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Hornets 89 (7-7), Cavs 113 (2-11)

Cleveland had their best night (by far), and the Hornets had their worst night (by far) of the early season. Coincidence? Probably.

The Cavs jumped out to a 15-point lead after the first quarter and didn’t look back. Tristan Thompson tied a career-high with 21 boards and also had a team-high 5 dimes.

Collin Sexton had 16 points and showed some nice flashes throughout the game, but his efficiency (7-18 FG) and play-making (4 assists, 4 TOs) still leave much to be desired.

Cleveland did, however, manage to snap a five-game losing streak.

Young Bull will NOT back down 💪🏾💪🏾 (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/KS1W04FNaA

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 14, 2018

Rockets 109 (6-7), Nuggets 99 (9-5)

The game was neck-and-neck until Houston made a run late in the third quarter to take a 10-point lead into the fourth. James Harden led the way for Houston with 22 points and 11 assists.

Houston has now strung together two good offensive nights despite being a bit banged up. After starting the season 9-1, the Nuggets have now lost four straight.

BBQ chicken for @CP3 🍗 (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/ys9IUQJyXx

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 14, 2018

Hawks 103 (3-11), Warriors 110 (12-3)

Golden State struggled without Draymond and Steph on the second half of a back-to-back. But the Warriors—as they seemingly always do—managed to pull away during the third quarter, outscoring the Hawks by 9 points.

Kevin Durant led the Warriors with a game-high 29 points on an uncharacteristic 9-23 shooting.

The loss was Atlanta’s fifth in a row.

The Golden State Warriors suspended Draymond Green for tonight’s home game against the Atlanta Hawks after he reportedly called fellow All-Star teammate Kevin Durant a “bitch” during a heated verbal exchange Monday night in Los Angeles.

Warriors forward Draymond Green suspended: pic.twitter.com/9XZWQ5U6V8

— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) November 13, 2018

The argument is said to have continued in the Dubs’ locker room following a 121-116 overtime loss to the Clippers.

Durant was upset with Green for not giving up the ball and causing a turnover as time ran out in regulation.

Per Yahoo Sports:

Draymond Green’s one-game suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team” came after he repeatedly called Kevin Durant a “bitch” in a verbal confrontation between the two stars during the Golden State Warriors’ loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Durant called out Green in the huddle for not passing him the ball at the end of regulation in Monday’s game, which prompted Green to fire back at Durant, sources said. The organization is of the belief that Green cut too deep in his disagreement with Durant, sources said.

Klay Thompson, who is typically reserved, spoke up in the locker room to the surprise of his teammates about the altercation and stressed the importance of sticking together, sources said.

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Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins recently spoke about Father Time and Carmelo Anthony in an interview with Marc Spears of the Undefeated.

“Father Time don’t wait for no one, man. We try to fight it, but you just can’t fight it. The competitiveness kind of kicks in and keeps your mind thinking you can do it on that level,” @DWilkins21 to @TheUndefeated on going from star to role player. https://t.co/2WMlCPlkQe #NBA

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) November 13, 2018

Wilkins, a nine-time All-Star who played 16 seasons, had stints with the Clippers, Celtics, Spurs, Magic and Hawks. Now Wilkins, 58, says he can “relate” to Anthony, who’s reportedly expected to be waived by the Rockets.

“Father Time don’t wait for no one, man,” Wilkins told The Undefeated. “We try to fight it, but you just can’t fight it. The competitiveness kind of kicks in and keeps your mind thinking you can do it on that level.”

Wilkins also spoke about accepting the reality of Father Time.

“When you get to a certain point in life, you have to accept that you’re not what you once were. It is OK to be a role player, because what you are doing is help mentoring the young guys that are really trying to take your place.”

In his 10 games in Houston, Anthony, a 10-time All-Star, is averaging a career-low 13.4 points and 29.1 minutes.  The Rockets are reportedly planning to waive him soon.

