Even a small struggle won’t keep the Washington Wizards out of the playoffs. The same could be said for a lot of teams in the Eastern Conference. But even those cellar dwellers have been on a brief rise.
Let’s get to the games:
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Detroit Pistons | 95 | (23-36) |
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Washington Wizards | 99 | (34-26) |
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Washington snapped a six-game losing streak by edging the Pistons on Saturday. Foul shots by John Wall and Bradley Beal made foul shots in the final 10 seconds to earn the win. Wall finished with a game-high 22 points and Beal tallied eight. Nene Hilario scored 21 points for the Wizards, while Marcin Gortat scored 16 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. Washington scored 20 points off Detroit turnovers, as every Wizards starter had at least one steal. Beal and Gortat each had three steals. Greg Monroe led the Pistons with 21 points and Spencer Dinwiddle added 20 off the bench.
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Toronto Raptors | 98 | (37-22) |
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New York Knicks | 103 | (12-46) |
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The hapless Knicks are a little more happy these days. Though still at the bottom of the standings, New York earned two wins this week and improved to 8-21 at home. The Knicks’ second-straight win occurred on the Raptors’ fifth consecutive loss. Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Knicks with 22 points and Andrea Bargnani added 19. No player in the game recorded a double-double, but every player had at least one rebound. Four Toronto starters reached double figures, but reserve Louis Williams led the way with 22 points. Jonas Valanciunas scored 16 points, while James Johnson and Greivis Vasquez each had 14.
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Atlanta Hawks | 93 | (47-12) |
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Miami Heat | 91 | (25-33) |
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Kent Bazemore hit a game-winnng 3-pointer for the Hawks to improve to 20-8 on the road this year. Even with normal contributors James Ennis, Tyler Johnson, Shabaz Napier and Zoran Dragic getting rest on the bench, Atlanta scored 31 points off 23 Heat turnovers. Kyle Korver led the defensive effort with four steals. Paul Milsap scored 22 points for the Hawks and Bazemore finished with 15. Dennis Shroder has 16 points and 10 rebounds. Miami’s Mario Chalmers created five steals and scored 16 points. Hasson Whiteside grabbed 24 rebounds and scored 14 points, while Dwayne Wade scored a game-high 22.
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Memphis Grizzlies | 101 | (42-16) |
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Minnesota Timberwolves | 97 | (13-45) |
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Mike Conley stuffed a would-be equalizer to ensure a Grizzlies’ victory. Kevin Martin’s shot was altered and Memphis earned its’ 19th road victory. A 30-point second quarter and a 29-27 advantage in the fourth lifted Memphis in the back-and-forth contest. Marc Gasol led all scorers with 27 points and Conley added 17. Gasol and Zach Randolph each grabbed 11 rebounds and held a 43-35 advantage on the glass. The Grizzlies scored 32 points off Minnesota turnovers, though they only created seven steals. The Timberwolves played with Kevin Garnett, who was just in his second game back with the team, for two quarter when he was ejected after a technical foul. Andrew Wiggins stepped up in his absence and scored 25 points. Gary Neal added 16 for Minnesota.
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Brooklyn Nets | 104 | (24-33) |
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Dallas Mavericks | 94 | (39-22) |
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If the playoffs started today, Brooklyn would be in. The eighth place Nets completed a stretch of eight road games and earned the win thanks to a 35-point third quarter. Deron Williams led all scorers with 25 points, including four 3-pointers, and Thaddeus Young came off the bench to score 16. Mason Plumlee had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki scored 20 points for Dallas and Devin Harris added 14 points. Brooklyn turned 15 Dallas turnovers into 20 points.
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Milwaukee Bucks | 75 | (32-27) |
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Utah Jazz | 82 | (23-35) |
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Even after scoring just 11 points in the third quarter, the Jazz held on for a victory. Trey Burke came off the bench to score 23 points for Utah, while Derrick Favors added 16 rebounds. Rudy Gobert scored 12 points with 10 rebounds. Favors and Gobert each had three blocks. Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 18 points, while Michael Carter-Williams added 16. It was the sixth time this season that the Jazz have earned consecutive wins though they have yet to capture three in a row.
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San Antonio Spurs | 101 | (36-23) |
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Phoenix Suns | 74 | (31-29) |
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A 33-point outburst wasn’t enough for the Suns to escape their wretched first half. The Spurs held a 51-24 lead at halftime and cruised to bring their road record to .500 (16-16). All 13 players appeared in the game for San Antonio and all but one scored at least one point. Kawhi Leonard led with 22 points and Danny Green, Aron Baynes and Matt Bonner each added 12. Baynes, Leonard and Tim Duncan all pulled down 10 rebounds as San Antonio held a 56-42 advantage on the glass. The Spurs only drawback was a 21-percent average from behind the arc. Every Phoenix player was in the game, too. Marcus Morris led with 19 points.