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The Philadelphia 76ers (4 - 33) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (12 - 23) 109 - 99 on Monday night. In a game between two of the worst teams in the NBA, the two teams played surprisingly efficient. Both teams shot over 53 percent from the field and got all - around great team efforts. Both benches were huge tonight, as Philly's reserves scored 61 points while Minnesota's bench players scored 55 of their own. In fact, four of the top six scorers in this game came from their respective benches. Philly has been known to fold late in games, but they won the fourth quarter by nine points to overcome a second half deficit and run away with the win. These are two teams at the bottom of the totem pole right now, but they both have bright futures and showed some promise here. The Timberwolves came into this game with a better record on the road than at home, but they couldn’t pull off a road win against the worst team in the NBA. The strange part about this game was the minutes distribution, as Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns played just 49 minutes combined. As mentioned before, the bench was the only bright spot for the Wolves. Shabazz Muhammad led the team with 20 points and Gorgui Dieng tallied 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks off the bench. It's just too difficult for this team to compete unless Towns and Wiggins gets the 30 - plus minutes they deserve. Minnesota will look to play better on Wednesday when they host the struggling Denver Nuggets. This Philadelphia team is simply a different team since the acquisition of Ish Smith. They are now 3 - 4 since trading for him and he's had a huge impact in every win. Smith was spectacular here, as he tallied 21 points, 11 assists, four rebounds and three steals. The big surprise in this game was the bench play, as Carl Landry and Richaun Holmes combined for an impressive 33 points in 40 minutes of play. There's not much to smile about as a Sixers fan these days, but the recent play has to be encouraging and at worst draw a smirk. They'll look to continue their recent success on Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks.

["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 33 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 4 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 23 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 12 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gorgui Dieng') has 2 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 8 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Shabazz Muhammad') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ish Smith') has 11 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 4 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ."]

After falling to Golden State on Wednesday, the Rockets (17 - 5) got back on track Thursday, knocking off the Kings (11 - 12) 113 - 109 in overtime. Houston, which trailed by eight entering the fourth quarter, clawed back behind a monster game from James Harden, who scored 30 points in the second half and overtime period combined. Harden finished with 44 points to go with four rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Patrick Beverley added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Trevor Ariza had 15 points on 4 - of - 13 shooting. The Rockets were again without Dwight Howard, as well as a number of role players, but Howard is expected to return within the next few games. Sacramento, losers of two straight after falling to the Lakers on Tuesday, got 24 points from Darren Collison and 21 from Ben McLemore. Rudy gay struggled mightily, missing two key jumpers near the end of the fourth quarter and finish with 13 points on 4 - of - 18 shooting. Gay also contributed eight rebounds and eight assists. Derrick Williams added 17 points off the bench. Up next, the Kings host the Pistons on Saturday. The Rockets welcome the Nuggets to Houston, also on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 12 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 21 Turnovers ,has 11 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 5 Losses ,has 113 Total points ,has 17 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Ariza') has 13 Assists ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 15 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 8 Assists ,has 44 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patrick Beverley') has 15 Assists ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gay') has 8 Assists ,has 18 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 13 Free throws attempted ,has 8 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ben McLemore') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 21 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Darren Collison') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 24 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Williams') has 17 Assists ."]

The Miami Heat defeated the Golden State Warriors 105 - 102 Monday at AmericanAirlines Arena. After Kevin Durant tied the game at 102 with just over 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Dion Waiters held the ball at the top of the key while the clock ticked down. With a little over two seconds on the clock, Waiters launched a shot from behind the arc. The shot hit nothing but net and the Heat pulled off one of the biggest upset victories in the NBA this season. Waiters was not only the hero, but he was also the star, as he finished with a game - high 33 points on 13 - of - 20 shooting from the field and 6 - of - 8 from 3 - point land in 33 minutes. As a team, the Heat were scorching from behind the arc, hitting a ridiculous 43 percent of their shots from long range in the winning effort. The win gives Miami their fourth straight victory as they were perfect over their four - game home stand. Meanwhile, the loss ends the Warriors' (38 - 7) seven - game win streak, as it ended up being too little too late in the closing moments for the NBA's top team. Durant led the way in the scoring column, finishing with 27 points on 12 - of - 23 shooting from the field, but he did shoot just 1 - of - 8 from behind the arc. Additionally, Steph Curry almost put together a triple - double, as he recorded 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in 37 minutes. Klay Thompson added 22 of his own, but JaVale McGee's 10 points made him the fourth and final Warriors to score in double figures. Up next, the Heat will look to continue their winning ways in Brooklyn on Wednesday, while the Warriors will look to return to form against the Hornets on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 43 Percentage of 3 points ,has 105 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 7 Percentage of 3 points ,has 102 Losses ,has 38 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 8 Assists ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 23 3-pointers made ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 27 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 22 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 8 Assists ,has 37 3-pointers attempted ,has 21 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'JaVale McGee') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dion Waiters') has 8 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 33 Field goals made ,has 33 Minutes played ."]

The San Antonio Spurs (19 - 5) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (3 - 20) by a score of 109 - 87, Friday night in Texas. It was a two - point game at the end of the first half, with San Antonio up 51 - 49 but the Spurs came into the second half on another level and out - scored the Lakers 58 - 38, leading to the 22 point win. The Spurs shot an efficient 53 percent from the field, including 42 percent from deep. They did however struggle from the free - throw line, going only 15 - 25. LaMarcus Aldridge led the San Antonio in scoring and tallied a double - double with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Kawhi Leonard also recorded a double - double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, along with three steals, two assists and one block. Patty Mills played well in the absence of Tony Parker, who sat to rest. Mills finished with 22 points, three assists and three rebounds, in 21 minutes. Los Angeles was led by rookie D'Angelo Russell, who finished with 24 points on 9 - 23 shooting, including 5 - 10 from deep. Russell also logged six assists, six rebounds and two steals. Lou Williams started at shooting guard and finished with 19 points on 7 - 12 shooting, along with three rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block, in 33 minutes. Kobe Bryant shot 5 - 12 on his way to 12 points, along with six rebounds and four assists, in 28 minutes. The Lakers will finish up an eight - game road trip with the second night of a back - to - back in Houston on Saturday. The Spurs will also be facing the second of a back - to - back as they play in Atlanta on Saturday night.

["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 5 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 19 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 20 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 22 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 22 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 3 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kobe Bryant') has 4 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 6 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Williams') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 19 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ,has 2 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'D'Angelo Russell') has 6 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ,has 6 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 16 Points ,has 11 Total rebounds ,has 3 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 24 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patty Mills') has 3 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 3 Points ."]

The Denver Nuggets defeated the host New York Knicks, 131 - 123, at Madison Square Garden on Friday. Defense has been optional for these teams all season and the 254 combined points in this game show just where their priorities are. Denver really took control in the third quarter, outscoring New York, 36 - 22, and never relinquishing the lead from there. Both offenses were scoring at ease, with both teams shooting over 55 percent from the field. The Nuggets feasted down low, as they won the rebounding differential, 44 - 33, and outscored the Knicks, 68 - 52, in the paint. The Nuggets (24 - 29) have been one of the best offenses in the league this season and this 131 - point outing shows just how efficient they can be. Nikola Jokic was the player of the game, as he dropped a career - high 40 points on 17 - of - 23 shooting, adding nine rebounds, five assists and two rebounds to his tally. Wilson Chandler finished second on the team, collecting 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Jameer Nelson started for Emmanuel Mudiay and accrued 16 points, four rebounds and 12 assists. Will Barton was the only bench player in double figures, as he totaled 15 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. The Knicks (22 - 33) have had a ton of drama surrounding their team and losses like this show just why. Carmelo Anthony did all he could to carry New York, as he accumulated 33 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals on 13 - of - 20 from the field. Kristaps Porzingis was second on the team, finishing with 17 points, four rebounds and two assists. Brandon Jennings got a rare start and led the team with 13 assists, despite going just 2 - of - 10 from the field. Kyle O'Quinn led the bench, providing 16 points, six rebounds, three assists and four blocks.

["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 33 Losses ,has 123 Total points ,has 22 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 33 Rebounds ,has 22 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 29 Losses ,has 131 Total points ,has 36 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 44 Rebounds ,has 24 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wilson Chandler') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 19 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Jokic') has 5 Assists ,has 23 Blocks ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 40 Field goals made ,has 9 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jameer Nelson') has 12 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Will Barton') has 4 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Carmelo Anthony') has 4 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 33 Field goals made ,has 6 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kristaps Porzingis') has 2 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Jennings') has 13 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle O'Quinn') has 3 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ."]

The Golden State Warriors (34 - 2) defeated the Portland Trail Blazers (15 - 24) 128 - 108 on Friday night. When you think of the Golden State Warriors, this is the type of performance that comes to mind. They shot and scored at will here against a beleaguered opponent. In fact, the Warriors had 106 points through three quarters and shot an incredible 53 percent from the field and 56 percent from three - point range. The ball movement was incredible as well, as they recorded 36 assists to the Blazers 21. Portland was no slouch on the scoreboard, but they shot below 40 percent from the field in the loss. Golden State hasn’t been as sharp recently, but they were as sharp as a razor here. They sliced this Portland team into oblivion and showed why they are the most feared team in the NBA. The Splash Brothers were in full force as well, as Klay Thompson dropped 36 points, while Steph Curry dropped 26 of his own. It wasn’t just the scoring though, as the two combined for 14 assists and nine rebounds as well. What's especially impressive there is that neither of the splash brothers played more than four minutes in the fourth quarter. Draymond Green was back on the triple - double train, as he recorded his league - leading sixth of the season here in the win. Golden State will look to keep this going against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, who are one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Portland was simply outmatched here against the Warriors and the only player who showed up was Damian Lillard. The star point guard collected 40 points and 10 assists in a spectacular performance. The strange part about all this is that the Blazers were playing far better without Lillard in the lineup the last couple of weeks and it's a wonder if he's hampering the team with his high usage rate. In any case, it's hard to imagine a player who can drop 40 and 10 is a hindrance on any team. The major problem with this team is that there's no scoring punch outside of Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Allen Crabbe, as no other player scored in double - figures aside from those three in this game. Portland has another tough task in their next game, when they have to host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 21 Number of team assists ,has 40 Percentage of 3 points ,has 24 Percentage of field goals ,has 108 Losses ,has 21 Total points ,has 21 Points in 1st quarter ,has 15 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 36 Number of team assists ,has 56 Percentage of 3 points ,has 53 Percentage of field goals ,has 2 Losses ,has 128 Total points ,has 34 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 36 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 26 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 3 Points ."]

The Boston Celtics (4 - 4) comfortably delivered a home win against the Atlanta Hawks (8 - 3) on Friday, winning 106 - 93. After briefly pulling away in the third quarter, the Celtics pulled off a 100 run late in the game to seal the victory. Point guard Isaiah Thomas led the charge for Boston, posting a 23 - point, 10 - assist double - double. Small forward Jae Crowder helped anchor the defense, grabbing four steals and a block on the night. Friday's performance increased Crowder's league - leading average of 3 steals per game. Also aiding the defense was power forward Amir Johnson, whose three blocks and three steals helped contribute to the relatively quiet night from Atlanta's usually dominant frontcourt. While Atlanta shot a healthy 47% from the field, the true story of the game was Boston's 50 - 35 advantage on the glass. An abundance of second - chance attempts helped mask the Celtics' relatively poor 41% team shooting. An off night from All-Star point guard Jeff Teague only compounded the Atlanta's woes. Teague finished the night with a modest six points and three assists while turning the ball over three times. Despite the off night, Atlanta remains one of the top dogs in the Eastern Conference. They will hope to get back on their feet on Monday against the Jazz. Meanwhile, the Celtics will look to crack .500 on Monday as they travel to Oklahoma City.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 4 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 23 Points in 1st quarter ,has 4 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 3 Losses ,has 93 Total points ,has 8 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jae Crowder') has 1 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Amir Johnson') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 10 Assists ,has 23 Blocks ."]

The Nets' entire first unit managed double - digit scoring, and Brooklyn shot a collective 48 percent from the floor. The visitors earned what was only their fifth road victory of the season by outscoring their hosts, 67 - 49, in the second half. Brook Lopez's 24 points paced the Nets. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson posted a 20 - point, 10 - rebound double - double. Jeremy Lin supplied 15 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals. Rookie Caris LaVert compiled 13 points, while Randy Foye submitted 10. K.J. McDaniels and Quincy Acy led the bench with matching nine - point efforts. Kyle O'Quinn's 23 points in 26 minutes led the Knicks. Derrick Rose followed with 22 points. Carmelo Anthony posted 17 points, and Lance Thomas registered a 15 - point, 10 - rebound double - double filling in for Kristaps Porzingis (thigh). Willy Hernangomez's early foul trouble limited him to just 19 minutes.

["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 23 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 48 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rondae Hollis-Jefferson') has 20 Assists ,has 10 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Caris LeVert') has 13 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 24 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Randy Foye') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeremy Lin') has 8 Assists ,has 15 Minutes played ,has 4 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'KJ McDaniels') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Quincy Acy') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Carmelo Anthony') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lance Thomas') has 15 Assists ,has 10 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Willy Hernangomez') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Rose') has 22 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle O'Quinn') has 26 Assists ,has 23 Minutes played ."]

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the visiting Portland Trail Blazers, 102 - 81, to take a 20 lead in the Western Conference first - round playoffs Wednesday at Staples Center. Chris Paul was the leader and difference maker for the Clippers in their tough win over the Blazers. The first three quarters of action were tight knit and many Clippers defensive breakdowns and mistakes pretty much kept the Blazers within striking distance. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum practically shot Portland out of the game, and the Clippers were able to rally behind a dominant fourth quarter performance. Los Angeles outscored Portland 35 - 20 down the stretch and coach Doc Rivers' squad proved a needed ability to close out tight games against tough opponents late in games. The problem for the Clippers has been consistent throughout previous playoffs runs and during this past regular season, but Paul and J.J. Redick were not having any of that in Game 2. Paul went on to finish with 25 points, six rebounds, five assists and one steal on 10 - of - 22 shooting, while Redick rounded out the backcourt with an 17 points, which included three shots from behind the arc. DeAndre Jordan was unable to find his touch under the rim, but still managed a lowly a three points to go alongside a monstrous 18 rebounds. Recent Sixth Man of the Year award winner Jamal Crawford pitched in 11 points off the bench in 26 minutes of action. LIllard and McCollum jacked up 39 shots, but only connected on 12 of them combined as the duo finished with 33 points, but it was far from efficient shooting to keep their team in the game when it mattered most. Mason Plumlee stepped up where the backcourt could not and added 17 points and 10 rebounds, to go along with seven assists in the stat stuffed box score, but the Blazers shot just 34 percent from the field as a unit. The series will move back to Portland for Game 3 on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 20 Number of team assists ,has 102 Percentage of field goals ,has 20 Total points ,has 35 Points in 1st quarter ,has 2 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 20 Number of team assists ,has 34 Percentage of field goals ,has 81 Total points ,has 17 Points in 1st quarter ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mason Plumlee') has 7 Assists ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 3 Assists ,has 18 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'JJ Redick') has 3 Assists ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 5 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 3 Personal fouls ,has 25 Points ,has 6 Total rebounds ,has 1 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Crawford') has 11 Assists ."]

The Los Angeles Clippers (47 - 25) beat the New York Knicks (14 - 58) 111 - 80 on Wednesday. All five starters for Los Angeles scored 11 or more points, they also each earned a plus/minus of plus - 32 or higher in less than 29 minutes played in this slaughter of a basketball game. Austin Rivers, coach Doc Rivers' son, also scored in double figures. He led both teams in scoring with 21 points off the bench in 19 minutes, shot 9 - for - 10 from the field and converted on both of his free throw attempts. Lou Amundson's game does n't usually involve piling up stats but Wednesday was likely a new low. In 15 minutes of action he failed to score on three attempts, grabbed one rebounds and had a minus - 30 in the plus/minus statistic. One of the lone bright spots for the Knicks this season is Langston Galloway. He played a game - high 40 minutes and scored 11 points. Cleanthony Early was the Knicks top scorer against the Clippers, putting in 18 points and 25 minutes off the New York bench. The Knicks have dropped five straight, their second five - game losing streak in March. The Knicks will host the Boston Celtics on Friday. The Clippers will take on the 76ers in Philadelphia on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 58 Losses ,has 80 Total points ,has 14 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 25 Losses ,has 111 Total points ,has 47 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Austin Rivers') has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 19 Minutes played ,has 21 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Amundson') has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Langston Galloway') has 40 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cleanthony Early') has 25 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers rallied late to defeat the host Atlanta Hawks, 121 - 108, and take a commanding 30 lead in the Eastern Conference semi - finals, Friday at Phillips Arena. The Hawks had a good first half and looked like they might bounce back from a horrid Game 2, entering halftime up by eight. They held their lead through a competitive third quarter and just needed a stable fourth quarter to get back in the series. However, the Cavaliers turned things up a notch in the fourth, going on an 110 run over a four minute span, to take a six - point lead with four minutes to go. From there, the Cavs held tight and continued to out - score Atlanta down the stretch. Cleveland had four players score over 20 points, led by Channing Frye, who finished with a game - high and playoff career - high 27 points on incredible 10 - 13 shooting, including 7 - 9 from downtown. Meanwhile, the Cavs continued their impressive three - point shooting by hitting 21 of 39 from beyond the arc. LeBron James was close to a triple - double as he finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, along with two steals, in 39 minutes. Kevin Love added 21 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot, in 29 minutes; while Kyrie Irving finished with 24 points, three assists and three steals, in 40 minutes. The Cavs had 20 turnovers in the game but gave themselves enough second chances with 18 offensive rebounds. Al Horford was the high - point man for Atlanta, with 24 points on solid 11 - 15 shooting, including 2 - 4 from deep. Jeff Teague had a good game, finishing with 19 points and 14 assists. Teague did not have a turnover in the game until a costly one late in the fourth, with his team down by seven. Kyle Korver came off the bench in order for Thabo Sefolosha to add some defense to the starting lineup. Korver had a good game nonetheless, finishing with 18 points (6 - 11 FG, 5 - 9 3Pt, 1 - 1 FT), three rebounds and one blocked shot, in 32 minutes. Paul Millsap added 17 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and one blocked shot, in 39 minutes. The Hawks shot 48 percent from the field and 16 - 34 from long range, but it was not enough to hold off the focused Cavs. Game 4 will take place in Atlanta on Sunday. The Hawks will need to lay it all on the line to avoid a sweep in front of their home crowd.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 108 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 121 Total points ,has 30 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 8 Assists ,has 39 Blocks ,has 24 Defensive rebounds ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 29 Defensive rebounds ,has 21 3-pointers attempted ,has 15 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 3 Assists ,has 40 Blocks ,has 24 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Channing Frye') has 27 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 39 Defensive rebounds ,has 17 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 24 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 14 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 19 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Korver') has 1 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 32 Free throws attempted ,has 18 Free throws made ,has 3 Minutes played ."]

The Charlotte Hornets (9 - 6) defeated the Washington Wizards (6 - 6) 101 - 87 on Wednesday thanks to a lopsided fourth quarter. The Wizards looked poised to win this game with a double - digit lead late in the third quarter, but just could n't buy a bucket in the fourth. In fact, the Wizards were an atrocious 1 - for - 20 from the field in the fourth quarter and were outscored 27 - 6. Some other big differences in the game was that the Hornets out - rebounded and out - assisted the Wizards by substantial margins. The Wizards were playing well through three quarters, but it all unraveled after that. They absolutely collapsed over the final 12 minutes, as they made one basket and were outscored by 21 points. Washington was led by Marcin Gortat, who tallied 17 points and 12 rebounds in the defeat. They also got a nice performance from Gary Neal, who dropped 18 points off the bench. This was a collapse of epic proportions and it remains to be seem how this Wizards team will bounce back after a game like this. They'll look to rebound on Friday when take on the Boston Celtics. The Hornets have been playing some of the best basketball in the NBA as of late and this epic comeback shows how gritty they can be. Charlotte ended the game on a 22 - 2 run and held the Wizards to one measly basket in the final 12 minutes. The two stars on this evening were Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lamb. Batum totaled 16 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in the win, while Lamb provided 18 points and seven rebounds off the bench. The Hornets have now won four - straight and nine of their last 12. Skeptics were unsure what to think of this team at the beginning of the season, but they are proving to be a true threat in the East at this juncture. They'll need to keep up this form, as they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday in their next scheduled game.

