Week 13 of the NBA season had it all: Kevin Durant climbing the all-time scoring ladder, the Bucks spiraling into mediocrity, and the Lakers forgetting how to play defense. For four players continuing to pursue greatness, the week that was certainly unfolded in ways that they likely didn’t expect.
THE GOOD:
Sunday night in Houston was supposed to be a night for celebration. Kevin Durant needed 17 points to pass Dirk Nowitzki for sixth on the all-time scoring list. Instead, the basketball gods had other plans. Durant went just 5-for-18 from the field (18 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds), spending most of the evening distributing rather than scoring while teammates Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun carried the offensive load. With the clock winding down and the Rockets comfortably ahead, Durant finally got his moment, achieving the milestone with a free throw at the 15-second mark. Now sitting at 31,562 career points with Michael Jordan in his sights at fifth place, a mark that he could reach by the end of this season if he remains healthy, Durant's legacy as one of the purest scorers in basketball history is undeniable.
THE BAD:
The Bucks find themselves in a gray area, good enough to compete, not good enough to contend. Sitting at 11th in the East despite Giannis Antetokounmpo's MVP-caliber season, Milwaukee needs its superstar to play every remaining game just to reach the play-in. After a four-point loss to the depleted Denver Nuggets, when Minnesota demolished them by 33 points two nights later, the Bucks looked like an NBA team that had given up on the season. Coach Doc Rivers keeps insisting they're playing the right way, but surrendering wide-open threes and quitting on possessions tells a different story. An 18-point loss to the Spurs capped off a 0–3 week. With the 65-game eligibility rule looming over Antetokounmpo's award chances, the Bucks are stuck between a rock and a hard place: rest your star and miss the playoffs with the hopes of being rewarded with a high pick from a loaded draft class, or run him into the ground chasing a postseason berth that could end up being over and done after a single game.
THE UGLY:
Remember when the LA Lakers were cruising along and sitting as high as second in the West? That feels like a different season entirely. The Lakers went 2–3 during Week 13, starting off the week with a twelve-point loss to the struggling Sacramento Kings, extending the Lakers' losing streak to three straight games. The Charlotte loss three nights later was significantly worse, as LA built a 13-point first-quarter lead before getting outscored 105–64 over the final three quarters in a humiliating 135–117 defeat. A 132–116 shellacking in Portland on Friday evening exposed every defensive flaw in their roster. While Luka Doncic and LeBron James are still putting up individual stats, the supporting cast looks increasingly lost. Add in the fact that defensive rotations break down on a regular basis and bench production is next to nothing, and suddenly they've dropped to sixth in the conference. The panic is justifiable as the trade deadline chatter is heating up, and every loss adds another layer of urgency to a franchise that expected championship contention.
