On January 5th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued with several games concluded. Five top draft picks had breakout performances, showcasing why they were selected as number ones. However, today's best player was not among these top picks but a second-round selection.
Firstly, Andrew Wiggins, the number one pick in 2014, had a big third quarter explosion with three-pointers going 3 for 3 and scoring 18 points to help the Warriors maintain their lead without Curry. Wiggins finished with 24 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals, contributing to the Warriors' 121-113 victory over the Grizzlies, moving them up to 8th in the Western Conference.
Next, Karl-Anthony Towns, the number one pick in 2015, faced the Bulls on a back-to-back game for the Knicks. Coincidentally, the Bulls announced the retirement of Derrick Rose's number 1 jersey. In this significant moment, Towns scored 44 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists, including 25 points in the fourth quarter alone. Unfortunately, the Bulls' players shone on this important day, with Zach LaVine and Coby White each scoring 33 points, Nikola Vucevic adding 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Ayo Dosunmu contributing 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists, leading the Bulls to a 139-126 win over the Knicks, leaving Towns' performance as a loss.
Following that, the direct confrontation between 2020's number one pick Anthony Edwards and 2021's number one pick Cade Cunningham took place. Both top picks engaged in a scoring duel, with Edwards shooting 16 for 31, making 10 of 15 three-pointers, and converting 11 of 12 free throws to score a career-high 53 points with 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Cunningham's performance was more comprehensive, scoring 40 points with 6 rebounds and 9 assists, supported by teammates Malik Beasley with 23 points, Saddiq Bey with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists, and Killian Hayes with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 steals. Ultimately, the Pistons defeated the Timberwolves 119-105, rendering Edwards' 53 points ineffective.
Lastly, Victor Wembanyama, the number one pick in 2023, scored 20 points, 23 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks against the Nuggets, even disrupting Jokic's buzzer-beater attempt in regulation. However, the Nuggets lost in overtime.
Today's best player was Jokic, who directly faced off against Wembanyama. Jokic scored 46 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists, including 9 points in overtime to dominate the extra period, helping the Nuggets defeat the Spurs 122-111. Jokic's draft position was quite low, being selected in the second round as the 41st overall pick in 2014, making him the strongest second-round pick in history.