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The benches for both the Miami Heat and the Sacramento Kings bailed out the starters in a wild tilt that saw the Kings erase a 19 point lead midway through the fourth quarter. Four Kings bench players finished in double figures scoring, three of which went for 15 points (Aaron Afflalo, Garrett Temple and Ty Lawson), while Anthony Tolliver had the most well - rounded performance amongst the reserves with 14 points, three rebounds and two assists across 29 minutes. The Heat, on the other hand, got the game's best performance from their bench as well. Tyler Johnson led all scorers with 23 points, to go along with six rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks on 7 - of - 11 shooting. Johnson was also responsible for the game winning and - 1 that came with under :20 remaining in the fourth quarter.

["PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Johnson') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 11 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 23 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Tolliver') has 2 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 29 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Garrett Temple') has 2 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 15 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Arron Afflalo') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 15 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ty Lawson') has 29 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 15 Defensive rebounds ."]

These are two teams that play different styles of basketball and the Rockets proved how hard they are to keep up with in this 13 - point win. Their three - point shooting was once again the factor, with Houston going 18 - of - 42 from long distance, while Memphis hit just 8 - of - 28. The Rockets also dominated the fastbreak points differential, winning that battle, 17 - 4. Mike Conley was the Grizzlies best player, collecting 23 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Marc Gasol accumulated 17 points, four rebounds, seven assists and four blocks. JaMychal Green totaled 20 points and 10 rebounds en route to a double - double. James Harden led the way for Houston, as he accrued 33 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists. Eric Gordon led all bench players with 18 points on 6 - of - 9 from three - point range. Clint Capela recorded a 24 - point, 11 - rebound double - double.

["PlayerStat(G,'JaMychal Green') has 20 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 7 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 17 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 7 Assists ,has 23 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Clint Capela') has 24 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 11 Assists ,has 33 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 9 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 18 Field goals attempted ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers (36 - 14) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans (18 - 33) 99 - 84 on Saturday. One night removed from a heartbreaking 104 - 103 home defeat at the hands of Avery Bradley's buzzer beater, the Cavaliers were tasked with taking on Anthony Davis and a feisty Pelicans squad with designs on an eighth playoff seed in the Western Conference. Cleveland proved it was up to the task in the second half of their back - to - back set, jumping on New Orleans early and then pulling away in the final period. The Cavaliers jumped out to a 28 - 20 lead after one quarter despite playing without starting power forward Kevin Love, who was nursing a bruised thigh. Although they trailed by as much as 15 in the second quarter, New Orleans battled back and closed the gap to four points on several occasions throughout the second half. However, Cleveland's stars turned it up a notch when they needed it most, as Lebron James and Kyrie Irving combined for 17 points in a final period that the Cavs won by a margin of 25 - 14. Three Cleveland starters - James, Irving and J.R. Smith - - turned in 20 - point - plus performances, and accounted for the bulk of the home team's scoring on the night. The Pelicans were led by Norris Cole's career - high 26 points, which he supplemented with five assists, two rebounds and a steal. His only blemish on the night was his five turnovers. Anthony Davis was the only other starter to tally double - digit scoring, scoring 24 points, and adding 11 rebounds and two blocks. Jrue Holiday paced the Pelicans bench with 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. The visitors were largely stymied by Cleveland's suffocating defense, as they managed to only shoot 39 percent from the field and 22 percent from behind the arc. New Orleans remains in last place in the Western Conference's Southwest Division. They head to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves on Monday night. Irving scored a game - high 29 points in spearheading Cleveland's attack. He also managed four rebounds, three assists and two steals, and has now scored over 20 points in four of his last five contests. James was right behind him with 27 points, eight assists, three rebounds and a steal. J.R. Smith was chucking all night along, uncorking 16 three - point attempts and scoring 20 points overall, along with four rebounds, three assists and a steal. Tristan Thompson, who got the starting nod in Love's stead, notably went scoreless over 33 minutes but was a force on the glass, hauling in 15 rebounds while also dishing out an assist. The Cavaliers remain comfortably atop the Eastern Conference's Central Division. They're at home again Monday for a tussle with the turmoil - laden Sacramento Kings.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 14 Percentage of 3 points ,has 99 Percentage of field goals ,has 28 Losses ,has 20 Total points ,has 25 Points in 1st quarter ,has 36 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 22 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 84 Losses ,has 20 Total points ,has 14 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 2 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ,has 11 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Norris Cole') has 5 Assists ,has 26 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 4 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 8 Assists ,has 27 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tristan Thompson') has 1 Assists ,has 33 Blocks ,has 15 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'JR Smith') has 3 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 20 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 3 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 29 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ,has 2 Minutes played ."]

It has n't been the most productive season thus far for Robin Lopez. In fact, it's been the big man's least productive year since 2011 when he was playing just 14 minutes per game in Phoenix. After a solid start in November, in which Lopez recorded four double - doubles en route to averaging 10 points and 8 rebounds per game, Lopez struggled with consistency in his production. However, Tuesday's big - time performance from the big man showed what he is capable of when he can get things rolling offensively. Lopez finished with a season - high 21 points - - his first 20 - point game since April 8, 2016 - - on an effective 10 - of - 15 shooting, as the team looked to get him the ball early in often and it led to a productive night. And while Chicago was unable to get the win, it shows that Chicago may have some production inside that can take the pressure off of their perimeter players.

["PlayerStat(G,'Robin Lopez') has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 21 Points ."]

These are the two - worst offenses in the NBA based on points allowed and that clearly hampered the Magic here. The Mavericks defense did a lot of that damage in this game, as they held Orlando to 39 percent from the field and 13 percent from three - point range. They did that while doubling them up in assists, 32 - 16. Evan Fournier led the starters for Orlando, as he tallied 14 points and two rebounds. Bismack Biyombo scored a team - high 15 points to go along with seven rebounds off the bench. Biyombo was the only player on the Magic roster to shoot over 44 percent from the field. Wesley Matthews was the player of the game, as he accumulated 20 points, four rebounds and six assists on 7 - of - 10 shooting. Dirk Nowiztki and Seth Curry were second on the team, with 14 points a piece. Salah Mejri was huge off the bench, as he provided four points and 15 rebounds.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 32 Number of team assists ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 16 Number of team assists ,has 13 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 14 Assists ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bismack Biyombo') has 15 Assists ,has 7 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wesley Matthews') has 6 Assists ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 20 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Seth Curry') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Salah Mejri') has 4 Assists ,has 15 Field goals attempted ."]

The Clippers (13 - 9) pulled away in the second half to defeat the Bucks (9 - 14) 109 - 95 at BMO Harris Bradley Center on Wednesday. The Clippers won their third straight game on the back of J.J. Redick's season - high 31 points. Redick shot a blistering 11 - of - 18 from the field to pair with 6 - of - 9 shooting from downtown. He had been dealing with a rib injury that forced him to miss two of the past four games, but Redick really caught fire after shooting 1 - of - 9 from the field and missing all five of his 3 - point attempts in Monday's win against the Timberwolves. Redick's hottest stretch helped the Clippers jump out to a big lead in the third quarter, as he scored 11 points over a four - minute stretch. Los Angeles has now won six of its past seven games and has a firm grasp on second place in the Pacific Division behind the undefeated Warriors. Chris Paul, who also missed two games last week due to a rib injury, returned to action Monday, but looked like the best point guard in the league against Milwaukee. He finished the night with 18 points (7 - 13 FG, 2 - 4 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) and a season - high 18 assists over 38 minutes (which matched his season high). The Clippers were dominant on the glass, outrebounding the Bucks 51 - 40 behind a 19 - rebound performance from DeAndre Jordan and 14 boards from Blake Griffin, who also chipped in 21 points on 8 - of - 18 shooting from the field. For the Bucks, it was the same old story, as Milwaukee was unable to hang with a superior team for longer than a half of basketball. They have played better at home this season, but were no match defensively for the Clippers offense. The one bright spot from Wednesday was the performance of Michael Carter-Williams, who was banished to the bench in favor of Jerryd Bayless initially, but with Bayless sidelined, O.J. Mayo took over at point guard. Carter-Williams finished with a team - high 20 points (9 - 16 FG, 2 - 3 FT) and matched his season high of 11 assists over 32 minutes. The Clippers go right back to work on the road Thursday against the Bulls; the Bucks travel to Toronto for a Friday bout with the Raptors.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 14 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 40 Rebounds ,has 9 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 9 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 51 Rebounds ,has 13 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 18 Assists ,has 8 Defensive rebounds ,has 21 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'JJ Redick') has 2 Assists ,has 9 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 31 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 18 Assists ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 38 Free throws made ,has 18 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Carter-Williams') has 11 Assists ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 16 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 32 Free throws attempted ,has 20 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ,has 1 Points ."]

The Orlando Magic (19 - 39) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers (12 - 43) 103 - 98 on Sunday at the Amway Center in Orlando. The Magic got off to a quick start in this game and took an early lead, finishing the first half up 55 - 47. Despite shooting better from the field, the Magic did n't have as much success from the three - point line, where they went a meager 26 percent compared to the Sixers, who went 38 percent. Making up for their poor three - point shooting, the Magic did it on the defensive side of the ball and forced the Sixers into 21 turnovers, while committing just 15 of their own, which may have ultimately been the difference in this game. Nikola Vucevic had his way with the Sixers' bigs. He went 14 - of - 24 from the field to score a game - high of 31 points, while also adding 14 rebounds in 37 minutes. He's been extremely consistent all season and it continues to show, as he's posted three double - doubles in a row, a stretch where he's averaging 26 points and 15 rebounds per game. He's now averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds on the season. Victor Oladipo was another player with a solid showing. He did n't have his best shooting performance on the season (4 - 11 FG, 1 - 4 3Pt, 8 - 9 FT), but he still finished with 17 points, as he was able to get to the free throw line at a high rate. In the two games since returning from the All-Star break, he's combined for 39 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Rookie Elfrid Payton nearly notched a triple - double, as he recorded 10 points (3 - 7 FG, 4 - 8 FT), eight rebounds and seven assists. He's been filling up the stat sheet lately, combining for 20 points, 15 rebounds and 18 assists over his last two games. Willie Green had a big game off the bench with 16 points (6 - 10 FG, 2 - 5 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) in 31 minutes. Robert Covington had the most success for the Sixers, going 6 - for - 13 from the field and 3 - for - 9 from the three - point line to finish with 16 points, while also adding nine rebounds and two steals before fouling out. He had a very poor showing in Friday's game against the Pacers, shooting just 20 percent (2 - 10 FG), so it was good to see him get things turned back around. Coming off the bench, Jakarr Sampson had a very efficient showing. In just 21 minutes, he posted 16 points (6 - 9 FG, 2 - 4 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT), marking a new season - high in points. He's scored in double figures for three straight games now, after only doing it five times previously in the season. In his Sixers debut, Isaiah Canaan moved into the starting lineup at point guard and had 14 points (5 - 12 FG, 4 - 9 3Pt), four rebounds and three assists. He should only continue to get better with the huge increase in minutes, as he did n't get much playing time with the Rockets. The Magic's next game will be at home against the Miami Heat on Wednesday, while the Sixers will travel to Miami to play the Heat on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 26 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 15 Turnovers ,has 19 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 43 Percentage of 3 points ,has 98 Losses ,has 12 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 9 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ,has 9 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Canaan') has 3 Assists ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 14 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'JaKarr Sampson') has 4 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 21 Free throws made ,has 16 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 24 Assists ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 31 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Victor Oladipo') has 4 Assists ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ,has 17 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 7 Assists ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 10 Free throws attempted ,has 8 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Willie Green') has 5 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 16 Free throws made ."]

Injuries to Deron Williams (calf), J.J. Barea (calf) and Dirk Nowitzki (Achilles) have really hurt this Dallas team and it came to a head in this game. The Mavericks' 64 points was easily the lowest mark in the NBA this season and the 17 turnovers to nine assists was one of the worst marks in NBA history. No player scored more than 15 points in this game, as Harrison Barnes scored his 15 points on 5 - of - 17 shooting. This was a revenge game for Chandler Parsons and he led the Grizzlies in scoring, dropping 12 points on 4 - of - 7 shooting. Amazingly, the Mavericks scored 27 of their 64 points off turnovers, which shows just how bad they were shooting the ball. They made just 21 shots in this game, as they got 17 of their points from the free - throw line and went just 5 - of - 25 from three - point range. Both teams will return to action on Saturday, as they'll desperately want to forget about this game as soon as possible.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 9 Number of team assists ,has 64 Total points ,has 17 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 17 Number of team assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chandler Parsons') has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 12 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 15 Points ."]

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the host New Orleans Pelicans 126 - 99 at Smoothie King Center on Saturday. The third quarter is when Los Angeles pulled away, as they outscored New Orleans 29 - 15. The fourth was just as ugly, with Los Angeles outscoring New Orleans 42 - 28. The Lakers actually went on a 140 run after Anthony Davis suffered a back injury in the third, as the Pelicans let the game get away. Luckily, Davis was able to return, but the game was too far out of hand at that point to recover. The Lakers won this game through offensive efficiency, as they shot 55 percent from the field and 53 percent from three - point range. In addition, they assisted on 36 of their 51 made baskets. The Lakers (6 - 4) have been one of the surprise teams of the league and they took advantage of a disheartened Pelicans team here. Much of the offense was run through Julius Randle, as he accumulated eight points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two blocks in the victory. Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson were fantastic off the bench, as they each scored 20 - plus in the win. Clarkson led the team in scoring, tallying 23 points on 8 - of - 12 shooting, while Williams finished with 21 points, three rebounds and four assists. D'Angelo Russell amassed 22 points and six assists of his own. Los Angeles will play again on Sunday, as they travel to play the Minnesota Timberwolves The Pelicans (1 - 9) continue to be a huge disappointment and losses to teams like the Lakers does n't help their cause. Anthony Davis did leave for a few minutes in the third quarter with a back injury, but still dominated with 34 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 34 minutes. Tim Frazier was the only other starter to play well, as he totaled four points and 10 assists. The other three starters combined for just 12 points, 12 rebounds and one assist. Buddy Hield had his best game in the NBA, scoring a career - high 18 points on 8 - of - 13 shooting off the bench. New Orleans returns to action on Monday, when they host the Boston Celtics for their next game.

["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 9 Number of team assists ,has 99 Percentage of 3 points ,has 15 Percentage of field goals ,has 28 Losses ,has 1 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 36 Number of team assists ,has 53 Percentage of 3 points ,has 55 Percentage of field goals ,has 4 Losses ,has 126 Total points ,has 29 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 42 Points in 4th quarter ,has 6 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Julius Randle') has 8 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'D'Angelo Russell') has 6 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jordan Clarkson') has 12 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Williams') has 4 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 2 Assists ,has 34 Blocks ,has 8 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Frazier') has 10 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Buddy Hield') has 13 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 18 Field goals attempted ."]

The Sacramento Kings (17 - 29) defeated the Indiana Pacers (17 - 32) 99 - 94 Saturday at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Although the Kings were playing for the second night in a row, Sacramento took control early with a 19 - 2 run to take a 30 - 12 with under two minutes to go in the first. However, Indiana stormed back in the fourth quarter with a run of its own to cut into Sacramento's lead. The Pacers did n't have an answer for DeMarcus Cousins, though, as Cousins ended up with 20 points and 19 rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth. Sacramento's eight - game losing streak finally came to an end Saturday thanks to huge performances from Cousins and Rudy Gay. Rudy Gay led all scoreers with 31 points, which was his tenth 20 - point outing of January. The Kings made 26 of their 29 free throw attempts to help ice the game. Sacramento has two days off before hosting Golden State on Tuesday. Indiana cruised to an easy 103 - 82 victory over New York on Friday, but was unable to have a repeat performance Saturday against Sacramento. The Pacers were hindered by poor outside shooting, going just 5 - for - 25 from beyond the arc. C.J Miles was responsible for eight of those misses from deep. Luis Scola returned to the rotation after being rested Friday and contributed 13 points and five rebounds off the bench. Indiana is off until Wednesday when it hosts Detroit.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 32 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 17 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 29 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 17 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gay') has 31 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 8 Free throws attempted ,has 8 Free throws made ,has 20 Points ,has 19 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Luis Scola') has 13 Free throws attempted ,has 5 Free throws made ."]

The Utah Jazz (15 - 28) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks (21 - 21) 101 - 99 Thursday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Utah had an eight - point lead late in the fourth quarter, but Milwaukee stormed back to cut it to a one - possession game with seven seconds remaining. Brandon Knight had an open look with the clock ticking, but the shot rimmed out and the Bucks dropped their second game in a row at home. Utah entered the game having lost five of its last six contests, but was able to steal a win on the road in Milwaukee. The Jazz had a patch work starting five, with Derrick Favors missing the game for personal reasons and Trey Burke being replaced in the starting lineup for rookie Dante Exum. The rookie rose to the challenge, however, scoring 15 points and adding five assists. The Jazz are off on Friday before returning home to face the Nets on Saturday. Milwaukee has now lost its last two games by a combined five points but are still well - positioned in the top heavy Eastern Conference. Despite shooting 45% from the floor and forcing 22 turnovers, the Bucks were unable to secure the win on Thursday. Giannis Antetokounmpo had a solid game, adding 13 points, six rebounds, and five steals. The Bucks are also idle Friday before hosting the Pistons on Saturday to wrap up their four - game home stand.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 21 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 21 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 28 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 15 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dante Exum') has 5 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 13 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals made ."]

The Brooklyn Nets (1 - 2) defeated the Atlanta Hawks (2 - 1), 91 - 83, in Game 3 on Saturday at the Barclays Center. The Nets got off to a strong start, taking a 31 - 16 lead after one quarter. The Hawks battled back in the third and briefly took a four point lead, but the Nets answered with a 90 run to end the frame. Atlanta was unable to get into a rhythm on offense and simply could n't hit enough shots to cut into the lead. The Hawks shot just under 36 percent from the floor and committed 15 turnovers as they failed to take a 30 lead in the series. Brooklyn will look to even the series in Game 4 on Monday. Atlanta looked out of sorts for much of Game 3 and could n't find a way to get a win on the road. DeMarre Carroll's strong performance with 22 points and six rebounds was offset by an off game from Kyle Korver. The sharp shooting Korver finished with just two points on 1 - of - 8 shooting, including 0 - 5 from three point range. The Hawks will need a stronger showing from Korver and Al Horford, who finished with just seven points, to secure a victory in Game 4. Brooklyn sustained its momentum from the strong start and managed to close out Atlanta to avoid an 0 - 3 start to the series. Three of Brooklyn's starters posted double - doubles, highlighted by Brook Lopez's 22 - point, 13 - rebound effort. Thaddeus Young also had a strong outing with 18 points and 11 rebounds. The Nets were also effective on the defensive end, forcing eight steals and 15 turnovers overall. Brooklyn has a chance to even the series at two games apiece Monday on its home floor.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 2 Percentage of field goals ,has 91 Losses ,has 31 Total points ,has 15 Points in 1st quarter ,has 1 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 36 Percentage of field goals ,has 1 Losses ,has 83 Total points ,has 16 Points in 1st quarter ,has 15 Turnovers ,has 2 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarre Carroll') has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 7 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Korver') has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 4 Personal fouls ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thaddeus Young') has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ."]

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, 132 - 120, at Pepsi Center on Thursday. These are two teams that have struggled on the defensive end this season and it was clearly evident here in this 252 - point game. The Denver offense was lights - out, as they shot 51 percent from the field, 89 percent from the free - throw line and 48 percent from three - point range. While the scoreline shows a 12 - point spread, the Nuggets pulled out the rare wire - to - wire win, as the Blazers never looked like a threat. In fact, the Nuggets led by 25 at times in their win and the final 12 - point difference was one of the lowest of the game. Portland (13 - 15) has been terrible on defense all year and this performance may be rock - bottom. Damian Lillard did all he could though, as he tallied 40 points and 10 assists in the defeat. C.J. McCollum also played well, accruing 23 points, three rebounds and four assists. Mason Plumlee was the only other Blazer in double figures, as he totaled 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists. The defense is unlikely to improve in the next game, as they face the Golden State Warriors on the road on Saturday. Denver (10 - 16) got a great team effort here, as their five starters combined for 81 points. Danilo Gallinari led the team in scoring, dropping 27 points, four rebounds and three assists on 8 - of - 13 shooting. Gary Harris had a strong showing in one of his first games of the season off a foot injury, as he amassed 18 points, four rebounds and six assists in the win. Wilson Chandler provided 17 points and eight rebounds of his own. Kenneth Faried, Jameer Nelson and Will Barton all scored in double figures off the bench. Denver's next game will be on Saturday, when they host the New York Knicks.

