On January 11th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season saw the Nuggets defeat the Nets 124-109 at home, sweeping the Nets for the second time this season. Jokic returned to the court after missing two games due to illness, going 13 of 19 from the field for 35 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists, and 4 steals. He played both offensively and defensively, making an unreasonable 2+1 without looking at the basket, with a +33 plus-minus rating, delivering another MVP-level performance; Westbrook had 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, with a +21 plus-minus rating, as Jokic and Westbrook both recorded triple-doubles again. Due to illness, Jokic missed consecutive games against the Celtics and Clippers. Today, Jokic returned to full health and immediately displayed his dominance in his first game back; in the first quarter, he ravaged the paint, continuously scoring points, and even made an unreasonable 2+1 without looking at the basket, going 6 of 8 for 14 points in the quarter, grabbing 3 rebounds, and dishing out 4 assists, showcasing his versatility. In the second quarter, Jokic played very relaxed on the court, with Westbrook, Struthers, and Watson providing firepower. The Nuggets won the quarter 33-23, overtaking the score by 10 points. At halftime, the Nuggets led 65-59 by 6 points; in the first half, Jokic went 8 of 13 for 20 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals, while Westbrook contributed 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. In the third quarter, Jokic opened the scoring with a three-pointer, easily layup in transition, protected rebounds, and connected…

Life is always filled with regrets, and everyone experiences them. Just as the saying goes in poetry, "People have joys and sorrows, and the moon has its phases of brightness and darkness." There are always some players in the NBA who evoke a sense of pity, such as Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady, because although their career influence is significant, it always feels incomplete due to the lack of a championship ring. Among current NBA players, there are also three such individuals: Chris Paul, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook. Chris Paul Paul was selected fourth overall in the 2005 draft, and he has now played for 19 seasons. Throughout his career, he has been close to winning the championship four times. Perhaps it's a matter of fate that he hasn't been favored by the gods. He has won the steals title six times, the assists title five times, made the All-NBA First Team four times, and the All-NBA Defensive First Team seven times. With over 12,000 assists, ranking third in history, and 2,664 steals, also ranking third in history, and scoring 22,608 points, ranking 36th in history, do these honors still make you doubt him? If he can secure a championship in the future, he will undoubtedly rank among the top five point guards in history. James Harden Harden entered the league as the third pick in the 2009 draft and has played for 15 seasons. Apart from the championship, Harden has won almost every honor, including MVP, Sixth Man of the Year, scoring titles, assists titles, and All-NBA First…

On January 11th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued with the Nuggets hosting the Nets. Despite the absence of several key players for the Nets, they started off strong and took control of the game. However, the Nuggets fought back to take the lead and extended their advantage, leading by as many as 22 points at one point. The Nets made a comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, narrowing the gap, but ultimately fell short. In the end, the Nuggets defeated the Nets 124-105. The Nets' performance was commendable, as they initially took control of the game with multiple players contributing. Unfortunately, the lack of a primary scorer proved costly, resulting in a 19-point loss. A total of seven Nets players scored in double figures, with Keon Johnson leading the way with 22 points, Martin adding 19, and Simmons contributing 10. Several role players seized the opportunity to showcase their abilities, but it wasn't enough to avoid a crushing defeat. On the Nuggets' side, Murray's early exit due to injury did not deter Jokic, who continued his dominant form, being in a league of his own on the court. In 38 minutes of play, he shot 14 out of 21, accumulating 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists for a triple-double. His plus-minus rating of +33, along with four steals, were all team highs. Jokic was unstoppable on the court, solidifying his status as the top player in the paint. This was his 15th triple-double of the season, ranking first in the league. Westbrook also had an impressive outing,…

