Datasets:

Imask

/

FBM_Rotowire

like 0

The Orlando Magic (22 - 28) nipped the Atlanta Hawks (30 - 23) 96 - 94 on Sunday. In what was a back - and - forth affair, the Magic awoke from a scoreless slumber at just the right time to secure the win. Having gone blank on the scoreboard over the preceding 3:40 of the fourth quarter, Orlando stole the victory with an 18 - foot shot from Nikola Vucevic off an inbounds pass from Elfrid Payton as the clock hit triple zeroes. Prior to the game - winner, the home team had squandered a 94 - 86 lead due to their lack of offensive proficiency. However, the Magic were still able to outperform the Hawks from the field, tallying a 46 percent success rate as compared to Atlanta's 39 percent tally. They were also notably more efficient around the basket, outscoring the visitors in the paint by a margin of 42 - 28. Both teams enjoyed double - digit scoring afternoons from all members of their respective starting fives, and the Magic also saw two of their young stars post double - doubles. Atlanta was led by Jeff Teague's 24 points, which he supplemented with five assists, a rebound and a steal. Kent Bazemore was right behind him with a 23 - point haul, which was complemented with eight rebounds, an assist and a pair of steals. Paul Millsap had a near double - double with 14 points and nine rebounds, along with two assists, two steals and two blocks. However, he missed a jumper in the closing seconds that would have broken a 94 - 94 tie. Al Horford pitched in with 11 points, six boards, six assists and two blocks, while Kyle Korver contributed 10 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. The Hawks are currently in a first - place tie with the Miami Heat atop the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division, with the result of the Miami Heat-Los Angeles Clippers game concluding later in the afternoon potentially dropping them to second. They head back to Atlanta for the back end of the home - and - home series with the Magic on Monday night. In addition to being the hero on the afternoon, Vucevic also led Orlando with a 22 - point, nine - rebound performance that included two assists and two steals. The stellar contributions helped make up for the team - high six turnovers he committed. Evan Fournier amassed 21 points, five boards, an assist and a pair of steals. Victor Oladipo supplied 19 points, five rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block. Payton was outstanding in stuffing the stat sheet with 12 points, 12 assists, four rebounds, a steal and a block. Aaron Gordon rounded things out for the starting five with an 11 - point, 13 - rebound double - double that also included four assists, two steals and four blocks, an outstanding all - around game after a pair of lackluster performances in the last two contests. The Magic remains in last place in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division. They're in Atlanta tomorrow for a rematch with the Hawks.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 46 Percentage of 3 points ,has 28 Percentage of field goals ,has 96 Losses ,has 18 Total points ,has 18 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 22 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 46 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 23 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 30 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Kent Bazemore') has 1 Assists, has 23 Points, has 8 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Paul Millsap') has 2 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 14 Points, has 9 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Al Horford') has 6 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 11 Points, has 6 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kyle Korver') has 2 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 10 Points, has 6 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jeff Teague') has 5 Assists, has 24 Points, has 1 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Evan Fournier') has 1 Assists, has 21 Points, has 5 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Aaron Gordon') has 4 Assists, has 4 Blocks, has 5 Free throws made, has 5 Offensive rebounds, has 2 Personal fouls, has 11 Points, has 13 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nikola Vucevic') has 2 Assists, has 22 Points, has 9 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals, has 6 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Victor Oladipo') has 3 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 19 Points, has 5 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Elfrid Payton') has 12 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 12 Points, has 4 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals"]

The host Denver Nuggets beat the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, 103 - 93. Denver (19 - 25) has now won four in a row at home and has become one of the hottest teams in the West, due largely to the emergence of sophomore Nikola Jokic. The 21 - year - old center has been dominant since the start of the new year, and was effective once again on Tuesday despite Utah's tough defensive frontcourt. Jokic scored 23 points and pulled down 11 rebounds and made a surprising impact on defense with two steals and three blocks. The young star's scoring touch and elite passing was the backbone of a strong offensive effort for Denver. The team scored a combined 62 in the second and third quarter and finished the night shooting over 46 percent while dishing out 28 assists. Utah (29 - 18), on the other hand, was not quite as hot on the offensive end. In particular, Gordon Hayward and George Hill, who typically form the crux of the Jazz offense, both struggled from the field. Hayward scored only nine points, while Hill went just 6 - of - 18 from the field. What was reassuring for Utah, however, was that forward Derrick Favors produced a strong performance. Favors, who has seen his season plagued by injuries thus far, led the Jazz with 18 points on 8 - of - 11 shooting and was responsible for a handful of key plays on defense. That said, Tuesday's outing was likely one that Utah will be eager to forget; the Jazz shot just 41 percent from the field as a team and were out - rebounded. The Nuggets will host the Suns on Thursday, while the Jazz will host the Lakers.

["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 25 Percentage of field goals ,has 103 Losses ,has 19 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 18 Losses ,has 93 Total points ,has 29 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Gordon Hayward') has 9 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Derrick Favors') has 11 Field goals attempted, has 8 Field goals made, has 18 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'George Hill') has 18 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nikola Jokic') has 3 Blocks, has 4 3-pointers attempted, has 23 Points, has 11 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals, has 4 Turnovers"]

The Chicago Bulls (21 - 9) defeated the Indiana Pacers (11 - 20) 92 - 90 on Monday. The Bulls led by 16 points going into the fourth quarter, but Indiana managed to make it close by outscoring the Bulls 25 - 11 in the final period. All Chicago starters had a positive or neutral plus/minus, while all of their bench players had a negative plus/minus. The exact opposite was true for the Pacers, whose starters all had a negative plus/minus, and their bench players all finished with a positive plus/minus. Chicago was lead Jimmy Butler with 27 points (8 - 20 FG), nine rebounds and four steals in 44 minutes of play. Derrick Rose shot just 5 - of - 20 from the field, finishing with 17 points, six assists and two blocks. The Bulls will host the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. Indiana was 4 - 3 over their previous seven games coming into Monday's contest with the Bulls. Rodney Stuckey sobered up from his near - triple - double performance from Saturday, finishing Monday's game with just five points, two rebounds and two steals. The Pacers will host the Miami Heat on Wednesday in a matinee game.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 90 Total points ,has 25 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 92 Total points ,has 11 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Jimmy Butler') has 20 Field goals attempted, has 8 Field goals made, has 44 Minutes played, has 27 Points, has 9 Total rebounds, has 4 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Derrick Rose') has 6 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 20 Field goals attempted, has 5 Field goals made, has 17 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Rodney Stuckey') has 5 Points, has 2 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals"]

The Hornets have one of the best plus - minus marks in the NBA in the third quarter and this performance only adds to that impressive tally. In fact, Charlotte won the third quarter, 35 - 13, en route to a 19 - point win. Rebounding was the biggest difference for Charlotte, as they won that battle, 46 - 34. In addition, they shot 55 percent from the field and 95 percent from the free - throw line. Serge Ibaka was the only Orlando starter to play well, as he scored all of his 20 points in the first half. Nikola Vucevic led the Magic in scoring, as he dropped 21 points on 10 - of - 13 shooting. Nicolas Batum was the catalyst for Charlotte, as he accumulated 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Kemba Walker led the Hornets in scoring, collecting 21 points, five rebounds and three assists of his own.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 13 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 55 Percentage of field goals ,has 35 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Nicolas Batum') has 8 Assists, has 20 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kemba Walker') has 21 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Serge Ibaka') has 3 Assists, has 20 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nikola Vucevic') has 13 Field goals attempted, has 10 Field goals made, has 21 Points, has 5 Total rebounds"]

The Phoenix Suns defeated the Atlanta Hawks 109 - 107 at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Wednesday. The Suns (6 - 13) staved off a hungry Hawks (10 - 9) squad that was being led by Dennis Schroder down the stretch. The Atlanta point guard had one of his best games of the season after scoring 31 points to lead all scorers in the contest, and drew a needed foul from behind the three point line with just one second left remaining in the fourth quarter. Eric Bledsoe drained the free throws on the other end of the court to extend the lead to five points, which rendered Kent Bazemore's buzzer beating three pointer useless, as the Suns came away with the home win. Phoenix followed up a 36 point first quarter with a lowly 14 points in the second, which kept the Hawks within striking distance after they had multiple opportunities to put the game away early. Brandon Knight was the most effective player on the floor for the Suns, evidenced by his 23 points in 31 minutes off the bench, to go along with five rebounds, two assists and two steals. P.J. Tucker led the starters with 17 points, while Devin Booker finished with 13 points on 5 - of - 13 shooting. Schroder added four rebounds, nine assists and one block to his 13 - of - 23 shooting performance, while Bazemore scored 22 points to round out the starters for Atlanta. Tim Hardaway Jr. was the effective bench performer in 26 minutes of play, as he scored 21 points on 9 - of - 17 shooting. Next up, the Hawks host the Detroit Pistons on Friday, while the Suns visit the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 13 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 36 Points in 1st quarter ,has 14 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 6 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 9 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 10 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Kent Bazemore') has 1 Blocks, has 22 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dennis Schroder') has 9 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 23 Field goals attempted, has 13 Field goals made, has 1 Offensive rebounds, has 31 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tim Hardaway Jr.') has 17 Field goals attempted, has 9 Field goals made, has 26 Minutes played, has 21 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'PJ Tucker') has 17 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Devin Booker') has 13 Field goals attempted, has 5 Field goals made, has 13 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Brandon Knight') has 2 Assists, has 31 Minutes played, has 23 Points, has 5 Total rebounds"]

The Wizards eaked out a tight road win to begin the season over the Magic, behind Bradley Beal's game high 24 points. The closely - contested game consisted of 11 lead changes and six ties. Tobias Harris had a running field goal attempt with 4 seconds left that hung on the rim and appeared to be goaltended by Marcin Gortat, which would have given the Magic a one - point lead. However, following review, Gortat was determined to have legally touched the ball. Nikola Vucevic then bricked a mid - range jumper at the buzzer. Washington was led by John Wall who put up 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals, and an eye - popping five blocks. The Wizards will head into Milwaukee Friday night and look to open the season 20. Orlando stuck with the NBA's current small ball lineup trend by starting Evan Fournier at the small forward. This allowed Aaron Gordon to ease his way in to his sophomore season by coming off the bench. Victor Oladipo led the way with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Elfrid Payton neared a triple - double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists. The Thunder come into Orlando Friday night where the Magic will try and get their first win of the season.

["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 22 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcin Gortat') has 4 Field goals made" "PlayerStat(G, 'Bradley Beal') has 24 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'John Wall') has 6 Assists, has 5 Blocks, has 22 Points, has 7 Total rebounds, has 3 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tobias Harris') has 4 Personal fouls" "PlayerStat(G, 'Victor Oladipo') has 17 Points, has 11 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Elfrid Payton') has 8 Assists, has 11 Points, has 10 Total rebounds"]

The Chicago Bulls (45 - 29) scored more points before the fourth quarter than the New York Knicks (14 - 60) tallied the entire game, winning 111 - 80. The Knicks failed to score 20 points in any of the first three quarters, falling behind 84 - 53 heading into the final period. Potential Rookie of the Year Nikola Mirotic scored a game - high 24 points off the bench, supplemented by six rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block and three three - pointers in 26 minutes. Pau Gasol notched his league - leading 48th double with 19 points and 12 rebounds in a team - high 28 minutes, throwing his name into the Comeback Player of the Year conversation. Jimmy Butler secured five steals to match his total post - All - Star break. The win moved the Bulls one and half games ahead of the four seed Toronto Raptors with eight games remaining. The Knicks broke a record by losing their 60th game, most losses in a single season of the franchise’s 69 - year history. It’s the ninth time in 16 March games the Knicks failed to shoot 40 percent from the field. They've lost seven games in a row and hold a three - game edge over the Minnesota Timberwolves for worst record in the league. Andrea Bargnani scored a team - high 14 points. Langston Galloway played a team - high 36 minutes and shot 5 - of - 14 from the floor, possessing a team - low negative 28 plus/minus. Ricky Ledo may have played his final game with the Knicks as his 10 - day contract expires Sunday. He joined Bargnani and Galloway as the only Knicks to score at least 10 points, contributing 11 points, three rebounds, two steals, one assist and one three - pointer in 29 minutes. The Bulls have three days off before facing the Milwaukee Bucks. The Knicks face a similar layover, hosting the Brooklyn Nets the first day of April.

["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 29 Losses ,has 111 Total points ,has 45 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 60 Losses ,has 80 Total points ,has 14 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Andrea Bargnani') has 1 Assists, has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Langston Galloway') has 1 3-pointers made, has 14 Field goals attempted, has 5 Field goals made, has 36 Minutes played" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ricky Ledo') has 1 Assists, has 1 3-pointers made, has 10 Field goals attempted, has 29 Minutes played, has 11 Points, has 3 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Pau Gasol') has 28 Minutes played, has 19 Points, has 12 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jimmy Butler') has 5 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nikola Mirotic') has 2 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 3 3-pointers made, has 26 Minutes played, has 24 Points, has 6 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals"]

The Nets (1 - 7) finally managed to win a game, defeating the Rockets (4 - 4) 106 - 98 at Toyota Center on Wednesday. Brooklyn outscored Houston 25 - 17 in the fourth quarter en route to its first win of the season. The unsung hero of the night was Bojan Bogdanovic, who scored a team - high 22 points (10 - 20 FG, 2 - 5 3Pt) in 34 minutes off the bench. The Rockets went cold from the field in the fourth after shooting the lights out for the entire contest. James Harden had an off night, struggling from beyond the arc (3 - 10) and failing to get to the line enough (4 - 5). The Nets woes from downtown had been documented thoroughly up until tonight when they finally posted a solid percentage from distance (47 percent, 8 - 17). Brook Lopez (foot) had a tough time dealing with Dwight Howard in the paint, but came alive late in the game to finish with 14 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks. It was his fourth double - double of the season. Joe Johnson turned into a distributor for the night, dishing out 10 assists while adding 16 points on 4 - of - 13 shooting from the field. Rockets coach Kevin McHale rode his starters in this one, as nobody off the bench played more than 16 minutes (Terrence Jones). Howard has needed to rest after every couple of games, but it's almost made him more effective when he does play. The all - star center posted 20 points (10 - 16 FG, 0 - 2 FT) while ripping down 17 rebounds and blocking five shots over 37 minutes. Marcus Thornton also chipped in 21 points, hitting three from beyond the arc with seven assists and four steals. Brooklyn will head to Sacramento Friday to face the Kings in the third game of a four - game road trip; Houston will try and bounce back against the Nuggets in Denver.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 4 Percentage of 3 points ,has 98 Losses ,has 4 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 7 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 1 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Joe Johnson') has 10 Assists, has 1 3-pointers made, has 13 Field goals attempted, has 4 Field goals made, has 1 Offensive rebounds, has 16 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Brook Lopez') has 5 Blocks, has 14 Points, has 12 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 5 3-pointers attempted, has 2 3-pointers made, has 20 Field goals attempted, has 10 Field goals made, has 34 Minutes played, has 22 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcus Thornton') has 7 Assists, has 3 3-pointers made, has 21 Points, has 3 Total rebounds, has 4 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dwight Howard') has 5 Blocks" "PlayerStat(G, 'Terrence Jones') has 1 3-pointers attempted, has 16 Minutes played, has 1 Offensive rebounds"]

The Bulls (4 - 1) knocked off the Bucks (2 - 3) 95 - 86 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Wednesday night. Playing without Joakim Noah (illness), Chicago once again turned to Taj Gibson to fill the void. And for the second straight night, Gibson did not disappoint. After scoring 16 points in Tuesday’s win over Orlando, Gibson hung 23 points and 10 rebounds on the Bucks in a game - high 44 minutes. Pau Gasol added 22 points and 14 boards, and Jimmy Butler chipped in 13 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Derrick Rose, who missed Tuesday’s contest, scored just 13 points to go with seven assists and four turnovers. The Bulls shot 47 percent from the field and 73 percent (22 - of - 30) at the free throw line. Milwaukee, looking for its first winning streak since the 2012 - 13 season, led by four at halftime but came out flat in the third quarter, allowing Chicago to regain the lead entering the final period. The teams traded baskets for most of the fourth, and a Giannis Antetokounmpo dunk - his third of the quarter - brought the Bucks to within one with 5:31 remaining. The Bulls would make a run, however, capped by a Kirk Hinrich corner three - pointer with 2:15 remaining that put Chicago up 88 - 80. The Bucks would never get back to within six, and the Bulls were able to salt the game away at the free throw line. Antetokounmpo, affectionately known as “The Greek Freak, ” led the way for Milwaukee, scoring 13 points (6 - 11 FG) in 27 minutes off the bench to go with eight boards. Khris Middleton added 11 points in 23 minutes, and Brandon Knight chipped in 10 points, 9 rebounds and seven assists as the only other Bucks player in double - figures. Milwaukee shot a paltry 37 percent from the floor and converted only 3 - of - 15 three - point attempts. Second overall pick Jabari Parker struggled from the floor (4 - 12 FG), scoring only eight points in 25 minutes. All 11 Bucks who entered the game saw at least 12 minutes of playing time. Milwaukee moves on to face the Pistons in Detroit on Friday, while the Bulls head east to take on the winless 76ers, also on Friday night.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 3 Losses ,has 86 Total points ,has 16 Points in 4th quarter ,has 2 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 1 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 4 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Taj Gibson') has 44 Minutes played, has 23 Points, has 10 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Pau Gasol') has 22 Points, has 14 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jimmy Butler') has 7 Assists, has 6 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Derrick Rose') has 7 Assists, has 13 Points, has 4 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jabari Parker') has 12 Field goals attempted, has 4 Field goals made, has 25 Minutes played, has 8 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Brandon Knight') has 7 Assists, has 10 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Khris Middleton') has 23 Minutes played, has 11 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 1 Assists, has 1 3-pointers attempted, has 11 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 1 Free throws made, has 27 Minutes played, has 13 Points, has 8 Total rebounds"]

In a battle between two elite backcourts, the Wizards showed who the better team was. It was a wire - to - wire win for Washington, as they led by 16 points after the first quarter and 25 points at the half. Three-point shooting was the decisive statistic, with the Wizards going 13 - of - 23, while the Blazers hit just 8 - of - 26. Washington dominated the stat sheet, winning the shooting, rebounding, assisting, and turnover differentials. Damian Lillard was the only Blazer with more than 14 points, as he tallied 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Bradley Beal led the Wizards, as he scored a game - high 25 points to go along with five assists and three steals. John Wall finished with 24 points, four rebounds and seven assists. Markieff Morris accrued 17 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. led the bench with 18 points, while Tomas Satoransky provided a double - double off the bench as well.

["PlayerStat(G, 'Damian Lillard') has 22 Points, has 7 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Markieff Morris') has 5 Assists, has 17 Points, has 13 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Bradley Beal') has 5 Assists, has 25 Points, has 3 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'John Wall') has 7 Assists, has 24 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kelly Oubre Jr.') has 18 Points"]

The Utah Jazz (30 - 35) defeated the Washington Wizards (30 - 34) 114 - 93 on Friday. The game was the tale of two starting units, with Utah's first group generating a balanced and productive effort, while Washington's offense was decidedly top - heavy. Only stalwart John Wall and Markieff Morris were able to post double - digit point totals for the Wizards, who were missing Bradley Beal (pelvis) for the second straight game. Meanwhile, Utah was able to tally outstanding 57 and 56 percent success rates from the field and three - point range, respectively, while also outrebounding the visitors 42 - 29. They also received double - digit scoring efforts from four members of their starting five. Wall's 24 points paced Washington, and he also dished out nine assists, four rebounds and a steal. Morris supplied 16 points, and added four boards, two assists and a steal. Marcin Gortat endured a tough night versus the defense of Rudy Gobert, totaling a modest eight points, four rebounds, an assist and a block. Nene Hilario paced the reserves with 12 points, three rebounds, an assist and two steals. The Wizards remain in fourth place in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division, and 3 games behind the eighth - seeded Detroit Pistons. They head to Denver to take on the Nuggets on Sunday night. Utah was spearheaded by Shelvin Mack, who amassed a career - high 27 points, and complemented it with four assists and three rebounds. Gordon Hayward was next, posting 18 points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal. Derrick Favors managed a near double - double, collecting 14 points, nine boards, an assist and two steals. Rodney Hood matched Favors' point total, and added a rebound, an assist and four steals. Raul Neto paced the reserves with 12 points, two rebounds and two assists, although he did turn the ball over five times over just 14 minutes on the floor. The Jazz remains in third place in the Western Conference's Northwest Division, and are three games behind the eighth - seeded Dallas Mavericks. They head to Sacramento to take on the Kings on Sunday night.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 56 Percentage of 3 points ,has 57 Percentage of field goals ,has 35 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 42 Rebounds ,has 30 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 34 Percentage of 3 points ,has 93 Percentage of field goals ,has 29 Losses ,has 30 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Markieff Morris') has 2 Assists, has 16 Points, has 4 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcin Gortat') has 1 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 8 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'John Wall') has 9 Assists, has 24 Points, has 4 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nene') has 1 Assists, has 12 Points, has 3 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Gordon Hayward') has 3 Assists, has 18 Points, has 2 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Derrick Favors') has 1 Assists, has 14 Points, has 9 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Rodney Hood') has 1 Assists, has 5 3-pointers attempted, has 1 Total rebounds, has 4 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Shelvin Mack') has 4 Assists, has 27 Points, has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Raul Neto') has 2 Assists, has 14 Minutes played, has 12 Points, has 2 Total rebounds, has 5 Turnovers"]

The Denver Nuggets defeated the host Indiana Pacers, 125 - 117, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday. It's rare to see Indiana struggle so badly at home, but that was just the case here. In fact, Denver pulled out a wire - to - wire win, as they held a double - digit lead for over half of this game. Free-throw shooting was a glaring difference, with Denver going 40 - of - 43 from the free - throw line, while Indiana went just 8 - of - 11. Rebounding was crucial for the Nuggets as well, with Denver winning that battle, 46 - 39. The Nuggets (35 - 37) are holding on to the eight - seed in the west by a fingernail, as this was a crucial road win for that pursuit. Nikola Jokic led the way for Denver. as he tallied 30 points, 17 rebounds and five assists on 12 - of - 18 from the field. Wilson Chandler finished second on the team, totaling 24 points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Danilo Gallinari made his return from a knee injury to amass 21 points and 11 rebounds. On deck for the Nuggets is a home matchup versus the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. The Pacers (36 - 36) had traded off wins and losses in their previous 15 games, but this defeat snapped that streak. Paul George led Indiana, as he accumulated 27 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals. Myles Turner collected 20 points, four rebounds, two steals and four blocks. Jeff Teague accrued 21 points, two rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Monta Ellis led the bench with 17 points. Indiana will look to bounce back on Sunday in a home matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 36 Losses ,has 117 Total points ,has 27 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 36 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 37 Losses ,has 125 Total points ,has 35 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Wilson Chandler') has 2 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 24 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Danilo Gallinari') has 21 Points, has 11 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nikola Jokic') has 5 Assists, has 18 Field goals attempted, has 12 Field goals made, has 30 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Paul George') has 3 Assists, has 27 Points, has 9 Total rebounds, has 3 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Myles Turner') has 4 Blocks, has 20 Points, has 4 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jeff Teague') has 8 Assists, has 21 Points, has 2 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Monta Ellis') has 17 Points"]

The visiting Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, 123 - 116. It was the best offensive night of the season for the Lakers, as the team recorded 123 points on 54 percent shooting from the floor. Sophomore point guard D'Angelo Russell led the charge with a team - high 23 points. After coming off the bench for a large portion of the 2015 - 16 season, Russell has seen an expanded role thus far as a starter under new coach Luke Walton. This was evident on Wednesday night, as Russell not only led the Lakers in scoring but dished out eight assists. Los Angeles also saw a boost from their bench, as three players scored at least 14 points for the second unit. Despite trailing at halftime, LA was able to come out strong in the second half and catch up to the Hawks in the third quarter before outscoring Atlanta 33 - 22 in the fourth to seal the win. New acquisition Dwight Howard had his biggest game as a Hawk, scoring 31 on his former team. Howard also recorded 11 rebounds and shot an efficient 12 - of - 16 from the field. While Howard crashed the boards effectively, the team finished with a four - rebound deficit on the night. A cold shooting night from the rest of the starting five also hurt the Hawks. Shooting guard Kyle Korver struggled particularly, as he was just 1 - for - 6 from the field, scoring only three points on the night. The Hawks will visit the Wizards on Friday, while the Lakers will host the Warriors.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 116 Losses ,has 22 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 3 Losses ,has 123 Total points ,has 33 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'D'Angelo Russell') has 8 Assists, has 23 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dwight Howard') has 16 Field goals attempted, has 12 Field goals made, has 31 Points, has 11 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kyle Korver') has 6 3-pointers attempted, has 1 3-pointers made, has 6 Field goals attempted, has 1 Field goals made, has 3 Points"]

