Coming in looking for their 7th straight victory, the loss of LeBron James would seem to be devastating – but Kyrie Irving exploded for 55 including a clutch three to win the game. Elsewhere the Hawks won their 17th straight, the Mavs lost their 4th straight, and the Spurs seem to have their game back together.
Let’s get to the games:
Trail Blazers 94 (32-14) – Cavaliers 99 (27-20)
The Cavs were without LeBron James whose sprained wrist will get an MRI tomorrow, but Kyrie Irving gave them everything they needed for the win. Cleveland jumped out early on the Blazers and held on through the end to get a clutch 3-pointer from Irving for the win. Irving finished with 55 points, a career-high, while Kevin Love finished with 10 and 12 rebounds and Mozgov finished with 12 points and 10 boards. For the Blazers, LeMarcus Aldridge continued his great play even with his finger injury. Aldridge finished with 38 points and 11 rebounds, while Damian Lillard had 14 on the night.
Pistons 69 (17-30) – 76ers 89 (9-37)
The 76ers jumped out to a 24-4 lead in the first and never really looked back, on route to their 9th win. The Pistons, meanwhile, have now lost 4 straight after catching fire immediatly after the release of Josh Smith. Philadelphia was led by Robert Covington with 19 and Michael Carter-Williams added 14 and 10 assists. For the Pistons, Greg Monroe carried he team with 20 and 10 boards on the night, while Jodie Meeks added 19 off the bench.
Kings 102 (16-27) – Raptors 119 (30-15)
A close game through the first half, the game took a shift for the Raptors in the third quarter when DeMarcus Cousins sat with four fouls. The Raptors ran away with the game, and merely padded their lead in the 4th to get their 30th win on the season. Toronto hit 17 three-pointers on the night, and we led by Lou Williams with 27 and Greivis Vasquez with 18. For the Kings, Rudy Gay finished with 22 while Ben McLemore had 17.
Nets 102 (18-27) – Hawks 113 (38-8)
The Nets kept it close but in the end the tough defense and quick-fire shooting of the Hawks was too much, as the Nets fall for the third straight time. 6 Hawks finished in double figures, led by paul Milsap with 28 plus 15 rebounds and Al Horford with 20 and 10 boards. The Nets generally played well but just couldn’t get over the hump, led tonight by Joe Johnson with 26 while Jarrett Jack had 14 and 13 assists.
Thunder 92 (23-23) – Knicks 100 (9-37)
The Thunder have struggled without Kevin Durant, and tonight they fell to a determined Knicks team who picked up their 9th win to keep pace with the 76ers. The Knicks were led by Carmelo Anthony with 31 and 10 boards while new signee Langston Galloway finished with 18. The Thunder countered with 40 from Russell Westbrook, but his individual efforts were not enough to get them the win.
Mavericks 94 (30-17) – Rockets 99 (32-14)
The Rockets are not generally known for their “balanced” offense, but tonight it was on display with 6 Rockets’ finishing with double-figures. A close game, the Mavs loss is their 4th in a row and drops them to 7th in the tightly-packed West. For Houston, Josh Smith led the team with 18 points, while James Harden had 17. The Mavs featured Chandler Parsons with 21 and Tyson Chandler with 8 points and 15 rebounds.
Celtics 98 (16-27) – Timberwolves 110 (7-37)
The second half was key for the Wolves as Kevin Martin’s return spurred them on to victory. The win snaps a 10-game home losing streak, and came on the final game of a six-game road trip for Boston. Minnesota was led by Martin with 21 and Gorgui Dieng with 16 and 14 boards, while 7 players finished in double figures in a balanced attack. The Celtics answered with 7 of their own in double figures including Jared Sullinger with 16 and Marcus Thornton with 15.
Nuggets 93 (19-27) – Pelicans 85 (24-22)
A late run by the Nuggets gave them their victory, snapping a 7-game losing streak. Arron Afflalo had 20 while Ty Lawson added 13 assists. The Pelicans were led by Anthony Davis with 24 and 12, but Davis left the game in the third with an injury and although he came back to the game he was unable to help his team to victory. Tyreke Evans added 25 and Omar Asik had 12 boards in the loss.
Hornets 86 (19-27) – Spurs 95 (30-17)
The Spurs jumped out big in the first half, but another slow third quarter gave the Hornets a chance before finally falling in the 4th. With the win, the Spurs jump ahead of Dallas in the tight Western conference standings. For the Spurs, Tony Parker finished with 17 while Danny Green added 16. The Hornets were led by Gerald Henderson with 18 and Al Jefferson with 17 and 16 boards, on the day when they learned they would be without Kemba Walker for 6 weeks.
Clippers 94 (32-14) – Jazz 89 (16-30)
It took a 4th quarter rally, but the Clippers overcame a late Jazz lead to win their 6th straight. Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford, who started the game for Los Angeles, both finished with 21, while Blake Griffin had 17 and 7 boards. The Jazz were led by a strong showing from Enes Kanter with 21 and 11 boards, while Derrick Favors finished with 18 and 9 rebounds.
Wizards () – Suns ()
The Suns jumped out on the road-weary Wizards who came in on the second half of a back to back out west. Up 17 at the half, the Suns fought off a tepid run from the Wizards before finally closing them out. Goran Dragic led the Suns with 20 while Isaiah Thomas added 18. For the Wizards, Kris Humphries, starting for Nene, had a big night with 11 points and 15 rebounds.