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Markelle Fultz continues to struggle with his shooting form at the charity stripe, but he insists it’s nothing to worry about.

The second-year guard explains that his latest hiccup——a bizarre double-clutch prior to missing Monday night in Miami——was the result of the ball slipping out his hands.

Looming over everything is Jimmy Butler‘s arrival in Philly, and the effect that’ll have on Fultz’s role going forward.

Brett Brown has been walking a tightrope when it comes to balancing what’s best for Markelle Fultz and the Sixers. Jimmy Butler’s arrival makes doing so even more difficult. “Somewhere in that pyramid of layers,” Brown said, “I’ve got to figure it out.” https://t.co/vM4cVXrXHq

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) November 13, 2018

Sixers head coach Brett Brown knows he’s got a difficult task ahead of him.

Per ESPN:

“It is [difficult],” Brown told ESPN.com after Monday’s game, a 124-114 Philadelphia victory. “Because you’ve got a human side, and a responsibility to the individual, but mostly you’ve got a responsibility to the team, and somewhere in that pyramid of layers I’ve got to figure it out.

“There’s no book that tells you how to do that. I use my gut feel and best judgement and just keep it very candid. When I feel something, or see something, and you can convey it to you, or the team, or whatever, that’s when I feel comfortable. And so Jimmy is going to come in, we’re going to make a decision on what that looks like, and we’ll roll.”

But Brown made it clear that he isn’t about to give up on Fultz — even as Butler is set to arrive, and the pressure to win on these Sixers is about to increase yet again.

“I mean, it’s so much — for me, it’s so much deeper than, like, the responsibility of being the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2018,” Brown said of trying to help Fultz through this. “It’s growing him and his confidence and his spirit and his game, and helping him navigate through a completely bizarre period earlier in his life, where he’s trying to get through injury and figure it all out. That’s on my mind more than, ‘Do I play him 18 minutes or 12 minutes?’ It’s not that at all. It’s not that at all. And, so, along this path, we’ll figure this out together.”

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Kevin Durant and Draymond Green got into it during Monday night’s 121-116 OT loss to the Clippers.

On the final play of regulation, Green drove the length of the floor and turned the ball over, opting not to pass it to KD, who scored a game-high 33 points, in the backcourt. That appeared to spark this heated exchange:

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc J. Spears, this argument carried into the locker room, as teammates “loudly confronted” Draymond for his decision-making down the stretch:

Story with @MarcJSpearsESPN and me: Late game exchange between Kevin Durant/Draymond Green carried into locker room Monday night, w/ teammates loudly confronting Green for decision-making on final play of regulation. Scene described as one of most intense of this G-State era.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 13, 2018

Organization is working through the aftermath of Monday night's episode today, league sources said. Story soon on https://t.co/XcwLHcsHad https://t.co/pQxXQz454V

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 13, 2018

Wojnarowski and Spears further report that no one had to be separated and “no hint of physicality loomed in the setting.”

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Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t want people to put him up there with LeBron James and Kevin Durant just yet. Although the Greek Freak is a fan favorite for this season’s MVP, he told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that he sees being the runner-up behind James and Durant as motivation.

“You know me, I’m not going to say I’m not and I’m not going to say I am better than LeBron or K.D.,” Antetokounmpo told Yahoo Sports. “Because I want to feel like I always have somebody to chase. I want to feel like I can always get better. LeBron is one of the greatest guys to ever play. K.D. is one of the greatest scorers to ever play the game. They’ve been doing it for a long time. That’s what I want to do. I want to be in my 14th, 15th year in the league and still be doing what I’m doing today, and even better.”

Antetokounmpo, 23, also has another goal for his Bucks (10-3) squad.

“Our goal is to be the top team in the East.

“I think anything less, it would be hard on us because I feel like we have the talent, we play hard, we play great basketball and that’s one of our goals.” 

