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The most incredible stat from the last seven days: The Rockets attempting 50 3-pointers in a single game; the Warriors getting 47 assists in a single game; Kevin Love scoring 34 points in a single quarter? What say you?
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Steve Aschburner: Any time somebody does something that my man Wilt Chamberlain never did, NBA scoring-wise anyway, it’s going to rise to the top for me. Launching 50 3-pointers is a natural result of where the game has been taken, especially with Mike D’Antoni involved. Golden State racking up 47 assists, given their weapons and marksmanship, seems pretty replicable. But 34 points in a quarter against a solid opponent (Portland), including the fact that – even on 8-of-10 shooting from the arc – Love had to get 10 more points from inside it? And to do it for a team that boasts both LeBron James and Kyrie Irving as scorers who need and get their touches, too? Remarkable.
Fran Blinebury: Kevin Love’s 34. With the way the Rockets shoot 3-pointers, 50 in a game is not likely to be their ceiling. Ditto with the Warriors and assists. Love’s feat in a single quarter has only been topped one other time in NBA history.
Scott Howard-Cooper: The 47 assists by the Warriors was a fun watch, even with they low degree of difficulty against what passes for a Lakers defense. The winner is Kevin Love scoring 34 points in a quarter. Not far behind is the other incredible stat: Scoring 34 in the first and then getting six shots the final three periods.
Shaun Powell: They’re all astonishing in their own right although one in particular seems unexpected. While the Warriors are loaded with passers and shooters, and the Rockets do little except shoot threes, I’ll go with Kevin Love’s 34 for a quarter. Wasn’t it just a few months ago when he was benched during the NBA Finals? Consider this his rebirth.
John Schuhmann: Love’s 34 is the most eye-opening, but also the most freakish. The other two are obviously more replicable and the Warriors’ assists is the most impressive. When you have the league’s two best shooters off the dribble (who can both create their own shot with ease), you can do just fine without a lot of ball movement. But the Warriors have the highest assist percentage (72 percent of their buckets have been assisted) since the 2002-03 Jazz and it’s the combination of talent and cohesion that has the them ranking as the best offense of the last 40 years. Sharing is caring.
Sekou Smith: As much as I love the Rockets just firing away unconsciously from beyond the 3-point line and the Warriors sharing the ball the way only they can, Kevin Love’s first 12 minutes in that blowout win over Portland. Love was definitely on fire. But if that was me and I had 34 in the first quarter and only got up 20 shots for the game (finishing with 40 points), that locker room wouldn’t have been a safe zone for my teammates after the game was over. You gotta feed me when I’m smoking like that fellas.
Ian Thomsen: Shooting 50 times from the arc would be incredible for anyone but the Rockets. Kevin Love’s 34-point quarter, amazing as it was, was also a fluke – one that we’re unlikely to see again. The achievement that sends chills throughout the league is the 47 assists by the Warriors, because if they’re able to move the ball so freely among their stars – something that Miami couldn’t do in LeBron’s first season there – then the fears of Golden State’s dominance may come true.
Lang Whitaker: Honestly, to me the most amazing part was that Love scored 34 in the first quarter and then only took one shot in the second quarter. Usually when a guy is hot like that you try to feed him and fan him, right? But of the three stats given, to me the most incredible is the Rockets firing away from deep. And honestly, 50 attempts is probably a little low for that team — in an overtime game down the road wouldn’t be shocked to see them get to 60 three-point attempts. And until they stop messing around in the bottom 10 in the League in defensive rating, maybe jacking up threes is their best defense.
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