On December 31st, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued with a total of 7 matchups scheduled. The specific results are as follows: Knicks defeated the Wizards 126-106, Bulls overcame the Hornets 115-108, Clippers narrowly won against the Pelicans 116-113, Nuggets beat the Jazz 132-121, Cavaliers triumphed over the Warriors 113-95, Mavericks lost to the Kings 100-110, and the 76ers crushed the Trail Blazers 125-103. Stars such as Towns, Hart, Kobe White, Kobe Bryant, Jokic, Garland, Mitchell, Fox, and the Emperor 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 76ers and the Trail Blazers, five players from the Trail Blazers scored in double figures, with Simmons, Ayton, and Avdija combining for 54 points, 17 rebounds, and 9 assists. However, they still suffered a crushing defeat, trailing by as many as 27 points, and the game quickly lost its suspense, all because the Emperor was too unreasonable! The Emperor played for 35 minutes, shooting 12 of 21 (1 of 1 from three-point range), making 12 of 13 free throws, and exploded for 37 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists with an on-court plus-minus value of +26. Especially in the first half, the Emperor struck hard, scoring 20 points and grabbing 8 rebounds to set the tone for the normal game. We are familiar with the Emperor's return, it has been a long time!
In the game between the Mavericks and the Kings, Doncic, Irving, and Thompson were absent. Washington scored 28 points, grabbed rebounds, and made 4 three-pointers, while Dinwiddie scored 30 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, dished out 6 assists, and made 3 three-pointers. However, they still lost a good start after leading by 18 points, trailing by as many as 14 points, and ultimately failed to avoid defeat! On the Kings' side, Xiaosa contributed 17 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Fox was even more ruthless! He played for 35 minutes, shooting 13 of 23 (3 of 7 from three-point range), making 4 of 5 free throws, contributing a comprehensive stat line of 33 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists with an on-court plus-minus value of +17, topping the field! After this game, the Kings ended their embarrassing six-game losing streak!
In the game between the Clippers and the Pelicans, all five starters from the Pelicans scored in double figures, with McCollum scoring 33 points, 4 assists, and 8 three-pointers, while Murray contributed 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists. However, they still lost a good start after leading by 14 points, suffering a reversal! On the Clippers' side, Zubac contributed 20 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Harden scored 27 points and 4 assists, but they were not the best performing players on the team; it was Kobe Bryant! Kobe Bryant played for 40 minutes, shooting 13 of 27 (4 of 12 from three-point range), making 5 of 6 free throws, scoring 35 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Especially in the decisive fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant scored 16 points alone, directing a great comeback, very domineering! According to statistics, this is the sixth consecutive game in which Kobe Bryant has scored 25+!
In the game between the Nuggets and the Jazz, five players from the Jazz scored in double figures, with Sexton scoring 22 points and 4 assists, while Clarkson scored 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. However, they still trailed by 12 points at one point and ultimately could not avoid defeat! On the Nuggets' side, Murray contributed 20 points and 10 assists, Xiaogang cut down 21 points and 6 rebounds, Braun scored 20 points, and Westbrook contributed a triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, but Jokic was even more unreasonable! He played for 38 minutes, shooting 14 of 33 (3 of 9 from three-point range), making 5 of 6 free throws, exploding for 36 points, 22 rebounds, 11 assists, and 4 steals with an on-court plus-minus value of +20. According to statistics, this is Jokic's 13th triple-double of the season, the most in the league. At the same time, this is the fifth time Jokic has scored at least 30+20+10, surpassing Baylor to rank third in NBA history, only behind Chamberlain (16 times) and Oscar Robertson (7 times).
In addition, Towns from the Knicks scored 32 points and 13 rebounds, Hart contributed 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, Kobe White from the Bulls contributed 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists, Garland from the Cavaliers contributed 25 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists, and Mitchell scored 23 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. The performances of these stars have left a deep impression, but considering the outcome of the games and the individual data of the stars, Jokic's performance of cutting down an epic triple-double and breaking NBA records like a god descending from heaven was simply explosive. He ultimately won the title of NBA Player of the Day without suspense, overshadowing stars like the Emperor, Kobe Bryant, and Fox. What do you think about this, basketball fans? Leave me a comment to discuss it.