Around the Association: Recapping a busy weekend as we gear up for the final stretch

This article is part of our NBA Daily Recap series.

fWelcome to Around the Association! Four days per week (Monday through Thursday), this article will serve as a comprehensive recap of the previous night's NBA action, taking you through all of the biggest performances, notable box scores, injury updates and any other fantasy-relevant headlines from around the league.

With the playoffs coming up very soon, this was one important weekend. Here is everything you need to know:

Weekend Notables

Joker gets even better

• The reigning MVP had one heck of a weekend to strengthen his MVP case. Although the Nuggets did go 1-1, losing to Minnesota and beating the Lakers, Nikola Jokic continued his historic play. The 27-year-old averaged an absurd 38.0 points, 18.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game across his two showings. The Joker is scoring at a career-best rate as of late, dropping at least 35 points in four out of his last five appearances. If Jokic and the Nuggets keep on winning to close out the season, it will be hard to see the big man not earn his second straight MVP trophy.
  • Aaron Gordon continued his strong play over the weekend, averaging 24.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game for Denver. The high-flying wing is figuring it out on the scoring end, topping 20 points in five out of his last six showings.

Durant's career-high not enough

• Kevin Durant erupted for 55 points (19-28 FG, 8-10 3Pt, 9-11 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and one steal in 42 minutes against the Hawks, but it was not enough as Atlanta won 122-115. This marked the scoring machine's second 50-point outing of the season while his 30.1 points per game mark would be his highest since his 2013-14 campaign in Oklahoma City. If Durant was not forced to miss many games earlier in the season, the MVP race would be even more of a mess as it is now.
  • Trae Young helped push the Hawks to victory, dropping in 36 points (10-24 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 12-14 FT), six rebounds and 10 assists over 35 minutes. The All-Star has recorded at least 30 points in three straight games while averaging 35.7 points and 9.0 assists per game over that span.
  • Kyrie Irving:  31 points (12-32 FG, 7-14 3Pt), two rebounds, six assists and one steal over 44 minutes in the loss.

Suns slip up

• The league-leading Phoenix Suns just came upon their worst stretch of the year thus far, losing to both the Ja Morant-less Grizzlies and then falling to the Thunder on Sunday. Although no fault to Phoenix's rough weekend can be placed on Devin Booker. The All-Star guard dropped 41 points (17-28 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 4-5 FT), four rebounds and four assists over 37 minutes during the loss to Memphis and was rested -- along with Jae Crowder and Deandre Ayton -- for the loss to OKC. The Suns still sit at 62-16 and 7.0 games ahead of the second-place Grizzlies.
  • Phoenix closed as 14-point favorites before the loss to the Thunder. Aleksej Pokusevski put his team on his back during the 117-96 win, finishing with 17 points (7-14 FG, 3-5 3PT), 12 assists, 10 rebounds, one block and one steal over 36 minutes to mark his first career triple-double. 

Robert Covington goes off

• Robert Covington may be 31 years old and nine seasons deep, but it's never too late to drop a career-high. With both the Clippers and Bucks resting their top starters, Covington went off for 43 points (15-24 FG, 11-18 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and added eight rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals across 46 minutes during Los Angeles' 153-119 win on Friday. Don't expect much of this going forward however as this was the veteran forward's only time topping over eight points in his last five games.
  • Amir Coffey also took advantage of the Clippers resting their go-to-guys, finishing with 32 points (10-16 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 7-7 FT), six rebounds, seven assists and four steals across 43 minutes. Again, don't count on Coffey to keep this up as this was his only outing recording even a single point over his last four appearances.
• The Clippers' role players weren't the only ones to go off in this one. Jordan Nwora snapped for 28 points (10-16 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT), four rebounds and one block across 40 minutes. The 23-year-old has proven he is capable of getting buckets for the Bucks, but Nwora is averaging just 6.1 points across 17.2 minutes since the All-Star break.
  • Bobby Portis: 25 points (12-20 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 1-1 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and one steal in 26 minutes.