The Cleveland Cavaliers (13 - 4) defeated the Brooklyn Nets (3 - 13) 90 - 88 on Saturday. LeBron James likely imagined many moments like tonight's closing sequence on his hometown court when he opted to return to Cleveland. The perennial All-Star scored the final two of his 26 points on the night on an eight - foot jumper to break an 88 - 88 tie and send the Cavs home winners for the second consecutive night. As has become customary in Kyrie Irving's season - long absence while recovering from knee surgery, James and Kevin Love took charge of the Cleveland offense with matching 26 - point efforts to help their team remain perfect at home. The Nets certainly gave a valiant effort and were led by their own "Big Two" of Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young, who both stuffed the stat sheet across virtually every category. Lopez contributed 22 points, nine rebounds, a pair of assists, a pair of blocks and a steal over 38 minutes. Meanwhile, Young managed 16 points, 12 rebounds and a steal over 36 minutes on the court, making it his fifth double - double in the last seven contests. Veteran Joe Johnson also turned in a strong bounce - back effort with 17 points, after having only managed five points in Wednesday night's loss to the Thunder. Jarret Jack pitched in with an impressive double - double of his own, tallying 12 points and supplementing it with a season - high 14 assists. Rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson posted double - digit rebounds for the third time in four contests, hauling in 10 boards and adding six points, an assist, five steals and a block over 30 minutes. Brooklyn fell to 3 - 13 and currently resides in fourth place in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They head home to face the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. In addition to James' and Loves' outstanding performances, the Cavs also benefited from a 14 - point night from Mo Williams, as well as a 10 - point, 11 - rebound effort from Tristan Thompson, who's now managed six consecutive double - doubles despite coming off the bench in a majority of those games. The remaining Cleveland starters could not muster much on the scoring end. J.R. Smith continued his recent offensive cool - down with a six - point, five - rebound performance, while Timofey Mozgov could only shoot 1 - for - 7 from the field on his way to a two - point, six - rebound outing. The Cleveland center did add a pair of assists, a pair of steals and a block. Cleveland improved to 13 - 4 and currently reside in first place in the Eastern Conference's Central Division. They next face the Wizards in a home game on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 4 Losses ,has 90 Total points ,has 13 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 13 Losses ,has 88 Total points ,has 3 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Joe Johnson') has 17 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Thaddeus Young') has 7 Field goals made, has 36 Minutes played, has 16 Points, has 12 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Brook Lopez') has 2 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 38 Minutes played, has 22 Points, has 9 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Rondae Hollis-Jefferson') has 1 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 4 Field goals attempted, has 30 Minutes played, has 6 Points, has 10 Total rebounds, has 5 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jarrett Jack') has 14 Assists, has 12 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'LeBron James') has 6 3-pointers attempted, has 6 Free throws attempted, has 2 Offensive rebounds, has 26 Points, has 2 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kevin Love') has 26 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Timofey Mozgov') has 7 Field goals attempted, has 1 Field goals made, has 2 Points, has 6 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'JR Smith') has 6 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Mo Williams') has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tristan Thompson') has 6 Offensive rebounds, has 10 Points, has 11 Total rebounds"]

The Washington Wizards defeated the Boston Celtics, 118 - 93, at Verizon Center on Wednesday. The Wizards (2 - 5) completely overwhelmed the Celtics (3 - 4) out of the gate, exploding for 34 points over the first 12 minutes. That stretch included a 160 run within the period that sprung them to an 18 - 2 lead by the 6:26 mark of the first quarter. Otto Porter spearheaded the Wizards' attack with a season - high 34 points, which he complemented with 14 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks. As their final point total would indicate, Washington enjoyed a strong shooting night, tallying a 50 percent success rate from the field, as well as 48 percent from behind the arc. The Celtics were paced by Isaiah Thomas, who posted 23 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. Backcourt mate Avery Bradley was next, supplying 21 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. Amir Johnson was the only other starter that got into double digits in the scoring column, compiling 11 points, three rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block. Marcus Smart led the bench with 20 points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal. John Wall checked in behind Porter with 19 points, seven assists, three rebounds, a steal and a block. Marcin Gortat managed 13 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Bradley Beal registered only three points in 11 minutes on 1 - for - 8 shooting before exiting with tightness in his right hamstring. The comfortable lead and Beal's absence opened up extra minutes off the bench for Marcus Thornton and Trey Burke, who contributed 16 and 18 points, respectively. The Celtics head back home to face the Knicks on Friday night, while the Wizards remain home to face the Cavaliers in a Friday evening tussle.

["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 48 Percentage of 3 points ,has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 5 Losses ,has 118 Total points ,has 34 Points in 1st quarter ,has 2 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 4 Percentage of 3 points ,has 93 Percentage of field goals ,has 3 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Amir Johnson') has 1 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 11 Points, has 3 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Avery Bradley') has 2 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 21 Points, has 3 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Isaiah Thomas') has 10 Assists, has 23 Points, has 6 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcus Smart') has 1 Assists, has 20 Points, has 3 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcin Gortat') has 2 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 13 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Bradley Beal') has 8 Field goals attempted, has 1 Field goals made, has 11 Minutes played, has 3 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'John Wall') has 7 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 19 Points, has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcus Thornton') has 16 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Trey Burke') has 18 Points"]

The host Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 126 - 91, in an NBA Finals rematch on Monday. Golden State (35 - 6) avenged its loss on Christmas day with a crushing victory over the Cavaliers on Monday. The Warriors came out strong from the start, establishing a double - digit lead in the first quarter and a 20 - point lead by midway through the second. Everything seemed to be firing for Golden State on both sides of the ball, as the Warriors shot a ridiculous 50 percent from the floor while draining 15 three - pointers. Despite historic matchup troubles with Cleveland, reigning MVP Steph Curry delivered on Monday, scoring 20 points to go with 11 assists and four steals. Curry had recorded a double - double by the end of the Warriors' electrifying first half, playing a major part of the 29 - point lead the team was able to establish. Overall, Golden State absolutely demolished Cleveland in every aspect, including holding a 58 - 35 rebounding advantage. Cleveland (29 - 11) had won four straight against the Warriors prior to Monday's game. The Cavaliers played arguably their worst game of the season, shooting just 35 percent from the field and recording only 11 assists. While pregame statements from team leader LeBron James indicated that Cleveland had undergone no special preparation for Monday's game, the drubbing still came as a surprise to most. James led the team with 20 points but shot just 6 - of - 18 and committed an uncharacteristic six turnovers. Kyrie Irving was just 6 - of - 19, while Kevin Love was held to only three points. The Warriors will host the Thunder on Wednesday, while Cleveland will host the Suns on Thursday.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 6 Number of team assists ,has 126 Percentage of field goals ,has 58 Losses ,has 35 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 11 Number of team assists ,has 35 Percentage of field goals ,has 11 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 20 Points in 4th quarter ,has 35 Rebounds ,has 29 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'LeBron James') has 18 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 20 Points, has 6 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kevin Love') has 3 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kyrie Irving') has 19 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made" "PlayerStat(G, 'Stephen Curry') has 11 Assists, has 20 Points, has 4 Steals"]

There's no question Isaiah Thomas is the team's No. 1 scoring option and has done an admirable job taking on those duties, but it has n't come without the efficiency issues that come with being under six feet tall. Monday's performance was yet another example, as while Thomas managed to score 25 points, he did so on 7 - of - 23 shooting from the field, which is the sixth time in the last nine games that Thomas has shot under 40 percent from the field. He is, however, still scoring 26 points per game over that span and has done so with his ability to not only get to the free throw line, but make most of his free throw attempts. In those nine games, Thomas has gotten to the line 84 times and is shooting an incredible 89 percent from the charity stripe. So, while as a pure shooter from the field, Thomas may not be the most accurate, the way he utilizes his size to draw fouls may make up for it.

["PlayerStat(G, 'Isaiah Thomas') has 23 Field goals attempted, has 7 Field goals made, has 9 Free throws attempted, has 9 Free throws made, has 25 Points"]

The Cleveland Cavaliers (20) grabbed the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals with a 94 - 82 win over the Atlanta Hawks (0 - 2). Kyrie Irving didn’t play due to left knee tendinitis, an injury that stemmed from overcompensating for his right foot strain the previous round. The decision was made after he flew to Florida in the morning to meet with Dr. James Andrews. Irving has already been listed as questionable for Game 3. The Cavaliers pulled away from the Hawks with a 21 - 6 run to start the third quarter, leading to an 84 - 66 advantage heading into the final period. LeBron James narrowly missed a triple - double, closing the contest with 30 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds and one block in 39 minutes. He also hit a playoff - high two three - pointers, improving his overall shooting to 9 - of - 56 from downtown in this postseason. Tristan Thompson hauled 16 rebounds, five of which were offensive, two fewer than the Hawks. Matthew Dellavedova started in place of Irving and finished with 11 points, six rebounds, four assists and one steal in 37 minutes. Iman Shumpert knocked in four of the team’s 12 three - pointers and compiled 16 points in 34 minutes. The loss marks the first time all season the Hawks lost two straight home games. They converted an uncharacteristic 6 - of - 26 three - pointers, a cumulative 10 - of - 49 in two games against the Cavaliers. DeMarre Carroll remained in the starting lineup after suffering a left knee sprain in Game 1. His sticktoitiveness was offset by Kyle Korver’s sprained right ankle late in the third quarter, one that held out the three - point marksman the rest of the game. Al Horford suffered a knee injury to boot, yet gave coach Mike Budenholzer a few minutes even though the game had already been decided. Mike Scott returned to the rotation following four straight DNP-CDs and led the Hawks’ reserves with 18 minutes played. Dennis Schroder led all Hawks with 13 points in just 12 minutes. Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals will take place Sunday at 8:30 PM EST on TNT. Every previous team LeBron James has led to a 20 playoff series lead has gone on to win all previous 14 matchups.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 2 Losses ,has 82 Total points ,has 0 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 94 Losses ,has 2 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G, 'LeBron James') has 11 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 2 3-pointers made, has 39 Minutes played, has 30 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tristan Thompson') has 2 Blocks, has 2 Field goals made, has 5 Offensive rebounds, has 2 Personal fouls, has 16 Total rebounds, has 2 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Iman Shumpert') has 4 3-pointers made, has 34 Minutes played, has 16 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Matthew Dellavedova') has 4 Assists, has 37 Minutes played, has 11 Points, has 6 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'DeMarre Carroll') has 1 Offensive rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kyle Korver') has 1 Assists, has 1 Defensive rebounds, has 1 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dennis Schroder') has 12 Minutes played, has 13 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Mike Scott') has 4 Defensive rebounds"]

The Denver Nuggets (10) defeated the Houston Rockets (0 - 1) 105 - 85 on Wednesday at the Toyota Center in Houston. Despite opening the season on their home court, the Rockets struggled to find the bottom of the net in this one. As a team, the Rockets shot just 34 percent from the field and limped to a brutal 23 percent clip from deep. The Nuggets, on the other hand, stayed hot all game long, shooting 50 percent from the field and 48 percent from beyond the arc. In a relatively ugly game with 37 combined turnovers between the teams, the Nuggets were able to cash in the most and finished with a surprising 20 - point victory. Emmanuel Mudiay, the Nuggets' seventh overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, made his much anticipated regular season debut. Mudiay had a strong day shooting the ball, finishing with 17 points (6 - 13 FG, 3 - 5 3Pt, 2 - 4 FT) over 37 minutes. He nearly completed the unconventional triple - double, as he also posted nine assists and 11 turnovers. While the ridiculous amount of turnovers is concerning, the Nuggets will need to give their rookie some time to settle in and get accustomed to NBA basketball. Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets in scoring, recording a team - high of 23 points (7 - 15 FG, 3 - 5 3Pt, 6 - 6 FT), to go along with eight rebounds and three blocked shots. He averaged just 12 points and 4 rebounds last season, so it was a very nice start for the sixth - year guard. Kenneth Faried was the third Nuggets' starter in double figures with 18 points (8 - 10 FG, 2 - 6 FT) and nine rebounds. With Dwight Howard sitting out on suspension after accumulating a flagrant foul during the 2014 - 15 postseason, it was James Harden and Terrence Jones who did everything they could to make up for his absence. Harden struggled from deep, hitting just two of his twelve attempts from the three - point line, but still finished with a team - high of 22 points. Harden came just short of being named the league MVP last season, so this was not the start he had in mind. Jones recorded 15 points (6 - 13 FG, 0 - 2 3Pt, 3 - 5 FT) of his own, while pulling down six rebounds. The only other Rocket to reach double figures was Ty Lawson, who scored 12 points (3 - 10 FG, 2 - 3 3Pt, 4 - 6 FT) in his Rockets debut. Lawson averaged 15 points and 10 assists with the Nuggets last season, so do n't be surprised to see his numbers rise over the next few games. The Nuggets will be at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, while the Rockets will remain in Houston in a matchup with the Golden State Warriors on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 23 Percentage of 3 points ,has 1 Losses ,has 85 Total points ,has 0 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 48 Percentage of 3 points ,has 105 Losses ,has 23 Total points ,has 1 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Danilo Gallinari') has 3 Blocks, has 5 3-pointers attempted, has 3 3-pointers made, has 15 Field goals attempted, has 7 Field goals made, has 6 Free throws attempted, has 6 Free throws made, has 23 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kenneth Faried') has 10 Field goals attempted, has 8 Field goals made, has 6 Free throws attempted, has 2 Free throws made, has 18 Points, has 9 Total rebounds, has 2 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Emmanuel Mudiay') has 9 Assists, has 5 3-pointers attempted, has 3 3-pointers made, has 13 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 4 Free throws attempted, has 2 Free throws made, has 17 Points, has 11 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Terrence Jones') has 2 Defensive rebounds, has 2 3-pointers attempted, has 0 3-pointers made, has 13 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 5 Free throws attempted, has 3 Free throws made, has 15 Points, has 6 Total rebounds, has 2 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'James Harden') has 2 Blocks, has 12 3-pointers attempted, has 2 3-pointers made, has 2 Personal fouls, has 22 Points, has 6 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ty Lawson') has 3 3-pointers attempted, has 2 3-pointers made, has 10 Field goals attempted, has 3 Field goals made, has 6 Free throws attempted, has 4 Free throws made, has 12 Points"]

The Utah Jazz defeated the visiting Charlotte Hornets 105 - 98, at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Saturday evening. After trailing by nine at the end of the third, the Jazz rallied back by outscoring the Hornets by 16 in the fourth, behind a season - high 33 points from Gordon Hayward. The Jazz (32 - 19) shot 47 percent from the field and out - rebounded the Hornets by 13, as they battled to earn the impressive home win. Hayward added eight rebounds, two assists and one steal to round out an impressive line that includes a season - high 33 points. George Hill came up big with 25 points on efficient 8 - of - 11 shooting, including 5 - of - 8 from long range, while Rudy Gobert cleaned the glass with 15 rebounds to go along with eight points, three blocks, two assists and two steals, in 38 minutes. The Jazz are now 19 - 9 at home but will have to take their show on the road, as they go on to visit Atlanta on Monday. The Hornets (23 - 28) struggled from the field, hitting only 43 percent of their shots. Kemba Walker was the high - point man for Charlotte, with 18, to go along with six assists, in 35 minutes. Marvin Williams turned in a solid double - double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, to go along with three steals, one assist and one block, in 38 minutes. Frank Kaminsky chipped in 15 points but only grabbed two rebounds, as he got the start at center. This was the seventh straight loss for the Hornets, as they have hit a major slide that has put them in danger of losing their position in the top eight in the East. They will look to end the skid as they play host to the Nets on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 16 Number of team assists ,has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 19 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 23 Points in 1st quarter ,has 13 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 32 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 43 Number of team assists ,has 28 Percentage of field goals ,has 98 Losses ,has 28 Total points ,has 16 Points in 1st quarter ,has 16 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 9 Points in 4th quarter ,has 23 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Marvin Williams') has 1 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 38 Minutes played, has 16 Points, has 12 Total rebounds, has 3 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Frank Kaminsky') has 15 Points, has 2 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kemba Walker') has 6 Assists, has 35 Minutes played, has 18 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Gordon Hayward') has 2 Assists, has 33 Points, has 8 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Rudy Gobert') has 2 Assists, has 3 Blocks, has 38 Minutes played, has 8 Points, has 15 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'George Hill') has 8 3-pointers attempted, has 5 3-pointers made, has 11 Field goals attempted, has 8 Field goals made, has 25 Points"]

Atlanta had lost 10 of their last 11 headed into this game, so a near wire - to - wire win is just what the doctor ordered. The Hawks really dominated down low, winning the rebounding battle, 47 - 34, and outscoring the Heat in the paint, 58 - 26. Defense was also huge for Atlanta, forcing the Heat to shoot 42 percent from the field and commit 16 turnovers. Tyler Johnson did all he could to keep Miami in the game, as he tallied 27 points and five assists off the bench. Goran Dragic also played well, totaling 21 points and four assists. The big men really dominated for Atlanta, as Dwight Howard and Paul Millsap had monster games. Howard accumulated 23 points, 17 rebounds and four assists, while Millsap finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three blocks. Dennis Schroeder accrued 17 points, four rebounds and seven assists as well.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 11 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 16 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Goran Dragic') has 4 Assists, has 21 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tyler Johnson') has 5 Assists, has 27 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Paul Millsap') has 3 Blocks, has 21 Points, has 9 Total rebounds, has 4 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dwight Howard') has 4 Assists, has 23 Points, has 17 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dennis Schroder') has 7 Assists, has 17 Points, has 4 Total rebounds"]

It remains a seemingly impossible statistical season for Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, as the point guard narrowly missed his third triple - double in the season's first nine games. Westbrook entered Friday's matchup with averages of 31 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds per game. He again built on those numbers, scoring 29 points, recording 14 rebounds, and dishing out nine assists. Westbrook was not the only dominant Thunder player on Friday, though, as the team hit an impressive 16 three - pointers on 57 percent shooting. This included four for rookie Domantas Sabonis, who hit 80 percent of his shots, and three for wing Andre Roberson. The Clippers, meanwhile, saw high scoring totals from the All-Star combo of Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, who combined for 42 points. All-NBA center DeAndre Jordan made an impact with a team - high 13 rebounds, helping keep the Clippers even with the glass - dominating Thunder. However, Jordan weighed Los Angeles down at the free - throw line, as he went just 6 - of - 12 on the night.

["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 57 Percentage of 3 points ." "PlayerStat(G, 'DeAndre Jordan') has 12 Free throws attempted, has 6 Free throws made, has 13 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Andre Roberson') has 3 3-pointers made, has 3 Offensive rebounds, has 4 Personal fouls" "PlayerStat(G, 'Domantas Sabonis') has 4 3-pointers made, has 80 3-pointer percentage, has 4 Field goals made, has 80 Field goal percentage, has 3 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Russell Westbrook') has 9 Assists, has 3 3-pointers made, has 9 Field goals made, has 9 Free throws attempted, has 29 Points, has 14 Total rebounds, has 4 Turnovers"]

The Washington Wizards (40 - 41) defeated the Brooklyn Nets (21 - 60) on the road Monday night at Barclays Center, 120 - 111. The Wizards opened the game with an explosive 200 run in the first 4:9 of the game, but the Nets slowly crawled their way back, as they closed the gap to just 70 - 69 at halftime. Brooklyn took their first lead at 80 - 79 in the third quarter, but the Wizards hung around and eventually pulled away with great deffense in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn managed just 13 points in the final frame after scoring 98 in the first three quarters, as the Wizards took a 112 - 102 lead with 6:13 to go in the game and coasted from there. With John Wall and Bradley Beal inactive, Ramon Sessions posted game highs with 21 points (7 - 10 FG, 7 - 7 FT) and 12 assists. Marcus Thornton (7 - 15 FG) scored 19 and J.J. Hickson added 15 points off the bench. Washington shot a robust 52 percent from the floor and notched 27 assists against 14 turnovers as their offense was humming all night. Bojan Bogdanovic (8 - 13 FG, 3 - 6 3PT) and Shane Larkin (9 - 13 FG, 2 - 4 3PT) led the Nets with 20 points apiece as Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young continue to sit out with the Nets' season long over. Sean Kilpatrick came off the bench to score 17 points (6 - 15 FG, 2 - 7 3PT, 3 - 5 FT) in 30 minutes, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 14 points in 23 minutes. The Nets shot just 45 percent and had nine shots blocked as their offense clearly missed Lopez's gigantic presence. The Wizards host the Hawks in their season finale Wednesday. The Nets close out with a home matchup Wednesday against Toronto.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 45 Number of team assists ,has 60 Percentage of field goals ,has 111 Losses ,has 13 Total points ,has 21 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 27 Number of team assists ,has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 41 Losses ,has 120 Total points ,has 14 Points in 4th quarter ,has 40 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcus Thornton') has 15 Field goals attempted, has 7 Field goals made, has 19 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ramon Sessions') has 12 Assists, has 10 Field goals attempted, has 7 Field goals made, has 7 Free throws attempted, has 7 Free throws made, has 21 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'JJ Hickson') has 15 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 6 3-pointers attempted, has 3 3-pointers made, has 13 Field goals attempted, has 8 Field goals made, has 20 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Shane Larkin') has 4 3-pointers attempted, has 2 3-pointers made, has 13 Field goals attempted, has 9 Field goals made, has 20 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Sean Kilpatrick') has 7 3-pointers attempted, has 2 3-pointers made, has 15 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 5 Free throws attempted, has 3 Free throws made, has 30 Minutes played, has 17 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Rondae Hollis-Jefferson') has 23 Minutes played, has 14 Points"]

The Boston Celtics held off the Brooklyn Nets for a 122 - 117 win in the season opener for both teams Wednesday at TD Garden. The Celtics (10) came into this game as a 12 - point favorite, but the Nets (0 - 1) made them work for a relieving win. A 36 - 25 fourth quarter is how Brooklyn crawled back in the game, but Boston did just enough to hold on. The offense was incredibly efficient for the Celtics, as they shot 54 percent from the field and recorded 36 assists on their 48 made baskets. The 22 combined blocks and steals for Boston doubled up that of Brooklyn, who recorded just 11 in total. Brooklyn was expected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA, but they gave an elite team a run for their money in the opener. The bench was key for the Nets, as Sean Kilpatrick, Joe Harris and Justin Hamilton combined for 48 points and 18 rebounds off the pine. Hamilton actually finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds in the best game of his career. Bojan Bogdanovic led the team in scoring, dropping 21 points on 9 - for - 17 shooting. Jeremy Lin played well in his debut as well, amassing 18 points, three rebounds and three assists. Boston made this one a nail biter, but they ended up getting their much deserved win. Isaiah Thomas scored a game - high 25 points in the victory, also adding six rebounds and nine assists. Jae Crowder was second on the team, with his 21 points and five boards. Avery Bradley fell a rebound shy of a double - double, totaling 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Al Hoford stuffed the stat sheet in his debut, accumulating 11 points, five rebounds, six assists and four blocks in the win. Boston will have a quick turnaround, as they travel to Illinois to play the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. Brooklyn's next game is on Friday, when they host the Indiana Pacers.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 36 Number of team assists ,has 54 Percentage of field goals ,has 122 Losses ,has 25 Total points ,has 1 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 22 Number of team assists ,has 1 Percentage of field goals ,has 117 Losses ,has 36 Total points ,has 0 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 17 Field goals attempted, has 9 Field goals made, has 21 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jeremy Lin') has 3 Assists, has 18 Points, has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Justin Hamilton') has 19 Points, has 10 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jae Crowder') has 21 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Al Horford') has 6 Assists, has 4 Blocks, has 11 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Avery Bradley') has 6 Assists, has 17 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Isaiah Thomas') has 25 Points, has 6 Total rebounds"]

