NBA Atlantic

Joel Embiid was typically awesome on Friday night. But it was a star turn from De'Anthony Melton, of all people, who helped spur the Philadelphia 76ers to victory.

Melton went off for 33 points and seven steals, hitting eight three-pointers in the Sixers' 133-122 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

this man is on fire. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/27qxDXr4fa

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 10, 2022

6⃣ threes for @DeAnthonyMelton! pic.twitter.com/oOfXyoK5BS

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 10, 2022

HAVE A NIGHT, @DeAnthonyMelton! https://t.co/RwKsr1OCTF pic.twitter.com/VeP9P863wh

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 10, 2022

https://t.co/AD7SCfhJXE pic.twitter.com/Gn9Gpzp4BZ

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 10, 2022

That spoiled the return to the starting lineup for the trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Patrick Beverley.

Joel Embiid added a game-high 38 points to go along with 12 rebounds and five assists in the win. Anthony Davis led the way for the Lakers with 31 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks.

But that's what Embiid—who had as many points by himself in the first quarter (20) as the entire Lakers team—does with some regularity. Melton's huge night, on the other hand, was unexpected.

And it had NBA Twitter shook:

De'Anthony Melton has been incredible tonight, both ends.

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) December 10, 2022

De'Anthony Melton, have a damn night. Saving the Sixers' ass here. https://t.co/bRuwLgOlLQ

— Paul Hudrick (@PaulHudrick) December 10, 2022

The entire team owes De'Anthony Melton postgame beers. He's done everything tonight.

— Austin Krell (@NBAKrell) December 10, 2022

Some really, really good two-way stuff from De'Anthony Melton tonight.

— Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) December 10, 2022

De'Anthony Melton said he grew up a Clippers fan & really wanted to beat the Lakers tonight. He meant it.

33 points (career high)
7 steals (career high)
8 3PM (career high)
11-of-16 shooting (career high FGM)

2nd player in the NBA history with 8+ threes and 7+ steals in a game. https://t.co/jSJLKgdn7o

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) December 10, 2022

https://twitter.com/RoobNBCS/status/1601408204415848449

Two-thirds of the Earth is covered by water

The other third is covered by De’Anthony Melton

— Sean Barnard (@Sean_Barnard1) December 10, 2022

More like THE Anthony Melton amirite?

— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) December 10, 2022

The Sixers needed every bit of Melton's shot-making and defense in a game that looked as though it would be comfortable before unraveling into disarray.

Philly led by as many as 18 points with about 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Lakers chipped away at that lead, pulling to within three points when Matisse Thybulle inexplicably fouled Austin Reaves during a three-point attempt with just nine seconds remaining.

Reaves promptly hit two of his three free throws, but the Sixers turned over the ensuing inbounds pass and Anthony Davis was fouled.

🤯 The clutch steal by Anthony Davis to send the game OT!

Overtime live now on ESPN 🍿 pic.twitter.com/lZNZWKYn66

— NBA (@NBA) December 10, 2022

Davis then missed one of his two free-throw attempts and the game went to overtime, where the Sixers outscored the Lakers 13-2 to secure a game they probably should have easily won in regulation.

But a win's a win. And it wouldn't have happened without Melton's immense performance.

The Boston Celtics have put their loss to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals behind them and are fully focused on lifting the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2023.

That loss still stings, but the Celtics have shown much improvement since being defeated in the Finals, and they will get the opportunity to show the Warriors what they're made of when they match up for the first time this season on Saturday.

Golden State isn't taking Boston lightly, either, with head coach Steve Kerr telling reporters Friday that the Celtics, led by the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, have undeniably been the best team in the league this year.

"I'm sure the motivation from last year is there and is driving them," Kerr said. "They've been, by far, the best team in the league."

In last season's Finals, the Celtics fell to the Warriors in six games and saw their offense sputter. Boston averaged 100.8 points against Golden State, down from the 105.0 points they averaged in the Eastern Conference Finals and the 111.8 from the regular season.

