NBA regular season continues with a total of seven games. In these games, many players have put on outstanding performances, becoming candidates for the best. Which one do you prefer?
First place: Towns from the Knicks, shooting 19 out of 13, including 0 out of 3 three-pointers and 6 out of 7 free throws, scoring 32 points and 13 rebounds, with a plus-minus value of +21, ranking second in the game. Facing the Wizards, who are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, he completely blew up the opponent's interior line and easily grabbed a big double-double. He is absolutely stable as the starting center for the All-Star East.
Second place: Hart from the Knicks, shooting 15 out of 7, including 4 out of 8 three-pointers and 5 out of 7 free throws, scoring 23 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals, with a plus-minus value of +25, the highest in the game. No wonder he is called "Hart Center," as he grabbed more rebounds than Towns. When Brunson was not performing well, he stepped up to be the team's scorer and assist man. After getting a triple-double, he has now achieved this feat 9 times with the Knicks, ranking fourth in team history.
Third place: Powell from the Clippers, shooting 27 out of 13, including 4 out of 12 three-pointers and 5 out of 6 free throws, scoring 35 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. After scoring only 2 points in the first quarter, he exploded in the second quarter with 15 points. In the crucial fourth quarter, when the team was trailing, he scored 5 points in a row to help the team close the gap to just 1 point, and then used a three-pointer to take the lead, scoring 16 points in this quarter. He truly lives up to his title as the "King of the Fourth Quarter"!
Fourth place: Jokic from the Nuggets, shooting 33 out of 14, including 3 out of 9 three-pointers and 5 out of 6 free throws, scoring a huge triple-double with 36 points, 22 rebounds, and 11 assists. Although the Jazz's interior line is quite good, it was no match for Jokic, who easily scored a triple-double. This is his fifth time scoring 30+20+10, surpassing Lakers legend Elgin Baylor, and ranking third in history behind Chamberlain and Robertson. Together with teammate Westbrook, they both scored triple-doubles, becoming the 16th pair of teammates in NBA history to achieve this feat in the same game.
Fifth place: Westbrook, shooting 7 out of 7 and 2 out of 2 free throws, scoring 16 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 steals, and 0 turnovers, with a plus-minus value of +23, the highest in the game. He achieved his 201st triple-double, continuing to break the triple-double record. The key is that he shot perfectly throughout the game without a single turnover, and in the entire NBA history, only Jokic and Sabonis have done this besides him.
Sixth place: Fox from the Kings, shooting 23 out of 13, including 3 out of 7 three-pointers and 4 out of 5 free throws, scoring 33 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, with a plus-minus value of +17, ranking second highest in the game. It's really not easy! Facing the Mavericks without their three superstars, he finally won a tough victory to end a six-game losing streak. It's unclear how long he will stay with the Kings amidst trade rumors.
Seventh place: Mitchell from the Cavaliers, shooting 19 out of 9, including 5 out of 11 three-pointers, scoring 23 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. When the team was not leading by much in the first half, he exploded in the third quarter, scoring 15 points with five three-pointers, helping the team build a 19-point lead. He also clocked out early, and the team easily won the game.
Eighth place: Embiid from the 76ers, shooting 21 out of 12, including 1 out of 1 three-pointer and 12 out of 13 free throws, scoring 37 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists, with a plus-minus value of +26, ranking second highest in the game. Today, facing the not-so-powerful Trail Blazers, he quickly got into the game, scoring a near double-double with 20 points and 8 rebounds in the first half. He also played steadily in the next two quarters, ultimately helping the team win easily!
Jokic and Westbrook both achieved triple-doubles, becoming the 16th pair of teammates in NBA history to accomplish this feat, which is incredibly difficult. Therefore, they are undoubtedly co-elected as the best!