Post Up: LeBron Has Historic Night, Celtics Come Back to Win

Cavaliers 130 (4-5), Wizards 122 (4-4)

LeBron James had one of the greatest games of his career — and yes, that is saying something. He poured on 57 points to go with 11 rebounds and seven assists in a game where he did just about everything. And he had to. The Cavs were coming off four consecutive losses and couldn’t shake the Wizards, despite leading for the entire second half. So LeBron took matters into his own hands:

James also surpassed 29,000 career points on Friday and passed John Havlicek for 11th place on the NBA’s all-time field goals made list.

Celtics 101 (7-2), Thunder 94 (4-4)

The Celtics trailed by 18 at the half, but used a 15-5 run late in the third quarter to draw closer and set up an exciting finish. Al Horford finally put Boston ahead with a three with 4:52 remaining, then Kyrie Irving added to it a few seconds later with what was essentially a five-point play — a made three, a foul, a missed free throw, an offensive rebound, and a layup. Oklahoma City never led again, and the Celtics became the first team in NBA history to win seven straight after starting the season 0-2.

Pistons 105 (6-3), Bucks 96 (4-5)

Andre Drummond went 14-16 from the free throw line — you read that right — as the Pistons won for the fourth time in five games. Drummond came into the season as a career 38 percent free throw shooter, but is shooting nearly 40 points higher from the stripe in the early going this year. Drummond finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds, which was enough to push the Pistons past another strong performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo (29 points). 

Bulls 105 (2-5), Magic 83 (6-3)

The Bulls held the Magic to just 41 percent shooting and 29 percent from three to earn their second win of the year. Offensively, seven Bulls scored in double figures, led by 19 from Justin Holiday. Evan Fournier had 21 for the Magic.

76ers 121 (5-4), Pacers 110 (5-4)

It had been almost four years to the day since the 76ers have been able to say they are above .500. Until Friday. Ben Simmons had the second triple-double of his career (14 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists), and JJ Redick went 8-12 from three (31 points) to carry the Sixers over the Pacers. Victor Oladipo had 31 to lead Indiana.

Rockets 119 (7-3), Hawks 104 (1-8)

James Harden set the tone early, scoring 21 of his 29 points in the first half, as the hot-shooting Rockets took down the Hawks in Atlanta. The Houston win snapped a streak of seven straight losses to the Hawks, dating back to 2013. Harden also had 11 assists to go along with his 29 points, while Kent Bazemore had 18 for Atlanta.

Knicks 120 (4-4), Suns 107 (4-5)

There was some electricity in the Garden on Friday as Kristaps Porzingas led the Knicks with 37 points on 13-22 shooting. The Knicks led by 13 after a quarter and never looked back, routinely bringing the crowd to its feet with plays like this:

And this:

Devin Booker did have 34 for the Suns, who were held to just 35 percent shooting for the game.

Pelicans 99 (4-5), Mavericks 94 (1-9)

DeMarcus Cousins had 20 points, 22 rebounds, and seven assists to lead the Pelicans to a hard-fought win over the lowly Mavericks. New Orleans jumped out to a 14-point lead early before Dallas came back and briefly pulled ahead in the second quarter. That lead was short-lived however, as the Pelicans soon took control again. Anthony Davis had 30 and 13, while Harrison Barnes led the Mavericks with 26 points.

Spurs 108 (5-4), Hornets 101 (5-4)

Bryn Forbes was the unlikely hero for the Spurs, leading the team with 22 points on 8-11 shooting. That, paired with 20 from Rudy Gay, was enough to out-duel Jeremy Lamb, who finished with 27 points, nine rebounds, and six assists for the Hornets. The win snapped San Antonio’s four-game losing streak.

Nuggets 95 (5-4), Heat 94 (3-5)

Dion Waiters missed a three with a second to go, allowing the Nuggets to escape with a thrilling victory at home. Denver trailed most of the night, not taking its first lead until deep into the fourth quarter at 65-63. Trailing 94-92 with 11 seconds left, Paul Millsap hit three straight free throws to give the Nuggets the one-point win. He led all scorers with 27 points. Goran Dragic paced Miami with 23 points and seven assists.

Raptors 109 (5-3), Jazz 100 (5-4)

Toronto wrapped up its six-game road swing with a solid win over the Jazz behind 37 points from DeMar DeRozan. On Utah’s side, rookie Donovan Mitchell continued his stellar play with 25 points — his third 20-plus-point game in his last four outings.

Lakers 124 (4-5), Nets 112 (3-6)

The Nets trailed most of the night but put some pressure on the Lakers in the fourth quarter, using a 16-4 run to draw within four. LA then scored on three straight possessions, however, to regain control and the Lakers never looked back. Brook Lopez, facing the Nets for the first time since being traded out west, led all scorers with 34 points. Allen Crabbe had 25 and shot 4-8 from three to lead Brooklyn.