Nets 127 (5-12), Clippers 122 (14-5)
In the defining win of Brooklyn’s 2016-17 season, the Nets snapped an eight-game skid with a double-overtime win. Chris Paul posted a triple-double for L.A., but 26-year-old Sean Kilpatrick stole the show at the Barclays Center; tallying a career-high 38 points with 14 boards. Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford hit clutch shots to prolong the game, but Kilpatrick’s 3-point play at the end of double-OT sealed the W for Brooklyn. Doc Rivers watched the final quarter from the locker room, having been ejected in the first overtime period.
Doc Rivers may have been mad here. Hard to tell. pic.twitter.com/qefaBO7Gpz
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 30, 2016
Bucks 118 (8-8), Cavaliers 101 (13-3)
Where to even start with tonight’s game? The defending NBA champs entered Milwaukee as -330 favorites only to be dismantled by Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. LeBron James scored 22 points but committed seven turnovers, while Kevin Love notched a double-double on just 3-of-10 shooting. Cleveland’s bench (eight reserves all scoring in single-digits) wasn’t able to bail out a pedestrian effort from the starting five.
34 points, 12 boards, five dimes, five steals, and a pair of blocks in @Bucks' 118-101 win over Cleveland. Have a night, @Giannis_An34! pic.twitter.com/a5nhVUAHN0
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 30, 2016
On top of the Greek Freak’s monstrous stat line, the Bucks received a memorable highlight from Jason Terry, who (incomprehensibly) was able to distract J.R. Smith mid-play and cause an open look for Tony Snell. The win is a momentum boost for Jason Kidd’s squad, who have now won three of their last four.
https://vine.co/v/5UeaMQlmQmB
Magic 95 (7-11), Spurs 83 (14-4)
All of Gregg Popovich’s regulars played, but the sub-.500 Magic were able to pull off an upset on the road. Nikola Vucevic double-doubled and Serge Ibaka contributed a stellar line (18 points, seven boards, two assists with two dimes). The win is encouraging, but Orlando’s offense is still a work in progress. D.J. Augustin and Elfrid Payton are an underwhelming tandem at the 1, while former #5 pick Mario Hezonja has yet to earn a rotation role.
After committing a season-high 18 turnovers against Orlando, the Spurs will look to regroup tomorrow night against the Mavericks.
Pelicans 105 (7-12), Lakers 88 (9-10)
The Lakers were dealt a substantial blow early on when Nick Young departed with an Achilles’ tendon strain. Swaggy P collided with Pels guard Tim Frazier and had to be escorted off the court. L.A.’s remaining offensive weapons shot just 5-of-30 from downtime, taking a lopsided loss to Anthony Davis (41 points, 16 boards, four steals, two blocks) and the Pelicans. AD has exceeded 30 points in 10 of his last 12 games, doing his best to keep NOLA relevant within the Western Conference playoff picture.
Anthony Davis has his 3rd game with 40+ Pts and 15+ Reb this season.
The rest of the NBA has zero. pic.twitter.com/Bp7okV5LDa
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 30, 2016
Pistons 112 (9-10), Hornets 89 (10-8)
The Hornets have played four games in the last five days, and it showed in tonight’s match-up with Detroit. Tobias Harris tallied 24 points in the winning effort, while Marcus Morris and KCP scored 18 each. Kemba Walker was on his game (23 points, four dimes), but Frank Kaminsky and Nicolas Batum shot a combined 4-of-22 from the field…yikes. Charlotte will receive a much-needed day off before facing Dallas on Friday.
Jazz 120 (11-8), Rockets 101 (11-7)
They’re still missing Derrick Favors, but the Jazz are a drastically improved team with Gordon Hayward (31 points, 12-13 FT) and George Hill (+17 Plus Minus) on the floor. Rudy Gobert was in peak form (double-double with three blocks), stifling any chance of a Houston W. James Harden (26 points on 8-of-23 shooting) and the Rockets will next face Golden State on Thursday.
