Around the Association: Steph Puts Up 50, Chaos In Memphis, Jokic Gets Tossed

This article is part of our NBA Daily Recap series.

Welcome to Around the Association!  Five days per week (Monday through Friday), this article will serve as a comprehensive recap of the previous night's NBA action, taking you through all of the biggest performances, notable box scores, injury updates and any other fantasy-relevant headlines from around the league.

It was a wild eight-game slate Monday. Here is all you need to know: 

Nightly Notables

Steph goes off

• Stephen Curry exploded for a season-high 50 points ​​(14-28 FG, 9-19 3Pt, 13-13FT), 10 assists, seven rebounds, three steals and one block in 35 minutes during the Warriors' 127-113 win over the Hawks. The three-time champion was incredible throughout, scoring the team's first 13 points and helping Golden State push ahead while dropping 18 points in the third quarter.

• Jordan Poole continued his strong start to the year during the win. The Michigan product scored 16 points (6-17 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 1-1 FT) to go with four rebounds, four assists and two steals in 31 minutes.
• Despite the loss, Trae Young was brilliant for the Hawks. The All-Star guard recorded 28 points (11-20 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 2-3 FT), nine assists, three rebounds and one steal in 32 minutes during his duel with Curry.
  • Clint Capela played a season-low 23 minutes en route to two points (1-5 FG, 0-2 FT), six rebounds, two assists and a block. This is a little bit concerning for the center as this marks back-to-back outings with Capela scoring under 10 points.

Chicago ends Brooklyn's win streak

• The Nets came into Chicago on a five-game win streak and found themselves in a tight contest through three quarters. However, the Bulls pulled away late and outscored Brooklyn 42-17 in the fourth quarter. Zach LaVine led the way with 24 points (10-17 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 4-4 FT), five rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block in 33 minutes.
  • DeMar DeRozan continues to play at an All-Star level this season. The first-year Bull recorded 28 points (10-20 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 7-9 FT), four rebounds, three assists and a steal in 34 minutes. DeRozan now has five straight games with at least 25 points.
• Kevin Durant was unstoppable in the loss. The scoring machine finished with 38 points (13-24 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 9-9 FT), 10 rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes. KD is playing at an MVP level to start the season
  • LaMarcus Aldridge had one of his best games of the season. The veteran center accumulated 19 points (8-13 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal over 23 minutes.

Lakers hold on in LA

• The Lakers defeated the Hornets 126-123 in overtime to win their first contest this season without LeBron James. Anthony Davis once again led the Lakers without King James, finishing with 32 points (13-25 PG, 0-3 3Pt, 6-8 FT), 12 rebounds, four assists, five blocked shots and three steals over 44 minutes.
  • Carmelo Anthony continued to be one of the only reliable scorers for the Lakers off of the bench. The veteran sharpshooter totaled 29 points (9-13 FG, 7-10 3Pt, 4-5 FT), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one blocked shot across 37 minutes. Anthony is averaging 17.6 points per game this season, which would be the highest figure since his days with the Knicks.
• LaMelo Ball put on a show at Staples Center during the loss. The second-year-pro recorded 25 points (8-19 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 6-6 FT), a career-high 15 rebounds, 11 assists, one steal and one blocked shot over 42 minutes. This marked Ball's second career triple-double.
  • Ball was not the only member of Charlotte's backcourt to have his best game of the season, as Terry Rozier impressed in the loss, as well. The Louisville product totaled a season-high 29 points (11-22 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three assists, two rebounds and a steal over 40 minutes

Jokic levels Morris, suspension likely coming

• The Nuggets handled the Heat by a score of 113-96, but it did not come at the price of nothing. Late in the fourth quarter, Nikola Jokic shoved Markieff Morris in the back, resulted in both players being ejected from the game. Prior to the ejection, Nikola Jokic was dominating Miami, finishing with 25 points (10-14 FG, 5-8 FT), 15 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and two blocks in 33 minutes.
  • Jokic will almost certainly be slapped with a suspension. The question is just how many games he'll be forced to miss.

