All Things Basketball with GD podcast, hosted by GD That Sports Dude

Christmas Day games (00:34)

NYK 101, ATL 87

ATL played without Trae Young (COVID)

NYK led by Julius Randle and a resurgent Kemba Walker who posted a triple double (2nd Knick to do so on Christmas)

John Collins and Delon Wright led ATL

NYK got back bench firepower: Obi Toppin and rookie Quentin Grimes

At 15-18 NYK need to get on a run like last year

50 win formula: at least 21 road wins (slightly above .500) & 29-30 home games

Only one other team in contention in the East that has a losing home record: PHI (6-8)

Had luxury last yr of having no fans in MSG; gotta get over that and win in front of the fans

To quote Knicks game analyst & radio show host Alan Hahn it's the heaviest jersey in the NBA and it's not even close

NYK in their 75th season only have 2 championships

To win a chip in NYC would be the ultimate for whoever does it

Have an 18 game stretch where they play only 5 teams with a .500 or better record

Only 2 games out of the 6th spot in the East playoffs

MIL 117, BOS 113

Giannis Antetokounmpo returns to lineup (COVID) and had a monster game

BOS actually up by 13 points with 5 mins left

You cannot discount a team that has the heart of a champion

Folks are talking about Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, but Giannis still lurking and capable of carrying his team

BKN far from invincible; top of the Eastern Conference still up for grabs

GS 116. PHO 107

The prime matchup of the day: top 2 teams

Will be battling each other all season long; don't see LAL or LAC being in the mix

Steph Curry doing Steph Curry things albeit on a bad shooting night; Otto Porter Jr filling in admirably for Andrew Wiggins (COVID)

Chris Paul & Deandre Ayton stood out for PHO; Devin Booker held in check (much like Jru Holiday did in NBA Finals)

Draymond Green playing All Star level basketball while not scoring a lot of points

GS squad a very deep squad; played this game without Wiggins & Jordan Poole (COVID); Klay Thompson & James Wiseman not due back til Jan

BKN 122, LAL 117

A lot of stars missing: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and LaMarcus Aldridge (COVID) for BKN while LAL without Anthony Davis (MCL sprain)

LAL's Staples Center now called Crypto.com Arena

James Harden makes his return (COVID), has triple double; Patty Mills with a game for the ages

LeBron 39 points; passes Kobe for most points scored on Christmas Day and passes Kareem Abdul Jabbar as the player with the most points scored on a single day

Russell Westbrook had a triple double but struggled with his shooting (4-20 FG)

LAL did rally to tie this game up, much of it with Westbrook on the bench

LeBron publicly supporting the embattled Westbrook as well as the acting coach David Fizdale who's filling in for Frank Vogel (COVID)

Westbrook giving effort; results just aren't there yet

Sometimes when a guy goes home to playing in a place for a team he grew up rooting for, that person's bound to press a bit

This is what's happening with Westbrook; sort of like what Kemba Walker is experiencing with NYK

What lit a fire under Kemba was Coach Tom Thibodeau jettisoning him to the bench

There's not a lot of places to trade him to; not really a demand for him

LAL pretty much stuck with Westbrook; gonna have to figure it out

UTA 120, DAL 116

Luka Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr leads 9 DAL players out for this game

Donovan Mitchell doing Donovan Mitchell type of things; Bojan Bogdanovic and Mike Conley also had good games

DAL led by Kristaps Porzingis and Jalen Brunson

Donovan Mitchell aggravates his lower back; diagnosis to follow

UTA in the mix behind GS & PHO as top teams in the conference

Side note: NBA All Star voting started on Christmas Day

Nate "Tiny" Archibald (00:28)

6'1", 150 lb.

