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The Orlando Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons, 98 - 92, at Palace at Auburn Hills on Sunday. The Magic (9 - 12) embarked on their current road trip as losers of four in a row, and appeared like a team in disarray all the way around. However, they've found a way to turn things around away from the confines of Amway Center, as they've now managed to rattle off victories in four of their last five games, including three straight. Serge Ibaka played a pivotal role in Sunday's win, as he posted a team - high 21 points and added seven rebounds, four assists, four blocks and three steals. The performance was an extension of a resurgent stretch by the veteran forward, one in which he's posted double - digit scoring efforts in nine of 10 games and multiple blocks in seven of his last nine. Orlando has also developed a strong second unit in the the last several contests, with Nikola Vucevic and Jeff Green providing starter - quality production in reserve roles. Sunday, the pair posted 16 and 14 points, respectively, and the bench accounted for 45 of the Magic's 98 points. D.J. Augustin logged another start in place of Elfrid Payton and was second to Ibaka on the starting five with 12 points, three rebounds and three assists. Aaron Gordon was next, supplying 10 points and three rebounds. Evan Fournier underwhelmed, however, registering just five points on 1 - of - 7 shooting, along with two assists, a rebound and three steals. Vucevic added eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks to his bench - leading scoring total, while Green supplemented his aforementioned 14 points with five rebounds and three assists. Detroit (11 - 11) actually received a balanced effort from their starting five, which was led by Marcus Morris' 21 points. He added five rebounds, an assist and a pair of steals. Reggie Jackson made his season debut and looked outstanding, collecting 18 points, four assists and a rebound over just 23 minutes while proving that his troublesome knee was in playing shape. Tobias Harris was able to provide 11 points, four rebounds and an assist against his former Magic teammates. Andre Drummond posted a 10 - point, 10 - rebound double - double that also included three assists, three steals and two blocks. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope cooled off from recent performances with a tally of nine points, nine rebounds, four assists and a steal. Ish Smith, who went back to the bench with Jackson's return, managed 11 points, two assists and a rebound while leading the second unit in scoring. The Magic continue their swing through the Northeast with a trip to the nation's capital to face off with the Washington Wizards on Tuesday evening. The Pistons remain home and await the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday evening as well.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 11 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 11 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 12 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 9 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aaron Gordon') has 10 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Serge Ibaka') has 4 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 9 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 21 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 2 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'D.J. Augustin') has 3 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 8 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 3 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Green') has 3 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 1 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Morris') has 1 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 21 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kentavious Caldwell-Pope') has 4 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 4 Assists ,has 23 Blocks ,has 18 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ish Smith') has 2 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ."]

Kawhi Leonard finished with a game - high 32 points on efficient 11 - of - 22 shooting, to go along with six rebounds, five assists and one steal. LaMarcus Aldridge followed up with 19 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks, while Dewayne Dedmon came up huge in yet another start, as he fills in for the injured Pau Gasol. Dedmon tallied 17 points on 8 - of - 10 shooting, to go along with 17 rebounds and two blocks, in 32 minutes. Danny Green was on fire from deep, where he hit 4 - of - 5, on his way to 12 points, in 30 minutes of action. Meanwhile, despite seven players scoring in double digits, the Pistons fell short. Tobias Harris was the high - point man for Detroit, with 16, while Ish Smith followed up with 15 points, in 19 minutes off the bench. Two players scored 12, while three more added 10 each.

["PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 5 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 32 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 2 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dewayne Dedmon') has 2 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 32 3-pointers made ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 17 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Danny Green') has 5 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 30 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 16 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ish Smith') has 19 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ."]

The visiting Golden State Warriors took down the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, 133 - 120. The Warriors (43 - 7) saw stellar top - down play even despite the absence of All-Star Draymond Green. The reigning conference Player of the Month duo, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, recorded a pair of double - doubles. Curry led the team with 29 points and dished out 11 assists, while Durant scored 26 to go with 10 assists and eight rebounds. It was a typically dominant game for the loaded superteam, as the Warriors shot over 52 percent from the field and poured in 14 three - pointers. Seven players scored in double - digits and the team dished out a whopping 38 assists. Golden State was able to quickly get ahead of the Clippers with a 33 - 22 advantage in the first quarter. The Clippers (31 - 19) remain without injured superstar Chris Paul, and could have used him in Thursday's double - digit loss. Star forward Blake Griffin took the reigns on offense in Paul's stead, scoring a game - high 31 points. Off the bench, sixth man Jamal Crawford scored 21 and hit five three - pointers. However, not even 50 percent shooting as a team and ten three - pointers was enough for LA to best the stacked Warriors' squad. 15 team turnovers did little to help the Clippers' case. The Warriors will travel to Sacramento on Saturday, while the Clippers will play in Boston on Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 19 Losses ,has 120 Total points ,has 22 Points in 1st quarter ,has 31 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 7 Percentage of field goals ,has 133 Losses ,has 33 Total points ,has 43 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 10 Assists ,has 26 3-pointers made ,has 8 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 11 Assists ,has 29 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 31 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Crawford') has 5 Assists ,has 21 3-pointers made ."]

The Jazz are the far superior team over the Suns, but it took a monster effort to escape with a win. In fact, there were eight ties and 20 lead changes, with neither team leading by more than nine points. Defense was key for Utah, as they held Phoenix to 41 percent shooting and just nine assists. Utah shot 48 percent from the field and recorded 17 assists. Devin Booker and Eric Bledsoe carried the load, as they were the only starters in double figures, Booker led the team with 20 points, while Bledsoe tallied 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Tyson Chandler totaled eight points and 11 rebounds as the Suns starting center. Rudy Gobert and Gordon Hayward tied the team - lead for Utah with 18 points a piece. Gobert added 13 rebounds to his tally, while Hayward provided nine rebounds and four assists.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 17 Number of team assists ,has 48 Percentage of 3 points ." "TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 9 Number of team assists ,has 41 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyson Chandler') has 8 Assists ,has 11 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Devin Booker') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Bledsoe') has 8 Assists ,has 19 Points ,has 8 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 4 Assists ,has 18 Points ,has 9 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 18 Assists ,has 13 Points ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies improved their record to an NBA-best 9 - 1 with a 95 - 88 victory over the Detroit Pistons (3 - 7) Saturday at FedExForum. Detroit was out - scored 25 - 16 in the opening quarter, but rallied behind a Kyle Singler three - point barrage to cut the deficit to one at halftime and take a brief lead during the third quarter before the Grizzlies ultimately pulled away. Singler finished with a season - high 21 points on 5 - of - 7 shooting from downtown. The 21 - point effort was Singler's first double - digit scoring game of the season. Greg Monroe added a 16 - point, 11 - rebound double double for Detroit. The Grizzlies were led by the front court duo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, who combined for 40 points and 30 rebounds. Randolph's 22 boards were a season - high, and Gasol's 23 points gave the Memphis center his fifth game this season of 20 or more points. Memphis shot just 37 percent from the field, but controlled the glass and made a living at the free - throw line to take the victory. The Grizzlies out - rebounded Detroit 53 - 43, and shot 27 - 33 from the charity stripe. The Pistons were unable to get efficient production out of their back court against the tough Memphis defense that allows the fewest points per game in the NBA. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shot 1 - for - 11 while Brandon Jennings and D.J. Augustin each shot below 40 percent.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 1 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 25 Points in 1st quarter ,has 53 Rebounds ,has 9 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 7 Percentage of field goals ,has 88 Losses ,has 16 Total points ,has 43 Points in 1st quarter ,has 3 Rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Greg Monroe') has 16 Blocks ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kentavious Caldwell-Pope') has 11 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Singler') has 1 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 21 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 22 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 23 Blocks ."]

The Sacramento Kings (15 - 19) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (5 - 27) 110 - 107 on Thursday. Sacramento broke their two - game losing streak with the win. Derrick Williams moved into the starting lineup in place of Ryan Hollins, giving Kings fans the first significant change in the team's rotation since Ty Corbin was asked to take over the head coach position and start making changes over two weeks ago. Williams should be used with Rudy Gay at the forward positions to help Sacramento stretch the floor and play at a faster pace. He put up 17 points and five rebounds in 31 minutes. The Kings got what they wanted on offense, shooting 54 percent from the field and 42 percent from beyond the arc, but they let the Timberwolves keep it close by giving away 21 points on 20 turnovers. Minnesota has lost ten straight games, but No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins has started to show some exciting improvements. He scored a game - high 27 points to go with nine rebounds and four steals in 40 minutes Thursday, and over his last five games, Wiggins has averaged 21 points and 4 rebounds on 51 percent shooting in 36 minutes per game. Gorgui Dieng helped keep the Timberwolves in the game Thurday, putting up 15 points and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes. The Kings will wrap up their road trip against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, while the Timberwolves will stay home to host the Utah Jazz on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 107 Percentage of 3 points ." "TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 42 Percentage of 3 points ,has 54 Percentage of field goals ,has 110 Total points ,has 20 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Williams') has 2 3-pointers made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 31 Free throws made ,has 17 Minutes played ,has 5 Offensive rebounds ,has 2 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gorgui Dieng') has 30 3-pointers made ,has 15 Free throws attempted ,has 10 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 1 3-pointers made ,has 5 Free throws attempted ,has 40 Free throws made ,has 5 Minutes played ,has 27 Offensive rebounds ,has 9 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ."]

