Datasets:

Imask

/

FBM_IE

like 0

The Washington Wizards (2 - 1) escaped with a 103 - 101 victory over the Atlanta Hawks (1 - 2). In his 155th career playoff game, Paul Pierce banked in the game - winning stepback jumper over three defenders at the buzzer to give the Wizards a Game 3 win. The Wizards’ non - All - Stars won their first game without John Wall this postseason. Five different players scored in double figures, and coach Randy Wittman utilized nine players in his rotation. Nene Hilario finally made his first basket of the series, exploding for a team - high 17 points. Otto Porter matched Hilario by scoring playoff career - high 17 points and grabbed a team - high nine rebounds in a game - high 40 minutes off the bench. Wall’s replacement, Ramon Sessions, was unable to duplicate his Game 2 performance, connecting on 2 - of - 10 shots. Bradley Beal rounded out the Wizards’ 17 - point scorers with a team - high eight assists. The Hawks faltered early in the first quarter and nearly recovered, outscoring the Wizards 35 - 18 in the fourth quarter. Coach Mike Budenholzer pulled his starters with seven minutes remaining, only to have his third string unit dwindle a 20 - point deficit to within three points in less than four minutes. Mike Muscala hit the game - tying three - pointer with 14 second on the game clock. Al Horford left the game early in the fourth quarter with a right leg injury. Even though he never returned, the Hawks reported no long - term concerns. Pero Antic started over an ill Paul Millsap, who started the second half in place of Antic. Kyle Korver didn’t hit a field goal after the four - minute mark of the first quarter, finishing the night 2 - of - 5 from the field. Jeff Teague was assessed a Flagrant Foul 1 after swiping Bradley Beal across the head on a layup attempt. He was later nailed with a technical foul after Beal covertly retaliated on a Teague fast break. Game 4 will air on TNT this Monday in Washington.

["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 1 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 18 Points in 4th quarter ,has 2 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 2 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 35 Points in 4th quarter ,has 1 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Korver') has 5 Assists ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Pierce') has 3 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nene') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ramon Sessions') has 10 Assists ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Otto Porter') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 40 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 17 Free throws attempted ,has 9 Minutes played ."]

The Mavs fell behind by a 30 - 22 score after one quarter and never could catch up against a suffocating Raptors defense that limited them to 38 percent shooting overall and a 25 percent mark from three - point range. DeMar DeRozan and Serge Ibaka co - led Toronto with matching 18 - point efforts. P.J. Tucker drew the start and produced a near double - double with nine points and nine rebounds. Jonas Valanciunas matched Tucker's scoring total and added six rebounds. Cory Joseph generated eight points, while Patrick Patterson's 14 led the bench. Harrison Barnes' 23 points led Dallas. Seth Curry poured in 11 points and Dirk Nowitzki registered nine. Wesley Matthews (four points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks) and Nerlens Noel (three points, eight rebounds, a block) provided modest but solid performances. Yogi Ferrell's 10 points led the bench.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 22 Points in 1st quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 30 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'PJ Tucker') has 9 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Serge Ibaka') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 6 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cory Joseph') has 8 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patrick Patterson') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 23 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nerlens Noel') has 1 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 8 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wesley Matthews') has 5 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 4 Points ,has 6 Total rebounds ,has 2 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Seth Curry') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Yogi Ferrell') has 10 Assists ."]

The Minnesota Timberwolves (15 - 36) defeated the Los Angeles Clippers (32 - 17) 108 - 102 at Staples Center on Wednesday. A controversial Wednesday at Staples Center went down after Austin Rivers was ejected for arguing a call and Chris Paul was issued a technical foul with under one minute to play, which stretched the Timberwolves lead to four points. The ensuing possession in crunch time was a mishandled inbound pass off of J.J. Reddick’s foot, all but putting the nail in the coffin for the Clippers, especially after Ricky Rubio dropped a pass between the legs of DeAndre Jordan to an awaiting Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished at the rim. The Timberwolves were led by Andrew Wiggins, who put forth his second back - to - back 30 - plus point performance of his career, and finished with 31 points, four rebounds and three assists on 12 - of - 21 shooting in 36 minutes. Wiggins was on fire in the first half, scoring 21 points and helping the Timberwolves break out of a five game losing streak. Karl-Anthony Towns totaled 17 points and 12 rebounds, which marked his 27th double - double of the season, while Gorgui Dieng added 12 points and 10 rebounds alongside Towns in the frontcourt. The Clippers have owned the Timberwolves over the past few years and took a 14 game winning streak against Minnesota into the contest. It ended up being a frustrating night for Los Angeles, who had two controversial calls go against them in the game. Austin Rivers ejection is up for debate, as arguing with a referee is always going to hover a thin line, while Chris Paul’s technical foul late in the fourth quarter was simply a bad call. Paul was clicking with DeAndre Jordan in the pick - and - roll all night long, resulting in monstrous Jordan slam dunks, as the point guard finished with 22 points, eight assists and four rebounds, while Jordan added 18 points and 15 rebounds. JJ Reddick had a difficult time finiding a rhythm and totaled a lowly five points on 1 - of - 9 shooting, but Jamal Crawford bailed him out with a strong performance off the bench to the tune of 21 points, most of which coming from the free throw line, where he drained all 10 attempts. The Clippers will vist the Orlando Magic (21 - 27) on Friday, while the Timberwolves will host the Chicago Bulls (27 - 21) on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 17 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 32 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 36 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 15 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gorgui Dieng') has 12 Assists ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 17 Assists ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 3 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 21 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ,has 31 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ricky Rubio') has 30 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 10 Assists ,has 36 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'JJ Redick') has 9 Assists ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 8 Assists ,has 22 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Crawford') has 10 Assists ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 21 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Austin Rivers') has 4 Assists ."]

The Houston Rockets (38 - 18) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (12 - 43) 113 - 102 on Monday at the Toyota Center in Houston. The Rockets shot well in this game, going 42 percent from the field and 32 percent from the three - point line, while the Timberwolves went 33 percent from the floor and just 28 percent from beyond the arc. While the game was tied 56 - 56 at half, the Rockets went off in the third quarter, out - scoring the Timberwolves 28 - 19, which eventually set them up to secure the win in front of their home crowd. Exploding for his second triple - double of the year, James Harden showed again why he's one of the best players in the league. He shot 7 - for - 20 from the field and 5 - for - 11 from the three - point line to finish with a game - high of 31 points, while adding 11 rebounds, 10 assists and four blocked shots. Coming out of the All-Star break he's looked very well rested, averaging 26 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists over his last three games. He did receive plenty of help though, starting with Terrence Jones, who posted 15 points (6 - 9 FG, 3 - 5 FT) and 15 rebounds in 32 minutes. It was one of his most productive games of the short season he's had, including a new season - high in rebounds. He's also now had at least two blocks in each of his last three games. Coming off the bench, Josh Smith had a strong performance, posting 17 points (7 - 15 FG, 2 - 6 3Pt, 1 - 1 FT), four rebounds and three steals before fouling out. He's now scored 15 or more points in five of his last six games, despite averaging 12 points per game on the season. Trevor Ariza added 10 points (4 - 11 FG, 2 - 8 3Pt), eight rebounds and four steals as well. The Timberwolves were able to keep it close, having all five starters reach double figures in points. They just did n't have enough of a bench presence though, as their bench was out - scored 36 - 10 by the Rockets. Doing everything he could to keep the Timberwolves in the game, Andrew Wiggins finished with 30 points (12 - 24 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt, 5 - 5 FT) and six rebounds. He's gone a combined 21 - of - 39 from the field to score 50 points over his last two games since returning from the All-Star break, as his confidence is through the roof. Kevin Martin had a solid showing as well. He recorded 21 points (5 - 18 FG, 3 - 7 3Pt, 8 - 8 FT) and two assists, but did turn the ball over six times. He has scored 20 or more points in each of his last five games, pushing his average to 21 points per game on the season. Ricky Rubio nearly had a triple - double, scoring 14 points (2 - 9 FG, 0 - 4 3Pt, 10 - 10 FT), to go along with nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals, while Nikola Pekovic posted a double - double of his own with 16 points (6 - 18 FG, 4 - 4 FT) and 13 rebounds. The Rockets' next game will be at home against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, while the Timberwolves will be at home against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 32 Percentage of 3 points ,has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 18 Losses ,has 113 Total points ,has 28 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 38 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 28 Percentage of 3 points ,has 33 Percentage of field goals ,has 43 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 19 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 12 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 24 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 30 Free throws attempted ,has 6 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Pekovic') has 18 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Martin') has 2 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ,has 21 Free throws made ,has 6 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ricky Rubio') has 7 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 10 Free throws attempted ,has 14 Free throws made ,has 9 Minutes played ,has 4 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Ariza') has 8 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Terrence Jones') has 2 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 32 Field goals made ,has 15 Free throws attempted ,has 15 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 10 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 20 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 31 Minutes played ,has 11 Offensive rebounds ,has 1 Personal fouls ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Josh Smith') has 6 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 17 Free throws made ,has 4 Minutes played ,has 3 Offensive rebounds ."]

The Miami Heat (21 - 26) defeated the Boston Celtics (16 - 30) 83 - 75 on Sunday at the TD Garden in Boston. The Heat got off to a strong start in this one, out - scoring the Celtics 44 - 31 in the first half alone. They were superior shooters in this game, going 42 percent from the field, while the Celtics went just 37 percent from the floor. The Heat also secured a 46 - 40 rebounding advantage. For the Heat, Hassan Whiteside just kept on going Sunday, recording another impressive performance. In 29 minutes, Whiteside finished with 20 points (10 - 17 FG), nine rebounds and three blocks. He came just one rebound shy of notching his fourth double - double in a row, a stretch where he's averaging 17 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks over those four games. Chris Bosh also had a solid showing, posting 18 points (6 - 19 FG, 1 - 4 3Pt, 5 - 7 FT), seven rebounds and two assists. It was n't his best day shooting the ball, but he still did enough to help secure the victory, even with both Dwyane Wade (hamstring) and Luol Deng (calf) sitting out with injuries. Coming off the bench, Tyler Johnson was the only other player in double figures, fininshing with 13 points (4 - 9 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt, 4 - 6 FT), nine rebounds, four assists and two steals in 27 minutes. This was only his third game of the season, while the points, rebounds and assists were all season - highs for the rookie. The Celtics saw their biggest production from the duo of Avery Bradley and Tyler Zeller. Bradley finished with 17 points (8 - 15 FG, 1 - 4 3Pt), four rebounds and two assists, while Zeller had 17 points (6 - 13 FG, 5 - 8 FT), six rebounds and four assists. Bradley shot a combined 8 - for - 27 from the field over his last two games, so it was good to see him shoot the ball a little better on Sunday. Zeller is only averaging 9 points per game so far this season, so his points totals were a nice surprise for the Celtics, despite the loss. The only other Celtic to reach double figures in points was Brandon Bass, who went 7 - for - 14 from the field to record 15 points, while also adding six rebounds and two blocked shots. He's started to heat up, as he's combined for 32 points and 14 rebounds over his last two games. The Heat's next game will be on the road against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, while the Celtics will travel to New York to play the Knicks on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 30 Losses ,has 75 Total points ,has 40 Rebounds ,has 16 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 26 Losses ,has 83 Total points ,has 46 Rebounds ,has 21 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Bosh') has 2 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 19 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 5 Free throws attempted ,has 18 Free throws made ,has 7 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 3 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Johnson') has 4 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 27 Free throws made ,has 13 Minutes played ,has 9 Personal fouls ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Bass') has 2 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Zeller') has 4 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 17 Free throws attempted ,has 6 Free throws made ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 2 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 15 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 17 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 2 Minutes played ."]

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Washington Wizards, 112 - 107, at Verizon Center on Wednesday night. The Mavericks (29 - 38) came into Wednesday's contest with only eight victories over 39 road contests this season, while the Wizards (41 - 26) had prevailed in 26 of their 35 home games. As the old adage goes, "that's why they play the games." Dallas overcame an early 39 - 32 first - quarter deficit to stay close through the next two quarters before outscoring Washington by a 39 - 27 margin in the final 12 minutes. The Mavs did it with stellar shooting, as they tallied a 51 percent success rate from the field and 44 percent mark from three - point range. Their effort was just enough to overcome those of the dynamic duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal, who combined for 50 of the Wizards' 107 points. Harrison Barnes led the way for the Mavs with a near - double - double of 22 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Dirk Nowitzki was close behind him with 20 points, four rebounds and two assists. Seth Curry pitched in with 19 points, one assist and two steals. Nerlens Noel led the bench with 12 points, three rebounds, one assist and one block. Nicolas Brussino stepped up with 11 points, nine boards and two steals in 23 minutes, while Devin Harris was also productive as a reserve with 10 points, one rebound, one assist and one steal. Wall paced the Wizards with 26 points, which he supplemented with 11 assists, one rebound and three steals. Beal was right behind him with 24 points, five dimes and a pair of boards. Bojan Bogdanovic continued his stellar work off the bench with 19 points, three rebounds and one assist. Otto Porter, Jr. posted a 14 - point, 10 - rebound double - double that also included five assists. Marcin Gortat mustered a modest eight points but did haul in 10 rebounds. The Mavericks next head to Philadelphia where they'll take on the Sixers in a Friday night showdown, while the Wizards remain home to tangle with the Chicago Bulls on Friday evening as well.

["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 26 Percentage of 3 points ,has 107 Percentage of field goals ,has 39 Losses ,has 27 Total points ,has 41 Points in 1st quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 44 Percentage of 3 points ,has 51 Percentage of field goals ,has 38 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 32 Points in 1st quarter ,has 39 Points in 4th quarter ,has 29 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 2 Assists ,has 22 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 2 Assists ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Seth Curry') has 1 Assists ,has 19 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nerlens Noel') has 1 Assists ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Brussino') has 5 Assists ,has 23 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goal percentage ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Devin Harris') has 1 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goal percentage ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcin Gortat') has 8 Assists ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 5 Assists ,has 24 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 11 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 50 Field goals attempted ,has 26 Field goal percentage ,has 1 Minutes played ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 1 Assists ,has 19 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 Field goals attempted ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Toronto Raptors, 116 - 78, on Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena to take a 3 - 2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. Likely a bit spooked by both their performance over the last two games, and the throttling suffered by the other postseason presumptive favorite down in Oklahoma City in their last pair of contests, the Cavaliers came out with impressive tunnel vision in Game 5. They ambushed the visiting Raptors right out of the gate, winning the first quarter by a margin of 37 - 19. The rout was on, as Cleveland took a massive 65 - 34 advantage into halftime, a lead that eventually ballooned to 100 - 60 by the end of the third period. A major difference Wednesday night was the return to prominence of Kevin Love, who'd shot 5 - for - 23 over the previous two games. Love exploded for a game - high 25 points, and supplemented the scoring with two assists, two rebounds, two blocks and a steal. As the final score would indicate, the Cavs outclassed Toronto in every offensive category. They shot 57 percent from the field while holding their guests to a 39 percent figure, and drained 48 percent of their three - point attempts while limiting the Raptors to a 18 percent success rate from beyond the arc. The domination continued down low, where they outrebounded Toronto by a 48 - 27 margin and outscored them in the paint, 46 - 32. The Raptors were led by DeMar DeRozan, who compiled 14 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Kyle Lowry followed with 13 points, six assists, three rebounds and a steal. Bismack Biyombo was held in check, as he supplied a modest seven points, four rebounds and a block. DeMarre Carroll and Luis Scola, the other two members of the starting five, could only combine to supply 12 points. One bright spot for Toronto in the lopsided loss was Jonas Valanciunas' return, as he collected nine points and an assist in just over 18 minutes on the court to lead the second unit. LeBron James was second to Love on Cleveland with a 23 - point tally, which he complemented with eight assists, six rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot. Kyrie Irving was next with 23 points, and he added three rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block. Tristan Thompson provided a near double - double with nine points, 10 boards, a steal and a block. Reggie Jefferson paced the reserves with 11 points, six rebounds and an assist in 20 minutes. With the comfortable margin of victory, the Cavs were able to give their first unit plenty of rest, as James' 31 minutes served as the highest allotment of playing time among the starters. The series returns to the Air Canada Centre in Toronto for Game 6 on Friday night, as the Raptors will try to stave off elimination.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 2 Percentage of 3 points ,has 116 Percentage of field goals ,has 37 Losses ,has 48 Total points ,has 3 Points in 1st quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 18 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 78 Losses ,has 19 Total points ,has 27 Points in 1st quarter ,has 2 Rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarre Carroll') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Luis Scola') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bismack Biyombo') has 1 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 14 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 6 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 1 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 9 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 23 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 25 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 1 Minutes played ,has 2 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tristan Thompson') has 1 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 23 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Richard Jefferson') has 1 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 11 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ."]

Both Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kemba Walker were having a rough time playing in the month of February, with the two combining for six games of single - digit scoring before Thursday night. That all changed in Thursday's contest, however, as the two combined to to score the final six baskets of regulation en route to each having their best performances in weeks. Walker finished with a game - high 34 points in 42 minutes. It was just his third time in the last nine games where he has scored at least 20 points and his first time scoring 30 points since Jan. 27. As for Caldwell-Pope, who ended up leading Detroit's comeback in the fourth quarter, he scored a team - high 33 points Thursday. It was his first 30 - point game since Feb. 1 against the Pelicans and just his third game with at least 20 points in his last 13.

["PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 6 Assists ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 Free throws attempted ,has 9 Free throws made ,has 42 Minutes played ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ,has 34 Personal fouls ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kentavious Caldwell-Pope') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 33 3-pointers attempted ."]

The Dallas Mavericks (19 - 8) went on the road and knocked off the Detroit Pistons (5 - 21) 117 - 106 on Wednesday. The Mavericks have a knack for defeating the teams who they're supposed to defeat, and that showed once again on Wednesday, with another double - digit victory. The "big four" for the Mavericks all chipped in by doing their part, as Chandler Parsons had a huge game, scoring 32 points (10 - 17 FG, 4 - 6 3Pt, 8 - 9 FT) to go with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Monta Ellis was at it again, scoring 25 points (11 - 20 FG, 1 - 2 3Pt, 2 - 4 FT), with eight assists, while Dirk Nowitzki posted a double - double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Tyson Chandler fell just short of his own double - double, posting 16 points and nine rebounds. The Pistons gave the game away at the foul line, putting the Mavericks at the charity stripe for 27 easy points on 35 free throw attempts. The only starter who played over 28 minutes was Andre Drummond (41). The bench saw four players go over 20 minutes, showing that the Pistons are trying to find any lineup that can produce consistently. Drummond put up a stellar line, scoring 19 points (9 - 16 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt, 1 - 6 FT) to go with 24 rebounds, four steals, three blocks and an assist. Aside from that though, no one lit up the box score, and both Brandon Jennings and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope struggled shooting the ball on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 21 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 5 Points in 1st quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 8 Losses ,has 117 Total points ,has 32 Points in 1st quarter ,has 19 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chandler Parsons') has 2 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ,has 32 Free throws made ,has 7 Minutes played ,has 2 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 18 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyson Chandler') has 16 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 8 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 25 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 1 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 16 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 41 Free throws made ,has 19 Minutes played ,has 24 Offensive rebounds ,has 4 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kentavious Caldwell-Pope') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Jennings') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ."]

On Monday, the Mavericks' offense was almost entirely dependent on two players: Seth Curry and Harrison Barnes. Curry neared his career high, scoring 29 to lead the team and hitting 5 - of - 7 from beyond the arc. Barnes, meanwhile, shot 9 - of - 18 overall, good for 24 points on the night. Veteran star Dirk Nowitzki, meanwhile, led the team with 12 rebounds despite scoring only eight points. As a team, Dallas hit only 43 percent of its shots but made 50 percent from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Miami's Hassan Whiteside scored 19 points and came down with a whopping 19 rebounds. Still, Miami finished with an advantage of only four rebounds over the Mavs. Point guard Goran Dragic also had a solid night, shooting 10 - of - 21 for 24 points to go along with five rebounds and six assists.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 50 Percentage of 3 points ,has 43 Percentage of field goals ." "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 ,has 5 Field goals made ." "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 San Antonio Spurs (22 - 5) remained unbeaten at the AT & T Center with a 114 - 95 victory over the Washington Wizards (10 - 14) Wednesday night. The Spurs hit six of their eight three - point baskets in the second half, as they used a 31 - point third quarter to open the gap and run away from the Wizards. The Wizards led by as many as six in the first quarter, but went dreadfully cold, as they finished 3 - 15 (20 percent) from three - point land and 35 - 84 (42 percent) shooting overall. Forward Kawhi Leonard continues to show an improved all - around offensive game, as he poured in 27 points on a slick 9 - 15 shooting, including four three - pointers. Tony Parker finished with a 10 - point, 10 - assist double - double. In the resting Tim Duncan's absence, Manu Ginobili (11 points, eight assists in 18 minutes) and Boban Marjanovic (seven points, six rebounds two blocks in 15 minutes) both stepped up with efficient performances as the Spurs shot 53 percent from the floor. The Wizards offense stalled out despite 20 point games from both Marcin Gortat (9 - 15 shooting) and John Wall (6 - 18 shooting). Both finished with double - doubles, as Gortat nabbed 10 rebounds (and three blocks) and Wall dished out 11 assists (despite five turnovers). Kelly Oubre Jr. was a bright spot off the bench, as he scored a quick 18 points in 25 minutes, but the Wizards just could n't overcome their cold shoooting. Washington has lost four of their last five and will look to turn things around with their next contest at home Saturday against Charlotte. The Spurs are now on a four - game winning streak and have won eight of nine. They'll look to keep their undefeated home record going Friday against the Clippers.

["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 53 Percentage of 3 points ,has 5 Percentage of field goals ,has 114 Losses ,has 31 Total points ,has 22 Points in 1st quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 20 Percentage of 3 points ,has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 14 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 31 Points in 1st quarter ,has 10 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcin Gortat') has 3 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 11 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kelly Oubre Jr.') has 25 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 4 Assists ,has 27 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tony Parker') has 10 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Manu Ginobili') has 8 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 11 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Boban Marjanovic') has 2 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 6 Minutes played ."]