Born in South Bronx, NY (Patterson Housing Projects) on 9/2/48

Attended DeWitt Clinton High School; cut from the team as a sophomore

Was brought back after a mentor put in a good word about him to the coach

Then excelled; named team captain & became All-City selection (1966)

Got the nickname Tiny after his father, who was called Big Tiny

Struggled with grades; not offered scholarships from major colleges

Attended Arizona Western Community College for a year before transferring to UTEP under the legendary Don Haskins for 3 solid years

Haskins coached other guards like Bobby Joe Hill who led his team to a NCAA title & later Tim Hardaway

Stood out in 5 postseason exhibition games; scored 51 pts in Aloha Classic & averaged nearly 40 PPG in those games

Only drafted in 2nd round (19th overall) of the 1970 draft (Cincinnati Royals)

In that draft: Bob Lanier, Rudy Tomjanovich, Pete Maravich, Dave Cowens, Calvin Murphy & Sam Lacey

A starter his 1st season due to the contract holdout of Flynn Robinson; struggled as a rookie but did ok

Nearly traded after his 1st season; team instead dealt Norm Van Lier to CHI

Blossomed in his next season with solid start & finished strong

Had a season for the ages his 3rd year; team moved from Cincinnati to Kansas City

Became the 1st & only player to lead the league in scoring (34 PPG) & assists (11.4); made the All Star Team for the 1st time

Broke the record at the time of Guy Rodgers (11.2 APG for CHI)

Despite those gaudy numbers his teams never finished above 36 wins

Troubles back in the Bronx - 2 brothers in jail on various charges & another brother strung out on drugs; 2 brothers lived with him in KC & the other in a rehab facility

After his stellar 1972-73 season an Achilles injury left him to play only 35 games

Did bounce back the following 2 seasons; made the All Star Game twice

Made playoffs for the 1st time (lost to CHI - WC semis 4 games to 2)

Got traded after the 1975-76 season to NYN for Jim Eakins, Brian Taylor & 2 future 1st round picks (Phil Ford & Otis Birdsong)

NYN needed some star power after entering the league following the ABA merger

Had an injury riddled season playing only 34 games (foot injury)

Traded somehow after that season to BUF for George Johnson & 2 future 1st round picks (Micheal Ray Richardson & Cliff Robinson)

Never played a game for them (torn Achilles)

Was traded yet again with team moving from Buffalo to San Diego to BOS along with Marvin Barnes, Billy Knight & a future 2nd round pick (Danny Ainge) for players like Sidney Wicks, Freeman Williams & Kermit Washington

Didn't have pleasant start due to being a bad fit next to JoJo White, clashing with player/coach Dave Cowens & dealing with having a bad reputation, a checkered injury history & a bloated contract

Transformed his game to fit what new coach Bill Fitch demanded during the offseason

His renaissance coincided with rookie season of Larry Bird

A key member in the resurgent Celtics; won a championship (1980-81)

Became an All Star Game participant in 3 seasons with BOS, one year winning an All Star MVP award

Played 2 more seasons in BOS; one season in MIL

Retired in 1984; entered Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991

Named to NBA's 50th Anniversary Team (1996); 75th Anniversary Team (2021)

Returned to college to get his bachelor's degree from UTEP & a Masters from Fordham

Runs a basketball school for underprivileged children

Worked for NBA in the Community Relations Department

Today's comparison: a healthier Kyrie Irving with passing ability of Russell Westbrook; in his BOS years like a Chris Paul

Week 9 review (00:32)

Main story for Week 9 in the NBA is COVID & the amount of players out in health & safety protocols

Mon:

2 CHI games postponed due to lack of players (up to 10 players in COVID protocols)

League officials expecting a spike in COVID cases during the month of January

Tue:

Steph Curry becomes the all time 3PGs made leader, passing Ray Allen with 2947 made 3s

Congrats from the NBA family: Adam Silver, Seth Curry, Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Bill Russell, Rudy Gobert, Ja Morant, John Wall, Magic Johnson, Pau Gasol & Baron Davis (his predecessor at GS)

The questions coming out of this is 1) Is Steph the greatest shooter of all time? & 2) Where does him breaking this record rank among the greatest performances by an opponent at MSG?

League puts out new guidelines for COVID regarding both the players & staff including gameday testing for players who haven't received their booster shot

Wed:

UTA hires former Celtic Danny Ainge as the team's CEO

LaMelo Ball (CHA) clears health & safety protocols; set to practice in G League

TOR reduces fan attendance down to 50%; will Canada ask TOR to play their games elsewhere?