The Golden State Warriors (37 - 8) beat the Phoenix Suns (28 - 21), 106 - 87. The win improves the Warriors' home record to 22 - 2. Marcus Morris received his sixth technical foul. Both starting centers, Andrew Bogut and Alex Len, were limited due to foul trouble. Markieff Morris scored 11 of his team - high 17 points in the first quarter and grabbed 11 rebounds in 31 minutes. Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe, and Isaiah Thomas shot a combined 13 - of - 39 for 39 points. Thomas led the team with five assists, Dragic committed seven turnovers, and Bledsoe was a team - low negative 26 when on the court. Stephen Curry scored 19 of his 25 points in the first half. His All-Star backcourt teammate, Klay Thompson, added 22 points three rebounds, four assists, two blocks and three three - pointers in 33 minutes. Leandro Barbosa followed up a 15 - point outing with 14 points off the bench. The Warriors battle the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, the first of four games in five nights. The Suns welcome the Memphis Grizzlies after one day off.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 8 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 37 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 21 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 28 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Markieff Morris') has 11 Assists ,has 31 Blocks ,has 17 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Goran Dragic') has 7 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Bledsoe') has 3 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 5 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 33 3-pointers made ,has 22 Minutes played ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 25 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Leandro Barbosa') has 14 Assists ."]

The Portland Trail Blazers (27 - 27) defeated the Houston Rockets (27 - 28) 116 - 103 at Moda Center on Wednesday. Damian Lillard was one of the controversial names left off the Western Conference All-Star roster, as he was the only player in the top 10 in scoring to not make the team. Lillard got the best of the Rockets, especially in the fourth quarter, aptly named "Lillard Time" by the Blazers fans and finished with 31 points, three rebounds, nine assists and three steals on 9 - of - 22 shooting. The Weber State point guard dropped 13 points in the fourth quarter, including two clutch three - pointers. Portland entered the fourth quarter with an 11 point lead, and continued to stave off James Harden’s comeback attempts. Maurice Harkless stepped up in his starting frontcourt role, completing a double - double by dominating the glass, as he finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds on 8 - of - 11 shooting. Lillard’s backcourt partner, CJ McCollum added 14 points, while Myles Leonard and Gerald Henderson combined for 27 points off the bench. The Blazers will continue to battle for a Western Conference playoff seed when they host the Golden State Warriors (48 - 4) after the all - star break on Friday, February 19. James Harden was electrifying in trying to single handedly bring the Rockets back to life, but it was far from enough to erase the Blazers ongoing scoring runs. Harden, in signature fashion, did damage with his step back jumper and constant willingness to find a way to the free throw line, as he finished with 34 points to lead all scorers. He added nine rebounds and 11 assists in 41 minutes to round out the box score. The downside to the league’s second leader in minutes per game was the eight turnovers he committed. Dwight Howard was a force underneath the rim, scoring 28 points on 13 - of - 17 shooting, almost all of which coming from the post or restricted area. Howard grabbed 13 rebounds in the contest to complete a double - double. The Rockets were unable to get scoring options out of the rest of the starters, and the bench was not a viable option to turn to. The 20 team turnovers made the difference for Houston, and the sloppy play could not be covered up by the scoring outbursts from their two superstars. The Rockets will visit the Phoenix Suns (14 - 40) on Friday, February 19.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 27 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 27 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 28 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 27 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Howard') has 17 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 28 Field goals made ,has 13 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 11 Assists ,has 34 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 8 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Maurice Harkless') has 11 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 19 Field goals made ,has 13 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 9 Assists ,has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ,has 31 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ,has 3 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Meyers Leonard') has 14 Assists ."]

The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the host Brooklyn Nets, 129 - 125, at Barclay's Center on Wednesday. Despite there being just four ties and six lead changes in this game, it came down to the final seconds. It took a late run for Brooklyn to get back into the game though, as Milwaukee outscored Brooklyn by 11 in the third quarter, but they outscored the Bucks by nine in the fourth to cut the lead to four. The Bucks led for the entirety of the second half though, as Brooklyn could n't muster up enough stops to take a lead. Milwaukee's offense was cruising, as they recorded 27 assists on 57 percent shooting from the field and 47 percent from three - point range. The Bucks 16 steals was a huge factor as well, as they won the turnover differential, 17 - 10. The Bucks (25 - 30) are now carrying a three - game winning streak into the All-Star break, as they continue to fight for a playoff berth. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the player of the game, as he tallied 33 points, nine rebounds, three assists and four steals. Greg Monroe was second on the team, providing 25 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals on 12 - of - 16 shooting off the bench. Khris Middleton recorded season - highs across the board, as he accumulated 20 points, three rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 25 minutes of action. The Nets (9 - 47) have now lost 14 - straight, as they simply ca n't get any stops on the defensive end. Brook Lopez did all he could for Brooklyn, as he led the team with 36 points, four rebounds and eight blocks. Spencer Dinwiddie was second on the team, amassing 19 points, five rebounds and eight assists, Trevor Booker was huge off the bench, providing 18 points, five rebounds and three assists on 7 - of - 8 shooting,

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 47 Number of team assists ,has 125 Percentage of 3 points ,has 17 Percentage of field goals ,has 9 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 27 Number of team assists ,has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 57 Percentage of field goals ,has 30 Losses ,has 129 Total points ,has 10 Turnovers ,has 25 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 3 Assists ,has 33 Blocks ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Greg Monroe') has 3 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 25 Field goals made ,has 8 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Khris Middleton') has 7 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 8 Assists ,has 36 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Spencer Dinwiddie') has 8 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Booker') has 3 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 18 Field goals made ,has 5 Points ."]

Despite the Sixers hanging around in the first quarter, this game was out of hand early. In fact, Toronto led for the final 35 - plus minutes and won each quarter by at least four points. The Raptors were lights - out from long distance, hitting 68 percent of their three - pointers. Robert Covington has struggled shooting all season long for the Sixers, but finished this game with a team - high 20 points on 7 - of - 11 shooting. Sergio Rodriguez, Richaun Holmes, Nik Stauskas and Ersan Ilyasova all scored 11 points a piece in the loss. Kyle Lowry was the Raptors best player, totaling 24 points, four rebounds and eight assists. Terrence Ross was a big reason for the lights - out three - point shooting, as he scored 22 points off the bench on 8 - of - 11 shooting. DeMar DeRozan was n't scoring like usual, but he still finished with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 68 Percentage of 3 points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ersan Ilyasova') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 11 Assists ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 20 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sergio Rodriguez') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nik Stauskas') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Richaun Holmes') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 5 Assists ,has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 8 Assists ,has 24 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Terrence Ross') has 11 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 22 Field goals made ."]

The Phoenix Suns (5 - 4) defeated the Denver Nuggets (5 - 5) 105 - 81 on Saturday night. The Denver Nuggets struggled shooting in Saturday night’s loss, as the team finished 35 percent from the field and 17 percent from the 3 - point line. Rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay finished with 13 points, five rebounds and one assist, to go along with three turnovers, a major improvement from his nine turnover outing against Houston on Friday night. The Nuggets received their most efficient performance from Will Barton, who contributed 19 points, 12 rebounds and four assists on 8 - for - 16 shooting. Randy Foye was the only other Nugget in double figures, but continued the poor shooting trend, as he finished with 10 points on 5 - for - 14 shooting (0 - 4 from 3 - point range), to along with 3 rebounds in 22:42 off the bench. Eric Bledsoe put on a show at the Talking Stick Resort Arena and led all scorers in the win, finishing with 30 points, seven rebounds and four assists. While Denver had some tough luck driving the ball to the rim, Bledsoe showed elegant touch and finished 11 - for - 16 from the field. The Suns were without starting forward Markieff Morris (knee), but it had no negative affect the team, as the Suns took a massive 32 point lead into the half. Tyson Chandler, Archie Goodwin, Brandon Knight and Mirza Teletovic also scored in double figures, as the team shot 44 percent from the floor. Denver will look to bounce back when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans (1 - 8) on Tuesday, while the Suns host the Los Angeles Lakers (1 - 8) on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 4 Percentage of 3 points ,has 105 Percentage of field goals ,has 5 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 17 Percentage of 3 points ,has 35 Percentage of field goals ,has 5 Losses ,has 81 Total points ,has 5 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Emmanuel Mudiay') has 1 Assists ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Will Barton') has 4 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 19 Points ,has 12 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Bledsoe') has 4 Assists ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 30 Points ,has 7 Total rebounds ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers (15 - 7) absolutely dominated the Orlando Magic (12 - 11) for all four quarters Friday, winning by a score of 111 - 76. Guard Iman Shumpert made his long - awaited return, coming off the bench for 14 points on 5 - 7 shooting. Still absent, however, was All-Star Kyrie Irving, who has been sidelined all season with an injury sustained in last year's NBA finals. The Cavs pulled away in the second quarter, outscoring the Magic 31 - 17. From there, it was the LeBron & Co. show, as the Cavs controlled the third quarter by a margin of 30 - 15. Per usual, James led the way for the Cavs, delivering 25 points, eights assists, and four steals in only 29 minutes in the blowout. With the win, Cleveland extends their lead on the Eastern Conference, comfortably holding the first seed. For the hot and cold Magic, however, nothing seemed to work on either end of the floor. Starter Tobias Harris disappointed with 0 points and two rebounds, while forward Channing Frye posted no stats of any kind in 12 minutes, save for three missed field goals. These weak performances only furthered the Magic's overall struggles, as the team shot just 39 percent on the night while allowing the opposition to hit 57 percent of their shots. The Cavs will look to assert themselves even further as they take on Boston on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Magic have an upcoming road game on Monday in Brooklyn.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 11 Losses ,has 76 Total points ,has 17 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 12 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 7 Percentage of field goals ,has 111 Losses ,has 31 Total points ,has 15 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 29 3-pointers attempted ,has 25 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Iman Shumpert') has 14 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 0 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Channing Frye') has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 0 Minutes played ."]

