FootBasket

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day Twenty Three

2012-05-29T13:24:00.005-04:00

The 2012 Playoffs continue, as the twenty third day is already behind us. There was only one game played in it. The Miami Heat took the lead in the series with a new win. Some players played above the expectation but some below them.

Unlike the majority of the lists that I've published so far, this will only be a top three list. Who ranks on top? Without any further ado, let's start.

3. Shane Battier

Shane Battier was one of those players that set the tone for the Miami Heat in game five of the 2012 playoffs with his great play. He was a contributor on both sides for his team. He provided the spark, especially at the start of the game.

Shane opened up with nine points, connecting on three attempts from the arc. He was excellent defensively as he played great defense on his man and was good off the ball. The stats confirm that this has actually been his best performance of the entire playoffs so far.

Battier scored 13 points, grabbed three boards, dished out an assist, recorded a steal, blocked one shot, had one turnover, shot 4-6 from the field, 4-6 from three point land and 1-2 from the free throw line in 26 minutes of action.

2. Dwyane Wade

After breaking through in the previous game against the Pacers with an excellent performance, Heat's guard Dwyane Wade continued in similar fashion. He had a second great consecutive performance, as he helped his team to beat their opponents.

Dwyane was aggressive and in an attacking mode throughout the entire match. He got in his rhythm from the start, got to the line where he made his trips, was active on both sides of the court and was great in many aspects. The stats back that up.

Wade finished with 28 points, grabbed three rebounds, dished out two dimes, recorded two steals, swatted a shot, committed four turnovers, shot 10-17 from the field, 1-2 from distance and 7-13 from the stripe in 33 minutes of action. When all things are taken in consideration, he was more than great.

1. LeBron James

Much like his teammate Wade, Miami's forward LeBron James continued in similar fashion with yet another excellent performance. He was arguably the biggest reason why his team ended up victories in game five of the 2012 postseason.

LeBron was all over the court, as he put on display his amazing skills. He was aggressive and focused in the entire game. He scored in bunches, included his teammates on offense quite nicely, was great on the glass and was excellent in all the aspects of defense too. The stats back up his excellence.

James scored 30 points, grabbed 10 boards, dished out eight dimes, recorded a steal, blocked one shot, had four turnovers, shot 12-19 from the field, 2-4 from three point land and perfect 4-4 from the stripe in just under 40 minutes (38 to be exact). He just missed out on a triple double again, but got the win.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day Twenty Five

2012-05-25T17:08:00.000-04:00

The 2012 Playoffs roll on, as the 25th playoff day is already behind us. It offered only once again a game in which the Miami Heat managed to beat the Indiana Pacers on the road. With this victory, they closed out the Pacers and advanced in the Eastern Conference Finals.

There were some players, who despite the pressure, put their abilities on display with great performances in the game. Who ranks on the top? Without any further ado, here're the top performers of this day of the postseason!

3. David West

The Indiana Pacers lost a tough game in their home arena against the visiting Miami Heat. David West, the hometown team's starting power forward, certainly gave it all and performed quite well. However, it just wasn't enough.

David carried his Pacers on the offensive side of the court. He led them in scoring and was solid in the post offensively. He was also a decent presence on the glass as well. From a statistical point, it was a superb game.

West poured in 24 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out two assists, committed three turnovers, shot 10-16 from the field and 4-6 from the free throw line in 41 minutes of action out there. He and his Indiana gave effort, but they couldn't match their opponents.

2. LeBron James

The league's MVP and Miami's All-Star forward, LeBron James continued to shine. He was one of the main contributors to his team's victory on the road with yet another brilliant performance against the Pacers in the deciding game.

LeBron was terrific on both sides of the court, as he was nearly everywhere out there. He finished up with a ton of points, was good on the glass, did a fine job in the role of a distributor and provided the spark on the defensive side of the floor as well. The stats show his excellence.

James scored 28 points, dished out seven assists, grabbed six boards, recorded three steals, committed only one turnover, shot 12-23 from the field, 0-3 from three point distance and 4-5 from the charity in 44 minutes of action. From a stat wise, it's indeed a terrific performance.

1. Dwyane Wade

After having possibly the worst playoff game of his great NBA career, Miami's superstar and All-Star guard Dwyane Wade bounced back with a vintage performance of his in the deciding game of the 2012 playoffs against the Pacers on the road.

Dwyane was in an aggressive and attacking mode throughout the entire game. He kept attacking, sliced the opposing defense, was excellent on the glass and terrific defensively as well. In fact, he was all over the court and was arguably the biggest reason why the Heat won.

Wade scored 41 points, grabbed 10 boards, dished out three assists, recorded two steals, committed five turnovers, shot 17-25 from the field and 7-8 from the charity in 39 minutes. Stat and impact wise, this has easily been his best performance in the playoffs so far.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day Twenty Two

2012-05-24T18:47:00.002-04:00

The 2012 playoffs rolls on, as day twenty two is already behind us. There were as usual two games played in which the Thunder eliminated the Lakers and the Celtics increased their series lead in the match up with the young 76ers.
There were some players who played above the expected and earned big credit for that. Who ranks on the top? Without any further ado, let's start.

5. James Harden

The Oklahoma Thunder City eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Five in the second round of the 2012 postseason. One of the biggest contributors for the hometown's team huge win was the league's latest winner of the Six Award Of The Year. His name? James Harden.
The Beard came off the bench to give his Thunder a nice spark once again. He had a really fine all-around performance, as he did a little bit of everything for his team. He gave the usual scoring punch, was excellent on the glass, found the bottom of the net with his shot and included the open man too.

Harden recorded 18 points, grabbed eight boards, dished out four dimes, recorded a steal, shot 6-10 from the field, 1-2 from three point land, 4-4 from the free throw line and committed only one turnover in 31 minutes. That's a nice performance from a statistical point of view.

4. Brandon Bass

The only player here who's making his first appearance on the list thanks to his break through performance of the 2012 postseason for him so far, Brandon Bass was the biggest reason why the veteran Boston Celtics managed to win game five of the series against the 76ers.
Brandon was the one who inspired his team to the win after being down by more than 10 points in the third quarter. He got many easy scoring chances on which he connected and was excellent in nearly all the other areas. This has easily been his best performance of the playoffs so far.

Bass scored 26 points, grabbed six boards, dished out an assist, recorded two steals, blocked two shots, shot 9-13 from the field, 9-10 from the stripe and committed two turnovers in 37 minutes of action. He truly deserved the standing ovation that the Celtics fans gave him after the team got the win, in which Brandon was the key.

3. Kevin Durant

Thunders' sweet shooting forward Kevin Durant continued with his excellent play, as he was one of the main contributors to his team's win with which they eliminated the Lakers in game six of the 2012 playoffs. He once shone bright.
Kevin had an outstanding all-around performance. He was active on both sides of the court, scored a bunch of points despite not having an efficient day from the field, was terrific on the glass, involved the open man and was solid defensively.

Durant poured in 25 points, pulled down 10 boards, dished out four assists, recorded two steals, committed two turnovers, shot 9-21 from the field, 2-6 from deep and 5-6 from the stripe in 43 minutes out there. Stat wise, it's another good game for him.

2. Russell Westbrook

Much like his teammate Durant, Thunders' All-Star guard Russell Westbrook continued in similar fashion as he had yet another brilliant performance. He was definitely on his game and perhaps the biggest reason why his team finished off the visiting Lakers in that deciding fifth game.
Russell was aggressive throughout the entire game and active on both sides of the court. He was making the right call, regardless of was it to score, pass, playing the lanes etc. He had a fine game, and the stats can back that up.

Westbrook scored 28 points, dished out four assists, grabbed three boards, recorded two steals, had only one turnover, shot 12-25 from the field, 0-1 from three point land, 4-6 from the stripe in just under 40 minutes of action.

1. Kobe Bryant

With the loss in Game Five of the 2012 Western Conference Semifinals against the Thunder, he and his LA are out of the postseason. Nonetheless, he played in a way like he hadn't before. The No.1 spot on this list goes to non other than Kobe Bryant.
Lakers' superstar went all out against the hometown Thunder. He was aggressive, got in his flow early on, was solid on defense and on the glass. He tried to will his teammates to a win with his excellence on offense but unfortunately for him, they didn't follow. Regardless of it, he has to be applauded for the effort.

Bryant poured in 42 points, grabbed five boards, recorded two steals, committed two turnovers, shot 18-33 from the field, 1-6 from distance and 5-7 from the free throw line in 41 minutes of action. Stat wise, this is a brilliant performance which in the end wasn't enough.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day Twenty Four

2012-05-24T12:11:00.000-04:00

The 2012 Playoffs don't stop, Day Twenty Four in already behind us. There was only one game played in which the 76ers defeated the Celtics in Philadelphia in Game Six of the 2012 Eastern Conference Semi Finals.

Once again, there were some played amazingly. Who ranks on the top? Without any further ado, here are the top playoff performers from this day.

3. Kevin Garnett

I start off the list with their veteran big man, who's turned the clock with his strong play, Kevin Garnett. He continued to play in the same manner against Philadelphia like he has throughout the entire series, but it just wasn't enough as they failed on the road in a close game.

The Big Ticket picked up where he left offensively and carried the team on his back in the post. He provided the usual spark on the glass and established as a presence in the paint defensively as well. The statistics back that up.

Kevin scored 20 points, grabbed 11 boards, had one steal, swatted one shot, committed three turnovers, shot 9-20 from the field and 2-2 from the free throw line in 41 minutes of action. Stat wise, it's a nice game from him.

2. Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce, the Celtics' All-Star forward, continued his excellent play against Philadelphia as he had another great performance. However it wasn't enough to help his Boston defeat their opponents, as they failed on the road in a close one.

Paul took over offensively. He found a way to end up with a bunch of points thanks to his ability to get to the rim and sweet shooting. He was excellent on the glass and was solid on the other side of the court too. He had a great game and the stats surely back that up.

Pierce finished with 24 points, grabbed 10 boards, dished out three assists, blocked one shot, committed four turnovers, shot 5-11 from the field, 1-3 from distance and 13-13 from the stripe in 42 minutes of action out there. However, he and his Celtics couldn't come big late.

1. Jrue Holiday

The main reason why Philadelphia managed to force a Game Seven against the Celtics was non other than their starting point guard, Jrue Holiday. He was outstanding throughout the entire game, especially in the late period where he shone in a bright light.

Jrue changed his approach and found ways to damage Boston's defense effectively. He was aggressive and kept attacking the rim where he made the majority of his looks. He carried the 76ers' offense and added a terrific production overall on both sides of the court.

Holiday poured in 20 points, dished out six assists, grabbed three boards, recorded two steals, shot 7-15 from the field, 0-2 from three point land, 6-6 from the free throw line and committed four turnovers in 39 minutes on the court. Stat wise, it's one of his best performances so far.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day Twenty One

2012-05-23T19:18:00.000-04:00

The 2012 Playoffs continue, as the twenty first day of the postseason is already behind us. There were two exciting games, in which the Heat evened the series and the Spurs swept their opponents. As usual, there were players who marked this day.

Who ranks on top? Without any further ado, let's start.

5.Eric Bledsoe

The second year guard whose one of the most positive surprises of the 2012 postseason, Eric Bledsoe had an excellent performance in his team's lost. Despite the fact that playoffs is over for his Clippers, he has to be applauded for his effort.

Eric, who was in a little slump, came off the bench again and provided the spark. He brought instant energy, defense, activity on both sides of the court and scoring punch as well. The freakish point guard did all of that on superb efficiency as well.

Bledsoe scored 17 points, grabbed four boards, dished out an assist, recorded three steals, blocked one shot, committed two turnovers, shot 8-10 from the field and 1-1 from three point land in exact 26 minutes of action. Stat wise, that's certainly impressive.

Unfortunately for him, the Spurs swept the Clippers.

4.Chris Paul

After having a slump in this series due to an injury and the Spurs' great team defense, Clippers' point guard Chris Paul finally broke through it. However, it just wasn't enough again, as his team failed to their opponents and are now officially out of the postseason.

Nonetheless, Chris performed quite well throughout the entire game. He took on the scoring load, dished the rock quite well, was solid on the glass, made nice defensive plays etc. This was his best performance of the series and the stats back than up.

Paul scored 23 points, dished out 11 assists, pulled down six boards, had two steals, committed two lost balls, shot 9-18 from the field, 2-5 from three point distance and perfect 3-3 from the free throw line in 41 minutes. However, the effort just wasn't enough.

3.Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan, one of the league's biggest surprises in this year's postseason, picked up where he left against the Clippers and was excellent once again. He led his Spurs to another win, with which they swept their opponents out of the playoffs. He was arguably the biggest reason for that.

Tim took over the scoring load on offense once again, as he found his way with the defense. He was good on the glass, included his teammates and was a presence defensively as well. He even made several clutch plays late to secure the win.

Duncan poured in 21 points, pulled down nine boards, dished out four assists, blocked three shots, shot 9-14 from the field, 3-3 from the stripe and committed a turnover in exact 30 minutes. When all things are taken in consideration, that's yet another excellent performance.

2.Dwyane Wade

After having the worst game of his playoff career, Miami's All-Star guard Dwyane Wade made up for that in the best possible way. He had an absolutely outstanding performance which was one of the biggest reasons why the Heat ended up victories on the road.

He looked out there as vintage Wade. He didn't start nicely, but soon entered in a hot scoring rhythm as he hit consecutive shots without a miss in the second half. He sliced through the defense, made the majority of his looks and was excellent in nearly all the areas of basketball.

Flash scored 30 points, grabbed nine boards, dished out six assists, recorded a steal, blocked two shots, didn't commit any turnovers, shot 13-23 from the field, 2-2 from distance and 2-6 from the stripe in 41 minutes out there.

This has easily been the best performance of the series for him. With him keeping playing like this for the rest of the playoffs, the Heat will be a dangerous team once again.

1.LeBron James

After having his first "weak" performance against the Pacers, LeBron James showed why he was voted as the league's MVP in Game Four of the 2012 postseason against Indiana. He showed up for what it will be called a legendary performance from now on.

