamed for trying the way almost everything else he threw up was going in.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Coach Chris Finch said Karl-Anthony Towns was &ldquo;really, really close&rdquo; to returning from his calf injury.
Knicks: Swingman Josh Hart arrived for the game wearing the No. 32 jersey of his great uncle, Yankees great Elston Howard.
EDWARDS UPDATE
Finch said Edwards hadn&rsquo;t done anything besides get treatment thus far, but the Wolves didn&rsquo;t rule him out until Monday, indicating his injury isn&rsquo;t as bad as originally feared. &ldquo;For sure there&rsquo;s some relief,&rdquo; Finch said. &ldquo;But you know Ant, like Ant always wants to play. He never thinks he&rsquo;s hurt, so hopefully it is feeling better, which he says it is. But in terms of pain tolerance, range of movement, stability, all those things, I think we&rsquo;re trying to figure out where that really is with him.&rdquo;
NEW COACH, FAMILIAR FACE
Former Knicks coach Rick Pitino will be back on the sidelines at Madison Square Garden for some St. John&rsquo;s games after being hired by the Red Storm on Monday. The school announced he&rsquo;d be introduced during a news conference Tuesday at the arena.
&ldquo;When I was a young coach, I used to watch his practices at Providence,&rdquo; Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;So he&rsquo;s good man, great coach and I know he&rsquo;ll do a great job with St. John&rsquo;s.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Host Atlanta on Wednesday.
Knicks: At Miami on Wednesday.

Taurean Prince scored a season-high 35 points and went 8 for 8 from deep for the Timberwolves to stave off Julius Randle's effort.

Wolves overcome Randle’s 57 points, beat Knicks 140-134

Giannis Antetokounmpo set a career high <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-philadelphia-76ers-washington-wizards-indiana-pacers-sports-82805995222618cd69855bdb39934d90">with 55 points</a> last Tuesday in Milwaukee's victory over Washington &mdash; and it wasn't even the week's top scoring performance in the NBA's Central Division.
That belonged to Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell, with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kobe-bryant-chicago-bulls-cleveland-cavaliers-sports-nba-basketball-4000f884c911930cd172baa93ca42650">a staggering 71</a> the previous night.
The NBA these past few weeks has featured an almost nightly display of one-upmanship among the game's greatest scorers. Whether it was <a href="https://apnews.com/ef2ccddb44dd42fa14ebed5f8344c5a2">Mitchell's extraordinary effort</a> for the Cavaliers or Dallas' Luka Doncic reaching 50 points three times in a nine-day span, everywhere you turn, it seems like another player is putting up a huge total.
&ldquo;I think there are a lot of layers to it. You just see night after night, guys are having enormous offensive games,&rdquo; Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s fun to watch as a fan, of course. Frustrating when you&rsquo;re trying to game plan to stop some of these guys because they&rsquo;re scoring at all levels &mdash; the paint, the 3s, getting to the line.&rdquo;
Ten different players have already scored 50 points in a game this season: Antetokounmpo, Mitchell, Doncic, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, Pascal Siakam, Darius Garland and Stephen Curry.
Before 2016-17, no more than eight different players had ever had a 50-point game in one season, according to Sportradar. Since then, at least 10 have done it every season, including a record 14 in 2021-22. Some of this is to be expected in what has become a very high-scoring era. NBA teams were averaging 113.8 points per game entering Monday night, which if it continues would be the highest mark for the league since 1969-70. But the overall scoring environment tells only part of the story.
In that 1969-70 season, teams averaged 116.7 points, but only two players had a 50-point game. In 1984-85, the highest-scoring season of the 1980s, teams averaged 110.8 points. But only five players &mdash; Bernard King, Larry Bird, Purvis Short, Kevin McHale and Moses Malone &mdash; produced a 50-point game that season.
So what's happening lately is not just higher scoring league-wide. The top players are also producing huge games with remarkable frequency. Expansion may play a role. The number of teams is 30% higher than it was in 1985. More teams means more games, so it makes sense that there are more examples of a player scoring 50.
But the sport has changed in other ways, too.
&ldquo;Guys come into this league, and the most impressive thing is the skill set &mdash; the handle and the shooting," Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. "What&rsquo;s lacking, I think, is the foundation, the institutional knowledge that players used to have when they came into the league after a few years of college. Sometimes the defense isn&rsquo;t great. Transition defense is at an all-time low in this league.&rdquo;
Nowadays, basically every top scorer has some degree of proficiency from 3-point range, whereas back in the '80s, some stars largely ignored the shot and nobody attempted all that many.
&ldquo;Guys are taking 15 or 16 3s in some games,&rdquo; Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. "Teams are encouraging guys to take those shots, and if you take so many shots, and if you get hot and make some, you can score a lot of points.&rdquo;
So current players have a variety of ways they can accumulate points in a hurry, and the 3-point shot affects the game even beyond that. With so many players capable of making open 3s, teams can space the floor in a way that punishes defenses for double teams.
&ldquo;You have to pick and choose the guys you try and double team and get the ball out of their hands because they are not great passers, but there are some guys who can score, but can also pick you apart with their passing,&rdquo; Lue said. &ldquo;So, when you have guys like that, you want to let those guys try and get theirs and take everyone else out, but sometimes it can backfire on you as well.&rdquo;
When King scored 60 points on Christmas in 1984, he didn't attempt a single 3. Even this year, Antetokounmpo didn't make any when he scored 55. But Mitchell attempted 15 and made seven in his 71-point game.
&ldquo;I think that 3-point line, as we&rsquo;ve seen over the years, has definitely changed the game,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;Now you&rsquo;re getting more guys to embrace that. The volume of attempts creates those opportunities. It&rsquo;s pretty rare that guys are shooting 2 repeatedly to get to that 50-point mark. It&rsquo;s definitely the evolution of our game to see more of that. I would expect that trend to continue.&rdquo;
___
AP Sports Writer Pat Graham contributed to this report.

Ten different players have already scored 50 points in a game this season. Before 2016-17, no more than eight had done it in one year.

Three-point shooting leads to more NBA scoring binges

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid scored 35 points, James Harden had 29 points and 13 assists and the Philadelphia 76ers blew by the New York Knicks in the final quarter, extending their winning streak to eight games with a 119-112 victory Sunday.
Georges Niang hit four 3-pointers in Philadelphia's fourth-quarter surge and finished with 16 points, while De&rsquo;Anthony Melton added 15 as the 76ers got off to a good start on a four-game road trip after sweeping a seven-game homestand.
The Sixers never led through three quarters, then outscored the Knicks 24-9 to open the fourth, turning a one-point deficit into a 116-102 lead.
Julius Randle scored 35 points and Jalen Brunson had 23 points and 11 assists for the Knicks, who have lost three straight following an eight-game winning streak.
Embiid scored 15 points in the third quarter and Harden took over the game when Embiid went to the bench, with a four-point play and another 3-pointer that trimmed it to 96-95. He made another 3 in the opening minute of the fourth to tie it at 98, then found Niang for a 3 that gave the 76ers their first lead with 10:37 to play.
Niang hit consecutive 3s midway through the period before Embiid had two baskets and Harden made one and set up the other in a 8-0 flurry that put it away at 116-102.
Embiid, the NBA's scoring leader, started slowly and the Knicks led 37-25 after one. They were still up eight when Embiid scored with 6.2 seconds remaining, and when Brunson lost the ball as New York tried to get a final shot, Shake Milton scooped it up and banked in a 50-footer at the buzzer that made it 63-60.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
SHAKE MILTON TO END THE HALF 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/rlU9Uniplr">pic.twitter.com/rlU9Uniplr</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1607077323677007872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

TIP-INS
76ers: Coach Doc Rivers said PJ Tucker had some kind of pain or injury that was affecting his hand, but he wasn't worried about it yet. ... Rivers said the 76ers brought two busloads of families to the game.
Knicks: The Knicks fell to 23-32 in their league-high 55 Christmas appearance. ... The Knicks played their final home game of 2022. They take a three-game road trip to Texas next week that begins with Brunson's return to Dallas on Tuesday.
60-POINT PERFORMERS
Bernard King, who set the Christmas record with 60 points in 1984, was at the game. That stood as the Knicks' single-game scoring record until a 62-point performance on Jan. 24, 2014, by Carmelo Anthony, the former All-Star who was seated next to him and <a href="https://twitter.com/nyknicks/status/1607065947625373696?s=20&amp;t=cPUVMFL83z5QRNzSZX83Ag">got a huge ovation</a> when shown on the overhead videoboard in the first quarter.
UP NEXT
76ers: At Washington on Tuesday.
Knicks: At Dallas on Tuesday.