It was a battle between All-Stars Monday night with Paul George of the Pacers and Gordon Hayward of the Jazz squaring off. And while George got the win, it was Hayward who put together the more impressive performance. While George did hit a late jumper to seal the deal for Indiana, he finished with just 19 points on a rough 6 - of - 20 shooting from the field. Hayward, on the other hand, scored a career - high 38 points on 16 - of - 24 shooting from the field in 37 minutes. The difference ended up being that George had the support of his teammates, while Hayward did not. Five other Pacers starters scored in double figures Monday and Indiana got 28 points from its reserves. Meanwhile, Utah had just three other players score in double figures and their bench managed to produce just 17 points in the loss.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 28 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 24 Field goals attempted ,has 16 Field goals made ,has 37 Minutes played ,has 38 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 20 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 19 Minutes played ."]

The Washington Wizards (5 - 4) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks (5 - 6) 115 - 86 on Tuesday. The Wizards put forth a true team effort in toppling the Bucks, with four starters and one reserve all tallying double - digit scoring. Washington played its third consecutive game without standout shooting guard Bradley Beal (shoulder), but benefited from a second straight productive performance from his replacement, Garrett Temple (10 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals). Washington took its game to another level in the second quarter and never looked back, outscoring Milwaukee 37 - 17 after the Bucks opened the period leading 29 - 27. In their first game following a rousing double - overtime victory over Cleveland on Saturday, the Bucks could not generate much offense against a tough Wizards squad. Khris Middleton led Milwaukee with 14 points, a pair of rebounds, and a steal, while Jerryd Bayless pitched in across the stat sheet over a team - high 37 minutes on the floor. The eight - year veteran poured in 13 points, and added six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. He also drained another three buckets from beyond the arc, giving him nine three - pointers over the last three contests. Michael Carter-Williams was not as productive as he was Saturday in his first game back from his ankle injury, managing a modest 12 points and a sole rebound. Greg Monroe endured his worst game in a Bucks uniform to date, amassing only four points, five rebounds, and four assists over 26 minutes. Greivis Vasquez and John Henson led Milwaukee’s reserves with 12 and 10 points, respectively. The Bucks dropped to 5 - 6 and are currently in last place in the Eastern Conference’s Central Division. They head to Cleveland for a matchup versus the Cavaliers on Thursday. For Washington, John Wall and Otto Porter also pitched in 19 points apiece, with the former coming just one assist short of a second consecutive double - double. Marcin Gortat contributed 12 points and nine rebounds, while Kris Humphries was the only member of the starting five in single digits with nine points. Jared Dudley paced the Wizards’ bench with a 13 - point performance against his former team, while veteran Gary Neal helped supplement Temple’s efforts at the shooting guard spot with 10 points of his own. The Wizards currently reside in third place in the Eastern Conference’s Southeast Division, with the outcome of tonight’s Hornets-Knicks contest potentially dropping the Wizards to fourth if Charlotte notches the victory. They travel to Detroit for a road tilt versus the Pistons on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 4 Losses ,has 115 Total points ,has 27 Points in 1st quarter ,has 37 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 5 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 6 Losses ,has 86 Total points ,has 29 Points in 1st quarter ,has 17 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 5 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Khris Middleton') has 14 Assists ,has 2 Minutes played ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Greg Monroe') has 4 Assists ,has 26 Minutes played ,has 4 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jerryd Bayless') has 37 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Carter-Williams') has 12 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Greivis Vasquez') has 12 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Henson') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Otto Porter') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kris Humphries') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcin Gortat') has 12 Assists ,has 9 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Garrett Temple') has 2 Assists ,has 10 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gary Neal') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jared Dudley') has 13 Assists ."]

The Oklahoma City Thunder (41 - 16) rolled past the Dallas Mavericks (30 - 28) in a potential playoff preview matchup Wednesday at American Airlines Center, 116 - 103. After trailing the entire first half, Dallas worked its way to a brief third quarter lead, and Oklahoma City carried just a six - point lead into the fourth quarter. But the Thunder dominated the final frame, as they opened with 150 run and coasted to the win in the final minutes. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook scored 24 points apiece to lead the Thunder, and they both shot an identical 8 - 17 from the floor. Westbrook dished out a game - high 13 assists and grabbed seven rebounds while Durant nabbed eight rebounds, had six assists, and grabbed two steals. Stephen Adams scored 15 on 7 - 9 shooting and the Thunder got major contributions from bench players Dion Waiters (4 - 6 3PT) and Enes Kanter (nine rebounds), who scored 14 points each. Dirk Nowitzki scored a game - high 33 points (10 - 16 FG, 11 - 12 FT), but he was one of the few bright spots for a Mavericks offense that could n't find its shots. Dallas shot just 41 percent from the field and 9 - 28 (32 percent) from three. Wes Matthews was the Mavericks second leading scorer with 15 points (5 - 16 FG, 5 - 11 3PT) as Dallas could n't get anybody going besides Nowitzki. The Mavericks continue their homestand with a matchup Friday against the Nuggets. The Thunder continue their travels Thursday in New Orleans.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 32 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 28 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 24 Points in 1st quarter ,has 30 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 16 Percentage of 3 points ,has 116 Percentage of field goals ,has 41 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 6 Assists ,has 24 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Steven Adams') has 1 Assists ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 13 Assists ,has 24 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dion Waiters') has 6 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Enes Kanter') has 14 Assists ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 16 Assists ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ,has 33 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wesley Matthews') has 11 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 16 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ."]

The Houston Rockets (14 - 4) defended their home court, knocking off the Memphis Grizzlies (15 - 3) 105 - 96 and grabbing a statement victory. The Grizzlies came into this game with a 7 - 2 road record, and look like a serious contender. The Rockets were looking to spoil that, and did so while making life tough from the outside for the Grizzlies. Memphis only saw three players score in double figures\, but nine players scored at least seven points. Mike Conley led the way with 15 points (5 - 9 FG, 1 - 4 3Pt, 4 - 4 FT), six assists and three steals in 27 minutes. Both Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol had quiet nights, as both had eight points and managed just 13 total rebounds between the two. What made this win even more impressive for the Rockets, was the fact that they got it done without Dwight Howard. Howard was out with a strained right knee, but six players stepped up to score in double figures during his absence. James Harden led the way, scoring 21 points (6 - 11 FG, 2 - 5 3Pt, 7 - 8 FT) to go with four assists, four rebounds, three steals and one block in 28 minutes. Tarik Black, who started in place of Howard, posted a double - double with 10 points (5 - 9 FG), with 11 rebounds. It was an impressive, well - rounded effort from Houston.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 4 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 14 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 3 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 15 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marc Gasol') has 8 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 6 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ,has 27 Free throws made ,has 15 Minutes played ,has 3 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tarik Black') has 9 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 8 Free throws attempted ,has 7 Free throws made ,has 28 Minutes played ,has 21 Offensive rebounds ,has 4 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ."]

