Weekend Recap- Feb.27-March 1

Friday's Top Performances

Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City PG)- Recorded his third consecutive triple-double in a 115-112 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Westbrook's phenomenal stretch of basketball continued, as he poured in 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, while hitting 14 of 32 shot attempts. He has zoomed up the MVP rankings, and is doing any-and everything he can to give his team a chance to win games night in and night out.

Source

Greg Monroe (Detroit PF)- Scored 28 points in a 121-115 double overtime loss to the New York Knicks. Monroe led the Pistons into overtime, doing everything he could to give them the win, but it wasn't enough. The 28 points were most than he had scored in his previous two games combined.

LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland PF)- Recorded 29 points and 16 rebounds in Portland's win over the Thunder on Friday evening. Aldridge hit 10 of 23 shot attempts, and 9 of 10 free throw attempts in the big win for Portland.

Source

Jimmy Butler (Chicago SG)- Tallied 28 points and 12 rebounds in a 96-89 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Butler nailed 11 of his 19 shot attempts, and as usual, filled up the rest of the stat sheet with two steals and two blocks.

Saturday's Top Performances

Deron Williams (Brooklyn PG)- Sparked the Nets to a 104-94 win over the Dallas Mavericks, scoring 25 points and grabbing six rebounds. Williams turned back the clocks, as he missed only five of his 14 shot attempts, and only committed one turnover in the big win.


Source

Hassan Whiteside (Miami C)- Pulled down 24 rebounds, while adding in 14 points in a 93-91 loss to the East-leading Atlanta Hawks. It was the fourth double-double in his last five games, as Whiteside has been one of the biggest surprises of this NBA season.

Marc Gasol (Memphis C)- Gasol scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 101-97 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Spaniard was uber-effecient from the floor, knocking down 11 of 14 field goal attempts, while also dishing out four assists for the current number two seed in the Western Conference.
Sunday's Top Performances

Stephen Curry (Golden State PG)- Exploded for 37 points in a 106-101 comeback win over the Boston Celtics Sunday. The Warriors trailed by as many as 26 points in the second quarter, but rallied behind their leader and one of the league's top MVP candidates to come away with a win. Curry knocked down 14 of his 22 shot attempts, including five 3-pointers, while dishing out five assists.

Chris Paul (Los Angeles PG)- Recorded a double-doubled of 28 points and 12 rebounds the Clippers' 96-86 victory on the road against the Chicago Bulls. Paul was in total control throughout the entire game, as this was his fourth consecutive double-double, with three of those being of the 20+ point and 10+ assist variety.

Source

Damian Lillard (Portland PG)- Dropped 31 points in a 110-99 win over the Sacramento Kings. Lillard had his second consecutive game scoring 29 or more points, hitting 11 of 20 field goal attempts. The young stud from Weber State also added in seven assists and four rebounds.

2014-15 NBA Standings 

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*All stats courtesy of ESPN 

First MVP Rankings of 2015

As we head into the new year, let's take a look at my current MVP rankings in the NBA. The rankings are based off of team success, individual performances/numbers, as well as any other intangibles that have been seen this season. Be sure to click the links and/or the photos for video highlights of the players.

Outside Looking In

Other notables- Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard

Jimmy Butler (Chicago SG)- 21.9 ppg, 6.2 rbp, 3.3 apg (48% FG, 34% 3PT, 83% FT)

Chris Paul (Los Angeles PG)- 17.9 ppg, 9.5 apg, 4.6 rpg (47% FG, 40% 3PT, 89% FT)

Marc Gasol (Memphis C)- 20.0 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 3.8 apg (50% FG, 81% FT, 1.7 BPG)

Top 5

5. James Harden (Houston SG)- The Houston shooting guard has taken over the last few weeks, and was named the Western Conference Player of the Month for his efforts in December. Harden is scoring 27.0 points, and dishing out 6.5 assists, to go along with 1.9 steals per game this season. His biggest game recently came in a 110-95 win over the portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 22. Harden scored 44 points (14-26 FG), dished out seven assists and recorded five steals in the big win. Expect Harden to continue receiving attention as long as his production stays the same, and Houston continues to win games.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5tXLoaRtWI

Source

4. DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento PF/C)- Cousins missed some time due to illness, but has returned to form over the last two weeks, and is averaging 23.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game for the season. His offense and improving defense make him one of the better two-way players in the league, but in order to climb higher in the rankings, he will need to lead the Kings to more victories. However, his PER of 26.60 (Fifth in the NBA), along with his numbers/skill set. does help provide a solid case for Cousins.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KgTz9hVr8g