Joel Embiid scored 35 points, James Harden had 29 points and 13 assists and the 76ers blew by the Knicks 119-112 on Sunday.

Embiid, Harden help 76ers blow by Knicks to win 8th straight

Over the next week, more than 200 high-school basketball teams and prep programs will travel to Las Vegas to compete in the 2022 Tarkanian Classic. The prep schools will compete from Dec. 16-18, while the high-school teams will play from Dec. 19-22.&nbsp;
Bishop Gorman High School will serve as the event's headquarters, but games will also be played at other local high-school gyms. Every game will be live-streamed on BallerTV.com.
The Tarkanian Classic is NBA-certified, meaning NBA executives and scouts can attend the games and evaluate players in-person. This is one of just three high-school-basketball events that the NBA certified this year, and most of the league has already requested credentials for their talent evaluators.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
23 NBA teams so far have requested credentials for 70+ team scouts for upcoming <a href="https://twitter.com/TarkClassic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TarkClassic</a> This year's Tark is 1 of only 3 HS regular season events that are NBA certified this season - permitting NBA teams to send their scouts <a href="https://twitter.com/FrankieBur?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FrankieBur</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DraftExpress?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DraftExpress</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RonMFlores?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RonMFlores</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/krystenpeek?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@krystenpeek</a>
&mdash; Dinos Trigonis (@Trigonis30) <a href="https://twitter.com/Trigonis30/status/1602528535872212992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

For over a decade, the Tarkanian Classic has featured top high-school teams and players. In recent years, top prospects such as Deandre Ayton, LaMelo Ball, Evan Mobley, Lonzo Ball, Jonathan Kuminga, Onyeka Okongwu, Marvin Bagley III and Jaden McDaniels have competed in the Las Vegas tournament.&nbsp;
This year, the event will feature 136 high-school teams from across the nation including host Bishop Gorman (NV), Liberty (NV), Mater Dei (Santa Ana CA), Oakridge (FL), Bishop O'Connell (VA), Rainier Beach (WA), Prestonwood Christian (TX), St. Augustine (CA), Calvary Christian (FL), St. Bernard (CA), Faith Family (TX), St. Raymond (NY), St. Ignatius (OH), West Ranch (CA), Douglass (TN), Durango (NV), Putnam City West (OK), St. Mary's (AZ), Rancho Christian (CA), JSerra (CA), Buchtel (OH), Coronado (NV), Bishop O'Dowd (CA), Crossroads (CA), Sheldon (CA), Kell (GA), Redondo Union (CA), Santa Margarita (CA), Coeur d'Alene (ID), Crean Lutheran (CA), Desert Pines (NV), Alta (UT), Mater Lakes (FL), Clovis West (CA), Monterey Trail (CA), Foothill (NV), Wilson (SC), Constitution (PA), Birmingham (CA), St.Paul (CA), Oakland (CA), Cypress Bay (FL), Bingham (UT), Miami Country Day (FL), Houston Christian (TX), Brentwoood (CA), Hillcrest (CA), Peninsula Catholic (VA), Sandra Day O'Connor (AZ), Valor Christian (CO), Arbor View (NV), San Gabriel Academy (CA), Valley (NV), Coral Glades (FL), Buckeye (AZ), Mother Teresa (Canada), Canyon Springs (NV), Jones (FL), Cheyenne (NV), Layton (UT), Spring Valley (NV), Roosevelt (CA) and Centennial (AZ).&nbsp;
There are also more than 60 prep programs participating including Prolific Prep (CA), SoCal Academy (CA), Dream City Christian National (AZ), Accelerated Prep (CO), Central Pointe Christian (FL), Dynamic Prep (TX), Bella Vista (AZ), NBA Academy I, II &amp; III, SCA Post-Grad (CA), Real Salt Lake (UT), Veritas Prep (CA),&nbsp; Skyline Prep (AZ) and Colorado Prep (CO).&nbsp;

Over the next week, more than 200 high-school teams and prep programs will travel to Vegas to compete in the Tarkanian Classic.

NBA-certified Tarkanian Classic set for this weekend in Las Vegas

Season 2 of Athletes Unlimited Basketball is coming relatively soon — with new players.

Allisha Gray, NaLyssa Smith headline Athletes Unlimited new additions

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; A pair of five-star recruits are sure to turn heads at UCLA this season. In an era when freshmen burn brightest, however, it&rsquo;s two seniors who could prove invaluable to the eighth-ranked Bruins&rsquo; NCAA title hopes.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyger Campbell are back for their fourth seasons in Westwood, a couple of battle-tested veterans who arrived at the same time as coach Mick Cronin to rebuild a program that owns a record 11 national championships.
The COVID-19 pandemic canceled the NCAA Tournament in 2020, when the Bruins were riding a hot streak in March. Jaquez and Campbell helped them to a Final Four appearance in 2021. UCLA lost to North Carolina by seven points in the regional semifinals last season.
The Bruins were 27-8 and finished second in the Pac-12 at 15-5 last season. They defended their home court well, winning 14 of 15 games.
Cronin is 68-30 entering his fourth season and boasts top-five recruits, guard Amari Bailey and forward Adem Bona.
UCLA opens the season at home against Sacramento State on Nov. 7. The Bruins play five of their first seven games at Pauley Pavilion in the first month of the season. They travel to Las Vegas for two games before playing their first Pac-12 game at Stanford on Dec. 1.
The Bruins&rsquo; nonconference schedule includes games at Maryland on Dec. 14 and against Kentucky at New York&rsquo;s Madison Square Garden on Dec. 17.
BACKCOURT DEPTH
Jaquez and Campbell anchor one of the best backcourts in the nation despite the losses of Johnny Juzang and Jules Bernard. Jaquez is back to full strength after late-season ankle injuries slowed him. Campbell finished in the top four in the Pac-12 in assists in each of his first three seasons and his 3-point shooting ticked up to 41% as a junior. Fifth-year senior David Singleton is also a threat from deep, shooting 45% last season. Jaylen Clark showed what he can do as a starter, averaging 14.8 points during a five-game stretch in the lineup. They&rsquo;re joined by Bailey, the Bruins&rsquo; highest-rated prospect since Lonzo Ball in 2016. Will McClendon finally makes his Westwood debut after a torn ACL kept him out of action last season.
UNPROVEN FRONTCOURT
The departures of Cody Riley and Myles Johnson leave the Bruins with an unproven frontcourt. As a result, Bona from Nigeria figures to join the starting rotation. He was a McDonald&rsquo;s All-American at his prep school in Napa, California, and has international playing experience. Mac Etienne returns after missing all last season with an ACL injury, having shown promise late in the 2020-21 season. Senior Kenneth Nwuba gives the Bruins a third player at 6-foot-10.
OTHER FRESHMEN TO WATCH
The Bruins added guard-forward Abramo Canka of Italy, who has played in the Russian Super League. Guard Dylan Andrews grew up in Los Angeles and was ranked among the top 10 by some recruiting services. Preferred walk-on Evan Manjikian is another LA native who played at Sierra Canyon High, alongside current Bruins teammate Bailey and Bronny James, son of Lakers star LeBron James. Jack Seidler, also a preferred walk-on, was a two-time all-conference selection at Marlboro (New Jersey) High, where he finished as the career scoring leader.
TOASTING THE BRUINS
Beer and wine will be for sale to the public for the first time at Pauley Pavilion this season. Fans who are 21 and over can purchase two drinks per transaction until the 10-minute mark of the second half. Since the arena&rsquo;s renovation 10 years ago, alcohol had been available only to members of the Wooden Athletic Fund in a private room.&nbsp;

Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyger Campbell are back for their fourth seasons in Westwood.