["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 6 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 27 Points in 4th quarter ,has 9 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 6 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 6 Points in 4th quarter ,has 6 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcin Gortat') has 17 Assists ,has 12 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gary Neal') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 11 Assists ,has 16 3-pointers made ,has 7 Personal fouls ,has 2 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeremy Lamb') has 2 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 18 Personal fouls ,has 7 Points ."]

Despite this being a four - point game with two minutes left, the Hawks were able to prevail with a rare wire - to - wire win. Atlanta actually ended the game on an 8 - 1 run. Shooting was the key, with the Hawks hitting 51 percent of their shots to Denver's 40 percent. Wilson Chandler led the Nuggets in scoring, as he tallied 24 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals. Nikola Jokic was second on the team, totaling 18 points and 14 rebounds. Will Barton was huge off the bench, providing 17 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Dennis Schroder was the player of the game, as he accumulated 24 points, five rebounds, 10 assists and three steals. Paul Millsap finished with 23 points, six rebounds and five assists. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kent Bazemore scored 14 points apiece, while combining for four rebounds and eight assists.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 51 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 40 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wilson Chandler') has 2 Assists ,has 24 Points ,has 8 Total rebounds ,has 2 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Jokic') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Will Barton') has 7 Assists ,has 17 Points ,has 7 Total rebounds ,has 3 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Hardaway Jr.') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 5 Assists ,has 23 Points ,has 6 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kent Bazemore') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dennis Schroder') has 10 Assists ,has 24 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ,has 3 Steals ."]

The Sixers collectively shot 47 percent from the field and 42 percent from three - point range, with Joel Embiid leading the way with 22 points, five rebounds, three blocks and a steal. Gerald Henderson was right behind him with a season - high 19 points on 6 - of - 8 shooting, including a 3 - of - 3 mark from long distance. Ersan Ilyasova contributed a 10 - point, 11 - rebound double - double, while Robert Covington filled out the stat sheet with nine points, nine rebounds, three steals and an assist. Jahlil Okafor's 15 points paced the second unit for Philadelphia. Hassan Whiteside posted a 32 - point, 13 - rebound double - double that paced the Heat, and he also added a pair of blocks. The backcourt duo of Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters combined for 29 points, but the Heat shot just 39 percent from the field and 23 from behind the arc.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 23 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 2 Assists ,has 32 Blocks ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 1 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ersan Ilyasova') has 10 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joel Embiid') has 3 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gerald Henderson') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 19 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jahlil Okafor') has 15 Assists ."]

The Philadelphia 76ers (0 - 6) reamin winless after falling to the Orlando Magic (3 - 4) by a score of 105 - 97. The Magic enjoyed strong performances from their young core, including a team - high 20 points and three steals from sophomore point guard Elfrid Payton. Coming into Saturday, the Magic were holding opponents to a league - best 40 percent shooting from the field. Orlando continued their strong defensive play, forcing 16 turnovers and seeing strong performances from Payton and shooting guard Victor Oladipo. Backup center Dewayne Dedmon, playing for the injured Nikola Vucevic (knee), also shone, posting nine rebounds and three blocks. Philadelphia was dealt a blow when star big man Nerlens Noel was ejected for a flagarant foul on Jason Smith in the third quarter. Noel, who had been averaging a double - double so far this season, was unable to take the floor in the fourth, leaving the frontcourt in the hands of rookie Jahlil Okafor and a bevy of Philadelphia big men off the bench. Despite the Sixers' loss, Okafor continued his impressive offensive season, delivering an efficient 19 points and showcasing a wide array of post moves. After tallying another loss on Saturday, the hustle - driven 76ers will work hard to win in their upcoming matchups. They take on the Bulls on Monday in Philadelphia. Orlando, meanwhile, has won two straight, a trend they will look to continue as they travel to Indiana on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 6 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 0 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 4 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 3 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dewayne Dedmon') has 3 Blocks ,has 9 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 20 Blocks ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jahlil Okafor') has 19 Blocks ."]

The Miami Heat (45 - 32) routed the Detroit Pistons (41 - 37) Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena, 107 - 89. Detroit's offense was sluggish in the first half, as they failed to score 20 points in either of the first two quarters. Miami took advantage, as they built up a 54 - 36 halftime lead and never led by fewer than 13 in the second half. Goran Dragic scored a game - high 22 points as he knocked down all four of his three - point attempts and finished 9 - 15 from the field, and he added eight assists and five rebounds. Josh Richardson (6 - 9 FG, 4 - 5 3PT) and Dwyane Wade (5 - 10 FG, 6 - 7 FT) added 16 points apiece, and Hassan Whiteside added a double - double off the bench with 14 points and 12 rebounds. The Heat were humming offensively, as they shot 52 percent from the floor, 9 - 14 (64 percent) from three, and recorded 22 assists against just nine turnovers. Tobias Harris (8 - 10 FG, 5 - 5 FT) and Reggie Jackson (6 - 18 FG, 8 - 8 FT) paced the Pistons with 21 points apiece. Andre Drummond notched a double - double with 12 points (5 - 9 FG, 2 - 6 FT) and 13 rebounds. But the only other Piston to reach double figures was Aron Baynes with 10 points (4 - 6 FG) in 14 minutes off the bench. The Pistons shot 40 percent as a team and a brutal 5 - 21 (24 percent) from deep, and they managed just 14 assists against 13 turnovers. The Heat continue their homestand Thursday against the Bulls. The Pistons finish a back - to - back Wednesday against the Magic in Orlando.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 22 Number of team assists ,has 64 Percentage of 3 points ,has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 32 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 9 Turnovers ,has 45 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 14 Number of team assists ,has 40 Percentage of 3 points ,has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 89 Losses ,has 13 Total points ,has 41 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 10 Assists ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 21 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 9 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ,has 13 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 18 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 21 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aron Baynes') has 6 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 10 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Goran Dragic') has 8 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 22 Field goals made ,has 5 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Josh Richardson') has 5 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 14 Assists ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ."]

The Denver Nuggets (18 - 20) defeated the Dallas Mavericks (27 - 13) 114 - 107 on Wednesday at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Coming out of the third quarter, the Nuggets racked up a 90 - 78 lead. The Mavericks made a run in the fourth quarter though, out - scoring the Nuggets 29 - 24, but their comeback came up just short and the Nuggets were able to secure a surprising victory in front of their home crowd. Denver shot much better in this game, going 50 percent from the field, while the Mavericks shot just 41 percent. The Nuggets also out - rebounded the Mavericks 51 - 39. Ty Lawson was a force in this game, going 10 - for - 18 from the field and 9 - for - 13 from the free throw line to score 29 points, while also adding 12 assists. The 13 free throw attempts were a season - high for Lawson, as he continually drew fouls on Maverick defenders who could n't keep up with him. Kenneth Faried had a strong showing as well, finishing with 22 points (7 - 12 FG, 8 - 8 FT) and 14 rebounds. It was the fifth time in his last six games recording 12 or more rebounds. Wilson Chandler was the third Nugget to record a double - double, adding 15 points (6 - 13 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt, 2 - 4 FT) and 10 rebounds. It was his fifth double - double of the season. Coming off the bench, J.J. Hickson was able to provide a nice boost with the second unit. Hickson went 6 - for - 9 from the field to record 13 points, while also adding a eight rebounds in 21 minutes. The only other Nugget to reach double figures was Arron Afflalo, who finished with 12 points (4 - 11 FG, 2 - 6 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT). Despite the loss, the Mavericks saw a ridiculous eight players reach double - digits in points. Somewhat unheard of, all five players who came off the bench were included in those eight who reached double figures. Jose Barea was the scoring leader from the bench, scoring 17 points (6 - 15 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt, 4 - 4 FT) and handing out six assists in only 21 minutes. He was very efficient in his time on the court, matching a season - high in points. Moving into the starting lineup with Dirk Nowitzki sitting out for rest, Richard Jefferson took advantage of the extra playing time, going 6 - for - 13 from the field and 4 - for - 9 from the three - point line to score 16 points, while grabbing six rebounds. Like Barea, it was a season - high in points for him as well. Chandler Parsons finished with 13 points (6 - 13 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt) in 28 minutes. He's a combined 3 - of - 14 from the three - point line over the last three games, as he's struggled to hone in on his shot. Monta Ellis also had a brutal night from the field, scoring only five points (1 - 11 FG, 0 - 2 3Pt, 3 - 4 FT) in 21 minutes. Rajon Rondo (Achilles) and Tyson Chandler (ankle) sat out with injuries. These two teams will play each other again on Friday in the second of their back - to - back, home - and - home series.

["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 20 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 24 Points in 4th quarter ,has 51 Rebounds ,has 18 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 13 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 29 Points in 4th quarter ,has 39 Rebounds ,has 8 Turnovers ,has 27 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Richard Jefferson') has 9 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chandler Parsons') has 5 Assists ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 28 Field goals made ,has 13 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 2 Assists ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 5 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'J.J. Barea') has 6 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ,has 21 Minutes played ,has 17 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wilson Chandler') has 5 Assists ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 15 Free throws made ,has 10 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kenneth Faried') has 12 Assists ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 22 Field goals made ,has 14 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Arron Afflalo') has 6 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 12 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ty Lawson') has 12 Assists ,has 18 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 29 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'JJ Hickson') has 9 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ."]

The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Orlando Magic, 123 - 107, at Amway Center on Wednesday. Despite their subpar record coming in to the contest, the Timberwolves (2 - 5) have increasingly felt optimistic about the immediate and distant future due to their young core of Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Karl-Anthony Towns. While all have exhibited the inconsistent play typical of young players at times, they've certainly flashed the considerable upside each brings to the table. Wiggins put together such an effort Tuesday, totaling 36 points against the Nets in a loss. It was LaVine's turn Wednesday, as he posted a season - high 37 points that led Minnesota's charge, and complemented the scoring total with four rebounds, three assists and a steal. His point tally partly consisted of a stellar 7 - of - 9 performance from three - point range. Wiggins and Towns combined for another 49 points, and the Timberwolves finished with 52 and 57 percent success rates from the field and three - point range, respectively, while only committing six turnovers. Wiggins' full stat line consisted of 29 points, six assists and four rebounds. Towns put together a 20 - point, 11 - rebound double - double that also included an assist, two steals and a block. Gorgui Dieng contributed a 12 - point 11 - rebound double - double of his own, along with seven assists, two steals and a block. With rookie Kris Dunn once again struggling in a start at point guard (two points in 17 minutes), Tyus Jones received 31 minutes off the bench and managed 10 points, five assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals. Shabazz Muhammad paced the reserves with 13 points. The Magic (3 - 5) were n't exactly offensive wallflowers themselves, but simply could n't keep up with their visitors' firepower. They were led by a 24 - point effort from Nikola Vucevic, who also had 14 boards, six assists and a block. Elfrid Payton was next with 18 points, seven assists, three rebounds and a steal. Evan Fournier supplied 13 points on 4 - of - 11 shooting, while Serge Ibaka finished with 11 points, two rebounds and two blocks. Mario Hezonja and D.J. Augustin were both factors off the bench, notching 11 and 10 points, respectively. The Timberwolves head back home to take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night, while the Magic remain home to face the visiting Utah Jazz on Friday evening.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 5 Percentage of field goals ,has 107 Losses ,has 3 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 5 Losses ,has 123 Total points ,has 6 Turnovers ,has 2 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 6 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 29 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gorgui Dieng') has 7 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach LaVine') has 3 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 37 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kris Dunn') has 17 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Shabazz Muhammad') has 13 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyus Jones') has 5 Assists ,has 31 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Serge Ibaka') has 2 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 6 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 24 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 11 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 7 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'D.J. Augustin') has 10 Assists ."]

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the visiting Memphis Grizzlies, 106 - 74, in Game 1 of the Western Conference first - round playoffs Sunday at AT & T Center. The Spurs trailed for only about 25 seconds early in the game before they ran right passed the Grizzlies to a lopsided finish. They began to pull away late in the second quarter, closing out the half on a 90 run. The Spurs came out of the locker room after halftime in domination mode, as they out - scored the Grizzlies 33 - 14 in the third quarter, to build a 30 - point lead heading into the final quarter. The large deficit allowed coach Gregg Popovich to rest his starters and get some of his reserves valuable playoff minutes during the final quarter. Kawhi Leonard was the high - point man for San Antonio, with 20 points (8 - 13 FG, 3 - 6 3Pt, 1 - 1 FT) and also led the way defensively with four steals and three blocked shots, in 28 minutes of action. LaMarcus Aldridge totaled 17 points (8 - 15 FG, 1 - 1 FT), four rebounds and two blocks, in 27 minutes, while Tony Parker was solid at the point, with 15 points and six assists, in 20 minutes. The Spurs shot 52 percent from the field, including 44 percent from long range, and were solid at the free throw line, hitting 12 - 13. Recent addition, Kevin Martin made an impact in 12 minutes off the bench, with 10 points on 4 - 6 shooting, including 2 - 3 from distance. After a competitive start, the Grizzlies were not able to maintain the offensive proficiency necessary to compete with San Antonio's renown defense. Only two players scored in double digits for Memphis, including Vince Carter, who led the way with 16 points (6 - 7 FG, 2 - 3 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT), along with three rebounds two assists and one block, in 19 minutes. Carter started the game at the shooting guard position, as opposed to Lance Stephenson, who came off the bench. Stephenson finished the game with 14 points (6 - 11 FG, 2 - 4 3Pt), two rebounds, two assists and one steal, in 28 minutes. The Grizzlies gave up 17 turnovers and shot only 39 percent from the field, as they were out - played in San Antonio. Game 2 will take place on Tuesday in San Antonio.

["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 106 Losses ,has 33 Total points ,has 25 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 1 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 1 Losses ,has 74 Total points ,has 14 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Vince Carter') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 19 Minutes played ,has 2 Personal fouls ,has 16 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lance Stephenson') has 2 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 3 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 20 Free throws made ,has 4 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 2 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 27 Field goals made ,has 17 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tony Parker') has 6 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Martin') has 12 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ."]

The New Orleans Pelicans (9 - 10) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (5 - 16) 104 - 87 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Pelicans were able to use a big first half, where they out - scored the Lakers 50 - 40, to coast to a 17 - point victory on the road. The Pelicans shot 52 percent from the field and 44 percent from the three - point line, while the Lakers shot only 40 percent from the floor and a meager 26 percent from beyond the arc. To go along with the superior shooting, the Pelicans also secured a 50 - 34 rebounding advantage, only furthering their dominance in this one. The Pelicans were led by the duo of Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday. Davis went 11 - for - 15 from the field to score 23 points, while also grabbing six rebounds. He's been a force in the last five games, as he's averaged 27 points over that five game span. Holiday had 22 points of his own, as he shot 9 - for - 17 from the field and 4 - for - 5 from beyond the arc. He struggled in Monday's loss to the Clippers where he finished with only seven points, so this was a nice bounce back game for him. Ryan Anderson came off the bench for 11 points (4 - 9 FG, 2 - 5 3Pt, 1 - 1 FT) and 10 rebounds, marking his second double - double of the year. He's now averaging 15 points and 6 rebounds on the season. Both Tyreke Evans and Alexis Ajinca were the other two to reach double - digit points with 11 and 10 points respectively. Kobe Bryant struggled with his shot Sunday, as he went only 6 - for - 18 from the floor and 0 - for - 5 from the three - point. He finished with 14 points, which is nearly half of his season average. Ed Davis was able to post 12 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes. It was the first time in 10 games he reached double figures in scoring. With most of starting lineup struggling to find any offensive consistency, the Lakers looked to their bench for help. Carlos Boozer and Nick Young each played 23 minutes, with Boozer scoring 12 points and Young posting 13. Wayne Ellington also reached double - digits off the bench, and had 10 points (4 - 7 FG, 2 - 2 3Pt) of his own. The Pelicans' next game will be at home against the New York Knicks on Tuesday, while the Lakers will be at home against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 26 Percentage of 3 points ,has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 34 Rebounds ,has 5 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 44 Percentage of 3 points ,has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 10 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 50 Rebounds ,has 9 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 15 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 23 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyreke Evans') has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 22 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ryan Anderson') has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 11 Free throws made ,has 10 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Alexis Ajinca') has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ed Davis') has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kobe Bryant') has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Carlos Boozer') has 23 Defensive rebounds ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nick Young') has 13 Defensive rebounds ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wayne Ellington') has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ."]

Marc Gasol has been absolutely phenomenal since the start of the new year, as while the Grizzlies have barely kept their head above water at 8 - 7 since the start of January, the Spanish big man has been nothing but a model of consistency. Following his remarkable efficient 24 points in 24 minutes in Wednesday's blowout of the Nuggets, in his last 15 games, Gasol has 10 games with at least 20 points, two 30 - point games, one 40 - point game and nine games with at least 20 points, 5 rebounds and three assists. On top of all of that, Gasol is shooting 52 percent from the field in those 15 games, has eight performances in that stretch where he shot at least 55 percent from the field and has 10 performances where he shot at least 40 percent from behind the arc. All of which he accomplished on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 30 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 24 Minutes played ,has 24 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ."]

In a battle of brothers, the Brooklyn Nets (36 - 41) won their ninth game in 11 chances when they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers (50 - 27), 106 - 96. This game was originally slated for January 26th but was postponed due to Winter Storm Juno. LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, and Chris Kaman didn’t make the cross - country trip for the Blazers. The Nets’ win gives them a full game lead over the eight seed Boston Celtics while moving them two games behind the six seed Milwaukee Bucks with five games remaining. Four players accounted for 91 of the team’s 106 points (86 percent). None of the Nets starters committed a turnover, and Joe Johnson made a basket for the 879th straight game, longest active streak in the league. Deron Williams continued his improved play post - All - Star break, finishing with 24 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and four three - pointers in 37 minutes. Brook Lopez, recent Player of the Week award winner, contributed 32 points, reaching 30 points for the sixth time in 11 games. Thaddeus Young rounded out the solid performances with 20 points and a thunderous dunk over Meyers Leonard. The Blazers can drop no further than the four seed as a division winner, regardless of record, but home court advantage is quickly fading as they fell one and half games behind the five seed Los Angeles Clippers. C.J. McCollum and Meyers Leonard started in place of Batum and Aldridge, and they combined for 32 points and 21 rebounds with the increased responsibility. Damian Lillard supplied more than a third of the offense, scoring 36 points and hitting six three - pointers in 39 minutes. The Blazers were awarded a three - pointer on a Damian Lillard 19 - foot jumper during the third quarter. Since the referees failed to review the play in a timely manner, the extra point stood. Robin Lopez, Brook's brother, was held to eight points on 4 - of - 11 shooting, matching Arron Afflalo's accuracy from the field. The Nets host the East-leading Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday four days removed from a 131 - 99 loss in Atlanta. The Trail Blazers play their fourth game in five nights when the host the Western Conference’s worst team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 41 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 36 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 27 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 50 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robin Lopez') has 11 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Arron Afflalo') has 11 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 6 Assists ,has 39 3-pointers made ,has 36 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joe Johnson') has 6 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thaddeus Young') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 32 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Deron Williams') has 10 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 37 Field goals attempted ,has 24 Field goals made ,has 6 Minutes played ."]

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 102 - 93, at Wells Fargo Center on Friday. The Sixers (12 - 25) have seemingly been allergic to winning streaks for the last few seasons, but Joel Embiid and an improving roster are quickly proving to be immune to the frailties of years past. Friday, Embiid spearheaded his team's first three - game winning streak in three seasons by leading all scorers with 24 points, which he supplemented with eight rebounds, an assist, three blocks and two steals. The third - year big man got to the foul line an impressive 14 times, parlaying 12 of those visits into points. Four other teammates joined him in posting double digits in the scoring column, and Philadelphia shot an impressive 47 percent from the field overall. They were just as effective on the other side of the ball, holding the Hornets (20 - 20) to 33 percent and 26 percent success rates from the floor and three - point range, respectively. Charlotte was led by the returning Nicolas Batum (knee), who posted 19 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Backcourt mate Kemba Walker was right behind with 17 points, four rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. Cody Zeller made an impressive return himself from a multi - game absence from a concussion, tallying a 16 - point, 10 - rebound double - double that also included an assist, two steals and a block. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist contributed a 12 - point, 12 - rebound double - double of his own, while also dishing out four assists and recording a steal and a block. Marvin Williams rounded things out for the first unit with eight points, two boards and a steal. Dario Saric was actually second on the Sixers with a bench - leading 15 points, which he complemented with six rebounds, two assists and a steal. Ersan Ilyasova went for 12 points, three rebounds, an assist and two steals. Robert Covington registered 11 points, six rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. Sergio Rodriguez outperformed starter T.J. McConnell in a reserve role, totaling 11 points, four assists, a rebound and two steals. In turn, McConnell could only muster four points, although he did dish out eight assists, haul in three rebounds and record three steals. Nik Stauskas supplied eight points, four boards and an assist. The Hornets remain on the road and travel to Beantown for a Monday night tussle with the Boston Celtics, while the Sixers visit the Nation's Capital for a showdown with the Washington Wizards on Saturday evening.