The Toronto Raptors defeated the Indiana Pacers, 116 - 91, at Air Canada Center on Sunday. In this potential playoff preview, Toronto showed just how good they can be in their home building. It was a near wire - to - wire win for the Raptors, as they led for the final 42 minutes. In addition, Toronto held a double - digit lead for the entirety of the second half. Shooting was decisive, with the Raptors hitting 49 percent from the field and 44 percent from three - point range. The Pacers shot just 41 percent from the field and 26 percent from long range. Rebounding was a glaring difference as well, with Toronto winning that battle, 51 - 33. The Pacers (35 - 34) have now traded off wins and losses across their last 13 games, as they continue their pursuit for mediocrity. Paul George led the way for Indiana, as he tallied 18 points, four rebounds and two assists. Thaddeus Young finished with 16 points and four rebounds on 7 - of - 9 shooting. Jeff Teague accrued 16 points and seven assists. Monta Ellis was the only other Pacer in double figures, as he provided 10 points and three assists off the bench. On deck for the Pacers is a home matchup against the Utah Jazz on Monday. The Raptors (41 - 29) have been struggling without Kyle Lowry, but this was a huge win over a conference rival. DeMar DeRozan was the player of the game, as he accumulated 22 points, three rebounds and four assists. Serge Ibaka totaled 16 points and five rebounds. Jonas Valanciunas recorded a double - double, amassing 11 points and 13 rebounds. Cory Joseph started for Lowry and collected 11 points, four rebounds and nine assists. Norman Powell and Jakob Poeltl each scored in double figures off the bench. Toronto will look to build off this win on Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 44 Percentage of 3 points ,has 29 Percentage of field goals ,has 116 Losses ,has 41 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 26 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 34 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 18 Points in 4th quarter ,has 13 Turnovers ,has 35 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 2 Assists ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thaddeus Young') has 9 Assists ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 7 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 3 Assists ,has 10 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Serge Ibaka') has 16 Assists ,has 5 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 11 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 4 Assists ,has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cory Joseph') has 9 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ."]

The Detroit Pistons (20 - 16) defeated the Boston Celtics (19 - 16) 99 - 94 on Wednesday. Detroit pulled out the impressive road victory by dominating the Celtics in the fourth quarter, an unlikely scenario considering how the Boston defense had effectively stymied them over the first three periods. The Pistons trailed 75 - 66 entering the final 12 minutes, but were able to prevail on the offensive efforts of Reggie Jackson (nine points) and Andre Drummond (six points) while turning the tables on the home team by limiting them to 19 points with outstanding defense. The Pistons were led by Jackson's game - high 24 points, and he added six assists and a pair of rebounds. It was Jackson's third double - digit scoring game against Boston this season, and the second of those three contests where he's scored over 20 points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made it a strong night for the Detroit backcourt by tallying 20 points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal. Andre Drummond had a rare sub - par outing, managing 13 points, five rebounds, a pair of steals and a pair of blocks. Stanley Johnson was outstanding off the bench, posting an 11 - point, 10 - rebound double - double over just 23 minutes to lead the Pistons' reserves. The Pistons improved to 20 - 16 and remain in fourth place in the Eastern Conference's Central Division. They head home to face the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. Boston enjoyed a stellar night from their starting five, and Isaiah Thomas led the way with a 22 - point, 10 - rebound double - double, his second outstanding game against the Pistons this season. Evan Turner had another solid effort in place of Avery Bradley (hip), tallying 17 points and hauling in six boards. Amir Johnson and Jae Crowder pitched in with a pair of 16 - point efforts, with the former making it a double - double by posting 11 rebounds, and the latter adding four rebounds and a pair of steals. Kelly Olynyk contributed 10 points, five rebounds and four assists to round things out for the front - line players, and Jared Sullinger led the reserves with eight points. The Celtics fell to 19 - 16 and remain in second place in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They head to Chicago to take on the Bulls on Thursday.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 16 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 22 Points in 1st quarter ,has 20 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 19 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 19 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 16 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 24 Points in 1st quarter ,has 24 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 2 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 5 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kentavious Caldwell-Pope') has 1 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 4 Minutes played ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 6 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stanley Johnson') has 23 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 10 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jae Crowder') has 16 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Amir Johnson') has 16 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kelly Olynyk') has 4 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 5 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Turner') has 17 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 22 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jared Sullinger') has 8 Assists ."]

The New York Knicks (31 - 46) took down the neighboring Brooklyn Nets (21 - 55) at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, 105 - 91. Both teams sit firmly out of the playoffs and neither owns its own pick in the 2016 draft, making Friday's matchup fairly inconsequential for both teams in the grand scheme of things. However, Madison Square Garden saw a hard - fought game with big performances from young players on both sides. For the Knicks, rookie Jerian Grant took the reigns as a starter and rolled with them, scoring 14 points and dishing out four assists while commiting just two turnovers. While lottery pick Kristaps Porzingis sat out with a shoulder injury, the team saw promise in the form of Grant's command of the floor. Guard Langston Galloway also had a big night off the bench, contributing a team - high 18 points as well as seven assists and six rebounds. For the Nets, meanwhile, young power forward Thomas Robinson exploded for a 14 - point, 13 - rebound double - double. With no Thaddeus Young, the youngster showed promise on both ends, also nabbing five steals on the defensive side of things. Ultimately, however, the Nets shot just a dismal 36 percent from the field and an even more paltry 17 percent from beyond the arc. The team remains fourteenth in the East with almost no chance of upping its standing before the season's end. Brooklyn will host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, while New York will play host to the Indiana Pacers.

["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 46 Percentage of 3 points ,has 105 Percentage of field goals ,has 31 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 17 Percentage of 3 points ,has 36 Percentage of field goals ,has 55 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 21 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thomas Robinson') has 14 Assists ,has 13 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jerian Grant') has 4 Assists ,has 14 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Langston Galloway') has 7 Assists ,has 18 Points ,has 6 Total rebounds ."]

The Houston Rockets (20) defeated the Dallas Mavericks (0 - 2), 111 - 99, in Game 2 on Tuesday at the Toyota Center. The Rockets had several opportunities to pull away throughout the game, but Dallas always seemed to find an answer. That is, until the fourth quarter, when Dallas stopped being able to counter Houston's haymakers. The Rockets were able to space the floor and find open cutters throughout the fourth, which led to them outscoring the Mavericks 30 - 19 to close out the game. Josh Smith led the charge in the fourth with his passing as he dished out seven assists, including a couple alley - oops, in the final period. Smith matched his playoff career - high for assists with nine and also added 15 points and eight rebounds to help Houston hold serve on its home court. The series will transition to Dallas on Friday for Game 3. Dallas was short - handed coming into Game 2 with Chandler Parsons (knee) and Devin Harris (toe) sidelined, but things were made worse by Rajon Rondo's unimpactful outing. In just 10 minutes on the floor, Rondo picked up four fouls, including a technical foul, and four points before being replaced by a combination of J.J Barea and Raymond Felton. Coach Rick Carlisle said after the game that it was his decision to hold Rondo out of the game after picking up four fouls. Dirk Nowitzki finished with just 10 points on an uncharacteristically poor 3 - of - 14 shooting performance. Al-Farouq Aminu provided a spark off the bench on the defensive end with two steals and three blocks. The Mavericks will look to get back into the series Friday on their home floor. Houston looks to be a more formidable team now that Dwight Howard has gotten back into a rhythm. Howard played 33 minutes Tuesday and led the Rockets with 28 points while also adding 12 rebounds and two blocks. A healthy Howard helps alleviate some of the scoring pressure on MVP Candidate James Harden, who hit all of his 13 free throws en route to scoring 24 in the game. The Rockets have a chance to take a commanding 30 lead in the series Friday in Dallas.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 30 Percentage of 3 points ,has 111 Losses ,has 30 Total points ,has 28 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 30 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 2 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 2 Percentage of 3 points ,has 99 Losses ,has 19 Total points ,has 0 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 14 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rajon Rondo') has 2 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al-Farouq Aminu') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Howard') has 2 Assists ,has 33 Blocks ,has 28 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 13 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Josh Smith') has 9 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 8 Field goals attempted ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies (30) defeated the Charlotte Hornets (1 - 1) 71 - 69 on Saturday. Tayshaun Prince was given the start at small forward with Courtney Lee out due to a concussion that he suffered in Friday's game. Lee will be reevaluated before Monday's game to determine if he's past any symptoms that would exclude him from playing. Prince finished with just two points in 18 minutes. This was a gritty game between two defense - first teams, and it showed in the box score. The Grizzlies shot 36 percent from the field and 27 percent from beyond the arc. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist capitalized on the teams' shooting woes to corral 12 rebounds to go with 11 points in recording his first double - double of the season. The Hornets shot 36 percent from the field and 29 percent from beyond the arc, matching the Grizzlies' futility on offense. Bismack Biyombo was once again left on the bench for the entire game, and if the Hornets are n't going to use the young athletic big man against a large frontcourt like the Grizzlies who stress getting their offense close to the rim, Biyombo may find himself tied to the bench for most of the season. The Grizzlies' next game is at home Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Hornets will complete a back - to - back set on the road Sunday against the New York Knicks.

["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 29 Percentage of 3 points ,has 36 Percentage of field goals ,has 1 Losses ,has 69 Total points ,has 1 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 27 Percentage of 3 points ,has 36 Percentage of field goals ,has 71 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tayshaun Prince') has 18 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Kidd-Gilchrist') has 11 Minutes played ,has 12 Points ."]

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the host Charlotte Hornets, 107 - 102, at Spectrum Center on Saturday evening. The Clippers led by two at half time and boosted that lead, as they took a seven - point advantage into the fourth. The Hornets gave it a push in the fourth but were not able to make up the full difference. Jamal Crawford was the high - point man for the Clippers (33 - 21), as he led the way with 22 points on 6 - of - 11 shooting, in 27 minutes off the bench. Blake Griffin filled the stat sheet with 20 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and one block, in 35 minutes, while Austin Rivers chipped in 18 points on 7 - of - 12 shooting, including 4 - of - 6 from downtown. The Clippers won the rebounding battle and outscored the Hornets by 14 in the paint. The Clippers will look for their third straight win, as they go on to visit Utah to take on the Jazz on Monday. Meanwhile, the Hornets (24 - 30) struggled from the field, shooting only 43 percent. Kemba Walker was the main contributor to Charlotte's poor shooting percentage, as he went 4 - of - 18 from the field, including 1 - of - 9 from long range, on his way to only 10 points. Nicolas Batum was the high - point man for the Hornets, with 25, to go along with eight assists, six rebounds and one block, in 37 minutes. Frank Kaminsky came up big, as he got the start in place of the injured Cody Zeller. Kaminsky finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal, in 36 minutes. The Hornets will look to snap a two - game losing streak, as they go on to host the 76ers on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 30 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 24 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 21 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 33 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 35 3-pointers attempted ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 12 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Austin Rivers') has 6 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 18 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Crawford') has 11 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 27 3-pointers attempted ,has 22 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Frank Kaminsky') has 5 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 36 3-pointers attempted ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 37 3-pointers attempted ,has 25 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 9 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ."]

The Denver Nuggets defeated the host Sacramento Kings, 105 - 92, at Golden One Center on Saturday. This was a game that meant a lot more to Denver than Sacramento, as they really took control from start to finish. In fact, the Kings held just one one - point lead in the first quarter, with Denver leading for 47 minutes of this game. Free-throw shooting was decisive, with the Nuggets going 16 - of - 18 from the charity stripe, while the Kings could only go 12 - of - 20. Denver ended up shooting 47 percent from the field, while Sacramento fell just shy of 44 percent. The Nuggets (31 - 35) are barely holding on to the eight - seed in the west, so to say this win was needed is a drastic understatement. Gary Harris led the way for Denver, as he tallied 24 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals on 10 - of - 15 shooting. Nikola Jokic finished second on the team, totaling 20 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and two steals. Danilo Gallinari accrued 15 points, five rebounds and two assists. Jamal Murray led the bench with 14 points, three rebounds and two steals, while Mason Plumlee provided eight points, seven rebounds and eight assists of his own off the pine. On deck for Denver is a home matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. The Kings (25 - 41) continue to struggle without DeMarcus Cousins, as they have now lost eight - straight games. Buddy Hield led Sacramento in scoring, as he amassed 17 points, six rebounds and three assists on 6 - of - 8 shooting. Tyreke Evans finished second on the team with 16 points, three rebounds and two assists off the bench. Willie Cauley-Stein collected 13 points, five rebounds and five assists. Sacramento will look to snap this slide on Monday in a home matchup with the Orlando Magic.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 44 Percentage of field goals ,has 41 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 25 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 35 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 31 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Danilo Gallinari') has 2 Assists ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Jokic') has 2 Assists ,has 20 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gary Harris') has 2 Assists ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 24 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ,has 2 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mason Plumlee') has 8 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Murray') has 14 Assists ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Willie Cauley-Stein') has 5 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Buddy Hield') has 3 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 17 Points ,has 6 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyreke Evans') has 2 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ."]

In a battle between two defensive - minded teams, offense was on display in this lopsided game. The Magic's offense was especially good, as they shot 51 percent from the field and 50 percent from three - point range. This game was well out of hand early, as Orlando led by 25 at halftime in their wire - to - wire win. Mike Conley was the only starter to play well for the Grizzlies, as he tallied 17 points, two rebounds and four assists on 6 - of - 8 shooting. Troy Daniels led the bench in scoring, as he collected 16 points and four rebounds. Aaron Gordon was the player of the game, as he approached a career - high with 30 points on 11 - of - 15 shooting. Elfrid Payton was huge off the bench for Orlando, accumulating 16 points, four rebounds and seven assists in the win. All five starters scored in double figures for Orlando, as they outscored the Memphis starters, 79 - 48.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 50 Percentage of 3 points ,has 51 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 4 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 17 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Troy Daniels') has 16 Assists ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aaron Gordon') has 30 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 7 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ."]

The Indiana Pacers defeated the Detroit Pistons, 121 - 116, at Palace of Auburn Hills on Tuesday. In a battle between two middling Eastern Conference teams, the Pacers were able to prevail, thanks to a big fourth quarter. Indiana outscored Detroit 29 - 24 in the fourth quarter and held them to just 13 points through the first nine minutes of that period. The Pacers offense was on point all evening, as they shot 58 percent from the field, 87 percent from the free - throw line and 56 percent from three - point range. Detroit lost despite winning the rebounding, assisting and turnover battles. Indiana (18 - 18) had just four road wins headed into this matchup, so a fourth quarter surge to grab their fifth is just what they need to find some momentum. Paul George was the player of the game, as he scored a game - high 32 points on 10 - of - 17 shooting. George actually scored 12 of his 32 points in the final six minutes to secure the win for Indiana. Jeff Teague accrued 17 points, three rebounds and eight assists. Myles Turner totaled 17 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Monta Ellis was a huge spark off the bench, dropping 17 points on 6 - of - 6 shooting. The Pacers have another favorable matchup in their next game, when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday. Detroit (16 - 21) are now just 3 - 8 across their last 11 games and fourth quarter collapses like this are par for the course right now. The good news is that Reggie Jackson had one of his best games of the year, as he accumulated 20 points, seven rebounds and 12 assists. Andre Drummond recorded another double - double, amassing 20 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks. Tobias Harris led the team in scoring off the bench, as he scored 22 points on 9 - of - 14 shooting to go along with five boards. Jon Leuer and Marcus Morris scored 14 points a piece, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 16 points and five assists. The Pistons will look to get out of this slide on Thursday against the Charlotte Hornets.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 21 Percentage of 3 points ,has 116 Percentage of field goals ,has 24 Losses ,has 16 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 56 Percentage of 3 points ,has 58 Percentage of field goals ,has 18 Losses ,has 121 Total points ,has 29 Points in 4th quarter ,has 11 Turnovers ,has 18 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 17 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 32 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Myles Turner') has 2 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 8 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 6 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jon Leuer') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Morris') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 2 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 14 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kentavious Caldwell-Pope') has 5 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 12 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 20 Field goals made ,has 7 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 14 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Phoenix Suns, 110 - 91, on Wednesday at FedExForum. This was a wire - to - wire win for the Grizzlies (33 - 22), as they have now won three straight games and six of their last seven. Mike Conley led the way for Memphis, shooting an impressive 4 - of - 5 from behind the arc and 7 - of - 10 from the field overall. Marc Gasol added 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists, and six total Grizzlies ended up scoring in double - figures. As a team, Memphis managed to do heavy damage from long range, shooting a hot 14 - of - 24 (58 percent) from behind the arc. The victory did come, however, with a bit of recklessness, as the Grizzlies recorded 22 total turnovers on just 24 assists. For the Suns (16 - 37), their struggles continued, as Wednesday's loss was their third in a row and eighth in the last nine games. And this one was one of the more forgetful outings, as the team shot just 33 percent from the field and 22 percent from behind the arc. They also managed to play rather recklessly, recording just 13 assists to their 15 total turnovers. Devin Booker ended up leading the way with a team - high 20 points, while Eric Bledsoe had a disastrous night shooting from the field, going just 3 - of - 15 en route to scoring 16 points. Up next, the Grizzlies will look to keep rolling at home against the Warriors on Friday, while the Suns will look to turn things around Friday at home against the Bulls.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 24 Number of team assists ,has 58 Percentage of 3 points ,has 22 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 22 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 22 Turnovers ,has 33 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 37 Number of team assists ,has 91 Percentage of 3 points ,has 16 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Devin Booker') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Bledsoe') has 15 Assists ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 16 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 3 Assists ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 19 Field goals made ,has 7 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 5 Assists ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ."]

Andre Drummond notched his second straight and third 20/20 game of the season, with 22 points on 10 - 13 shooting and 22 rebounds, in 28 minutes. All five starters scored in double digits for the Pistons, including Reggie Jackson with 16 points, and Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris with 15 each. John Leuer was solid off the bench as he finished with 17 points on 5 - of - 10 shooting and 7 - of - 8 from the foul line, in 28 minutes. Ish Smith only played 15 minutes and finished with eight points and six assists. The Pistons shot 14 - of - 29 from downtown and 50 percent from the field. The Timberwolves struggled shooting from distance, going 3 - of - 16. All five starters scored in double figures for the Timberwolves, led by Andrew Wiggins with 16 points. Minnesota continues to lack bench production as seven players combined for 91 minutes but only 23 points off the bench for the Timberwolves.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 23 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 50 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 5 Assists ,has 15 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Morris') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 28 Assists ,has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 22 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 15 Assists ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jon Leuer') has 10 Assists ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 7 Free throws attempted ,has 28 Free throws made ,has 17 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ish Smith') has 6 Assists ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 16 Assists ."]

The Miami Heat defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 108 - 101, at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday. These are two teams battling for a playoff spot in the East and it had that sort of atmosphere. This was tight throughout, as there were eight ties and 11 lead changes, with neither team leading by more than 12 points. Miami took care of business in the fourth quarter, outscoring Charlotte, 27 - 15. Rebounding was a huge factor, with the Heat winning that battle, 46 - 39. They also dominated the assists differential, winning that, 22 - 14. The Hornets (28 - 36) have just four wins in their last 11 games and losses like this are crucial to their pursuit of a playoff berth. Kemba Walker did all he could, leading the team with 33 points and four rebounds. Nicolas Batum finished second on the team, accumulating 16 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Marvin Williams amassed 14 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals. On deck for Charlotte is a home matchup against the Orlando Magic on Friday. The Heat (31 - 34) have now gotten their winning streak to three games, as they continue their incredible run, now sitting within a game of the eight - seed in the East. Dion Waiters led the team with 24 points, three rebounds and five assists. Goran Dragic accrued 22 points, six rebounds and 10 assists. Hassan Whiteside recorded a double - double, totaling 10 points, 15 rebounds, two steals and four blocks. James Johnson was a nice spark off the bench, collecting 10 points, six rebounds and five assists. Miami will look to keep rolling on Saturday in a home matchup with the Toronto Raptors.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 22 Number of team assists ,has 34 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 27 Points in 4th quarter ,has 31 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 14 Number of team assists ,has 36 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 15 Points in 4th quarter ,has 28 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marvin Williams') has 3 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 12 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 16 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 33 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 4 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 15 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dion Waiters') has 5 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Goran Dragic') has 10 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 6 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Johnson') has 5 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 6 Points ."]

The New Orleans Pelicans (10 - 10) defeated the New York Knicks (4 - 19) 104 - 93 on Tuesday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The Pelicans had only a two - point lead heading into halftime, but were able to out - score the Knicks 50 - 41 in the second half, allowing them to coast to a victory in front of their home crowd. The Pelicans secured a heavy rebounding advantage, as they out - rebounded the Knicks 43 - 30, only furthering the advantage to the Pelicans in this one. While Anthony Davis is usually relied upon to guide the Pelicans, it was Tyreke Evans who took the lead on Tuesday. Evans shot a fantastic 11 - for - 15 from the field and 1 - for - 2 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 27 points, while also handing out six assists. It was nice bounce back game for him after shooting only 33 percent against the Lakers on Sunday. While Davis did n't have the most points, he still contributed 18 points (6 - 14 FG, 6 - 9 FT), eight rebounds and three blocks. While his totals were well below his season averages of 25 points and 11 assists, it was still enough to get the Pelicans a victory. Omer Asik chipped in with 16 points and 14 rebounds, giving him his fifth game in a row with at least 10 rebounds. It was also his fifth double - double of the year. Jrue Holiday was the only other Pelican to reach double figures in points, as he finished with 13 points (6 - 10 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt, 1 - 1 FT), seven assists and six rebounds. As has been the case over the last few weeks, the Knicks received most of their production from Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. Stoudemire led all scorers with 26 points (11 - 18 FG, 4 - 6 FT), while also grabbing five rebounds. It was a season high for Stoudemire, who's only reached the 20 - point mark one other time this season. Anthony on the other hand shot 6 - for - 11 from the field and 2 - for - 4 from the three - point line to score 17 points and added eight rebounds. He did n't get nearly as many shots off as he has most of the season so far, so it resulted in scoring less than his season average of 23 points per game. With the other starters struggling to make an impact, the only other player to reach double figures was Jason Smith, who came off the bench to score 17 points (6 - 18 FG, 2 - 6 3Pt, 3 - 4 FT). He's now combined for 37 points in the last two games, as he's been a big factor off the bench for the Knicks. The Pelicans next game will be on the road against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, while the Knicks will travel to San Antonio to play the Spurs on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 10 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 43 Rebounds ,has 10 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 93 Losses ,has 30 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Carmelo Anthony') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Amar'e Stoudemire') has 18 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 26 Field goals made ,has 5 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jason Smith') has 2 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 3 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Omer Asik') has 16 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyreke Evans') has 6 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 15 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 27 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 7 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 13 Free throws made ,has 6 Offensive rebounds ."]

Despite a tough start to the season, veteran Pau Gasol seems to have found his groove in San Antonio. The All-Star big man has scored in double digits and recorded at least seven rebounds in each of his last four games. Wednesday's matchup against the Kings saw Gasol's biggest output of the season thus far, as the big man posted 24 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks. The veteran lead San Antonio in both scoring and rebounding, while his frontcourt partners LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard trailed not far behind him. Aldridge scored 21 and Leonard scored 20, while both contributed six rebounds. For the Kings, meanwhile, the frontcourt was more of a one - man show. Dominant center DeMarcus Cousins lead the game with 26 points and 17 rebounds while also dishing a team - high six assists. Cousins also reached the free - throw line 14 times, growing his average of 11 attempts per game.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 24 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 20 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 21 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Pau Gasol') has 2 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 24 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 6 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 14 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 Free throws attempted ,has 26 Free throws made ,has 17 Points ."]

