The utmost 1-2 punch in sports history belonged to John L. Sullivan, the last bare-fisted heavyweight champion.
But who possesses the best pair of knockout sledgehammers in the NBA today?
The topic was discussed on ESPN’s “Around the Horn” on Wednesday, and the responses were varied — Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, LeBron James and anybody.
Yet, two of the superior dynamic duos, legitimate contenders for the title, converged at The Can on Wednesday night.
In the blue trunks were Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, playing out of Oklahoma City, and wearing white were Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, the locals. Let’s get readeeee to rumble!
But the Thunder crumbled.
The Nuggets won by KO in the third quarter. No más, the Thunder said, and threw in the towel and Kevin Ollie.
The key numbers: Melo and Chauncey were plus-44 in net points, Durant and Westbrook minus-35. The Thunder doesn’t want a rematch in the playoffs.
Durant & Westbrook are the Young Guns, while Anthony & Billups are more like veterans Earp and Holliday.
Consider this: Five times, teammates younger than 22 both have scored 30-plus points, and Durant, “The Durantula,” has been involved in all five. Westbrook, Jet Zero, has been associated with four of those. They had combined for 69 in the previous game, and the Thunder has emerged as the league’s fun bunch.
You know Mr. Heart and Mr. Soul for the Nuggets, who had 30 from Melo and 13 from Chauncey before they retired early. “Sometimes I have to be Batman, and other times I am Robin,” Melo said recently when Chauncey became Benjamin Button.
In NBA annals, the champion couples were Jordan and Pippen, Russell and Cousy, Magic and Kareem, Oscar and Kareem, Bird and McHale, Malone and Stockton, Shaq and Kobe.
They were then; who is now?
I examined all the relevant positive numbers — combined points, rebounds, assists, blocked shots and steals, plus-minus ratio (when the two are on the court) and victories. The two-player combos from the Magic, the Mavs, the Celtics, the Suns, the Spurs and the rest don’t factor.
Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer of the Jazz finish fifth.
Before Wednesday’s game, Durant and Westbrook produced, per game, 46.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.24 blocks for a total of 73.83. When playing as a tandem, they were 229-plus points over the opposition, and the Thunder had won 36 games.
In comparison, Anthony and Billups had 48.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 9.4 assists, 2.4 steals and .48 blocks — 70.46 overall. Surprisingly, when they shared the court, Melo and Chauncey were only plus-140. With the victory, the Nuggets are 40-21, have caught Dallas and are in position, with a favorable March, to win eight of their next 10.
How about James and Mo Williams of the Cavs? They’ve put together 73.67 — virtually even with the Thunder Two. They are at plus-237 and have won 48 games.
Finally, Bryant and Gasol, idle Wednesday, average 73.89 a game (.06 above Durant and Westbrook), and are a plus-299 points. And their team has won 46 games.
Who’s the best quinella in the NBA? Bryant and Gasol. They also won the NBA Finals last year. None of the other has won a championship.
But Durant and Westbrook and the Thunder will make the postseason, and once Billups joined Anthony, the Nuggets became a final four team last year and a possible NBA champion this season.
Oddly enough, the Nuggets’ best plus-minus pairing is Chris Andersen and J.R. Smith, who played extremely well against the Thunder, which was playing the dreaded back game of the back-to-.
The Nuggets could be No. 1 in points, rebounds and assists if Carmelo would finish with Wednesday’s stat line — 30 points, eight rebounds and five, yes, five assists. As a supersize combo, the Nuggets’ Big Two are averaging 48.8 points, more than every other pair in the league.
Carmelo, who had been cold lately, came out hotter than Durant, who recently had a streak of 29 consecutive games with 25 or more points. After one quarter, C.A. 15, K.D. 10. After one half, 23-16, Anthony. Durant, who sat the entire fourth quarter, had only 19 points after the Nuggets confused and frustrated him with switching, swarming defenses. Anthony hit his first shot of the fourth quarter and departed with 30.
Westbrook and Durant, Thunder- and-lightning, could be the NBA’s duo of the future.
But George Karl prefers the current couple of the Nuggets — and the rest of his team. After all, basketball is not a two-fisted sport.
Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com