• With Michael Porter (back) already out for some time and a potential suspension heading Jokic's way, I would expect Will Barton to act as Denver's primary scorer without the Nuggets' stars. The veteran wing recorded 25 points (9-14 FG, 7-9 3Pt), six assists, five rebounds and a steal across 35 minutes.
• Jimmy Butler was one of the only Heat players to impress Monday night. The 32-year-old recorded 31 points (10-18 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 9-11 FT), eight assists, five rebounds and one block in 37 minutes.

KAT's buzzer-beater not enough

• The Timberwolves held control of their matchup against the Grizzlies for much of the game, even leading by 13 points with just over 4:00 minutes left in regulation. However, Ja Morant was able to lead Memphis to a 125-118 overtime win recording 33 points (10-24 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 10-12 FT), eight assists, six rebounds, one steal and one block.
  • This was by far Brandon Clarke's best appearance of the season. The forward has struggled to see the court, but Clarke tallied 20 points (8-11 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 4-5 FT), nine rebounds and one block in 24 minutes during the win.
• Karl-Anthony Towns had one of the best shots of the season in the loss. The dynamic center heaved up a prayer from near half-court to send the game into overtime. Towns finished with 25 points (9-20 FG, 3-9 3PT, 4-5 FT), 13 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 43 minutes.

• Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell both fared well in Minnesota's loss. Edwards recorded 27 points (9-22 FG, 4-9 3PT, 5-7 FT), five rebounds, three assists and three steals in 43 minutes. In Russell's first game back after missing two games with an ankle injury, the guard tallied 30 points (10-22 FG, 6-13 3PT, 4-4 FT), seven assists, five rebounds, one steal and one block in 41 minutes.

Best and Worst of the Night

Stud of the Night: Stephen Curry -- 50 points ​​(14-28 FG, 9-19 3Pt, 13-13FT), 10 assists, seven rebounds, three steals, one block and two turnovers in 35 minutes

Dud of the Night: Kyle Lowry -- Zero points (0-8 FG, 0-6 3Pt), four assists, three rebounds, a steal, one block and three turnovers in 37 minutes.

Rookie of the Night: Ayo Dosunmu -- 15 points (6-10 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds and one turnover in 20 minutes.