Source

3. Kyle Lowry (Toronto PG)- The recently announced Eastern Conference Player of the Month has been continuing to play at a high level for the 24-10 Toronto Raptors. In the month of December, Lowry averaged 22.3 points, 8.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds, all while shooting 46% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. His grit and tenacity fuels the Raptors night in and night out, and makes him a legitimate MVP candidate at this point in the season.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40_Aapo7Biw

Source

2. Anthony Davis (New Orleans PF/C)- The 21-year-old power forward/center continues to shine on both ends of the court, and is averaging 23.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game this season. His PER of 31.26 continues to lead the league, and Davis has shown he can compete against the best teams in the league, as evidence by his 29 points, 11 rebound and six block performance against the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 27. Barring an injury or for some bizarre reason, a slump, expect Davis to maintain his spot in the MVP conversation for the rest of the season.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N_QDxZD-qk

Source

1. Stephen Curry (Golden State PG)- Curry continues to shoot lights out from all areas of the court, and the Warriors are looking like top title contenders which each game. His defense has remained consistent and his passing, scoring and rebounding have helped the Warriors to an NBA-best 27-5. His PER of 26.9 is good for fourth in the league, and his 23.0 points and 7.8 assists per game are good for ninth and sixth respectively.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz2vrQ7EtIE

Source

Stay tuned for more MVP, as well other award rankings in the future, as we head move into the second half of the season.

*All stats are courtesy of ESPN

2014-15 NBA Standings 

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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.

Source

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.

Source

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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Daily Recap- Dec. 27

Top Performances

Kemba Walker (Charlotte PG)- Dropped a career-high 42 points in a 102-94 loss to the Orlando Magic. Walker did everything he could to give the Hornets a chance to win the game, as he hit 15 of 31 shot attempts and dished out seven assists in the game. The young point guard has been hot as of late, scoring 20+ points in six of his last eight games.

Source

Anthony Davis (New Orleans PF/C)- Had a great all-around game in his hometown debut, scoring 29 points in a 107-100 loss to the Chicago Bulls. Davis also chipped in 11 rebounds and six blocked shots against a stingy Bulls' frontcourt of Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol, and continues to perform against any and all competition.

Derrick Favors (Utah PF)- Scored 17 points and pulled down 15 rebounds in an 88-71 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Favors was an animal Saturday night, as he also blocked five shots, and recorded three steals and three assists. His five blocks were the most he has had in a contest since Dec. 5 against the Orlando Magic.

Source

Darren Collison (Sacramento PG)- Had a fantastic shooting night, hitting 9 of 10 shot attempts for 27 points in a 135-129 overtime win overt the New York Knicks. Collison was uber-effecient Saturday, hitting a late 3-pointer in overtime to put the game out of reach, and also dished out 10 assists.

DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento PF/C)- Tallied a season-high 39 points in an overtime win over the New York Knicks. Cousins played after missing one game with an illness, but showed no ill-effects, as he hit 14 of 27 shot attempts and grabbed 11 rebounds in the victory. He has both 30 point/10 rebound performances in 30 minutes or less in the NBA this season, and is simply one of the best big men in the game right now.

Source

Jimmy Butler (Chicago SG)- Scored 33 points on 12 of 18 shooting in a 107-100 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Butler grabbed five rebounds and hit 9 of his 10 foul shot attempts in the contest. It marked the third time in the last week and a half that Butler has scored over 30 points, and his efficiency is showing no signs of decreasing.

Carmelo Anthony (New York SF)- Poured in 36 points to go along with 11 rebounds and six assists in a 135-129 overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings. Melo did all he could to give the Knicks a fighting chance, and has scored over 30 points in three of his last six games.

Source

Play of the Night

Washington Wizards' point guard John Wall wowed the crowd once again Saturday night, converting on a 360 layup late in the first quarter agains the Boston Celtics. Wall showcased his supreme athleticism once again, and finished with 12 points and seven assists in a 101-88 win over the Celtics.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CRRHeNrHBg

2014-15 NBA Standings

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Daily Recap- Dec. 22

Top Performances

James Harden (Houston SG)- Tallied 44 points on 14-26 shooting in a 110-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Harden was on fire the entire game, and also filled up the stat sheet, recording seven assists and five steals.

Source

Klay Thompson (Golden State SG)- Registered 25 points in a 128-108 win over the Sacramento Kings. Thompson lit up Sacramento's defense early and often Monday night, hitting 10 of 16 shot attempts. He commited only one turnover and has scored 20+ points in nine of the last 10 games for the Warriors.

Jimmy Butler (Chicago SG)- Posted a double-double of 27 points and 11 rebounds in a 129-120 win over the Toronto Raptors. Butler had another double-double, and is having a career year for the Bulls.

