WEMBY TAKEOVER | TMK #10 - November 3rd

Today, on TMK:

Wemby does Wemby things, Harden talks too much, and the Eastern European NBA Championship is here.

Catch Up:

• Wemby TAKEOVER

• No Harden, No Problem for the 76ers

• Steelers Defense Gets The W

• Euroleague Matchday 6

The Main Events:

• Sao Paolo GP Qualifying

• NBA: Nuggets - Mavs + 6 more

• ATP Paris ¼ Finals: Djokovic - Rune

Extra Time:

• Quote of the Day

• Can’t Miss Moment

• Stat of the Day

• Video of the Day

🏀 Wemby TAKES OVER in Spurs W over Suns

There is something immensely satisfying by watching raw potential turn into actual production. Today the Wemby show was on full display, and it is surely just the first time of many.

Wemby did everything in a 38-point performance to lead the Spurs to a 132-121 W against the Suns. Pull-up threes? No problem. Dunking on a fast break? Poetry in motion. Stand in the post while teammates chuck the ball up high in your general direction for an easy two-point bucket? Too easy.

The Spurs almost let a 27-point lead slip, as the Suns tied the game at 116-116 in the fourth quarter. But Wemby wouldn’t let it happen. He scored 10 points in a 12-0 run by the Spurs to ice the game.

But if you think today was all Wemby, you’d be wrong. In addition to Wemby, five other players scored in double digits for the Spurs, and they won as a team. The team that finished last season with 22 wins stands at 3-2 after 5 games, including two wins on the Suns’ home court. All they did was add a generational player. Spurs fans can thank the stars for their lottery luck.

Booker was back for the Suns from an ankle sprain and scored 31 with 9 rebounds and 13 assists, while Durant added 28 points. The Suns were outscored 39-20 in the first quarter and managed to come back, but ultimately fell short.

🏀 No Harden, No Problem For 76ers

The 76ers are rediscovering team play as they beat the Raptors 114-99. 

Three players scored 20+ points for the 76ers; Embiid (28), Harris (23), and Oubre (23). Tyrese Maxey came close to making it 4 players as he finished with 18 points. 

The 76ers didn’t shoot particularly well, but the Philly starting 5 were able to make plays in turns to keep the offense flowing. They rotated scorers and made it difficult for the Raptors' defense to shut down 4 offensive options. 

The Raptors kept the game close and only trailed by 2 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter, but ran out of steam. The 76ers were able to lock down Siakam and Schroder who finished with 10 and 13 points, respectively. The Raptors feel like a terrific supporting cast that is missing a centerpiece. Someone to close out games and take them to the next level. They’re a relatively deep team, with 9 players playing more than 10 minutes a game. They need to make something happen.

Other Games:

New Orleans Pelicans 125 - 116 Detroit Pistons

CJ McCollum scored 33 points to lead the Pelicans to victory as Zion was rested and did not play. Valanciunas added 23 and 13 rebounds. New Orleans goes up 4-1.

Cade Cunnigham continues to develop nicely for the Pistons and led with 22 points and 11 assists. The Pistons are 2-4.

Utah Jazz 113 - 115 Orlando Magic

Paolo Banchero won’t get the attention he deserved because of the Wemby show, but he scored 30 points on 9 from 13 shooting, including the go-ahead layup with 14 seconds left in the game. The Magic are up to 3-2 on the season. Utah falls to 2-4 despite 22 points from Markkannen and 21 from Jordan Clarkson.

🏈 Steelers Defense Gets The W Over Titans, 20-16

Yesterday I mentioned that the Steelers’ pass rush would need to win the game for the Steelers - and it did. The Steelers’ D finished with 10(!) QB hits and 4 sacks, led by Alex Highsmith who accounted for 5 QB hits and 2 sacks himself.

Add to that an interception on the last play of the game, and the Steelers once again manage to make up for their offensive shortcomings with defense. Speaking of the Steelers’ offense, they did manage to tally 166 yards rushing on a Titans run defense that couldn’t get a stop all night. QB Pickett missed a few wide-open receivers and doesn’t look like a starting QB quite yet.