Thu:

Coach Stephen Silas (HOU) gets treated for dehydration

Anthony Edwards (MIN) becomes the youngest players to make 10 3PGs in a game (124-107 win over DEN)

BKN signs G Langston Galloway to a 10-day contract

LAL signs G Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract, using the hardship exemption to make the addition

Zion Williamson (NOP) gets a biologic injection in his fractured foot; will be out 4-6 weeks

Coach Dwane Casey (DET) out for Thu game due to personal reasons

Fri:

Russell Westbrook (LAL) & DeMar DeRozan (CHI) cleared to play after being in COVID protocols

NBA & the Players Association agree to the added health & safety protocols regarding COVID

LaMelo Ball (CHA) to rejoin the team in POR after missing 6 games

Karl Anthony Towns (MIN) receives NBA Cares Award for the month of Nov thanks to the charity work with HopeKids & the Community Coat Drive in MIN

Anthony Davis injures his knee in the team's 110-92 loss to MIN

Kyrie Irving (BKN) agrees to come back for road games with the team; also enters COVID protocols

Sat:

Anthony Davis diagnosed with MCL sprain; out for 4 weeks

Former Heat Mario Chalmers, who last played in the league in 2018, signs with the DEN's affiliate team in the G League

Kemba Walker (NYK) returns to the starting lineup & drop 29 points in a 114-107 loss to BOS; what to do with Kemba when everyone who's in COVID protocols comes back?

Sun:

Coach Frank Vogel (LAL) enters health & safety protocols; assistant coach David Fizdale to be the interim coach)

NBA postpones 5 games (Sun: DEN/BKN, CLE/ATL, NOP/PHI; Mon: ORL/TOR; Tue: WAS/BKN)

Devin Book (PHO) returns after missing 7 games due to hamstring issues & scores 16 in the team's 137-106 win over CHA

Players who missed time in COVID protocols:

Trae Young (ATL); Al Horford (BOS); Kevin Durant, James Harden & LaMarcus Aldridge (BKN); DeMar DeRozan & Zach LaVine (CHI); Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley & Issac Okoro (CLE); Jordan Poole (GS); Serge Ibaka (LAC); Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, Avery Bradley, Dwight Howard & Avery Bradley (LAL); Giannis Antetokounmpo & Bobby Portis (MIL); Anthony Edwards (MIN); RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes & Kevin Knox (NYK); Terrence Ross & RJ Hampton (ORL); DeAaron Fox, Alex Len & Marvin Bagley III (SAC); Pascal Siakam & Precious Achiuwa (TOR)

Late & night games (00:29)

DEN 38, DET 10

DEN run game playing like the #1 backfield in the league with Melvin Gordon II & Javonte Williams

DEN WRs' success fully tied to how well their QB plays; will probably upgrade the QB position in the offseason

Craig Reynolds led the DET backfield; good news is that D'Andre Swift could be ready in time for Week 15

Amon-Ra St Brown has come on as of late

Next up: DEN hosts CIN, DET hosts ARI

LAC 37, NYG 21

Justin Herbert still red hot at the QB position even without his WR1 Keenan Allen (COVID)

Austin Ekeler with a solid game but did get banged up; watch his practices just to be sure

Thought Mike Williams kind of underwhelmed given that there was no Allen

Hoping to get Daniel Jones back for Week 15; not a bad game for Mike Glennon in Jones' absence

Saquon Barkley nearly back to being his old self

Next up: LAC hosts KC (Thurs), NYG hosts DAL

SF 26, CIN 23 (OT)

Jimmy Garoppolo with a good game

Jeff Wilson with a solid effort; Elijah Mitchell due back for Week 15

George Kittle's been playing like the #1 TE in the league; Brandon Aiyuk still hot also; Deebo Samuel still viable

Joe Burrow with a terrific game in the loss

Joe Mixon has a tough outing but should be able to bounce back

Tee Higgins has been sizzling the past few weeks

Next up: SF hosts ATL, CIN at DEN

TB 33, BUF 27

A vintage Tom Brady performance

Leonard Fournette with a predictable terrific game facing this BUF run defense

Chris Godwin a target monster for these past couple of weeks; Mike Evans & Gronk solid

Josh Allen with boffo numbers despite the loss

BUF run game just can't be trusted right now

Very good games for Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley, Gabriel Davis & Dawson Knox; Emmanuel Sanders (knee) possibly out for Week 15

Next up: TB hosts NO (Sun night), BUF hosts CAR

GB 45, CHI 30 (Sun night)

