Nightly Recap- Feb. 20

Top Performances

Stephen Curry (Golden State PG)- Dropped 25 points and 11 assists in a 110-99 win over the San Antonio Spurs. Curry picked up his first double-double in over a month, shooting 8 of 17 from the field in the win. The Warriors continue to play great basketball, and are in cruise control for the top seed in the Western Conference.

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Louis Williams (Toronto SG)- Hit seven 3-pointers and tallied 26 points  in a 105-80 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Williams hit 9 of 14 field goal attempts and scored over 20 points for the second consecutive game. His hot shooting provides a huge spark off the bench for the Raptors, as they chase the Hawks for the number one seed in the East.

DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento PF/C)- Recorded 31 points and 15 rebounds in a 109-101 victory versus the Boston Celtics. In George Karl's first game as head coach of the Kings, Cousins put on a show, hitting 12 of 18 shot attempts. He should prove to be Karl's best asset going forward as the Kings look to make a playoff push.

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Nerlens Noel (Philadelphia C)- Almost posted a triple-double, scoring 12 points, grabbing nine rebounds and blocking nine shots in a 106-95 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Noel shot 5 of 9 from the field, and also nabbed four steals. He continues to put up solid defensive numbers, and his offense is progressing for the 76ers.

Plays of the Night

DeMarcus Cousins threw down a monster dunk in transition against the Boston Celtics on Friday night.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQlK6HS7xf4

Wiggins Soars for the Dunk

Andrew Wiggins flew and slammed home a monster dunk in a 111-109 win over the Phoenix Suns. Wiggins finished the game with 20 points on 9-15 shooting.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWvV4U2SvMc

2014-15 NBA Standings 

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*All stats courtesy of ESPN 

Nightly Recap- Jan. 17

Top Performances

Stephen Curry/Klay Thompson (Golden State PG/SG)- The Splash Bros. combined for 54 points in a 131-106 win over the Houston Rockets. Curry posted a double-double of 27 points and 11 rebounds, while Thompson dropped 27 points and blocked five shots in the big win. The Warriors' duo has been one of the best backcourts in the NBA this season, and are leading Golden State to a top four seed in the West.

Kyle Korver (Atlanta SG/SF)- Caught fire from 3-point range, hitting seven shots from deep in a 107-99 win against the Chicago Bulls. Korver and the Hawks kept rolling along, winning their 26th game in their last 28 contests. Korver is shooting over 50% from the field and from 3-point range, and over 90% from the free throw range this season, and is making a strong case for an all-star bid.

Andrew Wiggins (Minnesota SG/SF)- Scored a career-high 31 points in a 113-105 win over the Denver Nuggets. Wiggins hit four 3-pointers and grabbed nine rebounds in the win, and is starting to lock up the Rookie of the Year award. He has scored 20+ points in eight of his last ten games, and is shooting over 50% from the field and over 44% from 3-point range during that span.

Matt Barnes (Los Angeles SF)- Tied a season-high with 26 points in a 117-108 win over the Sacramento Kings. Barnes hit 10 of his 15 shots attempts (four 3-pointers), and also grabbed 10 rebounds in what was one of his best games of the season. He has played more minutes recently than he has all season, and has scored in double-digits in six of his last seven games as a result.

Jason Thompson (Sacramento PF/C)- Recorded a double-double of 23 points and a career-high 22 rebounds in a 117-108 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Thompson started in place of an injured DeMarcus Cousins, and had himself a career-night, scoring and and grabbing more rebounds than he had in his last three games combined.

Play of the Night

Warriors point guard Stephen Curry dished out what was one of the wackiest assists of the season in a win over the Rockets. He threw the ball behind his back to Harrison Barnes for the dunk.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu_lQ-LI6sc

2014-15 NBA Standings 

Check out bunow.com for local and national stories will by Bloomsburg University students.

Follow me on twitter @Lower_Merion33

*All stats courtesy of ESPN

Non-MVP Award Races- Part 1

While the MVP race is a hot topic in the NBA, many forget the other award races going on in the association. Let's take a look at my favorites for the following award races- Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year

Rookie of the Year

Andrew Wiggins (Minnesota SF)- Wiggins is averaging 14.5 points and 4.2 rebounds a game for the Timberwolves, but is starting to show signs of his true potential. His athleticism and raw talent are matched by none in this rookie class, and the award is his to lose. Wiggins is putting up 21.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 49% shooting in the month of January.

Source

Nikola Mirotic (Chicago PF)- The 23-year-old power forward for the Bulls is recording 8.0 points and 5.1 rebounds a game, despite playing behind Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol. He has stepped up whenever either one of those big men have been injured, and will continue to play a vital bench role in head coach Tom Thibodeau's rotation.

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K.J. McDaniels (Philadelphia SG)- For a guy taken in the second round (32nd overall), McDaniels is proving every team that didn't take him in the first round wrong. His athleticism and defensive prowess has been a positive sign for the 76ers this year, offense is coming along game-by-game. He is receiving steady minutes and should continue to do so for the rest of the season, making him a great dark horse for ROY. If McDaniels' can have a solid three months on offense, he could steal the award from Wiggins.

Source

2014 Rookie of the Year Results

Sixth Man of the Year

Manu Ginobili (San Antonio SG)- Ginobili seems to be on the ballot every year, and he continues to put up strong numbers for the Spurs. He is scoring 12.5 points, and dishing out 5.0 assists a game, which will be a career-high if that number holds for the 37-year-old. His 42% shooting could be a little better, but Ginobili is hitting 37% of his 3-point attempts, and barring an injury, will be in the sixth man conversation come April.

