The Pistons get a big win over the struggling Heat, led by a big night from D.J. Augustine. Elsewhere, the Warriors continue to roll and the Blazers right the ship with a big win over the feisty Jazz.
Let’s get to the games:
Nuggets 98 (19-30) – 76ers 105 (11-39)
After trading away some of it’s talent, the Nuggets believed they still had enough solid role players to keep things respectable in Denver. Tonight did not show that, as the Nuggets were run over by a 76ers team that has publicly announced they are tanking, yet seem to be coming together as a cohesive unit. Hollis Thompson scored a career-high 23 points to lead the 76ers who also had a great night from Michael Carter-Williams with 15 and 12 assists. The Nuggets were led by a season-high from Danillo Gallinari with 22. The loss was the 10th in the last 11 games for Denver, who continue to disappoint in the West.
Celtics 108 (17-30) – Knicks 97 (10-39)
The Celtics credited a starting lineup change as the source of the renewed energy that lead to the win over the Knicks. Boston jumped out to a 14-2 lead and never trailed. Avery Bradley led the charge with 26 points while Jared Sullinger added 22 to help snap a three-game losing streak. The Knicks were led by Carmelo Anthony with 21, but were unable to truly get going offensively.
Heat 91 (21-27) – Pistons 108 (19-30)
With Brandon Jennings’ absence, D.J. Augustine has stepped up, tonight leading the Pistons to a big win over the Heat. The Pistons ended the first quarter with a 25-1 run and never looked back. Augustine finished with 25 points and 13 assists, while Andre Drummond had 14 points and 14 rebounds down low. For the Heat, Chris Bosh totaled 34 points, but was let down by the rest of his team on the offensive end and simply could not score enough points to keep up with Detroit.
Jazz 102 (17-31) – Trail Blazers 103 (33-16)
Injuries have been an issue for the Blazers this year, despite their strong record, and the return of Robin Lopez to the lineup seemed to have an energizing effect on the team who were led by another big night from Damian Lillard. Coming in, the Blazers had lost 5 of 6, and dropped significantly in the Western standings. Lillard helped erase that streak with 25 points, including a massive dunk over Utah’s Enes Kanter, and LeMarcus Aldridge added 22 points and 11 rebounds. Utah were led by Gordon Hayward who had 27, including some key shots to keep them close, but in the end the Blazers, helped by Lopez, had the moxie to hold on for the win.
Warriors 121 (38-8) – Kings 96 (17-30)
A big run at the end of the first continued into the second quarter and propelled the Warriors to a blow out win. The Kings looked to use their size to intimidate the Warriors, but Golden State wasn’t biting – instead staying calm and delivering a beat down through basketball. Stephen Curry had 23 points and 9 assists, while Marreese Speights, the subject of many a cheap-shot from the Kings, finished with 17. The Kings were led by DeMarcus Cousins who had 26 and 11 rebounds, but they only really provided a threat to the Warriors late in the third.