Aaron Rodgers still getting done with the fractured toe

Thought Aaron Jones would be utilized more coming out of the bye; AJ Dillon not going anywhere

Davante Adams doing Davante Adams things; Allen Lazard with a terrific outing; start to fade Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Seeing some progress from Justin Fields which is a good thing

Not a great one from David Montgomery but solid enough

Darnell Mooney held in check; Allen Robinson (hamstring) back in the lineup

Next up: GB travels to BAL, CHI hosts MIN (Mon)

LAR 30, ARI 23 (Mon)

Matthew Stafford shows up big for this road victory

Sony Michel continues to do a fine job subbing for Darrell Henderson; just doesn't give you the pass catches

Cooper Kupp not missing a beat in his insane season; Odell Beckham Jr fitting in nicely with his new team

Kyler Murray not the best of games by his early season standards; did have the yards though

James Conner still find his way into the endzone despite subpar numbers on the ground

AJ Green has been coming on lately; DeAndre Hopkins targeted a lot but not in sync with Murray

Next up: LAR SEA, ARI goes to DET

WAIVER WIRE PICKS:

QB: Taysom Hill (NO), Justin Fields (CHI)

RB: Rashaad Penny (SEA), Chuba Hubbard (CAR), Malcolm Brown (MIA), Michael Carter (NYJ), Darrell Williams (KC), Jordan Howard (PHI), Boston Scott (PHI)

WR: Donovan Peoples-Jones (CLE), Rashod Bateman (BAL), Laquon Treadwell (JAC), Jakeem Grant Sr (CHI), Amon-Ra St Brown (DET), Russell Gage (ATL), Allen Lazard (GB), Braxton Berrios (NYJ)

TE: Nick Vannett (NO), Ricky Seals-Jones (WAS)

Thurs night & early games (00:27)

MIN 36, PIT 28 (Thurs)

Dalvin Cook wasn't even supposed to play (shoulder)

Dilemma for those with shares in him: whether to play him or not

For those who did, you were greatly rewarded with a performance for the ages

KJ Osborn steps into the Adam Thielen role nicely; a must add & must start if Thielen remains out

Big Ben with a pretty good game under a lot of duress

Najee Harris bounces back with a fine game

Is Chase Claypool the new AB in terms of attitude?

Next up: MIN visit CHI (Mon), PIT hosts TEN

CLE 24, BAL 22

Nick Chubb & the rest of the CLE run game in a bit of a slump as of late

May lead to Baker Mayfield throwing the ball more

Jarvis Landry playing well lately; a Donovan Peoples-Jones appearance

Lamar Jackson sprained his ankle; enter Tyler Huntley who did an admirable job

Mark Andrews with a monster performance regardless of QB situation; Rashod Bateman improving

Next up: CLE hosts LV (Sat), BAL hosts GB

TEN 20, JAC 0

Ryan Tannehill continues to let the run game dictate the passing game

D'Onta Foreman getting the early down looks, 3rd down timeshare between Jeremy McNichols & Dontrell Hilliard

Julio Jones (hamstring) back off of IR

Trevor Lawrence regressing mightily despite having some pretty good weapons at WR

Leads me to believe Urban Meyer is one & done as a NFL head coach

JAC run game stifled completely

Next up: TEN goes to PIT, JAC hosts HOU

KC 48, LV 9

Pat Mahomes does just enough to get his team the win

Solid contribution from the KC run game on a whole with all 3 RBs finding the endzone

Quiet game for both Travis Kelce & Tyreek Hill

KC defense playing lights out in recent weeks forcing 4 LV fumbles

LV run game ineffective

With Darren Waller out, Hunter Renfrow has been balling

Next up: KC goes to LAC (Thurs), LV visits CLE (Sat)

NO 30, NYJ 9

Taysom Hill proving to be a dual threat at QB

Alvin Kamara quieting the questions about his effectiveness with Hill at the controls

Zach Wilson slowly improving

NYJ run game not a factor; help is on the way (Michael Carter returning for Week 15)

Braxton Berrios seems to be Wilson's WR1 at this time

Next up: NO goes to TB (Sun night), NYJ travels MIA

DAL 27, WAS 20

Not the performance you wanna see from Dak Prescott

Ezekiel Elliott not taking advantage of absence of Tony Pollard (foot); do you bench Zeke?

