Sunday may be a day of rest for some, but not for NBA players. With nine games on the docket, the day started with a rout and ended with a thriller. Such is life in the second half of the season.
Let’s get to the games:
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Cleveland Cavaliers | 101 | (35-22) |
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New York Knicks | 83 | (10-45) |
| Final | |||
LeBron James has never called New York City home, but he surely becomes comfortable under the bright lights of the Big Apple. A week after lighting up the NBA All-Star Game, James returned to Madison Square Garden and led a dominant charge by the Cavaliers. He wasn’t the only Cav to dominate the home-standing Knicks; Cleveland’s Big 3 all poured in the points. James and Kyrie Irving each scored 18 points and Kevin Love added 16 with 16 rebounds. J.R. Smith was the one with the homecoming, returning to New York for the first time since being traded to the Cavaliers. Smith dropped 17 points on his former team. Cleveland improved to 3-0 after the All-Star break as the listless Knicks fell to 10-45 on the year.
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Washington Wizards | 89 | (33-23) |
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Detroit Pistons | 106 | (23-33) |
| Final | |||
The Pistons may be far out of the playoff chase but there has been reason to believe in the Pistons as of late. They are 2-0 since the trade deadline when Reggie Jackson and Tayshaun Prince were acquired. Jackson finished with 17 points and five assists as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led with 26 points. Four of Detroit’s starters scored in double figures with Greg Monroe scoring 15 and Andre Drummond added 18 to go with Jackson and Caldwell-Pope’s contributions. Anthony Toliver (13 points) and Jodie Meeks (10) came off the bench to score in double figures. Marcin Gortat scored 24 points and had 10 rebounds in the loss for Washington.
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Atlanta Hawks | 97 | (44-12) |
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Milwaukee Bucks | 86 | (31-24) |
| Final | |||
The Hawks remained the best team in the Eastern Conference, even after dropping the past two games, with a rebound victory on the road. Six Atlanta players, including all five starters, scored in double figures with Paul Milsap leading the way with 23 points and 16 rebounds. Kyle Korver drilled four 3-pointers to finish with 12 points and Dennis Shroder came off the bench to add 12 points, along with nine assists. The Hawks were also 18 of 21 from the foul line, but Milwaukee shot a remarkable 18 of 18 from the charity stripe. Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 19 points.
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Golden State Warriors | 98 | (43-10) |
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Indiana Pacers | 104 | (23-33) |
| Final | |||
The Pacers may have had their biggest bright spot of the season, knocking off the NBA’s best team at home. Though Indiana trailed by 12 points early on, Rodney Stuckey led the comeback charge, scoring 30 points. The Pacers’ bench players scored 61 of the team’s 104 points, including Stuckey’s contributions. Golden State played without Steph Curry for the first time this season. His absence was felt as the Warriors looked elsewhere for scoring. Klay Thompson scored a game-high 39 points, but the rest of the Golden State starters combined to score just 24 points.
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Philadelphia 76ers | 98 | (12-43) |
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Orlando Magic | 103 | (19-39) |
| Final | |||
In a battle of the league’s worst teams, something had to give. For the Magic, visiting Philadelphia served as the latest victims on a three-game winning streak. But the 76ers didn’t go down without a fight. They cut a 12-point deficit down to five in the final few minutes before Orlando’s Victor Oladipo and Willie Green sunk free throws down the stretch to cap a 10-run. Nik Vucevic, a former Philadelphia player, scored a game-high 31 points with 14 rebounds to lead the Magic. JaKarr Sampson and Robert Covington each scored 16 points to pace the 76ers.
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Denver Nuggets | 94 | (20-35) |
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Oklahoma City Thunder | 119 | (31-25) |
| Final | |||
Even with Kevin Durant still out with injury, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook doesn’t feel that he has to carry the load. Westbrook dished out a career-best 17 assists for the Thunder, while still netting 21 points. OKC starters Serge Ibaka and Enes Kanter each poured in 20 points. The Thunder held a distinct 60-42 rebounding advantage with Kanter pulling down 12. Ty Lawson scored 17 points for Denver. The Nuggets have lost seven of their last eight games.
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Charlotte Hornets | 81 | (22-32) |
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Dallas Mavericks | 92 | (38-20) |
| Final | |||
Amare Stoudemire suited up for his third team in 13 NBA seasons and led the Mavericks to a cruising victory over Charlotte. Stoudemire first appeared in the second quarter and finished with 14 points. Monta Ellis scored 23 points for Dallas to lead all scorers. Tyson Chandler converted all six of his field goal attempts to finish with 12 points. Mo Williams scored 22 points for Charlotte and Al Jefferson grabbed 17 rebounds.
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Memphis Grizzlies | 98 | (40-14) |
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Portland Trail Blazers | 92 | (36-19) |
| Final | |||
An extended break couldn’t slow down the Grizzlies, not even an early lead by the Trail Blazers. Outscoring Portland, 34-15, in the fourth quarter gave Memphis their best record in franchise history as the second half of the season starts to shape up. Marc Gasol scored 21 points for the Grizzlies and Courtney Lee added 19 as all Memphis starters reached double figures. Damion Lillard scored 18 points to lead Portland as the franchise honored former forward Jerome Kersey who passed away over the weekend.
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Boston Celtics | 111 | (20-33) |
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Los Angeles Lakers | 118 | (14-41) |
| Final – OT | |||
An overtime victory may be the spark the Lakers need to turn a dreadful first half into a hopeful second half. Los Angeles outscored the visiting Celtics, 12-5, in the overtime period to snap a 7-game losing streak. Jeremy Lin came off the bench to score 25 points to lead the Lakers and fellow reserve Wesley Johnson added 22 points. The Celtics were also led by bench players as Jae Crowder and Isaiah Thomas scored 22 and 21 points, respectively. The Celtics scored 25 points off 16 Lakers’ turnovers but Los Angeles recovered when Thomas picked up two technical fouls in the fourth quarter. The free throws helped send the game to overtime.