On January 2nd, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued with a total of 8 matchups scheduled for the day. The specific results are as follows: Magic lost to Pistons 96-105, Bulls were defeated by Wizards 107-125, Pelicans lost to Heat 108-119, Jazz lost to Knicks 103-119, Nets were defeated by Raptors 113-130, Mavericks lost to Rockets 99-110, Hawks were defeated by Nuggets 120-139, and 76ers narrowly lost to Kings 107-113. Stars such as Ivey, Cunningham, Poole, Adebayo, Herro, Towns, Barnes, Shen Jing, Jokic, and Fox all had impressive performances. So, who will win the title of today's best player? Let's take a look together.
In the game between Jazz and Knicks, Sexton and Clarkson combined for 50 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Markkanen scored 16 points and 10 rebounds. However, they still fell behind by as many as 20 points at one point and ultimately suffered a defeat. On the Knicks side, Brunson was absent, but Hart contributed a triple-double with 15 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists, while Anunoby added 23 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, and Bridges scored 27 points. However, they were not the best performers on the team; that honor goes to Towns! Towns played 37 minutes, shooting 10-of-20 (3-of-6 from three-point range) and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line, exploding for a comprehensive stat line of 31 points, 21 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
In the game between 76ers and Kings, Embiid was absent, but George exploded for 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Maxey scored 27 points, 6 assists, and 5 steals. However, they still lost a good lead of 14 points and were tragically reversed. On the Kings side, Sabonis contributed 17 points, 21 rebounds, and 7 assists, Monk scored 20 points and 6 assists, and Fox was even more unstoppable! He played 37 minutes, shooting 13-of-16 (2-of-4 from three-point range) and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line, exploding for a comprehensive stat line of 35 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and a block. Especially in the decisive fourth quarter, Fox scored 14 points alone, directing a great comeback, which was very domineering!
In the game between Pelicans and Heat, a total of 5 players from the Pelicans scored in double figures, including Murphy scoring 34 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, and McCollum adding 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. However, they still crumbled, trailing by as many as 17 points, and ultimately suffered a defeat. On the Heat side, Adebayo contributed 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Herro was even more ruthless! He played 40 minutes, shooting 11-of-22 (5-of-12 from three-point range) and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line, scoring 32 points, 1 rebound, and 4 assists, with a plus-minus rating of +13, leading the game! According to statistics, this is Herro's 65th consecutive game with a three-pointer, ranking second in team history, only behind Duncan Robinson (69 games).
In the game between Hawks and Nuggets, Trae Young exploded for 30 points, 4 rebounds, and 9 assists, while Hunter scored 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. However, the Hawks still collapsed in the third quarter, losing by 17 points in a single quarter, and ultimately suffered a bitter 19-point defeat. On the Nuggets side, Porter scored 21 points and 4 rebounds, Murray added 23 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, Westbrook contributed 16 points and 11 assists, and Jokic was even more unstoppable! He played 29 minutes, shooting 8-of-16 (1-of-1 from three-point range) and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, exploding for a luxurious stat line of 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 15 assists, with a plus-minus rating of +31, leading the game! According to statistics, Jokic achieved a triple-double in just 20 minutes and 16 seconds, ranking 7th fastest in NBA history. At the same time, Jokic is the first player in NBA history to record at least 20 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists in less than 30 minutes, an unprecedented feat!
In addition to Towns, other stars such as Ivey from the Pistons, who scored 22 points and 5 three-pointers, Cunningham who contributed 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists, Poole from the Wizards who exploded for 30 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, Barnes from the Raptors who grabbed 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists, and Shen Jing from the Rockets who contributed 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists all left a deep impression. However, considering the outcome of the games and the individual data of the stars, Jokic's performance of exploding with an epic triple-double and breaking records was simply too explosive, allowing him to be elected as the NBA's best player of the day without suspense, overshadowing stars like Towns, Herro, and Fox. What do you think about this, basketball fans? Leave me a comment to discuss it.