["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 102 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 26 Percentage of 3 points ,has 33 Percentage of field goals ,has 20 Losses ,has 93 Total points ,has 20 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Kidd-Gilchrist') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 12 Points ,has 12 Total rebounds ,has 1 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marvin Williams') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cody Zeller') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 16 Points ,has 10 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 2 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 5 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 3 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 11 Points ,has 6 Total rebounds ,has 1 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ersan Ilyasova') has 1 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 3 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joel Embiid') has 1 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 24 Points ,has 8 Total rebounds ,has 2 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nik Stauskas') has 1 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'T.J. McConnell') has 8 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 3 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dario Saric') has 2 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 6 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sergio Rodriguez') has 4 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 1 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ."]

The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the New York Knicks 110 - 95 at Moda Center on Thursday. The Trail Blazers (33 - 38) had no trouble handling the injured Knicks (27 - 45) roster that saw both starters Carmelo Anthony (knee) and Derrick Rose (foot) sidelined. Without two of their go - to players, Kristaps Porzingis drew most of the touches on offense, while Willy Hernangomez, Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Ron Baker drew starts. Portland scored 67 points in the first half and were able to go to cruise control for the second half, as the defensively inefficient Knicks had no answer for the backcourt scoring the Blazers brought in the contest. Damian Lillard led all scorers with 30 points, to go with five assists and four rebounds on 9 - of - 17 shooting, while C.J. McCollum added 20 points in the win. Evan Turner and Allen Crabbe saw 24 minutes and 34 minutes, respectively, while combining for 21 points off the bench. Porzingis led all Knicks scorers with 18 points on 21 shots, while adding nine rebounds, one assist, one steal and three blocks. Hernangomez went 5 - of - 10 from the field, scored 10 points and added eight rebounds. The Knicks shot just 23 percent from behind the arc and 41 percent from the field. Both teams play on Saturday, as the Blazers host the Minnesota Timberwolves, while the Knicks visit the San Antonio Spurs.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 38 Percentage of 3 points ,has 110 Percentage of field goals ,has 33 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 23 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 45 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 27 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mindaugas Kuzminskas') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kristaps Porzingis') has 1 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 21 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ,has 9 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ,has 2 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Willy Hernangomez') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 8 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ron Baker') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 5 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 30 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Allen Crabbe') has 34 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Turner') has 24 Assists ."]

After beating the Jazz last Sunday, the Nuggets laid an egg in this blowout loss. Utah's defense has to be given some credit though, as they held Denver to 31 percent shooting. The Nuggets starters were terrible, as Will Barton, Emmanuel Mudiay and Jusuf Nurkic combined for just six points on 2 - of - 22 shooting. Jamal Murray was the lone bright spot, as he scored 23 points off the bench. That actually followed up a career - high 24 points on Monday. Rudy Gobert was the catalyst of the Jazz 'defense, as he tallied 17 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in the win. Gordon Hayward and George Hill scored 22 points a piece. The Utah starters outscored the Denver starters 84 - 25, with no Nugget starter reaching double figures in scoring. These two teams will have a rematch on December 3.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 31 Percentage of 3 points ,has 17 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Murray') has 23 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 22 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 2 Blocks ,has 13 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'George Hill') has 22 Blocks ."]

The Dallas Mavericks (2 - 1) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans (1 - 1) 109 - 104 on Saturday. Chandler Parsons lead the way for the Mavericks, scoring a team - high 20 points in 34 minutes. Dirk Nowitzki came up big down the stretch and finished with 17 points in 30 minutes. Raymond Felton remains sidelined with a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss at least another week. Anthony Davis continues to show that he may not have any peers. He finished with 31 points and 15 rebounds in 43 minutes, and it appears the Pelicans are going to hitch their ride to the workman - like superstar this season in their bid to become a part of the playoff conversation in the stacked Western Conference. After playing just 27 minutes in the Pelicans' season opener, starting point guard Jrue Holiday played 37 minutes Saturday and finished with 24 points and six assists. The Pelicans gave all but nine of their minutes to just seven players, using a shorter rotation than what coach Monty Williams generally has used in the past. The Mavericks' next game is at home Monday against the Boston Celtics. The Pelicans' next game is on the road Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies.

["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 1 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 1 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 1 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 2 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chandler Parsons') has 34 Assists ,has 20 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 30 Assists ,has 17 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 43 Assists ,has 31 Minutes played ,has 15 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 6 Assists ,has 37 Minutes played ,has 24 Points ."]

The Pistons (20 - 31) knocked off the Nuggets (19 - 32) 98 - 88 in Detroit on Friday night. Detroit got out to a seven - point first quarter lead and extended the margin to 14 points by halftime. The Pistons led by as much as 20 points in the third quarter before allowing Denver to slice into the lead in the final period. The Nuggets pulled to within 10 midway through the fourth, but Detroit continued to hit shots and went 10 - for - 10 at the line in the final minute to ice the game. D.J. Augustin paced Detroit with 22 points and 11 assists in 34 minutes. Andre Drummond added 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Greg Monroe finished with 21 points and 21 boards. Detroit out - rebounded Denver by a nine - board margin and won the points in the paint battle 52 - 36. Denver, which has dropped five straight and 12 of its last 13, got 20 points and nine assists from Ty Lawson, who shot 6 - of - 12 from the field in a game - high 39 minutes. Wilson Chandler added 11 points and five rebounds, and Kenneth Faried chipped in 10 points. Danilo Gallinari reached double - figures off the bench, finishing with 12 points and six rebounds in 30 minutes. Darrell Arthur did as well, going for 10 points on 4 - of - 9 shooting. Up next, the Nuggets return home to host the Thunder on Monday. Detroit welcomes the Timberwolves to the Palace of Auburn Hills on Sunday evening.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 31 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 32 Losses ,has 88 Total points ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 13 Turnovers ,has 19 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wilson Chandler') has 11 Assists ,has 5 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kenneth Faried') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ty Lawson') has 9 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 39 Minutes played ,has 20 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Darrell Arthur') has 9 Assists ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Danilo Gallinari') has 30 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Greg Monroe') has 21 Assists ,has 21 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 13 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'D.J. Augustin') has 11 Assists ,has 34 Field goals attempted ,has 22 Field goals made ."]

The Golden State Warriors (15 - 2) defeated the Orlando Magic (7 - 13) 98 - 97 Tuesday at Oracle Arena in Oakland. With the game tied at 95 - 95, Tobias Harris was able to hit a jumper to put the Magic up by two. Steph Curry had something to say about it though, as he drained a three - pointer for the go ahead bucket with under 10 seconds left, thus giving the Warriors a share of the Western Conference lead and victory number 10 on their current win streak. The "Splash Bros" did it again for the Warriors, as Curry and Klay Thompson led the team in scoring. Curry went 8 - for - 17 from the floor and 3 - for - 9 from the three - point line to scored 22 points, while adding five assists. Thompson shot 8 - for - 16 from the field and 4 - for - 8 from beyond the arc to post 20 points of his own, while also adding five assists. They continue to be one of the most dangerous duos in the NBA. Harrison Barnes chipped in his second double - double of the season, as he contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds. He's now averaging 11 points and 6 rebounds on the year. The other two Warriors to reach double figures were Draymond Green, who had 11 points and seven rebounds, and Marreese Speights, who had 12 points off the bench. The Magic got most of their production from guard Victor Oladipo. He shot extremely well, going 10 - for - 14 from the field and 3 - for - 4 from behind the arc to score 27 points. It was a season - high in points for him. Center Kyle O'Quinn had his best game of the year as well, despite playing in only five up until this point. He scored 21 points (9 - 16 FG) and had 11 rebounds, giving him his first double - double of the season. Tobias Harris was able to hit a clutch jumper near the end of the game, but was trumped by Curry, who hit the game winner. Harris had a solid outing though, going 6 - for - 14 from the field and 5 - for - 5 from the free throw line to score 17 points. He also had seven rebounds and five assists. The only other Magic player to reach double figures was Evan Fournier, who scored 10 points. The Warriors' next game will be at home against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, while the Magic will travel to Los Angeles to play the Clippers on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 2 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 15 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 13 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 7 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 5 Assists ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 17 Free throws attempted ,has 7 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle O'Quinn') has 16 Assists ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 21 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Victor Oladipo') has 4 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 27 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 14 Assists ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 11 Assists ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 5 Assists ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 20 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 5 Assists ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 22 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marreese Speights') has 2 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ."]

The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Miami Heat in their home opener, 97 - 91, at American Airlines Arena on Friday. The contest was truly a tale of two halves, with the Heat unable to sustain a red - hot start coming out of intermission. Miami (1 - 1) carried a 57 - 46 lead into halftime, but Charlotte's bench caught fire in the second half, propelling the Hornets (20) to a 51 - 34 advantage over the final two quarters. Four reserves - - Spencer Hawes, Marco Belinelli, Jeremy Lamb and Cody Zeller - - posted double - digit scoring efforts, helping make up for an unbalanced performance from the first unit that featured only one tally of over 20 points. The Hornets' defense was also key, as they took the ball away from the Heat 20 times, leading to 22 points, while only committing eight turnovers themselves. Kemba Walker paced the visitors with 24 points, four assists, a rebound and two steals. Nicolas Batum was the only other member of the first unit to reach double digits in the scoring column, collecting 12 points and adding six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Marvin Williams did manage to haul in 11 boards despite contributing a modest seven points, an assist, two steals and a block. Roy Hibbert left the game after five minutes on the court with a sore right knee, going scoreless over his brief stint. Lamb's 16 - point, eight - rebound performance led the bench, while Belinelli (12 points), Zeller (10 points) and Hawes (10 points) made key contributions as well. Hawes also came just one rebound short of a double - double and added two assists and two blocks. The Heat were led by a trademark Hassan Whiteside double - double (20 points, 15 boards) and he also recored a pair of blocks. Goran Dragic came within an assist of accomplishing the feat himself, tallying 14 points, nine dimes, four rebounds and a steal. Dion Waiters totaled 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a steal. Justise Winslow contributed 10 points, six rebounds and five assists, but struggled from the field, going just 4 - for - 14 overall and 1 - for - 6 from three - point range. Tyler Johnson paced the Miami bench with 12 points and six rebounds. The Hornets head back home to take on the Celtics on Saturday night, while the Heat remain home to take on the Spurs on Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 1 Number of team assists ,has 91 Losses ,has 20 Total points ,has 1 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 20 Number of team assists ,has 97 Losses ,has 8 Total points ,has 2 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marvin Williams') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 4 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 4 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cody Zeller') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marco Belinelli') has 1 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeremy Lamb') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 16 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Spencer Hawes') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Justise Winslow') has 5 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 2 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 15 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dion Waiters') has 3 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Goran Dragic') has 9 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Johnson') has 12 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ."]

The Charlotte Hornets (4 - 5) defeated the Phoenix Suns (5 - 4) 103 - 95 on Friday. Charlotte was coming off two losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers at the start of their current four - game Western Conference roadtrip. Kemba Walker scored a team - high 19 points in 33 minutes. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is going to miss at least two games with a stress reaction in his foot. Rookie P.J. Hairston earned the first start of his NBA career, filling in at small forward with Kidd-Gilchrist out. Marvin Williams was questionable for the game with knee soreness, but he was able to play and contributed 24 minutes as the starting power forward. The Hornets will finish off their road trip Saturday against the Golden State Warriors. Phoenix was on a five - game homestand that wrapped up with this loss to the Hornets. The Suns had all five starters finish in double - digits scoring, but they shot just 43 percent from the field. Phoenix's biggest gaff came from the 18 points they gave up off of turnovers in the game compared to the Hornets' eight. The Suns have another game Saturday. They'll face the Los Angeles Clippers on the road.

["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 43 Percentage of field goals ,has 4 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 5 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 43 Percentage of field goals ,has 5 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 4 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 33 Minutes played ,has 2 Offensive rebounds ,has 19 Points ."]

The Utah Jazz (19 - 33) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans (27 - 25) 100 - 96 on Monday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. While going into halftime down 52 - 42, the Jazz looked to be in for a long game. They came out firing in the third quarter though, where they out - scored the Pelicans 29 - 15, giving them enough of an advantage to steal a four - point victory on the road against a very tough team. The Jazz were also able to force the Pelicans into 15 turnovers, while committing only 11 of their own, which also may have helped make the difference Monday. Gordon Hayward was unstoppable in this one, going 10 - for - 22 from the field and 3 - for - 5 from the three - point line to finish with 32 points, while also adding seven rebounds, eight assists and two steals. He's played extremely well over his last two games, combining for 62 points, nine rebounds, 11 assists and four steals over that span. Derrick Favors also did his part and finished with 18 points (8 - 16 FG, 2 - 4 FT), seven rebounds and two blocked shots. Over his last three games he's averaging 19 points and seven rebounds, as he's really stepped it up for the Jazz lately. Notching a double - double, center Enes Kanter posted 14 points (6 - 12 FG, 2 - 2 FT) and 11 rebounds in 28 minutes. It marked his third double - double over his last four games. Coming off the bench, Steve Novak added an efficient 12 points (4 - 5 3Pt) in 12 minutes. Doing everything he could to keep the Pelicans in this game, Eric Gordon finished with 31 points (9 - 14 FG, 7 - 8 3Pt, 6 - 6 FT), three assists and two steals. It was a new season - high in points for him and also a nice bounce back game after posting just three points in Saturday's game against the Bulls. Tyreke Evans also had a solid showing and recorded 18 points (7 - 17 FG, 2 - 4 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT), seven rebounds and 10 assists. With Anthony Davis sitting out due to a shoulder injury, the Pelicans' backcourt tried to make up for his scoring, but they did n't get enough production elsewhere to keep up. The only other player to reach double figures in points was Luke Babbitt, who came off the bench and contributed a season - high of 15 points (6 - 14 FG, 2 - 5 3Pt, 1 - 1 FT) and six rebounds in 26 minutes. The Jazz's next game will be on the road against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, while the Pelicans will be at home against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 25 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 25 Points in 1st quarter ,has 15 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 15 Turnovers ,has 27 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 33 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 27 Points in 1st quarter ,has 29 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 19 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ,has 32 Minutes played ,has 7 Offensive rebounds ,has 2 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Favors') has 2 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ,has 7 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Enes Kanter') has 12 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 28 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ,has 11 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Steve Novak') has 5 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 3 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 31 Free throws made ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyreke Evans') has 10 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 18 Free throws made ,has 7 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Luke Babbitt') has 5 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 26 Free throws attempted ,has 15 Free throws made ,has 6 Minutes played ."]

The Miami Heat defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 109 - 97, at American Airlines Arena on Saturday, Miami have n't had many dominant wins this season, but they led for the final 40 minutes here in an impressive victory. Shooting was the glaring difference in the game, with the Heat hitting 53 percent of their shots, while Milwaukee went just 42 percent from the field. Miami did most of their damage in the first half, as they led 53 - 43, headed into the locker room. Three-point shooting was decisive as well, with Miami going 13 - of - 30, with Milwaukee hitting just 6 - of - 18 from long range. The Bucks (20 - 23) played this game with Jabari Parker and Malcolm Brogdon coming off the bench for disciplinary issues and that clearly put them too far behind the eight - ball to overcome. Giannis Antetokounmpo carried the load though, accumulating 24 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. Parker came off the bench to provide 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Brogdon did n't have as much success off the bench, scoring four points on 1 - of - 10 from the field. Matthew Dellavedova started at point guard and tallied 15 points and seven assists. The Heat (14 - 30) have now won three - straight games, as the balance beam is evening up with their abundance of close losses. Dion Waiters tied a career - high with 33 points on 12 - of - 19 shooting, adding three rebounds and three assists to his tally. Goran Dragic was second on the team, dropping 25 points, to go along with six assists. Hassan Whiteside recorded a 16 - point, 15 - rebound double - double. Wayne Ellington dropped 15 points off the bench, while James Johnson totaled seven points and six assists off the pine as well.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 53 Percentage of field goals ,has 30 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 14 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 23 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 20 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 3 Assists ,has 24 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Matthew Dellavedova') has 7 Assists ,has 15 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Malcolm Brogdon') has 10 Assists ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jabari Parker') has 4 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 16 Assists ,has 15 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dion Waiters') has 3 Assists ,has 33 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Goran Dragic') has 6 Assists ,has 25 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wayne Ellington') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Johnson') has 6 Assists ,has 7 Field goals attempted ."]

Marquese Chriss has been spotty and fairly inconsistent in his rookie season, but as of late, the former Washington Huskie has been on a steady scoring pace over the past week. After Thursday's 17 - point performance on 6 - of - 9 shooting in the Suns' blowout victory over the Hornets, Chriss has now scored in double figures in four of his last five games and has scored at least 15 points in three of those games. Over that five - game stretch, he is averaging 14 points per game, but what is most impressive is the efficient level he is doing it at. Chriss has been dealing with inefficiency with his shotmaking all season, but over that five - game stretch, the rookie is shooting an impressive and improved 54 percent from the field and has shot a least 50 percent in his last four games.

["PlayerStat(G,'Marquese Chriss') has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 3 Personal fouls ,has 17 Points ."]

The Chicago Bulls (10) grabbed a 10 series lead in their 103 - 91 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks (0 - 1). Taj Gibson left late in the fourth quarter due to a right knee strain. According to the team, he could have returned and should be fine for the next game. In his first playoff game since April 28, 2012, Derrick Rose scored 23 points, recorded seven assists, notched two steals, blocked one shot and hit three three - pointers in 27 minutes. His first half playing time was cut short due to foul trouble, but coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t remove Rose until 51 seconds remaining, even though the Bulls were ahead by 14. Jimmy Butler scored a playoff career - high 25 points on 8 - of - 14 shooting in 35 minutes. Pau Gasol was held to 10 points on 5 - of - 17 shooting and 13 rebounds in 36 minutes, significant given his 46 - point, 18 - rebound performance against the Bucks earlier this season. The Bucks were unable to channel their first - quarter scoring through the rest of the game. After shooting 59 percent in the opening period, they closed the contest shooting 33 percent over the final three quarters, concluding the fourth quarter with 16 points. Khris Middleton scored a team - high 18 points and nabbed four steals in 34 minutes. John Henson and Jerryd Bayless, both reserves, were the only Bucks to shoot at least 50 percent from the floor. After closing out the regular season with a block in 11 straight contests, Henson failed to block any shots in 26 minutes off the bench. Both teams will resume the series Monday night at the United Center.

["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 103 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 1 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 16 Points in 4th quarter ,has 0 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Khris Middleton') has 34 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Henson') has 26 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Pau Gasol') has 17 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 36 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jimmy Butler') has 14 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 35 3-pointers made ,has 25 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Rose') has 7 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 27 Field goals attempted ,has 23 Field goals made ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Taj Gibson') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ."]

