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Rodney Hood's 25 - point outburst, his best scoring total since the opener, led the way for the Jazz. Trey Lyles drew another start in place of Derrick Favors (knee) and contributed 21 points and five boards. Rudy Gobert put together a 12 - point, 14 - rebound double - double within the starting five as well, and the Jazz actually posted impressive 51 and 44 percent success rates from the field and three - point range, respectively, despite the defeat. Harden's 31 - point, 10 - assist double - double, which paced the Rockets, was his ninth in the last 10 games. Clint Capela posted a season - high 20 points as well on 10 - of - 19 shooting. No other member of the starting five was able to tally double - digit scoring, but Eric Gordon and Nene Hilario combined for 36 points on 13 - of - 25 shooting off the bench, and also contributed 13 rebounds.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 44 Percentage of 3 points ,has 51 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trey Lyles') has 21 Assists ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 5 Assists ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rodney Hood') has 25 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Clint Capela') has 19 Assists ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 10 Assists ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 31 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 5 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nene') has 5 Assists ."]

The Detroit Pistons (37 - 34) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks (30 - 41) 92 - 91 in a thriller on Monday. With two teams battling for their playoff lives, everything was left on the floor. What ultimately decided the game was a game - winning tip in at the buzzer by Andre Drummond. The shooting numbers would indicate a Milwaukee blowout, but that simply wasn’t the case. The Bucks shot 54 percent from the field and 50 percent from three - point range, while the Pistons shot 41 percent from the field and 27 percent from long distance. Detroit really buckled down in the fourth quarter though, as they held the Bucks to 17 points, while scoring 27 of their own. Milwaukee had some slim hopes for playoff chances, but this win very well may have ended those. The bench really let them down, as no player scored more than four points. Khris Middleton led the team with 27 points and hit some huge baskets late. Giannis Antetokonmpo continued his good form, as he tallied 21 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Greg Monroe double - doubled in a revenge game, as he totaled 18 points and 10 rebounds. On deck for Milwaukee is a matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. Detroit was tied for the eight - seed headed into this game, so to say this was a much needed win would be a drastic understatement. Drummond was the hero, as he had the game - winning tip in, but also finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Marcus Morris led the team with 21 points and also provided three rebounds and four assists. Detroit will look to build on this win Wednesday against the Orlando Magic in their next matchup.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 27 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 34 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 17 Points in 1st quarter ,has 27 Points in 4th quarter ,has 37 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 54 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 91 Losses ,has 17 Total points ,has 30 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 5 Assists ,has 21 Points ,has 12 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Greg Monroe') has 18 Assists ,has 10 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Khris Middleton') has 27 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Morris') has 4 Assists ,has 21 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 14 Assists ,has 16 Points ."]

The Denver Nuggets (15 - 24) beat the Golden State Warriors (36 - 3) 112 - 110 on Wednesday night. This is the fourth time that these teams have squared off with all four being close. In the most recent one, the Nuggets lost a heartbreaker in overtime, but prevailed here. What won it for Denver was their rebounding, as they grabbed 49 rebounds to the Warriors 39. The Nuggets were also fantastic from the free - throw line, as they went 33 - for - 37 with some clutch throws down the stretch. Steph Curry went bananas in the fourth quarter to nearly cap off a big comeback, but they fell just short. Golden State has been the best team in the NBA this season, but this was the first time they played without playmaker Draymond Green. The defense is what suffered most without Green, as they allowed 112 points in the loss. Curry was in his MVP form, as he scored 20 fourth quarter points en route to a 38 point - nine assist line. Harrison Barnes had his best game since returning from injury, as he finished with 18 points off the bench. Andrew Bogut has been struggling all season, but he played well here, finishing with 15 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks in the loss. Luckily for Golden State, they get a date against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday in their next game. Denver has been struggling at home all season, but easily got their biggest win of the year here. It was an all - around team effort, as four different players scored at least 18 points. Those players included Danilo Gallinari, Will Barton, Gary Harris and Darrell Arthur. Gallinari has been averaging over 25 points a game since his return from injury and he was huge here, as he finished the game with 28 points in the win. Denver has now played the Warriors four times this season and all four games came down to the fourth quarter. It's a strange occurrence, but it shows the talent that this young teams has. The Nuggets will host the Miami Heat on Friday in their next scheduled game.

["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 24 Percentage of 3 points ,has 112 Losses ,has 49 Total points ,has 15 Rebounds ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 39 Percentage of 3 points ,has 3 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 39 Rebounds ,has 36 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Bogut') has 3 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 7 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 9 Assists ,has 38 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Danilo Gallinari') has 28 Assists ."]

The Atlanta Hawks took care of business at home in a 106 - 95 win over the Sacramento Kings on Monday at Philips Arena. Many looked at the Hawks (30) as a project coming into the year, but they remain one of few undefeated teams in the league. The Kings (2 - 2) actually took a lead into the fourth quarter, but Atlanta outscored Sacramento 27 - 14 over the final 12 minutes to come away with a win. Free throw shooting was the difference, as the Hawks went 29 - of - 47, while the Kings went 13 - of - 19. Sacramento committed 34 fouls in the defeat, as a number of their regulars were in foul trouble all game long. Atlanta won this game despite allowing Sacramento to shoot better from the field, the free - throw line, and from three - point range. Sacramento has put an emphasis on defense this season and that showed once again Monday. In fact, the Kings forced the Hawks to shoot under 42 percent from the field and 37 percent from three - point range. DeMarcus Cousins scored his lowest total of the season, but recorded his second double - double of the year. Cousins finished the game with 14 points and 12 rebounds on 6 - for - 16 shooting. Rudy Gay once again led the team in scoring, tallying 22 points, three rebounds and five assists in the defeat. Matt Barnes and Ben McLemore provided 26 combined points off the bench. All five starters scored in double figures for Atlanta, with no player scoring more than 18 points. That player was Dwight Howard, who totaled 18 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in the win. Kyle Korver was second on the team with 17 points of his own. Paul Millsap stuffed the stat sheet once again, accumulating 12 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists and three steals in the victory. Dennis Schroder went just 5 - of - 14 from the field, but finished with 17 points, three rebounds and five assists. Sacramento has a quick turnaround for their its game, as the Kings travel to Miami to play the Heat. Atlanta, on the other hand, returns to action on Wednesday, when they host the Los Angeles Lakers.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 37 Percentage of 3 points ,has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 106 Losses ,has 27 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 2 Percentage of 3 points ,has 95 Percentage of field goals ,has 14 Losses ,has 2 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gay') has 5 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 16 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ben McLemore') has 26 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 8 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Howard') has 4 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Korver') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dennis Schroder') has 5 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 17 Field goals made ,has 3 Minutes played ."]

The Detroit Pistons did n't disappoint in their home opener, dominating the Orlando Magic, 108 - 82, at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Friday. The Pistons (1 - 1) came into this game off a disappointing opening loss and put it to the Magic (0 - 2) in this game. The second quarter was especially decisive, as Detroit scored 30 points, while holding Orlando to just nine in that 12 - minute stretch. They did n't let up in the third quarter either, outscoring the Magic 32 - 20. The Pistons were clicking on both ends, as they shot over 50 percent from the field and held the Magic to under 35 percent shooting. After playing all five starters 35 - plus minutes in the opener, the Magic were clearly tired here. No player reached the 30 - minute total in this blowout, as 12 players played at least eight minutes. Aaron Gordon was a lone bright spot, recording 17 points and seven rebounds in the loss. Nikola Vucevic did grab 14 boards, but scored just seven points on a 3 - for - 12 night. Mario Hezonja and Jeff Green both scored in double figures off the bench. After leading the league in rebounding last year, Andre Drummond bounced back from his weak opener to grab 20 boards in this blowout win. He also added 12 points and two steals, while doing that damage in just 27 minutes of play. Tobias Harris led the team in scoring, dropping 18 points and four rebounds in the win. Ish Smith was very efficient as the starting point guard, tallying 16 points and eight assists, while going 8 - for - 13 from the field and committing just two turnovers. Marcus Morris provided 17 points and eight rebounds of his own. Orlando has a tough task ahead of them, as they play the second half of a back - to - back against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday for their next game. Detroit is off until Sunday, when they host the Milwaukee Bucks for their next fixture.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 1 Percentage of field goals ,has 108 Losses ,has 30 Total points ,has 32 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 1 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 35 Percentage of field goals ,has 2 Losses ,has 82 Total points ,has 9 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 9 Turnovers ,has 0 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aaron Gordon') has 17 Assists ,has 7 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 12 Assists ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 14 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mario Hezonja') has 2 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 18 Assists ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Morris') has 17 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 12 Assists ,has 20 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ish Smith') has 8 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 16 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ."]

This was a very tight game, as neither team was able to grab a double - digit lead. It was a costly foul late that decided it, as three free - throws by Ricky Rubio with two seconds left was the difference in the game. Three-point shooting was the only real advantage for Minnesota, as they shot 45 percent from long distance, to Indiana's 28 percent. Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota, as he totaled 37 points and 12 rebounds. Rubio accrued 21 points, five rebounds and 10 assists. Gorgui Dieng amassed 19 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Andrew Wiggins contributed 17 points and five rebounds. Paul George led Indiana with 37 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Jeff Teague accumulated 20 points, three rebounds and 10 assists. Monta Eliis started and provided 19 points, four rebounds and five assists. Myles Turner totaled 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 28 Percentage of 3 points ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 45 Percentage of 3 points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 17 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gorgui Dieng') has 2 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 37 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ricky Rubio') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 21 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 37 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Myles Turner') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 15 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 5 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 10 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ."]

The Golden State Warriors (67 - 7) defeated the Washington Wizards (36 - 38) 102 - 94 at Oracle Arena on Tuesday. The Warriors continued to pursue perfection on their home court and keep the NBA record for most wins in the regular season alive and well after holding off the Wizards. A series of strong runs to end each of the second, third and fourth quarters made up for a motivated Washington team. John Wall and Bradley Beal had an fluid moving offense running in their favor just before the half, but the Warriors ripped off a 120 run in just three minutes to swing the momentum in their favor. The same result occurred in the second half, although the rush transition defense and hounding of Stephen Curry well beyond the three point line proved to be working more often than not. Curry still finished with a game high 26 points, to go with seven rebounds, seven assists and five steals on 9 - of - 20 shooting, including 6 - of - 8 from behind the arc. Klay Thompson cooled off after scoring 80 points over the last two contests, and added 16 points on 7 - of - 19 shooting. Draymond Green stuffed the box score and fell one assist shy of a triple - double, his numbers jumped off the page to the tune of 15 points, 16 rebounds, nine assists and two blocked shots. Wall had a difficult time shooting the ball, and only managed 8 points on 14 shots, but he did distribute well and completed 11 assists. Bradley Beal led all Wizards scorers with 17 points, while Marcin Gortat added nine points and 10 rebounds. The Wizards are on the outside looking into a playoff spot, but the loss has them trailing the Pacers by 4 games for the 8 - seed in the Eastern Conference. Both teams play the second game of a back - to - back on the road on Wednesday, with Wizards taking on the Sacramento Kings (29 - 45) and the Warriors visiting the Utah Jazz (37 - 37).

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 7 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 67 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 38 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 36 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcin Gortat') has 9 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 11 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 9 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 16 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 1 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 19 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 7 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 26 Field goals made ,has 7 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ."]

The Detroit Pistons defeated the Washington Wizards, 113 - 112, at Palace of Auburn Hills on Saturday evening. The Wizards (23 - 20) mounted a furious comeback over the final 12 minutes after entering the fourth quarter with a 98 - 82 deficit. The Wizards outscored the Pistons (21 - 24) by a 30 - 15 margin during the period, but still ultimately came up short due to a heads - up play at the end of the game by Marcus Morris. The game - winning sequence began with a Bradley Beal block of a Tobias Harris' 23 - foot three - point jumper with four seconds left. Harris managed an offensive rebound and hoisted another shot attempt, which also misfired. However, Morris was in position to turn the miss into a game - winning tip - in basket, sending the Pistons to their third straight victory. John Wall co - led Washington with a 19 - point, 10 - assist double - double that also included eight rebounds and two steals. Markieff Morris also went for 19 points and added nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. Beal produced 17 points, five boards, four assists, two steals and a block. Marcin Gortat generated 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Otto Porter posted 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Jason Smith paced the second unit with 16 points, four boards and a steal. Kelly Oubre, Jr. was also productive as a reserve, supplying 11 points, four rebounds and two steals. Maurice Morris not only was the hero on the night, but also paced the Pistons with a 25 - point, 11 - rebound double - double that also included three assists and a steal. Reggie Jackson was next with 19 points, eight assists, three rebounds and a steal. Harris followed with a near double - double of 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Reggie Bullock supplied nine points, five rebounds and an assist. Jon Leuer led the bench with 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Stanley Johnson, Arron Baynes and Ish Smith were also highly productive with a trio of nine - point efforts as reserves. The Wizards head to Charlotte to take on the Hornets on Monday night, while the Pistons remain home to tangle with the Kings on Monday evening.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 24 Losses ,has 113 Total points ,has 15 Points in 4th quarter ,has 21 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 20 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 30 Points in 4th quarter ,has 23 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Markieff Morris') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 19 Defensive rebounds ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcin Gortat') has 2 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 17 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ,has 2 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 10 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kelly Oubre Jr.') has 11 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jason Smith') has 16 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 5 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 9 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Bullock') has 1 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 8 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stanley Johnson') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jon Leuer') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ish Smith') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aron Baynes') has 9 Assists ."]

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Sacramento Kings 109 - 100 Wednesday at Golden 1 Center. After 16 straight losses and losing 27 of their last 28 games, the Nets (10 - 49) finally were on the winning side Wednesday night, and they did so in fairly convincing fashion. Brooklyn opened up the game with a 14 - 4 lead and never looked back, as they managed to hold onto the lead for all 48 minutes against Sacramento. Brook Lopez led the way offensively for the Nets, scoring a game - high 24 points on 9 - of - 17 shooting from the field and grabbing eight rebounds in 30 minutes. Jeremy Lin added an efficient 17 points in 20 minutes, while his backup, Isaiah Whitehead, came off the bench to shoot 7 - of - 7 shooting from the free throw line en route to scoring 14 points in just 18 minutes. As a team, Brooklyn managed to get to the line at their own will and convert, hitting 30 - of - 36 foul shots Wednesday. As for the Kings (25 - 35), Wednesday's loss marked their third straight and brought their record to 1 - 3 in the post - DeMarcus Cousins era of the franchise. It was the performance from their bench players that kept Sacramento in the game, with the team's three top scorers all being reserves. The newest King, Buddy Hield, scored a game - high 16 points on 6 - of - 11 shooting from the field and 4 - of - 6 shoot from behind the arc, while Ty Lawson and Tyreke Evans each scored 15 points, with Lawson adding a game - high nine assists. Sacramento as a team overall was actually had a solid shooting performance from the outside, hitting 11 of their 22 three - pointers, but in the end, it was n't enough. Up next, the Nets will head to Utah on Friday to take on the Jazz, while the Kings will be waiting at home Sunday to take on the same opponent.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 100 Number of team assists ,has 28 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 16 Number of team assists ,has 49 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 24 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 28 Points in 4th quarter ,has 10 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 17 Assists ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 30 3-pointers made ,has 24 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeremy Lin') has 20 Assists ,has 17 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Whitehead') has 7 Assists ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ty Lawson') has 9 Assists ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Buddy Hield') has 6 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyreke Evans') has 15 Assists ."]

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 104 - 100, at American Airlines Center on Friday evening. The Grizzlies led 22 - 20 after a tight first quarter, but the Mavs pushed back in the middle two quarters, where they out - scored Memphis 59 - 50. The Mavs led 90 - 78 with 7:43 left in the fourth but then went cold, scoring only four points over the next seven minutes, allowing the Grizzlies to bring the deficit down to four points with 46 seconds left. The Mavs were then able to seal the deal with clutch free throw shooting down the stretch, including a freebee thanks to a technical foul called on Memphis' coach, David Fizdale. The Mavericks (25 - 36) shot 48 percent from the field, but struggled from long range, where they hit only 19 percent. All five starters scored in double digits for Dallas, while Seth Curry led the way with 24 points on 8 - of - 15 shooting, in 37 minutes. Harrison Barnes followed up with 18 points, while Nerlens Noel chipped in 15 points and a career - high - tying 17 rebounds, in his first start as a member of the Mavericks. The Mavs are now three games behind the eighth - place Nuggets, and will look to inch closer by going for another upset win, as they play host to the Thunder on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies (36 - 26) nearly completed the comeback but fell just short, ending a two - game winning streak. Mike Conley was the high - point man for Memphis, with 30 points, to go along with four assists and two rebounds, in 36 minutes. Three other players scored in double digits for the Grizz, including Zach Randolph, who added 24 points and 10 rebounds, in 29 minutes off the bench. Chandler Parsons failed to make an impact against his former team, as he finished with only seven points on 3 - of - 11 shooting, in 24 minutes. The Grizzlies will look to shake this one off, as they are right back in action on Saturday for the second night of a back - to - back, when they visit Houston to take on the Rockets.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 19 Percentage of 3 points ,has 48 Percentage of field goals ,has 36 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 20 Points in 1st quarter ,has 25 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 46 Percentage of 3 points ,has 26 Percentage of field goals ,has 100 Losses ,has 22 Total points ,has 36 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chandler Parsons') has 11 Assists ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 24 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 4 Assists ,has 36 Defensive rebounds ,has 30 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 29 Assists ,has 24 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nerlens Noel') has 15 Assists ,has 17 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Seth Curry') has 5 Assists ,has 15 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 37 Field goals made ,has 24 Minutes played ,has 5 Points ."]

The Utah Jazz (18 - 22) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (9 - 33) 109 - 82 on Saturday. The Lakers injury problems suffered a few more setbacks before the game wrapped up, as Kobe Bryant (achilles) left midway through the game to nurse his nagging achilles and rookie Larry Nance Jr. left with knee soreness after just three minutes of playing time. The beat up Lakers squad is far from an excuse for their play halfway through the season and the offensive miscues only add to their troubled year. Developing the young talent combination of Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell does not seem to be the number one priority with the Kobe Bryant retirement tour in full swing, and the wasted experience will take its toll. Los Angeles turned to Lou Williams to score in volume, but managed 20 points on 15 shots and fell short of what was needed for his team to keep the game within reach at any point. Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell joined Williams in scoring double figures. The Lakers will look to get their 10th when they host the Houston Rockets (21 - 20) on Sunday. Utah has been experiencing a fair share of injury troubles as well, with both Trevor Booker (concussion) and Derrick Favors (back), sidelined on Saturday. Favors missed his 13th consecutive game, and it is still unclear if their is another issue or if the Jazz are taking his return slowly. Rudy Gobert led the way with a monstrous performance, scoring 18 points, grabbing 18 rebounds and blocking five shots in 30 minutes. Gordon Hayward contributed 14 points, five rebounds and five assists, while four additional Jazz players finished in double figures (Trey Lyles, Rodney Hood, Trey Burke and Joe Ingles) in a strong team effort. Utah shot 49 percent from the floor and kept the game out of reach from the Lakers from the 2nd quarter on. Utah continues to battle for the 8 - seed in the Western Conference, and will look to pick up another win when they visit the Charlotte Hornets (18 - 22) on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 22 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 18 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 33 Percentage of field goals ,has 82 Losses ,has 9 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kobe Bryant') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 15 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Larry Nance Jr.') has 3 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Williams') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jordan Clarkson') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Julius Randle') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'D'Angelo Russell') has 1 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 5 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trey Lyles') has 4 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 5 Assists ,has 30 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 18 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rodney Hood') has 4 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 14 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joe Ingles') has 4 Assists ."]

The Raptors (11 - 2) extended their winning streak to four games Saturday, knocking off the Cavaliers (5 - 7) 110 - 93 in Cleveland. Toronto was led by a huge performance from Lou Williams, who led all scorers with 36 points (9 - 19 FG, 15 - 15 FT) off the bench. Kyle Lowry added 23 points and eight assists, and DeMar DeRozan chipped in 20 points. Toronto shot only 40 percent as a team but knocked down 38 - of - 42 free throw attempts. The Raptors remain atop the Eastern Conference and are the third - highest - scoring team in the league. Cleveland, which has now dropped four straight games, continues to struggle offensively and looked completely out of sorts yet again Saturday. A 13 - point first quarter lead quickly evaporated in the second period, and the Raptors took a two - point lead by halftime. The Cavs’ offense continued to stagnate in the second half, allowing Toronto to blow the game open in the third quarter. Kevin Love paced the Cavaliers with 23 points and seven rebounds, while LeBron James added 15 points (6 - 12 FG) and 10 assists to go with a game - high five turnovers. Kyrie Irving finished with 21 points, and Anderson Varejao had a 13 - point, 12 - rebound double - double. Cleveland committed 18 turnovers and shot 3 - of - 16 as a team from beyond the arc. Up next, the Cavaliers remain home to host the Magic on Monday. The Raptors return to Toronto to take on the streaking Suns, also on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 7 Percentage of field goals ,has 93 Losses ,has 18 Total points ,has 5 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 2 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 11 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 8 Assists ,has 23 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Williams') has 19 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ,has 15 Free throws attempted ,has 36 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 10 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 15 Free throws attempted ,has 5 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 23 Assists ,has 7 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anderson Varejao') has 13 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 21 Assists ."]

