On January 5th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued with a total of 9 matchups scheduled. The specific results are as follows: 76ers defeated the Nets 123-94, Suns lost to the Pacers 108-126, Timberwolves lost to the Pistons 105-119, Jazz defeated the Heat 136-100, Trail Blazers narrowly defeated the Bucks 105-102, Knicks lost to the Bulls 126-139, Nuggets defeated the Spurs 122-111, Grizzlies lost to the Warriors 113-121, and Hawks lost to the Clippers 105-131. Stars such as Embiid, Haliburton, Hua Zi, Cunningham, Sensabo, Simmons, Towns, Jokic, Wiggins, Harden, and Zubac 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 the Knicks and the Bulls, three players from the Bulls scored over 20 points, including LaVine with 33 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists, Vucevic with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists, and Kobe White with 33 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. They completed a comeback after trailing by 11 points, leading by as many as 19 points, in honor of Rose Night! The Knicks missed a good opportunity, with Brunson scoring 33 points and 8 assists in vain, and Towns also did his best! He played for 37 minutes, shooting 17 of 29 (3 of 7 from three-point range), making 7 of 10 free throws, and scored an impressive 44 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists. Especially in the final quarter, Towns fought until he was injured and retired, scoring 25 points alone, but it was not enough to save the team, and they lost with their heads held high.
In the game between the Timberwolves and the Pistons, Cunningham scored 40 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists, while Beasley contributed 23 points and 6 three-pointers, and the Pistons led by as many as 24 points, easily defeating their opponents! The Timberwolves failed to laugh last, with Hua Zi becoming a lone hero! He played for 4 minutes, shooting 16 of 31 (10 of 15 from three-point range), making 11 of 12 free throws, and scored an impressive 53 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. According to NBA official statistics, 53 points is a new career-high for Hua Zi in a single game, and the 10 three-pointers also tied his personal record for most three-pointers made in a game!
In the game between the 76ers and the Nets, the Nets played with a weakened lineup, with Russell retiring early due to injury. A total of 5 players scored in double figures, with Johnson, Martin, and Zha Wei contributing a combined 50 points, 16 rebounds, and 13 assists, but they still suffered a crushing defeat, trailing by as many as 31 points, ultimately losing by 29 points! On the 76ers side, Maxi contributed 18 points and 7 assists, George contributed 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists, and Embiid was even more ruthless! He finished work in three quarters, playing for 28 minutes, shooting 8 of 16 (2 of 3 from three-point range), making all 10 free throws, and contributed a comprehensive stat line of 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists, with a field plus-minus value of +22, leading the game! Especially in the first quarter, Embiid played the full 2 minutes, scoring 15 points and 7 rebounds and 2 assists, setting the tone for the entire game, reminiscent of his peak performance!
In the game between the Nuggets and the Spurs, the two teams battled until overtime to decide the winner. A total of 6 players from the Spurs scored in double figures, including Wen Banya with 20 points, 23 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks, and Barnes with 22 points and 4 three-pointers, but they still failed to come out on top, because Jokic was too unreasonable. Jokic played for 43 minutes, shooting 19 of 35 (3 of 8 from three-point range), making 5 of 6 free throws, and exploded for 44 points, 9 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Especially in overtime, Jokic scored 9 points to seal the game, showing great dominance.
In addition to the above, Haliburton from the Pacers contributed 27 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, Sensabo from the Jazz scored 34 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 three-pointers, Simmons from the Trail Blazers scored 28 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists, Wiggins from the Warriors scored 24 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals, Harden from the Clippers contributed 10 points and 15 assists, and Zubac scored 18 points and 18 rebounds. These star performances left a deep impression, but considering the outcome of the games and the individual stats of the stars, Jokic's overtime explosion leading the team to revenge against the Spurs was simply explosive, and he ultimately won the title of NBA Player of the Day without suspense, overshadowing Towns, Hua Zi, Embiid, and others. What do you think about this, basketball fans? Leave a comment and discuss it with me.