Two men in the race are now averaging 30 points per game as Joel Embiid, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo remain locked in what is now becoming the closest-ever battle for the NBA scoring title.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s impressive week has seen him push over the 30 ppg mark after overtaking Joel Embiid earlier in the week. Embiid just sits just off the 30 ppg mark at 29.97 but LeBron James still continues to lead the way.
That has never happened in the history of the league and we remain on pace for the closest three-player race in history, eclipsing the 0.53 ppg differential that separated Dominique Wilkins, Adrian Dantley and Alex English back in 1985-86.
This Sunday evening you can enjoy watching Giannis’ Milwaukee Bucks (playing the Dallas Mavericks from 6pm) and LeBron’s LA Lakers (playing the Denver Nuggets and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic from 8.30pm) live on Sky Sports and on our free live YouTube stream.
The race is already one for the ages and continues to fluctuate between the trio and, remember, we are not just talking about any three men. We are talking about:
LeBron James – One of the greatest basketball players of all-time and a four-time champion and four-time league and Finals MVP. Primarily a playmaker, he has only won the scoring title once, some 14 years ago, so his one-man mega-mission to try and drag the Los Angeles Lakers to the playoffs could result in a second scoring title.Giannis Antetokounmpo – The Milwaukee Bucks’ two-time MVP moved up to second in the race after outduelling Embiid earlier in the week. Giannis is a force of nature and can still storm to the basket with ease against any given defense at any given point on any given night. If he doesn’t slam down a dunk (or, although irrelevant to this particular discussion, kick out a perfect pass to an open team-mate) then he will be getting to the line to shoot free throws the vast majority of the time. Not just that but the three-point shot has been looking better recently. He has yet to win the scoring title and if he did so, it would just add yet more gleam to his first ballot Hall of Fame resume.Joel Embiid – He is arguably the story of the league this season and could well end up with his first MVP crown, also has a chance of winning the scoring crown. After a protracted start to his career, the Philadelphia 76ers center has now revved up to the peak of his powers and is a dominant force at both ends of the floor every night. From a scoring perspective, as well as having his way with anyone inside, he can hit all sorts of high-technique jump shots from various distances and areas of the floor. Defenses settle for him shooting threes and he hits them at a 36 per cent clip on 3.7 attempts per night – that says it all really.
At the close of last week, the race between Embiid, LeBron and Giannis had only gotten tighter, as the three players were now separated by just 0.03 ppg. That would not only be the closest three-player race ever, but the closest any race has ever been decided, topping the 0.07 from George Gervin and David Thompson back in 1977-78.
After Saturday night, LeBron now leads Giannis by 0.16 and Embiid by 0.3. All three men are capable of huge nights at any given time so that is what makes this race so fascinating.
Durant could also have been in contention…
The only downside to all of this is that it could have been a four-man race.
Brooklyn’s Durant is actually second in the league in scoring on 30.14 ppg but cannot win the scoring title since he will not meet the NBA’s minimum – 58 games in an 82-game season – to qualify.
So, unless somebody gets really, really hot down the stretch, the scoring race is down to three. Trae Young is closest
The potential is there for a thrilling last-day finish, just like the league had in 1978.
It would be the perfect appetiser to the playoffs.
Comparing this year’s race historically – and a look back at epic ’78 showdown
The closest scoring title race to date was back in 1978 when the battle went to the last day between David Thompson and George Gervin.
Each had a game on April 9, 1978, the season’s final day 44 years ago. Thompson’s game was first; he scored 73 points for the Denver Nuggets to take the scoring lead. Gervin, playing a few hours later, would need 58 points to reclaim the top spot.
He scored 63 for the San Antonio Spurs. The crown was his, 27.22 points compared to 27.15 for Thompson.
Imagine such a scene playing out this season on April 10 – the scoring title once again going down to the season’s final day. Only this time, with three players in the race. It could happen.
A decade ago, Kevin Durant, then with Oklahoma City, held off the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant by one-tenth of a point, 28.0 to 27.9 for the second-closest head-to-head race ever.
Madness of March’s scoring proves volatility of race
A red-hot scoring race would add an extra dimension to the end of the season, just another reason to tune in and pay attention to what’s happening.
It’s also worth considering that during March, six different players have combined to log eight games of 50 or more points, starting with LeBron James’ 56-point game against the Golden State Warriors on March 5.
After that Detroit forward Saddiq Bey hit a career-best and Pistons record-tying 10 three-pointers, part of a 51-point outing in the evening’s lone action against the Orlando Magic.
That follows Tuesday’s 60-piece by Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, again against the Magic. That total marked both a career-high for Irving and was a Nets single-game scoring record. Irving’s 60 came a day after Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns set a franchise- and career-best with a 60-point game of his own in a win against the San Antonio Spurs.
Lest we forget, Irving’s 60-pointer came just two days after his team-mate, Kevin Durant, scored 53 (which was one point shy of his single-game career-high).
Of the eight 50-point games this month, six of the players who accomplished them needed less than 40 minutes to accomplish them (with Jayson Tatum’s effort narrowly missing the cut at 41 minutes).
For context, the last month with more 50-point games in the NBA was nearly six decades ago – all the way back to December 1962. There were nine of them that month, six by Wilt Chamberlain of the San Francisco Warriors, the other three by Elgin Baylor of the Lakers.
Obviously, the numbers will continue to change. Embiid might get a game or two more off down the stretch to rest his body. If the 76ers have nothing to play for on the season’s final day, one would not expect him out there with only a scoring title at stake. Same goes for Antetokounmpo; if the Bucks are locked into a seed, it would seem foolish for Milwaukee to play the reigning NBA Finals MVP much, if at all. The Lakers’ only path to the playoffs is through the play-in, which means James might be called upon to play big minutes – and potentially put up big numbers – all the way to the end.
“At the end of the day,” James said, “all I care about is wins and losses.”
But anything involving James is certain to be intriguing. Same goes with Antetokounmpo. Same goes with Embiid. Put them together, and the intrigue levels skyrocket.
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