NBA Playoffs 2013: 5 Best Individual Performances of Round One

Stephen Curry put the Golden State Warriors on his back and led them to a first-round series victory over the Denver Nuggets in the NBA playoffs. (Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com)

The 2013 NBA playoffs have been filled with plenty of action so far that even the casual basketball fan can appreciate.

From Russell Westbrook going down and missing the rest of the postseason to Stephen Curry willing the Golden State Warriors to victory, amazing certainly does happen here in the NBA postseason.

With that being said, it’s only right to highlight the five players who put together the best single-game performances of the 2013 NBA playoffs.

For the purpose of this column, I stuck with the five best individual performances that resulted in a win during that particular game. While it’s impressive to lead your team in all statistical categories, at the end of the day, it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t get the W.

No. 5: Paul George, SF, Indiana Pacers: Game 2

Already up 1-0 in the series, Paul George and the Indiana Pacers appeared to put a stranglehold over the Atlanta Hawks with a 113-98 drubbing at home in Game 2.

This season’s Most Improved Player put on an absolute show and got it done in all facets of the game for Indiana, scoring 27 points, grabbing eight rebounds and posting three assists, four steals and a block. It was arguably the most complete performance of any player in the entire first round of the NBA playoffs.

ESPN Stats & Info fills us in on George’s impressive start to the postseason:

George shot better than 50 percent from the floor and posted a +24 rating for the game, which was the highest of any Pacer in Game 2.

Indiana went on to beat Atlanta on the road in Game 6 and close out the series—the Pacers first road win of the playoffs—and will face the New York Knicks in the second round.

No. 4: Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder: Game 3

Playing without his buddy, Russell Westbrook, for the first time since the two became teammates in 2008, Kevin Durant shouldered the load and led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 104-101 win over the Houston Rockets, pushing their series lead to 3-0.

On the road, Durant poured in 41 points and collected 14 rebounds. Without this type of game from Durant, this series could have been a lot different, as the next leading scorer for OKC in this game was Serge Ibaka with just 17 points.

Without Westbrook setting him up and creating open shots for him off the dribble, Durant was forced to get more creative with his game and get himself open. While that did result in him shooting 13-of-30 for the game, Durant got the job done for Oklahoma City.

Durant’s Thunder cruised to a 103-94 victory in Game 6, propelling OKC on to the second round where it’ll play the Memphis Grizzlies.

No. 3: Brook Lopez, C, Brooklyn Nets: Game 5

With the Brooklyn Nets having lost three straight and on the verge of elimination, Brook Lopez guided Brooklyn to a 110-91 blowout of the Chicago Bulls in Game 5.

Lopez dropped 28 points and added 10 boards, shooting better than 50 percent from the floor. What struck me about Lopez’s play that night was his ability to hit the offensive glass hard against Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah. Lopez had six offensive rebounds and helped the Nets score a bunch of second-chance points.

The 7-footer’s performance in Game 5 helped force a Game 6, which the Nets won 95-92 on Thursday night, setting up a crucial Game 7 on Saturday night that will determine who moves on to play the Miami Heat in the next round.

You think Lopez is ready for Game 7? (via Brooklyn’s Twitter account):

No. 2: James Harden, SG, Houston Rockets: Game 5

Staring elimination in the face, James Harden put the Houston Rockets on his back against his former team, leading his squad to a 107-100 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Harden finished with 31 points and eight rebounds and went 7-of-9 from 3-point range. Even more impressive is how Harden started the night (via NBA Twitter account):

You don’t even have to be a basketball fan to appreciate what Harden did in Game 5. He went into the building that he called home for three years and absolutely lit up his former team and kept the playoff hopes alive for the Rockets.

Even though the Thunder ousted the Rockets from the playoffs in Game 6, Haden’s Game 5 performance was most definitely one of the best of the 2013 postseason.

No. 1: Stephen Curry, PG, Golden State Warriors: Game 6

Faced with the situation of win or go back to Denver for Game 7 for the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry stepped up when his team needed him the most, scoring 22 points and dishing eight assists to lead the Warriors to a 92-88 win and series victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Curry was lethal from 3-point territory in the series, shooting 43 percent, but he amped it up in Game 6. Curry connected on 4-of-8 3s and put together a second half to remember.

ESPN’s SportsCenter highlights how important Curry was to the Warriors in this series:

It’s not always about how many points a player scores at the end of the game. Curry legitimately put the Warriors on his back and willed his team to victory.

Golden State will see the San Antonio Spurs in the second round.

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