Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook continues to redefine athletic ability as he racks up triple doubles, Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo is the NBA’s newest rising star and Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James passes (no pun intended) the legendary Bob Cousy to rank 16th on the all-time career assists list.
And yes, the Spurs just won a home game. Mighty good week, we would say.
Kyrie Irving Rallies With 19 in The 4th Quarter vs The Philadelphia 76ers
Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James was brilliant, finishing with a triple-double by scoring 26 points, dishing out 13 assists and pulling down 10 rebounds in the game against The Philadelphia 76ers. James’ teammate Kyrie Irving decided to do more and eclipsed him by scoring 39 points on the young Sixers.
Irving is cementing his reputation as a fourth quarter hero, and this game was no different when he poured 19 points in the fourth quarter, nearly equaling the 20 he scored in the previous three.
The Cleveland Cavaliers trailed in each of the first three quarters, before Kyrie single handedly won the close game for the home team.
DeMarcus Cousins Shows Off his Range vs The Brooklyn Nets
The NBA game continues to evolve in this pace and space era, and nowhere are the signs of changing times more evident than in forwards and centers making threes.
DeMarcus showed off his new found range by going 4 of 5 from beyond the arc to finish with 37 points, just one shy of his season high 38 against the LA Clippers. He also wrecked havoc defensively with a season high 4 steals, as he dominated the game at both ends of the floor.
The Brow is Unstoppable Against the Los Angeles Lakers
It can be argued that guarding New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis is near impossible this season. The Lakers learned this the hard way. Davis erupted for 41 points and 16 rebounds, while filling up every stat column in the process, drubbing the Lakers in a 105-88 win.
Davis led the Pelicans from the front, and returned the favor to the Lakers who beat his Pelicans in a lopsided win earlier in the season.
LeBron James Passes Bob Cousy to Rank 16th on the All-Time Career Assists List
It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough. In the game between Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers, Cavaliers’ Kevin Love, trapped at the sideline, found a streaking LeBron at the top of the key who, instinctively turned left to whip a pass to JR Smith who ought to have spotted up beyond the arc at the left wing.
Smith got there two beats late but still got the pass off the bounce and scored from way downtown, giving James his 6,956th assist to put him ahead of the legendary Boston Celtics guard Bob Cousy.
James is dishing out passes at a mind-numbing career high 9.3 assists per game, and with just about 400 assists shy of Maurice Cheeks (7329), James is on pace to finish this season ranked 12th on the all-time career assists leader list.
Giannis “The Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo
Who is better than Carmelo Anthony (points), Steph Curry (assists), DeAndre Jordan (blocks) and Draymond Green (steals)? The Milwaukee Buck’s heart and soul, and the NBA’s next legit star, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Led by the freak-of-nature force that is Giannis, the Bucks are a defensive matchup nightmare, and in the past two weeks they have risen to top ten in every conceivable defensive category.
The Future is Now: Karl-Anthony Towns vs Kristaps Porzingis
There are few matchups in the league that evoke as much joy as watching Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns and New York Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis matchup.
The two young guns that shared the Rookie Of The Year last season, did not disappoint in their first meeting this season.
While Porzingis was his usual efficient self with 29 points on 11 of 20 shooting, Towns broke the bank with 47 points and 18 boards, becoming the third youngest player to tally at least 45 points and 15 boards in a game.
It would have been Towns’ party to celebrate had Carmelo Anthony not sank a dagger to narrowly edge out the Timberwolves 106-104.
Spurs Win Just Their Fifth Game at Home
Yes. You read that right. The San Antonio Spurs are perfect on the road this season and just need three more wins for tying the NBA record for most consecutive away wins to start the season.
Matters are fairly grim back home though. The Spurs who have an away record of 11-0 this season, have won just five games at home in nine games during the same stretch.
This too, would have been a close call, if not for Kawhi Leonard’s late game heroics and the cold-blooded game winner against Washington Wizards.
Westbrook is Unreal. Still.
Despite missing every single one of his shots for 47 out of 48 minutes in regulation, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook was trusted with the potential game-tying shot against Washington Wizards.
He finally hit the bottom of the net, tied the game, and then nearly refused to miss in the rest of the match, leading the Thunders to another win in a perfect week.
The amazing Westbrook is averaging a triple-double this far in the season.
Throwback (This Week That Year): MJ vs MJ Part 1
On 2 December 1984, rookie Michael Jordan went up against veteran Magic Johnson in a matchup of the Present vs the Future. That Magic Johnson had already cemented his status as one of the greatest was never in doubt. But here was a rookie Jordan, who was touted as the heir apparent to the throne that Magic would eventually have to give up.
Jordan finished with 20 points to help the rising Chicago Bulls team in a narrow 113-112 win over (eventual 1985 NBA Champions) Los Angeles Lakers who were led by Magic’s 12 points / 16 assists and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 32 points.
Weekend Bloopers!
Because, what’s a sports week without bloopers?
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