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NBA Players of Week for Week 3 are Jarrett Allen, Paul George

The NBA announced today that Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week and LA Clippers forward Paul George Western Conference Player of the Week for Week 3 (games played Monday, November 1, through Sunday, November 7).

This marks Allen’s first career player of the week award and the 63rd time a Cavalier has ever won the weekly honor.

Allen led the Cavs to a perfect 4-0 record this past week, including three road wins against teams with winning records (Charlotte, Toronto, New York). The fifth-year center posted a double-double in all four games while averaging 20.5 points on .633 shooting from the field, an NBA-best 16.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks in 37.0 minutes per contest. He was the only player in the NBA to average at least 20.0 points and 15.0 rebounds last week and had the highest field goal percentage among any NBA player who averaged 20 points or more. Among Eastern Conference leaders, Allen ranked first in total rebounds per game (16.3), first in offensive rebounds per game (5.0), first in defensive rebounds per game (11.3), tied for first in double-doubles (4), fourth in field goal percentage (.633), tied for 13th in blocks per game (1.25), 15th in points per game (20.5), and tied for 20th in steals per game (1.50). Additionally, he recorded at least 15 points and 15 rebounds in all four outings, the most in the NBA this past week, and became the first Cavalier to put up those numbers in four straight games since Anderson Varejao in 2012 (five straight games from 11/26/12-12/3/12).

Allen opened the week by recording 24 points (9-13 FG), 16 rebounds, one steal and three blocks in 35 minutes of Cleveland’s 113-110 win at Charlotte on Nov. 1. He scored 15 points in the first quarter, his most in any period of his NBA career. In Cleveland’s 107-104 home victory against Portland on Nov. 3, Allen tallied a team-high 24 points (9-15 FG), a season-high 17 rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal in 40 minutes. During the Cavs’ 102-101 come-from-behind win at Toronto on Nov. 5, Allen helped the Cavs erase a 15-point deficit and finished the night with 16 points (5-6 FG, 1-1 3FG, 5-6 FT), 15 rebounds, two steals and one block in 39 minutes. He also hit his first three-pointer of the season, a banker as the shot clock expired, that tied the game at 94 with 4:42 left in regulation. Allen closed out the week with 18 points (8-15 FG), a season-high tying 17 rebounds, a season-high tying four assists and two steals in 34 minutes in the team’s 126-109 win at New York on Nov. 7.

Through his 11 appearances this season (all starts), Allen has helped the Cavaliers reach a 7-4 record (sixth-best in East) and is producing career highs in points (14.9), rebounds (11.6, seventh in NBA), steals (1.27), minutes (32.5) and field goal percentage (.687, third in NBA). The Wine & Gold are 7-2 over its last nine games.

Allen becomes the first Cavalier to win the award since LeBron James (March 19-25, 2018). Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George won Player of the Week accolades for the Western Conference.

This is George’s 10th-career Player of the Week Award and his second time winning the award with the Clippers. During the week, George helped lead the team to a 4-0 record while averaging 26.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.8 steals.

The Palmdale, Calif., native eclipsed 14,500 career points during Sunday’s win against the Charlotte Hornets. George is now one of seven active players with at least 14,500 points, 4,500 rebounds, and 2,500 assists. This week, George was the only player in the NBA to average at least 26.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists.

In his 12th NBA season, the six-time All-NBA player is averaging 27.0 points, the most since his time as a Clipper, and has tied his career high in rebounds (8.2) and assists (5.2). The Clippers are currently on a four-game winning streak and rank seventh in the Western Conference with a 5-4 record.

Pelicans forward Herbert Jones out with concussion

New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones sustained a concussion during the third quarter of last night’s game against the Phoenix Suns and has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol.

Per the NBA’s Concussion Policy, Jones must go through the return-to-participation process, which can begin no earlier than 24 hours from the time of injury. The return-to-participation process includes a series of steps designed to ensure an athlete exhibits symptom free behavior before resuming full basketball activities. There is no timeframe to complete the process, as each injury and player is different and recovery time can vary in each case.

Chris Paul moves up to No. 3 on all-time NBA assists list

Chris Paul continues to make his mark on the NBA historical leaders list. Via ESPN.com:

Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul moved into No. 3 on the all-time assists list with his eighth against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

With 1:34 left in the second quarter, on a 3-pointer by Jae Crowder, Paul notched career assist No. 10,336 to push past Suns legend Steve Nash for sole possession of third place.

