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LeBron James and Kevin Durant, two of the most elite players in the NBA today, have both recorded 50-point games over the last few days. James did it against the Washington Wizards and Durant against the New York Knicks, with their opponents 11th and 12th in the East, respectively.
Both the LA Lakers (29-38) and the Brooklyn Nets (35-33) are facing uphill battles, despite being stacked with superstars assembled to win a title. The Lakers played .500 ball through early January before going 8-19. The Nets led the East for much of the season but had a 3-17 swoon sparked by Durant's knee injury in early January.
Their current standings demand such performances, and both the legends of the game stepped up and delivered.
On “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed,” Shannon Sharpe picked LeBron James’ 50-point game over Kevin Durant’s. He backed his argument with numbers from the game. But James’ toughest critic, Skip Bayless, downplayed James’ efforts:
“LeBron was playing the Wizards. It’s the Wizards without Bradley Beal. The records are about the same, between the Knicks (28-40) and the Wizards (29-37) right now.”
Bayless then threw light on the Knicks’ recent play:
“They’ve had a hot streak. Because they came to the Clippers, at the Clippers, they won by 23, then they went up to Sacramento – won by 16. That’s no easy chore. And then they go to Dallas and win by 30.”
In terms of statistics, James scored 50 points while shooting 72%, including 66.7% from beyond the arc. Durant racked up 53 points, shooting 51.4%, going 30.8% from beyond the arc. James even had a better free-throw shooting percentage, but Durant attempted and converted a few more.
While the Lakers’ won by a comfortable 13-point margin (122-109 on Friday), the Nets beat the Knicks 110-107 Sunday – with Durant scoring the last seven points in a nail-biting finish. Although James' 19-point third quarter was what gave the Lakers a cushion, Bayless furthered his argument by saying:
“Closer versus noncloser. (James) didn’t need to close, I tweeted ‘Even LeBron can close this one,’ because it wasn’t close. You have to be a closer when it’s close.”
Both LeBron James and Kevin Durant are expected to perform on a nightly basis
With the regular season close to its conclusion, the Lakers and the Nets are not where they expected to be. Both teams have faced their own set of problems, with roster construction and injuries being at the forefront of their issues.
Both franchises are likely headed to the play-in tournament. The Nets, eighth in the East, are trying to win and avoid it altogether. They trail the sixth-place Cleveland Cavaliers (38-29) by 3.5 games. The Lakers, ninth in the West, are battling to stay within that bracket.
Even if it isn’t 50-point games going forward, LeBron James and Kevin Durant will need to be on top of their game to keep their franchises in contention.
Poll : Whose 50-point effort was more valuable?
LeBron James
Kevin Durant
66 votes