LeBron was all over the court, as he was amazing in nearly all the aspects out there. He was aggressive from the start, involved his teammates, was excellent on the glass, terrific on defense etc. His skill set and ability to do many things certainly made the difference.

James scored 40 points, grabbed 18 boards, dished out nine assists, recorded two steals, blocked two shots, committed five turnovers, shot 14-27 from the field and 12-16 from the field in 44 minutes. Stat wise, this is arguably his best performance of the entire playoffs so far.

However, it goes beyond statistics. He was the one who got the best of Wade and had it going for him with his assists. He was the one who made Haslem to do great in the fourth quarter. In fact, he was the one that did a bunch of superb things for his Miami. James rightfully gets the No.1 spot.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day Twenty

2012-05-22T13:54:00.002-04:00

The 2012 Playoffs don't stop, as the twentieth day is already behind us. Once again, there were two played games. One of them was extremely intense with a dramatic finish and the other was very similar to that, as both games were played in LA.
There were such players that played beyond the expectations and helped their respective teams. Others had similar performances, however their excellence couldn't help their teams to get the win. Nonetheless, they get recognized on this list.

Who ranks on top? Without any further ado, let's start.

5. Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan, one of the top veterans in the leagues currently, continued his excellence in the playoffs with yet another outstanding performance. He was arguably the biggest contributor to the Spurs' third consecutive win over the Clippers on the road.
Tim proved to be still a mismatch for his opponents in the post with his skills and footwork. He was brilliant in the post, as he connected on his shots. He was also excellent on the glass, established as a presence in his own paint defensively as he alerted and swatted some shots.

Duncan scored 19 points, grabbed 13 boards, dished out four assists, blocked three shots, shot 8-16 from the field, 3-5 from the free throw line and committed a turnover in 38 minutes. From a statistical point of the view, it's a nice performance.

4. Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin, who's been quiet in this playoff series due to injuries and the Spurs' defense, finally broke out of his slump with an outstanding performance. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, as he and his Clippers failed to get the win.
Blake started out the game quite nicely. He was aggressive, effective in the post where he did most of the work and finished inside on high efficiency. He established as a presence on the defensive end with his shot blocking skills and interior defense while providing the usual excellence on the glass.

Griffin scored 26 points, pulled down 18 boards, blocked three shots, dished out two assists, recorded two steals, shot 13-24 from the field, 2-2 from the stripe and committed two turnovers in 43 minutes of action out there. Stat wise, he was brilliant.

On any normal list this 26/18 performance, despite the loss, would have been ranked higher. However, the standard was raised here.

3. Kobe Bryant

Picking it up where he left in Staples, Lakers' superstar two guard, Kobe Bryant continued in the same way against the Thunder in Game Four of the 2012 Western Conference Semifinals. Unfortunately, he and his Lakers lost in a dramatic finish.
Kobe played aggressive throughout the entire game, as he carried the team offensively and was displayed his skill set quite nicely. He was excellent in nearly all the aspects of basketball. Stat wise, this may has been his best one yet.

Bryant poured in 38 points, grabbed eight boards, dished out five dimes, shot 12-28 from the field, 0-2 from the distance, 14-17 from the free throw line and committed two turnovers in exact 40 minutes of play which is definitely an amazing game for him.

He'll have to have similar performances for his LA to win the next game.

2. Russell Westbrook

One of the few guys in the league who've taken their games to the next level in the playoffs, Thunder's point guard Russell Westbrook continued to shine. He definitely was out of the ordinary in Game Six against the Lakers, as he led his team to the nice win.
Russell was excellent throughout the entire match, especially on offense. He carried them on his back, found his touch from mid range, was decent from an all-around point of view and brilliant in the fourth quarter where he went off.

Westbrook scored 37 points, dished out five assists, grabbed two boards, had a steal, shot 15-26 from the field, 1-2 from three point land, 6-7 from the stripe and committed only a turnover in 43 minutes of action out there. Stat wise, this performance has been his best so far.

He definitely carried the Thunder late and didn't let his opponents to beat them. He could have gone at No.1 but I've decided to give that spot to another guy.

1. Kevin Durant

The No.1 spot goes to this guy, who's arguably the biggest reason why the Thunder shocked the Lakers in Game Six. His name is well known. Kevin Durant gets the nod rightfully thanks to his brilliant overall and clutch performance again.
Kevin was in a great shooting rhythm throughout the entire game, finished with a bunch of points, was terrific on the glass, on defense etc. In other words, he was outstanding on both sides of the court and was nearly everywhere out there.

Durant poured in 31 points, pulled down 13 boards, dished out two assists, recorded two steals, blocked a shot, committed three turnovers, shot 10-18 from the field, 3-4 from deep and 8-10 from the free throw line in 46 minutes of action.

Stat wise, that's another brilliant game for the sweet shooting forward. He's been playing nicely in this series and his efficiency has been out of the charts.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performance After Day Nineteen

2012-05-20T14:50:00.000-04:00

The playoffs continue to roll on, as Day Nineteen is already behind us. There were two exciting and dramatic games which didn't fail to provide the usual intensity as always. During this playoff day, the Lakers won their first game and the 76ers tied up the series too.

Some players performed well enough to help their teams, wheres others didn't. They raised their games to a different level, with which they either won the game for their teams or kept them close all the time. Who ranks on top? Without any further ado, let's start.

5.Russell Westbrook

Russell's Westbrook, who's been playing on much better level when compared to the regular season in the series, slowed down for the first time in this series. That was one of the biggest reasons why the Thunders lost Game Three on the road against the Lakers.

Russell attacked the defense well, got the rim, was solid on the glass, didn't lose his head in terms of taking care of the ball and didn't make bad decisions. However, in a close game, he didn't provide the usual scoring punch nor or he distributed the rock nicely.

Still, he ended up with a nice statistical game. Westbrook scored 21 points, grabbed nine boards, recorded an assist, had two steals, shot 7-18 from the field, 0-3 from three point land, 7-8 from the free throw line and committed a turnover in 35 minutes of action.

4.Rajon Rondo

Although he didn't have a game that we've seen from him during this series, it's safe to say that Rajon Rondo definitely played well. However, it just wasn't enough to stop the 76ers, as he and his Boston Celtics failed on the road this time.

Nonetheless, Boston's point guard played excellent throughout the entire game. He pushed the pace, found the open man, scored quite nicely on terrific efficiency and had a good night displaying his versatility. Stat wise, he was above good.

Rondo scored 15 points, dished out 15 dimes, pulled down four rebounds, recorded two steals, shot 7-14 from the field, 0-2 from distance, 1-1 from the stripe and committed four turnovers in 41 minutes of action out there. He'll have to return to his usual form for his Celtics to get what they want.

3.Paul Pierce

Celtics' All-Star forward Paul Pierce played quite well. Despite having an injured knee, he fought through it like in the previous games. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't enough. He and his Celtics melted in the second half with which they lost a game that they could have won.

Although he lost, it couldn't been said anything negative about his strong play. Paul entered his rhythm from the start to the end, rebounded and did all of the others things well. Simply said, he was excellent on both sides of the court.

The stats back that up. Pierce poured in 24 points, grabbed six boards, had an assist, recorded two steals, swatted two shots, committed three turnovers, shot 8-13 from the field, 4-6 from deep and 4-4 from the free throw line in 42 minutes of action.

2.Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant's been absolutely brilliant against the Lakers, and he didn't stop in Game Three of the 2012 postseason. Unfortunately, not even his outstanding individual performance couldn't stop his opponents as his Thunder failed on the road.

Kevin looked amazing as always. He picked up where he left, entered his scoring rhythm from to the start to the end of the game, was solid on both sides of the court thanks to his activity. From the statistical point of view, he was outstanding.

Durant scored 31 points, grabbed five boards, had an assist, recorded two steals, blocked one shot, had five turnovers while shooting 12-23 from the field, 1-4 from deep and 6-6 from the fee throw line in 42 minutes.

1.Kobe Bryant

The biggest reason why the Lakers managed to get their first win in this playoff series and the biggest hope of a possible surprise for the team from the City Of Angels was non other than Kobe Bryant. He was definitely excellent.

Kobe, although didn't have a great night shooting the ball, found way to get to the line where he made all of his trips and ended up with a dozen of points. Besides the great scoring, he provided excellence on the other side of the court and closed out the Thunder.

Bryant poured in 36 points, grabbed seven boards, dished out six assists, recorded two steals, shot 9-25 from the field, 0-1 from deep, perfect 18-18 from the free throw line and committed two turnovers in just under 40 minutes. Stat wise, that's an excellent game.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day Eighteen

2012-05-19T18:15:00.000-04:00

The 2012 Playoffs continue, as the eighteenth day is already finished. This day had the standard two games schedule. However, it brought also huge surprise with one series turning the other way around. The Pacers beat the Heat to take the lead and the Spurs only increased theirs.
There were some players, who played above the expectations and delivered for their teams, or at least kept them in the game. The stats and impact back their respective strong performances. Who ranks on top? Without any further ado, let's start.

5. George Hill

One of the biggest contributors in Pacers' surprising win over the visiting Heat, who after being absent from the list for a while, found his place again. George Hill definitely shone, as he came up huge with his top game of this year's postseason so far.
George found his shooting rhythm, was excellent on both sides of the court, hustled and played his heart out there. His energy robbed off on his teammates that followed him well. The stats show that he was just simply outstanding.

Hill scored 20 points, dished out five dimes, grabbed two boards, had a steal, blocked a shot, shot 6-8 from the field, 3-4 from distance, 5-5 from the stripe and committed four turnovers in 33 minutes of action. He didn't take care of the ball well, but made up for that in different areas.

4. LeBron James

Although he was brilliant in the first half of Game Three of the 2012 Playoffs against the Pacers on the road, the league's MVP, LeBron James cooled off in the second half which was one of the reasons why the Heat lost the match.
He started off the brilliantly at the start when he found his scoring rhythm, was excellent on both sides of the court and led his team well early on. However, LeBron slowed down in the second period, couldn't get to the line and it went all downhill from there.

James scored 22 points, grabbed seven boards, dished out three assists, recorded two steals, shot 10-22 from the field, 1-4 from three point land, 1-3 from the free throw line and committed four turnovers in 40 minutes of action. He'll need to step it for his Heat to beat the Pacers in this series.

3. Roy Hibbert

With Chris Bosh being sidelined for the rest of the series, the Pacers have an enormous advantage inside the post. That's where 7'2 All-Star center, Roy Hibbert is most expected to explore that. And in Game Three of the series against his opponents, he did.
Roy established himself as a presence throughout the entire game. He was a match up issue for Miami on the offensive side with his ability to score, yet he managed to took away the slashes from the perimeter and to alert many shots on defense as well.

The stats confirm his excellence. Hibbert scored 19 points, grabbed 18 boards, blocked five shots, had one steal, dished out an assist, committed one turnover, shot 9-16 from the field and 1-2 from the free throw line in 33 minutes out there.

Like his teammate Hill, this was also his best performance as well.

2. Tony Parker

Tony Parker started off the playoff series against the Clippers with an awful game. However, the All-Star point guard made up for it with a strong performance that was one of the keys why the Spurs increased their lead.
Tony looked excellent out there. He found his way to the rim, got the line, looked aggressive and took full advantage of his match up's (Chris Paul) injury. He was outstanding on both sides of the court and led the way for his Spurs.

Parker scored 22 points, grabbed five boards, dished out five assists, recorded three steals, committed three turnovers, shot 8-19 from the field, 0-2 from three point land and 6-6 from the free throw line in 37 minutes of action. Stat wise, it's a nice performance.

Considering it was his 30th birthday, it was definitely one birthday that he'll remember.

1. Mario Chalmers

Mario Chalmers, Heat's starting point guard, was absent from the list for a while. Although his team ended up short in Game Three of the 2012 Playoffs, he has to be applauded for so far his top performance. He was absolutely brilliant.
Mario was aggressive early on and excellent throughout the entire time. With Wade struggling, he took over some of the scoring load and responded well with James. He dished the rock well, was solid on the glass and was efficient in shooting the ball.

Chalmers scored 25 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out five assists, swatted an attempt, shot 10-15 from the field, 1-1 from three point land, 4-4 from the stripe and didn't commit any turnovers in the 38 minutes he was on the court.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performers After Day Seventeen

2012-05-18T11:32:00.000-04:00

The 2012 NBA Playoffs don't stop, as day seventeen is already finished. The usual two games schedule remained in this day that didn't fail to bring excitement and drama once again to NBA fans all over the word. The favorites (Boston and Oklahoma) increased their advantages in their respective series.

However, the teams that lost (Los Angeles and Philadelphia) gave excellent efforts in the losses which could have gone to the opposite side for a bit. That being said, some players played beyond the expectations and helped their teams.

Who did best? Without any further ado, let's start.

5. Paul Pierce

After being absent on the list for sometime, Paul Pierce rightfully gets the spot this time. Despite playing with a knee injury that has limited his lateral movement and explosiveness, he's had yet another excellent game for his Celtics.
He set the pace in which his team would attack throughout the rest of the game: attacking. Paul, although is clearly bothered by the injury, is fighting through it nicely thanks to his warriors mentality which gave him nothing but positive results in there.

Pierce scored 24 points, grabbed 12 boards, dished out four assists, recorded three steals, shot 6-17 from the field, 1-3 from deep and 11-14 from the stripe in 37 minutes. Statistically speaking, that's a nice game for him.

The Truth delivered it once again and Philadelphia knows that best.

4. Thaddeus Young

Thaddeus Young is a player who had been very quiet throughout the 2012 playoffs until the start of Game Three against the Boston Celtics. The timing for his breakthrough performance this postseason was excellent but it wasn't enough to cover up for his teammates performances.
Despite the loss, Thaddeus was brilliant for the 76ers. He displayed his versatility, his speed, quickness and activity on both sides of the court quite well. He was also very efficient throughout the entire game as well and he had big impact too.

Young scored 22 points, grabbed five boards, dished out an assist, blocked a shot, didn't lose the ball, shot 10-16 from the field and 2-2 from the free throw line in 26 minutes. Regardless from what point of view this performance is viewed, it's been his personal best so far.

