Wednesday NBA Roundup: Anthony Davis Brings Historic Resume into Playoffs
Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans have done it.
Matched up against a San Antonio Spurs team gunning for the Western Conference's No. 2 seed and a fifth straight Southwest Division title, Davis propelled the Pelicans to an improbable 108-103 win over the defending champions by totaling 31 points, 13 rebounds and two assists to secure the West's eighth and final playoff spot.
| 1. Atlanta* | 60-22 | --- | 1. Golden State* | 67-15 | --- |
| 2. Cleveland* | 53-29 | 7.0 | 2. Houston* | 56-26 | 11.0 |
| 3. Chicago* | 50-32 | 10.0 | 3. L.A. Clippers* | 56-26 | 11.0 |
| 4. Toronto* | 49-33 | 11.0 | 4. Portland* | 51-31 | 16.0 |
| 5. Washington* | 46-36 | 14.0 | 5. Memphis* | 55-27 | 12.0 |
| 6. Milwaukee* | 41-41 | 19.0 | 6. San Antonio* | 55-27 | 12.0 |
| 7. Boston* | 40-42 | 20.0 | 7. Dallas* | 50-32 | 17.0 |
| 8. Brooklyn* | 38-44 | 22.0 | 8. New Orleans* | 45-37 | 22.0 |
| 9. Indiana | 38-44 | 22.0 | 9. Oklahoma City | 45-37 | 22.0 |
The Pelicans needed every ounce of energy Davis could provide, because Russell Westbrook led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a gargantuan 138-113 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Westbrook finished with 37 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, with 34 of his points coming in the first half. His third straight performance of 30-plus points also clinched Westbrook the league's scoring title at 28.1 points per game.
| (1) Atlanta Hawks vs. (8) Brooklyn Nets | (1) Golden State Warriors vs. (8) New Orleans Pelicans |
| (2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (7) Boston Celtics | (2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks |
| (3) Chicago Bulls vs. (6) Milwaukee Bucks | (3) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (6) San Antonio Spurs |
| (4) Toronto Raptors vs. (5) Washington Wizards | (4) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (5) Memphis Grizzlies |
New Orleans is now locked in to a first-round matchup with the top-seeded Golden State Warriors, whom the Pelicans defeated, 103-100, on April 7.
In sealing a playoff berth, Davis saved a couple of jobs, according to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski:
Despite recently turning just 22 years old, Davis injected his name into the MVP race with statistical backing that would have made him a front-runner had New Orleans solidified its position as a playoff entrant earlier in the season.
"I mean, I'm just in my third year and already a contender for the MVP award is, uh, something I always dreamed about but never thought would happen," Davis told ESPN.com's Scoop Jackson. "I never thought I'd get a chance this early. So it's definitely an honor and a blessing. To me, it just shows that I just try to go out there and compete to the best of my abilities and show the world that I can play this game."
Don't worry, AD—we all know you've got game now.
| Anthony Davis (2014-15) | 36.1 | 24.4 | 10.2 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 53.5 | 31.0 |
But how does Davis' game stack up against elite contemporaries and historical peers?
On the most basic level, Davis finished the 2014-15 season as one of three players to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. DeMarcus Cousins and LaMarcus Aldridge were the other two.
Add the qualifier of two blocks per game to that line, and Davis stands alone as the only player to meet those statistical averages this season—and he's now accomplished that feat in back-to-back years.
Compared to fellow MVP candidates Stephen Curry, James Harden, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Westbrook, Davis was far and away the most efficient of the bunch.
Although Westbrook's player efficiency rating clocked in at No. 2 overall behind Davis' unthinkable league-leading total, his PER was bolstered by the highest usage rate since 2005-06 and a league-leading 22 field-goal attempts per game. Davis' usage rate sits roughly 10 percentage points lower—and he's still blowing away the competition.
ESPN.com' Tom Haberstroh provides some more mind-numbing context regarding Davis' greatness:
"As crazy as it sounds, Davis' incredible box score stats probably underrate his impact on the New Orleans Pelicans' season. According to Inpredictable.com -- a groundbreaking sports analytics website that tracks how much an NBA player's play-ending actions move the needle of his team's chances of winning -- Davis is the league-leader in win probability added (WPA) with 8.43 wins.