Taylor Heinicke doesn't show up in this big game; did suffer a knee injury (waiting for diagnosis)

Antonio Gibson & Terry McLaurin held in check by DAL defense

Next up: DAL visits NYG, WAS goes to PHI

ATL 29, CAR 21

Matt Ryan kind of a game manager in this one

Cordarrelle Patterson with a solid game; Mike Davis still lingering & seeing a good amount of looks

Cam Newton shuffled in & out of the lineup; can't really trust him especially in these fantasy playoffs

Chuba Hubbard appears to be the RB to own & rely upon

Robby Anderson finally shows up; a must add I guess (could do a lot worse)

Next up: ATL heads to SF, CAR goes to BUF

SEA 33, HOU 13

Russell Wilson looking like his old self again

Rashaad Penny appears to be RB1 for SEA despite presence of Alex Collins & newly acquired Adrian Peterson

Tyler Lockett on a tear; DK Metcalf in a deep slump

Davis Mills with a fine game despite the final score

HOU run game still a dumpster fire, pass catching helps their numbers though

Brandin Cooks shines thanks to Mills' good game

Next up: SEA visits LAR, HOU goes to JAC

Player spotlight (00:31)

Ray Allen: 6'5", 205 LB, SG

Born Walter Ray Allen Jr in Merced, CA (7/20/75); on the Castle Air Force Base to parents Flora & Walter Allen Sr

A child of a military family that lived in England, Germany, Oklahoma & South Carolina (his high school years)

In Daizell, SC (Sumter County) he attend Hillcrest HS

Had an English accent; was picked on because of that

Stood out thanks to his athletic ability & work ethic

Growth spurt led him to concentrate fully on basketball

Led Hillcrest HS in his senior year to state title, dropped 25 pts & 12 reb in that game

Decided to go to UConn over University of Kentucky

Spent 3 years under coach Jim Calhoun; finished career as UConn's 3rd all time leading scorer

All-American & Big East Player of the Week in his last season, won BE Tourney over Allen Iverson's Georgetown Hoyas

He & standout Rebecca Lobo became 1st players to have jerseys retired at UConn

Drafted in 1996 as the 5th overall pick by MIN; traded away with Andrew Lang to MIL for 4th overall pick Stephon Marbury

In rookie season, started in all but one game; appeared in Dunk Contest that season

Made 1st All Star appearance his 4th season (1999-2000) while finishing as MIL's leading scorer

Chosen to compete in 1st 3 Point Shootout & won, beating Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Allan Houston & Peja Stojakovic

Later that year he, Sam Cassell & Glenn Robinson went to the Eastern Conference Finals but lost to PHI in 7 games

In 2002-03 halfway thru the season he was included in a package deal to SEA for Gary Payton & Desmond Mason

In 2003-04 he played only 55 games due to injuries but bounces back the season after

2 years later, averaged a career high of 26.4 PPG (includes a career high 54 pts vs UTA); again played only 55 games that season (ankle surgeries)

That offseason, was dealt with Glen Davis to BOS for a package of players & picks

In BOS, captured his 1st NBA title (2007-08) with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce & Rajon Rondo; 4 games to 2 over LAL

In 2008-09 his BOS team lost in the EC semis to ORL 4-3

In 2009-10 BOS made it back to the NBA Finals but lost to LAL, 4-3

For the next 2 seasons BOS Big 3 of him, Garnett & Pierce could not overtake MIA's Big 3 of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade & Chris Bosh as they knocked them out of the playoffs in consecutive years

After 2011-12 season he became a free agent & after feeling somewhat underappreciated & disrespected by the BOS front office he signs with MIA

In 2012-13, was a key bench player in MIA's run to an NBA title

In Game 6 in those Finals vs SAS he hit what many say is the biggest shot of his career (3PG that sent game to OT & won)

After 2013-14 season he became a free agent again; ends up sitting out the season

Upon some consideration of joining either BOS or MIL he ultimately decided to call it a career & officially retired in 2016

Finished career as #1 in 3PGs made (regular season & playoffs)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame (2018) & this year named to NBA's 75th Anniversary Team