The Boston Celtics (14 - 10) beat the rising Charlotte Hornets (14 - 9) after the teams traded three - pointers in the final 30 seconds. For Boston, the win came on the coattails of a devestating loss in double overtime against the Golden State Warriors. Despite the extended matchup on Friday, the Celtics came out guns blazing in Charlotte. Rising star Avery Bradley led the way with 23 points, while point guard Isaiah Thomas had a 21 - point, 13 - assist double - double. Boston has exceeded most expert's expectations this season, now sitting four games above .500 and coming off a back - to - back in which they defeated the Eastern Conference's second seed and came seconds away from snapping the Golden State Warriors' historic win streak. The young team, along with third - year coach Brad Stevens will hope to improve upon last year's surprising playoff run. Meanwhile, the loss comes as a bit of a momentum killer for Charlotte, who had won five of their previous six games. Even in the face of a loss, small forward Nicolas Batum put up strong numbers. In his first year with the Hornets, Batum has been impeccable, putting up impressive averages of 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists and helping the lottery team transform into one of the Eastern Conference's toughest matchups. Point guard Kemba Walker, meanwhile, had an off shooting night, going just 5 - 15 from the floor. After what was a heartbreaking Friday night for Boston, the win against Charlotte should help the team regain its momentum before a big game against Cleveland on Tuesday. Charlotte's next matchup will be against the Magic in Orlando on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 9 Losses ,has 17 Points in 1st quarter ,has 14 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 10 Losses ,has 14 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 23 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 13 Assists ,has 21 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Free throws attempted ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers (25 - 9) extended their win streak to six games after defeating the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves (12 - 25) 125 - 99. Streaky shooting guard J.R. Smith led the dominant Cavs with a season - high 27 points in just 19 minutes. Smith has been in the zone of late, pouring in 24 or more points in each of his last three outings. As always, superstars LeBron James and Kevin Love made a big impact on the box score. Love scored 20 points and pulled down nine rebounds, while James flirted with a triple - double, posting 13 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists. All-Star Kyrie Irving, however, had an off night, posting just 13 points, two rebounds, and two assists. Overall, the team was dominant, shooting 53 percent from the field and 48 percent from beyond the arc. The Wolves, meanwhile, saw promising performances from their young stars, but still put up a poor team effort against the powerhouse Cavs. Sophomore Andrew Wiggins dropped a game - high 35 points, while sophomore Shabazz Muhammed and rookie Karl-Anthony Towns posted 22 points each. Despite the trio's strong efforts, no one else on the team scored in double - digits, and only one other player posted more than two points. Towns, the first overall pick in the 2015 draft, has been electric so far this season, and has made a strong case for Rookie of the Year, averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. Even with a promising young roster, Minnesota has struggled lately. The Wolves have dropped nine of their last 10 games, and are now sitting on a five - game losing streak. Minnesota will look to turn their luck around against Dallas, as they face off against the Mavs on Sunday. Cleveland, meanwhile, visits the league - worst Sixers for their next contest on Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 25 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 12 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 9 Losses ,has 125 Total points ,has 25 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 8 Assists ,has 13 Minutes played ,has 12 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 20 Assists ,has 9 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'JR Smith') has 19 Assists ,has 27 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 2 Assists ,has 13 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 22 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 35 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Shabazz Muhammad') has 22 Assists ."]

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 96 - 83, at American Airlines Center on Saturday. These are two teams on the outside looking in for the playoffs and the Mavericks were able to escape with a huge win to get them closer to that eight - seed. Despite New Orleans leading by six points after the first quarter, Dallas took care of business from there by winning the other three quarters by at least four points. In fact, the Mavericks outscored the Pelicans, 49 - 34, in the second half. Defense was key, as they held New Orleans to 40 percent from the field and 21 percent from three - point range, while forcing 19 turnovers. The Pelicans (23 - 36) now have two double - digit losses since acquiring DeMarcus Cousins and the growing pains are slower than most anticipated. Anthony Davis stepped up though, as he led the team with 39 points and 14 rebounds. Cousins finished with just 12 points, but provided 15 rebounds, six assists and three steals. Jrue Holiday was the only other Pelican in double figures, as he collected 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists. The other six players combined for just 14 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and no blocks. The Mavericks (23 - 35) have been surging since a terrible start and a win over a growing team like the Pelicans is just what they need to get some momentum going. Harrison Barnes led the way, as he tallied 19 points, three rebounds and three steals. Dirk Nowitzki finished second on the team, totaling 18 points and nine rebounds. Seth Curry and Yogi Ferrell combined for 20 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists as the starting backcourt. Nerlens Noel made his debut and amassed nine points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Salah Mejri had a historically bad game, as he fouled out in five minutes, while failing to record a single stat aside from a turnover.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 35 Percentage of 3 points ,has 96 Percentage of field goals ,has 23 Losses ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 21 Percentage of 3 points ,has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 36 Losses ,has 83 Total points ,has 19 Turnovers ,has 23 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 39 Assists ,has 14 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 6 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 12 Points ,has 15 Total rebounds ,has 3 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 6 Assists ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 7 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 19 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dirk Nowitzki') has 18 Assists ,has 9 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Yogi Ferrell') has 1 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nerlens Noel') has 9 Assists ,has 10 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Salah Mejri') has 1 Assists ."]

The Indiana Pacers (35 - 43) defeated the New York Knicks (15 - 63) 102 - 86 on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Pacers picked up a very big win in this one, as they're in a fight for the eighth and final projected playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. The Nets remain in that eighth spot and own just a one game lead over the Pacers, so they'll need to come out victorious in the majority of their final four games of the regular season if they want to play in the postseason. Despite turning the ball over 17 times compared to just 11 from the Knicks, the Pacers made up for it with their rebounding, as they posted a 54 - 34 advantage. As he's done for the majority of the time that he's been healthy, George Hill was the player that led this team to the win. He went 7 - for - 11 from the field and 1 - for - 2 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 20 points, while also adding six rebounds and five assists. Hill was away from the team Tuesday for personal reasons, but he was able to come back for this one and pick up where he left off with another strong performance. Roy Hibbert notched a double - double in the win, finishing with 11 points (5 - 9 FG, 1 - 2 FT) and 11 rebounds over just 16 minutes. It was his first double - double over his last seven games, as the big man was able to have a bunch of success against a struggling Knicks' team. Both CJ Miles and David West finished in double figures as well in their run with the starters. West went a perfect 5 - of - 5 from the field to score 11 points, while Miles added 13 points (5 - 14 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) and four rebounds as well. Langston Galloway and Andrea Bargnani were the few Knicks' players to have some success Wednesday. Galloway finished with 19 points (6 - 14 FG, 1 - 2 3Pt, 6 - 6 FT) and five rebounds, while Bargnani chipped in with 15 points (5 - 11 FG, 2 - 2 3Pt, 3 - 3 FT) and six rebounds. Galloway has shot under 40 percent from the field in five of his last six games prior to Wednesday, so he'll likely look to try and establish more consistency in the final few games of the 2015 regular season. Bargnani has put in a couple of solid games in a row, combining for 40 points and 14 rebounds over his last two matchups. He's now averaging 15 points and 4 rebounds on the season. Tim Hardaway JR, Quincy Acy and Jason Smith all added 12 points of their own off the bench. The Pacers' next game will be on the road against the Detroit Pistons on Friday, while the Knicks will be at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.

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The Miami Heat (15 - 9) defeated the Brooklyn Nets (7 - 18) 104 - 98 on Wednesday night. This game was tight throughout and the Nets had yet another close loss. It was a second quarter in which Brooklyn allowed 33 points and scored just 20 of their own that very well may have decided this game. Miami shot 53 percent from the field and outrebounded the Nets 44 - 35 in the win. There were only 18 combined turnovers, so it was a well - played, clean game all - around. Dwyane Wade shot just 3 - for - 16 in his most previous game, but was spectacular here. He went 13 - for - 17 from the field to accumulate 28 points, five rebounds, two assists and three blocks in the win. When Wade is playing like this, the Heat are a hard team to beat. Hassan Whiteside had been struggling lately but had a nice game here, tallying 20 points and 13 rebounds. Goran Dragic also continued his recent good form, as he totaled 16 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals in the victory. This four - headed monster of Wade, Whiteside, Dragic and Chris Bosh is a scary combo and they should be able to compete with anyone if all four are on their game. Miami will look to keep up the momentum when they host the Toronto Raptors on Friday in their next game. The Nets haven’t been as bad as their 7 - 18 record would indicate and they just ca n't seem to close games out late. They played poor defense here as well, as they allowed 53 percent shooting and drew just 12 turnovers in the loss. Brook Lopez led the team with 25 points, but Jarrett Jack was the best player on Wednesday. Jack tallied 22 points and 10 assists and continues to show that he's a legitimate starting point guard in this league. Brooklyn will have another tough task, when they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers in their next game on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 18 Percentage of field goals ,has 98 Losses ,has 20 Total points ,has 20 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 7 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 53 Percentage of field goals ,has 9 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 12 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 15 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 4 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 13 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 2 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ,has 28 Free throws attempted ,has 5 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Goran Dragic') has 5 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 16 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 25 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jarrett Jack') has 10 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ."]

The Oklahoma City Thunder (22 - 10) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks (12 - 21) 131 - 123 on Tuesday night. In an anticipated blowout, the Bucks kept this game with an unlikely recipe. Milwaukee came into this game as the worst rebounding team in the NBA and actually outrebounded the Thunder, who rank second in the NBA in rebounding. The game was played at an incredible fast pace, as the 24 - second shot clock didn’t even need to be on. The difference in the game was the free - throw shooting, as the Thunder went 37 - for - 40 from the charity stripe, while the Bucks went just 15 - for - 22. Milwaukee came into this game as a huge underdog, but held their own to keep it close throughout. This was one of the best offensive performances that the Bucks have had all season and it's a shame they couldn’t keep the Thunder off the free - throw line. Khris Middleton has been fantastic lately and that form continued here, as he scored a career - high 36 points in the loss. Michael Carter-Williams also played well, as he tallied 19 points, nine assists and nine rebounds in the defeat. This goes down as a loss, but Milwaukee did some good things here that they can definitely build upon for future endeavors. The Bucks next game will be on Thursday against the Pacers in Indiana. Oklahoma City has been the second - best offense in the NBA this season and they improved on that scoring average tonight. Per usual, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant were the stars of the show and put up very similar lines. In fact, Westbrook totaled 27 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and five steals, while Durant amassed 26 points, six rebounds and eight assists. Those two also went a combined 20 - for - 21 from the free - throw line and continue to carry this team. Cameron Payne also had his best game as a pro, as he scored a career - high 16 points off the bench in just 16 minutes. The bench was good all - around, as they scored 53 points in the win. If the bench can score 40 - plus regularly with Durant and Westbrook doing what they do, this team will be impossible to beat. The Thunder will look to continue their good play against the struggling Phoenix Suns on Thursday.

