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Houston Rockets – James Harden is Scorching, Jeremy Lin Focused on Scoring
You can’t have much better performances than the one James Harden had for the Houston Rockets in their comfortable win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, making the most of being the one who gets to touch the ball on every possession. Jeremy Lin didn’t get the “quality” minutes, and didn’t do his usual point-guarding stuff with the moments given to him, focusing on putting point on the boards.
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Miami Heat – Anthony Davis is Soaring, LeBron James is Hurting
Every game is a potential loss for the Miami Heat, especially when Dwyane Wade isn’t playing and LeBron James shouldn’t really be. Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans were the next team to be the defending NBA champions, whose losses aren’t that surprising anymore.
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Indiana Pacers – Paul George Epitomizes Their Offensive Problems
Everything is about context, and although a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on the road isn’t the end of the world for the Indiana Pacers, they’re getting extremely worried about Paul George and this shooting slump of his, because it’s difficult enough for them to generate points without having to deal with their best player making all the wrong decisions on offense.
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Miami Heat – Ray Allen Helping Out the Stars
While few teams, if any, can put on three players like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the floor at the same time, the Miami Heat and its title hopes rely on the ability of role, bench and fringe players as well, like Ray Allen, someone who has seen a thing or two in his NBA days, and proving his worth in a 91-86 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
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Oklahoma City Thunder – Kevin Durant Doing it on His Own
The absence of Russell Westbrook, this time because of a knee injury suffered during the game, just makes Kevin Durant better, as he takes his game to another level in order to make sure the Oklahoma City Thunder keep moving in the same direction, this time dramatically beating the Toronto Raptors 119-118.
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Indiana Pacers – The Big Win They Needed
The Indiana Pacers are back in winning form, but they needed something extra to show the league that they’re back, which means looking like a team no one wants to mess with in the playoffs. Luis Scola led six players in double figures, getting plenty of help from a red hot Lance Stephenson as they beat the Chicago Bulls 91-79.
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Portland Trail Blazers – Damian Lillard Does More Than Score
The Portland Trail Blazers are incomplete as long as LaMarcus Aldridge remains injured, but they’re close to their best when Damian Lillard changes his game a bit to become more of a passing point guard, as it seemed to make quite the difference in a 116-103 win over the Washington Wizards.
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Golden State Warriors – Stephen Curry Saves the Day Again
Sometimes it’s not just about winning the game, but also about avoiding the humiliation involved, especially when it’s losing at home to tanking team like the Milwaukee Bucks. The Golden State Warriors have Stephen Curry to get them out of these sort of jams, and the best shooter in the NBA came through with flying colors to bring them to the promised land with a tough 120-115 win.
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Houston Rockets – Jeremy Lin Complementing James Harden Perfectly
The Houston Rockets at times look like a team that’s figured it all out. James Harden sometimes, in certain moments, seems like a player who knows that the best way for his and his team to succeed is to stop playing like he’s alone on the floor. And Jeremy Lin? He continues to make the most of his minutes, and making his teammates look better than when he’s on the bench.
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Oklahoma City Thunder – Kevin Durant Still in MVP Mode
Less than a month after the Cleveland Cavaliers stunned the Oklahoma City Thunder at home, Kevin Durant wouldn’t let that slight get by him a second time and put on quite the offensive performance to lead his team to a 102-95 win.