The Raptors tallied success rates of 46 and 44 percent, respectively, from the field and three - point range, while holding their visitors to under 40 percent shooting overall. Lowry contributed 23 points, eight assists, four rebounds, three steals and a block. DeMarre Carroll's 17 points came on the strength of a 7 - of - 11 shooting effort. DeMar DeRozan had a modest 15 points, while Jonas Valanciunas stepped up with a 10 - point, 14 - rebound double - double. Terrence Ross led the second unit with a season - high 21 points and added five steals. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's 19 points in 20 bench minutes led the Nets. Spencer Dinwiddie was second with 14 points, and Jeremy Lin paced the first unit with 12 points. Trevor Booker supplied 11 points, but Luis Scola (nine points), Sean Kilpatrick (eight points) and Bojan Bogdanovic (five points) notably underperformed.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 44 Number of team assists ,has 46 Percentage of 3 points ." "TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 20 Number of team assists ,has 20 Percentage of 3 points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 5 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Booker') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Luis Scola') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sean Kilpatrick') has 8 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeremy Lin') has 12 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rondae Hollis-Jefferson') has 20 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Spencer Dinwiddie') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarre Carroll') has 11 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 17 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 10 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 3 Minutes played ."]

The New York Knicks (11 - 46) defeated the Detroit Pistons (23 - 35) 121 - 115 on Friday at the Palace of Auburn Hills. While currently riding an eight - game losing streak, the Knicks were able to overcome the drought and secured a victory in a double - overtime thriller. With just six seconds left in regulation, Langston Galloway came up clutch for the Knicks and hit a three - point shot to tie the game. Anthony Tolliver had a shot to win it at the buzzer, but instead it went into overtime. In the first overtime, it was the Pistons who came up with the clutch bucket at the end of the period, as Greg Monroe made a layup to even the score with 12 seconds left, eventually pushing it to a second overtime. The Knicks took off in the second overtime though, and finished off the surprising six - point victory on road, which marked just their eleventh total win on the season. The Knicks saw a huge contribution from Andrea Bargnani, who posted a team - high of 25 points (10 - 20 FG, 1 - 2 3Pt, 4 - 5 FT), to go along with 12 rebounds and four assists. He has only played eight games so far this season, and this was far - and - away his most productive showing. The point, rebound and assist numbers were all season - highs, while the double - double was his first of the year as well. Posting a double - double of his own, Lou Amundson was very effective, finishing with 17 points (8 - 16 FG, 1 - 1 FT), 14 rebounds and three blocked shots. Despite averaging just 4 points per game, he's now posted double figures in points in three straight games, after previously hitting that mark only once so far this year. Tim Hardaway Jr was dialed in with his shot, going 7 - for - 14 from the field and 2 - for - 5 from the three - point line to score 18 points, while also adding four assists. He shot a combined 7 - for - 24 from the field over his last two games, so it was refreshing to see him find increased succes during Friday's matchup. Coming off the bench, Shane Larkin added 16 points (5 - 9 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt, 5 - 5 FT) and three assists. For the Pistons, the frontcourt duo of Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond were a huge reason for their success. Each recorded a double - double, as Monroe posted 28 points (9 - 13 FG, 10 - 15 FT), 13 rebounds and two blocked shots, while Drummond finished with 21 points (9 - 11 FG, 3 - 7 FT), 15 rebounds and four blocked shots. Drummond has been on an absolute tear of late, posting four double - doubles in a row, while averaging 19 points and 15 rebounds over that span. He's averaging 13 points and 13 rebounds on the season. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gave the frontcourt some help as well and recorded 19 points (7 - 18 FG, 3 - 11 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) and six rebounds. Like Drummond, he's playing at a very high rate, averaging 21 points over his last three games. Both Reggie Jackson and Jodie Meeks reached double - digit points as well. Jackson finished with 16 points (5 - 24 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt, 5 - 5 FT) and five assists, while Meeks notched 16 points (5 - 8 FG, 2 - 4 3Pt, 4 - 6 FT) and two assists. The Pistons just could n't limit the Knicks enough to secure a win. The Knicks' next game will be at home against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, while the Pistons will travel to Washington to play the Wizards on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 35 Losses ,has 115 Total points ,has 23 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 46 Losses ,has 121 Total points ,has 25 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 11 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Amundson') has 2 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 16 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 17 Field goals made ,has 14 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrea Bargnani') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 25 Free throws attempted ,has 12 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Hardaway Jr.') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 18 Personal fouls ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Langston Galloway') has 6 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Shane Larkin') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 16 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Greg Monroe') has 2 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 9 Defensive rebounds ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 28 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 4 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 9 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 21 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kentavious Caldwell-Pope') has 3 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 18 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 19 Free throws attempted ,has 6 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 5 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 24 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 16 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jodie Meeks') has 2 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 16 Free throws attempted ."]

The Los Angeles Clippers (54 - 26) improved their chances of hosting a series in the playoffs with a 94 - 86 win over the Memphis Grizzlies (54 - 26). Marc Gasol suffered a left ankle injury and tried to play through it. He left early in the first half and his availability moving forward is unknown. The Clippers climbed to the three seed in the Western Conference with their fifth straight win. They’re tied with the Grizzlies and five seed San Antonio Spurs. Matt Barnes left briefly with a right foot injury and returned to start the second half. DeAndre Jordan converted an impressive 4 - of - 5 free throws, supplemented by 16 points, 16 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 37 minutes in his attempt to win the Defensive Player of the Year vote. Chris Paul, the league’s leading assist man, recorded 15 points, 14 assists, five rebounds, one steal and one block in 35 minutes. Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick each scored a team - high 18 points, and Jamal Crawford added 11 points off the bench in his second game back from a calf injury. The Grizzlies are still locked into the two seed after the unfortunate loss, possessing the same record as the three seed Clippers and five seed Spurs. Mike Conley missed his second straight game due to a right foot sprain. He participated in warmups, but ultimately didn’t play. Beno Udrih scored 14 points and added three assists in 29 minutes. Zach Randolph did the heavy lifting without Conley and Gasol with team - highs of points (21), rebounds (13), assists (5) and steals (3) in 39 minutes. The Clippers end the season with a back - to - back set beginning Monday against the Denver Nuggets, their final home game of the regular season. The Grizzlies conclude a three - game road trip Monday against the Golden State Warriors.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 26 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 54 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 26 Losses ,has 86 Total points ,has 54 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 5 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 39 Field goals attempted ,has 21 Free throws attempted ,has 13 Free throws made ,has 3 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 3 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Beno Udrih') has 3 Assists ,has 29 Blocks ,has 14 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 2 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 37 Free throws attempted ,has 16 Free throws made ,has 16 Minutes played ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'JJ Redick') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 14 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 35 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Free throws attempted ,has 5 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Crawford') has 11 Assists ."]

While the Rockets took 13 more shots than the Spurs, they made seven less baskets. That led to San Antonio shooting over 50 percent and Houston shooting under 40 percent. Three-point shooting is the only reason Houston hung around, as they went 15 - of - 47 in the loss. Pau Gasol and Tony Parker have really struggled this season, but they stepped up here. In fact, they both scored in double figures together for the first time all season. While Leonard recorded just two rebounds and no assists, he led the team with 20 points scored in the victory. James Harden's 25 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists added to his already ridiculous averages of 31 points, 8 rebounds and 13 assists per game. Ryan Anderson had a historically bad game, going just 1 - of - 13 from the field, en route to a six - point, eight - rebound line. Eric Gordon's 27 points off the bench marks a season - high. There were just two ties and two lead changes, as the Spurs led for nearly the entirety of the game.

["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 7 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 20 Assists ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ryan Anderson') has 13 Assists ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 8 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 13 Assists ,has 25 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 27 Assists ."]

The Dallas Mavericks (4 - 2) defeated the Utah Jazz (2 - 4) 105 - 82 on Friday. Dirk Nowitzki was coming off a subpar game in the Mavericks' 108 - 87 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, and he made sure he had a better game Friday. He put up 27 points to go with 10 reboudnds and five three - pointers in collecting his first double - double of the season, doing all of his damage in just 28 minutes. Tyson Chandler also corralled a double - double, posting 15 points and 13 rebounds in 30 minutes. Chandler Parsons struggled with his shot, finishing 1 - for - 11 from the field, but his defense was on point Friday as he had a plus - 21 rating. The Jazz were riding a high after coming away with a 102 - 100 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, which came on the back of a Gordon Hayward buzzer - beater to win the game as time expired. Utah had 21 turnovers Friday, dooming all their other efforts against a determined Mavericks team that was agressive on defense, collecting 12 steals. The Mavericks have Saturday off before taking on the Miami Heat at home Sunday. Utah will travel to Detroit to face the Pistons on Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 4 Losses ,has 82 Total points ,has 21 Turnovers ,has 2 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 2 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 4 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chandler Parsons') has 11 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 28 Field goals attempted ,has 27 Field goals made ,has 10 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyson Chandler') has 30 Defensive rebounds ,has 15 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ."]

The Miami Heat (25 - 31) defeated the Orlando Magic (19 - 40) 93 - 90 in overtime Wednesday. Luol Deng has stepped up his point production since the team lost Chris Bosh for the remainder of the season due to blood clots in his lung. Over his last two games, Deng has averaged 25 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Hassan Whiteside continued his breakout season with 15 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. Dwyane Wade went 6 - for - 19 but had a huge assist on Henry Walker's three - pointer that sent the game into overtime, overcoming an eight - point deficit with 42 seconds remaining in regulation. It looked like the Magic had wrapped up their fourth straight victory until they gave up a Walker three - pointer with less than three seconds to go, forcing the game into an extra session. Nikola Vucevic led the Magic in points with 26 and scored all five Orlando points in overtime, but it was n't enough to stop Wade and the Heat from stealing a victory at the Amway Center. Victor Oladipo did n't have a great shooting night, going 4 - for - 13 from the field for 13 points. However, he led Orlando in rebounding with 13 to go along with four assists in 42 minutes. Aaron Gordon left Wednesday's game with an ankle sprain and did n't return after recording six points in nine minutes of action in the first half. Miami will travel to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans on Friday. The Magic will face the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Hawks from Phillips Arena on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 40 Losses ,has 90 Total points ,has 19 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 31 Losses ,has 93 Total points ,has 25 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Luol Deng') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 3 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 19 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Henry Walker') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 26 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Victor Oladipo') has 4 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 42 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ,has 13 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aaron Gordon') has 9 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ."]

This was not the Spurs-Warriors game everyone was looking forward to, as Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, LaMarcus Aldridge, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green all sat out this game. The Spurs capitalized though, as their B-unit is the far superior one over the Warriors second - unit. It was a near wire - to - wire win, with San Antonio leading by double - digits for the entirety of the second half. The Warriors really struggled on offense, hitting just 36 percent from the field and 29 percent from three - point range. Ian Clark was the lone bright spot for Golden State, as he led the team with 36 points on 15 - of - 21 shooting off the bench. Matt Barnes led the starters, as he collected 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Patty Mills was San Antonio's best player, as he accumulated 21 points, two rebounds and four assists. Kyle Anderson tallied 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 21 Percentage of 3 points ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 29 Percentage of 3 points ,has 36 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Matt Barnes') has 4 Assists ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ian Clark') has 21 Assists ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 36 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Anderson') has 6 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patty Mills') has 4 Assists ,has 21 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ."]

The Rockets launched 51 three - point attempts and converted on 17 of them. Three players scored 20 or more points for Houston, led by James Harden, who finished with 28 points, along with 13 assists, nine rebounds, two blocks and one steal, in 43 minutes. Ryan Anderson poured in 28 points of his own, on 9 - of - 19 shooting, including 7 - of - 16 from long range. Eric Gordon continued his strong play as he chipped in 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals, in 36 minutes off the bench. Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns came up with the line of the night as he dropped 41 points on 15 - of - 28 shooting, to go along with 15 rebounds and five assists, in 43 minutes. Zach LaVine added 24 points but had a troublesome eight turnovers, while Andrew Wiggins struggled shooting, going 5 - of - 17 from the field, on his way to 13 points.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 28 Points in 1st quarter ,has 28 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ryan Anderson') has 16 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 19 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 36 Field goals attempted ,has 28 Field goals made ,has 6 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 13 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 43 3-pointers made ,has 28 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 4 Assists ,has 36 Blocks ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 17 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 5 Assists ,has 28 Blocks ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 43 3-pointers made ,has 41 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach LaVine') has 24 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ."]

The host Toronto Raptors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, 120 - 105, at Air Canada Center on Wednesday. Despite the final scoreline, this game was tight throughout. In fact, neither team had more than a nine - point lead until the final six minutes, as there were nine ties and 15 lead changes in total. The second half is where the Raptors really turned it on, outscoring Memphis, 65 - 48 over the final 24 minutes. Toronto was lights - out from the field, shooting 55 percent from the field and 50 percent from three - point range. Rebounding was huge as well, with the Raptors grabbing 42 boards to the Grizzlies 30. Memphis (11 - 8) had to play this game without Mike Conley and Zach Randolph and that was simply too much to overcome. Andrew Harrison was great filling - in for Conley though, tallying 21 points, four assists and three steals in the defeat. JaMychal Green finished the game with 16 points, five rebounds and five steals. Much of the offense was run through Marc Gasol, as he totaled 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Troy Daniels was a nice spark off the bench, dropping 19 points on 6 - of - 12 shooting. Memphis will finish their back - to - back set on Thursday, when they host the Orlando Magic. Toronto (12 - 6) allowed a beat - up Memphis team to hang around longer than they'd hope, but they got the result they needed. Kyle Lowry was the player of the game, accumulating 29 points, three rebounds, eight assists and two steals in the victory. DeMar DeRozan took just nine shots, but still finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Those two combined to go 19 - of - 21 from the free - throw line and 14 - of - 22 from the field. Cory Joseph and Patrick Patterson were huge off the bench. Joseph accrued 16 points and eight rebounds, while Patterson amassed 14 points and 13 boards. On deck for the Raptors is a home matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 50 Percentage of 3 points ,has 55 Percentage of field goals ,has 6 Losses ,has 120 Total points ,has 30 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 12 Rebounds ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 8 Percentage of 3 points ,has 105 Percentage of field goals ,has 30 Losses ,has 11 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'JaMychal Green') has 16 Assists ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 3 Assists ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Harrison') has 4 Assists ,has 21 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Troy Daniels') has 12 Assists ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 19 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 6 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 24 Field goals made ,has 9 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 8 Assists ,has 29 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cory Joseph') has 16 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patrick Patterson') has 14 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ."]

The Orlando Magic (23 - 53) snapped their four - game losing streak against the worst team in the Western Conference, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves (16 - 60), 97 - 84. They matched their win total from last season. Nikola Vucevic scored a career - high 37 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in 40 minutes. Restricted free agent to be, Tobias Harris, added 25 points, 12 rebounds and four three - pointers. Rookie of the Year hopeful Elfrid Payton missed a triple - double by four rebounds or six steals. He made both free throws and has made 13 of his last 15 freebies. Fellow rookie Aaron Gordon played a career - high 30 minutes and Channing Frye received his second straight DNP-CD. Last year’s Rookie of the Year runner - up Victor Oladipo was held to 4 - of - 19 shooting and missed all six three - pointers. The Timberwolves are two games behind the New York Knicks for the worst record in the league. Kevin Martin returned to the starting lineup after missing six games with a strained hamstring. He was one of six Timberwolves to score at least 10 points, producing 12 points on 12 shots to go along with three steals and three assists. Andrew Wiggins, the Rookie of the Year frontrunner, scored 22 points in 37 minutes. He’s played in all 76 games this season and is tied for third in total minutes played (2,720). Justin Hamilton helped out in almost every category, registering 14 points, a team - high nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 38 minutes as he continues to start for the concussed Gorgui Dieng. The Magic play their second road game in as many days when the face the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. The Timberwolves have three days off before a grueling, four road games in five nights excursion commencing against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 60 Losses ,has 84 Total points ,has 16 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 53 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 23 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 4 Assists ,has 25 Blocks ,has 12 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 40 Assists ,has 37 Blocks ,has 17 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Victor Oladipo') has 19 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aaron Gordon') has 30 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 37 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Justin Hamilton') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 38 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Martin') has 3 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ."]

The Washington Wizards defeated the Phoenix Suns, 131 - 127, Tuesday at Talking Stick Resort Arena. It was a back - and - forth game between these teams, as after the Wizards (38 - 24) opened up the game early with a 13 - point lead after one quarter, the Suns (21 - 43) chipped away and ultimately opened up their own lead of 11 points in the third quarter. From there, after Washington countered, the game was neck and neck until the very end. With two minutes to go, the Wizards gained a 10 - point lead, which then dropped to an eight - point lead with 30 seconds left. Phoenix's Devin Booker would n't let his team go away, however, and managed to score nine points over the next 26 seconds, but ultimately, it was not enough, and the Suns could n't extend their win streak to four games. The Washington backcourt led the way all night for the Wizards, as Bradley Beal scored 27 points in 33 minutes, while John Wall notched 25 points and 14 assists in 37 minutes. The most important for Washington, however, came from one of their newest members, as Bojan Bogdanovic scored a team - high 29 points in 29 minutes off the bench. Most of those came at the free throw line, as Bogdanovic hit an impressive 16 - of - 16 shots from the charity stripe. It was a similar story for the Suns, as the starting backcourt of Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker carried the team to the bitter end. Bledsoe finished with a game - high 30 points on 50 percent shooting in just 27 minutes. Booker, after his late - game spurt, scored 25 points to go along with six assists and four rebounds in 38 minutes. As a team, Phoenix shot very well, as they hit 50 percent of their shots overall from the field. In the end, it was their carelessness with the basketball that resulted in 19 team turnovers that cost them Tuesday's outing.

["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 43 Losses ,has 127 Total points ,has 21 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 24 Percentage of field goals ,has 131 Losses ,has 30 Total points ,has 26 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 38 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 33 Assists ,has 27 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 14 Assists ,has 37 3-pointers made ,has 25 Field goal percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 16 Assists ,has 16 3-pointers made ,has 29 Field goal percentage ,has 29 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Devin Booker') has 6 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 38 Field goal percentage ,has 25 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Bledsoe') has 50 Assists ,has 27 3-pointers made ,has 30 Field goal percentage ."]

The Charlotte Hornets (42 - 31) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks (30 - 44) 115 - 91 on Saturday. The recent form of these teams would have indicated a result like this and it was well out of hand early. In fact, the Hornets had a 26 - point lead headed into the fourth quarter. Charlotte was unconscious from the field, as they hit 55 percent of their shots and 55 percent of their three's in their blowout win. The Hornets have been playing some great ball and wins like this puts an exclamation point on their season. Nicolas Batum was fantastic, as he tallied 25 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Marvin Williams continued his underrated season, as he amassed 21 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Up next for the Hornets is another favorable matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday. This ugly loss now gives Milwaukee four - straight losses and the season is now officially lost. Jabari Parker had a nice game though, as he totaled 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists. The bench was a lone bright spot in this game, as John Henson led the team with 19 points and Tyler Ennis dished out a career - high 12 assists. The Bucks do n't play again until Wednesday, when they host the Phoenix Suns in their next game.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 44 Percentage of 3 points ,has 91 Percentage of field goals ,has 30 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 55 Percentage of 3 points ,has 55 Percentage of field goals ,has 31 Losses ,has 115 Total points ,has 26 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 42 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 8 Assists ,has 25 Blocks ,has 7 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marvin Williams') has 3 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 8 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jabari Parker') has 4 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 7 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Henson') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Ennis') has 12 Assists ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 104 - 96, at FedEx Forum on Saturday. In this potential playoff preview, Memphis showed San Antonio just how hard it is to win in FedEx Forum. The first 26 minutes were tight, as there were six ties and 15 lead changes in total. The Grizzlies took control from there, as they led for the final 22 minutes. Three-point shooting was the only true advantage for Memphis, as they went 13 - of - 30 from long range, while San Antonio struggled at 9 - of - 28. The assist - to - turnover ratio was decisive as well, with Memphis recording two more assists than San Antonio, while committing five less turnovers. The Spurs (52 - 16) had a tough task here against a hot Grizzlies team, as they simply did n't have enough in the arsenal to win this game. Kawhi Leonard led the way, as he tallied 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists. LaMarcus Aldridge was the only other starter with more than four points, as he finished with 21 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Jonathan Simmons was a nice spark off the bench, dropping 14 points in 17 minutes. On deck for San Antonio is a home matchup against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. The Grizzlies (40 - 30) have extended their winning streak to four games, with this win being the most impressive of the bunch. Mike Conley was the player of the game, as he collected 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Marc Gasol totaled 16 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Zach Randolph was huge off the bench, providing 18 points and seven rebounds. The Grizzlies are off until Tuesday, when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans on the road.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 30 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 40 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 16 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 52 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 3 Assists ,has 22 Points ,has 7 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 4 Assists ,has 21 Points ,has 9 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonathon Simmons') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 7 Assists ,has 16 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 6 Assists ,has 19 Points ,has 7 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 18 Assists ,has 7 Points ."]

The Orlando Magic defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, 112 - 102, at Amway Center on Monday. While this scoreline looks moderately close, the Magic had this game well in hand early on. In fact, they led by 25 points at the half in a rare wire - to - wire win, as it took a 30 - 16 fourth quarter for Memphis to make the scoreline respectable. Orlando's offense was extremely efficient, as they shot 51 percent from the field and 50 percent from three - point range, while committing just nine turnovers and 23 assists. Rebounding was also a huge factor, with Orlando winning that battle, 44 - 35. Memphis (20 - 13) have thrived off their dominant defense all season, but they simply did n't have it tonight. Mike Conley had one of his best games since returning from injury though, as he tallied 17 points, twp rebounds and four assists. The bench was one of the only bright spots, as Zach Randolph, Troy Daniels and James Ennis III all scored in double figures. The Grizzlies will look to play better on Tuesday in a road matchup with the Boston Celtics. Orlando (15 - 18) have really struggled on the offensive end this season, but they had one of their best games here against a stifling Grizzlies defense. Aaron Gordon had one of the best games of his career, as he led the Magic with 30 points on 11 - of - 15 shooting. Bismack Biyombo recorded a double - double in the win, totaling 10 points and 12 boards in just 23 minutes. Elfrid Payton continued his great form off the bench, as he accumulated 16 points, four rebounds and seven assists. The Magic will look to keep rolling on Wednesday in a home matchup against the Charlotte Hornets.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 23 Number of team assists ,has 50 Percentage of 3 points ,has 51 Percentage of field goals ,has 18 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 9 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 15 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 13 Number of team assists ,has 102 Percentage of 3 points ,has 25 Percentage of field goals ,has 20 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 17 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Ennis III') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Troy Daniels') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aaron Gordon') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 30 3-pointers made ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bismack Biyombo') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 7 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ."]