["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 10 Losses ,has 131 Total points ,has 22 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 21 Losses ,has 123 Total points ,has 12 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Khris Middleton') has 36 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Carter-Williams') has 9 Assists ,has 19 Minutes played ,has 9 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 8 Assists ,has 26 Minutes played ,has 6 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 7 Assists ,has 27 Minutes played ,has 7 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cameron Payne') has 16 Assists ,has 16 Minutes played ."]

Kristaps Porzingis tallied 20 points in his return to lead the Knicks. New York also limited the Magic to 41 percent shooting overall and 20 percent (5 - for - 25) from three - point range. They were particularly stingy coming out of halftime, as they stymied Orlando to the tune of 16 points in the third period. Derrick Rose followed with 19 points, while Carmelo Anthony tallied a near double - double with 17 points and nine rebounds. Lance Thomas remained in the starting five at power forward and produced 11 points. Justin Holiday led the second unit with 14 points. Evan Fournier's 22 points paced Orlando. D.J. Augustin followed with a bench - leading 15 points. Nikola Vucevic supplied a 14 - point, 10 - rebound double - double. Aaron Gordon shook off a quad contusion to register 10 points. Jeff Green chipped in with 11 points off the bench.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 20 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lance Thomas') has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Carmelo Anthony') has 17 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kristaps Porzingis') has 20 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Rose') has 19 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Justin Holiday') has 14 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aaron Gordon') has 10 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 14 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 22 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'D.J. Augustin') has 15 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Green') has 11 Field goals attempted ."]

Westbrook's 51 - point triple - double was far from efficient, as the guard committed five turnovers and took 44 shots in the effort - filled performance Friday against the Suns. Oklahoma City could have ended the game much earlier, as they missed the last three shots in the final 30 seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime. Westbrook actually recorded his 10th assist in overtime, so if it weren’t for the extra session, Westbrook would have fallen an assist shy of a triple - double in back - to - back games. T.J Warren, Devin Booker, Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight combined for 87 of the Suns 110 points. In contrast, the Thunder got 72 combined points from Westbrook and Victor Oladipo. That means 159 of the total 223 points came from just six players, with none of the other 15 players scoring in double figures. The projected total of 210 was only eclipsed because of the overtime session.

["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 110 Total points ,has 30 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 44 Rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 44 Field goals attempted ,has 51 Points ,has 5 Turnovers ."]

The visiting Charlotte Hornets defeated the host Dallas Mavericks, 109 - 101, on Monday. The Hornets (12 - 9) needed the win badly after having gone 4 - 6 in their previous ten games. Monday's matchup was among the easier on the Hornets' schedule, as Dallas sits near the bottom of the league standings. Still, Charlotte saw a hard - fought game, with the team's lead in single digits as the game neared its end. Guard Kemba Walker led the team with 19 points on 8 - of - 15 shooting, but had just three rebounds and four assists. Nicolas Batum, meanwhile, recorded 14 points and an impressive 15 rebounds from the shooting guard position. Batum also dished out a team - high seven assists. Dallas (4 - 16), meanwhile, sits only half a game above the league - worst 76ers following Monday's loss. Dallas has been heavily depleted by injury early this season, most notably to veteran star Dirk Nowitzki (achilles). On Monday, starters Dorian Finney-Smith and Andrew Bogut combined for just 35 minutes and one point, showcasing the dire state of Dallas's roster. Newly acquired forward Harrison Barnes, however, led the team with an impressive 29 points. Barnes has stepped up in his larger role with Dallas after spending years as a fourth option on offense in Golden State. The Hornets will host the Pistons on Thursday while Dallas will host the Kings.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 16 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 4 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 9 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 12 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 7 Assists ,has 14 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 4 Assists ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 19 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dorian Finney-Smith') has 1 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Harrison Barnes') has 29 Assists ."]

The host Boston Celtics took down the Charlotte Hornets at TD Garden on Monday, 108 - 98. Boston (26 - 15) is now 13 - 3 in its last 16 contests and has seen star point guard Isaiah Thomas ascend to a new level through his recent play. Thomas leads the NBA in scoring in the fourth quarter and posted another big final 12 minutes on Monday, scoring 17 points in the fourth to give him 35 on the night. The All-Star drained seven three - pointers and had five rebounds and four assists in what was yet another astounding night for the Celtics' star. While the game was close throughout, Boston held the lead from the second quarter and on, never allowing Charlotte to regain control of the game. A big part of the Celtics' success was All-Star center Al Horford, who quietly scored 22 points while pulling in six rebounds. Off the bench, center Kelly Olynyk came through for 15 points and nine rebounds after an extremely strong 26 - point outing in Atlanta on Friday. The Celtics also saw the return of injured shooting guard Avery Bradley, who had missed the previous week of play with an achilles injury. Bradley appeared rusty, however, going for just five points on 2 - of - 9 shooting and committing a pair of costly turnovers. Charlotte (20 - 21) fell to 0 - 5 on its road trip with Monday's loss. The team has struggled mightily after a strong 6 - 1 start to the season. Monday, however, showed some promise, as the Hornets were able to hold close to the surging Celtics. Star point guard Kemba Walker led the team with 24 points while adding four rebounds. Shooting guard Nicolas Batum was a key factor in almost every element, playing tough defense and narrowly missing a triple - double. Batum finished with eight points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Big man Marvin Williams caused problems for the Boston frontcourt with his athletic scoring touch, finishing the night with 21 points. The Celtics will host the Knicks on Wednesday, while the Hornets will host the Trail Blazers.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 15 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 21 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 26 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 21 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marvin Williams') has 21 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 10 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 24 Assists ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 22 Assists ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 9 Assists ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 35 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kelly Olynyk') has 15 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ."]

The Charlotte Hornets (2 - 3) defeated the Dallas Mavericks (2 - 3) 108 - 94 on Thursday. Veteran Al Jefferson had been relatively quiet on the offensive front over his first four games, scoring no higher than 17 points in any of those contests. The Hornets center exploded Thursday for his highest scoring output in almost a full year, coming within three points of the 34 he’d posted Nov. 7, 2014 versus the Hawks. The most eye - popping statistic from Jefferson’s stellar night was undoubtedly his accuracy from the field, with Big Al draining buckets at a blistering 83 percent clip (15 - of - 18). The Hornets were also the beneficiaries of Marvin Williams’ third double - double in five games, and Kemba Walker’s 14 - point effort. Jeremy Lamb followed up a strong 20 - point performance in Tuesday’s blowout of the Bulls by posting a second consecutive double - digit scoring night to pace Charlotte’s reserves. Cody Zeller pitched in a season - high 11 points over a highly efficient 19 minutes on the floor. The Hornets improve to 2 - 3 and are in third place in the Eastern Conference’s Southeast Division. Charlotte heads to San Antonio for what should be a tough Saturday tilt versus the Spurs. The Mavs enjoyed fairly solid shooting nights from four of their starting five, who all scored in double digits. Zaza Pachulia, looking like a strong offseason acquisition, posted his third double - double of the year and second in the last three contests. However, Raymond Felton, drawing the start at shooting guard, could only muster seven points. Dwight Powell was able to lead the Dallas bench with a 14 - point contribution. The Mavs fall to 2 - 3 and reside in second place in the Western Conference’s Southwest Division. They remain home for a date with the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 3 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 14 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 2 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 3 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 2 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marvin Williams') has 5 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Jefferson') has 18 3-pointers attempted ,has 15 Field goals attempted ,has 83 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kemba Walker') has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cody Zeller') has 19 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Raymond Felton') has 7 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwight Powell') has 14 3-pointers attempted ."]

