The Return of Kai

He thrives in controversy, he stays true to his beliefs, he uses his slick ball-handling skills to navigate the trees, he, Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving, returns to the NBA court tonight. No matter if you agree or disagree with his off-court antics, it’s time to separate those thoughts and focus your eyes on your TV because one thing we can all agree on is Irving is one of the most skilled point guards to ever touch the rock. The Nets take on the Indiana Pacers at 7:30 pm ET and you won’t want to miss it.

In other news, Portland Trailblazers point guard Anfernee Simons’ 43-point performance was outmatched by Trae Young’s career-high 56-points, but this video captured Simons’ raw emotions following the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU3edXXA2Sc

Chills.

League Pass Game of the Day: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves 8 pm ET

On the menu, we have the Thunder, led by guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — who returns from health and safety protocols — and rookie sensation Josh Giddey. The pair bring different skill sets to the table but compliment each other nicely. Gilgeous-Alexander plays like a veteran; he’s always moving at his own pace and he uses his length and tight dribble to create space for his shots. He should have no issue carving apart this Timberwolves defense tonight unless his former teammate Patrick Beverly gets in his head and stops his attacks. Giddey is a triple-double machine in the making. At 6-foot-6, he can overlook the outstretched hands of his defenders to find open teammates. With Giddey’s facilitating and Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring touch, this is one of the best young backcourts in the league.

On the other side, the T-wolves are led by sophomore guard Anthony Edwards. You better look out or Edwards will put you on a poster. In his second season, Edwards has become a more polished scorer and has ascended to the first option on offense on this talented squad. With the return of guard D’Angelo Russell, the Wolves will have enough firepower to outduel the Thunder’s backcourt. The T-wolves have high hopes for their core to finally put it together and make the playoffs this season. Karl-Anthony Towns is accepting his role as the second scoring option and he’s looked fired up throughout the year.

This game will be a fun watch as these teams are filled with hoopers and are looking to compete with one another.