["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 48 Percentage of 3 points ,has 51 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ,has 132 Total points ,has 10 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 15 Percentage of 3 points ,has 120 Percentage of field goals ,has 13 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mason Plumlee') has 4 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 4 Assists ,has 23 Blocks ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 10 Assists ,has 40 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Danilo Gallinari') has 3 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 27 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wilson Chandler') has 17 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gary Harris') has 6 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 18 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the visiting Dallas Mavericks, 128 - 90, at Quicken Loans Arena on Friday. Almost from the opening tip, the game looked like the mismatch it had been expected to be. The Mavs (2 - 13) held an early 20 lead before Cleveland (12 - 2) systematically began to exert their dominance. They held a 36 - 16 advantage by the end of the first quarter, and a whopping 72 - 38 lead by halftime. Four of the five members of the first unit posted double - digit scoring, and the team posted an excellent 51 percent success rate from the field overall, and an equally impressive 47 percent tally from beyond the arc. Dallas saw Dirk Nowitzki lead the way in only his second game back from an eight - game absence due to an Achilles injury, as he registered 15 points, six rebounds and three assists. Harrison Barnes was the only other member of the first unit with double digits in the scoring column, as he collected 12 points and added five boards. Wesley Matthews, Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut could only combine for 12 points overall on 5 - of - 17 shooting. Seth Curry received 26 minutes off the bench in the blowout and supplied 13 points, four rebounds and three assists. Kevin Love continued his stretch of excellent play, leading the way for the Cavs with a 27 - point, 10 - rebound double - double that also included four assists and three steals. Kyrie Irving was next with a stat line that was almost entirely comprised of scoring, as he managed 25 points but only a rebound, an assist and a block. LeBron James compiled a 19 - point, 11 - assist double - double that also included five rebounds and a steal. Tristan Thompson posted his own double - double with 11 points, 12 rebounds, an assist and a steal. J.R. Smith was notably the only Cleveland player to struggle, totaling only three points on a 1 - of - 11 shooting effort. The Mavs return home to face off with the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, while the Cavs visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday afternoon.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 2 Losses ,has 128 Total points ,has 36 Points in 1st quarter ,has 12 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 90 Losses ,has 16 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 12 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 3 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Seth Curry') has 3 Assists ,has 26 Blocks ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 11 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 4 Assists ,has 27 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tristan Thompson') has 1 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'JR Smith') has 11 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 25 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ."]

The Golden State Warriors (36 - 6) defeated the Boston Celtics (15 - 27) 114 - 111 on Sunday at Oracle Arena in Oakland. Despite a fourth quarter comeback attempt where the Celtics out - scored the Warriors 34 - 25, the Warriors were able to hold the surge off just long enough to secure the three - point victory in front of their home crowd. The Warriors used their superior shooting to seal the win, going 47 percent from the field, while the Celtics went just 43 percent from the floor. The Warriors' superstar backcourt of Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry did it again Sunday, as they were both nearly unstoppable. Thompson led all scorers, going 11 - for - 19 from the field and 3 - for - 7 from the three - point line to score 31 points in 32 minutes. This performance comes just one game after his historic 52 - point outing on Friday, as he's now combined for a ridiculous 83 points in two games. On the season, he's pushed his season scoring average to 23 points per game. Curry on the other hand finished with 22 points (6 - 16 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt, 9 - 9 FT), 11 rebounds and two steals. This marked the fourth time in his last five games that he's recorded at least 10 assists. Curry and Thompson did receive some help though, as Andrew Bogut had a strong showing. He notched a double - double, contributing 13 points (6 - 10 FG, 1 - 1 FT) and 13 rebounds in 28 minutes. This was his first game since late November that he reached double - digit points, so it was good to see him get things going offensively. Draymond Green nearly double - doubled with 14 points (5 - 12 FG, 1 - 6 3Pt, 3 - 3 FT) and nine rebounds of his own. Jared Sullinger was the most productive player for the Celtics, finishing with an impressive 26 points (9 - 17 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt, 7 - 9 FT), nine rebounds and three assists. He's now pushed his season averages to 14 points and 8 rebounds per game on the year. Evan Turner did as much as he could to help Sullinger. Turner went 7 - for - 12 from the field and 1 - for - 1 from the three - point line to score 19 points, while also adding seven rebounds and seven assists. He's now scored in double figures in his last five games, despite averaging only nine points on the season. Both Avery Bradley and Tyler Zeller added 15 points apiece. The Warriors' next game will be at home against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, while the Celtics will travel to Utah to play the Jazz on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 6 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 25 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 36 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 43 Percentage of field goals ,has 27 Losses ,has 111 Total points ,has 26 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 34 Points in 4th quarter ,has 15 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jared Sullinger') has 3 Assists ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 7 Free throws attempted ,has 26 Free throws made ,has 9 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Turner') has 7 Assists ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 19 Free throws attempted ,has 7 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Zeller') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 6 Assists ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 14 Free throws attempted ,has 9 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Bogut') has 10 Assists ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 28 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ,has 13 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 19 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 32 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ,has 31 Minutes played ,has 2 Offensive rebounds ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 5 Assists ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 16 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 22 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ."]

The Washington Wizards (3 - 1) defeated the New York Knicks (2 - 2) 98 - 93 on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Wizards got hot from the field and finished the game shooting 49 percent from the floor, compared to the Knicks' 37 percent. Washington was able to outscore the Knicks 32 - 15 in the third quarter, which allowed them to pull away for the victory. Garrett Temple continues to fill in admirably for Bradley Beal (wrist) as the starting shooting guard. After scoring 18 points in Saturday's game, he posted another 17 points Tuesday to go along with five rebounds. Paul Pierce used the extra rest he received after being ejected in the Wizards' previous game and went off for 17 points and five rebounds on 5 - for - 10 shooting from the field and 3 - for - 5 shooting from beyond the arc. Kevin Seraphin came off the bench and contributed 15 points and two rebounds in 22 minutes after receiving only 10 minutes of time and going scoreless in the first three games of the season. The Knicks struggled to find their offense. Carmelo Anthony scored 18 points (8 - 23 FG, 1 - 2 3Pt) and pulled in six rebounds. Iman Shumpert was the only other Knicks' scorer in double - digits, as he posted 19 points on 6 - of - 11 shooting from the field and 4 - for - 4 shooting from the three - point line. Despite being available off the bench, Quincy Acy (wrist) was held out of action, and Amar'e Stoudemire started in his place, producing six points and 12 rebounds in 28 minutes. The Wizards' next game will be at home against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, while the Knicks will go on the road to Detroit to play the Pistons on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 2 Losses ,has 15 Points in 1st quarter ,has 2 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 1 Losses ,has 17 Points in 1st quarter ,has 32 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 3 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Pierce') has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 17 Free throws attempted ,has 5 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Garrett Temple') has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Seraphin') has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Carmelo Anthony') has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 18 Free throws attempted ,has 6 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Amar'e Stoudemire') has 28 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 12 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Iman Shumpert') has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 19 Free throws attempted ."]

The Los Angeles Clippers (33 - 17) defeated the Orlando Magic (21 - 28) 107 - 93 on Friday. In a turnover - laden affair, the Clippers were able to secure the victory on the back of productive performances from across their roster. Four starters tallied double - digit scoring, while two members of the second unit accomplished the feat as well. The two teams combined for 40 turnovers, with Los Angeles converting the 18 committed by the Magic into 30 points. A trio of Clippers guards - - Chris Paul, J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford - - scored 20 points or better, and DeAndre Jordan had a double - double. Although the Magic made a run in the third quarter, Los Angeles pulled away with a 30 - 20 final period to seal the road win. Paul led the way with 21 points, six assists, four rebounds and four steals. Redick and Crawford were next with a pair of 20 - point tallies, with the former adding three rebounds and a steal, and the latter supplying a rebound, two assists and three thefts. Jordan's double - double consisted of 12 points, 18 rebounds, an assist, a steal and three blocks, while Paul Pierce added 12 points of his own and threw in a trio of rebounds, an assist and a steal. Lance Stephenson also had double - digit points from the bench, tallying 13 and complementing them with three assists, a rebound and a steal. The Clippers remain in second place in the Western Conference's Pacific Division. They travel to Miami to take on the Heat on Super Bowl Sunday. Orlando was spearheaded by Victor Oladipo's 18 points, which he supplemented with three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic each had a pair of 13 - point outings, and both were near double - doubles. Harris amassed eight rebounds as well, while Vucevic hauled in nine boards, four assists and a pair of steals. Evan Fournier was productive off the bench with a 16 - point effort that also included six rebounds, three assists and a steal. The Magic remain in last place in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division. They're home on Sunday to take on the Atlanta Hawks.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 28 Losses ,has 93 Total points ,has 20 Points in 4th quarter ,has 18 Turnovers ,has 21 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 17 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 30 Points in 4th quarter ,has 33 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Pierce') has 1 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 1 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 18 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'JJ Redick') has 3 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 6 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Crawford') has 2 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lance Stephenson') has 3 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 13 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 4 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 9 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Victor Oladipo') has 3 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 16 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ."]

The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Houston Rockets 113 - 108 Thursday at Toyota Center. With 8:30 left in the fourth quarter and the Rockets (36 - 17) up 20, the same seemed all but over, especially with both Paul Millsap and Dennis Schroeder on the bench and not looking to return for the Hawks (29 - 21). But then, from there, Houston stopped hitting their shots and Tim Hardaway Jr. refused to miss his. Hardaway went on to score 23 points in the final quarter, outscoring the Rockets 23 - 22 all by himself and willing the Hawks to a much - needed road victory. Hardaway finished with 33 points on 12 - of - 18 shooting from the field, and his performance ended up overshadowing the return to Houston for Dwight Howard, who put together his best performance of the season against his old team, recording 24 points and 23 rebounds in 37 minutes. For the Rockets, everything was going right for them through three quarters, and more importantly, everything was going right for James Harden, who had been going through a bit of a slump as of late. Harden finished with a game - high 41 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and four steals. Clint Capela also put together a nice game down low, scoring 22 points and grabbing nine boards in 31 minutes. Unfortunately for Houston, no lead was safe, and in the end, their poor shooting down the stretch cost them. The team ended up shooting just 38 percent from the field and 26 percent from behind the arc. Up next, the Hawks will head home Saturday to take on the Magic, while the Rockets will look to bounce back Friday against the Bulls.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 17 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 36 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 21 Losses ,has 113 Total points ,has 20 Turnovers ,has 29 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Hardaway Jr.') has 18 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 33 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Howard') has 37 Assists ,has 24 Field goals attempted ,has 23 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Clint Capela') has 31 Assists ,has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 8 Assists ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 41 Field goals made ,has 8 Minutes played ,has 4 Personal fouls ."]

The Cavaliers had a tough task here without LeBron James and Kevin Love, as their absences was simply too much to overcome. The assist - to - turnover ratio was decisive, as the Bulls recorded 34 assists to seven turnovers, while the Cavaliers committed 12 turnovers to 24 assists. Dwyane Wade led the way for Chicago, as he collected 20 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. Jimmy Butler was right there with him, as he accumulated 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists en route to a triple - double. Nikola Mirotic came off the bench to provide 14 points and 10 rebounds. Kyrie Irving had to carry the load for Cleveland, as he led the team with 34 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Kyle Korver and James Jones came off the bench to score 14 points a piece on 8 - of - 12 from three - point range combined.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 24 Number of team assists ,has 34 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 12 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 34 Number of team assists ,has 7 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jimmy Butler') has 10 Assists ,has 18 Points ,has 10 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 10 Assists ,has 20 Points ,has 9 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Mirotic') has 14 Assists ,has 10 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 7 Assists ,has 34 Points ,has 9 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Jones') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Korver') has 14 Assists ."]

This game was close throughout, as there were nine ties and seven lead changes, with neither team leading by more than 12 points. Rebounding was the difference in the game, with Oklahoma City winning that battle, 51 - 35. They also dominated the assist - to - turnover ratio, recording 10 more assists and committing three less turnovers. Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers in scoring, as he tallied 28 points and four assists. LeBron James finished second on the team, with 18 points, five rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks. Kevin Love recorded another double - double, totaling 15 points and 12 rebounds. Russell Westbrook added another triple - double to his tally, collecting 29 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Victor Oladipo had one of his best games for the Thunder, accruing 23 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Steven Adams totaled 20 points and 13 rebounds.

["PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 7 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 18 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 Offensive rebounds ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 4 Assists ,has 28 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Steven Adams') has 20 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Victor Oladipo') has 3 Assists ,has 23 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 11 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 29 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 Offensive rebounds ."]

Atlanta is now 30 in the second half of back - to - back sets and that shows how deep this Hawks team is. The Bucks actually took 26 more shots than Atlanta, but made only four more shots. Much of that is attributed to their offensive rebounding, as they snatched down 15 offensive boards to the Hawks' three. Milwaukee also outscored them in the paint, 50 - 28, so it's a wonder how they lost this game with so many more opportunities. Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his superb form, as he accumulated 26 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in the defeat. Paul Millsap carried the load for Atlanta, as he tallied 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists on 8 - of - 11 shooting. All five starters for Atlanta had at least 11 points, three rebounds and three assists. These teams will have a rematch on December 9th in Atlanta.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 21 Points in 1st quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 26 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 7 Assists ,has 26 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 3 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 21 Points ,has 8 Total rebounds ."]

The host Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, 112 - 109. Portland (21 - 27) has looked stronger lately after a dismal start to the season. On Friday, the Blazers pushed past the more than likely playoff - bound Grizzlies thanks in large part to the play of star point guard Damian Lillard. Lillard scored a team - high 33 points and hit five three - pointers to go with 10 - of - 11 at the free - throw line. Lillard's top notch shooting was just part of an impressive output for the Blazers from beyond the arc. The team relied heavily on the deep ball, shooting 16 - of - 35 from beyond the arc. The solid shooting night was crucial for Portland, as the team was characteristically weak on the boards. The Blazers were out - rebounded 42 - 33 on the night. Memphis (27 - 21) was coming off a big win over Toronto in which All-Star center Marc Gasol scored a career - high 42. Gasol hardly slowed down on Friday, scoring 32 points to go with eight rebounds and five assists. Point guard Mike Conley added 17 points and 10 assists, helping to spark a fair amount of offense for the veteran - heavy Grizz. The team played effectively all night, shooting a solid 48 percent from the field and dishing 24 assists. Ultimately, the team was unable to limit Portland's outside scoring enough to earn the win. The Grizzlies will play in Utah on Saturday, while Portland will host the Warriors on Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 27 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 33 Rebounds ,has 21 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 21 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 42 Rebounds ,has 27 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 5 Assists ,has 32 3-pointers made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 10 Assists ,has 17 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 5 Assists ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 10 Free throws attempted ,has 33 Free throws made ."]

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Indiana Pacers, 103 - 94, at Barclays Center on Friday. The two teams engaged in a true see - saw battle, with each club dominating in alternate quarters. It was the Nets (1 - 1) who got hot at the right time, however, as they outscored the Pacers (1 - 1) by a margin of 31 - 15 in the final period. After coming into the regular season with serious concerns about potential sources of offense beyond Jeremy Lin and Brook Lopez, Brooklyn had surprised in the opener against the Celtics on Wednesday by tallying 117 points despite the latter only totaling seven points on the night. The box score Friday more closely resembled what had been expected in the preseason, as the pair paced the Nets on offense, with only two other teammates reaching double digits in the scoring column. Indiana had a more balanced attack overall, which was led by Paul George's 22 points. He added nine rebounds, two assists and two steals, but only managed an 8 - for - 22 tally from the field. Thaddeus Young turned in a solid outing against his old teammates, posting 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block. Myles Turner supplied a solid encore to his standout opening night performance, posting a 13 - point, 11 - rebound double - double that also included three rejections. Monta Ellis was the fourth member of the starting five to reach double - digit scoring, managing 11 points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals. Lopez's 25 points paced the Nets, and he supplemented the game - high scoring total with five rebounds, an assist and a steal. Lin came within a shade of a triple - double, totaling 21 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and a block. Trevor Booker registered 10 points, 11 boards, two assists and a steal. Bojan Bogdanovic and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson could only muster a combined six points on 2 - for - 11 shooting, but Sean Kilpatrick helped make up for the shortfall with 18 points to lead the reserves. Both teams return to action Saturday night, with the Pacers taking on the Bulls in Chicago and Brooklyn facing off with the Bucks in Milwaukee.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 1 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 31 Points in 4th quarter ,has 1 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 1 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 15 Points in 4th quarter ,has 1 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 2 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thaddeus Young') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 19 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Myles Turner') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 4 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Booker') has 2 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 1 Assists ,has 25 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeremy Lin') has 9 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 21 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sean Kilpatrick') has 18 Assists ."]

The San Antonio Spurs (54 - 26) defeated the Houston Rockets (53 - 26) 104 - 103 on Friday. The Spurs have now beaten the Rockets two straight times in a three day span. On Wednesday in San Antonio they beat the Rockets 110 - 98, and the change of venue did n't alter the result, as they took them down again Friday in Houston. Tim Duncan put on a show with 29 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes. Duncan is putting up 4 blocks a game in his last two against Houston, a likely candidate to oppose the Spurs in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. San Antonio has played its way up to the third seed and hope to dethrone the Memphis Grizzlies as the second best team in the west with just two games remaining. The Spurs have gone on impressive streak, which has seen them win 10 straight games dating back to Mar. 24. James Harden struggled on Friday, shooting just 5 - for - 19 from the field. The Spurs did a great job not letting him get to the free throw line, which is a massive part of his game. He shot just six free throw attempts, and put in four of them. The Rockets' shooting woes were n't limited to Harden though, as Josh Smith shot 12 - of - 26 from charity stripe. Gregg Popovich used that to his advantage and proceeded to foul Smith as often as possible. Harden and Smith were n't totally neutralized as Harden dished out 10 assists with three steals and Smith scored 20 points on 4 - for - 9 from the field. Houston is now 3 - 3 over their last six games. Their remaining games are against the New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz. Houston will host the Pelicans, as the Spurs will welcome the Phoenix Suns to town on Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 26 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 53 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 26 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 54 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Duncan') has 2 Assists ,has 34 Field goals attempted ,has 29 Field goals made ,has 10 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 10 Assists ,has 19 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 4 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Josh Smith') has 9 Assists ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 26 Field goals made ,has 12 Free throws attempted ,has 20 Free throws made ."]

Oklahoma City made some major moves at the trade deadline and a near wire - to - wire win is all they could ask for coming out of the All-Star break. Defense was key, as Los Angeles went just 40 percent from the field, 20 percent from three - point range and 43 percent from the free - throw line. The Thunder also dominated the rebounding, winning that differential, 59 - 51. D'Angelo Russell was a bright spot for the Lakers, as he led the team with 29 points, four rebounds and six assists. Julius Randle recorded a double - double, totaling 13 points and 11 rebounds. Russell Westbrook added to his triple - double barrage, collecting 17 points, 18 rebounds and 17 assists in the win. Alex Abrines and Andre Roberson tied the team lead with 19 points a piece. Steven Adams accrued 15 points, 10 rebounds and three steals.

["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 59 Percentage of 3 points ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 20 Percentage of 3 points ,has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 51 Rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Julius Randle') has 13 Assists ,has 11 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'D'Angelo Russell') has 6 Assists ,has 29 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Roberson') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Steven Adams') has 15 Assists ,has 10 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Alex Abrines') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 17 Assists ,has 17 Points ,has 18 Total rebounds ."]