The New Orleans Pelicans (6 - 4) defeated the Sacramento Kings (6 - 5) 106 - 100 on Tuesday at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento. The Kings continue to struggle and have now lost four of their last five games, after starting the season 5 - 1. Despite out - rebounding the Pelicans 52 - 32 in this one, the Kings were out - scored 31 - 15 in the third - quarter, setting up the Pelicans victory. The Pelicans shot 49 percent from the field and 37 percent from behind the three - point line. Anthony Davis was unstoppable Tuesday, as he went 11 - for - 19 from the field and 6 - for - 8 from the free - throw line to score 28 points, while also coming one rebound short of his eigth double - double. He's now averaging 25 points and 12 rebounds on the season. Ryan Anderson also had himself a night. He finished with 22 points (9 - 17 FG, 4 - 12 3Pt) off the bench, while also grabbing four rebounds. Eric Gordon came alive, after having a relatively quiet season up to this point. He scored 17 points and dished out four assists in 37 minutes. The only other Pelican to reach double figures was Tyreke Evans, who contributed 18 points (5 - 11 FG, 1 - 2 3Pt, 7 - 8 FT). DeMarcus Cousins did everything he could to keep the Kings in position for a victory. He finished with another characteristic monster line, scoring 24 points (10 - 18 FG, 4 - 7 FT) and grabbing 17 rebounds. It was Cousins' fourth straight double - double, giving him his eigth total on the year. Despite dealing with an Achilles injury, Rudy Gay was able to start and played 36 minutes, while scoring 15 points and tallying five assists. He showed no signs of being slowed by the injury. At the point, Darren Collison contributed 13 points (3 - 10 FG, 2 - 3 3Pt, 5 - 6 FT) and 11 assists, giving him his first double - double of the year. The largest contribution off the bench came from Omri Casspi, who notched 27 minutes and scored 13 points. The Pelicans' next game will be on the road Friday against the Denver Nuggets, while the Kings will remain at home to play the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 5 Percentage of field goals ,has 100 Losses ,has 15 Total points ,has 52 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 6 Rebounds ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 4 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 31 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 32 Rebounds ,has 6 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyreke Evans') has 2 Assists ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 7 Free throws attempted ,has 18 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 19 Assists ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 28 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 4 Assists ,has 37 3-pointers attempted ,has 17 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ryan Anderson') has 12 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 22 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gay') has 5 Assists ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 18 Assists ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 24 Field goals made ,has 17 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Darren Collison') has 11 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 5 Free throws made ,has 13 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Omri Casspi') has 13 Assists ."]

The Denver Nuggets took down the host Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, 127 - 121. The Nuggets (17 - 23) have now won three straight games. One of the key components of Denver's win streak has been the play of sophomore big man Nikola Jokic. Jokic came off a career - high 30 points against the Magic for 29 on Tuesday, also recording 15 rebounds and three blocks. Seven of Jokic's rebounds came on the offensive end, as the young center made a major impact for the Nuggets' offense. Although starting shooting guard Gary Harris (ankle) missed the tilt in Los Angeles, Denver seemingly had no trouble making up for his missing offensive output. Versatile wing Will Barton slid into the starting lineup in Harris's place and contributed 26 points to go with eight assists. Barton was just one piece of a well - oiled Denver offense, as the team dished out 29 assists and shot over 56 percent on the night. The Lakers (15 - 31) very nearly came back from a double - digit deficit in the fourth quarter. Despite trailing by just two with under a minute to play, Los Angeles was unable to come away with a much - needed home win. One of Los Angeles's main issues on Tuesday was one that has plagued the team throughout the season - disappointing play from the starting five. Four Lakers came off the bench for double digit points, including 24 for former Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams and 19 for guard Jordan Clarkson, who was listed as questionable with an ankle injury prior to the game. Nevertheless, struggles from the starters ended up burying the Lakers. Big man Julius Randle shot just 2 - of - 8 for seven points and had five turnovers, while point guard D'Angelo Russell had only five points and three assists. The Nuggets will play in San Antonio on Thursday, while the Lakers will host the Pacers on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 31 Number of team assists ,has 121 Losses ,has 15 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 29 Number of team assists ,has 23 Losses ,has 127 Total points ,has 17 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Jokic') has 3 Assists ,has 29 Blocks ,has 15 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Will Barton') has 8 Assists ,has 56 Blocks ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 26 Field goals made ,has 1 Field goal percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'Julius Randle') has 8 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'D'Angelo Russell') has 3 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jordan Clarkson') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Williams') has 24 Assists ."]

The Golden State Warriors defeated the host New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, 122 - 114. The Warriors (1 - 1) bounced back from a nationally - televised 29 - point loss to the San Antonio Spurs on opening night. High-profile free agency acquisition Kevin Durant was the difference maker for Golden State on Friday, leading the team with 30 points and 17 rebounds. The Warriors depth also showed, as the team was able to pull away with the lead during Anthony Davis's rest at the end of the third quarter. All-Stars Steph Curry and Klay Thompson made major contributions in the points column as well, scoring 23 and 28 respectively. The team displayed impressive ball movement, recording 32 assists on the night. While the Warriors saw major top - down contributions, the Pelicans (0 - 2) were able to stay in contention on the back of Anthony Davis. After opening the season with a 50 - point, 16 - rebound, near - five - by - five, Davis continued to dominate with a game - high 45 points and 17 rebounds.'The Brow 'was able to convert on a whopping 17 of 31 field goal attempts, including one of two tries from beyond the arc. Davis did see help from guard Tim Frazier, who posted a 21 - point, 10 - assist double - double. Outside of Davis and Frazier, however, no Pelicans starter scored more than four points. Sixth overall pick Buddy Hield particularly struggled, scoring just two points on 16 percent shooting with two turnovers in 19 minutes. The Pelicans will see the Spurs in San Antonio on Saturday, while the Warriors will visit Phoenix on Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 2 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 0 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 1 Losses ,has 122 Total points ,has 30 Points in 4th quarter ,has 1 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 30 Assists ,has 17 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 28 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 23 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 45 Assists ,has 17 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Frazier') has 10 Assists ,has 21 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Buddy Hield') has 19 Assists ,has 2 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ."]

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Toronto Raptors, 123 - 118, in overtime at United Center on Saturday. The Bulls (19 - 18) survived a difficult second quarter and two last - second game - winning shot attempts by Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan at the end of regulation to eventually secure the overtime win. Jimmy Butler spearheaded the victory with a game - high 42 points, which he supplemented with 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals. He also put matters away for good with a 25 - foot jumper with 17 seconds remaining in overtime that gave Chicago a 121 - 116 lead at the time. The Bulls also played some solid defense against one of the best offenses in the league, limiting the Raptors (24 - 12) to 44 percent shooting overall, and a 26 percent tally from three - point range. Toronto was led by DeRozan's 36 points, which he supplemented with eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. His scoring haul included a 16 - for - 17 performance from the foul line. Lowry followed with a 27 - point, 12 - assist double - double that also included nine rebounds, three steals and a block. Jonas Valanciunas contributed 14 points, seven boards and a pair of blocks, while Cory Joseph led the bench with 14 points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal. Dwayne Wade checked in second behind Butler with 20 points, seven assists, four rebounds and a block. Taj Gibson (eight points, six rebounds), Robin Lopez (six points, five rebounds) and Michael Carter-Williams (five points, five rebounds, four assists) turned in modest performances, but Doug McDermott checked in with a 17 - point, 10 - rebound double - double off the bench that also included an assist and a steal, and Nikola Mirotic supplied 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in a reserve role as well. The Raptors return home to face off with the Houston Rockets on Sunday, while the Bulls remain home to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday evening.

["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 25 Number of team assists ,has 18 Percentage of 3 points ,has 123 Percentage of field goals ,has 19 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 26 Number of team assists ,has 44 Percentage of 3 points ,has 12 Percentage of field goals ,has 118 Losses ,has 24 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 2 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 36 Free throws attempted ,has 8 Free throws made ,has 2 Offensive rebounds ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 12 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 27 Free throws made ,has 9 Offensive rebounds ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cory Joseph') has 1 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jimmy Butler') has 5 Assists ,has 25 Blocks ,has 42 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Taj Gibson') has 1 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robin Lopez') has 6 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 7 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Carter-Williams') has 4 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Doug McDermott') has 1 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Mirotic') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Free throws attempted ."]

The Houston Rockets (4 - 1) defeated the Dallas Mavericks (1 - 4) 103 - 94 on Tuesday at the Toyota Center in Houston. Coming out with just their second playoff series win in the last 18 years, the Rockets were able to close out the Mavericks in front of their home crowd. Houston got off to a quick start Tuesday, out - scoring the Mavericks 31 - 22 right away in the first quarter. The Mavericks were able to slowly make their way back throughout the game though, eventually coming to within five points with just over two minutes left in the game. The Rockets never let off the gas pedal though and closed out strong for the series clinching nine - point victory. The Rockets finished at 45 percent from the field and 32 percent from the three - point line, while the Mavericks shot 38 percent from the floor and just 19 percent from deep. Superstars James Harden and Dwight Howard were the biggest reasons that the Rockets were finally able to take the next step in the playoffs. Howard finished with 18 points (7 - 14 FG, 4 - 10 FT), 19 rebounds and four blocked shots, while Harden recorded a game - high of 28 points (9 - 19 FG, 4 - 8 3Pt, 6 - 6 FT), to go along with eight assists. Howard was a force on the boards, helping the Rockets secure a 53 - 47 rebounding advantage. It marked his 32nd career playoff game with at least 15 rebounds. Harden, on the other hand, did what he does best and that's score the ball at a very high rate. The Mavericks just did n't have an answer for him on the defensive side of the ball and he continued his season dominance. The Rockets also continued to reap the benefits of their Josh Smith pickup this season. He shot an impressive 7 - for - 12 from the field and 2 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score 20 points off the bench, while also adding eight rebounds over 22 minutes. He averaged 17 points and 6 rebounds during this five - game series. Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki did everything they could to keep the Mavericks' alive in the playoffs. Ellis finished with 25 points (11 - 26 FG, 2 - 7 3Pt, 1 - 1 FT), seven assists and four steals, while Nowitzki had 22 points (8 - 23 FG, 0 - 6 3Pt, 6 - 8 FT) and 14 rebounds. Nowitzki really struggled with his shot early in the game, as he was never really able to get himself into a groove, but he played with a lot of heart and continually tried to bring his team back. Ellis, on the other hand, had a nice game shooting the ball. He did seem to bang up his knee late in the fourth quarter, so that's something to watch heading into the offseason. Al-Forouq Aminu had a solid showing as well, finishing with 14 points (3 - 8 FG, 1 - 1 3Pt, 7 - 8 FT), nine rebounds and five steals. He's been a pleasant surprise for the Mavericks all series long, and it looks as if he has established himself as a valuable player moving forward into next season. The Rockets will now await the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers/San Antonio Spurs series, which is currently tied at 2 - 2.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 32 Percentage of 3 points ,has 45 Percentage of field goals ,has 1 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 31 Points in 1st quarter ,has 53 Rebounds ,has 4 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 19 Percentage of 3 points ,has 38 Percentage of field goals ,has 4 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 22 Points in 1st quarter ,has 47 Rebounds ,has 18 Turnovers ,has 1 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al-Farouq Aminu') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 14 Free throws attempted ,has 9 Free throws made ,has 5 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 6 Assists ,has 0 Blocks ,has 23 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 22 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 7 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 26 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 25 Free throws made ,has 4 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Howard') has 4 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ,has 19 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 8 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 19 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 28 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Josh Smith') has 6 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 20 Field goals made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 112 - 108, at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday. Considering the Cavs (13 - 2) came in to Sunday as one of the hottest offensive teams in the league, the start to the contest could hardly have been more auspicious. Cleveland misfired on their first 14 shots and the Sixers (4 - 13) capitalized to build a 30 - 24 lead after one quarter. The visitors began to claw their way back in the second period, but still entered halftime trailing by a surprising 58 - 52 margin. However, they used intermission to regroup, as they outscored their hosts in the second half by a 60 - 50 margin, doing just enough to overcome their deficit and hang on to a slim advantage. Kyrie Irving was superb in keying the win, scoring a team - leading 39 points that he supplemented with four rebounds and two assists, while LeBron James and Kevin Love combined for 51 points of their own. James compiled 26 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his second triple - double of the season, both of which have come in the last three games. Love tallied 25 points, 11 rebounds and an assist. Tristan Thompson culled together a 12 - point, 12 - rebound double - double. J.R. Smith's epic shooting struggles continued, as he went scoreless (along with five rebounds and an assist) over 39 minutes on an 0 - for - 11 shooting tally, making him 1 - of - 22 from the field over his last two games. The Sixers were paced by Joel Embiid, who supplied 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Ersan Ilyasova and Gerald Henderson managed a pair of 13 - point efforts, with the former adding six rebounds and an assist and the latter contributing five rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block. Sergio Rodriguez got the start at point guard and registered 12 points, seven assists, two rebounds and two steals. The bench was highly productive as well, posting a collective 40 points. They were led by Jahlil Okafor's 14 - point total, while Nik Stauskas and Dario Saric totaled 11 and 10 points, respectively. The Cavs now travel to Milwaukee for a Tuesday night tilt versus the Bucks, while the Sixers head north of the border to face the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.

["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 108 Total points ,has 30 Points in 1st quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 112 Total points ,has 24 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 13 Assists ,has 26 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 1 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 25 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tristan Thompson') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 12 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'JR Smith') has 1 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 0 Defensive rebounds ,has 39 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 5 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 2 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 39 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ersan Ilyasova') has 1 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joel Embiid') has 4 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 22 Defensive rebounds ,has 9 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gerald Henderson') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 13 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sergio Rodriguez') has 7 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jahlil Okafor') has 11 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dario Saric') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nik Stauskas') has 11 Assists ."]

The Miami Heat (47 - 33) took care of business in a 118 - 96 win over the Orlando Magic (34 - 46) on Sunday. This game was meaningful to one team and not the other and that was evident with the on the court result. The Heat just slowly took it to the Magic, as they won all four quarters and took a 20 - point lead into the fourth. Miami's offense was on point, as they shot 56 percent from the field and recorded 28 assists on their 43 made baskets. Orlando had very little to play for here and they simply didn’t play well in this meaningless game. The injuries to Victor Oladipo and Aaron Gordon were a huge difference, as their fill - ins really struggled. Evan Fournier did play well though, as he led the team with 21 points and five assists. Nikola Vucevic had a nice game too, as he totaled 19 points and eight rebounds. Up next for Orlando is a matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday. Miami is only one game out of landing the three - spot in the east and this win was a big step to that goal. Hassan Whiteside got his first start in months and amassed 18 points and 15 rebounds in another dominating performance. Goran Dragic, Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng all scored at least 17 points in their win as well. On deck for Miami is a matchup with the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 28 Number of team assists ,has 56 Percentage of field goals ,has 33 Losses ,has 118 Total points ,has 47 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 46 Number of team assists ,has 96 Percentage of field goals ,has 21 Losses ,has 20 Total points ,has 34 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 5 Assists ,has 21 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 19 Assists ,has 8 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 18 Assists ,has 15 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 17 Assists ."]

The Denver Nuggets (20 - 31) came back to beat the Chicago Bulls (27 - 22) 115 - 110 on Friday. This was a tight game throughout the first half, but the Nuggets put together an unbelievable fourth quarter to win. Chicago outscored Denver 32 to 18 in the third quarter, but the Nuggets outscored the Bulls 42 - 21 over the last 12 minutes. This marked the Bulls ninth - straight loss in Denver, but they lost more than that. Jimmy Butler had to be carted off seconds before the half and that just adds to a myriad of injuries the Bulls are suffering from at this time. The most surprising stat was the rebounding, as Denver snatched down 48 boards to Chicago’s 40. The Bulls had to play this game without Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Nikola Mirotic and it was obvious they missed all of them equally. Jimmy Butler's injury appeared to spark the Bulls in the third quarter, but they couldn’t muster up enough to hold off the Nuggets in the fourth. Derrick Rose was the star for Chicago, as he nearly triple - doubled in a 30 - point, nine - rebound and eight - assist line in the loss. Taj Gibson also played well, as he amassed 18 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in the defeat. The Bulls have now lost 10 of their last 15 and will try to improve on that Saturday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This game seemed well out of hand to start the fourth, but Denver made one of their biggest comebacks in franchise history to win. Danilo Gallinari once again carried the load, as he scored 33 points and went 18 - for - 18 from the free - throw line. Emmanuel Mudiay also scored 22 of his own and dished out five assists in the victory. Nikola Jokic and Kennth Faried both double - doubled in the comeback as well. Up next for the Nuggets is a matchup against the New York Knicks on Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 31 Losses ,has 115 Total points ,has 18 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 42 Points in 4th quarter ,has 48 Rebounds ,has 20 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 22 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 32 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 21 Points in 4th quarter ,has 10 Rebounds ,has 27 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Taj Gibson') has 3 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 7 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Rose') has 8 Assists ,has 30 Blocks ,has 9 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Danilo Gallinari') has 18 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 33 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Emmanuel Mudiay') has 5 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ."]

The Phoenix Suns defeated the host Indiana Pacers, 116 - 96, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday. Most home teams thrive in the first and fourth quarters due to home field advantage, but the Suns took it to the Pacers in that stretch. In fact, they outscored Indiana by 22 points in that 24 - minute period and held them to just 32 points. The bench was huge for Phoenix, as they had all six bench players score at least seven points in their win. The Suns also dominated the rebounding and turnover differential, as they won the rebounding battle 46 - 35 and the turnover differential 18 - 11. The Suns (4 - 9) had just one road win coming into this game, but they let their frustrations out on an injury - riddled Indiana team here. The bench was spectacular, as they had six bench players combine for 78 points. Brandon Knight led the team in scoring off the bench, totaling 17 points and five assists. Alan Williams recorded a double - double off the pine, amassing 15 points and 15 rebounds on 6 - of - 7 shooting. Jared Dudley turned back the clock, as he accumulated 16 points, five rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes of action. Phoenix will look to build off this win on Saturday, when they travel to Philadelphia to face the Sixers for their next game. Indiana (6 - 7) came into this game as a huge favorite, but they simply could n't overcome some notable injuries. Not only did Paul George miss this game with an ankle injury, C.J. Miles had to depart in the first quarter due to a knee injury. Myles Turner carried the load for the Pacers, as he tallied 22 points, six rebounds and two blocks in the loss. Jeff Teague was second on the team, as he finished with 21 points, four rebounds and seven assists. No other player scored in double figures, as Thaddeus Young and Monta Ellis finished with nine points apiece. Indiana will return to action on Sunday, when they play the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 7 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 35 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 18 Rebounds ,has 6 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 9 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 32 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 46 Rebounds ,has 11 Turnovers ,has 4 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Alan Williams') has 7 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Knight') has 5 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jared Dudley') has 6 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thaddeus Young') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Myles Turner') has 2 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 7 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ."]

Since Greg Monroe signed his three - year deal with the Bucks last offseason, he's been involved in a countless number of trade rumors, but as of late, the former Georgetown star has been proving his worth with his play off the bench. In Monday's victory over the Rockets, Monroe recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes as a reserve while shooting 7 - of - 13 from the field, and there is a trend so far this January that shows this is starting to become a regular thing for the big man. In the seven games this January where Monroe played at least 25 minutes, Monroe is averaging 16 points and 9 rebounds. But what may be even more impressive is the level of efficiency he is producing at, as Monroe has shot an impressive 54 percent from the field in those seven games. On top of it all, the Bucks are 9 - 4 this season when Monroe plays at least 25 minutes.

["PlayerStat(G,'Greg Monroe') has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 54 Field goal percentage ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 27 Minutes played ,has 3 Personal fouls ,has 17 Points ,has 10 Total rebounds ,has 3 Steals ."]

In any game with Hassan Whiteside on the floor, viewers can expect to see plenty of blocked shots. This was the case on both sides in Friday's Grizzlies-Heat showdown. Whiteside, the league's leading shot blocker, sent just two shots back, but his team joined the party, rejecting eight shots in total. Memphis, meanwhile, was even more aggressive on defense, blocking a whopping 15 shots. Former Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol sent back an impressive five shots, while rookie Deyonta Davis blocked two. Guards Andrew Harrison and Tony Allen surprisingly rejected two shots each. Due in large part to the block party, both teams struggled when shooting from the floor. Miami ended up shooting just over 38 percent as a team, while Memphis finished around 35 percent on the night. For Memphis, Harrison and point guard Mike Conley shot a combined 5 - of - 23 from the floor, while Miami saw an abysmal 1 - of - 11 from its starting frontcourt.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 35 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 2 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tony Allen') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 2 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Harrison') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Deyonta Davis') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ."]

The Hawks (32 - 8) got 22 points from Al Horford and held off the Raptors (23 - 16) 110 - 89 on Friday in Toronto. The win was Atlanta’s 11th in a row since falling to Milwaukee on Dec. 26 and its fourth consecutive win by at least 10 points. All five starters scored in double - figures, led by Horford’s 22. The big man also had five rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes after sitting out to rest Wednesday. Kyle Korver, who was also rested against Boston, returned to the lineup and added 11 points in 29 minutes. Jeff Teague pitched in 13 points and nine assists, and Paul Millsap added 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. The Hawks were out - rebounded by Toronto and committed 17 turnovers but shot a scorching - hot 61 percent from the floor. Toronto, losers of six of its last eight, matched Atlanta’s 17 turnovers but managed only 43 percent shooting. DeMar DeRozan, in his second game back from injury, led all scorers with 25 points on 11 - of - 18 shooting. His backcourt mate, Kyle Lowry, struggled, finishing with only 11 points (5 - 13 FG). Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas combined for nine points on 2 - of - 12 shooting, and Amir Johnson added eight points in 23 minutes. James Johnson had a productive night off the bench, finishing with 17 points on 7 - of - 11 shooting. Up next, the Raptors finish off a six - game homestand Sunday against New Orleans. Atlanta ends its four - game road swing Saturday night in Chicago.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 43 Percentage of field goals ,has 89 Losses ,has 17 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 61 Percentage of field goals ,has 8 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 17 Turnovers ,has 32 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 4 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 3 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 22 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Korver') has 29 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 9 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Amir Johnson') has 23 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 23 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 18 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 25 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 13 Assists ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Johnson') has 11 Assists ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 17 Field goals made ."]

While the Los Angeles Clippers have struggled since the All-Star Break, their three All-Stars helped them earn a convincing win on Monday. Star big man Blake Griffin led the team with 30 points, shooting 12 - of - 19 from the field and pulling down six rebounds. Superstar point guard Chris Paul helped run the offense effectively, scoring 13 points on 5 - of - 11 shooting while dishing out a whopping 13 assists and pulling down another five rebounds. Center DeAndre Jordan was the team's top rebounder, pulling down 10 rebounds along with 14 points and three blocks. It was an excellent overall team performance from LA. The Clippers shot over 49 percent from the field and dished out 25 assists. They also sank 10 three - pointers on the night and also limited themselves to nine turnovers.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 25 Number of team assists ,has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 9 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 19 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 30 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 3 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 13 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ,has 5 Points ."]