The host Golden State Warriors took down the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, 121 - 100. The Warriors (36 - 6) have now won five straight and nine of their last ten. Prior to Wednesday's matchup against his former team, Golden State's Kevin Durant said that it would not be a "normal game." Durant's play indicated a special level of effort, as the former MVP scored 40 points and shot 13 - of - 16 while pulling down 12 rebounds. Reigning MVP Steph Curry also impressed, scoring 24 points to go with eight assists and three steals. The Warriors were able to pull away in the third quarter, going on a scoring tear while Russell Westbrook sat on the bench. The team shot almost 55 percent and dished out a whopping 35 assists on the night. The Thunder (25 - 19) saw strong play from a handful of players but could not get the job done as a team. In what has almost become a normal night for the superstar, Russell Westbrook posted a massive triple - double. Westbrook scored 27 points to go with 15 rebounds and 13 assists. However, the elite point guard did commit 10 turnovers on the night. Sixth man Enes Kanter delivered 22 points and nine rebounds off the bench. The team had issues keeping up with the Warriors' star power on defense and had a problem crashing the glass, finishing with a 10 rebound deficit. The Warriors will face the Rockets on Friday, while OKC will enjoy the rest of the week off.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 6 Losses ,has 121 Total points ,has 36 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 19 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 25 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 13 Assists ,has 27 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Enes Kanter') has 22 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 16 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 40 Field goals made ,has 12 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 8 Assists ,has 24 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies (7 - 6) defeated the Houston Rockets (5 - 8) 96 - 84 thanks to a Gasol triple - double on Friday. In a battle of two struggling Western Conference teams, the Grizzlies prevailed thanks to a triple - double from Marc Gasol. This was the good old Memphis defense of the past, as they held the Rockets to under 38 percent shooting and won the turnover battle 23 - 11. The Grizzlies also outassisted the Rockets 26 - 15 in what ended up being a lopsided game. If it weren’t for a prayer from Corey Brewer in their last game, the Rockets would have lost their sixth - straight game tonight. There's a lot of holes on this team right now, as they are shooting poorly, playing bad defense and now playing team - ball. The team was led by James Harden, who tallied 22 points, six rebounds and five assists in the loss. Dwight Howard had another solid game as well, as he totaled 12 points and 15 boards in the defeat. The firing of coach Kevin McHale was a questionable decision and games like this make it look even more questionable. Houston will look to play better against the New York Knicks on Saturday, as both teams are playing the second half of a back - to - back set. This was definitely the Grizzlies best performance of the season, as they got it done on both ends. Not only did they play good offense, they stifled a potent Rockets offense. Memphis were led by a career - performance from Marc Gasol, who tallied 16 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and four steals in a spectacular game. Mike Conley was also very good, as he collected 26 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals in the win. Hopefully this is the start of a good run for Memphis, as they played this game without Zach Randolph, who is dealing with some knee swellness. Memphis will take on the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday in the second half of a back - to - back for both teams.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 26 Number of team assists ,has 6 Percentage of field goals ,has 96 Losses ,has 11 Total points ,has 7 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 15 Number of team assists ,has 38 Percentage of field goals ,has 8 Losses ,has 84 Total points ,has 23 Turnovers ,has 5 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Howard') has 12 Assists ,has 15 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 5 Assists ,has 22 Free throws attempted ,has 6 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 11 Assists ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 2 Personal fouls ,has 16 Points ,has 11 Total rebounds ,has 4 Steals ,has 2 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 5 Assists ,has 26 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 3 Personal fouls ."]

Per usual, Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins did it all on Tuesday. The All-Star led the team in scoring, rebounding, and assists, posting a line of 24 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in the team's win over the Pistons. Cousins added a steal and a block. He shot a stellar 8 - of - 14, including 4 - of - 5 from three. As a team, Sacramento shot impeccably from beyond the arc, going 13 - of - 24 from deep. However, the team struggled a bit with turnovers, coughing the ball up 17 times on the night. Seven of those turnovers came from forward Rudy Gay, who also shot just 3 - of - 11 on the night. Detroit saw stellar play from its own young star center. While Andre Drummond scored only nine points, he made a big impact on the defensive end, blocking seven shots and coming away with three steals. Drummond also pulled down a team - high 12 rebounds. The Pistons had trouble moving the ball on Tuesday, recording just 14 team assists.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 14 Number of team assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 7 Blocks ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gay') has 11 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 1 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 1 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ."]

The Spurs (41 - 24) trounced the Timberwolves (14 - 51) 123 - 97 in San Antonio on Sunday. Coming off a 125 - point performance against Cleveland on Thursday, San Antonio posted its second - highest point total of the season against the Timberwolves. The Spurs scored the first basket of the game and never surrendered the lead. San Antonio had eight players score in double digits. Kawhi Leonard led the team in scoring with 15 points (6 - 13 FG, 2 - 2 3Pt), to go along with six rebounds, one assist, five steals and one block in 25 minutes. Manu Ginobili left the game with what appeared to be a right ankle injury in the third quarter, but still finished with 11 points (4 - 5 FG, 3 - 4 FT) and three rebounds over 18 minutes. Facing a litany of injuries, the Timberwolves were short - handed on Sunday with only eight healthy players. Minnesota had trouble holding onto the basketball, turning the ball over 15 times. Those turnovers translated into 33 points for the Spurs. Kevin Martin led the team in scoring with 19 points (7 - 18 FG, 2 - 3 3Pt), to go with five rebounds, two assists and one steal. With Ricky Rubio out with an ankle injury, Zach LaVine moved into the starting lineup at guard, and took advantage of the start to score 18 points (7 - 13 FG, 3 - 4 3Pt, 1 - 2 FT), while also adding six rebounds and six assists. San Antonio is currently fifth in the Western Conference, 11 games behind the West-leading Warriors. Up next, the Spurs travel to New York to take on the Knicks on Tuesday. Minnesota will host the Nets on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 24 Losses ,has 123 Total points ,has 33 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 41 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 51 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 15 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 14 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Martin') has 2 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 19 Field goals made ,has 5 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach LaVine') has 6 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 18 Free throws made ,has 6 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 25 Free throws attempted ,has 15 Free throws made ,has 6 Minutes played ,has 5 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Manu Ginobili') has 5 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ."]

The Sacramento Kings pulled out their 13th home victory of the season behind DeMarcus Cousins big effort in the paint. Cousins finished with 28 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block on 7 - of - 14 shooting. Darren Collison also put forth a supreme box score contest with 20 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals on 7 - of - 16 shooting. Aaron Afflalo and Ben McLemore started in the backcourt alongside Collison and and combined for 21 points on 14 shots. The Pelicans saw their best effort from Anthony Davis, who registered 40 minutes of action and scored 32 points to go with 10 rebounds and three assists. New Orleans struggled from the field as a unit, but was effective behind the arc, as they finished 13 - of - 31 from deep. The Kings were more dominant on the rebounding, evidenced by the 46 - 36 effort on the glass.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 46 Rebounds ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 36 Rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 3 Assists ,has 40 Blocks ,has 32 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 7 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 28 Minutes played ,has 14 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Darren Collison') has 8 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 20 Field goals made ,has 6 Minutes played ,has 3 Points ."]

The visiting Milwaukee Bucks took down the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, 97 - 96. Milwaukee (33 - 34) has come alive of late and has now won eight of its last ten games. The Bucks narrowly escaped with the win in Los Angeles, avoiding a potential Blake Griffin buzzer - beater that decided the game. No single member of the Bucks took over the game, as a healthy team approach helped propel Milwaukee to the win. Six Bucks scored in double digits, but no single player scored more than 16 points in the game. The high man was wing Khris Middleton, who had 16 points to go along with seven rebounds. Los Angeles (40 - 28) has hit a bit of a rough patch in its season. The Clippers are now just 5 - 6 in their last 11 games. Center DeAndre Jordan enjoyed a feast in the low post on Wednesday, leading the Clippers with 22 points on 9 - of - 12 shooting along with 17 rebounds. Star forward Blake Griffin, meanwhile, had 18 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists. If Los Angeles was able to get the same level of production from its third star, veteran superstar Chris Paul, the end result likely would have been very different. Paul, however, struggled mightily, committing six turnovers and scoring only six points. The Clippers will visit Denver on Thursday, while the Bucks will see the Lakers on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 96 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 34 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 33 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Khris Middleton') has 16 Assists ,has 7 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 4 Assists ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 12 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 22 Field goals made ,has 17 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 6 Assists ,has 6 Field goals attempted ."]

The San Antonio Spurs (20 - 5) defeated the Atlanta Hawks (14 - 11) by the convincing score of 103 - 78, Saturday in Atlanta. The Spurs came out in domination mode, amassing a 47 - 25 lead by half - time. The Spurs shot a steaming 50 percent from deep, while the Hawks only managed 20 percent. They also hit 21 out of their 22 free - throw attempts. Kawhi Leonard was the man for his team, leading on both ends of the floor. Leonard finished with 22 points on 7 - 13 shooting, including hitting 7 - 7 from the foul - line, along with eight rebounds, five steals and four assists, in 32 minutes. LaMarcus Aldridge tallied 13 points, six rebounds and one assist in 27 minutes. Manu Ginobili shot a convincing 5 - 7 from the field, as well as 3 - 3 from deep, on his was to 17 points, in only 18 minutes. Paul Millsap was on his game but unfortunately he did not have much company, as no one else could tally more than 10 points, rebounds or assists for the Hawks. Millsap finished with 22 points on 9 - 13 shooting, including 2 - 3 from deep, along with five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Al Horford finished with nine points and seven rebounds, three assists and two steals, in 25 minutes. Dennis Shroder struggled shooting, going 2 - 10 from the field, but dished seven assists and grabbed three rebounds. Next up Atlanta will host Miami on Monday, in a crucial Southeast Division match - up. The Spurs will host the feisty Utah Jazz on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 21 Number of team assists ,has 21 Percentage of 3 points ,has 11 Losses ,has 78 Total points ,has 14 Points in 1st quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 50 Number of team assists ,has 5 Percentage of 3 points ,has 103 Losses ,has 22 Total points ,has 20 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 4 Assists ,has 32 Blocks ,has 22 Minutes played ,has 8 Offensive rebounds ,has 5 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 27 Minutes played ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ,has 13 Personal fouls ,has 6 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Manu Ginobili') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Minutes played ,has 17 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 1 Minutes played ,has 22 Offensive rebounds ,has 5 Personal fouls ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 3 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 7 Minutes played ,has 2 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dennis Schroder') has 7 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ."]

Utah pulled out a wire - to - wire win in this lopsided matchup, as they held a double - digit lead for the final 20 - plus minutes. Efficiency was key, as the Jazz recorded 25 assists, while shooting 51 percent from the field. Brook Lopez was the only starter in double figures for Brooklyn, as he tallied 17 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Quincy Acy led the team in scoring, dropping 18 points off the bench. Trevor Booker also came off the bench to provide 11 points and eight rebounds. George Hill was the best player on the floor, as he accumulated 34 points and seven assists on 10 - of - 12 shooting. Derrick Favors finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds on 8 - of - 9 from the field. Rudy Gobert contributed 11 points, seven rebounds and two blocks on a perfect 4 - of - 4. Gordon Hayward amassed 12 points, three rebounds, six assists and two steals.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 25 Number of team assists ,has 51 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 2 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Quincy Acy') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 6 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Favors') has 9 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 19 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 2 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 7 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'George Hill') has 7 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 34 Field goals made ."]

The Milwaukee Bucks (27 - 38) defeated the visiting Miami Heat (37 - 27) 114 - 108, Wednesday evening at BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Bucks improved to 19 - 12 at home as they protected their court against the Miami Heat. The Heat came in winners of their last five games and seated fourth place in the East, 2 games ahead of Atlanta, but could not improve on their season - high win streak. Milwaukee got out to a quick 70 start and held the lead until Miami fought back late in the third to gain its first lead. The Heat led by five to start the final quarter but the Bucks did not give in and reclaimed the lead with seven minutes to go. Finally, Khris Middleton hit a floater to put the Bucks up by five with 27 seconds left, before the teams exchanged free throws to close it out. Milwaukee saw another great game from its budding stars, as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker and Khris Middleton all dropped more than 20 points. Giannis finished with 24 points (9 - 15 FG, 6 - 10 FT), along with seven rebounds, six assists and two steals, in 37 minutes, while Parker added 23 points (7 - 13 FG, 1 - 1 3Pt, 8 - 11 FT), three rebounds and two steals, in 38 minutes. Khris Middleton filled up the stat sheet with 22 points (8 - 15 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt, 5 - 5 FT), eight assists, seven rebounds and one steal, in 40 minutes. In total the Bucks shot a very strong 52 percent from the field and tallied 27 assists as a team. Miami fell just short of winning a season - high sixth straight game, as they dropped the first game of a three - game road trip. Luol Deng had a strong game for the Heat as he tallied his eighth double - double of the season, with 20 points (9 - 17 FG, 2 - 4 3Pt) and 11 rebounds, along with two assists, two steals and one block, in 38 minutes. Dwyane Wade contributed 18 points, six assists, three rebounds and two steals, but turned the ball over six times in his 34 minutes on the floor. Hassan Whiteside was big in 29 minutes off the bench with 23 points (9 - 13 FG, 5 - 5 FT), 13 rebounds and three blocked shots. Miami also shot 52 percent from the field but gave up a few too many turnovers, with 17. The Heat now travel straight to Chicago for a match on Friday. The Bucks host the Pelicans on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 27 Number of team assists ,has 38 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 27 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 27 Number of team assists ,has 108 Losses ,has 37 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Luol Deng') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 38 Free throws attempted ,has 20 Free throws made ,has 11 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 6 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 34 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 6 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 3 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 29 Field goals made ,has 23 Free throws attempted ,has 13 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 6 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 37 Field goals made ,has 24 Free throws attempted ,has 7 Free throws made ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jabari Parker') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 38 Free throws attempted ,has 23 Free throws made ,has 3 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Khris Middleton') has 8 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 15 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 5 Free throws attempted ,has 40 Free throws made ,has 22 Minutes played ,has 7 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ."]

The New Orleans Pelicans (26 - 43) defeated the Los Angeles Clippers (43 - 26) 109 - 105 on Sunday. The Pelicans led 102 - 88 with two minutes left and barely held on for a much needed win. The key for New Orleans was the rebounding, as they brought down 54 boards to the Clippers 35. That marks the 10tth - straight game that the Clippers have been outrebounded, with nine of those being by at least 12 boards. The Pelicans shot 49 percent from the field, while holding Los Angeles to just 40 percent in their victory. The Clippers continue to struggle and the return of Blake Griffin is becoming more envious every day. This marks their fourth loss in their last five games and their sixth loss in their last eight. Chris Paul had yet another superb outing though, as he tallied 24 points, 13 assists, six rebounds and four assists. J.J. Redick scored 24 of his own on 9 - for - 11 shooting. Up next for the Clippers is a rivalry match against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, so the tough times look likely to continue. New Orleans has had to play many games without Anthony Davis, but this may have been their best performance. They also played without Ryan Anderson and Tyreke Evans, so it was a true team effort. All five starters scored at least 14 points, with Jrue Holiday leading the team while also contributing eight assists. Omer Asik got the start and double - doubled, in a 15 - point, 14 - rebound effort. Toney Douglas flirted with a triple - double as well, as he accumulated 15 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. New Orleans will look to build off this win on Tuesday against the Miami Heat.

["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 43 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 54 Rebounds ,has 26 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 26 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 35 Rebounds ,has 43 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'JJ Redick') has 11 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 24 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 13 Assists ,has 24 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Omer Asik') has 15 Assists ,has 14 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 8 Assists ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Toney Douglas') has 9 Assists ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ."]

The Sacramento Kings (8 - 15) defeated the Utah Jazz (9 - 10) 114 - 106 on Tuesday night. In a battle of a dominant defense versus a potent offense, the better offense prevailed. The Kings were at full force tonight, as they shot an amazing 56 percent from the field in their victory. The Jazz continue to play poor defense without Rudy Gobert and that can be exemplified by the fact that they failed to record a block in this game. The Jazz have been the better team this season, but the Kings simply have more talent and that proved to be the difference on Tuesday. Utah is known for their stifling defense, but it simply hasn’t been the same with Gobert. They are now allowing nearly 115 points a game without Gobert in the lineup and they simply ca n't score enough to win those types of games. Utah actually got off 15 more shots than the Kings, but were outshot by 15 percent. Utah's best player on this night was Gordon Hayward yet again, as he tallied 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the defeat. The bench also played well, as Trevor Booker, Trey Burke and Alec Burks combined for 42 points. Utah's going to have to learn to play better defense without Gobert or the recent struggles will continue. Utah will host the New York Knicks on Wednesday in their next scheduled game. This win ended a three - game skid for the Kings and it came with a great team performance. The starters were simply fantastic, as they combined for 92 points in the win. Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins both led the team with 23 points and Omri Casspi and Rajon Rondo pitched in with some nice double - doubles. This is the George Karl offense at its finest, as the starters combined for 26 assists and made great passes one after another. Sacramento will look to build off this win when they host the New York Knicks on Thursday.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 56 Percentage of field goals ,has 15 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 15 Turnovers ,has 8 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 10 Percentage of field goals ,has 106 Losses ,has 9 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 6 Assists ,has 18 Points ,has 8 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gay') has 23 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 23 Assists ."]

Portland's emerging backcourt has looked stronger than ever in the new season, and Friday put that on full display. Guards C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard scored 31 and 36 respectively, with Lillard also dishing out a team - high seven assists. McCollum grabbed four steals on defense, and the pair combined for seven of Portland's 13 three - pointers as a team. The duo shot well over 50 percent, with Lillard hitting 12 - of - 19 shots from the filed, and McCollum hitting 13 - of - 24. Sacramento, meanwhile, saw limited contributions from its backcourt but enjoyed another dominant night for the frontcourt pairing of DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay. Cousins led the team with 33 points, while also pulling down nine rebounds and blocking two shots. Gay, meanwhile, scored 29 and helped establish Sacramento's dominance on the boards, pulling down 14 rebounds on the night.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 29 Percentage of 3 points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gay') has 29 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 33 3-pointer percentage ,has 9 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 24 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 31 3-pointer percentage ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 7 Assists ,has 50 Blocks ,has 19 3-pointer percentage ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 36 Field goals made ."]

The Houston Rockets (41 - 41) defeated the Sacramento Kings (34 - 48) 116 - 81 on Wednesday. The Rockets came in to the game with a simple mission; prevail over a significantly undermanned Kings squad and by doing so, clinch the final Western Conference playoff spot. The outcome was seemingly never in question, as Houston jumped out to a 34 - 18 lead after one quarter. The veteran trio of James Harden, Patrick Beverley and Dwight Howard stepped up when it mattered most, tallying 61 of the Rockets' 116 points on the night. The victory allowed Houston to finish the season with three straight wins, even their record at .500 and most important, grab the eighth seed in the conference. Sacramento played without the resting DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Rajon Rondo, so it was Ben McLemore who led the way with 24 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. James Anderson was next with 13 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals. Kosta Koufos turned in his second consecutive double - double, tallying 12 points, 11 rebounds, an assist, two blocks and a steal. Seth Curry pitched in with 10 points, six rebounds and five assists. Quincy Acy paced the reserves with 10 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. The Kings finish with a 33 - 49 record and third in the Western Conference's Pacific Division. The Rockets were spearheaded by Harden, who supplied 38 points, four rebounds and four assists. Howard was a distant second with 14 points, 10 rebounds and a block in just 25 minutes. Beverley stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, 12 assists, four rebounds and an outstanding six steals. K.J. McDaniels and Michael Beasley were both productive off the bench, with respective point totals of 11 and 10 points. McDaniels supplemented his scoring with four rebounds, while Beasley pitched in with five rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. Houston finishes with a 41 - 41 record and in fourth place in the Western Conference's Southwest Division. They'll face off with the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 41 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 34 Points in 1st quarter ,has 41 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 49 Losses ,has 81 Total points ,has 18 Points in 1st quarter ,has 33 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Anderson') has 5 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 4 Minutes played ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kosta Koufos') has 1 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 12 Minutes played ,has 11 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ben McLemore') has 3 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ,has 5 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Seth Curry') has 5 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 6 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Quincy Acy') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 10 Minutes played ,has 8 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Howard') has 1 Assists ,has 25 Blocks ,has 14 Minutes played ,has 10 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 4 Assists ,has 38 Blocks ,has 4 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patrick Beverley') has 12 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 4 Minutes played ,has 6 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Beasley') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 10 Minutes played ,has 5 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'KJ McDaniels') has 11 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ."]

The Minnesota Timberwolves (10 - 16) defeated the Sacramento Kings (10 - 16) 99 - 95 on Friday. Andrew Wiggins has endured the up - and - down offensive performances typical of a young player over the course of his sophomore campaign. However, the 2014 first - round pick has been heating up from the field in recent games, and his increasingly proficient shooting culminated in his first double - double of the 2015 - 16 campaign. Wiggins managed 32 points by draining 11 of his 20 shot attempts, and added season - high totals of 10 rebounds and six assists. He also sank two late free throws with one second left to seal the hard - fought victory. Sacramento received outstanding double - double efforts from their dynamic duo of DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo. The Kings' big man collected 24 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, four steals and a block, while the stat - sheet - stuffing point guard tallied 11 points, 13 assists, four rebounds and three steals. Both players did turn the ball over five times apiece, and Rondo missed a key free throw with two seconds left. Rudy Gay supported his teammates' respective efforts with 20 points, five rebounds and a block, while Omri Casspi was the fourth member of the starting unit with double - digit points (11). Darren Collison paced the Sacramento bench with 15 points. The Kings fell to 10 - 16 and currently reside in fourth place in the Western Conference's Pacific Division. They head to Toronto to face the Raptors on Sunday. Ricky Rubio and Karl-Anthony Towns supported Wiggins' breakout game with solid efforts of their own. Rubio filled out the stat sheet in typical fashion, collecting 12 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals, while the rookie big man pitched in with 15 points, eight rebounds and a block. Shabazz Muhammad led the Timberwolves reserves, equaling his season high with 16 points and hauling in seven rebounds. Gorgui Dieng added 11 boards of his own off the bench, meaning that five Minnesota players collected at least seven rebounds. This led to a 49 - 31 advantage for the home team on the glass, a key factor in the victory. Minnesota improved to 10 - 16 and currently resides in last place in the Western Conference's Northwest Division. They head to Brooklyn to take on the Nets on Sunday.

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The Golden State Warriors (70 - 9) defeated the San Antonio Spurs (65 - 13) 112 - 101 on Thursday. The Warriors came in to Thursday's game out for redemption, having not only lost two of the last three games, but incredibly, having endured both defeats at home. Their opponent certainly did n't seem likely to facilitate an easy route to getting back on track, as the Spurs have been the closest team in both caliber and record to the Warriors all season. However, Golden State looked prepared from early on, and won each of the first three periods to help set up the eventual double - digit victory. They also regained their shooting stroke against a stalwart Spurs defense, managing a 54 percent success rate from the field, and 48 percent figure from three - point range. San Antonio was led by Kawhi Leonard, who managed 23 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal. LaMarcus Aldridge was next with a modest 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. He suffered a finger dislocation in the first half but did manage to return. Tony Parker tallied 10 points, three rebounds and two assists. David West paced the bench with 11 points and seven assists. Two other players performed well in reserve roles as well, with Kevin Martin supplying 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal, and Kyle Anderson pitching in with eight points, 11 boards and three assists. The Spurs are officially locked into the second seed going into the postseason. They travel to Denver to take on the Nuggets on Friday. Golden State was led by Stephen Curry, who posted a game - high 27 points, nine assists, five rebounds and two steals. The reigning MVP shot a stellar 11 - for - 19 after a 7 - for - 25 performance against the Timberwolves on Tuesday. Harrison Barnes followed with 21 points, eight boards and an assist. Draymond Green compiled 18 points, seven assists, six rebounds and a steal. Klay Thompson collected 14 points, six assists, three rebounds and a steal. Although Andrew Bogut only put up a modest six points, he did haul in 11 boards, along with three assists, two blocks and a steal. The Warriors have now clinched the top seed in the Western Conference. They hed to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies on Saturday night.