Vets Jaquez, Campbell anchor UCLA roster of star newcomers

RJ Nembhard Jr. had 16 points and six assists, Isaiah Mobley added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and the Cleveland Cavaliers held off the Atlanta Hawks 94-90 on Saturday in the NBA Summer League.
Mobley, a second-round pick in this year's draft, grabbed six rebounds on the offensive end and added four assists for the Cavaliers (3-2). Fellow second-rounder Luke Travers pitched in with 14 points and five boards. Cam Young scored 15 points. First-round pick Ochai Agbaji did not play.
Tyrese Martin scored 21 to top the Hawks (2-3). Chaundee Brown Jr. added 17 points. Chris Clemons finished with 16 points, while Tyson Etienne scored 13.
Atlanta's top pick A.J. Griffin &mdash; 17th overall &mdash; did not play.
PISTONS 102, MAGIC 86
Jules Bernard had 22 points and nine rebounds, Charlie Moore had 21 points and eight assists, and Detroit cruised past Orlando.
Bernard sank all three of his 3-point attempts for the Pistons (3-2). Braxton Key added 15 points, while Stanley Umude scored 13. Detroit sat first-rounders Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren for the finale.
Justin James had 18 points to lead the Magic (2-3). Tommy Kuhse added 13 points, while Zavier Simpson and Daniel Oturu scored 10 apiece.
Orlando dropped its final three games without top pick Paolo Banchero. The Magic decided to pull Banchero from the event just hours before a showdown with No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren and Oklahoma City.
TIMBERWOLVES 89, HORNETS 86
Kevon Harris scored 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting to help Minnesota fend off Charlotte.
Harris hit all four of his 3-pointers for the Timberwolves (2-3). Wendell Moore Jr. had 15 points, while second-round pick Josh Minott scored 12. Marial Shayok had seven points, 10 rebounds and four steals.
JT Thor finished with 28 points and five steals for the Hornets (2-3). Justin Minaya scored 10 points and Mark Williams, the 15th overall pick, had eight points and seven rebounds.
Thor completed a three-point play, then buried a 3-pointer to get the Hornets within 88-86. Jacob Gilyard sank 1 of 2 free throws with 4.9 seconds left and Minott blocked Bryce McGowens' 3-pointer to end the game.
SPURS 90, GRIZZLIES 87
Malaki Branham made five 3-pointers and scored 23 points to help San Antonio turn back Memphis.
Branham, the 20th overall pick, was 5 of 8 from distance to help the Spurs (1-4) notch their first win in their final try. DJ Stewart added 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while Robert Woodard II had six points to go with 10 rebounds.
Kenneth Lofton Jr. paced the Grizzlies (2-3) with 27 points and 12 rebounds. First-rounder David Roddy added 19 points. Ronaldo Segu and Kennedy Chandler scored 13 and 10, respectively.
Lofton sank a 3-pointer with 2:07 remaining to give Memphis an 87-86 lead. Branham answered with a 3 and Blake Wesley &mdash; the No. 25 pick &mdash; hit 1 of 2 free throws with 4.1 seconds left to cap the scoring. Dakota Mathias missed a 3-pointer on the game's final shot.
BULLS 119, 76ERS 104
Marko Simonovic scored 26 points, Malcolm Hill added 23 and Chicago breezed past Philadelphia.
Simonovic made 11 of 15 shots and grabbed eight rebounds to help the Bulls (4-1) close out with three straight wins. Carlik Jones scored 15 points but had seven of Chicago's 15 turnovers. Dalen Terry, the 18th overall pick, had three points, two assists and two rebounds in nine-plus minutes.
Charlie Brown Jr. led the 76ers (2-3) with 21 points. Grant Riller scored 19. Trevelin Queen had 16 points and seven of Philadelphia's 21 turnovers. Filip Petrusev scored 14.
NETS 102, CELTICS 95
Cam Thomas scored 25 points, David Duke Jr. added 24 and Brooklyn knocked off Boston.
Thomas added six assists for the Nets (3-2), while Duke handed out five. Kessler Edwards scored 15 points and Day'Ron Sharpe had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Juhann Begarin topped the Celtics (3-2) with 25 points. Mfiondu Kabengele scored 18. Second-rounder JD Davison &mdash; Boston's only pick in the draft &mdash; totaled 17 points and 10 rebounds.
KINGS 92, ROCKETS 81
Jeriah Horne scored 20 points to lead Sacramento over Houston
Jared Rhoden pitched in with 15 points and seven rebounds for the Kings (3-2). Sacramento chose to sit No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray for the finale.
Tari Eason, the No. 17 pick in the draft, had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets (2-3). TyTy Washington Jr. scored 15 points, while Daishen Nix had 14 points and seven boards. No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
LAKERS 95, MAVERICKS 84
Cole Swider scored 16 points to spark Los Angeles past Dallas.
Swider sank 4 of 6 from 3-point range for the Lakers (3-2). Jay Huff had 13 points, Javante McCoy scored 12 and Scotty Pippen Jr. 11.
A.J. Lawson had 19 points to lead the Mavericks (0-5) &mdash; the only team without victory in the event. Moses Wright scored 17 with six boards. Jaden Hardy scored 15 but had seven of Dallas' 19 turnovers. Lawson turned it over six times. Jerrick Harding had 11 points and five assists.
HEAT 86, CLIPPERS 83
Kyle Allman Jr. scored 26 points, sinking a go-ahead 3-pointer with 31 seconds left, and Miami rallied past Los Angeles.
Allman added seven rebounds and six assists for the Heat (2-3). Dru Smith had 22 points and Jamal Cain pitched in with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Miami outscored Los Angeles 31-20 in the final quarter
Reggie Perry, Jay Scrubb and Xavier Moon all scored 16 for the Clippers (2-3).

Check out this recap of Saturday's NBA Summer League action.