Today in the NBA, there were many games and impressive performances from various star players, including Sabonis, McCollum, Alexander, LaVine, Jokic, Westbrook, Haliburton, and Isaiah Joe, among others. However, when it comes to selecting today's best player, there is no doubt about who takes the title. Let's take a closer look at the standout performances: Haliburton led the Pacers to an easy victory over the depleted Warriors, showcasing his offensive and defensive prowess. In the first half, he played 19 minutes, shooting 4-for-6, including 1-for-3 from three-point range and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, scoring 14 points with 1 rebound, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Over the entire game, Haliburton played 35 minutes, shooting 8-for-10, including 2-for-4 from beyond the arc and 7-for-7 from the charity stripe, tallying 25 points, 2 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals, with a plus-minus of +18. Isaiah Joe came off the bench to shoot down the Knicks with 8 three-pointers. In the first half, he played only 13 minutes, shooting 8-for-11, including 6-for-7 from downtown and 1-for-1 from the free-throw line, amassing 23 points and 1 rebound. For the whole game, he played 30 minutes, shooting 11-for-16, including 8-for-11 from three-point land and 1-for-1 from the free-throw line, exploding for a season-high 31 points, along with 1 rebound and 2 assists. Alexander, currently atop the MVP rankings, continued his dominant play, scoring 39 points in just three quarters. In the first half, he shot 8-for-12, converting all 3 free throws, scoring 19 points with 3 rebounds and 2 assists, leading his team to a…

The Nuggets defeated the Clippers 126-103 in a back-to-back game, securing their position as fourth in the Western Conference. This victory was achieved even without Jokic, and Westbrook has truly proven himself this year. In just 29 minutes on the court, he scored 19 points with 6 rebounds and 8 assists, boasting an impressive +18 plus-minus rating. Since Malone promoted Westbrook to the starting lineup, he has seized the opportunity. If Murray hadn't been injured, Westbrook would have been in a sixth man role, tasked with leading the Nuggets' weak bench. Murray's injury provided Westbrook with a chance to showcase his skills, and his performance as a starter has indeed been strong. After Murray's return, the Nuggets did not adjust their starting lineup, keeping both Murray and Westbrook in the backcourt. The fact remains that Murray is a natural scorer, and his playing style does not conflict with Westbrook's. Additionally, Westbrook's remarkable defensive capabilities this season have been evident, with Nuggets reporters noting that he has limited opposing players' three-point shooting percentage to a mere 29.4%, ranking him among the league's top defenders. Despite criticism of Westbrook's defense and claims that his statistics don't translate into wins, he has delivered a starting performance that defies his detractors, along with an impressive win rate. When Westbrook starts, the Nuggets have a record of 11 wins and 4 losses. On average, he contributes 14.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, demonstrating a well-rounded offensive and defensive game. His shooting accuracy stands at an impressive 53.5%, with a true…

The lights in the Nuggets' general manager's office were still on late into the night. Calvin Booth sat in his leather chair, with the monitor in front of him flashing recent team analytics reports. He reviewed Murray's season stats for the third time: an average of 17.8 points per game, a shooting percentage of only 41.2%, and a three-point shooting percentage that had dropped to 34.5%. This data sheet made the experienced general manager frown. "We need change," Booth murmured to himself. On the big screen at Ball Arena, a highlight reel of Murray's season was playing on loop, but those images seemed to come from another time and space. Since the start of the new season, the guard wearing the No. 27 jersey has frequently been in a slump, with once astonishing crossovers and fadeaway jump shots now often missing the basket. Sources revealed that the Nuggets management has launched a groundbreaking plan - they are in deep contact with the Suns, attempting to trade Murray, Porter Jr., and a first-round draft pick for Kevin Durant and Allen. Once this news broke, it immediately caused a sensation within the league. Imagine the "Grim Reaper" Durant, standing at 2.08 meters tall, donning the Nuggets' dark blue jersey and launching an offensive with Jokic in the same frontcourt area. Jokic's signature "Yao-style pass" combined with Durant's one-on-one moves would be enough to break any defensive system. The data shows that Durant averaged 31.2 points per game this season, with a shooting percentage as high as 52.3%, which is rare even among…