Reeling from that loss, the Celtics have turned their disappointment into meaningful success this season, and they're reaping the benefits.

While Boston's defense hasn't been nearly as good, the team currently has the best offense in the NBA with a 119.9 offensive rating. The next-closest team is the Phoenix Suns, which have a 116.3 offensive rating.

The Celtics have also greatly improve their shooting. Last season, they shot 46.6 percent from the floor and 35.6 percent from deep. This year, they're shooting 49.3 percent from the field and a league-best 40 percent from beyond the arc.

The meteoric rises of both Tatum and Brown have certainly contributed to Boston's offensive success, but the addition of Malcolm Brogdon and the improvement of players like Grant Williams have helped propel the C's this year.

Beyond shooting, the Celtics have also improved their spacing and off-ball movement. Additionally, they're committing far fewer turnovers this year, averaging just 13.8 turnovers, which is the sixth-best mark in the NBA.

A lot of the team's success can be attributed to interim head coach Joe Mazzulla, who appears to have taken this team to its potential.

The Celtics enter Saturday's game against the 13-13 Warriors with a 21-5 record, and they'll be looking to capture one of their biggest wins of the season.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey is expected to return from his foot injury before Christmas, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday on NBA Today.

Wojnarowski reported on Nov. 19 that Maxey would miss at least three to four weeks with a fracture in his left foot suffered in a Nov. 18 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Maxey suffered the injury when he landed awkwardly on his foot while being fouled. He went on to take his two free throws but exited the game after that and did not return.

On Wednesday, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers provided an update, noting that the 22-year-old still has some work to do in order to return to the court. He said, via Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire:

"Today he ran. Still not jumping though which is a concern, but today he ran. He did not sprint, but he did run up and down the floor. He's not been able to do that. I guess the only concerning thing is he's not been able to jump yet so that would mean he's a ways away, to say the least."

If Maxey returns closer to the longer side of his three-to-four week timeline, he could be back sometime around Dec. 17. The Sixers will face the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 16 before facing the Toronto Raptors three days later.

Maxey's injury was a tough blow to the 76ers. With the Kentucky product sidelined, the team has gone 4-5, including a three-game losing streak that began with a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 30.

However, Philadelphia struggled even with Maxey in the lineup, going 8-7 to begin the year.

He was having best season, averaging 22.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 15 games while shooting 46.2 percent from the floor and 42.2 percent from deep.

The eighth-place 76ers (12-12) will need Maxey healthy if they hope to better their position in a tough Eastern Conference. That said, they aren't too far from contending for fourth place in the East, which is owned by the 14-12 Brooklyn Nets.

JJ Redick has made a name for himself in the broadcasting world, but the former NBA sharpshooter was at least under consideration to join the coaching staff of the league's best team.

While talking to Boston Celtics guard Derrick White on The Old Man and the Three podcast (h/t Souichi Terada of MassLive.com), Redick said he spoke with Joe Mazzulla about joining his staff during the offseason.

"One thing leads to another, Sunday morning of that weekend, I'm playing golf with Joe, talking about joining your staff," Redick said. "I was just so impressed by him. I spent four-and-a-half hours with him."

The discussion occurred not long after Mazzulla was named Boston's interim head coach on Sept. 23. Mazzulla replaced Ime Udoka, who was suspended for the entire 2022-23 season by the team for a violation of club policies.

Despite the abrupt change at head coach right before the start of the regular season, the Celtics haven't skipped a beat. They lead the league in points per game (120.8), offensive rating (120.6) and net rating (plus-8.8).

The Celtics' current scoring average is on pace to be the highest in a single season since the 1983-84 Denver Nuggets (123.7).

This is Mazzulla's first stint as a head coach in the NBA. His only previous experience as a head coach was at Fairmont State from 2017-19. The 34-year-old left the Fighting Falcons to join the Celtics as an assistant coach before the 2019-20 season.

