NBA: Top 10 performances of 2017

It's been another year of exhilarating action in the NBA with many incredible performances throughout the year. We've seen historic triple-doubles, a 70-point explosion and so on.

There have been so many great performances that it's kind of hard to limit them to just 10 but we'll still give it a try. One of the criteria for the list is that we do place some value on efficiency and hence high scoring efforts with low shooting percentages won't make the list.

So, as the year comes to an end. here are the top 10 Performances of 2017:

#10 LeBron James vs Indiana 20/04/2017

Stat Line: 41 Points, 13 Rebounds, 12 Assists, 14-27 FG (.519)

We kick things off with the King and that ridiculous comeback against the Indiana Pacers in the 1st Round of the Playoffs. The Pacers were down 0-2 in the series and desperately needed a win to keep alive their slim hopes of advancing to the next round. They sure started off that way, and led 74-49 at the half and had a 26-point lead at one point. A comfortable victory seemed to be on the cards, but then LeBron James took over.

LeBron had 28 Points, 6 Rebounds, and 7 Assists in the 2nd half as the Cavs won 119-114, to record the largest halftime deficit overturned in Playoffs history. It was just the 7th 40-Point triple-double in Playoff history and he scored or assisted on 73 Points for the Cavs, his personal best. What makes it better, is that he did it without Kyrie Irving or Kevin Love, who were benched for the entire 4th quarter.

#9 Damian Lillard vs Utah 08/04/2017

Stat Line: 59 Points, 6 Rebounds, 5 Assists. 18-34 FG (.529)

Once again, when the Blazers needed him the most, Damian Lillard came up big. With a Playoff berth on the line, the Blazers needed a win against the 5th-seeded Utah to stave off the Denver Nuggets and Lillard delivered big time.

He exploded in the first quarter, scoring 26 points, a franchise record to set the tone for a crushing win for the Blazers. He ended up with 59 points, a franchise record and also drilled 9 3-pointers. What makes it more impressive, is that he did it without committing a single turnover, just the 3rd time a player scored 50+ without one since 1983.

All this against the best defense in the league from last season. Yikes!. A 101-86 win for Portland, followed by Denver's defeat the next day, meant the Blazers made it to the Playoffs yet again.

#8 Jimmy Butler vs Charlotte 02/01/2017

Stat Line: 52 Points, 12 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 3 Steals, 15-24 FG (.625)

In a turbulent season in Chicago, there was one constant, Jimmy Butler balling. As the Bulls continued their up and down season, they came into their matchup with Charlotte at 15-17. With Rajon Rondo benched and Dwyane Wade out injured, a Bulls win seemed unlikely against the Hornets who were 19-15 at that point.

Instead, playing without those two seemed to liberate Butler. Having the ball in his hands all the time helped. Butler dictated the pace of the game and orchestrated everything to beat the Hornets almost single-handedly. His 52 Points were the most scored by a Bull at home since MJ scored 53 way back in 1996. He also became just the 2nd Bulls player after Jordan to record multiple 50 point games.

What took some of the shine off Butler's performance was that just two days earlier on December 31st, James Harden had exploded for 53 Points, 17 Assists and 16 Rebounds against the Knicks. Regardless, it was a stunning performance from Butler in a 118-111 win.

#7 DeMarcus Cousins vs Sacramento 26/10/2017

Stat Line: 41 Points, 23 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 14-25 FG (.560)

Cousins had a point to prove on his first game back in Sacramento since his trade and boy did he deliver. After toiling for years with the Kings without any success, and then post the trade, being blamed for the failures, meant Boogie had a chip on his shoulder heading into the game.

Questions regarding whether he could be a key component on a winning team, surfaced again after a 1-3 start for the Pels, heading into their clash with Sacramento. With Anthony Davis out injured, it was on Boogie to carry the team on his back, much like during his tenure with the Kings and he delivered.

He became just the 2nd player in over 40 years to put up a stat line like that and shoot better than 50% from the field. He hit the go-ahead 3-pointer for a 108-106 lead and scored another 4 points in the final minutes to cap off a memorable night as the Pels won 114-106.

#6 Joel Embiid vs The Lakers 15/11/2017.

Stat Line: 46 Points, 15 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 7 Blocks, 14-20 FG (.700)

The Process has had plenty of highlights on and off the court in his short NBA career so far, but this was a glimpse of what the 23-year-old can be at his best. Embiid terrorized the Los Angeles Lakers who had no answer for his onslaught, especially in the 4th quarter. He scored at will, in the post, from downtown and even pulled up from mid-range at times.

With a lot of attention towards Ben Simmons and Lonzo Ball, Embiid showed that he was by far the best player on the court in a performance for the ages. He crushed the Lakers in the 4th quarter, scoring 19 points, blocking shots and setting up teammates for easy scores. His play down the stretch was the difference as Philly won 115-109.