The Charlotte Hornets earned their first playoff road win since 2002 after they rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat the host Miami Heat, 90 - 88, and take a 3 - 2 lead in the Eastern Conference first - round playoffs Wednesday at American Airlines Arena. The Hornets were trailing by seven points with 9:28 left in the fourth quarter but out - scored Miami 23 - 14 the rest of the way to earn the win. Both teams traded clutch baskets down the stretch, until a three - pointer by Courtney Lee gave Charlotte a two - point advantage with 25 seconds left. Miami was left with one final possession but could not convert. The Hornets used a balanced team effort to top the Heat, as four players scored in double figures and three others chipped in eight points each. Marvin Williams was the high - point man for Charlotte, finishing with 17 points (7 - 10 FG, 3 - 4 3Pt) on solid shooting, along with eight rebounds, three steals and two assists, in 30 minutes. Kemba Walked finished with 14 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block, in 35 minutes, while Al Jefferson finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, in 22 minutes. The Hornets shot only 39 percent from the field, but hit 50 percent (12 - 24) from long range. Dwyane Wade led the way offensively for Miami, finishing with a game - high 25 points (11 - 19 FG, 3 - 4 FT), along with five rebounds and four assists, in 32 minutes. Luol Deng was solid with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists, in 36 minutes. Hassan Whiteside recorded a double - double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, along with three blocked shots, in 32 minutes. The Heat shot 42 percent from the field but struggled from long range, where they shot only 28 percent (5 - 18). The Hornets will now have an opportunity to close out the series at home on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 28 Percentage of 3 points ,has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 3 Losses ,has 88 Total points ,has 25 Points in 1st quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 50 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 2 Losses ,has 90 Total points ,has 25 Points in 1st quarter ,has 3 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marvin Williams') has 2 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 30 Field goals made ,has 17 Free throws attempted ,has 8 Free throws made ,has 3 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Jefferson') has 22 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 5 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 35 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Luol Deng') has 3 Assists ,has 36 Blocks ,has 16 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 3 Assists ,has 32 Blocks ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 4 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 32 Field goals made ,has 25 Free throws attempted ,has 5 Free throws made ."]

The host Dallas Mavericks took down the Miami Heat on Monday, 96 - 89. The Mavericks (24 - 35) have now won two straight after taking down the Pelicans on Saturday. On Monday, guard Seth Curry almost bested a recently - set career high of 31 points. Curry led the team with 29 and looked a lot like his brother, splashing home five three - pointers on seven attempts. Veteran Dirk Nowitzki, meanwhile, scored only eight but had an impressive 12 rebounds to lead the team. Only two players scored in double figures, with Harrison Barnes scoring 24 on 9 - of - 18 shooting. The Mavs shot just 43 percent from the field, but hit 50 percent of their three - pointers on the night. Miami (27 - 33) had a rough night offensively. The team scored under 90 points and shot just 45 percent and 36 percent from beyond the arc. Point guard Goran Dragic shot 10 - of - 21 to lead the team with 24 points while also dishing out six assists. Star center Hassan Whiteside, meanwhile, dominated with 19 points and an astounding 19 rebounds. Despite Whiteside's dominance, the Heat still had a mediocre night on the boards. Miami held just a four rebound advantage over Dallas on the night. Miami will host the 76ers on Wednesday, while the Mavericks will visit Atlanta.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 35 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 24 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 33 Losses ,has 89 Total points ,has 27 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 19 Assists ,has 19 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Goran Dragic') has 6 Assists ,has 21 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 24 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 18 Assists ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 24 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 8 Assists ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Seth Curry') has 7 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 29 3-pointers made ."]

The Houston Rockets notched their ninth straight win as they defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 122 - 100, at Toyota Center on Friday night. The Rockets made history in a couple of different ways in this contest, beginning with their nine - game win streak, which is their longest win streak in eight years. They also sank an NBA-record 24 three - pointers, while James Harden passed Hakeem Olajuwon, to become the Rockets' all time triple - double leader, as he notched his second straight triple - double, for the fifteenth of his career. Harden finished with 29 points on 7 - of - 15 shooting, along with 13 assists and 11 rebounds, in 34 minutes. Meanwhile, Eric Gordon notched a season - high 29 points on 10 - of - 17 shooting, including 7 - of - 12 from deep, in 28 minutes off the bench. The Rockets (20 - 7) shot 24 - of - 61 from long distance and tallied 27 assists in the game. They moved to 10 - 2 at home and will head out to Minnesota to take - on the Timberwolves on Saturday, for their second game in as many nights. The Pelicans (9 - 19) fell short on the second night of a back - to - back as they struggled shooting, going 41 percent from the field, 33 percent from long range and only 55 percent from the foul line. Anthony Davis scored 19 points before he was forced to leave the game in the third quarter with a leg contusion, and did not return. No player tallied more than 20 points for the Pelicans but five players scored in double figures, including Cheick Diallo who went 4 - of - 5 from the field, for 10 points, along with seven rebounds, in 22 minutes off the bench. The Pelicans fell to 3 - 10 on the road and will look to bounce back as they visit San Antonio on Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 27 Number of team assists ,has 7 Percentage of 3 points ,has 122 Percentage of field goals ,has 20 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 33 Number of team assists ,has 41 Percentage of 3 points ,has 19 Percentage of field goals ,has 100 Losses ,has 9 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cheick Diallo') has 5 Assists ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 22 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 13 Assists ,has 15 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 34 3-pointers made ,has 29 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 12 Assists ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 17 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 28 Field goals attempted ,has 29 Field goals made ."]

The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Denver Nuggets 115 - 90 at Pepsi Center on Sunday. The Pelicans (31 - 42) defensive effort stepped up in the second and third quarter, where the Nuggets (35 - 38) were unable to find a rhythm and were held to under 20 points in each of the middle periods. Anthony Davis was a monster on the boards, and led all scorers with 31 points in the contest, while rising star Nikola Jokic logged only 18 minutes and put forth a weak scoring effort. DeMarcus Cousins (ankle) was sidelined for the game. Impressively, the Pelicans bench also stepped up, as Jordan Crawford, E'Twaun Moore and Alexis Ajinca all put forth strong performances down the stretch. Davis finished with 31 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and one block on 12 - of - 17 shooting. Jrue Holiday added 13 points, six rebounds and seven assists and buried 3 - of - 6 shots from behind the arc. The aforementioned bench performances from Crawford and Moore totaled 25 points and nine assists combined. The loss puts the Portland Trail Blazers in sight of the 8 - seed for the playoffs, and the Nuggets can not afford losses down the stretch if they want to sneak into the final playoff spot. Jokic finished with eight points, 13 rebounds and two assists on 4 - of - 14 shooting across 18 minutes. Mason Plumlee had the hot hand off the bench where he scored 16 points on 8 - of - 10 shooting, while Denver shot just 38 percent from the field in the loss. Next up, the Pelicans visit the Jazz for the second game of a back - to - back on Monday, while the Nuggets visit the Trail Blazers for a heated playoff worth matchup on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 38 Percentage of field goals ,has 38 Losses ,has 90 Total points ,has 35 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 115 Losses ,has 31 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 17 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 31 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 7 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Jokic') has 2 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mason Plumlee') has 10 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 16 3-pointers attempted ."]

Kemba Walker paced the Hornets offense with a relatively modest 18 points, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was close behind with 14 points of his own. Nicolas Batum filled out the stat sheet nicely with a near double - double consisting of 12 points, nine rebounds, six assists and a steal. Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky combined for just seven points but 10 rebounds as well. Dallas managed respective 37 percent and 29 percent tallies from the field and three - point range, despite seeing five players post double - digit scoring performances. Harrison Barnes paced them with 17 points, while Deron Williams and Wesley Matthews followed with a pair of 14 - point efforts. Matthews did struggle considerably from long range, however, going just 1 - of - 11 from beyond the arc. Justin Anderson and Jonathan Gibson impressively combined for 26 points off the bench.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 29 Percentage of 3 points ,has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 14 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wesley Matthews') has 11 Assists ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Deron Williams') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Kidd-Gilchrist') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 6 Assists ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 18 Assists ."]

The Indiana Pacers (27 - 24) defeated the Detroit Pistons (27 - 25) 112 - 104 on Saturday. The tussle between the two Eastern Conference Central Division rivals was a tightly contested one, with the Pistons making a strong push in the middle quarters to overcome an early deficit, before the Pacers eventually pulled away late. The difference in the back - and - forth affair primarily came down to shooting, with Indiana managing a stellar night from the field and beyond the arc. They were led by Paul George, who tallied 30 points and added eight rebounds, three assists and a steal. Nearly half of his scoring - - 14 points - - came from visits to the charity stripe, as he remained aggressive on offense throughout the night. Overall, the Pacers managed a 54 percent accuracy rate from the field, and drained 55 percent of their 11 three - point attempts. Five players, including three starters, posted double - digit point totals, and all but one, C.J. Miles, managed to shoot 50 percent or better. Detroit was led by a 26 - point effort from Reggie Jackson against George Hill's stingy defense, and he also added three rebounds and two assists. Reserve forward Anthony Tolliver was actually the second - highest Pistons scorer, pacing the bench with 17 points, four rebounds, an assist and three steals. Marcus Morris turned in a 16 - point, two - rebound, four - assist effort that also included a steal. Stanley Johnson was productive once again in his second game starting at two - guard in Kentavious Caldwell Pope's stead, putting up a 14 - point, 10 - rebound double - double, and also dishing out three assists and recording a steal. Andre Drummond managed another one of his trademark double - doubles, amassing 10 points and bringing in 13 boards. He also pitched in with an assist, a steal and a pair of blocks. With the loss, the Pistons drop to fourth place in the Eastern Conference's Central Division. They head home to face the Toronto Raptors on Monday night. Hill seconded George's team - leading effort with 17 points, four rebounds and two assists. Myles Turner continued his recent success as the starting power forward by totaling 16 points, four rebounds, three assists and a block. Jordan Hill headed back to the bench with starting center Ian Mahinmi's return from his back injury, but paced the reserves with 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists and four steals. Miles recorded 10 points of his own off the bench, along with two rebounds and two assists. With the victory, the Pacers vaulted over the Pistons into third place in the Eastern Conference's Central Division. They're at home again on Monday to face off with the Los Angeles Lakers.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 55 Percentage of 3 points ,has 54 Percentage of field goals ,has 24 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 27 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 25 Percentage of 3 points ,has 104 Percentage of field goals ,has 26 Losses ,has 27 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Morris') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 16 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 1 Free throw percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 1 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stanley Johnson') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 14 Free throws attempted ,has 10 Free throws made ,has 1 Free throw percentage ,has 2 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 2 Assists ,has 26 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Tolliver') has 1 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 3 Assists ,has 30 Blocks ,has 8 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Myles Turner') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 16 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'George Hill') has 2 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jordan Hill') has 3 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 8 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ Miles') has 2 Assists ,has 50 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers made ."]

The Timberwolves (2 - 2) scored the final nine points of the game en route to a 98 - 91 win over the Nets (2 - 2) on Wednesday in Brooklyn. Minnesota entered the fourth quarter with a six - point lead, but the Nets scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter in a four - minute run keyed by three - pointers from Mirza Teletovic and Deron Williams. From that point on, the teams traded baskets until the final minute - and - a - half, when the Wolves capitalized on a couple of key Brooklyn turnovers to end the game on a 90 run. Nikola Pekovic converted a basket, plus the foul, with 0:48 to play that put Minnesota up 94 - 91. Following a Brook Lopez offensive foul, Ricky Rubio found Thaddeus Young for a basket to put Minnesota up 96 - 91 with less than 30 seconds to play. Joe Johnson would miss two shots on the ensuing Nets possession, and Andrew Wiggins secured the rebound for Minnesota to salt the game away. The Wolves, who shot just over 41 percent from the field, were led by 26 points and seven rebounds from Kevin Martin. Rubio added 14 points and 12 assists, while Wiggins chipped in 17 points on 7 - of - 12 shooting. Johnson led the way for Brooklyn, scoring 22 points on 9 - of - 17 shooting. Doors Williams added 19 points (8 - 16 FG), while Kevin Garnett contributed 11 rebounds and two points. Brook Lopez, playing just his second game since returning from a foot injury, had 10 [points and five rebounds but shot only 5 - of - 14 from the floor. The Nets move on to host the Knicks on Friday, while the Wolves head south to take on the Magic in Orlando on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 2 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 2 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 2 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 2 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 12 Assists ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 17 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ricky Rubio') has 12 Assists ,has 14 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joe Johnson') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 22 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Garnett') has 10 Assists ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 14 Assists ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ."]

Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo continued to stuff the stat sheet after a strong finish to his impressive 2016 campaign, though it was n't enough for the Bucks to beat the Hornets on Wednesday. "The Greek Freak" contributed in seemingly every statistical category in his season debut, scoring 31 points, pulling down nine rebounds, dishing five assists and recording a block, a steal, and a three - pointer. In fact, it seemed there was only one column where Giannis was n't posting big numbers: turnovers. The so - called "point forward" turned the ball over just once in 39 minutes. The Hornets responded with their own promising young forward, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. MKG lit up the Milwaukee defense, scoring 23 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. While Kidd-Gilchrist dominated the glass and the scoring column, a new face anchored the defense in Charlotte: Roy Hibbert. The former All-Star blocked five shots in the team's first contest.

["PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 5 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ,has 31 Points ,has 9 Total rebounds ,has 1 Steals ,has 1 Turnovers ."]

The Boston Celtics (21 - 33) took down the Phoenix Suns (29 - 28) 115 - 110 on Monday. Avery Bradley has been the go - to man for the Celtics since the All-Star break, averaging 24 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals in that span. He led both teams in scoring Monday, putting up 23 points to go along with six steals in 29 minutes. Isaiah Thomas faced off against the team that dealt him away at the trade deadline last week. He had a plus - 21 off the bench, recording 21 points and seven assists in 27 minutes. Boston will be without big man Jared Sullinger for the remainder of the season due to a stress fracture in his foot. In his place, Tyler Zeller got the start at center Monday, posting 12 points and six rebounds in a team - high 36 minutes. Former Bucks guard Brandon Knight got the start for his new team Monday. In his first contest with the Suns, he came off the bench and had 13 points and five assists in 25 minutes against the Chicago Bulls, a 112 - 107 loss on Saturday. Knight started alongside Eric Bledsoe, who approached a triple - double with 21 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Alex Len continued his maturation process with 10 points, 12 boards and six blocked shots. The Suns are sitting on the 10th - best record in the Western Conference, and are chasing the New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder for the eighth and final playoff spot. The Suns will head to Denver to face the Nuggets on Wednesday, while the Celtics will host the New York Knicks on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 28 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 29 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 33 Losses ,has 115 Total points ,has 21 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Zeller') has 36 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 6 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 29 Assists ,has 23 Blocks ,has 4 Minutes played ,has 6 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 7 Assists ,has 27 Blocks ,has 21 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Alex Len') has 6 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 12 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Bledsoe') has 10 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 7 Minutes played ."]

The Detroit Pistons (24 - 21) defeated the Utah Jazz (19 - 25) 95 - 92 on Monday night. In a battle between two stingy defenses, the identities of the teams really stood out. Both teams wanted to muck this game down and play halfcourt, which is just what they did. The Pistons took a 12 - point lead into the half and never relinquished it after that. Detroit held Utah to 40 percent shooting, while shooting 45 percent on their end of the floor. Th three - point shooting was key as well, as the Pistons went 11 - for - 22, while the Jazz went just 9 - for - 29. Detroit played far from efficient here, but they managed to pull out a huge win on the road. Reggie Jackson was the hero tonight, as he tallied 29 points and four assists in the win. That looks even bigger considering Andre Drummond and Marcus Morris combined for just nine points and 10 rebounds in the victory. The form of Drummond has to be worrisome, as that is now two dud performances in a row for the potential All-Star. He went just 1 - for - 10 from the free - throw line here and it's starting to effect the rest of his game right now. The only other player who played well for the Pistons here aside from Jackson was Ersan Ilyasova, who amassed 16 points and eight rebounds. The Pistons have a good chance at another win in their next game, when they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. The Jazz have been a bit of a disappointment this season, but this loss does have big implications for the future. Derrick Favors made his return here after a 13 - game absence and he's a beautiful sight for Utah fans. He came off the bench here and scored 14 points in 20 minutes, but he should be at full force in weeks to come. It was just four players tonight that showed up for Utah, as Favors, Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert and Rodney Hood combined for nearly all of the offense. In fact, they scored all but 16 points in this game between the four of them and that's hard to overcome in an NBA game. Gobert was especially good tonight, as he tallied 17 points and 17 rebounds in one of his best games of the season. Hayward had a nice all - around game as well, as he accumulated 22 points, five rebounds and five assists in the defeat. He did however miss a game - tying three at the buzzer that would have sent the game into overtime. Utah will look to play better in their next game on Wednesday against the struggling Charlotte Hornets.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 25 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 13 Points in 1st quarter ,has 13 Turnovers ,has 19 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 45 Percentage of field goals ,has 21 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 24 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ersan Ilyasova') has 16 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 10 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 4 Assists ,has 29 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 5 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 22 Free throws attempted ,has 5 Free throws made ,has 3 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 17 Minutes played ,has 17 Personal fouls ,has 1 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Favors') has 4 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 14 Free throws attempted ."]

LeBron James led the way for the Cavs as he played 45 minutes and finished with 27 points, 13 assists and five rebounds. James gave up a disturbing eight turnovers though, contributing to Cleveland's 20 turnovers in the game. Kyrie Irving added 20 points on 9 - of - 21 - shooting, eight assists and six rebounds. Kevin Love finished with 15 points on 5 - of - 14 shooting, along with nine rebounds, three assists and one steal, in 42 minutes. Channing Frye chipped in 11 points on 5 - of - 6 shooting, in 21 minutes off the bench. All five starters scored in double figures for the Bulls, led by Jimmy Butler who finished with 26 points, along with eight rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks, in 42 minutes. Dwyane Wade followed up with 24 points on 11 - of - 23 shooting, along with five rebounds, four assists and two steals, in 37 minutes.

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The Dallas Mavericks were led by Dirk Nowtizki, who posted 18 points, 12 rebounds and three assists on 8 - of - 17 shooting. Harrison Barnes was effective with his 17 points across 34 minutes, although most of his damage was done by getting to the free throw line where he finished 7 - of - 8 shooting. Seth Curry scored 22 points to aid the starters, while Nerlens Noel finished with 13 points and five rebounds. Westbrook led the Thunder with 29 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block on 8 - of - 24 shooting. Enes Kanter was the most effective of the seven players that Billy Donovan opted to rotate in off the bench, as he scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to complete the double - double. Steven Adams added 19 points, five boards and one block in the loss.

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The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 105 - 98 at Moda Center on Wednesday. The Blazers (20 - 27) turned to C.J. McCollum late in the fourth quarter for back - to - back buckets to extend the lead to five points, and while the Lakers (16 - 33) had an answer with an emphatic Larry Nance Jr. dunk, Portland sealed the deal behind Damian Lillard's floater with :48 remaining in the fourth quarter. Lou Williams provided the scoring for Los Angeles and thrived off the bench with 31 points on 10 - of - 20 shooting. Williams hot hand kept the Lakers within striking distance though out the back - and - forth affair. Lillard and McCollum both finished with 24 points each, and combined for eight rebounds and six assists. Portland picked up their third win over the Lakers this season, and have only one game remaining in the series. The Lakers, as a unit, were unable to consistently shoot from the field and behind the three point line, evidenced by their 39 percent effort. Jordan Clarkson added 22 points in his bench role, while the starters remained relatively absent in terms of scoring, with only Nick Young finding double figures with 15 points on 3 - of - 6 shooting from deep. Next up, the Lakers visit the Utah Jazz on Thursday, while the Blazers host the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 27 Percentage of field goals ,has 105 Losses ,has 20 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 33 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 31 Points in 1st quarter ,has 16 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nick Young') has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 15 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jordan Clarkson') has 22 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Williams') has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 31 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 24 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 24 3-pointers attempted ."]

It was a big night for the All-Star backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan as the Raptors took the court at Staples Center on Sunday. The two combined for 72 points, with Lowry contributing 41. The All-Star shot 12 - of - 16 from the field and 11 - of - 11 at the free - throw line and had 18 of his points in the fourth quarter. Lowry added nine rebounds and seven assists. DeRozan, meanwhile, shot a less efficient 10 - of - 25 but had 31 points en route to a Toronto victory. The team shot impressive splits, hitting 56 percent of its shots from the field, 58 percent from beyond the arc, and 90 percent from the free - throw line. For Los Angeles, meanwhile, it was a slower night on offense, as the team hit only 40 percent of its shots. The Lakers' backcourt was still potent, however. Point guard D'Angelo Russell poured in 28 points, while veteran shooting guard Nick Young had 26. The two combined for 13 of LA's 15 three - pointers.

["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 40 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 31 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 25 Assists ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 31 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 7 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ,has 11 Free throws attempted ,has 11 Free throws made ,has 41 Points ,has 9 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nick Young') has 26 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'D'Angelo Russell') has 28 Assists ."]

