Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, rapper Ja Rule and more making noise on and off the court in NBA week 19
CP3 back to his best, KD snaps at reporters, Ja Rule curses Minnesota Timberwolves!
Tuesday 26 February 2019 14:25, UK
Every week, we will look back over the previous seven days of NBA action and identify the players who made noise on – and in some cases - off the court. Which players dominated the headlines in NBA week 19?
Chris Paul - Houston Rockets
Does the Houston Rockets beating Golden State Warriors 118-112 on Saturday night have significance as we move closer to the postseason? In isolation, no. But this is now the third time this season the Rockets, who pushed the Warriors all the way to Game Seven game in last year's Western Conference Finals, have beaten the defending NBA champions. And this time they did it with James Harden sitting out.
Most importantly for Houston, their win over the Warriors came courtesy of Chris Paul's best game of the season, a 23-point, 17-assist performance, an effort that arguably changed the narrative of their campaign.
Until Saturday night's victory, the 'Houston question' was 'How far can James Harden's scoring carry the Rockets in the playoffs?' If Paul can reproduce this rejuvenated version of himself for the remainder of the season, the 'Houston question' becomes 'Are the Rockets the biggest threat to the Warriors winning their third straight championship?'
Marvin Bagley III - Sacramento Kings
There is still a chance that Marvin Bagley III ends up being remembered as the player the Kings picked (at No 2) instead of taking Luka Doncic in the 2018 Draft. But the former Duke Blue Devil is beginning to establish himself in his own right as youthful Kings continue their playoff push.
Bagley had a breakout game as Kings narrowly failed to topple their California rivals the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night. Bagley played almost 34 minutes and recorded 28 points and 14 rebounds as the Kings fell 125-123 and drew praise from Stephen Curry.
"Marvin was tough, he came in aggressive," the two-time league MVP said. "Offensive rebounds, on the post he had some good possessions. He banks in a three, it's kind of his night. He's obviously been playing well as of late and showing why he is a top draft pick, so they got a good one there."
Kevin Durant - Golden State Warriors
Not every Warrior had effusive praise for Bagley III. Kevin Durant was asked after the Warriors win how he felt his "back and forth" match-up with the young Kings forward had gone.
Ever ready to embrace NBA villainy, as least when faced with a question from a reporter, Durant noted he had blocked Bagley's shot five times before concluding: "Five blocks versus one good move, that's not a back-and-forth."
When DefPen.com's Warriors reporter Chris Montano posted Durant's response on Twitter, he got a respectful - but motivated response from Bagley III himself.
On the court, Durant, who snared the All-Star Game MVP award with a decisive 31 points, continued to score at will with efficiency as he lit up the Kings for 28 points on 10-of-20 shooting and pouring in 29 more on 11-of-19 in the Warriors' Saturday night loss to the Rockets.
Jusuf Nurkic - Portland Trail Blazers
Portland's record on the road (10-15) had raised questions about their lofty position in the Western Conference. A seven-game road trip following the All-Star break would go some way to telling if they really are top-four material in the West.
The Blazers are two games into that road trip and, thanks to center Jusuf Nurkic, have two wins to show for their efforts.
On Thursday night, a dominant Nurkic posted 27 points and 12 rebounds as the Trail Blazers rolled to an impressive 113-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center, at one point hammering home a dunk despite the attentions of three Brooklyn defenders.
Two nights later, Nurkic took full advantage of the absence of the injured Joel Embiid to put up 24 points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes as Portland dished out a 130-115 beating to the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center.
Bigger road tests, in the form of the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors, await the Blazers later this week but, thanks to Nurkic, they have made a great start to what could be a season-defining road trip.
Kevin Love - Cleveland Cavaliers
Love's return from toe surgery is slowly but surely breathing some positivity back into the Cavaliers' miserable season.
The meagre minutes from his pre-All-Star break come have significantly increased in Cleveland's first two games after the All-Star break and Love led his team to two successive Week 19 wins.
His 32-point (including six three-pointers), 12-rebound performance (in just 26 minutes) was reminiscent of his stat-sheet stuffing Minnesota heyday as the Cavaliers overpowered the Memphis Grizzlies 112-107.
A 100 per cent fit, fully engaged Love transforms the Cavaliers from cellar dwellers to an entertaining, watchable squad. And after the season Cleveland fans have endured, that's good enough for now.
Notable mention: Ja Rule
Not content with acquiring notoriety through his involvement with the infamous Fyre festival, Ja Rule almost broke Twitter again on Saturday night with a truly memorable half-time performance during the Milwaukee Bucks 140-128 home win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Let down by a DJing malfunction beyond his control, Mr Rule did his level-best to keep things professional, manfully filling almost a minute of dead time before he was finally provided with a beat.
The Timberwolves, or their social media staff to be more precise, weighed in with a playful Fyre festival-documentary themed tweet, posting: "We too were hustled, scammed, bamboozled, hood winked, lead astray", the exact wording of a tweet Ja Rule famously posted defending his role in the Fyre festival.
Predictably, Mr Rule did not see the funny side.
He responded by placing a curse on the Timberwolves organisation that he will not lift until he receives an apology.