The Oklahoma City Thunder (52 - 22) earned a road win over the Toronto Raptors (49 - 24) Monday night at Air Canada Centre, 119 - 100. Toronto took its first lead at 31 - 30 with 9:30 to go in the second quarter after a Kyle Lowry three - pointer polished off a 100 run for the Raptors. It would be all downhill from there, as the Thunder immediately rattled off an 110 run of their own and never trailed for the rest of the game. Oklahoma City entered the second half with a 13 - point lead and Toronto never got it within double - digits in the second half. Kevin Durant led all scorers with 34 points for the Thunder despite a cold shooting night (11 - 27 FG, 3 - 10 3PT, 9 - 10 FT), and he added eight assists, eight rebounds, a block and a steal. Russell Westbrook added his league - leading 16th triple - double of the season with 26 points (10 - 16 FG), 12 assists and 11 rebounds, the latter both representing game highs. Oklahoma City shot a sharp 11 - 26) 42 percent) on three - pointers and 26 - 32 (81 percent) as their offense powered them to the victory. DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 19 points on a poor shooting night (8 - 22 FG), and Kyle Lowry (4 - 14 FG, 2 - 8 3PT) struggled from the floor as well and managed only 14 points. Norman Powell had the best offensive game for Toronto, pouring in 18 points on 7 - 13 shooting (4 - 7 3PT), and he added four rebounds and a pair of blocks in 27 minutes. But the shooting woes - - 41 percent from the floor and 8 - 24 (33 percent) from three - - were too much for the Raptors to overcome the blistering performances from the Thunder's superstar duo. The Thunder continue their road trip Tuesday against Detroit. The Raptors continue their homestand Wednesday against the Hawks.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 33 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 24 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 49 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 42 Percentage of 3 points ,has 22 Percentage of field goals ,has 119 Losses ,has 34 Total points ,has 52 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 27 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 10 Free throws attempted ,has 9 Free throws made ,has 34 Points ,has 8 Total rebounds ,has 1 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 12 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 26 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Norman Powell') has 2 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 22 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 19 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 8 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ."]

The Portland Trail Blazers (15 - 21) defeated the Denver Nuggets (12 - 22) 112 - 106 on Sunday night. In a close game throughout, the Blazers simply made more plays late to close out a big road win. Denver allowed Portland to get too many easy baskets and it was clear they had some tired legs here in the back end of a back - to - back set. The Trail Blazers shot over 50 percent from the field and scored 32 points over the final 12 minutes to close things out. Nuggets power forward Kenneth Faried made a shocking start here, as he was carted off the court with what appeared to be a serious neck injury just the night before. Portland has now won four of their last five games, with all of those wins coming without Damian Lillard. C.J. McCollum continues to play at an All-Star level in his absence, as he tallied 25 points, seven assists and three rebounds in the win. Allen Crabbe and Al-Farouq Aminu provided 14 points a piece as well. Gerald Henderson was the hero off the bench, as he scored 19 points in just 24 minutes. Portland came into this game with a 6 - 15 record on the road, so a win like this can be a big momentum booster going forward in a tough environment like Denver. They have a tough task on Monday though, as they have to take on the Memphis Grizzlies in a back - to - back. Denver was coming off a grueling overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday and it was clear they simply didn’t have their legs tonight in a back - to - back set. They really struggled in the fourth quarter and allowed way too many easy baskets in the closing minutes. This was Danilo Gallinari's second game back and he played great yet again, amassing 29 points, five rebounds and three assists in the loss. Jameer Nelson also had a nice game, as he contributed 17 points and seven assists. The godsend for this team all year has been Will Barton, but he really struggled tonight scoring just five points on 2 - for - 10 shooting. The Nuggets are now just 5 - 11 at home and that's a scary trend considering they used to have one of the best home advantages in the NBA in years past. Denver has now lost nine of their last 10 games and they'll look to break that slide on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 106 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 21 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 32 Points in 4th quarter ,has 15 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al-Farouq Aminu') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Allen Crabbe') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 7 Assists ,has 25 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gerald Henderson') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Danilo Gallinari') has 3 Assists ,has 29 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jameer Nelson') has 7 Assists ,has 17 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Will Barton') has 10 Assists ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ."]

The Bucks shot a blistering 56 percent from the field, including 36 percent from long range as they breezed passed the Wizards. The Bucks outscored the Wizards by 20 in the paint, 66 - 46. Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in a career - high 39 points, along with eight rebounds, six assists and two steals, in 33 minutes. Jabari Parker followed up with 21 points on 9 - of - 15 shooting, along with eight rebounds and three assists, while Malcolm Brogdon added 17 points on perfect 7 - of - 7 shooting, including 3 - of - 3 from long range, in 29 minutes off the bench. John Wall led the way for the Wizards, with 18 points on 8 - of - 18 shooting, along with 10 assists, three rebounds and one steal, in 32 minutes. Otto Porter Jr. also came up with 18 points, while Markieff Morris added 14. Bradley Beal struggled shooting, going 3 - of - 10 from the field on his way to 10 points.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 36 Percentage of 3 points ,has 56 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 20 Percentage of 3 points ,has 18 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Markieff Morris') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 10 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 10 Assists ,has 18 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 32 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ,has 3 Minutes played ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 6 Assists ,has 33 3-pointers attempted ,has 39 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jabari Parker') has 3 Assists ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 21 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Malcolm Brogdon') has 3 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 29 Field goals made ,has 17 Minutes played ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies (25 - 19) defeated the host Denver Nuggets (16 - 27) 102 - 101 on Thursday night at Pepsi Center. The Grizzlies were up by as many as 16 in the second quarter but the Nuggets battled back, making it a two - point game heading into the fourth. Denver continued to push and after a hard - fought 11 minutes, the Nuggets were up 98 - 97. Memphis answered though, converting an and - one thanks to an offensive rebound and assist by Mike Conley and Marc Gasol with the finish. Denver was then down by two, with 12 seconds to either tie or win but Danilo Gallinari could not get his shot to fall. With two seconds left on the clock Denver fouled, putting the Grizzlies on the line where they hit both to go up by four. Those turned out to be huge free throws because Denver called timeout and managed to sink a three pointer in the final second remaining. This was the Grizzlies' fourth win in a row, while they have also won 10 of their last 13 and eight of their last 10 on the road. Marc Gasol led Memphis in scoring with 27 points (9 - 14 FG, 9 - 10 FT), along with six assists, four rebounds and three blocked shots, in 35 minutes. Mike Conley provided 20 points (5 - 9 FG, 2 - 3 3Pt, 8 - 10 FT), three rebounds and two assists, in 26 minutes. Meanwhile, Zach Randolph chipped in 13 points and six rebounds, in 29 minutes. Matt Barnes started in place of Tony Allen, who sat this one out with a sore leg. Barnes was solid with seven points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block, in 35 minutes. Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried both dropped 17 points for the Nuggets. Faried coupled his points with a beastly 12 rebounds, while Gallinari pulled in three rebounds of his own. Emmanuel Mudiay was solid in 33 minutes, as he finished with 14 points (6 - 13 FG, 2 - 5 3Pt), eight assists and three rebounds. Will Barton tallied 14 points (5 - 10 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt, 3 - 3 FT) of his own, along with six rebounds, two assists and two steals, in 29 minutes off the bench. Jameer Nelson sat this one out with a sore wrist. Next the Nuggets will host the Pistons on Saturday, in what will be the seventh game of an eight - game home stand. The Grizzlies will visit Minnesota to face the Timberwolves, on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 27 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 10 Turnovers ,has 16 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 19 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 25 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Matt Barnes') has 5 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 29 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 6 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 14 Defensive rebounds ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 35 Field goals made ,has 27 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ,has 20 Minutes played ,has 3 Offensive rebounds ,has 1 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Danilo Gallinari') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 17 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kenneth Faried') has 17 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Emmanuel Mudiay') has 8 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 33 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Will Barton') has 2 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 29 Free throws attempted ,has 14 Free throws made ,has 6 Minutes played ,has 2 Offensive rebounds ."]

It was a career night for Jazz center Rudy Gobert, as the young 7 - footer scored a career - high 27 points while pulling down a massive 25 rebounds. Gobert was 8 - of - 11 from the field and went 11 - of - 17 from the free - throw line and pulled down 10 rebounds on the offensive end. Forward Gordon Hayward also made a significant contribution to Utah's offense, scoring 26 points while dishing out four assists. As a team, Utah finished with a big advantage on the glass, out - rebounding Dallas 53 - 42. Dallas saw a rounded offensive night, as seven players scored in double digits. Surprisingly, veteran Dirk Nowitzki was not one of them, as the future Hall of Famer finished shooting just 1 - of - 13 for three points. The team was led by forward Harrison Barnes, who scored 19 points on the night. Point guard Deron Williams added 16 points and eight assists.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 27 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 26 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 26 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 4 Assists ,has 26 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 17 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 27 Field goals made ,has 25 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 13 Assists ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Deron Williams') has 8 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ."]

The host Boston Celtics beat the reigning champion Cleveland Cavaliers, 103 - 99, in a dramatic Wednesday-night thriller. Boston (39 - 22) moved to just three games back from the first seed with the win. It was a much - needed boost for the Celtics, as the team was coming off a blowout loss to the Atlanta Hawks and had been just 1 - 2 coming out of the All-Star Break. Boston looked like it was back in the swing of things on Wednesday, however, as the team earned a hard - fought win over the Eastern Conference's top team. All-Star Isaiah Thomas bounced back from his worst outing of the season against Atlanta to score 31 points over Cleveland, including a three - pointer to put the Celtics ahead with 45 seconds remaining. In his third game back from injury, guard Avery Bradley looked brilliant, scoring 11 points and locking down Cleveland's Kyrie Irving on the game's final possession. Big man Al Horford, meanwhile, broke out of a bit of a slump with a near triple - double, recording nine points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Overall, it was a much - needed and energizing win for the Celtics as they look to fight for the top spot in the East going down the stretch. Cleveland (41 - 18) saw new addition Deron Williams debut in Wednesday's game. The veteran made an immediate impact, playing 31 minutes and scoring 13 on 5 - of - 10 shooting. Superstar LeBron James, meanwhile, led the team with his seventh triple - double of the season. James had 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists on the night. All-Star Kyrie Irving also scored 28, but failed to convert when given the opportunity to take the team's last shot after being smothered by tight defense from Avery Bradley. One issue for Cleveland was rebounding, where the Celtics held a 47 - 40 edge despite struggles for most of the season. The Celtics will visit the Lakers on Friday, while Cleveland will see Atlanta.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 22 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 39 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 18 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 41 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 10 Assists ,has 28 Points ,has 13 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 28 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 10 Assists ,has 9 Points ,has 10 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 31 Assists ."]

The Celtics were testy down the stretch and the creativity of Brad Stevens' defensive lineups almost paid dividends for Boston, but in the end, Chris Paul was able take the Clippers home. Paul finished with 23 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Griffin led the Clippers in scoring 26 points, to go with eight rebounds and five assists. DeAndre Jordan also grabbed most of his points late, and added 15 points and 12 boards in the win. Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics and all scorers with 32 points, to go with five assists and three steals, while Avery Bradley pitched in 14 points. Marcus Smart was the next most effective Boston player on the floor, and added 21 points in 32 minutes off the bench, to go with three rebounds, three assists and one steal.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 21 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 5 Assists ,has 32 Minutes played ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Smart') has 3 Assists ,has 32 Minutes played ,has 21 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ,has 1 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 26 Assists ,has 8 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 15 Assists ,has 12 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 4 Assists ,has 23 Minutes played ,has 5 Points ."]

The Sacramento Kings defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 105 - 99 at Golden 1 Center on Sunday. The Kings (23 - 32) came away with their 13th home victory of the season after a rather sloppy performance from the Pelicans (21 - 34). Buddy Heild was ejected early on after a below the belt foul to Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, and Anthony Davis' 32 points were not enough to help get the road win. Langston Galloway buried a three pointer for New Orleans with 4:18 remaining in the fourth quarter to bring the game within four points, but Cousins answered immediately with a driving dunk. From then on, Sacramento was able to stave off any comeback and put away the contest. Cousins finished with 28 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block on 7 - of - 14 shooting. Darren Collison pitched in on the scoring effort with 20 points, to go with eight assists and six rebounds, while Matt Barnes led the bench with 12 points. Davis was effective across his 40 minutes of work, putting forth 32 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, while New Orleans got little help from other scorers. Jrue Holiday added 14 points on 14 shots, and the Pelicans shot just 42 percent from the field. Next up, the Pelicans visit the Phoenix Suns on Monday, while the Kings visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 32 Percentage of 3 points ,has 105 Percentage of field goals ,has 23 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 42 Percentage of 3 points ,has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 34 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 21 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 3 Assists ,has 40 Blocks ,has 32 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 7 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 28 Minutes played ,has 14 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Darren Collison') has 8 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Matt Barnes') has 3 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Sacramento Kings, 107 - 91, at FedEx Forum on Friday night. After a shaky first quarter, the Grizzlies (26 - 19) put their best foot forward on both ends of the floor Friday, showing while they remain a solid Western Conference power season after season. Memphis was surprisingly outscored by a 23 - 15 margin over the first 12 minutes, but they came back to post 68 points over the subsequent two periods to pull away. They held the Kings (16 - 26) to 41 percent shooting overall and a paltry 21 percent from three - point range, while also boasting five double - digit scorers. Two of their most dependable veterans, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, led the way on the first and second units with respective tallies of 28 and 20 points, and they also helped limit DeMarcus Cousins to a modest 19 points and 10 rebounds. Cousins added two assists and a block to his team - high scoring total. Garrett Temple went for 14 points, three rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. However, no other starter managed double - digit scoring, as Kosta Koufos (eight points, two rebounds), Arron Afflalo (five points, two rebounds, four steals) and Darren Collison (four points, four assists, three rebounds) significantly underwhelmed. Ty Lawson led the second unit with 13 points, five assists, four rebounds and a steal. Sacramento's bench contributed a collective 41 points, as Anthony Tolliver, Willie Cauley-Stein and Matt Barnes all scored between six and eight points to back up Lawson's output. Gasol added nine boards, four assists and a steal to his game - high scoring haul. Randolph hauled in 10 rebounds and dished out two assists to his 20 - point tally. Mike Conley generated a full stat line of 16 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Tony Allen posted a 13 - point, 10 - rebound double - double, while James Ennis registered 10 points, six boards, three assists and a pair of blocks. Vince Carter provided 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.in 22 minutes off the bench. The Kings next head to the Windy City for a Saturday night tilt against the Chicago Bulls, while the Grizzlies remain home to do battle with the Houston Rockets on Saturday evening as well.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 19 Percentage of 3 points ,has 107 Percentage of field goals ,has 15 Losses ,has 26 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 21 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 26 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 23 Points in 1st quarter ,has 19 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 16 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Garrett Temple') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 Minutes played ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 28 3-pointers attempted ,has 19 Minutes played ,has 10 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kosta Koufos') has 8 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Arron Afflalo') has 5 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Darren Collison') has 4 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ty Lawson') has 5 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Tolliver') has 6 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Matt Barnes') has 2 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Willie Cauley-Stein') has 6 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Ennis III') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 4 Assists ,has 28 Blocks ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tony Allen') has 13 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 8 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 2 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Vince Carter') has 2 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers (49 - 27) defeated the Miami Heat (34 - 41) 114 - 88 on Thursday at the Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland seized control from the early going Thursday, but its road to victory got significantly easier when Dwayne Wade left the game midway through the second quarter. Wade slipped and took an awkward fall, suffering a bruised left knee that sidelined him for the remainder of the game. Cleveland allowed Miami to get as close as 10 points in the third before completely pulling away. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving each poured in 23 points to help notch the Cavaliers' 17th consecutive home win. Miami was already a banged up unit coming into Thursday's game, but losing Dwayne Wade for any amount of time could put its playoff chances in serious jeopardy. Thursday's loss drops Miami to the eighth spot in the East, with teams like Boston, Charlotte, and Indiana all within striking distance. Wade's injury occured to the same knee that he had drained last Saturday, leaving his status ahead of Saturday's game in Detroit in question. The Heat did have a key player return to the starting lineup Thursday with Hassan Whiteside getting the nod at center. Whiteside finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. The Heat have a couple games with major playoff implications on the horizon with matchups against the Pacers and Hornets following Saturday's game. Cleveland did n't have its full complement of players available for this game, but its reserves rose to the occasion. Kevin Love sat out with a sore back, but Tristan Thompson was a difference maker with his increased playing time. Thompson pulled down 15 rebounds to go with eight points and Iman Shumpert had one of his best games as a Cavalier, pouring in 17 points on 7 - of - 12 shooting. Cleveland will have a couple days off before returning to action Sunday against Chicago.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 27 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 23 Points in 4th quarter ,has 49 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 41 Losses ,has 88 Total points ,has 34 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 17 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 23 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 23 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Iman Shumpert') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 17 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tristan Thompson') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 8 Defensive rebounds ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ."]

The Chicago Bulls (17 - 9) defeated the Memphis Grizzlies (21 - 5) 103 - 97 on Friday. Chicago has won two straight and five of their last six games. Derrick Rose has sat out their last two wins, with Jimmy Butler picking up the slack, and some. Butler scored a game - high 31 points, nearly matching the career - high 35 points he scored in Thursday's win over the Knicks. Taj Gibson (ankle) missed a second straight game, and in his place, Nikola Mirotic put up a career - high 27 points ad six three - pointers off the bench. Aaron Brooks also chipped in with 17 points in 32 minutes off the bench. Chicago's schedule continues to feed them tough match - ups. They'll host the Toronto Raptors on Monday. Memphis had their six - game win streak snapped with the loss. Tony Allen sat out a second straight game with a scractched eye. While the Grizzlies used Quincy Pondexter as Allen's replacement in the staring lineup in their 117 - 116 triple - overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Tayshaun Prince moved into the starting lineup over Pondexter on Friday. Prince put up eight points in 24 minutes. Mike Conley scored a team - high 21 points, but the Grizzlies shot just 39 percent from the field and 15 percent from beyond the arc.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 15 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 5 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 21 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 21 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 9 Percentage of 3 points ,has 103 Percentage of field goals ,has 17 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jimmy Butler') has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 31 Field goal percentage ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aaron Brooks') has 32 3-pointers attempted ,has 17 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Mirotic') has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 27 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tayshaun Prince') has 24 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 39 3-pointers attempted ,has 21 3-pointers made ."]

The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Orlando Magic, 111 - 105, in overtime Monday at Target Center. The Timberwolves (19 - 29), now winners of five of their last six, actually found themselves down for most of Monday's game before opening up a lead in the fourth quarter as large as nine points. The Magic (19 - 31) managed to storm back, however, closing the gap and even taking the lead with under a minute remaining. But Andrew Wiggins would n't let the game end there, as his 21 - foot jumper with 10 seconds remaining ultimately sent the game into overtime. At that point, there was no stopping Minnesota as they pulled away in the five - minute period. Wiggins finished the outing with a game - high 27 points, while Karl Anthony-Towns added yet another double - double of 23 points and 12 rebounds on top of seven assists. Ricky Rubio came close to a triple - double of his own, recording 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. As for the Magic, they put together a valiant effort just one night removed from upsetting the Toronto Raptors. And it was an all - around team effort Monday night, as all five starts and six total Orlando players managed to score in double figures. It was the starting backcourt, however, that led the way, with Elfrid Payton recording a team - high 21 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals, while C.J. Watson scored 18 points of his own. In the end, the Magic just left too many points at the free throw line, hitting just 13 - of - 19 shot from the charity stripe for the game, which ended up being the difference. Up next, the Timberwolves will head to Cleveland on Wednesday to take on the Cavaliers, while the Magic will head home Wednesday and play the Pacers.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 29 Losses ,has 111 Total points ,has 19 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 31 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 19 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'C.J. Watson') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 21 Assists ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 10 Assists ,has 27 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ricky Rubio') has 8 Assists ,has 22 Field goals made ,has 8 Points ."]