Quick Hitters

• Julius Randle led the way for the Knicks during their 103-96 win against the Embiid-less 76ers. The reigning most improved player scored 31 points (12-25 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 2-2 FT), along with 12 rebounds, three assists and a steal in 35 minutes of action.
  • Mitchell Robinson missed his first game this season for New York due to a hip injury. Nerlens Noel started in his place but only saw 12 minutes of action before exiting with a sore knee. Noel finished with six points (2-3 FG, 2-2 FT) and two rebounds. Taj Gibson seemed to be the bigger benefactor, finishing with seven points (3-4 FG, 1-1 FT), eight rebounds, one assist and two blocks in a season-high 31 minutes.
• With Joel Embiid out of the lineup, Drummond dominated the boards as he finished with 14 points (5-9 FT, 4-6 FT), 25 rebounds, two blocks and an assist over 38 minutes. The first-year Sixer has averaged 14.0 points and 20.0 rebounds in two appearances without Embiid.
  • Furkan Korkmaz continues to light up the scoreboard for the 76ers. The fifth-year guard dropped 19 points (7-16 FG, 5-12 3Pt), three rebounds, two assists and one steal in 40 minutes. Korkmaz has scored 22.0 points per game over his last two showings.
• Luka Doncic was unstoppable during Dallas' 108-92 trouncing over the Pelicans. The All-Star finished with 25 points (10-21 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 3-5 FT), five rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block in 33 minutes of action.
  • Josh Hart has his best game of the season in the loss to the Mavericks. The wing recorded a season-high 22 points (8-13 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 5-6 FT), six rebounds, five assists and a steal across 38 minutes.
• Kyle Lowry had a game to forget. The veteran point guard finished with zero points (0-8 FG, 0-6 3Pt), four assists, three rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot across 37 minutes.
• Cameron Payne was the surprise hero for the Suns during their 109-104 win over the Kings. The guard tallied a team-high 24 points (9-14 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT) to go with four rebounds, three assists and one steal over 22 minutes.
  • Devin Booker stuffed the stat sheet in the win, as well. The All-Star guard finished with 18 points (8-17 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 0-2 FT), nine rebounds, six assists and two steals over 32 minutes.
  • Chris Paul finally broke his streak of double-digit assists. The 36-year-old came into Monday's contest with four straight games with double-digit assists, but Paul finished with just five dimes to go with 16 points (6-12 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds and three steals over 26 minutes of play.
• Harrison Barnes continued to ball out for the Kings despite the losing effort. The veteran wing ended with 26 points (7-9 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 11-11 FT), six rebounds, two assists and one steal over 36 minutes. Barnes is my early-season pick for the most improved player this season.
  • De'Aaron Fox had a solid showing in the loss. The speedy guard totaled 24 points (8-19 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 7-11 FT), five assists, four rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots over 35 minutes. This was just Fox's fourth time scoring over 20 points this season and his 24 points are the most he has scored since Sacramento's opening game.
• Russell Westbrook put up his second triple-double of the season during the Lakers' win over the Hornets. The veteran point guard registered 17 points (5-15 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 7-10 FT), 14 assists, 12 rebounds and three steals over 41 minutes.
• Javonte Green continues to fill in nicely for Patrick Williams (wrist) as he helped lead Chicago to victory behind a solid defensive performance. The 28-year-old posted 11 points (5-11 FG, 1-3 3Pt), seven rebounds, three steals and two assists over 29 minutes. Green's 29 minutes marked a new-season high as he continues to earn coach Billy Donovan's trust.
• Kyle Anderson dropped a near triple-double during Memphis' overtime win over Minnesota. Slow-Mo finished with a smooth 12 points (5-8 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 0-1 FT), nine rebounds, seven assists and one block in 28 minutes of play.

Rookie Report

• Davion Mitchell: 12 points (5-11 FG, 2-2 3Pt), six rebounds, two assists, one block and two turnovers in 31 minutes.
  • The Baylor product had a solid showing during Sacramento's loss to Phoenix. Mitchell is starting to find his rhythm with the Kings, finishing with double-digit points in four out of his last five contests while averaging 12.6 points per game in that span.
• Trey Murphy: Zero points (0-2 FG, 0-2 3Pt), one rebound and one turnover in 10 minutes
  • Murphy was held scoreless in 10 minutes and still is looking for his first game posting double-digits.
• Bones Hyland: Six points (2-7 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 1-1 FT), one rebound, one assist, two steals, one block and one turnover in 16 minutes.
  • The No. 26 overall pick in the draft was aggressive for Denver on Monday night as he hoisted five three-pointers, but Hyland was only able to get one of them to fall. The VCU product is averaging 17.2 minutes per game over his last five contests.
• Ayo Dosunmu: 15 points (6-10 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds and one turnover in 20 minutes.
  • This was the second-round rookie's best performance of the season as he helped Chicago take down the Nets. Dosunmu's aggressiveness and defensive motor really stood out as he finished a team-best plus 22 during his time on the floor.
• Austin Reaves: Eight points (3-6 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), one rebound, one assist and one steal in 27 minutes.
  • The undrafted rookie continues to see heavy minutes off of the bench for the Lakers as they deal with their injuries. Reaves has now seen over 20 minutes in five straight contests but still is not producing enough to warrant any fantasy attention.

Looking Ahead to Tuesday Night 

• Two shorthanded Eastern Conference contenders -- Milwaukee and Philadelphia -- battle it out.
• The Hawks look to stop a four-game losing streak with a matchup against Utah
• Can Damian Lillard finally break out of his early season slump against the Clippers?