• With nine games on tap we had yet another eventful night in the Association.  Bradley Beal erupted, the Sixers looked downright respectable and Giannis Antetokounmpo again devoured an entire team whole.  With that, here’s Tuesday’s Daily Dish.

    Warriors 120, Pacers 83

    There frankly isn’t a ton to report here.  Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were their typical dominant selves, and while he only scored 14 points Kevin Durant managed to make up for it with 11 boards, six assists and plenty of defense.  More  notably, Klay Thompson broke out of his recent slump to the tune of 25 points and four 3-pointers.  He continues to be an elite contributor in treys, but has taken the brunt of Durant’s added usage rate.

    Indiana again played without Paul George, and Myles Turner sat out this contest as well.  X-rays on both their ankles came back negative, and until we get more information we’ll consider them questionable for Wednesday’s tilt against the Hawks.  They may be joined by Jeff Teague on the injury report, as he left Monday’s game with an ankle injury of his own.  The Warriors were in cruise control by the time Teague got hurt, however, so his inability to return might not be cause for concern.

    Grizzlies 105, Hornets 90

    Mike Conley was everywhere for Memphis, as he shredded Kemba Walker and company to the tune of 31 points on 11-of-21 shooting and three steals.  He’s been absolutely terrific over the past two weeks, and should remain a top-40 option as long as he’s healthy.  Not to be outdone, Marc Gasol nearly triple-doubled with one steal, three blocks and two threes.  His efficiency has taken a hit this season, but owners have to love his impact in 3-pointers.

    For the Hornets, Kemba Walker struggled with jumper but still managed to score 17 points.  He’s been spectacular this season, and should maintain top-20 value the rest of the season.  Elsewhere, Frank Kaminsky bombed away from deep, finishing with 23 points, three treys, one steal and three blocks in just 20 minutes.

    Wizards 106, Suns 101

    Bradley Beal went positively supernova on Monday, scoring 42 points with four boards and five 3-pointers.  While he still isn’t contributing much beyond scoring and threes it’s nice to see him tap into his potential once and awhile.  Conversely, John Wall was as versatile as ever on Monday, scoring 18 points with 15 helpers, four boards, four assists and three blocks.

    Phoenix’s stars came to play, but simply couldn’t get enough going from their supporting cast to pull out the win.  Eric Bledsoe dominated across the board and Devin Booker poured in 30 points, but Alex Len was the only other Suns’ player to finish in double figures.  Let’s move on.

    Sixers 101, Heat 94

    The Sixers continue to look downright respectable, offing the Heat on Monday behind a balanced team effort.  Joel Embiid tortured Miami’s bigs in his 23 minutes, and Jahlil Okafor looked polished in his reserve role.  Despite finishing double figures in each of his last five games, Dario Saric saw just 17 minutes of action behind Ersan Ilyasova.  Saric has looked better coming off the bench so owners shouldn’t be too concerned just yet.

    As the rest of the roster crumbled Hassan Whiteside continued his tear, scoring 32 points with 13 boards and two blocks.  He’s a monster.  Josh Richardson, on the other hand, posted his first dud since returning to a full complement of minutes.  He shot 1-of-11 from the floor and finished with just four points.

    Rockets 99, Pistons 96

    What can you say about James Harden at this point?  He nearly triple-doubled, again, and will continue to challenge for fantasy’s top spot all season.  He got some help on Monday, too, as both Trevor Ariza and Clint Capela played well.  The buy low window is probably shut on Ariza at this point, and Capela remains a top-100 player despite his dreadful free throw shooting.

    The Kentavious Caldwell-Pope breakout continues in Detroit, as he scored 26 points with two steals and three 3-pointers.  Andre Drummond posted his expected line on Monday, loading up on rebounds and missed free throws, while both Ish Smith and Jon Leuer continue to make solid streaming options in standard leagues.

    Celtics 99, Wolves 93

    The Celtics mounted a second half comeback behind Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford.  Thomas got into the paint at will, earning several easy buckets and 10 trips to the line.  Meanwhile, Horford has looked splendid since returning from his concussion, and again flashed his versatile game on Monday.  He finished with 20 points, six boards, five assists, two 3-pointers, one steal and three blocks.  He looks primed for a career year in Boston.

    The Wolves gave this game away in the third quarter, which has unfortunately become a bit of an habit this season.  The starting front court was as dynamic as ever, but Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins struggled to hit shots as the game progressed.  Sometimes it actually is a make-or-miss league.

    Bucks 93, Magic 89

    Giannis Antetokounmpo started quietly against the Magic, earning one foul and no other counting stats during the first eight or so minutes of action.  From that moment forward, however, he tore the Magic asunder.  The Greek Freak triple-doubled to the tune of 21 points, 10 boards, 10 assists with five steals and three blocks.  The Magic’s only real defense once he turned the corner was to foul him, and he responded by going 9-for-9 from the stripe.  All fans and owners can do is marvel at the way his game has come together.

    It’s nice to see Serge Ibaka actually blocking shots again, and he finished with a nice line tonight, but don’t overreact.  He continues to look overwhelmed as Orlando’s number one option.  Meanwhile, Aaron Gordon completely disappeared in his 21 minutes on the floor.  Until Orlando manages to trade one of their big bodies up front the path to consistent playing time for Gordon looks murky.

    Spurs 96, Mavs 91

    With Tony Parker (rest) inactive Patty Mills looked dynamic off the bench for the Spurs, scoring 17 points with three boards, one assist, two steals and two 3-pointers.  He continues to look like the real deal in fantasy, and if Parker were to miss significant time he’d be a hot pick up.  Elsewhere, Paul Gasol picked up the slack on offense in LaMarcus Aldridge’s absence, while Kawhi Leonard remained as efficient as ever.

    Empty calories All-Star Harrison Barnes again got his 20 points without much else to show for it, while Wesley Matthews continued his long journey back to respectability with his jumper.  The real story for Dallas, though, was Seth Curry’s 23 points in 36 minutes.  He’ll obviously see less time on the court once the rest of the roster gets healthy, but Chef the Younger continues to impress.

    Clippers 123, Raptors 115

    The Clippers looked like world beaters once again behind sterling performances from Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.  Their core has never played this well together, and both Griffin and Paul are early season MVP candidates in both fantasy and reality.  Moreover, J.J. Redick got hot from deep to put the game away in the second half, and finished with 20 points, three treys and a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe.

    On the Toronto side of the ball, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry combined for 52 points and 14 assists, but simply couldn’t keep the Clippers in check defensively.  Similarly, despite posting a nice line Jonas Valanciunas was abused by the Clippers big men, often resorting to simply hacking them inside.

    That’ll do it for this Tuesday’s dish.  Follow @HoopBallTweets for up to the minute updates or hit me up on Twitter (@AbyssAlsoGazes) if you have any questions.  See you all next week.

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