Whether it came at the start, the end, or in between, Friday’s NBA games were won when scoring runs came at the right time. For the 76ers, it was late; for Portland, it was early; and for Dallas, the points came from every-which-where in between.
Let’s get to the games:
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Sacramento Kings | 107 | (22-42) |
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Philadelphia 76ers | 114 | (15-50) |
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One thing is for sure — the Kings and 76ers will both end the year with losing records. Sacramento guaranteed itself a ninth straight losing season by blowing an 18-point second half lead to Philadelphia. The loss washed away DeMarcus Cousins’ great night of 39 points and 24 rebounds. Robert Covington led the 76ers with 24 points, including six 3-pointers and Nerlens Noel had a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds. Ian Smith scored 10 points for Philadelphia and had nine of the team’s 30 assists. The 76ers scored 27 points off 18 turnovers. Rudy Gay added 24 points for the Kings.
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Chicago Bulls | 91 | (40-27) |
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Charlotte Hornets | 101 | (29-35) |
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The Hornets overcame a 35-19 first quarter deficit to secure a playoff spot, for the time being. Charlotte moved a half game ahead of Brooklyn for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. All five Hornets starters reached double figures with Gerald Henderson leading with 20 points. Mo Williams added 18 and Bismack Blyombo scored 10 points and grabbed 10 of the team’s 55 rebounds. The Bulls had just 36 rebounds. Aaron Brooks led Chicago with 24 points and Tony Snell sunk five 3-pointers to finish with 17 points.
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Orlando Magic | 88 | (21-46) |
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Boston Celtics | 95 | (28-36) |
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Evan Turner dropped 30 points to lead the Celtics past the Magic. Avery Bradley was the only over Boston starter to reach doubt figures with 10 points. The Celtics outscored the Magic, 29-16, in the fourth quarter. Elfrid Payton scored 20 points for Orlando and both Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic each added 16 points.
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Miami Heat | 92 | (29-36) |
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Toronto Raptors | 102 | (39-26) |
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With their throwback purple jerseys, the Raptors ended nearly eight years of torment with a win against the Heat. The 10-point victory snapped a 16-game losing streak against Miami. Kyle Lowry sunk five 3-pointers to lead Toronto with 19 points and DeMar DeRozen added 18. The Raptors defense forced 21 Miami turnovers and Lowry created seven steals. Louis Williams came off the bench to score 14 points. For Miami, Dwayne Wade led with 25 points.
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Minnesota Timberwolves | 99 | (14-50) |
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Oklahoma City Thunder | 113 | (36-29) |
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Russell Westbrook got back to his old way, of last week. He registered his sixth triple-double in the last eight games with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to dispatch the struggling Timberwolves. Enes Kanter added 23 points, while Mitch McGary and Dion Waters each added 12. Kanter also grabbed 15 rebounds. Every OKC player appeared in the game and helped force 20 turnovers, which led to 21 points. Gorgul Dieng led Minnesota with 21 points and 14 rebounds, while Andrew Wiggins scored 19.
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Los Angeles Clippers | 99 | (42-24) |
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Dallas Mavericks | 129 | (42-25) |
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Scoring 38 points in both the second and fourth quarter helped Dallas overcome a shaky start to end with a 30-point victory. The game was big for playoff positioning, though Los Angeles still has a game advantage in the West. Chandler Parson sunk five 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 22 points. Tyson Chandler, Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis all added 14 points. The Mavericks had a 43-32 advantage on the glass, with Chandler grabbing 12 rebounds. J.J. Redick led the Clippers with 17 points. Every player from both teams appeared in the game.
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Golden State Warriors | 103 | (51-13) |
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Denver Nuggets | 114 | (25-41) |
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The Nuggets stopped the surging Warriors as every starter scored in double figures. Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried each topped out with 24 points and Randy Foye added 20. Faried grabbed 17 of the team’s 52 rebounds and the Warriors only brought down 35. Justin Holliday sunk five 3-pointers and led Golden State with 23. Reserve James Michael McAdoo added 16 points.
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Atlanta Hawks | 96 | (51-14) |
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Phoenix Suns | 87 | (34-33) |
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A 31-14 disparity in the fourth quarter lifted the Hawks over the Suns. Atlanta made five of its eight 3-pointers late in the fourth to help secure the win. Paul Milsap led the way with 23 points and Kyle Korver added 14 and the Hawks scored 28 points off Phoenix turnovers. Markieff Morris and Eric Bledsoe scored 22 and 21 points, respectively, for the Suns.
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Detroit Pistons | 99 | (23-42) |
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Portland Trail Blazers | 118 | (43-20) |
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The Pistons suffered their ninth straight defeat as Portland jumped out to a commanding early lead, scoring 35 in the first quarter. Damian Lillard had 28 points, including five 3-pointers and LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points. Meyers Leonard and Chris Kaman had 15 and 14, respectively, off the bench. Both teams took care off the ball well. Portland turned it over 10 times, while Detroit only committed six turnovers. Every Pistons player appeared in the game and Greg Monroe led with 19 points. Andre Drummond has 16 points and 17 rebounds.