In the game between the Nuggets and the Clippers, although Leonard was absent, Jokic's absence undoubtedly had a greater impact on the Nuggets. However, in this mismatched battle, the Nuggets defeated the Clippers completely, with Westbrook becoming an important contributor to the Nuggets' victory. So, what kind of performance has Westbrook shown after gaining the trust of the Nuggets? This issue will take you through an in-depth data analysis to understand. In this game, Westbrook played for 29 minutes, contributing 19 points and 8 assists to help the Nuggets defeat the Clippers. Looking at the basic statistics, it doesn't seem particularly outstanding, but after this battle, Westbrook's performance on the court this season contrasts sharply with his playing time: In October, Westbrook averaged 19.7 minutes, contributing 9.8 points and 3.8 assists, with shooting percentages of 27% and 25%; In November, Westbrook averaged 26.2 minutes, contributing 12.9 points and 6.6 assists, with shooting percentages of 42.3% and 40.4%; In December, Westbrook averaged 28.5 minutes, contributing 12 points and 7.1 assists, with shooting percentages of 51.8% and 22.2%; In January, Westbrook averaged 31.2 minutes, contributing 15.8 points and 7.8 assists, with shooting percentages of 51.7% and 36.4%. Judging from the basic performance, the more playing time he gets, the greater his contribution, and this improvement is reflected in various aspects. Looking at the impact of Westbrook's presence on the court, it becomes even more obvious. From October to January, his net efficiency for each month was -21.3, -5.3, 4.5, and 14.3, respectively. This means that when Westbrook is on the court, the…

In life, success is fleeting, while failure is the main theme. However, how one faces failure distinguishes different individuals; some may be defeated by failure, while others rise up and continue moving forward. The NBA is no exception! Looking at the current league, Harden is the player with the most playoff appearances among those without a championship (166 games), still carrying the dream of a championship despite the heavy burden; Paul is the second-most playoff appearances among those without a championship (149 games), focusing on accompanying his prodigy, Wenyamata, in his growth. Harden's relentless pursuit without regard for effort has been in vain, and Paul believes that life is greater than basketball, both gradually drifting away from the championship title, which can be seen as a convergence of paths in another sense! Westbrook is the third-most playoff appearances among current NBA players without a championship (112 games). He is not as fortunate as Harden and Paul, but he does not believe in fate or give up, continuing to challenge for the championship! Westbrook has won the MVP, scoring titles, assist titles, and is a regular in All-Star teams and the annual best lineup, having already been crowned the NBA's historical triple-double king and selected as one of the NBA's top 75 superstars! However, Westbrook is also the most destitute MVP in NBA history, changing teams six times in six years! Unfortunately, since joining the Lakers to assist James and Anthony Davis, Westbrook has become a target for criticism, with everyone calling for his departure. Even after accepting a bench role,…

Big Brother Won't Hit Me Anymore? Leonard Leaves Before the Game, Clippers Tank Together! Westbrook Mocks Face-to-Face, Harden Suffers On January 9th, Beijing time, Westbrook had his strongest game yet, exploding for 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists in three quarters to crush the Clippers. His most domineering move mocked his old team and humiliated Harden. The Los Angeles Clippers faced a weakened Nuggets team without Jokic and were surprisingly blown out, even more so by their two former players. Both Westbrook and Jordan played their most classic games of the season, although Westbrook didn't get a triple-double, he and Jordan were too fierce. Jordan started at center and incredibly scored 12 points with 9 rebounds and 2 assists, performing various alley-oop dunks that felt like a dream from over ten years ago. In 2015, Jordan played this way for the Clippers, and he can still do it now. It's unclear what the Clippers were defending against, but more importantly, Westbrook dominated Harden in their matchup. Westbrook already had 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists on 8-of-16 shooting after three quarters, directly making Harden check out early. Harden only managed 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, with a shooting percentage of 5-for-15. He was outperformed by Westbrook in efficiency, scoring, rebounding, and assists, and even had more turnovers. Westbrook only had 3 turnovers upon entering the game, while Harden had a total of 5. Both were starters and primary ball handlers, and it was clear who played better and who played worse. In the third quarter, Westbrook…

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…