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The Washington Wizards defeated the Toronto Raptors, 105 - 96, at Air Canada Centre on Wednesday evening. The Raptors (36 - 25) have put up valiant efforts thus far in the absence of All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry, with DeMar DeRozan particularly taking on an elevated role. However, when quality opponents come calling, the void felt by the absence of a player of Lowry's caliber eventually rears its ugly head. Such was the case Wednesday, as the Wizards (36 - 23) leveraged superb efforts from trade - deadline acquisition Bojan Bogdanovic and trusted shooting guard Bradley Beal to pull out the tough road win. The pair combined for nearly half of Washington's point total, and the visitors made a game - changing statement in the second quarter by outscoring their hosts by a whopping 26 - 1 in the first 5:54 of the period. On the defensive end, the Wizards stymied Toronto to the tune of sub - 40 percent success rates from both the field and three - point range overall. Bogdanovic paced the Wizards overall with 27 points, his best scoring haul since donning his new team's uniform. His effort included a sensational 6 - for - 7 tally from behind the arc. Beal followed with 23 points, three assists, one rebound, two steals and one block. Markieff Morris was next with a productive stat line of 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists. John Wall generated a 12 - point, 13 - assist double - double that also included four rebounds and one block. Marcin Gortat matched Wall's scoring total and added eight boards and one assist. Otto Porter, Jr. surprisingly went scoreless over 19 minutes, contributing only three rebounds and one steal. Bogdanovic's aforementioned hot hand combined with Porter's struggles allowed the former ample playing time. As customary, DeMar DeRozan led Toronto, totaling 24 points, four rebounds and two assists. Serge Ibaka, whose offensive presence has been especially valued in the wake of Lowry's injury, provided 22 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and one steal. Norman Powell was next with a bench - leading 17 points, which he supplemented two boards and two assists. Cory Joseph provided 11 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Jonas Valanciunas mustered a modest seven points but did haul in 11 boards and dish out one assist. The two teams now head back to the Nation's Capital for the second game of the home - and - home series, which unfolds on Friday night.

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The host Los Angeles Clippers demolished the Brooklyn Nets, 127 - 95, at Staples Center on Monday night. The Clippers (10 - 1) became the first team to reach 10 wins on the season with Monday's victory, and have made quick work of most teams on their run. One of the key factors to their success has been its league - best defense, which was on full display against Brooklyn. The Clippers held their opponents to 44 percent shooting and forced 21 turnovers on the night. Big man Mo Speights provided an extra defensive boost for LA, recording two steals and three blocks off the bench. Defense was n't the only story, however, as the Clippers were able to score a ridiculous 127 points on 53 percent shooting. Point guard Chris Paul led the offense with 21 points and nine assists, while All-Star power forward Blake Griffin trailed not far behind with 20 points and six assists. Los Angeles was able to score seemingly at will from beyond the three - point line, as the team shot 56 percent from three - point range. Brooklyn (4 - 6), meanwhile, was bitten with the injury bug prior to the contest. Point guard Jeremy Lin (hamstring) as well as backup Isaiah Whitehead (concussion) were sidelined, while star center Brook Lopez was given the game off to rest. The absence of key players did the Nets no favors, as the team struggled mightily on both ends of the floor. Former No. 1 overall pick turned D-League call - up, Anthony Bennett was forced to play 26 minutes, shooting just 2 - of - 8 during that stretch. The game was put out of reach for Brooklyn almost immediately, as Los Angeles took a 39 - 14 lead in the first quarter. The Nets will stay at Staples Center to play the Lakers on Tuesday, while the Clippers will host the Grizzlies on Wednesday.

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The visiting Minnesota Timberwolves took down the Phoenix Suns in dramatic fashion on Tuesday, 112 - 111. Tuesday's matchup offered a clash of two of the league's brightest young teams. The end result was a thriller, as Minnesota (17 - 28) managed to come away with the win following a contested buzzer - beater from small forward Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins finished the night as the game's leading scorer with 31 points and came up clutch on the defensive end with two steals. Reigning Rookie of the Year and star Karl-Anthony Towns also played a big part in the Wolves' win, as he came away with 18 points and 10 rebounds on the night. While Minnesota made plenty of mistakes, including sending Phoenix to the free - throw line 32 times, the Wolves were ultimately able to capitalize on their 52 percent shooting from the field to earn the victory. Phoenix (15 - 30), meanwhile, sits near the bottom of the league but had won two straight before hosting Minny on Tuesday. A big piece of the Suns' recent success has been another sophomore phenom, Devin Booker. Booker scored 26 against the Timberwolves to lead the team and extend his 20 - point game streak to ten. The Suns also saw perhaps the biggest game of the season for aging veteran Tyson Chandler. The center had 22 points on 9 - of - 9 shooting and pulled down 17 rebounds. The Suns will visit Denver on Thursday, while Minnesota will host the Pacers.

["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 30 Percentage of field goals ,has 111 Losses ,has 32 Total points ,has 15 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 28 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 17 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 31 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 18 Points ,has 10 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Devin Booker') has 26 Points ."]

The Atlanta Hawks (29 - 22) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers (7 - 42) 124 - 86 on Wednesday. The Hawks already had a double - digit lead after one quarter, and gradually pulled away from an overmatched Sixers squad that was coming off three full days of rest following a near upset of the reigning NBA champion Warriors last Saturday. Atlanta shot 52 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc, and with a comfortable lead throughout the second half, was able to give their bench players extended playing time. The reserves maximized the extra opportunity, scoring a whopping 80 of the team's 124 total points on the night. Five members of the second unit tallied double - digit scoring, and the Hawks enjoyed a lead as large as 43 points at one point in the fourth quarter. Atlanta was led by a pair of 13 - point efforts from Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Mike Scott. Hardway added seven rebounds, four assists and a steal, while Scott contributed a near double - double, hauling in nine boards, dishing out an assist and recording a steal. Three additional reserves - - Dennis Schroder, Thabo Sefolosha and Mike Muscala - - pitched in with 12 points apiece. Among the starters, Kent Bazemore led the way with his own 12 - point tally, which he complemented with three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague followed with matching 10 - point performances, with the former also registering four rebounds, three assists, a steal and two blocks, and the latter amassing three rebounds, three assists and three steals. With the victory, the Hawks remain in first place in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division. They head home for a Friday night showdown with the Indiana Pacers. The Sixers predictably had little to celebrate on the stat sheet, with a 17 - point outing by Nik Stauskas leading the way. He also managed four rebounds and a pair of assists. The frontcourt duo of Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel were next in line with 10 points apiece, along with five and seven rebounds, respectively. Okafor also had three assists, a steal and a block, but turned the ball over five times as well. Noel dished out five assists of his own, along with two steals and a block. Isaiah Canaan paced the reserves with 11 points, two rebounds and an assist. The Sixers remain in last place in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They head to Washington to take on the Wizards on Friday.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Toronto Raptors, 116 - 112, at Air Canada Centre on Monday. The Cavs (14 - 5) came in to Monday's contest facing their first crisis of the season, having lost three consecutive games for the first time in the current campaign. However, as has been the case during their time together, Cleveland's Big Three of Kyrie Irving, LeBron James and Kevin Love stepped up their collective game, combining for 86 of Cleveland's 116 points. Fittingly, it was James, the elder statesmen of the group, who led the way, tallying 34 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. The stellar efforts helped lead to 48 and 44 percent tallies from the field and three - point range, respectively. Love was equally spectacular to James in many respects, posting a 28 - point, 14 - rebound double - double. Irving totaled 24 points, seven assists and two rebounds. Tristan Thompson contributed a modest six points, but did also bring down 14 rebounds and also recorded an assist and posted a pair of blocks. Channing Frye led the bench with 10 points, five rebounds and two assists. The Raptors (14 - 7) saw their dynamic duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan step up with their own impressive performances, with the latter's 31 points, which were supplemented with five assists, four rebounds and three steals, pacing the offense. Lowry managed a near double - double with 24 points, nine assists, three rebounds and a steal. Jonas Valanciunas continued to battle a sore ankle to total four points and 10 rebounds. DeMarre Carroll and Pascal Siakam were only able to combine for 14 points, but Terrence Ross (14 points, a rebound, an assist and four blocks) and Patrick Patterson (12 points, nine boards) helped make up for the scoring void off the bench. The Cavs now head to New York on Wednesday to face the Knicks, which will conclude their current road trip. The Raptors remain home to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.

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The Mavericks (7 - 4) held on to defeat the 76ers (0 - 11) 92 - 86 at Wells Fargo Center on Monday. The 76ers gave the Mavericks a bit of a scare, but ultimately were unable to capture their first win of the season. Dirk Nowitzki scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, hitting a handful of clutch free throws along with Deron Williams to ice the game. Philadelphia had the advantage on the glass, outrebounding the Mavericks 46 - 39, but too many turnovers led to the 76ers demise. Chandler Parsons has been working his way back from a surgically - repaired knee, but has seen his minutes slowly increase. He scored a season - high 20 points in a season - high 21 minutes and took over the game early in the first half. Dallas really needs Parsons to get things going and this was certainly a step in the right direction. The Mavericks struggled from the field, shooting a lowly 40 percent, with Nowitzki, Williams and Wesley Matthews all having off nights shooting the basketball. Regardless, the win propelled Dallas into third place in the Western Conference. It's beginning to look like the season is lost for the 76ers, but they still have Jahlil Okafor to look forward to, as he continued his trek towards Rookie of the Year. The former Duke Blue Devil turned in his second straight double - double, scoring 19 points and pulling down 11 rebounds over 33 minutes. But perhaps the most surprising player for Philly has been point guard T.J. McConnell, who keeps filling up the score sheet night in and night out. The undrafted rookie out of Arizona scored 13 points with seven rebounds and six assists over 34 minutes. The Mavericks continue their road trip Wednesday against the Celtics, while the 76ers will eye their first win of the season against the Pacers at home.

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The Los Angeles Clippers (35 - 17) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers (8 - 44) in overtime for a 98 - 92 win on Monday. The Sixers carried a double - digit lead into the half, but just couldn’t hold off the Clippers for the full 48 minutes. The overtime got off to an ugly start as well, with Los Angeles scoring the first eight points. Both teams shot below 38 percent from the field and 25 percent from three - point range in the overtime thriller. The turnovers were the difference, as Philadelphia committed 20 turnovers to the Clippers 12. Los Angeles came into this game as a huge favorite and were lucky to escape with a win. Jamal Crawford and J.J. Redick led the team with 23 points a piece. Chris Paul had a good all - around game, as he tallied 19 points, six rebounds and seven assists in the win. DeAndre Jordan destroyed the Sixers in the paint, as he snatched down 21 rebounds and swatted away three shots in the victory. On deck for the Clippers is a matchup with the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. The Sixers have been a much more competitive team recently and nearly pulled out a statement win against a potent Clippers team. Jerami Grant led the team in both points and rebounds, as he amassed 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. Ish Smith was on a supposed 24 - minute restriction, but accumulated 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists in over 33 minutes of action. Up next for Philly is a game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

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Youngsters were on display in this matchup of struggling teams and Andrew Wiggins shined the brightest. Wiggins finished the game with 35 points and 10 rebounds on 14 - of - 20 shooting. He's on quite the tear right now, as he has scored 111 points across his last three games. Karl-Anthony Towns played well too, as he accumulated 25 points and 10 rebounds on 12 - of - 18 shooting. That shooting percentage was especially encouraging, considering he was just 16 - of - 45 across his last two games. Robert Covington continues to struggle for the Sixers, as he went just 1 - of - 12 from the field here en route to four points. In fact, that's the seventh game this season that Covington has shot below 22 percent from the field, while taking at least six shots. Joel Embiid did finish with a 10 - point, 10 - rebound double - double, but most of that production came in meaningless minutes.

["PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 12 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joel Embiid') has 10 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 3 Blocks ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 35 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 3 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 2 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 25 Personal fouls ,has 10 Points ."]

The Milwaukee Bucks (26 - 22) defeated the Toronto Raptors (33 - 16) 82 - 75 on Monday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Coming out of the third quarter, the Bucks had built a 73 - 60 lead and looked to be on the verge of coasting to an easy win. The Raptors made a run in the fourth quarter though, out - scoring the Bucks 15 - 9, but their comeback came up just short, as the Bucks secured the seven - point victory and ended the Raptors win streak at six. The Bucks were the superior shooters in this matchup, going 41 percent from the field and 44 percent from the three - point line, while the Raptors went just 32 percent from the floor and a meager 26 percent from beyond the arc. Khris Middleton led the Bucks with a very impressive performance Monday. He went 10 - for - 17 from the field and 3 - for - 4 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 25 points, while also adding nine rebounds and three steals. With Brandon Knight sitting out due to a quad injury and Jorge Gutierrez going scoreless as his replacement in the starting lineup, Middleton took it on himself to keep the Bucks moving forward, and was the biggest reason for the Bucks' success. Giannis Antetokounmpo added a double - double, finishing with 12 points (4 - 9 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt, 4 - 8 FT) and 12 rebounds. It was his second double - double in a row, as he's combined for 22 points and 22 rebounds over those two outings. Also reaching double figures in points was Jared Dudley, who scored 14 points (5 - 12 FG, 3 - 7 3Pt, 1 - 4 FT) and handed out five assists. He's had a nice stretch of three games where he's averaging 16 points. John Henson also pitched in with 12 points (5 - 8 FG, 2 - 2 FT) and four rebounds. In limited playing time, DeMar DeRozan did everything he could to keep the Raptors alive in this game, finishing with 16 points (5 - 16 FG, 0 - 2 3Pt, 6 - 8 FT) and two assists in only 25 minutes. He's averaging 19 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists over his last three games. Kyle Lowry really struggled with his shot Monday, while he also was dealing with a tight hamstring, which forced him from the game in the first quarter before returning in the second. He went only 1 - for - 7 from the field and 0 - for - 2 from the three - point line to score two points in 29 minutes. Recording a double - double, Jonas Valanciunas recorded 12 points (6 - 9 FG) and 13 rebounds in 25 minutes. He was dealing with an ankle injury during Saturday's win over the Wizards and played only 17 minutes in that game, so it was good to see get some extended time on the court. The Raptors did see some contribution from their bench, with both Louis Williams and Terrence Ross reaching double figures in points. Williams had 12 points (1 - 12 FG, 1 - 7 3Pt, 9 - 10 FT) and one rebound, while Ross finished with 10 points (4 - 12 FG, 2 - 5 3Pt) and four rebounds. The Bucks' next game will be at home against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, while the Raptors will be at home against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 26 Percentage of 3 points ,has 32 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ,has 75 Total points ,has 15 Points in 4th quarter ,has 33 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 44 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 22 Losses ,has 82 Total points ,has 9 Points in 4th quarter ,has 26 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 12 Minutes played ,has 12 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jared Dudley') has 5 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 14 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Henson') has 8 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 29 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Khris Middleton') has 4 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 17 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 25 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 16 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 25 Free throws made ,has 3 Minutes played ,has 16 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 9 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 25 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 2 Assists ,has 0 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 29 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Williams') has 7 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 12 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Terrence Ross') has 5 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ."]

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the host Memphis Grizzlies, 96 - 87, to take a 30 lead Friday in the Western Conference first - round playoffs at FedEx Forum. Despite the change of scenery, the end result was the same as the first two games of the series. The short - handed Grizzlies simply did n't have enough offense to overcome an already - dominant Spurs defense, and now face the seemingly impossible task of trying to steal Game 4 on Sunday to salvage their season. Friday, the Spurs were able to hold the Grizzlies to a paltry 22 percent success rate from three - point range, while also causing 14 turnovers. Conversely, they enjoyed a strong offensive game themselves, shooting 46 percent from the field, and 46 percent from three - point range. Kawhi Leonard led the way for San Antonio with a game - high 32 points, which he complemented with seven rebounds, two assists, five blocks and four steals. LaMarcus Aldridge supported him with a 16 - point, 10 - rebound double - double that also included an assist and a block. Danny Green stepped up with 11 points, four rebounds, three blocks and a steal. Manu Ginobli paced the reserves with 11 points, five assists, three rebounds and a steal. Zach Randolph spearheaded Memphis' attack with 20 points, 11 rebounds and an assist. Matt Barnes was next with 17 points, 11 boards, four assists and two steals. Vince Carter drew the start and tallied 11 points and eight rebounds. JaMychal Green led the second unit with 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks. The two teams will reconvene for Game 4 of the series on Sunday afternoon at FedEx Forum. A Spurs victory will give them a first - round sweep, while a Grizzlies upset will send the series back to San Antonio for Game 5.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 22 Percentage of 3 points ,has 87 Percentage of field goals ,has 14 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 46 Percentage of 3 points ,has 46 Percentage of field goals ,has 96 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 2 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 32 Points ,has 7 Total rebounds ,has 4 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 16 Points ,has 10 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Danny Green') has 3 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 4 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Manu Ginobili') has 5 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 3 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Vince Carter') has 11 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Matt Barnes') has 4 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 11 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 1 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 11 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'JaMychal Green') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 10 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ."]

The Portland Trail Blazers (13 - 4) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (4 - 11) 107 - 93 on Sunday at the Moda Center in Oregon. The Blazers had a strong sencond quarter both offensively and defensively. They were able to hold the Timberwolves to only 14 points, while also scoring 26 of their own. The Blazers were able to take a 54 - 43 rebounding advantage, which may have also given them exactly what they needed to pull out the victory at home Monday. LaMarcus Aldridge and Wes Matthews did most of the damage to the Timberwolves in this game. Aldridge went an efficient 11 - for - 17 from the floor to score 26 points, while also grabbing 15 rebounds. He's now recorded four double - doubles in the past five games, increasing his season total to seven. Matthews on the other hand shot 8 - for - 13 from the field and 6 - for - 10 from beyond the arc to score 23 points combined with six rebounds. He's now averaging 26 points in his last three games, as he's been on fire of late. Damian Lillard struggled from deep in this one. He was only able to hit 1 - of - 7 three - pointers, but still contributed 17 points and eight assists in 36 minutes. He's averaging 20 points and 7 assists on the season. Nicolas Batum was the only other Blazer to reach double - digit points with 10. Despite being questionable with an illness coming into Sunday's game, Andrew Wiggins made the start and tried to play through it. He only ended up recording 18 minutes though, while finishing with seven points. Most of the Timberwolves production came from Shabazz Muhammad and Maurice Williams. Muhammad had arguably his best game of the season. He shot 12 - for - 17 from the field and 4 - for - 8 from the free throw line to score a season - high 28 points. He has n't reached the 20 - point mark yet this season, so it was a surprise performance for the forward who benefitted from the extra time he was given. Williams also had a big game and finished with 21 points and 11 assists. It was his third double - double in a row and fourth in five games. Thaddeus Young and Gorgui Dieng had 14 points and 11 points respectively in the loss. The Trail Blazers' next game will be on the road against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, while the Timberwolves will travel to Los Angeles to play the Clippers on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 4 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 26 Points in 1st quarter ,has 54 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 13 Rebounds ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 11 Losses ,has 93 Total points ,has 26 Points in 1st quarter ,has 14 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 43 Rebounds ,has 4 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 18 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thaddeus Young') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gorgui Dieng') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mo Williams') has 11 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 21 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Shabazz Muhammad') has 17 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 8 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 28 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 17 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 26 3-pointers made ,has 15 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wesley Matthews') has 10 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 13 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 23 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 36 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 17 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ."]

Chicago got out to a hot start by leading by 12 after the first quarter, but Detroit dominated from there. In fact, Detroit outscored Chicago by 26 from that point and won the fourth quarter, 30 - 16. Rebounding was key, as the Pistons won that battle, 48 - 37. Detroit also dominated scoring in the paint in addition to the rebounding, as they outscored Chicago, 58 - 32 in the paint. Jimmy Butler led the way for Chicago, as he tallied 27 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Robin Lopez finished with 18 points and four rebounds. Cameron Payne came off the bench to provide 14 points, three rebounds and three assists. Reggie Jackson scored 24 of his team - leading 26 points during the second half, also adding six assists to his tally on 11 - of - 16 shooting. Jon Leuer finished second on the team, totaling 16 points and six rebounds.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 26 Number of team assists ,has 30 Points in 1st quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 26 Number of team assists ,has 16 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jimmy Butler') has 4 Assists ,has 27 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robin Lopez') has 18 Assists ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cameron Payne') has 3 Assists ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jon Leuer') has 6 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 6 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 26 Points ."]

The San Antonio Spurs took care of the visiting New Orleans Pelicans in a 98 - 79 win at AT & T Center on Saturday. San Antonio (30) came into this game as a huge favorite and they did n't disappoint against a struggling New Orleans (0 - 3) team. The Spurs led by 10 at the half and extended that lead to 23 headed into the fourth quarter. Defense was key for San Antonio, as they held New Orleans to 37 percent from the field and 17 percent from three - point range. The Pelicans were held to just 34 points in the second half, as they had to play this game in the back end of a back - to - back set. Anthony Davis was averaging nearly 50 points and 15 rebounds in his first two games, but struggled against an elite Spurs defense. Davis was held to 18 points and five rebounds on 6 - for - 15 shooting in the loss. E'Twaun Moore tied the team - lead with 18 points of his own. No other player scored in double figures for the Pelicans, as the other three starters combined for just 10 points. The bench did combine for 29 points and 25 rebounds, but most of that came in garbage time. Kawhi Leonard continued his torrid start, as he scored 22 points in just 27 minutes of play. He actually scored 16 of those points in the third quarter, which is a career - high for a single quarter for Leonard. Patty Mills started for Tony Parker and finished second on the team with 18 points and five assists. The only other starter in double figures was LaMarcus Aldridge, who totaled 12 points and six boards. San Antonio will hop on a plane to travel to Miami for a game on Sunday. It would n't be a surprise to see Gregg Popovich rest some starters in that sort of circumstance with his history. New Orleans is off until Tuesday, when they host the Milwaukee Bucks.

