The NBA season finale had something for everyone- the thrill of LeBron James adding to his already impressive legacy, the dominance of the Golden State Warriors, and the emergence of lesser-known players with eye-popping stats.
LeBron James had a standout performance, leading his Lakers to a 110-98 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. He scored 25 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out nine assists in his 45 minutes on the court. The win was meaningless in terms of playoff positioning as the Lakers were already eliminated, but it was a reminder that James is still one of the best in the game.
On the other end of the spectrum were the Golden State Warriors. The defending champions were already guaranteed a top-two seed in the Western Conference, but they didn’t let up in their game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Warriors dominated from start to finish, with Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson scoring 28 points each, and Stephen Curry adding 27 in the 118-103 victory.
But it was the lesser-known players who stole the day with their impressive stats. Boban Marjanovic, a 7-foot-3 center for the Dallas Mavericks, had a career-best performance with 31 points and 17 rebounds in their win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Marjanovic has only started four games this season, but he made the most of his opportunity on the final day of the regular season.
Another player who had a standout game was Atlanta Hawks’ rookie, Trae Young. Young scored 33 points and had 12 assists in their win against the Indiana Pacers, becoming the first rookie in NBA history to have at least 30 points and 10 assists in each of his first two games against the same team.
In the same game, Pacers’ Bojan Bogdanovic scored a career-high 37 points in a losing effort. Bogdanovic has been a consistent scorer for the Pacers this season, but his performance on the final day was a reminder of how talented he is.
The NBA season finale had some incredible moments from some of the league’s biggest stars, but it was the lesser-known players who stole the show. Boban Marjanovic, Trae Young, and Bojan Bogdanovic had performances that will be remembered for a long time. The NBA playoffs are right around the corner, and fans can’t wait to see what other surprises are in store.