The host New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Boston Celtics, 106 - 105, at Smoothie King Center on Monday. While there were only eight ties and six lead changes, this game came down to the final seconds. The key for New Orleans was their defense, as they held Boston to 40 percent from the field and 29 percent from three - point range. Rim protection killed Boston as well, as they failed to record a block in their loss. The assist - to - turnover ratio kept the Celtics hanging around, as they committed 12 turnovers to 19 assists, while the Pelicans committed 17 turnovers to their 16 assists. The Celtics (5 - 5) continue to struggle without Al Horford (concussion) and Jae Crowder (ankle) and this was easily their worst loss of the season. Isaiah Thomas did his best to carry Boston to a win though, tallying 37 points, three rebounds and seven assists. Avery Bradley continued his surprising rebounding rate, as he totaled 19 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. Marcus Smart was the only other Boston player in double figures, amassing 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and four steals. Boston will look to rebound on Wednesday, when they host the Dallas Mavericks for their next game. The Pelicans (2 - 9) got a much needed win here, but it was far from easy. Anthony Davis once again led the team, as he accumulated 25 points, 16 rebounds and four steals in the win. Tim Frazier was the only other starter in double figures, totaling 10 points, three rebounds and six assists. Langston Galloway and Terrence Jones were both huge off the bench. Galloway finished with 21 points, while Jones double - doubled with a 15 - point, 10 - rebound performance. On deck for the Pelicans is a road matchup against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 16 Number of team assists ,has 29 Percentage of 3 points ,has 9 Percentage of field goals ,has 106 Losses ,has 2 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 19 Number of team assists ,has 29 Percentage of 3 points ,has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 5 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 5 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcus Smart') has 3 Assists, has 15 Points, has 6 Total rebounds, has 4 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Avery Bradley') has 19 Points, has 10 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Isaiah Thomas') has 7 Assists, has 37 Points, has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Anthony Davis') has 25 Points, has 16 Total rebounds, has 4 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tim Frazier') has 6 Assists, has 10 Points, has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Terrence Jones') has 15 Points, has 10 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Langston Galloway') has 21 Points"]

The Dallas Mavericks (18 - 13) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks (12 - 20) 103 - 93 on Monday night. Dallas led 34 - 24 after the first quarter and never relinquished the lead after that. The Bucks came into this game as the worst rebounding team in the NBA, but actually outrebounded Dallas 52 - 34 in the loss. They also outshot Dallas and that's a rare sight to see a team win when getting outrebounded and outshot. The difference for the Mavericks were the turnovers, as they committed just four to the Bucks 17. Milwaukee has been terrible on the road all season and they didn’t play great here. No player scored more than 19 points and the team had a lack of offensive execution that was clearly evident. In fact, Milwaukee had just 14 assists and that's not good enough in an NBA game. Jerryd Bayless made his return from injury and played brilliantly, contributing 19 points and seven assists off the bench. The road woes are a big worry for this team and it'll likely get worse on Tuesday when they have to take on the Thunder in Oklahoma City. This was one of the first games all year that the team got a full complement of minutes from all of its players. Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons both suffered devastating injuries last season, but they both started here and played at least 30 minutes for the first time together. Matthews scored a team - high 22 points and continues to play great defense. The most underrated acquisition from the summer was Zaza Pachulia though, as he had another great game on Monday. Pachulia amassed 17 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals in the win. This team was expected to have a down year, but these veterans simply wo n't allow that to happen. Dallas has a tough task in their next game when they host the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 13 Number of team assists ,has 103 Losses ,has 34 Total points ,has 34 Points in 1st quarter ,has 4 Rebounds ,has 18 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 14 Number of team assists ,has 20 Losses ,has 93 Total points ,has 24 Points in 1st quarter ,has 52 Rebounds ,has 17 Turnovers ,has 12 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Jerryd Bayless') has 7 Assists, has 19 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Zaza Pachulia') has 2 Assists, has 17 Points, has 8 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Wesley Matthews') has 22 Points"]

The Boston Celtics (38 - 25) defeated the visiting New York Knicks (25 - 38) 105 - 104, Friday night at TD Garden. This was truly a battle of two teams headed in opposite directions as the Celtics have now won 11 of their last 14 games and five straight, while the Knicks have lost 12 of 14 and three in a row. With this win the Celtics extend their home winning streak to an impressive 13 games and their home record to 22 - 10 overall. Boston has been averaging 112 points per game in its last 12 at home and although came up short of that in this one, mounted an impressive rally to overcome an eight - point deficit with four minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Celtics were still down by one when they called time - out with 21 seconds left. Avery Bradley then converted a tough, driving lay - up to go up by one with 17 seconds left and ultimately take the win against a stubborn Knicks squad. Isaiah Thomas was a beast for the Celtics as he led the way with a game - high 32 points (9 - 15 FG, 2 - 5 3Pt, 12 - 13 3Pt), along with eight assists, three rebounds and two steals, in 35 minutes. Jae Crowder was solid with 20 points (9 - 19 FG, 1 - 6 3Pt, 1 - 4 FT), eight rebounds and two assists, in 35 minutes, while Evan Turner chipped in 21 points (10 - 19 FG, 1 - 2 FT), eight rebounds and three assists, in 32 minutes off the bench. Boston shot a poor 4 - 20 from distance but managed to hit 45 percent from the field overall. Carmelo Anthony dropped 30 points (13 - 27 FG, 2 - 8 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT), along with seven rebounds, and four assists, in 40 minutes, but it was not enough, as he could not convert his final shot of the game, which would have been for the win. Robin Lopez tallied a double - double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Arron Afflalo chipped in 17 points. The Knicks shot a respectable 39 percent from deep and 45 percent overall, limited their turnovers to 10 and assisted on 22 of their 42 field goals in the game but with the loss fall to 2 - 7 under head coach Kurt Rambis. The Knicks head straight back to New York to host the Pistons on Saturday, while the Celtics head straight to Cleveland to face the Cavs on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 25 Number of team assists ,has 105 Percentage of 3 points ,has 38 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 22 Number of team assists ,has 39 Percentage of 3 points ,has 38 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 17 Points in 4th quarter ,has 10 Turnovers ,has 25 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Carmelo Anthony') has 4 Assists, has 8 3-pointers attempted, has 2 3-pointers made, has 27 Field goals attempted, has 13 Field goals made, has 2 Free throws attempted, has 2 Free throws made, has 40 Minutes played, has 30 Points, has 7 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Robin Lopez') has 12 Points, has 12 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Arron Afflalo') has 17 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jae Crowder') has 2 Assists, has 6 3-pointers attempted, has 1 3-pointers made, has 19 Field goals attempted, has 9 Field goals made, has 4 Free throws attempted, has 1 Free throws made, has 35 Minutes played, has 20 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Avery Bradley') has 1 3-pointers made, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Isaiah Thomas') has 8 Assists, has 5 3-pointers attempted, has 2 3-pointers made, has 15 Field goals attempted, has 9 Field goals made, has 32 Points, has 3 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Evan Turner') has 3 Assists, has 19 Field goals attempted, has 10 Field goals made, has 2 Free throws attempted, has 1 Free throws made, has 32 Minutes played, has 21 Points, has 8 Total rebounds"]

It was a big night for the Lakers backcourt, as three guards scored at least 20 points. Sophomore D'Angelo Russell had a promising double - double, scoring 22 and dishing out 10 assists with only two turnovers. Veteran Nick Young poured in five three - pointers en route to a team - high 23 points. Sixth man Lou Williams added 21 off the bench and dished out another seven assists. As a team, the Lakers shot a highly impressive 52 percent from the floor and knocked down 12 threes. For Denver, meanwhile, forward Kenneth Faried put in work on the glass to come away with a team - high 17 rebounds. Six of Faried's rebounds were offensive, and his tenacity on the offensive glass partially compensated for Denver's poor 41 percent shooting. Off the bench, forward Wilson Chandler led the team with 26 points to go along with nine rebounds.

["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 41 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Kenneth Faried') has 17 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Wilson Chandler') has 26 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nick Young') has 5 3-pointers made, has 23 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'D'Angelo Russell') has 10 Assists, has 22 Points, has 2 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Lou Williams') has 7 Assists, has 21 Points"]

A short - handed Bulls squad that was missing Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, Nikola Mirotic and Paul Zipser due to injury was no match for a full - strength Minnesota unit, which jumped out a 34 - 17 first - quarter lead. Chicago also committed 18 turnovers, further hampering their chances on the afternoon. Andrew Wiggins' 27 points led Minnesota, and Karl-Anthony Towns followed with 22. Ricky Rubio turned in a 17 - point, 11 - assist double - double, while Nemanja Bjelica led the bench with 16 points in 19 minutes. Shabazz Muhammad supplied 12, and Gorgui Dieng posted a 10 - point, 13 - rebound double - double. Doug McDermott's and Bobby Portis' matching 16 - point efforts paced the Bulls. Michael Carter-Williams pitched in 12 points, while Robin Lopez provided 10. Rajon Rondo matched Lopez's scoring total in 24 minutes off the bench. Jerian Grant totaled eight points, and Taj Gibson tallied just two points.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 34 Points in 1st quarter ,has 27 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 17 Points in 1st quarter ,has 18 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Doug McDermott') has 16 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Taj Gibson') has 2 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Robin Lopez') has 24 Minutes played, has 10 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Michael Carter-Williams') has 12 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jerian Grant') has 8 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Rajon Rondo') has 24 Minutes played" "PlayerStat(G, 'Bobby Portis') has 16 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Andrew Wiggins') has 27 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Gorgui Dieng') has 10 Points, has 13 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 22 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ricky Rubio') has 11 Assists, has 17 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Shabazz Muhammad') has 12 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nemanja Bjelica') has 19 Minutes played, has 16 Points"]

The Los Angeles Clippers (41 - 21) defeated the Dallas Mavericks (33 - 31) 109 - 90 at American Airlines Center on Monday. Chris Paul struggled in the first half, but came out an entirely different player for the second half, scoring 18 points in the third quarter to help the Clippers run up the score. Before Paul’s offensive outburst, the Mavericks kept the game tight knit through the first two quarters of play, but that was mostly on the part of both teams failing to find a shooting rhythm and not capitalizing on turnovers. Paul went on to lead all scorers in the contest with 27 points, in addition to four rebounds, seven assists and three steals on 12 - of - 18 shooting. The Clippers improved to 40 - 7 on the season when Paul surpasses 20 points, as well as picking up a needed win to keep the 3 - seed within striking distance after a resilient 10 game stretch. JJ Reddick and DeAndre Jordan matched Paul’s 20 - plus point night, and played to their strengths. Reddick’s 22 points came on the back of a 4 - for - 6 shooting night from behind the arc, while Jordan did his damage beneath the rim adding 23 points and 20 rebounds. As for the bench, Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers closed out the game in the fourth quarter, combining for 25 points, six assists and seven boards. Next up, the Clippers will visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (43 - 20) on Wednesday. The Mavericks were unable to get any kind of scoring rhythm, even in the first half where they ended the second quarter down two points. The Dallas starters proved to be the downfall, as only Dirk Nowitzki was able to register any kind of scoring output. The remainder of the Mavericks starting lineup combined a lowly 5 - of - 27 shooting, including no made field goals from Wesley Matthews and Zaza Pachulia. Nowitzki finished with 22 points and six rebounds. The bench was eventful, seeing as Rick Carlisle used eight players sporadically through the game, and once the blowout was on, he turned to Justin Anderson, Salah Mejri and Dwight Powell, who all have seen very little playing time this season. Raymond Felton logged more minutes than starter Deron Williams, and totaled 10 points, three rebounds and two assists in just under 30 minutes of play. Dallas, as a unit, shot 37 percent from the floor, and were outplayed statistically by the Clippers in rebounding, assists, blocks and turnovers. The Mavericks will host the Detroit Pistons (32 - 31) on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 31 Losses ,has 90 Total points ,has 33 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 21 Percentage of field goals ,has 109 Losses ,has 41 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G, 'DeAndre Jordan') has 23 Points, has 20 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'JJ Redick') has 6 3-pointers attempted, has 4 3-pointers made, has 22 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Chris Paul') has 7 Assists, has 18 Field goals attempted, has 12 Field goals made, has 3 Personal fouls, has 27 Points, has 4 Total rebounds, has 3 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dirk Nowitzki') has 22 Points, has 6 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Raymond Felton') has 2 Assists, has 30 Minutes played, has 10 Points, has 3 Total rebounds"]

The Pelicans (45 - 37) pulled off a 108 - 103 victory over the Spurs (55 - 27) on Wednesday, clinching a playoff berth. The Pelicans controlled their own destiny coming into the game. Eighth place in the Western Conference, they were ahead of the Thunder by way of tiebreaker. San Antonio also had a lot to play for. A win would have ensured home court advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Instead of nailing down the two - seed in the West, the best the Spurs can hope for is third place. Worst-case scenario, the Spurs fall to sixth place with a Rockets loss and a Grizzlies win. The Pelicans jumped out to a 34 - 19 lead in the first quarter. At halftime, they were up 16 points. Going into the fourth, the Pelicans led 82 - 73. The Spurs came as close as three points with 11 seconds on the clock, but Jrue Holiday’s foul shots iced the game. Anthony Davis had a monster day. He was the Pelicans’ leading scorer with 31 points (12 - 26 FG), to go with 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks in 43 minutes. Tyreke Evans also stuffed the stats sheet, recording 19 points (9 - 15 FG, 1 - 2 3Pt), four rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and one block in 34 minutes. Eric Gordon contributed 14 points (5 - 12 FG, 2 - 4 3Pt), four rebounds, one assist and one steal in 33 minutes. Jrue Holiday (lower leg), who was listed as questionable coming into Wednesday’s contest, had 11 points (4 - 9 FG, 1 - 1 3Pt), three rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes. Tony Parker was the Spurs’ leading scorer with 23 points (11 - 17 FG), one rebound and six assists in 35 minutes. Boris Diaw came off the bench and recorded 20 points (10 - 14 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt), five rebounds and five assists in 34 minutes. Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard combined for 29 points and 20 rebounds. The Pelicans had the Spurs' number all year, finishing their season series 3 - 1.

["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 37 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 34 Points in 1st quarter ,has 45 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 27 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 19 Points in 1st quarter ,has 55 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Tony Parker') has 6 Assists, has 17 Field goals attempted, has 11 Field goals made, has 35 Minutes played, has 23 Points, has 1 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Boris Diaw') has 5 Assists, has 1 3-pointers attempted, has 0 3-pointers made, has 14 Field goals attempted, has 10 Field goals made, has 34 Minutes played, has 20 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Anthony Davis') has 2 Assists, has 3 Blocks, has 26 Field goals attempted, has 12 Field goals made, has 43 Minutes played, has 31 Points, has 13 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Eric Gordon') has 1 Assists, has 4 3-pointers attempted, has 2 3-pointers made, has 12 Field goals attempted, has 5 Field goals made, has 33 Minutes played, has 14 Points, has 4 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tyreke Evans') has 11 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 2 3-pointers attempted, has 1 3-pointers made, has 15 Field goals attempted, has 9 Field goals made, has 34 Minutes played, has 19 Points, has 4 Total rebounds, has 3 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jrue Holiday') has 4 Assists, has 1 3-pointers attempted, has 1 3-pointers made, has 9 Field goals attempted, has 4 Field goals made, has 25 Minutes played, has 11 Points, has 3 Total rebounds"]

Blake Griffin turned in the most all - around performance in the win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday at Staples Center. While the Blazers found it nearly impossible to knock down a shot, especially Damian Lillard, Griffin thrived on the court with 22 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block on 7 - of - 14 shooting. As a unit, Los Angeles shot 44 percent from the field, which bested Portland's lowly effort of 35 percent shooting. Lillard finished just 1 - of - 10 from the field, and was unable to bury a three on four attempts. The matchup with the defensively elite Chris Paul proved to be too much throughout the evening. Marreese Speights turned in another strong performance off the bench after scoring 12 points, to go along with eight rebounds in 15 minutes of action.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 35 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Damian Lillard') has 4 3-pointers attempted, has 10 Field goals attempted, has 1 Field goals made, has 3 Personal fouls, has 3 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Blake Griffin') has 5 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 14 Field goals attempted, has 7 Field goals made, has 22 Points, has 13 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marreese Speights') has 15 Minutes played, has 12 Points, has 8 Total rebounds"]

The Minnesota Timberwolves (12 - 20) defeated the Utah Jazz (13 - 17) 94 - 80 on Wednesday in an offensive struggle. This is certainly not the type of game that will make any highlight reel anytime soon. Both teams played some horrendous offense and they may have set basketball back a few years. Both of these teams have been struggling mightily coming into this game and it made this game hard to watch at times. Utah was especially bad, as they shot 35 percent from the field and committed 19 turnovers in the loss. The turnover differential was the key, as the Timberwolves commuted just 10, which is almost half as many as the Jazz. The Jazz had one of their worst offensive performances in franchise history and it's clear the injuries are really starting to hurt this team. It's one thing to play without Rudy Gobert, but this offense has no punch without Derrick Favors and Alec Burks. That can be exemplified by the fact that they started this game just 5 - for - 30 from the field and scored just 13 points in the first 14 minutes. It's not like it got much better after that though, as they failed to crack 21 points outside of the fourth quarter. The lone bright spots were Trey Burke and Jeff Withey. Withey tallied 13 points and nine rebounds filling in for Favors and Burke scored 23 points off the bench. Utah will look to find some offense in their next game on Thursday against the Portland Trail Blazers. While the Jazz offense was a nightmare, the Timberwolves played some of their best defense of the season here. This marked the lowest point total the Wolves have allowed this season and it's a good sign to see them play like this with their struggles at home all year. Ricky Rubio did a great job of setting up the offense, as he dished out 17 assists to go along with 10 points in the win. Rookie Karl Anthony-Towns recorded a double - double as well, tallying 25 points and 10 rebounds in the victory. This wasn’t a pretty game by any means, but a win is a win. Minnesota will look to keep up this defensive momentum on Thursday against the Detroit Pistons.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 20 Percentage of field goals ,has 94 Losses ,has 10 Total points ,has 12 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 35 Percentage of field goals ,has 17 Losses ,has 80 Total points ,has 19 Turnovers ,has 13 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Jeff Withey') has 13 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Trey Burke') has 23 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ricky Rubio') has 17 Assists, has 10 Points"]

The Golden State Warriors defeated the visiting Houston Rockets, 114 - 81, to win the Western Conference first - round playoff series 4 - 1 on Wednesday at Oracle Arena. No Stephen Curry, no problem. The Warriors rallied behind Klay Thompson and Draymond Green and made a strong statement with their MVP sidelined with a knee injury for now. The rout was on and it happened quickly, after Golden State stormed out to 37 - 20 lead at the end of the first quarter. Thompson was lights out from behind the arc, as he knocked down 7 - of - 11 shots from deep, while Green stuffed the box score. Shaun Livingston was effective in handling the ball and the minutes he received during all the fourth quarters that the Warriors starters were sitting seemed to be vital to close out the series. James Harden did not go out quietly, and through most of the game, the all - star shooting guard was responsible for half of his team's points through three quarters, but he also committed far too many turnovers. The Warriors capitalized on 17 Rockets turnovers, which only aided to the home team's lead from the get go. Harden finished with 35 points, six rebounds, six assists, two steals and seven turnovers on 12 - of - 23 shooting. Dwight Howard was a monster on the boards and bullied Andrew Bogut around in the paint, as he contributed eight points and 21 rebounds and five assists in the contest. Golden State moved the ball to the tune of 30 team assists, as both Livingston and Green commanded the floor with poise. Thompson found himself constantly open around the perimeter through a series of low screens set by Green and Bogut, and he turned those opportunities into 27 points on 10 - of - 14 shooting. Green added 15 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, one steal and two blocked shots. Livingston finished with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists and only one turnover in 28 minutes of action. Brandon Rush was the spark off the bench and added 15 points on 6 - of - 8 shooting. The Warriors will either play the Portland Trail Blazers or the Los Angeles Clippers (Blazers lead series 3 - 2). Game 1 will take place at Oracle Arena.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 30 Number of team assists ,has 1 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 37 Points in 1st quarter ,has 4 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 17 Number of team assists ,has 81 Losses ,has 20 Total points ,has 17 Points in 1st quarter ,has 17 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Dwight Howard') has 8 Points, has 21 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'James Harden') has 6 Assists, has 3 Defensive rebounds, has 3 3-pointers made, has 23 Field goals attempted, has 12 Field goals made, has 3 Offensive rebounds, has 35 Points, has 6 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals, has 7 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Draymond Green') has 8 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 3 Free throws made, has 15 Points, has 9 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Klay Thompson') has 3 Defensive rebounds, has 11 3-pointers attempted, has 7 3-pointers made, has 14 Field goals attempted, has 10 Field goals made, has 27 Points, has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Shaun Livingston') has 3 Assists, has 3 Defensive rebounds, has 28 Minutes played, has 16 Points, has 3 Total rebounds, has 1 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Brandon Rush') has 8 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 15 Points"]

The Oklahoma City Thunder (49 - 22) hung on to beat the Houston Rockets (35 - 36) Tuesday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena, 111 - 107. Trailing by five with 30 seconds to go, the Rockets got three - pointers from Jason Terry and James Harden to close the deficit to one possession in the game's final seconds. But Harden's attempt at an entry pass to Dwight Howard for the tie was deflected and eventually stolen by Dion Waiters, and Russell Westbrook nailed both of his free throws to ice the game. Russell Westbrook recorded yet another triple - double, his NBA-leading 15th of the season, giving him four more than second place Draymond Green. Westbrook scored 21 points (7 - 18 FG, 0 - 7 3PT, 7 - 8 FT), dished 15 assists and grabbed 13 rebounds. Kevin Durant helped out with 23 points (8 - 19 FG), seven rebounds and four assists, and Dion Waiters dropped 17 points in 25 minutes off the bench. The Thunder shot just 8 - 35 (23 percent) from deep but grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and shot a robust 59 percent on two - point attempts. James Harden's 24 points were a game - high, and he added 16 assists, seven rebounds and four steals for the Rockets. Dwight Howard scored an efficient 16 points (7 - 8 FG, 2 - 3 FT) and added 13 rebounds, and Patrick Beverly chipped in 16 points behind four three - pointers. The Rockets shot a decent 13 - 37 (35 percent) from three - point land but had seven shots blocked and made just 49 percent of their two - point shots. The Rockets return home to host the Jazz on Wednesday. The Thunder also face the Jazz in their next contest, in Oklahoma City on Thursday.

["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 23 Percentage of 3 points ,has 22 Losses ,has 111 Total points ,has 13 Points in 4th quarter ,has 49 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 35 Percentage of 3 points ,has 36 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 30 Points in 4th quarter ,has 35 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Dwight Howard') has 8 Field goals attempted, has 7 Field goals made, has 3 Free throws attempted, has 2 Free throws made, has 16 Points, has 13 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'James Harden') has 16 Assists, has 24 Points, has 7 Total rebounds, has 4 Steals, has 5 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Patrick Beverley') has 4 3-pointers made, has 16 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jason Terry') has 1 Offensive rebounds, has 1 Total rebounds, has 1 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kevin Durant') has 4 Assists, has 19 Field goals attempted, has 8 Field goals made, has 23 Points, has 7 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Russell Westbrook') has 15 Assists, has 7 3-pointers attempted, has 0 3-pointers made, has 18 Field goals attempted, has 7 Field goals made, has 8 Free throws attempted, has 7 Free throws made, has 21 Points, has 4 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dion Waiters') has 25 Minutes played, has 17 Points, has 4 Total rebounds"]

The Dallas Mavericks (18 - 8) defeated the New York Knicks (5 - 22) 107 - 87 on Tuesday. Dallas welcomed Chandler Parsons (back) back to the lineup after he missed Saturday's 105 - 98 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. Parsons played just 23 minutes in the win, but his lack of extended run was likely due to the fact that the game was a blowout. Dirk Nowitzki scored a team - high 16 points. New York has dropped two straight and 12 of their last 13. Carmelo Anthony continues to play through his lingering knee soreness, scoring a game - high 26 points Tuesday. Iman Shumper is expected to miss three weeks after separating his shoulder this weekend, and J.R. Smith has missed the last four games dealing with a torn plantar fascia in his foot. Tim Hardaway has stepped into the starting lineup in their absence, and he finished with double - digit points for the fourth straight game Tuesday. Dallas will end their road trip in Detroit on Wednesday against the Pistons. New York will go on the road to Chicago to take on the Bulls on Thursday.

