Top 25 Head-to-Head NBA Matchups of the 2009-10 Season

This 2009-10 NBA regular season was spectacular. It was very competitive in every nature.

There was a lot of overtime games, games decided by one to five points, and most importantly a TON of scoring.

There are a lot of superstars in this league and their teams rely on them to put up points and reel there team to victory. However, it's not rare to see to superstars battle head-to-head for their respective squads.

There was actually a lot of that. Sometimes it wasn't the superstar on some given nights. It was a role player stepping up and facing the challenge head on. Sometimes they prevailed, sometimes they didn't.

Nevertheless it's always exciting to see two scorers battling it out on the court. It happened on many occasions and narrowing it down to 25 was quite the challenge.

Here is the list, enjoy!

Honorable Mentions

Rajon Rondo vs. Monta Ellis

Two hot hands going at it. Rondo bring his energy on the offensive end with his floaters, jump shooting and aggressiveness. Monta Ellis on the other hand, just could not miss a shot. He was hot from three, and move inside for jump shots as well. Monta Ellis ended with 37, while Rondo had 30 points and 15 assist. The Warriors went on to win the game 103-99.

Zach Randolph vs. Chris Bosh

These two were matched up down low and both got the best of each other. While the Grizzlies went on for victory, Bosh did score more points and almost got his team the W, Zach Randolph was too much to handle down the stretch that's what gave them this victory. The two combined to score 67 total points

No. 25 Kobe Bryant vs Lebron James (68 Points Combined)

Lebron James and Kobe Bryant, two of the best players this league has to offer.

Every time these two strap up on the hardwood expect a ton of visitors as well as a ton of media attention.

During the game that took place on January 21, 2010 the Lakers were in desperate need of a win against the Cavaliers to avoid a season sweep of the series. However, for Kobe and the gang they didn't get that.

However, during the game you got what many wanted to see; a shootout from the perennial stars in the league.

The Cavaliers was in control basically the whole game but whenever you're playing against Kobe you know it's going to be an uphill battle. Kobe Bryant would pull some of his heroics and put his team back in position to win the game, and then King James would answer right back and push the league back out.

It went up and down, before the Cavaliers got an 87-80 lead on the Lakers behind nine straight points by Lebron. After that, he went on to score another three points, and with four seconds on the clock Varejao hit the game clutching free-throws.

Lebron scored 12 of his teams last 15 points and secured the victory. Kobe Bryant pushed him all game with his 31, but behind James 37 points the Cavaliers walked away winners.

No. 24 Joe Johnson vs Kevin Durant (70 Points Combined)

Remember when these two teams were competing February 2, 2010? Let me take you back.'

It all started in the third quarter; the game was tied 55 all with 8:59 left to play. Durant scored four of his team six points to push the lead out to 55-61. Before anything could get out of hand, Joe Johnson came down and hit a jumper to pull the Hawks closer.

After that Oklahoma City went on a run and behind Durant's three ball they pushed the lead out to 11 and forced Atlanta to call a timeout.

Well it was time for the Joe Johnson show; he came out and hit a jumper, then right back down to nail a three ball. With no answer from Durant, Johnson came right back down and hit a three ball. The Hawks held an 8-0 run from all of Joe Johnson's points.

Fast forwarding it to crunch time, both athletes continued to score at will. Joe Johnson ended up scoring nine in the fourth, while Durant scored six.

Joe Johnson won the scoring battle with 37 points, but behind Durant's 33 points the Thunder was able to come away with the victory.

No. 23 Dwyane Wade vs Lebron James (70 Points Combined)

Every time two players like Wade and James meet on the center stage expect a lot of competitiveness. And that’s exactly what you seen that day. Lebron James had his team in control throughout the whole game, but with Dwyane Wade on the other team, everybody got to witness a star-studded show when the Heat tried to come back.

It was a superstar show in the fourth quarter once these two strapped up. Dwyane Wade the vocal leader for the heat faced a ten point deficit once the fourth quarter started.

Boy, were we in for a show.

In the fourth quarter it was the Wade and James show. Wade hit a three pointer, James went to line and knocked down two. Dwyane Wade hit another three, a free throw, and a runner in the lane before James answered with six straight points.

However, even though Wade scored nine of his 36 points in the last stanza it wasn't enough to overcome the 34 point, seven assist night of Lebron James.

