Hornets 99 (25-33), Kings 85 (25-34)
Frank Kaminsky dropped a team-high 23 points and Marvin Williams added 16, lifting Charlotte to a road victory. Steve Clifford’s squad needed this one in a bad way; now 2-8 in their last 10 games, the Hornets are three games behind the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. With Miles Plumlee and Spencer Hawes each unavailable, Christian Wood saw nine minutes of action behind Kaminsky.
Buddy Hield turned in his second quality outing with Sacramento, coming off the bench to score 15 points. Willie Cauley-Stein took a step back, however, managing just two points with two boards through 28 minutes. The rest of this season won’t be easy for the rebuilding Kings.
Buddy Hield is running with his new opportunity in Sacramento. 👀 his highlights from tonight: https://t.co/MSeaBOoCsa pic.twitter.com/fKlcmbWn3U
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 26, 2017
Magic 105 (22-38), Hawks 86 (32-26)
Orlando is comfortably out of the playoff picture, but they enjoyed a lopsided victory over the contending Hawks. Deadline acquisition Terrence Ross went for 24 points, Nikola Vucevic double-doubled, and Aaron Gordon tacked on 18 while dunking all over Atlanta.
https://youtu.be/rXRLRELTaoA
Knicks 110 (24-35), 76ers 109 (22-36)
Carmelo Anthony– who’s had as tumultuous a season as any player in the league- had a banner night Saturday, dropping 37 points including the game-winning bucket.
Carmelo Anthony hits the game-winner with Robert Covington's hand in his face. #IceCold pic.twitter.com/oBVTkYPHGS
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 26, 2017
The Sixers are going to be relying heavily on Jahlil Okafor in Nerlens Noel‘s absence, and the former Blue Devil stepped up at MSG. Okafor scored 28 points with 10 boards, hitting all six free throws attempted.
Heat 113 (27-32), Pacers 95 (30-29)
It’s possible Paul George is still in a sour mood from the trade deadline. PG-13 got ejected early in the third quarter for arguing a call, leaving his team with minimal chance of topping Hassan Whiteside (22p, 17r) and the Heat. Dion Waiters matched Whiteside’s 22 points, and Goran Dragic tallied 21 points of his own.
https://youtu.be/DNdahFkLNQw
Bulls 117 (30-29), Cavaliers 99 (40-17)
Kyrie Irving went off for 34 points, and James Jones combined with Kyle Korver for eight 3-pointers off the bench, but the LeBron James-less Cavs were overmatched in this one. Nikola Mirotic double-doubled, Jimmy Butler recorded and a triple-double, and Dwyane Wade came this close to a triple-double of his own.
Dwyane Wade was on his way to a triple-double…until Cristiano Felicio jumped in and stole his rebound 😂 https://t.co/Kqa7H6s85A pic.twitter.com/zoIB8jSp8t
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 26, 2017
Mavericks 96 (23-35), Pelicans 83 (23-36)
DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis playing together is a joy to watch. Boogie went for 15 boards, 12 points, six dimes and three steals while AD dropped 39 points on Dallas.
Unfortunately for Alvin Gentry and the Pelicans, Cousins and Davis haven’t been able to produce a win since the deadline. Dirk Nowitzki was in prime form, scoring 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field, and Harrison Barnes netted 19 points to help the cause. Mavs fans also got their first taste of Nerlens Noel, who may have a future in Dallas beyond 2017.
Nerlens Noel puts the finishing touches on a Mavs victory 💪 pic.twitter.com/ExRiNfNhdJ
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 26, 2017
Rockets 142 (41-18), Timberwolves 120 (23-35)
Who needs defense, right? Minnesota couldn’t keep up with a barrage of 3-pointers from the Rockets, who attempted 58 shots from beyond the arc. James Harden had 24, Lou Williams added 17, and seven Rockets scored in double-digits as Houston improved to 7-3 over their last 10. Andrew Wiggins went off for 30 in the loss, and Karl-Anthony Towns had a dominant 37 points with 22 rebounds.
Warriors 112 (48-9), Nets 95 (9-48)
No Kevin Durant? No problem. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson had 27 and 24 points, respectively, in a comfortable win over Brooklyn. K.J. McDaniels played two minutes in his Nets debut, while Briante Weber scored four points in his final appearance for Golden State.
Charlotte has emerged as the likely landing spot for recently released Briante Weber, per source.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 26, 2017