["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 22 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 12 Turnovers ,has 5 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 8 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 18 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Dirk Nowitzki') has 16 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Chandler Parsons') has 23 Minutes played" "PlayerStat(G, 'Carmelo Anthony') has 4 3-pointers attempted, has 4 Free throws attempted, has 3 Offensive rebounds, has 26 Points, has 4 Steals, has 4 Turnovers"]

The Portland Trail Blazers (22 - 26) defeated the Charlotte Hornets (22 - 25) 109 - 91 on Friday night. The final score would indicate a blowout, but this game was close throughout. In fact, it was a single - digit deficit with three minutes left, before the Blazers went on a late run to put it out of hand. The Trail Blazers dominated in the second and third quarters, as they outscored the Hornets by 18 points in that 24 - minute stretch. Portland's defense was key, as they held Charlotte to 39 percent shooting and drew 16 turnovers in the win. In the Nicolas Batum return game, things didn’t go as hoped. Batum shot terribly, as he went just 1 - for - 11 from the field, but did dish out eight assists. Kemba Walker didn’t shoot much better, as he went 4 - for - 13 to tally 14 points, four assists and four steals in the loss. It was the bench that kept them in the game, with Brian Roberts scoring 17 points, while Tyler Hansbrough double - doubled. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist played his first game of the season here as well and played pretty well, as he amassed 13 points and seven rebounds in his return. Marvin Williams led the team with 20 points and also snatched down nine rebounds. The Hornets have a much better chance to win in their next game, when they play the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. This now gives Portland three - straight wins with all three coming by at least 15 points. It was Damian Lillard who daggered the Hornets, as he hit some late shots en route to his 22 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steal line. Al-Farouq Aminu and Mason Plumlee each double - doubled with the two combining for 30 points and 24 rebounds in the win. Allen Crabbe also gave the team a nice spark off the bench, as he scored 20 points in the victory. The Trail Blazers now currently sit in the eight - seed in the Western Conference and that's quite the accomplishment considering the preseason expectations. They'll look to keep up their good play against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday in their next game.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 26 Percentage of field goals ,has 109 Losses ,has 26 Total points ,has 22 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 25 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 22 Points in 4th quarter ,has 16 Turnovers ,has 22 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Michael Kidd-Gilchrist') has 13 Points, has 7 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marvin Williams') has 20 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nicolas Batum') has 8 Assists, has 11 Field goals attempted, has 1 Field goals made" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kemba Walker') has 4 Assists, has 13 Field goals attempted, has 4 Field goals made, has 14 Points, has 4 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Brian Roberts') has 17 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Al-Farouq Aminu') has 2 3-pointers attempted, has 2 Free throws attempted, has 2 Free throws made, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Mason Plumlee') has 2 Blocks, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Damian Lillard') has 6 Assists, has 22 Points, has 5 Total rebounds, has 3 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Allen Crabbe') has 20 Points"]

While DeMar DeRozan is easily having the best offensive season of his eight - year NBA career, Thursday's performance marked the first time this season where the All-Star shooting guard had back - to - back games with at least 40 points. DeRozan followed up 42 points on 17 - of - 38 shooting from the field in Tuesday's comeback victory against the Bulls with 40 points on an even more efficient 14 - of - 25 shooting from the field in Thursday's blowout victory over the Heat. And while it may have been the first time DeRozan had back - to - back 40 - point games this season, 40 - point games have not necessarily been a rarity for him, with Thursday's performance serving as his sixth such performance of the year. This comes after a 2015 - 16 campaign where DeRozan did n't have a single 40 - point performance throughout the season, with his season - high being 38 points.

["PlayerStat(G, 'DeMar DeRozan') has 25 Field goals attempted, has 14 Field goals made, has 40 Points"]

The Orlando Magic (21 - 25) scored 72 points in the second half and stormed past the Boston Celtics (27 - 22) Sunday night at Amway Center, 119 - 114 The Magic used a gigantic 38 - point fourth quarter fueled by 15 of Evan Fournier's team - high 24 points to put away Boston and complete a comeback from a 54 - 47 halftime deficit. His explosive final quarter helped stave off a furious Celtics three - point attack, as they knocked down 16 of their 46 attempts from downtown in the losing effort. Fournier caught fire from the three - point line, as he went 4 - 5 from downtown to help get to 24 points in just 22 minutes of action off the bench. Aaron Gordon was a beast inside for the Magic, as he grabbed 14 rebounds and scored 19 points on an efficient 8 - 11 shooting night (including 8 - 9 on two - point shots). The Magic were efficient inside and out, as they shot 42 percent (10 - 24) from three and 59 percent on two - point shots. Nikola Vucevic added a second Magic double - double with a 16 - point, 13 - rebound night. It was another bench player, Celtics guard Marcus Smart, who recorded the game high in points with 26, fueled by a 5 - 9 effort from three - point land. Boston's starting back court duo of Isaiah Thomas (23 points, four assists, 7 - 16 FG) and Avery Bradley (22 points, 8 - 21 FG, three steals) were the only Celtics starters to finish in double digits. Boston attempted only one more two - point shot (47) than three - point shots (46), and they shattered their previous single - game high in three - point attempts by 11. The Celtics will continue an Eastern Conference road trip Tuesday against the Knicks. The Magic head on the road for a Monday matchup against San Antonio.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 42 Percentage of 3 points ,has 25 Losses ,has 119 Total points ,has 24 Points in 1st quarter ,has 38 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 15 Points in 4th quarter ,has 21 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 22 Percentage of 3 points ,has 114 Losses ,has 22 Total points ,has 27 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Avery Bradley') has 21 Field goals attempted, has 8 Field goals made, has 22 Points, has 3 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Isaiah Thomas') has 4 Assists, has 16 Field goals attempted, has 7 Field goals made, has 23 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcus Smart') has 26 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Aaron Gordon') has 19 Points, has 14 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nikola Vucevic') has 16 Points, has 13 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Evan Fournier') has 24 Points"]

The Toronto Raptors (33 - 15) barely edged out the Washington Wizards (31 - 17) 120 - 116 in overtime Saturday at the Verizon Center. The Raptors took a 16 - point lead into the fourth quarter, but the Wizards fought back to force overtime by outscoring Toronto 31 - 15 in the final period. Toronto's Kyle Lowry and Amir Johnson combined for 10 points in overtime to help the Raptors seal the game. The Raptors now hold a two - game lead over the Wizards. Toronto notched its second overtime victory in as many nights Saturday, narrowly avoiding an embarrassing meltdown to maintain its hold on the second seed in the East. Louis Williams and Patrick Patterson each scored in double figures off the bench while Lowry led the Raptors in scoring with 23 points. James Johnson was sidelined for the second straight game as he is dealing with a hamstring injury. The Raptors will kick off a five - game home stand on Monday when the Bucks come to town. Washington's incredible fourth quarter was nearly enough to vault the Wizards to a huge comeback victory, but it fell short. John Wall and Bradley Beal combined for 54 points and Wall added 12 assists. Nene Hilario returned to action after missing Wednesday's contest with foot soreness. Hilario contributed 16 points and four rebounds over 38 minutes on the floor. Washington will return to action Monday when Charlotte comes to the Verizon Center.

["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 17 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 31 Points in 4th quarter ,has 31 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 15 Losses ,has 120 Total points ,has 15 Points in 4th quarter ,has 33 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Kyle Lowry') has 23 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'John Wall') has 12 Assists"]

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the host Minnesota Timberwolves 119 - 105 at Target Center on Saturday. These are two teams headed in opposite directions and this result shows just where they're headed. The Clippers were in control for the majority of the game, as there were only four ties and six lead changes. Los Angeles actually led for the entirety of the second half, as Minnesota never led by more than two points in the first half. The Clippers shot lights - out hitting 53 percent fro the field and 46 percent from three - point range. Los Angeles also took advantage of the whistle, going 28 - of - 37 from the free - throw line, with Minnesota taking just 21 free - throw attempts. The Clippers (9 - 1) are the hottest team in the NBA right now and they used a different recipe to win this one. All five starters were great, as they each scored 15 or more points in the win. Blake Griffin led the team, totaling 20 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Chris Paul was n't far behind, finishing with 19 points, four rebounds and eight assists. DeAndre Jordan posted a monster double - double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. The big man also went an efficient 10 - of - 16 from the free - throw line. The Clippers look likely to continue this success, as they host the Brooklyn Nets for their next game on Monday. The Timberwolves (2 - 6) have been one of the biggest disappointments this season and it's a wonder when they'll pull out of this hole. Ricky Rubio did return from an elbow injury in this game, as he accumulated seven points, six rebounds and six assists in the loss. Karl-Anthony Towns led the team in scoring, totaling 24 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Andrew Wiggins went just 8 - of - 24 from the field, but still scored 22 points. Zach LaVine was the only other player in double figures, accruing 15 points, three rebounds and four assists. The Timberwolves will look to get their third win on Sunday, when they host the Los Angeles Lakers for their next game.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 6 Percentage of 3 points ,has 105 Percentage of field goals ,has 21 Losses ,has 2 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 46 Percentage of 3 points ,has 53 Percentage of field goals ,has 1 Losses ,has 119 Total points ,has 9 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Blake Griffin') has 4 Assists, has 20 Points, has 11 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'DeAndre Jordan') has 18 Points, has 16 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Chris Paul') has 8 Assists, has 19 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Andrew Wiggins') has 24 Field goals attempted, has 8 Field goals made, has 22 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 2 Blocks, has 24 Points, has 10 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Zach LaVine') has 4 Assists, has 15 Points, has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ricky Rubio') has 6 Assists, has 7 Points, has 6 Total rebounds"]

The Toronto Raptors defeated the host Charlotte Hornets 113 - 111 at Spectrum Center on Friday. There are n't many teams in the Eastern Conference playing up to the standards of the Hornets and Raptors and they left it all on the floor on Friday. While there were only four ties and five lead changes, there were some serious swings. In fact, the Raptors won the second quarter 30 - 17, with the Hornets firing back with a 38 - 21 third quarter. Charlotte actually led this game 91 - 81 with nine minutes left, but Toronto responded with a 28 - 11 run over the next seven - plus minutes to pull away. Defense was key for the Raptors, as they held the Hornets to 41 percent from the field. In addition, they won the turnover battle 12 - 5 and the steal differential 8 - 1. The Raptors (6 - 2) continue to fly under the radar and they may have pulled out their biggest win of the season against the Hornets here. DeMar DeRozan continued his torrid scoring, as he led the team with 34 points, three rebounds and three assists. Kyle Lowry was second on the team, as he tallied 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. DeMarre Carroll, Jonas Valanciunas, Cory Joseph and Lucas Nogueira all scored between 10 and 12 in the Raptors win. Toronto will return to action on Saturday, as they host the New York Knicks for their next game. The Hornets (6 - 2) got some great efforts from their stud players, but fell just short when it mattered the most. Kemba Walker did n't let up though, as he scored a season - high 40 points on 12 - of - 19 shooting. Walker also provided 10 rebounds and six assists with his 40 - spot in the defeat. Nicolas Batum recorded a double - double as well, totaling 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Marvin Williams finished the game with 10 points and 13 rebounds of his own. It does n't get any easier for the Hornets, as they travel to play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday for their next game.

["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 2 Losses ,has 111 Total points ,has 17 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 38 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 6 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 2 Percentage of field goals ,has 113 Losses ,has 30 Total points ,has 21 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 6 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'DeMarre Carroll') has 10 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jonas Valanciunas') has 12 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'DeMar DeRozan') has 3 Assists, has 34 Points, has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kyle Lowry') has 6 Assists, has 19 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Cory Joseph') has 12 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Lucas Nogueira') has 10 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marvin Williams') has 10 Points, has 13 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nicolas Batum') has 6 Assists, has 18 Points, has 10 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kemba Walker') has 19 Field goals attempted, has 12 Field goals made, has 40 Points, has 10 Total rebounds"]

The Boston Celtics (27 - 21) defeated the visiting Orlando Magic (20 - 25), 113 - 94, on Friday night at TD Garden. The Celtics won every quarter en route to their season - high fifth straight win. On the other hand the Magic's woes continue as their losing streak is now at eight games. The Magic were one game ahead of the Celtics before the new year, but since the calendar changed Orlando has gone 1 - 12, while Boston has steadily improved. The Celtics' bench was phenomenal, contributing 62 points to the victory. Marcus Smart and Kelly Olynyk both chipped in 16 points, while Evan Turner finished with 15 and Jonas Jerebko with 13, all off the bench. As for the starters, Jared Sullinger hit a double - double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Isaiah Thomas tallied 14 points and eight assists. As a team Boston shot a solid 50 percent from the field. Defense however has been the story for the Celtics, who have been forcing opponents to a league - leading average of 17 turnovers per game. They forced 16 turnovers in this win. The Magic struggled shooting, hitting only 40 percent of their field goals. They managed only 17 assists and gave up 16 turnovers against the gritty Boston defense. On the bright side, six players scored in double digits for Orlando. Nikola Vucevic was the high - point man with 14, along with eight rebounds and four assists, in 29 minutes. Aaron Gordon finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and two assists, in 26 minutes, while Shabazz Napier chipped in 13 points, three assists and two rebounds, in 17 minutes off the bench. This was the first of a home - and - home set between these two teams. They will face off again in Orlando on Sunday, where the Magic will look to end their losing streak.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 50 Number of team assists ,has 21 Percentage of field goals ,has 113 Losses ,has 27 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 17 Number of team assists ,has 25 Percentage of field goals ,has 94 Losses ,has 16 Total points ,has 20 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Aaron Gordon') has 2 Assists, has 26 Minutes played, has 12 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nikola Vucevic') has 4 Assists, has 14 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Shabazz Napier') has 3 Assists, has 13 Points, has 2 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jared Sullinger') has 11 Points, has 11 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Isaiah Thomas') has 8 Assists, has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Evan Turner') has 15 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcus Smart') has 16 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kelly Olynyk') has 16 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jonas Jerebko') has 13 Points"]

The Houston Rockets (18 - 19) earned the 103 - 94 victory against the visiting Utah Jazz (15 - 20) on Thursday night at Toyota Center. This was the second night of a back - to - back for the Jazz, who were coming off a tough loss in San Antonio on Wednesday night. The Jazz have now lost their last seven road games and their last three games in a row. Houston has now won two in a row and is 20 in the season series against Utah. Utah led 44 - 39 at half but the Rockets came out in a lot stronger in the second half. They tied the game at 48 with eight minutes to go in the third and by the mid - fourth they had stretched their lead to nine. Houston had a game of two halves, scoring 39 points in the first half and 64 points in the second half. Houston was missing Dwight Howard who sat out with a sore back, and Ty Lawson who served the first of a three - game suspension for a DUI he picked up last season. This was no worry for James Harden who has been able to carry his team on many occasions. Harden led the Rockets with 33 points (13 - 25 FG, 0 - 7 3Pt, 7 - 10 FT), eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block, in 34 minutes. Terrence Jones started in place of Howard and tallied 14 points (6 - 10 FG), eight rebounds and two assists, in 32 minutes. Jason Terry finished with 12 points (5 - 8 FG, 2 - 3 3Pt), two rebounds and two assists, in 20 minutes. The Rockets shot a solid 52 percent from the field. The Jazz had trouble handling the ball as they gave up eight turnovers in the first quarter alone and a total of 19 turnovers in the game. Rudy Gobert was back in the lineup after missing a few games with an MCL strain but came off the bench for limited minutes, while Alec Burks (fractured fibula) and Derrick Favours (back spasms) remained sidelined. Gordon Hayward led the Jazz in scoring with 15 points (6 - 13 FG, 1 - 7 3Pt, 2 - 4 FT), along with five assists, in 37 minutes. Trevor Booker was solid in 25 minutes off the bench, finishing with 12 points (6 - 9 FG) and nine rebounds. Rookie Trey Lyles started in place of Favours and finished with nine points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots, in 33 minutes. Next the Jazz will host Miami on Saturday. The Jazz have faired a lot better at home than on the road this season. Top scorers Paul George and James Harden will shoot it out on Sunday as the Rockets host the Pacers.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 19 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 33 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 18 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 20 Percentage of field goals ,has 94 Losses ,has 19 Total points ,has 15 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Gordon Hayward') has 5 Assists, has 7 3-pointers attempted, has 1 3-pointers made, has 13 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 4 Free throws attempted, has 2 Free throws made, has 15 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Trey Lyles') has 3 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 9 Points, has 9 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Trevor Booker') has 9 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 25 Minutes played, has 12 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Terrence Jones') has 2 Assists, has 10 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 32 Minutes played, has 14 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'James Harden') has 3 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 7 3-pointers attempted, has 0 3-pointers made, has 25 Field goals attempted, has 13 Field goals made, has 10 Free throws attempted, has 7 Free throws made, has 34 Minutes played, has 33 Points, has 8 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jason Terry') has 2 Assists, has 3 3-pointers attempted, has 2 3-pointers made, has 8 Field goals attempted, has 5 Field goals made, has 20 Minutes played, has 12 Points, has 2 Total rebounds"]

The host Charlotte Hornets defeated the Utah Jazz 104 - 98 at Spectrum Center on Wednesday. In a battle between two defensive - minded teams, there was n't much to differentiate the two in the box score. Both teams went exactly 38 - of - 82 from the field and they both hit eight three - pointers in the tightly contested battle. The key for Charlotte was their bench, as they got 41 points from their four bench players to the 20 points from Utah's five bench players. There were 10 lead changes and eight ties, as the Hornets pulled away late. Utah actually led this game for over 30 minutes, but the beginning of the first quarter and end of the fourth helped Charlotte escape with a win. A 12 - 3 run in the middle of the fourth is when the Hornets put their stamp on their win. Utah (5 - 4) continues to play well, but they could n't quite pull out a road upset against one of the best teams in the league here. Gordon Hayward played great yet again, as he led the team with 29 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Rodney Hood was second on the team, with his 20 points, four rebounds and four assists. Derrick Favors recorded a double - double, as he totaled 16 points and 10 rebounds in a season - high 34 minutes. Utah will travel to Orlando on Friday to face the Magic for their next game. Charlotte (6 - 1) is establishing themselves as an elite team right now and wins like this only improve their stock. Kemba Walker carried the load, as he accumulated 21 points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals in the win. Marvin Williams fell two rebounds shy of a double - double with his 19 points and eight boards. Marco Belinelli, Frank Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes each scored in double figures off the bench, as they combined for 36 points. The Hornets will look to keep things rolling on Friday, as they host the Toronto Raptors for their next game.

["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 1 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 8 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 6 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 4 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 20 Points in 4th quarter ,has 5 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Gordon Hayward') has 4 Assists, has 29 Points, has 7 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Derrick Favors') has 16 Points, has 10 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Rodney Hood') has 4 Assists, has 20 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marvin Williams') has 19 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kemba Walker') has 6 Assists, has 21 Points, has 5 Total rebounds, has 4 Steals"]

The Boston Celtics hung on to defeat the visiting Sacramento Kings 97 - 92 on Friday night at TD Garden. After a tight first half the Kings took a 72 - 69 lead into the fourth quarter, however Boston used a 14 - 4 run to take a seven - point lead with six and a half minutes to go. The Celtics were able to hang on thanks to a couple of clutch plays by Al Horford, including a clutch three - pointer and game - saving defense on DeMarcus Cousins, who had the chance to tie the game as the Kings in - bounded the ball with nine seconds left, down by three. The Celtics (11 - 8) improved to 5 - 4 at home and continue moving in the right direction as they have won five of their last seven games. Horford was the high - point man for Boston on Friday, with 26 points to go along with eight rebounds and a monstrous six blocks. Isaiah Thomas added 20 points, while Jae Crowder chipped in 16 points on 6 - of - 12 shooting, including 3 - of - 5 from deep. The Kings (7 - 12) have now lost two straight and fall to 3 - 7 on the road this season as they could not break the spell that has them winless in Boston since 2007. They are 1 - 2 on their current road trip which has them in New York to face the Knicks on Sunday before winding - up the trip in Dallas on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 8 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 11 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 12 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 7 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'DeMarcus Cousins') has 3 Assists, has 3 Offensive rebounds, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jae Crowder') has 5 3-pointers attempted, has 3 3-pointers made, has 12 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 16 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Al Horford') has 3 Assists, has 6 Blocks, has 26 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Isaiah Thomas') has 20 Points"]

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Sacramento Kings, 112 - 107, at Golden 1 Center on Monday. The Bulls (26 - 26) were without starting small forward Jimmy Butler (heel) on Monday, but veteran Dwyane Wade scored 31 points to lead all scorers and also led Chicago to the impressive road victory. DeMarcus Cousins was a monster on the glass, but was unable to pour in the scoring effort needed to keep the Kings (20 - 32) within a true shot of winning. Sacramento fell behind early, exiting the first quarter with just 11 points as a team, but managed a strong fourth quarter effort despite falling short. Wade's 31 points came with six rebounds, three assists and one steal on 12 - of - 18 shooting. Michael Carter-Williams drew the start in favor of Butler, and went on to score 21 points, grab six rebounds and dished out four assists. Robin Lopez went for 17 points, while all five starters finished in double figures in scoring. Ty Lawson was the most effective player offensively for the Kings, and finished with 22 points in 35 minutes off the bench. Cousins' 18 points led the starters, to go with 14 rebounds, five assists and one block on 5 - of - 16 shooting. Both teams play again on Wednesday, as the Kings host the Boston Celtics, while the Bulls visit the Golden State Warriors.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 32 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 11 Points in 1st quarter ,has 20 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 26 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 26 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Robin Lopez') has 17 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dwyane Wade') has 3 Assists, has 18 Field goals attempted, has 12 Field goals made, has 31 Points, has 6 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Michael Carter-Williams') has 4 Assists, has 21 Points, has 6 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'DeMarcus Cousins') has 5 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 16 Field goals attempted, has 5 Field goals made, has 18 Points, has 14 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ty Lawson') has 35 Minutes played, has 22 Points"]

The Sacramento Kings (13 - 20) defeated the Phoenix Suns (12 - 24) 142 - 119 on Saturday. Two of the worst teams in the Western Conference combined to nearly short circuit the scoreboard in Sacramento's Sleep Train Arena. The Kings posted the highest scoring total by a team in a non - overtime contest this season, while the 261 total points scored were also a high - water mark for a game that ended in regulation. Sacramento ambushed the Suns from the opening tipoff, outscoring them 31 - 18 in the first period. However, Phoenix admirably battled back through the second quarter and early part of the third, to the extent that they were able to hold a four - point lead approximately six minutes after intermission. The Kings then blasted Phoenix 36 - 16 over the next seven minutes of play to carry a 16 - point advantage heading into the final quarter, a lead that had grown to 23 by game's end. The home team naturally had a stellar night offensively, shooting an incredible 61 percent from the field. They also demolished the short - handed Suns down low, outscoring them in the paint by a margin of 60 - 32. Phoenix, which amassed an outstanding point total in their own right, was led by Brandon Knight's 23 points, five rebounds, five assists and a steal. Rookie Devin Booker pitched in with a new career - high figure of 21 points, and added three assists, a rebound and four steals. In what is apparently a lost season for the Suns replete with injury concerns and disciplinary problems, Booker's development over the rest of the campaign figures to give Phoenix fans reasons for optimism. Another potential future centerpiece, T.J. Warren, followed up an outstanding 29 - point effort on New Year's Eve versus the Thunder with a 19 - point, five - rebound, four - assist effort. Three Suns reserves managed double - digit scoring, led by Mirza Teletovic's 13 points. Jon Leuer (11 points) and Ronnie Price (10 points) also made solid contributions from the bench, with the former apparently primed to return to his starting position at the four as early as Sunday after playing 17 minutes tonight. The Suns fell to 12 - 24 and currently reside in fourth place in the Western Conference's Pacific Division. They head to Los Angeles to face off against the Lakers on Sunday. The Kings had a smorgasbord of double - digit scorers, led by DeMarcus Cousins' 32 points on outstanding 11 of 15 shooting. The enigmatic big man also added nine rebounds, an assist and two steals. Darren Collison actually was the runner - up points - wise, managing 21 points, six assists and a pair of rebounds off the bench over a highly efficient 29 minutes. The forward tandem of Rudy Gay and Omri Casspi pitched in with 16 and 13 points, respectively, while Rajon Rondo put together a vintage performance that exemplifies what he can bring to the table when his game is hitting on all cylinders. The veteran point guard poured in 15 points, dished out 15 assists, and added six rebounds and a steal. Marco Belinelli was the other notable contributor in a reserve role, tallying 19 points, a pair of rebounds and a steal in just 21 minutes. Sacramento improved to 13 - 20 and remains entrenched in third place in the Western Conference's Pacific Division. They head to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder on Monday night.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 20 Losses ,has 142 Total points ,has 31 Points in 1st quarter ,has 13 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 24 Losses ,has 119 Total points ,has 18 Points in 1st quarter ,has 12 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'TJ Warren') has 4 Assists, has 19 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Devin Booker') has 3 Assists, has 21 Points, has 1 Total rebounds, has 4 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Brandon Knight') has 5 Assists, has 23 Points, has 5 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Mirza Teletovic') has 4 3-pointers attempted, has 13 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ronnie Price') has 10 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jon Leuer') has 4 Defensive rebounds, has 4 Free throws attempted, has 4 Free throws made, has 17 Minutes played, has 4 Personal fouls, has 11 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Omri Casspi') has 13 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Rudy Gay') has 16 Field goals attempted, has 16 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'DeMarcus Cousins') has 15 Field goals attempted, has 11 Field goals made, has 32 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marco Belinelli') has 19 Points, has 2 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Darren Collison') has 6 Assists, has 29 Minutes played, has 21 Points, has 2 Total rebounds"]

