Kings (17-29) 99, Pacers (17-32) 94
The Kings snapped an eight-game losing streak with a win over Indiana on Saturday night.
Rudy Gay dropped 31 points. Darren Collison posted 23/5/5 against his former team. DeMarcus Cousins had a huge game a day after finding out he’d replace Kobe Bryant in the All-Star Game (well-deserved, big fella!). Boogie had 20 points, 19 rebounds and 3 steals.
Mavericks (32-17) 108, Magic (15-35) 93
Richard Jefferson accidentally kneed Rajon Rondo in the face a minute and a half into the game. Rondo sat out the rest of the way, but no problem for the Mavs; they easily handled the Magic despite their point guard’s absence. Dallas shared the ball and finished with a total of 26 assists. Monta Ellis exploded for 25 points, 13 assists and 3 steals. Tyson Chandler had 20 points and 9 boards. Chandler Parsons missed his second straight game due to illness.
For Orlando, Nikola Vucevic AKA the double-double machine put up 17 points and 16 boards. Evan Fournier started in place of Victor Oladipo (sore right Achilles) and contributed with 15 points and 2 steals.
Raptors (33-15) 120, Wizards (31-17) 116
The Raptors shot 24-42 (57.1 percent) from beyond the arc and T. Dot edged the Wiz Kids in overtime. Washington battled back from an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter but couldn’t defend Kyle Lowry in the extra period. The All-Star PG dropped 7 of his 23 points in OT as Toronto extended its win streak to six games. DeMar DeRozan added 15 points, 10 rebounds and 7 dimes. Patrick Patterson chipped in with 16 points, 6 boards and 2 assists.
John Wall nearly triple-doubled with 28 points, 12 assists and 8 rebounds despite suffering from migraines and a sprained ankle. Bradley Beal’s stroke was on — the third-year shooting guard finished with 26 points to go along with 2 steals. Paul Pierce and Nene dropped 19 and 16, respectively. The Wiz will look to bounce back when they host Charlotte on Monday.
Hawks (40-8) 91, Sixers (10-38) 85
The Hawks went 17-0 (!) in January, finishing off their perfect month with a win over Philadelphia. The Sixers gave Atlanta a scare, as Michael Carter-Williams (13 points, 8 dimes, 6 rebounds), Nerlens Noel (11 points, 10 boards) and company stormed back from 21 points down to make things interesting. Philly took a two-point lead in the fourth quarter until Dennis Schroder (15 points, 6 assists) and Al Horford (23 points, 11 rebounds) hit consecutive buckets to give the home team breathing room. Paul Millsap (15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals) and Kyle Korver (14 points, 4 three-pointers) played their usual roles.
The ATLiens are playing like they’re from another planet; they have now won 19 straight games.
Pistons (18-30) 114, Rockets (33-15) 101
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope went off for 12 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and the Pistons earned their 18th win of the season. The second-year guard also swatted 3 blocks.
DJ Augustin isn’t Brandon Jennings, but he’s stepped in nicely. He dropped 28 points, dished out 12 dimes and had 2 takeaways in Saturday’s victory. Detroit’s frontcourt was a problem, too. Greg Monroe dropped 19 and 12, and Andre Drummond posted 11 and 16. For Houston, James Harden went for 26 points, 9 dimes, 7 rebounds and 2 steals. Donatas Motiejunas shot 10-13 from the field for 21 points.
Grizzlies (35-12) 85, Thunder (23-24) 74
There’s a real possibility that OKC will miss the playoffs. Crazy, right?
Memphis held the Thunder to just 74 points last night. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant each shot 5-16 from the field for just 14 and 15 points, respectively. Serge Ibaka provided 13 points and 10 boards — doing his best to counteract the Grizz’ tremendous frontcourt — but it simply wasn’t enough.
Zach Randolph (21 points, 18 rebounds) and Marc Gasol (15 points, 12 rebounds) are monsters in the paint. They pose matchup problems for opposing teams on a nightly basis, and last night was no different.
Cavaliers (29-20) 106, Timberwolves (8-39) 90
Andrew Wiggins is going to be a star.
The rookie out of Kansas dropped a career-high 33 points against the team that drafted him but the Timberwolves fell by sixteen. The Maple Jordan is nice, but for now, the league is still in LeBron’s hands. The King had 36 points, 6 rebounds and 5 dimes as the Cavs dismantled Minnesota. Kevin Love scored 14 points and grabbed 17 boards; fans booed him in his return to the Target Center (we all know it was Mike Miller’s night, though!). Thad Young scored 19 and Nikola Pekovic dropped 14 and 12 in the loss.
Bucks (25-22) 95, Trail Blazers (32-16) 88
Coming off road wins against Miami and Orlando, the Bucks returned to their home floor and dismantled the struggling Blazers, who have lost eight of ten. Portland shot just 37.1 percent from the floor. Jared Dudley (18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals), OJ Mayo (17 points, 7 rebounds) and John Henson (14 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks) took full advantage of the Blazers’ woes, and Milwaukee earned its third straight victory.
Damian Lillard scored 19 points, handed out 9 assists and came away with 3 steals, but the All-Star snub also committed 6 turnovers. LaMarcus Aldridge was his usual self with 18 points and 13 rebounds, and Wes Matthews continued scored 19 including four three-balls.
Hornets (20-27) 104, Nuggets (19-29) 86
The Hornets continued their strong play without the injured Kemba Walker (torn meniscus). They boasted a balanced offense, which included six players in double figures. Cody Zeller (21 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (17 points, 13 rebounds) and Jason Maxiell (14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks) were all major factors in the blowout win. Charlotte has won 10 of its last 13 outings, and last night was probably the most impressive of the bunch. The Hornets were up by 32 at halftime and cruised to their 20th win on the year. Denver was without Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur.
Clippers (33-15) 105, Spurs (30-18) 85
Coming off a loss to the Pelicans on Friday, the Clippers bounced back with a 20-point rout of the defending champs. Blake Griffin was sensational for Los Angeles, soaring to the cup time and time again for 31 points along with 13 boards and 5 dimes. CP3 scored 20 points and shared the rock to the tune of 6 assists. Kawhi Leonard dropped 24, and Danny Green made 5-8 three-pointers as part of his 15 points.
DeAndre Jordan sent Tony Parker’s shot to Jupiter…
…and Coach Pop got caught slippin’:
Warriors (37-8) 106, Suns (28-21) 87
The Suns jumped out to an early lead, but the Warriors fought back and led by one point at halftime of last night’s matchup. Steph Curry dazzled with 25 points, 7 assists and 2 steals, Klay Thompson added 22 points and 2 blocks and Harrison Barnes finished with 13 points, 8 boards and 2 blocks. Despite a horrendous start and the absence of Marreese Speights, Golden State avoided its third straight loss by completely outplaying Phoenix in the second half. Markieff Morris (17 points, 11 rebounds) and Eric Bledsoe (16 points) were bright spots for PHX in defeat.