CAREER

MIL: 7 seasons, 3 All Star appearances

SEA: 5 seasons, 4 AS appearances

BOS: 5 seasons, 3 AS appearances, 1 NBA championship

MIA: 2 seasons, 1 NBA championship

2 time All-NBA, led NBA in 3PGs made 3 times, only player to drop 7 3PGs in a Finals game twice, most 3PGs in a Finals series (22), holds BOS record for consecutive FTs made (72, beating Larry Bird's 71), won gold medal for USA Basketball (2000), won the Joe Dumars Sportsmanship Award (2003)

His acting credits: playing Jesus Shuttlesworth opposite Denzel Washington in Spike Lee directed He Got Game; also Harvard Man & commercial Uncle Drew, Chapter 4

Week 8 review (00:24)

Mon, 12/6

Donovan Mitchell (UTA) & DeMar DeRozan (CHI) both named Players of the Week

DeRozan placed on health & safety protocols (COVID)

Alex Caruso to miss at least a week (hamstring)

Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) scored 27 pts on his 27th birthday win over CLE 112-104

Nikola Jokic in DEN loss to CHI records 60th career triple double, passes Larry Bird (8th place all time)

PHI on the road defeats CHA in OT 127-124; Joel Embiid, 43 pts, 15 reb, 7 ast

Tue, 12/7

Bam Adebayo (MIA) had successful thumb surgery; out 4-6 weeks

TJ McConnell (IND) had wrist surgery; out 10-12 weeks

CJ McCollum (POR) diagnosed with collapsed lung; out indefinitely

BKN beats DAL 102-97; Kevin Durant (24 pts) & James Harden (23 pts)

LAL over BOS 117-102; LeBron James drops 30 pts & Russell Westbrook 24 pts

Wed, 12/8

Owner Jeanie Buss not ready to make decision on Frank Vogel's job status

Ja Morant, already out (knee), in health & safety protocols (COVID)

All Star voting begins on Christmas Day & ends Jan 22

Solomon Hill (ATL) out for season, torn hamstring tendon

CLE beats CHI 115-92; Darius Garland, who's having a fine season, led with 24 pts

PHI, in a rare double road game in CHA, wins again 110-106; Joel Embiid with 32 pts & Seth Curry had 23 pts

LAC, without Paul George, defeats BOS 114-11; rookie Brandon Boston Jr led 6 players in double figures with 27 pts

Thur, 12/9

IND & TOR cancel practices (COVID concerns); just as a precaution

UTA blows out PHI on the road 118-96; Mitchell, 22 pts & Rudy Gobert, 17 pts & 21 reb

MEM tops LAL 108-95; Jaren Jackson Jr & Desmond Bane, 25 & 23 pts respectively

LeBron James records his 100 triple double; only 4 players ahead of him: Westbrook, Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd

Fri, 12/10

Dillon Brooks (MEM) & Kyle Kuzma (WAS) fined $25K & $15K; Brooks: confronting ref & leaving floor late & Kuzma, making obscene gesture to fan

Rick Carlisle misses IND win over his old team DAL (COVID); Lloyd Pierce steps in & led them to 106-93 victory

LAL, playing with Anthony Davis (knee), beats OKC 116-95; LeBron's 33 pts & Avery Bradley with 22

BKN tops ATL 113-105; Durant, 31 pts & Harden, 20 pts & 11 ast

PHO, without Deandre Ayton (illness), beats BOS 111-90; JaVale McGee's 21 pts & 15 reb

Sat, 12//11

Former ATL owner Michael Gearon Sr dies; part of the front office, 1977 to 2015

Zion Williamson (NOP) suffers yet another setback (foot)

Former star player Isaiah Thomas joins the G League Showcase

Jerami Grant (DET) injures thumb; out indefinitely & reevaluated in 6 weeks

UTA on the road defeats WAS 123-98; Donovan Mitchell 28 pts

MIA over CHI 188-92; Duncan Robinson 26 pts, Dewayne Dedmon 20 pts & 12 reb, Kyle Lowry 16 pts & 14 ast

PHI beats GS 102-93; Joel Embiid 26 pts & 9 reb

Sun, 12/12

RJ Barrett & Obi Toppin (NYK) enters health & safety protocols; Alec Burks left the team (personal matters)

Zach LaVine & Troy Brown Jr (CHI) enters health & safety protocols

Luka Doncic (DAL) out next 2 games (ankle issues)