And he's not just outperforming the rest of his peers. They're not even in the same stratosphere as Davis. The next highest player is Kyle Korver adding 5.19 wins to the Atlanta Hawks' bottom line. Davis has generated almost twice as many wins as the next most impactful player.
"
Speaking of PER, that's where the scope of Davis' groundbreaking season really boggles the mind. With his PER of 31.0, Davis joined LeBron, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady, David Robinson and Dwyane Wade as the eighth player in league history with a rating over 30.
Get this: Davis is the youngest member to join that club—and it's not particularly close, since this year was classified as his age-21 season (Davis turned 22 on March 11).
With a big hat tip to Bleacher Report's Kelly Scaletta, here's a look at Davis' side-by-side comparison with those legends:
| Anthony Davis | 2014-15 | 21 | 31.0 |
| Tracy McGrady | 2002-03 | 23 | 30.3 |
| LeBron James | 2008-09 | 24 | 31.7 |
| Michael Jordan | 1987-88 | 24 | 31.7 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 1961-62 | 25 | 31.7 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | 1998-99 | 26 | 30.6 |
| Dwyane Wade | 2008-09 | 27 | 30.4 |
| David Robinson | 1993-94 | 28 | 30.7 |
As for his place among young greats, Davis tied Shaquille O'Neal with the most seasons with 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game before participating in his age-22 campaign.
All that, and he's just getting started.
With Davis' first postseason appearance merely whetting his insatiable appetite for immortality, this won't be the last time we discuss the Brow in historic terms.
Around the Association
Brooklyn Blasts into the No. 8 Seed
The Brooklyn Nets needed a win and an Indiana Pacers loss to sneak into the Eastern Conference's No. 8 seed, and that's exactly what happened.
A resurgent second-half effort helped Brooklyn secure a 101-88 win over the Orlando Magic, but it was the Pacers' 95-83 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies that sealed both teams' fate.
Brooklyn will have its hands full with the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks in its third straight postseason appearance.
The Pacers simply couldn't muster enough offense against Memphis' dominant defense, and the departure of Paul George in the fourth quarter didn't help matters.
George, who recently returned from a right leg fracture, was carried to the bench by his teammates after suffering a left calf injury, according to The Indianapolis Star's Candace Buckner:
As Vigiliant Sports' Scott Agness noted, George had been dealing with left leg soreness since returning on April 5:
Memphis' victory—combined with San Antonio's loss and Houston's win—pushed the Grizzlies into the No. 5 seed and a first-round meeting with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Harden Leads Rockets up the Standings
It didn't take the Houston Rockets long to put the Utah Jazz away.
That lead ballooned to 33 points by the end of the third period, and by game's end the Rockets won by a 117-91 margin and moved all the way up to the No. 2 seed on account of San Antonio's loss.
After dropping a pair of games to those Spurs last week, Houston has returned to form just in time. Unsurprisingly, James Harden had a lot to do with it. His all-around game was humming Wednesday night. He snagged his fourth triple-double of the season before the fourth quarter had even begun.
He didn't return for the fourth quarter.
Harden's gaudy production has put him front and center of the MVP conversation alongside the likes of Curry, James and Westbrook. In addition to holding down the fort while Dwight Howard missed time, the Rockets clearly held their own in the standings.
— Contributed by Stephen Babb
Chicago Survives, Secures No. 3 Seed
It took a 13-point second-half advantage to overcome some lethargic first-half demons, but the Chicago Bulls solidified their spot as the East's No. 3 seed with a 91-85 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
The Bulls, who were without Derrick Rose for the entirety of the second half with left knee soreness, according to the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson, will now host a first-round series against the sixth-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.
Taj Gibson didn't escape unscathed either, according to CSN Chicago's Vincent Goodwill:
North of the border, the Toronto Raptors secured a franchise-record 49th win with a 92-87 triumph over the Charlotte Hornets.
Kyle Lowry paced the Raptors with 26 points (8-of-15 shooting) and seven assists, while Jonas Valanciunas and DeMar DeRozan added 18 and 16 points, respectively.