The Greek Freak is averaging 25.4 points, 13 rebounds and 5.8 assists this season.

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Nets fans can breathe a sigh of relief.

Although Caris LeVert landed awkwardly yesterday in Minnesota and had to be carted off, results came back and it’s only a dislocated right foot. Surgery will not be required and LeVert is expected to return this season.

UPDATE: Caris LeVert was diagnosed with a subtalar dislocation of the right foot. Surgery will not be required and he will begin rehabilitation with the Nets performance staff.

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 13, 2018

There's real confidence within the Nets that LeVert will be able to return this season. https://t.co/Sjmi68KhPP

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 13, 2018

Through 14 games, the young guard is averaging 18.4 points and shooting 47.5 percent from the field, as the Nets are currently 6-8.

Get well soon, Caris.

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Philadelphia… Jimmy Butler has arrived.

The four-time All-Star had his introductory press conference on Tuesday, which featured special donuts with his face on them:

Lmaooo they got Jimmy Butler donuts at his intro press conference 😂 (📷 via @JessicaCamerato) pic.twitter.com/wj9RgkAN39

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 13, 2018

Butler, who was traded from the Wolves to the Sixers over the weekend, stressed just how strong his desire is to win a championship:

"All I've ever wanted to do is win, at any and every level. I have a new opportunity to do that here."

Jimmy is ready to get to work in Philly. (📽️ via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/RLtuKFc21h

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 13, 2018

“All I’ve ever wanted to do is win, at any and every level. I have a new opportunity to do that here. That’s the goal. That will always be the goal.”

As someone who prides himself on working hard, Butler believes he’s a good fit in the city:

"I love to work, I love to grind … and I think the city is going to love that about me."

Jimmy Butler is ready to get to work in Philly pic.twitter.com/NCLGGuvstJ

— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 13, 2018

“I love to work, I love to grind. I’ve always been like that. It doesn’t change now. If anything, I just take it up a notch. I think the city is going to love that about me.”

Let’s get it, Jimmy.

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Custom sneakers have been quite the story this season in NBA kicks and tonight showcased another set of fresh designs along with what might be the frontrunner for customs of the year.

We’ve seen Montrezl Harrell step out recently in a variety of Reeboks and And 1s, but Trezz went hard with the customs tonight as he donned two fire Air Jordan creations. Working with artist All Shoes Matter, went next level as he took the floor in a pair of “Fear” Vs which were customized to all-black with a flame effect on the midsole, a light-up air bubble and – at least to our knowledge – the first ever sneaker to hit the NBA hardwood with a working LCD display on the tongue featuring the music video of Tupac’s “To Live and Die in L.A.” Trezz then followed that up with a Superman version of the Air Jordan III.

Miami’s Hassan Whiteside and Bam Adebayo both rocked customs that tied back to the Heat’s City uniforms with Whiteside donning the Nike LeBron 12 while Adebayo went with an Air Jordan XI Retro “Space Jam” which featured a “Miami Vice” theme and the one of the marquee vehicles from the show, an 0ff-white Ferrari Testarossa.

Speaking of Off-White, Willie Cauley-Stein broke out his Off-White x Nike React Hyperdunk 2017s and the upcoming Nike Air Fear of God 1 was spotted on the feet of the Warriors’ Alfonzo McKinnie.

Make sure to peep all the aforementioned kicks along with Spencer Dinwiddie’s Prince tribute, Mohammed Bamba rocking Under Armour’s latest model, the M-Tag, and Klay Thompson’s “Veteran’s Day” Anta KT4s in our latest gallery below.

Two of the best prospects in Texas faced off on Monday night, as Kentucky commit Tyrese Maxey went head to head with Texas Tech commit Jahmius Ramsey.

Maxey’s South Garland squad grabbed the narrow victory over Duncanville, 61-57, as Chris Harris Jr came up clutch down the stretch. Peep the highlights above.

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