Paul finished the night with a season-high 18 assists in the Suns’ 112-100 win to give him 10,346 for his career. He now trails only John Stockton (15,806) and Jason Kidd (12,091) on the all-time list.

Cavaliers forward Lauri Markkanen enters NBA’s health and safety protocols

Cavaliers forward Lauri Markkanen is entering the NBA’s health and safety protocols today and will miss tonight’s game against Portland at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

In eight games played, and eight starts, Markkanen is averaging 12.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

The Cavs are a solid 4-4 so far this season.

Rockets exercise contract option on Kevin Porter Jr.

The Houston Rockets have exercised their fourth-year contract option on guard Kevin Porter Jr. for the 2022-23 NBA season.

Porter was originally the 30th overall pick by Cleveland in the 2019 NBA Draft before being acquired via trade by Houston on Jan. 22, 2021. He has appeared in 31 games with 28 starts as a Rocket while averaging 15.9 points, 6.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 3-pointers made. Since the start of last season, he is one of 12 players averaging at least 15.0 ppg, 6.0 apg, 3.0 rpg, and 2.0 3FGM. Porter is also the youngest of those 11 players at 21 years old.

Last season, Porter joined Ja Morant as the only sophomores to have averaged at least 16.0 ppg, 6.0 apg, and 3.0 rpg. He had 50 points and 11 assists against the eventual NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks on Apr. 29, becoming the fifth-youngest player in NBA history to have scored 50-plus points in a game and the youngest to have done so while recording 10-plus assists.

As a rookie with the Cavaliers in 2019-20, Porter averaged 10.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, and 2.2 apg in 23.2 mpg. Dating back to 1994-95, Nikola Jokic (2015-16) was the only other rookie to have averaged at least 10.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 2.0 apg in fewer than 25.0 mpg.

On the development of Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham

Here’s the Detroit News on the development of Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA draft, who recently made an NBA debut that was slightly delayed due to injury:

After making his debut in Saturday’s win over the Orlando Magic, Cunningham sat for Sunday’s loss at Brooklyn.

Coach Dwane Casey has cycled through his reserve options in the other five games, giving Frank Jackson and Josh Jackson two starts each, with Hamidou Diallo starting Sunday. It’s been mixed results thus far. Josh Jackson had 18 and seven points in his two starts, Frank Jackson five and seven in his two games as a starter and Diallo six points in his one start.

The Pistons will need more production at shooting guard, even from Cunningham, who had just two points in his opportunity. Cunningham rested Sunday on the second night of a back-to-back, which could become the norm, at least in the short term, as he recovers from his ankle injury.

Heat wing Max Strus injured, out with knee sprain

Here’s the Miami Herald with some relatively good news on a Heat injury that could have been a lot worse:

The level of anxiety was high for Miami Heat wing Max Strus during the weekend, but the feeling Monday was one of relief.

After exiting the court late in Saturday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies following an awkward landing on a dunk attempt, an MRI on Strus’ left knee returned negative and he was diagnosed with a sprained left knee.

Strus, 25, won’t play in the Heat’s road game against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday (7:30 p.m., TNT) and expects to miss at least “a couple weeks. But he avoided the worst possible outcome after tearing the ACL in his left knee less than two years ago in December 2019.

Cavs forward Kevin Love enters NBA’s health and safety protocols

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love will enter the NBA’s health and safety protocols today and will miss tonight’s road game against the Charlotte Hornets.

The Cavs are a respectable 3-4 to start the season. Their leading scorers so far are Collin Sexton at 17.3 points per game, Ricky Rubio at 14.0 ppg, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland each at 13.4 ppg, and Jarrett Allen and Lauri Markkanen each at 11.7 ppg.

Love has come off the bench for all seven games so far and in 20.7 minutes per game is averaging 9.9 ppg and 7.3 rebounds per game.

Sixers center Joel Embiid out tonight against Trail Blazers

The Sixers will be without their star center tonight, for rest purposes. Via the Philly Voice:

Sixers center Joel Embiid has been ruled out for Monday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, as part of a planned rest for Embiid with the Sixers’ schedule ramping up over the coming weeks.

Ahead of the first grueling stretch of the schedule for Philadelphia, the Sixers decided to give Embiid the night off under the “rest” designation. With six games over the next nine days — including a pair of back-to-backs this week and next — it was viewed as prudent to give Embiid the night off.

Embiid has been battling knee soreness to start the season, inspiring questions about the decision not to have his meniscus operated on following the conclusion of Philadelphia’s second-round defeat to the Atlanta Hawks.