3. Kevin Durant

In a defensive minded, close and low scoring game, getting the tough win is more important than anything. It seemed that all had trouble with that expect Thunder's sweet shooting forward Kevin Durant, who found the bottom of the net quiet well and did more than just score.
Kevin put his skill set on display, as he was everywhere on the court. Besides scoring, he was active on the glass, found the open teammate for the easy points and closed out the Lakers late with his shots. That's right, he hit yet another game winner in this year's postseason.

Durant had a good performance from a statistical point of view. He poured in 22 points, grabbed seven boards, dished out five assists, recorded two steals, had four turnovers, shot 9-15 from the field, 1-4 from deep and 7-8 from the stripe in 42 minutes of action.

Stat wise, it isn't even close to his capacity let alone usual performance. However, it's the impact and him coming through in the clutch that rightfully give him a high spot on the list.

2. Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo, one of the game's top point guards right now in the NBA, continues to shine in the playoffs as he led the Boston Celtics to another win against the Philadelphia 76ers on the road. He marked this game with yet another strong all-around performance.
Rajon displayed his versatility on both sides of the court once again. He was in an aggressive attack mode at the start, looking for high percentage looks which he got and he still succeed to open up the game for his teammates, giving them easy scoring chances.

Rondo scored 24 points, dished out 13 assists, grabbed six boards, committed only one turnover, shot 9-16 from the field, 1-3 from three point land and 4-4 from the free throw line in 41 minutes of action. Stat wise, this was a great match for him.

However, the impact and making his team better is what made him outstanding on that night.

1. Kevin Garnett

Veteran big man Kevin Garnett has been a on a mission in this year's postseason. After having somewhat a performance below his standards, he picked up where he left and led the Celtics to another win. They beat the 76ers on the road in a nearly dominant fashion.
Kevin's strong play was arguably the biggest key. His competitiveness, toughness and will robbed off on his teammates who've been following him nicely. Garnett established himself as a presence on both sides of the paint, on the glass and continued to lead Boston with his consistent scoring.

The Big Ticket delivered against Philadelphia. He scored 27 points, grabbed 14 boards, dished out four assists, recorded a steal, committed one turnover, shot 12-17 from the field and 3-5 from the stripe in 30 minutes of action.

Considering the minutes he had, the terrific production, impact and leadership he showed, KG's rightfully No.1 on this list again.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day Sixteen

2012-05-18T06:28:00.003-04:00

Day sixteen of the 2012 postseason is already behind us. There were two games played which as of lately has became the standard.

Nonetheless, those two brought excitement as they usually do. The Pacers evened the series against Miami, as they've managed to get one of the road.

On the other hand, the veteran Spurs started their series versus the Clippers nicely. They opened it up with a nice win and they showed plenty of excellence.

There were some players who marked the day that's already behind us. Who ranks on top? Without further ado, let's start.

5. David West

Pacers' star, David West was one of the key contributors in a big win over the Heat on the road with which they even the series at a game a peace.

David was solid inside. He found his way to the line, where he made the most of his trips and was great on the glass too while being decent defensive presence inside the paint.

West poured in 16 points, pulled down 10 rebounds, blocked two shots, dished out a dime, shot 5-13 from the field, 6-8 from the stripe in 41 minutes.

When all things are taken in consideration, he wasn't bad at all.

4. Manu Ginobili

It's quite a surprise that after that long time that Spurs' guard Manu Ginobili found his place here. He was an instrumental part in his team's win over the visiting Clippers.

Manu provided the needed spark off the bench for San Antonio. He gave them the needed scoring, added a great all-around production among the rest as well.

Ginobili scored 22 points, dished out three dimes, pulled down three boards, committed two turnovers, shot 6-13 from the field, 3-8 from deep and 7-8 from the stripe in 27 minutes.

Given in consideration, the amount of minutes and efficiency he had throughout the entire game, he definitely played greatly overall.

3. Eric Bledsoe

With Chris Paul struggling at the start of this year's post season against the Spurs, that leaves out a huge hole at point guard for the Clippers to fill. Who they turn to?

They turn to 6'1 guard off the bench, Eric Bledsoe to lead. With him handling the duties, his aggressiveness and competitiveness, the Clippers are a tough opponent.

Bledsoe scored 23 points, had five rebounds, four assists, three steals, one block, two turnovers, shot 10-16 from the field, 1-3 from deep and 2-2 from the stripe in 27 minutes.

Unfortunately, his teammates didn't follow him and they lost the key. Nonetheless, Eric played well enough to get the credit. He has to be applauded for the effort.

2. LeBron James

After being awarded with a MVP award, Heat's LeBron James played in the same manner in Game Two of the 2012 postseason.

LeBron was aggressive throughout the game, as he played quite nicely on both sides of the court. The stats back up his excellence.

James scored 28 points, grabbed nine boards, dished out five assists, had six steals, lost two balls, shot 10-22 from the field, 0-4 from deep, 8-13 from the stripe in 43 minutes.

That's a terrific stat line. However, he and his Heat failed short late, which is why they lost the game.

1. Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan, one of the top veterans in league today, found his vintage form. With Parker struggling in this series, he stepped up and took over for his Spurs.

And he delivered in a way like he used to in his younger days. They relied on him in the post, where he was absolutely brilliant.

The Clippers had no answer for his brilliance inside. Timmy impacted the game on defense as always, found the open teammate, came up huge and confirmed his excellence.

The stats back that up. Tim scored 26 points, grabbed 10 boards, blocked two shots, recorded two steals, dished out two assists, had a turnover, shot 12-20 from the field, 2-2 from the stripe in 35 minutes.

Duncan still proved that he's the leader for his Spurs. They'll have to hope he'll keep playing like this, if they want to win the title badly.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day Fifteen

2012-05-17T16:37:00.002-04:00

The fifteen day of the 2012 postseason is already behind us. There were once again two games played with one of them having a dramatic finish and the other showed just pure excellence from the winning team. They didn't fail to amaze at all.

This playoff day was marked by several players who performed well enough to lead their respective teams to victories. That being said, I'll present now the best individual playoff performance from this day. Who's at the top? Without any further ado, let's start.

5. Evan Turner

Up until the last three minutes of Game Two of the 2012 Playoffs against the Celtics, Evan Turner wasn't a factor. Then it all changed and it ended up as the biggest difference in the match.

Evan started playing wonderful basketball through that short period. He made nice plays on both sides of the court, handled the rock well and hit crucial shots such as this one. Amazing, isn't it?

Turner scored 10 points, pulled down six rebounds, dished out an assist, had a steal, swatted one attempt, committed five turnovers, shot 4-11 from the field, 0-1 from distance, 2-2 at the stripe in 28 minutes of action.

It's not the stats that earn him this selection, but the impact and excellence he had late. He hit a crazy lay up with 40 seconds and swished two free throws to finish off Boston.

4. Jrue Holiday

If Evan Turner was the one who came in the role of closer for Philadelphia, Jrue Holiday was the one who seemed to have an answer for anything the opponents did in the second half of the game.

The Sixers' point guard elevated himself on different level when compared to the regular season. He found his shooting rhythm as he connected on shots, especially from distance. He had arguably his best performance in the series so far.

Jrue scored 18 points, dished out three dimes, grabbed two rebounds, recorded two steals, committed one turnover while shooting 7-15 from the field and 4-6 from three point land in 41 minutes. The Sixers will need similar performances from Holiday in order to try to beat the Celtics.

3. Andrew Bynum

Perhaps the only bright spot in the Lakers' loss against the Thunder in Game One of the 2012 postseason, Andrew Bynum seemed not be bother by the opponents' defense, as he finished with yet another excellent performance.

Andrew opened up the game nicely for his team, as he was aggressive and brilliant inside. He was terrific on the glass and his efficiency from the field was perhaps the main reason why the Lakers weren't completely blown out.

He scored 20 points, pulled down 14 rebounds, recorded an assist, swatted one shot, had three turnovers, shot 7-12 from the field, 6-6 from the stripe in 31 minutes. That's a nice performance from a statistical point of the view.

However, 'Drew didn't establish himself as a presence in the paint defensively and that hurt his LA through the entire game. The Thunder scored 48 points inside the paint. Can he recapture some of the brilliance he had on defense like against the Nuggets, this will be a series to watch.

2. Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant continued in an excellent manner in this year's postseason, as he started the series against the Lakers in same mood with yet another brilliant performance of his to lead his Thunder to a huge win.

The Thunder's All-Star forward displayed his versatility quite well, as he was in almost every aspect of the game. Kevin hit his shots, got the rim, grabbed many boards, found the open teammates etc. The stats back up his excellence.

Durant scored 25 points, pulled down eight rebounds, recorded four dimes, had a block, shot 8-16 from the field, 2-5 from distance and 7-8 from the stripe in 29 minutes of action. Considering the minutes he played, it was absolutely terrific performance overall.

1. Russell Westbrook

Much like his teammate Durant, Thunder's point guard, Russell Westbrook started the playoff series against the Lakers in style. He was arguably the biggest reason why his team ended up victories in the first Game of the 2012 postseason.

Russell was nearly everywhere on the court. He scored in bunches, distributed the rock quite well, was solid on the glass, defended nicely and was efficient with shooting from the ball. The stats confirm his excellence.

Westbrook poured in 27 points, dished out nine dimes, grabbed seven rebounds, had two steals, committed one turnover, shot 10-15 from the field, 1-1 from three point land, 6-6 from the free throw line in 27 minutes of action.

Considering the minutes he played, excellent efficiency and impact, Russell gets the nod. Had he played little longer in this game, he'd have most likely recorded a triple double as well.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day Fourteen

2012-05-16T05:26:00.000-04:00

The fourteen day of the 2012 Playoffs is already behind us. This postseason day brought two exciting games with one of them going to the final seven game, and the other starting the second round.
Meanwhile, the NBA crowned its MVP with the award for his excellence. Like the usual, there were several players who played beyond nicely. Who ranks on top? Without any further ado, let's start.

5. Rudy Gay

I start off the list with Memphis' forward Rudy Gay, who played quite well enough to make the list. Despite his excellent performance, it wasn't enough to lead the Grizzlies over the Clippers, as they failed in Game Seven.
He led the team in scoring, was excellent on the glass, solid from an all-around point of view etc. He had a solid day shooting the ball as well. Here're some stats.

Rudy scored 19 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out an assist, recorded a steal, swatted an attempt, shot 7-15 from the field, 0-2 from three point land, 5-6 from the free throw line, committed four turnovers in 40 minutes of action.

4. Chris Paul

After finally slowing down in this series, Clippers' All-Star guard Chris Paul picked up where he left and led his team on the road to a win. With that victory, they are now in the second round of the 2012 postseason.
Chris kept doing what he did in the previous games, and that's attack. His aggressiveness resulted him nicely, involved his team mates well, was great in nearly all the aspects of the game and closed out the Grizzlies late too.

Paul scored 19 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out four dimes, recorded two steals, committed five turnovers, shot 7-17 from the field, 1-6 from three point distance, 4-4 from the free throw line in 35 minutes of action.

Nice performance.

3. David West

David West started the second round series against the very good defensive Miami Heat quite well with his strong double-double. However, it wasn't enough as he and his Pacers failed to win the Heatles.
Nonetheless, David had a strong performance. He was excellent in the post where he found his touch, was terrific on the glass, involved his team mates and made his trips to the line.

West scored 17 points, pulled down 12 rebounds, dished out three assists, had a steal, committed two lost balls, shot 6-12 from the field, 5-6 from the line in 37 minutes of action.

2. Dwyane Wade

After playing in an usual standards for him in the postseason, Dwyane Wade timed his vintage performance almost perfectly. He came up big to lead the Miami Heat to a win over the Pacers.
Dwyane, even though didn't shot the ball efficiently from the field, looked the old himself. He was aggressive, sliced through the defense when ever he found a chance and went to the line where he made the max of his trips.

Wade scored 29 points, dished out four assists, had a steal, one blocked shot, committed two turnovers, shot 8-23 from the field, 13-14 from the free throw line in 40 minutes. He'll have to come up big again for the Heat in order to accomplish their goals.

1. LeBron James

For his excellence during the regular season, the NBA awarded Heat's All-Star forward LeBron James with his third consecutive MVP in four seasons. And he played like one in the start of the Game One of the 2012 postseason against the Pacers.
The King was aggressive, was excellent in nearly all the aspects of the game, switched positions, shut down who ever he was called to guard and dominated in the second half. Once again, he owned the fourth quarter as he went on another strong performance.

James scored 32 points, pulled down 15 rebounds, dished out five assists, recorded two steals, blocked one shot, committed one turnover while shooting 12-26 from the field, 0-3 from distance, 8-10 from the line in 43 minutes.

LeBron scored 16 points late to lead his Miami over the Pacers and give them the lead.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performance After Day Thirteen

2012-05-15T17:51:00.000-04:00

The thirteen day of the 2012 Playoffs is already behind us. Unlike the majority of the days, this day offered us only one game, which didn't fail to excite all of us.
The Grizzlies save themselves on the road against the Clippers in another epic finish in the end. There were several players who marked this game day. Although there was only one match played, regardless of it it will be a top five list.

Who ranks on top? Without any further ado, let's start.

5. Chris Paul

After having a brilliant series in the postseason against the Grizzlies, Chris Paul had his first bad game against them. He failed to play up to his normal standards, despite producing in nearly all aspects of the court.
Chris' bad performance was one of the main reasons why his Clippers lost this close game. Nonetheless, he kept being aggressive, attacking the defense, distributing the rock well and so on. From a statistical point, he wasn't that bad.

Paul recorded 11 points, dished out seven dimes, grabbed five rebounds, recorded three steals, committed three turnovers, shot 4-9 from the field, 1-3 from the arc, 2-4 from the stripe in 35 minutes of action.

4. Eric Bledsoe

The Clippers lost Game Six of the 2012 postseason by just two points. Chris Paul, the team's starting point guard and All-Star, had his first weak game. That left huge sneakers to be filled in. Eric Bledsoe didn't do that bad.
He inspired the Clippers with his amazing performance, providing instant all-around production, hustle and speed off the bench. Bledsoe was a huge spark off the bench in solid playing time. He was excellent from statistical point.