The Washington Wizards (20 - 21) defeated the Miami Heat (23 - 20) 106 - 87 on Wednesday. The bruised, weary, and depleted Heat are running out of able bodies, and it showed in their play on Wednesday. Fresh off a six - game road swing through the Western Conference and a subsequent 91 - 79 loss to the Bucks at American Airlines Arena in South Florida on Tuesday, Miami hit the road again shortly after the conclusion of that contest. Already down their top two point guards, the Heat then found out shortly before the game that Dwyane Wade would give his ailing shoulders a rest against the Wizards, leaving Gerald Green, who'd been battling some knee tendinitis himself, in a starting role. Then, midway through the second quarter, injury befell one of the few healthy starters left, as Hassan Whiteside went out with a strained oblique and was unable to return. All of the personnel changes led to some predictably sluggish and sloppy play, with Miami turning the ball over 21 times, leading to 27 points for the home team. The visitors were spearheaded by the most talented healthy body remaining, Chris Bosh. The forward managed 18 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Luol Deng, the other front - line player not watching from the bench, was next in line with 16 points, eight rebounds, an assist and a block. Tyler Johnson, filling in once again for both Goran Dragic (calf) and Beno Udrih (neck), bounced back from an abysmal outing versus the Bucks by totaling 14 points, five assists and two rebounds. Veteran Amar'e Stoudemire paced the Heat bench with a season - high 11 points. The Heat fell to 23 - 20 - - their sixth loss in the last seven games - - and remain in second place in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division. They now head to Toronto for a matchup with the Raptors on Friday. Washington was led by a pair of 18 - point efforts from a familiar duo, John Wall and Bradley Beal. Wall did his damage as a starter over 32 minutes, and added 10 assists and four rebounds. Beal, in turn, turned in his effort in a reserve role over 25 minutes. He supplemented his scoring with three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Nene Hilario was next in line with an outstanding all - around performance, posting 16 points, six rebounds, an assist and five steals. Marcin Gortat took advantage of an extended stretch without Whiteside in front of him, putting together his fifth straight double - double with 15 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and a pair of blocks. Garrett Temple was productive as well, amassing 11 points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal. The Wizards improved to 20 - 21 and are now in a third - place tie with the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division. They remain home and await the Utah Jazz for a Saturday evening showdown.

["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 21 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 20 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 27 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 23 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Luol Deng') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Johnson') has 5 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Amar'e Stoudemire') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nene') has 1 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcin Gortat') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Garrett Temple') has 3 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 10 Assists ,has 32 Blocks ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 2 Assists ,has 25 Blocks ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 1 Minutes played ."]

The Chicago Bulls defeated the visiting Miami Heat 105 - 100, at United Center on Saturday evening. After trailing by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter, the Heat battled back to make it a one - possession game with 13 seconds to go. They then had a chance to go for the tie as they inbounded the ball, down by three with seven seconds remaining, however they fumbled the ball on a dribble - hand - off, turning it over and destroying their chances of a comeback. The Bulls (13 - 10) did a good job to hang - on for their second straight win. Jimmy Butler was the high - point man for Chicago, with 31 points, while Dwyane Wade came to play, as he dropped 28 points on his former team. The only other Bulls player to score in double digits was Taj Gibson, who finished with 13 points. The Bulls only shot 1 - of - 8 from long range but hit 28 - of - 31 free throws to help earn the win. The Bulls are now 7 - 3 at home and will look to keep it rolling as they play host to the slumping Timberwolves on Tuesday. The Heat (7 - 17) dropped their fifth straight game, however they have been hampered by injuries, and were missing Justise Winslow (wrist), Dion Waiters (groin) and James Johnson (shoulder) in this one. Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic combined for 41 points for Miami, while the bench came up large with 44 points, but it was still not enough to top the Bulls, who out - scored them by 17 at the foul line. After going 0 - 3 on their road trip the Heat will look to turn things around as they play host to the Wizards in a Southeast Division match - up on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 17 Number of team assists ,has 10 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 28 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 13 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 17 Number of team assists ,has 100 Losses ,has 7 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jimmy Butler') has 31 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Taj Gibson') has 13 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 28 Points ."]

LeBron James finished Friday's game with 27 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Those 27 points made James the fastest player in NBA history to reach 27,0 total points. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love form the "Big Three" with James, and all of those players stepped up Friday. In fact, they combined for 70 points, 28 rebounds and 12 assists in the win. John Wall had to carry the load for the Wizards with Bradley Beal out and he did just that, dropping 28 points in the loss. Wall actually scored 23 of his 28 points in the first half, as he really struggled with his shot over the final 24 minutes. Beal missed this game due to a hamstring injury and they really missed his shooting, as they went just 3 - of - 15 from three - point range in the defeat.

["PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 5 Assists ,has 27 Points ,has 10 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 28 Assists ."]

Anthony Davis had tallied over 30 points on four occasions this season, so it was fitting that his 32 - point total paced the Pelicans' first win. His two free throws with 12 seconds remaining sealed the victory. E'Twaun Moore supplied a season - high 20 points, while Tim Frazier's full stat line of 15 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and a steal represented his second double - double in the last three games, as well as his best scoring total in the last five games. Jabari Parker matched Davis point for point, tallying a season - high 33, while also hauling in nine rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal. Giannis Antetokounmpo produced his second double - double of the season with 17 points and 10 boards. The Bucks bench did produce a solid 42 - point total on collective 48 percent shooting (16 - of - 33).

["PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 4 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 30 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'E'Twaun Moore') has 3 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Frazier') has 10 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 17 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jabari Parker') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 33 Defensive rebounds ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ."]

The Atlanta Hawks (23 - 15) ended a six - game Chicago Bulls (22 - 13) win streak on Saturday with a 120 - 105 victory. The Hawks' Al Horford missed a career high by just one point, recording a game - high 33 points. The All-Star took over the game, adding 10 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks to the already impressive night. The entire Hawks squad was flowing offensively, as the team tallied a highly impressive 33 total assists. Horford's big night was complemented by the performance of big man Paul Millsap, who scored 18 points while blocking six shots. Headed into the matchup against Atlanta, the surging Bulls sat at second in the East. The Bulls had recorded six straight victories, establishing themselves as one of the top dogs in the East. Even in the loss, the Bulls maintained multiple bright spots. Star Jimmy Butler recorded a team - high 27 points, while forward Nikola Mirotic recorded a 24 - point, 10 - rebound double - double. Unfortunately for Chicago, these efforts were n't enough, as it was a fairly cut - and - dry victory for the Hawks. Atlanta will not take the court again until Wednesday as they travel to Charlotte to face the struggling Hornets. The Bulls, meanwhile, will take on the Washington Wizards on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 33 Number of team assists ,has 15 Losses ,has 120 Total points ,has 23 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 13 Number of team assists ,has 105 Losses ,has 22 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Mirotic') has 24 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jimmy Butler') has 27 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 6 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 6 Assists ,has 33 Blocks ."]

The Toronto Raptors (19 - 6) defeated the Orlando Magic (10 - 17) 95 - 82 on Monday. Toronto is on a three - game win streak. Louis Williams led the way for them Monday, putting up a game - high 18 points off the bench. All 10 players that the Raptors used in their rotation received 20 or more minutes, and Kyle Lowry was the only player to receive over 30 minutes of run. Lowry finished with 17 points and eight assists. Orlando has lost three of their last four games, as they were playing through a stretch that saw them facing off against the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Realistically, coming out with one win while facing the Hawks (twice), Wizards and Raptors over a four - game stretch, should be considered an accomplishment. Nikola Vucevic played 35 minutes in his second game back from a lower back injury. Tobias Harris paced the team with 18 points. Toronto will host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. Orlando will wrap up their two - game road trip in Boston against the Celtics on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 6 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 19 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 17 Losses ,has 82 Total points ,has 10 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 35 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 8 Assists ,has 17 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Williams') has 18 Assists ."]

The New Orleans Pelicans (5 - 3) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (2 - 6) 139 - 91 on Friday. Minnesota was playing without two of their veteran starters. Ricky Rubio will be out another 6 - 7 weeks with a serverely sprained left ankle, and Thaddeus Young is away from the team indefinitely to be with his family following the passing of his mother. Rookie Zach LaVine has been handed the starting point guard duties with Rubio out. LaVine started his third straight game and put up 13 points in 31 mintues. He did n't record a single assist in the game as the Timberwolves shot just 40 percent as a team. They'll continue their two - game road trip in Dallas on Saturday when they face the Mavericks. The Pelicans seem to be coming into their own this season now that they have the healthy roster they thought they were going to have last season. Jrue Holiday scored a team - high 24 points in 28 minutes, converting all but one of his field goal attempts as the Pelicans finished the game shooting 67 percent from the field. Coach Monty Williams was on the coaching hot seat coming into the season, but with Anthony Davis having the Pelicans looking like a playoff team, everyone should be smiling in New Orleans. They have two days off before embarking on a four - game road trip that begins in Portland on Monday against the Trail Blazers.

["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 67 Percentage of field goals ,has 3 Losses ,has 139 Total points ,has 5 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 6 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 2 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach LaVine') has 31 Minutes played ,has 13 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 28 Minutes played ,has 1 Personal fouls ,has 24 Points ,has 1 Turnovers ."]

The Houston Rockets (52 - 24) edged out the Dallas Mavericks (46 - 30), 108 - 101, on Thursday at the American Airlines Center. In a back - and - forth contest between division rivals, Houston saved its best for the fourth quarter to put the game out of Dallas' reach. Monta Ellis could n't shake off his shooting slump at a crucial moment in the fourth, missing an open look from three that could have tied the game with under 30 seconds remaining. Houston's James Harden did n't quite sustain the momentum from Wednesday's 51 - point outing against Sacramento, but was still able to put up 24 points along with six assists and four rebounds. The Rockets clinched the season series over the Mavericks 3 - 1, but it might not be the last time these teams meet this season. Houston moved into second place in the West with Thursday's win while Dallas stayed put in the seventh spot. Houston did n't need James Harden to be at his best to win this game, as several Rockets players made major contributions. Trevor Ariza had another all - around performance with 19 points, six assists, six rebounds, and two steals and Crey Brewer added 14 points off the bench. Dwight Howard continues to be on a minutes restriction as he works his way back into game shape, but was able to post eight points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes on the floor. The Rockets are now a half game ahead of the Grizzlies for the second seed in the West, but staying in that spot will be a tough task. Houston will return to action Sunday in Oklahoma City before a kicking off a home - and - home set with San Antonio on Wednesday. Dallas notched an important win over eighth - seeded Oklahoma City on Wednesday, but could n't close out Houston on Thursday. The Mavericks took a seven point lead into the fourth, but were outscored 31 - 18 in the final stanza. Monta Ellis had 19 points on the night, but that came on 7 - of - 21 shooting from the floor - - including 0 - for - 7 from beyond the arc. Chandler Parsons exited the game in the third quarter with knee soreness and did not return. The Mavericks will be off Friday before hosting Golden State on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 30 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 18 Points in 4th quarter ,has 46 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 24 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 31 Points in 4th quarter ,has 52 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Ariza') has 6 Assists ,has 19 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Howard') has 18 Assists ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 6 Assists ,has 24 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Corey Brewer') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 7 Assists ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 21 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 19 Field goals made ."]

The Maverick's welcomed the Clippers to Dallas on Wednesday and won 118 - 108. The result lifted them to a .500 record at 4 - 4, while the Clippers fall to 5 - 3 overall. The contest was highly anticipated due to it being Deandre Jordan's first game in Dallas since this past summer's controvsial decision. The controversy surrounded him backing out of signing with Dallas following a verbal commitment during the NBA's free agency moratorium period. Judging by the crowd's reaction, they had n't forgot about it either. Jordan's nine points (3 - 5 FG, 3 - 9 FT), 11 boards, and one blocked shot in 27 minutes were n't enough for the Clippers. Six starters for Los Angeles scored in double figures, including Blake Griffin who chipped in a team high 21. Chris Paul provided the team's only double - double with 11 points and 11 assists, while his backup Austin Rivers helped out with 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two triples in 27 minutes. The Clippers will look to turn things around Thursday in Pheonix. Dallas was led by Dirk Nowitzki's vintage 31 points (11 - 14 FG, 5 - 6 3PT, 4 - 5 FT), and 11 boards. Wesley Matthews had his best game as a Maverick as he continues to work his way back from tearing his Achilles last spring. He tallied 25 points (9 - 13 FG, 3 - 4 3PT, 4 - 4 FT), six rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 33 minutes. All five starters scored in double figures. Dallas will welcome Staple Center's other tenant Friday night.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 4 Losses ,has 118 Total points ,has 31 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 4 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 3 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 5 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 3 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 1 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 27 Field goals made ,has 9 Free throws attempted ,has 11 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 11 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Austin Rivers') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 27 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wesley Matthews') has 3 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 33 Free throws made ,has 25 Minutes played ,has 6 Offensive rebounds ,has 1 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 6 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 33 Free throws attempted ,has 31 Free throws made ,has 11 Minutes played ."]

2017 has gotten off to a good start for Denver's Nikola Jokic. The 21 - year - old is averaging over 23 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists per game in January. On Tuesday, he built on that stat line by once again leading the Nuggets in scoring and rebounding. Jokic posted 23 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and three blocks against Utah. Denver saw an additional 17 points and seven assists from veteran point guard Jameer Nelson, who found himself starting in Emmanuel Mudiay's stead. The Jazz, meanwhile, saw less dominant play from their stars. Forward Gordon Hayward scored only nine points, while point guard George Hill shot a dismal 6 - of - 18. The two were major contributors to Utah's 41 percent shooting from the field on the night. Forward Derrick Favors, however, scored an impressive 18 points on 8 - of - 11 shooting in just 25 minutes of play.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 41 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Favors') has 11 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 25 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'George Hill') has 18 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Jokic') has 6 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jameer Nelson') has 7 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ."]

The Washington Wizards (35 - 35) defeated the Atlanta Hawks (41 - 30) 117 - 102 on Monday night. Washington came into this game as a seven - point underdog and walked away with a huge road win. This game kept the Wizards within two games of the final playoff spot in the east and it took some dominating fourth quarter defense to prevail. The Wizards held the Hawks to just 16 points in the final quarter, while scoring 28 of their own. The offense was spectacular for Washington, as they shot over 50 percent from the field, as well as from three - point range. The Wizards got a great team effort for a much needed win, as all five starters scored at least 14 points. John Wall led the team with 27 points and also dished out 14 assists in yet another great performance. Bradley Beal scored 25 of his own and continues to re - emerge since his return from a pelvic injury. Otto Porter double - doubled, as he scored 16 points to go along with 10 rebounds. The Wizards will look to keep their playoff hopes alive in a rematch against these Hawks on Wednesday. Atlanta has been playing some great ball recently, but this was a baffling loss. Al Horford flirted with a triple - double though, as he accumulated 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the loss. Jeff Teague led the team with 23 points and also dished out four assists. The only other notable stat line was a 16 - point outing from Tim Hardaway Jr. off the bench. As mentioned before, the next game for the Hawks is a rematch against these Wizards on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 30 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 16 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 41 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 35 Losses ,has 117 Total points ,has 28 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 28 Points in 4th quarter ,has 35 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Otto Porter') has 16 Assists ,has 10 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 25 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 14 Assists ,has 27 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 9 Assists ,has 14 Points ,has 9 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 4 Assists ,has 23 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Hardaway Jr.') has 16 Assists ."]

The Brooklyn Nets (13 - 38) defeated the visiting Sacramento Kings (21 - 29) 128 - 119, on Friday night at Barclays Center. The Nets reached new season - highs for total points in a game, with 128 and made three - pointers, with 18. Joe Johnson and Bojan Bogdanovic joined in on the trend as Johnson tallied a season - high in points and Bogdanovic a career - high seven made three - pointers. Meanwhile, the Kings lost their seventh game in a row when visiting the Nets. The Kings are now 0 - 4 at Barclays Center and have not beat the host Nets since 2007 when they were in New Jersey. Sacramento has now lost six of its last seven, while Brooklyn snapped its five - game losing streak. Joe Johnson tallied a double - double as he led the Nets in scoring with his season - high 27 points (11 - 16 FG, 5 - 7 3Pt), along with 11 assists, six rebounds and two steals, in 37 minutes. Five other players contributed double digits in the points column, including Brook Lopez who dropped 26 (11 - 21 FG, 4 - 4 FT), along with his 14 rebounds, seven assists and two steals, in 40 minutes. Thaddeus Young also notched a double - double with 14 points and 14 rebounds, along with seven assists and two steals, in 38 minutes. Meanwhile, Bojan Bogdanovic's career - high seven threes made up most of his 23 points (8 - 10 FG, 7 - 9 3Pt), which he totaled in 27 minutes off the bench. Despite giving up a careless 22 turnovers the Nets offense managed to bail them out, shooting 55 percent from the field. DeMarcus Cousins tallied a triple - double as the all - star did everything he could to keep his squad in the game. Cousins finished with 24 points (9 - 18 FG, 4 - 4 3Pt, 2 - 3 FT), 10 rebounds and 10 assists, along with two steals, in 40 minutes. Rajon Rondo added 15 points and 15 assists, in 35 minutes, while back - up point guard Darren Collison totaled 25 points, three rebounds and one block, in 25 minutes off the bench. The Kings shot a solid 50 percent from the field and dished 30 assists but their defense simply could not stop the Nets. The Kings will be in Boston on Sunday, and will look to avoid a third straight loss. The Nets will be in Philly on Saturday for a bottom - of - the - conference showdown.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 38 Number of team assists ,has 128 Losses ,has 13 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 30 Number of team assists ,has 29 Losses ,has 119 Total points ,has 21 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 10 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 40 Minutes played ,has 24 Points ,has 10 Total rebounds ,has 2 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rajon Rondo') has 15 Assists ,has 35 3-pointers attempted ,has 15 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Darren Collison') has 25 Assists ,has 25 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joe Johnson') has 11 Assists ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 37 Free throws attempted ,has 27 Free throws made ,has 6 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thaddeus Young') has 7 Assists ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 21 Assists ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 26 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 9 Assists ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 27 Field goals made ,has 23 Free throws attempted ."]

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Orlando Magic 100 - 92 Tuesday night at the Amway Center. The victory was the second in a row for the Bulls (23 - 23), and it brought the team back up to .500 on the season. Chicago was led by Dwyane Wade on both sides of the ball, as he recorded a team - high 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists on top of an incredible seven steals on the defensive end. All-Star Jimmy Butler was n't too far behind either, posting 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals of his own. The duo accounted for 10 of the Bulls' 13 takeaways Tuesday night. As a team, it was n't the most impressive shooting night for Chicago, as they hit just 46 percent of their field goal attempts, but what carried them to victory was their ability to make it to the free throw line. In total, they hit 23 - of - 30 shots at the charity stripe. For the Magic (18 - 29), Tuesday's loss was their second in a row and their fifth in their last six games. And the loss came despite a solid outing from their starting five, who all managed to score in double figures. It was the lack of production off the bench, however, that ultimately led to their inability to keep pace with the Bulls. The four reserves that saw action on Tuesday managed to score just 20 total points despite each one playing at least 13 minutes. It also did n't help that Orlando struggled mightily to take care of the basketball, producing 19 total turnovers to just 18 assists. In the end, it was Nikola Vucevic who led the way for the Magic, recording 20 points and eight rebounds in 33 minutes. Up next, the Bulls will look to earn their third straight win at home Wednesday against the Hawks, while the Magic will head to Boston on Friday to play the Celtics.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves (4 - 2) defeated the Atlanta Hawks (7 - 2) 117 - 107 Monday at Phillips Arena in Atlanta. The Timberwolves came out in dominating fashion, and it looked like the game was over by halftime, as Minnesota led 72 - 42 after the first 24 minutes. However, the Hawks had a quick turnaround at the start of the third quarter, and pulled within nine points by the time the final period rolled around. And despite coming back to tie the game at 105, the Timberwolves had one final run in them to pull away at the end. Andrew Wiggins led the way for Minnesota, scoring a game - high 33 points on an efficient 15 - of - 22 shooting for the field in 38 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns also continues to impress in his rookie campaign, as he recorded his second straight double - double, finishing with 17 points and 12 rebounds in 32 minutes. Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap shined in the losing effort, scoring 24 and 22 points respectively in 35 minutes. However, the team only got a combined 28 points from the other three members of the starting lineup. Up next, the Timberwolves will head home Tuesday to take on the Hornets, while the Hawks will stay home Wednesday to play the Pelicans.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 2 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 7 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 2 Losses ,has 117 Total points ,has 4 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 32 Field goals attempted ,has 17 Field goals made ,has 12 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ,has 38 Minutes played ,has 33 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 35 Field goals attempted ,has 22 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 35 Field goals attempted ,has 24 Field goals made ."]