But you know who does? Will Levis.

It’s only been two games, but I’m ready to call it - there is zero chance the Titans go back to Tannehill. The Titans’ rookie QB withstood intense pressure all afternoon and delivered passes with accuracy and zip despite being hounded by the pass rush all afternoon. He’s poised in the pocket and every ball that leaves his hand looks sharp.

Levis finished the game 22/39 for 267 yards and 1 INT, as he was intercepted on a desperation play with 20 seconds left in the fourth. Sure, it is a far cry statistically from his previous performance - but he passed the eye test with flying colors, and Titans’ fans should be excited about their QB of the future.

🏀 Euroleague Matchday 6

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 74-68 FC Bayern Munich

Crvena Zvezda made an impressive 17-point comeback to defeat FC Bayern Munich 74-68 after trailing by 14 points in the third quarter. Both teams now have a 2-4 record. Milos Teodosic led Zvezda with 16 points and 11 assists, and Yago Dos Santos sealed the victory with a crucial three-pointer. Carsen Edwards contributed 16 points for Bayern.

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 79-77 Olympiacos Piraeus

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul extended their winning streak to four games with a 79-77 victory against Olympiacos Piraeus. Georgios Papagiannis and Dyshawn Pierre played key roles for Fener, while Alec Peters led Olympiacos with 19 points. The game came down to the wire, with Nigel Williams-Goss missing a game-tying floater at the buzzer.

Zalgiris Kaunas 89-91 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne

ASVEL Villeurbanne secured their first win of the season, coming from 13 points down to defeat Zalgiris Kaunas 91-89. ASVEL's defense held Zalgiris to only 8 points in the last 10 minutes. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 19 points off the bench to lead ASVEL, with strong contributions from Youssoupha Fall, Joffrey Lauvergne, Nando De Colo, and Mike Scott.

Valencia Basket 79-71 ALBA Berlin

Valencia Basket staged a late-game rally, closing out with a 16-3 run to secure a hard-fought 79-71 victory over ALBA Berlin. Semi Ojeleye's three-pointer and Brandon Davies' late scoring spree helped Valencia secure the win. The game remained tight throughout, with no team leading by more than 6 points.

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 66-72 AS Monaco

AS Monaco continued their winning streak with a strong second-half performance, defeating EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 72-66. Milan controlled the first half but struggled to score in the early second half. Monaco eventually found their rhythm and maintained the lead in the latter stages. Milan has now lost four consecutive games, while Monaco has won four in a row.

🏁 Sao Paolo Grand Prix Qualifying

Formula 1 is back with YET ANOTHER sprint weekend - feels like this is all we’ve been doing lately. This means one practice session and qualifying for the Grand Prix on Sunday take place today, on Friday. Here are the major storylines I’ll be following:

Perez is coming out of yet another horrible performance last time around in his native Mexico. Hamilton is 20 points behind him in the standings, and Perez cannot afford another DNF in the last three races. If Perez manages to keep it clean and finish in the top 5 in the next three races, he’s likely to hold on to second place. But can he?

Last sprint weekend we saw Hamilton and Leclerc disqualified because of excessive plank wear; the cars were run too low to the ground. With only one practice session to set up the car, will we see any similar issues? George Russell seems to think so.

Alpha Tauri’s pace in Mexico was on par with midfield teams, as Ricciardo finished 7th and fought George Russell in the Mercedes for 6th on the last lap. Yuki was about to finish in the point until he binned it with a reckless overtake attempt on Piastri. But where does Alpha Tauri really stand in the pecking order?

The Interlagos track in Sao Paolo usually provides plenty of entertainment. This is one of the most fun tracks for drivers and spectators - everyone speaks very highly of it. Last year, George Russell managed to win his first (and only) Grand Prix. Can Lando break his glass ceiling and score his first F1 win here as well?