Nembhard, Mobley lead Cavs past Hawks 94-90 in Summer League

We've reached the final frontier for over half of the squads in Las Vegas.
Eighteen NBA teams played their final contest of the summer on Saturday. The afternoon offered one more chance for prospects to assert themselves to their respective franchises.
In some cases, the results came almost instantly. Mfiondu Kabengele, for example, has reportedly agreed to a two-way contract with the Celtics after consistently standing out over the past 10 days.&nbsp;
The following players left their mark in yesterday's matchups and gave front offices something meaningful to ponder in the weeks before training camp:
STUDS
Kenny Lofton Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kenny Lofton Jr. was a FORCE in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> action today!<a href="https://twitter.com/itzjunior34?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@itzjunior34</a>: 27 PTS, 12 REB, 2 BLK <a href="https://t.co/Qu48c8k9c4">pic.twitter.com/Qu48c8k9c4</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1548463043587162115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Box Score Stats: 27 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 10/16 FG, 2/3 3PT
The undrafted rookie finished his breakout Summer League with a bang. Lofton went to work in the post, overpowering opponents with his physicality and soft shooting touch. He also knocked down two threes and drilled a beautiful step-back move. Though he's undersized (6-foot-7) and lacking length or leaping ability, Lofton uses his 275-pound fame to his advantage, and his skills and vision make him an overall offensive positive. He's outshone a couple of Memphis' draft picks this summer and the franchise should try to lock him down long-term.
Malaki Branham, San Antonio Spurs
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
BUCK3TS! 💦 Back to back to back triples for <a href="https://twitter.com/MalakiBranham?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MalakiBranham</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoSpursGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoSpursGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/5Knkq9D3ZX">pic.twitter.com/5Knkq9D3ZX</a>
&mdash; San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) <a href="https://twitter.com/spurs/status/1548452224094707713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Box Score Stats: 23 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 8/15 FG, 5/8 3PT
The No. 20 overall pick logged his most efficient scoring performance of the summer. Branham did most of his work shooting off the catch, but has an easy, repeatable shooting stroke that was locked in against the Grizzlies. He knew how to relocate into position for defenders to kick the ball out. San Antonio mostly used Branham off the ball in Vegas and he's still a pure scorer at this stage. I'd like to see Branham extend his pull-up game to the arc and receive more reps as an initiator.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Kevon Harris, Minnesota Timberwolves
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kevon Harris tags the big, controlled closeout on the skip to the corner, then hits the step-back 3 on the other end. <a href="https://t.co/bDrg78CbuQ">pic.twitter.com/bDrg78CbuQ</a>
&mdash; Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1548429205469143043?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Box Score Stats: 23 points, 3 rebounds, 9/11 FG, 4/4 3PT
Harris played an awesome Summer League as a third-year pro who went undrafted in 2020. He has impressive burst as a 6-foot-6 wing, and frequently used it to attack the basket and finish for layups and dunks. Harris was also locked in from long range, with the above sequence standing out as a noteworthy make. Harris played in the G League last season with Raptors 905, and has definitely earned another opportunity to make the NBA.
JT Thor, Charlotte Hornets
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
LOOK AT WHERE JT THOR JUMPS FROM <a href="https://t.co/lYG9Ae2U0e">pic.twitter.com/lYG9Ae2U0e</a>
&mdash; Fastbreak Breakfast (@fastbreakbreak) <a href="https://twitter.com/fastbreakbreak/status/1548415783532802050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Box Score Stats: 28 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals, 9/14 FG, 3/6 3PT
I had been mildly underwhelmed by Thor's summer to date. Then, the second-year forward came out and dominated on Saturday. His long arms and aggressive digs and double-teams led to several steals. On offense, he displayed improved touch by knocking down some triples and an additional runner. Of course, Thor dropped the hammer on some massive dunks, including the one above. This was an exciting high note for the second-round pick to end on.
Charlie Moore, Detroit Pistons
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Special Delivery by Charlie Moore 📨 Live Now on ESPN U <a href="https://t.co/gmT4861app">pic.twitter.com/gmT4861app</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1548400538055634952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Box Score Stats: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 9/14 FG, 3/5 3PT
Moore wowed as a passer in Detroit's win against the Magic. That acrobatic dish stands out, but he made more solid corner reads and sent in some excellent high-low entry passes. His ability to change directions and speeds also helped him as a scorer despite being just 6-feet tall as a point guard. Moore played for four different schools in college before going undrafted this summer. Hopefully he's able to find a permanent NBA home as a pro.
Juhann Begarin, Boston Celtics
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Juhann Begarin drive and mid-air kick to the corner where JD Davison hits the 3 <a href="https://t.co/FieJfJpFRI">pic.twitter.com/FieJfJpFRI</a>
&mdash; Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1548459758960537600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Box Score Stats: 25 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 9/17 FG, 3/6 3PT
Begarin is a spring-loaded wing with tons of energy, and at times this summer, that energy led to him playing out of control. In this game, the French wing found the right balance. Begarin made solid plays as a passer, hitting a rolling Mfiondu Kabengele and corner shooter JD Davison for nice assists. He took off to the basket multiple times and flew all the way to the rim.
Begarin isn't afraid to play through contact, and though he has peaks and valleys from distance, he certainly holds confidence. We'll see if he showed enough for the Celtics to pull him over from Europe.
Cam Thomas, Brooklyn Nets 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Watching <a href="https://twitter.com/24_camthomas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@24_camthomas</a> get buckets never gets old <a href="https://t.co/dPxBFemQzY">pic.twitter.com/dPxBFemQzY</a>
&mdash; Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrooklynNets/status/1548474554162356227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Box Score Stats: 25 points, 6 assists, 10/20 FG, 0/1 3PT
Thomas capped his dominant Summer League with one more scoring showcase. Despite attempting just one three-pointer, the second-year guard reeled in 25 points with his full pull-up package plus some layups and runners. Thomas' assists weren't highlight-reel plays, but he was level-headed and patient with his reads. Who knows what Brooklyn's roster looks like by opening night, but I'd imagine Thomas is in line for a minutes bump this season.
Other notable performers: David Roddy (Grizzlies), Matt Lewis (Timberwolves), RJ Nembhard Jr. (Cavaliers), Isaiah Mobley (Cavaliers), Tyrese Martin (Hawks), Jules Bernard (Pistons), Malcolm Hill (Bulls), Carlik Jones (Bulls), Charlie Brown Jr. (76ers), Grant Riller (76ers), David Duke Jr. (Nets), JD Davison (Celtics), Jeriah Horne (Kings), Tari Eason (Rockets), AJ Lawson (Mavericks), Cole Swider (Lakers)
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
DUDS
Trevelin Queen, Philadelphia 76ers
Box Score Stats: 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 6/19 FG, 0/10 3PT
After I highlighted Queen on Friday, he unfortunately put up a long-range goose egg on Saturday. He was mostly using screens to get shots up and had some rough misses. The rest of Queen's afternoon was solid, and he did shoot 6-for-9 inside the arc. This 0-for-10 outing just sticks out as an eyesore after a strong effort in Las Vegas.
Max Christie, Los Angeles Lakers
Box Score Stats: 2 points, 6 rebounds, 1/6 FG, 0/3 3PT
Christie is simply a ways away from being a consistent scorer. The rookie guard airballed one three-pointer and settled for too many bad shots, particularly in the mid-range. He's not offering much off the dribble as a playmaker and has been confined to floor-spacing duties most of this summer. Christie has had his bright moments, but he's going to take some time to find a groove offensively.&nbsp;
Brandon Boston Jr., Los Angeles Clippers
Box Score Stats: 7 points, 2 blocks, 2/11 FG, 0/5 3PT
After a 22-point outburst on Friday, Boston came back down to Earth in LAC's loss to Miami. Both of his makes were tough, contested layups, which is promising for Boston's ability to use his length and growing frame. But he missed a bunch of spot-up threes he needs to make and didn't offer as much as a passer compared to his prior game. The upside flashes are definitely still there with Boston, but he didn't translate it to enough consistent production at Summer League.

Kenny Lofton Jr., JT Thor and Juhann Begarin highlighted Saturday's Summer League action.

10 studs and duds from Day 10 of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas

Tucson, AZ&nbsp; &mdash;&nbsp; The Arizona Wildcats got a huge win at home, defeating the UCLA Bruins 76-66 and moving into sole possession of first place in the Pac-12 standings. Kerr Kriisa led all players with 16 points. Jules Bernard scored 15 for UCLA.
Arizona (18-2, 8-1 Pac-12) is led by Bennedict Mathurin. He is averaging 17.2 points per game and continues to make a strong case as a potential top-10 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The Wildcats entered tonight trailing only UCLA in the conference standings and are currently projected as a No. 3 seed in March Madness.
Despite the loss, the Bruins (16-3, 8-2 Pac-12) have positioned themselves as a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Junior wing Johnny Juzang leads the team with 18.1 points per game on 39.5% shooting from behind the arc. Bernard and Jaime Jaquez Jr. have also played well, combining for 25.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per contest.&nbsp;
The teams traded leads for the first five minutes, but Arizona would go on a 12-0 run over the next seven minutes to stretch the lead to 28-14. The Wildcats took a 42-30 lead into the break behind 11 points from Kriisa and 10 from Azuolas Tubelis. Mathurin also had 6 points, 5 rebounds and a steal and a block each. UCLA&rsquo;s Bernard led all players with 12 points at half, and Jaquez and Cody Riley had 6 points each.&nbsp;
Juzang got started early in the second half with three buckets in the first four minutes. At the 10:01 mark, the Wildcats maintained a 61-51 lead, but David Singleton went to work. Singleton and Jaquez cut the lead to 64-61 at 3:54.
Kriisa connected on a huge triple at 1:52 to make it 70-61 and seemingly put this one out of reach. Kriisa and Pelle Larsson would then connect on a pair of free-throws, and the home team held on from there for the victory.
Tubelis ended with 14 points on 6 of 9 from the field. Larsson scored 12 points in a strong performance off the bench. Juzang posted 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. Riley ended with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals.&nbsp;
UPCOMING
UCLA will visit Arizona State on Saturday night.&nbsp;
Arizona hosts USC on Saturday.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

The Wildcats got a huge win at home, defeating UCLA 76-66 and moving into sole first place in the conference standings.