The Indiana Pacers defeated the Detroit Pistons, 115 - 98, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday evening. The Pacers (33 - 31) have had difficulty finding any measure of consistency overall, with one notable exception - - their performance at home. Indiana had managed a 21 - 10 record at Bankers Life Fieldhouse heading into Wednesday, and the trend of superior play in their familiar digs held true once again versus the Pistons (31 - 33). Paul George led the way with 21 points, 13 of which came in the third quarter, eight rebounds and two assists over 29 minutes, while five other Pacers also posted double digits in the scoring column. It was an outstanding shooting night all around for Indiana, as they posted respective success rates of 50 percent and 48 percent from the field and three - point range, respectively. Tobias Harris paced Detroit with 22 points off the bench, which he supplemented with five rebounds and one assist. Stanley Johnson was next with 17 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block off the second unit as well. Jon Leuer tallied 15 points, four rebounds and one assist. Andre Drummond turned in a 14 - point, 15 - rebound double - double that also included one assist and two steals. Marcus Morris supplied 10 points, two assists, one rebound and one block. Thaddeus Young snapped a five - game streak of single - digit scoring efforts by checking in second behind George with 18 points, eight rebounds and one steal. C.J. Miles was next with 15 points, two assists and one rebound. Monta Ellis led the bench with 12 points and three assists over just 14 minutes. Glenn Robinson III was right behind him, registering 11 points, four rebounds and only one steal in just eight minutes. Jeff Teague provided 10 points, six assists and five rebounds. The Pistons make the quick trip back home to face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday evening, while the Pacers travel to Milwaukee to face off with the Bucks on Friday night.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 48 Percentage of 3 points ,has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 31 Losses ,has 115 Total points ,has 5 Turnovers ,has 33 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 33 Percentage of 3 points ,has 98 Percentage of field goals ,has 31 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcus Morris') has 2 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 10 Points, has 1 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jon Leuer') has 1 Assists, has 15 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Andre Drummond') has 1 Assists, has 14 Points, has 15 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tobias Harris') has 1 Assists, has 22 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Stanley Johnson') has 2 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 17 Points, has 5 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Paul George') has 2 Assists, has 5 3-pointers attempted, has 29 Minutes played, has 21 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Thaddeus Young') has 5 Defensive rebounds, has 18 Points, has 8 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'CJ Miles') has 2 Assists, has 15 Points, has 1 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jeff Teague') has 6 Assists, has 10 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Monta Ellis') has 3 Assists, has 12 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Glenn Robinson III') has 11 Points, has 4 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals"]

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Detroit Pistons, 127 - 107, at Oracle Arena on Thursday. The Warriors were heavy favorites headed into this matchup and they left no doubt who the better team was. It was n't lopsided throughout though, as there were 11 ties and 21 lead changes in the first half. That's when Golden State turned it on though, outscoring Detroit, 67 - 49, in the second half. The Warriors offense was on point, shooting 56 percent from the field, 51 percent from three - point range and recording 39 assists. Three-point shooting really killed Detroit, as they went just 6 - of - 28 from long distance. The Pistons (18 - 23) have struggled on the road all season and a matchup against Golden State is the last thing they wanted to see. Marcus Morris was Detroit's best player, as he tallied 21 points, five rebounds and three assists. Andre Drummond recorded another double - double, totaling 12 points and 10 rebounds. Tobias Harris got the start and amassed 18 points and four rebounds. Boban Marjanovic was the only bench player in double figures, amassing 13 points and 11 rebounds on 5 - of - 7 from the field. The Warriors (34 - 6) have been taking it to teams all season and this blowout win was no different. Kevin Durant led the team in scoring, accruing 25 points, six rebounds and nine assists on 10 - of - 15 shooting. Steph Curry was just as good, collecting 24 points, six assists and five steals. Klay Thompson dropped 23 points of his own. Draymond Green failed to hit a shot, but he provided nine rebounds and 13 assists. Ian Clark and Shaun Livingston each scored in double figures off the bench.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 39 Number of team assists ,has 56 Percentage of field goals ,has 6 Losses ,has 127 Total points ,has 34 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 23 Number of team assists ,has 107 Percentage of field goals ,has 18 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcus Morris') has 3 Assists, has 21 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tobias Harris') has 18 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Andre Drummond') has 12 Points, has 10 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Boban Marjanovic') has 7 Field goals attempted, has 5 Field goals made, has 13 Points, has 11 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kevin Durant') has 9 Assists, has 15 Field goals attempted, has 10 Field goals made, has 25 Points, has 6 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Draymond Green') has 13 Assists, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Klay Thompson') has 23 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Stephen Curry') has 24 Points, has 5 Steals"]

The New York Knicks (20 - 20) defeated the Boston Celtics (19 - 19) 120 - 114 on Tuesday. The two division rivals played a game worthy of both clubs' improved play this season, with a back - and - forth battle culminating in a hard - fought victory for the home team. It was a true collective effort for New York, particularly after losing superstar Carmelo Anthony in the second half due to an ankle sprain. Several of his teammates, both starters and reserves, stepped in to help make up the scoring shortfall caused by the All-Star's absence, and the Knicks finished the night with outstanding 53 percent shooting from the field. Boston was once again led by Isaiah Thomas, who's become the unquestioned offensive leader of the Celtics this season and held on to this starting job despite Marcus Smart's return to health. Thomas managed 34 points, eight assists, three rebounds and a steal. Jae Crowder tallied 21 points, eight rebounds and an assist to support Thomas' outstanding performance. Amir Johnson (11 points) and Avery Bradley (10 points) were the only other starters with double - digit scoring, with the former hauling in six boards and adding two assists and a steal, and the latter tallying two rebounds and an assist. Jared Sullinger paced the Celtics' reserves with 14 points and seven rebounds. The Celtics fell to 19 - 19 and into a second - place tie with the Knicks. They face off at home against the Pacers at home on Wednesday. 20 - year - old standout Kristaps Porzingis continued his memorable rookie campaign by leading the Knicks with 26 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals despite amassing six personal fouls over nearly 27 minutes. Arron Afflalo made his presence felt, particularly after the loss of Anthony, pouring in 24 points and adding three rebounds and an assist. Anthony was brilliant during his nearly 18 minutes on the court, collecting 17 points, four rebounds and three assists. Robin Lopez continued his recent stretch of solid offensive play, posting 15 points, five rebounds, an assist and a block. Rookie Jerian Grant stepped in as Anthony's direct replacement and did a commendable job, finishing with 16 points, eight assists, a rebound, a steal and a block over 23 minutes. Derrick Williams, a solid fixture off the bench throughout the majority of the season, contributed a 15 - point, 10 - rebound double - double. The Knicks improved to 20 - 20 and vaulted into a second - place tie with the Celtics in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They make the short trip to Brooklyn to take on the Nets on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 53 Percentage of field goals ,has 20 Losses ,has 120 Total points ,has 26 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 20 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 19 Percentage of field goals ,has 114 Losses ,has 19 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Jae Crowder') has 1 Assists, has 21 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Amir Johnson') has 2 Assists, has 11 Points, has 6 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Avery Bradley') has 1 Assists, has 10 Points, has 2 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Isaiah Thomas') has 8 Assists, has 34 Points, has 3 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jared Sullinger') has 14 Points, has 7 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Carmelo Anthony') has 3 Assists, has 18 Minutes played, has 17 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kristaps Porzingis') has 2 Assists, has 27 Minutes played, has 6 Personal fouls, has 26 Points, has 6 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Robin Lopez') has 1 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 15 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Arron Afflalo') has 1 Assists, has 24 Points, has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jerian Grant') has 8 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 23 Minutes played, has 16 Points, has 1 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Derrick Williams') has 15 Points, has 10 Total rebounds"]

Otto Porter Jr. has quietly been one of the most effective 3 - point shooters in the entire NBA so far this season, as he shooting an impressive 45 percent from long range. But over the past three weeks, Porter has been shooting better than he has all season. During Thursday's 23 - point performance against New York, Porter did most of his damage from long range, shooting 6 - of - 10 from behind the arc. Now, in his last three contests, Porter has made 15 of his 23 3 - point attempts, giving him an incredible mark of 65 percent. That effective shooting from downtown has led to him averaging 20 points per game in that three - game stretch, making for one of Porter's most effective stretches of the season - - a season that may be the breakout year the Wizards have been waiting on since drafting the Georgetown star No. 3 overall.

["PlayerStat(G, 'Otto Porter Jr.') has 10 3-pointers attempted, has 6 3-pointers made, has 3 Free throws attempted, has 3 Free throws made, has 1 Offensive rebounds, has 3 Personal fouls, has 23 Points, has 1 Steals"]

The Charlotte Hornets (32 - 28) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers (8 - 53) 119 - 99 on Wednesday. Despite a record that speaks for itself, the Sixers have proven to be a feisty nuisance for opposing teams from time to time this season. Such was the case Wednesday, when Philadelphia came in without standout rookie Jahlil Okafor due to his shin injury, and as losers of nine straight games. However, they hung tough with the playoff - contending Hornets, entering the final period trailing only 83 - 74. However, a 9 - 2 run by Charlotte beginning at the 9:15 mark of the fourth quarter opened up a 16 - point lead for the home team that allowed them some breathing room. Although Philadelphia kept coming, the Hornets were able to outscore them 24 - 19 the rest of the way to secure the double - digit win. The Hornets saw four starters and one reserve tally double - digit scoring, and were led for a second consecutive night by Kemba Walker. He managed 30 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Cody Zeller amassed only half of Walker's point total but it was enough to place him second in team scoring for the night, as he put together a stat line of 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and four blocks. Marvin Williams posted a near double - double with 14 points, nine rebounds, a steal and two blocks. Nicolas Batum was also productive, collecting 12 points, seven assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals. Jeremy Lin paced the reserves with 14 points, four rebounds and a pair of assists. Charlotte remains in third place in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division and currently has a hold of the sixth seed in the conference as well. They head back home to face the Indiana Pacers on Friday night. The Sixers received a trio of 17 - point efforts from their short - handed starting five, a key factor in their ability to keep the game competitive throughout. The most productive of the three performances came from Robert Covington, who added nine boards, three assists, a steal and two blocks. Nerlens Noel supplemented his points with four assists, three rebounds and a pair of steals. Isaiah Canaan was only able to add two steals to his point tally, but now is three - for - three in producing double - digit scoring in his latest string of starting opportunities. Ish Smith finished with a well - rounded line of 12 points, eight assists, five rebounds, a steal and a block. Hollis Thompson led the bench with 10 points, two rebounds and an assist. Philadelphia remains in last place in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division with the worst record in the league. They're home again on Friday to face off with the Miami Heat.

["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 53 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 8 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 28 Losses ,has 119 Total points ,has 32 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Nicolas Batum') has 7 Assists, has 12 Points, has 4 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marvin Williams') has 2 Blocks, has 14 Points, has 9 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Cody Zeller') has 2 Assists, has 4 Blocks, has 15 Points, has 6 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kemba Walker') has 2 Assists, has 1 Personal fouls, has 30 Points, has 7 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals, has 1 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jeremy Lin') has 2 Assists, has 14 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Robert Covington') has 3 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 9 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nerlens Noel') has 4 Assists, has 3 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Isaiah Canaan') has 3 Free throws attempted, has 3 Free throws made, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ish Smith') has 8 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 12 Points, has 5 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Hollis Thompson') has 1 Assists, has 10 Points, has 2 Total rebounds"]

The Pistons have consistently performed better at home this season, and the team showed that once again on Friday. All five Pistons starters scored at least 15 points en route to the upset win. Andre Drummond shot 8 - of - 11 for 16 points, while leading scorer Marcus Morris hit 8 - of - 13 for 17. The Pistons hit nine three - pointers on the night on 47 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Pistons only went to the line seven times on the night, but given the presence of sub - par free - throw shooters like Drummond on their roster, that may have been a blessing in disguise. Los Angeles, meanwhile, saw struggles from some players. Despite passing for 15 assists, Chris Paul shot just 2 - of - 9 for eight points. Guard Jamal Crawford shot just 4 - of - 12 off the bench. Finally, big man Blake Griffin had a weak night on the glass, recording just three rebounds and contributing to Los Angeles's 42 - 32 rebounding deficit.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Blake Griffin') has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Chris Paul') has 9 Field goals attempted, has 2 Field goals made, has 8 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jamal Crawford') has 12 Field goals attempted, has 4 Field goals made" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcus Morris') has 13 Field goals attempted, has 8 Field goals made" "PlayerStat(G, 'Andre Drummond') has 11 Field goals attempted, has 8 Field goals made, has 16 Points"]

Five of the top 11 individual three - point shooters of the 2015 - 16 season took the floor in Tuesday's matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. Naturally, the game was a high - scoring shootout, but the shots did not all come from the usual suspects. In fact, the game's leading three - point shooter played only eight minutes and was making his NBA debut. Portland wing Jake Layman, a 22 - year - old out of Maryland, hit 5 of 7 attempts from beyond the arc and finished second on the team in scoring despite finishing last in minutes. Steph Curry matched Layman's five three - pointers but took 10 attempts to do so, and Damian Lillard trailed not far behind with four. It was not a stellar shooting night for every high - profile shooter, however, as Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, two of the league's top shooters, went 0 for 10 from beyond the arc on the night, with seven of those misses coming from Thompson. Golden State made up for their stars' shooting slumps by finding their own diamond in the rough, though, as bench guard Ian Clark delivered 22 points on perfect shooting, including three three - pointers.

["PlayerStat(G, 'Kevin Durant') has 2 Assists, has 2 Free throws made, has 2 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Klay Thompson') has 7 3-pointers attempted, has 2 Free throws attempted, has 2 Free throws made, has 2 Offensive rebounds, has 2 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Stephen Curry') has 10 3-pointers attempted, has 5 3-pointers made, has 10 Field goals made, has 4 Free throws attempted, has 4 Total rebounds, has 4 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ian Clark') has 3 3-pointers made, has 22 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Damian Lillard') has 10 3-pointers attempted, has 4 3-pointers made" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jake Layman') has 7 3-pointers attempted, has 5 3-pointers made"]

The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Denver Nuggets 119 - 99 Wednesday at Pepsi Center. The Grizzlies (30 - 21) continued to roll with yet another dominant victory, and they have now won three straight games on the road by a grand total of 46 points. Marc Gasol was once again tremendous in the winning effort, scoring an efficient 24 points in 24 minutes on top of five rebounds and three assists. Mike Conley added 18 points of his own, but it was the bench that really carried Memphis through the end of the game, with eight different reserves seeing the court Wednesday. Zach Randolph and Vince Carter each poured in 14 points as reserves, while James Ennis added 13 points, and the entire Grizzlies bench unit managed to produce 59 total points. In the end, with all 13 players, it was an offensive clinic for Memphis, who shot 47 percent from behind the arc and recorded 28 assists to just eight turnovers. As for the Nuggets (21 - 27), they've now dropped two straight games after rattling off three straight victories, as the absence of Nikola Jokic (hip) has really taken a tole on this team. His replacement, Jusuf Nurkic, scored just four points on 1 - of - 4 shooting and grabbed three rebounds in 19 minutes. The Nuggets did get some positive injury news, however, as Emanuel Mudiay (back) returned following a five - game absence, and while it was reported that he would be on a 20 - minute restriction, Mudiay ended up playing 26 minutes and had a solid all - around game, recording 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds. As a team, however, it was a forgettable night for Denver, as they shot just 40 percent from the field and committed 17 turnovers. Up next, the Grizzlies will look to continue their hot streak in Oklahoma City on Friday against the Thunder, while the Nuggets will look to turn things around at home against the Bucks on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 40 Number of team assists ,has 27 Percentage of 3 points ,has 99 Percentage of field goals ,has 17 Losses ,has 21 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 28 Number of team assists ,has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 21 Percentage of field goals ,has 119 Losses ,has 8 Total points ,has 30 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Marc Gasol') has 3 Assists, has 24 Minutes played, has 24 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Mike Conley') has 18 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Zach Randolph') has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Vince Carter') has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'James Ennis III') has 13 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jusuf Nurkic') has 4 Field goals attempted, has 1 Field goals made, has 19 Minutes played, has 4 Points, has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Emmanuel Mudiay') has 7 Assists, has 26 Minutes played, has 14 Points, has 6 Total rebounds"]

The Hornets clamped down on Orlando, which was only able to post 37 percent and 27 percent success rates from the field and three - point range, respectively. The backcourt duo of Kemba Walker (15 points) and Nicolas Batum (16 points) combined for 31 points on 13 - of - 24 shooting to spearhead a 48 percent tally for the Hornets, who pulled away with a 39 - point third quarter. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist supplied 16 points as well, while Cody Zeller registered nine points. The bench was led by a pair of 12 - point efforts from Jeremy Lamb and Ramon Sessions. Orlando was led by a modest 14 points from Evan Fournier, while Serge Ibaka followed with 12 points. Aaron Gordon and Bismack Biyombo supplied a pair of nine - point efforts, and D.J. Augustin managed just eight points in 19 minutes despite drawing another start Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 48 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 27 Percentage of 3 points ,has 37 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Aaron Gordon') has 9 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Serge Ibaka') has 12 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Bismack Biyombo') has 9 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Evan Fournier') has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'D.J. Augustin') has 19 Minutes played, has 8 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Michael Kidd-Gilchrist') has 16 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Cody Zeller') has 9 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nicolas Batum') has 16 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kemba Walker') has 15 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ramon Sessions') has 12 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jeremy Lamb') has 12 Points"]

The Atlanta Hawks (26 - 17) defeated the Portland Trail Blazers (19 - 26) 104 - 98 at Moda Center on Wednesday. The Hawks earned a tough road win in what was an all around excellent game that provided drama down to the last few possessions. While Kyle Korver has struggled throughout the season, he did pitch in an important three - pointer that broke a 84 - 84 tie midway through the fourth quarter. Paul Millsap drained a long ball a few possessions later to all but sink the Blazers hopes with just over two minutes left. Millsap was one of the leaders for Atlanta and finished with 23 points, nine rebounds and two assists on 7 - of - 10 shooting, including a perfect 3 of 3 from behind the arc. Kent Bazemore matched Millsap with 23 points, and added five rebounds and five assists. Jeff Teague scored 14 points and dished out six assists, but was better on the defensive end in his matchup against Damian Lillard. The Hawks sit in third place in the Eastern Conference and will continue their west coast trip when they visit the Sacramento Kings (17 - 24) on Thursday. The Blazers play with a lot of heart and even though Millsap’s three - pointer was back breaking down the stretch, they fought tooth and nail through the end, and even forced Kyle Korver to turn the ball over, down four points, with under one minute left. Portland was unable to get within striking distance after the turnover, but were led by C.J. McCollum, who has risen into a star alongside Damian Lillard. McCollum finished with 28 points, which led all scorers, and pitched in three rebounds and three assists on 12 - of - 23 shooting. Lillard was not as effective as his backcourt partner, but still contributed 18 points, five rebounds and six assists on 22 shots in 36 minutes. Portland fell victim to three - point shooting, which can make or break a team in a close game, as they shot just 29 percent from three - point range. It was an unfortunate home loss for Portland, as they won the rebounding battle, but shot themselves out of what could have been one of the better wins of the season. The Blazers will head south to meet with the Los Angeles Lakers (9 - 35) at Staples Center on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 29 Percentage of 3 points ,has 26 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 19 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 17 Percentage of 3 points ,has 104 Losses ,has 26 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Kent Bazemore') has 5 Assists, has 23 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Paul Millsap') has 2 Assists, has 3 3-pointers attempted, has 3 3-pointers made, has 10 Field goals attempted, has 7 Field goals made, has 23 Points, has 9 Total rebounds, has 1 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jeff Teague') has 6 Assists, has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'CJ McCollum') has 3 Assists, has 23 Field goals attempted, has 12 Field goals made, has 28 Points, has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Damian Lillard') has 6 Assists, has 22 Field goals attempted, has 18 Points, has 5 Total rebounds"]

The Golden State Warriors (8 - 2) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (1 - 9) 136 - 115 on Sunday. Golden State is on a three - game win streak. They remain without David Lee (hamstring), but Draymond Green has been more than a capable fill - in. Everyone on their roster that was on the team last season is experiencing a new level of success under new coach Steve Kerr and his offensive system that stresses ball movement. Both Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut finished with double - doubles Sunday. The Warriors get four days off before hosting the Utah Jazz on Friday. Kobe Bryant scored 44 points in 31 minutes. He shot 15 - of - 34 from the field and 11 - of - 16 from the free - throw line. Los Angeles shot 39 percent from the field as a team, while Warriors shot 54 percent. The Lakers have lost four straight games, and they start a three - game roadtrip Tuesday in Atlanta against the Hawks.

["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 9 Losses ,has 115 Total points ,has 1 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 54 Percentage of field goals ,has 2 Losses ,has 136 Total points ,has 8 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Kobe Bryant') has 34 Field goals attempted, has 15 Field goals made, has 16 Free throws attempted, has 11 Free throws made, has 31 Minutes played, has 44 Points"]

Houston trailed Portland by 15 points entering the fourth quarter, but came back to defeat them 108 - 103 in overtime. Corey Brewer hit a deep three at the end of regulation to tie it at 99. James Harden then led the way, scoring all nine points in the exra quarter for the Rockets, who improved to 5 - 7 on the season. The comeback victory was much needed for Houston, who took the court the same day they fired head coach Kevin McHale. McHale was coaching his fifth season with the team. The Rockets came into the season with high expections after a playoff run that ended in the Western Conference Finals. Unfortuantely, a lack luster start to the season had them at 4 - 7 entering the day, and the Rockets decided they needed to light a spark under the team. They responded accordingly with their fourth quarter rally, which could potentially be looked back at as a turning point in their season. As usual, Portland was led by Damian Lillard who scored a team high 23 points on 6 - 19 shooting from the field. C.J. McCollum, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Allen Crabbe also chipped in with double - digit point totals. Along with Aminu's 16 points, he also added 15 rebounds in 37 minutes. The Trailblazers fell to 4 - 9 with the loss and will look to bounce back Friday when they welcome the Clippers to town. James Harden nealry had a monster triple double for the Rockets with 45 points (11 - 29 FG, 4 - 15 3PT, 19 - 20 FT), eight rebounds, 11 assists, and five steals in 47 minutes. Trevor Ariza and Corey Brewer each added 18 and 16 points respectively, while Dwight Howard scored seven points and grabbed 19 boards. Houston will look to carry their momentum into Friday's game in Memphis.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 7 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 5 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 103 Losses ,has 23 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Al-Farouq Aminu') has 37 Minutes played, has 16 Points, has 15 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Damian Lillard') has 23 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Trevor Ariza') has 18 Field goals attempted, has 18 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dwight Howard') has 7 Points, has 19 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'James Harden') has 11 Assists, has 15 3-pointers attempted, has 4 3-pointers made, has 29 Field goals attempted, has 11 Field goals made, has 20 Free throws attempted, has 19 Free throws made, has 47 Minutes played, has 45 Points, has 8 Total rebounds, has 5 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Corey Brewer') has 3 3-pointers made, has 3 Free throws made, has 16 Points"]

The Toronto Raptors defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 112 - 102 Chesapeake Energy Arena on Wednesday. The Raptors (5 - 2) did not get off to a hot start in this contest, allowing the Thunder (6 - 2) to go on a 120 run in the first four and half minutes of the game. Toronto, however, kept their composure and continued to whittle away at the lead from there, ultimately snagging a seven - point lead by halftime. They never lost that lead, as the play of their All-Star backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan proved to be too much for the Thunder to handle. Lowry nearly had a triple - double, recording 19 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds in an astonishing 43 minutes, while DeRozan continues to be the league's top scorer, as he posted 37 points Wednesday — his sixth 30 - point performance in seven games. For the Thunder, they lost their first home game of the season despite another stat - stuffing performance from Russell Westbrook, who recorded 36 points, seven rebounds and seven assists on the night. The problem for Westbrook, however, is that he shot just 9 - of - 26 from the field, 3 - of - 12 from behind the arc and committed eight turnovers, leading to an overall sloppy performance from the All-Star point guard. Beyond Westbrook, just Victor Oladipo and Steven Adams managed to score in double figures, with 18 and 14 points respectively, but Adams did add 12 rebounds, giving him his second double - double of the season. Up next, the Raptors will hit the road once again on Friday to play the Hornets, while the Thunder will stay home to take on the Clippers on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 2 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 6 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 2 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 5 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'DeMar DeRozan') has 37 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kyle Lowry') has 13 Assists, has 7 Defensive rebounds, has 43 Minutes played, has 19 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Steven Adams') has 14 Points, has 12 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Victor Oladipo') has 18 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Russell Westbrook') has 7 Assists, has 12 3-pointers attempted, has 3 3-pointers made, has 26 Field goals attempted, has 9 Field goals made, has 18 Free throws attempted, has 36 Points, has 7 Total rebounds, has 8 Turnovers"]

New additions to both the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers saw a solid chunk of minutes in Thursday's matchup. Golden State Warriors import Mo Speights brought his inside game and perimeter shooting to the Clippers in a needed position of depth, and shined in 16 minutes of play where he finished with 15 points on 4 - of - 8 shooting including a pair of threes. Evan Turner, formerly of the Boston Celtics, was not on display as much as Speights, but played 23 minutes. Defensively, Turner was effective on the wing, but was unable to shoot all that efficiently from the floor, evidenced by his six points on eight shots. Turner did add six rebounds in his time off the bench. Allen Crabbe might not be a new addition to the Blazers, but he did get a shiny new contract in the offseason and added 10 points, four assists and a rebound in 32 minutes of action.

