It would have been damn-near impossible to pick just one stellar performance to highlight after Wednesday night’s slate of NBA games. Proving that it has blossomed into the most entertaining professional league in America, the Association saw some pretty remarkable play from several signature stars.
We’ll discuss Steph Curry’s historic night in another post, but the Warriors guard had plenty of competition for Player Of The Night. First up is Monta Ellis, delivering his personal highlight of the year. With the game tied at 107-all against Houston, the Bucks guard delivered the kind of highlight shot that you can’t even make when you’re in the gym goofing with your friends. His fading, bailout jumper was a part of 27 points, all of which were needed to topple the upstart Rockets.
Kevin Durant also had a huge night, delivering the quietest triple-double of the season. His 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists were more than enough to lead his Thunder past visiting New Orleans, who fell 119-74. The game was a perfect venue for Durant to show off his all-around game. Did I mention he did it all in just 27 minutes of play?
Al Horford went off as well, dropping 35, grabbing 14 rebounds and swatting five blocks to help his team topple the Jazz. Atlanta’s big man is having a career year, putting up over 16 and 10 a game – stats only slightly below Dwight Howard’s 16 and 12. He doesn’t get the shine and probably won’t until Atlanta revamps their team, but still only 26, the day could very well come when Atlanta’s big man is the best center in basketball.
Across the board, this was a great night for the NBA. If one can wring out this many story-lines from a pack of mid-February games, imagine what this year’s playoffs will look like. Get excited, people.