Monday, December 16th, 2019

• The Bucks might never lose again

• Spencer Dinwiddie has salvaged Brooklyn’s season

• The race to the bottom got interesting this weekend 

• The Cavs’ assists numbers are pathetic

Tonight's must-watch games

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 1. The Lead: Three things from this weekend    

1. The Bucks, man

The last time the Bucks lost, on Nov. 8:

• We were a lowly thrice-weekly newsletter (we’re a big-boy daily now; nevermind that we took last Friday off)

• England hated itself a little bit less 

• The Lakers weren’t yet our supreme overlords

The streak is up to 18 now, tied for the 11th longest in NBA history. The Bucks added two wins over the weekend (by 13 and 17) and are now up to 13 in the net rating department, which is, of course, insane.They play Luka-less Dallas tonight, which could set up a mega-mega-matchup with the Lakers on Thursday. 

2. The bottom of the Eastern Conference is a familiar sight

The Pistons, AKA the new Hornets, have taken the pill that makes the eighth seed in the East feel like the NBA Finals. After a 6-13 start, they’ve gone 5-2 in December to pull themselves to 11-15 and within one game of the final playoff seed.Detroit’s best superlative is its 3-point shooting (first in the league in percentage; 19th in attempts), which means every other part of the team must be really bad. 

3. The Warriors have mastered losing

Quick Tankathon update: It was a dream weekend for the Warriors’ lottery chances, and a total outclassing of the also-tanking Knicks.After outlasting New York in overtime -- an eventual 124-122 Knicks win -- on Thursday, New York turned around and beat the Kings on Saturday, for an ill-advised two-game winning streak.So, what did the Warriors do? They got blown out by the Kings last night, 100-79, to give themselves a one-and-a-half game cushion for worst record in the NBA. A total power move.Golden State’s roster is perfectly synced in its lack of health, and it’ll thus be rewarded with a top-four pick to add to a roster that could have up to four All-Stars next season.

 2. Showtime 

This pass from yesterday's 101-96 win over the Atlanta Hawks is a microcosm of the Lakers’ entire season. (This Friday night pass is, too. This spun-dunk, too. Oh, and this fake alley-oop-layup by Rajon Rondo.)They’re 24-3 and 17-1 in their last 18 with a 9.1 net rating; 13 of their 24 wins have come by nine or more points.[READ: This is the Anthony Davis we’ve been waiting for]

 3. Without Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie has saved the Nets’ season    

Spencer Dinwiddie put Tobias Harris on a poster last night.

Since Kyrie Irving’s shoulder injury, Brooklyn has gone from a lottery candidate at 4-7 to right in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff race at 14-12.

The Nets

are slightly worse on offense

without Irving but markedly better on defense, and have a plus-.6 net rating without him compared to a minus-1.4 with him. Assists are up and so is ball movement (246.5 passes with, 273.6 passes without).

But the most dramatic difference with and without Irving continues to be the play of Spencer Dinwiddie. His traditional numbers, before and after:

• Dinwiddie, with Irving (11 games): 17.1 points, 4.6 assists, 13.5 field goal attempts, 41.2 field goal percentage

• Dinwiddie, without Irving (15 games): 23.9 points, 7.4 assists, 18.2 field goal attempts, 44 field goal percentage

He’s also been the leading scorer on his team in 11 of those 15 games, and has only scored less than 20 three times. A look at his scoring production without Irving:

Last night, the Nets beat the Embiid-less 76ers, 109-89, and were led by Dinwiddie’s 24 points, his sixth such game with that scoring output.Should he keep this production up, he’ll likely become a first-time All-Star. The only factor in the way is Irving’s looming return.

 4. By the numbers  

2.9 assists

The Cavs’ leader in assists this season is Darius Garland … with 2.9. Think Kevin Love is ready to get out of there?

  42.8 points; 39.3; one

James Harden is averaging 42.8 points per game over his last six and 39.3 for the season.39.3!The only player in NBA history who’s averaged more than 39.3 points per game: Wilt Chamberlain, twice.

  17.7/16.6/2.9; one

Andre Drummond is averaging 17.7 points, 16.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. The one player since 1975 who’s averaged those numbers or better over the course of a season: Kareem.

  24-of-60

Washington’s Davis Bertans is shooting 24-of-60, or 40 percent, on tightly contested 3-point shots.

• Because this world sucks, Luka Dončić moderately sprained his right ankle on Saturday will miss the next few weeks. 

• Commentator: “Richard would have been a superb broadcaster in the ‘50s.” Richard Jefferson: “I don't know if I would've been allowed to be a broadcaster in the ‘50s.”

• Markelle Fultz is at least good at dunking in traffic. 

• LeBron says he has an MJ-like responsibility to play every game he can. 

• The Pelicans have lost 12 in a row, a franchise record. 

• Dion Waiters got suspended again for calling in sick, then posting a picture of himself on a boat.

• David Stern is still in the hospital after suffering a brain hemorrhage on Friday.

• How Kevin Garnett landed a role on Uncut Gems [The Ringer]

• Zach Lowe’s 10 things he likes and doesn’t like [ESPN]

• Which contender needs Andre Iguodala the most? [The Ringer]