["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 98 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 3 Losses ,has 79 Total points ,has 0 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 15 Assists ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ,has 5 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'E'Twaun Moore') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 12 Assists ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patty Mills') has 5 Assists ,has 18 Field goals attempted ."]

The Boston Celtics dominated the Washington Wizards 111 - 78 on Friday. This was a non - competitive game and it was no surprise with both team's last results. The Celtics had a comeback win over the Philadelphia 76ers in their last game in which they finished the game on a 16 - 4 run. The Wizards on the other hand, scored six points in the fourth quarter to blow a double - digit lead against the Charlotte Hornets in the fourth quarter of their last game. Clearly that epic collapse carried over here for the Wizards and they ca n't allow that to hang over them too much longer. Boston outshot, outrebounded, outassisted, and committed less turnovers than the Wizards in the blowout. They also beat them in every quarter by at least five points and this was the definition of a start - to - finish blowout. The Wizards shot just 32 percent in this loss and it was a downright ugly performance. The most worrisome part is the lack of hustle this team showed, as they were nearly doubled in the steals and blocks categories. John Wall had another bad game with just 10 points, six assists and four rebounds. He's been in a rut as of late and they need him to play like a star if the team is to get out of this slump. The only Washington player who showed up was Jared Dudley, who dropped 19 points off the bench. The Wizards will try to get back on track on Saturday against the Toronto Raptors. This was one of Boston's best games of the season, as they handled an Eastern Conference foe extremely easily. The Celtics were clicking on all cylinders, but their defense was the key, as they held the Wizards to 32 percent shooting. All the starters played well, as four of them scored at least 16 points and all five recorded at least three assists. Jared Sullinger was especially good, as he tallied 18 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the win. This is a deep team that plays some of the best team - ball in the NBA and these are the types of games that make them a true threat. Boston will look to keep up this form against an equally surprising Orlando Magic squad on Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 111 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 32 Percentage of field goals ,has 78 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 6 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jared Dudley') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jared Sullinger') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 18 Points ,has 15 Total rebounds ."]

The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Houston Rockets 127 - 114 Monday at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Not even a week after the Bucks (21 - 23) got blown out by the Rockets (34 - 14) in Houston, they return the favor on their home floor in Milwaukee, as the Bucks' young stars put on a show to earn the victory and end the team's five - game losing streak. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with a game - high 31 points on top of seven points, three rebounds and four blocked shots, while Jabari Parker had an impressive all - around game himself, recording 28 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 39 minutes. The two also combined to shoot a combined 22 - of - 36 from the field on a night where the entire team was finding their stroke. Overall, Milwaukee shot a ridicluous 59 percent from the field and 48 percent from behind the arc; numbers the very efficient Rockets could n't even match. As for those Rockets, they did still shoot the ball very well in the loss, hitting 40 percent of their shots from behind the arc 50 percent from the field overall. James Harden fell a rebound shy of a triple - double, as he finished with a team - high 26 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, but he also recorded 11 turnovers. Additionally, a big storyline headed into Monday's matchup was the return of Wisconsin-born Sam Dekker to his home state fresh off a career - high 30 point performance in his first career start. Monday did not go as well for the young Rocket in his return to the bench, however, as he managed just four points on 2 - of - 7 shooting in 16 minutes. Up next, the Bucks will stay home Wednesday to take on the 76ers, while the Rockets will head to Boston on Wednesday to play the Celtics.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 48 Percentage of 3 points ,has 59 Percentage of field goals ,has 23 Losses ,has 127 Total points ,has 21 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 40 Percentage of 3 points ,has 14 Percentage of field goals ,has 114 Losses ,has 34 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 12 Assists ,has 26 Blocks ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sam Dekker') has 7 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 4 Assists ,has 31 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jabari Parker') has 7 Assists ,has 39 Blocks ,has 28 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 3 Minutes played ."]

The Washington Wizards (25 - 28) won their second straight game out of the All-Star break Friday, defeating the Detroit Pistons (27 - 28) 98 - 86. Trade deadline acquisition Markieff Morris made his debut with the Wizards on Friday after being dealt just before the deadline by the Phoenix Suns. The controversial power forward had been the center of trade talks for much of the 2015 - 16 season, and was finally moved to Washington in exchange for a top - nine protected pick, Kris Humphries, and Dejuan Blair. Morris underwhelmed in 22 minutes of play, going just 2 - for - 8 from the field for six points while pulling down two rebounds. The Wizards as a whole, however, did not disappoint, carrying the momentum from their emphatic win over Utah into Friday's contest. All-Star John Wall took the game over, leading the team with 22 points while also notching eight rebounds and dishing out eight assists. The former first overall pick continues to be a bright spot for the team as they attempt to find their way back into the playoff picture. Center Marcin Gortat, meanwhile, neared a double - double, recording 15 points and nine rebounds. The Pistons also introduced a new face on Friday, as forward Tobias Harris debuted with the team. Harris made an immediate impact, leading the team with 21 points. The former Orlando wing's performance was complemented by yet another double - double from monster center Andre Drummond. The 22 - year - old first - time All-Star leads the league in both double - doubles and rebounds as of Friday. The loss keeps Detroit at ninth in the Eastern Conference, with a tight race for the playoffs sure to ensue. Washington now sits just two games out from the playoffs, and the sixth through tenth teams in the East are separated by a matter of only a few games. Both teams next face the Pelicans, with the Pistons taking on New Orleans on Sunday and the Wizards seeing them on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 28 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 9 Turnovers ,has 25 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 28 Losses ,has 86 Total points ,has 27 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 21 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcin Gortat') has 15 Assists ,has 9 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 8 Assists ,has 22 Points ,has 8 Total rebounds ."]

The Charlotte Hornets (3 - 5) were outscored 27 - 15 in the fourth quarter by the Portland Trail Blazers (5 - 3) on Tuesday at the Moda Center in Portland and took a 102 - 100 loss. The Hornets were up big early on in this one, reaching a 23 point lead in the first half, while eventually going into halftime up 13. Charlotte just could n't hold on to the lead though, and ended up losing a close one on the road in Portland. The Hornets were led by a double - double from Lance Stephenson with 14 points (5 - 10 FG, 2 - 4 3Pt, 2 - 4 FT) and 14 rebounds. Charlotte had a well - balanced attack offensively, with eight total players scoring, and each of them scoring at least seven points. Brian Roberts chipped in 12 points (4 - 7 FG, 2 - 2 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) in only 12 minutes of action, while Kemba Walker struggled to knock down his shot, scoring 16 points on 6 - 16 FG, 1 - 4 3Pt and 3 - 4 FT. The Hornets continue their tough road stretch against the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. The Trail Blazers came storming back in this one, and did so in impressive fashion. Portland was led by their dynamic duo of Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, but got solid production from multiple players on Tuesday night. Lillard scored 29 points (12 - 21 FG, 5 - 8 3Pt), with seven assists, four rebounds and two steals, while Aldridge scored 25 points (10 - 21 FG, 5 - 5 FT), with 14 rebounds and three assists. The Blazers have won two in a row now, and head on the road to take on the Nuggets tomorrow night in Denver.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 3 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 27 Points in 4th quarter ,has 5 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 5 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 15 Points in 4th quarter ,has 13 Turnovers ,has 3 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lance Stephenson') has 4 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 14 Free throws made ,has 14 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 4 Assists ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 16 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 16 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brian Roberts') has 2 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 12 Free throws made ,has 12 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 3 Assists ,has 21 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 25 Free throws attempted ,has 14 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 7 Assists ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 21 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ,has 29 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ,has 2 Minutes played ."]

These are two teams battling to capture that eight - seed in the west and this veteran Dallas team gave it to this new - look New Orleans bunch. Defense was key for the Mavericks, as they held the Pelicans to under 40 percent shooting, while forcing them to commit 19 turnovers. Anthony Davis carried the load for New Orleans, as he tallied 39 points and 14 rebounds. Jrue Holiday finished second on the team with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists. DeMarcus Cousins accumulated 12 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and three steals in his second game with the Pelicans. Harrison Barnes led Dallas in scoring, as he accrued 19 points, three rebounds and three steals. Dirk Nowitzki finished second on the team, collecting 18 points and nine boards. Salah Mejri had one of the ugliest lines in the history of the NBA, as he fouled out in five minutes, while failing to record a single stat aside from a turnover.

["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 19 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 39 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 6 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 15 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 6 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 7 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 19 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 1 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 9 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Salah Mejri') has 1 Assists ."]

The Orlando Magic (34 - 45) defeated the visiting Miami Heat (46 - 33) 112 - 109, Friday evening at Amway Center. The Heat came into this game in fifth place, only half a game behind the third place Hawks and half a game ahead of the sixth place Hornets, but the Magic put a damper on the Heat as they managed to keep them from making any progress in the Eastern Conference standings. Evan Fournier and Nikola Vucevic combined for 57 points as they led the Magic in a valiant effort to avoid a third season - sweep by the Heat in the last four seasons. Fournier finished with 28 points (7 - 12 FG, 2 - 2 3Pt, 12 - 15 FT), seven assists, seven rebounds and one steal, in a whopping 46 minutes. Nikola Vucevic tallied a game - high 29 points (12 - 20 FG, 5 - 6 FT), along with six rebounds, two blocked shots, one assist and one steal, in 35 minutes. Victor Oladipo tallied 13 points and four rebounds, in 28 minutes before he had to leave the game in the third quarter after taking an elbow to the face. Elfrid Payton notched a double - double with 16 points and 10 assists, along with three rebounds and one steal, in 37 minutes. The Heat had seven players score in double digits and had the game tied with 30 seconds left thanks to a clutch three - pointer from Joe Johnson, but could not execute on their last possession after Orlando had re - claimed the lead. Dwyane Wade was the high - point man for the Heat as he dropped 17 points, along with five assists, in 31 minutes. Hassan Whiteside put in work down low as he finished with 13 points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots, in 28 minutes off the bench. Luol Deng also finished with a double - double, including 10 points and 10 rebounds, in 32 minutes. The Heat missed 10 free throws in the game, an awful stat in a three - point loss. These two teams meet again for the second of a home - and - home series on Sunday, in Miami.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 45 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 34 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 33 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 46 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joe Johnson') has 13 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Luol Deng') has 32 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 5 Assists ,has 31 Blocks ,has 17 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 4 Assists ,has 28 Blocks ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 7 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ,has 12 Free throws attempted ,has 46 Free throws made ,has 28 Minutes played ,has 7 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 1 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 20 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 5 Free throws made ,has 35 Minutes played ,has 29 Points ,has 6 Total rebounds ,has 1 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Victor Oladipo') has 28 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 10 Assists ,has 37 Blocks ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ."]

The Spurs (48 - 26) defeated the Heat (34 - 40) 95 - 81 at the AmericanAirlines Arena on Tuesday. The game was tight until midway through the third quarter, when the Spurs began to pull away. By the end of the third, they'd established an 11 - point lead. Shooting percentages were probably the difference - maker, as the Spurs went 50 percent from the field (37 - 74 FG) and 44 percent from three - point range (8 - 18), while the Heat hit 41 percent of their shots from the field (32 - 79) and 33 percent from beyond the arc (5 - 15). Kawhi Leonard led the Spurs in scoring with 22 points (8 - 13 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt), to go with nine rebounds, three assists, four steals and two blocks in 38 minutes. Tony Parker had 16 points (7 - 12 FG), two rebounds, five assists and one steal in 26 minutes. Tim Duncan contributed 12 points (5 - 10 FG), 11 rebounds, one assist, one steal and three blocks in 24 minutes. Goran Dragic was Miami's leading scorer with 19 points (6 - 14 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt), to go with one rebound and three assists in 39 minutes. Dwayne Wade added 15 points (6 - 20 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt), five rebounds and one assist in 34 minutes. Chris Andersen (calf) started Tuesday's game despite sitting out Sunday against the Pistons. He had four points (2 - 8 FG), 10 rebounds and two steals in 24 minutes. Hassan Whiteside (hand) returned from a three - game absence to spell Andersen at center. He finished with 10 points (5 - 7 FG), six rebounds, one assist, two steals and one block in 23 minutes. The Spurs are sixth in the Western Conference, three games ahead of the seventh - place Mavericks. Miami is currently the seven seed in the Eastern Conference, only a half - game ahead of the eighth - place Nets. With Tuesday's victory, the Spurs have swept the season series with the Heat, 20.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 33 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 40 Losses ,has 81 Total points ,has 20 Points in 1st quarter ,has 34 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 44 Percentage of 3 points ,has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 26 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 48 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 38 Minutes played ,has 22 Personal fouls ,has 9 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Duncan') has 1 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 24 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ,has 11 Minutes played ,has 1 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tony Parker') has 5 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 26 3-pointers made ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Andersen') has 1 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 24 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 1 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 34 Field goals made ,has 15 Minutes played ,has 5 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Goran Dragic') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 39 Field goals made ,has 19 Minutes played ,has 1 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 1 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 23 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 6 Minutes played ,has 2 Personal fouls ."]

The Chicago Bulls (41 - 40) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans (30 - 51) 121 - 116 on Monday. With both of these teams playing for nothing, defense became an option rather than a necessity. Both teams shot over 50 percent, with the Bulls shooting 57 percent. Chicago turned it on in the second half, as they outscored the Pelicans by 14 points over the final 24 minutes. The list of players who sat out in this game looks like an All-Star roster, so it's no surprise both of these teams missed out in the playoffs. The Bulls playoffs hopes ended just last week, but they showed some resiliency here with this win. Jimmy Butler was the player of the game, as he tallied 23 points and 11 assists. Nikola Mirotic also played well, as he totaled 20 points, four rebounds and three assists. The Bulls final game will be on Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers. The season has been over for New Orleans for some time now, but these youngsters continue to develop and play good ball. James Ennis was fantastic, as scored a game - high 29 points and also provided five rebounds and four assists. Tim Frazier continued his great form off the bench, as he accumulated 20 points, 11 assists and six rebounds of his own. Toney Douglas also scored 21 in the loss. New Orleans will finish out the season on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 51 Percentage of field goals ,has 116 Losses ,has 30 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 57 Percentage of field goals ,has 40 Losses ,has 121 Total points ,has 41 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Mirotic') has 3 Assists ,has 20 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jimmy Butler') has 11 Assists ,has 23 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Ennis III') has 4 Assists ,has 29 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Toney Douglas') has 21 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Frazier') has 11 Assists ,has 20 Points ,has 6 Total rebounds ."]

The Oklahoma City Thunder (43 - 20) defeated the host Milwaukee Bucks (26 - 37) 104 - 96 on Sunday at BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Thunder have been struggling lately, coming into this game on a two - game losing streak and with a 2 - 6 record since the All-Star break. However, they looked strong in this one, jumping out to a 32 - 12 first quarter lead. Milwaukee fought back in the second and third quarters in order to close the gap to five, heading into the fourth. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook took over from there, combining for 16 of OKC's 20 points in the final frame to seal the deal for the Thunder. Durant led all scorers with 32 points (6 - 14 FG, 4 - 9 3Pt, 16 - 18 FT) and tallied an excellent 11 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one blocked shot, in his 40 minutes on the floor. Russell Westbrook notched his 10th triple - double of the season as he clocked in 15 points (3 - 7 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt, 8 - 11 FT), 11 assists and 10 rebounds, in 39 minutes. Westbrook however gave up seven of the team's total 22 turnovers on the game. Steven Adams was solid at the center position and finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists, in 28 minutes. The Thunder shot only 43 percent from the field but managed to hold the Bucks to an even lower 38 percent, which allowed them to storm off with their 18th road win. The Bucks entered this contest 6 games out of eighth spot in the East and this loss only dampens their chances of catching up, however they did see a huge plus - side in the performances of young stars Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Parker poured in an efficient 26 points (12 - 23 FG, 0 - 2 3Pt, 2 - 3 FT), along with five rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block, in 36 minutes, while Giannis recorded his third triple - double of the season, with 26 points (8 - 20 FG, 0 - 2 3Pt, 10 - 11 FT), 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Antetokounmpo also tallied four blocked shots and three steals, with only two turnovers, in 42 minutes. Meanwhile, Khris Middleton chipped in 18 points, five rebounds, five steals and three assists, in 40 minutes. Despite some great performances by the home team players, Milwaukee could not quiet the Thunder. The Bucks will now pack up and head to Chicago for a Monday evening contest. The Thunder have a couple of days off before hosting the Clippers on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 38 Percentage of field goals ,has 37 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 12 Points in 1st quarter ,has 26 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 20 Percentage of field goals ,has 104 Losses ,has 32 Total points ,has 20 Points in 1st quarter ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 43 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 18 Free throws attempted ,has 16 Free throws made ,has 40 Minutes played ,has 32 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Steven Adams') has 4 Assists ,has 28 Blocks ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 11 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 11 Free throws attempted ,has 8 Free throws made ,has 39 Minutes played ,has 15 Points ,has 10 Total rebounds ,has 7 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 10 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 0 3-pointers made ,has 20 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 11 Free throws attempted ,has 10 Free throws made ,has 42 Minutes played ,has 26 Points ,has 12 Total rebounds ,has 3 Steals ,has 2 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jabari Parker') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 0 3-pointers made ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 36 Minutes played ,has 26 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ,has 2 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Khris Middleton') has 3 Assists ,has 40 Blocks ,has 18 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers (14 - 7) defeated the Portland Trail Blazers (9 - 14) 105 - 100 on Tuesday. The Cavs entered the night trying to not only end a rare three - game losing streak, but also get back on track at home after dropping their first game in Quicken Loans Arena last Thursday versus the Wizards. Things were n't exactly looking up for the home team at the half, as Cleveland faced a 56 - 47 deficit by intermission. A resurgent and resolute Cavs squad took the floor in the third quarter however, handily outscoring the visitors 30 - 19 during the period on the back of Kevin Love's nine points. Then it was LeBron James' turn in the fourth quarter, during which he tallied 12 of his 33 points on the night to help Cleveland escape with the victory. Portland received typically outstanding performances from their dynamic backcourt duo of Damian Lillard (33 points, six rebounds, six assists) and C.J. McCollum (24 points, five assists, three rebounds and a pair of steals). However, it was the insufficient production from their other three starters that played a crucial part in Portland coming up just short of handing Cleveland a second straight home loss. Mason Plumlee, slumping as of late, contributed a modest 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and a block against the Cavs' top - five ranked defense versus centers. Al-Farouq Aminu had one of his worst games since donning a Blazers uniform this offseason, tallying only four points, five rebounds and a block. Meanwhile, Noah Vonleh contributed next to nothing in a start at power forward, only pitching in two points and four rebounds. Allen Crabbe continued his string of solid performances from the bench, posting a fifth consecutive double - digit scoring effort to pace the Portland reserves. The third - year pro managed 14 points, three rebounds and an assist. The Trail Blazers fell to 9 - 14 and currently reside in fourth place in the Western Conference's Northwest Division. They now head to Phoenix for a Friday matchup versus the Suns. James complemented his game - high 33 points with 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks. The perennial All-Star looked refreshed after being held out of the Cavs' most recent contest, a road tilt versus the Heat last Saturday. Love's aforementioned third - period tally of nine points represented half of his scoring on the night, as he totaled 18 points, along with four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Matthew Delladedova received another start in place of Mo Williams, and responded with a strong 17 - point effort. Williams was active as well, and paced the Cleveland bench with 13 points, a pair of rebounds and a pair of assists over a highly efficient 21 minutes. Cleveland improved to 14 - 7 and remains in first place in the Eastern Conference's Central Division. They now head to Orlando to take on the Magic on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 7 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 14 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 14 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 9 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al-Farouq Aminu') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws made ,has 5 Minutes played ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Noah Vonleh') has 2 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mason Plumlee') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 5 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 6 Assists ,has 33 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 33 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 4 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Matthew Dellavedova') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mo Williams') has 2 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ."]

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Houston Rockets, 112 - 110, Monday at AT & T Center. The game did n't take long to get out of hand, as the Rockets (44 - 20) opened up a 16 - point lead in the first quarter and looked to be well on their way to a big road victory. Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs (49 - 13), however, had different plans. San Antonio slowly chipped away at the lead over the next three quarters. In the end, it was a sequence that included a go - ahead three - pointer, a block on a James Harden layup and a pair of game - clinching free throws, all from Leonard, that ended Monday's contest. Leonard finished with a team - high 39 points on an impressive 12 - of - 18 shooting from the field to go along with six rebounds and five assists in 39 minutes. Additionally, what was key for the Spurs was Tony Parker's ability to slip out of a funk, as after three straight games in single digits, Parker finished with 19 points, six rebounds and three assists. As for Houston, James Harden was once again sensational, scoring 39 points on 12 - of - 20 shooting from the field and dishing out a game - high 12 assists in 36 minutes. In contrast, Lou Williams had a dreadful night from the field, hitting just 1 - of - 10 shots en route to scoring five points, and the favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year has now had three straight games where he has failed to score in double figures. In the end, five Rockets players managed to score in double figures, but it was n't enough to end the Spurs' seven - game win streak. Up next, San Antonio will look to extend their streak to nine games against the Kings on Wednesday, while the Rockets will look to bounce back against the Jazz at home Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 13 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 9 Points in 1st quarter ,has 49 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 20 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 39 Points in 1st quarter ,has 44 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 12 Assists ,has 36 3-pointers attempted ,has 39 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Williams') has 3 Assists ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 5 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 5 Assists ,has 18 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 39 Field goals attempted ,has 39 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tony Parker') has 3 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 19 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ."]