The Rockets erupted for 46 points in the fourth period to put an exclamation point on the rout. Six Houston players posted double - digit scoring, and the Rockets also forced 22 turnovers from the Lakers while limiting them to a paltry 12 percent success rate from long range. Lou Williams' 30 points off the bench paced the Rockets, while Trevor Ariza led the first unit with 20 points. Harden turned in an 18 - point, 13 - assist, 12 - rebound triple - double despite committing nine turnovers. Clint Capela followed with a 15 - point, 10 - rebound double - double, while Nene Hilario and Eric Gordon generated 10 - point efforts as reserves. Julius Randle's 32 points led the Lakers. Brandon Ingram managed 18 points, and Jordan Clarkson matched his scoring total. Ivica Zubac played only nine minutes due to foul trouble, recording two points, two rebounds and one assist.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 46 Percentage of 3 points ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 12 Percentage of 3 points ,has 22 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Ingram') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Julius Randle') has 32 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ivica Zubac') has 1 Assists ,has 2 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jordan Clarkson') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Ariza') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Clint Capela') has 15 Assists ,has 10 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 13 Assists ,has 18 Points ,has 12 Total rebounds ,has 9 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nene') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Williams') has 30 Assists ."]

The Miami Heat defeated the Washington Wizards, 112 - 101, at American Airlines Arena on Monday. In a battle between two struggling teams, there were numerous swings, as it was clear both squads were desperate for a win. There were 10 ties and 11 lead changes in total, with no team leading by more than 11 points. Miami made the final most decisive swing, outscoring Washington, 31 - 19, in the fourth quarter. The Heat offense had one of its best games of the season, as they shot 51 percent from the field and assisted on 25 of their 45 buckets. The rebounding was a huge factor as well, with Miami winning that battle, 47 - 36. Washington (9 - 14) continues to struggle this season and losses to teams like the Heat obviously does n't help their cause. Bradley Beal and John Wall did all they could though, as they scored over half of the teams total points in this loss. Wall finished the game with 30 points, six rebounds and eight assists, while Beal accrued 29 points and four steals. The only other player on the roster in double figures was Markieff Morris, who amassed 10 points, five rebounds and three assists. On deck for Washington is a home matchup against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. Miami (8 - 17) has been playing much better than their record would indicate, so this sort of win can only add to their confidence. Goran Dragic had one of the most efficient games of the season, as he accumulated a season - high 34 points, five rebounds and five assists in just 31 minutes of play. Hassan Whiteside recorded another double - double, totaling 17 points and 16 rebounds in the win. Josh McRoberts had a nice all - around game, tallying seven points, eight rebounds and five assists. The bench played well for Miami, with Josh Richardson, Tyler Johnson and James Johnson all scoring in double figures. Miami will look to build off this win, as they host the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday for their next game.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 25 Number of team assists ,has 51 Percentage of field goals ,has 17 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 31 Points in 4th quarter ,has 8 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 14 Number of team assists ,has 101 Percentage of field goals ,has 19 Losses ,has 9 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Markieff Morris') has 3 Assists ,has 10 Minutes played ,has 5 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 29 Assists ,has 4 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 8 Assists ,has 30 Minutes played ,has 6 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Josh McRoberts') has 5 Assists ,has 7 Minutes played ,has 8 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 17 Assists ,has 16 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Goran Dragic') has 5 Assists ,has 31 Minutes played ,has 34 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ,has 1 Steals ."]

The Washington Wizards defeated the host Cleveland Cavaliers, 127 - 115, at Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday. Washington had one of their best performances of the season here, as they pulled out a near wire - to - wire win over the champs. In fact, they held the lead for the final 44 minutes, as Cleveland never led by more than two points. The Wizards offense was unstoppable, as they shot 60 percent from the field. They also dominated the rebounding, winning that battle, 40 - 32. Washington also took advantage of transition baskets, winning the fastbreak differential, 27 - 4. The Wizards (45 - 28) have now won three - straight games, as they continue to show how dangerous they can be. John Wall was the player of the game, as he collected 37 points, four rebounds, 11 assists and two steals on 14 - of - 21 shooting. Bradley Beal was n't far behind, totaling 27 points, four rebounds and six assists. Otto Porter was great on defense, accruing 10 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Kelly Oubre Jr. led the bench with 16 points and seven rebounds. On deck for the Wizards is a road matchup versus the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. The Cavaliers (47 - 25) have really struggled on defense this season and that was as evident as ever in this tough loss. LeBron James led the way for Cleveland, as he tallied 24 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Kyrie Irving finished with 23 points, two rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Kevin Love was the only other starter in double figures, as he amassed 17 points and seven rebounds. Kyle Korver and Richard Jefferson co - led the bench with 10 points a piece. Things done get any easier for the Cavs, as they play the San Antonio Spurs on the road for their next game on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 25 Percentage of field goals ,has 115 Losses ,has 24 Total points ,has 32 Points in 4th quarter ,has 47 Rebounds ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 60 Percentage of field goals ,has 28 Losses ,has 127 Total points ,has 40 Points in 4th quarter ,has 45 Rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 6 Assists ,has 27 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 11 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 37 Field goals made ,has 4 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kelly Oubre Jr.') has 16 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 8 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 17 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Richard Jefferson') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Korver') has 10 Assists ."]

Points came from the usual suspects on both sides as the Grizzlies beat the Timberwovles on Wednesday. For Minnesota, third - year guard/forward Andrew Wiggins started the season with a 25 - point scoring spectacle. The high output was unsurprising for Wiggins, who averaged over 20 points per game for the first time in his career last season. Reigning Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns joined Wiggins as the only other Timberwolve to crack 20 in the game, posting 21 points including nine in the first five minutes. For Memphis, meanwhile, veterans Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley all scored 18 or more to lead the victory. Gasol stepped it up on the defensive end as well, blocking four shots. In a testament to the tightness of the game, both teams made exactly 36 field goals and recorded 45 rebounds.

["PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 25 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 20 Blocks ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 21 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 4 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ."]

The Indiana Pacers defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 98 - 77, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday. Indiana were expected to win this game easily and they left no doubt with this 21 - point margin. The third quarter is where Indiana really made their mark, outscoring Charlotte, 33 - 16. The Pacers played some elite defense too, as they held the Hornets to 40 percent from the field and 13 percent from three - point range (3 - of - 23). Indiana shot 53 percent from the field and 43 percent from long range. Rebounding was also decisive, with the Pacers winning that battle, 42 - 30. The Hornets (29 - 39) had to play this game without Nicolas Batum (migraine) and they simply are n't the same team without him. Amazingly, no starter scored more than 10 points, as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was the only starter above 37 percent shooting, as he finished with 10 points to lead the starting - five. Kemba Walker accumulated just seven points and four assists on 3 - of - 11 from the field. Frank Kaminsky led the team in scoring off the bench, as he totaled 20 points and four rebounds. Charlotte's next game will be on Wednesday, when they take on the Washington Wizards at home. The Pacers (35 - 33) have been a different team at home this season and this sort of win shows why they are so scary in their home building. Paul George was the player of the game, as he collected 39 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals on 15 - of - 21 shooting. Jeff Teague flirted with a triple - double, as he accrued eight points, eight rebounds and 11 assists. Myles Turner amassed six points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks. Monta Ellis was a nice spark off the bench, producing 16 points, two assists and two blocks. Indiana wo n't play again until Sunday, when they play the Toronto Raptors on the road for their next game.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 43 Percentage of 3 points ,has 53 Percentage of field goals ,has 33 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 33 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 35 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 13 Percentage of 3 points ,has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 39 Losses ,has 77 Total points ,has 16 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 29 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Kidd-Gilchrist') has 5 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 4 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Frank Kaminsky') has 20 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 3 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 39 Field goals made ,has 5 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Myles Turner') has 2 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 11 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 8 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 16 Field goals attempted ."]

The Los Angeles Clippers (43 - 24) defeated the host Houston Rockets (34 - 34) 122 - 106, Wednesday evening at Toyota Center. The Rockets came into this game winners of four of their last five games and half a game ahead of the eighth place Dallas Mavericks, while the Clippers came in losers of three of their last four, but just a few wins away from clinching a playoff spot. However, each team played as if they came in with the other's streak, as the struggling Clippers trounced the cruising Rockets. The Clippers managed to pour in 72 first - half points, which is the most points the Rockets have given up in a first half all season. The Clippers started out shooting very well from deep, with 10 made three - pointers in the first half but cooled down in the second half, finishing the game 12 - 30 from long range. DeAndre Jordan was a monster inside as he tallied 23 points (8 - 8 FG, 7 - 13 FT), 16 rebounds, two blocked shots, one assist and one steal, as he completely shut - down his counterpart, Dwight Howard. J.J. Redick chipped in 25 points (7 - 15 FG, 5 - 9 3Pt, 6 - 6 FT) and three assists, in 32 minutes, while Chris Paul played the maestro, with 15 points, 16 assists, four rebounds and two steals, in 32 minutes. The Clippers shot an incredible 57 percent from the field, largely thanks to Chris Paul's 16 assists, which accounted for more than half of the team's 31 assists on the game. The Rockets trailed the whole length of the game, however they did mount a run in the last few minutes to cut a 21 - point deficit to an 11 - point deficit with four minutes left but could not finish the job down the stretch. James Harden led his team as he tallied 33 points (11 - 23 FG, 5 - 10 3Pt, 6 - 8 FT), along with eight assists, five rebounds, one steal and one block, but also tallied eight turnovers, in 44 minutes. Michael Beasley had another strong game off the bench as he chipped in 16 points (7 - 12 FG, 2 - 4 FT), eight rebounds and one assist, in 19 minutes. Trevor Ariza also chipped in 16 points (5 - 11 FG, 2 - 5 3Pt, 4 - 4 FG), along with six rebounds and four assists, in 36 minutes. Houston had 16 turnovers on the game, while shooting a respectable 48 percent from the field. Next, the Rockets will host the Timberwolves on Friday. Meanwhile, Minnesota has won two of its last three games, with wins over OKC and Memphis, and will be no push over. The Clippers will play the third game of their current five - game road trip in Memphis on Saturday, in what could be a first round preview.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 34 Number of team assists ,has 106 Percentage of field goals ,has 34 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 31 Number of team assists ,has 57 Percentage of field goals ,has 24 Losses ,has 122 Total points ,has 10 Turnovers ,has 43 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 1 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 23 Free throws attempted ,has 16 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'JJ Redick') has 3 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 15 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 32 Free throws made ,has 25 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 16 Assists ,has 32 Blocks ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Ariza') has 4 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 36 Field goals made ,has 16 Free throws attempted ,has 6 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Howard') has 1 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ,has 6 Free throws made ,has 44 Minutes played ,has 33 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ,has 1 Steals ,has 8 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Beasley') has 1 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 19 Field goals made ,has 16 Free throws attempted ,has 8 Free throws made ."]

The Houston Rockets defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, 123 - 108, at Toyota Center on Saturday. In this potential playoff preview, the Rockets gave it to the Grizzlies in this blowout win. The third quarter is where Houston made their mark, as they outscored Memphis, 38 - 27, as the Grizzlies could n't get within 12 from there. Three-point shooting was the difference in the game, with the Rockets going 18 - of - 42 from long distance, while the Grizzlies hit just 8 - of - 28. Fastbreak points was key as well, with Houston winning that differential, 17 - 4. The Grizzlies (36 - 27) have struggled on offense all season and they simply could n't keep pace with the Rockets in this matchup. Mike Conley carried the load, as he tallied 23 points, six rebounds, seven assists and two steals. JaMychal Green totaled 20 points and 10 rebounds. Marc Gasol contributed 17 points, four rebounds, seven assists, two steals and four blocks. Toney Douglas came off the bench and scored 12 points to go along with five rebound and five assists. Memphis will have a much easier task on Monday, when they host the Brooklyn Nets for their next game. The Rockets (44 - 19) have set fire to the league with their offense and abusing a Grizzlies defense like this shows just how dangerous they can be. James Harden continued his MVP form, collecting 33 points, seven rebounds, 11 assists and two steals. Clint Capela finished second on the team with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Eric Gordon was a huge spark off the bench, providing 18 points, two rebounds and two steals on 6 - of - 9 from three - point range. Patrick Beverley accumulated 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Houston will look to keep rolling on Monday in a road matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 19 Losses ,has 123 Total points ,has 38 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 44 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 27 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 27 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 36 Wins ." "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 ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 7 Assists ,has 23 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Toney Douglas') has 5 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Clint Capela') has 24 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patrick Beverley') has 5 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 11 Assists ,has 33 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ." "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 ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Points ."]

After being down by a 54 - 48 margin at halftime, Charlotte outscored the Magic, 32 - 20, in the fourth quarter to post their third consecutive win. Kemba Walker led the way for the Hornets with 22 points and Marco Belinelli followed with a second unit - leading 20 points. Frank Kaminsky III was productive in a reserve role as well with 18 points (13 which came in the fourth quarter). Cody Zeller followed with 15 points, while Nicolas Batum provided 10. Marvin Williams managed a modest seven points but hauled in 10 rebounds. Terrence Ross paced the Magic with 19 points. Evan Fournier poured in 15 points and Elfrid Payton matched his scoring total. Nikola Vucevic posted a 14 - point, 12 - rebound double - double that also included eight assists, three blocks and one steal. Jodie Meeks led the bench with 10 points.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 20 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 32 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marvin Williams') has 7 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cody Zeller') has 10 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 22 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Frank Kaminsky') has 13 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marco Belinelli') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Terrence Ross') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 8 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jodie Meeks') has 10 Assists ."]

There's been no team who has dealt with as many significant injuries as the Grizzlies, but they continue to get it done. Despite trailing by 13 with 3:29 left, Memphis ended the game on a 24 - 10 run to win by one. Turnovers really killed Orlando, as they committed 18 of them, while forcing just 10. Evan Fouriner had one of his best games of the season though, scoring 28 points on 11 - of - 14 shooting in the defeat. Nikola Vucevic recorded a double - double off the bench, totaling 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. Marc Gasol was the hero, as he hit two free - throws to take the lead with 11 seconds left. Gasol finished the game with 25 points, three assists and five blocks. Troy Daniels and Jarell Martin were great off the bench, as Daniels scored 19 points and Martin grabbed 10 boards. The total of 190 nearly suffered a horrific beat, as there were 34 points scored in the final three - plus minutes to land on 189.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 18 Number of team assists ,has 10 Points in 1st quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 28 Number of team assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 14 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 28 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 18 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 3 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 25 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jarell Martin') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Troy Daniels') has 19 Assists ."]

The Clippers (15 - 10) avoided a serious let down to defeat the Pistons (14 - 12) 105 - 103 in overtime at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Monday. The Clippers were outscored 31 - 21 in the fourth quarter, but a J.J. Redick 3 - pointer set up by Blake Griffin was enough to force extra basketball. The Pistons left Jamal Crawford wide open for the go - ahead trey with 12 seconds remaining in overtime and Los Angeles managed to squeak out a victory for the second straight time on the road. Not only did Griffin score a team - high 34 points on 15 - of - 30 shooting from the field, but he also forced the double team that led to Crawford's wide - open attempt to clinch the win. Detroit had absolutely no answer for the all - star power forward, who had n't posted more than 30 points since Nov. 25 against the Jazz when he poured in a season - high 40 on one of the better defensive teams in the league. But what was more surprising was another solid performance from Redick, who hit four 3 - pointers en route to 24 points on 10 - of - 17 shooting. Over his past five games, Redick is averaging 19 points, which is five higher than his season average. Detroit fought hard to get back into the game, but was unable to prevent Los Angeles from forcing overtime. The Pistons did however get a huge game from Reggie Jackson, who scored a team - high 34 points on 9 - of - 18 shooting from the field while hitting 14 free throws. He also posted a season - high 11 rebounds and came just three assists away from his third career triple - double. The Pistons absolutely destroyed the Clippers on the glass, outrebounding them 54 - 39, though the effort was futile.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 12 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 12 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 31 Points in 4th quarter ,has 54 Rebounds ,has 14 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 10 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 21 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 39 Points in 4th quarter ,has 15 Rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 30 3-pointers made ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 34 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'JJ Redick') has 4 3-pointers made ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 24 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Crawford') has 1 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 18 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ,has 34 Free throws made ,has 11 Points ."]

Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins had perhaps the most interesting night of his career on Tuesday. The big man dropped a season - high 55 points and pulled down 13 rebounds en route to a victory, despite seeing an odd ejection and ensuing rescinding of said ejection. Cousins received a second technical and was ejected from the game but had his technical soon overturned, returning to the game to finish out his career night. He shot a ridiculous 17 - of - 28 from the field, 16 - of - 17 at the line, and 5 - of - 8 from three - point range. Cousins also added three blocks. There were several big nights on Portland's end as well. Point guard Damian Lillard had 24 points and 15 assists, while C.J. McCollum led the team with 36. Center Mason Plumlee, meanwhile, shot 10 - of - 13 and scored 27 points while pulling down 13 rebounds. As a whole, though, the Blazers shot an abysmal 4 - of - 27 from three - point range, a mark that may have cost the team the game.

["PlayerStat(G,'Mason Plumlee') has 13 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 27 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 36 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 24 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 3 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 28 Field goals attempted ,has 17 Field goals made ,has 17 Free throws attempted ,has 16 Free throws made ."]

The Detroit Pistons (9 - 23) defeated the New York Knicks (5 - 30) 97 - 81 on Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Pistons had a strong first half, out - scoring the Knicks 57 - 38. With the strong start, they were able to coast through the second half and secure a 16 - point victory. The Pistons shot well in this one, going 50 percent from the field and 39 percent from the three - point line, while the Knicks went only 35 percent from the field and 42 percent from beyond the arc. Brandon Jennings had himself a game Friday. In only 24 minutes, Jennings went 11 - for - 17 from the floor and 4 - for - 8 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 29 points. It was a nice bounce back game for him after scoring only five points against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. Jodie Meeks provided a big contribution off the bench. He scored 15 points (6 - 13 FG, 3 - 7 3Pt) in 25 minutes. Meeks is coming off a 34 - point outing on Tuesday, so he continued to ride his hot hand and had another good showing Friday. While he did n't have much of an offensive impact, Andre Drummond was a monster on the boards. He finished with 20 rebounds, marking the second game in a row and fifth time this season recording at least 20 rebounds. He's now averaging 13 rebounds per game on the season. Greg Monroe had 12 points and 10 rebounds of his own, giving him his tenth double - double of the season. Without Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire or Samuel Dalembert in the lineup, the Knicks were really thin. J.R. Smith was about the only bright spot for them, as he went 8 - for - 20 from the field and 5 - for - 9 from the three - point line to score 22 points in 36 minutes. He was in the starting lineup for only the fifth time this season, and he capitalized on his opportunity. The only other Knick to reach double figures was Cole Aldrich. He started at center and finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds. It marked his third double - double of the season. With all the injuries and only two players reaching double - digit points, the Knicks just did n't have the offensive fire power to stay within reach. The Pistons' next game will be at home against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, while the Knicks will be at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 42 Percentage of 3 points ,has 35 Percentage of field goals ,has 30 Losses ,has 81 Total points ,has 5 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 39 Percentage of 3 points ,has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 23 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 9 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Greg Monroe') has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 20 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Jennings') has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 29 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jodie Meeks') has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 25 Minutes played ,has 15 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'JR Smith') has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 20 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 36 Minutes played ,has 22 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cole Aldrich') has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ."]

