NBA Weekly Recap: November 13
Another week of this young NBA season has concluded, and it has included more drama than usual.
Between a scrap between two teams, standout individual performances and some teams on fire, it has been an exciting week.
Let’s look at the top storylines from the past week across the league.
Scuffle in Heat-Nuggets
Early in the week, the Miami Heat took on the Denver Nuggets, which was a good matchup between two strong teams. However, the story of the game had nothing to do with who won.
Toward the end of the game, Nuggets center and reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic, took offense to a hard foul from the Heat’s Markieff Morris, and shoved him hard to the ground while he wasn’t looking.
Jokic later showed regret in postgame comments but received a one-game suspension for the incident. Morris received a $50,000 fine as well. The two teams will meet again later this month on November 29, and it will be interesting to see if tempers flare once again.
Steph’s 50 Burger, Warriors Surging
Steph Curry recorded his tenth career 50-point game against the Atlanta Hawks, while also recording ten assists and seven boards in the game.
It was yet another incredible performance put up by the star guard, and he has been leading the Warriors to the league’s best record so far. His averages of 28.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists have placed him around the top of the early-MVP chatter.
Golden State is on fire amid a seven-game win streak. The Warriors have gotten strong contributions from Jordan Poole, Draymond Green and Gary Payton II, and they are first in the NBA in offensive rating and second in defensive rating.
The Warriors could be the team to beat in the Western Conference, especially when Klay Thompson returns.
Multiple stars out due to COVID Protocols
COVID-19 has been hitting some teams hard this season so far, and this week continued that trend. Names like Nikola Vucevic and Joel Embiid were put into COVID-19 health and safety protocols this past week, sidelining them for multiple games.
The Philadelphia 76ers have taken a beating from the COVID protocols, as Embiid, Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle and others have all had to miss time. This has led to a four-game skid for the Sixers, but second-year guard Tyrese Maxey has stepped up in their absence, averaging about 26 points over the past four games.
It will be interesting to see if COVID-19 protocols will remain a theme throughout the NBA season.
Wizards Continue Strong Start
One surprising team so far has been the Washington Wizards, who came into the season with lowered expectations after they shipped off superstar point guard Russell Westbrook in the offseason.
While Bradley Beal is still the top leader and scorer on this squad, there has been a nice display of depth for the Wizards. New additions Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma and Spencer Dinwiddie have all filled their roles seamlessly.
At 9-3, Washington has played strong basketball this season. This past week proved their hot start may not be a fluke, as they took down the defending champion Bucks and a solid Cavaliers team.
Washington could return to the playoffs this season after finishing as the eighth seed in the East last year.
Daniel Mader is a second-year majoring in digital/print journalism. To contact him, email dbm5725@psu.edu.