The Oklahoma City Thunder come back in overtime thanks to Westbrook's 51 - point triple - double to beat the Phoenix Suns, 113 - 110, at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Friday. Despite trailing for nearly the entirety of the game, the Thunder (20) were able to prevail in overtime to win their home opener. The Suns (0 - 2) had an 18 - point lead at one point and held a lead until 4:40 left in the fourth quarter, when Oklahoma City took their first lead of the game. In fact, the three - point winning margin was the largest lead the Thunder had all game long. Russell Westbrook carried the load, as he dropped 51 points en route to a triple - double. Rebounding was key for Oklahoma City, as they brought down 57 boards, while holding the Suns to just 44. The Suns were blown out in their home opener, but showed some resiliency here. T.J. Warren led the team in scoring, dropping a career - high 30 points on 13 - for - 18 shooting to go along with nine rebounds. Devin Booker was second on the team, tallying 21 points and six rebounds of his own, going just 8 - for - 25 from the field. Eric Bledsoe totaled 17 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals in the defeat. The only other player in double figures was Brandon Knight, who dropped 19 points off the bench. This was Oklahoma City's first game without Durant in their home building and Russell Westbrook made fans quickly forget about the former MVP. Westbrook put together a 51 - point, 13 - rebound, 10 - assist triple - double to carry the Thunder to a win. He also went 17 - for - 44 from the field and made 15 - of - 20 from the free - throw line. The only other player in double figures was Victor Oladipo, who accumulated 21 points and five rebounds. Steven Adams was a point shy of a double - double, scoring nine and grabbing 10 boards. Both teams return to action on Sunday, as the Thunder host the Los Angeles Lakers and the Suns host the Golden State Warriors.

["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 113 Losses ,has 57 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 2 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 44 Rebounds ,has 0 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'TJ Warren') has 18 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 30 Field goals made ,has 9 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Devin Booker') has 25 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 21 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Bledsoe') has 6 Assists ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Knight') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Steven Adams') has 9 Assists ,has 10 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Victor Oladipo') has 21 Assists ,has 5 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 10 Assists ,has 44 Field goals attempted ,has 17 Field goals made ,has 20 Free throws attempted ,has 15 Free throws made ,has 51 Points ,has 13 Total rebounds ."]

The Pacers overcame a 30 - 19 first quarter deficit to forge a 50 - 50 halftime tie. Indiana then mounted an exciting comeback over the final 1:43, with Jeff Teague and C.J. Miles each draining jumpers, setting up a 23 - foot three - pointer from the left corner by Glenn Robinson III with 1 seconds remaining for the one - point victory. Paul George's 34 points led Indiana. Teague was a distant second with 16 points. Miles followed with 13 points, while Robinson led the bench with 11. Thaddeus Young and Myles Turner notably struggled, combining for just nine points on 4 - of - 12 shooting. Tim Hardaway, Jr.'s 24 points in 35 minutes off the bench led Atlanta. Paul Millsap led the first unit with a 23 - point, 10 - rebound double - double. Dennis Schroder tallied 18 points, while Thabo Sefolosha compiled 12. Dwight Howard brought down 14 rebounds.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 30 Points in 1st quarter ,has 24 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 19 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 34 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ Miles') has 1 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 16 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Glenn Robinson III') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Minutes played ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thabo Sefolosha') has 12 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 23 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Howard') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dennis Schroder') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Hardaway Jr.') has 35 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ."]

The Magic had seven players hit double digits in scoring, led by Elfrid Payton, who managed a full stat line of 20 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals. Aaron Gordon was right behind with 17 points and eight boards. Serge Ibaka and Nikola Vucevic provided matching 13 - point efforts. The bench tallied a collective 44 points on the night, led by Jeff Green's 18 points. Bismack Biyombo followed with a 13 - point, 13 - rebound double - double, and D.J. Augustin managed 10 points, eight assists and a pair of boards. Jabari Parker's game - high 25 points led Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo provided a 17 - point, 14 - rebound double - double, while Malcolm Brogdon posted 16 points. John Henson provided eight points, five rebounds, two assists and a block. Rashad Vaughn registered a bench - leading eight points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal.

["PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 17 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jabari Parker') has 25 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Henson') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 8 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Malcolm Brogdon') has 16 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rashad Vaughn') has 1 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 2 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aaron Gordon') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Serge Ibaka') has 13 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 13 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 6 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 4 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Green') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'D.J. Augustin') has 8 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bismack Biyombo') has 13 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ."]

The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Los Angeles Clippers, 107 - 91, at Target Center on Wednesday evening. The Timberwolves (26 - 37) boast some of the most exciting young talent in the league, but have consistently found defense to be their Achilles' heel. However, they found a way to impressively reverse course Wednesday, styming a talented Clippers (38 - 26) squad at full strength and goading them into an uncharacteristic 16 turnovers. Minnesota ambushed their visitors to the tune of a 31 - 19 lead after one quarter, before Los Angeles made up some ground before halftime with a 36 - point explosion of their own in the second period. However, the Timberwolves effectively put the game away in the third, outscoring the Clippers by a double - digit margin a second time, 24 - 13. That left them with a comfortable 82 - 68 lead heading into the final 12 minutes, one they were able to sustain without much struggle. DeAndre Jordan led the way for Los Angeles with a 20 - point, 13 - rebound double - double that also included one assist and one block. Blake Griffin provided 16 points, four rebounds and two assists. J.J. Redick turned in 14 points, one rebound, one assist, two steals and one block. Marreese Speights led the second unit with 12 points and six rebounds, while Austin Rivers totaled 10 points, three assists, two rebounds and one block off the bench as well. Chris Paul had an off night shooting (3 - 9 FG), but he managed to add 10 assists, three rebounds and one steal to his seven points. Karl-Anthony Towns once again paced the Timberwolves, generating a 29 - point, 14 - rebound double - double and adding two assists, all over just 27 minutes. Andrew Wiggins overcame a 5 - for - 17 shooting night with a perfect 10 - for - 10 tally from the free - throw line to compile 20 points. He added three assists, two rebounds and one steal. Shabazz Muhammad drew a rather rare start and went for 17 points, six rebounds and one steal. Ricky Rubio managed a 15 - point, 12 - assist double - double that also included six rebounds and two steals. Gorgui Dieng chipped in a modest seven points but also provided nine rebounds, two assists, four steals and two blocks. The Clippers will try to put the loss behind them quickly, as they have a Thursday night road showdown on tap with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Timberwolves remain home to tangle with the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 37 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 31 Points in 1st quarter ,has 24 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 26 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 26 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 19 Points in 1st quarter ,has 36 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 13 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 16 Turnovers ,has 38 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 2 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 20 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'JJ Redick') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 10 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Austin Rivers') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marreese Speights') has 12 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 3 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 10 Free throws attempted ,has 20 Free throws made ,has 2 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gorgui Dieng') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 2 Assists ,has 29 Blocks ,has 14 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Shabazz Muhammad') has 17 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ricky Rubio') has 12 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers (29 - 11) defeated the Brooklyn Nets (11 - 32) 91 - 78 on Wednesday. The Cavs were looking for a resurgent performance after Monday night's embarassment versus the Golden State Warriors. While they still did n't quite hit on all cylinders, their performance, particularly on defense, was certainly enough to score the road victory. Cleveland stymied Brooklyn to the extent that they only surrendered 55 points to them through three quarters, and held them to stingy 42 - and - 21 percent totals from the field and three - point range, respectively. Brook Lopez was the Nets' top scorer, but with only a modest 16 points, and two starters, Joe Johnson and Wayne Ellington, managed only three points apiece. The visitors were led by an outstanding effort from Kevin Love, tallying 17 points, 18 boards and two steals. It was a great bounce - back effort for the power forward, who had put together a miserable three - point performance against the Warriors. LeBron James equaled Love's point total and added five assists, a rebound, a steal and a block. Timofey Mozgov provided some rare offensive production, pitching in with 11 points and five rebounds. Tristan Thompson paced the Cleveland reserves with a double - double, tallying 14 points and hauling in 10 boards. The Cavs improved to 29 - 11 and remain atop the Eastern Conference's Central Division. They head back to home to face off against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. Lopez did haul in 10 rebounds in addition to his 16 points, and also had an assist and a block. Thaddeus Young registered 14 points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal. Donald Sloan continued his recent stretch of solid play as a starter, coming an assist short of a double - double with 12 points, nine dimes, a rebound and a steal. Shane Larkin paced the Nets bench with seven points and seven assists over 23 minutes. Brooklyn fell to 11 - 32 and remains in fourth place in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They will next face off against the Utah Jazz on Friday at home.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 21 Percentage of 3 points ,has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 32 Losses ,has 78 Total points ,has 11 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 11 Percentage of 3 points ,has 91 Percentage of field goals ,has 29 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 5 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 17 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Timofey Mozgov') has 11 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tristan Thompson') has 14 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joe Johnson') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thaddeus Young') has 1 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 16 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 Minutes played ,has 2 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wayne Ellington') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Donald Sloan') has 9 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Shane Larkin') has 7 Assists ,has 23 Blocks ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ."]

The Warriors once again showed off their stars' scoring ability on Monday night. Former MVPs Kevin Durant and Steph Curry scored 25 points each, with Curry knocking down four three - pointers. All-Star Klay Thompson, meanwhile, scored 20 and hit three threes on the night. The team hit 12 three - pointers in total on 34 percent shooting from beyond the arc, blowing away Atlanta's seven threes on 25 percent. The Warriors also held the advantage in assists, where they beat the Hawks 25 - 20. Atlanta, meanwhile, saw strong play from their big men. Both Dwight Howard and Paul Millsap notched double - doubles, and the duo combined for 30 rebounds. The Hawks ended with a large advantage on the glass, out - rebounding Golden State 51 - 41. Howard and Millsap each finished with 14 points, tying for the second - highest on the team behind guard Dennis Schroeder's 24.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 25 Number of team assists ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 20 Number of team assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 14 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Howard') has 14 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dennis Schroder') has 24 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 25 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 3 3-pointers made ,has 3 Personal fouls ,has 20 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 4 3-pointers made ,has 25 Personal fouls ."]

The Milwaukee Bucks blew out the host Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, 116 - 98. Milwaukee (36 - 35) finally crept above .500 as the team enters an air - tight Eastern Conference playoff race. The Bucks lagged for most of the season but have seen a stretch of stellar play recently thanks in large part to the return of dynamic wing Khris Middleton. Wednesday's win was one of Milwaukee's more convincing victories, as the team held a double - digit lead fairly consistently. The highlight of the night was the performance of emerging superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who led the Bucks with 32 points on 12 - of - 22 shooting. It was the rest of the Greek Freak's stat line that was especially impressive, though, as he pulled down 13 rebounds to go along with six assists, two steals, and a block while not turning the ball over once. Sacramento (27 - 44) has seen things turn fairly bleak after trading away star center DeMarcus Cousins. The team has won just two games in its last 11 contests and saw an embarrassing loss at home on Wednesday. Defensive lapses were the story for the Kings, as they allowed the Bucks to shoot a whopping 54 percent from the field and bury 16 three - pointers. Three-point shooting on Sacramento's end, meanwhile, has been a problem area. The Kings hit only nine three - pointers and have seen a sharp decline in both three - point makes and attempts since their deadline dealings. The Kings will play in Golden State on Friday, while Milwaukee will host the Atlanta Hawks.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 44 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 27 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 35 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 36 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 1 Blocks ,has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ,has 32 Points ,has 2 Steals ."]

The Toronto Raptors (52 - 25) defeated the Charlotte Hornets (44 - 33) 96 - 90 on Tuesday. The Hornets came in to the contest with a playoff spot in hand, while the Raptors were trying to keep their faint chances of catching the top - seeded Cleveland Cavaliers alive. Charlotte, which had won five of their last seven games, and five of their last seven road contests as well, gave Toronto all they could handle until the closing seconds after mounting a furious rally in the fourth quarter. The vistors had entered the final 12 minutes trailing 75 - 59, but a strong effort by Jeremy Lin, who started for the injured Nicolas Batum (knee), helped key the comeback. The Hornets got as close as 93 - 88 with 37 seconds remaining after Kemba Walker successfully converted an and - one, but DeMar DeRozan and Corey Joseph were able to sink two key free throws apiece to seal the win. The Hornets were led by Lin's 21 points, which he supplemented with seven assists, four rebounds and a steal. Marvin Williams followed with 15 points, six rebounds, an assist and two steals. Walker was next with 11 points, two rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block. Courtney Lee managed 11 points, two rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. Frank Kaminsky III paced the bench with nine points, six rebounds, an assist and a block, while Al Jefferson notably hauled in 11 boards in 20 minutes as a reserve. Charlotte is in third place in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division, and is slotted in the sixth seed as well. They head to New York to take on the Knicks on Wednesday. Toronto's attack was spearheaded by DeRozan, who poured in a game - high 26 points and added seven rebounds, six assists and a steal. Kyle Lowry tallied 21 points, six assists, four rebounds and a block. Jonas Valanciunas posted a 12 - point, 12 - rebound double - double, and recorded three blocks. Joseph paced the reserves with 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Patrick Patterson was productive off the bench as well, managing 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. The Raptors remain atop the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division, and due to a Cavs win on Tuesday, remain 4 games back of the top spot in the conference. They head to Atlanta to take on the Hawks on Thursday.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 25 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 26 Points in 1st quarter ,has 52 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 33 Losses ,has 90 Total points ,has 44 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Courtney Lee') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 11 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marvin Williams') has 1 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeremy Lin') has 7 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goal percentage ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Jefferson') has 20 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Frank Kaminsky') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 9 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 3 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 6 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 37 3-pointers attempted ,has 26 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goal percentage ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 6 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 21 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patrick Patterson') has 3 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cory Joseph') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goal percentage ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 11 Free throws made ,has 4 Minutes played ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ."]

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics, 104 - 88, at TD Garden on Friday. The Warriors (10 - 2) turned a slim seven - point lead at halftime into a robust 29 - point edge by the end of the third quarter, as they outscored the Celtics (6 - 6) by a 31 - 9 margin during the period. That included a 13 - point outburst over a three - and - a - half - minute stretch, helping Golden State build an advantage they would n't relinquish. The visitors shot 49 percent from the field overall despite a 7 - of - 20 effort from Stephen Curry, while also holding Boston to a 37 percent tally. The Warriors were led by Klay Thompson, who totaled a game - high 28 points that he supplemented with five rebounds and three assists. Kevin Durant was close behind with a 23 - point, 10 - rebound double - double that also included seven assists, three steals and a block. Curry provided a modest 16 points, along with seven assists, two rebounds, three steals and two blocks. He was only 2 - of - 10 from three - point range, his second - worst effort in that category this season. Zaza Pachulia totaled only four points, but did haul in 12 rebounds. Isaiah Thomas paced the Celtics with 18 points, four assists and two rebounds. Avery Bradley was next with 17 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block while playing a team - high 35 minutes. Marcus Smart drew the start once again at small forward, but left with an ankle contusion after 24 minutes, supplying 10 points, an assist and two steals before exiting. Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier led the reserves with a pair of 11 - point efforts, with the latter also filling out the stat sheet with seven rebounds and five assists. The Warriors head to Milwaukee for a Saturday night date with the Bucks, while the Celtics head to Detroit to take on the Pistons on Saturday evening as well.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 6 Losses ,has 88 Total points ,has 9 Points in 1st quarter ,has 6 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 2 Percentage of field goals ,has 104 Losses ,has 29 Total points ,has 31 Points in 1st quarter ,has 10 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 7 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 23 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zaza Pachulia') has 4 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 3 Assists ,has 28 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 10 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 16 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Smart') has 1 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 35 3-pointers attempted ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 4 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jaylen Brown') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Terry Rozier') has 5 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ."]

Kemba Walker is currently in the middle of putting the finishing touches on his 2016 All-Star Game campaign, and while his numbers have been, for the most part, impressive, they have, more often than not, come with a cost. For example, in Wednesday's contest with Golden State, Walker posted an impressive team - high 26 points. He did, however, shoot a fairly poor 9 - of - 23 from the field. This kind of performance has come more often than either Walker or the Hornets would like. In back - to - back games, Walker has scored a total of 47 points, but he's also shot just 16 - of - 47 (34 percent) from the field in those two outings. In fact, in four of his last six games, while Walker is averaging 24 points per game, he has failed to shoot over 40 percent four times. So while the numbers look good on paper, they are tending to come at the cost of efficiency.

["PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 6 Free throws made ,has 2 Personal fouls ,has 26 Points ."]

The Oklahoma City Thunder (51 - 22) defeated the San Antonio Spurs (61 - 12) 111 - 92 on Saturday. The Spurs came into this game extremely shorthanded and it truly showed. It was the second and third quarters when the Thunder put it to the Spurs, as they outscored them by 22 points. The key for Oklahoma City was their rebounding, as they brought down 47 boards to San Antonio's 34. The Thunder shot 52 percent from the field, which is rare for this stingy San Antonio defense. The Spurs played this game without Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan and they really struggled. David West was the lone bright spot off the bench, as he tallied 17 points, six rebounds and three assists. Johnathan Simmons also scored 17 off then bench, which tied the team - lead. On deck for San Antonio is a matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. This was a game that the Thunder were supposed to win and they did a great job of leaving nothing to chance. Russell Westbrook was spectacular, as he accumulated 29 points, six rebounds and eight assists. Kevin Durant led the team with 31 points, while also snatching down 10 rebounds in the win. Enes Kanter double - doubled off the bench, as he scored 20 points to go along with 10 boards. The Thunder will look to extend their winning streak to eight games on Monday against the Toronto Raptors.

["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 22 Losses ,has 111 Total points ,has 47 Rebounds ,has 51 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 12 Percentage of field goals ,has 92 Losses ,has 34 Total points ,has 61 Rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'David West') has 3 Assists ,has 17 Points ,has 6 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonathon Simmons') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 31 Assists ,has 10 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 8 Assists ,has 29 Points ,has 6 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Enes Kanter') has 20 Assists ,has 10 Points ."]

The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Chicago Bulls, 103 - 91, at Spectrum Center on Friday night. The Bulls (14 - 15) checked in to Friday night on a downturn, as they'd lost four of their last five. They were able to get off to a fast start, however, outscoring the host Hornets (17 - 13) by a 26 - 22 margin in the first quarter. Charlotte turned the table quickly in the second period, however, almost doubling up the visitors with a 26 - 14 advantage. Although the Bulls bounced back in the third, the Hornets were able to keep pace every step of the way throughout the second half, which resulted in their tenth home win of the season. While Chicago failed to find much scoring from their starting five outside of Jimmy Butler, Charlotte benefited from a balanced effort across their first unit. As customary, the effective backcourt duo of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum led the way, as they supplied matching 20 - point contributions. Butler's 24 points led the Bulls, a total he supplemented with four rebounds, four assists and a block. Dwyane Wade was second, registering 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Taj Gibson supplied 10 points, three rebounds and a pair of blocks. Rajon Rondo mustered a modest seven points but also provided 10 assists, nine rebounds and two steals. Doug McDermott led the second unit with 15 points, while Nikola Mirotic managed an 11 - point, 10 - rebound double that also included a steal and a block in just 19 minutes off the bench. Walker added five rebounds, four assists and a steal to his co - leading point total, while Batum's performance was a triple - double that also consisted of 11 rebounds, 10 assists, a steal and a block. Cody Zeller went for 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had a near double - double with 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists, a steal and four blocks. Frank Kaminsky III paced the bench with 13 points, five boards, an assist and a block. The Bulls are in San Antonio on Christmas Day to take on the Spurs, while the Hornets visit the Brooklyn Nets on Monday evening.

["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 13 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 22 Points in 1st quarter ,has 26 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 17 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 15 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 26 Points in 1st quarter ,has 14 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 24 Points in 4th quarter ,has 14 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jimmy Butler') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 4 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Taj Gibson') has 2 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 3 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 2 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 7 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rajon Rondo') has 10 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 9 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Doug McDermott') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Mirotic') has 1 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 11 Minutes played ,has 10 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Kidd-Gilchrist') has 2 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 12 Minutes played ,has 9 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cody Zeller') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 13 Minutes played ,has 7 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 10 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 20 Minutes played ,has 11 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 4 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 5 Minutes played ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Frank Kaminsky') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 13 Minutes played ,has 5 Points ."]