Eric scored 14 points, dished out six assists, pulled down four rebounds, recorded a steal, committed only one turnover, shot 6-12 from the field, 2-3 from the line in 24 minutes.

This was his best performance of the series and was the biggest reason why his team was close in this game.

3. Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin, despite the loss he and his team had in this game, has to be applauded for the effort he gave in playing through a knee injury. It effected his performance, but performed good enough to be ranked on this list.
Blake still finished enough on superb efficiency, was decent enough of the glass, found the open teammates, was solid defensively and got to the line where he made his trips. The stats back that up.

Griffin scored 17 points, pulled down five rebounds, dished out six assists, recorded three steals, committed a turnover, shot 6-11 from the field, 5-6 from the stripe in 33 minutes of action. Statistically speaking, it's more than solid.

He'll have to fight through this problem if the Clippers want to go deep in the playoffs.

2. Marc Gasol

After breaking out in Game Six, Memphis' All-Star center Marc Gasol continued in same manner against the Clippers. Alongside Randolph, they were the biggest reason why their team forced another match of the series.
Marc picked up where he left. He scored quite well when ever he got the ball inside the post and he made his opponents to pay about it. He was active on the glass and defense as well.

Gasol scored 23 points, pulled down nine rebounds, dished out three assists, recorded a steal, one blocked shot, committed three turnovers, shot 9-16 from the field, 5-5 from the line in 40 minutes. Statistically speaking, it was a great effort.

For that, he has to be applauded when his contributions are taken in consideration.

1. Zach Randolph

Much like his teammate in the front court Marc, Zach Randolph broke through in Game Five and was huge in this one to lead Memphis to a tough win on the road.
Despite playing with an injury that's been bothering, he gave it all and was aggressive. He was excellent from the post, just as good on the glass and good on the defensive end as well. This was from a statistical point, his best performance of the series.

Randolph scored 18 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, blocked three shots, committed two turnovers, recorded a steal, dished out an assist, shot 8-17 from the field, 0-1 from the arc, 2-6 from the stripe in 38 minutes of action.

He had much to show and he definitely did.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day Twelve

2012-05-14T17:55:00.000-04:00

The twelfth day of the 2012 post season is already behind us. In it there were three exciting games, where in one history was made and two of them finished with thriller finishers.

As usual, some players marked this specific playoff day with their excellent performances. They once again proved their status of being elite.

Without any further ado, here's the list.

5. Luol Deng

One of Chicago's bright, if not the most bright spot in the tough lost in Game Six, Luol Deng definitely played above nicely. He had a terrific performance.

Luol found his shooting rhythm, as he scored on excellent efficiency, was extremely active on the glass and was solid defensively. The stats say that he was everywhere on the court for his Bulls.

Deng poured in 19 points, pulled down 17 rebounds, dished out three assists, recorded two steals, blocked two shots, committed two turnovers, shot 8-16 from the field, 0-5 beyond the three line, 3-3 from the stripe in 42 minutes.

His excellence on both sides of the court wasn't enough as the Bulls lost and are out of the playoffs now.

4. Andre Iguodala

Andre Iguodala had a pretty quiet series against the top seeded Bulls until Game Six. He breakthrough in the previous game and continued in the same manner to lead his team in the second round of the post season.

Andre was excellent from an all-around point of view. He scored, involved his team mates, did solid work on the glass and was good defensively as well. He additionally closed out Chicago late.

Iguodala poured in 17 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out six assists, recorded two steals, committed two turnovers, shot 7-16 from the field, 3-5 from deep, 2-2 from the charity in 41 minutes of action.

He hit the crucial free throws in the fourth quarter when the game was decided. With that, he and his Sixers became the fifth team in NBA History as an eight seeded team to beat a first seeded team in the playoffs.

3. Kobe Bryant

When a player plays through an injury or any similar thing, he's not in a position to produce well. However, that isn't the case with some players. Kobe Bryant belongs in that group as well.

Despite playing with a flu, Kobe seemed more motivated than anything. He went hot again, as he found his rhythm throughout the game and carried the team offensively. The stats also say that he was good from an all-around point of view.

Bryant recorded 31 points, dished out four assists, grabbed two rebounds, had a steal, lost three balls, shot 13-23 from the field, 1-4 from the arc, 4-4 from the free throw line in 37 minutes of action.

The Black Mamba has a nice streak of three games in which he has scored 30+ points and this one just adds to that streak. Unfortunately, his team mates didn't follow him and they eventually lost the game.

2. Ty Lawson

After having a little slump against the Lakers, Ty Lawson got back to his usually great performances against his opponents. He came up big to lead his Denver and force a Game Seven in LA.

Ty picked up where he left in the previous games, attacked the defense real hard, created easier chances for scoring for him, his teammates etc. Also, his shot served him well, as he found the bottom of the net in the entire match.

Lawson scored 32 points, dished out six dimes, grabbed five rebounds, had a block, shot 13-18 from the field, 5-6 from three point land, 1-3 from the stripe, committed no turnovers in the game all in 30 minutes of action.

He set his new career high in points and connected on nearly all of his shots from distance. He was definitely the biggest reason why the Nuggets won.

1. Kevin Garnett

Since the All-Star break when the Boston Celtics put Kevin Garnett at center, he's been a positive factor on the court for his team on both sides of the court ever since then. He turned the block big time, as he showed his vintage form and led the Celtics to the second round of the post season.

KG changed the game with his presence on either side out there. Besides his usual defensive excellence that he displayed, he took over offensively and led the way. He found his motives in the Hawks' statement about him being dirty and he made them way.

The Big Ticket delivered. He scored 28 points, pulled down 14 rebounds, blocked five shots, recorded two assists, three steals, shot 10-19 from the field, 8-10 from the stripe in 39 minutes of action.

The stats prove that this was his best performance of the playoffs in this series. Him regaining his old form, is nothing but positive results for his franchise.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day Eleven

2012-05-12T18:13:00.001-04:00

The eleventh day of the 2012 Playoffs is already behind us. There were two games, in which Miami finished off New York and Memphis forced another game in order to save themselves from elimination.
In this day of the post season with only two games, there were players who still marked the day with their outstanding performances. Some were key contributors to their team's wins, while others were keeping them in the game.

Who ranks on top? Without any further ado, let's start.

5. Chris Paul

Clippers' point guard and one of the best players in the league currently, Chris Paul gets the nod at No.5 for his excellent performance versus the Grizzlies.
Although his team lost a crucial game, Chris was still attacking the defense aggressively, being active on both sides of the court and making the right play.

Paul scored 19 points, pulled down six rebounds, dished out four assists, recorded four steals, blocked one shot, lost the ball three times, shot 5-11 from the field, shot 1-4 from deep, 8-10 from the charity in 40 minutes.

Unfortunately for him and the Clippers, Memphis' front court came up big enough to win.

4. Zach Randolph

After being quiet in the series, Zach Randolph finally had his breakthrough performance and performed in a similar way like last year. He was vital in his Grizzlies' win over the Clippers.
Zach was very good offensively, as he made the majority of his shots in the paint and cleared the glass quite well. He carried the team on offense and made a nice impact. The stats confirm his excellence.

Randolph poured in 19 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out an assist, had three turnovers, shot 6-11 from the field, 7-10 from the free throw line in 37 minutes of action.

Memphis going through him turned out to be the key difference for them.

3. Marc Gasol

Memphis didn't go through inside the post with Randolph only. They went inside through Marc Gasol, who after being quiet in the series, finally had a breakthrough performance in the series against the Clippers as well.
He played like a real All-Star in Game Five of the match up. Gasol found his rhythm offensively, got the line where he made his free throws, distributed the rock well and his impact was felt on both sides of the court too.

Marc scored 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out four assists, swatted one attempt, recorded a turnover, shot 8-14 from the field, 7-8 from the charity in 39 minutes.

His best performance in the series surely helped the Grizzlies to continue their trip in the post season and force another game.

2. Carmelo Anthony

Sometimes it's not important the way you start the post season, but how you finish. Although his team and he are out of the post season, Carmelo Anthony played absolutely brilliant throughout the entire game.
He started it red hot, as he scored nearly half of New York's points. He continued in the same manner with him finding the bottom of the net. Carmelo was solid on the glass and on the defensive side of the court.

However, the story was his terrific offensive excellence. Anthony scored 35 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out an assist, recorded two steals, shot 15-31 from the field, 2-5 from the arc, 3-4 from the stripe in 42 minutes.

He was the main reason why New York was in a close game on the road against a favorite team. Despite the tough loss, he has to be applauded for the effort he gave not only in this match, but through the entire series.

1. LeBron James

He started in a strong fashion against the Knicks. After having an excellent series, LeBron James closed his opponents with yet another outstanding performances of his which was among the keys for Heat's big win in Game Five.
LeBron, like in many other playoff games, simply did it all for his team. There wasn't an aspect of the game in which he wasn't active. He made the right plays regardless was it to score, pass etc.

James scored 27 points, pulled down eight rebounds, dished out seven assists, recorded two steals, blocked a shot, shot 7-16 from the field, 2-6 from the arc, 13-15 at the stripe, committed four turnovers in 40 minutes of action.

He ended up leading his Miami to a win and in three categories. Here's another interesting fact that makes gives him rightfully the top spot. James became No.1 in most times leading in points, assists, rebounds when he won a game in the post season.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day Ten

2012-05-12T06:16:00.001-04:00

Welcome back to the series, where i present the best individual playoff performers. Day ten of the playoffs is already behind us.
In it, there were several playoff games, with two of them being dramatic to the near end. Some of the teams bounced back from their loses in the previous games.

Of course, there were as always excellent individual playoff performance that marked the day. Who ranks on top? Without any further ado, here's the list.

8. Darren Collison

Indiana's starting point guard, Darren Collison due to an injury and emerging George Hill played from the bench. Nonetheless, he performed well enough to lead the Pacers to the second round of the 2012 post season.

Darren's production pushed Indiana over the top. He made the difference in positive sense of the word for his team, as he outscored his opponent late, distributed the rock and his shooting touch served him quite well too.

Collison scored 19 points, dished out six assists, grabbed two rebounds, recorded three steals, committed a turnover, shot 9-10 from the field, 1-1 from deep in 24 minutes.

That's truly a terrific performance when the minutes are taken in consideration among the stats too.

7. Arron Afflalo

The Denver Nuggets had a lot to celebrate in Game Five of the 2012 post season against the Los Angeles Lakers that they won on the road with a dramatic finish. Arron Afflalo was one of the main contributors for the success.

Arron, who wasn't a factor in the previous games of the series, finally had a breakthrough performance. He found his shooting rhythm, made his shots and was active in all the other aspects of the court.

Afflalo scored 19 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out an assist, recorded three steals, committed one turnover, shot 8-19 from the field, 1-5 from beyond the arc, 2-3 from the free throw line in 35 minutes of action.

His aggressiveness gave him positive results, which is why he had his most impressive performance. Even the statistics back than up.

6. Danny Granger

Danny Granger, Pacers' starting small forward, has been playing on an excellent level in the playoffs. Game Five of the series versus the Magic, confirmed that.

Danny was aggressive on the court, found ways to pour in ton of points despite inefficient shooting and was excellent from an all-around point. He led his team to a huge win and to the second round of the post season.

The stats say that he had a terrific performance. Granger scored 25 points, grabbed four boards, dished out three assists, committed two turnovers, shot 8-20 from the field, 4-9 from three point land and 5-5 from the stripe in 43 minutes of action.

He didn't hide his emotions for going through and his first big playoff success in his young NBA career.

5. Luol Deng

Without superstar Derrick Rose out of the playoffs, the Bulls needed someone badly to step in that role and try to give some production. Luckily for them, Luol Deng accepted the challenge and was the main reason why they won against Philadelphia.

Luol was playing like a real All-Star, a form he couldn't consistently play to this post season. He was scoring quite well, came up big and did his usual defensive excellence.

Deng scored 24 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out an assist, recorded two steals, blocked two shots, committed two turnovers, shot 10-19 from the field, 4-5 from beyond the arc in 43 minutes of action on the court.

This has statistically been his most impressive performance and he definitely deserves the nod.

4. Jameer Nelson

After being absent quite a while out of the list, Magic's floor general Jameer Nelson is rightfully back on this list. Despite the loss, he tried his hardest to win.

Jameer had a career night, where he played amazingly and came up huge. He found his stroke on his jumper, was distributing the ball well and had a nice all-around performance as well.

Nelson scored 27 points, dished out five dimes, pulled down four rebounds, recorded two steals, committed no turnovers, shot 11-21 from the field, 5-8 from beyond the arc in 39 minutes of action on the court.

However, his team mates didn't follow him here, as they failed to do the same. Although he was playing like few did in the playoffs, playing alone doesn't get the job done.

3. Al Horford

After returning in the playoffs against the Celtics, Al Horford broke out against his opponents and came up big, as he led his Atlanta to a nice win.

Al definitely proved to be the positive difference maker for his Hawks. He established himself as a presence on both sides of the paint with his terrific plays.

Horford scored 19 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, added three steals, rejected three shots, dished out three dimes, committed four turnovers, shot 8-15 from the field, 3-4 from the charity in 41 minutes of action out there.

His excellent play has been what Atlanta has been lacking in the playoffs and this game is classic case in point.

2. Javale McGee

Javale McGee continued his excellent play against the Lakers in this year's playoffs, as he shone once again to lead his Nuggets to a strong win on the road in a game with a dramatic finish.

Javale's presence in the paint on both sides of the court made the difference for Denver. He finished on high efficiency inside, controlled the glass and led his team in the fourth with numerous nice plays.

McGee scored 21 points, pulled down 14 rebounds, blocked two shots, dished out an assist, didn't commit a turnover, shot 9-12 from the field, 3-6 from the charity in 33 minutes.

The stats say that he had a terrific performance, but it's the impact he made throughout the entire game is the main reason why the Nuggets came up with a big victory.

1. Kobe Bryant

It's not so often that we've seen a player scoring 40 points in the regular season, let alone to do it in the post season. That makes Kobe's performance in Game Five of the series against the Nuggets truly a special one and the best of this day.