No. 22 Kevin Durant vs Kobe Bryant (70 Points Combined)

You think watching these two go at it in the playoffs was exciting, look back on the regular season head-to-head match-ups.

Durant one of the best pure scorers in the league right now, facing the savvy veteran in Kobe Bryant.

Fans got exactly what the bargained for as these two superstars gave the fans one to remember.

Bryant and Durant both opened up the game with hot shooting. But as the game went on behind Kevin Durant the Thunder was able to establish a bit of a lead on the Lakers

However, after the Thunder ruled the second quarter, it was an uphill battle from then on out.

With 4:09 left in the third quarter the game just got more interesting. The score was 77-74 after a Bryant jumper, soon after was a technical foul and free throw and a jumper by Durant.

Beginning the fourth quarter the Lakers held the lead and looked to finish them off. Behind Bryant's 11 fourth quarter points, the Lakers were able to pull away from the Thunder.

Kobe finished with 40 points, and Durant 30.

No. 21 Carmelo Anthony vs Brandon Roy (71 Points Combined)

This season I don't think anybody expected to see such a scoring debut for Carmelo Anthony. He was right up there for the scoring title.

Same goes for Brandon Roy. He faced injuries and when healthy he is a handful for any team.

Let's just say Brandon Roy's 16 point third quarter wasn't enough to hold off the Denver Nuggets. In the fourth, Carmelo Anthony dominated and gave his team the W.

Carmelo Anthony score 19 of his 40 points in the fourth and overcame Brandon Roy's 30 point night.

No. 20 Kevin Durant vs Lebron James (71 Points Combined)

Both players grasped a double-double of some sort and Lebron almost completely owned the game with a triple double. Just one rebound shy.

Kevin Durant and Lebron James went toe-to-toe in a very competitive match-up that was decided by one point. Behind Lebron James’ fourth quarter performance the Cavaliers were able to pull away.

Lebron finished with 37 points, 12 assist, and nine rebounds. On the other side of the court Durant finished with 34 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 19 Chauncey Billups vs Kobe Bryant (72 Points Combined)

With Carmelo Anthony unable to play in this game the Nuggets looked for Chauncey Billups to guide them to the win over the defending champion Lakers.

Although it was a relatively tough challenge the Lakers couldn’t overcome Billups nine three point field goals, in fact the Nuggets hit 15 three’s on the night and Billups either knock it down or assisted 12 of those.

It was a wonderful night for Billups but you can’t knock out Kobe Bryant. He kept his Lakers in the game throughout. He kept the game manageable and pressured Billups all game.

Chauncey ended with 39 points, eight assist, and Kobe Bryant ended with 33 points, and nine rebounds.

No. 18 Dwyane Wade vs Gilbert Arenas (72 Points Combined)

During a game where Dwyane Wade played every minute of play in the second half, he managed to score 40 points and convert key plays in the last minute.

In fact, when the score was knotted up at 89 all, Wade stepped up and knocked down a jumper and a free-throw. While Arenas missed two jumpers in a lay-up.

Basically, the game was based on the Arenas-Wade show but after things got tense in the end, Wade made the plays and Arenas couldn't answer. Arenas ended with 32 points, while Wade finished with 40.

No. 17 Zach Randolph vs Carmelo Anthony (73 Points Combined)

A leader takes the role of the closer in many games, and that's exactly what Carmelo Anthony and Zach Randolph do. Both players have great backcourts but on the frontier they're the real leaders.

In this game you got the chance to witness two leader’s battle it out. In Randolph case he was helping his team keep the lead. However, in Carmelo's case he was trying to reel his team to victory.

In the end, Randolph's helped the Grizzlies keep the lead and overcame Carmelo Anthony's 41 point, six rebound, and five assist night. Randolph ended with 32 points and 24 rebounds--no type, he had 24 rebounds.

No. 16 Carmelo Anthony vs Brandon Roy (73 Points Combined)

Carmelo Anthony was hot through the first three quarters of the game. With that he had his Nuggets in the lead with one quarter left. However, he only needed a little Brandon Roy to cool him off.

