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Week 23 of the 2018-19 NBA season has come to a close, with some great performances that had everyone in the crowd stunned. There were a total of 53 games that were played this week, with just 3 weeks remaining until the regular season comes to an end.
The Denver Nuggets play the Boston Celtics in a huge match between 2 solid teams. The Boston Celtics also played the Philadelphia 76ers in a massive Eastern Conference showdown. The Toronto Raptors took on the Oklahoma City Thunder twice this week in exciting matches.
San Antonio Spurs also had a really tough week, where they faced The Golden State Warriors, The Houston Rockets and The Boston Celtics, all top teams in a really grueling week. Let us look at the top 5 players this week that performed really well.
#5 Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Russell Westbrook has been the franchise cornerstone for the Oklahoma City Thunder and has been playing really well for the past month or so, but his success has not translated on the court of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the past few weeks.
The Thunder are currently 6th in the Western Conference, with a 43-30 record. They have won just 4 of their last 10 games and lost 2 of their 3 games this week. They lost to the Miami Heat, 107-116 but Westbrook had to sit that one out due to suspension.
He came back roaring against the Toronto Raptors, scoring 42 points, along with 11 rebounds, 6 assists and a steal. But he still could not get the Thunder on a winning run, losing 123-114 in overtime.
They played the Raptors again, but away and finally managed a win, 116-109, with Westbrook getting himself a triple double, scoring 18 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds, along with an elite defensive performance, getting 4 steals and a block.
Westbrook is having a triple double season too, averaging 23.1 points, 10.4 assists and 11.1 rebounds a game. The Thunder will need him at his best as they will look to end the season on a high.
#4 Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
Luka Doncic has been one of the best players for the Mavericks all season, who have struggled ever since they traded their stars for Kristaps Porzingis, who is injured. They are right now 14th in the Western Conference with a 29-44 record.
They have also won just 2 of their last 10 games and lost 3 of their 4 games this week, winning only against the Golden State Warriors. Doncic has been a solid contributor for them throughout this season, averaging 21 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists a game.
He had himself 2 triple doubles this week, in the overtime loss against the New Orleans Pelicans, where he scored 29 points, 10 assists and 13 rebounds and in the win over the Golden State Warriors, where he scored 23 points, along with 10 assists and 11 rebounds.
In the 118-126 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Doncic scored 24 points in 29 minutes, along with 6 assists and 5 rebounds. Doncic had a poor shooting night in the loss against the Sacramento Kings, shooting just 21% from the field, scoring 13 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists.
The Mavericks are not looking to make the playoffs this season but still look out for some great performances from Doncic.
#3 Kawhi Leonard (Toronto Raptors)
The Raptors have been favourites for the Eastern Conference title ever since they traded DeMar DeRozan and Jakub Poeltl for Kawhi Leonard in the off season. Kawhi has since made them title contenders, pushing for success.
They are 2nd in the Eastern Conference, with a 51-23 record, 4 games behind the leaders Milwaukee Bucks. They have won 5 of their last 10 games but are on a 2 game losing streak. They had 4 games this week, winning 2 and losing 2 of them.
Kawhi ended up sitting out the game against the New York Knicks, due to load management and the Raptors won that game.
Kawhi was suited up for the win over the Thunder, 123-114 in OT, scoring 22 points, along with 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. He was also great in the loss against the Thunder in the next game, scoring 37 points, along with 6 rebounds and 4 assists with 2 steals as well.
They lost to a buzzer beater by Jeremy Lamb against the Hornets, 114-115, but Kawhi had 28 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. He has been averaging a massive 27.2 points a game, along with 3.3 assists and 7.5 rebounds.
The Raptors need him injury free and at his best for the playoffs and to make this final push before the playoffs.
#2 Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)
Trae Young has been a good player this season but he has become a superstar these past few weeks, with this week not being any different. He has been on fire this week and the Hawks ended up winning 2 of their 3 games this week.
They have a 26-48 record and are 12th in the Eastern Conference. They are on a 2 game winning streak, but have won just 4 of their last 10 games. Young has averaged 18.7 points, 7.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds per game.
This week, he has had double digit assists in all 3 of his games. He scored 21 points, 12 assists and 4 rebounds in the loss against the Houston Rockets. He had a huge performance in the win over the Utah Jazz, 117-114, scoring 23 points, 11 assists, 2 rebounds.
He topped it all off with a huge game against the Philadelphia 76ers, where he had 32 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds and a block, including a game winning layup for a 129-127 win.
The Hawks do not have much to play for this season but with Young performing like this, they need to play him more and more. His turnovers have been super high of late and that is something he has to improve.
#1 James Harden (Houston Rockets)
James Harden has already won the scoring title this season, with nobody even coming close to what he has been doing this season. This week was no different, as he led the Rockets to 3 wins out of 4 games.
The Rockets are currently 3rd in the West, with a 47-27 record and have won a solid 8 out of their last 10 matches. They had a solid win against the San Antonio Spurs, where Harden took over the game late to deliver the win, 111-105. He had a massive 61 points, along with 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 steals.
In the 121-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks, he scored 31 points in 33 minutes, almost getting a triple double, with 10 assists and 8 rebounds and a steal and block. He played only 29 minutes in the 113-90 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, scoring 28 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, along with a steal and a block.
The overtime loss against Memphis Grizzlies really hurt, as they lost 125-126, but Harden was impressive again, scoring a huge 57 points, along with 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
The Rockets have been surging of late and they will need Harden at his best if they want to keep pushing.
Guess the Lakers players!
