Today's NBA games were numerous, and the performances of many star players were commendable, including Booker, Durant, Trae Young, Poole, Mitchell, Jalen Green, Wiggins, and others, all of whom had impressive stats.
However, if we were to select today's best player, there would be no suspense. Let's take a look at the specifics together!
Mitchell's Form Returns
In recent games, Mitchell has been in poor form, but he showed significant improvement today against the Timberwolves. In the first quarter, he made 3 of 6 shots, including 1 of 3 from three-point range and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line, scoring 10 points with 4 rebounds and 1 assist. In the second quarter, he scored another 12 points, making 8 of 14 shots in the first half, 3 of 7 from three-point range, and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line, totaling 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists.
In the second half, Mitchell's scoring decreased, but his teammates stepped up, and they extended the lead in the third quarter. In the final moments of the fourth quarter, when the Timberwolves launched a comeback, Mitchell came through with crucial 7 points to secure the victory.
In this game, he played for 33 minutes and 30 seconds, shooting 12 of 27, including 4 of 15 from three-point range and 8 of 9 from the free-throw line, finishing with 36 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 steal, with a +10 plus-minus rating.
Booker Scores 23 Points in the First Half
The Suns narrowly defeated the Pistons on the road, with Booker scoring an impressive 23 points in the first half alone. Throughout the game, he played for 42 minutes, shooting 11 of 22, including 1 of 5 from three-point range and 12 of 13 from the free-throw line, accumulating 35 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal.
Jalen Green Teaches the Third Pick a Lesson
Facing the second-year third pick, Henderson from the Trail Blazers, Jalen Green delivered a lesson to his younger teammate, dominating the Trail Blazers.
In the first half, Green shot 6 of 9, including 2 of 3 from three-point range, scoring 14 points with 4 rebounds and a +8 plus-minus rating.
In the third quarter, Green added another 12 points, helping the Rockets extend their lead, and he rested in the fourth quarter.
In the entire game, Jalen Green played for 29 minutes, shooting 10 of 17, including 4 of 6 from three-point range and 2 of 2 from the free-throw line, scoring 26 points with 5 rebounds and 1 assist.
Poole Outperforms Curry Against His Former Team, the Warriors
The Wizards lost on the road to the Warriors, but Poole outperformed Curry. In the second quarter, he scored 15 points, effortlessly nailing long-range threes! At halftime, he had 23 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists on 7 of 13 shooting.
In the third quarter, Poole maintained his scoring pace, continuing to shoot threes with increasing difficulty.
In the entire game, he played for 36 minutes, shooting 12 of 25, including 8 of 15 from three-point range and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line, scoring an empty 38 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
With today's 8 three-pointers, Poole's career total surpassed 900, making him the first player from the 2019 draft class to do so.
Wiggins Sets a New Season High with 31 Points
Today, the best performer for the Warriors was not Curry, but Wiggins. In the first half, he shot 5 of 11 (1 of 5 from three-point range) and 1 of 2 from the free-throw line, scoring 12 points with 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.
In the second half, he scored another 19 points with even more ferocity. In the entire game, Wiggins played for 35 minutes, shooting 12 of 22, including 4 of 10 from three-point range and 3 of 6 from the free-throw line, scoring a season-high 31 points, along with 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.
Trae Young's 28+4+12 Not Enough for Today's Best Player
The Hawks defeated the Celtics in overtime on the road, with Trae Young once again becoming the mayor of Boston. In the final moments of the fourth quarter, he drew a foul from Holiday for trailing and made both free throws to send the game into overtime.
In this game, Trae Young played for 39 minutes, shooting 10 of 23, including 3 of 10 from three-point range and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line, scoring 28 points with 4 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, filling up the stat sheet.
Despite this, today's best player title still eludes him, as his neighbor, Durant, had an even more explosive performance.
Durant's 36+7+5+2+3 Sets Two Records
The person who can overshadow so many stars to be selected as today's best player must have done something remarkable, and today that is undoubtedly Durant.
In the first half, Durant shot only 1 of 9 for 6 points, but in the third quarter, he exploded for 21 points, making 8 of 11 shots. In the final quarter, he sealed the game with difficult mid-range jumpers.
In this game, Durant played for 38 minutes, shooting 13 of 27, including 2 of 8 from three-point range and 8 of 12 from the free-throw line, scoring 36 points with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks.
This game also saw Durant set two records:
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With today's 8 free throws made, Durant's career free throw makes surpassed Jerry West, moving him up to ninth place in NBA history.
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According to statistics, this is Durant's 18th game with 35+ points after turning 35 years old, ranking behind only James (46) and Jordan (19) in history.
Therefore, today's best player title is undoubtedly his!