Brandon Roy influenced the fourth quarter in many ways, but his 10 point three rebound performance in the last stanza caused match-up problems for Denver and his clutch three pointers couldn’t have came at a better time for Portland. Roy helped the Blazers to victory and overcame Melo’s 32 point, nine rebound, and four assist performance.

Roy ended with 41 points, six rebounds and four assist.

No. 15 Chris Paul vs Jason Terry (74 Points Combined)

We didn't get to see Chris Paul on the court much but when he was this is the kind of performances he showcased.

Early on in the season, the guards Jason Terry and Chris Paul battled it out for their respective squads. Only one difference, Terry comes off the bench and had huge numbers.

Terry only influenced the game in one way, and that was scoring. He had the hot hand for the Mavericks and ended up scoring a total of 35 points before the game ended.

However, even in the overtime minutes Jason Terry's production wasn't enough to overcome what Chris Paul had did on the night.

After Jason Terry's three pointers in overtime, Chris Paul went on to answer with a jump shot and a few free-throws to seal the deal.

Chris Paul ended with 39 points, seven assist and five rebounds.

No. 14 Andre Iguodala vs Al Harrington (74 Points Combined)

Early on in the season you could already tell what the NBA season had in store for us. We had plenty of overtime games and a lot of scoring.

One game featured Al Harrington and Andre Iguodala. Not necessarily the leader of the Knicks but he stepped up in played the role this game.

However, it wasn't enough to stop the night Iggy had for the Sixers. The Knicks was still winless at home and gave up 32 points, 11 rebounds and eight assist to Iggy, while Harrington put up 42 points and six rebounds.

No. 13 Monta Ellis vs Tony Parker (74 Points Combined)

Although Tim Duncan was the huge contributor in the game, without the scoring from Tony Parker I don't believe they would have gotten over Monta Ellis' 42 point game.

Parker turned in a 12 point third quarter and to finish things off he made some free-throws in the end to put it out of reach.

Parker ended the game with the win and 32 points.

No. 12 Brandon Roy vs Trevor Ariza (75 Points Combined)

With no Tracy McGrady or Yao Ming the Rockets had to do for themselves this year. That didn't seem to be a huge problem as long as Brooks and Ariza contributed.

Both perennial stars needed full production on this night. Despite the 33 points scored by Ariza, he needed Brooks 28 to balance the act to overcome the 42-point performance by Brandon Roy.

No. 11 Lebron James vs Zach Randolph (75 Points Combined)

It was all about Lebron James and Zach Randolph in overtime. Randolph hit a jumper to put his team up by four, then soon after Lebron James came down and popped a three point jumper.

After a block on Randolph on the other end, Lebron James hustled down the court and put up another basket.

After a made three point by O.J Mayo, Lebron James answered with two key free-throws to knot it up. But soon after, guard Mike Conley came down and scored what would be the game winning lay-up.

Lebron finished with 43 points, 13 rebounds, and six assist. While Randolph finished with 32 points, 14 rebounds and four steals.

No. 10 Gilbert Arenas vs Monta Ellis (75 Points Combined)

The scoring battle between these two started heating up in the second. The Warriors tried Curry on Arenas, but that failed miserably so it was now Monta Ellis' turn. With Ellis it came right down and popped a jumper in Arenas face, and then afterwards Arenas backed him down and scored.

It lasted almost the entire second half as well, Arenas taking Ellis off the dribble, or backing him down and just plain scoring on him. When it mattered Arenas made the plays and Ellis didn't.

The Wizards rode Arenas' 45 points, and 13 assist to victory. Monta Ellis finished with 30 points, seven assist and five steals.

No. 9 Lebron James vs Brandon Roy (75 Points Combined)

Brandon Roy had 34 points, four rebounds and three assist but the real story was Lebron James. They tried just about everybody on James this game and nobody could stop him.

James took it to the lane consistently, and hit three pointers on offense. He was just a handful for the defense and that's the reason why the Cavaliers walk away with a win.

Lebron James finished with 41 points, 10 rebounds and eight assist.

No. 8 Monta Ellis vs Chauncey Billups (76 Points Combined)

It wasn't just about these two superstars but they were both paired on offense and defense for most of the game. Each player got the better of one player and because Ellis missed the game-tying free-throw in overtime, the Nuggets marched to victory.

Chauncey Billups finished with 37 points, eight assist and rebounds. While Monta Ellis finished with 39 points, 10 assist and six rebounds.