No. 7 Arizona defeats No. 3 UCLA 76-66, takes first place in Pac-12

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Kemba Walker couldn&rsquo;t have envisioned this Christmas.
Less than two weeks ago, his coach wouldn&rsquo;t even call his name.
On Saturday, his hometown fans were chanting it.
Walker became the seventh NBA player with a triple-double on Christmas, and the New York Knicks beat the depleted Atlanta Hawks 101-87 for their first win on the holiday in a decade.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-136">
<div class="Component-adTitle-0-2-29">&ldquo;It was amazing,&rdquo; Walker said. &ldquo;Those are moments that you dream about. It&rsquo;s kind of hard to put it into words, to be honest.&rdquo;</div>
</div>
Julius Randle had 25 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks in a matchup of teams that met in the first round of last season&rsquo;s playoffs. But the Hawks were missing Trae Young among nine players in the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocols, so it wasn&rsquo;t much of a rematch of Atlanta&rsquo;s five-game victory.
Walker finished with 10 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. The 6-foot guard raced around the floor trying desperately for his 10th rebound for much of the second half, finally getting it in the fourth quarter when Mitchell Robinson&rsquo;s block came to him.
It was the first triple-double on Christmas since Golden State&rsquo;s Draymond Green in 2017, continuing Walker&rsquo;s strong stretch since going from a nine-game stint out of the rotation to back in the starting lineup when the Knicks were short-handed.
He said he couldn&rsquo;t have foreseen things turning so quickly.
&ldquo;This is not how we pictured it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I ain&rsquo;t complaining, either.&rdquo;
Fans in the sold-out crowd chanted &ldquo;Kemba Walker! Kemba Walker!&rdquo; for the New York native, who scored 44 points in a loss to Washington on Thursday.
&ldquo;As a teammate, as a brother, I&rsquo;m happy for him that he&rsquo;s able to come out and be who he is,&rdquo; Randle said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure when he signed to come here this is kind of what he envisioned, playing the type of basketball that he&rsquo;s playing right now.&rdquo;
Evan Fournier and Quentin Grimes each scored 15 points for the Knicks, who snapped a six-game Christmas skid. They are 23-31 in their league-high 54 appearances, but hadn&rsquo;t won one since 2011.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-136">
<div class="Component-placeholderWrapper-0-2-32">
<div id="div-gpt-ad_site_article_midarticle2" class="DFPSlot Component-ad-0-2-28" data-key="ad-placeholder" data-google-query-id="CMPY4p-JgPUCFcMLiAkdFOQFXA">
<div id="google_ads_iframe_15786418/APNews/site/article/midarticle2_0__container__">John Collins and Delon Wright each scored 20 points for the Hawks, who were playing on Christmas for the first time since 1989. They had their six-game road winning streak snapped.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Young starred in his first playoff series last spring against New York, ignoring profane taunts by Knicks fans and getting the last word when he bowed to them near the close of Atlanta&rsquo;s clinching Game 5 victory.
But he couldn&rsquo;t clear protocols in time for a coveted spot on the calendar, and playing short-handed caught up with the Hawks. Coach Nate McMillan said some players even asked to be subbed out of the game, which he said never happens.
&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t a lack of energy,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;I think our guys are tired. They&rsquo;ve been logging a lot of minutes.&rdquo;
The Knicks made their first seven shots and raced to a 19-3 lead on Randle&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 7:48 left in the first quarter.
They blew it open in the third quarter, and consecutive 3-pointers by Grimes and Taj Gibson to open the fourth gave New York its biggest lead at 87-66. From there the only drama was whether Walker would get one more rebound.
The Hawks&rsquo; injury report took three tweets from the team&rsquo;s official account to list, and besides Young featured key players such as Kevin Huerter, Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari. Clint Capela returned from protocols and had six points and nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Knicks are getting healthier. RJ Barrett returned to the starting lineup and Grimes made his first appearance since setting a Knicks rookie record with seven 3-pointers and scoring 27 points against Milwaukee on Dec. 12. He was then placed into protocols and missed the last five games.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Signed guards Anthony &ldquo;Cat&rdquo; Barber and Malik Ellison, both playing this season for the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta&rsquo;s NBA G League affiliate, to 10-day contracts. Ellison is the son of former No. 1 draft pick Pervis Ellison.
Knicks: Hall of Famer Bernard King, who set the Christmas record of 60 points playing for the Knicks in 1984, was at the game. ... The Knicks are down to just Nerlens Noel, Miles McBride and Jericho Sims in protocols. Immanuel Quickley and Kevin Knox II have been cleared but need to regain their conditioning before playing.
CHRISTMAS TRIPLE-DOUBLES
Besides Walker and Green, the other players with Christmas triple-doubles are Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, Billy Cunningham and John Havlicek. Robertson did it four times.
HOLIDAY HOOPS HISTORY
The Hawks fell to 9-12 on Christmas. They are 2-1 against the Knicks, with both victories coming when they were based in St. Louis.
UP NEXT
Hawks: Host Chicago on Monday.
Knicks: Visit Minnesota on Tuesday to begin a four-game road trip.
___
More AP NBA:&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://apnews.com/hub/nba">https://apnews.com/hub/nba</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a>

Walker posted 10 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the victory.

Kemba Walker’s triple-double leads Knicks over Hawks, 101-87

The NBA released the remaining 25 players of the league's 75th anniversary team Thursday night on TNT.
Here is the official release from the NBA, which lists all 75 players that made the team and the people that voted on the NBA's top 75 players of all-time team:
"A total of 158 NBA championships and 730 NBA All-Star selections. &nbsp;A combined 110 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Awards and Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Awards. &nbsp;More than 1.5 million points scored.
Those are just some of the collective accomplishments of the players who comprise the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, which was announced across TNT and ESPN from Oct. 19-21 as the league tipped off its landmark 75th Anniversary Season.
The NBA 75th Anniversary Team was selected by a blue-ribbon panel of current and former NBA players, coaches, general managers and team and league executives, WNBA legends and sportswriters and broadcasters. &nbsp;Voters were asked to select the 75 Greatest Players in NBA History without regard to position. &nbsp;Panelists did not rank their selections. &nbsp;Current and former players were not allowed to vote for themselves.
As a result of a tie in the voting, the 75th Anniversary Team features 76 players. &nbsp;Team highlights include:
&bull; Eleven active players have been named to the 75th Anniversary Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, James Harden, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.
&bull; All 50 members of the NBA 50th Anniversary Team, which was named in 1996, have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team.
&bull; The 75th Anniversary Team includes four players who played in the first NBA All-Star Game in 1951 (Paul Arizin, Bob Cousy, George Mikan and Dolph Schayes), the first winner of the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award (Bob Pettit for the 1955-56 season) and the first winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award (Jerry West for the 1969 NBA Finals).
&bull; Bill Russell joins Cousy, Mikan and Pettit as the only four players who have been named to all four NBA Anniversary Teams: the 25th Anniversary Team (10 players named), 35th Anniversary Team (11 players named), 50th Anniversary Team and 75th Anniversary Team. (The 25th Anniversary Team was the only one of the four teams that did not allow for the inclusion of active players at the time.)
&bull; Six international players from six countries and territories have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team: Antetokounmpo (Greece), Tim Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands), Patrick Ewing (Jamaica), Steve Nash (Canada), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) and Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria).
&bull; The five NBA legends who are serving as ambassadors for the 75th Anniversary Season are part of the 75th Anniversary Team: Clyde Drexler, Magic Johnson, Nowitzki, Pettit and Oscar Robertson. Representing different eras of the league&rsquo;s history, the ambassadors will make appearances throughout the 2021-22 season and have a significant presence at NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland.
The NBA 75th Anniversary Team is listed below in alphabetical order, followed by the list of voters. &nbsp;The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst &amp; Young LLP. &nbsp;For player profiles on each member of the 75th Anniversary Team, click here and visit NBA.com/75."
<table style="width: 95.7926%; height: 464px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 27px;">
<td style="text-align: center; width: 149.879%; height: 27px;" colspan="4" width="691">NBA 75TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Clyde Drexler</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Damian Lillard</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Scottie Pippen</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Ray Allen</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Tim Duncan</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Jerry Lucas</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Willis Reed</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Giannis Antetokounmpo</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kevin Durant</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Karl Malone</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Oscar Robertson</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Carmelo Anthony</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Julius Erving</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Moses Malone</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">David Robinson</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Nate Archibald</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Patrick Ewing</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Pete Maravich</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dennis Rodman</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Paul Arizin</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Walt Frazier</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bob McAdoo</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bill Russell</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Charles Barkley</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kevin Garnett</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kevin McHale</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dolph Schayes</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Rick Barry</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">George Gervin</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">George Mikan</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bill Sharman</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Elgin Baylor</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Hal Greer</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Reggie Miller</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">John Stockton</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dave Bing</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">James Harden</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Earl Monroe</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Isiah Thomas</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Larry Bird</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">John Havlicek</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Steve Nash</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Nate Thurmond</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kobe Bryant</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Elvin Hayes</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dirk Nowitzki</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Wes Unseld</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Wilt Chamberlain</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Allen Iverson</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Hakeem Olajuwon</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dwyane Wade</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bob Cousy</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">LeBron James</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bill Walton</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dave Cowens</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Magic Johnson</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Robert Parish</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Jerry West</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Billy Cunningham</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Sam Jones</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Chris Paul</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Russell Westbrook</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Stephen Curry</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Michael Jordan</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Gary Payton</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Lenny Wilkens</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Anthony Davis</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Jason Kidd</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bob Pettit</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dominique Wilkins</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dave DeBusschere</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kawhi Leonard</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Paul Pierce</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">James Worthy</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
<table style="width: 97.1703%; height: 798px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 170.677%;" colspan="4" width="719">NBA 75TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM VOTING PANEL</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Tim Duncan</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Jack McCallum</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">David Robinson</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Marv Albert</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">David DuPree</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Brian McIntyre</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bill Russell</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">David Aldridge</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Wayne Embry</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Ann Meyers</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bob Ryan</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Sam Amick</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Julius Erving</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Yoko Miyaji</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bill Simmons</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Giannis Antetokounmpo</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Patrick Ewing</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Earl Monroe</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Sam Smith</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Steve Aschburner</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Walt Frazier</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Steve Nash</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Stephen A. Smith</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Charles Barkley</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">George Gervin</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Rachel Nichols</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Marc Spears</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Rick Barry</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Russ Granik</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Dirk Nowitzki</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Erik Spoelstra</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Howard Beck</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Becky Hammon</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">John Stockton</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Dave Bing</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Elvin Hayes</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Robert Parish</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Hannah Storm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Sue Bird</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Ernie Johnson</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Candace Parker</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Sheryl Swoopes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Carol Blazejowski</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Magic Johnson</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Chris Paul</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Isiah Thomas</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Mike Breen</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Sam Jones</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Bob Pettit</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Rod Thorn</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Doris Burke</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Michael Jordan</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Scottie Pippen</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Rudy Tomjanovich</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Jerry Colangelo</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Steve Kerr</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Gregg Popovich</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Peter Vecsey</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Doug Collins</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Bob Lanier</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Shaun Powell</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bill Walton</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Cynthia Cooper</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Kara Lawson</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Ahmad Rashad</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Rick Welts</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Bob Costas</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Lisa Leslie</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Willis Reed</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Jerry West</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Dave Cowens</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Nancy Lieberman</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Tim Reynolds</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Michael Wilbon</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Billy Cunningham</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Zach Lowe</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Bill Rhoden</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Lenny Wilkens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Stephen Curry</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Jerry Lucas</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Pat Riley</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">James Worthy</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Clyde Drexler</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Jackie MacMullan</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Oscar Robertson</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Jeff Zillgitt</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Some notable snubs include Tracy McGrady, Bernard King, Alex English, Vince Carter, Tony Parker, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Bob McAdoo, and Pau Gasol to just name a few. This list was part of the NBA's marketing campaign for the league's historic 75th season and will surely spark a conversation/debate amongst NBA fans all over the world.