The Atlanta Hawks (57 - 19) throttled the Brooklyn Nets (35 - 41) by a score of 131 - 99 to tie the franchise record for wins Saturday at the Philips Arena. Atlanta came into Saturday's game on three days rest and it showed early on against a Brooklyn team that ground out a 114 - 109 victory over Toronto on Friday. The Hawks got off to a torrid start, shooting 64 percent in the first half on their way to putting up 66 points through the first 24 minutes. Brooklyn had a difficult time solving Atlanta's defense, which led to 21 turnovers on the night. The Nets will look to avenge this loss Wednesday when these teams match up again in Brooklyn. Brooklyn had vaulted into seventh place in the East with six straight wins coming into Saturday, but sloppy play against the conference's top team was a recipe for disaster. Brook Lopez cooled off from his recent offensive tear, scoring just 11 points and pulling down six rebounds after a 30 point, 17 rebound performance Friday. One positive that can be taken away is that Brooklyn was able to rest its starters for the fourth quarter, giving them some added down time ahead of Monday's game against Portland. Atlanta had n't been playing its best basketball of late, but looked every bit like the best team in the East on Saturday with a dominant performance. Al Horford was the catalyst on offense with 20 points on 10 - of - 13 shooting in just 21 minutes of action. It was an all - around team effort with 40 assists on 49 made baskets. Eight Hawks connected from three point range, totalling 17 made threes for the game. The lone blemish for the Hawks in this game was Paul Millsap, who suffered a shoulder injury and did not return. The Hawks will look to set a new franchise record for wins Tuesday when they host the Suns.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 19 Losses ,has 131 Total points ,has 57 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 41 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 21 Turnovers ,has 35 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 21 Minutes played ,has 20 Points ."]

The Nets committed 22 turnovers and were outscored by a 59 - 46 margin in the second half, leading to their 12th straight defeat. The Heat bench compiled 56 points, with James Johnson scoring a team - high 26 points. Goran Dragic was next with 21 points, while Tyler Johnson totaled 18 as a reserve. Rodney McGruder chipped in with a full line of 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and four steals. Okaro White supplied 10 points, while Wayne Ellington went for nine points in a start for Dion Waiters (ankle). Hassan Whiteside supplied a modest line of eight points and nine boards. Brook Lopez's 30 points led Brooklyn, and Randy Foye tallied 15. Bojan Bogdanovic posted 10 points, while Caris LeVert submitted a bench - leading nine points. Trevor Booker managed eight points and 10 boards in 25 minutes.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 22 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rodney McGruder') has 3 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Minutes played ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 8 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wayne Ellington') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Goran Dragic') has 18 Assists ,has 21 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Johnson') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Johnson') has 26 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Okaro White') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 30 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Randy Foye') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Booker') has 25 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Caris LeVert') has 9 Assists ."]

The San Antonio Spurs (57 - 10) defeated the Los Angeles Clippers (42 - 24) 108 - 87 on Tuesday. This was a close game throughout, until the fourth quarter. The Spurs bench came in and ran away with the win en route to a 37 - point fourth quarter. They also held the Clippers to just 17 points in that 12 - minute stretch. The rebounding differential was huge, with San Antonio grabbing 42 rebounds to the Clippers 27. Los Angeles did a good job of hanging around, but their weak bench really hurt them down the stretch. Four starters scored at least 14 points, but no bench player scored more than seven. Chris Paul was great though, as he tallied 22 points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals in the loss. DeAndre Jordan grabbed over half of the teams rebounds, as he snatched 14 rebounds to go along with 16 points. The Clippers will look to play better on Wednesday against the Houston Rockets. No player scored more than 20 for the Spurs, but they put in yet another great team - performance to win a big game. Kawhi Leonard was that leading scorer, as he totaled 20 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals in the win. Patty Mills was a huge spark off the bench, as he amassed 15 points, five rebounds and six assists. San Antonio will look to keep their undefeated home streak alive on Thursday against the Portland Trail Blazers.

["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 10 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 37 Points in 4th quarter ,has 42 Rebounds ,has 57 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 24 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 17 Points in 4th quarter ,has 27 Rebounds ,has 42 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 16 Assists ,has 14 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 8 Assists ,has 22 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ,has 3 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 4 Assists ,has 20 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ,has 3 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patty Mills') has 6 Assists ,has 15 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ."]

The Golden State Warriors (32 - 2) defeated the Charlotte Hornets (17 - 17) 111 - 101 on Monday. Charlotte entered Oracle Arena with an above .500 record as part of an impressive start to the 2015 - 2016 season. While the game was never as close as the final score came out to be, the Hornets played well as a unit and moved the ball fluidly against the league’s best team. Kemba Walker, who has been on a tear over the last week, including two 30 - plus point performances, contributed 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists on 9 - of - 21 shooting. Most notably, Walker is finishing over 50 percent in the paint, a trend that many analysts are highlighting Stephen Curry for improving during the offseason as well. The UCONN product’s touch in the lane is up 10 percent from last season, and is a great sign for the point guard moving forward. The Hornets also look to Jeremy Lamb, who came over from Oklahoma City during the offseason, and matched Walker’s 22 points in 29 minutes off the bench. The loss of Al Jefferson for a reported six weeks is a major blow to the frontcourt, and Marvin Williams and Cody Zeller combo was only good eight points and 16 boards. Shooting 44 percent as a unit will likely get you a competitive game with solid chance at a win, but the Warriors completed 52 percent of their shots, which almost always will result in a loss for the opposition. The Hornets will look to bounce back when they visit the Phoenix Suns (12 - 25) on Wednesday. The Warriors extended their home winning streak to 17 games and Draymond Green complete a triple - double for the third straight game. The early MVP votes may be in favor of Stephen Curry right now, but Draymond Green’s all around impact on the floor is beginning to transcend the league's best forwards. Green finished with 13 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Curry and Klay Thompson lit up the arena with 30 points, each, and combined to go 11 - for - 21 from 3 - point territory. The crowd welcomed back Harrison Barnes, who missed the last 16 games with an ankle injury, and pitched in 8 points in 20 minutes off the bench. Brandon Rush started in favor of Barnes, and added an efficient 10 points on 4 - of - 7 shooting. The Warriors head to Staples Center to face the Los Angeles Lakers (8 - 27) on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 44 Percentage of 3 points ,has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 2 Losses ,has 111 Total points ,has 32 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 17 Percentage of 3 points ,has 101 Percentage of field goals ,has 17 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marvin Williams') has 6 Assists ,has 8 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointer percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cody Zeller') has 8 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 3 Assists ,has 21 Defensive rebounds ,has 9 3-pointer percentage ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 22 Field goals made ,has 7 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeremy Lamb') has 22 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Rush') has 7 Assists ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointer percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 10 Assists ,has 13 Defensive rebounds ,has 15 3-pointer percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 30 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 50 Assists ,has 30 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 7 Assists ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 20 3-pointer percentage ,has 8 Field goals attempted ."]

The Philadelphia 76ers (10 - 37) notched their 10th win of the season Friday, knocking off the Minnesota Timberwolves (8 - 38) 103 - 94 at the Wells Fargo Center. After starting the season 0 - 17, Philadelphia has played much better of late and has gone 10 - 20 over its last 30 games. While its record in that span may not jump off the page, the emergence of its young players has been encouraging. Michael Carter-Williams had his third triple - double of the season Friday, putting up 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Carter-Williams is now tied with Rajon Rondo for the league lead in triple - doubles. In addition, the 76ers had 16 fast break points, compared to just five such points for the Timberwolves. Minnesota was unable to close the gap late with some poor shooting and a poor defensive effort. There were some bright spots for the Timberwolves, however. Kevin Martin, in his second game back from a wrist injury, had 19 points and five assists in 30 minutes off the bench. Nikola Pekovic looked strong as well, putting up 18 points and seven rebounds. The Timberwolves will play the second half of a back - to - back set Saturday when they host the Cavaliers. Philadelphia scored over 100 points for the first time since a Dec. 13 overtime loss to Memphis. Nerlens Noel continued to be a defensive force Friday, recording six blocks to go along with 14 points and six rebounds. Friday's win was just the third time this season Philadelphia has strung together consecutive wins. Philadelphia will wrap up its back - to - back set Saturday in Atlanta.

["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 37 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 10 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 38 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 8 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Pekovic') has 18 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Martin') has 5 Assists ,has 30 Blocks ,has 19 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nerlens Noel') has 6 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 6 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Carter-Williams') has 10 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 10 Minutes played ."]

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 117 - 101, at Barclays Center on Thursday. The Warriors (26 - 4) have a reputation for being just slightly less prolific on the road, but they had no trouble generating offense against the lowest - ranked defensive unit in the league Thursday, even without Draymond Green, who missed the contest for the birth of his child. Kevin Durant led the way with a near double - double consisting of 26 points and nine rebounds, and he added seven assists and three steals. The Golden State defense was the other star on the night, as they elicited 26 turnovers from the Nets, while only committing 12 of their own. Klay Thompson was second with 23 points, five rebounds, two assists and four steals. Stephen Curry had one of his poorer shooting nights, going for only 15 points (6 - 19 FG, 3 - 13 3Pt) and adding seven assists, two rebounds and five steals. Zaza Pachulia was particularly productive, supplying 15 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and a block. David West led the bench with 10 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. The Nets (7 - 21) were paced by Brook Lopez, who registered 28 points, eight boards, two assists and two blocks. Sean Kilpatrick totaled 14 points, four boards and two assists. Bojan Bogdanovic was next with 12 points and three boards. Jeremy Lin put together a 10 - point, 11 - assist double - double that also included two steals and two blocks. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson collected 13 points, six rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block while leading the second unit. The Warriors visit the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, while the Nets visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday evening as well.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 21 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 26 Turnovers ,has 7 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 4 Losses ,has 117 Total points ,has 12 Turnovers ,has 26 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 7 Assists ,has 26 Blocks ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zaza Pachulia') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 2 Assists ,has 23 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 7 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 19 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ,has 2 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'David West') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 12 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 28 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sean Kilpatrick') has 2 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeremy Lin') has 11 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rondae Hollis-Jefferson') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ."]

The Heat (18 - 22) knocked off the Kings (16 - 23) 95 - 83 Friday behind 30 points from Chris Bosh. Bosh led all scorers, as the Heat shot 47 percent from the floor and converted 17 - of - 21 free throw attempts. Playing without Dwyane Wade, rookie Shabazz Napier got the start at shooting guard and finished with 12 points, five assists and six rebounds in 38 minutes. Mario Chalmers added 10 points, and Luol Deng had 25 to go with six boards and four assists. Miami won the rebounding battle 38 - 35 and committed only nine turnovers as a team. Sacramento, meanwhile, turned it over 15 times en route to their third loss in four games. The Kings placed four starters in double - figures, led by 17 points from DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins also added 11 rebounds and five assists, but he had eight turnovers and shot 4 - of - 12 from the field. Darren Collison added 13 points for Sacramento and Ben McLemore had 15. Starting in place of the injured Rudy Gay, Derrick Williams chipped in 10 points in 33 minutes. Up next, the Kings host the Clippers on Saturday. Miami is off until Thursday when they return home to face the Thunder.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 23 Percentage of 3 points ,has 83 Percentage of field goals ,has 17 Losses ,has 35 Total points ,has 15 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 16 Rebounds ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 22 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 38 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 9 Rebounds ,has 18 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Luol Deng') has 4 Assists ,has 25 3-pointer percentage ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Bosh') has 30 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mario Chalmers') has 4 Assists ,has 25 3-pointer percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'Shabazz Napier') has 5 Assists ,has 38 3-pointer percentage ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Williams') has 33 Assists ,has 10 3-pointer percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 5 Assists ,has 12 3-pointer percentage ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 17 Field goals made ,has 11 Minutes played ,has 8 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ben McLemore') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Darren Collison') has 13 Assists ."]

The Atlanta Hawks (56 - 18) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks (36 - 38) 101 - 88 on Monday at the Philips Arena. When the Bucks cut the Hawks' lead to five midway through the third quarter, it appeared to be anyone's game. However, after an Atlanta timeout, the Hawks' Kyle Korver made his mark on the game. Korver scored 11 straight points, including three three - pointers, help break the game open. The Hawks are now one game away from tying the single season franchise record for wins. Milwaukee was coming off a 108 - 95 loss to Golden State at home Saturday and fell again Monday. The Bucks, who are just 2 games ahead of the Heat for the sixth seed in the East, have now dropped eight of their last ten. Michael Carter-Williams was able to play after being away from the team to attend the funeral of a family member. Carter-Williams shot just 1 - for - 6 from the floor and finished with four points, five assists, and four turnovers in 21 minutes. Zaza Pachulia had 17 points and 13 rebounds against his former team. The Bucks will look to bounce back Wednesday against the Bulls in what could be a playoff preview. Atlanta deployed all of its usual starters Monday after resting them against Charlotte one night after clinching the number one seed in the East. Dennis Schroder suffered a left toe injury during Monday's contest and coach Mike Budenholzer said in his post game press conference that the second year guard will not travel with the team to Detroit for Tuesday's game. Schroder has been a great contributor off the bench and in spot start situations this season, so the Hawks will be cautious with him as they already have the top seed secured.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 18 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 56 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 38 Losses ,has 88 Total points ,has 36 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zaza Pachulia') has 17 Assists ,has 13 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Carter-Williams') has 5 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 21 Field goals made ,has 4 Minutes played ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Korver') has 3 Assists ,has 11 3-pointers made ."]

The Clippers (50 - 26) defeated the Trail Blazers (48 - 26) 126 - 122 at the Moda Center on Wednesday. The Trail Blazers led by 13 points at halftime, but the Clippers methodically crept back into the game, cutting the lead to seven points by the end of the third quarter. In the fourth, the Clippers outscored the Trail Blazers 41 - 30. With less than seven minutes remaining, they took the lead 100 - 98. Three-pointers from Blake Griffin and Chris Paul on back - to - back Clippers' possessions extended the lead to six points. With less than two minutes to go, the Clippers led by 10. The Trail Blazers were able to cut the lead to three points with 19 seconds on the clock, but Chris Paul made four consecutive free throws to ice the game. Chris Paul had a monster game, putting up 41 points (13 - 21 FG, 5 - 9 3Pt), to go with five rebounds, 17 assists and four steals in 39 minutes. At one point, Chris Kaman shoved Paul to the ground after it appeared Paul hit him in the groin. J.J. Redick had 25 points (9 - 20 FG, 5 - 9 3Pt) and eight rebounds in 35 minutes. He's averaging 20 points over his last five games. Blake Griffin had 24 points (10 - 18 FG, 2 - 2 3Pt), seven rebounds, eight assists, one steal and one block in 38 minutes. LaMarcus Aldridge was the Trail Blazers' leading scorer with 29 points (10 - 22 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt), to go with six rebounds, two assists and one steal in 37 minutes. Nicolas Batum had 21 points (7 - 11 FG, 5 - 7 3Pt), four rebounds, four assists and three steals in 33 minutes. Damian Lillard had 18 points (7 - 14 FG, 3 - 6 3Pt), three rebounds and 10 assists in 36 minutes. The Trail Blazers are fourth in the Western Conference, ahead of the fifth place Clippers by way of tiebreaker. The Clippers finished the season series with the Trail Blazers up 3 - 1.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 26 Losses ,has 122 Total points ,has 30 Points in 4th quarter ,has 48 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 26 Losses ,has 126 Total points ,has 41 Points in 4th quarter ,has 50 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 38 Field goals made ,has 24 Minutes played ,has 7 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'JJ Redick') has 9 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 20 Defensive rebounds ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 35 3-pointers made ,has 25 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 17 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 9 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 21 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 39 Field goals made ,has 41 Minutes played ,has 5 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 4 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 33 Field goals attempted ,has 21 Field goals made ,has 4 Minutes played ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 0 Defensive rebounds ,has 22 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 37 Field goals attempted ,has 29 Field goals made ,has 6 Minutes played ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 10 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 36 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ,has 3 Minutes played ."]

The returning Isaiah Thomas' game - high 28 points led the Celtics, while the Hornets had trouble compensating for the absence of their star point guard Kemba Walker, who missed Friday's tilt for personal reasons. Fill-in Ramon Sessions did a respectable job on the offensive end with 13 points, but allowed Thomas to shoot 50 percent (10 - of - 20) from the field. Boston won the game with a second - half surge that saw them erase a 50 - 41 halftime deficit with a 55 - 38 edge over the third and fourth periods. Al Horford (18 points), Jae Crowder (12 points) and Avery Bradley (12 points) were productive, while Jonas Jerebko's nine points led the second unit. Nicolas Batum's 22 - point, 10 - rebound double - double partly helped to make up for Walker's absence. Marvin Williams supplied 12 points, followed by reserves Marco Belinelli (11 points) and Jeremy Lamb (10 points).

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 28 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 28 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marvin Williams') has 12 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 22 Points ,has 10 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ramon Sessions') has 13 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marco Belinelli') has 11 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeremy Lamb') has 10 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jae Crowder') has 12 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 18 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 12 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Jerebko') has 9 Points ."]

The Utah Jazz (9 - 20) defeated the Memphis Grizzlies (21 - 7) 97 - 91 on Monday at Fed Ex Forum Arena in Memphis. The Jazz secured a surprising victory over one of the best teams in the Western Conference on Monday. Despite turning the ball over eight more times than the Grizzlies, the Jazz were able to out - rebound them 49 - 34, which gave them just enough of an advantage to steal the victory on the road. The Jazz had four starters reach double figures in points in this one. Alec Burks led the team with 23 points (7 - 14 FG, 2 - 4 3Pt, 7 - 8 FT) and four assists. After struggling offensively with his shot in the past two outings, Burks was able to turn it around against the Grizzlies, and give them a a big boost in the win. Gordon Hayward was also a solid contributor, as he shot 7 - for - 12 from the field and 2 - for - 2 from the three - point line to score 21 points, while also adding four rebounds and four assists. He's now averaging 19 points and 5 rebounds on the year. Coming one rebound short of a double - double, Enes Kanter finished with 13 points and nine rebounds. He only had four points on Saturday, so it was good to see him get back on track. Also, coming off the bench, Rudy Gobert had a monster day on the boards, recording 16 rebounds despite scoring only two points. He was a big reason the Jazz took home the rebounding advantage. The Grizzlies got most of their production from Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, as both were able to get off 22 shots of their own. Gasol went 10 - for - 22 from the field to score 24 points, while also grabbing 12 rebounds. Continuing to show himself as one of the best centers in the league, it was Gasol's third straight double - double. Conley on the other hand went 12 - for - 22 from the field and 4 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score 28 points. It was good enough for his second highest scoring output of the season. The only other starter to have any sort of production was Courtney Lee, who despite going 0 - for - 7 from the three - point line, scored 13 points in 37 minutes. Vince Carter led the bench with 12 points (4 - 7 FG, 2 - 4 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) in 21 minutes. The Jazz's next game will be at home against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, while the Grizzlies will be at home against the Houston Rockets on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 22 Number of team assists ,has 7 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 22 Points in 1st quarter ,has 34 Rebounds ,has 21 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 20 Number of team assists ,has 97 Losses ,has 49 Total points ,has 9 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 4 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 21 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Enes Kanter') has 13 Assists ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Alec Burks') has 4 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ,has 7 Free throws made ,has 23 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 2 Assists ,has 16 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 1 Assists ,has 22 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 24 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Courtney Lee') has 7 Assists ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 6 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 22 3-pointers made ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 28 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Vince Carter') has 4 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 12 Free throws made ."]

