NBA wRap: Pacers flawless in opening week

Enzo Flojo

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The undefeated Indiana Pacers take the spotlight in this first edition of Rappler's NBA wRap for the 2013-2014 season

UNDEFEATED. Paul George and the Indiana Pacers have beaten Eastern Conference rivals to stay on top of the NBA with a 7-0 win-loss record. Photo by Peter Foley Corbis/EPA

MANILA, Philippines – As part of Rappler’s commitment to deliver the most comprehensive online coverage of the biggest developments in sports, we bring to you the weekly NBA wRap!

In this post, you will find the best games, best performers, and most important developments of the past week in the Association – definitely all the things die-hard hoop nuts care about!

The Best Games

Chicago Bulls vs Indiana Pacers (Thursday, Nov 7, 2013)

A few days ago, two of the most highly regarded challengers to Miami’s dominance in the East squared off. Indiana started off with more sense of urgency, outscoring the Bulls 25-19 in the first period before Chicago rebounded in the second quarter to take the lead at halftime, 43-37.

It was a tight contest in the third canto before the Pacers rattled the rims for 34 points in the final frame. The Pacers won this battle, 97-80, behind superb performances from Paul George, David West, and Roy Hibbert.

SLOW START. Derrick Rose was stellar in their game vs New York where he hit the game winner but he has struggled early in the season and the Bulls hold a 2-3 win-loss card. Photo by Tannen Maury/EPA

PG24 unloaded 21 points despite shooting just 6/19 from the field, while David West registered a sublime double-double line – 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists. Hibbert was solid on the defensive end with 10 boards and 5 blocks.

Chicago superstar Derrick Rose continued with his slow start to the season, connecting on just 6 of his 15 field goal attempts, while also turning the ball over four times. As of this writing, Rose is norming pedestrian stats – 14.4ppg, 4.0apg, 2.8rpg, while shooting a paltry 32% from the floor. (WATCH: One-on-one with Derrick Rose)

Miami Heat vs Los Angeles Clippers (Thursday, Nov 8, 2013)

Another big game was the one featuring Miami hosting a retooled LA Clippers quintet. In several preseason pieces, the Clips were hailed to be one of the favorites to not only win the West but also offer a tough challenge for the NBA title.

With the addition of Doc Rivers, Jared Dudley, JJ Redick, and Darren Collison, the Clippers seem primed to have maybe their best season in franchise history.

In this match, the Clippers lived up to their billing, outscoring the Heat, 56-52, in the first two quarters despite Chris Paul not having the best of games. Against a suffocating Miami defense, CP3 was held to just 11 points for the entire game. Paul also coughed ball up 5 times and shot just 3/11 from the field.

Miami rallied in the second half to win, 102-97. LeBron James had maybe his worst game of the season so far with 18 markers, but Dwyane Wade made up for it by turning back the clock. “The Flash” torched the nets for 29 points, while also adding 7 assists and 3 steals.

The Clippers showed a lot of firepower in this one, but it’s clear they will need to tighten up their D if they are to really make a dent in Miami’s three-peat hopes.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets (Friday, Nov 8, 2013)

Maybe the most exciting game of the entire week was the one that pitted Dwight Howard’s current team against his former team.

The Lakers, sans Kobe Bryant (still recovering from an achilles tear), visited Houston for their first match-up this season, and they actually escaped with a close win, 99-98. That was, of course, thanks to Steve Blake’s awesome game-winning three-ball, which he hit over Howard. How’s that for irony, eh?

What was very surprising in this game was the fact that the Lakers were the more impressive squad for most of the match, as they waxed hot from rainbow country. Coach Mike D’Antoni’s boys found the bottom of the net 16 times from beyond the arc, with Jodi Meeks, Wesley Johnson, and Blake each hitting at least three. It was a shooting display reminiscent of D’Antoni’s days in Phoenix. The biggest loser of this game was, obviously, Howard, whose Dwightmare in Hollywood was one of the biggest (and most laughable) storylines from last season.

The Best Performers

Rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams had a stellar pro-game debut against no-less than the defending champs Miami Heat. The 6’6″ point man was all over the court stuffing the stat sheet with 22 points, 12 rebounds, 7 rebounds, and 9 steals.

Kevin Love dropped a terrific game on the Mavs. Love scored 32 points on top of 15 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 block as his T-Wolves earned their fourth win in six games. This was a key win, too, as it halted a two-game slip for Minnesota. In a great show of polish to his game, Love attempted six three-point shots here and he made three. 

Another great performance came from another Kevin – Kevin Durant of OKC. Durantula registered 37 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, and 2 triples as the Thunder beat the Pistons, 119-110. Durant’s score total was bolstered by his shooting 17/19 from the line, too. Many are expecting Durant to continue as one of the leading MVP candidates this season, and, should he be consistent, then those projections will surely find merit.

The consensus leading MVP candidate, however, is LeBron James, who has actually won four of the last five Maurice Podoloffs. Against the lowly Raptors last November 5, LBJ displayed his all-around excellence with 35 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists while shooting 13/20 from the floor. Is this the kind of production we can expect from the self-styled King? It would be counter-intuitive not to.

Key Developments

Earlier this week, Russell Westbrook returned to the NBA way ahead of projections, playing 33 minutes as the Oklahoma City Thunder turned back the Phoenix Suns, 103-96.

Westbrook tossed in 21 points, handed out 7 assists, and grabbed 4 rebounds in his season debut. Jet Zero nailed just 5/16 from the field, though, as he struggled to get into a rhythm. His presence was a big lift, though, as OKC went 3-0 this week, beating Dallas and Detroit after they upended the Suns.

Pacers undefeated

The Indiana Pacers remain the only unbeaten team in the NBA this season after edging the Brooklyn Nets, 96-91, in a closely contested match.

In its first six contests, Indiana has been practically flawless, going undefeated against Orlando, New Orleans, Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto.

Sure, only maybe Cleveland and Chicago are projected to be in the Playoffs, but, still the Pacers’ 6-0 slate isn’t anything to be rebuffed. This is a serious title contender led by serious candidates for MVP (Paul George), DPOY (Roy Hibbert),  Most Improved Player (Lance Stephenson), and Coach of the Year (Frank Vogel). – Rappler.com

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