Bryant was excellent throughout the entire game, but turned the heat on in the fourth period. He connected on some crazy attempts, as he found his touch.

Kobe scored playoff high 43 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out five dimes, recorded two steals, lost three balls, shot 14-32 from the field, 5-11 from the arc and 10-11 from the free throw line in 43 minutes of action.

Although the Lakers lost on a missed jumper by him, he still has to be applauded for the effort he gave.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performance After Day Nine

2012-05-09T13:30:00.001-04:00

The 2012 Playoffs continues, as the ninth official day is already behind us. In it, there were only two games in which the Spurs advanced in the second round with a sweep and the Clippers increased their lead to 3-1 in the series.

Considering the low number of played games, this will be a top five list. Nonetheless, some players marked the day with their excellent performances. Without further ado, here're the best individual playoff performances.

5. Derrick Favors

Sometimes it's not important the way you start the post season but the way you finish. Although his team got swept, Derrick Favors showed with his final game why he'll be a terrific young big man in the future.

He was playing big for his team when given the chance. Derrick was having his way inside, was a presence on the glass and defensively as well. Here're some stats.

Favors poured in 16 points, collected 10 rebounds, blocked two shots, recorded two steals, shot 4-8 from the field, 8-12 from the free throw line, committed a turnover all in 37 minutes.

Statistically speaking, this was easily his finest performances of the playoffs. He's made the maximum out of his chance, as he seems to be one of Jazz's future peaces based on which they'll build their team.

4. Al Jeferson

Al Jefferson is yet another Jazz player, who despite the loss, got a place on this list thanks to his consecutive great back to back performances.

He was once again excellent, establishing himself as a presence in the Spurs post area, scoring on excellent efficiency, collecting the glass and looking more to involve his team mates in offense. However, it wasn't enough once again.

Nonetheless, he has to be applauded for the effort. Big Al scored 26 points, pulled down 10 rebounds, had two assists, two steals, a blocked shot, two turnovers while shooting 13-19 from the field, 0-1 from deep, 0-1 from the line in 41 minutes of action.

Statistically like his team mate Favors, this is also his best game of the series. Now that he and his Utah are out of the post season, they'll need to focus on other things.

3. Mike Conley

Mike Conley's the third consecutive player on the list who had his finest performance of the playoffs so far, in which he was huge although he and his team failed late to the Clippers.

Nonetheless, Mike was quite amazing. He was finding his way to the hole, involving his team mates, keeping the pace of his team under control and so on.

Conley scored 25 points, dished out eight assists, grabbed seven boards, had a steal, shot 10-15 from the field, 2-2 from deep, 3-3 from the stripe, with four turnovers in 46 minutes of action.

The speedy point guard has been playing huge in this series and this game is case in point. This was actually a career performance for him.

He'll have to come up big again and try to lead his team to a win in this tough series.

2. Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin's yet another player on this list who gets the nod because of his top performance in the playoffs so far. He was one of the key contributors in Clippers' huge win over the Grizzlies.
Blake, who had been quiet in the series before Game Four, finally broke out. He was aggressive in the post, making the majority of his looks, involved his team mates quite a lot and was solid on the glass.

He scored 30 points, dished out seven assists, grabbed five rebounds, had a steal, one turnover, shot 10-15 from the field, 10-17 from the charity in 37 minutes on the court.

Griffin scored his playoff high points so far. He'll have to have a similar performance versus the Grizzlies so the Clippers can advance in the second round.

1. Chris Paul

Unlike the majority of the players on the list, this isn't his best playoff performance. Nonetheless, it was good enough to lead his Clippers one step closer to the next round and caught the attention that it deserves.

That's right, Chris Paul's been quite huge for his team. Not just in this game, but throughout the entire series with him doing the right play regardless is it to score, distribute, rebound, get a steal and so on.

Chris poured in 27 points, pulled down nine rebounds, distributed seven assists, had a turnover, shot 10-22 from the field, 1-3 from beyond the arc and 6-6 from the charity in 42 minutes.

Paul's playing like one of the best players in the world right now, easily with maybe a case as the best. His excellence is the main reason why the Clippers are on a verge to finish off the Grizzlies and move in the second round.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Performances After Day Eight

2012-05-07T23:59:00.000-04:00

The eight official day of the 2012 Playoffs is already behind us, in which there were four played games. Most of them went close, so there was excitement as usual.

The majority of the leaders in their respective match ups increased their leads. Not to be left out, there were some players who had excellent performances and helped their teams to get the win.

Who ranks on top? Without further ado, let's start.

10. Jordan Hill

I start the list with a big man who's proven to be valuable despite the minutes he gets. Jordan Hill has been the biggest X-factor so far for his Lakers. He was crucial in his team's win on the road against Denver.

Jordan's energy, hustle, activity on the glass and on both sides in the paint turned out to be vital. He changed the game in positive sense of the word and the statistics can back that up.

Hill scored 12 points, grabbed 11 rebounds (including seven offensive of them), had a steal, shot 4-9 from the field, 4-6 at the stripe with three turnovers in 23 minutes of action.

That's excellent production from him. Here's even a better stat. He's ranked sixth in rebounding so far and all the other players before him get starter minutes.

With him performing well, it will provide to give the Lakers the needed boost of the bench.

9. Kobe Bryant

Los Angeles Lakers' guard Kobe Bryant continued his great play, as he led his team one step closer to going in the second round after their win over the Nuggets on the road.

He displayed his skill set quite nicely, as he seemed to be everywhere. He ended up with most points again, distributed the rock well, was solid on the glass and made the right decisions.

Kobe scored 22 points, pulled down eight boards, dished out six assists, recorded a steal, committed five turnovers, shot 10-25 from the field, 2-7 from deep and 0-1 from the stripe in 39 minutes.

With the series shifting home, where Bryant has been red hot, the Lakers are most likely to beat the Nuggets and advance in the second round.

8. Carlos Boozer

Carlos Boozer hadn't have a great series versus the eight seeded Philadelphia, up until the last game. Even though he was playing his best game of the series, it wasn't enough as the Bulls couldn't get the needed win.

Carlos responded well this time in the post, as his high arc shots were falling and ended up as their leading scorer. He was excellent on the glass and included his team mates well. The stats prove his nice game.

Boozer poured in 24 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, dished out four assists, had two steals, shot 11-24 from the field, 1-1 from the free throw line in 41 minutes of action.

While he's been playing below the expectations now with Rose out, it's never been a better time for him to step up.

7. Spencer Hawes

After his excellent performance in the previous game, Philadelphia's center Spencer Hawes continued in the same way, as he led his team to yet another win thanks to his strong play.

With him being inserted in the starting line up, he's given nothing but huge production so far. He's the biggest reason why the Sixers were successful in their home arena and are close to an upset.

Statistics show his terrific performance. He scored 22 points, grabbed eight boards, had an assist, rejected three shots, shot 9-11 from the field, 1-2 from deep and 3-4 from the stripe in 36 minutes.

Hawes has turned out to be the key factor for this turn around. He and his Philadelphia are now one win away closer to going in the second round.

6. Dwyane Wade

Heat's guard Dwyane Wade has had an excellent playoff series against the New York Knicks. After being the main reason why his team won in Game Two, he's now the reason why the Heat couldn't sweep the hometown team.

Dwyane didn't connect on a pretty decent look late in the game with his team being down by two. However, he had an overall excellent performance which is backed up by the stats.

Wade poured in 22 points, dished out six assists, grabbed three boards, recorded four steals, blocked three shots, shot 9-18 from the field, 0-3 from deep and 4-11 at the stripe.

He was all over the court, as he was a presence on both sides of the court. With this missed shot, he'll have a chip on his shoulder for which he'll definitely play hard in the next game in his arena.

5. Amar'e Stoudemire

One of the biggest stories of the 2012 playoffs, Amar'e Stoudemire returned to play for his Knicks, despite the injured hand and helped them to get the win with which they avoided a sweep.

Amar'e seemed calm yet aggressive enough. He gave the Heat issues in the paint on offense, made his shots and was excellent on the glass.

This was his best game of the series. Stoudemire scored 20 points, pulled down 10 boards, had an assist, shot 8-13 from the field, 4-7 from the stripe and four turnovers in 34 minutes of action.

His return was a nice boost for New York, who needed a motive to win which they did.

4. Paul Pierce

Veteran small forward, Paul Pierce has established himself as a strong performer in the post season. He's continued in the same way, as he came up big for his Celtics yet again.

He was doubtful before the start of Game Five of the playoffs due to him injuring his knee.

Nonetheless, this didn't stop Paul. He fought through it and seemed to be anything but slowed as he produced nicely.

Pierce scored 24 points, grabbed four boards, blocked two shots, shot 10-13 from the field, 4-6 from the arc, 0-1 from the free throw line, committed two turnovers in 17 minutes of action.

This game is still a proof that he's still elite player. With his knee getting healthier, he and his Celtics are ready to take down the Hawks in the next game.

3. LeBron James

Picking it up where he left, one of the league's leading candidates for the MVP honor, LeBron James played quite well yet again versus the Knicks. However, he and his team failed to sweep them in a close one.

He didn't have a great night shooting the basket, but he found ways to end up a bunch of points, besides his usual strong all-around performance as always.

LeBron scored 27 points, grabbed four boards, dished out four assists, had a steal, shot 9-21 from the field, 2-5 from deep and 7-8 from the stripe with five turnovers in 41 minutes.

Statistically speaking, his game was really nice. He made several clutch plays late and was a red hot late in the fourth. Unfortunately, coach Spoelstra went to Wade, who failed to hit the shot on a decent look.

Now, they'll have to make up for this game and close their opponents in the next one which will be played in Miami.

2. Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo picked up where he left in Game Four of the 2012 playoffs against the Hawks, as he followed it up with yet another excellent performance.

Rajon was very aggressive early on, controlled the flow of the game brilliantly, found his shooting touch and distributed the rock amazingly as always.

He scored 20 points, dished out 16 assists, pulled down three boards, recorded three steals, 8-11 from the field, 2-3 from deep and 2-5 from the line in 35 minutes with a turnover.

Rondo's excellent game pushed his team over Atlanta. When he's finding the bottom of the net with his shot besides the other things, it makes him unstoppable at times. This game was a case in point.

He'll have to keep it up as his Boston are close to advance in the second round.

1. Carmelo Anthony

The New York Knicks had a streak of 13 consecutive playoff loses. However, they finally stopped that with them defeating the visiting Miami Heat. Who was the biggest reason for that? It's the man in the picture.

Carmelo Anthony is never afraid to play his hardest when the pressure is high and this game is case in point, as he torched the Heat offensively and also had a great all-around performance in the process.

Carmelo poured in 41 points, grabbed six boards, recorded four assists, recorded a steal, lost the ball once, shot 15-29 from the field, 1-4 from deep and 10-14 from the stripe.

Anthony's 41 points are so far the highest points scored in this year's post season. He and his Knicks managed to stay in the series and they definitely showed pride.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day 7

2012-05-06T19:23:00.000-04:00

The 2012 Playoffs don't stop, as the the seventh day is already behind us. There was excitement and drama in some of the games.

The favorites in their respective match ups like Indiana, San Antonio increased their advantages. Oklahoma even managed to close out their opponents and the Los Angeles Clippers took the lead as well.

There were some great performances that rightfully caught the attention. Who ranks at the top? Without any further ado, let's start.

10. Tim Duncan

Spurs' big man Tim Duncan was one of the instrumental parts of his team's win over the Jazz. He established as a terrific presence in the paint on both sides of the court.

Timmy was active on offense, as he made his shots and included his team mates well. He wasn't as great on the glass as in the previous games, but defensively he was excellent. He blocked three shots and had a steal.

Duncan scored 17 points, grabbed six boards, dished out three assists, got a steal, swatted three shots, shot 7-15 from the field, 3-4 at the line and committed a turnover.

He'll need to come up strong again in the next game in order to sweep the Jazz.

9. Al Jefferson

After being quiet in the series, Utah's center Al Jefferson finally broke out, as he had his best performance so far. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as his team lost to the visiting Spurs again.

Al was excellent offensively. He got solid positions in the paint and made the most of his looks. Also, he was terrific on the glass and solid in protecting the paint on defense.

Jefferson scored 21 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, dished out two assists, blocked a shot, shot 10-18 from the field and 1-2 from the line in 38 minutes of action.

Despite the loss, Big Al had his statistically most impressive game of the playoffs. He and his Jazz will try to defend their honors in the next game, as they'll battle not to get swept.

8. Jason Richardson

Jason Richardson had a slump before the start of Game Four of the playoffs against the Pacers. However, in the game, he managed to get out of it but not to lead his to a win.

Jason found his stroke, as he connected on half of his attempts and was solid from an all-around point of the view. The stats prove that this was actually his best performance so far.

Richardson scored 25 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out an assist, recorded two steals, blocked one attempt, shot 9-18 from the field, 4-12 from deep and 3-4 at the stripe.

Despite the tough fight he and his Magic showed, it wasn't enough as they failed to the visiting Pacers. Now, they're in a must win situation as they face an elimination game.

7. David West

David West, who had a bad performance in the previous game, made up for that in the last one. His terrific double-double was one of the things that pushed the Pacers over the Magic on the road.

His team went through him in the post and Orlando couldn't find an answer for him. David made his attempts in there. When he was double teamed, he'd kick out to the open man for a nice shot.

The stats prove that. West scored 26 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, shot 11-23 from the field, 4-5 from the stripe while committing five turnovers in 47 minutes of action.

He proved his value to the team, especially with this performance and the impact he had in the game. David additionally showed nice leadership as well and now his Pacers have a chance to end their opponents.

6. Glen Davis

Glen Davis has had a roller coaster season so far. After finally making in the starting line, he's produced quite big for his team and is a strong reason why his team has been a tough match up in the playoffs.

Glen's emotions, toughness and hard play have all been of great value for his Orlando. He played in such a mode yesterday and had beyond nice production.

Davis scored 24 points, pulled down 11 boards, recorded an assist, a steal, shot 10-18 from the field, 4-5 from the line in 41 minutes of action.

