Post Up: Dream Work

Bulls 97 (13-12), Bucks 108 (12-12)

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker have been as good as any duo under the age of 22 in the NBA. In their 26 minutes together against the Bulls last night, they finished with a scorching 20.9 net rating. Giannis had 30 points and 14 boards—his second 30/10 game this season. Jabari put up 28 points and was attacking the basket like it owed him something. Don’t look now, but the Bucks currently occupy the 8-seed in the East and are showing no signs of slowing down.

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Pacers 95 (13-14), Pelicans 102 (9-18)

Tyreke Evans played in his first NBA game since January 25 and was on a strict minutes restriction. But he was able to get into a rhythm during the second half, nailing a three and Euro-stepping into the lane for a floater. The Pels really need his swiss army knife-type game. Anthony Davis orchestrated a 15-0 run during the final 5 minutes, and willed the team to victory, as he has in practically every Pelicans win. The Brow finished with a masterful 35 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks.

Blazers 120 (13-15), Nuggets 132 (10-16)

Playing at home after a dismal road trip in which they went 2-4, the Nuggets inserted Nikola Jokic, Wilson Chandler and Gary Harris into the starting lineup. The result was Denver’s highest offensive output of the season. The Nuggets led by 25 in the second quarter and maintained a double-digit lead for the rest of the game. Damian Lillard had 40 points and 10 assists—his second 40/10 night this season (the Blazers lost both games). Harris had 18 points and 6 assists after missing 16 games with a right foot sprain. Jokic, who looked fantastic, had the pass of the night.

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Spurs 107 (21-5), Suns 92 (8-18)

Phoenix has been turning the ball over at a ghastly rate all season, and they’re the only team in the L that assists on fewer than half of their field goals. The Suns once again failed in the assists department (15 assists on 34 field goals), but managed to offset the problem by committing a reasonable 14 turnovers. Phoenix had a lead with 10 minutes left in the game, but within minutes, found themselves down by 19. This is nothing new: The Suns have been outscored by 26.8 points per 100 possessions in the fourth quarter over their last 10 games. Yikes!

Knicks 90 (14-12), Warriors 103 (23-4)

The Knicks had been winning games against sub-.500 teams over the past couple weeks and were the sole occupants of 3-spot in the East before Thursday’s game. Hope they didn’t get comfortable. The Warriors owned the entire game, leading by 25 by the end of the third quarter, and finished with 41 assists for the third time this season. That’s a franchise record and puts them in very elite company. Kevin Durant stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, 14 boards and 8 assists.