The Air Jordan 9 “Powder Blue” is set to release in 2024 for its 30th anniversary, this pair also pays homage to Jordan’s Collegiate Days back at UNC. The last time we saw these was back in 2010 and its original release was 1994.
The midsole comes dressed in powder blue, the upper comes dressed in white with Black accents such as the tongue, eyelets, liner, the Jumpman on the midsole, and pull tabs. Despite Jordan never wearing the Air Jordan 9 as a Chicago Bull he did wear them for baseball as the shoe was heavily influenced by a baseball glove, and Jordan did also lace them up on the set of Space Jam.
While no release information has been released yet these are rumored to release in 2024 in its original form.
The Minnesota Timberwolves came into this game against the Philadelphia 76ers on a 3 game-winning streak. This has been an actual test for the Timberwolves this season without Karl Anthony-Towns in the lineup and they’ve answered pretty well. Tonight was one of those nights where the Timberwolves missed KAT in the lineup as they were going up against one of the best players in the world Joel Embiid. The 76ers ruled out James Harden pregame and left it to be the Joel Embiid show as he would be facing Rudy Gobert in the paint.
The Timberwolves came out flat in this game as they were trying to play catch up the whole time it seemed like throughout the night. Joel Embiid was special tonight as he was able to exploit a lot of the mismatches and he was smart enough to counter any adjustments that the Timberwolves made. Joel Embiid played a great game and forced Coach Finch to make adjustments to the lineup as Embiid was trying to bring Rudy Gobert out on the perimeter. As Joel Embiid started getting his game going it was too late for the Timberwolves to slow him down. On the night Joel Embiiid finished with 39 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. It was clear as day who the best player was on the floor tonight as Embiid was hitting shot after shot with ease. When Joel Embiid is this hot from the field all you could do is respect it and that’s exactly what the Timberwolves did.
Without James Harden, in the lineup, the 76ers turned to Tyrese Maxey to make a huge impact to fill that void and he did just that. Tyrese Maxey finished the game with 27 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists on the night and was able to make the best of players on Minnesota guarding him. Maxey has a quick first step and he was able to use that to take advantage of the defense as they were focused on Joel Embiid. The 76ers played some great defense tonight and part of it was the Timberwolves missing shots but they made it tough on them all night. The 76ers were making a lot of their shots and made the Timberwolves pay as they shot 49% from the field for the night. Joel Embiid had a lot to do with that percentage as he was able to score inside and out but he was able to get to his spots with ease all night.
The bright side for the Timberwolves was that Anthony Edwards showed up again and made the best of the situation. The Timberwolves had an off-night shooting and the 3-point shot was the main thing not going down for them. Anthony Edwards was able to score on the inside and out against ant defender Philly put in his way. Edwards finished with 32 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 assist on the night in the loss. One thing about Edwards he wants to continue to get better and something like this will go a long way when it comes to building character. Th 76ers had a game plan and executed it to the fullest and the Timberwolves got away from what helped them on their road trip. Minnesota got out-hustled tonight and shots just weren’t going in for them. It’s not a good thing when Anthony Edwards is the only start in double figures.
The Timberwolves lost this one because of the greatness Joel Embiid displayed but they will look to bounce back on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets. Look for the team to come out aggressive and try to build that confidence to continue getting those wins. The Timberwolves can be successful but they can’t have Anthony Edwards be the only starter with double figures in points at all. The NBA has turned into a face pace track meet and the Timberwolves will need to get back on track quickly with Mikal Bridges and them boys coming into town.
Photo Credit: (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
A new Nike Ja Morant has surfaced in a mismatched colorway. The Nike Ja Morant 1 has yet to officially release, but during the NBA All-Star Weekend they did have a pop up shop dedicated to the Nike Ja Morant 1.
This colorway is a mismatched pair, one shoe is blue with red accents and the other shoe is red with blue accents, both swooshes are black and wrap around the medial and lateral area of the sneaker. It is being rumored that this could be called the “Spider-Man” or “Superman” Colorway but it’s yet to be determined if it’s associated with either super hero. The Nike Ja 1 also does feature Nike Air Zoom technology in the forefoot area.
There is no official release date as of yet, but expect these to release in April when the Nike Ja Morant 1 officially launches. Despite Ja Morants recent controversy Nike does plan to release the Nike Ja Morant 1.
Kevin Durant looked calm and took efficient shots, the Phoenix Suns defense allowed the mavericks to comeback after gaining a nice lead. Luka Doncic struggled in the first quarter. The Suns defense was able to limit Doncic on 1-7 shooting. The Mavericks defense struggled to guard Durant but double teamed Devin Booker on almost every possession. Doncic seemed to appear injured and headed to the locker room to get checked.
End Of First: Suns Lead after 1 against the Mavericks (31-26)
Second Quarter:
The Mavericks defense had no answer for KD, but the Mavericks offense was able to spread the floor and shoot the 3 ball effectively to keep themselves in the game.
Luka came back in the second quarter but seemed to be limping and running slowly but was able to score and assist effectively. Tim Hardaway was the biggest story on the mavericks team in the second as he caught fire from three point range and had 15 points off the bench. The Mavericks Bench provided many points in the first and second.
The Suns defense couldn’t stop the mavericks from shooting the three ball and couldn’t keep their lead they kept allowing the mavericks to fight back and either tie the game or take the lead. The Mavericks offense has kept the Suns defense on their toes by spreading the floor and knocking down their shots. Booker started to heat up this quarter and so did Durant offensively.
