A three-game slate on Monday was relatively free of drama, with every game turned into a blowout, starting with the Atlanta Hawks dominating the New Orleans Pelicans, 126-111, and the Detroit Pistons taking it to the Brooklyn Nets, 106-92. The Dallas Mavericks, meanwhile, blew out the Paolo Banchero-less Orlando Magic, 108-85.
With the games turning into laughers real quick, Monday’s notables happened mostly off-court—before and after the games.
Pistons Take the Subway
With the Pistons-Nets game coinciding with the annual NYC Marathon, Pistons players needed to get creative to get to the Barclays Center on time for the afternoon tipoff—lest they miss it due to the gridlock.
So, rather than ride the team bus to get to the venue, the entire Pistons team decided to just take the subway instead, forcing players like Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. to carry their bags with them.
The unexpected detour seemed to work wonders for the Pistons, who used a strong second half to beat the Nets and get only their second win of the season.
Hawks’ Dyson Daniels Faces Possible Fine Due to Gun Gesture
Daniels and the Hawks were all over the Pelicans on Monday, but the former might be looking at a potential fine after making what appears to be a gun gesture directed at the Pelicans bench.
Daniels, who had 16 points in the Hawks’ win and is having a career year, had just hit a corner three in front of the Pelicans bench when he turned to the latter and motioned with his thumb, index, and middle fingers all extended.
Postgame, the 21-year-old guard denied it was a gun gesture, explaining that it was just his way of telling the Pelicans his shot “was worth three points.” He better hope that the league buys his explanation; otherwise, a substantial fine might be forthcoming. Precedents would be Josh Jackson’s $35,000 in 2017 and Gerald Green’s $25,000 penalty in 2015.
Sixers Announce Paul George’s Return
The Sixers have stumbled to a 1-4 start this season as their two stars—Joel Embiid and Paul George—have yet to play a single game.
That will change soon enough as the team announced on Monday that George will likely play on Tuesday on the road against the Phoenix Suns—barring any setbacks, that is.
George has been on the injury list since October 14, when he suffered a bone bruise on his left knee in a preseason game. The nine-time All-Star already took part in a 5-on-5 scrimmage on Saturday and went through a full practice with the Sixers on Monday.
If not against the Suns, George might make his debut in Los Angeles later this week, either against the Clippers or the Lakers.