He's elevated his game to another level and his overall stats show that. He's defended Hibbert and West in the post well.

Despite his team tough loses, he's something the Magic fans will want to continue to cheer for.

5. Kevin Durant

All-Star forward, Kevin Durant continued to play in excellent fashion in the playoffs, as he had yet another excellent performance. He helped his team to sweep the Mavericks.

Kevin, like in the previous game, had an efficient day from the field. He found his stroke, was outstanding on the glass, involved his team mates, played solid defense and was terrific overall.

Durant scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out four assists, blocked two shots, committed five turnovers, shot 9-18 from the field, 2-8 from deep and 4-5 from the stripe in 40 minutes of action.

He established as a presence in almost every aspect of the court in the game. Kevin overall has been beyond great in the series and now will focus on the next opponent.

4. Dirk Nowitzki

This picture in short describes how the defending champions were in the playoffs. They were disappointing, as even their All-Star MVP and Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki couldn't do much about it.

It's not the first time that he has felt this side of the game. Dirk had an excellent performance in this important match up and displayed his skills well. However, he didn't connect on his shots late and with that he blew every hope that the Mavericks had.

Nonetheless, Nowitzki statistically played beyond his normal. He scored 35 points, grabbed five rebounds, had four assists, dished out four assists, recorded a steal, shot 10-25 from the field, 1-1 from deep and 13-13 from the line.

Big Dirk had an excellent series for an individual when everything is taken in consideration. However, one player even if he's a superstar, hardly can replace a production and presence of peaces that are missing.

3. Chris Paul

Chris Paul proved why he's one of the best players in the game yesterday and it goes beyond the stats. He was doing literally everything what he could to lead his Clippers to a win, which he successfully did.

Chris was making the easy plays for his team mates, scoring the ball, was active on defense, got to the line and led his team late in the match.

The stats show his overall excellence in the game. Paul scored 24 points, dished out 11 dimes, grabbed four rebounds, recorded four steals, committed three turnovers, shot 8-19 from the field, 1-3 from deep and 7-8 from the line.

CP3 showed great leadership that you'd want from your point guard. He'll have to continue to come up big for his Clippers to win the series.

2. Tony Parker

One of the biggest positive stories of the season and this year's playoffs, Tony Parker had an amazing game versus the Jazz, against whom he's been leading his Spurs to consistent success.

Tony scored ton of points again, found the open man and was absolutely brilliant in the final period. He shut down every hope for the Jazz fans for their team to win the game, as he was literally unstoppable.

Parker poured in 26 points, dished out seven dimes, pulled down three boards, shot 10-17 from the field, 7-8 from the stripe, committed five turnovers in 40 minutes.

Statistically that's a nice game. However, here's even a better stat. He scored 16 points in the last period, a thing only James has done in the playoffs so far.

Despite that, he still hasn't got enough credit, something that he deserves not just for this but for the overall performances he's been having so far.

1. James Harden

The Mavericks hadn't fear the beard throughout before Game Four of the series, and they paid for it. James Harden's amazing performance was the main reason why they are out of the post season.

He made up for his Westbrook's awful day. In fact, he did more than that. James scored in bunches, found his team mates and displayed his skills quite well.

The stats show his excellence. He scored 29 points, grabbed five boards, had five assists, recorded three steals, blocked an attempt, shot 11-16 from the field, 3-4 from deep and 4-5 from the stripe with two turnovers.

The statistics also point out that Harden had a career night. He also explored Dallas' weakness, that's a lack of a shot blocker, got to the rim freely and closed them out late as well.

The Thunder will need similar performance from him in order to win.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day Six

2012-05-05T17:56:00.000-04:00

The 2012 NBA Playoffs continue as the sixth official day is finished. Once again, it brought excitement, hype and a bit of surprise in several of the match ups that are behind us.

Both Philadelphia and Boston, after being down at the start, made a turnaround. They're now ahead of their respective opponents. On the other hand, Denver finally stopped the losing streak and won.

There were some players whose great performances were key factors in their team's victories. Who ranks on the top? Without any further ado, let's start.

10. Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant, one of the game's top players right now, has had a red hot series so far. However, that wasn't the case yesterday, as he had his least impressive performance.

The defense was as usual all over him, but he couldn't connect on his shots. He involved his team mates well and overall had a solid all-around performance in the game.

Kobe scored 22 points, grabbed six boards, dished out six assists, shot 7-23 from the field, 3-10 from the arc, 5-6 from the line while committing six turnovers in 41 minutes of action.

Bryant's bad game had a negative influence on his team. Besides not finding the bottom of the net, his care of the ball wasn't good at all.

However, this shouldn't worry Lakers or neither the Black Mamba's fans at all. Kobe's a guy who founds his motivation easily and comes back with a strong performance the next time.

9. Andrew Bynum

Andrew Bynum has had an outstanding series against the Nuggets so far, with even a triple double. Although he played overall nicely, it wasn't enough to avoid their first loss of the post season.

Andrew started quite bad in the beginning. He was shooting 0-3 in the first half and didn't impact in the same way like in the other games.

Nonetheless, he poured in 18 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, blocked two shots, dished out two assists, shot 5-11 from the field, 8-8 from the charity while committing two turnovers in 41 minutes of action.

He scored 12 points in the third period, and added several of them in the fourth. Bynum controlled the glass well and was a presence defensively in the paint as well.

He'll need to pick it up and make a big impact in the series in order to close out Denver.

8. Evan Turner

Evan Turner seems most likely as one of the brightest spots in Philadelphia's future. Once he got the minutes that he deserved, he started producing quite big for his team and continued in such fashion in this game too.

He made big plays throughout the entire match, got to the rim, had an excellent all-around performance and led his team to a lead after being down at the start.

Evan scored 16 points, pulled down nine boards, dished out an assist, shot 5-12 from the field, 0-2 from the arc, 6-8 from the charity while committing a turnover.

He closed out the Bulls with his buckets late. Turner's heroics added to his already growing confidence and were among the key reasons why Philadelphia made a huge turnaround in the series.

He'll be expected to come out strong for his team in order to increase their lead and possibly upset Chicago.

7. Kevin Garnett

Besides making a terrific impact, Kevin Garnett has been known for doing a little bit of everything and setting the tone with his strong play. Game Three of the playoffs against the Hawks is a case in point.

His team was trailing 19-15 in the first quarter of the match up, when he blocked a shot. With that amazing play, his defensive intensity was crucial in his team's win and the Big Ticket had a strong double as well.

Kevin poured in 20 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, blocked four shots, dished out an assist, recorded a steal, shot 9-18 from the field, 2-2 from the charity in 41 minutes of action.

The Big Ticket delivered throughout the game with his versatility, activity on both sides of the court and him controlling the glass.

He's been a strong presence for his Celtics throughout the entire series. With Smith being out, he'll need to continue in similar mood in order for his team to win.

6. Jeff Teague

Among the most improved players in the NBA as of now, Jeff Teague has played strongly through the series so far. He certainly continued in the same way in Game Three of the playoffs against the Celtics.

Jeff's aggressiveness, hard play and great effort all have gave him nothing but excellent results so far. He was once again all over the court as he played brilliantly on both sides.

Teague scored 23 points, dished out six assists, grabbed four boards, had a steal, rejected two shots, shot 9-16 from the field, 0-2 from deep and 5-6 from the line with two turnovers in 47 minutes of action.

He surely made his presence to be felt out there with his outstanding play and energy. Earlier in the season, KG called him "nobody".

Jeff has answered to that with him stepping up his play. The Hawks will need more than just him performing well to beat the Celtics.

5. Joe Johnson

After being criticized for not stepping up at the start of the playoffs and not showing leadership, Joe Johnson certainly made adjustments in the third game.

Joe put the team on his back, carried the load offensively, was an impressive from an all-around point of the view and was active on both sides of the court. The stats show that.

He scored 29 points, grabbed eight boards, dished out two assists, had two steals, blocked a shot, shot 11-28 from the field, 3-7 from distance and 4-5 from the free throw line in 46 minutes of action with two turnovers as well.

He wasn't shooting the ball efficiently overall, but he connected on the ones he took them late. On the final possession of the game, he was double teamed and he passed the ball to Willie Green who missed the last jumper.

Although he lost, Johnson certainly had his most impressive game of the series and showed up the leadership which he failed to do earlier on.

4. Spencer Hawes

If Evan Turner was the one who closed the Bulls, Spencer Hawes was the one who kept Philadelphia all the time in the game and forcing it to be close.

He wasn't a factor in the series against Chicago, until Game Three of the playoffs. Spencer found his stroke, came up big in the fourth quarter and he made his presence to be felt.

Hawes scored 21 points, grabbed nine boards, dished out two assists, shot 7-15 from the field, 1-1 beyond the arc, 6-6 from the line with one turnover.

His strong play was among the biggest reason why Philadelphia beat their opponents and took t

3. Javale McGee

Javale McGee isn't the only player in this list who hasn't been a factor in the series so far but is rightfully is on the list thanks to his excellent performance during Game Three of the playoffs against the Lakers.

Although he came off the bench, he was definitely one of the main reasons his Denver won their first game of the series. He was definitely the difference maker for his team.

Javale scored 16 points, pulled down 15 boards, dished out two assists, recorded two steals, blocked three shots, lost a ball, shot 8-12 from the field and 0-2 from the free throw line in 28 minutes.

He didn't play much, nonetheless he established himself as a presence in the paint defensively, was dominant on the glass and finished easily inside.

McGee's breakout performance in this series is something the Nuggets will need from him to do in order to try to upset the Lakers.

2. Ty Lawson

Ty Lawson didn't have a brilliant start of the playoffs. However, the speedy point guard has been productive and excellent ever since than.

Ty led his Nuggets to their first win of the series, as the series shifted in Denver. He broke Lakers' defense in so many ways, created easy scoring chances for his team mates and was terrific on both sides of the court.

Lawson poured in 25 points, dished out seven assists, grabbed four boards, recorded two steals, shot 9-19 from the field, 1-3 from distance and 6-7 from the free throw line without a turnover.

This was his best game of the series. He made a huge impact, displayed his skill set and controlled the pace really nicely. Besides his strong display of his offensive abilities, him not committing a turnover had just as impact as his scoring.

He'll need to continue in the same way if the Nuggets want to possibly upset the Lakers.

1. Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo apologized to the Boston Celtics in the best way after not playing in Game Two because of his suspension. He recorded a triple double and led them to a 90-84 win over the Hawks.

His aggressiveness gave him positive results. Rajon, although he didn't shot the ball efficiently, seemed to be everywhere else, as he involved his team mates, grabbed the boards, scored etc.

Rondo scored 17 points, dished out 12 assists, grabbed 14 boards, recorded four steals, shot 7-22 from the field, 0-1 from deep and 3-4 from the charity while committing six turnovers.

He didn't protect the ball as well as he does, took more shots than the usual, didn't shot efficiently yet he was the story of the day.

He recorded his seventh post season triple double. He made all the other plays and found numerous ways of impacting the game positively. When all is taken in consideration, he deserves to be ranked at No. 1.

Darko Mihajlovski is a columnist at FootBasket. He also contributes to Hoops-Nation. You can read more about him at our Staff page.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performance After Day Five

2012-05-04T18:27:00.000-04:00

The fifth day of the 2012 NBA Playoffs is over, as there were two games played. The favorites in Oklahoma Thunder City and Miami Heat kept up their roles in their respective match ups, as they took a lead of 3-0 in the series.

Considering there were only two games yesterday, it will be for the first time a short top five list. Who ranks at the top? Without any further ado, here are the best individual performers.

5. Mario Chalmers

I start the list with Miami's guard whose excellent yet somewhat overshadowed performance helped his team to win on the road. Mario Chalmers definitely played on a top level.

He was doing the little things. He was lights out, as he found the bottom of the net with his shot. Mario also was great on the glass, played great defense and was active on the lanes.

Chalmers scored 17 points, grabbed seven rebounds, recorded three steals, shot 7-11 from the field, 5-7 at the arc with three turnovers in 40 minutes of action.

This has been statistically and overall the most impressive game that Super Mario has had so far in the series, in which he's been solid. The Heat will need this version of him later on in the post season.

4. Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook has had beyond good playoff series versus the Dallas Mavericks. Although this wasn't as good as the ones before, he certainly continued in similar fashion. And that's to play well.

The Thunder's All-Star point guard was all over the court again, displaying his versatility and producing quite big for his team.

Russell scored 20 points, dished out four dimes, pulled down four boards, recorded three steals, shot 8-19 from the field, 2-5 from distance and 2-4 from the stripe while committing three turnovers.

Despite not being the leading scorer of the game, Westbrook exploded in the third period. He poured in 11 points in the third when his Thunder weren't hitting anything.

With him finding nothing but net on his shot and keeping his head calm, others team will be in a lot of trouble due to him.

3. Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade, like almost all of his other team mates, are in shadows of James' dominance versus this New York Team. Nonetheless, he's been doing a similar thing to his opponents just in quiet mode and Game Three of the playoffs is case in point.

The veteran shooting guard did his normal things in Miami's win. He carried the offense, displayed his terrific skills and coming up huge in the key period.

Dwyane scored 20 points, grabbed four boards, dished out four assists, had five steals, while shooting 8-17 from the field, 2-5 from distance and 2-3 from the charity.

Wade's presence is certainly more than needed for this Heat team. He breaks the defense in many ways, is a tough guy to cover, gives points in the post, is active on defense, plays off-the ball well and so on.

He'll probably need to pick it up, which I'm sure he'll most likely do considering the fact that he's a great performer in the playoffs.

2. Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant, one of the league's leading candidates for the MVP, has shot below his normal percentages against Dallas. However, that wasn't the case yesterday, as the All-Star forward led the way for his Thunder.

He actually had statistically his most impressive performance of the series so far. Kevin shot lights out, did a great job of involving his team mates and was certainly impressive from an all-around point of the view.

Durant poured in 31 points, dished out six dimes, grabbed three boards, recorded two steals, denied a shot, shot 11-15 from the field, 4-6 from deep and 5-7 at the free throw line with one turnover.