The Blazers backcourt got off to a strong start in the scoring department early, but a fourth quarter that belonged mostly to Damian Lillard last season, has been shifted to Boston's Isaiah Thomas, who poured in another big 15 points in the final period in leading the Celtics to victory. The Blazers backcourt still finished with a good scoring effort, as they combined for 48 points on 38 shots, while Al-Farouq Aminu poured in 26 points on 8 - of - 12 shooting off the bench. Portland out shot the Celtics from both the field and behind the arc, but Boston held a major advantage on steals (8 - 4) and turnovers (8 - 15). A standout performance came from Celtics rookie Jaylen Brown in a starting role, where he logged 33 minutes and finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two three - pointers made.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 15 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 8 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jaylen Brown') has 2 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 33 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ,has 7 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al-Farouq Aminu') has 12 Assists ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 26 Field goals attempted ."]

The Utah Jazz (25 - 25) defeated the Phoenix Suns (14 - 38) 98 - 89 at Talking Stick Arena on Saturday. The Suns overcame a double digit deficit to pull the game within striking distance in the fourth quarter after a pair of free throws and a three - point bucket from Markieff Morris had Phoenix down nine points, but Rudy Gobert was rock solid from the free throw line, draining six straight to aid the Jazz in what could have been a tight game down the stretch. Devin Booker put the nail in the coffin after dunking home the last needed basket with just over :30 remaining. The Jazz were led by both Rodney Hood and Gordon Hayward, who combined for 47 points 16 - of - 35 shooting. Hayward added six rebounds, three assists and two blocks to round out the box score, while Hood pitched in four boards and three baskets from behind the arc. Rudy Gobert did the majority of his damage from the charity stripe down the stretch and finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks on 9 - of - 12 free throw shooting in 34 minutes. Derrick Favors and Raul Neto each finished in double figures to round out an all around strong performance from the Utah starters. The bench was stretched a bit thin as Trey Burke (illness) did not play and Trey Lyles only saw five minutes of court time. The Jazz will visit the Dallas Mavericks (28 - 25) on Tuesday. The Suns were handed their seventh straight loss and continue to look sloppy on both ends of the floor. With Brandon Knight (groin) sidelined, Phoenix turned to Archie Goodwin and Devin Booker to lead the backcourt, but neither player has Knight’s impact and that was evident in Saturday’s matchup. Booker pitched in 18 points and Goodwin scored 14, but they combined for a lowly four assists, as the frontcourt was unable to finish at the rim. Markieff Morris was given a volume shooting role, but was inefficient throughout the game, scoring 17 points on 22 shots, to go along with seven rebounds and eight assists. The Suns will look to bounce back when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder (38 - 14) on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 38 Losses ,has 89 Total points ,has 14 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 25 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 25 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 4 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 9 Defensive rebounds ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rodney Hood') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trey Lyles') has 5 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Markieff Morris') has 8 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Archie Goodwin') has 14 Assists ."]

Karl-Anthony Towns became only the sixth player since 1973 - 74 to record at least 1,400 points, 850 rebounds and 100 blocks in his rookie season, as the Minnesota Timberwolves (29 - 53) crushed the visiting New Orleans Pelicans (30 - 52) on Wednesday night, 144 - 109, at Target Center. The Timberwolves' 144 points is a franchise high. After a close first couple of minutes the Timberwolves ran away with this one, beginning with a 40 - point first quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a game - high 28 points (12 - 17 FG, 2 - 5 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) on stellar shooting, along with 14 rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots and one steal. This was Towns' 51st double - double of the season. Shabazz Muhammad also had a great shooting night as he poured in 28 points (12 - 16 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt, 3 - 3 FT) of his own. Tyus Jones dished a career - high 12 assists, along with nine points and no turnovers, in 26 minutes off the bench. Although their season comes to an end, the Timberwolves have plenty to look forward to with their solid young core. James Ennis led the way for the Pelicans, with 28 points (10 - 20 FG, 6 - 11 3Pt). Omer Asik put up big numbers with 24 points and 11 rebounds, in 32 minutes, while Toney Douglas added 22 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals, in 42 minutes. This has been an injury - riddled season for the Pelicans, who can only hope for better luck next year.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 53 Losses ,has 144 Total points ,has 40 Points in 1st quarter ,has 29 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 52 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 30 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Omer Asik') has 32 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Ennis III') has 11 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 28 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Toney Douglas') has 5 Assists ,has 42 Blocks ,has 22 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 28 Minutes played ,has 14 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyus Jones') has 12 Assists ,has 26 Blocks ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Shabazz Muhammad') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 16 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 28 Free throws attempted ."]

The Golden State Warriors were without reigning MVP Stephen Curry (illness), but Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant had no problem leading the offense in his absence. Thompson found most of his success from the free throw line, where he finished 13 - of - 15 from the charity stripe. Kevin Durant finished with 33 points, which led all scorers, to go along with 10 rebounds, six assists, one block and seven turnovers on 13 - of - 26 shooting. The bench was led by Andre Iguodala's 12 points including three treys. The Blazers back court was led by C.J. McCollum who scored 28 points on 10 - of - 16 shooting, while Lillard scored 19 points alongside eight assists in 36 minutes. Evan Turner was most effective on the defensive end of the floor, but added 18 points, four rebounds and six assists on 8 - of - 17 shooting across 33 minutes.

["PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 6 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 26 Defensive rebounds ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 33 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 7 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 15 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Iguodala') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Turner') has 6 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 8 Defensive rebounds ,has 33 3-pointers made ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 16 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 28 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 8 Assists ,has 36 Blocks ,has 19 Defensive rebounds ."]

The visiting Boston Celtics took down the New York Knicks, 119 - 114, in a classic Christmas rivalry matchup at Madison Square Garden. Boston (18 - 13) has heated up since the return of star point guard Isaiah Thomas, and is now 5 - 1 in its last six games. The Celtics are now 12 - 7 on the road, having won more road games than any other team in the Eastern Conference. On Sunday, the Celtics staved off a late comeback effort from the Knicks. With the game tied and under a minute to go, guard Marcus Smart hit a clutch three - pointer from the corner to take the lead. Smart had a terrific game off the bench, scoring 15 points on 5 - of - 9 shooting and dishing out seven assists. Boston doubled down on the defensive end, with a clutch steal from shooting guard Avery Bradley and a game - ending block from All-Star center Al Horford. Horford finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks. Thomas, the Celtics' leader in scoring average, led the team once again with 27 points. New York (16 - 14), meanwhile, made a valiant comeback in the last three minutes of the game. The Knicks went on a 16 - 3 run to tie the game after trailing by double digits. Much of the comeback was due to the play of star forward Carmelo Anthony, who had 22 points in the second half. Despite the clutch play, Melo ended up committing a costly crunch - time turnover when switched onto Avery Bradley. Sophomore big man Kristaps Porzingis had 22 points and 12 rebounds, while point guard Derrick Rose contributed 25. The Cavs will visit Detroit on Monday, while Golden State will host Toronto on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 14 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 16 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 13 Losses ,has 119 Total points ,has 18 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 5 Assists ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 6 Assists ,has 27 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Smart') has 7 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 15 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kristaps Porzingis') has 22 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Rose') has 25 Assists ."]

The Denver Nuggets (5 - 7) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans (6 - 5) 117 - 97 on Friday. Denver started off the season jittery as a June bug, losing six of their first seven games, but over their last five games, they've stolen four wins. It's hard to get a read on where the team is headed, but the narrative right now has at least a glimmer of hope for their prospects going forward. Kenneth Faried paced the Nuggets, finishing with 19 points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes. Denver will go on the road to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. New Orleans has had a tough schedule to start the season, so the fact they're still able to breathe above the .500 mark is impressive. They had six players finish in double - digits, but the team shot just 40 percent from the field, making it hard to secure the win. The Pelicans have one more game left on their current four - game road trip. They'll travel to Utah to take on the Jazz on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 7 Percentage of field goals ,has 117 Losses ,has 5 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 5 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 6 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kenneth Faried') has 27 Minutes played ,has 19 Points ,has 8 Total rebounds ."]

The Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic, 128 - 98, at TD Garden on Friday evening. The Celtics (28 - 18) came in to Friday fresh off a big victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, a win spearheaded by an explosive 38 - point effort from Isaiah Thomas. Their offensive momentum carried over into Friday and generated even better results overall, as Boston posted success rates of 56 and 47 percent from the field and three - point range, respectively. Instead of Wednesday's top - heavy scoring effort, the Celtics saw six players hit double digits in the scoring column, and played superbly on the defensive end as well, holding the Magic (18 - 30) to just 65 points through three quarters. The Magic were led by a pair of 14 - point efforts from Nikola Vucevic and Damjan Rudez, with the latter providing his scoring off the bench. Vucevic added seven boards, two assists and a steal, while Rudez provided an assist, two steals and a block. Aaron Gordon went for 13 points, five boards and a steal. Bismack Biyombo generated 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes on the second unit. C.J. Watson went for nine points, four assists, a rebound and a steal. The Celtics were paced by Thomas' 21 points, a total he supplemented with eight assists, three rebounds and two steals. Rookie Jaylen Brown totaled a career - high 20 points, along with eight boards and two assists. Jae Crowder contributed a full stat line of 19 points, six boards, four assists, two steals and a block. Amir Johnson made the start for Al Horford (groin), managing 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and a block. Kelly Olynyk led the second unit with 16 points, five rebounds and an assist, while Tyler Zeller provided 10 points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block, his first game action since Dec. 29. The Magic travel to Toronto to take on the Raptors on Sunday evening, while the Celtics head to Milwaukee to face the Bucks on Saturday night.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 56 Percentage of field goals ,has 18 Losses ,has 128 Total points ,has 28 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 30 Percentage of 3 points ,has 98 Percentage of field goals ,has 18 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aaron Gordon') has 13 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 2 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 7 Minutes played ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'C.J. Watson') has 4 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 1 Minutes played ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bismack Biyombo') has 3 Assists ,has 25 Blocks ,has 10 Minutes played ,has 7 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damjan Rudez') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 14 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jae Crowder') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 19 Minutes played ,has 6 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Amir Johnson') has 2 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 4 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jaylen Brown') has 2 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 8 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 21 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Zeller') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 10 Minutes played ,has 3 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kelly Olynyk') has 1 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 5 Minutes played ."]

The Boston Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets, 120 - 109, at TD Garden on Wednesday evening. The Celtics (27 - 18) could n't quite keep up with the fast - paced Rockets (34 - 15) in the first half, but they made up for it after intermission. Boston outscored their visitors by a 68 - 51 margin over the third and fourth periods, despite the game being knotted at 98 as late as the 5:12 mark of the final quarter. That's when Isaiah Thomas drained two clutch free throws after a flagrant - 1 foul on James Harden for hitting Jonas Jerebko in the face, and then followed those points with a jumper and a driving hook. The Celtics then scored 16 points the rest of the way while holding the Rockets to 11, sealing the double - digit home win. Both teams had a hard time hanging on to the ball, as Houston was guilty of 17 turnovers while Boston gave it away 18 times. James Harden led the way for the Rockets with a 30 - point, 12 - assist double - double that also included six rebounds, a steal and a block. Ryan Anderson produced 19 points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal. Trevor Ariza and Clint Capela followed with matching 12 - point efforts, with the former adding two rebounds, two assists and a steal, and the latter registering seven boards, an assist and two blocks. All of Ariza's points notably came on four three - pointers. Sam Dekker paced the second unit with 15 points, four rebounds, a steal and a block, while Montrezl Harrell tallied 11 points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal in a reserve role as well. Isaiah Thomas continued his stellar play while leading the Celtics with 38 points, nine assists, five rebounds and a steal. With Avery Bradley (Achilles) still out, his usage continues to be at a sky - high rate, as evidenced by Wednesday's 27 shot attempts. Jae Crowder stepped up with a 23 - point, 10 - rebound double - double that also included four assists and a steal. Al Horford supplied a near double - double of 20 points, nine assists, three rebounds, three steals and two blocks, and had a first - half ending buzzer - beating three - pointer. Jonas Jerebko and Jaylen Brown, making starts in place of Amir Johnson and Bradley, respectively, could only combine for nine points and took just seven shot attempts between them. Marcus Smart, who went to the bench in favor of Brown, and Gerald Green led the second unit with matching seven - point tallies. The Rockets next travel to Philadelphia to do battle with the Sixers on Friday night, while the Celtics remain home to tangle with the Orlando Magic on Friday evening as well.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 18 Losses ,has 120 Total points ,has 18 Turnovers ,has 27 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 15 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 17 Turnovers ,has 34 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Ariza') has 2 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ryan Anderson') has 1 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Clint Capela') has 1 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 12 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 30 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Montrezl Harrell') has 3 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sam Dekker') has 1 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jae Crowder') has 4 Assists ,has 23 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Jerebko') has 7 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 9 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 20 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 9 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 27 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 38 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Personal fouls ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Smart') has 7 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gerald Green') has 7 Assists ."]

The Houston Rockets (13 - 14) took down the Los Angeles Lakers (4 - 22) by a 107 - 87 final Thursday night at the Staples Center. The Rockets nailed five three - pointers in the first quarter to jump out to a 29 - 18 lead after the first frame. They would hold that lead for the entire game, as the Lakers were never closer than six points down in the second half. James Harden’s 25 points led all scorers despite a rough shooting night (7 - 24 field goals, 2 - 9 three - pointers), and he added six assists and six rebounds. Clint Capela (10 points, 12 rebounds) and Dwight Howard (16 points, 15 rebounds) both recorded double - doubles out of the Houston front court. Houston’s size advantage was a factor all game long, as the Rockets pulled down a ridiculous 23 offensive rebounds, over 40 percent of their missed shots on the offensive end. The Lakers weren’t competitive despite one of Kobe Bryant’s most effective games of the season, as he scored a team - high 22 points on 9 - 16 shooting and added eight rebounds. Julius Randle was active off the bench, scoring 18 points (6 - 15 shooting) and grabbing 10 rebounds. The Lakers couldn’t shoot themselves out of their early deficit, as they went just 5 - 24 from three - point land as a team. The Lakers have lost seven of eight and will face a difficult test in their next contest Sunday in Oklahoma City. Houston ended a two - game losing streak with Thursday’s victory and will look to make it a winning streak Sunday at home against the Clippers.

["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 22 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 18 Points in 1st quarter ,has 4 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 14 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 29 Points in 1st quarter ,has 23 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 13 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Clint Capela') has 10 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Howard') has 16 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 6 Assists ,has 25 Blocks ,has 6 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kobe Bryant') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 22 Offensive rebounds ,has 8 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Julius Randle') has 18 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ."]

The Detroit Pistons (32 - 50) ended the season with an 112 - 90 victory over the New York Knicks (17 - 65). Seven Pistons finished with at least 10 points in the season finale. In what may be his final game in a Pistons uniform, Greg Monroe compiled 10 points and four steals as he heads into the offseason an unrestricted free agent. Impending restricted free agent Reggie Jackson performed marvelously, supplying 24 points, 11 assists, four rebounds and three steals in 32 minutes. Andre Drummond scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. He completed the season second to the Los Angeles Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan in rebounds per game while leading the league in offensive rebounds per game. Jodie Meeks sank both free throws and ends the season behind only the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry in free - throw percentage. The Pistons head into the offseason with the eighth - worst record in the league. The Knicks ended the season with their worst record in franchise history. Their futility gives them the second - worst record in the league and a 20 percent chance of winning the NBA Draft Lottery. They’re guaranteed at least a top - five pick. Langston Galloway ended the year second in minutes per game and scoring average among rookies. He also connected on a rookie high 1 three - pointers per game. Cole Aldrich scored a career - high 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in 27 minutes, taking advantage of garbage time. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 14 of his season - high 25 points in the first quarter and hit five three - pointers, ending the season as the Knicks’ leading scorer. Jason Smith was the only Knick to play every game this season.

["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 65 Losses ,has 90 Total points ,has 17 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 50 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 32 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Greg Monroe') has 10 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 17 Assists ,has 12 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 11 Assists ,has 32 3-pointers made ,has 24 Minutes played ,has 4 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cole Aldrich') has 27 Assists ,has 24 3-pointers made ,has 15 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Hardaway Jr.') has 5 Assists ,has 25 3-pointers made ."]

The Golden State Warriors (28 - 5) defeated the Indiana Pacers (14 - 23) 117 - 102 on Wednesday at Oracle Arena in Oakland. Despite a close first half, the Warriors got hot in the second half, out - scoring the Pacers 67 - 52 to close out the game at home in front of their home crowd. They were the superior shooters, going an impressive 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from the three - point line, while the Pacers went 46 percent from the floor and just 23 percent from beyond the arc. The Warriors were able to force the Pacers into 17 turnovers. Klay Thompson was unstoppable in this one. He went 14 - for - 25 from the field and 6 - for - 11 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 40 points. It was his second 40 - point game of the year, after torching the Lakers for 41 points back in early November. Stephen Curry had a strong showing of his own, scoring 21 points (8 - 17 FG, 4 - 8 3Pt, 1 - 1 FT) while adding 15 assists and four steals. The assists matched a season - high for him, while the double - double was his second in the last three games. It was also his second game in a row with four steals, as he keeps getting it done on the defensive side of the ball as well. Filling in as the starting center, Marreese Speights went 8 - for - 12 from the floor to score 18 points. Even with a six point outing on Monday, Speights is averaging 18 points over his last four games as he continues to roll with a hot hand. David Lee had 13 points (6 - 10 FG, 1 - 2 FT) off the bench. With Roy Hibbert going down with an ankle injury after only five minutes, the Pacers were even further out - matched. Solomon Hill did everything he could to keep them in the game, going 8 - for - 15 from the three - point line and 2 - for - 5 from beyond the arc to score 21 points. It was his best offensive showing since back in mid - November, so it was good to see him having success. David West did a little bit of everything in this game, as he finished with 16 points (6 - 11 FG, 4 - 4 FT), seven rebounds and six assists. The assists matched a season - high for West. Coming off the bench both Donald Sloan (6 - 11 FG, 0 - 3 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) and Luis Scola (5 - 12 FG, 4 - 4 FT) pitched in 14 points of their own. The Pacers just did n't have the scoring power to keep up with an excellent Warriors squad. The Warriors' next game will be at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, while the Pacers will be at home against the Boston Celtics on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 43 Percentage of 3 points ,has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 5 Losses ,has 117 Total points ,has 28 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 23 Percentage of 3 points ,has 46 Percentage of field goals ,has 23 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 17 Turnovers ,has 14 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Solomon Hill') has 5 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 15 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 21 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'David West') has 6 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Donald Sloan') has 3 Assists ,has 0 Blocks ,has 11 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Luis Scola') has 12 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marreese Speights') has 12 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 18 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 11 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 25 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 40 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 15 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 8 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 21 Free throws made ,has 3 Personal fouls ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'David Lee') has 10 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ."]

The Houston Rockets defeated the New York Knicks, 129 - 122, at Toyota Center on Saturday. This has been the year of the triple - double, but there has n't been a performance like this in quite some time. James Harden accumulated 53 points, 16 rebounds and 17 assists on the way to his best game of his career. His game carried this offense to some gaudy numbers too, as they recorded 30 assists and went 21 - of - 55 from three - point range. There were no ties and only one lead change, as the Rockets never relinquished the lead after the second quarter. New York (16 - 17) had to play this game extremely shorthanded and they did a good job of hanging around against a potent Houston attack. Kristaps Porzingis sat this game out with an Achilles injury and Carmelo Anthony had to depart early due to renewed knee soreness. That put Brandon Jennings in the starting lineup and he did n't disappoint, as he led the team with 32 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Derrick Rose also played well, accumulating 21 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Joakim Noah recorded a 15 - point, 16 - rebound double - double in the loss. On deck for the Knicks is a home matchup against the Orlando Magic on Monday. Houston (26 - 9) have gotten some unbelievable performances from James Harden this season, but this one tops them all. Harden finished the game with 53 points, 16 rebounds and 17 assists in the best game of his career. Ryan Anderson helped him get those assists up, as he was second on the team with 25 points and six rebounds on 8 - of - 12 shooting. Montrezl Harrell got a rare start at center and amassed 13 points, four rebounds and four assists on 6 - of - 7 shooting. They'll look to keep rolling on Monday against the Washington Wizards.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 9 Losses ,has 129 Total points ,has 26 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 17 Losses ,has 122 Total points ,has 16 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joakim Noah') has 15 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Jennings') has 7 Assists ,has 32 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Rose') has 7 Assists ,has 21 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ryan Anderson') has 12 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 25 Field goals made ,has 6 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Montrezl Harrell') has 4 Assists ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 13 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 17 Assists ,has 53 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ."]

The Toronto Raptors (41 - 27) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (14 - 53) 105 - 100 on Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. By securing this victory, the Raptors remained within two games of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who sit in the second projected playoff seed in the Eastern Conference standings. The Cavaliers took down the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday as well, so the Raptors avoided dropping another game back with a loss. The Timberwolves have now tied the New York Knicks for the worst record in the league, so they'll battle it out to see who will give themselves the best chance of landing the number one overall pick in this year's draft from here on out. DeMar DeRozan really struggled with his shot in this game, going just 4 - of - 14 from the field. He made up for it at the free throw line though, as he forced his way into 12 attempts, while converting on all 12 of those attempts to push his scoring total to a team - high of 21 points. DeRozan continues to score at a very high rate, considering he's surpassed the 20 - point mark in eight of his last nine games. Over his last 10 games, he's now averaging 22 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Jonas Valanciunas put in a good effort as well, notching a double - double with 15 points (7 - 9 FG, 1 - 2 FT) and 15 rebounds in just 23 minutes. It was his second double - double in a row, as he's combined for 29 points and 27 rebounds over his last two games. Terrence Ross was dialed in with his shot as well. He went 6 - for - 9 from the field and 3 - for - 5 from beyond the arc to score 15 points. Unfortunately for the Raptors, Kyle Lowry had to leave the game during the third quarter with what looked like a lower back injury and was not able to return. While they were unable to pull off the win, Kevin Martin had himself a game. He went 14 - for - 28 from the floor and 5 - for - 9 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 37 points, while also adding seven rebounds. He's picked up his scoring of late with so many injuries affecting this team, as he's averaging 18 points while shooting 45 percent from the field during his last four games. Andrew Wiggins also did his best to keep his team close. He went 6 - for - 9 from the field and 3 - for - 4 from the free throw line to score 15 points. After shooting 40 percent or lower in each of his last three games, it was good to see the forward get back on track Wednesday. Coming off the bench, Chase Budinger matched a season - high of 19 points (9 - 18 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt, 0 - 1 FT), to go along with eight rebounds. It was his second solid showing in a row, after scoring 18 points Monday. Ricky Rubio returned after missing two games, but had just two points (1 - 4 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt) and eight assists in 30 minutes. The Raptors' next game will be on the road against the Chicago Bulls on Friday, while the Timberwolves will travel to New York to play the Knicks on Thursday.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 27 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 41 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 53 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 14 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 9 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 15 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 3 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Martin') has 9 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 28 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 37 Free throws made ,has 7 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ricky Rubio') has 8 Assists ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 0 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 30 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 2 Minutes played ,has 2 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chase Budinger') has 5 Assists ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 0 Free throws attempted ,has 19 Free throws made ,has 8 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Terrence Ross') has 5 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 9 Assists ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ,has 15 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 14 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 21 Field goals made ."]