The Minnesota Timberwolves (16 - 54) defeated the Utah Jazz (31 - 39) 106 - 104 on Monday at Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City. After Trey Burke hit two free throws to put the Utah Jazz up by three with just under 20 seconds left in the game, rookie guard Zach LaVine came back and hit a three - pointer for the Timberwolves to tie the game with just over 12 seconds left in regulation. Burke then had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but he missed a three - point shot and it went to overtime. While it was a close overtime battle, the Timberwolves were able to come out on top, securing the two - point victory on the road, something they've only done seven times this season. Including two three - pointers in the final 22 seconds of regulation that kept Minnesota in the game and some clutch free throws at the end of overtime, LaVine was the star for the Timberwolves Monday. He went 7 - for - 19 from the field and 5 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 27 points, while also posting four assists in 46 minutes. It was a career - high in points for the guard, who's now scored 20 points or more three times over his last five games. During that five - game stretch, he's averaging 15 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists as he's beginning to find his groove. Do n't overlook the performance from Andrew Wiggins though, who finished with 22 points (10 - 19 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt, 2 - 3 FT) of his own, to go along with seven rebounds and two steals. He's shot the ball well of late, going 50 percent or higher from the field in three out of his last four games. Coming off the bench, Chase Budinger added 15 points (4 - 13 FG, 4 - 8 3Pt, 3 - 3 FT) and five assists, while Sean Kilpatrick added a career - high of 13 points (4 - 7 FG, 3 - 4 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) in just his second NBA regular season game ever. With Gordon Hayward out due to a collarbone injury, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert did everything they could to keep the Jazz afloat. Each recorded a double - double, as Favors posted 19 points (8 - 13 FG, 3 - 7 FT) and 12 rebounds, while Gobert had 18 points (7 - 11 FG, 4 - 8 FT), 17 rebounds and six blocked shots. Favors has posted two double - doubles in a row now, combining for 40 points and 23 rebounds during that span. Starting for Hayward, Joe Ingles made the most of the start, going 7 - for - 10 from the field and 4 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score 18 points. It was a season - high in points for Ingles, who's only reached double - digit points in 10 games this season. Trey Burke really struggled with his shot off the bench, but still chipped in with 16 points (4 - 22 FG, 2 - 13 3Pt, 6 - 6 FT), six assists and four steals in 38 minutes. The Jazz's next game will be at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, while the Timberwolves will be at home against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.

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The Atlanta Hawks (24 - 8) defeated the Utah Jazz (11 - 22) 98 - 92 on Friday at Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City. Notching their third victory in a row, the Hawks were able to hold off a fourth quarter comeback attempt from the Jazz. The Hawks were the superior shooters in this one, going 41 percent from the field compared to the Jazz who went just 37 percent. Free throws were also a factor, as Atlanta went 26 - for - 30 from the line, while Utah went 18 - for - 24 from the line. With the superior shooting and the free throw advantage, the Hawks were able to secure a cross - conference road victory. The Hawks were led by Jeff Teague in this one. Teague went 9 - for - 17 from the field and 2 - for - 4 from the three - point line to finish with 26 points and eight assists. Over his last three outings, he's now averaging 25 points and 9 assists per game as the unquestioned offensive leader of this team. Paul Millsap also had a productive game despite going only 2 - for - 11 from the field. He scored 15 points, but most of it came from the free throw line where he went a perfect 10 - of - 10 on the night. Along with the 15 points, he added 11 rebounds, giving him his eigth double - double of the year. The other two Hawks to reach double figures in points were Al Horford and DeMarre Carroll, as they finished with 13 and 10 points respectively. Gordon Hayward had the biggest day for the Jazz. He went 6 - for - 14 from the field and 2 - for - 3 from the three - point line to have a team - high of 18 points. It was n't quite on par with his two previous games, where he recorded 26 and 22 points, but on a night where the team as a whole really struggled, it was the best that he could do. He's now averaging 19 points and 5 rebounds on the year. Rookie Dante Exum had one of his better offensive outings of the year. He had a career - high of 13 points (5 - 9 FG, 3 - 7 3Pt), while also chipping in two rebounds two assists and another career - high of three steals. He's only reached double figures in points four other times this season, so it was somewhat of a surprise performance. Enes Kanter and Rudy Gobert had 11 points each. The Hawks' next game will be on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, while the Jazz will travel to Minnesota to play the Timberwolves on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 22 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 11 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 8 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 24 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarre Carroll') has 2 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 11 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 15 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 2 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 8 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 17 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 26 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 2 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 18 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Enes Kanter') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dante Exum') has 2 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 11 Assists ."]

Philadelphia saw a surprisingly strong offensive night in Denver on Friday. The team hit 16 three - pointers and shot over 48 percent from three - point range. Center Joel Embiid scored 23 points and stuffed the stat sheet, recording six rebounds, five assists, two steals, and three blocks. Forward Ersan Ilyasova, meanwhile, led the team with 13 rebounds and had 23 points of his own. Forward Dario Saric posted a double - double off the bench, scoring 13 to go wtih 11 rebounds and five assists. Robert Covington scored 19, and point guard T.J. McConnell had 18 points and eight assists. Denver, on the other hand, shot a superior 47 percent from the field but did not match Philly's three - point output. Center Nikola Jokic led the way with 25 points, while point guard Emmanuel Mudiay had 22 points on 7 - of - 11 shooting. Gary Harris scored 17 along with four rebounds and four assists.

["PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ersan Ilyasova') has 23 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joel Embiid') has 5 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'T.J. McConnell') has 8 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dario Saric') has 5 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Jokic') has 25 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gary Harris') has 4 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Emmanuel Mudiay') has 11 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 22 Field goals attempted ."]

This was a potential playoff preview and it had a playoff atmosphere to it. In fact, there were six ties and 15 lead changes in total, with neither team leading by more than 11 points. Memphis actually led for the final 22 minutes, as they held San Antonio at bay in the second half. Three-point shooting was the only real advantage for Memphis, as they went 13 - of - 30 from long range, while the Spurs hit just 9 - of - 28. Kawhi Leonard led San Antonio in scoring, as he accrued 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists. LaMarcus Aldridge finished second on the team, collecting 21 points, nine rebounds and four assists. No other starter had more than four points, five rebounds or two assists. Mike Conley carried Memphis to victory, as he accumulated 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Marc Gasol finished with 16 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Zach Randolph led the bench with 18 points and seven rebounds.

["PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 3 Assists ,has 22 Points ,has 7 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 4 Assists ,has 21 Points ,has 9 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 7 Assists ,has 16 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 6 Assists ,has 19 Points ,has 7 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 18 Assists ,has 7 Points ."]

The Chicago Bulls (50 - 32) defeated the Atlanta Hawks (60 - 22) 91 - 85 on Wednesday. Derrick Rose played just ten minutes but the Bulls were able to take the regular season finale, in a game with lots of playoff implications. With the victory, Chicago was able to secure the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Toronto Raptors won earlier in the night, which put the Bulls in jeopardy of dropping to the fourth seed. However, that was not the case as they were able to beat the number one seeded Atlanta Hawks. Aaron Brooks stepped his game up with Rose still getting the rust off from his most recent knee injury. Brooks played 33 minutes and had 23 points, six rebounds, three assists and four steals. The Bulls will take on the sixth seeded Milwaukee Bucks (41 - 41) when the playoffs begin this weekend. The Hawks wrapped up the first seed long ago and had little to play for as the regular season wound down. Dennis Schroder was a spark plug off the bench. He scored 21 points in 17 minutes of 9 - of - 13 shooting from the field. Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll each played 27 minutes but other than that no Atlanta player saw the floor for more than 23 minutes. They ended the season on a three - game losing streak but were looking to stay healthy and rested for their up - coming playoff appearance as the first seed in the Eastern Conference.

["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 32 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 50 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 22 Losses ,has 85 Total points ,has 60 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarre Carroll') has 27 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 27 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dennis Schroder') has 13 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 17 Field goals made ,has 21 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Rose') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aaron Brooks') has 3 Assists ,has 33 Field goals attempted ,has 23 Field goals made ,has 6 Minutes played ,has 4 Points ."]

Mike Conley's horrid 3 - of - 14 shooting performance that led to 13 points Thursday against the Clippers was as uncharacteristic as it gets for the veteran point guard, especially when you consider what he was producing coming into Thursday's game. In the five games prior to Thursday's blowout, Conley was averaging 29 points per game, but most importantly, he was doing so at a very efficient rate, shooting 55 percent from the field in those five games. Not only did Conley's 13 points leave him well short of his recent average, but Thursday was the first time since Jan. 25 that the point guard shot under 30 percent from the field and it was his worst shooting performance since Dec. 8, when he hit just 3 - of - 16 shots from the field overall in a loss to the Jazz.

["PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 13 Points ."]

If it were not for the Nets bench Wednesday, the Celtics might have blown out Brooklyn. The four bench players who played at least 20 minutes for the Nets combined for 56 points and 19 rebounds. In contrast, the five bench players for the Celtics combined for just 40 points and 15 rebounds. Brook Lopez is Brooklyn's best player, but he tallied just seven points and five rebounds on 1 - for - 7 shooting in the loss. The 36 assists for the Celtics is a trend that is likely to continue, as they finished in the top five in the NBA in team assists last season and record more passes than almost any other team. The 44 three - point attempts for the Nets were a franchise record, topping their previous high of 40. These teams will square off again Nov. 23 at Brooklyn.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 36 Number of team assists ." "TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 44 Number of team assists ,has 23 Percentage of field goals ,has 44 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 7 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ."]

Triple-doubles are becoming the norm for Russell Westbrook, who now has two through three games. Sunday's 33 - point, 12 - rebound, 16 - assist outing was the 39th triple - double of Westbrook's career and his second straight. The Thunder point guard is now the first player ever to record 100 points, 30 rebounds, and 30 assists through the first three games of a season. The game comes on the heels of a historic night for Westbrook on Friday, in which the guard recorded the first 50 - point triple - double since 1975. There was a downside to Westbrook's night, however, as he turned the ball over seven times. It was a turnover - heavy night for both sides, with the Thunder coughing the ball up 19 times and the Lakers turning it over 21 times. The Lakers' starting five alone committed 11 TOs.

["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 19 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 19 Turnovers ,has 3 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 21 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 16 Assists ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 Personal fouls ,has 33 Points ,has 7 Turnovers ."]

Only three players scored in double digits for the Grizzlies, led by Mike Conley, who finished with 19 points, to go along with nine assists, two rebounds and one steal, in 35 minutes. Marc Gasol finished with 17 points, four rebounds, three steals and one assist, in 34 minutes, while Zach Randolph chipped in 13 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, two blocks and one assist, in 27 minutes off the bench. Chandler Parsons was limited to only 16 minutes, and finished with nine points on 3 - of - 4 shooting, including 2 - of - 3 from deep. Utah also only had three players score in double digits in this defense - oriented contest. Gordon Hayward led the way for the Jazz, with 22 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals, in 34 minutes. George Hill finished with 15 points, and Trey Lyles chipped in 11 off the bench.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 19 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 2 Assists ,has 34 3-pointers attempted ,has 22 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'George Hill') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trey Lyles') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chandler Parsons') has 3 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ,has 9 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 1 Assists ,has 34 3-pointers attempted ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 9 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 35 3-pointers made ,has 19 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 1 Assists ,has 27 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ."]

The Los Angeles Clippers (14 - 10) recorded the franchise's first ever win in Brooklyn on Saturday, defeating the Nets (7 - 16) by a score of 105 - 100. The Clippers, after getting off to a rocky start, have now won seven of their last nine games, and are quickly establishing position in the Western Conference playoff picture. All-Star power forward Blake Griffin once again came up big for the Clippers, tying for the team lead in points with 21 and also pulling down nine rebounds. With point guard Chris Paul having a slightly substandard year, largely due to being hampered by nagging injuries, Griffin has many saying that he has emerged as the face of the franchise. The superstar had a career year in 2013 - 14 when Paul missed time due to injury, finishing third in MVP voting. Now, the 26 - year - old looks as though he has elevated his game to a new level, as he is currently tied for his career high in scoring while having brought up his rebounding and percentages from last season. Brooklyn was also surging heading into Saturday's matchup. The previously struggling team had won four of their last six before facing off against the Clippers. Despite this stretch of strong play, the Nets (currently holders of the second - worst record in the East) still find themselves in a troubling spot, particularly as they do not own their own pick in the 2016 draft. Despite the loss, however, Brooklyn was able to keep the game close against the Western Conference contenders. The Nets were able to take a balanced approach on offense, as all five starters scored in the teens. Power forward Thaddeus Young shone once again, posting 18 points on 9 - 16 shooting to add to what has been an impressive season for the veteran. Young's shooting on the season sits at 53 percent, and his offense has been one of the bright spots of Brooklyn's 2015 - 16 campaign. The Clippers got the result they wanted in Brooklyn, and will now prepare to travel to Detroit to take on Andre Drummond and the Pistons on Sunday. Brooklyn, meanwhile, will be challenged by Orlando as they play host to the Magic this Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 16 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 7 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 10 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 14 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 21 Offensive rebounds ,has 9 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thaddeus Young') has 1 Offensive rebounds ,has 18 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ,has 1 Steals ."]

Brooklyn limited the Hornets to 39 and 27 percent success rates from the field and three - point range, respectively, but also battled back from a 54 - 37 halftime deficit to score 70 points in the second half. Ultimately, however, two clutch free throws by Marco Belinelli with six seconds remaining sealed the win for Charlotte. Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum supplied matching 17 - point efforts. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams managed 14 points apiece. Frank Kaminsky turned in a 12 - point, 11 - rebound double - double. Belinelli's 17 points led the bench, while Jeremy Lamb provided 16 points in 19 minutes. Bojan Bogdanovic's 22 points and his two three - pointers in the closing seconds kept things interesting. Brook Lopez registered 20 points, and Joe Harris' 12 points led the bench. Isaiah Whitehead submitted 11, while Trevor Booker posted a 10 - point, 12 - rebound double - double.

["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 27 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 22 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 20 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joe Harris') has 12 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Booker') has 11 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Minutes played ,has 12 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Whitehead') has 11 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Kidd-Gilchrist') has 14 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marvin Williams') has 14 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Frank Kaminsky') has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 17 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 17 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeremy Lamb') has 19 Defensive rebounds ,has 16 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marco Belinelli') has 17 Defensive rebounds ."]

The Los Angeles Clippers saw strong play to overcome a stellar night from the Knicks on Wednesday. Center DeAndre Jordan recorded a career - high 28 points on 11 - of - 13 shooting to go along with a team - high 15 rebounds on the night. Superstar Blake Griffin, meanwhile, scored 32 points and dished out five assists. Off the bench, sixth man Jamal Crawford scored 20. The team shot 49 percent from the field as a whole and hit 10 three - pointers. The Knicks, on the other hand, shot 50 percent but just 29 percent from beyond the arc, good for eight three - pointers. Veteran Carmelo Anthony led the team with 28 points, while sophomore phenom Kristaps Porzingis added another 27 on 10 - of - 19 shooting. Four starters finished with at least 18 points, but the bench proved to be the Knicks' downfall, as no member of the second unit scored more than five points on the night.

["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 50 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 5 Assists ,has 32 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 28 Assists ,has 15 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Crawford') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Carmelo Anthony') has 28 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kristaps Porzingis') has 19 Assists ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 27 Field goals made ,has 27 Minutes played ."]

The Los Angeles Clippers (36 - 18) defeated the San Antonio Spurs (45 - 9) 105 - 86 in a grinder of a game on Thursday night. Both teams came into this game with a lengthy lay - off and it was evident by their play. The two teams combined for just 76 points in the first half on 40 percent shooting. In fact, the 34 - point first half for the Spurs was their lowest - scoring half of the season. It was the rebounding that won the game for the Clippers, as they snatched down 45 boards to the Spurs 33. Los Angeles finished the game shooting 50 percent, with the Spurs shooting just 42 percent on their end. The Spurs had to play this game without their only 2015 - 16 All-Star and it was clear they missed him. Kawhi Leonard had to miss the game with a calf injury and no one stepped up in his absence. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 10 points, shooting just 3 - for - 12 from the field. Tony Parker led the team with 14 points and dished out four assists in the defeat. San Antonio has a short turnaround, as they play the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday in a back - to - back set. The Clippers played one of their best defensive games of the season in a statement win. Chris Paul had a huge night, as he finished the game with 28 points, 12 assists and five rebounds, with 24 of those points coming in the second half. DeAndre Jordan controlled the rebounding, as he snatched down 17 rebounds in the victory. Jamal Crawford continued his good play off the bench, as he totaled 19 points and six assists in the win. Up next for the Clippers is a rivalry game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 18 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 33 Points in 4th quarter ,has 45 Rebounds ,has 36 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 9 Losses ,has 86 Total points ,has 33 Points in 4th quarter ,has 45 Rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 12 Assists ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tony Parker') has 4 Assists ,has 14 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 12 Assists ,has 28 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Crawford') has 6 Assists ,has 19 Field goals attempted ."]

All five starters scored in double digits for the Timberwolves, led by Zach LaVine who finished with 24 points on 10 - of - 21 shooting, and added nine rebounds, four assists and one steal, in 38 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 18 points and 15 rebounds, in 41 minutes, as he went only 5 - of - 13 from the field. Andrew Wiggins shot 6 - of - 19 on his way to 16 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists, in 38 minutes. Five players only combined for 11 points off Minnesota's bench. Meanwhile, The Jazz also had five players score in double digits, as George Hill led the way with 19 points, along with seven assists and five rebounds, in 33 minutes. Gordon Hayward followed up with 16 points but struggled, shooting 4 - of - 13 from the field. Rudy Gobert was solid in the paint, as he finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks, in 31 minutes.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 24 Points in 1st quarter ,has 24 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 13 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 16 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 4 Assists ,has 31 Blocks ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'George Hill') has 7 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 33 Field goals attempted ,has 19 Field goals made ,has 5 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 4 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 38 Field goals made ,has 16 Minutes played ,has 5 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 13 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 41 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ,has 15 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach LaVine') has 4 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 38 Field goals made ,has 24 Minutes played ,has 9 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the host Utah Jazz, 102 - 95, at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Saturday. In a battle between two of the best defenses in the NBA, this game was tight throughout. Despite there being just two ties and seven lead changes, neither team led by more than 12 points. The Grizzlies did their most damage in the second quarter, winning that quarter, 26 - 16. Memphis had one of their best shooting games of the season, hitting 51 percent from the field, 90 percent from the free - throw line and 42 percent from three - point range. The turnover differential was big for the Grizzlies, as they won that battle, 13 - 7. The Grizzlies (28 - 20) have struggled on offense all season long, but a 102 - point outing against the Utah Jazz is just what the doctor ordered. Zach Randolph was the catalyst, as he scored a season - high 28 points off the bench, while also grabbing nine boards. Mike Conley led the starters in scoring, tallying 23 points, three rebounds and three assists. Marc Gasol was the only other Memphis player in double figures, as he accumulated 18 points, four rebounds and five assists. The Grizzlies will be on the road for their next game on Monday against the Phoenix Suns. The Jazz (30 - 19) did have five players score at least 14 points, but the other five players combined for just 15 points in total. Rodney Hood led the team in scoring, as he dropped 20 points, with very little else to his name. Gordon Hayward went just 4 - of - 13 from the field, but accrued 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Rudy Gobert totaled 15 points and nine rebounds, while George Hill collected 16 points, three rebounds and five assists. Alec Burks led the bench in scoring, dropping 15 points on 4 - of - 5 from the field. Utah will return to action on Tuesday in a home matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 19 Percentage of 3 points ,has 95 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ,has 13 Total points ,has 30 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 42 Percentage of 3 points ,has 51 Percentage of field goals ,has 102 Losses ,has 26 Total points ,has 7 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 5 Assists ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 3 Assists ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 28 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 5 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 14 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rodney Hood') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'George Hill') has 5 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Alec Burks') has 5 Assists ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ."]

