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.

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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.

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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.


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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.

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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 

Nightly Recap- Jan. 16

Top Performances

Derrick Rose (Chicago PG)- Scored 29 points and dished out 10 assists in a 119-103 win over the Boston Celtics. It was easily one of his best games of the season, and his second consecutive game scoring  over 20 points. In his last two games, Rose has tallied 61 points on 24-42 shooting, as well as 11 3-pointers. Friday night was also his first 20-10 game since March of 2012.

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Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City PG)- Recorded his ninth career triple-double in a 127-115 win against the Golden State Warriors. Westbrook finished with a stat line of 17 points, 17 assists and 15 rebounds in the win, and was simply all over the court during the game.

Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City SF)- Dropped 36 points on 14-18 shooting in the Thunder's win over the Warriors. The reigning MVP also chipped in nine rebounds and four assists in the big win, as OKC looked like the team that won 59 games in 2013-14. He, along with Westbrook will have to continue having big games like this if the Thunder wish to not only get into the playoffs, but avoid being an eight seed.

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Brandon Jennings (Detroit PG)- Finished with 37 points, including eight 3-pointers in a 98-96 win over the Indiana Pacers. Jennings remains in a zone from 3-point range, as he has now hit 19 of them over his last five games. His strong play has the Pistons competing for a playoff spot early in 2015, and will be worth watching come March.

Marc Gasol (Memphis C)- Flirted with a triple-double, tallying 12 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists in a 105-95 victory agains the Orlando Magic. Gasol's impressive season continues, as he fills up the stat sheet and leads the Grizzlies to wins almost every night. He is an under-the-rarer MVP candidate, and is playing the best basketball of his career.

Source

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

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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Follow me on twitter @Lower_Merion33

Daily Recap- Dec. 9

Who Was Hot

Chandler Parsons (Dallas SF)- Scored 30 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a 114-105 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Parsons has scored over 25 points in back-to-back games, and has hit 10-16 shots from 3-point range in that span.

Tim Duncan (San Antonio PF/C)- Tallied another double-double, scoring 23 points and pulling down 14 rebounds in a 100-96 loss to the Utah Jazz. Duncan also blocked four shots and recorded three steals. He has found the fountain of youth, as his level of play fails to decrease much in the twilight of his career.

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Chris Bosh (Miami C)- Put up 34 points and nine rebounds in a 103-97 win over the Phoenix Suns. It was Bosh's first game with over 30 points since Nov. 22, and it was a nice bounce back game from his 12 point/2 rebound performance against the Grizzlies. Bosh is averaging a reliable 21.3 points per game, to go along with 8.4 boards and a 47% field goal percentage on the year.

Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City SF)- Got back on track and posted a stat line of 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a 114-101 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Durant hit 7 of 11 shots from the field (8-8 FT) in 29 minutes of action, and looks to be almost back at full strength. The Thunder have won 3 of 4 games since KD has returned, and are should get back in the playoff race within the next month.

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Marcus Morris (Phoenix PF)- Broke out for a 25 point, five rebound performance in a loss to the Miami Heat. Morris shot 10 of 13 from the field, and hit five 3-pointers in 37 minutes of action (highest since Nov. 22 against Denver). It was the first time he scored over 20 points since the Suns' first game of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Marc Gasol (Memphis C)- Scored 30 points (9-14 FG, 12-13 FT), grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists in a win over the Dallas Mavericks. Gasol is having a terrific season, as his scoring average of 19 ppg is almost five points ahead of his previous highest total (14.6 in 11-12/13-14).

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Play of the Night

Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook showcased his athleticism once again Tuesday evening, soaring for a outback slam over Milwaukee Bucks' guard O.J. Mayo in what was a 114-101 win for Oklahoma City. Westbrook finished the game with 28 points (8-16 FG) and seven assists.

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

Game of the Night

The Memphis Grizzlies hosted the Dallas Mavericks in a battle of two top seven Western Conference teams. Dallas took a 62-56 lead into halftime, but the Grizzlies responded with a 36-17 third quarter that gave them a 92-79 advantage heading into the final quarter. Dallas got as close as six points with less than two minutes left in the game, but the Grizzlies used several offensive rebounds and 30 points from Marc Gasol to hold on for a 114-105 win.

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

2014-15 NBA Standings 

Be sure to check out http://bunow.com for all national and local stories written by Bloomsburg University students.

Daily Recap- Dec. 5

Who Was Hot

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.

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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.

