Anthony Davis Steals the Show in Kevin Durant's Return and Tuesday NBA Takeaways

Kevin Durant tallied 27 points in 30 minutes on Tuesday night in his first taste of action since returning from a foot fracture that had sidelined him since preseason tuneups in mid-October. But his solid season debut wasn't enough to avert yet another loss en route to the Oklahoma City Thunder's now 5-13 record.

Anthony Davis' MVP-caliber outing had a little something to do with that. His 25 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and six—yes six—steals led the New Orleans Pelicans to a much-needed 112-104 victory that ends a three-game slide. ESPN Stats & Info noted some league-leading stats for Davis:

Coming off a month in which he scored at least 30 points on four occasions (including a 43-point eruption against the Utah Jazz), the 21-year-old has established himself as perhaps the best two-way player this side of LeBron James, and he's doing it with defensive numbers James has never produced.

Through 16 appearances, he's averaging 24.9 points (tied with James for third league-wide) and 11.3 rebounds per contest. His 3.1 blocks lead the league, as does his ridiculous 33.4 player efficiency rating. And he's a close second with 2.3 steals per game.

"It makes you smile to see yourself becoming the player you want to be," Davis recently told Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins in the magazine's cover story. "When people talk about the greatest ever, I want to be in that conversation. I'm nowhere close to it. No…where…close…But it's where I want to go."

It's a quest that may entail more than a few showdowns with Durant.

Though Davis was the one receiving MVP chants in the waning moments of Tuesday's showdown, it's the reigning MVP's return that has teams in the Western Conference looking over their shoulders.

The wait is finally over for Durant, but he understands he must temper expectations as he works his way back into shape, as the five-time All-Star told reporters prior to Tuesday's contest:

"

Just excited to get back out there with my teammates. It's been a long six and a half weeks just trying to get better and get my foot right. The training staff did a great job, so I'm just looking forward to playing tonight.   

I know it's going to be a little bit different for me not having played...and then going out there and playing the highest level of basketball. But I'm looking forward to going out there and seeing where I am and playing as hard as I can for my team.

"

Individually, Durant was good. He made nine of his 18 field-goal attempts, got to the free-throw line and showed off his range from beyond the three-point arc (where he was 3-of-8). But it may take this team some time to rediscover its old form and forge the kind of chemistry it had a season ago. Injuries have almost certainly taken their toll on Oklahoma City's collective rhythm.

In just his second game after recovering from a fractured right hand, Russell Westbrook looked significantly rustier than he did in his 32-point return on Friday. He and power forward Serge Ibaka combined to make just nine of their 31 field-goal attempts against New Orleans, thwarting any hopes OKC had of running the Pelicans out of the building. 

While few doubt Durant's ability to turn the Thunder around in short order, it remains to be seen whether Davis can take his Pelicans to the playoffs. Should they fall short, it won't be his fault.

Around the Association

Mavs Use Double OT to Win Fourth Straight

Monta Ellis' 38 points led the Dallas Mavericks to a 132-129 win against the Chicago Bulls, but it took two overtimes to get there. Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons and Devin Harris all scored at least 20 points, reminding us why the Mavs led the league in offensive efficiency with 115.8 points per 100 possessions through their first 18 games, per Basketball-Reference.com.

But Ellis' heroics were the story this time. He hit a go-ahead trey in double OT to finally end the game, and he hit three free throws to tie it with 1.2 seconds remaining in regulation. Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich inexplicably fouled him several feet beyond the arc, and Ellis got enough of a shot up to earn all three attempts at the line. Nowitzki thought the Hinrich foul was a  "dumb" foul (via Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com):

And one of the more costly fouls as well.

Warriors Tie Grizzlies' League-Leading Record With 10th Straight Win

The Golden State Warriors can't be entirely thrilled with how it all went down, but they'll take their 98-97 victory over the Orlando Magic along with a league-best 15-2 record shared with only the Memphis Grizzlies. 

Stephen Curry added to his legend with a go-ahead three-pointer that came with just 2.2 seconds remaining in regulation. It wasn't the convincing beatdown one might have expected against the young 7-13 Magic, but this is still another step toward elite seeding in an ever-crowded Western Conference.

The Warriors have now won 10 games in a row, remaining perfect since a Nov. 11 loss to the reigning champion San Antonio Spurs. They're off to the best start in franchise history under new head coach Steve Kerr.

Cavs Showing Signs

The thoroughly hyped trio of LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving combined for 81 points in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 111-108 victory over the up-and-coming Milwaukee Bucks. And they got some help from 34-year-old Mike Miller, who tallied two three-pointers, seven rebounds and a pivotal block in the second half.

"We were in trouble, and we had to do something," head coach David Blatt told reporters after the game. "Mike answered the call.

"He sort of stabilized us, gave the others confidence, and that's what a veteran should do. I gotta give him a lot of credit. He hasn't played in the last several games, and we threw him into a very tough situation, and he answered the call in a big way.”

Indeed, Miller hadn’t appeared in a contest since Cleveland’s Nov. 22 defeat to the Toronto Raptors. Performances like this one may earn him some increased playing time.

The Cavaliers have now won four straight on the heels of a four-game losing streak, and their best basketball is almost certainly still to come. 

Shaw Accepts Blame for Portland Comeback

The Portland Trail Blazers have won 11 of their last 12 games, including Tuesday night's narrow 105-103 victory against the Denver Nuggets—a game in which they trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half.

Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw cited late-game turnovers and suggested that he ought to have called a timeout prior to his club's final possession.

"That one is hard to swallow," he told reporters after the game. "It seemed like we controlled the game for the most part and to lose it the way we did at the end, I'll take the hit."

At the moment, Shaw probably shouldn't be too hard on himself, especially in the wake of a game in which LaMarcus Aldridge went off for 39 points. After his Nuggets got off to a 1-6 start this season, they're now 9-9 after winning seven of their last 10 games. A win against the now 14-4 Trail Blazers would have been nice, but Denver still appears to be on the right track.

Knicks Have No Interest in Winning Close Games

The scene seemed so right for a reversal of fortune: a home game against the hated Brooklyn Nets; a pair of furious comebacks down the stretch; the ball in Carmelo Anthony's deft right hand with a scant nine seconds left to play. 

Clank.

Anthony's last-ditch hoist went amiss, allowing the Nets to escape Madison Square Garden with a 98-93 win Tuesday night. It's the fifth loss in a row for the reeling New York Knicks, who are now zero for their last six in games decided by five points or less. That number balloons to 11 in a row when you count games ending within a margin of seven.

It's been a rough road for first-year head coach Derek Fisher, whose charges now find themselves at 4-15 and in serious danger of falling out of the playoff…what’s that? The Knicks actually have a first-round pick this year?

Nevermind. Move along. Nothing to see here.

Kobe Bryant Is a Tired Greek Mythology Expert

Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

Don't look now, but the Los Angeles Lakers now own the second-longest winning streak among NBA teams from the City of Los Angeles (two games).

It's a lot more impressive than it sounds.

The Lakers took care of business against the dismal Detroit Pistons, reeling off a 106-96 win that saw center Jordan Hill put up the stat line of his life: 22 points (on 10-of-15 shooting) to go along with 13 rebounds over 31 spunky-spry minutes.

One game removed from his first triple-double of the season, Kobe Bryant (12 points and 13 assists) was…well, he wasn’t Jordan Hill. Soak that sentence in for a minute.

Afterward, the wily, winding-down vet dug deep into the grad-school grab bag to explain his intermittently lethargic play (via Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News and Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times):

So, Greek mythology. That's cool. We'll start worrying when Kobe starts spitting Robert Smith quotes.