The NBA released the final 25 players of the 75th anniversary team Thursday on TNT.

Final 25 members of NBA's 75th Anniversary Team announced

Much has been made about the New York Knicks&rsquo; lack of success over the past two decades. The Knicks have won just one playoff series this century. They've also had only one player garner consideration for the Most Valuable Player award &mdash; Carmelo Anthony, during the 2012-13 campaign when New York advanced to the Eastern Conference semis.&nbsp;
Knicks fans are hoping that both those ignominious facts change this spring.&nbsp;
To that end, Julius Randle has done his part, and then some. But to this point, he hasn't received much mention of being among the league&rsquo;s most valuable players.&nbsp;
Here&rsquo;s why his name belongs in the conversation...
Back in December, <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2021-nba-predictions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">multiple</a> <a href="https://www.espn.com/basketball/story/_/id/30427736/2020-21-nba-preview-wins-standings-projected-all-30-nba-teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outlets</a> <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/nba-predictions-2020-21-standings-playoff-projections-picks/xh1qswkji7pm1dnc5qk4a55sz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">projected</a> New York to finish with one of the league's worst records. Las Vegas set the Knicks over/under win total at 22. Well, with fewer than a dozen contests remaining in the 2020-21 season, the Knicks have already racked up 34 victories and find themselves in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings, meaning this once woebegone franchise would host Game 1 of an opening-round playoffs series if the postseason began today.&nbsp;
And the biggest reason, by far, for New York's shocking success has been the awe-inspiring play of its All-Star power forward.
Randle ranks inside the top-15 in the NBA this season in scoring, rebounding and dishing, averaging a whopping 24.0 points, 10.5 boards, 6.0 assists and 2.2 made three-pointers, while posting a True Shooting percentage of 57.3%. With less than a month left in the regular season, he is on pace to become just the second player in NBA history to average at least 20/10/6 and two made threes per game (joining Russell Westbrook, who matched those numbers during his otherworldly 2016-17 MVP campaign).&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
<a href="https://stathead.com/basketball/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&amp;match=single&amp;order_by_asc=0&amp;order_by=ws&amp;type=totals&amp;per_minute_base=36&amp;per_poss_base=100&amp;is_playoffs=N&amp;ccomp%5B2%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B2%5D=5&amp;cstat%5B2%5D=ast_per_g&amp;ccomp%5B3%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B3%5D=.40&amp;cstat%5B3%5D=fg3_pct&amp;ccomp%5B4%5D=gt&amp;cval%5B4%5D=10&amp;cstat%5B4%5D=trb_per_g&amp;lg_id=NBA&amp;birth_country_is=Y&amp;age_min=0&amp;age_max=99&amp;height_min=0&amp;height_max=99&amp;season_start=1&amp;season_end=-1&amp;college_id=0&amp;as_comp=gt&amp;as_val=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Basketball-Reference</a>, Randle is also on track to become the second player ever to average more than 10 rebounds and more than five assists while shooting over 40% from behind the three-point arc and over 80% from the charity stripe. The only other player currently in the exclusive club is Larry Bird (who notched those numbers in 1984-85, winning the MVP award in the process).&nbsp;
To put Randle's superlative statistics in context to his contemporaries this season, consider this:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Randle has scored more points than Kawhi Leonard and Devin Booker in 2020-21.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Randle has grabbed more rebounds than Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Randle has handed out more assists than Stephen Curry and Ben Simmons.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Randle has made more three-pointers than Trae Young and Bradley Beal.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Randle is shooting a higher percentage from three than Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving.</li>
<li aria-level="1">For the analytics crowd, Randle has a higher VORP than Chris Paul and Rudy Gobert.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
The <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/valuable" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cambridge Dictionary defines</a> the word "valuable" as "very helpful or important." Those adjectives most certainly apply to Randle, whose contributions have been indispensable to the Knicks.&nbsp;
He leads New York in total points, boards, dimes, steals, made three-pointers and made free throws. Randle is the only player in the NBA this season that is his team's outright leader in each of those statistical categories.
Earlier this month, in a victory against the Dallas Mavericks, Randle racked up 44 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. After the game, head coach Tom Thibodeau <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31273427/new-york-knicks-win-fifth-straight-longest-streak-seven-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told reporters</a> that Randle's "aggressiveness set the tone," adding, "I've said it many times: He's our engine. He makes us go."
In last Wednesday's win over the Atlanta Hawks, Randle became just the fourth player in NBA history (joining James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Westbrook) to tally 40+ points and more than 10 rebounds, 10 made free throws, 5 assists and 5 made triples in a single game. Coming into this season, no Knickerbocker, in the 70-year history of the franchise, had ever recorded a 40/10/5/5 game. Randle's done it twice in the past two weeks.&nbsp;
Legendary football coach Bill Parcells is <a href="https://excellentsuccessdotorg.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/the-most-important-ability-is-availability/#:~:text=One%20of%20his%20famous%20sayings,the%20field%20playing%20the%20game." target="_blank" rel="noopener">credited</a> with coining the phrase "availability is the best ability," and that's another area where Randle has outpaced his peers (thanks in large part to Coach Thibs' fearlessness when it comes to leaning heavily on his key cogs). Randle has missed just one contest this season and leads the NBA in minutes played, just ahead of Nikola Jokic (RJ Barrett ranks third).
When determining a potential candidate's MVP credentials, team success is also undeniably part of the equation. As noted above, the Knicks have certainly exceeded expectations.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Knicks have won 9 in a row. Julius Randle in that span: 31p | 10r | 1a | 5 3pt 40p | 11r | 6a | 6 3pt 16p | 10r | 7a | 1 3pt 33p | 5r | 10a | 2 3pt 44p | 10r | 7a | 6 3pt 32p | 8r | 5a | 5 3pt 34p | 10r | 4a | 2 3pt 26p | 8r | 5a | 1 3pt 15p | 10r | 11a | 1 3pt <a href="https://t.co/NHEUil7LBd">pic.twitter.com/NHEUil7LBd</a>
&mdash; StatMuse (@statmuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1386043891288199169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