["PlayerStat(G, 'Marreese Speights') has 8 Field goals attempted, has 4 Field goals made, has 16 Minutes played, has 15 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Allen Crabbe') has 4 Assists, has 32 Minutes played, has 10 Points, has 1 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Evan Turner') has 8 Field goals attempted, has 23 Minutes played, has 6 Total rebounds"]

The New Orleans Pelicans (27 - 46) defeated visiting New York Knicks (30 - 45) 99 - 91, Monday evening at Smoothie King Center. This win marks the Pelicans first of the season when scoring less than 100 points. Prior to this contest the Pelicans were the only team without a win when scoring below 100 points, with a record of 0 - 33 in those games. This was a tight contest that was tied at 85 with 2:59 left but the Pelicans pulled away in the last few minutes to snap a three - game losing streak. Jrue Holiday left the game late in the fourth quarter after taking a hit to the face. The short - handed Pelicans had five players score in double digits, as guys stepped up to earn their 19th win at home. Jrue Holiday led the way with 22 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals, in 34 minutes. Luke Babbitt was efficient in 24 minutes, with 14 points on 4 - 6 shooting from the field, including 2 - 3 from long range and 4 - 4 from the foul line. Toney Douglas chipped in 16 points, five rebounds and two assists, in 24 minutes off the bench. The Pelicans shot 8 - 19 from three - point range and 27 - 37 from the foul line. The Knicks struggled as they shot only 40 percent from the field. Carmelo Anthony shot 9 - 22 on his way to 22 points, along with six assists and five rebounds, in 36 minutes. Kristaps Porzingis had a solid outing as he added 16 points, 10 rebounds, three blocked shots, two steals and two assists, in 35 minutes, while Robin Lopez chipped in 17 points and five rebounds. New York has now lost two in a row. Next, the Knicks will visit Dallas for a contest on Wednesday. The Pelicans have a date in San Antonio on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 46 Percentage of field goals ,has 99 Losses ,has 27 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 91 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Carmelo Anthony') has 6 Assists, has 36 Minutes played, has 22 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kristaps Porzingis') has 2 Assists, has 3 Blocks, has 35 Minutes played, has 16 Points, has 10 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Robin Lopez') has 2 Assists, has 17 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Luke Babbitt') has 24 Minutes played, has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jrue Holiday') has 6 Assists, has 34 Minutes played, has 22 Points, has 6 Total rebounds, has 4 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Toney Douglas') has 2 Assists, has 16 Points, has 5 Total rebounds"]

The Chicago Bulls had an impressive game plan in containing Russell Westbrook, as the Thunder point guard fell far short of his triple - double average after finishing with 28 points, eight assists and five rebounds in 29 minutes of action on Wednesday. The Bulls victory came on the back of six players finishing in double figures scoring. Jimmy Butler led the way with 28 points, to go with four rebounds, five assists and three steals on 11 - of - 17 shooting. Dwyane Wade added 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in 24 minutes. Victor Oladipo aided Westbrook in double figures with 12 points alongside five rebounds and one steal, but the starters were simply not able to find a rhythm as a unit. Domantas Sabonis, Andre Roberson and Steven Adams combined for a lowly 15 points and 17 rebounds.

["PlayerStat(G, 'Jimmy Butler') has 5 Assists, has 17 Field goals attempted, has 11 Field goals made, has 28 Points, has 4 Total rebounds, has 3 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dwyane Wade') has 7 Assists, has 24 Minutes played, has 18 Points, has 7 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Victor Oladipo') has 12 Points, has 5 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Russell Westbrook') has 8 Assists, has 29 Minutes played, has 28 Points, has 5 Total rebounds"]

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the host Sacramento Kings, 121 - 115, at Golden 1 Center on Friday night. The Clippers (11 - 2) jumped out of the gate to a 40 - 24 first - quarter lead, and even increased their lead to 73 - 54 by halftime. The Kings (4 - 9) rallied back late in the fourth quarter, bringing it to a two - point game, 117 - 115, with 2:3 to go but missed shots and turned the ball over down the stretch, which cost them their fourth loss in a row. DeMarcus Cousins was a beast for Sacramento, with 38 points, on 12 - of - 29 shooting, along with 13 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and one block, in 37 minutes. Ty Lawson filled the stat sheet with 18 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and one steal, in 36 minutes. Rudy Gay was quiet, finishing with only nine points on 3 - of - 11 shooting. The Kings go on to host the Raptors on Monday. Blake Griffin led the way offensively for the Clippers with 29 points on 7 - of - 15 shooting, while Chris Paul almost hit a triple - double with 11 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, along with three steals, in 33 minutes. J.J. Redick added a cool 26 points on 8 - of - 12 shooting, including 6 - of - 8 from long range. The Clippers shot 53 percent from the field and 45 percent from long range to earn their eighth win in nine games. They will be right back in action for the second of a back - to - back set as they host the Bulls at the Staples Center on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 9 Percentage of 3 points ,has 115 Percentage of field goals ,has 24 Losses ,has 4 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 45 Percentage of 3 points ,has 53 Percentage of field goals ,has 2 Losses ,has 121 Total points ,has 40 Points in 1st quarter ,has 11 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Blake Griffin') has 15 Field goals attempted, has 7 Field goals made, has 29 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'JJ Redick') has 8 3-pointers attempted, has 6 3-pointers made, has 12 Field goals attempted, has 8 Field goals made, has 26 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Chris Paul') has 12 Assists, has 33 Minutes played, has 11 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Rudy Gay') has 11 Field goals attempted, has 3 Field goals made, has 9 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'DeMarcus Cousins') has 7 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 29 Field goals attempted, has 12 Field goals made, has 37 Minutes played, has 38 Points, has 13 Total rebounds, has 3 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ty Lawson') has 8 Assists, has 36 Minutes played, has 18 Points, has 7 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals"]

The Chicago Bulls (10 - 5) defeated the San Antonio Spurs (14 - 4) Monday 92 - 89 at the United Center in Chicago. It was a methodical, balanced approach for the Bulls, as five different players scoring in double figures allowed them to keep pace with and ultimately defeat the red - hot Spurs - who had won five games in a row coming into Monday night’s matchup. Chicago was lead by Pau Gasol, who recorded a double - double of 18 points and 13 rebounds in 30 minutes. Jimmy Butler added 14 points, while Derrick Rose and Tony Snell each added 11 points. Off the bench, Joakim Noah stuffed the box score, recording eight points, 11 rebounds and a team - high seven assists in 23 minutes. For the Spurs, their stars in Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge played up to standard. Leonard finished with a game - high 25 points and eight rebounds, while Aldridge managed a double - double of 21 points and 12 boards. However, the rest of San Antonio struggled, as Tony Parker (13) was the only other player to score in double figures, and the rest of the team combined to score just 30 points. Up next, Chicago will stay home to take on the Nuggets Wednesday, while the Spurs will head back home Wednesday to play the Bucks.

["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 5 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 10 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 4 Losses ,has 89 Total points ,has 14 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Kawhi Leonard') has 25 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 21 Points, has 12 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tony Parker') has 13 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tony Snell') has 11 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Pau Gasol') has 30 Minutes played, has 18 Points, has 13 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jimmy Butler') has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Derrick Rose') has 11 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Joakim Noah') has 7 Assists, has 23 Minutes played, has 8 Points, has 11 Total rebounds"]

In a game that was expected to be tight throughout, the two teams did n't disappoint. There were nine ties and 17 lead changes, with New York taking control in the fourth quarter. Shooting was key, as the Heat were held to 43 percent from the field, while the Knicks shot 49 percent. New York also dominated the rebounding, winning that battle, 53 - 46. Carmelo Anthony had one of his best games of the season, dropping a game - high 35 points on 13 - of - 27 shooting. Kristaps Porzingis and Joakim Noah were huge down low, as they each recorded a double - double. Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside once again carried the load for Miami, as Dragic tallied 29 points, four rebounds and seven assists, while Whiteside accumulated 24 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. Derrick Rose had to leave this game early, as he was dealing with back spasms in the third quarter, but finished with 10 points.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 43 Percentage of field goals ,has 29 Losses ,has 46 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 9 Losses ,has 53 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Carmelo Anthony') has 1 Blocks, has 27 Field goals attempted, has 13 Field goals made, has 1 Offensive rebounds, has 35 Points, has 1 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Derrick Rose') has 10 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Hassan Whiteside') has 3 Blocks" "PlayerStat(G, 'Goran Dragic') has 7 Assists, has 29 Points, has 4 Total rebounds"]

The New York Knicks (26 - 38) defeated the visiting Detroit Pistons (31 - 31) 102 - 89, Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. The reeling Knicks seemed rejuvenated as they showed a complete game and strong finish against a formidable Detroit squad. The Knicks had three players score 20 or more points in the same game for the first time this season and shot a blistering 53 percent from the field as a team. New York's offense however was not all that won the game as its defense held the Pistons to only 39 percent shooting from the field and 6 - 26 from downtown. The Knicks improve to 16 - 18 at home this season, where they are fairing well compared to their 10 - 20 road record. Carmelo Anthony was stellar as he led New York in points, rebounds and assists. Melo finished with 24 points (11 - 19 FG, 1 - 4 3Pt, 1 - 2 FT), 10 rebounds and six assists, in 41 minutes. Robin Lopez tallied 21 points (9 - 12 FG, 3 - 3 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and a block, in 32 minutes, while Arron Afflalo chipped in another 20 points (9 - 12 FG, 1 - 2 3PT, 1 - 2 FT), along with seven rebounds and three assists, in 42 minutes. The Knicks were missing Kristaps Porzingis, who sat out with a lower leg contusion. The Pistons have now lost two in a row after winning their previous four games, and with this loss risk losing their grip on the eighth spot in the East. Meanwhile, Andre Drummond was a beast inside, finishing with 21 points and 16 rebounds, in 36 minutes. Tobias Harris and Steve Blake were the only other PIstons to score in double digits. Harris chipped in 18 points, along with eight rebounds, in 36 minutes, while Steve Blake added 13 points, four rebounds and two assists, in 20 minutes off the bench. The Pistons finished the game with only 13 assists, as they failed to conduct any kind of offensive rhythm. Next, Detroit hosts the Trail Blazers on Sunday. The Knicks will have a couple of days off before getting back in action on Tuesday in Denver.

["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 53 Number of team assists ,has 38 Percentage of field goals ,has 102 Losses ,has 26 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 13 Number of team assists ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 31 Losses ,has 89 Total points ,has 31 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Tobias Harris') has 36 Minutes played, has 18 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Andre Drummond') has 36 Minutes played, has 21 Points, has 16 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Steve Blake') has 2 Assists, has 20 Minutes played, has 13 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Robin Lopez') has 2 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 12 Field goals attempted, has 9 Field goals made, has 3 Free throws attempted, has 3 Free throws made, has 32 Minutes played, has 21 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Arron Afflalo') has 3 Assists, has 2 3-pointers attempted, has 1 3-pointers made, has 12 Field goals attempted, has 9 Field goals made, has 2 Free throws attempted, has 1 Free throws made, has 42 Minutes played, has 20 Points, has 7 Total rebounds"]

The Oklahoma City Thunder (42 - 18) defeated the Sacramento Kings (24 - 34) 131 - 116 at Sleep Train Arena on Monday. Russell Westbrook nearly registered a triple - double in by the end of the first half, and followed through to complete the feat for his ninth of the season, trailing only the Golden State Warriors Draymond Green, for most in the NBA. Westbrook finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists on 6 - of - 8 shooting, in the all around dominant performance. Kevin Durant was not far behind his counterpart after registering 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists on 8 - of - 17 shooting, which led all Thunder scorers in the contest. Enes Kanter was on the receiving end of many of Westbrook's dimes and was the definition of perfect shooting, as he scored 23 points on 11 - of - 11 shooting in 25 minutes off the bench. Scoring was not an issue for the Thunder, and their only issue on the defensive end was containing DeMarcus Cousins, who was a force in the paint. Oklahoma City tends to struggle on the defensive end of the floor though, but when the offense clicks and leads to 131 points, few teams will be able to keep up. The Thunder continue their west coast road trip when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers (38 - 20) in the first game of a difficult back - to - back on Wednesday. Heading into Monday, point guard Rajon Rondo (hand) was listed as questionable, followed by doubtful, but still ended up starting and finishing the game. Rondo almost matched Westbrook with a triple - double, falling one rebound shy of the achievement, and finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists in 36 minutes. The NBA leading assists per game guard caused some slight controversy at the end of the first half, as he stalled the inbound pass on back - to - back possessions, which led to to two delay of game calls that send Kevin Durant to the free throw line for two easy buckets. DeMarcus Cousins added to the heated matchup after he got tangled up with Durant in the first quarter, as the two all - stars needed to be separated before anything escalated too quickly. Cousins led all scorers to the tune of 35 points, to go along with 12 rebounds and three assists. Sacramento is slipping further away from a playoff spot after dropping their third straight game and currently sit 5 games back of the Houston Rockets from the Houston Rockets for the 8 - seed in the Western Conference. The Kings will look to bounce back when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies (34 - 24) on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 34 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 24 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 18 Losses ,has 131 Total points ,has 42 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Kevin Durant') has 6 Assists, has 17 Field goals attempted, has 8 Field goals made, has 27 Points, has 10 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals, has 2 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Russell Westbrook') has 15 Assists, has 2 3-pointers made, has 8 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 2 Offensive rebounds, has 2 Personal fouls, has 20 Points, has 13 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Enes Kanter') has 11 Field goals attempted, has 11 Field goals made, has 25 Minutes played, has 23 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'DeMarcus Cousins') has 3 Assists, has 35 Points, has 12 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Rajon Rondo') has 12 Assists, has 2 3-pointers attempted, has 2 Free throws attempted, has 36 Minutes played, has 2 Offensive rebounds, has 2 Personal fouls, has 11 Points, has 9 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals, has 2 Turnovers"]

The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Phoenix Suns, 95 - 91, at Philips Arena on Tuesday. Atlanta were expected to win this game easily, but Phoenix gave them a run for their money. While there were only two ties and two lead changes, neither team led by more than nine points for the entirety of the second half. Phoenix were stifled by Atlanta's defense, as they shot 37 percent from the field, 23 percent from three - point range and 58 percent from the free - throw line. The Hawks took care of the defensive rebounding too, winning that battle, 42 - 34. The Suns (22 - 53) had to play this game without Devin Booker and Eric Bledsoe, as they did n't have enough in the arsenal to pull out the upset win. T.J. Warren led the way for Phoenix, as he tallied 24 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Tyler Ulis finished second on the team, accruing 15 points, six rebounds and 10 assists. Alex Len totaled 12 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Jared Dudley played well off the bench, providing six points, eight rebounds and seven assists. On deck for Phoenix is a home matchup versus the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. The Hawks (38 - 36) had lost seven - straight headed into this game, so to say this win was needed would be a drastic understatement. Dennis Schroder was the player of the game, as he collected 27 points, six rebounds and nine assists. Ersan Ilyasova finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Dwight Howard recorded a double - double, amassing 15 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. Taurean Prince got another start and accrued 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks. The Hawks will look to build off this win on Wednesday in a road matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 36 Percentage of 3 points ,has 95 Percentage of field goals ,has 38 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 23 Percentage of 3 points ,has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 53 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 24 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 22 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'TJ Warren') has 3 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 24 Points, has 8 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Alex Len') has 12 Points, has 7 Total rebounds, has 3 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tyler Ulis') has 10 Assists, has 15 Points, has 6 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jared Dudley') has 7 Assists, has 6 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Taurean Prince') has 2 Blocks, has 15 Points, has 6 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ersan Ilyasova') has 18 Points, has 12 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dwight Howard') has 4 Assists, has 4 Blocks, has 15 Points, has 11 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dennis Schroder') has 9 Assists, has 27 Points, has 6 Total rebounds"]

The visiting Washington Wizards defeated the Orlando Magic, 94 - 91, at Amway Center on Friday. The Wizards (5 - 9) rode another double - double from John Wall and a balanced and productive effort from their starting five overall to tally their first road win of the season. Wall led the way with 26 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and three steals over 39 minutes, his third double - double in the last four games. The remaining four members of the first unit all managed double digits in the scoring column as well, leading to a solid 46 percent performance from the field. Meanwhile, on the defensive side of the ball, Washington elicited 19 turnovers from the Magic (6 - 10), while only committing 11 of their own. The collective effort helped overcome a breakout performance by Orlando's Nikola Vucevic, who posted a 17 - point, 17 - rebound double - double on 8 - of - 16 shooting. Otto Porter was second to Wall, turning in a solid 19 points, seven rebounds and a pair of assists. Bradley Beal checked in with 14 points, eight assists, two rebounds and a steal. Marcin Gortat was just short of a double - double, totaling 12 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Markieff Morris did a little bit of everything while rounding out the starting five's productive night, posting 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block. Vucevic added two assists, three steals and three blocks to his superb all - around effort. Serge Ibaka actually led the Magic in scoring with 19 points, and he added eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and four blocks. Elfrid Payton supplied 15 points, five rebounds and five assists. Evan Fournier had a rough night from the field, going just 2 - of - 9, and provided a modest 11 points, four assists, two rebounds and a steal. Former starter Aaron Gordon led the second unit with nine points, seven rebounds and an assist. The Wizards return home to face the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night, while the Magic remain home to face off with the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday evening.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 10 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 19 Turnovers ,has 6 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 9 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 11 Turnovers ,has 5 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Markieff Morris') has 2 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 5 Field goals made, has 11 Points, has 3 Total rebounds, has 3 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcin Gortat') has 2 Assists, has 12 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Bradley Beal') has 8 Assists, has 14 Points, has 2 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'John Wall') has 10 Assists, has 4 3-pointers attempted, has 5 Free throws made, has 39 Minutes played, has 26 Points, has 7 Total rebounds, has 3 Steals, has 4 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Serge Ibaka') has 2 Assists, has 4 Blocks, has 19 Points, has 8 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nikola Vucevic') has 2 Assists, has 3 Blocks, has 16 Field goals attempted, has 8 Field goals made, has 17 Points, has 17 Total rebounds, has 3 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Evan Fournier') has 4 Assists, has 9 Field goals attempted, has 2 Field goals made, has 11 Points, has 2 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Elfrid Payton') has 5 Assists, has 15 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Aaron Gordon') has 1 Assists, has 9 Points, has 7 Total rebounds"]

The Lakers benefited from balanced production across their roster, as all five starters, and two reserves, hit double digits in the scoring column. The offensive proficiency led to a 48 percent success rate from the field, and their defense managed to elicit 15 turnovers from the Clippers. Timofey Mozgov and Nick Young paced the Lakers with matching 19 - point tallies. D'Angelo Russell went for 14 points, while Luol Deng supplied a 13 - point, 12 - rebound double - double. Julius Randle matched Deng's point total, and Lou Williams paced the second unit with 14 points. The Clippers were co - led by a pair of 22 - point efforts from J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford. Raymond Felton registered eight points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks. DeAndre Jordan brought down 10 boards, while Mareese Speights produced 15 points off the bench.

["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 48 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 15 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G, 'DeAndre Jordan') has 10 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'JJ Redick') has 22 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Raymond Felton') has 6 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 8 Points, has 10 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jamal Crawford') has 22 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marreese Speights') has 15 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Luol Deng') has 13 Points, has 12 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Timofey Mozgov') has 19 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Nick Young') has 19 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'D'Angelo Russell') has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Lou Williams') has 14 Points"]

The Utah Jazz defeated the host Minnesota Timberwolves, 112 - 103, at Target Center on Monday. This was your stereotypical veteran versus young team and the more experienced squad was able to prevail with a win. It was close throughout though, as there were 10 ties and seven lead changes, with no team leading by more than 11 points. The Jazz won with their interior play, as they scored 60 points in the paint, while holding the Timberwolves to just 44 bench points. Utah shot 51 percent from the field, while Minnesota shot 44 percent on their end. Utah (10 - 8) have been getting it done with defense this season, but the offense was on display in this win. George Hill was the player of the game, tallying 24 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Gordon Hayward was n't far behind, finishing with 24 points, five rebounds and two steals of his own. Rudy Gobert recorded a double - double, totaling 16 points and 17 rebounds. Trey Lyles was a nice spark off the bench, scoring 13 points on 6 - of - 8 shooting. Utah will have a quick turnaround, as they host the Houston Rockets on Tuesday for their next game. Minnesota (5 - 12) have been a huge disappointment this season and this loss only adds to their struggles. Zach LaVine had one of the best games of his career though, accumulating 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Karl-Anthony Towns double - doubled in a 19 - point, 12 - rebound outing. Andrew Wiggins scored 13 points on 6 - of - 16 shooting. Ricky Rubio and Gorgui Dieng finished with 11 points a piece. Minnesota will look to play better on Wednesday, when they host the New York Knicks,

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 44 Percentage of field goals ,has 12 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 5 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 51 Percentage of field goals ,has 8 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 10 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Gordon Hayward') has 24 Points, has 5 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Rudy Gobert') has 16 Points, has 17 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'George Hill') has 4 Assists, has 24 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Trey Lyles') has 8 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 13 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Andrew Wiggins') has 16 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 13 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Gorgui Dieng') has 11 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 19 Points, has 12 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Zach LaVine') has 8 Assists, has 1 Offensive rebounds, has 28 Points, has 8 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ricky Rubio') has 11 Points"]

The Miami Heat earned a hard - fought comeback victory over the Toronto Raptors, 94 - 87 in overtime Monday in Game 4, to tie the Eastern Conference semifinal at two games apiece. Things looked bleak in the fourth quarter for the Heat, as a Terrence Ross three - pointer with 6:40 to go in the game gave the Raptors a 77 - 68 lead and the inside track at a 3 - 1 series lead. But the Heat stormed back into the game with a 15 - 6 run to close regulation, led by Dwyane Wade, who scored nine of the final 15 points for the Heat, including a slick finger roll with 13 seconds left to tie the game. The Raptors could n't regain momentum, as they committed more turnovers in overtime (three) than they managed made field goals (two) as the Heat were able to coast through the extra period to the win. Wade shot 13 - 24 from the floor to finish with a game - high 30 points, double the next highest scorer from either team. Goran Dragic (5 - 16 FG) and Joe Johnson (5 - 13 FG) were the only other Heat players in double figures. Justise Winslow added a spark off the bench with nine points (4 - 5 FG) and four rebounds. The Heat had to win this one with defense - - none of the Heat players could find the range, as the club finished a brutal 1 - 15 from three - point range. The Raptors front court of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry remained cold as ice, as they combined for just 19 points on 6 - 28 shooting, although Lowry did managed nine assists and seven rebounds to go with his 10 points before fouling out. Toronto's leading scorers both came off the bench, as Terrence Ross (4 - 10 FG, 3 - 4 3PT) and Cory Joseph (7 - 17 FG) scored 14 points apiece. The offense clearly missed Jonas Valanciunas, as the Raptors shot just 39 percent from the floor, and they did n't make up for the center's absence with long range shooting either (6 - 20 3PT, 30 percent). Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday at 8:0 PM Eastern Time at Air Canada Centre.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 2 Percentage of 3 points ,has 94 Percentage of field goals ,has 19 Losses ,has 2 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 30 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 2 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 14 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 2 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Kyle Lowry') has 9 Assists, has 10 Points, has 7 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Terrence Ross') has 4 3-pointers attempted, has 3 3-pointers made, has 10 Field goals attempted, has 4 Field goals made, has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Cory Joseph') has 17 Field goals attempted, has 7 Field goals made, has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Joe Johnson') has 13 Field goals attempted, has 5 Field goals made" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dwyane Wade') has 13 Field goals made, has 30 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Goran Dragic') has 16 Field goals attempted, has 5 Field goals made" "PlayerStat(G, 'Justise Winslow') has 5 Field goals attempted, has 4 Field goals made, has 9 Points, has 4 Total rebounds"]

To say this overtime game was close throughout would be a drastic understatement. There were 17 ties and 22 lead changes, as this game was n't decided until the final shot. Carmelo Anthony was the hero, as he hit the game - winner with three seconds left. His final bucket capped off a season - high 35 points and 14 rebounds. Derrick Rose and Kristaps Porzingis each scored 16, as they allowed Anthony to take over. Nicolas Batum nearly triple - doubled, as he accumulated a team - high 17 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Rebounding was a huge factor for the Knicks, as they won that battle 55 - 46. Free-throw shooting stung the Hornets, as they went just 17 - of - 27, with the Knicks shooting 92 percent. These teams will have a rematch on Saturday, as they travel to Charlotte for the rare back - to - back, home - and - home set.