Source

Boris Diaw (San Antonio PF)- Scored 23 points on 9 of 11 shooting in a 125-118 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Diaw came out of nowhere to have a great game, as he played big minutes in the second half.

Chris Paul (Los Angeles PG)- Recorded 25 points, nine assists and four rebounds in a loss to the Spurs on Monday night. Paul did everything he could to give the Clippers a chance to defeat the defending champion Spurs, but it was just not enough, as San Antonio shot over 63% from the field in the win. Paul has had back-to-back games of 25+ points and nine or more assists, and appears to be trying to score more on an inconsistent Clippers team.

Source

Kyle Lowry (Toronto PG)- Posted a line of 34 points, six rebounds and three assists in a 129-120 loss to the Chicago Bulls. Lowry did everything he could to give Toronto a chance to win the game, but it wasn't enough as the Raptors fell just short. The Villanova product is nonetheless having an excellent season, and is living up to the 4yr/48 million dollar contract he signed in the offseason.

Play of the Night

Houston Rockets' guard James Harden erupted for 44 points in a win over the Trail Blazers, a rematch of last years' first round matchup in the Western Conference. Below is a video highlight package of his phenomenal night.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljFUzEzw7Ag

2014-15 NBA Standings

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Daily Recap- Dec. 19

Who Was Hot

Blake Griffin (Los Angeles PF)- Tallied 32 points and 12 rebounds in a 109-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Griffin has scored 30+ points and grabbed 12 or more rebounds in back-to-back games, and appears to be playing more consistently for head coach Doc Rivers.

Source

Damian Lillard/LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland PG/PF)- Lillard scored a career-high 43 points, while Aldridge tallied 32 in a 129-119 triple overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs. The Portland duo played fantastic once again, as Lillard hit game-tying shots at the end of regulation and double overtime, while Aldridge grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds in one of

Trail Blazers' biggest wins of the season.

Lillard now leads the NBA in game-tying or go ahead field goals in the last 15 seconds of the 4th quarter/overtime over the last three seasons.

Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City PG)- Scored 31 points and dished out 10 assists in a 104-103 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Westbrook has been on a tear since his return from injury, and has scored 30 or more points in four of his last five games. If Durant continues to miss games, Westbrook could thrust himself into the MVP conversation quickly, as long as his consistent play holds up.

Source

Jimmy Butler/Nikola Mirotic (Chicago SG/PF)- Butler registered 31 points and 10 rebounds, while Mirotic tallied a career-high 27 points (7-8 3pt FG) in a 103-97 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Mirotic played extra minutes with Taj Gibson out due to injury, and made the most of his playing time, while Butler had a second straight 30 point game. The young shooting guard continues to have stellar season, and is likely to be an all-star as long as his play holds up in the future.

Play of the Night

Toronto's James Johnson threw down a terrific slam over Detroit Pistons' center Andre Drummond on Friday night. The dunk got the entire Toronto bench on their feet, and the Raptors went on to win by a score of 110-100.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW9gBpjqAjg

2014-15 NBA Standings

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Daily Recap- Dec. 18

Top Performances

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.

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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.

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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.

Source

Play of the Night

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.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40yh3SxrWLg

2014-15 NBA Standings

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Daily Recap- Nov. 13.

Who Was Hot

James Johnson (Toronto SF/PF)- Had his highest scoring game of the year, with 16 points on 7-9 FG in a 100-93 loss to the Chicago Bulls. Johnson also chipped in four steals and four blocks.

Source- http://www.livebets.ca/sites/default/files/jamesjohnsonreturn.jpg 

Jarrett Jack (Brooklyn PG)- Scored 23 points on a perfect 10-10 from the field in the Nets' 107-99 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol (Chicago SG/PF)- Butler continued his strong play, scoring 21 points, grabbing nine rebounds and tallying six assists. Gasol posted his sixth double-double of the year, scoring 27 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.

Courtney Lee (Memphis SG)- Hit the game-winning layup at the buzzer to beat the Sacramento kings 111-110. With .3 seconds left, all hoped seemed lost for the Grizzlies, until Lee went around a pick and took the pass from Vince Carter laying it in to give Memphis the win at home.

Who Was Not

Philadelphia 76ers- Philadelphia gave another poor performance Thursday, losing 123-70 to the Dallas Mavericks. The 76ers fell behind 73-29 at halftime, and allowed Dallas to shoot 51% from the floor and 83% (30-36) from the foul line for the game.

Aaron Brooks (Chicago PG)- Brooks failed to scored (0-4 FG) and recorded three turnovers in Chicago's win over Toronto. It was only the second time all season that Brooks failed to score more than 10 points in a game.

DeMar DeRozan (Toronto SG/SF)- Hit 3 of 17 field goals, scoring only 10 points in Toronto's loss to the Bulls.