The Atlanta Hawks (8 - 4) defeated the Washington Wizards (6 - 4) 94 - 91 in Game 6 of their second - round playoff series on Friday in Washington and have won the series 4 - 2. While it appeared as though the Hawks were about to run away with it, boasting a double - digit lead early in the fourth quarter, the Wizards established they weren’t going to go down without a fight. After storming back to tie the game late, it was a battle till the bitter end. Down three, Washington had one final possession to tie the game and send it into overtime. Paul Pierce got the ball on the wing, dribbled to the corner and hoisted up a desperation three. It went in, and after the Wizards thought they had extended their season, further review showed that Pierce did not get off the shot in time, giving Atlanta the victory. DeMarre Carroll led the way for the Hawks, posting a team - high 25 points (9 - 14 FG, 3 - 5 3Pt) and grabbing 10 rebounds in 37 minutes. Paul Milsap was close behind, posting a double - double of his own of 20 points (7 - 20 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt) and 13 rebounds in 40 minutes. Jeff Teague was able to add 20 points of his own to go along with five rebounds and seven assists in 36 minutes. Al Horford (13) was the only other Atlanta player to score in double figures, while Kyle Korver continues to struggle in the playoffs, going 1 - of - 8 from the field and 0 - of - 7 from behind the arc and finishing with just two points in 40 minutes. After two days rest, it was clear that head coach Mike Budenholzer dominantly played his starters in an effort to close out the series while they had the chance, seeing as though their bench in total scored just 14 points, and it paid off. Now, Atlanta will head back home and begin their Eastern Conference Finals series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. As for Washington, they were led by Bradley Beal, who had been consistently great throughout the playoffs. Beal finished with 29 points (11 - 24 FG, 3 - 8 3Pt), six rebounds and three assists in 43 minutes. John Wall appeared to have put the injury bug behind him for good, as he played a game - high 44 minutes and recorded 20 points (7 - 21 FG), six rebounds and 13 assists in that time. However, the efforts of Beal and Wall were simply not enough, as the rest of the Wizards’ starters combined to score just 11 points and Kevin Seraphin was the only other player to score in double figures, posting 13 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench.

["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 91 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 2 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 4 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarre Carroll') has 5 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 37 Field goals attempted ,has 25 Field goals made ,has 10 Field goal percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Korver') has 2 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ,has 40 Field goal percentage ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 7 Assists ,has 36 Blocks ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 3 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 24 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 43 Field goals made ,has 29 Field goal percentage ,has 6 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 13 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 44 3-pointers made ,has 20 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Seraphin') has 28 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ."]

The San Antonio Spurs (36 - 6) defeated the Dallas Mavericks (23 - 19) 112 - 83 on Sunday. San Antonio has been flying slightly under the radar all season due to the remarkable success of the Golden State Warriors in their very same conference. However, the gap between the two teams continues to close, with the Warriors beginning to amass a few losses and the Spurs upping their already impressive level of play even further. With Sunday's dominating win, San Antonio is now 240 at home, and have a franchise - record 11 victories by a margin of 25 points or greater. They suffocated Dallas over the last three quarters, outscoring them by a margin of 98 - 67 over that span. Additionally, they held the visitors to a mediocre 36 shooting percentage from the field, and an abysmal 26 percent from beyond the arc. Tellingly, the high score for Dallas on the night was a modest 15 points, and came from a bench player, Dwight Powell. The reserve forward added a pair of rebounds and a block to his stat line. Wesley Matthews paced the starters with 12 points, and supplemented it with a rebound and an assist. Deron Williams produced eight points, five rebounds and three assists. Chandler Parsons and Zaza Pachulia could only contribute a pair of five - point efforts, with the former also hauling in four boards, an assist and a pair of steals, and the latter pitching in with seven rebounds, an assist and a steal. Dirk Nowitzki rounded out a forgettable night for the starting five with his worst performance of the season, a four - point, five - rebound, three - assist effort that featured a 2 - for - 10 tally from the floor. The Mavericks fell to 23 - 19 and are currently tied for second place with Memphis in the Western Conference's Southwest Division. They remain home to face the Boston Celtics on Monday. San Antonio was led by LaMarcus Aldridge's 23 points, which he complemented with seven rebounds, an assist and a block. Kawhi Leonard was next in line with 15 points, four rebounds, an assist and a pair of steals. With the comfortable lead, the rest of the starters were able to play an abbreviated amount of minutes. However, Tony Parker did n't exit the game by choice, as lingering hip soreness sent him to the bench after 25 minutes on the court. The veteran point guard managed only two points, but did dish out seven assists, five rebounds and two steals during his time on the floor. Boris Diaw paced the Spurs bench with 16 points, three assists, three rebounds and a steal over a highly efficient 16 minutes. Rookie shooting guard Jonathon Simmons was also impressive in a reserve role, tallying 14 points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal over 15 minutes. The Spurs improved to 36 - 6 and remain atop the Western Conference's Southwest Division. They are off until Thursday, when they square off against the Suns in Phoenix.

["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 6 Percentage of 3 points ,has 112 Percentage of field goals ,has 36 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 26 Percentage of 3 points ,has 36 Percentage of field goals ,has 19 Losses ,has 83 Total points ,has 23 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chandler Parsons') has 1 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 3 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 5 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zaza Pachulia') has 1 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wesley Matthews') has 1 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Deron Williams') has 3 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Powell') has 1 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 1 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 23 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tony Parker') has 7 Assists ,has 25 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Boris Diaw') has 3 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 16 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonathon Simmons') has 2 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 14 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 Field goals attempted ."]

The visiting Dallas Mavericks upset the powerhouse Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, 90 - 88. Dallas (9 - 21) has now won four of its last seven games after a horrendous start to the season that had seated them at last in the Western Conference. On Friday, the team saw the return of star forward Dirk Nowitzki (Achilles). Despite only playing 15 minutes, Nowitzki was a difference - maker for the Mavs, scoring 17 points on 7 - of - 12 shooting. Forward Harrison Barnes, meanwhile, led the team with 24 points. The Mavericks played tough defense, forcing 20 Clippers turnovers on the night. Los Angeles (22 - 9) defeated the San Antonio Spurs in a major win on Thursday, but saw a fourth quarter collapse against the Mavericks. Despite leading by as much as eight early in the fourth, the Clippers walked away with a loss at the end of the day. LA is missing star forward Blake Griffin, who recently underwent surgery and is expected to be sidelined until mid - January. Griffin's absence was felt, as the Clippers' starting five combined for just 34 points. Sixth man Jamal Crawford led the team with 26 off the bench. The Clippers will play the Lakers on Christmas Day.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 88 Losses ,has 20 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 21 Losses ,has 90 Total points ,has 9 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 24 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 15 Minutes played ,has 17 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Crawford') has 26 Field goals attempted ."]

Tuesday's game was won on the team's bench production, or lack thereof in the Spurs' case. While San Antonio got plenty of production from its two stars, with LeMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard combining for 51 points on 18 - of - 34 shooting form the field, the rest of the team was unable to provide any assistance whatsoever. The rest of the three Spurs starters combined for just 16 points, while their bench managed a disappointing 24 points of production. Besides Aldridge and Leonard, San Antonio managed to shoot just 15 - of - 42 (36 percent) from the field. Conversely, the Jazz got great production from their bench with three of their five starters unable to reach double figures. Led by Trey Lyles and Shelvin Mack, Utah recorded 45 points from just five players, which ultimately made up for Derrick Favors, Joe Johnson and Rudy Gobert combining to score just 20 points on the night.

["PlayerStat(G,'Joe Johnson') has 5 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 2 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 Steals ."]

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson engaged in an entertaining nip - and - tuck battle with Derrick Rose and Kristaps Porzingis, as the dynamic duos combined for 60 and 53 points, respectively. Golden State lost the rebound battle by a 47 - 35 margin, but New York committed 15 turnovers to the Warriors' eight. Curry led the way with a game - high 31 points and Thompson followed with 29. Draymond Green filled out the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. Zaza Pachulia provided 10 points. Rose paced the Knicks with 28 points on 9 - of - 18 shooting. Porzingis compiled a 24 - point, 15 - rebound double - double. Carmelo Anthony turned in a rather modest 15 points. Lance Thomas went scoreless over 27 minutes but supplied seven boards and two assists. Justin Holiday led the bench with 10 points.

["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 47 Rebounds ,has 15 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 35 Rebounds ,has 8 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zaza Pachulia') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 31 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 29 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Carmelo Anthony') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lance Thomas') has 2 Assists ,has 27 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kristaps Porzingis') has 24 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Rose') has 18 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 28 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Justin Holiday') has 10 Assists ."]

These teams always play each other competitively, as this was the first time in their last four meetings that it did n't take overtime to determine a winner. Defense was key for New Orleans, as they held Memphis to 37 percent from the field and 18 percent from three - point range. Solomon Hill led the Pelicans in scoring, as he tallied 23 points, five rebounds and two steals on 8 - of - 11 shooting. Jrue Holiday was their best player, as he accumulated 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Alexis Ajinca got a rare start and totaled 12 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Mike Conley led the way for Memphis, as he amassed 17 points and four assists. Mark Gasol flirted with a triple - double, as he collected 15 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Zach Randolph led the bench with 16 points and nine rebounds.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 18 Percentage of 3 points ,has 37 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Solomon Hill') has 11 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Alexis Ajinca') has 2 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 7 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 9 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 12 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 4 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 16 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ."]

The Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers, 105 - 99, to even the Eastern Conference finals in Game 4 on Monday at Air Canada Center. The Toronto backcourt has consistently been the make - or - break factor for their success throughout the playoffs, and both Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan saved their best basketball of the playoffs for the important Game 4 of the series. The Raptors evened the series at two game apiece after falling behind to Cleveland, who took the first two games at Quicken Loans Arena, behind Lowry's leadership and DeRozan's ability to nail some extremely difficult runners, floaters and created shots off the dribble. Toronto stormed out to a double digit halftime lead after taking advantage of a pivotal second quarter that showcased hounding defense from Dwane Casey's group. The second half saw the Cavaliers make a valiant comeback, as the Raptors gave up an 18 - point lead. It started with Channing Frye, who got the hot hand from behind the arc, and followed with tremendous pick - and - roll play from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Richard Jefferson found himself wide open lanes to the rim and was on the receiving end of many James assists, which eventually tied the game midway through the fourth quarter. Offensive rebounding proved to be the difference down the stretch, and Bismack Biyombo's prowess on both ends of the floor helped the Raptors close out the game after taking a 103 - 99 lead with just less than 30 seconds remaining. Lowry iced the game with a driving layup with 22 seconds left in regulation. Lowry finished with 35 points on 14 - of - 20 shooting, to go along with five rebounds, five assists and three steals, while DeRozan added 32 points on 14 - of - 23 shooting. DeMarre Carrol was the only other Raptors player in double - figures and contributed 11 points on a rough 1 - of - 7 shooting from the three - point line. Biyombo added five points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots. James led all Cavaliers scorers with 29 points, in addition to nine rebounds, six assists and two steals, while Irving contributed 26 points, three boards and six dimes. J.R. Smith looked to get hot from behind the arc, but but managed just nine points on 11 three - point attempts. Frye helped Cleveland climb back into the game in the second half with 12 points on 50 percent three - point shooting. Game 5 moves back to Cleveland on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 2 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 30 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 2 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 2 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 2 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 6 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 29 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 2 3-pointer percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'JR Smith') has 11 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 6 Assists ,has 26 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Channing Frye') has 50 Assists ,has 50 Blocks ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarre Carroll') has 7 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 11 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bismack Biyombo') has 3 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 14 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 23 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 32 3-pointer percentage ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 5 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 4 3-pointer percentage ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 35 Field goals made ,has 5 Field goal percentage ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ."]

LeBron James passed Dominique Wilkins to become the 12th highest scoring player in NBA history as the Cleveland Cavaliers (53 - 22) defeated the visiting Brooklyn Nets (21 - 54) 107 - 87, Thursday evening at Quicken Loans Arena. James was back in the line up after sitting out last game and made sure the Cavs did not suffer back - to - back home losses as he led all scorers. After four lead changes in the first quarter the Cavs turned on the jets, out - scoring Brooklyn 27 - 6 to close out the first half. Cleveland cruised the rest of the way to a 20 - point victory. Cavs sit 3 games ahead of the second - place Toronto Raptors with seven games remaining, including four on the road. LeBron finished with 24 points (8 - 11 FG, 8 - 10 FT), 11 assists, four rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot, to lead the Cavs in 31 minutes of action. Kevin Love followed up with a solid 19 points (6 - 10 FG, 4 - 8 3Pt, 3 - 4 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal, in 25 minutes. Channing Frye chipped in 13 points, eight rebounds and two assists, while Kyrie Irving and Timofey Mozgov added 10 points each. Cleveland shot only 44 percent from the field and gave up 17 turnovers but rebounded and assisted well, to earn their 31st home victory. The Nets were held to only 37 percent shooting from the field, including 4 - 21 from long range, as they were stifled by the Cavs. Thaddeus Young led Brooklyn in scoring with 18 points, along with eight rebounds and one steal, in 28 minutes, after sitting out last game to rest. Bojan Bogdanovic added 14 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Shane Larkin added 13 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals. Brooklyn was missing Brook Lopez, who sat this one out to rest. The Nets will be right back in action as they visit their cross - town rivals, the Knicks, on Friday at Madison Square Garden. The Cavaliers will be in Atlanta Friday to play the third - place Hawks.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 44 Percentage of field goals ,has 22 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 17 Turnovers ,has 53 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 54 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 21 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 3 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thaddeus Young') has 28 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Shane Larkin') has 8 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 11 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 31 Free throws attempted ,has 24 Free throws made ,has 4 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 25 Minutes played ,has 19 Points ,has 10 Total rebounds ,has 1 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Timofey Mozgov') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Channing Frye') has 2 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ."]

The Golden State Warriors (200) defeated the Charlotte Hornets (10 - 8) 116 - 99 on Wednesday at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte. As audiences have become accustomed to so far this NBA season, the Warriors again put on another offensive clinic. As a team, they shot an impressive 52 percent from the field and 47 percent from the three - point line, while the Hornets finished at just 37 percent from the floor and a meager 29 percent from deep. The Hornets forced the Warriors into a whopping 21 turnovers, but could n't get their shots to fall offensively and ended up taking a 17 - point loss in front of their home crowd Wednesday. It was the Stephen Curry show for the Warriors.Curry was nearly perfect with his shot, ending the night with a game - high of 40 points (14 - 18 FG, 8 - 11 3Pt, 4 - 4 FT), while also adding three rebounds and five assists. The sixth - year, reigning MVP is moving at an unbelievable pace behind the arc so far this season and has currently shot 50 percent or higher in four straight games. He's now averaging 32 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists on the year. Curry did n't do it alone, though, as Klay Thompson added 21 points (8 - 18 FG, 4 - 10 3Pt, 1 - 2 FT) and three rebounds over 29 minutes. Thompson has picked up his production of late as well, combining for 41 points and eight rebounds over his last two games. Draymond Green struggled offensively with just four points (2 - 9 FG, 0 - 4 3Pt, 0 - 2 FT), but did a little bit of everything else with 11 rebounds, nine assists and three blocked shots. His 11 rebounds helped the Warriors secure a 53 - 41 advantage as a team on the boards. Nicolas Batum was the only Hornets' starter to get anything going. Batum went off for a team - high of 17 points (6 - 15 FG, 1 - 6 3Pt, 4 - 5 FT), to go along with eight rebounds and three steals. Batum has hit just 5 - of - 21 three - point attempts over his last three games, so his 1 - for - 6 showing Wednesday did n't give any indication of him turning things around. Jeremy Lamb, Frank Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes all reached double figures in points off the bench. Kaminsky, the rookie out of Wisconsin, led the group with 16 points, while shooting an efficient 5 - for - 8 from the field and 3 - for - 3 from beyond the arc. It was arguably the best game of his young career, with the 18 points registering as a new career - high. Lamb added 13 points (5 - 13 FG, 2 - 5 3Pt, 1 - 2 FT) and four rebounds, while Hawes recorded 12 points (5 - 9 FG, 0 - 2 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) and five rebounds. The Warriors' next game will be on the road against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, while the Hornets will travel to Chicago to play the Bulls on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 29 Percentage of 3 points ,has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 8 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 41 Rebounds ,has 10 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 116 Losses ,has 53 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 9 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 0 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 0 Free throws made ,has 4 Minutes played ,has 11 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 10 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 18 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 29 Free throws attempted ,has 21 Free throws made ,has 3 Minutes played ,has 2 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 5 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 40 Minutes played ,has 3 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 3 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 15 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 17 Free throws made ,has 8 Minutes played ,has 3 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeremy Lamb') has 5 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 13 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Frank Kaminsky') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 16 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Spencer Hawes') has 2 Assists ,has 0 Blocks ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 12 Free throws attempted ,has 5 Free throws made ."]

The Oklahoma City Thunder (25 - 11) defeated the Memphis Grizzlies (19 - 18) 112 - 94 at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Wednesday. Memphis was without point guard Mike Conley (achilles), who added an achilles injury to an already banged up lower back and watched from the sideline, as his team was outpaced by Oklahoma City the entire evening. The Grizzlies staple is their defense, and they played strong throughout December allowing just over 92 points per game, but this was not the case against the Thunder, who found defensive breakdowns and favorable matchups right out of the gate. An offensive spark was provided from Mario Chalmers off the bench, who contributed 23 points on 8 - of - 19 shooting, to lead all Grizzlies in scoring. Zach Randolph was reserved to the bench and added 12 points and six rebounds, a less effective performance in comparison to his double - double against the Blazers on Monday. Marc Gasol finished with a lowly eight points on 2 - of - 11 shooting in 24 minutes. When Gasol scores less than 15 points, the Grizzlies struggle to find ways to win games. With the loss, Memphis falls to 6 - 14 against teams above .500 in 2015 - 2016. The Memphis Grizzlies will look to bounce back when they host the Denver Nuggets (12 - 23) on Friday. The Oklahoma City Thunder entered Wednesday with a transition heavy gameplan led by the blinding speed and athleticism of Russell Westbrook. Combine the all star guard with Kevin Durant (toe) back in the lineup, and the Grizzlies were simply outmatched on both ends of the floor. The Thunder are coming off a bad loss to the Kings as double - digit favorites on Monday, but bounced back in emphatic fashion behind Durant, who finished with 26 points, 17 rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block on 9 - of - 18 shooting, while Westbrook poured in 20 points of his own, to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists. As a unit, the Thunder shot 46 percent from the floor and 47 percent from behind the arc, and although they turned the ball over 16 times (compared to the Grizzlies eight turnovers), their ability to score and work the shot clock resulted in a blowout home win, especially at the rim. Dion Waiters added 15 points in 31 minutes off the bench and was pivotal in extending a quick first quarter lead. The Thunder will look to continue to compete for a top spot in the Western Conference when they visit the Los Angeles Lakers (8 - 28) on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 46 Percentage of field goals ,has 11 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 25 Points in 1st quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 18 Percentage of 3 points ,has 94 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ,has 8 Total points ,has 19 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 11 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 24 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 12 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mario Chalmers') has 19 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 23 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 26 Minutes played ,has 17 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 7 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dion Waiters') has 31 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ."]

The Houston Rockets defeated the host Memphis Grizzlies, 119 - 95, at FedEx Forum on Saturday. It's rare to see Memphis dominated in their home building, but that was just the case here in this near wire - to - wire win for Houston. The Rockets actually led by 10 after the first quarter and never relinquished the lead from there. Shooting was the difference in the game, with the Rockets shooting 51 percent, while they held the Grizzlies to just 37 percent. The assist - to - turnover ratio was decisive as well, with the two teams matching in turnovers, while Houston won the assist battle, 27 - 19. Defensive rebounding was dominant for the Rockets as well, as they snatched down 40 defensive boards to Memphis' 27. The Rockets (34 - 13) have been stifling teams with their rocket launcher mentality and dominating wins over teams like the Grizzlies show just how good they've become. James Harden was once again the catalyst, accumulating 29 points, six rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and two blocks. Sam Dekker got his first start and dropped a career - high 30 points on 12 - of - 19 shooting. No other starter scored in double figures, but Eric Gordon led the bench with 21 points, three rebounds and five assists. The Rockets will play the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday for their next game. The Grizzlies (26 - 20) live and die by their defense and they simply did n't have enough to stop this potent Rockets attack in this blowout loss. Marc Gasol did all he could for Memphis, leading the team with 32 points, five rebounds, two steals and three blocks. Mike Conley was second on the team, finishing with 15 points, four rebounds and six assists. The bench really struggled, as the six bench players combined to go 8 - of - 29 from the field. The Grizzlies will be off until Wednesday, when they host the Toronto Raptors for their next matchup.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 19 Number of team assists ,has 27 Percentage of 3 points ,has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 20 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 27 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 26 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 27 Number of team assists ,has 51 Percentage of 3 points ,has 13 Percentage of field goals ,has 119 Losses ,has 34 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sam Dekker') has 19 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 30 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 10 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 29 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 5 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 3 Assists ,has 32 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 6 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ."]

