NBA scores 2018: Donovan Mitchell has turned Rookie of the Year into a race, and 5 more things from Friday

The NBA Rookie of the Year hasn’t been too competitive in the past few years, and it looked like that same script would play out this season, too. That’s how good Ben Simmons has been, from a 21-point triple-double in his first week to a 20-point outing on Friday that only needed 13 shot attempts. It seemed certain he would walk away with it.

And then Donovan Mitchell came alive.

Almost out of nowhere, Mitchell has made a conceivable case for the award. Sure, it’s just an award, and yes, we’re only just starting February. This decision won’t actually be made for another two months, and plenty could change between then and now. But it’s fun to debate it now, especially with Mitchell’s fiery entrance into the discussion. As you can see, it’s a hotly contested debate.

Mitchell’s 40-point showing on Friday showed exactly why and how he has turned this runaway one-man show into a serious debate.

Mitchell is averaging a relatively efficient 19 points per game on a team where he’s the primary offensive creator. He’s not that far off what Gordon Hayward was for the Jazz last season, and Mitchell is a 21-year-old rookie. He’s averaging about 23 points per game in December and January, even. Mitchell was well liked coming out of the draft, but no one expected this.

Ben Simmons is still my Rookie of the Year — the 76ers are a better team, Simmons’ two-way impact is outstanding, and his offensive stats still mostly trump Mitchell’s in any category but three-point shooting and overall scoring. But two months ago, it would have been hard to imagine Simmons truly being challenged by anyone, yet here we are. Mitchell is a legitimate challenger, and Friday proved that he isn’t backing down anytime soon.

The following players could easily be in the Rookie of the Year conversation in any normal class. Hell, they’d be runaway favorites in last year’s race.

Sorry, fellows. That’s not good enough. You have to be Simmons or Mitchell good.

On Friday, Antetokounmpo did this.

That’s a game-winner against New York, something they’ve seen before. Flash back one year ...

Antetokounmpo hates New York. This is a fact.

So New Orleans doesn’t have DeMarcus Cousins for the rest of the season, but they still have one impossibly skilled unicorn in Davis, who dropped a cool 43 points on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday in a 114-100 win. (Shouts to E’Twaun Moore’s 26 points on 14 shots, too.)

Nikola Mirotic didn’t play on Friday, but he’ll make his debut Saturday or Monday. The Pelicans are five games over .500 and 2.5 games above the ninth-place Los Angeles Clippers, who are presumably preparing to trade their other veterans and bow gracefully out of this postseason race. I’d still expect them to make it, all things considered, even if this team is considerably less interesting now without Boogie.

Hornets 133, Pacers 126 (At the Hive recap | Indy Cornrows recap)

Celtics 119, Hawks 110 (Celtics Blog recap | Peachtree Hoops recap)

Lakers 102, Nets 99 (Silver Screen & Roll recap | Nets Daily recap)

Raptors 130, Trail Blazers 105 (Raptors HQ recap | Blazer’s Edge recap)

76ers 103, Heat 97 (Liberty Ballers recap | Hot Hot Hoops recap)

Bucks 92, Knicks 90 (Brew Hoop recap | Posting & Toasting recap)

Pelicans 114, Thunder 100 (The Bird Writes recap | Welcome to Loud City recap)

Jazz 129, Suns 97 (SLC Dunk recap | Bright Side of the Sun recap)

Warriors 119, Kings 104 (Golden State of Mind recap | Sactown Royalty recap)