Source

Plays of the Night

Hornets' point guard Kemba Walker drove past the Knicks' defense and put up an acrobatic layup at the buzzer to beat New York.

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

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

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7JZ_r-uvAs 

2014-15 NBA Standings

Daily Recap- Nov. 23

Who Was Hot

Marc Gasol (Memphis C)- Had a monster game, scoring 30 point and pulling down 12 rebounds in a 107-91 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Gasol scored over 30 points for the second straight game, and has been getting baskets at a higher rate than ever this year.

Source- http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/nba/players/full/3206.png&w=350&h=254 

Luol Deng (Miami SF)- Dropped 26 points on 10-14 shooting, and tallied eight rebounds in a 94-93 win over Charlotte Hornets. It was the first time in five games that Deng scored more than 20 points, and should be a consistent scoring presence going forward.

Al Jefferson (Charlotte C)- Posted a double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to Miami on Sunday. Jefferson continues to be one of the most efficient and talented big men in the game, and will need to be at a top level if the Hornets want to make a strong playoff push.

Source- http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/nba/players/full/2389.png&w=350&h=254 

Who Was Not

Nick Young (Los Angeles SG/SF)- Scored only seven points on 2-12 shooting in a 101-94 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets. Young has shot 4-19 from the field in his last two games, proving his consistency is still laking on a nightly basis.

Blake Griffin (Los Angeles PF)- Shot 5-17 from the field, and scored 12 points in a 107-91 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Griffin committed four turnovers, and struggled all night finding his shot against a tough Memphis defense.

Avery Bradley (Boston PG/SG)- Failed to record an assist for a second straight game, and scored 13 points in a 94-88 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Bradley shot 6-18 from the field, as his play continues to be inconsistent for the Celtics.

Daily Recap- Nov. 19.

Who Was Hot

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.

Source- http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/nba/players/full/3439.png&w=350&h=254 

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.

Source- http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/nba/players/full/3206.png&w=350&h=254 

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.

Daily Recap- Oct. 29th

Who Was Hot

Rajon Rondo- The Boston Celtic's point guard surprisingly started the first game of the season, and dropped 13 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in a 121-105 blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets. For the C's to have any chance at success this year, Rondo must control the tempo on offense and lead the team on defense.

Brandon Knight- Even though he struggled from the field (5-17 field goals), and the Bucks lost 108-106, Knight showcased high potential. He finished with 22 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds, proving to head coach Jason Kidd that he is capable of leading this young team.

Chris Bosh- No LeBron? No problem. The Georgia Tech product looked like he did in his Toronto Raptors days, scoring 26 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in a 107-95 win over the Washington Wizards. Bosh hit three three-pointers and dished out four assists, and looks to be the number option going forward for the Heat.

Memphis Big Men- Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph combined to shoot 24-33 from the field and pull down a combined 22 rebounds in a 105-101 Grizzlies win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. If the duo can consistently put up close to double-doubles on a nightly basis, the Memphis Grizzlies will have a good chance to contend for a top six seed in the Western Conference.

Source- http://www.memphisconnect.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/grizz-5.jpg 

Who Was Not

Los Angeles Lakers- Back-to-back nights the Lakers have come out and looked clueless on both ends of the ball, as the Phoenix Suns dominated them 119-99. Kobe Bryant posted a game-high 31 points, but looked frustrated throughout the game, receiving a technical foul after he believed he was fouled. It's early, but the Lakers look like a lottery team already.

Bryant scored 31 points, but failed to get any help from his teammates. Source- http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/v2_article_large/public/2013/04/13/bryant_lakers_.jpg?itok=UKT4CMy2 

Perry Jones III- Given a chance to play big minutes due to Kevin Durant's injury, the small forward from Baylor shot 1-9 from the field in 31 minutes of play in a 106-89 loss to the Portland TrailBlazers. Chalk it up to nerves and playing against a stingy Portland defense, but Jones will need to contribute more on both ends of the floor for the Thunder to post a winning record during Durant's absence.

Ben McLemore- The second-year guard was supposed to have an improved jumper coming into the season. Instead, McLemore posted a stat line of 0-5 from the field, two rebounds, two turnovers and one assist in 26 minutes Wednesday. In order for Sacramento to have a shot at the playoffs, he will have to prove he can be a viable third scoring option behind DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay.

Stat of the Night- The Hornets came back from 24 points down to beat the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, making it the largest comeback in Charlotte's history.

All stats and info courtesy of espn.com
Follow me on Twitter @Lower_Merion33