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Taj Gibson (Chicago PF)- Gibson finished second behind Jamal Crawford last season for the Sixth Man award, and his hustle and rebounding will one day earn him a starting job. For now, he his putting his talents to good use off the bench, putting up splits of 11.6/6.9/51% (Pts, Reb, FG%) in just under 29 minuets a game.

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Jamal Crawford (Los Angeles SG)- Much like Ginobili, Crawford is a name synonymous with top sixth men and he was also last years' winner of the award. His 3-point shooting and overall scoring ability remains constant for the Los angeles Clippers, and he will be contending for his third Sixth Man of the Year award in the Spring.

Source

2014 Sixth Man of the Year Results

Stay tuned for another article on the following award races- Most Improved, Defensive Player and Coach of the Year.

2014-15 NBA Standings 

Check out bunow.com for local and national stories will by Bloomsburg University students.

Follow me on twitter @Lower_Merion33

*All stats courtesy of ESPN

Nightly Recap- Jan. 1

Top Performances

Jimmy Butler (Chicago SG)- Posted a stat line of 26 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in a 106-101 win over the Denver Nuggets. Butler seemed determined to pickup in 2015 where he left off in 2014, as he shot 7 of 14 from the field, and also chipped in three blocks and two steals. He, along with Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah, are proving to be one of the best teams in the league, and are looking like real title contenders heading into the second half of the season.

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Pau Gasol (Chicago PF/C)- Finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and a career-high nine blocks in the Bulls' win over the Nuggets. Gasol was all over the Nuggets on defense, as his nine blocks were more than he had accumulated in his previous four games combined. His fantastic season continues in Chicago, and will likely be an all-star come February.

Andrew Wiggins (Minnesota SG/SF)- The rookie tallied 27 points, nine rebounds and four steals in a 110-107 loss to the Sacramento Kings. Wiggins had a solid all-around game for Minnesota, and has scored over 21 points in four of his last five games. His game is starting to become more consistent, which is great news for Timberwolves' fans, and bad news for the rest of the teams in the NBA.

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Kenneth Faried (Denver PF)- Scored 18 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in a 106-101 loss to the Chicago Bulls. It was his third time in four games that Faried grabbed 19 or more rebounds, as he is one of the most talented rebounders in the NBA. As long as he is playing enough minutes each night, he is a double-double threat who give nothing less than 110% on the court.

Plays of the Night

Rose to Butler

Derrick Rose connected with Jimmy Butler on an alley-oop that brought the fans to their feet on Thursday night. The alley-oop put the game out of reach with a little under four minutes to play in the game, as the Bulls won 106-101.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nutSHuUONPk

McLemore Slams it Home

Ben McLemore finished a fast-break alley-oop against the Timberwolves on Thursday, showcasing his athleticism and finishing abilities. He finished the game with 14 points (6-9 FG) and four rebounds.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uev6631pLgc

2014-15 NBA Standings 

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Follow me on twitter @Lower_Merion33

Daily Recap- Nov. 26.

Who Was Hot

Stephen Curry (Golden State PG)- Followed up his 40-point game with a 28-point, eight assist performance (Six 3-pointers) in a 111-96 win over the Orlando Magic. Curry did most of his scoring (25 points, five 3-pointers) in the first half, and is in quite a zone over his last few games.

DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento PF/C)- Put together another monster game, tallying 29 points (9-18 FG), 17 rebounds and six assists in a 102-89 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. Cousins also added three blocks, and dominated the game down low without Dwight Howard to guard him.

Source- http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/nba/players/full/4258.png&w=350&h=254 

Lebron James (Cleveland SF)- Came out strong and scored 29 points on 7-14 FG (14-17 FT) in a 113-87 win over the Washington Wizards. James also dished out 10 assists and grabbed eight rebounds in the revenge win over Washington.

Jose Calderon (New York PG)- Calderon got hot Wednesday night, hitting seven 3-pointers en route to a 21 point performance in a 109-102 overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Calderon also grabbed 10 rebounds in only his third game of the year (due to injuries). This won't happen on a nightly basis, but Calderon certainly enjoyed more shot attempts with Carmelo Anthony out of the lineup.

Source- http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2014/1021/ny_a_calderon01jr_D_576x324.jpg 

Tyson Chandler (Dallas C)- Scored 17 points and pulled down 25 (YES- 25) rebounds in a 109-102 overtime win over the New York Knicks. Chandler continues to be one of the best rebounders in the NBA, and is averaging a double-double 10.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg) for the season.

Isaiah Canaan (Houston PG)- Started in place of Patrick Beverley, and scored 24 points on 9-16 shooting (six 3-pointers) in a 102-89 win over the Sacramento Kings. Canaan played a strong game for Houston, adding six rebounds, four assists, four steals and only one turnover in the win.

Source- http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/nba/players/full/2490589.png&w=350&h=254 

Who Was Not

Carlos Boozer (Los Angeles PF)- Scored only four points on 2-6 shooting in a 99-93 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. It marked the second time in 10 games the Boozer failed to score in double-digits.

J.R. Smith (New York SG/SF)- Shot 7-20 from the field, tallying only 15 points in a loss to Dallas on Wednesday night. Smith started in place of Carmelo Anthony, and even though he hit the game-tying shot with less than two seconds in regulation, was not efficient for New York.

Play of the Night 

Rookies Andrew Wiggins (No. 1 overall pick) and Jabari Parker (No. 2 overall) met for the first time in the regular season on Wednesday. Wiggins sent Parker's shot driving shot into the stands late in the third quarter, providing some excitement in what was a matchup between top bottom-10 teams in the NBA.