76ers back on track?

• After dropping three straight games, Philadelphia had a strong weekend as the team defeated both the Hornets and the Cavaliers. Joel Embiid may have fallen behind Nikola Jokic in the MVP race here late in the season, but the Kansas product impressed all weekend long with 36.5 points, 15.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
• The 76ers now find themselves at the No. 4 seed in the East with a 48-30 record, but the team is just 2.5 games behind first place. If Embiid wants to take home his first MVP award and push the 76ers to No. 1 seed in the East, every game is a must-win scenario for Philadelphia moving forward.
  • While James Harden had an overall solid weekend for the 76ers, averaging 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 11.5 assists per game, the All-Star is amidst a bit of a shooting slump lately. Over his past five showings, Harden is making just 4.6 out of his 13.2 attempts per game (34.8 percent). 

Lakers on course to miss play-in

• The Spurs took advantage of a great opportunity to bolster their playoff chances by defeating the Trail Blazers twice over the weekend. San Antonio is now 33-45 and 2.0 full games ahead of the 11th-seeded Lakers. Keldon Johnson was too much for Portland over the weekend, averaging 24.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game during the team's two wins.
• While the Spurs shined over the weekend, the Lakers tumbled even with Anthony Davis (foot) coming back into the lineup. Los Angeles was defeated by both the Pelicans and Nuggets as its playoff hopes are starting to slip away. According to ESPN's BPI Playoff Odds, the Lakers have just a 0.8 percent chance of making the postseason.
  • LeBron James missed Sunday's crucial loss to the Nuggets, but still performed well in Friday's defeat to New Orleans. Despite missing the game-tying shot, James ended with 38 points (13-23 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 9-12 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and one steal across 40 minutes.
    • Anthony Davis over his first two games back: 25.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks over 36.0 minutes per game.

Minnesota's stars show out

• Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards took turns showing off for the Timberwolves as they rolled to yet another undefeated weekend. Towns helped lead Minnesota to a 136-130 divisional win over the Nuggets as he went head-to-head with Nikola Jokic. KAT recorded a strong 32 points (11-18 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 6-6 FT), nine rebounds, one steal and two blocks over 31 minutes in the win. The dominant center averaged 30.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game over Minnesota's back-to-back wins. 
• Anthony Edwards took the role of alpha-dog during Minnesota's 139-130 win in Houston. The second-year guard ended the win with 33 points (12-21 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 5-5 FT), four rebounds, five assists, two steals, one block and one absurd dunk across 35 minutes. Edwards has enjoyed a great fantasy season, ranking as the 44th nine-category option on a per-game basis. 

Luka and Giannis clash

• While Milwaukee rested their main starters for Friday's clash against the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co. returned for Sunday's battle against the Mavericks. However, Luka Doncic proved to be too much as he carried Dallas to a 118-112 whole dropping 32 points (9-22 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 11-14 FT), eight rebounds, 15 assists and three steals across 39 minutes. The MVP candidate has been on fire as of recent, averaging 33.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game over Dallas' last five showings. 
  • Dwight Powell: 22 points (8-10 FG, 6-6 FT), high a season-13 rebounds, one assist and one steal in 31 minutes.
• Antetokounmpo had another stellar outing in the loss to Dallas, although he did commit two costly turnovers late. The star forward produced 28 points (12-22 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 4-8 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals over 40 minutes in the defeat. Antetokounmpo is averaging a ridiculous 34.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks over his last 10 appearances as he pushes for his third MVP award.
  • Jrue Holiday: 20 points (7-12 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 1-1 FT), two rebounds, nine assists, one block and one steal across 36 minutes.