It was the 1st time in league history that anyone had put up a stat line like that. Provided he stays healthy, we'll likely see many more performances like this from the big fella.

#5 Devin Booker vs Boston 24/03/2017

Stat Line: 70 Points, 8 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 3 Steals, 21-40 FG (.525)

The only entry on our list which came in a losing effort but man was it incredible. One of the budding young stars in the NBA, Booker shot to fame by dropping 70 Points against the East-leading Celtics. He scored a staggering 51 points in the 2nd half including 28 in the 4th quarter as the Suns tried to launch a comeback, but came up short losing 130-120.

Still, it doesn't take away much of the shine off a historic performance, as he became the youngest player to score 70 Points in a game. He is just the 6th player in NBA history to score 70 in a game and it is the highest scoring mark for any active player in the league today, with Carmelo Anthony 2nd at 62 points. What often gets lost in the scoring brilliance is that he had 8 Rebounds and 6 Assists to cap off a solid all-around night for the then 20-year-old.

#4 LeBron James vs Washington 03/11/2017

Stat Line: 57 Points, 11 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 3 Steals, 23-34 FG (.676)

NBA players should probably write down a note to self. Do not taunt a LeBron-led team before you face off against them. John Wall made that mistake, by claiming the Cavs tanked at the end of last season to avoid facing the Wiz in the playoffs. It's safe to say the comment backfired.

James sent a loud and clear reminder to the rest of the East that he still owns the Conference in a dominating performance. The Cavs and James who were being questioned after a 3-5 start took apart the Wizards in Washington. James tied the Franchise record with 57 Points and it was just 4 points shy of his career high of 61. He scored 19 in the 4th quarter to hold off a Wizards rally led by Bradley Beal as the Cavs won 130-122.

The efficiency of the performance adds some more shine to it, as Bron just bullied his way into the paint at will and the Wizards had absolutely no answer for him. It's safe to say Wall won't me talking too much before the next encounter.

#3 Russell Westbrook vs Denver 09/04/2017

Stat Line: 50 Points, 16 Rebounds, 10 Assists, 17-32 FG (.531)

Russ had an all-time great season in 2016-17 so his appearance on the list will shock nobody. Westbrook produced another otherworldly performance against the Nuggets at the end of the season, to break Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd Triple-Double of the season in a thrilling encounter.

Denver needed a win to stay alive in the playoff race and they looked well on their way to a comfortable victory but then Russ took over. Westbrook was ridiculously good in the clutch, with the Thunder down 13 with 4:34 remaining in the game. He assisted a 3 pointer from Semaj Christon and then proceeded to score the final 15 points of the game for OKC and capped off the night with a 36 foot 3 pointer to win the game at the buzzer. Remarkably though this wasn't his best performance of the season...

#2 Russell Westbrook vs Orlando 29/03/2017

Stat Line: 57 Points, 13 Rebounds, 11 Assists, 3 Steals, 21/40 FG (.525)

We might be able to fill the whole list with Russell Westbrook's games, to be honest. Westbrook went nuclear on the Magic in the 4th quarter and OT as he rallied the Thunder back from a 21 Point deficit.

He scored 19 in the 4th quarter, drilling a 3 from 31 feet with 7 seconds left to tie the game. He then scored 7 and assisted 4 of OKC's 12 Points in OT as they came away with a 114-106 win over the Magic. It was the highest scoring output for any player while recording a triple-double, surpassing 53 by James Harden and Wilt Chamberlain.

While Russ had many more performances which could have made the list, we chose these 2 for the efficiency. He also recorded a 50 Point Triple-Double in the playoffs against Houston which was a remarkable achievement but shot 39% from the field so it won't make the list, but it deserves a shoutout if nothing else.

#1 James Harden vs Philadelphia 27/01/2017

Stat Line: 51 Points, 13 Rebounds, 13 Assists, 2 Steals, 16/28 FG (.571)

While it is arguable that Westbrook had a slightly better stat line, Harden was more efficient in terms of shooting and turnovers. This wasn't Harden's best performance of last season, that came on December 31st against the Knicks as mentioned before, with 53 Points, 17 Assists and 16 Rebounds which would have definitely topped the list had he done it a day later.

This one wasn't too bad though was it. Harden feasted on the Sixers, scoring or assisting 80 of the 123 points scored by Houston. He also came up big late in the game as Philly launched a comeback. Harden scored 17 in the Final 8 minutes of the game as the Rockets hung on to beat the Sixers 123-118 despite 32 points from Embiid. So, while Harden finished 2nd in the MVP voting last season, he does walk away with the best performance of the year.