San Antonio concluded its Rodeo Road Trip 2-6 and was unable to take the season series from Oklahoma City (2-2). Rudy Gay (14 points and 6 rebounds) paced the Spurs, while all eight OKC players contributed double digits points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (22 points and 13 rebounds) and Steven Adams (21 points and 14 rebounds) helped the Thunder dominate at both ends from the second period on.
James Harden has become one of the NBA’s most polarizing players as he’s grown into the best pure-scorer alive. While no one denies Harden’s numbers are incredible — he’s leading the NBA in scoring at 35.2 points per game, five points ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo — how he gets them has become a topic of national debate.
On the surface, the 2020 NBA title chase is three teams deep.
Five years ago, Kawhi Leonard’s defensive impact was explicit. As the first non-center to win consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards since Sidney Moncrief in 1983 and 1984, Leonard was a human fog machine Gregg Popovich would unleash on whoever the San Antonio Spurs wanted to fluster.
There’s an easy case to be made for Kevin Durant as the second-best basketball player of his generation. At his peak in Golden State, it felt like there was no one better. Durant is an unstoppable scorer with a tight handle, deft finishing touch, and unprecedented outside shooting ability for someone his size. He was also pretty damn good on defense, too.
Trae Young went scorched earth on the Miami Heat for 50-points and eight assists in a surprising 129-124 Hawks’ victory.
John Beilein is suddenly out as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers just 54 games into a five-year contract. Beilein is one of the older rookie NBA head coaches we’ve seen in the modern era, having spent 40 years coaching college hoops. Why Beilein decided to take the plunge into the NBA — and not just into the NBA, but into the Cleveland Cavaliers — remains somewhat of a mystery. A new challenge? Proving his style of leadership and basketball crosses boundaries? Money?
The Los Angeles Lakers overcame a third-quarter letdown with a strong fourth quarter surge to beat the Memphis Grizzlies — a team they very well could play in the first round of the playoffs — 117-105.
The Lakers led by 19 points at halftime and appeared set to cruise to an easy victory, but a combination of the Grizzlies ratcheting up their intensity on defense and the Lakers coming out as flat as possible to start the third quarter allowed Memphis to cut their deficit to as little as five points in fourth frame.
Chicago celebrated the opportunity to host the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in three decades by relegating its beloved hometown franchise to a punchline. In an All-Star Weekend built up as a love letter to the city’s deep basketball culture, the Chicago Bulls were barely within eyesight. The team’s presence in the festivities was limited to Zach LaVine’s early exit in the three-point contest. They barely even got a mention out of Common in his terrific pregame intros.