The Golden State Warriors (51 - 5) outscored the Miami Heat (32 - 25) 118 - 112 on Wednesday. The entertaining back - and - forth battle got off to a somewhat surprising start, with the Heat jumping on the reigning NBA champs early to take a 30 - 21 lead after one quarter. Golden State won each of the three successive periods however, with their stellar backcourt catching fire. Stephen Curry surpassed the 40 - point mark for only the second time since Dec. 5, while Klay Thompson broke the 30 - point barrier for the second time in the last three games. Both clubs played each other as closely as the final score indicated, as they were virtually even in several major offensive categories. That parity also extended to the turnover battle, with each team taking care of the ball at a high level. The visitors handed the ball over to Miami a modest 13 times, while the Heat was guilty of only 12 mistakes themselves. Curry's 42 points paced the Warriors' attack. He added seven rebounds, seven assists, a steal and two blocks. Thompson was next in line with 33 points, which he supplemented with three rebounds and four steals. With the pair of superstars accounting for well over half of Golden State's scoring haul on the night, only two other players tallied double - digit points. Harrison Barnes supplied 11, along with five rebounds, an assist and a steal, while Draymond Green contributed a 10 - point, 11 - rebound double - double that also included three assists and a block. The Warriors remain the top - ranked team in the Western Conference, and also hold the best record in the NBA. They continue their trek through the Sunshine State with a visit to the Orlando Magic on Thursday. The Heat was led by a 32 - point effort from Dwyane Wade, who shook off his troublesome knee to help Miami keep pace. He also dished out seven assists, hauled in three rebounds, and had a steal and a block. Hassan Whiteside continued his stretch of highly impressive play off the bench, collecting 21 points, 13 boards, a steal and a pair of his trademark blocks. It was the 26 - year - old's third consecutive double - double, which have all come off the bench following his return from a one - game suspension for elbowing the Spurs' Boban Marjanovic before the All-Star break. Luol Deng, who's been excellent in his own right while helping fill the void left by Chris Bosh's (calf) absence, turned in a 16 - point, 11 - rebound double - double of his own that also featured three assists, a steal and a block. Goran Dragic was efficient, pitching in 13 points, handing out seven assists and tallying a steal. Second-round pick Josh Richardson got in on the act as well, managing a career - high 15 points, and adding two rebounds, a block and a steal. Miami remains atop the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division and currently holds the fourth seed in the conference. They head to Boston for a showdown with the third - seeded Celtics on Saturday afternoon.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 25 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 30 Points in 1st quarter ,has 12 Turnovers ,has 32 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 5 Losses ,has 118 Total points ,has 21 Points in 1st quarter ,has 51 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 1 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 33 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 4 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 7 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 42 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Luol Deng') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 16 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 7 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 32 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Goran Dragic') has 7 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 21 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Josh Richardson') has 1 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 Free throws attempted ."]

The Boston Celtics (45 - 32) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (16 - 60) 107 - 100 at Staples Center on Sunday. Kobe Bryant made sure to save enough in the tank to give the Lakers long time rivals a run for their money. Fresh off their thrilling upset against the Golden State Warriors, the Celtics rallied behind Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder. Evan Turner got the nod at shooting guard in place of Avery Bradley (personal reasons) and provided efficiency in the backcourt and clutch free throw shooting down the stretch. As the Celtics looked to rip off scoring runs, Bryant kept the Lakers within striking distance, as he finished with 34 points, four rebounds, one assist and three steals on 11 - of - 28 shooting. The 20 - year veteran had a chance to close the gap after two Even Turner free throws, but the ball rattled in and out and Boston grabbed the rebound to put away the game. Thomas scored 26 points on 10 - of - 20 shooting, to go along with two rebounds and six assists, while Crowder contributed 22 points, five rebounds and five steals. Jae Crowder was tremendous on the defensive end of the floor and a needed piece in Brad Stevens’ rotations, especially with the Celtics closing in on the 3 - seed for the Eastern Conference. Turner exited the game with under one minute to play in the fourth quarter after what appeared to be an unintentional hit to the face/eye, but still added 17 points, four boards and four dimes in 35 minutes. Julius Randle turned in another double - double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, which helped the struggling back court for Los Angeles. Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell combined for 25 points on 10 - of - 30 shooting, as both guards shot selection was iffy at best. Neither team shot the three pointer effectively, but the Celtics were able to showcase strong ball movement and selfless basketball, which was reflected by their 30 assists as a unit. The Lakers will technically play a road game against the Los Angeles Clippers (48 - 28) on Tuesday, while the Celtics return home to host the New Orleans Pelicans (29 - 47) on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 60 Number of team assists ,has 100 Losses ,has 16 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 30 Number of team assists ,has 32 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 45 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jae Crowder') has 22 Assists ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Turner') has 4 Assists ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 17 Free throws made ,has 4 Personal fouls ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 6 Assists ,has 20 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 26 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kobe Bryant') has 1 Assists ,has 28 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 34 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Julius Randle') has 20 Assists ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ."]

The Chicago Bulls defeated the San Antonino Spurs at United Center 95 - 91 on Thursday. The Bulls (12 - 10) dictated the pace of the game, despite a a torrid first half from Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade, the defensive effort from both teams was on display and the difference maker. The Bulls held the Spurs (18 - 5) to just 17 points in the first quarter and 15 points in the second quarter, and although the starters were far from performing well in the scoring department, they won the rebounding battle and moved the ball more effectively. Butler went on to finish with 13 points on 4 - of - 14 shooting, but also drew the matchup with Kawhi Leonard, who flashed defensive brilliance, contesting every attempt Butler went for. Wade went off in the second half and did most of his damage from the free throw line after finishing with 20 points on 9 - of - 13 shooting from the charity stripe. All five Bulls starters finished in double figures scoring, and Rajon Rondo had the best all around evening, finishing one assist shy of a triple - double. Rondo went for 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists on 6 - of - 12 shooting. Leonard led the charge for San Antonio, although it was not enough to prevent their first road loss of the season. Leonard finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, five assists and one steal on 10 - of - 19 shooting. Pau Gasol converted a double - double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Patty Mills contributed 16 points on 6 - of - 12 shooting from the bench. Both teams play on Saturday, as the Spurs host the Brooklyn Nets, while the Bulls host the Miami Heat.

["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 10 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 12 Points in 1st quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 5 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 17 Points in 1st quarter ,has 15 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 18 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 5 Assists ,has 19 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 24 Free throws attempted ,has 8 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Pau Gasol') has 13 Assists ,has 10 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patty Mills') has 12 Assists ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jimmy Butler') has 14 Assists ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 13 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 20 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rajon Rondo') has 9 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 12 Free throws attempted ,has 10 Free throws made ."]

The Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 110 - 106, at TD Garden on Friday. Facing a Sixers (9 - 25) squad that had only tallied three road wins in 13 tries coming in, it may have been hard to blame the Celtics (22 - 14) if they were guilty of a little overconfidence Friday. A 39 - point second period by Philadelphia was therefore likely a rather sobering wake - up call, as was the 62 - 51 halftime deficit Boston found itself in. The Celtics were mostly a different team in the second half, as they outscored their visitors by a 59 - 44 margin over the final 24 minutes. However, the game was n't truly decided until the closing seconds, with Al Horford's go - ahead three - pointer with 17 remaining and two key free throws by Isaiah Thomas with two seconds on the clock finally sealing the hard - fought home win. Philadelphia was led by Joel Embiid's 23 points, which he supplemented with eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks. However, he battled foul trouble in the second half, and ultimately was charged with his sixth infraction with six seconds remaining. Ersan Ilyasova went for 20 points, three assists, two rebounds, two steals and two blocks, but missed a couple of key three - point attempts late with the Sixers trailing. T.J. McConnell was outstanding setting up his teammates for scoring opportunities, compiling 17 assists and supplementing them with nine points, four boards and a pair of steals. Robert Covington produced nine points, while Gerald Henderson led the second unit with 18 points, four rebounds, an assist and a block. Nerlens Noel was productive in a reserve role as well, registering 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists, three blocks and two steals. Avery Bradley was the high scorer for the Celtics on the night, totaling 26 points, and adding nine rebounds, two assists and a steal. Backcourt mate Thomas stepped up with 24 points, four rebounds and three assists, but did commit a game - high seven turnovers. Horford amassed 19 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Amir Johnson posted 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, four blocks and a steal. Jae Crowder notably went scoreless over 30 minutes, but did have three assists, two rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Marcus Smart paced the second unit with 14 points, eight assists, two rebounds, two blocks and a steal. The Sixers head to Brooklyn to face the Nets on Sunday, while the Celtics remain home to host the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday evening.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 14 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 26 Points in 1st quarter ,has 22 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 25 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 23 Points in 1st quarter ,has 39 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 9 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ersan Ilyasova') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joel Embiid') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 23 Free throws attempted ,has 8 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'T.J. McConnell') has 17 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nerlens Noel') has 2 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gerald Henderson') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jae Crowder') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 30 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Amir Johnson') has 3 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 19 Field goals made ,has 12 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 2 Assists ,has 26 Blocks ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 24 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 7 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Smart') has 8 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ."]

The Dallas Mavericks (17 - 7) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans (10 - 11) 112 - 107 on Wednesday. Dallas has won two of their last four games, passing through a difficult part of their schedule. Jameer Nelson sat out Wednesday with a shoulder injury. Somewhat surprisingly, J.J. Barea moved into the starting lineup at point guard in Nelson's place. Monta Ellis scored a game - high 26 points on 11 - of - 19 shooting from the field after shooting just 1 - of - 11 from the field in the Mavericks' loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. Four players scored at least 20 points for the Mavericks, with Devin Harris, Chandler Parsons and Dirk Nowitzki joining Ellis in accomplishing the feat. They overcame the Pelicans by shooting 53 percent from the field. Dallas will host the Golden State Warriors in a matinee game on Saturday. New Orleans has lost three of their last five games but were coming off back - to - back wins before dropping Wednesday's game. Anthony Davis scored a game - high 31 points and worked well with starting point guard Jrue Holiday, whom finished with 30 points and 10 assists. The Pelicans played well Wednesday, but the Mavericks simply played better. Eric Gordon is expected to miss at least three more weeks as he continues to try and work back from his shoulder injury in an effort to avoid surgery. New Orleans will return home to host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 53 Percentage of field goals ,has 7 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 17 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 11 Percentage of field goals ,has 107 Losses ,has 10 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 31 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 10 Assists ,has 30 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chandler Parsons') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 19 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 26 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Devin Harris') has 20 Assists ."]

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Orlando Magic, 112 - 80, at American Airlines Center on Saturday. Despite Orlando leading for the majority of the first quarter, this was one of the most dominating wins for Dallas all year. The second quarter was the difference in the game, with the Mavericks outscoring the Magic, 32 - 12. From there, it never got within 20 points with most starters sitting out the fourth quarter. Defense was key for Dallas, as they held Orlando to 39 percent from the field (32 - of - 82) and 13 percent from three - point range (3 - of - 2). The assist differential was huge as well, with the Mavericks doubling up the Magic, 32 - 16. Dallas also dominated the rebounding, outrebounding Orlando, 51 - 40. The Magic (20 - 36) have now lost 18 of their last 23 games and this blowout loss may be rock - bottom. Evan Fournier was the lone starter with more than 10 pointss, as he collected 14 points, twp rebounds and one assist. Bismack Biyombo was solid off the bench, producing 15 points, seven rebounds, one steal and one block. Nikola Vucevic went just 1 - of - 5 from the field to score three points, but led the team with 10 rebounds. On deck for Orlando is a road matchup with a scorching - hot Miami Heat team on Monday. The Mavericks (22 - 32) have been a different team over recent weeks and blowout wins like this show just how good they can be. Wesley Matthews led the team in scoring, as he tallied 20 points, four rebounds and six assists, while going 6 - of - 8 from three - point range. Seth Curry tied for second on the team, finishing with 14 points, three rebounds and four assists. Deron Williams played for the first time in weeks after returning from a toe injury to provide seven points, four assists and three steals. Salah Mejri was a huge spark off the bench, totaling four points, 15 rebounds and two blocks. Yogi Ferrell also played well off the bench, accumulating 10 points, three rebounds and seven assists. Dallas will host the Boston Celtics on Monday for their next game.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 32 Number of team assists ,has 32 Percentage of 3 points ,has 112 Percentage of field goals ,has 32 Losses ,has 23 Total points ,has 51 Points in 1st quarter ,has 22 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 16 Number of team assists ,has 13 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 36 Losses ,has 80 Total points ,has 23 Points in 1st quarter ,has 12 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 40 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 20 Rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 5 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 1 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bismack Biyombo') has 1 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wesley Matthews') has 6 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Seth Curry') has 4 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Deron Williams') has 4 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Salah Mejri') has 2 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Yogi Ferrell') has 10 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ."]

The San Antonio Spurs (52 - 9) won a back - and - forth game over the New Orleans Pelicans (23 - 37) Thursday night at Smoothie King Center, 94 - 86. The game was tight throughout, as neither team managed to build up a double - digit lead at any point in the game. The Pelicans, who earned a one - point halftime lead, led for the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter. But the Spurs exploded in the game's final minutes, as they ended the game on a an 18 - 5 run and scored on every single one of their final eight possessions before running the clock out to end the game. Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 30 points, bolstered by six made three - pointers, and added 11 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. Lamarcus Aldridge scored 26 points (11 - 19 FG) and added eight rebounds and a block. The Spurs offense was crisp as usual, as the Spurs assisted on 27 of their 36 made field goals (75 percent) and turned the ball over just 11 times. Eric Gordon scored 23 points (9 - 19 FG, 3 - 6 3PT) to lead the Pelicans. Anthony Davis notched his third double - double in the past five games with 17 points (7 - 12 FG, 3 - 3 FT) and 13 rebounds and added two blocks, two steals and an assist. The Pelicans shot just 8 - 24 (33 percent) from three and had 10 of their 65 two - point shots (15 percent) blocked as they could n't put up enough points to pull away from the Spurs. The Pelicans host the Jazz on Saturday. The Spurs return home Saturday to face the Kings.

["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 33 Number of team assists ,has 37 Percentage of 3 points ,has 86 Losses ,has 23 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 27 Number of team assists ,has 9 Percentage of 3 points ,has 94 Losses ,has 11 Total points ,has 52 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 30 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 1 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 11 Defensive rebounds ,has 26 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 1 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 17 Field goals made ,has 13 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 5 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 19 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ."]

The 76ers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 99 - 88 Thursday at Smoothie King Center. The 76ers (5 - 18) used a dominant second half to pull away from the Pelicans (7 - 16) and end their eight - game winning streak. Philadelphia was once again led by Ersan Ilyasova, who scored a team - high 23 points on top of eight rebounds and four assists. Point guard Sergio Rodriguez had 16 points and eight assists, while Joel Embiid, who played after having two of the last three games off, scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds. And while the starters had a solid evening for the 76ers, it was their bench that really put them over the top, as the reserves combined to score 37 points Thursday night. Meanwhile, it was another night to forget for the Pelicans, as the absence of both Jrue Holiday and E'Twaun Moore due to toe injuries ended up being too much for this offensively - challenged New Orleans team. Anthony Davis led the way for the team, but scored an underwhelming - - by his standards - - 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 41 minutes. The only other Pelicans player to score in double figures was Langston Galloway, who scored 19 points off the bench in 26 minutes. The other seven New Orleans players who saw action Thursday managed to combine to score just 43 points. With the loss, the Pelicans extended their losing streak to four games and they have now lost six of their last seven. Up next, the 76ers will look to earn their second winning streak of the season against the Pistons on Sunday, while the Pelicans will head to Los Angeles on Saturday to take on the Clippers.

["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 16 Losses ,has 88 Total points ,has 19 Points in 4th quarter ,has 7 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 18 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 5 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ersan Ilyasova') has 4 Assists ,has 23 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joel Embiid') has 2 Assists ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 Minutes played ,has 7 Offensive rebounds ,has 3 Personal fouls ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sergio Rodriguez') has 8 Assists ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 Minutes played ,has 16 Offensive rebounds ,has 2 Personal fouls ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 41 Assists ,has 26 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Langston Galloway') has 19 Assists ."]

The Oklahoma City Thunder were able to hold off the San Antonio Spurs, 112 - 106, in the season opener for both squads on Wednesday. The Thunder were unsurprisingly led by their two co - stars, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, who combined for 55 points. Westbrook finished with a game - high 33 points, but it was the 10th and final assist that he handed out Wednesday night that spelled the difference for the home team. With the clock ticking down with about four minutes left in the fourth quarter, Westbrook found Durant for a go - ahead three - pointer. Durant would push Oklahoma City’s lead to five with another three with less than a minute to go, giving new coach Billy Donovan his first NBA win. For the Spurs, all eyes were on new acquisition LaMarcus Aldridge, who didn’t quite have the impact fans might have been hoping for his team debut. He finished with just 11 points on 4 - for - 12 shooting, but still finished as the team’s second - leading scorer. That’s mostly because Aldridge and his teammates let Kawhi Leonard go to work in this one, with the swingman establishing a new career high with 32 points to go along with eight boards. Oklahoma City will aim to push its record to 20 on Friday in Orlando, while San Antonio returns home Friday for a date with Brooklyn.

["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 112 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 106 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 32 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 1 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 33 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 5 Offensive rebounds ."]

The Chicago Bulls (4 - 2) defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder (3 - 3) 104 - 98 on Thursday. Derrick Rose finally put together a complete performance, and the result was an impressive victory over a dynamic and high - octane Thunder squad. Rose outplayed Russell Westbrook in what was the Bulls’ point guard’s best game of the young season by far. His team - best 29 points were also a season high, easily surpassing the 18 he tallied in the opener against the Hawks. Rose also managed to stuff the stat sheet in other categories, amassing seven assists and five rebounds while only turning the ball over once in 37 minutes. The Thunder received another outstanding effort from a rejuvenated Kevin Durant, who appears completely healthy and hitting on all cylinders offensively. The 27 - year - old posted his second - best scoring night of the season with a game - high 33 points, and was considerably aggressive with 29 shot attempts. Perhaps most encouraging was the fact that Durant showed no signs of wear on the second night of a back - to - back, and was able to spend 41 quality minutes on the floor. Serge Ibaka (17 points) and Russell Westrook’s near triple - double (20 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds) helped supplement Durant’s production. The Thunder dropped to 3 - 3 and are presently a half game behind first - place Portland in the Western Conference’s Northwest Division, pending the outcome of tonight’s Grizzlies-Blazers contest. Oklahoma City heads home for a Sunday tilt with Phoenix. The Bulls backcourt was on fire Thursday, with Jimmy Butler playing Robin to Derrick Rose’s Batman. The Bulls shooting guard was right behind Rose with 26 points of his own. Although Pau Gasol was the only other starter to score in double digits (11 points), the Bulls benefited from balanced scoring contributions from their bench. Aaron Brooks and Taj Gibson paced Chicago’s reserves with nine points apiece. The Bulls improve to 4 - 2 and reside in second place in the Eastern Conference’s Central Division. They remain home for a date with the Timberwolves on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 2 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 4 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 3 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 3 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 29 Assists ,has 41 Field goals attempted ,has 33 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Serge Ibaka') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 10 Assists ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 20 Minutes played ,has 8 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Pau Gasol') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jimmy Butler') has 26 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Rose') has 37 Assists ,has 29 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Taj Gibson') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aaron Brooks') has 9 Assists ."]

The Bucks really put it to the Pistons here, as they led by double - digits for the final 30 - plus minutes. The assist - to - turnover ratio was the decisive statistic, with Milwaukee recording 26 assists to 11 turnovers, while Detroit matched their assists and turnovers at 17 a piece. The Bucks took advantage of the whistle too, going 16 - of - 16 from the free - throw line. Marcus Morris led the Pistons in scoring, as he tallied 26 points, five rebounds and three assists. Andre Drummond recorded a double - double, totaling 21 points, 12 rebounds and three steals. Jon Leuer contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds on 6 - of - 9 shooting. Greg Monroe was the player of the game, as he provided 25 points and 13 rebounds off of Milwaukee's bench. Michael Beasley led the starters, collecting 23 points, three rebounds and four assists. Those two combined to go 22 - of - 28 from the field.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 26 Number of team assists ,has 30 Losses ,has 25 Points in 4th quarter ,has 11 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 17 Number of team assists ,has 30 Losses ,has 17 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Morris') has 3 Assists ,has 26 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jon Leuer') has 9 Assists ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 21 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Beasley') has 4 Assists ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Greg Monroe') has 25 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ."]