["PlayerStat(G, 'Nicolas Batum') has 9 Assists, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Carmelo Anthony') has 3 3-pointers made, has 35 Points, has 14 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kristaps Porzingis') has 16 Field goals attempted, has 16 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Derrick Rose') has 16 Points"]

The Indiana Pacers defeated the Detroit Pistons, 105 - 90, at Palace of Auburn Hills on Saturday. The Pacers (14 - 14) came in to Saturday's contest with a dubious road record, as they'd managed to only secure three wins in nine tries away from home. However, a standout effort from Paul George led the way to a surprisingly comfortable victory Saturday, as the All-Star tallied 26 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. However, Indiana's entire first unit was impressive as a whole, as all five members of the starting five posted double - digit scoring. The Pacers also shot 48 percent overall, while holding the Pistons (14 - 15) to sub - 40 percent success rates from the field and three - point range. Jeff Teague was second on the visitors with a stat - sheet - stuffing line of 19 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Glenn Robinson III and Thaddeus Young contributed a pair of 12 - point efforts, with the former adding an impressive 12 rebounds, and the latter supplying three assists, two boards and a steal. Myles Turner had a modest game by his standards, posting 10 points, five rebounds, an assist and two blocks. C.J. Miles led the way with 10 points, three rebounds and an assist. The Pistons were led by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's 20 points, which he supplemented with five rebounds, three assists and a steal. Reggie Jackson was right behind him with a 19 - point, 10 - assist double - double that also included three rebounds and a steal, and that represented his best overall game of the season. Tobias Harris registered 13 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Andre Drummond and Marcus Morris turned in nine points apiece, with the former also hauling in 15 rebounds. The Pacers head back home to face off with the Washington Wizards on Monday night, while the Pistons head to Chicago to take on the Bulls on Monday evening as well.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 15 Percentage of field goals ,has 90 Losses ,has 14 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 48 Percentage of field goals ,has 14 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 9 Turnovers ,has 14 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Paul George') has 2 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 26 Points, has 7 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Thaddeus Young') has 3 Assists, has 12 Points, has 2 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Myles Turner') has 1 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 10 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Glenn Robinson III') has 12 Points, has 12 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jeff Teague') has 8 Assists, has 19 Points, has 9 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'CJ Miles') has 1 Assists, has 10 Points, has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tobias Harris') has 2 Assists, has 13 Points, has 7 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcus Morris') has 9 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Andre Drummond') has 9 Points, has 15 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kentavious Caldwell-Pope') has 3 Assists, has 20 Points, has 5 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Reggie Jackson') has 10 Assists, has 19 Points, has 3 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals"]

The Utah Jazz defeated the visiting Atlanta Hawks, 95 - 68, at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Friday. The Hawks rarely get blown out, but they ran into a buzz saw here with a trip to Utah. The Jazz held the Hawks to just 31 percent shooting and a season - low 68 points. Atlanta really struggled in the middle quarters, scoring just 25 combined points in the second and third quarters. Rebounding was key for Utah, as they won that battle, 55 - 40. The Jazz held the dynamic Atlanta starters to just 37 points on 14 - of - 51 shooting. Atlanta (8 - 6) is in a bit of a slump right now and they'll hope this blowout loss is rock - bottom. Dennis Schroder led the team in scoring, as he recorded 16 points and three steals on an inefficient 6 - of - 19 shooting. Paul Millsap was the only other starter with more than four points, as he tallied 11 points and five rebounds on 5 - of - 11 shooting. Thabo Sefolosha led the bench, dropping 11 points and seven rebounds. Atlanta will look to play better on Sunday in a road matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Utah (9 - 8) have the number - one defense headed into this matchup and they showed why in this blowout win. Gordon Hayward led the Jazz in scoring, totaling 24 points and seven rebounds. George Hill was one point shy of Hayward, as he finished with 23 points and five rebounds of his own. Rudy Gobert took just two shots, but finished with a 10 - point, 10 - rebound, five - block double - double. Trey Lyles also recorded a double - double, amassing 13 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Utah will be off until Monday, when they play the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 8 Percentage of field goals ,has 95 Losses ,has 24 Total points ,has 24 Points in 1st quarter ,has 9 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 31 Percentage of field goals ,has 68 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Paul Millsap') has 11 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dennis Schroder') has 19 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 16 Points, has 3 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Thabo Sefolosha') has 11 Points, has 7 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Gordon Hayward') has 24 Points, has 7 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Rudy Gobert') has 5 Blocks, has 2 Field goals attempted, has 2 Field goals made, has 10 Points, has 10 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'George Hill') has 23 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Trey Lyles') has 13 Points, has 10 Total rebounds"]

The Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers, 109 - 102, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Thursday. The Pacers (15 - 16) got off to a quick start, outscoring the Celtics (17 - 12) by a 31 - 22 margin in the first quarter. However, Boston came roaring back in the second period, which helped propel them to the eventual mark. They blasted their hosts 29 - 9 leading into halftime, building a lead that they'd sustain the rest of the way. As has become the norm, it was Isaiah Thomas who led the way for the visitors, tallying 28 points, nine assists and a rebound. That helped offset a standout effort by the point guard opposite him, as Jeff Teague posted a game - high 31 points for Indiana. Jae Crowder supplied 15 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal. Avery Bradley matched his point total and added six rebounds and three steals. Amir Johnson made some surprising offensive contributions, registering 11 points, six rebounds, an assist and a steal. Al Horford mustered a modest eight points but did haul in 11 boards. Marcus Smart (12 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block) and Kelly Olynyk (11 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal) were productive off the bench. Teague added eight assists, five rebounds and a block to his aforementioned scoring haul. Paul George followed with 19 points, eight boards, five assists and a pair of steals. Thaddeus Young stepped up with a 15 - point, 12 - rebound double - double that also included four assists and a steal. Myles Turner poured in 10 points and supplemented them with eight rebounds and a block. C.J. Miles led the bench with 19 points, along with two rebounds and a block. The Celtics return home to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday evening, while the Pacers return to action on Monday night in Chicago against the Bulls.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 16 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 31 Points in 1st quarter ,has 9 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 15 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 12 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 22 Points in 1st quarter ,has 29 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 17 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Jae Crowder') has 2 Assists, has 15 Points, has 6 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Amir Johnson') has 1 Assists, has 11 Points, has 6 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Al Horford') has 8 Points, has 11 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Avery Bradley') has 3 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Isaiah Thomas') has 9 Assists, has 28 Points, has 1 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kelly Olynyk') has 2 Assists, has 11 Points, has 5 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Marcus Smart') has 3 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 12 Points, has 4 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Paul George') has 5 Assists, has 19 Points, has 8 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Thaddeus Young') has 4 Assists, has 15 Points, has 12 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Myles Turner') has 1 Blocks, has 10 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jeff Teague') has 8 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 31 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'CJ Miles') has 1 Blocks, has 19 Points, has 2 Total rebounds"]

The Utah Jazz defeated the host Atlanta Hawks, 120 - 95, at Philips Arena on Monday. In a battle between two of the stingiest defenses in the league, the Jazz had their best shooting game of the season. In fact, Utah shot 61 percent from the field and recorded 31 assists. That's far better than Atlanta's 45 percent shooting and 16 assists. Rebounding was a huge factor as well, with Utah winning that battle, 44 - 30. The Jazz did most of their damage in the paint, winning the points in the paint differential, 58 - 44. This was a wire - to - wire win for the Jazz, as they held a double - digit lead for the final 15 minutes. The Jazz (33 - 19) have n't had all their pieces fully healthy much this season, but a win like this shows how scary they can be at full tilt. Gordon Hayward was the player of the game, as he tallied 30 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Derrick Favors had one of his best games of the season, totaling 20 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks on 10 - of - 12 shooting. George Hill finished second on the team in scoring, collecting 22 points, four rebounds and eight assists. Rudy Gobert was the only other Jazz player in double figures, as he provided 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks. The Hawks (30 - 22) have been inconsistent all season and blowout losses like this at home are head scratchers to say the least. Dennis Schroder carried the load, as he amassed 21 points, two rebounds and two assists. Paul Millsap went just 4 - of - 14 from the field, but finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Tim Hardaway Jr. also scored 14 points, adding three rebounds and three assists to his tally.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 16 Number of team assists ,has 45 Percentage of field goals ,has 22 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 30 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 31 Number of team assists ,has 61 Percentage of field goals ,has 19 Losses ,has 120 Total points ,has 33 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Gordon Hayward') has 5 Assists, has 30 Points, has 7 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Derrick Favors') has 1 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 1 3-pointers attempted, has 12 Field goals attempted, has 10 Field goals made, has 20 Points, has 10 Total rebounds, has 3 Steals, has 1 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Rudy Gobert') has 3 Assists, has 3 Blocks, has 14 Points, has 6 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'George Hill') has 8 Assists, has 22 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tim Hardaway Jr.') has 3 Assists, has 14 Points, has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Paul Millsap') has 3 Assists, has 14 Field goals attempted, has 4 Field goals made, has 14 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dennis Schroder') has 2 Assists, has 21 Points, has 2 Total rebounds"]

The San Antonio Spurs (54 - 10) bounced back from a rare loss with a 116 - 91 blowout of the Minnesota Timberwolves (20 - 45) on Tuesday. All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge paved the way for the Spurs, scoring 29 points on ridiculous 11 - for - 13 shooting. Aldridge, who has seen an uptick in defensive output since joining San Antonio, also contributed four blocks to the effort. The Spurs well - known veteran "Big Three" of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker all sat out the game due to injury, allowing players like Aldridge and emerging superstar Kawhi Leonard to control the game. Leonard was only asked to play 25 minutes, but scored 15 points and pulled down five rebounds against the Wolves. San Antonio has been a contender all season while not relying heavily on three - point shooting, as was illustrated by the Spurs' bold 116 points on 56 percent shooting while hitting just four threes. The young Timberwolves saw strong performances from both of their first overall picks despite the blowout loss. Rookie sensation Karl-Anthony Towns showed off with 19 points and nine rebounds while shooting 9 - for - 17 from the field. Sophomore Andrew Wiggins, the reigning Rookie of the Year, led the team with 23 points and also pulled down eight rebounds. While things did seem to click in some aspects for Minnesota, nothing could stop the historic powerhous Spurs. San Antonio will host the Bulls on Thursday. Minnesota will visit the dominant Thunder on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 45 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 20 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 10 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 54 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Kawhi Leonard') has 25 Minutes played, has 15 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 4 Blocks, has 13 Field goals attempted, has 11 Field goals made, has 29 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Andrew Wiggins') has 23 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 17 Field goals attempted, has 9 Field goals made, has 19 Points, has 9 Total rebounds"]

The Portland Trail Blazers found victory through a combination of efficient defending and a strong back court showing from both Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. When it mattered most, the Blazers turned to McCollum and Lillard to close out the game, as they combined for 48 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The Lakers starters were almost absent from the contest after shooting 39 percent as a unit, and were bailed out by two strong bench performers in Lou Williams and jordan Clarkson. The reserve back court players kept Los Angeles within striking distance though out the game, as Williams notched 31 points on 10 - of - 20 shooting and Clarkson added 22 points of his own. While both teams struggled from behind the three point line, the Blazers outshot the Lakers from the field. Portland finished with a 48 field goal percentage, compared to that of the Lakers 39 percent effort.

["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 31 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Jordan Clarkson') has 2 Assists, has 2 Defensive rebounds, has 2 3-pointers made, has 22 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Lou Williams') has 20 Field goals attempted, has 10 Field goals made, has 31 Points"]

The Milwaukee Bucks (17 - 25) defeated the Atlanta Hawks (23 - 17) 108 - 101 on Friday night at BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee. After a close game the whole way through, it took overtime to solve this one. In the overtime period Milwaukee outscored Atlanta 13 - 6, handing the Hawks their second straight loss. The Bucks also extended their home win streak to three games. Six players scored in double digits for the Bucks, including all five starters. Giannis Antetokounmpo had a huge double - double, leading all scorers with 28 points (10 - 18 FG, 7 - 9 FT) and pulling down 16 rebounds. Two other players rebounded in double digits for the Bucks. Greg Monroe hauled in 12 rebounds along with his 15 points, while Jabari Parker finished with 10 points and 10 boards. As a team the Bucks logged a monstrous 60 rebounds but it was their 25 free throws (25 - 37 FT) that really made the difference in this one. The Hawks hurled up 100 shots in this game but only hit 43 of them. Also in contrast to Milwaukee's 37 free throw attempts, Atlanta only got to the line six times. Paul Millsap finished with a solid double - double, including 23 points (10 - 19 FG) and 10 rebounds, along with six assists and four blocks, in 32 minutes. Al Horford struggled from the field but tallied 18 points (9 - 23 FG), eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks, in 40 minutes. Jeff Teague dished 10 assists but only shot 4 - 13, leading to nine points. Atlanta must get back on track as soon as possible because losing another two games could have them right out of the top eight in the East. Next the Hawks will face the second of a back to back as they host the Nets on Saturday. The Bucks will also be facing the second of a back to back as they play in Charlotte on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 25 Percentage of field goals ,has 108 Losses ,has 60 Total points ,has 17 Rebounds ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 43 Percentage of field goals ,has 17 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 43 Rebounds ,has 23 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Paul Millsap') has 6 Assists, has 4 Blocks, has 19 Field goals attempted, has 10 Field goals made, has 23 Points, has 10 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Al Horford') has 2 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 23 Field goals attempted, has 9 Field goals made, has 18 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jeff Teague') has 10 Assists, has 9 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 18 Field goals attempted, has 10 Field goals made, has 9 Free throws attempted, has 7 Free throws made, has 28 Points, has 16 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jabari Parker') has 10 Points, has 10 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Greg Monroe') has 15 Points, has 12 Total rebounds"]

The Bucks dished 27 assists and scored 50 points in the paint, to help grind this one out. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way, with 34 points on 13 - of - 22 shooting, to go along with 13 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals, in 36 minutes. Malcolm Brogdon and Greg Monroe chipped in 14 points each, with Monroe adding 10 rebounds, to notch the double - double. Tony Snell added 13 points on 5 - of - 9 shooting, including 3 - of - 6 from long range. Khris Middleton really struggled from the field, where he went 1 - of - 13 and finished with six points on the night. Meanwhile, three players topped 20 points for Atlanta, while no one else scored in double digits. Dennis Schroder was the high - point man with 28, while Tim Hardaway Jr. followed up with 25 points. Dwight Howard double - doubled with 20 points and 12 rebounds, in 32 minutes of action.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 27 Number of team assists ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Dwight Howard') has 32 Minutes played, has 20 Points, has 12 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tim Hardaway Jr.') has 25 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dennis Schroder') has 28 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Khris Middleton') has 13 Field goals attempted, has 1 Field goals made, has 6 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 5 Assists, has 3 Blocks, has 22 Field goals attempted, has 13 Field goals made, has 36 Minutes played, has 34 Points, has 13 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tony Snell') has 6 3-pointers attempted, has 3 3-pointers made, has 9 Field goals attempted, has 5 Field goals made, has 13 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Malcolm Brogdon') has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Greg Monroe') has 14 Points, has 10 Total rebounds"]

Fans got to witness a breakout night from a rookie on Wednesday as Sacramento's Skal Labissiere torched the Suns for 32 points on 11 - of - 15 shooting. Labissiere added a team - high 11 rebounds. With the scoring output, Labissiere became the first member of the 2016 draft class to record a 30 - point game. In addition, sophomore Kings big man Willie Cauley-Stein narrowly missed out on a five - by - five, finishing with 14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, four blocks, and four steals. Thanks in part to the focus on their big men, the Kings hit only six three - pointers on 14 attempts. Phoenix's young talent looked a bit less impressive, as sophomore star Devin Booker struggled in particular. Booker shot just 6 - of - 26 from the field, a career - high in missed field goals for the youngster. Forward T.J. Warren, however, made up for it a bit, shooting 12 - of - 16 en route to 24 points.

["PlayerStat(G, 'Willie Cauley-Stein') has 5 Assists, has 4 Blocks, has 14 Points, has 11 Total rebounds, has 4 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Skal Labissiere') has 15 Field goals attempted, has 11 Field goals made, has 32 Points, has 11 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'TJ Warren') has 16 Field goals attempted, has 12 Field goals made, has 24 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Devin Booker') has 26 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made"]

The Los Angeles Clippers (49 - 28) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (16 - 61) at Staples Center on Tuesday, 103 - 81. Not long ago, the final score of this game would have favored the Lakers, but over the past few seasons, the Clippers have had little trouble handling their hometown opponents. The Lakers shot their way out of contention early in the game, and the theme continued throughout the remaining quarters. As a unit, Kobe Bryant and company shot 31 percent from the floor with only two starters finishing in low double figures. Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell looked completely out of whack and combined for just 22 points on 8 - of - 30 shooting, while Bryant finished with a lowly six points on 2 - of - 12 shooting. Clarkson did get his right foot and leg stepped on during a scrap and will receive x - rays. Initial reports suggest he is doubtful for the rematch against the Lakers on Wednesday. The remaining starters, Roy Hibbert and Julius Randle, did not make a field goal. The Clippers were led by Chris Paul and Jeff Greene’s impressive showing off the bench. Paul finished with 25 points, four rebounds and eight assists on a lights out 10 - of - 14 shooting, while Greene added 21 points in 31 minutes. Blake Griffin is still getting accustomed to being back on the court, and struggled in his second game back from injury/suspension. The all - star forward scored only four points on 1 - of - 5 shooting, but only played 16 minutes, as Doc Rivers gets slowly adds more minutes each game back. DeAndre Jordan dominated the glass on his way to 14 rebounds. The Clippers shot 51 percent as a unit and sliced their way through multiple Lakers defensive breakdowns as reflected by their 26 team assists. The Staples Center will host another installment of the Clippers against the Lakers on Wednesday, with the latter getting the technical home game.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 26 Number of team assists ,has 51 Percentage of field goals ,has 28 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 49 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 61 Number of team assists ,has 81 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Kobe Bryant') has 2 3-pointers attempted, has 12 Field goals attempted, has 2 Field goals made, has 2 Free throws attempted, has 2 Free throws made, has 6 Points, has 2 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals, has 2 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'DeAndre Jordan') has 14 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Chris Paul') has 8 Assists, has 14 Field goals attempted, has 10 Field goals made, has 25 Points, has 4 Total rebounds"]

The Chicago Bulls (16 - 11) defeated the host Oklahoma City Thunder (20 - 10) 105 - 96 on Friday afternoon. Chicago came out sharp and jumped to a 32 - 26 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Thunder fought back and finished the half on a 15 - 3 run that brought it to 54 - 52 at halftime. Despite a few quick runs by the Thunder, the Bulls managed to hold the lead the entire game. The Bulls doubled up the Thunder with a 32 - 16 third quarter and cruised to the finish from there. Jimmy Butler led the Bulls in scoring, with 23 points (9 - 20 FG), along with six rebounds, four assists and four steals, in 42 minutes. Pau Gasol tallied a solid double - double with 21 points (8 - 16 FG, 5 - 6 FT) and 13 rebounds. Gasol also dished six assists and blocked two shots, in 37 minutes. Taj Gibson also tallied a double - double, with 13 points (6 - 8 FG) and 10 rebounds, along with two assists, two blocks and one steal, in 34 minutes. The Bulls grabbed 53 rebounds, a testament to the intensity and focus that they maintained throughout the game. They also shot 90 percent from the free throw line, hitting 18 - 20 as a team. Kevin Durant put on a stellar performance and was leaning toward a triple - double after he did everything he could to help his team, yet it was not enough to get over the hump. Durant finished with 29 points (11 - 21 FG, 1 - 6 3Pt, 6 - 6 FT), nine rebounds and seven assists, in 42 minutes. Russell Westbrook struggled shooting, going 9 - 23 from the field, 1 - 7 from long range and 7 - 13 from the free throw line, on his way to 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Westbrook grabbed an impressive six steals, however his six turnovers nullified that hard work on defense. Enes Kanter put up solid numbers in 25 minutes off the bench, finishing with 14 points (6 - 12 FG) and 13 rebounds. With this loss, the Thunder are now 6 - 8 versus the East. Next the Thunder will host the Nuggets on Sunday. The Bulls will be right back in action with a game on Saturday in Dallas.

["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 10 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 26 Points in 1st quarter ,has 16 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 20 Rebounds ." "TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 11 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 32 Points in 1st quarter ,has 32 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 53 Rebounds ,has 16 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Taj Gibson') has 2 Assists, has 8 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 34 Minutes played, has 13 Points, has 10 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Pau Gasol') has 6 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 16 Field goals attempted, has 8 Field goals made, has 6 Free throws attempted, has 5 Free throws made, has 2 Personal fouls, has 21 Points, has 13 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jimmy Butler') has 4 Assists, has 20 Field goals attempted, has 9 Field goals made, has 23 Points, has 6 Total rebounds, has 4 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kevin Durant') has 7 Assists, has 6 3-pointers attempted, has 1 3-pointers made, has 21 Field goals attempted, has 11 Field goals made, has 6 Free throws attempted, has 6 Free throws made, has 42 Minutes played, has 29 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Russell Westbrook') has 8 Assists, has 26 Points, has 7 Total rebounds, has 6 Steals, has 6 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Enes Kanter') has 12 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 14 Points, has 13 Total rebounds"]

The Portland Trail Blazers (5 - 9) got the win Friday night by a score of 102 - 91 over the inconsistent Los Angeles Clippers (6 - 6). This was a close game most of the way and was tied at the beginning of the fourth but the Blazers had the stronger resolve and out - scored the Clippers 27 - 18 in the last 11 minutes to earn the nine - point victory. The Clippers have been unable to maintain any consistent play so far this season and now find themselves with a 6 - 6 record and in the middle of the pack in the West. They had balanced scoring Friday night, with five players in double digits. Blake Griffin was the high scorer for the Clips, finishing with 21 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Griffin shot 10 - 20 from the field in 33 minutes. DeAndre Jordan had a double - double with 12 points, 15 rebounds and two blocked shots. Jamal Crawford was big off the bench, shooting 5 - 8 from three - point range and finishing with 20 points. The Clippers as a team however shot a poor 29 percent from three - point range. J.J. Redick made his return to the line up after being out with back - spasms but did not play well. The Trail Blazers were led by none other than their all - star point guard, Damian Lillard, who scored 11 points, including three three pointers in the last six minutes to help Portland seal the deal. Lillard played 38 minutes and finished with 27 points, seven assists and four rebounds. Four other players scored in double digits for Portland, including 18 points and 10 rebounds from Mason Plumlee. C.J. MacCollum also scored 18 points. Ed Davis had a huge game off the bench shooting 7 - 8 from the field and finishing with 17 points and 15 rebounds in 30 minutes. Next up for Portland is a visit to the Staples center in L.A. on Sunday but this time for a match with the Lakers. The Clippers will look to turn their luck around on Sunday as the Toronto Raptors come to town.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 9 Percentage of 3 points ,has 102 Losses ,has 27 Total points ,has 5 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 29 Percentage of 3 points ,has 6 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 18 Points in 4th quarter ,has 6 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Blake Griffin') has 7 Assists, has 21 Points, has 7 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'DeAndre Jordan') has 2 Blocks, has 12 Points, has 15 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jamal Crawford') has 20 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Mason Plumlee') has 18 Points, has 10 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Damian Lillard') has 7 Assists, has 38 Minutes played, has 27 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ed Davis') has 17 Points, has 15 Total rebounds"]

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 126 - 113 Wednesday at Pepsi Center. The altitude proved to be to much for the visiting team, as the Nuggets had no problem warding off the defending champions on their home floor. After a dominate second quarter, Denver entered halftime with a 14 - point advantage and never let up from that point, as what has been a struggling Cavaliers (46 - 24) defense could n't slow down the fact - paced Nuggets. It was required a complete team effort Wednesday to take down Cleveland, with seven different players managing to score in double figures. Gary Harris led the way scoring 21 points, while his backup off the bench, Will Barton, was n't too far behind as he finished with 20 points in 33 minutes as a reserve. As a team, the Nuggets shot a scorching hot 51 percent from the field and 42 percent from behind the arc in the victory. On the other hand, with the loss, the Cavaliers have now lost five of their last seven road games, and they did n't get much help Wednesday night outside of Kyrie Irving and LeBron James. Irving finished with a game - high 33 points in 27 minutes, while James finished with a solid all - around performance of 18 points, six rebounds and five assists. The only spark off the bench was Derrick Williams, who shot an impressive 8 - of - 10 from the field en route to scoring 19 points, but no other Cleveland player managed to score in double figures. The loss leaves the Cavaliers just one game ahead of the Celtics for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference standings.

