Russell Westbrook is far from good, LeBron James fights alone with the beasts and the Nets have three names that carry many pounds of basketball.

Sportish presents the 10 things that stood out in a night with 9 games in the NBA.

The game of the evening

The game between the Bulls and the Nets was the one that caught the eye on a nine-game night. Basketball fans expected an exciting match between the Durand-Irving-Harden trio and the DeRozan-LaVin duo in Chicago. The evening ended in monologue for the Nets, who prevailed 138-112 in a game where the Bulls’ performance was the definition of mediocrity.

DeRozan and Lavigne strove for something better on their own as the Nets sewed up Harden and Duran, while Irving completed the prestigious trio with a not-so-impressive and deafening performance. The Nets’ top scorer was Durand with 27 points, while Harden was fun in both creation and execution with 25 points and 16 assists. For the Bulls, Lavin finished the game with 22 points and was the top scorer while DeRozan added 19.

The Appearance of the Night

Scoring may not be impressive since he stopped at 11, but Darius Garland was a multi-tool in the Cavaliers’ win over the Jazz in Utah. He finished the game with a triple-double, the first in his two-year career in the NBA, with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists, and did everything on the floor to show he enjoyed being the leader.

The 21-year-old guard capitalizes on the chance offered to him in Rubio’s absence and deserves attention as the Cleveland team looks to the next few games. He was strong without making noise, which is often the hardest part. What is certain is that with this performance from Garland, the Cavaliers have one more reason to smile and he himself has one more reason to prove his worth.

A trio, a lot of basketball

Three names can carry many pounds of basketball. This is the fire trio of Brooklyn, Kevin Durand, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. With the Chicago match going perfectly, the three decided to sit on the bench and have fun, knowing their work was done and the match judged.

So after a while the picture of the three on the Nets bench was enjoyable and pleased every New York fan or not.

The Lakers’ dire problems

The Lakers show two faces every time they play with the Kings. A victorious and a mediocrity that usually prevails. Such was the case this time, in the early hours of Thursday, when the Lakers lost to the Kings 125-116 in Sacramento. They now count one loss at home and one away against the Kings, but the image they project on the floor should concern them most.

They had the lead until half-time but a third, third was enough to destroy them all. The Kings stepped on the gas, injuring the Lakers, who lost their breath for a minute despite the insane play LeBron James has been in for a long time.

Kyle Kuzma rises dangerously

The rise of Kyle Kuzma is very evident and makes the magicians smile. The 26-year-old forward hit the triple-double against the Magic with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists, but it’s not the only match where he’s excelling. He has only recently been promoted and is now a predictable opponent for the teams and players who have to face him.

From a player in the team rotation, he is now a reliable and stable solution in the coach’s hands, making both him and the Washington team happy.

The lonely LeBron

For some time now, and in Davis’s absence, LeBron James alone has been at the helm for the Lakers. It’s the only reliable solution in the Lakers attack, as it has absolutely no support from Russell Westbrook (you’ll see below).

The “King” knows his role and knows that he has to lead the team alone. Despite his 37 years, he seems to find success most of the time. He did it with the Hawks, he did it with the losses to the Kings and the Grizzlies. But he needs help as he is desperately alone. He can continue to score good goals in his 30s, but now that he’s in his 30s at the end of the decade, he needs to find supporters and players who will give him even the slightest breath.

At least the Bulls have a sense of humor

Using the Raptors mascot, Devin Booker placed them in an empty field as he left and stood behind the basket that the Sun Guardian fired. The Bulls didn’t miss the opportunity and poked fun at the event to show Booker’s reaction was the least of it.

For example, in the game against the Nets in Chicago, Benny, the Bulls mascot, was trying to shoot a three-pointer from the middle when a…rhino accidentally went past the basket. Benny wanted to joke and accused the other mascot of disorienting him, except the basket came off center just like Booker’s shot.

The…hero of the heat

Tyler Hiro has become a permanent fixture on the Heat’s starting lineup, with the 21-year-old guard making fun of Team Miami in every game. So against the Hawks, who didn’t make a rebound despite a rebound triple-double. Of course, it didn’t matter that the Atlanta Heat prevailed relatively well, but fans of the stats continued to lament that one rebound that couldn’t be caught.

Hiro has become a hero of the heat and is confidently leading the team to an amazing record in the NBA that could be further improved later in the season with his young guard-leader.

Good Westbrook is wanted

Russell Westbrook is still looking for his good self. It’s something the Lakers, who have so far relied solely on LeBron James while Anthony Davis is away, need. The veteran Los Angeles guard had just 2/14 accurate shots against the Kings in his team’s loss in San Antonio. Even though he racked up 12 rebounds, he couldn’t atone. Characteristic of his bad looks lately is that all of the Lakers’ friends are on Twitter begging him to leave the team after entering the trends.

He was just as bad against the Grizzlies, making two shots fewer but with the same accuracy (2/12), while going 4/14 in the win over the Hawks without being able to do so triple-double. In general, Westbrook would say he’s going through his…phase, it’s just a bad moment for it.

They’ve got Barrett and they’re going upstairs

Wherever Luka Doncic came from triple double appearance; The Knicks didn’t give up and found a way to stop both the Slovenian Guard and the Mavericks. With Barrett 32 points in offense and Robinson, Fournier and Burks vital, the New York team had a comfortable and easy night at Madison Square Garden.

On the other hand, the Mavericks were aggressively trapped and Doncic couldn’t do everything alone this time, which the hosts took advantage of and ended up smiling, putting a brake on the Mavericks’ six-game win streak.