Stephen Curry (Golden State PG)- Returned from an ankle injury to score 32 points and dish out eight assists in a 114-107 win over the Washington Wizards. Curry hit 11 of 18 field goal attempts, including a circus layup over two Washington players that went almost above the rim and came back down without hitting the rim. He continues to be at the top of MVP discussions, and games like these only bolster his resume.
Kevin Love (Cleveland PF)- Shot 8 of 16 from the field and scored 24 points in a 103-92 win against the Detroit Pistons. All of Love's points came via the 3-point line (8-14 3PM), and the big man from UCLA also pulled down 9 rebounds as the Cavs won their 17th out of their last 19 contests.
Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City PG)- Dominated the Pacers to the tune of 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 105-92 win. In yet another triple-double for Westbrook, he shot 8 of 19 from the field, and put up the incredible numbers in just 28 minutes of action, as he sat out the fourth quarter. February has been the month of Westbrook, as he is averaging 29.5 points, 10.1 assists and 8.2 rebounds, while the Thunder have won seven straight games.
Serge Ibaka (Oklahoma City PF)-Posted a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds in the Thunder's win over the Pacers on Tuesday night. Ibaka made the most of his 11 shot opportunities during the game, sinking nine of them, while also adding in three blocked shots.
Paul Pierce (Washington SF)- The veteran small forward poured in 25 points during a 114-107 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Pierce hit 7 of 11 field goal attempts, and all nine free throw attempts in the loss, scoring in double figures for only the second time in two weeks.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James passed Scottie Pippen for most assists all-time by a forward on Tuesday night. It was a behind-the-back pass from James to Love, who connected on the 3-pointer midway through the second quarter that pushed the 30-year-old to the top of the leaderboard.
Notes- Bulls guard Derrick Rose will have surgery to repair a torn right meniscus, and then a timetable for return will be determined. It is the same injury suffered early last season by Rose, and a crushing blow to Chicago's Finals' aspirations.
Jimmy Butler (Chicago SG)- Scored a career-high 35 points on 11-21 shooting in a 103-97 win over the New York Knicks. Butler was on fire against New York, and also added in seven assists in the victory. The Bulls' young shooting guard has played phenomenal this year, and is leading the race for "Most Improved Player" this season. Butler's defense and hustle had always been on display, but his offensive game is vastly improved and fits right in with Chicago's system.
Anthony Davis (New Orleans PF/C)- Dominated with 30 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks in a 99-90 win over the Houston Rockets. Davis brought his "A" game against Houston center Dwight Howard, as the young phenom hit 10 of 17 shots, and got to the line 12 times (10-12 FT). Davis is showing no ill effects from his minor chest injury, and is back to his usual dominating self.
Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City SF)- Tallied 30 points in a 114-109 loss against the Golden State Warriors. Although Durant didn't play in the second half due to a sprained right ankle, he was simply unguardable in the first half. He hit 10 of the 13 shots he took, and looks to be almost back at full strength on offense. Time will tell if this ankle injury will cause him to miss any games.
Stephen Curry (Golden State PG)- Scored 34 points, dished out nine assists and grabbed seven rebounds in the Warriors' win over the Thunder on Thursday night. Curry was firing on all cylinders against the Thunder, and continues to play at an MVP level in 2014. His passing, rebounding and defensive numbers have been consistent all year, and it is reflected in the Warriors' win total.
DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento PF/C)- Recorded a double-double of 27 points and 11 rebounds in a 108-107 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Cousins missed the potential game-winning shot at the buzzer, but played an otherwise outstanding game. Boogie appears to be back at full health, and will look to keep the Kings in playoff contention.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka rejected a dunk attempt from Warriors' forward Harrison Barnes Thursday night. Barnes drove down on the fast break looking for a highlight play, but was instead stopped by one of the league's best shot blockers.
Kevin Martin (Minnesota SG)- Scored a season-high 37 points, including seven made 3-pointers in a 115-99 win over the New York Knicks.