Despite Orlando leading for over 90 percent of this game, Washington was able to prevail in this comeback win. In fact, Washington's largest lead was just two points, as they had to outscore Orlando by 17 in the second half to win by one. Shooting was key, with the Wizards hitting 54 percent of their three - pointers and 92 percent of their free - throws. Terrence Ross led Orlando with 20 points, four rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Bismack Biyombo got the start at center and totaled 14 points and 15 rebounds. Aaron Gordon recorded 15 points and 11 rebounds en route to a double - double. Bradley Beal carried Washington, as he contributed 32 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals. John Wall collected 19 points, six rebounds and 10 assists. Bojan Bogdanovic was huge off the bench, providing 27 points on 8 - of - 10 from long distance.

["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 54 Percentage of 3 points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Terrence Ross') has 2 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aaron Gordon') has 15 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bismack Biyombo') has 14 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 4 Assists ,has 32 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 10 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 10 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 27 3-pointers attempted ."]

The San Antonio Spurs blew out the host Golden State Warriors, 129 - 100, on Tuesday night at Oracle Arena. Some wondered if the Warriors (0 - 1) could possibly go undefeated with this superstar team, but that notion ended on opening night. The Spurs (10) controlled from start to finish, as they won all four quarters and led by double - digits for the majority of the game. In addition, they outrebounded the Warriors 54 - 35 in their dominating win. Bench production was huge as well, as the Spurs dropped 54 bench points, while holding Golden State to just 16 points off their pine. Kawhi Leonard was the star, as he scored a career - high 35 points, while going 15 - for - 15 from the free - throw line. He also provided defense in the victory, as he grabbed five rebounds and took away five steals. LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 26 points and 14 rebounds of his own. The three other starters combined for just 14 points, while Jonathon Simmons was third on the team with 20 points off the bench. This was Kevin Durant's first game in a Golden State uniform and he didnt disappoint, as he collected 27 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and a pair of blocks and steals in the defeat. Stephen Curry wasnt shabby either, as he provided 26 points and four assists of his own. Draymond Green stuffed the stat sheet once again, tallying 18 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and five steals in the loss. Other than Klay Thompson's 11 points, not one of the other nine Warriors who played scored more than five points. Golden State is off until Friday, when they travel to play the New Orleans Pelicans. The Spurs play again on Thursday, as they face the host Sacramento Kings.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 1 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 0 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 129 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 15 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 35 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 5 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 26 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonathon Simmons') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 20 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 27 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 6 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 11 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 4 Assists ,has 26 Blocks ."]

The Jazz have struggled on offense all season, but this was easily their best showing of the 2016 - 17 campaign. In fact, Utah shot 61 percent from the field and recorded 31 assists. It was a wire - to - wire win for the Jazz, as they led by double - digits for the majority of the game. Gordon Hayward was the player of the game, as he tallied 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Derrick Favors went 10 - of - 12 from the field to total 20 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. George Hill finished with 22 points, four rebounds and eight assists. Dennis Schroder led the Hawks in scoring, as he amassed 21 points, two rebounds and two assists. Paul Millsap and Tim Hardaway Jr. tied for second on the team in scoring, dropping 14 points and three assists apiece.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 21 Number of team assists ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 31 Number of team assists ,has 61 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 5 Assists ,has 30 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Favors') has 2 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 20 Field goals made ,has 10 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'George Hill') has 8 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Hardaway Jr.') has 3 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 3 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dennis Schroder') has 2 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 2 Field goals attempted ."]

Paul George's 26 point - effort paced Indiana, which managed what was only their fourth road victory of the season. All five members of the starting five posted double - digit scoring, and the Pacers shot 48 percent overall, while holding the Pistons to sub - 40 percent success rates from the field and three - point range. Jeff Teague had 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. Myles Turner tallied 10 points and five boards, while C.J. Miles matched his scoring total from the bench. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's 20 points paced Detroit. Reggie Jackson's 19 - point, 10 - assist double - double represented his best contribution of the season. Tobias Harris posted 13 points, while Andre Drummond hauled in 15 boards.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 48 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 26 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thaddeus Young') has 12 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Myles Turner') has 10 Assists ,has 5 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Glenn Robinson III') has 12 Assists ,has 12 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 8 Assists ,has 19 Points ,has 9 Total rebounds ,has 2 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 13 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kentavious Caldwell-Pope') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 10 Assists ,has 19 Points ."]

The host Indiana Pacers held off the Philadelphia 76ers for a 122 - 115 overtime win at Banker Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday. The Pacers came into this game as a double - digit favorite, but narrowly pulled out a win against the winless Sixers. It was tight throughout, as there were 15 lead changes and seven ties. Shooting was key for the Pacers, as they outshot the Sixers from the field, from three - point range and from the free - throw line. Indiana actually shot 54 percent from the field and 47 percent from long distance. The Pacers also won the turnover battle and scored more points in the paint than the Sixers. Philadelphia (0 - 7) has yet to get a win, but they showed some fight here as a bug underdog. Dario Saric had the best game of his young career, as he double - doubled in a 14 - point, 12 - rebound outing. Robert Covington led the team in scoring, as he scored a season - high 23 points on 8 - of - 16 shooting. Gerald Henderson provided 17 points and five rebounds of his own. Hollis Thompson was a great spark off the bench, scoring 19 points on 7 - of - 12 shooting. Indiana (4 - 4) is now a perfect 40 at home, but this one was far from easy. Jeff Teague had his best game in a Pacer uniform, as he led the team with 30 points and nine assists. Paul George was n't far behind, as he accumulated 28 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Myles Turner was the only other starter in double figures, as he totaled 15 points and nine rebounds. Al Jefferson led the bench, as he dropped 18 points and six rebounds on 9 - of - 12 shooting. These two teams have a rematch for their next game as they play in Philly on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 54 Percentage of field goals ,has 4 Losses ,has 122 Total points ,has 4 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 7 Percentage of 3 points ,has 115 Percentage of field goals ,has 0 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 16 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 23 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dario Saric') has 14 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gerald Henderson') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hollis Thompson') has 12 Assists ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 19 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 3 Assists ,has 28 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Myles Turner') has 15 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 9 Assists ,has 30 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Jefferson') has 12 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ."]

The Golden State Warriors (72 - 9) defeated the host San Antonio Spurs (65 - 15) on Sunday, 92 - 86, tying the 1995 - 96 Chicago Bulls for the NBA single - season record for wins at 72. The Warriors have one game remaining, against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, to pass the Bulls and set the all - time mark. Golden State set another NBA record with its 34th road win of the season, while spoiling San Antonio's bid to become the first team in league history to finish a season perfect at home. The Warriors also ended a 33 - game losing streak at San Antonio, where they had not won since 1997. Stephen Curry led the way for the Warriors by pouring in 37 points (13 - 22 FG, 4 - 9 3Pt, 7 - 7 FT), along with five assists, five rebounds and two steals, in 35 minutes. Only two other players scored more than nine points for the Warriors, including Klay Thompson who chipped in 17 points and Draymond Green who added 11. The Warriors shot 44 percent from the field, while they managed to hold the Spurs to only 38 percent shooting. The Spurs struggled shooting the ball in this one, with the exception of LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard, who were the only players to score more than nine points for the Spurs. Aldridge finished with a team - high 24 points, along with 10 rebounds, in 33 minutes. Leonard also had a double - double, with 20 points and 13 rebounds, along with five assists, three blocked shots and two steals, in 39 minutes. No other player took more than eight shot attempts for the Spurs, who were out - played by a very determined Golden State squad. The Spurs wrap up their regular season Tuesday against the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder.

["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 38 Percentage of field goals ,has 15 Losses ,has 86 Total points ,has 65 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 44 Percentage of field goals ,has 9 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 72 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 5 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 22 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 7 Free throws attempted ,has 35 Free throws made ,has 37 Minutes played ,has 5 Personal fouls ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 5 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 39 3-pointers attempted ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 33 3-pointers attempted ,has 24 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ."]

The San Antonio Spurs dominated the second half in order to rally back and defeat the visiting Portland Trail Blazers 110 - 94, at AT & T center on Friday evening. The Spurs outscored the Blazers 63 - 42 in the second half to completely nullify the five - point deficit that they had faced at half time, and earn their fourth straight win. The Spurs (27 - 6) were without Kawhi Leonard for the second straight game as he remained sideline with an illness. However, Jonathon Simmons stepped up to lead San Antonio in scoring with 19 points, in 30 minutes off the bench. Four other players scored in double digits for the Spurs, including Tony Parker and Danny Green, who finished with 18 points each. The Spurs gave up an uncharacteristic 17 turnovers, including nine in the first quarter alone, but were able to make up for it by shooting 50 percent from the field, including hitting 11 - of - 22 from long range. The Spurs move to 11 - 4 at home, as they went 30 on their three - game home stand. They now look ahead to a contest in Atlanta on Sunday. The Blazers (14 - 21) were also without a star player, as Damian Lillard missed his third straight game with a sprained ankle. Meanwhile, C.J. McCollum led the way in scoring for the Blazers for the fourth game in a row, as he finished with 29 points, on 10 - of - 19 shooting, in the contest. The only other players to score in double digits for Portland were Maurice Harkless, who finished with 12 points, and Allen Crabbe, who chipped in 11 points. Eight players came off the bench for the Trail Blazers, and combined for only 28 points. The Blazers dropped to 5 - 14 on the road and are 2 - 9 in their last 11 games. They face a tough challenge ahead as their next game, on Sunday in Minnesota, marks the second game of a three - game road trip, which ends in Golden State on January 4th.

["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 50 Percentage of 3 points ,has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 6 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 30 Points in 4th quarter ,has 27 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 21 Percentage of 3 points ,has 94 Percentage of field goals ,has 11 Losses ,has 14 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Maurice Harkless') has 12 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Allen Crabbe') has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 19 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 29 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Danny Green') has 18 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tony Parker') has 18 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonathon Simmons') has 30 Field goals attempted ,has 19 Field goals made ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the New York Knicks, 119 - 104, at Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday. Cleveland has now beat New York in 10 - straight games, as they continue to own the Knicks. It was the second and fourth quarters that were decisive, as Cleveland outscored New York, 67 - 43 in that 24 - minute span. The Cavaliers ended up shooting 53 percent from the field, while holding the Knicks to just 42 percent from the field. A 42 - 28 differential in the paint was huge as well, as Cleveland dominated down low. The Knicks (23 - 35) were surprisingly quiet at the trade deadline and this result is no surprise with the recent form of these two teams. Courtney Lee was New York's best player, as he led the team with 25 points, six rebounds and five assists on 10 - of - 15 shooting. Carmelo Anthony finished second on the team with 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. Wily Hernangomez got the start at center and totaled 11 points, 10 rebounds and four assists en route to a double - double. The Knicks will host the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday for their next game. The Cavaliers (40 - 16) have now won nine of their last 11 games, as they continue to surge. LeBron James added another triple - double to his tally, as he accumulated 18 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists. Kyrie Irving led the team in scoring, as he provided 23 points, three rebounds and six assists. Tristan Thompson was a beast down low, amassing 10 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks on 5 - of - 7 shooting. Kyle Korver came off the bench to collect 20 points, two rebounds and three assists, while going 6 - of - 10 from three - point range. Cleveland will return to action on Saturday against the Chicago Bulls.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 53 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ,has 119 Total points ,has 40 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 35 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 25 Points in 4th quarter ,has 23 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Carmelo Anthony') has 20 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Willy Hernangomez') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Courtney Lee') has 5 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 25 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 15 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tristan Thompson') has 4 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 6 Assists ,has 23 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Korver') has 3 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 20 3-pointers made ."]

The host Dallas Mavericks beat the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, 104 - 97. Dallas (18 - 30) is now 7 - 4 in its last 11 games, and is coming off its best two - game stretch of the season. The Mavs were able to take down two of the league's top three teams on consecutive days, following a win over the Spurs by taking down the reigning champion Cavaliers. With Cleveland missing Kevin Love, the Mavericks were able to force the Cavs to rely extremely heavily on Kyrie Irving and LeBron James. Dallas, meanwhile, took a more balanced approach. Five Mavericks took at least 11 shot attempts, and all five scored in double figures. Forward Harrison Barnes led the team with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Cleveland (32 - 15) is floundering in the new year, having now dropped to three games under .500 in 2017. The team now holds only a 3 game lead on the first seed in the Eastern Conference. Superstar LeBron James characteristically put his work in on Monday, scoring 23 points to go with nine rebounds and nine assists. Kyrie Irving, meanwhile, shot only 7 - of - 21 for 18 points and dished out just five assists on the night. The Cavs struggled again with ball movement, recording only 17 team assists in the game. Cleveland will host the Timberwolves on Wednesday, while Dallas will host Philadelphia.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 30 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 18 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 15 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 32 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 9 Assists ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 5 Assists ,has 21 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 18 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 24 Assists ."]

The Indiana Pacers (14 - 22) defeated the Utah Jazz (12 - 23) 105 - 101 on Monday at Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City. After ending the third quarter down 74 - 62, the Jazz looked to have only an outside shot of securing a victory, but they were able to have a huge fourth quarter, narrowing the gap to just one point in the final minute of the game. The comeback came up just short though, as the Pacers were able to hit their free throws in the end and seal the win on the road. Indiana shot much better in this game, going 47 percent from the field and 54 percent from the three - point line, while the Jazz shot 43 percent from the floor and only 17 percent from deep. The Pacers got their biggest contribution from Roy Hibbert, who finished with 22 points (8 - 13 FG, 6 - 6 FT) and eight rebounds. He was able to use his veteran experience against the younger frontcourt of the Jazz, increasing his production from what it's been throughout the season thus far. Rodney Stuckey also had a solid game. He scored 13 points (4 - 7 FG, 1 - 1 3Pt, 4 - 4 FT) and had two steals in 20 minutes. Where the Pacers had the biggest advantage though was in their bench production. Luis Scola had a very efficient game off the bench, going 7 - for - 9 from the field and 2 - for - 2 from the free throw line to score 16 points. He's only scored 16 points or more one other time this season, so it was somewhat of a surprise performance for him. Also coming off the bench, C.J. Miles recorded 13 points (4 - 12 FG, 3 - 7 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) and six rebounds. He continues to be very productive, as he averaged 22 points in the three games prior to this outing. The Jazz were again led by the duo of Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors. Favors had a team - high of 27 points (10 - 16 FG, 7 - 10 FT), while also pulling in 11 rebounds as well. It was one of his best games of the season, but their was n't enough production elsewhere in order to turn his performance into a win. Hayward on the other hand did n't necessarily have his best shooting night (6 - 17 FG, 0 - 5 3Pt), but he was able to convert on 12 - of - 13 free throws, giving him 24 points at the finish. After struggling to nine points on Saturday against the Timberwolves, it was good to see him turn things back around. Dante Exum got the start at point guard and finished with 13 points (5 - 14 FG, 3 - 9 3Pt) in 29 minutes, while Rudy Gobert started at center and finished with 11 points (4 - 5 FG, 3 - 6 FT) in 29 minutes of his own. The Pacers' next game will be on the road against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, while the Jazz will travel to Chicago to play the Bulls on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 17 Percentage of 3 points ,has 43 Percentage of field goals ,has 23 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 12 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 54 Percentage of 3 points ,has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 22 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 22 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 14 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Roy Hibbert') has 13 Assists ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 22 Field goals made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rodney Stuckey') has 1 Assists ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 20 Free throws made ,has 13 Minutes played ,has 2 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ Miles') has 7 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 13 Free throws made ,has 6 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Luis Scola') has 1 Assists ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 16 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 5 Assists ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ,has 12 Free throws attempted ,has 24 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Favors') has 1 Assists ,has 16 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 27 Free throws attempted ,has 11 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ,has 1 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 5 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 29 Field goals made ,has 11 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dante Exum') has 9 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ."]

Dennis Schroder's 28 points led the Hawks, and his three - pointer with 22 seconds remaining ended up being the game - winning basket. Tim Hardaway, Jr. checked in second with 20 points, while Paul Millsap drew the start at center for Dwight Howard (rest) and posted 17 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals and three blocks. Kent Bazemore followed with 16 points, and Kris Humphries led the second unit with 14 points. Carmelo Anthony's 30 points led New York, and Derrick Rose followed with a near double - double consisting of 18 points, nine assists, four rebounds, a steal and a block. Mindaugas Kuzminskas supplied 14 points while starting for Lance Thomas (orbital). Joakim Noah registered seven points and hauled in 17 boards, but missed a game - winning shot with two seconds remaining. Justin Holiday paced the bench with 11 points.

["PlayerStat(G,'Kent Bazemore') has 16 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 6 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 17 Field goals made ,has 7 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Hardaway Jr.') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dennis Schroder') has 28 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kris Humphries') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Carmelo Anthony') has 30 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mindaugas Kuzminskas') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joakim Noah') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 17 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Rose') has 9 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 18 Field goals made ,has 4 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Justin Holiday') has 11 Assists ."]

The Sixers limited the Mavs to 35 percent shooting overall and 22 percent from three - point range. Philadelphia ripped off 66 points over the second and third quarters while limiting their visitors to exactly half that total, spearheading their most lopsided victory of the season. Justin Anderson's career - high 19 points off the bench led the Sixers. Robert Covington totaled 18 points, while Richaun Holmes poured in 17. Sergio Rodriguez tallied 13 points, while Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, one of several promising young players, supplied 12. Dario Saric provided 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block and Jahlil Okafor matched his point total off the bench. Dwight Powell's14 points led Dallas, while J.J. Barea followed with 11 points in 17 minutes. Seth Curry managed only seven points, while Harrison Barnes and Yogi Ferrell contributed four - point efforts.

["PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 4 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Seth Curry') has 7 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Yogi Ferrell') has 4 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'J.J. Barea') has 17 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dario Saric') has 5 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 10 Free throws made ,has 7 Minutes played ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Richaun Holmes') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot') has 1 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 1 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Justin Anderson') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jahlil Okafor') has 1 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sergio Rodriguez') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 13 Free throws made ."]

The Orlando Magic (30 - 43) defeated the Chicago Bulls (36 - 36) 111 - 89 at Amway Center on Saturday. The Magic dropped 36 points in the first quarter on their home court and did not look back, easily handling Chicago throughout the rest of the game. Orlando dominated the rebounding battle (50 - 40) and shot 53 percent from the field through impressive floor spacing. Dewayne Dedmon led all scorers in the contest with 18 points on an impressive 9 - of - 14 shooting, while Elfrid Payton added a double - double with 15 points and 10 assists. The Magic bench saw Andrew Nicholson and Brandon Jennings each score 14 points, and the depth helped stave off any chance the Bulls had at pulling the game within reach. The Bulls are a banged up squad at this point in the season with Jimmy Butler (knee) contemplating surgery to repair his knee and Pau Gasol (knee) both not playing at 100 percent. Derrick Rose was charged with leading the group, but underwhelmed with nine points, three rebounds and two assists on 1 - of - 4 shooting. Taj Gibson received increased minutes in his starting role and added 16 points and three rebounds on 8 - of - 9 shooting. Chicago shot just over 40 percent as a unit, and are now on the outside looking in to the NBA playoffs. The Bulls will host the Atlanta Hawks (43 - 30) on Monday, while the Magic host the Brooklyn Nets (21 - 51) on Tuesday.

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It was a big night for the Celtics on the backs of strong offensive play. Superstar point guard Isaiah Thomas led the team with 30 points while shooting 10 - of - 18 from the field. It was a season - best night for forward Jae Crowder as well, as he shot 8 - of - 13 from the field and 3 - of - 5 from three - point range en route to a season - high 25 points. Crowder added six rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. As a team, the Cs shot over 53 percent from the field and dished out 32 team assists. The Heat, meanwhile, shot 45 percent from the field but out - rebounded the Celtics 40 - 36 and forced 16 Boston turnovers. Center Hassan Whiteside had a double - double with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Meanwhile, sixth man Tyler Johnson led the team in scoring off the bench with 24 points.

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