Kemba Walker (Charlotte PG)- Tallied 29 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in a 103-95 win over the Toronto Raptors. Walker scored 29 or more points for the fourth consecutive game, and is on a hot streak for the foreseeable future. Not surprisingly, the Hornets have won four straight games, and are beginning to turn their season around after a disastrous start, and it is in large part to Walker's impressive play.
James Harden (Houston SG)- Recorded 25 points and nine assists in a 120-96 win over the New York Knicks. It was another day at the office for Harden, who has now recorded 20+ points and nine or more assists in back-to-back games for the Rockets, which have both been wins.
LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland PF/C)- Scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 99-83 win over the Miami Heat. Aldridge shot an efficient 11 of 20 from the field, and posted his third double-double in his last four games. He continues to be on of the best power forwards in the game, and combined with point guard Damian Lillard, makes up one of the best 1-2 punches in the league.
Play of the Night
Houston SG James Harden crossed up New York Knicks point guard Pablo Prigioni Thursday night in the Rockets win over New York. Harden left Prigioni way behind, and ended up hitting a step-back jumper.
Greg Monroe (Detroit PF)- Recorded his fourth straight double-double, a 27 point/18 rebound outing in a 108-95 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Monroe hit 11 of his 16 shot attempts, and also dished out six assists in what was the seventh consecutive win for the Pistons.
Anthony Davis (New Orleans PF/C)- Had another monster game, this time scoring 32 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a 98-94 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Davis took more shots (24), than he had in his previous two games combined (19 total), and hit 15 of them in the loss. It was an all too familiar night for the young superstar, who continues to put up impressive numbers, only to see his team falter late in the game.
Chris Paul (Los Angeles PG)- Tallied 24 points and 11 assists in a 114-88 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Paul was in complete control from start to finish, hitting four 3-pointers and recording three steals in the process. It was his third consecutive double-double, and his 17th overall on the season.
Mo Williams (Minnesota PG)- Scored 23 points and dished out 11 assists in a 113-111 loss to the Phoenix Suns. Williams scored in double-digits for the third straight game, while reaching double-digit assists for the first time in a week and a half.
Klay Thompson (Golden State SG)- Erupted for 40 points in a 117-102 win over the Indiana Pacers. Thompson hit 14 of 25 from the field, including six 3-pointers in the big win for Golden State. He is now shooting 56% from the field, 59% from 3-point range, and 91% from the foul line in the month of January, which bodes well for the Warriors moving ahead.
Blake Griffin (Los Angeles PF)- Posted a stat line of 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Griffin continues to fill up the stat sheet almost every night, and is averaging 22.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 2015 for the Clippers, who have now won four out of their last five contests.
Play of the Night
Charlotte Hornets' point guard Kemba Walker scored 31 points, with no three points coming at a better time then with the game tied at 94 with 1.4 seconds remaining against the New Orleans Pelicans. Walker drove into the lane and connected on an and-one shot that went high off of the glass and through the net.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Goran Dragic (Phoenix PG)- Tallied 28 points and 13 assists in a 118-106 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Dragic has now scored 20 ore more points in four of his last five games, and looks to be getting back into form after getting off to a slow start.
Tim Duncan (San Antonio PF/C)- Became the second oldest player in NBA history to record a triple double, positing a stat line of 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 107-101 win against the Memphis Grizzlies. Duncan is having another consistently brilliant season, averaging 14 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
Tyler Zeller (Boston C)- Exploded for 24 points and 14 rebounds in a 113-96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Zeller had his way the whole night, hitting 10 of 11 shots, and all four foul shots.
LeBron James (Cleveland SF)- Had another strong performance, scoring 24 points and dishing out 13 assists in a 105-91 win over the Toronto Raptors. James appears to be the top facilitator on this Cavs team, while point guard Kyrie Irving has played more of a scoring role, especially late in games.
Marc Gasol (Memphis C)- Scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 107-101 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Gasol is having another fantastic season, and will continue to anchor the Grizzlies defense as they make a push for a top seed in the Western Conference.
Giannis Antetokounmpo threw down a poster dunk on Heat center Chris Bosh Friday night. The 6'11'' "Greek Freak" continues to showcase his athletic ability every night, and his skill set progressing under head coach Jason Kidd's guidance
Mirza Teletovic (Brooklyn PF)- Scored 26 points and pulled down 15 rebounds in a 95-93 overtime win against the San Antonio Spurs. Teletovic got h the start and didn't disappoint, showing his accuracy from 3-point range (Five 3's) in the win.
Danny Green (San Antonio SG)- Posted a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds in the Spurs' overtime win against the Nets. Green has been on a tear, especially on the defensive end, as he has
Andre Drummond (Detroit C)- Had a monster game of 27 points and 14 rebounds in a 109-102 loss to the Boston Celtics. Drummond also recorded four steals and five blocks, and continues to be one of the top big men in the game.
Kyle Lowry (Toronto PG)- Tallied a career-high 39 points on 13-22 shooting in a 123-104 win over the Utah Jazz. Lowry is having another stellar year, and is quietly one of the best point guards in the NBA. He is averaging 20.6 ppg, 6.8 apg and 4.9 rpg this season.
Jeremy Lin (Los Angeles PG)- Failed to hit any of his 10 shot attempts in a 11-95 loss to the Washington Wizards. Lin not only failed to score, but also committed four turnovers in his worst game of the season.
Brandon Jennings (Detroit PG)- Shot 0 for 11 from the field, scoring only one point in Detroit's loss to the Celtics on Wednesday night. Jennings was able to contribute in order categories though, dishing out 12 assists in the loss.
Play of the Night
Kemba Walker showcased his killer crossover once again, dropping Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic and then hitting the 3-pointer on Wednesday night. Walker finished with 23 points, five rebounds and four assists in a 102-95 loss to Chicago.
Damian Lillard (Portland PG)- Scored 28 points and dropped 10 assists in a 97-87 win over the Brooklyn Nets Saturday. Lillard had an efficient night, hitting 8-14 field goals, and four 3-pointers for Portland.
Kyrie Irving/LeBron James (Cleveland PG/SF)- The duo combined for 52 points (Kyrie- 20, James-32) in a 127-94 win over the Atlanta Hawks. James chipped in seven assists and six rebounds, while Irving hit four 3-pointers in the win.
Kevin Martin (Minnesota SG)- Scored 34 points on 12-17 shooting in a 131-117 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. It was arguably one of Martin's best games of the year, unfortunately coming in a loss.
Who Was Not Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Detroit SG)- Scored only two points on 1-11 shooting in a 95-88 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Marcus/Markieff Morris (Phoenix SF/PF)- The Morris twins combined to score eight points on 3-19 shooting in a 120-107 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kemba Walker (Charlotte PG)- Shot 3-14 from the field, scoring only eight points in a 112-87 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
