LeBron James and Dwyane Wade bring fans to tears of joy
Tuesday 11 December 2018 06:03, UK
Every Monday, we'll look back over the previous seven days of NBA action and identify five players who shone on – and sometimes off – the court. Which players dominated week eight of the NBA season?
After years of ridicule for his failure to deliver in the clutch, George finally produced his 'Gatorade moment' as he inspired the Thunder to a comeback victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
The All-Star wing starred in a 2017 advert for the sports drink in which he made a game-winning shot for his then-team, the Indiana Pacers.
Unfortunately for George, the advert had been routed in fantasy, as before Wednesday night, he had gone 0-14 on go-ahead shots in the final 10 seconds of games.
He ended the streak in the most spectacular fashion, capping a 25-point fourth quarter with a three-pointer in the closing seconds to help the Thunder overturn what had been a 23-point deficit in Brooklyn.
The 28-year-old, who is averaging a career-high mark of 24 points, took to Instagram after the game to address his critics.
George had the chance to repeat the feat two nights later in Chicago, but failed as the Thunder's four-game win streak came to an end. Despite that blip, George has been crucial in guiding Oklahoma City to a 16-8 record and second place in the Western Conference.
Despite not having had his most spectacular week on the court, Irving deserves credit for appearing to have finally got the streaking Celtics on track.
The All-Star point guard had an efficient 22 points to go along with eight assists in a 28-point win over the New York Knicks on Thursday, before the Celtics doubled that victory margin to set a franchise record against the Chicago Bulls two days later.
Irving played just 22 minutes and scored 13 points as Boston recorded a 133-77 victory over the Bulls, which confirmed the Celtics are finding form after a frustrating start to the season.
However, the 2016 NBA champion's best performance of the week came off the court, as Irving showed that while he may not love Thanksgiving, Christmas is a holiday he's more than willing to participate in.
During the Celtic's visit to the Boston Children's Hospital on Tuesday, Irving led his team-mates in a rendition of Jingle Bells. While his vocals may not quite match up to his handles, the point guard certainly deserved full marks for effort.
After saving energy during the victory over the Bulls, Irving should be raring to go as the Celtics look to extend their five-match winning streak when they face the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.
Kobe Bryant had been the only player to score 25 points, claim six assists and six rebounds in his 1,000th NBA game, until Wade joined him on Saturday night.
Wade punctuated the landmark with one of the best performances so far in his final NBA season, as the Heat handed the high-flying Los Angeles Clippers just their second home loss.
Much like Bryant's three years ago, Wade's final season is taking on a life of his own, with a swapping of jerseys with an opposing player at the end of most games becoming a highlight.
However, the person most excited to receive apparel from Wade this week was a fan in Phoenix, who had come to Friday night's game armed with a poster of the three-time NBA champion dunking on Anderson Varejao almost a decade ago.
Following the Heat's victory over the Suns, Wade sought out the fan and gave him the pair of trainers which he had worn during the game, prompting an emotional reaction.
There is sure to be more emotion when Wade comes up against his close friend and former team-mate, LeBron James, on Monday night in Los Angeles.
A night later it was James who had one of his fans in tears, as the Lakers won in Memphis to claim their fifth victory in six games.
There was a slight twist, though, with this particular fan being a Grizzlies staff member, who had silently earned James' admiration over the years.
James, sat on the bench for the final minutes of the game with victory already assured, called over 23-year-old Brian'e Miller, who is an assistant equipment manager for the Grizzlies.
After a brief conversation, during which she remained professional but confirmed her fandom of the Lakers star, James handed over his game-worn shoes.
After embracing James, Miller immediately had to wipe tears away from her eyes, as members of the crowd and the Lakers players applauded the moment.
"Every year I've come here, she's always worn a very exclusive pair of my shoes and I've always noticed it and I've never said anything to her," James said after the game.
"And tonight, I said something to her for the first time and she was like, 'Yeah, I've always been Team LeBron. Always'. So she got a pair of LeBrons."
Few would be surprised to learn a New Orleans Pelicans forward averaged 29.5 points and 11.3 rebounds during week eight of the NBA season. His identity, however, will turn heads.
With a hip injury causing Pelicans talisman Anthony Davis to operate below his usual extraordinary standards, Randle has picked up the slack.
Having been in and out of the Pelicans lineup for much of the season after signing as a free agent this summer, Randle was given his latest opportunity in Alvin Gentry's starting five when Nikola Mirotic was ruled out of last Monday's meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers.
There begun a streak of explosive performances, in which Randle backed up a career-high 37 points, with 27, 26 and 28 against the Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies and Detroit Pistons, respectively.
Mirotic returned for the latter two, but unsurprisingly Randle kept his starting place as the Pelicans went 2-2 in a week that typified their inconsistent season, with their record standing at 14-14.
Although Gentry insisted the lineup is not permanent and could change depending on opponents and match-ups, the difference in Randle's production is startling.
The 24-year-old has averaged 24.8 points and 11.3 rebounds in his eight games starting, compared to 17 points and 8.6 rebounds during his 20 games coming off the bench.
With Davis having aggravated his hip during Sunday's victory over the Pistons, Randle will surely still be in the Pelicans' lineup on Wednesday night when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder, live on Sky Sports at 1am.
Sky Sports is the new home of the NBA in the UK with live coverage throughout the week, including selected live games free to all Sky subscribers via Sky Sports Mix.
And www.skysports.com/nba will be your home for news, reports, video and features throughout the season while you can follow us @SkySportsNBA
