NBA News Today: Kevin Durant reacts to not facing LeBron James since 2018, Josh Giddey joins Wilt Chamberlain in the record books, and more
NBA superstars Kevin Durant and LeBron James haven’t faced off against each other since 2018. Durant recently reacted to the long gap in the two players’ rivalry.
In other news, there were multiple career-highs set on Sunday, with two players scoring 50+ points. OKC sophomore Josh Giddey also made history by joining NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain in the record books.
On that note, here is the latest news from around the NBA as of Nov. 14, 2022.
Kevin Durant reacts to not facing LeBron James since 2018
Due to various injuries, NBA superstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant have not played against each other since 2018. Unfortunately, for NBA fans, the drought continued on Sunday night as James missed the LA Lakers' game against the Brooklyn Nets with a groin injury.
When asked before the game about not playing against LeBron James since 2018, Kevin Durant spoke about how he wants "King James" to be on the court. However, he acknowledged that it is easier for his team when James is out.
"LeBron is tough to deal with on the floor," Durant said.
"We need wins. I want him to play for sure, but when he's not out there, the game is definitely easier for us. I wish we could get back to it."
KD on not playing LeBron the past few years https://t.co/n6aCqpyfw5
Despite LeBron James being out, the shorthanded Lakers were able to pick up a surprise 116-103 win over Brooklyn. LA was led by All-Star forward Anthony Davis, who had 37 points and 18 rebounds on 15-for-25 (60.0%) shooting.
Meanwhile, the Nets were led by Durant, who put up 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists on 8-for-16 (50.0%) shooting.
The win marked the Lakers' third of the season as they improved to 3-10. However, they still sit 14th in the Western Conference. The Nets, on the other hand, have now fallen to 6-8 and 12th in the Eastern Conference.
Watch: Russell Westbrook with the lockdown defense on former teammate Kevin Durant on multiple possessions
Josh Giddey joins Wilt Chamberlain in the record books
On Sunday, OKC Thunder sophomore guard Josh Giddey joined some elite company.
Giddey became the second player in NBA history to record a triple-double in their first two games at Madison Square Garden. The only other player to do so was NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain.
Giddey finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists on 10-for-14 (71.4%) shooting as OKC won 145-135 in New York.
During his postgame interview, Giddey spoke about what it means to him to be mentioned in the same sentence as Wilt Chamberlain.
"Any time your name is within company like that, one of the all-time greats, it's special," Giddey said.
While he did make history today, Josh Giddey is only interested in winning 🔥
@okcthunder | #ThunderUp https://t.co/CjAWLxwDxN
Despite being just 20 years old, Giddey already ranks third for triple-doubles in OKC’s franchise history with five. He trails only stars Russell Westbrook (138) and Kevin Durant (seven).
Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also had a big night for the Thunder. He finished with 37 points, five rebounds and eight assists on 13-for-22 (59.1%) shooting.
After the game, Giddey also spoke about his backcourt dynamic with Gilgeous-Alexander.
"It's great playing with him," Giddey said.
"I think our chemistry is going to continue to grow and hopefully we can be a hell of a backcourt for a long time."
Following the win, OKC improved to 6-7 and is 10th in the Western Conference. The team continues to be more competitive than most expected.
Meanwhile, the Knicks have fallen to 6-7 and are ninth in the Eastern Conference, despite making offseason moves to try and win now.
Darius Garland scores career-high 51 points in Cavaliers' loss to Minnesota
Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star point guard Darius Garland scored a career-high 51 points with 10 made 3-pointers on Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This included 27 points and six made threes in the fourth quarter.
The shorthanded Cleveland side may have lost the game, but Garland’s electric scoring night nearly helped them come back from 99-75 down late in the third. Cleveland cut the lead to two with 8.3 seconds left before eventually losing 129-124.
DG THE PG.
@dariusgarland22 | #LetEmKnow twitter.com/cavs/status/15… https://t.co/Muc9sCojeC
Garland's 51 points also marked the first 50-point game of the NBA season. Memphis Grizzlies All-Star point guard Ja Morant previously had the most points scored this season with 49 points.
Garland’s NBA season-high was quickly surpassed by Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid later on Sunday evening. Embiid put up 59 points versus the Utah Jazz.
Following the loss, Cleveland has now lost four games in a row to drop to 8-5 and fourth in the Eastern Conference. However, considering they were missing All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen due to ankle injuries, the loss is understandable.
Meanwhile, Minnesota was led by guard D’Angelo Russell who put up a season-high 30 points and 12 assists on 11-for-13 (84.6%) shooting. The T'Wolves snapped a three-game losing streak with the win and improved to 6-8 and 12th in the Western Conference.
LaMelo Ball makes season debut on Saturday versus Miami
Charlotte Hornets All-Star guard LaMelo Ball was able to make his season debut on Saturday night against the Miami Heat. Ball missed Charlotte’s first 13 games due to a sprained left ankle.
In his debut, he finished with 15 points, six rebounds and six assists on 6-for-17 (35.3%) shooting in 28 minutes. However, the Hornets got blown out, losing the game 132-115.
Talk about TEAMWORK 🤝
@MELOD1P x @jalenmcdaniels5 x @iamnickrichards | @HornetsOnBally https://t.co/SdSPeMajC6
After the game, Ball spoke about how he was feeling.
“I feel straight. We’re going to be straight,” Ball said. “More games, it’ll get easier. I think I’m in a good spot.”
Following their 3-3 start, the Hornets have now lost eight straight games to fall to 3-11 and 14th in the Eastern Conference. However, Ball remains optimistic that Charlotte can turn things around.
“We’re getting people back now. We’re finally getting on the road,” Ball said.
Joel Embiid drops career-high 59 points in historic performance as 76ers defeat Jazz
Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid dropped a career-high 59 points in their 105-98 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday. Embiid also added 11 rebounds, eight assists and a career-high seven blocks as he nearly put up a quadruple-double.
In doing so, Embiid made NBA history. He became the first player ever to put up at least 50 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five blocks in a single game.
Embiid with one of the greatest performances in NBA history.
59 PTS
11 REB
8 AST
7 BLK
No one has ever put up those numbers before. https://t.co/4KkAd5KHfS
Philly needed all 59 points from Embiid with the game tied entering the fourth quarter, before Embiid scored 26 in the final 12 minutes. The rest of the Sixers team only scored one point in the entire fourth quarter.
This came after Embiid had just scored a season-high 42 points against Atlanta on Saturday night. This meant the big man scored a total of 101 points over a two-day span.
Following the win, the Sixers have improved to 7-7 and sixth in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, Utah has now lost two straight games to fall to 10-5 and fourth in the Western Conference.
Also read: Kendrick Perkins compares Joel Embiid monster performance against Jazz to former great: “Must’ve thought he was Wilt Chamberlain in 1961”