The Portland Trail Blazers (41 - 19) won their fifth straight game Thursday, defeating the Dallas Mavericks (40 - 23) 94 - 75 at the Moda Center. Dallas cut Portland's lead to 10 with just over four minutes to go in the fourth but did not register another point as the Trail Blazers pulled away en route to an easy victory. However, the bigger story for Portland on Thursday night was Wesley Matthews, who went down with a left foot injury. Matthews reportedly went in for an MRI shortly after exiting the game in the third. If Matthews' injury turns out to be serious, Portland will be missing its best three point shooter. Dallas came into the game on two days rest, but had a rough night from the floor. The Mavericks were held to 37 percent from the field and went just 2 - for - 16 from beyond the arc. Tyson Chandler returned from a three - game absence and finished with four points and 14 rebounds over 28 minutes. The Mavericks have another tough game on the docket as they will travel to the Oracle Arena to take on the Warriors on Friday. Portland was playing its second game in as many nights after grinding out an overtime victory in Los Angeles against the Clippers on Wednesday. Nicolas Batum turned in another big performance with 15 points and 12 rebounds in 36 minutes on the floor. The Trail Blazers will await the results of Matthews MRI, but if he is forced to miss time, Arron Afflalo will likely step into the shooting guard role. Portland will return to action Saturday in Minnesota.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 19 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 41 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 23 Losses ,has 75 Total points ,has 40 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyson Chandler') has 3 Minutes played ,has 4 Personal fouls ,has 14 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nicolas Batum') has 36 Minutes played ,has 15 Personal fouls ,has 12 Points ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers (34 - 12) defeated the San Antonio Spurs (39 - 8) 117 - 103 at Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday. Two of the toughest competitors have bested the Spurs over the past week, as the Cleveland Cavaliers joined the Golden State Warriors in defeating Gregg Popovich and his basketball machine. The Spurs were once again without Tim Duncan (knee), who should return to the lineup on Tuesday, and the effects are beginning to take notice. Before the injury, Duncan was leading the league in defensive efficiency and his passing ability has always been a staple to the Spurs game. David West got the nod in Duncan’s absence, but is far from as efficient to the five time champions. West finished with eight points, three rebounds and one assist in 23 minutes. Kawhi Leonard led San Antonio in scoring and contributed 24 points, six rebounds and two assists on 7 - of - 15 shooting. LaMarcus Aldridge was efficient in the effort, scoring 15 points on 11 shots, but was almost invisible in the rebounding battle, as he grabbed a lowly two boards. The Spurs will host the Orlando Magic (20 - 25) on Monday. Cleveland was able to exploit the Duncan-less smallball lineup and earned strong performances from all five starters, who finished in double figures. LeBron James was unstoppable on the drive, and more impressive chasing down Manu Ginobili in transition. James finished with a game high 29 points, five rebounds, seven assists and two blocks (both on Ginobili) on 10 - of - 17 shooting in 34 minutes. Kevin Love put together one of his best games of the season, scoring 21 points, to go along with 11 rebounds and three assists on 8 - of - 13 shooting, while Kyrie Irving was the third Cavs member to score 20 - plus points. The Cavs will visit Indiana Pacers (25 - 22) on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 12 Losses ,has 117 Total points ,has 34 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 8 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 39 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kawhi Leonard') has 2 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 24 Field goals made ,has 6 Field goal percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 11 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 2 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'David West') has 1 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Manu Ginobili') has 1 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 7 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 34 Field goal percentage ,has 1 Minutes played ,has 29 Offensive rebounds ,has 5 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 21 Field goal percentage ,has 11 Minutes played ,has 1 Offensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 1 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ."]

The Golden State Warriors (40 - 4) beat the Indiana Pacers (23 - 20) 122 - 110 on Friday night. These are two of the fastest - paced teams in the NBA right now and it made for a fun game to watch. The difference in this game was as simple as shooting, as the Pacers really struggled from three - point range and from the free - throw line. In fact, they went just 3 - for - 17 from long distance and 11 - for - 19 from the charity stripe through the first 44 minutes. Golden State also turned it on in the final 12 minutes, as they shot over 60 percent from the field in the fourth quarter. Steve Kerr made his return to coaching here for the Warriors and they were obviously happy to get him a win in his first game back after dealing with migraines from back surgery for the first half of the year. The Pacers actually did a great job of hanging around in this game, but didn’t execute enough to pull out a big win. Not only did they shoot poorly, they also had far too many defensive breakdowns against this potent Warriors offense. The bench is what kept Indiana in the game, as they got 60 points and 26 rebounds from just five players with rookies Joe Young and Myles Turner leading the bunch. Turner scored a career - high 31 points while also snatching down eight boards with Young amassing 16 points and eight assists. Monta Ellis scored all of his 18 points in the second half after playing just five minutes in the first half because of foul trouble. If he were to play a full complement of minutes here, this result very well may have been different with how well he was playing. Paul George had one of his worst games of the year, as he tallied 12 points, two rebounds and one assist while dealing with foul trouble of his own. Indiana will have to hop on a plane just hours after this game to get ready for a matchup with the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. Steph Curry has had a great season, but he was just majestic on Friday. Curry accumulated 39 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists en route to his seventh triple - double of his career. Draymond Green also played well, as he grabbed 22 points, 11 rebounds and four steals while shutting down George on the other end. The Warriors played great team - ball, as they dished out 30 - plus assists for the 22nd time this season, which is easily tops in the league. Golden State has had one of the easiest schedules in the NBA this season thus far and they face their biggest test in their next game, as the Warriors take on the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, who are in the midst of a 13 - game winning streak and a franchise - best start.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 4 Losses ,has 122 Total points ,has 40 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 20 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 23 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 1 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joe Young') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 1 Defensive rebounds ,has 16 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Myles Turner') has 5 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 31 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 1 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Draymond Green') has 22 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 12 Assists ,has 39 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies (29 - 12) fell to the Dallas Mavericks (29 - 13) 103 - 95 at home Monday. In a tightly contested game between two of the top five seeds in the West, Dallas got a huge win on the road against a Memphis squad that had won four in a row. Dirk Nowitzki took the game over down the stretch, scoring Dallas' final eight points to put the game on ice. Dallas has now won three of its last four games to move to just a half game behind Memphis for the third seed in the West. Monta Ellis led the way in the scoring column, pouring in 25 points while Tyson Chandler was dominant on the boards, pulling down 16 rebounds. The Mavericks will travel to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves on Wednesday. Memphis lost at home for the first time since Dec. 26 against Houston. Mike Conley returned to action for the Grizzlies after missing two games with an ankle injury. He logged 30 minutes of playing time and scored 22 points. Memphis will look to rebound from this loss Wednesday when a struggling Toronto team comes to town.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 12 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 29 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 13 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 29 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyson Chandler') has 16 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 25 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Conley') has 2 3-pointers made ,has 30 Minutes played ,has 22 Points ."]

The Detroit Pistons defeated the Miami Heat, 107 - 98, at American Airlines Arena on Sunday. While there were only two ties and five lead changes in total, this game was close throughout. Miami actually led for the first 30 minutes, while the Pistons took their first lead in the third quarter and never looked back. Defense in the second half was key for Detroit, as they held Miami to just 32 points in that 24 - minute stretch. Rebounding was the biggest factor in Detroit's win, as they won that battle, 48 - 34. They also dominated scoring down low as well, as they outscored the Heat, 42 - 26 in the paint. The Pistons (16 - 20) have been in a terrible rut recently, but this is a big road win to get them closer to .500. Reggie Jackson had his best game of the season, as he led the team with 27 points, two rebounds and four assists. Andre Drummond was equally as good, as he totaled 25 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the only other starter with more than 11, as he tallied 23 points, six rebounds and five assists. More importantly, those three players combined to go 31 - of - 51 from the field. Detroit will return to action on Tuesday in a home matchup against the Indiana Pacers. The Heat (10 - 25) had to play this game without Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside and Justise Winslow, as they simply did n't have enough bullets to win this fight. Josh Richardson had to carry the load, as he accumulated 14 points, eight assists and two steals in the loss. Wayne Ellington led the starters in scoring, as he accrued 18 points, four rebounds and three assists. James Johnson led the team in scoring off the bench, collecting 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Miami will look to get out of this slide on Thursday against the Phoenix Suns.

["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 25 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 10 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 20 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 16 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 2 Assists ,has 25 Blocks ,has 18 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kentavious Caldwell-Pope') has 5 Assists ,has 23 Blocks ,has 6 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 4 Assists ,has 27 Blocks ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wayne Ellington') has 3 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Josh Richardson') has 8 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Johnson') has 3 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 7 Points ."]

The Detroit Pistons (43 - 37) defeated the visiting Washington Wizards (38 - 41) 112 - 99, Friday evening at Palace of Auburn Hills. Reggie Jackson put on a show with 39 points, while the Pistons put together strong first and fourth quarters to earn a win and their first playoff berth since the 2008 - 2009 season. On the other hand the Washington Wizards are now eliminated from playoff contention, while John Wall had to sat this one out with a sore knee. Jackson had a great game at home for the Pistons as he shot 14 - for - 20 on his way to a game - high 39 points. Jackson also added nine assists and four rebounds, in 34 minutes. Tobias Harris finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and one assist, in 36 minutes, while Marcus Morris chipped in 14 points and four rebounds, in 38 minutes. The Pistons hit 26 - 29 free throws, shot 47 percent from the field and 43 percent from downtown in the win. Markieff Morris won the battle against his brother in terms of personal stats, but his team - high 29 points (10 - 20 FG, 2 - 6 3Pt, 7 - 9 FT) was not enough to get the Wizards over the hump in this one. Bradley Beal added 25 points (10 - 22 FG, 2 - 4 3Pt, 3 - 6 FT), six rebounds and three assists, but also had six turnovers, in 40 minutes. Ramon Sessions started in place of John Wall and finished with 13 points, six assists, one rebound and one steal, in 32 minutes. Next, the Wizards will host the Hornets on Sunday and will have to dig deep to find motivation, given their recent elimination from playoff contention. The Pistons host the Heat on Tuesday, in what will be their last, regular - season home game.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 37 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 39 Points in 1st quarter ,has 43 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 99 Losses ,has 29 Total points ,has 38 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Markieff Morris') has 6 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 7 Free throws attempted ,has 29 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 3 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 22 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 25 Minutes played ,has 6 Points ,has 6 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ramon Sessions') has 6 Assists ,has 32 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 1 Assists ,has 17 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Morris') has 38 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 9 Assists ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 34 Field goals attempted ,has 39 Field goals made ,has 4 Free throws attempted ."]

