Specifically, by the time we reach the NBA Slate on Christmas Day, the teams are in a good rhythm of logging six weeks of the normal season. This is not a normal season. The 10 teams only played their second game after a quick shuffle from the bubble playoffs in Friday’s Christmas slate.
It showed in many ways. Many fronts need to be cleaned up. Warriors look like dumpster fire. The pelican, at some point, hangs on the ball and rotates to the position of your breathing. But the mixed has given many sensational performances.
Nate looks fantastic through the game. The Lakers and the Heat were terrific on Christmas day to advance their dude opener. All in all, the games weren’t terribly competitive at Christmas, with the Panchayats ending with double digits. So we think it’s best to focus on the best personal performance of the day. In order, they are here.
Irving said he would let his play speak this season, and yet it is being heard out loud and clear. Irving turned the half-time deficit in Boston into a hurricane as he led the way, with his 20-game-high 37 points in the second half, including 11 in the fourth quarter, nailed to the coffin. He shot 13-of-21, including 7-for-10 from three and 4-for-4 from the line. He added eight assists and six rebounds for good action. He was brilliantly skilled, scoring almost perfectly from behind the arc or from the paint as he and Kevin Durant played my turn-your-turn to perfection.
Williamson was fantastic in the defeat against the New Relians hit, which became the closest game of the day, ending with 32૨ points and a career-high 14 rebounds, as he had for his second double-double in many games. Zion joins LeBron James as one of two players in history to score at least 30 points at Christmas before turning 21. It is a force beyond words. When he goes to his left, forget him, and he has a knack for going to his left, even though everyone knows he’s just trying to do it. His second jump is a revelation. It’s a terrific cutter. And it can cope and snatch you, either putting you in a spin cycle or going through you. He did it all at Christmas; That just wasn’t enough.
Middleton and points rear dropped to 31 points, five assists and four boards in 10-of-15 shooting, including 6-of-8 and line-5-5 from outside the arc, with Giannis Antatoc oun Nampo reflecting pedestrian performance on footnotes. Is. Milwaukee rolled. Middleton was aggressive to score with most of his damage jumps in the first half (21 points on 4 — 21 from the most balls) before the laughter erupted from the game. Through two games, Middleton averaged 57-percent shooting at 29 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists, with 56 percent from the 3-point range. Hello.
Davis de Dal was the creation of the Lakers ’win over Las Vegas, posting 28 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two blocks for him to leave the line. He started the fire and finished 10-of-16 from the field, including 3 — from the free-throw line. The ease with which Davis can reach his spot and canch over someone is starting to feel like Kevin Durant, and I can’t say it lightly.
5. Kevin Durant
Durant scored 16 of Brooklyn’s 35 third-quarter points to turn the three-point halftime deficit into a nine-point lead to fourth, while Irving dropped it. Durant goes from 3rd to 3-for-4, finishing with 29 points on just 16 shots. He showed a really impressive defense on Jason Tatum, and put the ball on the deck and easily mounted Puri as Durant bounced back to his old self. Both Durant and Irving were plus-31s for the game. No jokes against a team like the Celtics.
Boomed
- Brandon Ingram: 28 points from 3-point range to 4-of-8; New Orleans sank 10 times and reached the line 11 times
- LeBron James: 22 points and 10 assists; Went all-time second in Christmas Point, just behind Kobe Bryant
- Duncan Robinson: Six-pointers to Christmas record in the first half with seven creations from downtown
- Goran Derjik: 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting; Found in paint at will; Heat Plus-21 in its minutes
- Jalen Brown: 27 points but he took it in 25 shots
- Paul George: 23 points, 5-of-9 ahead of the arc, team-high plus-14
- Nikola Jokic: 24 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds in footnotes near triple-double