Serge Ibaka (Oklahoma City PF)- Posted a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds in a 107-100 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Ibaka rebounded nicely after a six point, six rebound performance the game before, and will continue to put up strong performances moving forward.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee SG/SF)- Scored 18 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in a 122-188 3OT win against the Brooklyn Nets. Antetokounmpo has scored in double-digits in his last six games, and looks to be earning solid minutes in Jason Kidd's rotation.
Marc Gasol (Memphis C)- Dropped 22 points and 12 rebounds in a 96-92 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday night. Gasol is putting up yet another solid season, and will once again be in the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year.
Mo Williams (Minnesota PG)- Got the start and posted a double-double (14 pts, 13 ast) in the Timberwolves win over the Knicks Wednesday night.
Who Was Not
Iman Shumpert (New York SG/SF)- Scored only three points (1-11 FG) and committed four turnovers in the Knicks' loss to Minnesota. Shumpert was in foul trouble for most of the night and struggled with his shot one game after scoring 21 points.
Victor Oladipo (Orlando PG/SG)- Struggled shooting the ball (7 pts, 3-13 FG) in the Magic's 114-90 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.
Tony Parker (San Antonio PG)- Scored eight points on 2-7 shooting, with only three assists in a 92-90 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. This marks the fourth straight game that Parker has failed to score more than 11 points, but he should get back to his season average of 16.5 soon. Video of the Night
Solomon Hill hit the game-winning layup to defeat the Charlotte Hornets 88-86 on Wednesday night. Hill finished the game with six points and five rebounds, with no basket more important than his last-second layup.
Alec Burks (Utah SG)- Scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 98-81 win over the New York Knicks. Burks shot 5-8 from the field, 8-9 from the foul line, and blocked two shots in the contest.
Paul Millsap (Atlanta PF)- Scored 29 points on11-16 shooting in a 114-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Millsap also recorded four steals and two blocked shots in the contest.
Iman Shumpert (New York SG/SF)- Had an all-around game of 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in a 106-100 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento PF/C)- Had a monster game (24 pts, 17 reb) in the King's 106-100 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles SG)- Tallied 28 points on 10-18 shooting in the Lakers' 114-109 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Bryant reached 32,000 points for his career (32,001 total) in Tuesday's contest, and is 292 away from passing Michael Jordan for third most all-time.
Serge Ibaka (Oklahoma City PF)- Shot 2-13 from the field, scoring only six points in the Thunder's loss to Utah on Tuesday.
J.R. Smith (New York SG)- Scored only nine points on 3-12 shooting in the Knicks loss to the Bucks on Tuesday. It was a drop-off night for Smith, who had scored 28 points in the Knicks' previous contest.
Kyle Korver (Atlanta SG/SF)- Scored only eight points on 2-6 shooting in a 114-109 loss to the Lakers. Korver has been very quiet the past two games after a hot start, so it will be interesting to see how he plays moving forward.
Play of the Night
Kobe Bryant's fadeaway jumper with just over a minute to play gave him 32,000 points for his career. With his scoring continuing to be strong, Bryant should pass Michael Jordan sometime before Christmas.
Anthony Davis (Pelicans PF/C)- Scored 24 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked three shots in a 100-91 win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Portland Trail Blazers- Portland dominated LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to the tune of 101-82 Tuesday night. The Trail Blazers held James (11 pts, 4-12 FG), Dion Waiters (6 pts, 3-11 FG) and Kyrie Irving (9 pts, 3-17 FG) in check, as the four-time MVP was held scoreless in the second half. Damian Lillard led the way with 27 points, seven assists and six rebounds, while Rip City shot 49% as a team on the offensive end of the floor . It was a great showing by Portland, as they should be top contenders in the Western Conference.
James Harden (Rockets SG)- Flirted with a triple-double, posting a stat line of 25 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in a 108-91 win over the Miami Heat.
Serge Ibaka (Thunder PF)- Posted his first double-double of the season, scoring 25 points (11-14 FG) and grabbing 11 rebounds in a 100-88 loss to the Toronto Raptors
Brandon Knight (Bucks PG)- Scored 23 points on 10-16 shooting to go along with seven rebounds in an 87-81 Milwaukee Bucks win over the Indiana Pacers.