Unlike in some of the games of the playoffs, he kept the ball under control and found his stroke. That all has been a huge factor to Thunder's terrific win over the Mavericks.

He'll definitely need to continue to play in such fashion for his team.

1. LeBron James

When a player of his caliber goes off in a way that very few if not at all could do, it's tough not to rank him at the top. LeBron James played like a real MVP yesterday and a man who's ready to accomplish his goal.

He was active on both sides of the court, where he played amazingly throughout the entire game and turned to be the key factor once again. In other words, LeBron simply dominated his opponents when it mattered most.

He poured in 32 points, grabbed eight boards, dished out five assists, recorded two steals, shot 9-21 from the field, 2-5 from beyond the arc and 12-13 at the charity while committing eight turnovers.

Although he didn't take a great care of the basketball nor was efficient for his usual standards, James made up for that by going off in the fourth quarter. He scored 17 points in that period to close out New York.

Like him or not, he definitely put on a show on the road against his opponents. He takes the No.1 spot yet again.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking the Best Individual Performances from Day Four

2012-05-03T17:24:00.000-04:00

The mini series of the top individual playoff performers from each day continues. Day Four of the NBA post season is over.

Unlike the day before, this playoff day brought few surprises with the eight seeded Philadelphia winning and fourth seeded Boston doing the same thing without their two stars.

Without any further ado, here's the list.

10. Avery Bradley

He started at point for the first time in the series to replace suspended Rondo. Avery Bradley filled the role of a starter quite nicely and was alongside Pierce the top contributors in Celtics' great win over the Hawks yesterday.

Avery had beyond his normal playing time and produced for his team. He was solid from an all-around point of view and gave his outstanding production on defense which is normal from him. The stats back that up.

He scored 14 points, dished out three assists, pulled down three boards, recorded three steals, denied three shots, committed only one turnover while shooting 4-8 from field, 0-1 from deep and 6-8 from the line.

The statistics don't show his real contributions here though. He was all over the floor defensively, controlled the pace well (only one lost ball) and overall was a real presence in positive sense for his Celtics out there.

9. Joe Johnson

Joe Johnson didn't start the 2012 Playoffs like he liked and hoped to for which the Celtics' defense rightfully takes the credit. However, he made up for that in the second game.

The All-Star guard ended up playing in his usual form. He finished with the highest points total for his team, was active on defense and had a good all-around performance too. The stats prove that.

Joe poured in 22 points, dished out five dimes, grabbed four boards, had three steals, shot 7-17 from field, 3-7 from deep, 5-6 from the line and committed three turnovers in the process.

Unfortunately, even he couldn't force the Hawks over the shorthanded Celtics, couldn't impact the game that good when Smith was injured nor he answered to the challenge from Pierce too.

He'll definitely need to step it out with their power forward out.

8. Joakim Noah

Joakim Noah isn't known as a prolific scorer, but he took over in that aspect yesterday. However, even his great performance couldn't stop Philadelphia from achieving their goals.

Nonetheless, he played quite greatly out there. Joakim was active on both sides of the court, making himself a presence out there and raising his play to another level.

Noah scored 21 points, grabbed eight boards, had five dimes, recorded a steal, shot efficiently 10-11 from field and 10-11 at the line while making several highlight plays such as few jams and a nice crossover.

That's right. He even showed off his handles and his shot. Unfortunately, his great performance couldn't help his Bulls to stop the Sixers and their fast brakes.

7. Louis Williams

After having a below average start in this playoff series versus Chicago, Lou Williams surely yesterday came to play and had a strong performance.

Sweet Lou's production off the bench was among the key factors for his team tying the series at a game a peace. He was a consistent trouble to his opponents. They couldn't find an answer for him.

Williams scored 20 points, dished out six assists, pulled down a board, recorded two steals while shooting 8-13 from field, 1-5 beyond the arc and 3-4 at the charity.

He found the bottom of the net quite a lot, despite getting solid attention from Chicago's defense. This should be a big confidence booster for Philadelphia's leading scorer who's expected to continue in similar fashion.

6. Evan Turner

Although he's a Chicago native who's playing against his hometown team, Evan Turner has been booed ever since one his comment. It certainly didn't stop him from helping his Sixers to tie the series at a game peace.

Evan started Game Two of the playoffs and took full advantage of the given chance. He displayed his superb skill set, was everywhere on the court and produced.

Turner scored 18 points, grabbed seven boards, dished out six dimes, shot 8-13 from the field, 0-1 from the arc, connected on his three free throws and lost three balls as well.

He did all of this in 40 minutes of actions. Evan got the ball little more than the usual and Collins' idea to give him a try to run the offense worked nicely.

He'll continue to be a factor in the series.

5. Ty Lawson

After having a below average performance where he and his Nuggets shot poorly, Ty Lawson made up for that during Game Two of the playoffs against the Lakers.

Ty picked up the pace, as he raised himself to another level. He waived through the defense with his speed quite easily, got to the rim, made his shots and involved his team mates.

Lawson scored 25 points, dished out seven assists, grabbed a rebound, shot 11-17 from field, 0-3 from the arc, 3-3 at the charity, committed two turnovers in 37 minutes of action.

Unfortunately, despite him playing strongly, cracking the defense in variety of ways, it wasn't enough for him to lead the Nuggets to a win over the Lakers on the road.

With the series going in Denver, he'll definitely need to continue to have similar performance in order to upset LA.

4. Jrue Holiday

It was certainly one of those nights where it all went positively for him. The timing of Jrue Holiday's fantastic performance couldn't have been any better, as he led his Philadelphia to a win over Chicago.

With Turner running the offense, he was forced to play as the two guard despite being listed as "point" in the box score, to play more off the ball and to score in which he excelled.

Jrue poured in career high 26 points, dished out six dimes, pulled down two boards, had a steal, shot 11-15 from field, 3-3 from beyond the arc and 1-2 at the stripe while committing no turnovers in the game.

Doug Collins' idea to make Holiday a scoring guard, or simply a combo guard in the back court alongside Turner has worked and he has produced nicely.

Like his team mate Turner, he'll have to keep up his great performances in order for the Sixers to win the series.

3. Andrew Bynum

After recording a triple double in the opening game of the playoffs, Lakers' center Andrew Bynum continued in similar fashion. His excellent game was among the biggest reasons why his team is up 2-0 in the series.

Andrew was a remarkable presence on both sides in the paint. He was a changer this time with his offensive excellence, pulling down the missed shots, blocking and alerting many more shots and so on.

Bynum scored career high 27 points, grabbed nine boards, swatted two blocks, recorded two dimes, shot 12-20 from field and 3-4 from the charity.

Lakers' seven foot All-Star big man had yet another nice all-around performance with him being the positive difference maker for his team mainly on offense.

Can he continue his great play in the post season, LA have terrific chances of not only beating Denver, but sweeping them as well.

2. Kobe Bryant

He wasn't the first player that had a bad shooting day at the start of the playoffs. Kobe Bryant came to play and he did more than that. He dominated.

Kobe led the way for his Lakers in a close win over the Nuggets. His calm presence, will to win and terrific play has rubbed off positively on his team for sure.

His opponents couldn't find an answer for his offense. Bryant scored game high 35 points, pulled down four rebounds, dished out two assists, had three steals, a block, committed a turnover while shooting 15-29 from the field, 2-6 beyond the arc and 6-7 at the charity.

The veteran shooting guard seemed only as the vintage himself. This time, he was also active defensively with him making several strong plays on that side of the court as well.

He'll most likely continue to play in similar mood and lead his Lakers.

1. Paul Pierce

Before the start of Game Two of the playoffs between the Celtics and Hawks, few thought that the first team would defeat the second with their superstar point guard Rondo out. Paul Pierce had something to say about that.

And he did in a way that only proven legends can. With elite shooter Allen out of the match, Paul put them on his back and almost single-handendly led them to a win.

He scored 36 points, pulled down 14 boards, dished out four dimes while shooting 12-26 from field, 1-6 beyond the arc, 11-13 at the charity while committing eight turnovers in 41 minutes of action.

Although he didn't have great day protecting the ball, Pierce seemed to have no trouble carrying even a bigger load on offense.

He had an excellent all-around performance, besides his amazing offensive excellence. Paul closed out the Hawks with his 14 points in the fourth too.

When everything is taken in consideration, this is definitely a historical performance for him that will go down as one of the finest in recent Celtics' history.

2012 NBA Playoffs: The best individual performances after day three

2012-05-01T16:46:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to my mini series of the best individual playoff performances from each day that I've started and will finish until the post season is finished.

Day three of the 2012 NBA Playoffs is already behind us, in which the favorites managed to get their wins and there weren't any surprises in that regard.

There were as usual players who marked the night yesterday with their great performances. Who tops the list this time? Without further ado, let's find out.

10. Shane Battier

The majority of the members on the list usually are starters that get great playing time and produce. That isn't a case with Shane Battier.

Despite coming off the bench, he played his role in Miami's win over New York. He found the bottom of the net with his touch, had a decent all-around performance and had his role in defending Anthony as well.

Shane recorded 11 points, three boards, an assist, a steal while shooting 4-6 from the field and 3-5 from the arc as well.

Battier, who's the Heat's X-Factor in this series, had a great performance in limited playing time. Although he didn't defend Carmelo as good as in Game One, he did a solid job.

9. George Hill

One of the few new faces on the list who earned his ranking thanks to his strong performance, George Hill was definitely one of the most important contributors of Indiana's win over the Magic.

George is starting at point guard to replace injured Collinson for his team and has produced quite well so far in the series. He made up for his bad shooting day from the first game.

Hill recorded 18 points, four boards, an assist, a steal, shot 6-10 from the field, 1-3 from deep and 5-6 from the charity.

He played nicely on both sides of the court and his presence was a difference maker in positive sense of the word for his Pacers. His aggressiveness robbed of on his team mates and was a key factor in tying the series with Orlando at one game a peace.

8. Paul George

The second new face who's made his first appearance on this list, the rookie forward Paul George played as a playoff veteran.

Paul played aggressively throughout the entire game. He was attacking the rim, getting to the line where he made his free throws on offense, cleared the glass and interrupted the lanes on defense with his activity.

He scored 17 points, grabbed 8 boards, recorded 2 steals, dished out 2 assists, shot 7-10 from field, 3-3 from the stripe and missed his attempts from distance.

George was certainly a key contributor to Indiana's win over Orlando.

7. Amare Stoudemire

If you are a Knicks fan, you're hoping that with the return of Amare Stoudemire that the team will do great against their rivals, the Miami Heat. Well, any of your hope is lost.

Although he had somewhat a solid performance, it wasn't enough for his team to try to upset their rivals last night. He didn't make a big difference for New York in the last game.

Stat wise, Amare was decent. He scored 18 points, grabbed 7 boards, recorded two steals, blocked a shot, shot 6-9 from field and 6-9 from the free throw line.

However, those stats are far from what you'd expect from the same Stoudemire who was a MVP candidate at the start of last season and was dropping over 30 points.

Even though he was defended by Chris Bosh, he still couldn't explode partly because he doesn't get enough touches and partly because doesn't have nice off-ball movement.

He's hurt his team in a lot of ways, as he was reported to cut his hand in the locker room after yet another loss and is out for the following game.

6. Chris Bosh

The third member of the Big Three, Chris Bosh is yet another new guy who's rightfully on the list thanks to his outstanding performance.

Chris played a vital role in yesterday's big win over the New York Knicks. He contributed on offense mostly as he connected on his attempts and was solid overall.

Bosh scored 21 points, pulled down four boards, dished out four assists while shooting 7-12 from the field, 6-8 from the charity with also one block shot too.

This was a terrific from him considering he didn't start the series as good as he was expected to.

5. LeBron James

LeBron James was the biggest story of the first playoff day. He was a key contributor in Miami's second win over New York as well.

Although he didn't have as great performance as he had at the start, LeBron played overall well considering the focus and attention the Knicks defense gave to him.

Statistically speaking, he recorded 19 points, dished out nine assists, pulled down seven boards, shot 8-18 from the field, missed his three attempts from deep and made 3-7 attempts at the stripe with two steals.

The stats aren't the same from the opening game, but he still made a difference that fueled Miami and helped them to get the second victory in the series.

Additionally, he played solid defense on 'Melo as he intimated the prolific scorer, took him out of his rhythm and forced him out of his comfortable spot.

4. Carmelo Anthony

He didn't start the playoffs in the matter that he liked to. Nonetheless, Carmelo Anthony bounced back from one of his worst playoff games and was the brightest spot in New York's second consecutive loss to the Heat.

Carmelo opened up nicely, as he connected on his jumper early on versus Battier. Even though he was being guarded by James later on, he still did beyond good.

Anthony had 30 points, grabbed nine boards, had a steal while shooting 12-26 from the field, 6-9 from the stripe and missing his attempts from distance.

That's really an excellence performance when compared to his first and taken in consideration that he went in against two great defenders in James and Battier.

He'll be the guy whom New York will look up to again in order to try to avoid what seems as a reality now, a sweep.

3. Kevin Durant

Few days ago, Kevin Durant was the player who brought the Thunder a huge win over Dallas as he hit the shot to win. He continued his great play against them with yet another a great performance as well.

He struggled once again with his shooting. He couldn't find his rhythm last game, nonetheless he found a way to finish with a dozen of them while playing solid overall.

Kevin scored 26 points, pulled down ten boards, recorded two steals, shot 5-17 from the field, 2-6 from deep, 14-16 from the line with seven turnovers.

The high number of lost balls that Durant had in the last game is surprising. The Durnatula yet has to find his stroke versus this Mavericks team which has a solution for him.

He'll definitely want to explode.

2. Dwyane Wade

He may not be the best player on the Miami Heat, but everyone knows that the leader of the team is still non other than the guy who led them through the Knicks. His name is Dwyane Wade.

Flash had a good start of this year's playoffs, which was in the shadows of his team mate James. However, in the second game, he came out to play as he had an outstanding performance.

Dwyane scored game high 25 points, grabbed four boards, had four assists, shot efficiently 11-18 from the field, missed a three pointer, connected on his three attempts at the line with two steals and a rejection as well.