New York enters play on April 26 with a nine-game winning streak. The Utah Jazz, owners of the NBA's best record, are the only other team in the league to record a winning streak longer than eight games in 2020-21. <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced/?sort=W&amp;dir=-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to NBA.com</a>, the Knicks are the only team in the NBA to rank in the top five in both Defensive Rating (107.2) and Offensive Rating (116.5) in April. New York leads the league in <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced/?sort=W&amp;dir=-1">net rating</a> this month, having outscored their opponents by 119 points in the 13 games they have played.
Most pundits believe Jokic is a lock to win this season's Most Valuable Player Award, and rightfully so. Embiid, Curry and Luka Doncic, in some order, will likely round out the top four. It is very likely that one of those deserving four will end up winning the award.&nbsp;
Still, it can easily be argued that Randle deserves to land somewhere in the top 10, and if the Knicks can hold onto the fourth seed, he could rise as high as fifth.&nbsp;
Surprisingly, in NBA.com&rsquo;s most recent <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/kia-mvp-ladder-april-23-edition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MVP ranking</a>, published late last week, senior writer Michael C. Wright did not have Randle listed among his top 15 players worthy of MVP consideration. When comparing Randle&rsquo;s statistical profile to certain players who are more frequently mentioned as MVP candidates, there appears to be some disconnect.&nbsp;
(For what it&rsquo;s worth, only five players in Knicks franchise history have ever finished in the top five in MVP voting: Willis Reed, Walt "Clyde" Fraizer, Bernard King, Patrick Ewing and Carmelo Anthony.)
Aside from having a chance to join that illustrious group, Randle also has a legitimate shot at becoming the first Knick to win Most Improved Player.
Over his first five seasons in the NBA (311 games), Randle made a grand total of 104 three-pointers. Through New York's first 60 games this season, he's knocked down 132 trifectas. He had dished out double-digit assists in a single game six times in his career coming into this season. Randle has seven such games in 2020-21.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🗣 M-V-P Julius Randle started receiving MVP chants from the home crowd in MSG 👏 <a href="https://t.co/KmlEK8h8hT">pic.twitter.com/KmlEK8h8hT</a>
&mdash; ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1386030093076627458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

"One of the best one-season turnarounds I have ever seen," Knicks announcer <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/ny-julius-randle-lupica-20210424-fikelmmpe5gfhdk4ukpkzrejj4-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Breen said</a> of Randle's current campaign, noting how the powerful power forward "has improved in every facet of the game."
During a national TV broadcast in mid-April, <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1383607382907883521?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeff Van Gundy declared</a> Randle is "definitely the most improved player in the league," adding that he deserves MVP consideration too.&nbsp;
However, Randle has made it clear that he'll judge this season not by the number of points or boards he tallies, but rather the number of wins and losses his team compiles. In an <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/reputation-julius-randle-new-york-knicks-basketball-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article he authored</a> for The Players Tribune in early March, Randle explained that his "main goal" was making sure the Knicks scale the standings. Randle wrote that taking a significant step forward in 2020-21 wasn't contingent upon posting impressive individual stats, but rather "about this entire Knicks team finding its best self."&nbsp;
Julius Randle is playing the best basketball of his life. Not coincidentally, the Knicks are on pace to finish a season with a winning percentage north of 55% for only the second time this century.&nbsp;
If you are wondering if New Yorkers are aware and appreciative of the importance of Randle's contributions&mdash;listen to the raucous "M-V-P" chants that rain down from the rafters every time he steps to the free-throw line inside Madison Square Garden.

Julius Randle isn't often mentioned among the NBA's candidates for Most Valuable Player. That should change, writes Tommy Beer.

What more does Julius Randle have to do to get MVP consideration?

DALLAS (AP) — Julius Randle scored 44 points in his best game in his hometown, leading the New York Knicks to a 117-109 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night for a five-game winning streak, their longest in seven years.
RJ Barrett had 24 points and eight rebounds. Derrick Rose added 15 points with fellow backup guard Alec Burks sidelined by COVID-19 protocols.
“I was locked in and focused,” said Randle, whose third career 40-point game came a night after scoring 32 in a 116-106 victory at New Orleans. “I always love playing at home in front of my friends, in front of my family. I never take those moments for granted.” 
The Knicks (30-27) are three games over .500 for the first time since December 2017, about two months before a season-ending knee injury for Kristaps Porzingis in what ended up being his final game for the Knicks before ending up in Dallas in a blockbuster trade.
It’s the longest winning streak for New York since an eight-game run in March 2014. The Knicks haven’t finished above .500 since 2012-13.
“We try not to get wrapped up in any of that stuff,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “If we take care of all the little things, the big things will take care of themselves. We have a belief that we can win. That’s probably the most important thing.”
Luka Doncic scored 22 points and tied a career high with 19 assists, while Porzingis had 23 points and 12 rebounds. But the Mavericks couldn’t follow Doncic’s electrifying game-winning 3-pointer in Memphis two nights earlier with another victory.
Randle, who had 10 rebounds and seven assists, scored the first 10 New York points and ended up 16 of 29 from the field. He finished one 3-pointer shy of his season high, going 6 of 11, including one in the final seconds of the third quarter to give New York an 83-79 lead going to the fourth.
The Dallas native matched his season high in points and finished a point shy of his career high of 45 with New Orleans in March 2019. Randle topped his previous best of 30 points in the Mavericks' arena, also with the Pelicans two years ago.
It was Randle’s sixth straight game with at least 20 points against his hometown team. He is the first Knicks player since Bernard King in 1985 with at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a regular-season game.
“He got going early tonight,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. “When his shot-making is like it was tonight, it’s just very, very difficult. We needed to do more to make it harder on their whole team.”
Barrett scored 10 of the Knicks’ first 13 points in the fourth quarter, helping push the New York lead back to double digits for the first time since early in the second quarter. 
Doncic, who barely beat the buzzer with a lunging floater off one foot that was behind the 3-point line in a 114-113 victory over the Grizzlies two nights earlier, was just 2 of 9 from beyond the arc as Dallas finished 15 of 45 from deep.
TIP-INS
Knicks: After Randle scored 15 of the first 23 New York points, Rose scored seven in a row for the Knicks, capped by a 3-pointer for a 30-23 lead. The Knicks led 34-25 after shooting 70% in the first quarter. ... Reggie Bullock finished with 11 points and did a good job pestering Doncic. ... Thibodeau didn’t offer many details on Burks’ status. 
Mavericks: With the score tied at 52 in the final seconds of the first half, Porzingis was called for a technical foul after he couldn’t control a possible tip-in rebound while battling Randle for position. Porzingis turned to shout at an official as he ran up the court, drawing the whistle. Bullock made the free throw, and Barrett hit a 3 with 1.5 seconds left for New York’s 56-52 halftime lead. ... Tim Hardaway scored 16 points, Josh Richardson had 14 and Dorian Finney-Smith added 12. 
UP NEXT
Knicks: New Orleans visits Sunday to start a season-high, six-game homestand that wraps up a stretch of nine of 11 games at home. It’s their second meeting in four days, one on each home court.
Mavericks: Sacramento visits Sunday as the lone remaining Western Conference opponent Dallas hasn’t faced. All three games in the season series are scheduled in a span of two weeks.
___
More AP NBA: <a href="More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://apnews.com/hub/NBA</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a>

After defeating the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, the New York Knicks have won five-straight games for the first time since March 2014.

Randle, Barrett lead Knicks to first 5-game winning streak since 2014

I&rsquo;ll never forget sitting on my bedroom floor as a kid and pulling a Kobe Bryant Topps Finest Refractor out of a pack of cards during his rookie season. I immediately organized an impromptu celebration with all my Wrestling Buddies and Starting Lineup figurines. It was one of the greatest moments of my prepubescent life.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;d grow up to become a professional basketball player, but even as a pro, I&rsquo;d visit the local card store once or twice a year to grab a box.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ll never forget sitting on the floor at my parents&rsquo; house, 15 years after my Kobe triumph, and pulling a Steph Curry Panini Prestige autographed rookie card out of a pack. I immediately organized an impromptu celebration with my real-life fianc&eacute;e, who didn&rsquo;t seem eager to attend. Still, it was one of the greatest moments of my postpubescent life.
Trading cards are assets that appreciate, as evidenced by the litany of six-figure and seven-figure cards bought at auction in recent months. But what&rsquo;s kept me under the spell of basketball cards for three decades is more intangible. I grew up talking about basketball with my dad, Ernie Grunfeld, who played in the NBA and worked in various front offices. Cards were my way to own a small piece of a history that mattered to me.&nbsp;
I built rituals around opening packs: find my spot on the floor, lay out my protective cases, move the trash can close, carefully rip open and discard wrappers, separate the cards based on quality, scarcity, and personal affinity. NBA cards taught me a player&rsquo;s team, height, weight, and college. I couldn&rsquo;t understand how some people had no idea how many rebounds Thurl Bailey averaged as a rookie. Didn&rsquo;t they have his &lsquo;88 Fleer? And he went to North Carolina State University, of course. Read the back of the card!
 