The Indiana Pacers (42 - 36) have nearly secured playoff berth after dismantling the Cleveland Cavaliers (56 - 23) on Wednesday, 123 - 109. Cleveland star LeBron James rested during the contest. Indiana now simply needs a win or a Bulls loss to secure playoff berth. Superstar forward Paul George elevated his play for one of his biggest performances of the season, dropping in a massively efficient 29 points on the first - seeded Cavaliers. Backcourt star Monta Ellis, meanwhile, chipped in 13 points and dished out eight assists. As a team, Indiana simply shot the lights out, converting on 56 percent of shots from the field and draining 16 three - pointers. Indiana's massive shooting night was bolstered in part by 21 points and six threes from C.J. Miles off the bench. Cleveland, meanwhile, failed to take the record for most consectuive games with 10 or more made three - pointers. With eight threes and 47 percent from the field, the team still shot respectably, but clearly suffered on the defensive end in LeBron's absence. All-Star Kyrie Irving led the way with 26 points, but overall the team could not get it done against the playoff - hungry Pacers. The Cavs have a chance to formally eliminate the Bulls on Saturday. Indiana, meanwhile, will take the court on Friday in Toronto.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 56 Percentage of field goals ,has 36 Losses ,has 123 Total points ,has 26 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 42 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 23 Percentage of field goals ,has 109 Losses ,has 10 Total points ,has 56 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 26 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Personal fouls ,has 29 Points ,has 1 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 8 Assists ,has 13 Personal fouls ."]

The Washington Wizards defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 109 - 93, at Verizon Center on Saturday. The Wizards were expected to win this game rather easily and they took care of business after the first quarter. Philadelphia actually led, 30 - 21 after the first quarter, but it was all Washington from there. In fact, they outscored the Sixers by nine in the second quarter and 15 in the third quarter to eventually pull away. Defense was key for the Wizards, as they held the Sixers to 41 percent from the field, 52 percent from the free - throw line and 32 percent from three - point range. Washington were very efficient on their end, as they shot 48 percent from the field and 47 percent from three - point range. The Sixers (12 - 26) had to play this game without Joel Embiid, as they clearly could n't make up for his absence. Jahlil Okafor got the start for Embiid and led the team with 26 points and nine rebounds. Ersan Ilyasova was n't far behind, totaling 18 points and seven rebounds. The other three starters really struggled, as Nik Stauskas, Robert Convington and T.J. McConnell combined for 13 points on 5 - of - 23 shooting. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot was a nice spark off the bench, collecting 12 points, six rebounds and two assists. The Wizards (20 - 19) were in a must win against a shorthanded Sixers team and they did n't disappoint with an easy victory. John Wall was the player of the game, as he accumulated 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Bradley Beal was second on the team, as he dropped 20 points to go along with four rebounds. Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat did a great job down low, combining for 26 points and 19 rebounds. All five starters scored in double figures, despite none of them playing the final eight minutes.

["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 48 Percentage of field goals ,has 19 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 21 Points in 1st quarter ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 32 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 26 Losses ,has 93 Total points ,has 30 Points in 1st quarter ,has 15 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 12 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ersan Ilyasova') has 18 Assists ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jahlil Okafor') has 26 Assists ,has 9 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nik Stauskas') has 3 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'T.J. McConnell') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot') has 2 Assists ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 20 Assists ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 7 Assists ,has 25 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 Personal fouls ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers (6 - 2) defeated the Chicago Bulls (6 - 4) 86 - 84 in Game 4 of their second - round playoff series on Sunday at the United Center. The series is now tied at two games a piece, and this meeting came down to the wire once again. After LeBron James was called for an offensive foul with the Cavaliers up two, Derrick Rose came back down the other way for the Bulls and hit a shot to tie things up at 84. Then, after James’ game - winning attempt was blocked out of bounds, Cleveland had one last shot with 2 seconds remaining to win the game. Lebron cut to the corner and buried a long - range jumper at the buzzer, giving the Cavaliers the victory and tying the series. James did not shoot particularly well, as he shot 10 - for - 30 from the floor and 1 - of - 7 from behind the arc, but it ultimately did not matter, and he finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists in 43 minutes to lead his team to victory. Timofey Mozgov played effective in the paint, as he posted 15 points (4 - 5 FG, 7 - 8 FT), nine rebounds and three blocks in 38 minutes. Tristan Thompson and Kyrie Irving each scored 12 points as members of the starting lineup, while J.R. Smith came off the bench in this game and scored 13 points (5 - 10 FG, 3 - 6 FT), including a hot streak of shots that kept Cleveland in the game. As for the Bulls, Rose continues to lead the way for them, as he scored 31 points on 11 - of - 23 shooting in 41 minutes. Rose has now scored a combined 61 points in his last two outings. Beyond Rose, however, Chicago did not get much help, with Jimmy Butler serving as the only other Bull to score in double figures, finishing with 19 points (8 - 21 FG, 3 - 5 3Pt) and five rebounds in 45 minutes.The other three starters shot a combined 7 - of - 26 from the field and scored just 18 points in the losing effort. Chicago, however, was without Pau Gasol (hamstring) in their starting lineup and he is considered day - to - day at this point. Game 5 will be on Tuesday, giving Gasol one day to rest, but he will remain questionable until then. The series will move back to Cleveland for Game 5, with tip - off scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.

["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 2 Losses ,has 84 Total points ,has 2 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 2 Losses ,has 86 Total points ,has 12 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 2 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 8 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 30 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 43 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 25 Free throws made ,has 14 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tristan Thompson') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Timofey Mozgov') has 3 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 41 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'JR Smith') has 10 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 13 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jimmy Butler') has 1 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 21 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 45 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 19 Free throws attempted ,has 5 Free throws made ,has 3 Minutes played ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Rose') has 2 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 23 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ,has 41 Field goals attempted ,has 31 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ."]

The Golden State Warriors (61 - 13) overcame a big deficit to pull out a 110 - 106 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers (49 - 26) on Tuesday at the Staples Center. The final regular season meeting between the Clippers and Warriors did not disappoint. After the Clippers opened up a 17 point lead in the second quarter, the Warriors woke up and started chipping away at the deficit. Los Angeles took a six point lead into the fourth, but Golden State's reserves opened the period on a 90 run to grab the lead. The Clippers, who had 88 points through three quarters, went cold from the floor in the fourth, hitting just three of their 13 field goal attempts. The Warriors clinched the season series 3 - 1. Golden State withstood an offensive barrage from Los Angeles to make a run of its own to notch its 61st victory of the season. Klay Thompson had a quiet first half, but started to heat up in the third with 13 points on 5 - of - 6 shooting from the floor. Thompson finished with 25 points. While the "Splash Brothers" combined for 52 points, the Warriors' role players were key in keeping them in the game. Marreese Speights had 13 points in 15 minutes off the bench and David Lee, who started in place of the injured Draymond Green, scored 17. The Warriors will look to extend their winning streak to 11 on Thursday when they host the Suns. Los Angeles did everything right through the first 36 minutes of this contest, but a fourth quarter collapse cost the Clippers a signature win over their rival. Blake Griffin had a tremendous game with 40 points (16 - 25 FG) to go with 12 rebounds and three blocks. Griffin was automatic on his mid - range and turnaround jumpers for the majority of the game, but only made one field goal in the fourth. The Clippers have another tough test on the docket Wednesday with a matchup against the Trail Blazers.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 26 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 49 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 13 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 61 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'David Lee') has 17 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 25 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marreese Speights') has 15 Blocks ,has 13 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 3 Blocks ,has 25 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ,has 40 Minutes played ,has 12 Points ."]

The Houston Rockets earned their tenth - straight win and did it in epic fashion as they came back from a 12 - point deficit with two and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter, to defeat the host Minnesota Timberwolves, 111 - 109, in overtime, at Target Center on Saturday evening. The Timberwolves (7 - 19) led the entire second half and were ahead 93 - 81 with two and a half minutes to go but fell apart in the final minutes, allowing the Rockets (21 - 7) to come back thanks to a clutch three by Trevor Ariza with six seconds remaining, that sent the game to overtime. James Harden scored the Rockets' first seven points in overtime, followed by a three from Eric Gordon and some clutch team free throw shooting to finish off a 30 - 16 run by Houston in the final seven and a half minutes of action, and seal the win. Harden was one assist shy of his third - straight triple - double as he finished with 28 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, in 43 minutes of action. Ryan Anderson got out to a hot start, shooting 3 - of - 5 from long range in the first quarter; he finished the game 7 - of - 16 from downtown, with 28 points. Eric Gordon continued his strong play, with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists, in 36 minutes off the bench. The Rockets shot 17 - of - 51 from long range and 41 percent from the field overall. This marked the second night of a back - to - back and third game in four nights for the Rockets, however they dug deep to move to 50 on the second night of a back - to back, and 11 - 5 on the road. Houston now looks ahead to Tuesday when it hosts the Spurs. Karl-Anthony Towns had a monstrous night for the T-Wolves, with a game - high 41 points on 15 - of - 28 shooting, along with 15 rebounds and five assists, in 43 minutes. Zach LaVine added 24 points, along with six assists, while Andrew Wiggins was quiet offensively with only 13 points, to go along with six rebounds, five assists and three steals. The Timberwolves gave up 22 turnovers in the game including a few late, which cost them what could have been a great win. They will look to bounce back as they play host to the Suns on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 19 Percentage of field goals ,has 109 Losses ,has 7 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 7 Losses ,has 111 Total points ,has 21 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Ariza') has 3 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ryan Anderson') has 16 Assists ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 36 3-pointers made ,has 28 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 13 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 43 3-pointers made ,has 28 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 7 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Gordon') has 4 Assists ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 36 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 20 Field goals made ,has 6 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 5 Assists ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 5 Assists ,has 28 3-pointers attempted ,has 15 3-pointers made ,has 43 Field goals attempted ,has 41 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach LaVine') has 6 Assists ,has 24 3-pointers attempted ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 102 - 95 Monday at Quicken Loans Arena. The Bucks (26 - 32) managed to hang around for majority of Monday's contest, entering the fourth quarter down just four points. That's when the Cavaliers (40 - 17) decided to turn it on, however, as they opened up the lead to as large as 11 points late in the final period and managed to hold on. Kyrie Irving led the way scoring, finishing with a game - high 25 points and nine assists, while LeBron James was n't too far behind with 24 points, 10 rebounds and six assists of his own. The most crucial performance for Cleveland, however, came from Derrick Williams, who continues to be a productive late - season signing for this team. Williams finished with 14 points on 5 - of - 7 shooting and seven rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench. For Milwaukee, it was a brutal game for their starting five, as Michael Beasley was the only starter to score in double figures with 11 points, but he left the game after nine minutes with a knee injury and did n't return. The other four Bucks starters combined to score just 27, with the glaring performance coming from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored just nine points in 42 minutes. Thankfully for Milwaukee, the bench unit picked up the starters' slack and were led by a solid performance from rookie Malcolm Brogdon, who scored a game - high 20 points and dished out five assists in 31 minutes. Now, the Bucks, after entering the All-Star break on a three - game winning streak, have dropped two of their last three outings. Up next, the Cavaliers will head to Boston on Wednesday for a matchup between Eastern Conference powers, while the Bucks will head home Wednesday to play the Nuggets.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 102 Number of team assists ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 27 Number of team assists ,has 32 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 26 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 4 Assists ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 42 Field goals made ,has 9 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Beasley') has 9 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Malcolm Brogdon') has 5 Assists ,has 31 Field goals attempted ,has 20 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 6 Assists ,has 24 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 9 Assists ,has 25 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Williams') has 7 Assists ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 27 Field goals made ,has 14 Free throws attempted ,has 7 Minutes played ."]

The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the host Phoenix Suns, 110 - 101, at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Sunday. This game meant much more to the Blazers than the Suns and that proved to be the case with this important Portland win. Despite the Suns leading for the majority of the first quarter, Portland actually held the lead for 40 of the final 42 minutes. Portland ended the game on an 11 - 4 run to pull away and eventually win. Shooting was key, as the Blazers hit 50 percent of their shots, while holding the Suns to 44 percent shooting. Rebounding was also a big factor, with Portland winning that battle, 49 - 42. The Blazers (29 - 36) are battling for the eight - seed in the west and to say this win was crucial would be a drastic understatement. Damian Lillard was the star, as he led the team with 39 points, six rebounds and two assists. C.J. McCollum finished with 26 points, four rebounds and four assists. Jusuf Nurkic was the only other player in double figures, as he tallied 12 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and three blocks. Al-Farouq Aminu was a nice spark off the bench, providing nine points and 12 rebounds. On deck for the Blazers is a road matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. The Suns (22 - 45) had won four of six headed into this game, but they could n't quite hold off a hungry Portland bunch. Devin Booker led Phoenix in scoring, as he accumulated 28 points, five rebounds and three assists. Eric Bledsoe finished second on the team, accruing 19 points, three rebounds, five assists and two steals. Alan Williams came off the bench to produce another double - double, totaling 12 points and 10 rebounds. Phoenix wo n't play until Wednesday, when they host the Sacramento Kings for their next game.

["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 44 Percentage of field goals ,has 45 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 22 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 36 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 29 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jusuf Nurkic') has 2 Assists ,has 12 Points ,has 11 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 4 Assists ,has 26 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 2 Assists ,has 39 Points ,has 6 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al-Farouq Aminu') has 9 Assists ,has 12 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Devin Booker') has 3 Assists ,has 28 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Bledsoe') has 19 Assists ,has 3 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Alan Williams') has 12 Assists ,has 10 Points ."]

The Sacramento Kings (8 - 5) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (3 - 9) 113 - 101 on Friday. Sacramento has won two straight games. They've had a terrific start to the season and have n't shown any signs of slowing down. While DeMarcus Cousins' line of 31 points and 18 rebounds is no great shock due to the frequency in which he put up such amazing lines, Ben McLemore's 22 points and nine rebounds gave McLemore the best game of his young career. Even retread Derrick Williams got in on the funk train Saturday against his former team. Williams put up 12 points and six rebounds in 30 minutes. The Kings continue their road trip against the Pelicans in New Orleans on Tuesday. Minnesota has lost two straight and seven of their last eight games. Injuries can be blamed for the depth of the Timberwolves' struggles this season, but they were never considered a team with much of a shot at a playoff spot in the stacked Western Conference. An argument could be made that the injuries the Timberwolves continue to suffer are a blessing in disguise considering that it's forcing the team to give their young talent run against top - flight teams. Andrew Wiggins scored a career - high 29 points in 41 minutes Saturday. Mo Williams helped Wiggins get those points. Williams finished with 11 points and 12 assists for his second double - double in the last three games. The Timberwolves have three days off before hosting the Milwuakee Bucks on Wednesday. By Wednesday's game, the Timberwolves expect to have Thaddeus Young (personal) and Nikola Pekovic (wrist) back in the active lineup.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 9 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 3 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 5 Losses ,has 113 Total points ,has 8 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 31 Assists ,has 18 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ben McLemore') has 22 Assists ,has 9 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Williams') has 3 Assists ,has 30 Free throws made ,has 12 Minutes played ,has 6 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 41 Assists ,has 29 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mo Williams') has 12 Assists ,has 11 Free throws made ."]

The returning Jimmy Butler's 19 - point, 12 - assist double - double and Doug McDermott's 20 - point effort off the bench spearheaded Chicago's impressive home win. The Bulls also overcame 17 turnovers by shooting a solid 48 percent from the field and 41 percent from three - point range. Taj Gibson managed 14 points and four boards. Rajon Rondo was next with 12 points, while Cristiano Felicio supplied 10 as a reserve as well. Michael Carter-Williams and Robin Lopez registered matching eight - point efforts on the starting five. Kyle Lowry's 22 points paced Toronto. DeMar DeRozan followed with 18 points, while Norman Powell generated 13 points off the bench. Jonas Valanciunas posted a near double - double of 12 points and nine boards. Cory Joseph was productive as a reserve as well, as he tallied 10 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal.

["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 41 Percentage of 3 points ,has 48 Percentage of field goals ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 17 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 12 Assists ,has 9 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 22 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cory Joseph') has 1 Assists ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Norman Powell') has 13 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jimmy Butler') has 12 Assists ,has 19 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Taj Gibson') has 14 Assists ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robin Lopez') has 8 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Carter-Williams') has 5 Assists ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 Personal fouls ,has 5 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Doug McDermott') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rajon Rondo') has 12 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cristiano Felicio') has 10 Assists ."]

The Portland Trail Blazers (44 - 20) defeated the Toronto Raptors (39 - 27) 113 - 97 on Sunday at the Air Canade Centre in Toronto. This win marks the third in a row for the Blazers, as they currently sit as the third projected playoff seed in the Western Conference standings, just one game back from the Grizzlies and one game ahead of the Rockets. The Raptors, on the other hand, have lost eight of their last ten games, but sit tied for the third projected playoff seed with the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference standings. The Trail Blazers shot well in this outing, going 52 percent from the field and 45 percent from the three - point line, while the Raptors went 47 percent from the floor and just 28 percent from deep. With all five starters reaching double figures in points, it was a nice team - effort win for the Trail Blazers on Sunday. Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge led the way, as each surpassed the 20 - point mark. Aldridge went 9 - for - 14 from the field and 6 - for - 8 from the free throw line to score a team - high of 24 points, while also adding 10 rebounds and five assists. It marked his second double - double over his last three games, a stretch where he's averaging 24 points and 10 rebounds. Lillard, on the other hand, finished with 23 points (10 - 2 - FG, 2 - 8 3Pt, 1 - 2 FT) of his own, to go along with five assists and two steals. He's played well of late, combining for 51 points and 14 assists over his last two games. On the season, he's now averaging 21 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists per game. Nicolas Batum was able to notch a double - double as well, posting 10 points (3 - 5 FG, 2 - 2 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) and 12 assists over 34 minutes. It was just the second time this season that he's reached double - digit assists. Despite suffering the loss, DeMar DeRozan had a solid performance for the Raptors, finishing with 22 points (9 - 18 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt, 4 - 5 FT) and eight rebounds. He really struggled with his shot in Friday's game against the Heat, shooting just 25 percent (3 - 12 FG) from the field in that outing, so it was good to see him get things pointed back in the right direction Sunday. Jonas Valanciunas went a perfect 7 - for - 7 from the field to score 14 points, while also pulling down nine rebounds in 22 minutes. Valanciunas missed Friday's game following the birth of his son, so it was good to see him come back without missing a beat. Struggling with his shot, Kyle Lowry ended with just 10 points (3 - 11 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt, 3 - 3 FT), but added six assists and four rebounds. He had shot a combined 17 - for - 31 from the field and 10 - for - 17 from the three - point line over his last two games, so his performance Sunday was somewhat of a disappointment. The Trail Blazers' next game will be on the road against the Washington Wizards on Monday, while the Raptors will travel to Indiana to play the Pacers on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 28 Percentage of 3 points ,has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 27 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 22 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 39 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 45 Percentage of 3 points ,has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 20 Losses ,has 113 Total points ,has 10 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 44 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 12 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 34 Minutes played ,has 10 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 5 Assists ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 24 Free throws attempted ,has 10 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 5 Assists ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 23 Free throws made ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 7 Assists ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 22 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ,has 9 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 1 Assists ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 22 Free throws made ,has 8 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 6 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 10 Minutes played ,has 4 Personal fouls ."]

The Milwaukee Bucks (31 - 44) defeated the Phoenix Suns (20 - 55) 105 - 94 on Wednesday night. A game between two teams officially out of playoff contention turned out to be a competitive and entertaining affair. With defense being an Achilles' heel of both clubs, there were plenty of strong offensive performances to go around. Both the Suns and Bucks enjoyed particularly strong shooting nights, with Phoenix's solid 45 percent success rate from the field exceeded by Milwaukee's even stronger 48 percent figure. The pivotal factor in the loss for the Suns was the turnover battle, which they lost by a notable margin of 22 - 13. The starting backcourt of Devin Booker and Brandon Knight was unfortunately guilty of 12 of those miscues, and Milwaukee was able to convert Phoenix's mistakes to 27 points overall. The Suns were led by an outstanding effort from P.J. Tucker, who contributed 20 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Booker had a relatively quiet night on the scoreboard by his recent standards, but still totaled 18 points, four rebounds and four assists. The rookie did get in his own way plenty however, turning the ball over a game - high seven times. Alex Len followed with a remarkable double - double of his own, totaling 17 points, 15 boards, five assists and two blocks. Knight matched Len's point total, and added two rebounds, two assists and five turnovers of his own. Tyson Chandler rounded out the starting five's successful night with 13 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. Phoenix remains in fourth place in the Western Conference's Pacific Division. They head back home to face off against the Washington Wizards on Friday. Milwaukee was spearheaded by a resurgent effort from Khris Middleton, who managed a game - high 26 points, and added seven rebounds and an assist. It was an encouraging performance for the Bucks' guard, considering he'd averaged just a shade above 10 points per game over his previous trio of contests. Jabari Parker followed with a solid outing consisting of 21 points, five rebounds, three assists and four steals. Greg Monroe was next with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his recent slump, managing a modest 10 points, six assists, three rebounds and a block. John Henson and Tyler Ennis followed with a pair of 10 - point efforts. The former supplemented his scoring with five boards, two assists, a steal and four blocks, while the latter supplied four rebounds as well. The Bucks continue to reside in last place in the Eastern Conference's Central Division. They remain home to face the Orlando Magic on Friday night.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 48 Percentage of field goals ,has 44 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 27 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 13 Turnovers ,has 31 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 45 Percentage of field goals ,has 55 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 22 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 20 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'PJ Tucker') has 7 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 20 Field goals made ,has 10 Personal fouls ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Alex Len') has 5 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 17 Field goals made ,has 15 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyson Chandler') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 13 Personal fouls ,has 13 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Devin Booker') has 4 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 7 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Knight') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 6 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 3 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jabari Parker') has 3 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 4 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Greg Monroe') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 14 Field goals made ,has 5 Personal fouls ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Khris Middleton') has 1 Assists ,has 26 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Henson') has 2 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 5 Personal fouls ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Ennis') has 10 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ."]