With the rookie defensive stopper Iman Shumpert out of the series due to teared ACL, Wade's expected to continue to play in similar fashion and to give New York even bigger headaches.

1. Russell Westbrook

He's the other player besides Durant who gives this Dallas team just as big trouble if not more. Oklahoma's Russell Westbrook tops the list for the second time in his two appearances.

He was all over the court once again and his presence made a positive difference for his Thunder. He made big plays on both sides on the court while leading the team in the series.

Russell scored 29 points, dished out two assists, grabbed two boards, lost two turnovers, shot 10-21 from the field, 1-2 from deep and hit his all eight attempts at the line.

Him keeping his head calm, not losing the ball like in this game and torching the Mavericks from outside (yes and I'm not joking) are the crucial factors for his team's lead in the series.

Here's a surprising stat. Westbrook has shot 55.6% (15-26) from mid range shots. The Mavericks will need to make some adjustments if they want to win the series, otherwise he'll continue his phenomenal play.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking the best individual performances from day 2

2012-04-30T20:13:00.000-04:00

NBA.com/Celtics

By Darko Mihajlovski
Columnist

The second day of the 2012 NBA Playoffs is finished. Once again, there was a lot of hype, excitement and drama in it with a historical comeback as well.

There were couple of surprises in the series with some players playing above the normal, having remarkable performances and helping their respective teams in their wins.

Which of them did the best? Without further ado, here are the top individual playoff games from day two of the post season.

Related: 2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day One

10. Blake Griffin

NBA.com/Clippers

Blake Griffin, one of the NBA's most exciting players and best power forwards right now, made his debut in the post season against the Grizzlies.

He was extremely nervous and the inexperience clearly showed yesterday. Blake didn't look like himself at all, as he lacked the normal aggression in the course of the game, didn't have his normal production nor or his "normal" highlight plays from him.

Nonetheless, Griffin had a good game. He scored 17 points, grabbed seven boards, recorded three steals, shot 7-15 from the field and 3-4 from the line.

This should be a good lesson for Blake. He'll definitely need to increase his aggressiveness, intensity and give his best in the playoffs in order to win.

9. Michael Conley

NBA.com/Grizzlies

Unlike Blake Griffin, Mike Conley has already been in the post season before and has played quite good in there. He started this year's playoffs in the same way.

Although he has a tough match up to cover defensively and play against on offense in Chris Paul, it seemed to have no effect on him.

Mike scored 17 points, dished out eight assists, grabbed five boards, shot 5-8 from field, was perfect on all of his five attempts from deep and connected on two of his four free throws.

Quite impressive, isn't it? He was perhaps the biggest factor for Memphis' strong lead at the start, but even he couldn't do enough to stop the Clippers' comeback.

8. Kevin Garnett

NBA.com/Celtics

Among the bright spots of the Celtics in their defeat in Game One of the 2012 Playoffs against the Hawks, Kevin Garnett had an excellent game despite the loss

Although at the beginning he struggled at the beginning, KG produced above his already great production in recent time.

He scored 20 points, grabbed 12 boards, dished out three assists, had two steals, one block, shot 8-19 from the field and connected on all of his four attempts from the stripe.

With Rondo out against Atlanta in Game Two due to a suspension, he'll need to step up his game and take a bit more of the scoring load as well.

7. Rajon Rondo

NBA.com/Celtics

Rajon Rondo belongs in a group of players who always elevate themselves in the playoffs. He sure started in a strong way like many expected, even though his team lost the opener.

He was doing it all for his Celtics, as he seemed to be everywhere on the court. Rajon was scoring, setting up his team mates, getting steals, cleaning the glass and making several highlights as well.

Rondo had a great performance from an individual point and the stats prove that. He recorded 20 points, 11 assists, four rebounds, four steals and shot 10-18 from the field.

Unfortunately, he did one act late in the game which hurt his team's chances to win the game and possibly the series. That's bumping into a ref. Although it looks like it wasn't an intentional one at least to me, it won't do any good considering his value to this Boston squad.

6. Kobe Bryant

NBA.com/Lakers

Who would have thought that after last year's bad season for Kobe Bryant, that he'd regain his status again as a top five player in the league? Only his biggest fans probably. He certainly played just as good in LA's win over Denver.

He didn't have a great start, but made up for it in the second half where he was the one that put the team on his back offensively and scored huge when needed most. In fact, the majority of his points came late.

Kobe scored game high 31 points, grabbed five boards, dished our four assists, shot 11-24 from the field, missed his two threes and hit 9-11 from field.

Although he wasn't the best player on the Lakers in that night thanks to Andrew Bynum, he still managed to put a vintage Bryant like performance in the playoffs and show that he and his Lakers mean all business this year.

5. Josh Smith

NBA.com/Hawks

Despite not being selected to the All-Star Game, Josh Smith has taken a clear step forward and has played as an All-Star throughout the entire season. He was the biggest reason why Atlanta won the opening game of the playoffs against the Celtics.

The results of his hard work have payed off. He was all over the court, being consistently active and flying as a true hawk on the court on every possession. His presence was felt and made a great impact too.

Josh had a fantastic start of this year's post season. He scored 22 points, pulled down 18 boards, dished out four dimes, blocked a shot, had three turn overs and shot 8-20 from the field.

He made some crucial decisions late and hit important shots when needed most. He'll definitely be one guy Atlanta will rely on in this series.

4. Chris Paul

NBA.com/Clippers

It wasn't long ago when Kobe Bryant said that Chris Paul was among the top competitors in the league. Game One of the 2012 Playoffs proved that.

Despite playing on the road and being down in by 27 points at one point, he never gave up. Chris, like all of the other legendary point guards, was the vocal leader on the court for his team and had a nice performance as well.

Paul scored 14 points, dished out 11 assists, grabbed four boards, had a steal, shot 5-12 from field, missed his attempts from deep, hit 4-5 from the line with four turnovers.

Even though he didn't score as much, he drew a foul late in the game and made the two key free throws to lead his Clippers to a historical comeback. Although stat wise it isn't as impressive compared to the others, CP3's impact goes beyond statistics.

3. Tim Duncan

NBA.com/Spurs

Tim Duncan sure didn't look as "old", "washed up" and no longer "elite" as the media and fans rushed to make him look like. In fact, he proved them all wrong yesterday.

He sure made his presence known on the court yesterday. Timmy faked his defenders out of their shorts as usual, finished hard at the rim, cleared the glass, found his team mates and had an efficient day shooting the ball too.

The stats back that up. Tim scored 17 points, grabbed 12 boards, dished out five assists, shot 7-14 from the field and 3-5 from the line. He also played solid defense as well.

For the Spurs to beat the Utah Jazz and advance deep in the playoffs this season, Duncan will have to step up his game as usually. He's capable to do that for sure.

2. Andrew Bynum

NBA.com/Lakers

Andrew Bynum has been a big difference maker in positive sense of the word for the Lakers and his superb performance against the Nuggets proved it.

The young center was all over the court. Although offensively he didn't have his normal day, it was under the glass and especially in protecting the paint where he made the clear difference. Andrew's defensive presence was the biggest reason why his team won the game.

He's the first player on the Lakers roster to record a triple double after the legendary Magic who achieved it before 21 seasons. When you additionally the incredible impact, it's obvious that 'Drew had a truly amazing performance.

1. Tony Parker

NBA.com/Spurs

Tony Parker wouldn't have been a guy you would have put in your prediction for the top five point guards of this season, let alone among the leading MVP candidates as well. He certainly proved all of his doubters wrong.

There isn't any debate who's the Spurs top player now, not with the way Tony has been playing. Utah hadn't have an answer for his drives, shots and passing which was the reason why they lost.

Parker scored game high 28 points, dished out also game high eight assists, grabbed four boards, had a steal, shot 10-19 from the field and made eight of his ten attempts at the free throw line. Impressive, isn't it?

The veteran floor general who has so much playoff experience under his belt, will probably have a big series and will be asked to try to play as hard if San Antonio wants to advance deep in the post season.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Ranking The Best Individual Playoff Performances After Day One

2012-04-29T16:15:00.001-04:00

NBA.com/Heat

By Darko Mihajlovski
Columnist

With an incredible amount of hype and expectations as big as before, the 2012 NBA Playoffs have officially started. The excitement about it is only increasing.

The first day of the post season is over. There were four exciting games with most of them having a dramatic and close finishes.

Some players, who are in the spotlight, started the playoffs above the expectations and some below. Which of them had the top performance?

Without further ado, here is my list.

Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images

10. Luol Deng

The consistently inconsistent Luol Deng found his real form yesterday as he played well in Chicago's 103-91 win over Philadelphia in Game One of the series.

Deng recorded 17 points, grabbed six boards, shot 8-14 from field, hit a three pointer and played excellent defense all game long. He had his part in shutting down Philly's leading scorer Louis Williams.

With superstar Derrick Rose out of the playoffs, Deng will be asked to take some of the load offensively for his team besides his normal production.

It's definitely time for him to step up his game.

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

9. Rip Hamilton

Another member of the Chicago Bulls who had his part in his team's win, Rip Hamilton had an amazing start in his playoff debut for his new team.

Hamilton had 19 points, dished out four assists, grabbed three boards, shot 6-7 from field, hit a three pointer and made all of his six attempts at the line.

He found the bottom of the net with his sweet shooting throughout the entire game. Hamilton had an efficient game, as he made it look easy and missed only one shot.

Much like Deng, he'll have to take more of the load offensively with superstar Derrick Rose being sidelined for the season. He's definitely one guy Chicago will call up on on offense for sure.

Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images

8. Elton Brand

Although he had a terrific performance in the opening game, Elton Brand couldn't push his team on the road against Chicago.

Brand scored 19 points, grabbed seven boards, swatted four shots, shot 8-15 from field and connected on all of his three attempts at the line. He certainly did well versus his former team.

Brand's shooting touch served him surprisingly well, as he hit 7-12 jumpers from mid range. His efficiency in this game is quite good considering he faced the league's No. 1 ranked defense.

The Sixers will need just as great performance from him in order to do a possible upset in this series.

Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

7. Serge Ibaka

Serge Ibaka did more for his Thunder in his team's win over the Mavericks than block shots. He contributed above the expectations.

Although he's primary a defensive stopper who rarely scores, Serge came up huge offensively and overall as well.

He scored 22 points, grabbed six boards, swatted four shots, shot 9-12 from field, hit 3-4 attempts from the stripe and even made a three point shot.

Ibaka did a solid job on Dirk Nowitzki defensively as well. He'll definitely be a key factor for the Thunder in this series and it'll be important for them to see him having great games.

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

6. Jason Richardson

With Dwight Howard being out for the season, not many people see the Orlando Magic going in the second round in the post season. However, Jason Richardson has something to say about it.

In the first upset win of the starting games of the playoffs played so far, Jason came up huge in the clutch late for his team and led them to a great victory.

Richardson scored 17 points, grabbed five boards and had a steal. Although he had an inefficient day overall from the field, he made the shots that counted.

J-Rich shot 5-6 from deep and he made several clutch three pointers to seal the deal. Magic will need this kind of production from him in order to shock the Pacers.

Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images

5. Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook has always elevated himself to another level in the post season so far. This year isn't an expectation.

He had an amazing start of this year's playoffs. Russell scored 28 points, dished out five dimes, grabbed four boards, had three steals, shot 13-23 from field, hit a three, a free throw and turned the ball five times.

Westbrook had an efficient overall game versus the Mavericks, considering he made his first four shots at the start.

With him being guarded by old Jason Kidd, he'll probably have a very strong series. The Thunder will need him to continue to have nice efficiency from field and keep the turnovers low.

Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images

4. Dirk Nowitzki

The Dallas Mavericks almost managed to put an upset against the Oklahoma Thunder City but they fell short by one shot. A big reason for that effort was Dirk Nowitzki.

The seven footer has always been a match up problem for the Thunder which showed in the teams' match up from last post season.

Despite their strong defensive attention on him, he had a big game. Nowitzki had 25 points, five boards, two assists while shooting 8-18 from field and 9-10 from the stripe.

It's clear that in order for his team to win, Dirk will need to regain some of his form from last year because him having an amazing playoff series again can lead the Mavericks to a possible upset.

Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images

3. Derrick Rose

The Chicago Bulls won the first game of the 2012 playoffs, but also lost their chance of making a longer run in the post season.

Why? Their superstar Derrick Rose injured himself late in the game with his team being up by 10 late and is out for the season.

Before the moment he injured himself, Rose recorded a near triple double. He scored 23 points, dished out nine assists, grabbed nine boards on 9-23 shooting from field.

Related: 2012 NBA Playoffs: Derrick Rose Injury Puts Bulls Championship Hopes in Jeopardy

He was the main reason why Chicago got the lead and was ahead. When things looked sure, a catastrophe happened as Derrick tore his ACL.

The Bulls are more than capable to beat the Sixers without him, but their chances of going deep in the post season are cut.

Brett Deering/Getty Images

2. Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant has played like a real MVP all season long. He's taken a step forward, improved his skills and the results show that. This game is case in point.

He scored 25 points, grabbed six boards, dished out four assists, shot 10-27 from field, 1-6 from deep and 4-5 from the line.

Related: 2012 NBA Playoffs: Kevin Durant Goes Deja-Vu On the Mavs, Hits Crazy Game-Winner (Video)

KD didn't have a great day shooting the ball, but he made the game winning shot to lead his Thunder over the Mavericks in the opener.

He didn't have a great series in last year's post season against Dallas, but is now primed to make up for that this year.

NBA.com/Heat

1. LeBron James

If there's a guy who deserves most to win the MVP award, it's LeBron James. Throughout the playoffs, he'll be without a doubt under the biggest pressure and attention from the crowd.

They're ton of reasons why. He showed yesterday that he definitely means all business and that is ready to win it all.

LeBron had 32 points, four boards, three assists, shot 10-14 from the field, hit his only three pointer, made 11-14 attempts at the stripe while shutting Carmelo Anthony down.

He opened the post season in style and played aggressively. James definitely seems as a man on a mission, is ready and poised to win it all.