Holding a 16-point lead in the 4th, the Blazers – normally the kings of 4th quarter comebacks – were pushed to overtime by the Mavericks before being blown away in the extra period. Elsewhere, the 76ers win their fourth straight at home, the Wizards snap their 5-game losing streak, and the Bulls get a big win while all of New Orleans holds its breathe as Anthony Davis leaves the game injured.
Let’s get to the Games:
Nets 77 (21-29) – Wizards 114 (32-30)
Even without Bradley Beal, the Wizards took coach Randy Whitman’s instruction to “be aggressive” and came out strong, blowing out the Nets to break a five-game losing streak. The 37-point margin was the largest of the season for Washington, and stops a three-game winning streak for the Nets, putting them back into 9th place in the Eastern Conference. John Wall scored 17 and Rasual Butler had 15 for Washington. The Nets were led by Brook Lopez with 19, but were beaten by 10 points in each of the first three quarters and were never a threat.
Bulls 107 (31-20) – Pelicans 72 (27-24)
Anthony Davis had an impressive alley-oop lob dunk, but it was afterwards as he swung on the rim and lost his grip, falling to the floor in a heap, that New Orleans began to panic – and in turn lost a game they never really had any handle on. Davis stayed in the game for a few more plays before being taken out and heading straight to the locker room for examination. Pau Gasol led the Bulls with 20 points and 15 rebounds, while Derrick Rose had 20 to help snap a three game losing streak. The Pelicans were led by Tyreke Evans with 15 while Alexis Ajinca added 10.
Hornets 81 (22-28) – 76ers 89 (12-40)
The Third Quarter was key for the 76ers, who came back to take the lead and never let it go. The win is Philadelphia’s fourth straight home victory, and their 12th overall. The 76ers were led by Robert Covington with 22, while Hollis Thompson added 18. The Hornets were led by Al Jefferson with 18 and Gerald Henderson with 17, while Michael Kidd-Gilchrest left the game in the 1st and did not return.
Warriors 106 (40-9) – Knicks 92 (10-41)
Resting on the second night of a back-to-back, Carmelo Anthony’s absence was felt but the Knicks kept it close, ultimately falling to the Warriors strong front court. Golden State’s all-star back court had a bad night shooting, keeping the Knicks in the game, but a big night from Draymond Green helped push the Warriors over the edge in Steve Kerr’s first time coaching in MSG. Green finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Stephan Curry and Klay Thompson had 19 and 16 respectively. The Knicks were led by Langston Galloway with 15 in the loss.
Celtics 93 (19-31) – Bucks 96 (28-23)
The Bucks jumped out in the 2nd quarter and were able to hold off the Celtics attempts to claw back through the 2nd half. The win was the 6th in 7 games for the Bucks who are maintaining course in the Eastern Conference. Brandon Knight had 26 and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Celtics were led by Jared Sullinger with 17 and Marcus Smart finished with 13.
Blazers 101 (34-17) – Mavericks 111 (35-18) OT
The Blazers were up 16 in the 4th quarter, and 11 with two minutes to go – but it all fell apart as Dirk Nowitzki hit a three pointer to force overtime and the Mavs pushed through to get the win. The Blazers have now lost seven straight road games, and have fallen down the ranks in the Western Conference. Dirk finished with 25 points and Chandler Parsons added 20. The Blazers featured 26 from Damian Lillard and 25 from LeMarcus Aldridge in the loss.
Kings 90 (17-32) – Jazz 102 (18-33)
The Jazz never trailed and cruised to a win after coming in having lost 5 of 6. The Kings suffered from poor shooting throughout, and never really seemed to have their head in the game – a symptom we’ve seen all too often. Gordon Hayward finished with 30, Derrick Favors had 20, and Enes Kanter had 17 and 13 rebounds for the Jazz. The Kings were led by Demarcus Cousins with 27 and 10 rebounds in an otherwise staid performance from the visitors.