Locked in to the No. 4 seed, Toronto will do battle with the fifth-seeded Washington Wizards in the opening round.
Dallas Downs Portland
On a night when almost every game had playoff implications, the Dallas Mavericks won a contest that didn't mean much. We've long known that Dallas will be the No. 7 seed and that Portland will hold on to the No. 4 seed on account of winning the Northwest Division.
This one was little more than an opportunity for both clubs to build some rhythm entering the postseason.
And yes, that counts for something.
Dallas prevailed over the Trail Blazers by a final score of 114-98, oiling its offensive engine en route to an opening-round matchup with the dangerous Rockets. Tyson Chandler led the way with 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis tallied 16 and 15 points, respectively.
Portland played without Nicolas Batum and C.J. McCollum due to leg injuries, and the team is also missing swingman Arron Afflalo due to a shoulder injury. Wes Matthews is out for the remainder of the season.
So the playoffs aren't commencing at the best possible time for the Trail Blazers. Stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard will find themselves carrying more of the load than ever in the opening round.
Aldridge was able to return Wednesday after missing his two previous games.
"When you try not to get hurt, that's when you get hurt," Aldridge said before playing Dallas, according to The Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "I knew I was going to at least play this game when we left on the road trip. I wanted to have that as a final tuneup game and keep my wind."
Loss aside, at least some of Portland's mission was accomplished.
— Contributed by Stephen Babb
The Great Tank War of 2015 is Over
At one point, it appeared as though the New York Knicks were in danger of winning a third straight game.
However, New York lay down over the game's final 12 minutes, when the Detroit Pistons outscored them 28-20, en route to a 112-90 loss.
With a 17-65 finish, the Knicks captured the NBA's second-best odds (19.9 percent) to capture the No. 1 overall pick, with the Minnesota Timberwolves (25 percent) occupying the top spot.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat squared off in a battle of futility so large the Sixers actually turned to Joel Embiid as a player-coach.
The 105-101 Miami win was moot, though, after the Nets torched the Orlando Magic late to run away with a 13-point victory.
Miami is now in the driver's seat to retain its top-10-protected pick owed to the Sixers, according to Tankathon.com:
The NBA draft lottery will be held on May 19.
LeBron Sits, Cleveland Still Wins in OT
LeBron James got some rest during Wednesday night's contest, but he still made time to comment on the club's impressive state of affairs.
"We've been playing the right way—win, lose or draw—we've played the right way," he told reporters, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "We've stuck to our system and I think it's built some great habits for us going into the postseason."
That appeared to be the case in a 113-108 overtime win against the Washington Wizards. Kevin Love had 19 points at the half, and Kyrie Irving sat the final 29 minutes in a bid to get some additional rest before hosting the Boston Celtics in the opening round. Those Celtics enter the playoffs having won six straight after Wednesday's 105-100 win against the Milwaukee Bucks.
There wasn't much at stake for the Cavaliers against Washington, but they squeaked out the win anyway. In fairness, there really wasn't much on the line for the Wizards, either. They were already locked in to be the No. 5 seed.
Matthew Dellavedova took advantage of the opportunity by posting 18 points and 12 assists for Cleveland. He also gave the Cavaliers a 111-108 lead in OT thanks to two made free throws.
The Cavs have indeed found some serious rhythm heading into the postseason—as if we didn't all see that coming. They've won seven of their last 10 entering the playoffs.
— Contributed by Stephen Babb
L.A. Caps Off a Woeful Season in Style
Summer vacation starts now for the Los Angeles Lakers.
With a 122-99 loss to the Sacramento Kings, the Purple and Gold put a bow on the most futile regular season in franchise history, according to ESPN.com's Baxter Holmes:
"The team's worst previous mark in Los Angeles was .329, a number set just last season," Bleacher Report's Tyler Conway wrote. "The Lakers had already set a single-season worst for losses and will likely have their worst draft pick of the lottery era come June."
It may have been a season full of pain and suffering for Lakers fans, but if the club's history is any indication, this summer will be full of action.
Quote of the Night
Westbrook kept the NBA scoring title in Oklahoma City for the second year in a row, but he won't be waxing poetic about that achievement anytime soon, according to ESPN.com's Royce Young:
Miss you already, Russ.