The Indiana Pacers (44 - 37) took a half - game lead for seventh in the Eastern Conference after a 102 - 90 win over the New York Knicks (32 - 50) on Tuesday. Indiana shot 51 percent from the field on Tuesday, a trend that bodes well for the playoff - bound team. Superstar Paul George hit half his shots, going 6 - for - 12 en route to 19 points in 29 minutes. The forward tacked on four rebounds and six assists. Center Ian Mahinmi, meanwhile, had a respectable outing of 14 points and eight rebounds. Mahinmi has made a name for himself in the Pacers starting five this year, and is now high on many experts' lists for both Most Improved Player and Defensive Player of the Year contention. Another promising sign for Indiana heading into the playoffs was the strong play of bench guard Ty Lawson. Lawson, a borderline All-Star for much of his career in Denver, has seen a rocky 2015 - 16 season both on and off the court. The point guard has dealt with multiple DUI charges and had a disappointing stint in Houston before being cut, eventually landing himself in a Pacers uniform. The acquisition paid dividends for Indiana on Tuesday, as Lawson scored nine points and dished out eight assists in 24 minutes of play. The Knicks, meanwhile, became the first team to see its season end following Tuesday's loss. At 30 - 52, the Knicks will miss the playoffs for the third straight season. On Tuesday, the team's top two options, veteran superstar Carmelo Antony and rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis, both sat. Forward Derrick Williams led the team with 21 points, while rookie point guard Jerian Grant put up a promising 18 points, six assists, and six rebounds. Overall, however, it was a quiet night for the Knicks on Tuesday, rounding out what has been a quiet year for basketball in the city that never sleeps. The Pacers will play their last regular season game on Wednesday in Milwaukee.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 51 Percentage of field goals ,has 37 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 44 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 90 Losses ,has 32 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Williams') has 21 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jerian Grant') has 6 Assists ,has 18 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 12 Assists ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 29 Field goals made ,has 19 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ian Mahinmi') has 14 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ty Lawson') has 8 Assists ,has 24 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ."]

The Miami Heat defeated the Detroit Pistons 97 - 96 Tuesday at the Palace in Auburn Hills. With 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's game, the Heat (36 - 38) found themselves down by four points after having blown a double - digit lead. After that, madness occurred, as a Stanley Johnson technical foul, a Goran Dragic jumper and a jump ball that ended up in Miami's hands over the next 20 seconds gave the visiting team the ball with a chance to win. After a James Johnson missed jumper and a missed put - back from Dragic, Hassan Whiteside came to the Heat's rescue with a gentle tip - in as the buzzer sounded. With that tip, the Heat greatly improved their chances of making the playoffs, while the Pistons chances worsened. Dragic led the way for Miami with a game - high 28 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes, while Whiteside's streak of 15 straight games with a double - double came to an end Tuesday, but just barely, as the big man finished with 17 points and nine rebounds in 30 minutes. Off the bench, James Johnson produced in a big way, making important plays down the stretch and recording 16 points and six rebounds in 33 minutes as a reserve. Most importantly, the Heat maintained their spot as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. As for the Pistons (34 - 41), their collapse results in them now being 3 games behind Miami for the last playoff spot, as they have now lost five games in a row. They were led Tuesday night by the heroics of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who led the team back after falling behind by double figures and finished with a team - high 25 points in 37 minutes. Ish Smith also came up big as the team's starting point guard, scoring 16 points and dishing out six assists. Tobias Harris, in a return to a role off the bench, scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds in 30 minutes. Up next, the Pistons will look to end their losing streak at home against Brooklyn on Thursday, while the Heat will head to New York on Wednesday to take on the Knicks.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 41 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 34 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 38 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 36 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 30 Assists ,has 17 Minutes played ,has 9 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Goran Dragic') has 4 Assists ,has 34 Minutes played ,has 28 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Johnson') has 33 Assists ,has 16 Minutes played ,has 6 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kentavious Caldwell-Pope') has 37 Assists ,has 25 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ish Smith') has 6 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 30 Assists ,has 19 Minutes played ,has 6 Points ."]

The Sacramento Kings (16 - 21) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers (19 - 19) 103 - 84 on Sunday. Sacramento has won three of their last five games, finally starting to find some success following the firing of ex - head coach Mike Malone. DeMarcus Cousins led the way with a game - high 26 points and 13 rebounds. The Kings won the first three quarters and were up 59 - 44 at halftime. They turned the ball over just four times the entire game, taking away the Cavaliers' chances for easy points on offense. Cleveland has been active on the trade front, completing two separate deals in the last week to help improve their roster, but they've also seen their record worsen and are currently riding a five - game losing streak. LeBron James is nearing a return from his knee and back strains, which will give the team a talent boost, but talent has n't been their issue this season, consistency has. Playing in the Eastern Conference gives the Cavaliers a lot of time to find their footing, as they're in essentially no risk of missing the playoffs given the depths to the depravity in the East. At just .500, Cleveland is still the sixth seed. In the West, a .500 record would leave the Cavs on the outside looking in at the playoffs. Sacramento will stay home to host the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, while the Cavaliers will continue their road trip against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 21 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 4 Turnovers ,has 16 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 19 Losses ,has 84 Total points ,has 19 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Miller') has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 26 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 Field goals attempted ."]

The Atlanta Hawks (12 - 6) defeated the Brooklyn Nets (8 - 10) 98 - 75 at the Barclays Center on Friday. The easy victory extends the Hawks' winning streak to five games, with an average margin on victory of 15 points in those five games. DeMarre Carroll led the Hawks with 18 points, hitting a season - high four three - pointers, on just five attempts. Coach Mike Budenholzer was able to rest his starters, with no player playing over 27 minutes. Backup point guard, Dennis Schroder, scored 13 points to lead the bench unit. It was his sixth consecutive game scoring in double - digits. The German national also added four steals. The margin could've been greater had the Hawks converted their free - throw attempts more efficiently, hitting only 63 percent of their shots from the line. The Hawks host the Nuggets on Sunday. Despite looking impressive in beating the reigning champion San Antonio Spurs in overtime Wednesday, Brooklyn failed to get anything going and have now not been at .500 since Nov. 13, failing in their bid to square their ledger Friday. Brook Lopez led the way for Brooklyn, scoring 20 points with seven rebounds, but had little support, with only Joe Johnson (13) joining him in double - digits. Much like their opponents, the Nets could n't convert their free throws, going 63 percent from the line. Not only could they not hit free throws, the Nets were an abysmal 17 percent from behind the three - point arc, hitting just three for the night. The Nets played 13 players, with only Jerome Jordan (nine minutes) playing less than 10 minutes. The Nets take on the surging Cleveland Cavaliers at home Monday and will look to steady the ship.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 17 Percentage of 3 points ,has 10 Losses ,has 75 Total points ,has 13 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 20 Points in 4th quarter ,has 8 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 6 Percentage of 3 points ,has 98 Losses ,has 12 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarre Carroll') has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 18 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dennis Schroder') has 13 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 20 Defensive rebounds ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jerome Jordan') has 9 Defensive rebounds ."]

The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the host Brooklyn Nets, 111 - 93, at Barclay's Center on Thursday. These are two teams going in opposite directions and this result shows which way they're heading. The second half is when Milwaukee really turned it on, as they outscored Brooklyn, 59 - 42 in that 24 - minute span. Prior to that, there were 12 lead changes and six ties, as it was close throughout the first half. Defense was key for the Bucks, as they held the Nets to 38 percent from the field and 30 percent from three - point range. Milwaukee also dominated the paint, winning the rebounding battle 48 - 40 and recording 10 blocks in their win. Milwaukee (9 - 8) has now won four of their last five and much of that success has to be attributed to the play of Giannis Antetokounmpo. The man known as the "Greek Freak" flirted with a triple - double in this win, accumulating 23 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and four steals in just 29 minutes of action. In fact, he sat out the entirety of the fourth quarter, as the game continued to get out of hand. Jabari Parker was second on the team with his 22 points on 8 - of - 14 shooting. John Henson started at center, totaling 12 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Malcolm Brogdon had a nice game off the bench, tallying 13 points, four rebounds and four assists. Brooklyn (5 - 13) has really struggled on defense this season and this blowout loss only adds to those troubles. Sean Kilpatrick continued his good play though, accruing 14 points, six rebounds and four assists as the starting point guard. Brook Lopez finished with just 15 points and four rebounds on 4 - of - 12 shooting. Trevor Booker amassed nine points, eight rebounds and two steals in the defeat. Joe Harris led the bench in scoring, dropping 11 points, four rebounds and three assists. These two teams will face each other again on Saturday, as they travel to Milwaukee for that fixture.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 30 Percentage of 3 points ,has 38 Percentage of field goals ,has 13 Losses ,has 93 Total points ,has 40 Rebounds ,has 5 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 8 Percentage of 3 points ,has 111 Percentage of field goals ,has 48 Losses ,has 9 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 5 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jabari Parker') has 22 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Henson') has 5 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Malcolm Brogdon') has 4 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Booker') has 9 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 12 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sean Kilpatrick') has 4 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joe Harris') has 3 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ."]

