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Houston Rockets – James Harden Doesn’t Leave Jeremy Lin With Too Much to Do
For Jeremy Lin, this season and generally his time with the Houston Rockets has mostly been about doing well in the small moments James Harden actually lets someone else play point guard for the team. Along with Dwight Howard returning, a solid performance from the backup point guard who should be a lot more was probably unnoticed by those not looking at things closely enough.
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San Antonio Spurs – Streaks With No End in Sight
Beating the Philadelphia 76ers is barely newsworthy these days, but the San Antonio Spurs are extending the longest winning streak in the league, reaching 14, while the Sixers are one loss away from tying the NBA record of 26. Resting key players like Tony Parker, Danny Green and Tiago Splitter didn’t help make this game even remotely close.
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Oklahoma City Thunder – Kevin Durant Scary Even When Relaxed
After exploding on the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter, Kevin Durant had luxury of taking it easy for most of the game, including resting in the fourth quarter. Still, his relaxed mode is better than anything most of the league’s players do when they’re at their best, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder o a comfortable 117-96 win.
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Chicago Bulls – Championships Aren’t Always About Pretty Basketball
With every week and every win that goes by, the Chicago Bulls look more and more like a team that it’s impossible to ignore when talking about contenders for the NBA title, or at least the Eastern conference championship, with their 89-77 win over the Indiana Pacers proving to another defining moment for a team that finds wins the hard way.
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Miami Heat – LeBron James on Offense, Chris Bosh on Defense
With the time to pick up their game and start playing championship-like basketball, the Miami Heat pulled off a close 93-91 win over the Portland Trail Blazers that included some LeBron James heroics and acrobatics, including the game winning layup, followed by Chris Bosh with a huge block on Damian Lillard to seal the victory.
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Brooklyn Nets – Experience Always Helps in Overtime
The Brooklyn Nets weren’t having the best of games on the road against the Dallas Mavericks, but excellent performances from Joe Johnson and Marcus Thornton helped them overcome a great day for Monta Ellis, coming away with the 107-104 win in overtime.
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New York Knicks – The End of a Playoff Dream?
The Cleveland Cavaliers won’t be making the playoffs this season, but with a 106-100 win they might have made sure that the New York Knicks don’t either, snapping the eight game winning streak as Jarrett Jack and Dion Waiters made it seem like Kyrie Irving wasn’t even missing.
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Portland Trail Blazers – A Humiliating Night in Charlotte
Everything wrong with the Portland Trail Blazers since their incredible start to the season came to light in a humiliating and humbling 124-94 defeat in Charlotte to the Bobcats, with a defense exposed and the lack of intelligence on their offensive plays shown very early on.
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San Antonio Spurs – A Machine That Never Stops
On the road, with Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili getting some rest, the San Antonio Spurs shouldn’t look so good, especially not against a playoff team like the Golden State Warriors. But the best team in the NBA at the moment keeps on playing like nothing has changed, with Tony Parker getting plenty of help from Danny Green, Tiago Splitter and Kawhi Leonard.
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Los Angeles Clippers – Knocking the Pistons Out of the Playoffs
Theoretically, there’s still hope for the Detroit Pistons to make the postseason, but that light is dimming after a 112-103 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers, as Chris Paul and Blake Griffin put in another superstar duo performance, which should worry any team that might encounter them in the Western conference.