On January 9th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued with a total of 8 matchups scheduled for the day. The specific results are as follows: Thunder lost to the Cavaliers 122-129, Bulls were defeated by the Pacers 113-129, Wizards fell short against the 76ers 103-109, Raptors lost to the Knicks 98-112, Pistons beat the Nets 113-98, Trail Blazers won against the Pelicans 119-100, Clippers suffered a heavy defeat against the Nuggets 103-126, and Spurs were defeated by the Bucks 105-121. Stars such as Allen, Mobley Jr., Siakam, Maxey, Towns, Beasley, Avdija, Westbrook, and Giannis Antetokounmpo all had impressive performances. So, who will be awarded the title of today's best player? Let's take a look together.
In the game between the Spurs and the Bucks, Wembanyama scored 10 points + 10 rebounds + 3 blocks, Paul contributed 18 points + 5 rebounds + 7 assists, and Keldon had 24 points + 11 rebounds. Despite a valiant comeback from a 26-point deficit, the Spurs were unable to turn the tide and secure a victory. On the Bucks' side, Lopez scored 22 points + 7 rebounds, Lillard had 26 points + 5 rebounds + 8 assists, and Giannis Antetokounmpo was even more unstoppable! He played 35 minutes, shooting 11 of 21 from the field and 3 of 7 from the free-throw line, scoring an impressive 25 points + 16 rebounds + 8 assists + 1 block with a plus-minus rating of +13 on the court. According to statistics, this is the 432nd double-double in Giannis' career, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (431 times) to stand alone at the top of the Bucks' team history.
In the game between the Raptors and the Knicks, Barnes, Barrett, and Quickley combined for a comprehensive stat line of 56 points + 13 rebounds + 12 assists + 6 blocks, but the Raptors still suffered a crushing defeat, trailing by as many as 26 points and ultimately losing by 14 points. On the Knicks' side, Hart contributed 21 points + 11 rebounds + 7 assists, Anunoby scored 27 points with 4 three-pointers, and Towns was even more ferocious! He played 34 minutes, shooting 9 of 14 (3 of 3 from three-point range) and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line, contributing a luxurious stat line of 27 points + 13 rebounds + 2 assists + 3 steals + 2 blocks with a plus-minus rating of +25 on the court. According to statistics, after this game, Towns' career total points reached 14,007, officially breaking the 14,000-point mark!
In the game between the Thunder and the Cavaliers, Alexander scored 31 points + 5 rebounds + 4 assists, Jalen Williams contributed 25 points + 5 rebounds + 9 assists, and Harten contributed 18 points + 11 rebounds + 8 assists, but they were still unable to secure the victory! On the Cavaliers' side, Garland scored 18 points + 7 assists, Mobley Jr. contributed 21 points + 10 rebounds + 7 assists + 1 steal + 1 block, and Allen was even more unstoppable! He played 32 minutes, shooting 9 of 11 and 7 of 10 from the free-throw line, scoring an impressive 25 points + 11 rebounds + 6 assists + 3 steals + 1 block. According to statistics, Mobley Jr. and Allen both scored at least 20 points + 10 rebounds + 6 assists in the same game, becoming the first frontcourt duo in the NBA in nearly 27 years to achieve this feat. The last one was Duncan and David Robinson in 1988!
In the game between the Clippers and the Nuggets, Leonard was absent, Powell scored 30 points + 4 rebounds, and Harden scored 16 points + 3 rebounds + 4 assists, but the Clippers crumbled, trailing by as many as 29 points, and the game lost its suspense by the end of the third quarter. On the Nuggets' side, Jokic was absent, and a total of 6 players scored in double figures, including Murray contributing 21 points + 9 assists and Porter Jr. scoring 19 points + 8 rebounds. However, they were not the best performers on the team; Westbrook was! Westbrook finished his shift in three quarters, playing 29 minutes, shooting 8 of 16 (1 of 5 from three-point range) and 2 of 5 from the free-throw line, exploding for 19 points + 6 rebounds + 8 assists with a plus-minus rating of +18 on the court. According to statistics, after this game, the Nuggets have an undefeated record of 8 wins and 0 losses in back-to-back second games this season!
In addition to the above, Allen of the Cavaliers scored 25 points + 11 rebounds + 6 assists, Mobley Jr. scored 21 points + 10 rebounds + 7 assists, Siakam of the Pacers scored 26 points + 6 rebounds + 3 assists, Maxey of the 76ers exploded for 29 points + 6 assists, Beasley of the Pistons scored 23 points + 5 assists, and Avdija of the Trail Blazers scored 26 points + 6 rebounds. The performances of these stars all left a deep impression, but considering the outcome of the games and the individual stats of the stars, Westbrook's performance of leading the team to tear apart his former team under pressure was simply too unreasonable. He ultimately won the title of NBA Player of the Day without any doubt, overshadowing stars like Giannis, Towns, and Allen. What do you think about this, basketball fans? Leave me a comment to discuss it.