The Brooklyn Nets (9 - 12) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers (2 - 20) 88 - 70 on Friday. Brooklyn stopped a three - game skid with the win. Joe Johnson sat out the last two games with an illness but returned to the lineup Friday and put up 12 points in 27 minutes. Kevin Garnett played through the foot soreness he began suffering in Wednesday's loss. Mason Plumlee made another start in place of Brook Lopez, whom remains out with a back injury. Mirza Teleovic missed the game as he continues to recover from a hip pointer injury. Plumlee led the way for Brooklyn, finishing with a double - double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Nets will finish of a back - to - back set Saturday in Charlotte against the Hornets. Philadelphia has a two - game losing streak started. They made a switch to the staring lineup Friday, putting Robert Covington in at power forward while shifting Nerlens Noel to center and moving Henry Sims to a bench role. Covington paced the Sixers with a game - high 20 points. Philadelphia shot 32 percent from the field, taking the wind out of pretty much any chance they had of winning the game Friday. They may shoot an even worse percentage from the field Saturday when they host the Memphis Grizzlies.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 12 Percentage of field goals ,has 88 Losses ,has 9 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 32 Percentage of field goals ,has 20 Losses ,has 70 Total points ,has 2 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joe Johnson') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 27 Minutes played ,has 12 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mason Plumlee') has 18 Assists ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ."]

The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Indiana Pacers, 125 - 107, at BMO Harris Bradley Center on Thursday. The Pacers have been surprisingly porous on defense over the early going of the new campaign, and they appeared to bottom out Thursday. The Bucks were able to shoot a stellar 58 percent from the field and 44 percent from three - point range. Eight players shot 50 percent or better for Milwaukee, including four starters, as well as three players who took double - digit shot attempts. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker combined for 54 points on 35 field - goal tries, leading the way for a Bucks squad that outscored Indiana by a 96 - 77 margin over the final three quarters. Indiana had a strong shooting night in their own right, managing success rates of 47 and 44 percent from the field and three - point range, respectively. They were paced by Paul George, who totaled 23 points, four rebounds, an assist, two steals and two blocks. He was, however, guilty of a game - high six turnovers, with four of them coming in the first quarter. Jeff Teague followed with 16 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals. Myles Turner had a strong night on offense with 15 points, but could only otherwise contribute two rebounds, an assist and a pair of steals. Monta Ellis had an odd stat line of only six points on just four shot attempts, but he also provided 10 assists, three rebounds and three steals. C.J. Miles continued his early - season success with a bench - leading 19 points, which he supplemented with three rebounds, two assists and three steals. Antetokounmpo shared the game - high scoring total of 27 points with Parker. The former also registered nine assists, seven boards, two steals and two blocks, while the latter supplied eight rebounds, three assists and a block. Tony Snell was a pleasant surprise on offense once again, managing 14 points on 6 - of - 9 shooting and adding two assists, a rebound and a pair of thefts. He now has consecutive double - digit scoring efforts. Greg Monroe once again received more minutes off the bench than starter Miles Plumlee and was highly productive with them, posting a 16 - point, 16 - rebound double - double that also included six assists and a block. Rookie Malcolm Brodgon put together a second straight strong outing, going for 12 points, five assists, two rebounds, a block and three steals. The Pacers head right back home for a Friday night date with the Chicago Bulls, while the Bucks host the Kings for a Friday night showdown as well.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 44 Percentage of 3 points ,has 125 Percentage of field goals ,has 35 Losses ,has 3 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 44 Percentage of 3 points ,has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 3 Losses ,has 107 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 1 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 23 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Myles Turner') has 1 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 10 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 6 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ Miles') has 2 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 27 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jabari Parker') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 27 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tony Snell') has 2 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Greg Monroe') has 1 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 16 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Malcolm Brogdon') has 1 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers made ."]

The Orlando Magic (10 - 18) dropped a tough one against the Boston Celtics (9 - 14) 109 - 92 on Wednesday. Despite getting double - digit scoring from five players on Wednesday, the Magic were outdone by the Celtics in the second half, and went on to lose by 17. Nikola Vucevic was the leading man for the Magic, as he scored 18 points (9 - 19 FG) and tacked on 13 rebounds as well. Evan Fournier and Channing Frye each chipped in 13 points, and Tobias Harris scored 17, but the team's struggles from the outside were too much to overcome. They shot just 5 - 19 from three - point land. For the Celtics, Rajon Rondo led the way with a strong performance, scoring 13 points (6 - 12 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt) to go with 15 assists and seven rebounds. While he did n't lead the team in scoring, he's the man who fuels the entire offense. Brandon Bass had a very nice game off the bench, scoring 18 points (6 - 10 FG, 6 - 6 FT), while both Jared Sullinger and Jeff Green chipped in 16 points each. The Celtics have some impressive young talent, but they've lacked consistency from game to game.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 14 Number of team assists ,has 109 Losses ,has 9 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 17 Number of team assists ,has 18 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 10 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Channing Frye') has 13 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 19 Assists ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 13 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Green') has 16 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jared Sullinger') has 16 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rajon Rondo') has 15 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 13 Free throws attempted ,has 7 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Bass') has 10 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ."]

The Portland Trail Blazers (31 - 13) fell to the Boston Celtics (14 - 26) 90 - 89 Thursday at the Moda Center. With news coming down that star big man LaMarcus Aldrige will miss 6 - to - 8 weeks with a torn ligament in his thumb, the Trail Blazers got to see first hand how much Aldridge will be missed. Thomas Robinson got the start at power forward and performed admirably, scoring nine points and pulling down 12 rebounds. In the final seconds, Jared Sullinger had the ball knocked away, recovered it, and fired a pass from his backside to a wide - open Evan Turner, who buried a three from the corner to give Boston the lead. The Trail Blazer dropped just its fifth game at home. Boston is now 1 - 1 on its six - game Western Conference road trip after getting a surprise win over Portland. This win took a concerted effort from the Celtics starters, with Sullinger, Brandon Bass, and Avery Bradley turning in solid performances. Boston will have a quick turnaround as it will travel to Denver to take on the Nuggets on Friday. The Trail Blazers had one second on the clock to salvage a win over a Boston team that had lost twice as many games as it had won entering Thursday, but their inbound play was doomed from the start as they were unable to get a shot off before the clock hit zero. While rebounding was n't an issue for Portland in Aldridge's absence, their offensive efficiency was a cause for concern. Portland shot just 37 percent from the floor and got very little scoring from Aldridge's replacements. The Trail Blazers will try to right the ship Saturday against the Wizards before embarking on a four - game road swing.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 13 Losses ,has 89 Total points ,has 31 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 26 Percentage of field goals ,has 90 Losses ,has 14 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Thomas Robinson') has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Personal fouls ,has 9 Points ,has 12 Total rebounds ."]

The Houston Rockets defeated the Chicago Bulls 101 - 90 on Wednesday at the Toyota Center in Houston. The Rockets were the superior shooters in this one, going 41 percent from the field, while the Bulls went just 35 percent. The Bulls were able to out - rebound the Rockets 60 - 47, but they were forced into 13 turnovers, compared to only six from the Rockets. The Bulls have now lost three straight. Like he's done all season, James Harden led the Rockets in this one, finishing with a team - high 27 points (9 - 20 FG, 3 - 5 3Pt, 6 - 6 FT), to go along with four assists and two blocked shots. He's now had two impressive games in a row, combining for 53 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. Trevor Ariza was dialed in with his shot, going 7 - for - 10 from the field and 3 - for - 5 from the three - point line to score 20 points, while also adding five rebounds and two steals. He's combined to go 13 - for - 25 from the field and 6 - for - 12 from the three - point line over his last two games, as he'll look to continue with his hot shooting moving forward. Recording his second double - double in his last three games, Donatas Motiejunas posted 15 points (7 - 15 FG, 0 - 3 3Pt, 1 - 2 FT) and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes. In those last three games he's averaging 21 points and 9 rebounds as he's turned it on a bit. Both Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose did everything they could to keep the Bulls in this game. Butler went 9 - for - 18 from the field and 3 - for - 5 from the three - point line to record 27 points, while also adding six rebounds. He's combined for 49 points and 13 rebounds over his last two games, pushing his season averages to 21 points and six rebounds per game. Rose on the other hand recorded 23 points (9 - 22 FG, 2 - 9 3Pt, 3 - 4 FT), four rebounds and two assists. It was his second straight night posting 23 points. Both Taj Gibson and Pau Gasol posted double - doubles. Gibson had 12 points (4 - 9 FG, 4 - 6 FT) and 10 rebounds, while Gasol finished with 16 points (5 - 10 FG, 6 - 7 FT) and 12 rebounds. Joakim Noah had an awful game offensively (0 - 8 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt), posting one point, but he did grab 19 rebounds as he was a force on the boards. The Rockets' next game will be at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, while the Bulls will travel to New Orleans to play the Pelicans on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 101 Total points ,has 27 Points in 1st quarter ,has 47 Rebounds ,has 6 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 35 Percentage of field goals ,has 90 Total points ,has 60 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jimmy Butler') has 5 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 18 Defensive rebounds ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 27 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Pau Gasol') has 10 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 16 3-pointers made ,has 12 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joakim Noah') has 1 Assists ,has 0 Blocks ,has 8 Defensive rebounds ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 19 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Rose') has 2 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 22 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 23 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Taj Gibson') has 9 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 6 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Ariza') has 5 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 20 Field goals made ,has 5 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Donatas Motiejunas') has 3 Assists ,has 0 Blocks ,has 15 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 31 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 15 Free throws made ,has 10 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 20 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 6 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ,has 2 Offensive rebounds ,has 27 Personal fouls ,has 3 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ,has 2 Steals ."]

The Washington Wizards (33 - 35) barely held on for a road win over the Philadelphia 76ers (9 - 59) Thursday night at Wells Fargo Center, 99 - 94. Washington coasted into halftime with a 58 - 39 lead and extended the gap to as many as 24 points in the third quarter. The Sixers slowly chipped away as the Wizards left off the gas in the second half, as they sliced the gap in half by the end of the third quarter. Trailing 78 - 63, Philadelphia went on a 21 - 6 run to tie the game with 4:25 to go. But John Wall made sure the Wizards kept the lead, as he scored 10 of Washington's 15 points down the stretch and assisted on two more as Philadelphia's comeback bid fell short. Six players finished in double figures for the Wizards, including Wall. The Wizards point guard notched a triple double with 16 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds, but it was hardly a flawless performance - - he missed 13 shots (4 - 17) and turned the ball over nine times. Marcus Thornton led the Wizards with 18 points off the bench, and Gortat added a double - double with 16 points (8 - 10 FG) and 13 rebounds. The Wizards won despite shooting a brutal 6 - 27 (22 percent) from the three - point line. Ish Smith's 20 points (9 - 25 FG) for Philadelphia led all scorers, and he added seven assists, three steals and two rebounds. Nerlens Noel scored 14 points and added 16 rebounds and seven steals as he was active all game. Hollis Thompson made 15 points but shot just 5 - 15 and 3 - 11 from three - point land. The Sixers as a whole could n't buy a bucket - - they managed just 39 percent from the floor and 6 - 33 (18 percent) from deep. The Wizards return home to host the Knicks on Saturday. The Sixers welcome the Thunder for a Friday matchup in Philadelphia.

["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 59 Percentage of 3 points ,has 94 Losses ,has 9 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 22 Percentage of 3 points ,has 35 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 15 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 33 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcin Gortat') has 10 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ,has 13 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 14 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ,has 2 Points ,has 9 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Thornton') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hollis Thompson') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nerlens Noel') has 14 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ish Smith') has 7 Assists ,has 25 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 20 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ,has 3 Steals ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Phoenix Suns, 118 - 103, at Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday. The Cavaliers (30 - 11) learned earlier in the day that they would n't have Kevin Love at their disposal to attempt to help them stop a rare slide that had seen them lose three of their last four, as the star forward would be sidelined with his lower back ailment. However, the other two members of the Big Three, along with some help from trusty veteran Channing Frye, helped insure that the Cavs got back on track against the defensively - challenged Suns (13 - 29). Irving and James combined for 47 points, and Cleveland was able to post a success rate of 51 percent from the field and 44 percent from three - point range. On the defensive end, they held the Suns to a 21 percent tally from behind the arc and also forced them into 14 turnovers. Phoenix was led by a pair of 22 - point efforts from Eric Bledsoe and Tyson Chandler, with the former adding nine assists, six rebounds and four steals, and the latter hauling in 16 boards, dishing out an assist and recording a block. Devin Booker was right behind with 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. T.J. Warren registered 18 points, three rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block. Marquese Chriss rounded out the starting five's night with six points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal. Irving's 26 points paced Cleveland, a total he supplemented with four assists, two rebounds and two steals. James generated a near triple - double with 21 points, 15 assists, nine rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Frye led the second unit with an 18 - point, 10 - rebound double - double, along with two assists and a steal. Iman Shumpert provided 17 points, two boards, an assist, a steal and a block. James Jones, drawing the start for Love, compiled 14 points, two assists and a block. The Suns next head to the Big Apple to take on the New York Knicks on Saturday night, while the Cavaliers remain home for a showdown with the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday evening as well.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 51 Percentage of 3 points ,has 11 Percentage of field goals ,has 118 Losses ,has 30 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 21 Percentage of 3 points ,has 29 Percentage of field goals ,has 103 Losses ,has 14 Total points ,has 13 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'TJ Warren') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 18 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 2 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marquese Chriss') has 1 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyson Chandler') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 22 Free throws attempted ,has 16 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Devin Booker') has 8 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 7 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Bledsoe') has 9 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 15 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 21 Free throws attempted ,has 9 Free throws made ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Jones') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 14 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Iman Shumpert') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 17 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 4 Assists ,has 26 Blocks ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Channing Frye') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 18 Offensive rebounds ,has 10 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ."]

The host Golden State Warriors destroyed the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, 109 - 86. The game was close until the third quarter, when Golden State (47 - 9) pulled away with a massive 47 - 12 run. Prior to the run, All-Star forward Draymond Green had been ejected from the game after arguing over a call he disagreed with. Green's absence did not hinder the Warriors, however, as the "splash brothers" helped lead a massive run to earn the blowout victory. Shooting guard Klay Thompson led the team with 35 points and also finished with five rebounds and four assists. Former MVP Kevin Durant had 21 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists. Sacramento (24 - 33), meanwhile, had won four games in a row before Wednesday's rout. On Wednesday, however, even superstar center DeMarcus Cousins struggled, scoring just 13 points and no points in the game's final 20 mnutes. The team's top scorer was forward Matt Barnes with 15, but the contest ultimately proved to be far too lopsided for Sacramento to overcome. The 42 - 15 third quarter was the worst quarter seen by any single team thus far this season. Both teams will enter the All-Star Break.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 9 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 47 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 33 Losses ,has 86 Total points ,has 15 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 24 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 13 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Matt Barnes') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 7 Assists ,has 21 Points ,has 7 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 4 Assists ,has 35 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ."]

The Golden State Warriors (42 - 4) defeated the Dallas Mavericks (26 - 21) at Oracle Arena 127 - 107 on Wednesday. Klay Thompson exploded for his second 40 - point game of the season and led the Warriors with 45 on points on 14 - of - 20 of shooting. Thompson’s effort improved Golden State to the best start in NBA history and 40 consecutive home wins in the regular season. The scoring outburst came at an opportune time, seeing that Stephen Curry struggled early and was unable to get a rhythm going until the third quarter. The reigning MVP finished with 14 points, nine assists and two rebounds in 31 minutes. Dallas was able to pull the game within one point early in the second half, but the Warriors followed up with a 17 - point swing in seven minutes to put the game away before entering the fourth quarter. It was the usual drill for the NBA’s best team, as the final period was led by the reserves, save for Klay Thompson, who was kept in throughout his hot shooting night. Draymond Green had a quiet performance, adding 10 points, three rebounds and four assists, while Harrison Barnes contributed 13 points on 5 - of - 9 shooting to round out the starters. The Warriors begin a road trip with a meeting against the Philadelphia 76ers (7 - 40) on Saturday. The Mavericks were led by Chandler Parsons, as they strategically decided to rest Dirk Nowitzki in the second game of a back - to - back, after the 18 year veteran drained the game winning shot against the Lakers on Tuesday. Parsons scored 23 points, to go along with seven rebounds and one assist on 8 - of - 13 shooting. Dallas came out in the second half firing behind Deron Williams and Wes Matthews, who finished with 12 points and nine points, respectively, but containing Klay Thompson was an ongoing issue, and when Stephen Curry was able to hit his first few three - pointers, there was not much Dallas could do to compete. Salah Mejri got his second straight start at center in favor of the injured Zaza Pachulia (leg), and finished with a lowly two points and three rebounds in 13 minutes. The Mavericks will host the Brooklyn Nets (12 - 34) on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 4 Losses ,has 127 Total points ,has 40 Rebounds ,has 42 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 107 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chandler Parsons') has 1 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 23 Points ,has 7 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wesley Matthews') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Salah Mejri') has 2 Assists ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Deron Williams') has 12 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 9 Assists ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 4 Assists ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 20 Assists ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 45 Field goals made ."]

The Charlotte Hornets defeated the host Brooklyn Nets 99 - 95 at Barclay's Center on Friday. In a game that was tight throughout the fourth quarter, it took a lot of swings to get Charlotte their win. The most decisive stretch for the Hornets was a 19 - 3 run in the third quarter, as they took a lead after trailing by double - digits just six minutes earlier. Brooklyn actually led this game for the first 30 minutes, as there were only two ties and one lead change for the entirety of the game. Both teams shot poorly in this game, as they both shot under 41 percent from the field and under 33 percent from three - point range. Charlotte (4 - 1) continues to grow after a resurgent 2015 - 16 season, as they overcame a double - digit deficit in this road win. Kemba Walker was the player of the game, scoring a game - high 30 points on 11 - of - 22 shooting. Nicolas Batum was second on the team, with his 18 points and nine rebounds. Cody Zeller was the only other starter in double figures, tallying 10 points, six rebounds and six assists. Spencer Hawes led the bench, dropping 13 points on 5 - of - 8 shooting. Charlotte will be off until Monday, when they host the Indiana Pacers. The Nets (2 - 4) have been one of the surprises of the season and they nearly pulled out another upset here. It was a team effort for Brooklyn, as they had seven players score at least eight points. Sean Kilpatrick led the team in scoring with his 19 points, four rebounds and four assists off the bench. Brook Lopez was second on the team, with his 18 points and three boards. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had his best game of the season, accumulating 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals in the loss. Trevor Booker double - doubled as well, totaling 12 points and 13 rebounds. The Nets have an even longer break that the Hornets, as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday for their next game.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 4 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 2 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 1 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 4 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cody Zeller') has 6 Assists ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 18 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 22 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 30 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Spencer Hawes') has 8 Assists ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rondae Hollis-Jefferson') has 6 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Booker') has 12 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 18 Assists ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sean Kilpatrick') has 4 Assists ,has 19 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ."]

The host Milwaukee Bucks took down the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, 107 - 103. Milwaukee (34 - 34) broke even in the win and loss columns with Friday's victory. The star duo of wings, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo, combined for 56 points on the night, more than half of Milwaukee's offensive output. Antetokounmpo added eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks on the night. Middleton, meanwhile, was 11 - of - 18 from the field and 8 - of - 9 from the free - throw line. It was an impressive defensive night for the Bucks, as the team blocked nine shots in total. Los Angeles (20 - 49) continues to remain near the bottom of the league in terms of record. The team recently shut down veteran center Timofey Mozgov in order to give more play time to its young players. Julius Randle, the third - year forward, scored four points to go with 12 rebounds and eight assists in what was a nice night for the young star. As a team, LA functioned very well, as they dished out 24 assists on the night. They shot over 45 percent and made 11 three - pointers as well. The Bucks move up the coast to play at the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. The Lakers next play Sunday vs. the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers.

["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 24 Number of team assists ,has 45 Percentage of field goals ,has 49 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 20 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 34 Number of team assists ,has 107 Percentage of field goals ,has 34 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Khris Middleton') has 18 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 2 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Julius Randle') has 8 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 12 Field goals attempted ."]

The Kings trailed 89 - 71 with 7:58 remaining but clawed back for the upset win. The Clippers failed to score between the 5:16 and 3:3 marks of the fourth period and were ultimately outscored 33 - 21 in the quarter. Willie Cauley-Stein's basket with three seconds remaining gave the Kings the 98 - 97 lead, and Chris Paul missed a would - be game - winning 21 - foot jumper at the buzzer. Darren Collison's 19 points led Sacramento. Buddy Hield posted 15 points and Anthony Tolliver matched Hield's scoring total. Georgios Papagiannis provided 12 points, while Cauley-Stein mustered a modest eight points but hauled in 14 rebounds. Tyreke Evans had eight points while starting at small forward. DeAndre Jordan's 20 - point, 11 - rebound double - double led the Clippers. Paul and Blake Griffin both tallied 17 points. Austin Rivers registered 10 points and Jamal Crawford supplied a bench - leading nine.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 97 Total points ,has 20 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 21 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 98 Total points ,has 33 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyreke Evans') has 8 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Willie Cauley-Stein') has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 14 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Buddy Hield') has 15 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Darren Collison') has 19 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Georgios Papagiannis') has 12 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Tolliver') has 15 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 17 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 20 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Austin Rivers') has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 9 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 17 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Crawford') has 9 Defensive rebounds ."]

The Golden State Warriors (61 - 6) defeated the New York Knicks (28 - 41) 121 - 85 at Oracle Arena on Wednesday. The Knicks presented no challenge to the Warriors perfect home record after Stephen Curry lit up the first quarter for 16 points, which opened the floodgates throughout the rest of the game. Curry finished with 34 points, six rebounds and four assists on 8 - of - 13 shooting from behind the arc and did it all in just 28 minutes. Klay Thompson aided Curry to round out the backcourt and scored 19 points, while Marreese Speights flexed his range like his teammates and scored 13 points on 3 - of - 5 shooting from deep. The Warriors continue to play without Andre Iguodala (ankle) and Shaun Livingston has received a boost in minutes with the NBA Finals MVP on the sideline.. Livingston was not a standout in the box score, but still posted a 22 plus - minus with impressive defense and poise. Draymond Green was not flashy in the scoring department, but was effective in the rebounding battle after scoring 6 points, in addition to 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 28 minutes. New York was unable to pressure the perimeter, and even if they did, the Warriors attacked with a high speed pace that drained what looks like a tired Knicks team. Kristaps Porzingis has hit a rookie wall, and his rebounding number are dropping off since his hot first half of the season. The Latvian rookie scored only two points on 1 - of - 11 shooting and was outplayed under the basket. Carmelo Anthony played efficiently, but it was far from enough to cut into the eventual 30 - plus point blowout. Melo contributed 18 points, six rebounds and six assists on 7 - of - 13 shooting. The New York bench played the most effectively behind Langston Galloway and Arron Afflalo who combined for 29 points. Both players put in 30 - plus minutes of work in the loss. The Warriors will travel to Texas to play the Dallas Mavericks (34 - 34) on Friday, while the Knicks head to the nation's capital to play the Washington Wizards (32 - 35) on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 6 Losses ,has 121 Total points ,has 61 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 41 Losses ,has 85 Total points ,has 28 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Carmelo Anthony') has 30 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 10 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 4 Assists ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 28 Minutes played ,has 34 Points ,has 6 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marreese Speights') has 5 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ."]

