Post Up: Still Winning

76ers 97 (6-18), Pistons 79 (13-13)

It was the TJ McConnell show in Detroit tonight, with the young point guard coming up one assist shy of a triple-double (12p, 10r, 9a). Philly won the first quarter 32-12 and didn’t look back. The Pistons, who were led by Marcus Morris’ 28, tried to make a comeback in the second half, but never really threatened. Nerlens Noel returned to action for the 76ers, putting up 8 points in 10 minutes.

Thunder 99 (15-9), Celtics 96 (13-11)

The triple-double streak ended at 7 (two shy of the record held by Wilt Chamberlain), but Russell Westbrook still poured in 37 points, 12 boards, and 6 assists and led OKC to a victory over the Celtics. Horford had 19, and Crowder and Bradley each contributed 18. Don’t look now, but the Thunder have now won seven of their last eight games.

Warriors 116 (21-4), Timberwolves 108 (6-18)

Minnesota closed the third quarter on a 14-1 run and held a ten point advantage heading into the fourth. But it was all downhill from there. The Warriors won the final period 38-20 and avoided their first set of consecutive regular-season losses since 2015. Klay Thompson was the catalyst for Golden State, scoring 12 in the first 5 minutes of the fourth and 30 overall. Towns had 25 points and 18 boards for the Wolves, including some major highlights:

Despite the big numbers Towns has been putting up, Minnesota has now lost four in a row and 18 out of 24 this season.

Pelicans 120 (8-17), Suns 119 (7-17)

It was a thriller in Phoenix. Behind a triple-double from Tim Frazier (14p, 11a, 11r) and 23 points from Jrue Holiday, the Pelicans came from behind to beat the Suns in OT. P.J. Tucker did a great job defending Anthony Davis, holding the big fella to just 14 on 4-17 shooting. But the rest of the Pels stepped up, overcoming another 30+ point performance from Eric Bledsoe (32p, 8a, 3r).

Knicks 118 (14-10), Lakers 112 (10-16)

Unicorn alert. Kristaps Porzingis recorded an impressive 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 blocks, and had fans thinking he was a guard:

New York’s actual point guards, Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings, combined for 44. Louis Williams continued to get buckets for the Lakers, dropping 24 in 26 minutes. The Knicks have won four straight on the road.