Kevin Durant fined $25K for shouting obscenities at a fan

BKN over DET 116-104 without James Harden (rest); Durant, league high 51 pts

LeBron James puts up his 101st triple double (30 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast) in a LAL win over DET

UPCOMING NOTABLE GAMES

Mon: CLE vs MIA, MEM vs PHI, DAL vs CHA, DEN vs WAS, LAC vs PHO

Wed: PHI vs MIA, DAL vs LAL, UTA vs LAC

Thur: BKN vs PHI, PHO vs WAS

Fri: ATL vs DEN, BOS vs GS

Sat: BOS vs NYK, MIL vs CLE, UTA vs WAS

Sun: CHI vs LAL, ATL vs CLE, BKN vs DEN, PHO vs CHA

Week 7 review, part 1 (00:28)

Week 7 review, part 2 (28:30)

Player spotlight, Bob McAdoo (37:12)

Show notes to come shortly...

Late and night games (00:29)

WAS 17, LV 15

Taylor Heinicke willing the team to wins; getting it done

With no JD McKissic (concussion), Antonio Gibson has full control of this backfield

Logan Thomas with a nice game but injuries his knee; headed to IR thus ending his season

This is probably the proverbial nail in the coffin for LV

Josh Jacobs with a solid game; Kenyan Drake quiet

Without Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow continues to be the preferred pass catcher for Derek Carr

Next up: WAS hosts DAL; LV goes to KC

LAR 37, JAC 7

Matthew Stafford with a terrific performance from beginning to end

Without Darrell Henderson (thigh), Sony Michel with a great game

Cooper Kupp's amazing season continues; surpasses 100 catches for the season

Trevor Lawrence should be further along by now; a long offseason ahead for him

James Robinson still bothered by the injured heel

Laquon Treadwell becoming the WR1 for JAC; a must add

Next up: LAR visits ARI (Mon); JAC goes to TEN

PIT 20, BAL 19

Big Ben gives you a solid enough game here

Najee Harris bounces back a bit as opposed to last week's stinker

The pass game begins & ends with Diontae Johnson

Lamar Jackson with a better showing than last week's dud

Devonta Freeman edging out Latavius Murray as the de facto RB1

Next up: PIT travels to MIN (Thurs); BAL visits CLE

SEA 30, SF 23

Russell Wilson almost fully acclimated back from that finger injury; could fully break out next week

With Alex Collins (abdomen) out, Travis Homer steps up on limited touches; Adrian Peterson scores also

Tyler Lockett has come fully to life since Russell Wilson returned to the lineup

Jimmy Garoppolo solid but not even to get the win

Elijah Mitchell with a solid enough game

George Kittle has a monster performance; no Deebo Samuel (groin) in this one

Next up: SEA goes to HOU; SF heads to CIN

KC 22, DEN 9 (Sun night)

Patrick Mahomes with a bit of a headscratcher here; not a good one by his standards

Clyde Edwards-Helaire seeing some good volume which you like to see

Quiet games for Travis Kelce & Tyreek Hill

What you see is what you get with Teddy Bridgewater

Javonte Williams has a breakout performance while Melvin Gordon II (hip/shoulder)

Jerry Jeudy slowly coming around; so hard to fully trust the receiving corps thanks to Bridgewater's uneven play

Next up: KC hosts LV; DEN hosts DET

NE 14, BUF 10

The oddest game of the week, perhaps even the year

Mac Jones with only 3 attempted passes in which he completed 2 for 19 yards!

Bill Belichick decided that using the same formula that IND did a few weeks ago when Jonathan Taylor had the 5 TDs

Damien Harris with a terrific game but suffers a hamstring injury; Rhamondre Stevenson picks up the slack

Josh Allen has an awful game throwing in those blustery conditions

The BUF run game an utter mess in this game

Stefon Diggs with an OK game all things considered

Next up: NE on a bye; BUF visits TB

WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS:

QB: Taysom Hill (NO), Cam Newton

RB: Rhamondre Stevenson (NE), Dontrell Hilliard (TEN), D'Onta Foreman (TEN), Travis Homer (SEA), Adrian Peterson (SEA), Carlos Hyde (JAC), Chuba Hubbard (CAR), Ameer Abdullah (CAR), Alexander Mattison (MIN), Sony Michel (LAR)