["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 42 Percentage of 3 points ,has 126 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 24 Percentage of 3 points ,has 113 Losses ,has 46 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G, 'LeBron James') has 5 Assists, has 18 Points, has 6 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kyrie Irving') has 5 3-pointers attempted, has 7 Free throws attempted, has 7 Free throws made, has 27 Minutes played, has 33 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Gary Harris') has 21 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Will Barton') has 33 Minutes played, has 20 Points"]

The Spurs have been dominant at home over recent seasons and wins like this show just how scary they can be. They won each of the first three quarters by at least eight points, as they took a 30 - point lead into the fourth quarter. The assist - to - turnover ratio was decisive, with San Antonio dishing out 32 assists to just 15 turnovers, while Toronto committed 11 turnovers to just eight assists. The Spurs shot 55 percent, while holding the Raptors to just 37 percent from the field. DeMar DeRozan was the only Toronto starter with more than 10 points, as he dropped 26 points in the defeat. Terrence Ross was second on the team, providing 17 points and five rebounds off the bench. Kawhi Leonard led the Spurs in scoring, as he tallied 25 points, four rebounds, two steals and three blocks. LaMarcus Aldridge was second on the team, with 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Tony Parker scored 15 of his own to go along with his eight dimes. Those three players combined to go 25 - of - 37 from the field

["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 32 Number of team assists ,has 55 Percentage of field goals ,has 15 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 8 Number of team assists ,has 37 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G, 'DeMar DeRozan') has 26 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Terrence Ross') has 17 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kawhi Leonard') has 3 Blocks, has 25 Points, has 4 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 6 Assists, has 23 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tony Parker') has 8 Assists, has 15 Points"]

The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the visiting Golden State Warriors 103 - 102, at Target Center, on Friday evening. It was a dramatic contest, as the Timberwolves jumped out to a 10 - point lead, with a 34 - 24 first quarter. The Warriors responded in the second, where they out - scored the T-Wolves by one. The Timberwolves came back strong in the third, ensuring themselves a 12 - point lead heading into the final quarter. Minnesota then extended their lead to 14, however the Warriors went on a 130 run to bring the game within one point with 7:28 to go. It was then back and forth, with the T-Wolves staying on top, until the Warriors tied it up with 2:37 left. Minnesota battled ahead once again but almost let it slip away as they were up by one, when Andrew Wiggins missed two free throws, allowing the Warriors the opportunity to go up by one on the next possession. Wiggins made up for his error though, as he sank two free throws with 12 seconds left to seal the one - point win. Andrew Wiggins was the high - point man for the Timberwolves (27 - 37), as he finished with 24 points on 9 - of - 21 shooting, in 37 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns followed up with 23 points on more efficient 10 - of - 18 shooting, in 38 minutes. This marked Towns' 19th straight game with 20 or more points. Four other players scored in double digits for Minnesota, including Ricky Rubio, who chipped in 17 points and dished 13 assists, in 36 minutes. The T-Wolves go on to face the second night of a back - to - back as they visit Milwaukee on Saturday. Klay Thompson led the way for the Warriors (52 - 13) with a game - high 30 points on 12 - of - 22 shooting, while Stephen Curry followed up with 26 points, but struggled from deep, where he went 1 - of - 8, in 35 minutes. The only other player to score in double digits for Golden State was Ian Clark, who added 10 points off the bench. The Warriors have now lost two straight, and face a tough match up in their next contest, when they visit San Antonio on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 37 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 34 Points in 1st quarter ,has 27 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 13 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 24 Points in 1st quarter ,has 26 Points in 4th quarter ,has 52 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Klay Thompson') has 22 Field goals attempted, has 12 Field goals made, has 30 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Stephen Curry') has 8 3-pointers attempted, has 1 3-pointers made, has 35 Minutes played, has 26 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ian Clark') has 10 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Andrew Wiggins') has 1 3-pointers attempted, has 1 3-pointers made, has 21 Field goals attempted, has 9 Field goals made, has 37 Minutes played, has 24 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 18 Field goals attempted, has 10 Field goals made, has 38 Minutes played, has 23 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Ricky Rubio') has 13 Assists, has 36 Minutes played, has 17 Points"]

The Utah Jazz defeated the host Washington Wizards, 102 - 92, at Verizon Center on Sunday. Washington have been one of the best home teams in the NBA this season, but this was a tough task against a feisty Utah team. The Jazz dominated from start to finish, as they led for over 42 minutes of this game and led by at least six points for the entirety of the second half. The second quarter is where they spread it out, outscoring the Wizards, 25 - 15. Rebounding was the glaring difference in the game, with Utah wining that battle, 52 - 27. They also dominated the points off turnover differential, winning that, 31 - 16. The Jazz (37 - 22) have quietly been climbing up the standings and road wins like this should surely be opening other teams eyes. Gordon Hayward led the way for Utah, as he tallied 30 points, nine rebounds and two assists. George Hill was n't far behind, finishing with 21 points, three rebounds and six assists. Rudy Gobert finished with another double - double, totaling 15 points, 20 rebounds, three assists and four blocks. On deck for the Jazz is a road matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. The Wizards (34 - 23) had just seven losses at home coming into this matchup and this was easily their worst home performance of the season. John Wall did collect 30 points, 11 assists and four steals, but committed nine turnovers against this tough Utah defense. Bradley Beal was the only other starter in double figures, as he amassed 22 points, three rebounds and four assists. Bojan Bogdanovic led the bench, as he provided 15 points. Things do n't get any easier, as Washington hosts the Golden State Warriors for their next game on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 23 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 15 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 34 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 22 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 25 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 37 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Gordon Hayward') has 2 Assists, has 30 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Rudy Gobert') has 3 Assists, has 4 Blocks, has 15 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'George Hill') has 6 Assists, has 21 Points, has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Bradley Beal') has 4 Assists, has 22 Points, has 3 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'John Wall') has 11 Assists, has 3 Total rebounds, has 4 Steals, has 9 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 15 Points"]

In a game between two teams desperate for a win, this contest was tight throughout. In fact, there were 11 ties and 10 lead changes, as neither team led by more than 10 points. Three-point shooting really let the Pacers down, as they went just 3 - of - 21 from long distance. Myles Turner had one of his best games of the year though, as he tallied 26 points and eight rebounds in the defeat. Jeff Teague finished with 21 points, six rebounds and 10 assists. Paul George took just 13 shots, but accrued 18 points, four rebounds and four assists. Anthony Davis was the player of the game, as he accumulated 35 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks in the win. Jrue Holiday was equally as valuable, amassing 16 points, seven rebounds and 14 assists. First-round pick, Buddy Hield dropped a career - high 21 points as well.

["PlayerStat(G, 'Paul George') has 4 Assists, has 13 Field goals attempted, has 18 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Myles Turner') has 1 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 26 Points, has 8 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jeff Teague') has 10 Assists, has 21 Points, has 6 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Anthony Davis') has 5 Blocks, has 35 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Buddy Hield') has 21 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jrue Holiday') has 14 Assists, has 16 Points, has 7 Total rebounds"]

The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 104 - 72, at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday. The Hawks (20) cruised in their victory after pulling away with strength in the second quarter. Kyle Korver went back - to - back from the three - point line midway through the breakaway period and opened up a 12 point lead that kept building upon itself. The 76ers (0 - 2) were unable to claw their way back into the game once the Hawks started putting together 100 scoring runs, they were also unable find a field goal themselves, as the brutal period saw two four minutes field goal droughts to open and close the second. The Hawks were balanced in their offensive game plan and spread the ball around to Korver on the perimeter and Paul Millsap in the mid range. Atlanta’s bench was aided by Thabo Sefolosha and Mike Muscala, who combined for 25 points and nine boards on nearly perfect 11 - of - 12 from the field. Korver buried three shots from behind the arc on his way to 15 points, while Milsap added 17 points, four rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes. Joel Embiid was once again the standout performer for the 76ers, as the Kansas product scored 14 points in 15 minutes, to go along with two rebounds, two blocks, one steal and one assist. The efficient showing from the minutes restricted big man is a good sign going forward for a player who has been riddled by foot injuries throughout his young career. As for the rest of the Philadelphia starters, the numbers are not pretty. Robert Covington and Gerald Henderson both were held without any points in 23 minutes and 18 minutes, respectively. Sergio Rodriguez found 14 points and five assists in the effort, and was the only other starter in double figures. The Hawks will host the Sacramento Kings on Monday, while the 76ers will stay at Wells Fargo Center and welcome the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 2 Losses ,has 72 Total points ,has 14 Points in 4th quarter ,has 20 Turnovers ,has 0 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 104 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Kyle Korver') has 3 Assists, has 3 3-pointers made, has 15 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Mike Muscala') has 3 Personal fouls" "PlayerStat(G, 'Thabo Sefolosha') has 3 Free throws made, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Robert Covington') has 23 Minutes played" "PlayerStat(G, 'Joel Embiid') has 1 Assists, has 2 Blocks, has 15 Minutes played, has 14 Points, has 2 Total rebounds, has 1 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Gerald Henderson') has 18 Minutes played" "PlayerStat(G, 'Sergio Rodriguez') has 5 Assists, has 14 Points"]

The Atlanta Hawks defeated the host Toronto Raptors, 125 - 121, at Air Canada Center on Friday. The recent form of these teams would indicate an easy Toronto win, but Atlanta had other ideas. In fact, the Hawks led for nearly every minute of this game, with the Raptors having their only lead in the first quarter. Both offenses were extremely efficient, as they each shot over 53 percent from the field. Atlanta dominated in the interior, as they won the rebounding battle, 44 - 28, and outscored Toronto, 62 - 46 in the paint. Atlanta (13 - 13) has been struggling recently, but a 125 - point outing on the road is just what the doctor ordered. Dwight Howard was the player of the game, as he totaled 27 points and 15 rebounds in the win. Dennis Schroder also played great, tallying 24 points, two rebounds and six assists. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Paul Millsap each provided 14 points, while providing solid defense. Kyle Korver finally got out of his slump, dropping 19 points on 6 - of - 10 shooting off the bench. Atlanta will be in action again on Saturday, when they host the Charlotte Hornets. Toronto (18 - 8) has been dominant on the offensive end this season, but a 121 - point outing did n't quite get it done here. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry once again carried the load, as they combined for 61 points and 10 assists. DeRozan led the team with 34 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Lowry provided 27 points and six assists. The other three starters combined for just 19 points, six rebounds and three assists. Cory Joseph was a nice spark off the bench, accruing 17 points, four rebounds and four assists. Terrence Ross and Patrick Patterson each dropped 10 points apiece off the bench as well. Toronto will return to action on Sunday in a road matchup against the Orlando Magic.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 8 Losses ,has 121 Total points ,has 28 Rebounds ,has 18 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 13 Losses ,has 125 Total points ,has 44 Rebounds ,has 13 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Paul Millsap') has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dwight Howard') has 27 Points, has 15 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tim Hardaway Jr.') has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dennis Schroder') has 6 Assists, has 24 Points, has 2 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kyle Korver') has 10 3-pointers attempted, has 6 3-pointers made, has 10 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 19 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'DeMar DeRozan') has 4 Assists, has 34 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kyle Lowry') has 6 Assists, has 27 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Patrick Patterson') has 10 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Cory Joseph') has 4 Assists, has 17 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Terrence Ross') has 10 Points"]

The San Antonio Spurs (13 - 5) dropped a close one in overtime to the Brooklyn Nets (8 - 9) 95 - 93 on Wednesday night at the Barclays Center. The Spurs outscored the Nets by 10 in the fourth quarter to get back into this one, but when all was said and done, it just was n't enough. San Antonio got some solid production, specifically from Tim duncan, Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili, but the real star of the night was Danny Green. Green led the team in scoring with 20 points (7 - 14 FG, 6 - 11 3Pt), while pulling down 10 rebounds, blocking three shots and racking up two assists and two steals. Duncan and Leonard both posted double - doubles, with Duncan scoring 14 points and grabbing 17 rebounds, and Leonard scoring 12 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. The Nets were led by a ridiculously impressive night from Mirza Teletovic, who lit it up with 26 points, while also pulling down 15 rebounds. Brook Lopez also had a big night with 16 points and 15 rebounds. The Nets got an all - around effort in this win, as four players scored in double figures, with two others scoring eight points. The real key to their success was the ability to knock down long shots, as they converted 47 percent from behind the three - point line.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 9 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 10 Turnovers ,has 8 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 5 Percentage of 3 points ,has 93 Losses ,has 13 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Kawhi Leonard') has 12 Points, has 13 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tim Duncan') has 14 Points, has 17 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Danny Green') has 2 Assists, has 3 Blocks, has 11 3-pointers attempted, has 6 3-pointers made, has 14 Field goals attempted, has 7 Field goals made, has 3 Personal fouls, has 20 Points, has 10 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Mirza Teletovic') has 26 Points, has 15 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Brook Lopez') has 16 Points"]

Meltdowns have become all too common for Brooklyn, but this may be the worst loss of the season. The Nets carried an 18 - point lead into the fourth quarter, but were outscored 38 - 17 in that period to lose by three. The Heat dominated nearly every statistic, as they won the shooting, rebounding, assisting, turnover, steals and block differentials. Dion Waiters continued his torrid stretch, as he led the team with 24 points, five rebounds and eight assists. Goran Dragic flirted with a triple - double, accumulating 17 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Wayne Ellington was huge off the bench for Miami, dropping 22 points. Brook Lopez carried the load for the Nets, scoring a game - high 33 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists. Bojan Bogdanovic was second on the team, collecting 17 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 17 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 38 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Dion Waiters') has 8 Assists, has 24 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Goran Dragic') has 9 Assists, has 17 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Wayne Ellington') has 22 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 2 Assists, has 17 Points, has 5 Total rebounds, has 2 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Brook Lopez') has 3 Assists, has 33 Points, has 4 Total rebounds"]

The Miami Heat (28 - 22) picked up a road win over the Dallas Mavericks (28 - 24) Wednesday at American Airlines Center, 93 - 90. Neither team had their shooting stroke going, as the Heat shot just 42 percent from the floor and the Mavericks mustered just a 39 percent mark. Miami made just 2 of their 15 three - point attempts, but they stepped up on defense with 11 blocked shots as they kept the Mavericks supporting cast beyond Dirk Nowitzki from getting in any sort of a rhythm. Chris Bosh had a poor shooting night (10 - 23 FG, 0 - 6 3PT) but med the Heat with 20 points. Dwyane Wade similarly could n't find the stroke (6 - 19 FG) but was efficient at the free throw line (6 - 8 FT) and finished with 18 points. Hassan Whiteside was a huge spark off the bench, as he scored 10 points (5 - 5 FG), grabbed nine rebounds and blocked five shots in just 17 minutes of action. Nowitzki had the best offensive night of any player on the floor, as he scored a game - high 28 points on 10 - 21 shooting, including a perfect 2 - 2 from three - point land. Zaza Pachulia chipped in an efficient 10 points (4 - 7 FG) and 15 rebounds (four offensive) with four assists. But the Mavericks just could n't find the second scorer to help out Nowitzki, as Chandler Parsons finished second on the Mavericks in points with just 12 (4 - 13 FG). The Mavericks shot 8 - 20 (40 percent) from three but a brutal 39 percent on two - pointers, and their inefficiency inside cost them a chance to win. Miami will continue their road trip with a Friday game in Charlotte. The Mavericks welcome the Spurs for a Southwest Division clash Friday at home.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 40 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 24 Losses ,has 90 Total points ,has 28 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 42 Percentage of 3 points ,has 22 Percentage of field goals ,has 93 Losses ,has 28 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Chris Bosh') has 6 3-pointers attempted, has 0 3-pointers made, has 23 Field goals attempted, has 10 Field goals made, has 20 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dwyane Wade') has 19 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 8 Free throws attempted, has 6 Free throws made, has 18 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Hassan Whiteside') has 5 Blocks, has 5 Field goals attempted, has 5 Field goals made, has 17 Minutes played, has 5 Personal fouls, has 10 Points, has 9 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Chandler Parsons') has 13 Field goals attempted, has 4 Field goals made, has 12 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Dirk Nowitzki') has 2 3-pointers attempted, has 2 3-pointers made, has 2 Personal fouls, has 28 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Zaza Pachulia') has 4 Assists, has 7 Field goals attempted, has 4 Field goals made, has 4 Offensive rebounds, has 10 Points, has 15 Total rebounds"]

The Detroit Pistons (17 - 26) defeated the Orlando Magic (15 - 30) 128 - 118 on Wednesday at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons had a very strong first half Wednesday, out - scoring the Magic 65 - 48 to give themselves a large lead going into the third quarter. While the Magic did everything they could to bring themselves back, they came up short in the end, as the Pistons held on to a 10 - point victory. The Pistons shot slightly better in this game, going 52 percent from the field and 42 percent from the three - point line, while the Magic went 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from beyond the arc. The Pistons saw three players reach the 20 - point mark in this one. They were led by Andre Drummond, who double - doubled with 26 points (10 - 14 FG, 6 - 8 FT), 17 rebounds and four steals. The 26 points matched a season - high, while it was also his third double - double in his last four games. Greg Monroe notched a double - double of his own, finishing with 24 points (11 - 16 FG, 2 - 2 FT) and 10 rebounds. He's played very well lately, combining for 40 points and 30 rebounds over his last two games. Brandon Jennings was the third player to reach the 20 - point mark, recording 24 points (10 - 21 FG, 1 - 6 3Pt, 3 - 5 FT) and a ridiculous 21 assists. His assists total nearly doubled his previous season - high, as Jennings found his teammates at an insane rate Wednesday. Both Kyle Singler and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope reached double figures as well with 14 and 10 points respectively. The Magic were led by the duo of Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic had a field day in this one, recording 26 points (11 - 23 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt, 4 - 4 FT) and 15 rebounds. He's averaging 25 points per game over his last six matchups. Oladipo on the other hand finished with 23 points (9 - 18 FG, 1 - 2 3Pt, 4 - 4 FT), five rebounds and four assists. It was his second straight night recording 23 points, pushing his season scoring average to 16 points per game. Coming off the bench in his return from an ankle injury, Tobias Harris had 19 points (7 - 15 FG, 1 - 2 3Pt, 4 - 4 FT) in 25 minutes. He had n't played since January 9, so it was a good sign for his ankle with how well he performed. Both Evan Fournier and Kyle O'Quinn reached double figures off the bench as well. Fournier had 14 points (4 - 8 FG, 2 - 3 3Pt, 4 - 4 FT) and three assists, while O'Quinn had 12 points (6 - 9 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt) and three blocked shots. The Pistons' next game will be on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, while the Magic will travel to New York to play the Knicks on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 42 Percentage of 3 points ,has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 26 Losses ,has 128 Total points ,has 17 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 40 Percentage of 3 points ,has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 30 Losses ,has 118 Total points ,has 15 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Nikola Vucevic') has 1 Assists, has 1 Blocks, has 1 3-pointers attempted, has 0 3-pointers made, has 23 Field goals attempted, has 11 Field goals made, has 4 Free throws attempted, has 4 Free throws made, has 26 Points, has 15 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Victor Oladipo') has 4 Assists, has 2 3-pointers attempted, has 1 3-pointers made, has 18 Field goals attempted, has 9 Field goals made, has 4 Free throws attempted, has 4 Free throws made, has 23 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Tobias Harris') has 2 3-pointers attempted, has 1 3-pointers made, has 15 Field goals attempted, has 7 Field goals made, has 4 Free throws attempted, has 4 Free throws made, has 25 Minutes played, has 19 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kyle O'Quinn') has 3 Blocks, has 1 3-pointers attempted, has 0 3-pointers made, has 9 Field goals attempted, has 6 Field goals made, has 12 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Evan Fournier') has 3 Assists, has 3 3-pointers attempted, has 2 3-pointers made, has 8 Field goals attempted, has 4 Field goals made, has 4 Free throws attempted, has 4 Free throws made, has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kyle Singler') has 14 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Greg Monroe') has 16 Field goals attempted, has 11 Field goals made, has 2 Free throws attempted, has 2 Free throws made, has 24 Points, has 10 Total rebounds, has 2 Turnovers" "PlayerStat(G, 'Andre Drummond') has 14 Field goals attempted, has 10 Field goals made, has 8 Free throws attempted, has 6 Free throws made, has 4 Offensive rebounds, has 26 Points, has 17 Total rebounds, has 4 Steals" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kentavious Caldwell-Pope') has 10 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Brandon Jennings') has 21 Assists, has 6 3-pointers attempted, has 1 3-pointers made, has 21 Field goals attempted, has 10 Field goals made, has 5 Free throws attempted, has 3 Free throws made, has 24 Points"]

Toronto really dominated this game, as they led for the final 42 minutes and held a double - digit lead for the entirety of the second half. The Raptors shot 49 percent from the field and 44 percent from three - point range, while holding the Pacers to 41 percent from the field and 26 percent from long range. Toronto also abused Indiana on the boards, winning that battle, 51 - 33. Paul George led Indiana with 18 points, four rebounds and two assists. Jeff Teague finished with 16 points and seven assists. Thaddeus Young also scored 16 points, adding four rebounds to his tally on 7 - of - 9 shooting. DeMar DeRozan carried Toronto, as he tallied 22 points, three rebounds and four assists. Jonas Valanciunas gathered up 11 points and 13 rebounds en route to a double - double. Serge Ibaka totaled 16 points and five rebounds.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 44 Percentage of 3 points ,has 51 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 26 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 18 Points in 4th quarter ,has 33 Rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Paul George') has 2 Assists, has 18 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Thaddeus Young') has 9 Field goals attempted, has 7 Field goals made, has 16 Points, has 4 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jeff Teague') has 7 Assists, has 16 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Serge Ibaka') has 16 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jonas Valanciunas') has 11 Points, has 13 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'DeMar DeRozan') has 4 Assists, has 22 Points, has 3 Total rebounds"]

The Charlotte Hornets (21 - 23) defeated the New York Knicks (22 - 24) on Saturday, 97 - 84, to improve to 16 - 8 at home. For Charlotte, a promising week ended on a high note, as the team won its third of four games since Monday and now sits just two games shy of .500. The week went even better for point guard Kemba Walker, who set a franchise record with 52 points against Utah to kick off the week, only to drop 40 two games later. Walker was once again the team's top scorer against New York, scoring 26 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists. Backcourt partner Jeremy Lin nearly matched Walker's outputs, scoring 26 points and recording five rebounds and five assists. Charlotte converted on just 34 percent of attempts from the field on Saturday, but were able to win comfortably by holding their opponents to 38 percent and by holding an enormous advantage at the free - throw line. Charlotte hit 32 of 37 free - throw attempts, while New York went an abysmal 19 for 32. The Knicks are now on a two - game slide, losing both matchups by double - digits. Rookie Kristaps Porzingis bounced back from a poor 4 - for - 17 performance on Friday, posting 13 points on 4 for 9 shooting and recording three blocks. All-Star starter Carmelo Anthony, however, struggled mightily, tallying just nine points, six rebounds, and two assists. New York will have two days to rest after completing a back - to - back. They play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. Charlotte, meanwhile, will visit the Sacramento Kings on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 34 Percentage of field goals ,has 23 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 21 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 24 Percentage of field goals ,has 84 Losses ,has 22 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G, 'Carmelo Anthony') has 2 Assists, has 9 Points, has 6 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kristaps Porzingis') has 3 Blocks, has 9 Field goals attempted, has 4 Field goals made, has 13 Points" "PlayerStat(G, 'Jeremy Lin') has 5 Assists, has 26 Points, has 5 Total rebounds" "PlayerStat(G, 'Kemba Walker') has 5 Assists, has 2 Offensive rebounds, has 26 Points, has 6 Total rebounds"]