No Dunks - NBA Weekend Winners & Losers

Episode: NBA Weekend Winners & Losers | Wolves Jump Nuggets, Elite East Teams & Lu Dort's Dirty Play
Date: March 2, 2026
Hosts: J. Skeets, Tas Melas, Trey Kirby, JD
Podcast: No Dunks (iHeartPodcasts)

Overview

This episode of No Dunks dives into an action-packed NBA weekend, spotlighting key games, standout wins, tough losses, and headline-grabbing incidents. The crew discusses surging teams in both conferences, analyzes pivotal matchups (including Wolves-Nuggets and Knicks-Spurs), debates the impact of injuries, and weighs in on controversial moments like Lu Dort’s “dirty” trip of Nikola Jokic. As always, the show is laced with humor, basketball nerdery, and the irreverent camaraderie that defines the No Dunks pod.

Key Points and Insights

1. Weekend Winners

Minnesota Timberwolves Upset the Denver Nuggets

• Main Takeaway: The Wolves earned one of their biggest wins of the season on the road in Denver (03:38-08:42).
• Team Win: Anthony Edwards (21 pts, 19 shots) had solid but unspectacular numbers; supporting cast was huge.
  • Jaden McDaniels: 20 pts, tough defense, hit what was called “the dagger” floater.
  • Dante DiVincenzo: “Incredible… two big steals when Denver was threatening” – Trey (05:38).
  • Bench: Outscored Denver’s, led in fast break points.
  • Bones Hyland: “He was awesome” – Trey (05:38), had 18 off the bench against his former team.
• Denver's Troubles:
  • “Non-Jokic minutes is a real story with this Denver Nuggets team right now…” – Tas (08:42).
  • Cam Johnson struggled (“scam Johnson” trending), starters devoid of production outside Jokic/Murray.
  • Nuggets need Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson’s return from injury.
• Implications: Wolves leapfrog Denver in West standings; concern that they “raise their game against better opponents” but may slip versus weaker teams.

New York Knicks Snap Spurs’ Streak

• Main Takeaway: The Knicks delivered a “blue-collar, hard-work type of win” (14:10-17:18) by cutting San Antonio’s 11-game streak.
• Contributors:
  • Karl-Anthony Towns: “Really good game… beasting in every other way” – Tas (14:10).
  • Mikal Bridges: “Five big steals, one in open court in the fourth quarter to turn this game around” – Tas (14:10).
  • Mitchell Robinson: Bench minutes “really turned this game around.”
  • Mouhamadou Diawara: “Just letting it rip…” with threes off the bench.
• Defensive Dominance: Spurs held to 89 points, committed 22 turnovers.
• Notable Quote: “When Bridges is in passing lanes getting steals... when OG is playing and contributing, when Towns is playing tough... they look like they can be the best team in the Eastern Conference.” – Trey (17:37).

Pistons’ Dynamic Duo on Fire

• Cade Cunningham & Jalen Duren: Both “two All-Stars, this duo, man, they're awesome... Cade's a lock [for All-NBA], I assume Jalen Duren should and will make it.” – J. Skeets (27:41).
• Pistons beat Cavs (OT) and Magic: Notable for creative clock management in Cavs win (“fouling up three” debate after Jenkins draws a 3-shot foul from halfcourt, 28:50).
• Road Warriors: “Sixth straight road victory… a juggernaut on the road. They're 21-7 away…” – J. Skeets (29:30).
• Playoff Implications: “Quality wins” over teams they may face in early rounds.
• Tobias Harris: “Important for them this weekend…” – Trey (31:37).

Boston Celtics

• Dominating: “Destroyed the Nets on Friday... handled the 76ers last night without Joel Embiid.” – Trey (34:00).
• Baylor Shireman: “Thumbs up with his broken finger... that's a weird-looking guy to be a good NBA player, but the dude is starting and playing enough right now.” – Trey (35:21).
• Coach Joe Mazzulla: “Big weekend for buzz around [him] as coach of the year” (36:18).
• Depth & consistency: Bench praised, coach lauded for keeping team effort regardless of opponent.

Atlanta Hawks & Jonathan Kuminga

• Kuminga’s Resurgence: “He has been great and he's doing it within the system… monstrous windmill, posterizing dunks.” – Tas (39:37).
• Fans Chanted: “Thank you Warriors!” as Kuminga excelled against Portland.
• Caveat: Strong games came against weak or depleted teams (Wizards twice, Blazers).

Chicago Bulls (Non-basketball Mention + On-court)

• Wrestling Crossover: CM Punk entered a WWE event with classic Bulls intro music and announcer Ray Clay (42:57).
• On-Court: “Used a 27-0 run to blow out the Bucks… snapped their 11-game losing streak.” – J. Skeets (43:58).
• Josh Giddy & Leonard Miller: “March belongs to Mickey Mouse Giddy… Leonard Miller, what a game… best game of his young career” (43:57, 45:24).