The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 102 - 86, at Moda Center on Wednesday. The Trail Blazers (18 - 23) outscored the Cavaliers (28 - 10) in every quarter, and were able to contain Cleveland's big three of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love with transition defense and contested jump shots. Allen Crabbe's 24 points off the bench, with a lights out 9 - of - 11 shooting, proved to be the main difference maker throughout the contest. Across 31 minutes of action, Crabbe simply could not miss, which made up for a still sluggish offensive return from Damian Lillard. The star point guard for the Blazers turned in 14 points, three rebounds and three assists, and continued to defer the scoring to the hot hand of C.J. McCollum. The Blazers shooting guard, who has been averaging over 30 points per game over the last seven contests, added 27 points on 11 - of - 20 shooting. The Cavaliers shot just 34 percent from the field as a unit, and while LeBron James' box score numbers stood out, the actual game plan seemed to lack communication. Cleveland turned the ball over 15 times, compared to that of the Blazers, who made only nine errors throughout the game. James went on to finish with 20 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, while Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love combined for 28 points. Both teams play on Friday, as the Blazers host the Orlando Magic, while the Cavaliers visit the Sacramento Kings.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 23 Percentage of field goals ,has 102 Losses ,has 27 Total points ,has 9 Points in 1st quarter ,has 18 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 34 Percentage of field goals ,has 10 Losses ,has 86 Total points ,has 15 Points in 1st quarter ,has 28 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 4 Assists ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 3 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 3 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Allen Crabbe') has 11 Assists ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 31 Field goals attempted ,has 24 Field goals made ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies (33 - 12) defeated the Dallas Mavericks (30 - 16) 109 - 90 on Tuesday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. After finishing the first quarter tied at 24, the Grizzlies went off and never looked back, out - scoring the Mavericks 85 - 66 in the final three quarters. The Grizzlies were the more effective shooters in this game, going 53 percent from the field and 48 percent from the three - point line, while the Mavericks shot 49 percent from the field and just 27 percent from beyond the arc. The Grizzlies also secured a 40 - 35 rebounding advantage, further helping to secure an impressive 19 - point victory on the road. Zach Randolph was a force in this game, going 10 - for - 15 from the field and 2 - for - 4 from the free throw line to score 22 points, while also adding 10 rebounds. It was his second impressive performance in a row, combining for 46 points and 20 rebounds over that span. It was also his tenth straight double - double. Marc Gasol had a strong showing as well, finishing with 15 points (7 - 13 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt, 1 - 1 FT), four rebounds and six assists. The Grizzlies' front court was very effective, out - playing the tough defensive front court of the Mavericks. Playing 30 minutes, Courtney Lee was dialed in with his shot, scoring 13 points (5 - 7 Fg, 3 - 4 3Pt) and handing out a pair of assists. The Grizzlies also saw a great effort from Nick Calathes and Vince Carter off the bench. Calathes had 13 points (4 - 8 FG, 2 - 3 3Pt, 3 - 4 FT), five rebounds and two steals, while Carter finished with 12 points (3 - 10 FG, 1 - 7 3Pt, 5 - 5 FT), three rebounds and two steals of his own. The Mavericks on the other hand saw most of their production from the duo of Chandler Parsons and Monta Ellis. Parsons shot 7 - for - 11 from the field and 3 - for - 5 from the three - point line to score 19 points, while also adding three assists. He struggled to only six points on Sunday, so it was good to see him turn things around. Ellis finished with 19 points (8 - 16 FG, 1 - 4 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) of his own, but did n't do much else with only one rebound and one assist. He's been impressive offensively over his last two games, combining for 55 points. Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler reached double figures in points as well, with 11 and 10 points respectively, but were n't able to do it defensively as both Randolph and Gasol were very effective against them. The Grizzlies' next game will be at home against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, while the Mavericks will travel to Houston to play the Rockets on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 27 Percentage of 3 points ,has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ,has 90 Total points ,has 24 Points in 1st quarter ,has 35 Rebounds ,has 30 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 48 Percentage of 3 points ,has 53 Percentage of field goals ,has 12 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 24 Points in 1st quarter ,has 40 Rebounds ,has 33 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 15 Assists ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 6 Assists ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 15 Free throws made ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Courtney Lee') has 2 Assists ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nick Calathes') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 13 Free throws attempted ,has 5 Free throws made ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Vince Carter') has 7 Assists ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 12 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chandler Parsons') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 19 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ,has 2 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyson Chandler') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 1 Assists ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 16 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 19 Free throws made ,has 1 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ."]

The San Antonio Spurs (12 - 3) defeated the Dallas Mavericks (9 - 7) 88 - 83 on Wednesday at the AT & T Center in San Antonio. In a tight battle between two of the more experienced teams in the league, the Spurs were able to hold on in the fourth quarter to secure the five - point victory in front of their home crowd. The Spurs shot 41 percent from the field and 29 percent from the three - point line, while the Mavericks finished at 41 percent from the field and 27 percent from deep. While the majority of the outing had the two teams interlocked, the Spurs were able to secure a 52 - 46 rebounding advantage, which may have been just enough to pull out the victory. The Spurs leaned on Kawhi Leonard again in this one. He came in the clutch, scoring five of the Spurs' final six points, all within the last minute of the fourth quarter. Including the final five, Leonard recorded a game - high of 26 points (9 - 16 FG, 4 - 7 3Pt, 4 - 4 FT), while also adding eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. Despite being questionable coming into Wednesday's contest, LaMarcus Aldridge still performed at a high level, scoring 18 points (8 - 17 FG, 2 - 3 FT), to go along with seven rebounds and a blocked shot. Aldridge sat out the last two games with an ankle injury, so it was good to see the ninth - year forward finish the game without any setbacks. Tony Parker was the only other Spurs' player in double figures, chipping in with 16 points on 7 - of - 11 shots from the field. He also added eight rebounds and eight assists, coming just shy of his first triple - double of the season. Parker is averaging 14 points, 5 assists and 2 rebounds on the year. Despite taking the loss, Dirk Nowitzki continued his strong play. He went 5 - for - 8 from the field and 0 - for - 1 from the three - point line to score 13 points, to go along with 14 rebounds and a pair of assists. At 37 years old, the 17 - year veteran out of Germany has already recorded three double - doubles on the season. Wesley Matthews was the only other starter to find some success for the Mavericks. He finished with a team - high of 15 points (6 - 16 FG, 3 - 10 3Pt), while also adding four rebounds over 36 minutes. Matthews has really struggled with his shot this season, averaging a career - low 35 percent from the field and just 33 percent from the three - point line, so after Wednesday's outing, it appears he still has n't been able to make any noticeable improvements. Coming off the bench, Devin Harris posted 11 points (4 - 5 FG, 1 - 2 3Pt, 2 - 3 FT) and three rebounds before fouling out. The Spurs' next game will be on the road in Denver against the Nuggets on Friday, while the Mavericks will be at home against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 29 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 3 Losses ,has 88 Total points ,has 52 Rebounds ,has 12 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 27 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 7 Losses ,has 83 Total points ,has 46 Rebounds ,has 9 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 0 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wesley Matthews') has 10 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 16 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 36 3-pointers made ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Devin Harris') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 5 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 16 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 26 Free throws attempted ,has 8 Free throws made ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 1 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 17 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ,has 7 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tony Parker') has 8 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 16 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ."]

The visiting Los Angeles Clippers took down the Utah Jazz on Monday, 88 - 72. Los Angeles (34 - 21) passed Utah in the standings with the win, claiming fourth place in the Western Conference. Superstar Chris Paul remains sidelined with a thumb injury, but LA has managed to win three straight in his absence. One of the keys to the Clippers' success has been the strong play of star forward Blake Griffin. Griffin led the team with 26 points on Monday, also notching 10 rebounds and six assists. Griffin was the key to the Clippers' offense in what was a slow - paced and defense - dominated game. LA was able to shoot 44 percent from the field, far ahead of the dismal 33 percent managed by Utah. Utah (34 - 22) is trending in the opposite direction of LA, as the team has now lost three contests in a row. Monday was a particularly poor showing for the Jazz, as the team saw its lowest offensive output of the season. Only three team members scored in double figures and the high scorer was forward Derrick Favors with just 13. All-Star Gordon Hayward, meanwhile, fell completely flat, scoring only seven points on 2 - of - 12 shooting. The Jazz had plenty of second chances on Monday, as center Rudy Gobert came down with eight offensive rebounds. Nevertheless, the team still struggled to find the basket. The Clippers will host the Hawks on Wednesday, while the Jazz will host the Trail Blazers.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 22 Percentage of field goals ,has 72 Losses ,has 34 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 44 Percentage of field goals ,has 88 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 6 Assists ,has 26 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 12 Assists ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Favors') has 3 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 8 Assists ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies (46 - 30) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 96 - 83, extending their eight - game road losing streak. Marc Gasol left the game after bumping knees with Zaza Pachulia, but he did return to lead the team with seven assists. Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, and Tony Allen all played after sitting out the previous game due to rest. After going 13 - of - 51 in the previous six games, Courtney Lee scored a team - high 17 points on 6 - of - 10 shooting. Mike Conley didn’t play in the second straight game while nursing a right ankle issue, opening the door for Beno Udrih to start. Tony Allen swiped four steals in 32 minutes, increasing his averaging to 3 steals per game since the All-Star break. The Bucks still maintain a three and a half game edge over the Indiana Pacers for the six seed in the East. Michael Carter-Williams was a late scratch dealing with ankle problems. Tyler Ennis supplied a game - high 11 assists in his first career start, sullied by his 11 missed shots in 36 minutes. O.J. Mayo played seven minutes after missing the previous game with a hamstring strain. The Bucks conclude a three - game road trip Tuesday against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Grizzlies host the Denver Nuggets on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 96 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 83 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Ennis') has 11 Assists ,has 36 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'O.J. Mayo') has 7 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 7 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Courtney Lee') has 10 Assists ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 17 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tony Allen') has 32 Assists ,has 4 Field goals attempted ."]

The Brooklyn Nets (18 - 24) defeated the Sacramento Kings (16 - 26) 103 - 100 on Wednesday. The Nets were in control for much of this one. The Kings took a 5 - 4 lead early in the first quarter, and it was the only lead they'd hold all game, falling down by as much as 23 points late in the second quarter. In the second half, Sacramento closed the gap and made the score respectable, outscoring the Nets by 13 in the second half. However, it was n't enough as Brook Lopez stepped up with a big game, putting in 22 points and blocking six shots in 38 minutes off the bench. Mason Plumlee started but got into foul trouble and only played 11 minutes. Jarrett Jack continues to be solid in place of Deron Williams (ribs). Jack had 16 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals. DeMarcus Cousins had 28 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Kings. Rudy Gay continues to play well in spite on a knee injury, leading his team in minutes with 42. Gay scored 25 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists. Ramon Sessions made his return from a back injury that has kept him out since Dec. 22. Sessions had four assists and four rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench. The Kings could've used a little more from their bench, as they were outscored 51 - 18 by the Brooklyn reserves. The Kings will play the Warriors on Friday, and the Nets will take on the Clippers on Thursday.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 26 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 23 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 16 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 24 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 18 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mason Plumlee') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jarrett Jack') has 8 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 4 Field goal percentage ,has 2 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 6 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 38 Field goal percentage ,has 22 Free throws made ,has 6 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gay') has 6 Assists ,has 42 Blocks ,has 25 Field goal percentage ,has 8 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 42 Assists ,has 28 Blocks ,has 14 Field goal percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ramon Sessions') has 4 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 4 Field goal percentage ."]

The Brooklyn Nets (16 - 16) defeated the Orlando Magic (13 - 23) 100 - 98 on Friday at the Amway Center in Orlando. After a second and third quarter where the Nets combined to out - score the Magic 64 - 36, they entered the fourth riding a 25 - point lead. The Magic were n't done though, and went on a huge fourth quarter comeback, pulling all the way back to within two points. Their comeback effort came up just short though, as they just did n't have enough time to complete it. The Nets used superior shooting in this one, as they went 57 percent from the field compared to the Magic who went just 42 percent from the floor. The Nets continued to bring both Brook Lopez and Deron Williams off the bench, as they they both came in on a minutes restriction. Williams seemed to get a much longer run Friday, as he played 29 minutes compared to playing closer to 20 minutes the last four games. He cashed in on the extra time, going 5 - for - 10 from the field and 3 - for - 3 from the three - point line to score 16 points, while also handing out seven assists. Lopez on the other hand played just 17 minutes, but was very efficient with his time on the court and recorded 16 points (7 - 8 FG, 2 - 3 FT) and eight rebounds. He was placed in the starting lineup on Tuesday because of an injury to Kevin Garnett, but was reduced to a bench role again with his return. Mason Plumlee also had a strong game and continued to start at center. He went 9 - for - 10 from the field to score a team - high of 18 points, while also grabbing nine rebounds and adding two blocks. The Magic got help from all over the place, with seven players reaching double figures in points. Victor Oladipo led the team, going 7 - for - 13 from the field and 2 - for - 2 from beyond the arc to score 17 points. He's improved his scoring of late, and is now averaging 18 points per game over his last three outings. Rookie Elfrid Payton had one of his best games of his career thus far. He came just shy of his first ever triple - double, as he finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. The nine rebounds matched a season - high, while it was his second double - double of the year. Ben Gordon also gave a solid contribution off the bench. He went 5 - for - 9 from the field and 1 - for3 from the three - point line to score 14 points in 19 minutes. Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic had 12 and 10 points respectively. The Nets' next game will be on the road against the Miami Heat on Sunday, while the Magic will be at home against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 23 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 25 Points in 1st quarter ,has 13 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 57 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 16 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mason Plumlee') has 2 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 9 Defensive rebounds ,has 18 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 8 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 16 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Deron Williams') has 7 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 29 Field goals made ,has 16 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 12 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Victor Oladipo') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 1 Free throws attempted ,has 17 Free throws made ,has 3 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 10 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 16 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ben Gordon') has 1 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 19 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ."]

The Los Angeles Clippers (38 - 20) defeated the Sacramento Kings (24 - 33) 117 - 107 on Friday. In a battle between two of the best offenses in the NBA, the defenses showed their true form. The key for the Clippers was protecting the ball, as they committed just eight turnovers, while forcing the Kings to commit 16. Los Angeles shot 48 percent from the field, with Sacramento shooting 44 percent on their end. The game really changed in the third quarter, as the Clippers outscored the Kings 34 to 16. Los Angeles had lost three of five coming into this and got a much needed dose of poor opposition. Chris Paul had one of his best games of the season, as he tallied 40 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds in the win. Jeff Green also had his best game with the Clippers, as he scored 22 points in his first start. On deck for the Clippers is a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. Sacramento has been let down by their defense all season and it let them down once again in this matchup. DeMarcus Cousins had yet another spectacular game though, as he accumulated 26 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. Sacramento had to play this game without Rajon Rondo, but it opened up the door for Seth Curry to drop a career - high 19 points off the bench. Up next for the Kings is another tough game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 44 Percentage of field goals ,has 33 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 16 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 16 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 24 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 48 Percentage of field goals ,has 20 Losses ,has 117 Total points ,has 34 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 34 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 8 Turnovers ,has 38 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Green') has 22 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 13 Assists ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ,has 1 Personal fouls ,has 40 Points ,has 8 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 9 Assists ,has 26 Offensive rebounds ,has 15 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Seth Curry') has 19 Assists ."]

The New Orleans Pelicans (28 - 47) defeated the Denver Nuggets (32 - 44) 101 - 95 on Thursday. Denver came into this game as a rare road favorite and couldn’t muster up enough for a win. The key for New Orleans was their rebounding, as they brought down 51 boards to the Nuggets 40. The Pelicans also shot well from long distance, as they went 13 - for - 29 in their win. The Nuggets have been playing better ball recently, but this loss guaranteed that they'd miss the playoffs yet again. Darrell Arthur was great off the bench in this loss though, as he scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Kenneth Faried recorded his 22nd double - double, as he tallied 10 points and 12 rebounds. On deck for the Nuggets is a matchup with the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. The Pelicans are extremely shorthanded right now, so this was a true team win. Toney Douglas was the leader, as he totaled 20 points and 10 assists in the victory. Luke Babbitt led the team with 22 points, while also grabbing 10 rebounds. Tim Frazier was a great spark off the bench, as he accumulated 17 points, five rebounds and eight assists. The Pelicans next game wo n't be until Sunday, when they face the Brooklyn Nets on the road.

["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 47 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 51 Rebounds ,has 28 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 95 Losses ,has 40 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kenneth Faried') has 10 Assists ,has 12 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Darrell Arthur') has 24 Assists ,has 9 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Luke Babbitt') has 22 Assists ,has 10 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Toney Douglas') has 10 Assists ,has 20 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tim Frazier') has 8 Assists ,has 17 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ."]

The Boston Celtics (18 - 30) defeated the Denver Nuggets (19 - 31) 104 - 100 on Wednesday at the TD Garden in Boston. While they were down three points coming out of the first quarter, the Celtics had a monster second quarter, out - scoring the Nuggets 35 - 22 and set themselves up to seal the four - point victory in the end. Despite each team shooting close to the same percentage from the floor, the Celtics took a huge advantage from behind the arc, going 43 percent from the three - point line, while the Nuggets finished at a meager 17 percent from deep. The Celtics also out - rebounded the Nuggets 51 - 48. The Celtics spread the scoring around in this game, with five players reaching double figures. Avery Bradley led the starters, finishing with 17 points (7 - 15 FG, 1 - 2 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) and four rebounds in 31 minutes. He's posted three impressive games in a row, averaging 20 points over that stretch. Marcus Thornton matched Bradley, as he came off the bench for 17 points (5 - 9 FG, 4 - 5 3Pt, 3 - 3 FT), five rebounds and two steals in 20 minutes. He was very efficient with his time on the court, playing well on both offense and defense. It was his third straight game with two steals. Jared Sullinger was forced into a bench role, as he showed up late for the Celtics' walk - through. He was still productive though, posting 14 points (5 - 12 FG, 2 - 3 3Pt, 2 - 4 FT) and seven rebounds in only 21 minutes. Both Tyler Zeller (6 - 12 FG, 2 - 3 FT) and Jae Crowder (5 - 12 FG, 2 - 6 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) each had 14 points as well. The Nuggets continued their tough stretch, losing their fourth game in a row. After struggling to score recently, Ty Lawson finally got things going, finishing with 23 points (9 - 15 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt, 4 - 4 FT), eight assists and two steals. He had posted 10 or less points in each of his last four games, so will see if this builds his confidence moving forward. Arron Afflalo also had a strong showing. He recorded 18 points (6 - 17 FG, 3 - 9 3Pt, 3 - 4 FT) and three assists in 36 minutes. He's now averaging 15 points and 4 rebounds per game on the year. Kenneth Faried recorded a double - double with 17 points (6 - 8 FG, 5 - 5 FT) and 11 rebounds. He went scoreless in 19 minues against the 76ers on Tuesday, so the Nuggets were happy he was able to turn things around Wednesday. Jusuf Nurkic added 14 points (4 - 7 FG, 6 - 6 FT), seven rebounds and three blocks. The Nuggets' next game will be on the road against the Detroit Pistons on Friday, while the Celtics will be at home against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 43 Percentage of 3 points ,has 30 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 35 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 51 Rebounds ,has 18 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 17 Percentage of 3 points ,has 31 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 22 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 48 Rebounds ,has 19 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kenneth Faried') has 8 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jusuf Nurkic') has 3 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ,has 7 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Arron Afflalo') has 3 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 36 Free throws made ,has 18 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ty Lawson') has 8 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 15 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 23 Free throws made ,has 2 Minutes played ,has 4 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Zeller') has 12 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws attempted ,has 17 Free throws made ,has 4 Minutes played ,has 3 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jae Crowder') has 6 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 14 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Thornton') has 5 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 20 Free throws attempted ,has 17 Free throws made ,has 5 Minutes played ,has 2 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jared Sullinger') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 21 Free throws attempted ,has 14 Free throws made ,has 7 Minutes played ."]

The Denver Nuggets (19 - 30) defeated the Toronto Raptors (32 - 16) 112 - 93 on Monday. Despite a sterling record, impressive 11 - game winning streak and comfortable division lead coming into Monday, the Raptors did n't exactly travel well into Denver's mile - high altitude.Toronto was held to pedestrian 37 and 32 percent tallies from the field and three - point range, respectively, while yielding 54 and 46 percent figures to Denver in those same categories. Even more surprisingly, a Nuggets team with a multi - season reputation of struggling against opposing big men down did a complete about - face Monday, dominating the Raptors on the boards and in the paint. They outscored the visitors by the margin of 60 - 26 down low, and outrebounded them 49 - 26. The charge was led by the emerging Nikola Jokic, who posted 27 points and hauled in 14 rebounds, 11 of them coming on the defensive glass. Three other Denver players - - Kenneth Faried, Will Barton and Jusuf Nurkic - - collected seven boards apiece as well, in a game that turned into a thoroughly unexpected rout. DeMar DeRozan was essentially the lone bright spot for Toronto, registering a team - high 24 points and adding four assists, a rebound and a steal. Terrence Ross was actually the next biggest contributor, scoring 12 points, hauling in four rebounds and collecting a steal off the bench. Kyle Lowry posted a modest 10 points, which he supplemented with a pair of rebounds, a pair of assists and a trio of thefts. Jonas Valanciunas, saddled with a thumb sprain suffered on Saturday versus the Pistons, held his own against Jokic early before exiting after 19 minutes. He amassed 10 points, eight rebounds and a block over his relatively brief time on the floor. Despite the loss, the Raptors sit atop the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They are in Phoenix on Tuesday night for a date with the Suns. Jokic added four assists and a block to his game - high scoring and rebounding totals. Barton paced the Nuggets bench with the next - highest scoring haul of the game, collecting 20 points and adding the aforementioned seven rebounds, three assists and a block. Fellow reserve Randy Foye was right behind him with 16 points of his own, which he complemented with five rebounds, three assists, a steal and a pair of blocks. Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried followed with a pair of 13 - point efforts. Gallinari also pitched in four rebounds, four assists and a steal, while Faried secured his seven boards and also dished out two assists and recorded a steal. The Nuggets remain in fourth place in the Western Conference's Northwest Division. They head to Utah to take on the Jazz on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 46 Percentage of 3 points ,has 54 Percentage of field goals ,has 30 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 19 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 32 Percentage of 3 points ,has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ,has 93 Total points ,has 32 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 1 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 4 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 2 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Terrence Ross') has 12 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Danilo Gallinari') has 4 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kenneth Faried') has 2 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 7 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Jokic') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 11 Defensive rebounds ,has 27 Minutes played ,has 14 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jusuf Nurkic') has 7 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Will Barton') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 20 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Randy Foye') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 16 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 Minutes played ,has 1 Points ."]