Another week of NBA action is in the books and we have less than four weeks left in the season. The last week wasn’t dull, with players having spectacular performances all around the league. We saw a trio of 50-point performances by LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. The Warriors look to be getting back on track, the Nets made a loud statement in Philadelphia and what the heck was going on with James Harden in that game? We are just a few weeks away from the playoffs and things are heating up in the association.
Is Brooklyn in the House?:
This past week the Nets played their best basketball of the calendar year 2022, going 3-0. Brooklyn started off the week with 132-121 win in Charlotte due to a special performance by Kyrie Irving. Uncle Drew scored 50 points on 19 shots. Irving was an efficient 15-19 from the floor, 9-12 from 3, and 11-13 from the foul line. The Nets’ next game was one of the most anticipated contest of the regular season as they took on former teammate James Harden and the Sixers. The Nets came out of the gates swinging and never looked back. Sixers’ fans went from booing Ben Simmons to heading for the exits early. Kevin Durant was ultra-locked in from the opening tip and led the Nets to a 129-100 victory. Brooklyn’s defense shut down Harden and made it tough on Joel Embiid. New addition Seth Curry looked comfortable in his old home scoring 24 points. Finally, Sunday Kevin Durant went off scoring 53 points and calling out New York City mayor Eric Adams about the vaccine mandates in New York. Kyrie was allowed to sit on the bench, but couldn’t play. It’s a ridiculous rule that needs to be looked at. The Nets are looking scary and still haven’t incorporated Ben Simmons into the fold.
Is James Harden Going to Come Through?
It was only one game, but James Harden did not look good against his former team last Thursday night. Against the Nets Harden was 3-17 from the floor, scoring 11 points and had four turnovers. Harden followed up that performance with a 5-19 performance against the Orlando Magic Sunday night. The Sixers gave up a lot for James Harden and they cannot afford these types of performances in the playoffs. Harden still has about four weeks to get figure out his new team, but those performances last week have fans bringing up his past struggles and wondering if it’s going to happen again. To his credit, Harden did rebound with 24 points 11 assist and 9 rebounds against the Nuggets Monday night.
The Warriors are Rounding into Form Again:
The Warriors have won their last four games with impressive wins at Denver and against the defending champion Bucks. The Warriors outscored the Nuggets by 20 points in the second half as Steph Curry led the charge, scoring 34 points. Curry got help. Klay Thompson scored 18 points, Jonathan Kuminga scored 18 points, Jordan scored 21 points and was a +29 when he was on the floor. The Warriors followed that up with a 122-109 win against Giannis and the Bucks. Klay Thompson had his best game since he returned, scoring 38 points. Jordan Poole added 30 points and Kuminga scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Even better news for the Warriors is that Draymond Green returned to the lineup Monday night against the Wizards. Curry was so happy Draymond was back he dropped 47 points against Washington.
Battle of the Bigs:
Monday night we were treated to a battle of the defending MVP and the player who many consider the front runner. Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid faced off for the first time in years and we saw glimpses of why both of these players are strong candidates for MVP this season. Jokic got off to a slow start, but finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists. Embiid finished with 34 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocked shots. This MVP race is going to come down to the wire.
Crazy Performances:
Since the last full court press, we’ve seen LeBron, KD, Kyrie and Karl Anthony Towns all score over 50 points. Trae Young had 47-point and 46-point performances in back-to-back games. Jason Tatum also had a 44-point performance last Wednesday. As mentioned earlier, Steph Curry went off for 47 points against the Wizards. Karl-Anthony Towns went off Monday night against the Spurs, dropping 32 points in the third quarter alone and 60 for the game. Monday night was the first time in the NBA’s history that three different players scored 45 points or more in the same night. Guys in the association have been hooping out of this world lately and it should make for an exciting sprint to the finish line as the season ends.
UNC Continues to Shine into the Final Stretch