Nightly Recap- Jan. 26

Top Performances

Anthony Davis (New Orleans PF/C)- Exploded for 32 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in a 99-74 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Davis dominated early and often against a weak 76ers' front line, and also recorded three assists and three steals in the win. It marked his third consecutive double-double, and he has recorded 10 steals in that span.

Source

Zach Randolph (Memphis PF)- Finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in a 103-94 win against the Orlando Magic. Randolph was efficient, hitting 8 of 13 shot attempts, and dished out his most assists in a single game this season.

Gordon Hayward (Utah SG/SF)- Tallied 26 points and six rebounds in a 99-90 loss to the Boston Celtics. Hayward also chipped in three steals and two blocks, while hitting four 3-pointers in the loss. He has now scored over 20 points in four of his last six games.

Source

Jamal Crawford (Los Angeles SG)- Scored 23 points and grabbed four rebounds in a 102-98 win over the Denver Nuggets. Crawford exploded for 21 points in the fourth quarter, including three 3-pointers that helped the Clippers come back from as many as 10 down with nine minutes to play in the game. It was his first 20 point game in almost two weeks, and was much needed by his team.

Play of the Night

Anthony Davis slammed home an alley-oop from teammate Tyreke Evans Monday night, showcasing his freakish athleticism once again.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN-VsMbJc7Y

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

Daily Recap- Dec. 1.

Who Was Hot

John Wall (Washington PG)- Got back on track Monday, posting a double-double of 18 pints and 13 assists in a 107-86 win over the Miami Heat. Wall had only scored 18 combined points and dished out 14 combined assists in his last two games, so this is what Washington fans were expecting versus Miami. Wall continues to perform as one of the best point guards in the league, and it will likely stay that way for years to come.

Source

Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio SF)- Scored 26 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in a 109-103 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. With Tony Parker and Tim Duncan resting for the night, Leonard took on more responsibilities on the offensive end of the floor, and showcased his talents once again.

Michael Carter-Williams (Philadelphia PG)- Followed up his triple-double performance with another fantastic performance, scoring 24 points in a loss to the Spurs. Carter-Williams also grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out seven assists, and will continue to fill up the stat sheet for the 76ers.

Shabazz Muhammad (Minnesota SG)- Tallied 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 127-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Muhammad has reached a double-digit point total in three of the last four games, and is starting to earn consistent minutes in the Timberwolves' rotation.

Source

Who Was Not

Jamal Crawford (Los Angeles SG)- Scored only four points on 1 of 5 shooting in a 127-101 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was the first time in six games that Crawford failed to scored at least 19 points, but keep in mind that his minutes were low because of the blowout win. Expect the high-volume shooter to get back to his usual scoring output in L.A.'s next contest.

Paul Pierce (Washington SF)- Played only 20 minutes, recording four points in a 107-86 win over the Miami Heat on Monday night. Pierce's numbers have been up and down this season, but has scored in double figures in eight of his last ten games.

Play of the Night

Spurs' guard Marco Belinelli soared for a unlikely posterization of 76ers' center Henry Sims on Monday night. The Italian sharpshooter does not get to the rim often, so appreciate this dunk while you can.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgZI_F8lXl4 

Daily Recap- Nov. 20

Who Was Hot

Chris Paul (Los Angeles PG)- Had a monster game, scoring 26 points and dishing out 12 assists in a 110-93 win over the Miami Heat. Paul was in complete control the whole game, helping L.A. race out to a 39-15 lead after the first quarter, and never looking back.

Source- http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/nba/players/full/2779.png&w=350&h=254 

Darren Collison (Sacramento PG)-  Posted a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds in a 103-88 win over the Bulls. Collison also pulled down six rebounds and hit all seven free throws, as the Kings handed the Bulls their first road loss of the season.

Blake Griffin (Los Angeles PF)-  Scored 26 points on 12-18, while grabbing seven rebounds in the Clippers' win over the Heat on Thursday night. Griffin also recorded three steals, and did not commit a turnover.

Source- http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/nba/players/full/3989.png&w=350&h=254 

Chris Bosh (Miami PF/C)- Tallied 28 points (9-17 FG) and seven rebounds in Miami's loss to the Clippers.

Who Was Not

Jamal Crawford (Los Angeles SG)- Shot 1-6 from the field, scoring only five points in the Clippers' win over the Heat. Crawford did recorded nine assists however, which compensated for his shot being off.

Mike Dunleavy (Chicago SG/SF)- Scored 12 points, but hit only 4 of 13 shots in the Bulls' loss to the Kings on Thursday.

Daily Recap- Nov. 10.

Who Was Hot

LeBron James (Cleveland SF/PF)- Posted a strong stat line (32 pts, 11 reb, 9 ast) in a 118-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. James had his best game this season, and should continue to get himself more and more acclimated with his teammates as the season progresses.

Source- http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/nba/players/full/1966.png&w=350&h=254 

Anthony Davis (New Orleans PF/C)- Had a monster game with 27 points, 14 rebounds, four steals and four assists in a 118-111 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Davis's game continues to improve, and he is one of the most talented players in the NBA.

Ryan Anderson (New Orleans PF)- Scored 32 points and made 8 three-pointers in New Orleans loss to Cleveland. Anderson played an overall strong game (11-19 FG, 5 reb)

Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio SF)- Leonard had a monster game Monday, recording a double-double (26 pts, 10 reb) in an 89-85 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. The reigning NBA Finals MVP also chipped in three steals and three assists in what was his best game of the season to date.

Source- http://j12designs.com/kawhi/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/5563_SAS_Leonard_Kawhi.png    

Who Was Not

Donald Sloan (Indiana PG)- Scored only two points on 1-9 shooting in 29 minutes of action Monday in a 97-96 win over the Utah Jazz.

Jamal Crawford (Los Angeles Clippers' SG)- Scored only 10 points on 3-13 shooting in an 89-85 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

Jeff Teague (Atlanta PG)- Failed to hit a shot (0-3 FG), scoring only three points and recording three turnovers in a 91-85 win over the New York Knicks.