Around the Association: Giannis Carries Bucks, Jazz Handle Hawks, Clips Keep Winning

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Published on November 10, 2021

Welcome to Around the Association! Five days per week (Monday through Friday), this article will serve as a comprehensive recap of the previous night's NBA action, taking you through all of the biggest performances, notable box scores, injury updates and any other fantasy-relevant headlines from around the league.

It was a quick three-game slate in the NBA last night as college basketball took center stage. Here is everything you need to know:

Nightly Notables

Giannis leads banged-up Bucks past banged-up Sixers

Philadelphia was missing Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle and due to COVID protocols while Seth Curry also sat out due to a foot injury. Despite the depleted roster, the 76ers put up a fight against Milwaukee but ended up losing 118-109. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way in the victory, totaling 31 points (12-26 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 7-13 FT), 16 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 36 minutes.
- Grayson Allen was also impressive in the team's win. The first-year Buck dropped in a season-high 25 points (8-13 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three assists, two rebounds and one turnover in 32 minutes. Allen is averaging 22.0 points per game over his last three showings and is tied for third in the NBA in total made threes (39).
Tyrese Maxey stepped up for Philadelphia, scoring a season-high 31 points (12-24 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 3-3 FT) to go with five rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in 39 minutes. Maxey is a strong fantasy play for the time being as the 76ers deal with COVID and injuries.
- With Embiid out, Andre Drummond stepped up once again with a huge fantasy night. The UConn product recorded 17 points (8-13 FG, 1-2 FT), 20 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 33 minutes. Drummond is averaging 15.0 points and 20.0 rebounds in his three starts this year.

Jazz hand Hawks another loss

Donovan Mitchell helped lead the Jazz to their eighth victory of the season, while the Hawks fell to 4-8 after their 110-98 defeat in Utah. The star guard out of Louisville produced 27 points (11-20 FG, 5-11 3Pt), five assists, three rebounds and three steals in 32 minutes. Mitchell now has scored over 25 points in five out of his last six showings.
- Rudy Gobert did his thing on the defensive end for Utah. The center recorded two steals and two blocks to go with nine points (4-8 FG, 1-4 FT) and 14 rebounds in just 24 minutes.
Despite the losing effort, Trae Young was solid for Atlanta in the defeat. The All-Star guard dropped in 27 points (10-21 FG, 5-11 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six assists, one steal and six turnovers in 35 minutes. Young is averaging 28.7 points and 9.3 assists over his last three showings.
- The Hawks were without De'Andre Hunter (wrist) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle) which led Kevin Huerter to have his best game of the season. The Maryland product scored a team-high 28 points (11-18 FG, 6-9 3Pt), to go with three rebounds, three assists and two blocks over 39 minutes. This was Huerter's first 20-point showing of the year.

Clips extend win streak

After starting the season 1-4, the Clippers now sit at 6-4. They extender their win streak to five games Tuesday with a 117-109 victory over Portland. Paul George continued his strong play, registering 24 points (10-24 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 1-2 FT), nine rebounds, seven assists and one steal over 33 minutes. PG is averaging 25.8 points 8.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists during the Clippers' win streak.
- Reggie Jackson had an efficient performance for Los Angeles in the win. The veteran guard recorded 23 points (10-20 FG, 3-5 3Pt), six assists, two rebounds and one steal across 35 minutes. Jackson has scored over 20 points in three out of his last four showings.
Another game and another rough shooting performance from deep by Damian Lillard. The Weber State product did have a solid game, finishing with a season-high 27 points (11-23 FG, 4-13 3Pt, 1-1 FT) to go with six assists and five rebounds over 39 minutes. However, he continues to struggle from three and is shooting at just a 25.5 percent clip from deep this year.
- Norman Powell continues to drop buckets for Portland. The wing finished with 23 points (8-13 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 2-4 FT), three rebounds, three assists and one steal over 32 minutes. Powell continues to be a consistent piece for Portland this season, scoring over 20 points in four out of his last five showings.

Best and Worst of the Night

Stud of the Night: Giannis Antetokounmpo -- 31 points (12-26 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 7-13 FT), 16 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 36 minutes.
Dud of the Night: John Collins -- Seven points (3-11 FG), four rebounds, two assists and one turnover in 35 minutes.

Quick Hitters

Nikola Jokic was slapped with a one-game suspension for his role in Monday night's altercation with Markieff Morris and the Heat. Morris was fined $50,000 and Jimmy Butler was fined $30,000, but the pair avoided suspensions.
Bobby Portis had a strong showing in his second straight start. The ferocious big finished with 19 points (6-14 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 35 minutes. That is now two double-doubles in two starts for Portis.
Georges Niang continues to impress me this season. The Iowa State product scored 21 points (7-14 FG, 5-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT) to go with two rebounds, two steals and one assist in 24 minutes. Niang is averaging 16.8 points per game over his last six showings.
- Shake Milton also had one of his better games of the season. The guard finished with 20 points (7-16 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 5-5 FT), six assists and four rebounds in 41 minutes.
Bojan Bogdanovic continued his consistent play for the Jazz. The forward scored 18 points (5-13 FG, 2-5 3PT, 6-6 FT) to go with one rebound and one assist in 30 minutes. Bogdanovic has scored at least 10 points in every game this season for Utah.
Nicolas Batum has had a quietly good season for the Clippers. The veteran wing ended with 22 points (7-9 FG, 6-8 3Pt, 2-3 FT), six rebounds, one assist and one steal across 28 minutes. Batum ranks as the 44th best nine-category fantasy option on a per-game basis.
Isaiah Hartenstein had one of the better performances of his career Tuesday night. The 23-year-old recorded an efficient 14 points (6-7 FG, 2-4 FT) to go with three assists and two rebounds in just 17 minutes of action.

Looking Ahead to Wednesday Night

Washington and Cleveland match up in a battle of two of the biggest surprise teams of the season
Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green face off for the first time in their NBA careers
The Bucks and Knicks face off again after New York came back from down 19 points last week.
Who steps up in Denver's offense without Nikola Jokic (suspension) when the Pacers come to town?