The Houston Rockets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 117 - 112, at Toyota Center on Sunday. This was a matchup full of stars and none of them disappointed. There was an NBA record tied in this game, as there were 88 combined three - point attempts. There were eight ties and 16 lead changes in total, with neither team leading by more than 14 points. Cleveland actually dominated the shooting, as they outshot Houston from the field, from three - point range and from the free - throw line. Rebounding was the glaring difference for the Rockets, as they won that differential, 52 - 38. Houston were also playing great defense, recording 10 steals to Cleveland's three. The Cavaliers (43 - 22) have now lost five of their last seven games, as they continue to struggle on defense. LeBron James led the way for Cleveland, as he accumulated 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists, despite committing eight turnovers. Kyrie Irving accrued 28 points, three rebounds, eight assists and two blocks. Richard Jefferson was the only other player in double figures, as he dropped 16 points on a perfect 6 - of - 6 shooting. On deck for the Cavaliers is a home matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. The Rockets (46 - 21) continue to take their three - point shooting barrage through the NBA and a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers shows just how much they have improved. James Harden recorded his 16th triple - double of the season, as he collected 38 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Ryan Anderson finished second on the team, totaling 16 points and six rebounds. Nene Hilario came off the bench to provide 12 points, six rebounds and three steals, while Eric Gordon led the bench with 13 points. Houston will look to keep rolling on Wednesday in a favorable home matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 21 Losses ,has 117 Total points ,has 46 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 22 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 43 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 5 Assists ,has 30 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Richard Jefferson') has 6 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 16 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 8 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 28 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ryan Anderson') has 16 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 11 Assists ,has 38 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 13 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nene') has 12 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 3 Field goals attempted ."]

The Indiana Pacers defeated the Orlando Magic, 98 - 88, at Amway Center on Wednesday evening. The Pacers (26 - 22) typically rely on Paul George to spearhead their offensive attack, and more often than not, that approach provides very favorable returns. However, on occasions when the star forward is n't quite on his A-game, there are still plenty of other options for Indiana to fall back on. Such was the case Wednesday, with George shooting just 3 - of - 14 from the field, but the four other members of the starting five hitting double - digit scoring. Their contributions, along with those of Glenn Robinson and Al Jefferson off the bench, helped lead the Pacers to the double - digit road victory. Excellent defense also played a pivotal role, as Indiana held the Magic (19 - 32) to 40 percent shooting, including 26 percent from three - point range. C.J. Miles led the way with 16 points and four rebounds. Jeff Teague was next with 13 points, nine assists and a rebound. Thaddeus Young stepped up with 12 points, five rebounds, an assist and three steals. Myles Turner posted 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Robinson led the bench with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Jefferson provided a full stat line of 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists in just 16 minutes. The Magic were paced by Serge Ibaka's 20 points, which he supplemented with nine rebounds, an assist and two steals. Nicola Vucevic generated a 15 - point, 15 - rebound double - double that also included five assists and a pair of steals. Evan Fournier was next with 12 points, four assists, a rebound and two steals. Elfrid Payton registered 11 points, six rebounds and three assists. D.J. Augustin led the second unit with 10 points. The Pacers next head to New York to tangle with the Brooklyn Nets on Friday evening, while the Magic remain home and await the Toronto Raptors for a Friday night showdown as well.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 32 Losses ,has 88 Total points ,has 19 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 22 Percentage of field goals ,has 98 Losses ,has 26 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 14 Assists ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thaddeus Young') has 1 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 3 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Myles Turner') has 3 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ Miles') has 16 Assists ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 9 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Jefferson') has 3 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 7 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Glenn Robinson III') has 14 Assists ,has 7 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Serge Ibaka') has 1 Assists ,has 20 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 5 Assists ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 4 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 3 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'D.J. Augustin') has 10 Assists ."]

The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the visiting Utah Jazz, 113 - 104, in the first game of the season on Tuesday. The game became a back - and - forth battle in the second half, with Utah establishing a lead that was quickly reclaimed by the Blazers in the fourth quarter. The emerging dynamic duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum helped pave the way for Portland's high - octane offensive outing, combining for 64 points, including 39 for Lillard. The pair helped facilitate a perimeter attack for the Blazers, as they contributed six of the team's 13 three - point makes. Portland also received a boost off the bench from recently re - signed wing Allen Crabbe, who provided 18 points and four more shots from behind the arc. Utah, meanwhile, is struggling to remain healthy despite the season having barely begun. Star forwards Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors were sidelined with injuries, as well as bench guard Alec Burks. Utah's offense was able to fill the void, however, with significant contributions coming from newly - acquired veteran Joe Johnson (29 points, 12 - 16 shooting) and sophomore Rodney Hood (26 points, two steals). It was the defensive end where Utah ultimately came up short, as the Blazers were allowed to convert on 52 percent of their field goal attempts. The Blazers will face the Clippers in Portland on Wednesday, while the Jazz will see the Lakers on Thursday.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 113 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 104 Percentage of field goals ,has 26 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joe Johnson') has 29 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rodney Hood') has 26 3-pointers made ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 39 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Allen Crabbe') has 4 3-pointers made ,has 18 Points ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Golden State Warriors, 110 - 89, at FedEx Forum. The Warriors (20 - 4) had rolled in to the Volunteer State riding high, with victories in 16 of their last 17 games. That impressive streak was harshly halted Saturday, however, as a defensive - minded Grizzlies squad managed to hold Golden State to a season - low point total. They also forced 23 turnovers from the Warriors, and held their dangerous long - range shooters to a collective 33 percent success rate from beyond the arc. While only Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry were able to post double - digit scoring for the visitors, the Grizzlies (17 - 8) countered with seven such performances, including one from each member of their starting five. Durant's relatively modest 21 points led the way for Golden State, a total he complemented with seven rebounds, an assist, two blocks and a steal. Curry supplied 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists, going just 4 - of - 14 from three - point range in the process. Klay Thompson (eight points) and Draymond Green (seven points) underwhelmed, while Anderson Varejao went scoreless over 18 minutes in a start at center. Ian Clark's 10 points paced the second unit. The Grizzlies saw Marc Gasol and Tony Allen lead the way with a pair of 19 - point efforts, with the former adding eight rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal, while the latter supplied four rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block. JaMychal Green was next with a 14 - point, 10 - rebound double - double that also included two assists and a steal. Matching 11 - point tallies from Andrew Harrison and Troy Williams rounded things out for the first unit, while Zach Randolph (14 points, seven rebounds, an assist) and Jarell Martin (13 points, seven rebounds, an assist and a steal) were strong in reserve roles. The Warriors head to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves on Sunday evening, while the Grizzlies next face the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Tuesday night.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 8 Percentage of 3 points ,has 110 Losses ,has 17 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 33 Percentage of 3 points ,has 4 Losses ,has 89 Total points ,has 16 Points in 1st quarter ,has 23 Turnovers ,has 20 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 1 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 21 Free throws attempted ,has 7 Minutes played ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 7 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anderson Varejao') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 8 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 3 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ian Clark') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tony Allen') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 19 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'JaMychal Green') has 2 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 6 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 19 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Troy Williams') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Harrison') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jarell Martin') has 1 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 1 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the host Brooklyn Nets, 116 - 108, at Barclay's Center on Friday. Cleveland was expected to win this game rather easily and they took care of business, thanks to full health. In fact, the Cavaliers led for the final 30 minutes, leading by 24 at times in their easy win. Despite shooting worse from the free - throw line, the aggressiveness of Cleveland to get there was the difference, as they attempted 43 free - throws to the Nets 19. The turnovers were decisive as well, with the Cavaliers winning that battle, 19 - 12. Much of that is attributed to the fact that Cleveland recorded 14 steals in the win. The Cavaliers (27 - 8) did n't close out quite like they'd expect, but they got the result they wanted. LeBron James carried the load, as he tallied 36 points, nine rebounds and six assists on 14 - of - 20 from the field. Kyrie Irving was n't far behind, as he scored 32 of his own, while handing out four assists. Kevin Love recorded a double - double, totaling 17 points and 13 rebounds. Tristan Thompson was the only other Cavs player in double figures, accumulating 10 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks. On deck for the Cavaliers is a road matchup with the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. The Nets (8 - 27) did a nice job of sticking around in this game, but they simply did n't have enough to hang around with a team like the Cavaliers. Bojan Bogdanovic was easily the teams best player, as he accrued 23 points and four assists. Trevor Booker recorded a 13 - point, 12 - rebound, four - assist double - double in the defeat. Brook Lopez did score 17 points, but he committed five turnovers and added just one rebound, one assist and no defensive statistics to his tally. Caris LeVert led the bench with 19 points, four rebounds and five assists. Brooklyn have a winnable game in their next fixture, as they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 27 Number of team assists ,has 108 Percentage of field goals ,has 19 Losses ,has 19 Total points ,has 8 Points in 1st quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 19 Number of team assists ,has 43 Percentage of field goals ,has 8 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 24 Points in 1st quarter ,has 12 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 27 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 6 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 36 Field goals made ,has 9 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 17 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tristan Thompson') has 2 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 4 Assists ,has 32 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 4 Assists ,has 23 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Booker') has 4 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 12 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 1 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Caris LeVert') has 5 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ."]

The Boston Celtics (17 - 30) defeated the New York Knicks (10 - 39) 108 - 97 on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Celtics got out to a quick lead in this matchup, going up 57 - 44 by halftime. The Knicks made a run in the third quarter, but could n't continue it in the fourth, as the Celtics stole the 11 - point victory on the road. The Celtics were the better shooters in this game, going 55 percent from the field, while the Knicks shot just 49 percent. The Celtics also out - rebounded the Knicks 39 - 35, even furthering their advantage Tuesday. Already the two scoring leaders for the Celtics this season, both Jared Sullinger and Avery Bradley did the most damage in this game. Bradley went an impressive 11 - for - 14 from the field and 3 - for - 5 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 26 points, while also adding four assists. He's had a decent two - game stretch, combining for 43 points, six assists and three steals. Sullinger on the other hand nearly double - doubled, recording 22 points (11 - 19 FG, 0 - 3 3Pt), nine rebounds and six assists. He had a poor showing in Sunday's game against the Heat, so it was good to see him get back on track Tuesday. Replacing Tyler Zeller as the starting center, Brandon Bass finished with 12 points and four rebounds in 30 minutes. Over his last three games he's averaged 15 points and six rebounds, so we'll see if his play continues to improve with more time in the starting lineup. Despite temporarily leaving the game with an injury, Marcus Smart returned and posted 13 points (3 - 9 FG, 2 - 7 3Pt, 5 - 6 FT) and three assists in 37 minutes. Carmelo Anthony did everything he could to keep the Knicks in this game, going for 21 points (9 - 23 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT), six rebounds and a steal. He's now combined for 52 points and 14 rebounds over his last two games, as he continues to be the team scoring leader. Jose Calderon shot very well, going 7 - for - 12 from the field and 3 - for - 4 from the three - point line to record 17 points. It was a nice surprise for the Knicks, as he's averaging only nine points per game on the season. Despite the loss, the Knicks also saw some decent production from the bench with both Tim Hardaway Jr and Lance Thomas finishing in double figures. Hardaway Jr had 14 points (5 - 11 FG, 2 - 3 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) and two assists in 23 minutes, while Thomas posted 11 points (4 - 7 FG, 3 - 4 FT) and two assists in 25 minutes. The Celtics' next game will be at home against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, while the Knicks will travel to Brooklyn to play the Nets on Friday.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers edged the Toronto Raptors, 94 - 91, at Air Canada Centre on Friday. Through two games, Kyrie Irving has looked like the Cavs' MVP, and led the team in scoring once again Friday night. However, he was nearly responsible for allowing a tightly - contested game to potentially go into overtime when he had the ball stolen from him by the Raptors' Patrick Patterson with one second remaining. Following an ensuing Toronto timeout, Kyle Lowry put up a 32 - foot last - gasp shot as time expired that failed to find the net, allowing the Cavs (20) to escape victorious. The Raptors (1 - 1) fell short after having come back from a 50 - 40 halftime deficit by outscoring Cleveland by a 51 - 44 margin in the second half. Irving's stat line consisted of 26 points, six rebounds and six assists, but he did commit a game - high seven turnovers. LeBron James turned it on in the fourth quarter after an ordinary first three periods, collecting 21 points, eight boards and seven assists. Kevin Love turned in an 18 - point, 10 - rebound double - double and added two assists, two blocks and a steal. Tristan Thompson accomplished the feat as well after a lackluster opener, managing 11 points, 10 rebounds, an assist and a block. The Raptors were once again led by DeMar DeRozan, who tallied a game - high 32 points and added seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Lowry stepped up with 17 points, four assists and two rebounds, although, like his point guard counterpart on the Cavs, he had trouble hanging on to the ball, committing six turnovers overall. Jonas Valanciunas continued his stellar start to the season with a 10 - point, 17 - rebound double - double, and added a block. DeMarre Carroll turned in a modest but full stat line with eight points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. The Cavs head back home to take on the Magic on Saturday night while the Raptors face off with the Nuggets at Air Canada Centre on Monday night.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 1 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 1 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 94 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 7 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 2 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 1 3-pointer percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tristan Thompson') has 1 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 6 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 1 3-pointer percentage ,has 26 Free throws attempted ,has 6 Free throws made ,has 7 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarre Carroll') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 6 3-pointer percentage ,has 2 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 1 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 17 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 2 Assists ,has 32 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 2 3-pointer percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 4 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 2 3-pointer percentage ,has 6 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patrick Patterson') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers made ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies (30) defeated the Portland Trail Blazers (0 - 3), 115 - 109, in Game 3 on Saturday at the Moda Center to take a commanding three - game lead in the series. Memphis led this game from the opening tip to the final buzzer as it cruised to another victory over Portland. Portland trailed by 10 points entering the fourth quarter, but a 90 Trail Blazers run cut the Grizzlies' lead to just three with 2:23 remaining. The Grizzlies responded with a run of their own and forced the Trail Blazers to foul in order to keep their faint chances alive. Memphis hit 13 out of 14 free throw attempts in the final minute to put the game on ice and hand Portland its tenth loss at home this season. The Trail Blazers are facing elimination and will look to extend the series with a win in Game 5 on Monday. While Memphis did manage to win Saturday, it did suffer a loss in Game 4. With Beno Udrih already sidelined with an ankle injury, the Grizzlies needed Mike Conley to shoulder the load at point guard. Conley suffered a head injury in the second half and was taken to a local medical facility for further examination, leaving his status for Game 4 up in the air. He had 14 points and four assists in 26 minutes before exiting the game. Backup point guard Nick Calathes ran the point for the remainder of the game and finished with 13 points and zero turnovers. The Grizzlies will look to complete the sweep over the Trail Blazers in Game 4 on Monday to advance to the second round. Portland was already in desperation mode heading into Game 3 after dropping the first two games of the series by a combined 29 points. The Trail Blazers could n't take advantage of a thin Grizzlies backcourt and are now at risk of being swept. Damian Lillard finished with 22 points, but only managed three points in the fourth quarter. A bright spot for the Trail Blazers was the play of Nicolas Batum and C.J McCollum, who finished with 27 and 26 points respectively. If Portland wins Monday, the series will move back to Memphis for Game 5 on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 3 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 30 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 26 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 0 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 115 Losses ,has 30 Total points ,has 3 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 4 Assists ,has 26 Minutes played ,has 14 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nick Calathes') has 13 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 27 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 22 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 27 Assists ,has 26 Minutes played ."]

The host Utah Jazz demolished the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, 111 - 88. Utah (33 - 22) entered the All-Star Break on a high note, blowing out the Blazers and reaching 11 games above .500. The Jazz were firing on all cylinders as they took Portland down, as the team shot 52 percent with six players scoring in double figures. All-Star Gordon Hayward scored a team - high 22 points while also grabbing six rebounds and dishing seven assists. Per usual, center Rudy Gobert backed up Hayward's scoring with dynamic defense and a solid effort on the glass. Gobert had 12 rebounds and blocked three shots. Portland (23 - 33) was as cold as Utah was hot. The Blazers shot an unimpressive 40 percent from the field, a large part of which was due to severe struggled from star point guard Damian Lillard. Lillard shot a hideous 3 - of - 19 from the field, ending with just 13 points. It was a stellar Blazers debut, however, for recently - acquired big man Jusuf Nurkic. Nurkic impressed off the bench, scoring 13 points and coming down with seven rebounds and three steals. The Nuggets, who dealt Nurkic to the Blazers earlier in the week, saw stellar play from former Blazer Mason Plumlee in his Denver debut. Thus far, both teams should be happy with their new big men's performance. Both teams will enter the All-Star Break.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 111 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 33 Percentage of field goals ,has 88 Losses ,has 23 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 19 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 13 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jusuf Nurkic') has 13 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 7 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ."]

It was an offensive showcase as the Clippers and the Raptors faced off at Staples Center on Monday night. Both teams shot at least 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three - point range. The offensive output came from the usual suspects, as Los Angeles was led by Blake Griffin and Chris Paul with 26 points each. In addition to the scoring, Paul dished 12 assists and Griffin had six rebounds and seven assists. J.J Redick had another 20 points for the Clippers, including 9 - of - 9 from the free - throw line. DeAndre Jordan also hit nine free - throws, doing so on 14 attempts. The big man scored 17 and pulled down 15 rebounds. For Toronto, league - leading scorer DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points, while All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry scored 27. The two guards each dished out seven assists and combined for just four turnovers.

["PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 25 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 27 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 7 Assists ,has 26 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 14 Assists ,has 9 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'JJ Redick') has 9 Assists ,has 9 Free throws attempted ,has 20 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 12 Assists ,has 26 Free throws attempted ."]

The tightly - contested affair saw the Celtics enter the fourth period holding a slim 77 - 74 lead, but the Raptors mounted a comeback, outscoring their visitors by a 33 - 20 margin over the final 12 minutes. DeMar DeRozan's career - high 43 - point tally led Toronto. With Kyle Lowry (wrist) out of the lineup, DeRozan took 28 shot attempts overall, draining 15, and also visited the charity stripe a game - high 12 times. Serge Ibaka put up 15 points and seven boards in his Toronto debut. Cory Joseph amassed 11 points in his spot start, and Patrick Patterson matched his scoring total while leading the bench. Isaiah Thomas' 20 points led Boston, but shot just 35 percent overall. Jae Crowder and Marcus Smart followed with matching 19 - point efforts. Jaylen Brown produced 13 points, while Al Horford turned in a modest eight - point tally.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 33 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 20 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jae Crowder') has 19 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 8 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jaylen Brown') has 13 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 35 Field goals attempted ,has 20 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Smart') has 19 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Serge Ibaka') has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 28 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ,has 12 Field goal percentage ,has 12 Free throws attempted ,has 43 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cory Joseph') has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patrick Patterson') has 11 Field goals attempted ."]

The Orlando Magic defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 105 - 88, at Wells Fargo Center on Friday. The Magic's Aaron Gordon has been having a rough go of it this season, even suffering a demotion from the starting lineup at one point. However, Friday may ultimately prove to be a turning point, as the third - year forward collected a season - high 20 points to key Orlando's (8 - 12) fourth road victory. Gordon complemented the offense with a pair of rebounds and a block, and the Magic enjoyed one of their better shooting nights of the campaign on the way to their best scoring haul yet, tallying success rates of 47 percent from the field and 50 percent from three - point range. Evan Fournier and Serge Ibaka followed with a pair of 16 - point efforts for the Magic, with the former adding four boards, three assists and two steals, and the latter posting four rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block. D.J. Augustin got another start at point guard and supplied nine points, four assists and three rebounds over 22 minutes, while Bismack Biyombo registered four points but brought down 13 rebounds. Jeff Green and Nicola Vucevic were excellent off the bench, with 16 and 12 points, respectively. Vucevic also tallied 11 rebounds, dished out five assists and had both a steal and a block. The Sixers (4 - 15) were once again led by Joel Embiid, who celebrated the raising of his minutes limit by putting together a 25 - point, 10 - rebound double - double that also included four assists. No other member of the starting five hit double digits in the scoring column, but Gerald Henderson (nine points, three rebounds) and Robert Covington (nine points, six rebounds, an assist and two steals) were productive. Sergio Rodriguez and Ersan Ilyasova combined for another 15 points, Jahlil Okafor paced the second unit with a 16 - point, 13 - rebound double - double that also featured a pair of blocks. The Magic continue on their road trip with a trip to Detroit for a Sunday evening date with the Pistons, while the Sixers are home again on Saturday evening to face off with the Boston Celtics.

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The Golden State Warriors (52 - 5) continued their historic season with a 130 - 114 win over the Orlando Magic (25 - 31) on Thursday. Reigning MVP Steph Curry took over the game, scoring 51 points on 20 - for - 27 shooting including 10 three - pointers. Golden State continues to dominate at an all - time level, with the win keeping them on track to break the 1995 - 96 Bulls' regular season record of 72 - 10. Leading the charge has been reigning MVP Steph Curry, who delivered perhaps his best performance of the season on Thursday night. Curry shot the lights out while also recording seven rebounds and eight assists. The game also marked Curry's 128th consecutive outing with a made three - pointer, breaking the record for longest streak in NBA history. This may be unsurprising, though, as Curry is on track for countless all - time shooting records this year. With 266 three - pointers made this season, Curry is just 20 back from his own all - time record with 25 games remaining. Curry's season is currently fourth all - time in terms of three - pointers made, with Ray Allen being the only name ahead of him that is not his own. Curry's 32 PER is also on pace to break the single - season record held by Wilt Chamberlain. Now averaging 30 points per game, Curry is on pace to become just the second player of the 2010s to score in the 30s, after Kevin Durant. The star also figures to become the seventh member of the 50 - 40 - 90 club, as he boasts a shooting slash line of .508/.455/.912. Though Curry stole the show, Golden State saw solid performances top - to - bottom in Orlando. All-Star power forward Draymond Green made an impact on the defensive end with five steals while also dishing out eight assists on offense. As a team, Golden State recorded a whopping 35 assists and was simply unconscious from the field, shooting an elite 60 percent. The Warriors also managed to edge out Orlando on the glass, in what was an all - around win for the NBA's top team. Orlando, meanwhile, saw a solid and well - rounded effort against the reigning champs. All five members of the team's starting lineup scored at least 12 points, and the team managed to force 20 turnovers from the movement - oriented Warriors. Sophomore Aaron Gordon, who entered the starting lineup following the deadline trade of forward Tobias Harris, went for 19 points and eight rebounds on 9 - for - 14 shooting. Gordon made a name for himself on All-Star weekend as runner - up in the highly - rated Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, and he has played plenty of minutes since. He is averaging 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals since the All-Star break. The Warriors face a primetime matchup in Oklahoma City on Saturday night. The Magic will visit New York to take on the Knicks on Friday.