End of Second: Dallas heads into the Half leading 62-59 against the Suns
Halftime Stats:
Score: 62-59 Dallas leads
Suns:
Devin Booker: 17 Pts, 3 assist, 2 Rebounds
Kevin Durant: 16 Pts, 1 assist, 4 Rebounds
Mavericks:
Tim Hardaway Jr: 18 Pts, 1 assist, 1 Rebound
Luka Doncic: 10 Points, 3 Assists, 5 Rebounds
Third quarter:
The Mavericks maintained the lead until the final minute of the quarter where they played a bit sloppy and kept fouling and turning the ball over. But the Mavericks were still playing very well, shooting the three point ball and spreading the ball. The bench yet again has been a big factor in this game. Doncic did heat up and played a lot better than he did in the first half.
The Suns trailed most of the game but were able to stay in the game and take the lead in the final minute of the third. The Suns put up 36 points in the third and Booker yet again caught fire and led the team to a very nice quarter. A very aggressive and hard fought third quarter from the Suns. The defense played a little bit better but still struggled to defend the perimeter.
End of Third: Suns have the lead 96-95 over the Mavericks.
Fourth Quarter:
Doncic was on the bench to start the fourth but Irving lead the team to begin the quarter and the Mavericks were able to grab the lead again and play excellent defense on Durant and Booker. The Mavericks defense were able to limit other options from the Suns such as Ayton and Chris Paul, but Durant and Booker were still able to score here and there to stay in the game. Doncic sat most of the fourth until the 5:41 minute mark when he subbed in during crunch time. The Mavericks defense towards the end started to fall apart and allow easy buckets for the Suns. The Mavericks could not stop the pick & roll play and it was easy buckets for the Suns. Doncic missed the game tying bucket to possibly force an overtime game.
The Suns kept turning the ball over in the fourth and committing fouls, Paul was visually frustrated this quarter when the Suns kept turning the ball over and weren’t able to hit their shots. The Suns defense has not been able to stop the three point shot and are late on almost every rotation. During the 6-minute mark the Suns were able to make it a close game and started passing the ball and scoring effectively. The Suns offensively were able to keep themselves in the game while Chris Paul finally started to ease into the game and play the Point Guard role well, he was able to spread the floor and make very crucial shots. Durant and Booker took over in crunch time and put the team on their back to put them in a winning position. Durant put the game on ice with a go ahead bucket and two free throws.
End Of Fourth: Suns Win 130-126 over the Mavericks
Final Score: 130-126
Final Summary: The Suns take down the Mavericks 130-126 in a close game. A very well fought game between the Suns and Mavericks which led to an amazing game, this game felt like a NBA playoff game 7 where all the Stars scored over 30+ points and in the final two minutes they were going back and forth exchanging points.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are coming off a win last night to the LA Lakers. Tonight they took on the Sacramento Kings and it was a tough one until the finish. Both teams have been fighting and crawling for positioning in the Western Conference so we definitely were in for a great game.
This was one of the most complete games that we’ve seen from the new look Timberwolves since the trade for Mike Conley Jr. You can tell that Conley Jr is getting comfortable in the system and he’s been able to learn where his teammates want the ball and when he needs to put his head down and attack to score. Mike Conley’s leadership and basketball IQ were on full display tonight as he was able to make some big plays throughout the game to give the Timberwolves the win. On the night Mike Conley finished with 24 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists but proved he can do it all when called upon. Conley has been able to get the ball in the spots that both Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards like with ease. Anthony Edwards has been nothing short of spectacular as of late and the best part about it is the fact his teammates have stepped up taking some of the scoring load off him in wins. Anthony Edwards at one point in the season looked like he would need 35 points for a win but nowadays he’s getting that offensive help that gives him a chance to have a lot more energy on the defensive end. Tonight Edwards was able to do it on both ends of the floor as he was able to slow down Fox for the majority of the game and still get his looks at the rim. Anthony Edwards had 27 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists tonight in Sacramento. Edwards is known for his all-around game and he showcased his playmaking skills tonight with 8 assists as he got McDaniels, Gobert, and Conley some great looks tonight.
Anthony Edwards has grown throughout the season and he’s unlocking that all-around game right before the Timberwolves need to make that playoff push. It seemed as if no one on the Kings was going to stop Edwards as he was on a mission from the opening tip. The Timberwolves played a complete game with 7 players in double-figures scoring. If the Timberwolves can get this production on a daily basis it will be tough for anyone to stop them. Jaden McDaniels had 19 points and made the Kings pay on his cuts and the defensive end all night. McDaniels has been a key defender for this team all year and he made it tough on Fox and Barnes tonight. As the games continue to go so does McDaniels confidence and this is the right time for it to be on display. Rudy Gobert had another strong night with back-to-back double-doubles as he finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Rudy has been on fire as of late and he’s been dominant in every phase from offense to defense this is exactly what the Timberwolves fans have been wanting to see and it’s happening. Rudy has been a beast and tonight he did a great job of slowing down Sabonis and limiting the points in the paint for the Kings.
Kyle Anderson almost had a triple-double tonight as he finished with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists. Anderson has been a great addition to the team and he’s been that constant playmaker that they can count on. The Kings didn’t know how to slow him down and when they did SlowMo made the basketball play to get his teammates the ball where they needed it. The Timberwolves bench showed up tonight too as Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid combined for 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. The Kings made it close down the stretch but the Timberwolves were just making right play after right play. This type of win can lead to a lot of momentum heading into the rest of the March/April games.
The Timberwolves return home to play against the 76ers on Tuesday in a game that should be a must-watch for sure.
Photo Credit: (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