When I first heard about NBA Top Shot, a digital collectable created to serve as a modern alternative to my beloved trading cards, I was beyond skeptical. Instead of beautiful cuts of cardboard replete with pictures, details, and stats galore, Top Shot&rsquo;s product was described to me merely as &ldquo;owning a play.&rdquo; It felt forced and gimmicky. No part of me could see the appeal of collecting video clips that I could watch on YouTube.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
 
I now work in tech, so the one thing that did pique my interest in Top Shot was the technological underpinning of the platform. Trading cards are kept in binders or boxes, but I liked that Top Shot leverages blockchain to allow a consumer to acquire, exchange, and store these moments with unique serial numbers and immutable security. As an NBA collector, I felt compelled to create an account and experiment with the platform.&nbsp;
After a day or two, I was hooked. If cards were my past, I&rsquo;m now convinced that cards and Top Shot will be my future.&nbsp;
 
Top Shot has been a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/nba-top-shot-nft-crypto-digital-collectibles-11615266042">gold mine for collectors</a> who got in early, and despite recent volatility in the market and questions about its stability, the experience is bigger than the economics. There will always be users who participate simply to make a profit, but what Top Shot offers is more lasting than dollars and cents. Top Shot is like a trip to Las Vegas: making money will always add to the enjoyment, but it&rsquo;s the excitement, the rituals, and the social opportunities that will keep people coming back for more.&nbsp;
The fun with Top Shot starts with the hunt to obtain a pack &ndash; a process that&rsquo;s initiated by joining an online queue at a designated time, sometimes with days of notice, sometimes hours, sometimes minutes. If you don&rsquo;t monitor your inbox and Twitter timeline or establish grassroots alert channels with friends, you may miss it. When you do catch wind of a pack drop, it has the same charge of excitement as being handed the dice or taking a seat at the tables.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
 
Since these drops are always oversubscribed, everyone in line is randomized and assigned a number. Waiting for your number to pop up on screen produces the same nervous anticipation as being dealt a crucial hand. If 25,000 packs are available and 250,000+ collectors are in the queue, all you can do is hope for good luck. Even when you come up empty, which happens more often than not, the stomach flutters every step of the way. When you do hit a golden number, it&rsquo;s a thrill that lingers long after the pack is purchased.&nbsp;
Given that moments are so coveted and hard to come by, there&rsquo;s ceremony associated with opening a pack. These opportunities are infrequent, like reuniting with friends for a few nights of fun, so they must be celebrated. Top Shot&rsquo;s sleek interface allows a user to separate the moments from the pack and reveal them one-by-one, all with a few clicks, always with graphics and music amplifying the experience. When I get a pack, my wife and I sit on the couch after putting our son to bed, turn off the television, and focus so we can enjoy opening it together. (I&rsquo;m pretty sure she doesn&rsquo;t actually enjoy this, by the way, but she knows I do, so she goes along with it.)
I&rsquo;ve been surprised and impressed by the strength of the Top Shot community, which has been carefully engineered for social engagement. I share this interest with a few good friends, and while we used to speak monthly, we now text almost daily. To connect the broader ecosystem, Top Shot&rsquo;s platform has chat channels, a marketplace to buy and sell moments, a gifting feature, challenges to collect certain moments, and full visibility into other collections, whether belonging to a friend or a favorite NBA player. It&rsquo;s a sea of basketball-minded collectors converging to share their interests, have fun, and hopefully make some money. It&rsquo;s a bustling ecosystem, like the Bellagio on a fight night.&nbsp;
It feels like this is how humans are meant to digitally transact and interact in 2021. It feels like we have entered the next generation of collecting.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/wall23_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="337" />
Despite my bullish stance on Top Shot, there is no replacement for traditional trading cards. Their roots simply run too deep. For so many of us, they serve as reminders of our childhood, of relationships, of players and teams and people we love. Cards span generations and allow us to travel through sports history and our own history. I will always feel something when I hold that history in my hands. 
Since embarking on my Top Shot journey, I&rsquo;ve bought several cards that I find meaningful and interesting: a 1948 Bowman Red Holzman card, a 1957 Topps Paul Arizin, a 1961 Fleer Dolph Schayes, a Connie Hawkins, a Bernard King, a Pistol Pete Maravich with a mustache. Cards are able to evoke a nostalgia that Top Shot cannot match. Luckily, it doesn&rsquo;t have to. It has its own distinct levers of value to pull. Top Shot is faster and more current than cards. It&rsquo;s tech-enabled, dynamic, and adaptable. It&rsquo;s built to surprise and delight a younger audience.&nbsp;
 
Many people have said that Top Shot will replace trading cards. Others say that Top Shot is a fad that can&rsquo;t replicate the longevity cards have had. I believe neither is true. I believe cards and Top Shot absolutely complement one another. They are different divisions of the same corporation. It was my passion for collecting cards that ultimately compelled me to explore Top Shot, and it was the excitement of Top Shot that recently made me want to buy more cards.&nbsp;
Both cards and Top Shot are entertaining financial instruments that connect fans to each other and to their sports. Cards might always be the classic choice and Top Shot might always be an innovation, but one thing is for certain: there&rsquo;s never been a better time to be an NBA collector.&nbsp;

Many people have said that NBA Top Shot will replace trading cards. Dan Grunfeld argues that they complement one another.

The future of collectibles: NBA Top Shot and trading cards can co-exist

Tomorrow, there are five NBA games on Christmas Day: Pelicans-Heat (12 p.m. ET, ESPN), Warriors-Bucks (2:30 p.m. ET, ABC), Nets-Celtics (5 p.m. ET, ABC), Mavericks-Lakers (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) and Clippers-Nuggets (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). 
Here&rsquo;s a by-the-numbers breakdown of tomorrow&rsquo;s slate of games, courtesy of the NBA:
4 &ndash; The four Conference Finalists from last season will be in action on Christmas Day: the Lakers and Nuggets from the Western Conference and the Heat and Celtics from the Eastern Conference.
5 &ndash; Five NBA MVPs will compete on Christmas Day: Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL), Stephen Curry (GSW), Kevin Durant (BKN), LeBron James (LAL) and Steve Nash (BKN head coach).
6 &ndash; Six players have recorded a triple-double in a game on Christmas Day: Draymond Green (2017), Russell Westbrook (2013), LeBron James (2010), Billy Cunningham (1970), John Havlicek (1967) and Oscar Robertson (1960, 1961, 1963, 1967).
7 &ndash; Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra has won all seven of his Christmas Day games as an NBA head coach, tied with Les Harrison for the most wins without a loss.
10 &ndash; Dwyane Wade has the most Christmas Day victories for a player with 10 &ndash; one more than LeBron James and Udonis Haslem, who are tied for second place with nine each.
13 &ndash; The NBA will feature five games on Christmas Day for the 13th year in a row.
15 &ndash; LeBron James will play his 15th Christmas Day game, second most in NBA history behind Kobe Bryant (16).
23 &ndash; The Los Angeles Lakers have the most wins on Christmas Day with 23.
35 &ndash; This year marks the 35th anniversary of the classic 1985 Christmas Day game when rookie Patrick Ewing (32 points, 11 rebounds) and the New York Knicks rallied from a 25-point deficit to defeat the Boston Celtics 113-104 in double overtime.
43.3 &ndash; Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady averaged an NBA-record 43.3 points on Christmas Day, scoring at least 40 points in all three of his games.
60 &ndash; Bernard King scored a Christmas Day-record 60 points for the New York Knicks against the New Jersey Nets in 1984.
98 &ndash; Of the players on the current rosters of the 10 teams playing on Christmas Day, 27 have been named to an All-Star team and they have combined for 98 All-Star selections.
215 &ndash; Christmas Day games will reach fans in 215 countries and territories in 56 languages.
361 &ndash; LeBron James ranks third on the career Christmas Day scoring list with 361 points, behind No. 1 Kobe Bryant (395) and No. 2 Oscar Robertson (377).
1947 &ndash; The NBA began playing games on Christmas Day in 1947 during the league&rsquo;s second season.

There are five NBA games on Christmas Day. Here’s a by-the-numbers breakdown of Friday's slate of games.