Heat stay hot

• Perhaps the biggest winners of the weekend were the Miami Heat. The team rattled off two crucial wins on the road over both the Bulls and Raptors. These victories helped push the Heat to 51-28 and a full 2.0 games ahead of the second-seeded Celtics. Jimmy Butler rested during Sunday's win over the Raptors, but he helped take down Chicago on Saturday. The former-Bull finished with 22 points (7-12 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 6-7 FT), seven rebounds, six assists and one steal in 35 minutes. On a per-game basis, Butler ranks as the No. 15 overall nine-category option this season.
  • After appearing to fall out of Miami's rotation after missing the team's previous three contests despite being available, Victor Oladipo showed what he can bring to the table during Sunday's win over Toronto. The veteran guard dropped in 21 points (7-11 FG, 6-9 3Pt, 1-2 FT), three rebounds, four assists and two steals over 27 minutes in the win. Hopefully, Oladipo can stay in the rotation moving forward, though Miami has no shortage of options at guard.

Warriors get in going

• Golden State had dropped four straight games heading into the weekend and was also hit with the news that Stephen Curry won't be returning before the playoffs, but something seemed to click for the Warriors. The team was able to take down both the Jazz and the Kings. Klay Thompson was only active for Golden State's win over Utah this weekend, but he still turned in one of his best outings of the year. The veteran sharpshooter ended the wild, come-from-behind win with 36 points (14-28 FG, 8-17 3Pt), five rebounds and two assists in 39 minutes. Thompson is starting to find his rhythm recently, averaging 27.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game over his last four showings.
  •  Just how good is Jordan Poole? The emerging guard will not slow down as he continued his scorching-hot play over the weekend, averaging 26.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game during the team's victories. Poole extended his 20-point scoring streak to 17 games while he is averaging 26.4 points per game over that span.

Pistons on a roll

• While their season has been long over, the Detroit Pistons are starting to show off their potential. With wins over the Thunder and the Pacers, Detroit has now won three straight games. These wins were even more impressive considering Cade Cunningham injured his hip early during Saturday's win over OKC and was pretty much unavailable for the Pistons this weekend.
  • Killian Hayes had a career-outing in the victory over the Thunder, finishing with 26 points (12-25 FG, 2-9 3Pt), seven rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and five steals in 40 minutes. The second-year pro averaged 18.0 points and 7.5 assists per game over the weekend.
    • Saddiq Bey snapped in Detroit's 121-117 win over the Pacers on Sunday. The sharpshooter went off for 20 points in the first quarter while ending with 31 points (11-18 FG, 7-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, two assists and two steals across 23 minutes.
    • Frank Jackson over the weekend: 22.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists across 34.6 minutes per game.

Quick Hitters

• The Celtics remained strong over the weekend, defeating both the Pacers and the Wizards. Jaylen Brown averaged 32.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game over the team's two wins. Brown ranks as the 12th overall nine-category option over the past two weeks. 
  • Jayson Tatum: 26.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks across 33.0 minutes per game over the weekend.
• Jalen Green continues to shine in the second half of the season, extending his 30-point scoring steak to four games after topping the mark twice over the weekend. Over his last six games, the No. 2 overall pick is averaging 29.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
• Kristaps Porzingis got the better of his former team when the Wizards beat the Mavericks 135-103 at home. The recently acquired forward finished with 24 points (8-18 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 6-7 FT), nine rebounds, four assists, one block and two steals in 30 minutes.
  • Luka Doncic ended with a strong 36 points (11-22 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 10-10 FT), seven rebounds, six assists and one block over 36 minutes against his old teammate.
• The Sacramento Kings have officially been eliminated from the postseason, marking their 16th straight year missing out on the playoffs.

Best and Worst of the Weekend

• Best of the Weekend: Nikola Jokic - 38.0 points, 18.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks across 38.2 minutes per game.
• Worst of the Weekend: Austin Rivers - 0.0 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists across 18.7 minutes per game
• Rookie of the Weekend: Jalen Green - 32.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists across 38.0 minutes per game.