No.7 Carmelo Anthony vs Aaron Brooks (76 Points Combined)

This game was highly competitive throughout; a lot of scoring, nifty moves and entertainment with this game. Aaron Brooks is no doubt one of the leaders of the Rockets and Carmelo Anthony falls into the leader role with the Nuggets.

The game was decided in the last minute and Aaron Brooks made the shot to put his team ahead. And after a missed attempt by Melo that solidified the win.

Aaron Brooks ended the game with 31 points and nine assist, while Anthony edged him out in scoring with 45 points, 10 rebounds and three assist.

No. 6 Kevin Martin vs Zach Randolph (78 Points Combined)

In the debut of Allen Iverson, there was another Grizzlies' player that stole the show. His name was Zach Randolph. His scoring in the lost post was key in keeping the Grizzlies in the game but even after extra sessions, the Grizzlies' couldn't stop the hot stroke of Kevin Martin.

Behind his hot shooting the Kings marched to an overtime victory.

He finished with 48 points, five rebounds, four steals, and assist. On the other side of the ball, Randolph finished with 30 points and 16 rebounds.

No. 5 O.J Mayo vs Carmelo Anthony (82 Points Combined)

You like games with a lot of scoring? This was the game to watch. Carmelo Anthony and O.J Mayo took on the scoring role and light up the stats sheets.

When the Grizzlies tried to play the comeback role Anthony did something that pushed the league out more. After they got closer with such little time left in the fourth Anthony went to the line and converted on both free-throws.

Next thing you know, Marc Gasol is at the line so Anthony comes down and hits a jumper.

After O.J Mayo starts to heat up, scoring seven points in the final three minutes but it wasn't enough to overcome the 42 point, seven rebounds, and five assist night of Carmelo Anthony. Mayo finished with, 40 points, five rebounds and four assist.

No. 4 Lebron James vs Joe Johnson (83 Points Combined)

Lebron James the best...one of the best scorers in the NBA took on a unexpected challenge when the Hawks arrived. Nobody really expects Joe Johnson to give you superstar numbers like he did to day. To be the best, you have to compete with the best and that's exactly what Joe Johnson did.

Lebron James is one of the better fourth quarter scorers this league has to offer. With his team down, expect him to always step up to the plate.

Lebron James scored 12 in the fourth and Johnson scored 11. Although Joe Johnson played terrific basketball grasping 35 points, it wasn't enough to overcome James' 48 point, 10 rebound, six assist night.

No. 3 Carmelo Anthony vs Lebron (83 Points Combined)

Have you ever witnessed two of the better superstars in the league going head-to-head? Man if you were unlucky and missed this game here is the highlight of the duo...

This was one of the best games this year; on the account of a lot of scoring at a highly competitive pace. Carmelo ended with 40 points, seven assist, and six rebounds, while Lebron finished with 43 points, 15 assist, and 13 rebounds

No. 2 Kevin Durant vs Deron Williams (87 Points Combined)

Kevin Durant is one of the premier scorers in the league. When he and Deron William's squad faced off, you were in for an offensive showdown.

Each player traded bucket after bucket but it wasn't just these two, their teammates also chipped in as well.

This game was so competitive that it couldn't be decided in 48 minutes, it needed an extra five.

In overtime, Deron Williams made a three point jumper, Durant went aggressively to the hoop and drew the foul; he nailed both free throws. Then after, Deron Williams knocked down another jumper to give the Jazz the lead. But a very questionable no-call at the end, where C.J. Miles clearly fouled Durant on his attempt at the buzzer but no foul was called.

Deron Williams ended with 42 points, 10 assist and three rebounds, while Durant finished with 45 points, seven rebounds, four assist, two steals, two blocks

No. 1 Carmelo Anthony vs Al Harrington (91 Points Combined)

The Pepsi Center got a game to remember. Carmelo Anthony and Al Harrington both had terrific games and the game went down to the wire.

Carmelo Anthony throughout his career never grasped the right to say he scored 50 points in a game. That was until then.

Carmelo Anthony at the end of the third had 39 points, and turned in 11 much needed points in the fourth. Carmelo's 50 helped the Nuggets overcome the 41 points by Al Harrington and his 14 point fourth quarter in attempt to come back.