WR: Laquon Treadwell (JAC), Deonte Harris (NO), Russell Gage (ATL), Amon-Ra St Brown (DET), Josh Reynolds (DET), Jamison Crowder (NYJ)

TE: James O'Shaugnessy (JAC), Dawson Knox (BUF), Pat Freiermuth (PIT), Tyler Conklin (MIN), Ricky Seals-Jones (WAS), Ryan Griffith (NYJ)

Thurs night & early games (00:28)

DAL 27, NO 17 (Thurs)

Dak Prescott's OK game

DAL caling back Ezekiel Elliott's touches (knee)

A groundswell to turn backfield over to Tony Pollard

Had full complement of WRs for 1st time since Week 1

Coach Sean Payton turns offense over to Taysom Hill

Begin to fade Mark Ingram II in light of this; not too sure about Kamara either

Deonte Harris could end up being WR1 for NO; also fade Marquez Callaway

Next up: DAL goes to WAS; NO visits NYJ

TB 30, ATL 17

Tom Brady back to doing Tom Brady things

Expect to see a large appetite of Leonard Fournette rest of the way

Solid production from Chris Godwin, Mike Evans & Gronk

Don't marry yourself to Antonio Brown who'll miss at least 1st week of fantasy playoffs

ATL offense still sputtering except for Cordarrelle Patterson & Russell Gage

Mike Davis as proverbial fly in the ointment; still can't trust him

Teams taking away Kyle Pitts from ATL offense

Next up: TB hosts BUF; ATL goes to CAR

ARI 33, CHI 22

Kyler Murray solid enough in his return (4 TDs - 2 pass, 2 run)

James Conner still holding fort

Nice game for DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring) who also came back

Andy Dalton provides you with highs & lows; this game a low

David Montgomery dominating the backfield

Jakeem Grant Jr with a good game; Darnell Mooney quiet

Next up: ARI hosts LAR (Mon); CHI goes to GB (Sun night)

LAC 41, CIN 22

Justin Herbert's hot as of late

Austin Ekeler's OK game

Mike Williams bounces back; Keenan Allen finally finds endzone but is in health & safety protocols prior to Week 14

Joe Burrow with a nice game fantasywise

Joe Mixon's quiet game by his standards

Tee Higgins on a role right now; expect volatility between Higgins, Tyler Boyd & JaMarr Chase

Next up: LAC hosts NYG; CIN hosts SF

DET 29, MIN 27

DET gets 1st win of the year

Jared Goff's great game

Jamaal Williams, subbing for D'Andre Swift (shoulder), with lion's share of touches

Amon-Ra St Brown with a game that fantasy enthusiasts have been waiting for

Kirk Cousins with a terrific game albeit with not so great results

Alexander Mattison does a fine job filling in for Dalvin Cook (shoulder)

Justin Jefferson with another monster game; Adam Thielen suffers ankle injury & is out for Week 14

Next up: DET visits DEN; MIN hosts PIT

MIA 20, NYG 9

Tua Tagovailoa's decent performance

Myles Gaskin still lead RB in mediocre run game

Jaylen Waddle continues solid rookie campaign; DeVante Parker back from shoulder injury

Mike Glennon takes over for Daniel Jones in this one; not good at all

Slowly working Saquon Barkley up to his usual amount of touches

Still without Sterling Shepard (quad) & Kadarius Toney (oblique)

Next up: MIA on a bye; NYG visits LAC

PHI 33, NYJ 18

Gardner Minshew valuable backup to Jalen Hurts (ankle)

Miles Sanders plays like a top 5 RB finally

Dallas Goedert goes berserk; DeVonta Smith quiet

Zach Wilson's good game all things considered

Tevin Coleman does a decent job filling in for Michael Carter (IR, ankle)

Elijah Moore turning into solid WR1 for NYJ; Corey Davis done for year (groin)

Next up: both PHI & NYJ on a bye

IND 31, HOU 0

Carson Wentz as the ultimate game manager

Jonathan Taylor still playing like #1 RB in NFL

Michael Pittman Jr a nice bounce back game

Both Tyrod Taylor & Davis Mills with putrid performances

Rex Burkhead & Royce Freeman not much without David Johnson

Brandin Cooks needs to be rescued

Next up: IND on a bye; HOU hosts SEA