Who Was Not
C.J. Miles (Pacers SG/SF)- Was held scoreless (0-8 FG) in 29 minutes of action during an 87-81 loss to the Bucks.
Jared Dudley (Bucks SG/SF)- Scored only two points on 1-7 shooting Tuesday night.
Eric Gordon (Pelicans SG)- Failed to make a shot from the field (0-6 FG) for the second time in three games. Gordon has been very erratic this year, and will need to pick up his play for the Pelicans to win more games.
Fans of the NBA and more importantly the Oklahoma City Thunder woke up to startling news a few days ago- Reigning 2014 NBA MVP Kevin Durant had been injured. Not just an ankle sprain or sore back, but a fractured right foot injury that will sideline him for the first quarter of the NBA season at minimum.
It was a crushing blow to Thunder fans, who were hoping that this was finally the year their team could breakthrough and win an NBA championship. In order to do have the best chance at achieving that, any team in the loaded Western Conference must secure home court and be playing their best basketball going into the NBA's second season. This now seems like a tall task for the Thunder.
Fear not all hope is not lost. You still have Russell Westbrook, one of the most dynamic, athletic and talented guards this game has seen in 20 years. Yes, he has been criticized for taking too many shots when he should have deferred to Durant. Yes he has had his own injury problems (three major knee surgeries in the last two years). Yes, every team will now overload their defense to stop him, as they no longer have to commit most of their attention to covering his injured teammate. They also have Reggie Jackson, Serge Ibaka and Jeremy Lamb; players who are capable of stepping up their game during Durant's absence. But there are several things that head coach Scott Brooks and the rest of the Thunder can do to achieve success in Durant's absence.
Utilize Reggie Jackson
Scott Brooks listen to me on this one. Reggie Jackson can play. The soon-to-be fourth year point guard out of Boston College has show tremendous growth. He started 36 games while Westbrook was injured last year, and showed flashes of scoring ability and leadership. While his shooting percentages will have to improve (44% FG, 34% 3pt), Jackson's athleticism and maturity will help the Thunder on both ends of the floor. The best way to utilize Jackson would be...
2 Guard Line-ups
Speaking of Reggie Jackson. He was used alongside Westbrook later in the season and in the playoffs, with successful results. Teams now had to worry about stopping two quick guards instead of letting the less offensive Thabo Sefolosha, in addition to Durant of course. Jackson and Westbrook are more than capable of running the offense together, as the latter is one of the highest scoring point guards in the league on a yearly basis. In fact, some critics say he isn't a true point guard, rather a hybrid combo-guard. This can and will work in OKC's favor. Both guards will be able to score, as well as run the pick and roll effectively with Ibaka, which will make it extra tough for defenses. Speaking of Ibaka...
Growth From Ibaka
The sixth-year power forward out of the Congo will need to show more improvement in his scoring to keep the Thunder afloat during the first two months of the season. His defense will always be there (career 2.6 blocks per game), and his points per game has gone up each of the last three seasons (career-high 15.1 ppg). However, the 6'10'' big man will have to show more improvement in his post up game to be considered a real offensive threat, so Westbrook does not get double teamed as often. The good news is he is very capable of making this leap. Ibaka's mid-range jumper is very reliable and his athleticism will help him in scoring down low.
Final Thoughts
Thunders fans have no need to fear. Even with a tough schedule in the Western Conference, and the injury to Durant, OKC will be able to post a respectable record in his absence. Scott Brooks and his staff are among the best in the NBA, and will make the proper adjustments to their rotation. Expect Westbrook to shine, and averaged around 25-27 points, seven assists and six rebounds per game while Durant is sidelined. The Thunder open their season on Wednesday, Oct. 29 on the road against the Portland Trailblazers, followed by a contest in Los Angeles against the Clippers the following night.
Westbrook is not only one of the most athletic players in the league, but one of the best finishers at the rim.