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In one of the season's more interesting statistical developments, it seems some veterans are beginning to add the three - point shot to their offensive arsenals. This has certainly been the case for Memphis's Marc Gasol, who drilled a career - high four three - pointers in Sunday's win over the Wizards. The veteran big man now has six three - point makes in the season's first three games, more than he has made in the previous two full seasons combined. Gasol's three - point renaissance is just one component of Memphis's increasingly three - heavy offense. After finishing in the bottom five three - point shooting teams for multiple years in a row, the Grizzlies showed surprising range on Friday, hitting 15 three - pointers on 48 percent shooting. The same could not be said for Washington, however, as the Wizards struggled heavily from long - range. The team hit just 20 percent of its shots from deep, including a dismal 0 - of - 5 for starter Otto Porter, Jr.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 48 Percentage of 3 points ,has 1 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ,has 1 Personal fouls ,has 1 Steals ."]

The visiting Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Miami Heat, 110 - 107, at American Airlines Arena on Saturday. In a battle between two defensive - minded teams, offense was on display. In fact, both teams show over 49 percent from the field and there were only 16 combined turnovers and 19 combined steals/blocks. Those are extremely low numbers and it comes as a big surprise with these inefficient offenses squaring off. Free-throw shooting was key for the Grizzlies, as they went 27 - of - 33 to the Heat's 16 - of - 24. The assist - to - turnover differential was huge as well, with Memphis recording 23 assists - to - six turnovers, while Miami recorded just 18 assists - to - 10 turnovers. There were five ties and 13 lead changes, with no team leading by double - digits for the entirety of the game. Memphis (11 - 6) have been thriving off their elite defense lately, but the offense was key in this victory. Marc Gasol was the player of the game, as he tied a season - high with 28 points, adding three rebounds and six assists to his tally. Troy Williams got the first start of his rookie campaign and scored a career - high 18 points in a career - high 35 minutes. Tony Allen also got a rare start, totaling 11 points and eight rebounds in the win. Mike Conley finished the game with 21 points and seven assists, hitting numerous big shots in the fourth quarter. On deck for Memphis is a home matchup against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. Miami (5 - 11) had to play this game without Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow, but they fought to the final whistle. In fact, all five starters scored in double figures, with none of them shooting below 40 percent from the field. Dion Waiters stepped up in Dragic's absence, accumulating a team - high 28 points, five rebounds and six assists. Hassan Whiteside recorded another double - double despite dealing with foul trouble, scoring 15 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the defeat. Josh Richardson amassed 15 points, three rebounds and five assists, but missed a game - tying three at the buzzer. Miami will host the Boston Celtics for their next game on Monday.

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The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Los Angeles Clippers, 112 - 101, at BMO Harris Bradley Center on Friday evening. The Clippers (36 - 25) have a well - earned reputation for playing solid defense and taking good care of the ball, but both of those trends failed to materialize Friday. The Bucks (27 - 33) saw Giannis Antetokounmpo break out of a recent slump, as he tallied 24 points, eight assists, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks. After shooting 9 - for - 26 over the previous two contests, the Greek Freak drained 10 of 13 shots from the field and Milwaukee shot 55 percent from the field overall. Meanwhile, the Clippers turned the ball over a whopping 23 times, with Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford having the dubious distinction of leading the way with five apiece. Griffin did co - lead Los Angeles in scoring with 21 points, which he supplemented with nine rebounds and eight assists. Chris Paul matched Griffin's scoring total and added five assists, three rebounds and one steal. DeAndre Jordan posted a 14 - point, 10 - rebound double - double that also included one block. J.J. Redick contributed 10 points, four rebounds and four assists. Crawford paced the second unit with nine points and one rebound. Greg Monroe matched Antetokounmpo's scoring total and added five rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. Khris Middleton started and produced 19 points, nine assists, four rebounds and four steals. Matthew Delladedova was productive in a reserve role, supplying 15 points, eight assists and one rebound. Malcolm Brogdon totaled 12 points and three rebounds. The Clippers are on their way to the Windy City for a Saturday night showdown with the Chicago Bulls while the Bucks remain home to tangle with the Toronto Raptors on Saturday evening as well.

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The Los Angeles Lakers (10 - 22) defeated the Denver Nuggets (13 - 19) 111 - 103 on Tuesday at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Behind a strong first half, where the Lakers out - scored the Nuggets 62 - 46, the Lakers were able to steal a victory on the road. They shot 53 percent from the field and 56 percent from the three - point line, while the Nuggets shot 45 percent from the floor and only 31 percent from beyond the arc. Despite turning the ball over 20 times, the Lakers' superior shooting kept them ahead. Kobe Bryant was the star Tuesday as usual, recording his first triple - double of the year with 23 points (6 - 11 FG, 3 - 5 3Pt, 8 - 11 FT), 11 rebounds and 11 assists. He nearly had the unconventional quadruple - double as well, considering he recorded nine turnovers. Bryant was basically able to do whatever he wanted against a poor Nuggets defense in this one. Coming off the bench, Carlos Boozer had a solid game. He scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 28 minutes. After recording only eight points on Sunday, it was a nice bounce back game for him. Starting at point guard, Ronnie Price had arguably his best game of the season. He went 6 - for - 10 from the field and 5 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score a season - high of 18 points. Considering he averages only five points a game, it was a nice boost for the Lakers. Wesley Johnson and Jordan Hill both reached double figures as well with 16 and 12 points respectively. As has been the case nearly all season, Ty Lawson did most of the damage offensively for the Nuggets. He went 5 - for - 11 from the floor and 5 - for - 9 from the free throw line to score 16 points, while also chipping in nine assists. It was about right on his season averages of 16 points and 10 assists per game. Coming off the bench Jusuf Nurkic had a surprising game, matching Lawson with 16 points (7 - 10 FG, 2 - 2 FT). He had only reached double figures in points twice this year, so the 16 points were a nice season - high for him. Despite having a poor showing from the three - point line, Nate Robinson was able to chip in 13 points (6 - 13 FG, 1 - 7 3Pt) off the bench. He played 22 minutes in this one, which was much more than usual, and was also able to capitalize with a season - high of six assists. Both Timofey Mozgov and Arron Afflalo had 11 points apiece. The Lakers' next game will be at home against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, while the Nuggets will travel to Chicago to play the Bulls on Thursday.

["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 31 Percentage of 3 points ,has 45 Percentage of field goals ,has 19 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 13 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 56 Percentage of 3 points ,has 53 Percentage of field goals ,has 22 Losses ,has 111 Total points ,has 10 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wesley Johnson') has 16 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jordan Hill') has 12 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kobe Bryant') has 11 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ,has 23 Offensive rebounds ,has 11 Personal fouls ,has 9 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ronnie Price') has 6 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Carlos Boozer') has 19 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Timofey Mozgov') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Arron Afflalo') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ty Lawson') has 9 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 16 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jusuf Nurkic') has 10 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 16 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nate Robinson') has 6 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 22 Field goals made ,has 13 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ."]

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets 127 - 119 at Oracle Arena on Monday. The Warriors (30 - 5) picked up their eighth straight home win behind a strong all - around performance from their big scoring three. With the likes of Draymond Green in the mix as the team leader in assists per game this season, he found himself as the outside part of the big three consisting of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. Green benefited off of his three hot shooting teammates on his way to a triple - double to the tune of 15 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. Durant rocked the rim multiple times, beating his matchup's off the dribble consistently, while also efficiently connecting from the mid - range. Durant finished with 21 points on 10 - of - 19 shooting, while Curry added 22 points and Thompson led all scorers with 25 points. The former MVP brought the Warriors within four points of the Nuggets lead with a wild and heavily contested buzzer - beating three point shot to close out the half, and Golden State took the momentum into the third quarter. The Nuggets (14 - 20), who were coming off of a difficult loss to the 76ers on Friday, hung with the high paced Warriors offense for three quarters of basketball. Nikola Jokic flashed big man handles after going behind the back and slamming home a highlight reel dunk, while Will Barton went flying towards the rim on a similar transition possession, as Denver exploited the Warriors weak defensive effort in the paint early on. Jokic finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, while Barton added 14 points in 27 minutes. Wilson Chandler matched Jokic's 21 points, but was overmatched when up against Draymond Green or Kevin Durant on the defensive end. The Nuggets will visit the Kings in the second game of a back - to - back on Tuesday, while the Warriors host the Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 5 Losses ,has 127 Total points ,has 30 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 20 Losses ,has 119 Total points ,has 14 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wilson Chandler') has 21 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Jokic') has 5 Assists ,has 21 Defensive rebounds ,has 13 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Will Barton') has 27 Assists ,has 14 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 3 Assists ,has 19 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 21 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 13 Assists ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 25 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 22 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers (32 - 21) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (13 - 38) 120 - 105 on Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. In a dominating effort, the Cavaliers got out to a quick start in this matchup, out - scoring the Lakers 64 - 49 in the first half alone. The Cavaliers were the superior shooters in this game as well, going 55 percent from the field and 55 percent from the three - point line, while the Lakers went just 41 percent from the floor and 30 percent from beyond the arc. The Cavaliers' big three of LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving did most of the damage in this one. Love led all scorers, finishing with 32 points (11 - 18 FG, 7 - 8 3Pt, 3 - 5 FT), 10 rebounds and three assists. After a dissapointing performance in Friday's game against the Pacers, where he finished with just five points, it was good to see him get things turned back around and play well. Also having an impressive showing, Irving recorded 28 points (10 - 14 FG, 5 - 8 3Pt, 3 - 4 FT), four rebounds and ten assists. It marked his fifth double - double of the season. Over his last two games, he's now combined for 57 points, eight rebounds and 15 assists, as he's been dominating his competition. James on the other hand, totaled 22 points (8 - 16 FG, 2 - 7 3Pt, 4 - 5 FT), 10 rebounds and eight assists, nearly recording a triple - double Sunday. He did n't have to do as much work as usual, considering the success of both Love and Irving. For the Lakers, rookie point guard Jordan Clarkson had a solid perfomance, finishing with 20 points (6 - 14 FG, 0 - 2 3Pt, 8 - 9 FT), six rebounds and four assists. It was a season - high in points for the rookie, who has now scored 14 points or more in five out his last six games, despite averaging only 7 per game on the season. He's been getting more and more comfortable in the starting lineup, and its beginning to show with more consistent play. Without much production from the rest of the starters, the Lakers bench had to put up some numbers. Ed Davis went 6 - for - 7 from the floor and 4 - for - 4 from the free throw line to finish with 16 points and nine rebounds in just 24 minutes. He's averaging only 8 points per game so far this season, so it was a nice surprise for the Lakers. Also coming off the bench, Wesley Johnson played well. In 29 minutes, he finished with 15 points (5 - 14 FG, 2 - 4 3Pt, 3 - 3 FT), two assists and two steals. The two steals matched a season - high. The Cavaliers' next game will be at home against the Miami Heat on Wednesday, while the Lakers will be at home against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 55 Percentage of 3 points ,has 55 Percentage of field goals ,has 21 Losses ,has 120 Total points ,has 32 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 32 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 30 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 38 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 21 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 13 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jordan Clarkson') has 4 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 0 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 9 Free throws attempted ,has 8 Free throws made ,has 20 Minutes played ,has 6 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wesley Johnson') has 2 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 29 Minutes played ,has 15 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ed Davis') has 7 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 24 Field goals made ,has 16 Free throws attempted ,has 9 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 8 Assists ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 5 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ,has 22 Minutes played ,has 10 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 3 Assists ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 5 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 32 Minutes played ,has 10 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 10 Assists ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 28 Minutes played ,has 4 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ,has 1 Steals ."]

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 112 - 92, at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Saturday. Although the focal point of the Thunder's (1 - 4) offense is usually located square at the point guard position, the team's big men are certainly capable of impressively contributing in their own right. That facet was on full display Saturday, as Steven Adams and Enes Kanter combined for 34 points and 18 boards, helping to set the tone down low. Coupled with Russell Westbrook's typically stellar output, Oklahoma City (5 - 1) posted an excellent 52 percent success rate from the field, as well as 44 percent from behind the arc, notably superior to the Timberwolves' respective 39 and 21 percent figures in those categories. The Timberwolves' starting five was decidedly top - heavy in terms of production, as Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with a game - high 33 points, which he supplemented with six rebounds and a block. He had little precious little help, however, as no other starter managed to even get into double digits on the scoring column. Gorgui Dieng struggled offensively for the second straight game, finishing with just eight points along with eight boards and four blocks. Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine were particularly underwhelming, totaling just seven and four points, respectively, on a combined 4 - of - 19 shooting tally. Shabazz Muhammed led the bench with 15 points and four rebounds. Westbrook led the Thunder with 28 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals. Adams contributed 14 points, eight boards, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Victor Oladipo posted 12 points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal, while Kanter paced the bench with a 20 - point, 10 - rebound double - double that also included an assist, a steal and a block. Minnesota has three days to get their act together, as they next take the court against the Brooklyn Nets in New York on Tuesday. The Thunder remain home to take on the Miami Heat on Monday night.

["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 44 Percentage of 3 points ,has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 1 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 5 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 21 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 4 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 1 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 7 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gorgui Dieng') has 4 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 1 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 33 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach LaVine') has 4 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Shabazz Muhammad') has 15 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Steven Adams') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Victor Oladipo') has 1 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 8 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 28 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Enes Kanter') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Points ."]

The Miami Heat (26 - 33) defeated the Phoenix Suns (31 - 29) 115 - 98 on Monday. The Heat's Tyler Johnson came out of nowhere to score a game - high 26 points off the bench, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter. Johnson was n't even on an NBA roster two months ago and had n't seen the floor since Feb. 23 when he played three minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers. Miami outscored Phoenix 39 - 24 in the second quarter, which gave them a 14 - point lead at halftime, allowing them to get the reserves some well - deserved court time. The Suns' Alex Len got into a bit of a brouhaha with Heat center Hassan Whiteside. The two players got tangled on a play where Whiteside grabbed an offensive rebound and threw it down for the dunk, and then he and Len were ejected for their physical altercation that ensued. The Suns' new shooting guard Brandon Knight faced off against their recently - departed former shooting guard Goran Dragic. Knight played 40 minutes despite a hip pointer he suffered against the San Antonio Spurs over the weekend. He finished with 13 points, seven assists and five turnovers. Dragic played very well in limited time, scoring 21 points in just 15 minutes as he was limited by foul trouble. The Heat will play the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, and the Suns will head to Orlando to take on the Magic.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 33 Losses ,has 115 Total points ,has 39 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 26 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 98 Losses ,has 24 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Alex Len') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Knight') has 7 Assists ,has 40 Blocks ,has 13 Free throws attempted ,has 5 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Goran Dragic') has 15 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Johnson') has 26 Assists ."]

The Dallas Mavericks (36 - 19) defeated the Utah Jazz (19 - 34) 87 - 82 on Wednesday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The Mavericks got off to a quick start Wednesday, out - scoring the Jazz 22 - 9 in the first quarter alone. Despite the defeat, the Jazz were the superior shooters, going 38 percent from the field and 38 percent from the three - point line, while the Mavericks went 37 percent from the floor and 36 percent from deep. The Mavericks did force the Jazz into 19 turnovers though, while committing only 11 of their own, which may have been the difference in this one. The Mavericks had only two players reach double figures in points. J.J. Barea led the team as the starting point guard, goint 8 - for - 15 from the field and 4 - for - 7 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 22 points, to go along with four rebounds and three assists. He's turned it on offensively, scoring 15 or more points in three out of his last four games. Dirk Nowitzki was the other high scorer, finishing with 15 points (5 - 14 FG, 0 - 3 3Pt, 5 - 6 FT), 14 rebounds and two steals in 33 minutes. It marked a season - high in rebounds for him, while the double - double was his first since December seventeenth. While he did n't do too much on the offensive side of the ball with only seven points (1 - 6 FG, 1 - 2 3Pt, 4 - 4 FT), Monta Ellis had a huge impact defensively, grabbing a season - high of seven steals, as he was a big part in forcing the Jazz into 19 turnovers. The Jazz were led by Trey Burke off the bench, who went 6 - for - 15 from the field and 4 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score 16 points, while also adding six rebounds and four assists. The 16 points were more than he's scored over his last three games, as he combined for only 15 points during that stretch. Steve Novak was also very efficient off the bench, scoring 12 points (4 - 6 3Pt) in just 12 minutes. It was his second straight night posting 12 points in a very limited amount of time on the court. In the starting lineup, Derrick Favors had the best game offensively, posting 14 points (5 - 10 FG, 4 - 6 FT), five rebounds and three blocked shots. He's had a nice stretch of four games, averaging 18 points and 7 rebounds over that span. Gordon Hayward added 12 points (5 - 14 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt, 1 - 2 FT), nine rebounds and eight assists, nearly recording a triple - double. The Mavericks' next game will be on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday after the All-Star break, while the Jazz will be at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday after the All-Star break as well.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 36 Percentage of 3 points ,has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 19 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 22 Points in 1st quarter ,has 11 Turnovers ,has 36 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 38 Percentage of 3 points ,has 38 Percentage of field goals ,has 34 Losses ,has 82 Total points ,has 9 Points in 1st quarter ,has 19 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 8 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 12 Free throws attempted ,has 9 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Favors') has 3 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ,has 5 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trey Burke') has 4 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Steve Novak') has 6 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 3 Assists ,has 0 Blocks ,has 14 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 33 Field goals made ,has 15 Free throws attempted ,has 14 Free throws made ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 7 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'J.J. Barea') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 15 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 22 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ."]

The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 126 - 121, at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Tuesday evening. The Thunder (35 - 29) were playing their fourth game in six nights Tuesday, but Russell Westbrook simply seems immune to the concept of fatigue. In a season of superhuman efforts, the perennial All-Star even outdid himself against the Trail Blazers (27 - 35), scoring a career - high 58 points to go along with nine assists, three rebounds, three steals and one block. He took an astounding 39 shots from the field, draining 21 of them. By comparison, the next highest - scoring player on Oklahoma City, backcourt mate Victor Oladipo, put up a modest nine attempts and scored 16 points. However, despite the herculean performance, a balanced Portland squad that saw seven players hit double digits in the scoring column was able to pull out the hard - fought road win. The second unit was particularly key, combining for 49 points overall. A trio of guards paced the Blazers, with reserve Allen Crabbe surprisingly at the top of the list. He managed 23 points, four rebounds and two assists over 28 minutes. Damian Lillard followed with 22 points, eight assists, three rebounds and one steal. C.J. McCollum poured in 21 points and added a pair of boards. Jusuf Nurkic contributed 17 points, eight rebounds, four assists and one steal. Al-Farouq Aminu continued his recent stretch of strong play off the bench, submitting 12 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and one steal. Meyers Leonard matched Aminu's point total and added one rebound and one assist. Noah Vonleh chipped in with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists in a start at power forward. Oladipo added five rebounds to his aforementioned scoring total. Enes Kanter was the only other player in double digits on OKC, posting 11 points, seven rebounds and one assist over 18 minutes. Andre Roberson managed nine points and six boards, while Domantas Sabonis chipped in with eight points and four boards. The Trail Blazers head back home to tangle with the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday evening, while the Thunder are home against the San Antonio Spurs on the same night.

["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 29 Losses ,has 121 Total points ,has 35 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 35 Losses ,has 126 Total points ,has 27 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Noah Vonleh') has 2 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jusuf Nurkic') has 4 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 21 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 8 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Allen Crabbe') has 2 Assists ,has 28 Blocks ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Meyers Leonard') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al-Farouq Aminu') has 3 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Roberson') has 9 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Domantas Sabonis') has 8 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Victor Oladipo') has 9 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Enes Kanter') has 1 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Minutes played ."]

The Houston Rockets (9 - 1) defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder (3 - 8) 69 - 65 on Sunday at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. This was an all - around ugly game for both teams, marked by a few scuffles and technicals along the way. Both teams shot very poorly, as Houston shot 29 percent from the field and 20 percent from the three - point line, while Oklahoma City shot 29 percent from the field and 16 percent from beyond the arc. The Rockets did take a 54 - 45 rebounding advantage by the end of the game, which may have allowed them the ugly victory. For the Rockets, James Harden had a game - high 19 points, while also adding nine rebounds and five assists. He struggled with his three - point shot though, as he only went 2 - for - 9 from behind the three - point line. Dwight Howard came one rebound shy of his eigth double - double of the season, as he finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. He struggled offensively and could n't reach his season average of 19 points per game. Trevor Ariza chipped in 11 points, but also shot pretty poorly, as he went 4 - for - 11 from the field and 1 - for - 4 from the three - point line. The Rockets bench had a meager eight total points, with Francisco Garcia scoring six of those eight, so they did n't offer much help to the starters. Patrick Beverley (hamstring) returned to action for the Rockets after missing four game. He played 29 minutes as the starting point guard. The Thunder were led by Lance Thomas and Reggie Jackson, who scored 15 points a piece. Jackson had a surprising season - high 11 rebounds, but shot only 3 - for - 11 from the field. Most of his points came from the free - throw line as he converted on a perfect nine for nine. The 15 points for Thomas were also a season - high for him, although like Jackson, he got most of his production from the free - throw line, where he made 7 - of - 8.The only other Thunder player to reach double figures was Serge Ibaka, as he contributed 10 points and six rebounds. Continuing to come off the bench since returning from MCL surgery, Anthony Morrow struggled mightily as well, shooting only 1 - for - 9 from the field and 0 - for - 2 from beyond the arc for four points. Normally, scoring only 65 points would mean a blowout, but surprisingly, it kept the Thunder very much alive in this one. The Rockets' next game will be on the road against the Memphis Grizzles on Monday, while the Thunder will also go on the road to Utah to play the Jazz on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 16 Percentage of 3 points ,has 29 Percentage of field goals ,has 8 Losses ,has 65 Total points ,has 45 Rebounds ,has 3 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 20 Percentage of 3 points ,has 29 Percentage of field goals ,has 1 Losses ,has 69 Total points ,has 54 Rebounds ,has 9 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Ariza') has 4 Assists ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Howard') has 12 Assists ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 5 Assists ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 19 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patrick Beverley') has 4 Assists ,has 29 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Francisco Garcia') has 6 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lance Thomas') has 7 Assists ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Serge Ibaka') has 10 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 11 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ,has 11 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Morrow') has 2 Assists ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ."]

