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New York Knicks – Carmelo Anthony Can’t Miss a Shot Right Now
While it’s clear the New York Knicks are clicking on a level they haven’t been on since the beginning of the season, the scoring and efficiency of Carmelo Anthony over the past few games might even surpass that of his team, playing better basketball on the offensive end than any other player in the NBA right now.
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Oklahoma City Thunder – Russell Westbrook is Best When He Operates Solo
It’s hard to find point guards that have been as selfish on the floor as Russell Westbrook is, but when he doesn’t have to waste precious brain-fuel on defense and chasing other players, he also doesn’t really need any help in getting the ball in the basket, once again out-shooting and force once also out scoring and losing less ball than his co-star, Kevin Durant.
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Denver Nuggets – Corey Brewer Makes Andre Iguodala Look Good
Not for the first time this season and in recent weeks, the Denver Nuggets owe a victory to Corey Brewer, this time pulling off three big plays in the final seconds of a big win, giving Andre Iguodala the chance to be a hero with the game winner, while everyone was still shell-shocked by Danilo Gallinari probably tearing his ACL, now lost for the season and possibly much longer.
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Chicago Bulls – Carlos Boozer Might Give Them Home Court Advantage
Despite seeing some of their key players dropping like flies, not to mention still waiting for Derrick Rose to return, the Chicago Bulls aren’t that far away from getting a first round home court advantage in the playoffs, thanks to an impressive double-double from Carlos Boozer, leading to a win over a direct rival for the spot they’ve been after.
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Dwight Howard Has Missed More Free Throws This Season Than Steve Nash Has In His Entire 17 Year Career
It’s hard to say if this stats is a praise to the free throw shooting accuracy of Steve Nash, or a jab at the ability of Dwight Howard to convert his trips to the line, as the Los Angeles Lakers center has already missed more shots from the line this season than Nash has during his entire NBA career, spanning nearly 17 seasons.
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Best NBA Players in the Clutch This Season
While LeBron James may not score more than some others in clutch situations, the fact that the Miami Heat are by far the best team in the NBA on both offense and defense, outscoring opponents by 32 points per 100 possessions in the final minutes of close games, more than double the pace-adjusted margin of the second-ranked team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, with a positive margin of 13.8 points per 100 possessions in clutch situations.
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Los Angeles Clippers – DeAndre Jordan Looks Like a Superstar for Once
When you give someone as athletic and big like DeAndre Jordan so many open looks next to the rim, there’s no reason he shouldn’t finish with a double double, despite his limited offensive and general basketball abilities, helping the Los Angeles Clippers, setting a new franchise record for wins in a regular season, reaching that magical 50 number for the first time ever.
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Houston Rockets – Jeremy Lin Makes Chandler Parsons & James Harden Look Great
Maybe Kevin McHale has been paying attention, because the return of James Harden to the Houston Rockets backcourt didn’t hurt the dominance of Jeremy Lin, which made both the returning star and Chandler Parsons look quite fresh despite missing a few games and with the need to shake off a little rust.
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Denver Nuggets – Danilo Gallinari Changing the Scenario of the NBA Playoffs
As always, points in the paint were the key to another Denver Nuggets victory, while Danilo Gallinari made the most of his few shots to lead his team, especially in the fourth quarter. With the win, it doesn’t only improve the Nuggets’ chances of getting the third seed in the West, meaning a much easier team to face in the first round of the playoffs, but shaping the battle for the final ticket.
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Boston Celtics – Jeff Green Clinches Playoff Spot for Hobbled Group of Guys
It took a bit longer than usual, but this is no ordinary season for the Boston Celtics, who look like they’re playing on their last fumes of gas entering the final couple of weeks of the NBA season. Jeff Green continues his fantastic form with some exceptional scoring while Paul Pierce glues all the imperfect, not to mention flawed pieces together, in what looks like a successful escape of being the 8th seed in the East.