Daily Zap 17-11-14

Denver Nuggets (2-7) @ New York Knicks (3-8)

The New York Knicks ended a seven game losing streak thanks to a win over fellow strugglers, the Denver Nuggets. The win was mainly due to Denver scoring just one basket from 16 attempts in the second quarter, while the Knicks scored 31 points. Even when Denver outscored their opponents in the next quarter, the Knicks didn’t worry, still possessing a 20 point lead. It looked like Denver could mount a comeback when they reduced the lead to 12, but Carmelo Anthony helped pull his team through for the win.

Knicks 93 - 109 Nuggets

KEY PERFORMERS

Ty Lawson - 17 points, 9 assists

Kenneth Faried - 16 points, 9 rebounds

Carmelo Anthony - 28 points, 9 rebounds

J.R. Smith - 28 points

Milwaukee Bucks (5-5) @ Miami Heat (5-5)

The Miami Heat fell to their third straight loss, this time losing at home to the Milwaukee Bucks. They may have won the first half 46-38, but the main damage was done in the third quarter. The Bucks outscored the Heat in the third by 26-13, being a great force on the inside. Miami reduced to the lead to three in the final quarter, but the game was over when Brandon Knight nailed two three-pointers in the space of a couple of minutes. Dwyane Wade was sorely missed by Miami, with Chris Bosh (2-17) and Luol Deng (3-11) struggling from the field.

Bucks 91 - 84 Heat

KEY PERFORMERS

Giannis Antetokounmpo - 11 points, 7 rebounds

Brandon Knight - 20 points, 5 rebounds

Shawne Williams - 13 points, 11 rebounds

Mario Chalmers - 18 points

Houston Rockets (9-1) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (3-8)

In one of the ugliest games in recent years, the Houston Rockets managed to grind out a victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder. If you wondering why the score was so low, it wasn’t due to terrific defence, both teams shot the ball poorly; Houston shooting 28.7% and the Thunder weren’t much better at 29.4%. The Rockets dominance in the paint - they outscored the Thunder 14-0 in the first quarter - was key to gaining an early advantage. But the Thunder rallied to even up the scores, being helped by Houston scoring just nine points in the third. However, it was the Rockets who led late on, 68-65 with one possession left. Reggie Jackson shot an unnecessarily deep three pointer which missed the targets, which maintained the Rockets unbeaten road run.

Rockets 69 - 65 Thunder

KEY PERFORMERS

Patrick Beverley - 12 points, 8 rebounds

James Harden - 19 points, 9 rebounds

Reggie Jackson - 15 points, 11 rebounds

Serge Ibaka - 10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks

Golden State Warriors (8-2) @ Los Angeles Lakers (1-9)

The Lakers defence has been appalling so far this year, but even their biggest critics didn’t expect the Warriors to score 74 points against them in the first half alone. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were the main threats for Golden State, scoring the ball with the ease that we’ve seen many times before. The lead extended to as much as 38 points in the third, meaning they could relax a little in the final quarter, and still comfortably pick up the win. Kobe shot 34 shots from the field which implies that he has been given free rein  by Byron Scott to shoot when and where he wants.

Warriors 136 - 115 Lakers

KEY PERFORMERS

Stephen Curry - 30 points, 15 assists

Andrew Bogut - 15 points, 10 rebounds

Kobe Bryant - 44 points

Jordan Hill - 15 points, 11 rebounds

LeBron Over Durant ?? No... Well, Not Yet

The latest Race to the MVP standings have been released, and there is a headline change at the summit.

Yes, Kevin Durant's reign at the top is over. Long live King James.


But is it deserved ? In my opinion, no. Since last week  both players have had comparatively equal runs, with one major talking point. The Heat-Thunder game.

This was billed to be the pivotal moment in the Race to the MVP. As well as that, Russell Westbrook was returning after missing 27 games with a knee injury. The stage was set for a showdown between, arguably, the two best teams in the league.

So, what happened? Well, LeBron and the Heat won the day, despite James taking a blow to the face from Serge Ibaka. Despite his team performing poorly, shooting only 38% from the floor, Durant (or should that be "The Servant" ?) didn't exactly have a bad game, with 28 points and 8 rebounds.

But of course, fans took to social media to declare that LeBron is back, and Kevin couldn't hold a candle to the "true" MVP. Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I'm not sure of their logic.

Durant is still averaging more points and rebounds than LeBron this season and has helped OKC through a period without their star point guard. The return of Westbrook may benefit the team, but it could damage Durant's MVP chances.

With Westbrook back in the team, the Thunder now have two All-Star players, meaning some of the public (and media) attention will be off KD. It is also safe to presume that Thunder Head Coach, Scott Brooks, will set his team up to use both Westbrook and Durant, instead the current system of relying on Durant. Whereas, out in Miami, LeBron will still be taking all the headlines.

This could be the main factor in LeBron taking his 5th MVP crown. As mentioned before, his stats are slightly worse than Kevin's at the minute, a fact that can be easily forgotten if you help your team to clinch the number 1 seed in your conference.

I guess we will see what will happen in the rest of the season, but for now, the Race to the MVP is definitely on.

Who will win ? Only time can tell.