Today, there were many NBA games with impressive performances from various star players, including Cunningham, Jokic, Edwards, Embiid, Towns, Simmons, LaVine, and White. However, the selection for today's best player is clear-cut. Let's take a closer look at the specific situations.
Simmons defeated Lillard in a close victory for the Trail Blazers against the Bucks. In the final moments, Antetokounmpo made two free throws to lead by 2 points, but after a timeout, Simmons broke through with a left-handed layup for a 2+1 to regain the lead and then sealed the win with two more free throws. He played 41 minutes, shooting 9 of 20 from the field, 5 of 12 from three-point range, and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line, scoring 28 points with 3 rebounds and 8 assists.
Embiid had an easy win with 28+12+6 in three quarters as the 76ers defeated the Nets on the road. He started strong in the first quarter, playing all 12 minutes, shooting 6 of 9 (1 of 1 from three-point range), and making 2 of 2 free throws for 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists with a +10 plus-minus. In the third quarter, he scored in double digits again and then rested early in the fourth. In total, Embiid played 29 minutes, shooting 8 of 16, including 2 of 3 from three-point range and 10 of 10 from the free-throw line, finishing with 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists with a game-high +22 plus-minus.
Towns continued his tough performance with 44+16+5 as the Knicks defeated the Bulls on the road. In the first half, he shot 5 of 10, made 2 of 4 three-pointers, and 5 of 6 free throws for 17 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. He rested too long in the third quarter without much impact. In the fourth quarter, Towns returned to score continuously inside and out, leading the team to reduce the gap, but couldn't stop the Bulls' multiple scoring points and eventually left the game due to injury. In 37 minutes, Towns shot 17 of 29, made 3 of 7 three-pointers, and 7 of 10 free throws, scoring an empty 44 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists.
LaVine outperformed Brunson today. In the first half, he shot 9 of 15, made 2 of 4 three-pointers, and scored 20 points with 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. When the Knicks made a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, LaVine stepped up to stabilize the situation. In 36 minutes, he shot 13 of 21, made 3 of 6 three-pointers, and 4 of 4 free throws, scoring 33 points with 4 rebounds and 7 assists.
White had a hot outside shooting hand with 9 three-pointers, shooting down the Knicks. In the first half, he shot 5 of 9, made 3 of 4 three-pointers, and 2 of 2 free throws for 15 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist. In the fourth quarter, he went on a shooting spree. In 33 minutes, White shot 11 of 20, made 1 of 4 three-pointers, and 10 of 11 free throws, scoring 33 points with 2 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals.
In the battle between the No. 1 picks, Cunningham showed his leadership as the Pistons defeated the Timberwolves at home. In the first half, he shot 9 of 17, made 2 of 4 three-pointers, and scored 20 points with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. In 38 minutes, Cunningham shot 15 of 29, made 4 of 8 three-pointers, and 6 of 7 free throws, exploding for 40 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists with a +24 plus-minus.
Edwards' 53+6+2 was not enough for today's best player as he gave it his all, but his teammates were not supportive enough. In the first half, he shot 8 of 15, made 6 of 9 three-pointers, and 4 of 5 free throws for 26 points and 1 assist. In the second half, Edwards continued to struggle, scoring 18 points in the third quarter to end with 44 points, but the team still trailed by 15 points. In this game, Edwards shot 16 of 31, made 10 of 15 three-pointers, and 11 of 12 free throws, scoring an empty 53 points with 6 rebounds and 2 assists. He also set two records: 1) 53 points is his new career high in a single game, and 2) 10 three-pointers tied his career record for most three-pointers made in a game. Despite this, today's best player could not be him because someone else was even more explosive.
Jokic's 46+9+10+2 completed his revenge as the clear choice for today's best player. Playing back-to-back away games against the Spurs, Jokic was even better than yesterday. In the first quarter, playing all 12 minutes, he shot 6 of 13, made 0 of 3 three-pointers, and 2 of 2 free throws for 14 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists. In the first half, he shot 8 of 16 and 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 18 points with 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks with a +3 plus-minus. In overtime, the Nuggets outscored the Spurs 14-3, with Jokic scoring 9 of those points along with 4 rebounds and 1 steal. He made a difficult mid-range shot against Wembanyama to seal the game. In this game, Jokic shot 19 of 35, made 3 of 8 three-pointers, and 5 of 6 free throws, exploding for 46 points, 9 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Therefore, today's best player is undoubtedly him!