Boston is currently the only team in the league with at least 20 wins. Its 21-5 overall record is two games better than the No. 2 club (Milwaukee Bucks, 18-6).

Even though Redick declined the chance to move into coaching, it's unlikely he regrets the decision. The 38-year-old has been hosting his podcast since 2016, launched a media company in 2020 and was hired as an analyst for ESPN in 2021.

The New York Knicks are building some momentum with back-to-back wins this week, but they will be without a rotation player for the foreseeable future.

According to the team, forward Obi Toppin will miss the next 2-3 weeks after imaging revealed a non-displaced fracture in his right fibula on Thursday.

Toppin has come off the bench while appearing in all 25 games this season and is averaging 7.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game. The 6'9" forward has shown improvement in his three-point shooting, connecting on 35.1 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. However, his efficiency has dropped dramatically as his field-goal percentage of 42.1 is down from 53.1 percent in 2021-22.

The eighth overall pick in the 2020 draft, the Dayton product has yet to demonstrate the ability to produce consistently for the Knicks. He's scored in double figures just seven times this season, which is the same as his number of games with at least 20 minutes. In his career, he's averaging just 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 159 games.

While the Brooklyn native isn't much of a contributor, his absence will be a blow to New York's depth. Veteran point guard Derrick Rose and forward Cam Reddish had already been removed from the rotation. Without Toppin available to spell star power forward Julius Randle, more minutes will be available in the frontcourt for Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims.

At 12-13, the Knicks are still in last place in the Atlantic Division and ninth in the Eastern Conference. But after holding back-to-back opponents to under 90 points, New York appears to have found a formula for success.

The Knicks will look to stay hot when they visit the Charlotte Hornets (7-18) on Friday.

It was less than a year ago that the New York Knicks acquired forward Cam Reddish in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks, but the team has reportedly been fielding offers to ship him away for quite some time.

"[S]everal teams have expressed interest in trading for Reddish since the Knicks acquired him in January 2022," SNY's Ian Begley wrote. "The Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks are among the teams who reached out to New York in that span."

Reddish was removed from the Knicks rotation this week and hasn't played since last Saturday's 21-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks. New York has won back-to-back games since then and has a 12-13 record.

On Wednesday, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reported that the Knicks were working with Reddish and his representatives to secure a deal for him. However, the 23-year-old later said that he wasn't trying to force his way off the team.

"I haven't requested any trades," he said, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. "I have not. Y'all seem to know more than me, for real. I don't know what y'all talking about, but I haven't requested no trade, nothing like that."

Reddish has failed to make an impact since he entered the league as the No. 10 overall pick in 2019. The Duke product has a career average of 10.2 points on 39.3 percent shooting from the field and 32.3 percent from beyond the arc. Still, he is young and he has the potential to develop into a contributor in the right situation.

The Bucks are one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, but they could use some extra firepower to compete against the defending conference-champion Boston Celtics. The Heat have been bitten by the injury bug early in the season and lack depth.

Begley noted that the Lakers and Knicks had engaged in discussions recently about a potential trade that would've required a third team to complete. Los Angeles has an open roster spot after waiving Matt Ryan and desperately needs to add shooting.

For now, Reddish will continue to ride the bench when the Knicks return to action on Friday against the Charlotte Hornets (7-18).

Nike officially dissolved its business relationship with Kyrie Irving earlier this week after he had amplified an antisemitic movie on his social media platforms back in October and initially didn't apologize for doing so.

On Wednesday night, Irving responded to that decision by covering up the Nike logo on his sneakers during a 122-116 win over the Charlotte Hornets:

Kyrie Irving covered up the Swoosh on his Nike Kyrie 3 with some messages following his official split with the company.

Irving is a sneaker free agent pic.twitter.com/xyKS4qN1qd

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 8, 2022

Irving had shared a similar message in the direct aftermath of Nike's decision to cut ties with him:

pic.twitter.com/XwLDw6nhmS

— Kyrie🤞🏾 (@KyrieIrving) December 5, 2022

It remains to be seen where the high-profile sneaker free agent will end up with his successful time with Nike—Irving's signature shoe was one of the apparel brand's most popular—now over.