The Orlando Magic (22 - 49) defeated the Portland Trailblazers (44 - 23) 111 - 104 on Friday in Orlando. The win ended a six - game losing streak for the Magic and were led to the upset victory by Elfrid Payton, who recorded his second consecutive triple - double, putting up 22 points on 10 - of - 13 shooting, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals in 36 minutes. Now, in his previous two games, Payton has totaled 35 points, 20 rebounds and 22 assists. Nikola Vucevic and Victor Oladipo also each scored the team - high 22 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. However, they shot a sub - par 17 - 45 from the field. The shooting struggles have been apparent for Oladipo as of late, as in his last two games he has shot just 14 - 43 from the field and 2 - of - 8 from long range. Channing Frye was the only other Orlando starter to score in double figures with 10 points in 31 minutes, while Ben Gordon contributed a solid 11 points in 17 minutes off the bench. In injury news, Tobias Harris sat out his second consecutive game with a sprained ankle. LaMarcus Aldridge scored a game - high 36 points in the losing effort for the Trail Blazers on 12 - of - 24 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds in 36 minutes. This was Aldridge's second straight game with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds and his fourth straight double - double. From there, there was a big drop off in Portland production, as Damian Lillard scored 18 points on 6 - of - 15 shooting and also recorded four rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes. Robin Lopez was the only other Trail Blazers starter to score in double figures, putting up 10 points in 26 minutes. Off the bench, C.J. McCollum played 19 minutes and scored 15 points on 5 - of - 9 shooting in that span. The loss gives Portland a three game win streak, and they currently find themselves in fourth place in the Western Conference and 2 games behind the Houston Rockets for third. They also hold just a one - game lead over the Clippers and Mavericks for fifth and sixth place. Up next, the Magic will stay home and go up against the Nuggets, while Portland will travel to Memphis Saturday to take on the Grizzlies in a matchup with big - time playoff implications.

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The Detroit Pistons (7 - 5) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (5 - 8) 96 - 86 on Friday. It was a tale of two halves, with the Timberwolves jumping out to a 44 - 38 halftime lead while holding Pistons superstar center Andre Drummond largely in check. However, Detroit came back with a strong third quarter, outscoring Minnesota 30 - 21 in the third period led by Drummond's 11 points over that span. The Pistons then hung on in the fourth, with Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, and rookie Stanley Johnson making sizable contributions to help seal the victory. Drummond came back after a lackluster first half to extend his impressive double - double streak to 12 games. He posted 21 points and 11 rebounds over 29 minutes. Morris got in on the act as well, collecting 16 points and 11 boards, while Jackson (18 points) posted double - digit scoring for the 11th time in 12 contests. Johnson enjoyed the second - best outing of his rookie campaign with 15 points off the bench. The Pistons improved to 7 - 5 and reside in third place in the Eastern Conference’s Central Division. They head home for a Saturday night showdown with the Wizards. Karl-Anthony Towns took another notable step in his development by holding his own against Drummond. The rookie collected 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks, while helping to hold the Pistons center to his second - lowest total of boards in a game this season. Andrew Wiggins pitched in a team - high 21 points, the fifth consecutive contest that he has tallied at least 20 on the stat sheet. Ricky Rubio was the other T-Wolves’ starter to post double - digit points (12), while his backup Zach LaVine continued to produce despite coming off the bench, totaling 14 points to pace Minnesota’s reserves. Minnesota fell to 5 - 8 and resides in third place in the Western Conference’s Northwest Division. They remain home to face Philadelphia on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 8 Losses ,has 86 Total points ,has 21 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 5 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 5 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 30 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 7 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Morris') has 16 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 2 Assists ,has 29 Blocks ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 21 Free throws attempted ,has 11 Minutes played ,has 2 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stanley Johnson') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 21 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ricky Rubio') has 12 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach LaVine') has 14 Assists ."]

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New York Knicks, 121 - 107, at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. The Knicks (22 - 31) have been mired in controversy on and off the court in recent weeks, with rumors swirling about a possible trade of franchise cornerstone Carmelo Anthony and losses in three of their last four games. The Lakers (18 - 36) are n't in much better shape, however, and came into Monday's contest with only five road wins in 28 games away from the Staples Center this season. However, a sterling effort from the Los Angeles bench that generated over half of the team's scoring total helped lead the way to a relatively easy victory. The visitors were sharp from the jump, building a 29 - 19 lead after one and a 61 - 45 advantage by halftime. That edge was 97 - 73 after three quarters, and even with New York showing some signs of life in garbage time, the Lakers still coasted to a double - digit road victory. The Lakers were led by Lou Williams off the bench, who tallied 22 points, four assists, two rebounds and one steal in 26 minutes. Nick Young was next and paced the starters with 17 points, which he complemented with five rebounds and one steal. Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle followed with matching 14 - point efforts, with the former also providing seven boards, two assists and one steal, and the latter offering two rebounds, two assists and one block. Tarik Black posted a modest nine points but hauled in 10 boards and recorded one steal. D'Angelo Russell (four points, six assists, two rebounds) was minimally involved, but Jordan Clarkson (12 points) and emerging rookie Ivica Zubac (10 points) were productive as reserves as well. The Knicks were paced by Anthony's 26 points, which he supplemented with five assists, three rebounds and one steal. Kristaps Porzingis registered a near double - double of 16 points, nine boards and a pair of blocks. Brandon Jennings matched his total off the bench and added five assists, three rebounds and one steal. Justin Holiday was productive on the second unit as well with 14 points, one rebound and one block. Kyle O'Quinn drew the start at center and produced 10 points, two rebounds and one assist, while Derrick Rose, back in the starting lineup after a four - game absence due to an ankle injury, generated just five points, four rebounds and three assists over 32 minutes. Willy Hernangomez continued his strong play by tallying eight points, 13 rebounds, one assist, two steals and one block over 24 minutes off the bench. The Lakers continue their trek through the Eastern Conference with a visit to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, while the Knicks remain home to face the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday evening as well.

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With a triple - double from John Wall and six three - pointers from Jared Dudley providing a spark, the Washington Wizards (26 - 29) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans (22 - 34) 109 - 89 on Tuesday. John Wall, the Wizards' perennial All-Star point guard, once again cleared a path for the Wizards to win, recording 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. Despite the strong counting stats, Wall went just 5 - for - 17 from the field. His less than stellar shooting was made up for, however, by a strong shooting performance from forward Jared Dudley, who hit a season - high six three - pointers. As a team, the Wizards posted an admirable 29 assists while managing to disrupt New Orleans' ball movement, holding the Pelicans to just 17 total dimes. The blowout win advances the Wizards to 3 - 1 out of the All-Star break, with the sole loss coming on the third day of a rare back - to - back - to - back caused by a postponed game. Washington now sits at tenth in the East, and has a chance to make a push for the hotly - contested eighth seed down the stretch. For New Orleans, Anthony Davis has been making headlines across the NBA over the past week. On Sunday, the 22 - year - old became just the fourth active player to score 59 points in a single game, and did it while also pulling down a whopping 20 rebounds. The superstar followed up the monster night with another 20 - rebound performance on Tuesday, though he failed to reach double - digit scoring. In fact, it was a weak outing overall for the Pelicans' starting five, as no starter scored more than nine points on the night. Sixth man Jrue Holiday, however, stepped up to deliver 20 points and seven assists off the bench. Overall, however, it was not New Orleans' night, as the team shot a paltry 35 percent from the field. The loss snaps a brief two - game win streak for New Orleans following the break. New Orleans will face a challenging matchup against the 40 - win Thunder on Thursday. Washington, meanwhile, will hope to continue to win as they travel to Chicago on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 29 Number of team assists ,has 29 Percentage of field goals ,has 109 Losses ,has 26 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 17 Number of team assists ,has 35 Percentage of field goals ,has 34 Losses ,has 89 Total points ,has 22 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 7 Assists ,has 20 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jared Dudley') has 6 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 11 Assists ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ,has 12 Points ."]

The Hornets' 49 percent success rate from the field and 44 percent tally from three - point range helped them overcome some impressive performances from several members of the Hawks, including a 23 - rebound effort from Dwight Howard. Marvin Williams equaled a season high with 19 points, while Marco Belinelli matched his point total while playing 30 minutes off the bench. Kemba Walker returned from a one - game absence for personal reasons to post an 18 - point, 10 - assist double - double, while Cody Zeller fashioned a 16 - point, 11 - rebound double - double of his own. Tim Hardaway, Jr.'s 21 points paced the Hawks, and Paul Millsap was right behind him with 20 points. Dennis Schroder registered 12 points, while Howard added 10 points, an assist and a steal to his game - high rebound total. Kent Bazemore led the bench with a 17 - point total on 7 - of - 13 shooting.

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The Sixers notched their fourth road victory overall behind a balanced offensive effort and opportunistic defense. Joel Embiid led the way with 20 points, while Robert Covington produced a 15 - point, 11 - rebound double - double along with a game - high five steals. Nik Stauskas totaled 15 points, Ersan Ilyasova went for 14 points and Dario Saric paced the second unit with 18 points. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia defense elicited 22 turnovers from the NBA's most mistake - prone team, which played a pivotal part in the rare double - digit road win. Brook Lopez's 26 points led the way for Brooklyn, and Bojan Bogdanovic provided 12 points. Isaiah Whitehead, Trevor Booker and Joe Harris combined for only nine points, but Justin Hamilton's 16 points off the bench helped make up some offense. Sean Kilpatrick registered 10 points in a reserve role as well.

["PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 15 Points ,has 11 Total rebounds ,has 5 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ersan Ilyasova') has 14 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joel Embiid') has 20 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nik Stauskas') has 15 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dario Saric') has 18 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 12 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 26 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sean Kilpatrick') has 10 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Justin Hamilton') has 16 Points ."]

The Portland Trail Blazers (42 - 20) defeated the Houston Rockets (43 - 21) 105 - 100 on Wednesday at the Moda Center in Portland. While the Blazers looked to be in control and destined for a win in the closing few minutes of the fourth quarter, the Rockets came back in a hurry and made it a real interesting finish. With 15 seconds left in the game, Corey Brewer was able to grab a steal and score a bucket to bring the game within one point. Damian Lillard then went on to hit two free throws to put the Blazers back up three. With 12 seconds left, the Rockets had the ball and gave it to Corey Brewer, who launched a three - pointer in an attempt to tie the game, but came up just short and the Rockets went on to fall to the Blazers. Coming into this matchup just a game back from the Rockets for the third spot in the Western Conference standings, this was a big win for the Blazers, as this pulled the two teams even in the standings. Leading the charge was LaMarcus Aldridge, who posted a game - high of 26 points (12 - 20 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt, 1 - 1 FT), while also posting 14 rebounds in 33 minutes. It marked the fifth time in his last sixth games surpassing the 20 - point mark, a six - game stretch where he's averaging 25 points and 12 rebounds. Aldridge did receive some help though, as Nicolas Batum went 7 - for - 13 from the field and 3 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score 18 points, while adding nine rebounds and six assists as well. He's dialed in at the moment and has shot 50 percent or higher from the field in each of his last four games. Over those four games, he's averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds. Notching a double - double, Robin Lopez finished with 16 points (7 - 10 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt, 2 - 3 FT) and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes. It marked his first double - double since the start of February. The Rockets received their biggest boost from their bench, with Corey Brewer recording a team - high of 23 points (9 - 16 FG, 3 - 5 3Pt, 2 - 5 FT), while also adding two steals in 25 minutes. 17 of his 23 points came in the fourth quarter, as he nearly self - propelled the Rockets to a comeback win. James Harden finished with 18 points (7 - 19 FG, 0 - 3 3Pt, 4 - 5 FT), six assists and three steals in 38 minutes. Over his last three games, he's averaging 28 points and 8 assists, which included the triple - double he posted against Detroit on Friday. Terrence Jones posted a double - double of his own, with 17 points (6 - 13 FG, 0 - 2 3Pt, 5 - 7 FT) and 12 rebounds. He's also been scoring at a high rate lately, averaging 18 points over his last seven games. Trevor Ariza chipped in with 11 points (3 - 7 FG, 3 - 6 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT), six rebounds and six assists as well. The Trail Blazers' next game will be at home against the Detroit Pistons on Friday, while the Rockets will travel to Utah to play the Jazz on Thursday.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 20 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 42 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 21 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 43 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Ariza') has 6 Assists ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 3 3-pointer percentage ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 11 Free throws attempted ,has 6 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Terrence Jones') has 7 Assists ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 6 3-pointer percentage ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 17 Free throws attempted ,has 12 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 6 Assists ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 19 3-pointers made ,has 7 3-pointer percentage ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 38 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 18 Free throw percentage ,has 3 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Corey Brewer') has 5 Assists ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 16 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 5 3-pointer percentage ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 25 Field goals made ,has 23 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 6 Assists ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 50 3-pointers made ,has 13 3-pointer percentage ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 50 Field goals made ,has 18 Free throws attempted ,has 9 Free throws made ,has 4 Free throw percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 1 3-pointer percentage ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 33 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 26 Free throws made ,has 14 Free throw percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robin Lopez') has 1 Assists ,has 0 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 3 3-pointer percentage ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 30 Field goals made ,has 16 Free throws attempted ,has 10 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ."]

The Minnesota Timberwolves (9 - 12) survived a comeback attempt from the Los Angeles Lakers (3 - 19) to win in overtime, 123 - 122, Wednesday night at the Target Center to break a four - game losing streak. Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell nailed a seven - foot running two - point basket to send the game into overtime tied at 114 - 114, but it was n't enough. Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio scored or assisted on seven of Minnesota's nine overtime points to help lead the way as they managed to finish what they started in the final five minutes. Kevin Martin went off for a season - high 37 points fueled by a brilliant 6 - 9 shooting night from three - point land to lead the Timberwolves. Rookie sensation Karl-Anthony Towns filled the statsheet once again, as he scored 26 points and hauled in 14 rebounds, five of them coming on the offensive end. Ricky Rubio scored just five points and did n't make a field goal, but his 12 assists and nine rebounds were key, as was his overtime production. Russell scored 23 points in 32 minutes off the bench to lead the Lakers. Louis Williams was the high - scoring starter with 19 (7 - 11 shooting) and Julius Randle tallied a double - double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Kobe Bryant suffered another poor shooting night (5 - 13) and managed just 11 points. The Lakers next face the Spurs on Friday in San Antonio. Minnesota plays next on the road Friday in Denver.

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The Indiana Pacers (7 - 5) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers (0 - 12) 112 - 85 on Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Dominating in all facets of this game, the Pacers got a much needed bounce back win after falling to the Bulls on Monday. They started quick, cruising to a 52 - 38 lead at the half. They then went on a 15 - 2 run to start the third quarter, pushing their lead to 27 points, which was too much for the Sixers to come back from. The Pacers put on a strong defensive performance as well, forcing the Sixers into a whopping 29 turnovers, 17 of which came in the first half. Paul George continued to put the team on his back Wednesday, finishing with a game - high of 34 points (13 - 24 FG, 5 - 10 3Pt, 3 - 4 FT), to go along with eight rebounds and five assists. His re - emergence has been huge for the Pacers, as he's now posted eight straight games with 26 or more points. The fifth - year pro out of Fresno State is now averaging 25 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists on the season. With both Rodney Stuckey (ankle) and George Hill (upper respiratory infection) sidelined, C.J. Miles saw extended run on the court. He took advantage of the extra minutes, posting a season - high of 20 points (7 - 12 FG, 4 - 7 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT), while also adding four assists. Miles is on fire right now, combining to shoot an impressive 13 - of - 24 from the field and 9 - of - 15 from the three - point line over his last two outings. Chase Budinger chipped in with 15 points (5 - 13 FG, 1 - 4 3Pt, 4 - 4 FT) and six rebounds as well. Jahlil Okafor and T.J. McConnell were the only Sixers' players who got anything going Wednesday. Okafor finished with 14 points (6 - 11 FG, 2 - 4 FT) and six rebounds, while McConnell added a team - high of 16 points (7 - 9 FG, 2 - 3 3Pt), to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Okafor was coming off two impressive double - doubles prior to this game, so it was somewhat of a disappointing performance for the rookie scoring leader out of Duke. He's now averaging 19 points, 8 rebounds and 1 assists on the season. McConnell, on the other hand, has now reached double figures in points in three out of his last four games, which was something he previously had n't done this season. Jerami Grant added 13 points (4 - 6 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt, 5 - 6 FT), four rebounds and three blocked shots over 29 minutes as well. The Pacers' next game will be at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, while the Sixers will travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 12 Losses ,has 85 Total points ,has 0 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 5 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 7 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 5 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 24 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 34 Free throws made ,has 8 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ Miles') has 4 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 20 Minutes played ,has 2 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chase Budinger') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 15 Free throws attempted ,has 6 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jerami Grant') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 5 Free throws attempted ,has 29 Free throws made ,has 13 Minutes played ,has 4 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jahlil Okafor') has 11 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'TJ McConnell') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ."]

The New Orleans Pelicans (19 - 19) defeated the Detroit Pistons (14 - 25) 105 - 94 on Wednesday at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pelicans had a very strong first half defensively, holding the Pistons under 20 points in both quarters. They also got it done offensively, out - scoring the Pistons 58 - 36 over that span. The Pelicans were able to out - rebound the Pistons 47 - 30, giving them even more of an advantage and helping push them further to the victory. As has been the case all season, Anthony Davis did the most damage for the Pelicans. He went 11 - for - 18 from the field and 5 - for - 5 from the free throw line to score 27 points, while adding 10 rebounds and four blocked shots as well. He's been a force over his last two games, combining for 61 points, 19 rebounds and seven blocked shots. With Jrue Holiday sitting out with an ankle injury, Tyreke Evans moved back into the starting lineup, nearly recording a triple - double with 18 points (6 - 14 FG, 1 - 2 3Pt, 5 - 8 FT), eight rebounds and nine assists. He's had a strong three game stretch over this last week, averaging 19 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists per game. The bench also gave a nice contribution, led by Ryan Anderson with 17 points (6 - 12 FG, 2 - 5 3Pt, 3 - 4 FT) and three rebounds. The only other Pelican to reach double figures in points was Eric Gordon, who recorded 12 points and five assists. For the Pistons, the duo of Brandon Jennings and Greg Monroe were the most productive Wednesday. Jennings did n't have his best night shooting (4 - 12 FG, 2 - 6 3Pt), but got it done from the free throw line, converting on 9 - of - 10 to push his total to 19 points. He only had three assists though, which was his lowest total through his last seven games. Monroe on the other hand went 6 - for - 11 from the field and 4 - for - 7 from the free throw line to score 16 points, while adding eight rebounds and five assists as well. He came two rebounds shy of a double - double, ending his streak at seven in a row. Coming off the bench, the Pistons had solid contributions from D.J. Augustin and Jodie Meeks. Augustin had 13 points (4 - 5 FG, 1 - 1 3Pt, 4 - 4 FT) and four assists, while Meeks had 11 points (5 - 8 FG, 1 - 3 3PT) and two rebounds. The Pelicans' next game will be on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, while the Pistons will travel to Indiana to play the Pacers on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 25 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 30 Rebounds ,has 14 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 19 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 47 Rebounds ,has 19 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 4 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 11 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 27 Field goals made ,has 10 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 5 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyreke Evans') has 9 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 18 Free throws attempted ,has 8 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ryan Anderson') has 5 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 17 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Greg Monroe') has 5 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 11 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Jennings') has 3 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 19 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jodie Meeks') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 8 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'D.J. Augustin') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 13 Free throws attempted ."]

The Orlando Magic defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 112 - 109, in overtime at Amway Center on Monday. This was a tale of two halves, as these lottery contenders left it all on the floor. The Sixers actually took a 15 - point lead into the half, but the Magic responded by sending the game into overtime. It was tight throughout, as there were 11 ties and 10 lead changes in total. The difference for Orlando was their ability to get to the free - throw line, as they finished the game 38 - of - 46 from the charity stripe. Both teams really struggled shooting, as they both failed to crack 39 percent from the field and 26 percent from three - point range. The Sixers (26 - 44) had to play this game extremely shorthanded and they did n't have enough to hold on to a big lead. Richaun Holmes got the start and had the game of his career though, totaling 24 points, 14 rebounds and four assists. Robert Covington was just as good, accruing 24 points, 13 rebounds, four steals and two blocks. Dario Saric finished with 16 points and five rebounds before fouling out in regulation. T.J. McConnell amassed 16 points, 11 assists and three steals. Nik Stauskas was the only bench player with more than four points, as he provided 20 points and five rebounds. On deck for Philly is a road matchup versus the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. The Magic (26 - 45) have been struggling mightily, but this overtime win may give them some momentum for the final few weeks. Nikola Vucevic led the way for Orlando, as he collected 26 points and 13 rebounds. Evan Fournier finished second on the team with 19 points, four rebounds and three assists. Elfrid Payton tallied 10 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three steals. Aaron Gordon produced 17 points, three rebounds and four assists before fouling out. Orlando's next game will be a home matchup against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 45 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 24 Points in 4th quarter ,has 26 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 109 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 2 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ,has 13 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dario Saric') has 5 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Richaun Holmes') has 24 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'T.J. McConnell') has 16 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nik Stauskas') has 20 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aaron Gordon') has 4 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 26 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 3 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 4 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 13 Points ."]

The Magic bench posted 62 points and were led by Elfrid Payton, who tallied career highs of 26 points and 14 assists. Serge Ibaka paced the Magic overall with 29 points, while Evan Fournier was next on the first unit with 23 points. Jodie Meeks (20 points) and Jeff Green (16 points) rounded out the bench's stellar night, and Orlando tallied an impressive 59 percent success rate from the field. The Hawks saw all five members of the first unit hit double - digit scoring, led by Dwight Howard's 20 - point, 16 - rebound double - double. Dennis Schroder supplied 19 points and 13 assists, while Thabo Sefolosha and Paul Millsap tallied a pair of 17 - point efforts. Tim Hardaway Jr. parlayed another start into 12 points, while Kyle Korver came off the bench for 12 points in 27 minutes overall.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 59 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Serge Ibaka') has 29 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 23 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 14 Assists ,has 26 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Green') has 16 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jodie Meeks') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thabo Sefolosha') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Howard') has 20 Assists ,has 16 Minutes played ,has 5 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Hardaway Jr.') has 12 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dennis Schroder') has 13 Assists ,has 19 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Korver') has 27 Assists ,has 12 Minutes played ."]