The Los Angeles Lakers (6 - 16) defeated the Sacramento Kings (11 - 11) 98 - 95 on Tuesday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Lakers were down 81 - 78 following the third quarter, but were able to make a run in the final quarter, out - scoring the Kings 20 - 14 to finish off their comeback with a victory. The Kings showed superior shooting, going 46 percent from the field and 47 percent from the three - point line compared to the Lakers who shot 40 percent from the field and only 20 percent from beyond the arc, but they were forced into 16 turnovers, which allowed the Lakers to steal the victory. Kobe Bryant finished with a game - high in points. He went 11 - for - 27 from the field and 2 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score 32 points, while also handing out six assists. He was able to get to the free throw line eight times and converted on all eight attempts. It was a nice bounce back game for him after struggling with his shot against the Pelicans on Sunday. Ed Davis went a perfect 5 - for - 5 from the field to score 11 points, while grabbing six rebounds. It was his second game in a row in double figures, after not reaching more than six points in his last 10 games. The Lakers also had a nice effort from their bench with both Carlos Boozer and Nick Young playing well. Boozer finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Young had 12 points and four rebounds. DeMarcus Cousins continued to sit out for the Kings, which may have been the difference in this one. Rudy Gay and Darren Collison did everything they could to get the win. Gay went 7 - for - 18 from the field and 2 - for - 4 from the three - point line to score 23 points, while Collison went 11 - for - 18 from the field and 2 - for - 3 from beyond the arc to score 26 points. Gay has now combined for 52 points in his last two games, as he's attempted to make up for Cousins' absence. The only other King to reach double figures in points was Ben McLemore, who finished with 15 points and two assists. The bench did n't have much of a presence and only scored 18 points. The Kings' next game will be at home against the Houston Rockets on Thursday, while the Lakers will travel to San Antonio to play the Spurs on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 20 Percentage of 3 points ,has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 20 Points in 4th quarter ,has 6 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 46 Percentage of field goals ,has 11 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 14 Points in 4th quarter ,has 16 Turnovers ,has 11 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gay') has 4 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 23 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ben McLemore') has 2 Assists ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Darren Collison') has 3 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 26 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ed Davis') has 5 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kobe Bryant') has 6 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 27 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ,has 8 Free throws made ,has 32 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Carlos Boozer') has 15 Assists ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nick Young') has 12 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ."]

LeBron james and Kyrie Irving both made stand out performances on paper in the win over the Lakers on Sunday. Irving scored 46 points on 15 - of - 21 shooting, to with three assists and two rebounds. James went for 34 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Kevin Love was also effective with 21 points and 15 rebounds, which was good for his 33rd double - double of the season. J.R. Smith and Richard Jefferson saw 29 minutes and 27 minutes of play, respectively, but the four man bench was not all to efficient as they combined for 6 - of - 17 shooting from the field. D'Angelo Russell scored 40 points, which marks a career high, and added six assists and two rebounds. Jordan Clarkson led the remaining starters with 19 points, while Julius Randle pitched in 10 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.

["PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 7 Assists ,has 34 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 21 Assists ,has 15 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 3 Assists ,has 21 Defensive rebounds ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 46 Field goals made ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'JR Smith') has 4 Assists ,has 27 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Richard Jefferson') has 4 Assists ,has 29 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Julius Randle') has 7 Assists ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'D'Angelo Russell') has 6 Assists ,has 40 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jordan Clarkson') has 19 Assists ."]

The Orlando Magic (18 - 39) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans (27 - 27) 95 - 84 on Friday. The Magic got a nice performance from Evan Fournier, who was placed into the starting lineup for Tobias Harris, who missed his third - straight game with a knee injury. Fournier finished with a plus - 19 plus/minus to go along with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists. Elfrid Payton began the post All-Star break on a good note. He posted a double - double, finishing with 10 points on four - of - seven shooting, 11 assists and seven rebounds. The Magic have now won three out of their last five games. Orlando will take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. New Orleans dropped back down to .500 after their less - than - stellar performance in their loss to Orlando. Tyreke Evans nearly posted a triple - double from the point guard position. He led the Pelicans with 14 points and 10 assists to go along with eight rebounds. Anthony Davis was held to just 13 points. He has been dealing with a shoulder injury. Newly acquired guard Norris Cole was not available Friday, but may be able to play against the team that dealt him at the trade deadline - the Miami Heat - on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 39 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 18 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 27 Losses ,has 84 Total points ,has 27 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 13 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyreke Evans') has 10 Assists ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 3 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 11 Assists ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 10 Points ,has 7 Total rebounds ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies (27 - 11) defeated the Brooklyn Nets (16 - 23) 103 - 92 on Wednesday. Zach Randolph put up 20 points and 14 rebounds. He is averaging 19 points, 14 rebounds and 3 assists in 35 minutes since missing nine contests with a knee injury. Mike Conely has been bothered by an ankle injury, but started and had six points, two assists and two blocks in 24 minutes. Jeff Green made his Grizzlies debut. He played 26 minutes off the bench and recorded 10 points on 3 - of - 11 shooting from the field to go along with three rebounds and two assists. Marc Gasol continued his dominant 2014 - 15 campaign with 18 points, eight rebounds and two steals. The Nets have lost seven - straight games, including five in - a - row at home. Jarrett Jack was 4 - of - 12 from the floor with ten points and six assists. In his last five games, Jack has averaged 11 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists in 35 minutes per game. Kevin Garnett served his one - game suspension stemming from Monday's altercation with Dwight Howard. Brook Lopez was inserted into the starting lineup in place of Garnett, and had 11 points and four rebounds in 27 minutes. The Grizzlies will travel to Orlando to take on the Magic on Friday, and the Nets will play the Wizards on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 23 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 16 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 11 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 27 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 3 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 20 Defensive rebounds ,has 14 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 18 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 24 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Green') has 2 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 27 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jarrett Jack') has 6 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 10 Minutes played ."]

The Houston Rockets defeated the Sacramento Kings 105 - 83 Tuesday at Toyota Center. This game was never close, as the Rockets (36 - 16) jumped out to an early lead and did n't think about giving it up. After what was a dominant second quarter, Houston held a 19 point lead heading into the locker room while the Kings (19 - 30), who were playing their eighth road game in 11 days, looked utterly defeated. Ryan Anderson put together one of his best performances of the season in the win, scoring a game - high 25 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in just 27 minutes. Eric Gordon shined off the bench, scoring 17 points on 7 - of - 15 shooting from the field. James Harden, on the other hand, struggled for the second straight game, scoring just 10 points on 3 - of - 9 shooting, but he did record eight assists and seven rebounds in 32 minutes. For the Kings, it was a fairly uninspired performance, and it started with their star big man DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins shot just 5 - of - 16 from the field and recorded 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes. Cousins' struggles were contagious, as the team overall shot just 35 percent from the field, 28 percent from behind the arc and a lowly 58 percent from the free throw line. The 83 points scored was the Kings's lowest total since mid - December, and they have now lost two of their last three games. Up next, the Rockets will remain home Thursday to take on the Hawks, while the Kings will finally return home Friday to play the Suns.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 16 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 36 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 30 Losses ,has 83 Total points ,has 11 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 11 Turnovers ,has 19 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 5 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 25 Minutes played ,has 16 Points ,has 7 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ryan Anderson') has 27 Assists ,has 25 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 1 Minutes played ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 8 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 32 Minutes played ,has 10 Points ,has 7 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 17 Assists ."]

All five starters scored in double digits for the Magic, as they cruised to the 28 - point win. Terrence Ross led the way with 18 points on 6 - of - 9 shooting, including 5 - of - 6 from long range. Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic followed up with 16 points each, while Elfrid Payton turned in his fourth triple - double in March, with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, in 29 minutes. Jodie Meeks chipped in 15 points on 6 - of - 12 shooting, in 21 minutes off the bench. Meanwhile, the Pistons shot 35 percent from the field and only 2 - of - 22 from long range. Tobias Harris was the only starter to score in double digits, as he finished with 11 points. Andre Drummond grabbed 14 rebounds, to go along with six points, in 20 minutes, while Jon Leuer was Detroit's high - point man, with 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a steal, in 28 minutes off the bench. Ish Smith only played 16 minutes, after drawing the start, and finished with six points and three rebounds

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 35 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 2 Assists ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ish Smith') has 16 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jon Leuer') has 2 Assists ,has 28 3-pointers attempted ,has 16 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Terrence Ross') has 6 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aaron Gordon') has 16 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 16 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 10 Assists ,has 29 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jodie Meeks') has 12 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 21 3-pointers made ,has 15 Field goals attempted ."]

The Sacramento Kings (20 - 35) took down the Memphis Grizzlies (41 - 15) 102 - 90 on Wednesday. Rudy Gay had a game - high 28 points to go along with six assists and five rebounds. DeMarcus Cousins battled with Marc Gasol and ended up fouling out after 24 minutes. Before his exit, Cousins finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, six assists and one block. The Kings are 2 - 1 since the All-Star break after getting off to a 1 - 5 start in the month of February. However, the Kings remain 11 games back of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who hold the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Similiar to Cousins, Gasol also showed off his passing skills Wednesday. He too had six assists from the center position to go along with 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Zach Randolph was the high scorer for the Grizzlies, with 20 points, five rebounds and four turnovers in 30 minutes. Memphis lost the rebounding battle 47 - 38, and that proved to be costly. They had a one - point lead going into the fourth quarter but could n't hold on, as the Kings outscored them 26 - 13 in the final period. The Grizzlies will host their rival the Los Angeles Clippers, while the Kings will welcome the struggling San Antonio Spurs to town Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 35 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 26 Points in 4th quarter ,has 47 Rebounds ,has 20 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 15 Losses ,has 90 Total points ,has 13 Points in 4th quarter ,has 38 Rebounds ,has 41 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 30 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 5 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 6 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 14 Minutes played ,has 7 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gay') has 6 Assists ,has 28 Blocks ,has 5 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 6 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 24 Minutes played ,has 16 Points ,has 9 Total rebounds ."]

The Golden State Warriors (65 - 7) defeated the Dallas Mavericks (35 - 37) 128 - 120 on Friday. This was anticipated to be a blowout, but Dallas did a great job of hanging around as huge underdogs. The key for Golden State was a first half in which they outscored the Mavericks by 14 points while dropping 72 points. The Warriors were unconscious from the field, as they shot 49 percent from the field, 47 percent from three - point range and 91 percent from the free - throw line. Despite playing without Dirk Nowitzki and Deron Williams, the Mavericks did a great job of battling a potent Warriors team. Wesley Matthews led the team with 26 points in one of his best games of the season. J.J. Barea did a great job of filling in for Williams, as he tallied 21 points and six assists. Seven Dallas players scored in double figures with three of them coming off the bench (Zaza Pachulia, Justin Anderson, Charlie Villlanueva) .On deck for the Mavericks is a matchup against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Golden State didn’t play their best game, but it continued their undefeated streak at home. Klay Thompson was spectacular, as he scored 40 points while hitting nine three - pointers. Steph Curry flirted with a triple - double, as he accumulated 33 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and four steals in the win. Draymond Green also flirted with a triple - double, as he amassed 19 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Up next for the Warriors is an exhibition type matchup, as they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 7 Losses ,has 128 Total points ,has 65 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 37 Percentage of 3 points ,has 120 Percentage of field goals ,has 35 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wesley Matthews') has 26 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'J.J. Barea') has 6 Assists ,has 21 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Justin Anderson') has 3 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zaza Pachulia') has 3 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 10 Assists ,has 19 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 9 Assists ,has 40 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 8 Assists ,has 33 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals made ."]

For the fifth straight game, superstar forward Kawhi Leonard scored over 30 points on Thursday. Leonard's 34 was a team - high and came on excellent efficiency, as the young All-Star shot 12 - of - 22 from the field and 8 - of - 8 at the free - throw line. Five Spurs finished with double digit scoring and the team ended up shooting over 51 percent on the night. San Antonio also managed to stay even with the Nuggets on the glass, due in large part to tough play from veteran David Lee. Lee finished with 16 rebounds on the night. For the Nuggets, sophomore big man Nikola Jokic dropped in a career - high 35 points. Jokic added 12 rebounds and four assists in one of the defining nights of his very young career. Guard Will Barton added 18 and seven assists while filling in for Gary Harris. The rest of the team, however, struggled, as the Nuggets shot around 40 percent on the night.

["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 51 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 35 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Jokic') has 4 Assists ,has 35 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Will Barton') has 7 Assists ,has 18 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 22 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ,has 34 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'David Lee') has 16 Assists ."]

No one is doubting who the better team from Los Angeles is these days and the Clippers showed their dominance once again here. In fact, they shot 52 percent from the field en route to a wire - to - wire win. The turnovers really killed the Lakers, as they lost that battle, 14 - 7. The Clippers also dominated in the paint, winning that differential, 56 - 36. DeAndre Jordan was a monster, as he totaled 24 points and 22 rebounds on 12 - of - 13 shooting. Chris Paul was just as good, accruing 20 points, five rebounds and 13 assists. The Lakers starters really struggled, as D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle combined for nine points on 3 - of - 14 shooting. Jordan Clarkson was the lone bright spot for the Lakers, leading the team with 21 points, four rebounds and three assists off the bench. Brandon Ingram also played well off the bench, collecting 14 points, five rebounds and five assists.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 7 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 14 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jordan Clarkson') has 3 Assists ,has 21 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Ingram') has 5 Assists ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 13 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 24 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 13 Assists ,has 20 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ."]

The Celtics shot 40 percent from the field, but struggled from long range, where they hit only 7 - of - 29. Jae Crowder was the high - point man for Boston in the absence of it's star and leading scorer, Isaiah Thomas. Crowder finished with 24 points on 7 - of - 11 shooting, including 4 - of - 7 from long range, to go along with 12 rebounds, one assist and one steal, in 35 minutes. Avery Bradley followed up with 16 points and five rebounds, while Al Horford added 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and one steal, in 29 minutes. Meanwhile, Brook Lopez led the way for the Nets, as he poured in 23 points on 8 - of - 18 shooting, to go along with five rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Randy Foye added 14 points, while Jeremy Lin chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 40 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jae Crowder') has 1 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 35 Field goals made ,has 24 Minutes played ,has 12 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 4 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 29 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 16 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 18 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Randy Foye') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeremy Lin') has 6 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ."]

Without Paul George (ankle) and C.J. Miles (knee), the Pacers simply could n't match up with the Suns' bench. Not only did all six bench players for Phoenix play at least 14 minutes, they combined for 78 points. In addition to that, they combined for 31 rebounds, 15 assists and 11 steals between P.J Tucker, Jared Dudley, Alan Williams, LeAndro Barbosa, Brandon Knight and Tyler Ulis. Alex Len was the only Suns' starter to play well, as he totaled 10 points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes of action. The Suns got their win despite Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker struggling, as they combined for 19 points, four rebounds and five assists on 7 - of - 21 shooting. In fact, no starter for Phoenix played more than 22 minutes, as the bench was the far superior unit. Jeff Teague had one of his best games in the absence of George, as he accumulated 21 points, four rebounds and seven assists in the defeat. All the hustle stats favored Phoenix as well, as they dominated the rebounding, steals and turnover differentials.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 6 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Alex Len') has 22 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 10 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Knight') has 22 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'PJ Tucker') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Ulis') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 7 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 21 Minutes played ,has 4 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ."]

The Dallas Mavericks (24 - 10) defeated the Boston Celtics (11 - 19) 119 - 101 on Friday at the TD Garden in Boston. The Mavericks had a strong first quarter where they out - scored the Celtics 31 - 17. With the strong start, they were able to use that momentum and coast through the rest of the game to finish with an 18 - point victory. The Mavericks out - rebounded the Celtices 53 - 38, giving them a huge advantage in that category. That advantage may have given them just enough to steal the win on the road. The Mavericks were led by their backcourt of Rajon Rondo and Monta Ellis. Rondo had a very impressive game, going 12 - for - 19 from the field and 5 - for - 7 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 29 points. He also added six rebounds and five assists. It was far and away his best game so far with the Mavericks and it just so happened to be against his former team in Boston. Ellis on the other hand went 8 - for - 17 from the floor and 2 - for - 3 from beyond the arc to finish with 22 points. He's now averaging 21 points and 5 assists per game on the season. Dirk Nowitzki had a solid all - around game. He recorded 17 points (7 - 19 FG, 0 - 2 3Pt, 3 - 3 FT), seven rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes of action. After a poor shooting night on Tuesday against the Wizards, it was good to see him get back on track. Chandler Parsons also reached double figures with 13 points (4 - 9 FG, 2 - 4 3Pt, 3 - 4 FT) and seven rebounds. Avery Bradley did most of the damage for the Celtics. He went 9 - for - 20 from the floor and 3 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score 22 points. He's only averaging 12 points per game thus far in the season, so it was a nice surprise for the Celtics to receive this kind of scoring output from Bradley. Jeff Green also did his part on the offensive side of the ball. He went 7 - for - 15 from the field and 2 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score 18 points. After Rondo was sent to the Mavericks in a trade, Green has been one of the players relied upon to make up for his scoring production. Posting his third double - double of the season, Tyler Zeller recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds. It was an impressive line for him as he was in a very tough matchup with Tyson Chandler. Jared Sullinger was the only other Celtic in double figures, as he finished with 12 points in 34 minutes. The Mavericks' next game will be on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, while the Celtics will travel to Chicago to play the Bulls on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 19 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 17 Points in 1st quarter ,has 18 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 11 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 10 Losses ,has 119 Total points ,has 31 Points in 1st quarter ,has 24 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chandler Parsons') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 13 Free throws attempted ,has 7 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 19 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 30 Free throws made ,has 17 Minutes played ,has 7 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 17 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 22 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rajon Rondo') has 5 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 19 3-pointers made ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 29 Free throws attempted ,has 6 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Green') has 6 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jared Sullinger') has 34 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Zeller') has 17 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 1 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ,has 22 Offensive rebounds ,has 1 Personal fouls ."]

DeMar DeRozan's 28 points paced the Raptors. Kyle Lowry followed with 20 points, while DeMarre Carroll enjoyed one of his best games of the season, posting an 18 - point, 11 - rebound double - double. Jonas Valanciunas went for 14 and 10. Cory Joseph led the bench with 16 points, and Terrence Ross supplied 12 points in a reserve role.The Raptors shot 54 percent, helping offset the Nets' respective 47 percent and 47 percent success rates from the field and three - point range. Bojan Bogdanovic's 23 points led the way for Brooklyn. Brook Lopez managed 20 points, Joe Harris went for 11, and Spencer Dinwiddie supplied 10 points while drawing the start at point guard. Justin Hamilton led the second unit with 11 points, and Quincy Acy and Randy Foye were productive in reserve roles as well with matching nine - point efforts.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 54 Percentage of 3 points ." "TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 47 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 23 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 20 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joe Harris') has 11 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Spencer Dinwiddie') has 10 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Justin Hamilton') has 11 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Randy Foye') has 9 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Quincy Acy') has 9 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarre Carroll') has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ,has 18 Offensive rebounds ,has 11 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 28 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 20 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Terrence Ross') has 12 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cory Joseph') has 16 3-pointers attempted ."]

The Atlanta Hawks (37 - 8) extended their franchise - record winning streak to 16 games Sunday, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves (7 - 36) 112 - 100. The Timberwolves gave the Hawks a much better game than many were expecting, coming within six points of the Hawks with three minutes to go in the fourth quarter. The Hawks once again had solid efforts all around, with six players scoring in double figures. Minnesota's Thaddeus Young helped keep the Timberwolves in the game with 26 points on 11 - of - 17 shooting, but Atlanta's timely three - point shooting helped seal it down the stretch. Minnesota has now dropped four games in a row and currently hold the worst record in the NBA, but should be encouraged by the effort put forth against an Atlanta team that is arguably the best in the league. Nikola Pekovic returned to the starting lineup Sunday and posted 13 points and three rebounds in the contest. The Timberwolves will have a quick turnaround, finishing up a back - to - back road set Monday in Oklahoma City. Atlanta's win marked its remarkable 11th consecutive win against Western Conference opponents. Backup point guard Dennis Schroder had an efficient 11 points in 16 minutes on the floor and provided suffocating defense. Paul Millsap had an excellent game as well with 20 points, five rebounds, six assists, and four steals in the contest. The Hawks will look to keep their winning streak alive Wednesday when they host a struggling Nets team.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 8 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 26 Points in 4th quarter ,has 37 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 36 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 7 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thaddeus Young') has 17 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 26 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Pekovic') has 3 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 6 Assists ,has 20 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 4 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dennis Schroder') has 16 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ."]