🏀 NBA

Denver Nuggets - Dallas Mavericks

This is THE game to watch today, as Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic - two leading MVP contenders - go head to head. So far this season Doncic is averaging 33.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 9.8 assists. I know that averaging a triple-double is not what it used to be since Russell Westbrook, but consider that the Mavs are also 4-0 this season. Luka isn’t padding stats or chasing the triple-double - he’s just doing what needs to be done to win. Kyrie Irving has been out with a foot injury and is questionable for tonight’s matchup.

On the other side, Jokic is averaging 26-12-7, while displaying his otherworldly passing abilities every game this season. Jamal Murray is a lock for at least a 20-point game, and the Nuggets rotation runs deep; they’ve won it all last season for a reason. The Nuggets come into this game at 4-1.

This is one of the games I’ve marked on the calendar at the beginning of the season. Call it the Eastern European battle for NBA supremacy. The White Boy derby. The Hookah smoking championship. Doncic and Jokic are two of the best, and it’s always a treat watching them go to work.

Oklahoma City Thunder - Golden State Warriors

Since losing their first game of the season to the Suns, the Warriors have been on a 4-0 run as Curry, Thompson, and Green seem to have found their chemistry and mojo back. That’s good news for basketball, but bad news for fans of any team not called Golden State. Steph Curry is averaging 31 points at age 35, with 54% from the two, 45% from the three, and 93% from the line. Historic shooting we take for granted from the NBA’s best shooter in history.

The Thunder are coming off a loss to the Pelicans but look cohesive as a unit and stand at 3-2 this season. Shai Gilgeous Alexander looks the part as the leader of this team, and Chet Holmgren is coming into his own as the lanky 7-footer. 

This is shaping up to be a fun matchup between two teams with winning records so far this season.

Other Games:

Indiana Pacers - Cleveland Cavaliers

Milwaukee Bucks - New York Knicks

Miami Heat - Washington Wizards

Chicago Bulls - Brooklyn Nets

Portland Trail Blazers - Memphis Grizzlies

🎾 ATP Paris ¼ Finals: Djokovic - Rune

Last year's ATP Paris Masters brought us a thrilling final between Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune, a match that took an unexpected turn with the Danish player taking home the win. Fast forward to this year, and these two are on the cusp of a quarter-final showdown.

In the tournament so far, Djokovic had an easy time in his opener against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, cruising to a straight-set victory. Things got a bit trickier in the round of 16 against Tallon Greikspoor, where he battled back from a set down to claim the win. On the other side, Holger Rune had a smooth ride, dispatching Dominic Thiem in straight sets and handling Daniel Altmaier with ease. 

What makes this match even more intriguing is the head-to-head record. Rune is one of the rare few who have bested Djokovic, winning twice out of their three encounters. Can he do it again?

🗣️ Quote Of The Day

“I’m not a system player. I am the system”

James Harden, during his introductory press conference with the Clippers.

James Harden is a great player; he’s a former MVP, 6-time all-NBA, 10-time all-star. But this kind of attitude is exactly why he hasn’t won anything in his 14-year NBA career. Come on man, haven’t you learned the lesson about teamwork by now?

⭐ Can’t Miss Moment

“Screw it, just lob it to Wemby”

- Coach Pop, probably

🧮 Stat Of The Day

Haas is the only team with two drivers to have gotten a Pole Position in Sao Paolo. Hulkenberg in 2010 with Williams, and Magnussen last year with Haas. 

If you don’t follow F1 closely, you should know that Haas has the worst car on the grid, which makes this a really fun fact.

📽️ Video of the Day

The Full Highlights of the Wemby Show

Honestly, this Wembanyama performance is worth watching. Take five minutes and enjoy the show:

Click HERE to watch on Youtube.

Wrap Up

Not too many sports were on yesterday, so thank god for a strong Wemby performance. Lucky me. Today the weekend starts to pick up, with F1 Qualifying and what is sure to be an amazing Nuggets - Mavs game. See you tomorrow.