Cam Reddish's time with the New York Knicks may be coming to an end.

Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reported the Knicks are working with Reddish's representatives to find a potential destination in a trade. It has reached this point because the Duke product is no longer a part of the team's rotation.

"It's not just on Cam, it's on our team," head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "What gives our team the best chance? And so I'd say those are coaching decisions; to decide to go from a 10-man rotation to nine because you feel like it [gives] the team the best chance to succeed. That's why you do it. You always have to put the team first. So there's a lot of sacrifices that need to be made by a team. But we're always going to put what we feel is best for the team first."

There was a time when Reddish seemed well on his way to becoming an impact player in the NBA.

The Atlanta Hawks selected him with the No. 10 overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft, and he averaged 10.7 points per game across his first two seasons.

However, Atlanta traded him to the Knicks during the 2021-22 campaign. The Knicks sent Kevin Knox II and a 2022 first-round pick for Reddish, Solomon Hill and a 2025 second-round pick.

In hindsight, the Knicks likely wouldn't trade a first-round pick for someone who is no longer in their rotation, but they might be able recoup some value by sending the 23-year-old elsewhere.

Reddish has appeared in 20 games this season with eight starts and is averaging 8.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists. He is shooting only 30.4 percent from three-point range, which is a concern if teams hoped he could take advantage of space his teammates create and hit from the outside.

Perhaps a change of scenery will help Reddish rediscover the form that helped him become a first-round pick, because he is a nonfactor at this point for the Knicks.

If the New York Knicks are unable to get anything done before the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline, it won't be due to a lack of trying.

The Athletic's Fred Katz reported Wednesday that the quartet of Derrick Rose, Evan Fournier, Immanuel Quickley and Cam Reddish have been "the most common players they have discussed with other teams."

Katz added there was outside interest in Fournier ahead of the 2022 deadline and this offseason and that the Knicks "have communicated that they are willing to attach Quickley or Reddish to Fournier to make a trade work."

Per Katz, New York has also talked about scenarios in which Quickley was the sole asset, with the hope the team could land a first-round draft pick.

Rose and Reddish might represent filler in any deal. Katz wrote that "there is not much demand for Rose" and that Reddish's market is "more sparse" compared to that of Quickley.

It seems inevitable that the Knicks will do something. Whether that something significantly improves the team is another matter.

Jettisoning Rose and/or Quickley would clear out the logjam at point a bit. Rose is on an expiring deal—he has a $15.6 million team option for 2023-24—so trading him for whatever they can get is better than letting him walk as a free agent.

It's a similar situation with Reddish, who's eligible to become a restricted free agent in 2023. The 23-year-old has seen his role diminish of late. He logged just nine minutes and 13 seconds in a 121-100 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday and was a healthy scratch when New York earned a 92-81 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

The odds of the Knicks re-signing Reddish or extending an $8.1 million qualifying offer appear to be slim.

With Fournier, the goal would be getting off the $18.9 million he's owed next season. His four-year, $73 million deal hasn't been a total millstone for the Knicks, but it's a contract they'd probably like to have back.

The trouble for the front office is that adding up Quickley, Rose, Fournier and Reddish plus draft picks probably wouldn't net a star who raises the team's ceiling.

The Ringer's Bill Simmons floated a scenario in which the Knicks send Obi Toppin, expiring contracts and a pick to the Chicago Bulls for Zach LaVine.

Hey Chicago… it’s time…pic.twitter.com/xykaIvVPwp

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 30, 2022

LaVine is averaging 22.0 points and 4.2 assists while shooting 42.2 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from beyond the arc. Those numbers are all down from his back-to-back All-Star campaigns after he underwent offseason knee surgery.

