[Izulde]

Monte Morris explodes for 36 points and 2 steals and our bench is gangbusters: 20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and 2 blocks for Cody Martin of all people, Nerlens Noel doubling for 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 steals, and 10 and 11 points for Gary Harris and Xavier Smith in a 135-112 crushing of the Cavs.

I'm not sure how Cody Martin got hot all of a sudden, but he scores 18 off the bench (14 for Cory Joseph) in a 10-point road win over Denver. Monte Morris is again the main scoring man with 27 points. The next night, we're in Minnesota and fall by 5 to exhaustion.

Still, it's been an impressive stretch while Steven Adams has been sidelined by a concussion. He returns our next game in Oakland, scoring 24 as we blank the suddenly elite again Warriors 105-89. Monte Morris powered everything with 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 steals, while Jason Minor produced 13 points, 12 rebounds, and a steal after quite happily going back to the bench.

Steven Adams wrests away PotG honors with 22 points and 11 rebounds, despite Monte Morris's team-leading 26. Cody Martin scores 12 off the bench and we edge the Kings 105-97 in Sacramento.

We're still not on the 76ers' level, overwhelmed in Philly on the front of a B2B, but on the back end we grind out an 8 point win in our first home game in forever. Monte Morris scores 26, Jason Minor has 10 boards, a steal, and 2 blocks off the bench, and Gary Harris scores 15. We got the victory despite only 3 players in double-digit scoring.

The ides of December see us squeeze past Sactown 110-102, taking us to 2-0 this month against them. Steven Adams scores 28, Monte Morris 22, and Cory Joseph 13 off the bench. That Adams/Morris duo has really powered our offense so far, and I'll match whatever offer sheet a team throws at Monte this offseason. Kid just flat out maximizes his talent with us.

Important early playoff seeding game, hosting the Bulls. We pass, 119-106 on Steven Adams' 19 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks; Monte Morris's 20, Gary Harris's bench 15, and Nerlens Noel's second unit 10 points.

So help me figure this out. We're at home, right? Yet the refs swallow the whistles on our own turf for us, giving the Mavericks a 20/3 FTA advantage. You can guess who won that one. I was furious, especially so close to Christmas.

Schedules on some real BS, giving us two road games in Philly in the same damn month. We lose this one, too. First losing streak in a while. We're big mad and sting the Magic by 20 at our place the next night. Steven Adams with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 2 steals to lead 8 players in double-digit scoring in the 120-100 win.

Christmas Day marquee in Brooklyn and we drop a 3 point heartbreaker, the same narrow loss-line in Atlanta against AD's team two nights later. All five starters with 10+ points, keyed by Steven Adams (24 points, 9 rebounds) breaks the funk hosting New Orleans - 15 point margin.

And then we spoil our fans New Year's Eve on top of their Christmas, losing by 6 at home to the Bucks.

At 21-16, we're a half-game in front of Atlanta, but a full one behind Orlando. Tight race in the Southeast, which was the laughingstock of the league last season. Currently we're right on that 4/5 seed bubble, but the East is overall is super-close outside of Brooklyn, who at 29-11 is just running away with everything. Out West, the Jazz (26-10) and Clippers (25-11) are in a dogfight for the top seed. LeBron is doing what he can for the Lakers, but they're 15-20 and currently lottery bound if I have my math right.

Fun time to be an NBA fan. Things feel really wide open this year.