Three Stars of the Night: Sunday Scorers

On a night where scoreboards were getting lit up like Christmas trees, it’s probably prudent to celebrate some of the league’s best scorers. Of course, any talk of scoring has to include league leaders Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant, who both put up some gaudy totals (34 for Kobe, 27 for Durant) despite off shooting nights. That just illustrates how good those guys really are, but they still weren’t good enough for the Three Stars of the Night. Who was? Ignore your open co-worker and read on:

Third Star: Mo Williams – (22 points, 8 assists, 8-for-11 shooting)

Ah, a nod to efficiency. The Jazz dropped 117 points on the hapless Lakers defense, and Williams was the one orchestrating it all. Williams rarely gets enough credit for his ability to run an offense, which seems silly, especially when you consider Utah’s main sources of scoring are so dependent on him providing the ball in good spots. Williams was nearly flawless in that regard tonight, dishing out 9 assists to just one turnover in a relatively mistake-free game. Although he didn’t really get to show it after the Lakers oddly decided not to foul until there were four seconds left on the shot clock down 5 points, Williams provided a calming influence for a Jazz team that hasn’t produced quality road wins all year long.

Second Star: Carmelo Anthony – (34 points, 6 rebounds)

Sweet, sweet revenge. George Karl didn’t exactly bite his tongue after Anthony headed out to New York, so it’s not a surprise that Melo came back healthy right in time for this juicy revenge game. Anthony didn’t disappoint, as he bullied his way to the rim all night and drew contact whenever humanly possible (16 free throw attempts). Anthony’s performance seemed to reinforce two themes: he’s a matchup nightmare at the power forward when surrounded by shooters, and that the Nuggets have an issue when it comes to crunch time scoring. Although Danilo Gallinari (the main piece in the Melo trade) played very well for the Nuggets, Anthony outscored him 11-3 in the game’s final period to help keep the Knicks undefeated at home this season.

First Star: Brandon Jennings – (26 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals)

Ever since draft night, Jennings has had an infatuation with stealing the show in New York. Unfortunately for the Nets, that also extends to them now as well. Jennings put up a killer line, out-dueling Deron Williams with the aid of the PUJIT (pull up jumper in transition) that would make fellow lefty jump shooter and teammate Beno Udrih pretty proud. The East is a jumbled mess between seeds 4-8, and Milwaukee is included in that, but the Bucks have an identity that seems pretty bankable. They share the ball much more than you’d think, they block a ton of shots at the rim, and they seem to enjoy playing with each other. The future for Jennings in Milwaukee is still undecided, but it might be time for the Bucks to go for broke and acquire a smart frontcourt player who can really score in the post, share the ball, and add another element to their offense. Hmmm. Know of anyone who fits the description?