The five-year, $215.2 million extension LaVine signed with the Bulls isn't looking good right now and is the kind of long-term risk New York should avoid.

Maybe a path toward a top-level star will open up next summer. For now, team president Leon Rose might be reduced to finding incremental gains around the margins.

Jaylen Brown has quietly been one of the best players in the NBA this season. He got loud on Sunday.

Brown scored a game-high 34 points against the Brooklyn Nets, leading the Boston Celtics to a 103-92 win. He added 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a career-high four blocks in the victory. He also didn't turn the ball over once.

Jaylen Brown has the 🟢 light!

He finished Q1 with 20 PTS (5/5 3PM) on the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/1pomR04bRi pic.twitter.com/1Fciez5B0V

— NBA (@NBA) December 4, 2022

Jaylen Brown contorts for the double clutch lay!

The @celtics lead by 8 in Q3 on the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/1pomQZN8Pi pic.twitter.com/nFV6uZuieb

— NBA (@NBA) December 5, 2022

Jaylen Brown takes off in transition 💪

He has 30 PTS for the @celtics on the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/1pomQZN8Pi pic.twitter.com/mVaJh5twtL

— NBA (@NBA) December 5, 2022

After the game, Brown said he likes to remind people he's one of the NBA's elite players:

"I can play with the best of them and I just like reminding people of that."@FCHWPO catching up with @tvabby after dropping 34 points vs. the #Nets pic.twitter.com/hJgax91kqR

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) December 5, 2022

He didn't waste any time dropping the hammer on Brooklyn, putting up 20 points in the first quarter alone as Boston raced out to a 35-27 lead and never looked back.

So unsurprisingly, NBA Twitter was buzzing after the performance:

Players with multiple 30/10 games with 5 threes this season:

— Jaylen Brown
— Jayson Tatum

That’s it. pic.twitter.com/bQRRDC85d0

— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 5, 2022

Only three times in Celtics history has a player made five 3-pointers in the first quarter.

Ray Allen did it once. Jaylen Brown's done it twice.

— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) December 4, 2022

https://twitter.com/Dart_Adams/status/1599575750209728512

I never thought Jaylen Brown would be this good of a pullup three-point shooter. A testament how hard he's worked on that shot.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) December 4, 2022

Jaylen Brown is incredible

— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) December 4, 2022

Jaylen made that last 3-pointer right in Kevin Durant's face, what a show from Brown.

He's scored 20 points in 11 minutes. Celtics up 35-27

— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) December 4, 2022

I don’t even think Brooklyn defended poorly and Boston put 35 on em in Q1. Jaylen Brown with 20 already.

They’re a buzzsaw.

— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) December 4, 2022

Jaylen Brown with 20 in the first quarter as the Celtics are back to "never miss a shot ever" after Friday's weird outlier

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) December 4, 2022

Jaylen Brown needs his flowers. Please appreciate what he’s doing for this team.

— Trey (@TA1297) December 5, 2022

Jaylen Brown is absolutely electric to see live. Doesn’t quite translate as well to TV just how dominant he is, and that’s saying something

— Taco Jay’s Tacos ☘️ (@KryntNBA) December 5, 2022

Brown wasn't alone in his efforts, as his running mate Jayson Tatum put up 29 points, 11 boards and four steals. The pair combined to shoot 20-of-39 from the field, while the Celtics shot a solid 15-of-38 overall from beyond the arc.

Kevin Durant tried to keep Brooklyn in the game, finishing with 31 points. He didn't have much help, however, as Kyrie Irving struggled (18 points, 7-of-21 from the field) and the team's bench was outscored 24-15 by Boston's reserves.

For the 18-5 Celtics, it was yet another conquest in a season full of them, as they remain atop the Eastern Conference. For the 13-11 Nets, it was yet another disappointing display, albeit one without the injured Ben Simmons.

And for Brown, it was yet another reminder that he's climbing steadily closer to the ranks of the superstars. Well, if he isn't there already, that is.