2. Losers of the Weekend

Golden State Warriors

• Struggling without Steph Curry: Out 10+ games with “runner’s knee,” team is 4-6 in Feb; “21st in offense, 23rd in net rating” – Trey (50:17).
• Porzingis Situation: Kerr miscommunicated about health; Porzingis “played in one of eight games since the trade.”
• Play-In Bound: “We know the Warriors are going to be playing in a play-in game or two… they’re not competing for a title here.” – Skeets (55:24).
• Kuminga's departure stings: Now performing in Atlanta.

Zach Edey & the Memphis Grizzlies

• Second Surgery: Giant center is out for the year after more ankle surgery – chronic injury risk for a “7’3”, 300-pound” player.
• Consequences: The team’s belief in him partly fueled Jaren Jackson Jr. trade; now leaves Memphis with questions at center (57:12-59:53).

Game Operations (Cavs Involved)

• Detroit: 18-minute delay from a perpetually blaring arena horn; solution = unplug scoreboard, manual air horns (59:53-62:08).
• Brooklyn: Shot clocks “weren’t in sync;” eventually unplugged and replugged.
• Notable moment: “You gotta try all the things. You gotta unplug it. You gotta try and hit it. If it was like a Nintendo cartridge, you gotta try and blow on it.” – Skeets (61:22).
• Both times: Cavs are the visiting team.

Lou Dort & the Thunder

• Flagrant 2 on Jokic: Lou Dort tripped Jokic off-ball; ejected for “unnecessary and excessive” play (68:51-72:40).
• Reputation: Dort “now along the lines of Draymond, Dylan Brooks… he’s gaining that” (69:51).
• Hosts’ View: “I love Lou Dort. I can’t defend this… it’s pretty apparent what he’s trying to do.” – J. Skeets (72:26).
• Jokic’s Reaction: “He was heated and Dort went out of his way to trip him for no reason. There was nothing happening on the play.” – Trey (69:22).
• Context: Tensions were high due to earlier scuffles in the OKC-DEN game.

Minor: Broadcasting Pet Peeve

• Trey and Skeets discuss their annoyance with broadcasters referring to afternoon games as “tonight/this evening” (72:41-75:05).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the Timberwolves’ bench: “DEO had a couple of steals that turned into layups… huge momentum plays” – Trey (05:38).
• Fan culture: “Atlanta loves a guy who can dunk like ‘Nique… perfect city for Kuminga.” – Skeets (41:30).
• On Lou Dort: “Just another one to add of Dort just always going up to the line and crossing it.” – Skeets (72:41).
• On the Knicks: “The Knicks made the Spurs feel them. Victor Wembanyama wasn't right out there…” – Tas (20:12).
• On Vitally Plugging in Electronics: “Just unplug it, count to 10, and then plug it back in…” – Skeets (61:13).

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Intro & Wedgie Debate: 03:25–05:21
• Timberwolves-Nuggets Recap: 05:38–13:07
• Knicks Snap Spurs’ Streak: 14:10–23:04
• Pistons Duo Weekend (Cade & Duren): 27:41–33:14
• Boston Celtics Love: 34:00–39:19
• Jonathan Kuminga & Hawks: 39:37–42:26
• Chicago Bulls/CM Punk Moment: 42:51–47:01
• Weekend Losers Segment Begins: 50:17
• Warriors Woes: 50:17–56:26
• Zach Edey Injury: 57:12–59:53
• Game Ops Fiascos: 59:53–63:10
• Lu Dort Tripping Jokic: 68:51–72:40

Memorable & Funny Bits

• Skeets on dirty nicknames: “Careless pervert” for Caris LeVert and “Scam Johnson” for Cam Johnson (10:38, 32:52)
• On CM Punk’s WWE entrance: “They dusted off Ray Clay himself to do a Punk introduction.” – Skeets (43:11)
• On Leonard Miller: “Leonard Miller has a unique look. I think he looks like he’s garbage at basketball… He is. I'm telling you.” – Skeets (46:34)
• Broadcasting gripe: “When the game's on at 1:00 in the afternoon... stop saying this evening or tonight!” – Skeets (72:41)

Tone & Style

• Analytical but conversational, frequently humorous and self-referential.
• Basketball slang and in-jokes ("wedgie", “playoff rotation”, "wedgie tracker", etc.)
• Frequent playful roasting of players, each other, and NBA culture.
• Deep basketball insight paired with irreverent asides about pop culture (e.g., WWE, hairlines, March as “Mickey Mouse Giddy” month).

Summary Conclusion

This episode of No Dunks takes a thorough, sometimes playful look at the weekend’s NBA action and narratives. The show deftly moves between hard basketball analysis—assessing team performances, injury fallout, and playoff races—and off-court hilarity (unplugging malfunctioning horns, CM Punk’s Bulls homage, and the debate over “dirty” Lou Dort). For anyone who missed the weekend in the NBA, this episode provides a dense, deeply entertaining recap laced with both wisdom and laughs.