RAMON ALVARADO

Welcome to the first Five Keys from Nothing But Net! Five Keys highlights five key takeaways from around the NBA. Here we go …

1/ Paul George continues to prove he’s the Thunder’s best player.

If Paul George wasn’t on your MVP board before tonight, he should be now. Russell Westbrook fouled out in the first of two overtimes between the Thunder and the Jazz Friday night. You would expect the Thunder to be out of the game after losing Westbrook in the past, but it seemed almost to be a relief for OKC this time around. Westbrook dominated the ball in the fourth quarter and the session of overtime he played, missing the potential game-winner as time expired in the fourth quarter while he was at it.

After Westbrook fouled out, Oklahoma City’s offense flowed smoother, through the hands of Paul George. George also took the lead on the defensive end, challenging Donovan Mitchell possession after possession. George found the ball in his hands as the final seconds of overtime #2 ran down. He was able to cross Joe Ingles, drive down the lane, and throw a floater high over Rudy Gobert for the game-winning bucket.

George finished with 45 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists on 17-31 shooting from the field. MVP?

2/ We can’t forget the Raptors, winners of seven straight.

The Sixers have made blockbuster deals for Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris. The Celtics have been hyped up since their young guys showed out in last year’s playoffs. Giannis has the Bucks in first place, and their only getting stronger, too.

There’s a fourth team in the mix in the East, though, and they’re equipped with a Finals MVP: Kawhi Leonard. The Toronto Raptors have been on the cusps of the NBA Finals for years, with LeBron James being the only force holding them back. Now that LeBron’s out of the East, and with a two-way dominator in Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors have to be taken seriously, even with the now top-heavy East.

Friday’s win over the Spurs showed the brilliance of Kawhi, and Kawhi showed he’s certainly an upgrade over Demar DeRozan. In the final seconds of a tied ballgame between the Raptors and the Spurs, DeRozan made his way down the court for what looked to be the final possession of the game. DeRozan ran into The Klaw, though, and the ball fumbled right into Kyle Lowry’s hands. Kawhi ended up dunking the ball on the other end for the game-winning field goal with .2 seconds left.

After the seventh straight win, Toronto’s won seven in a row and sit in second place in the East with a 44-16 record.

3/ Isaiah Thomas makes the Nuggets’ even stronger.

Isaiah Thomas knocked in 16 points off the bench in the Nuggets 114-104 win over the Mavericks. Thomas was one of seven Nuggets to reach double-digits in the game, neither of them reached 20 points, however. This speaks volumes to Coach Malone’s style of play and his ability to get the most out of all of his players.

The five Denver starters were part of the seven that reached 10+ points Friday night. Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap led the way for the Nuggets. Jokic tallied 19 points, while Millsap racked up 17. Both grabbed 13 rebounds.

The main takeaway from this Nuggets victory was the play of Isaiah Thomas. Thomas was just a force to be reckon with on the offensive end not too long ago. He doesn’t need to be the force he was in the past on this Nuggets team, he’ll even be coming off the bench. This gives Thomas the perfect opportunity to play his game with the minutes he gets and add another playmaker to the Nuggets.

4/ Wesley Matthews looks to keep the Pacers afloat.

Victor Oladipo’s out for the year and the Indiana Pacers aren’t expected to make a deep playoff run. That’s not stopping them from being competitive this year, though. The Pacers signed Wesley Matthews just weeks ago and it looks like he’ll have an opportunity to shine on the offensive end.

Indiana trailed the Pelicans by as much as 20 Friday night, but Matthews sparked the Pacers’ offense in the second half. Matthews went off for 15 points in a four-minute period in the third quarter, putting Indiana in a position take the lead and eventually pull away.

Matthews finished with 24 points and hit six from long range in the Pacers’ 126-111 victory. They now sit quietly in the third Eastern Conference slot as we race towards this season’s finish line.

5/ Bradley Beal’s game will grow tremendously as the season winds down.

John Wall’s out for the year, giving Bradley Beal full reign over the Wizards offense as he continues his all-star season. Beal proved he’s one of the NBA’s top talents again against the Hornets.

Beal played nearly the whole game, going off for 46 points on 16-25 shooting in 41 minutes. Beal also grabbed six boards and dished out seven assists. It was a brilliant individual performance, but Washington remained sluggish as a whole. Sitting at the bottom half of the East, it’s time for Beal to show what he can bring to the table.

During All-Star Weekend, Beal assured the media he wants to remain in Washington, stating that he “hates super teams.” If that’s so, and if Beal continues to show out this season, free agents will definitely look at the Wizards squad as a possible destination.