The Washington Wizards defeated the Sacramento Kings in overtime, 130 - 122, at Golden 1 Center on Friday night. The Wizards' (39 - 24) prospects looked rather bleak coming into the fourth quarter, as they trailed by a 97 - 82 margin. However, the light went on at that point for Washington, as they outscored the Kings (25 - 40) by a 34 - 19 margin in the final period to force overtime. John Wall gave the Wizards their final lead of regulation by draining a 13 - foot basket with 19 seconds remaining, but Willie Cauley-Stein knotted matters up at 116 just four seconds later. Wall's missed 16 - footer at the buzzer prompted overtime, and Bradley Beal, who scored a game - high 38 points, 21 which came in the final 17 minutes, gave the visitors the lead for good with a 24 - foot three - pointer at the 2:23 mark of the extra period. The game featured outstanding shooting from both squads, as the Wizards tallied a 50 percent success rate from the floor and Sacramento countered with 48 percent. Beal added 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block to his aforementioned scoring total. Wall followed with a 25 - point, 12 - assist, double - double that also included four rebounds and two steals. Otto Porter, Jr. provided 18 points, six rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block. Markieff Morris turned in 10 points, six boards and two assists, while Bojan Bogdanovic led the bench with 17 points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal. Cauley-Stein paced the Kings with a 20 - point, 13 - rebound double - double that also included three assists and one steal. Buddy Hield and Arron Afflalo supplied matching 18 - point efforts, with the former adding five rebounds and one assist, and the latter registering two boards and one assist. Darren Collison compiled a 14 - point, 10 - assist double - double and added two rebounds. Ben McLemore paced the second unit with 11 points and four boards, while Anthony Tolliver turned in 10 points and three rebounds off the bench. The Wizards continue their Western Conference swing with a Saturday night trip to Portland, while the Kings remain home to tangle with the Denver Nuggets on Saturday evening as well.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 48 Percentage of field goals ,has 40 Losses ,has 122 Total points ,has 19 Points in 4th quarter ,has 25 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 130 Losses ,has 34 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Markieff Morris') has 2 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 1 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ,has 38 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 12 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 25 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 1 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Arron Afflalo') has 1 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Willie Cauley-Stein') has 3 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 13 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Buddy Hield') has 1 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Darren Collison') has 10 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Tolliver') has 10 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ben McLemore') has 11 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ."]

The visiting Houston Rockets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, 130 - 114, on Sunday night. James Harden once again led the Rockets (11 - 6) in scoring and assists, posting 38 and 10 respectively. Harden has seen his assist numbers skyrocket since the arrival of new head coach Mike D'Antoni, and the trend continued on Sunday. Despite playing the role of distributor, Harden took a team - high 22 shots, making 11, and also got to the line 13 times. While the superstar was the focal point of Houston's run - and - gun offense, multiple other Rockets made heavy contributions. Guard Eric Gordon scored 26 points off the bench, including six three - pointers, while starter Clint Capela scored 21 on 9 - of - 12 shooting. The team was able to hit 17 three - pointers on the night, just a game after hitting 21 on an NBA-record 50 attempts. Houston shot over 56 percent from the field. Despite hanging close through three quarters, Portland (10 - 9) let the game slip away in the fourth quarter. Though the team shot a respectable 48 percent from the field, the Blazers struggled on the defensive end, allowing a three - point barrage for Houston. Blazers star Damian Lillard was unable to shoot Portland out of its deficit, going just 7 - of - 20 from the field. Lillard was still able to contribute 27 points, however. Guard C.J. McCollum, meanwhile, scored a team - high 28 points to go with seven assists and two steals. The Rockets will visit Utah on Tuesday, while the Blazers will host the Pacers on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 48 Percentage of field goals ,has 114 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 56 Percentage of field goals ,has 6 Losses ,has 130 Total points ,has 11 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Clint Capela') has 12 Assists ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 21 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 10 Assists ,has 22 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ,has 11 Free throws attempted ,has 38 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 6 Assists ,has 26 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 7 Assists ,has 28 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 20 Assists ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 27 Field goals attempted ."]

The Grizzlies are one of the best home teams in the NBA, but the Rockets really gave it to them in the "Grind House". Shooting was the glaring difference, with Houston shooting 51 percent, while the Grizzlies could n't crack 37 percent. The Rockets also dominated the defensive rebounding battle, winning it, 40 - 27. Sam Dekker got his first start and scored a career - high 30 points on 12 - of - 19 shooting. James Harden was the catalyst though, accumulating 29 points, six rebounds, 10 assists and three steals. Eric Gordon came off the bench to provide 21 points, three rebounds and five assists. Marc Gasol did all he could for Memphis, leading the team with 32 points, five rebounds and three blocks, Mike Conley was second on the team, collecting 15 points four rebounds and six assists. The Grizzlies bench combined to go just 8 - of - 29 from the field, with all of them having a negative plus - minus.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 37 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 51 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sam Dekker') has 19 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 30 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 10 Assists ,has 29 Blocks ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 5 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 3 Assists ,has 32 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 6 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers (7 - 7) defeated the Washington Wizards (9 - 5) 113 - 87 on Wednesday at Quciken Loans Arena in Cleveland. LeBron James took over the Cavs' home arena on Wednesday night, with a near triple - double performance. James had 29 points (7 - 14 FG, 1 - 5 3PT, 14 - 17 FT), 10 rebounds and eight assists. Kevin Love contributed an additional 21 points (7 - 10 FG, 1 - 2 3Pt, 6 - 7 FT) and five rebounds. While the two off - season additions (James and Love) were able to help lead the charge, Cavs mainstays Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters were still able to be huge contributors. Irving had 18 points (7 - 15 FG, 3 - 5 3Pt, 1 - 4 FT) and five assists, while Dion Waiters had 15 points (6 - 17 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) and six assists. The Washington Wizards were lead by the strong, veteran presence of Paul Pierce who had 15 points (4 - 5 FG, 7 - 10 FT). Washington's other big - time contributor was veteran journeyman Rasual Butler who had a team - high 23 points (9 - 15 FG, 3 - 5 3Pt). Washington will continue their road stretch when they travel to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans for a Saturday night affair, while Cleveland will be staying home to take on the struggling Indiana Pacers.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 7 Losses ,has 113 Total points ,has 7 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 5 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 9 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Pierce') has 5 Assists ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 15 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rasual Butler') has 5 Assists ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 23 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 8 Assists ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 17 Field goals made ,has 14 Free throws attempted ,has 29 Free throws made ,has 10 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 21 Free throws made ,has 5 Offensive rebounds ,has 2 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 5 Assists ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 15 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 18 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dion Waiters') has 6 Assists ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 2 Offensive rebounds ,has 15 Personal fouls ,has 2 Points ."]

It should come as no surprise to most fans, but Golden State saw staggering offensive output on Friday night en route to a blowout of the Sacramento Kings. Reigning MVP Steph Curry took the reigns of the offense, scoring 27 points on 9 - of - 18 shooting with five made three - pointers. Curry added a team - high 12 assists and came away with six steals on the defensive end. All-Star forward Draymond Green, meanwhile, contributed 23 points and eight assists on offense while also coming away with three steals and a block. As a whole, the Warriors shot over 49 percent and dished out an astronomical 37 assists. For Sacramento, strong rookie output was the big story. Shooting guard Buddy Hield hit four three - pointers en route to 22 points and also had eight rebounds and seven assists. Skal Labissiere, meanwhile, shot 5 - of - 11 en route to 10 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 37 Number of team assists ,has 49 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Buddy Hield') has 7 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 22 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Skal Labissiere') has 8 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 23 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 12 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 27 Field goals made ,has 6 Points ."]

The Atlanta Hawks (60 - 22) defeated the Brooklyn Nets (38 - 44) 96 - 91 to take a 20 lead in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs on Wednesday. Al Horford had a big game and led his team with 13 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks to go along with 14 points. He was n't the only one showing off his passing skills, as he was one of four Hawk's players to record five or more assists on the night. Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver combined for 36 points to fortify the Atlanta scoring attack, and also hit seven three - pointers. Dennis Schroder had a solid performance off the bench, he had 12 points, six assists and two steals in 19 minutes. He's now averaging 13 points, 4 assists and 2 steals in the series. The Hawks will try and take a 30 lead when they take on the Nets in game three on Saturday. The Nets nearly came back from a 10 - point, fourth quarter deficit, but could n't quite get over the hump as the Hawks were able to knock down four of their final six free throws with under :30 remaining. Brooklyn had a hard time staying hot on offense as Thaddeus Young and Deron Williams each went 1 - for - 7 from the field for a combined four points. Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez and Jarrett Jack were forced to carry the scoring load. They combined for 62 points but Brooklyn still fell short of tying up the series at one game a piece. The Nets will try and take game three against the Hawks in Brooklyn on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 96 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 91 Total points ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thaddeus Young') has 7 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Deron Williams') has 7 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 7 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dennis Schroder') has 6 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ."]

The Milwaukee Bucks (27 - 22) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (13 - 36) 113 - 105 on Wednesday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee. The Bucks were the superior shooters in this game, going 50 percent from the field and 42 percent from the three - point line, while the Lakers shot just 42 percent from the floor and 32 percent from beyond the arc. Despite being out - rebounded 53 - 35, the Bucks forced the Lakers into 18 turnovers, while only committing 12 of their own. The Bucks had four players reach the 20 - point mark in this game. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the team with 25 points (10 - 14 FG, 5 - 5 FT), while also adding six rebounds and two blocked shots. The 25 points were a new season - high for him and a nice surprise for the Bucks, as he's averaging only 11 points per game so far this season. Brandon Knight had a very solid performance as well, posting 24 points (7 - 17 FG, 4 - 7 3Pt, 6 - 6 FT), seven rebounds and eight assists in 36 minutes. He had a poor showing in Saturday's game against the Trail Blazers, going only 3 - of - 13 from the field, so it was good to see him have a better night shooting the ball. Khris Middleton came close to a triple - double, with 21 points (7 - 13 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt, 6 - 7 FT), seven rebounds and seven assists. He also did it on the defensive side of the ball with three steals, marking the fourth straight game with at least two steals. Coming off the bench, O.J. Mayo was the fourth member to reach the 20 - point plateau, scoring 21 points (8 - 15 FG, 5 - 8 3Pt) in 33 minutes. Carlos Boozer had a huge outing off the bench for the Lakers, posting a game - high of 28 points, to go along with nine rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes. He's played outstanding over his last three games, averaging 21 points and nine rebounds over that stretch. Leading the starters, Wayne Ellington found his stroke, scoring 19 points (7 - 17 FG, 5 - 12 3Pt) in 37 minutes. He had a very poor game against the Knicks on Sunday, so it was a nice bounce back showing for him. Also providing a bunch of production off the bench was Nick Young. Young went 5 - for - 12 from the field and 2 - for - 8 from the three - point line to score 16 points. He missed three games in a row with an ankle injury, so it was a positive sign for his ankle that he played 34 minutes. Robert Sacre added 10 points as the starting center. The Bucks' next game will be on the road against the Houston Rockets on Friday, while the Lakers will travel to Orlando to play the Magic on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 42 Percentage of 3 points ,has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 22 Losses ,has 113 Total points ,has 20 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 20 Points in 4th quarter ,has 35 Rebounds ,has 27 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 32 Percentage of 3 points ,has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 36 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 53 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 13 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Sacre') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wayne Ellington') has 12 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 17 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 19 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Carlos Boozer') has 4 Assists ,has 37 Blocks ,has 28 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nick Young') has 8 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 34 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 2 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 25 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Khris Middleton') has 7 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 21 Free throws made ,has 7 Minutes played ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Knight') has 8 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 36 Free throws made ,has 24 Minutes played ,has 7 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'O.J. Mayo') has 8 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 33 Field goals attempted ,has 21 Field goals made ."]

The Toronto Raptors defeated the Chicago Bulls in overtime, 122 - 120, at Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night. The game was not for the faint of heart, as it featured a bit of everything. That included a third - quarter fight that saw Chicago's Robin Lopez Toronto's Serge Ibaka both get ejected, as well as a rally in the fourth quarter by the Raptors (42 - 29) from a 94 - 79 deficit. In overtime, Toronto looked like it had pulled away when it forged a 122 - 117 edge with just nine seconds remaining after two free throws from DeMar DeRozan but Jimmy Butler's three - pointer with two seconds left brought the Bulls (33 - 38) back within two. DeRozan missed a shot on the ensuing possession but the Raptors were able to grab the offensive rebound, sealing the win. Butler paced the Bulls with 37 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal. Rajon Rondo followed with 24 points, eight assists, five rebounds and four steals. Lopez had 12 points, four rebounds, one assist and three blocks in 25 minutes before exiting. Paul Zipser drew the start and also pitched in with 12 points, along with five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal. Bobby Portis led the bench with nine points and five boards. The Raptors were led by DeMar DeRozan, who poured in 42 points and added eight assists, seven rebounds, one steal and one block. Cory Joseph tallied 19 points, two assists, one rebound and one steal. Ibaka posted 16 points, six boards and one assist prior to his ejection. DeMarre Carroll and Jonas Valanciunas supplied matching eight - point efforts, while Norman Powell led the second unit with nine points, two rebounds and one assist. The Bulls head back home to tangle with the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, while the Raptors head down to Miami for a Thursday night showdown with the Miami Heat.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 29 Losses ,has 122 Total points ,has 42 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 38 Losses ,has 120 Total points ,has 33 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Zipser') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 12 Minutes played ,has 5 Offensive rebounds ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robin Lopez') has 1 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 25 Minutes played ,has 12 Offensive rebounds ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jimmy Butler') has 6 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 Minutes played ,has 37 Offensive rebounds ,has 10 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rajon Rondo') has 8 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ,has 5 Minutes played ,has 4 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bobby Portis') has 9 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarre Carroll') has 8 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Serge Ibaka') has 1 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 6 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 8 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 42 Minutes played ,has 7 Offensive rebounds ,has 2 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cory Joseph') has 2 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Norman Powell') has 1 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 2 Minutes played ."]

Minnesota are battling for the eight - seed in the west with Dallas and this dominating win shows just how important it was to win this game. In fact, the Mavericks led for over 45 minutes of this game, as they never looked close to relinquishing the lead. Defense carried the T'Wolves, as they held the Mavericks to 42 percent from the field and 24 percent from three - point range, Seth Curry did all he could for Dallas, as he dropped a career - high 31 points on 13 - of - 17 shooting. Harrison Barnes was the only other Maverick in double figures, as he totaled 20 points and seven rebounds. Andrew Wiggins led Minnesota in scoring, as he provided 27 points and seven rebounds. Karl-Anthony Towns dominated down low, as he collected 26 points and 18 rebounds on 12 - of - 18 from the field. Ricky Rubio led the team in assists, accruing 13 points, five rebounds, 14 assists and three steals.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 24 Percentage of 3 points ,has 42 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Seth Curry') has 17 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 31 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 27 Assists ,has 7 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 18 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 26 Field goals made ,has 18 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ricky Rubio') has 14 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 3 Points ."]

The Phoenix Suns (35 - 33) defeated the New York Knicks (13 - 53) 102 - 89 on Sunday at the US Airways Center in Phoenix. This was a huge win for the Suns, as they were starting to lose ground on both the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans for the final projected playoff seed in the Western Conference standings. They now sit two games behind the Pelicans and three games behind the Thunder, so there wo n't be much room for anymore losses moving forward in their fight to get into the playoffs. The Suns shot well in this game, finishing at 49 percent from the field and 33 percent from the three - point line, while the Knicks went 44 percent from the floor and 36 percent from deep. With Brandon Knight still sidelined with an ankle injury, Eric Bledsoe again stepped up for the Suns and posted a team - high of 21 points (8 - 15 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt, 4 - 6 FT), to go along with nine rebounds and 11 assists as well. He's on a strong stretch of four games, averaging 20 points and 7 assists during that span. Brandan Wright moved into the starting lineup at center for the first time this season, with Alex Len sitting out with an ankle injury. Wright took advantage of the start and finished with 18 points (7 - 8 FG, 4 - 5 FT) and 11 rebounds in 37 minutes. It was a new season - high in points for him, while also marking his first double - double since his first game of the season back in November. Marcus Morris was dialed in with his shot as well, going 9 - for - 14 from the field and 2 - for - 3 from the three - point line to score 20 points. It was his second strong performance in a row, as he's combined for 38 points and 10 rebounds over his last two. As has been the case all season, the Knicks struggled to get anything going offensively. Andrea Bargnani and Alexey Shved did the majority of the scoring. Bargnani finished with 18 points (7 - 16 FG, 0 - 3 3Pt, 4 - 5 FT) and three assists, while Shved added 18 points (6 - 15 FG, 2 - 6 3Pt, 4 - 8 FT) and four rebounds. Shved has been one of the few bright spots of late, averaging 17 points and 6 rebounds over his last five games. Bargnani has also been solid over his last few games, as this marked his second 18 - point performance in as many games. The only other Knick in double figures was Lance Thomas, who recorded 14 points (4 - 8 FG, 6 - 10 FT) and four rebounds in 29 minutes. The Suns' next game will be at home against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, while the Knicks will be at home against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 33 Percentage of 3 points ,has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 33 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 35 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 36 Percentage of 3 points ,has 44 Percentage of field goals ,has 53 Losses ,has 89 Total points ,has 13 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lance Thomas') has 8 Assists ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 29 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrea Bargnani') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 0 3-pointers made ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 5 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ,has 18 Minutes played ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Alexey Shved') has 3 Assists ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 15 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ,has 18 Offensive rebounds ,has 4 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Morris') has 2 Assists ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 20 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandan Wright') has 8 Assists ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 37 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ,has 11 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Bledsoe') has 11 Assists ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 15 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 21 Free throws made ,has 9 Minutes played ."]

The Toronto Raptors defeated the Miami Heat, 95 - 91, on Saturday at American Airlines Arena to take a 2 - 1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Raptors star Kyle Lowry led the way with an impressive 33 points, hitting five three - pointers and hitting all six of his free throws en route to the team's close victory. After an underwhelming first round, the All-Star point guard was able to take control in Miami, producing a major portion of his team's offensive output. Also dominating was center Jonas Valanciunas, who posted 16 points and 12 rebounds in just 22 minutes of play. While two of Toronto's stars had big nights, shooting guard DeMar DeRozan's struggles continued. "The Quadruple Capital" was just 6 - for - 17 from the field on the night, continuing an underwhelming stretch of playoff play. Despire the loss, Miami star Dwyane Wade led the game with 38 points. Wade also had eight rebounds and four assists, taking control for his team in the first home matchup of the semifinals. The rest of the team was underwhelming, however, as no other member of the Heat scored more than 12. Star big Hassan Whiteside saw a particularly disappointing eight minutes and just six points off the bench. The team received troubling news before the game, with reports that All-Star Chris Bosh may be forced into early retirement beginning to surface. Game 4 will once again see the two teams take the court in Miami.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 2 Losses ,has 91 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 1 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 2 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 22 Assists ,has 16 3-pointers made ,has 12 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 2 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 5 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 33 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 8 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 4 Assists ,has 38 3-pointers made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ."]

The Philadelphia 76ers (9 - 37) defeated the Detroit Pistons (17 - 30) 89 - 69 on Wednesday. Philadelphia welcomed Michael Carter-Williams back after he missed Monday's 99 - 74 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans with an illness. He was one rebound shy of a triple - double with 14 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. After giving up a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope layup to start the game, Michael Carter-Williams hit a layup of his own and Philadelphia was off to the races.They would never relinquish the lead and held the Pistons to less than 22 points in each quarter. The Sixers are enjoying their best month of the season, having recorded five wins so far in January. Greg Monroe had a 20 - point, 11 - rebound double - double as the lone bright spot for the Pistons. The four other starters only managed to combine for 12 points total. D.J. Augustin had been filling in nicely at point guard for the Pistons, who will be without Brandon Jennings (Achilles) for the remainder of the season. Augustin averaged 27 points, 9 assists, four rebounds and one steal in his first two starts since taking over but could n't find the magic Wednesday. He was 0 - for - 7 on Wednesday, scoring two points in 34 minutes in the Pistons' lowest - scoring output of the season. The Pistons will face the Houston Rockets on Saturday, and the 76ers will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 37 Losses ,has 89 Total points ,has 9 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 30 Losses ,has 69 Total points ,has 17 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Greg Monroe') has 20 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'D.J. Augustin') has 7 Assists ,has 0 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 34 Free throws made ,has 2 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Carter-Williams') has 10 Assists ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ."]

The Golden State Warriors (160) crushed the Los Angeles Lakers (2 - 12) 111 - 77 on Tuesday to set a league record for the most consecutive wins to start a season. This was a mismatch and blowout on paper and that proved to be the case on the court. The Warriors dominated from start to finish and it's unclear if the Lakers even showed up to the game. This sort of game exemplifies which directions these franchises are going right now and we should give more credit to Golden State rather than belittling the Lakers. The biggest difference in the game was the passing, as the Warriors accumulated 32 assists compared to the Lakers 16. The Lakers came into this game as 18 - point underdogs and it was far worse than that. The Lakers got down by 20 points extremely early and never could bounce - back. This was a mismatch in nearly every facet, as the Warriors are the best offensive team in basketball, while the Lakers are one of the worst defenses. No starter for the Lakers scored over 10 points and that exemplifies the nightmare performance. Kobe Bryant also had another terrible game, as he shot just 1 - for - 14 to accumulate four points in the loss. Bryant is simply taking too many bad shots right now and while he could make those in the past, his legs just simply ca n't handle them anymore. We've never seen him throw up air - balls and wedgies like he did in this game and it's just hard to watch as a basketball fan right now. This is a bad team right now and with an aging veteran who dominates the ball, it's hard to see them get any better. They have a few days off until they face the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday in their next scheduled game. The Warriors came into this game trying to set a record for most wins to start a season and they achieved it in spectacular fashion. They destroyed a disheartened Lakers team and they appear to be the new Lakers of the past. In this game they had an amazing 32:8 assists - to - turnover ratio and that has been the key all season. Steph Curry played just 30 minutes in this game, but still totaled 24 points and nine assists in the blowout win. This is a scary team right now and the sky is the limit with the way they are currently playing. The Warriors will play the Phoenix Suns on Friday in their next game to try to extend their already record - breaking streak.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 32 Number of team assists ,has 111 Losses ,has 16 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 16 Number of team assists ,has 12 Losses ,has 77 Total points ,has 2 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kobe Bryant') has 14 Assists ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 9 Assists ,has 30 Field goals attempted ,has 24 Field goals made ."]