Wizards 122 (11-14), Pistons 106 (14-14)
John Wall and Bradley Beal had it going tonight, combining for 54 points on 18/30 from the field. As a team, the Wizards shot 57% and committed a season-low five turnovers, which translated to a season-high 122 points. KCP led Detroit with 24 points and 6 boards. The highlight of the game was a meeting in transition between Markieff and Marcus:
Magic 118 (12-16), Nets 111 (7-18)
Vucevic, who missed the last three games with a back injury, put up 21 points and 10 boards off the bench, and Evan Fournier took over down the stretch to help the Magic claim their 12th victory. Brook Lopez posted an impressive line – 22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks – but once again found himself on the wrong side of a poster:
Celtics 96 (14-12), Hornets 88 (14-13)
Boston clamped down on defense in the second half, giving up only 13 field goals and 38 total points. Isaiah Thomas also picked it up in the last two quarters, dropping 16 of his 26. The Hornets, who were without Kemba (out for personal reasons), were led by Nicolas Batum (22p, 10r, 5a).
Hawks 125 (13-13), Raptors 121 (18-8)
It was a high scoring affair in Toronto, with the Hawks just edging out the Raps to halt their four-game win streak. Dwight Howard was a monster in this one, recording 27 points and 15 rebounds (his 17th double-double of the season). Toronto tried to complete a late comeback, fueled by DeMar DeRozan (34 total points), but ultimately fell short.
Bucks 95 (13-12), Bulls 69 (13-13)
Back-to-back meetings, back-to-back wins for the Bucks. Giannis did his thing with 22 points, 11 assists, 7 boards, and 3 steals. Jabari added 12 points and 7 rebounds, as well as one nasty breakaway slam:
The Bulls’ 69 points were a season low.
Kings 96 (10-16), Grizzlies 92 (18-10)
After getting off to a slow start, Memphis rallied late in this one, winning the fourth quarter 27-20. They had a chance to tie the game with a Mike Conley three in the final seconds, but it didn’t fall. Boogie led all scorers with 22 points. Gasol had 20 for the Grizz.
Rockets 122 (20-7), Pelicans 100 (9-19)
It was raining threes in Houston, as the Rockets set an NBA-record for the most three-pointers in a single game with 24. James Harden also recored his 15th career-triple double, moving him past Hakeem Olajuwon for the most in franchise history. Watch him get around AD with the sweet euro:
The Rockets have now won nine straight games.
Lakers (10-18), 76ers (6-19)
It was Allen Iverson’s night in Philly, as the 76ers honored the Hall of Famer at halftime. Here he is receiving his HOF jacket from Dr. J:
The Sixers were unable to get the victory, however, as the Lakers snapped their eight-game losing streak thanks to a big night from Julius Randle (25p, 9r, 4a).
Clippers 102 (20-7), Heat 98 (9-18)
DeAndre Jordan had a huge putback with under 10 seconds remaining to seal this one. The big fella had 12 points and 19 boards for the game. His front court mate, Blake Griffin, had 20 points. Goran Dragic was the catalyst for the Heat, posting 21 and 11 assists. LA has won four in a row.
Jazz 103 (17-10), Mavericks 100 (6-19)
The Mavs used a big fourth quarter to claw their way back into this one, only to be buried by a game-winning three-pointer from Rodney Hood with 0.8 seconds remaining:
Robert had 16 and 10 boards for Utah. Barnes led all scorers with 21 on 10/22 shooting.