The Cleveland Cavaliers (48 - 27) survived a scare from the Philadelphia 76ers (18 - 56) as they edged them out by a score of 87 - 86 at the Quicken Loans Arena. The 76ers gave the Cavaliers everything they could handle Sunday, but fell just short of pulling off the upset as Nerlens Noel missed the potential go - ahead jumper with two seconds remaining. The Cavaliers narrowly avoided their second straight loss despite being held to just 39% shooting from the field. The 76ers missed too many free throws down the stretch, finishing just 8 - for - 15 from the stripe in a one point loss. Philadelphia could have taken the season series from Cleveland had it won Sunday's contest. Philadelphia put forth a valiant effort Sunday against the East's second seed on Sunday, but poor free throw shooting prevented the upset. Robert Covington bounced back from a disappointing two point outing Friday to score 19 against the Cavaliers. Furkan Aldemir got the start at center and responded with 11 points and 10 rebounds over 27 minutes. The 76ers will finish out their back - to - back set on Monday when they host the Lakers. Cleveland had its full complement of players on the floor to start the game, but it did n't end that way. Iman Shumpert left the game with an ankle injury and Kevin Love had an early exit due to a lower back injury. LeBron James had 20 points, but it came on 8 - of - 24 shooting from the floor and 3 - of - 6 shooting from the line. The Cavaliers will be idle Monday before hosting the Heat on Tuesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 39 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 27 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 19 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 48 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 56 Percentage of 3 points ,has 86 Percentage of field goals ,has 18 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nerlens Noel') has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Furkan Aldemir') has 27 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 10 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 19 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 24 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 6 Free throws attempted ,has 3 Free throws made ,has 20 Minutes played ."]

This game was close throughout, as neither team led by more than 10 points. The statistics were incredibly even, as rebounding, assists, steals, blocks and turnovers were all within two of one another. Three-point shooting was the only noticeable difference, with Toronto going 8 - of - 21, while New Orleans went 9 - of - 29. Jonas Valanciunas led Toronto with 25 points and 13 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan tallied 14 points and six assists. Serge Ibaka collected 12 points, five rebounds, two steals and four blocks. Cory Joseph started for Lowry and accumulated 11 points, five rebounds and five assists. DeMarcus Cousins led New Orleans, by amassing 25 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Anthony Davis left with yet another injury, as he played 17 minutes before departing with a wrist issue. Jordan Crawford played well off the bench, accruing 10 points, three rebounds and three assists.

["PlayerStat(G,'Serge Ibaka') has 4 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 5 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 25 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 6 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Cory Joseph') has 11 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 25 Minutes played ,has 10 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jordan Crawford') has 3 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 3 Minutes played ."]

The Charlotte Hornets (3 - 4) had a brutal third quarter to lose to the Los Angeles Lakers (1 - 5) on Sunday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Hornets were fresh off of a double - overtime thriller that featured a crazy bank - shot three from Lance Stephenson to give them the win. They did n't have much time to rest, and it seemed that their legs started to give in a bit during the second half of this one, as they were oustcored 65 - 41 over the span of the final two quarters. The Hornets were led by 23 points (10 - 23 FG, 3 - 6 FT) from Al Jefferson, as well as eight rebounds, one assist and one steal. The Hornets went deep into the bench in this one, but it was n't enough. They now head to Portland on Tuesday to take on the Trail Blazers. For the Lakers, it's a sigh of relief getting to put one in the win column. They had a well - rounded team effort in this game, with five players scoring in double figures, and nine players scoring in total. The team was led by 21 points (7 - 20 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt, 6 - 7 FT) with six rebounds, four assists and one steal from Kobe Bryant, as well as 21 points (8 - 12 FG, 3 - 6 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT), with seven assists, three rebounds and a steal from Jeremy Lin. With the Lakers officially in the win column, they now head on the road to take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.

["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 5 Losses ,has 1 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 4 Losses ,has 3 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Jefferson') has 1 Assists ,has 23 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 23 Free throws attempted ,has 1 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lance Stephenson') has 3 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kobe Bryant') has 4 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 20 Field goals attempted ,has 7 Field goals made ,has 7 Free throws attempted ,has 6 Free throws made ,has 21 Points ,has 6 Total rebounds ,has 1 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeremy Lin') has 7 Assists ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 21 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ,has 1 Steals ."]

The Lakers turnovers ended up sinking them in the long run as they fell short of capturing their 20th win of the season. Los Angeles out rebounded the Pelicans, but the 25 turnovers compared to the 13 on New Orleans was instrumental. DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday were too much for the Lakers to handle in the long run, and the defensive effort in the third quarter holding the Lakers to just 14 points was key. Cousins finished with 26 points, 15 rebounds and two assists across 31 minutes, while Davis posted 31 points on 10 - of - 22 shooting. Davis added nine rebounds and two assists and led all scorers in the contest. Jrue Holiday scored 20 points, to go with 12 assists and five boards. Brandon Ingram scored 16 points, alongside six rebounds and two assists, while Nick Young buried four three - pointers on his way to 19 points.

["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 14 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 25 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 13 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 2 Assists ,has 22 3-pointers made ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 31 Field goals made ,has 9 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 2 Assists ,has 31 3-pointers made ,has 26 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 12 Assists ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Ingram') has 2 Assists ,has 16 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nick Young') has 4 Assists ,has 19 3-pointers made ."]

The Toronto Raptors (39 - 26) defeated the Miami Heat (29 - 36) 102 - 92 on Friday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The Raptors got out to a quick start in this game, out - scoring the Heat 50 - 41 right away in the first half. The Raptors shot 43 percent from the field and 36 percent from the three - point line, while the Heat finished at 44 percent from the floor and 22 percent from deep. With the win, Toronto moves into a tie with the Chicago Bulls (who lost to the Hornets Friday) for the third projected playoff seed in the Eastern Conference standings, while the Heat drop to a half game behind the Hornets (who beat the Bulls Friday) for the eigth and final projected playoff seed. Giving the Raptors their biggest contribution was Kyle Lowry, who filled up the stat sheet and came quite close to recording a quadruple - double. He went 7 - for - 12 from the field and 5 - for - 8 from the three - point line to score a team - high of 19 points, while adding eight rebounds, eight assists and seven steals over 37 minutes. It was a season - high in steals for the guard, who's averaging 2 steals on the year. Over his last two games, he's combined for 51 points, 12 rebounds, 13 assists and nine steals. Despite shooting pretty poorly from the floor, DeMar DeRozan forced his way to the free throw line and finished with 18 points (3 - 12 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt, 12 - 13 FT), six rebounds and six assists. He matched a season - high in both free throws made and attempted, and improved his free throw percentage to just over 81 percent on the season. It was the first time he's scored less than 20 points in five games, but the Raptors were still able to grab the win and end their losing streak. Coming off the bench, Louis Williams posted 14 points (4 - 12 FG, 2 - 8 3Pt, 4 - 6 FT) and four rebounds in 23 minutes. For the Heat, Dwyane Wade continued his impressive stretch for the Heat, as he shot 40 percent or higher from the field for the fifth straight game. Wade went 9 - for - 13 from the field and 1 - for - 2 from the three - point line to score a team - high of 25 points, to go along with four assists. Over his last five games, he's averaging 28 points and five assists per matchup. Goran Dragic also had a nice showing and posted 18 points (8 - 17 FG, 0 - 4 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) and five assists. Since joining the Heat nine games ago, he's averaging 16 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals per game. Michael Beasley gave the Heat the biggest contribution off the bench, as he recorded 11 points (4 - 10 FG, 1 - 2 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) and nine rebounds over 26 minutes. After playing just 14 minutes in Wednesday's game against the Nets, he got a nice boost in court time, which he was able to convert into his fifth outing in double figures this season. Hassan Whiteside added nine points (4 - 6 FG, 1 - 4 FT), 12 rebounds and three blocks while back with the starters. The Raptors' next game will be at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, while the Heat will be at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 36 Percentage of 3 points ,has 43 Percentage of field goals ,has 26 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 39 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 22 Percentage of 3 points ,has 44 Percentage of field goals ,has 36 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 29 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 3 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 9 Field goals made ,has 12 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 25 Field goals made ,has 5 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Goran Dragic') has 5 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 17 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ,has 18 Free throws made ,has 3 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Beasley') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 26 Free throws attempted ,has 11 Free throws made ,has 9 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 6 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ,has 12 Free throws attempted ,has 18 Free throws made ,has 6 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 8 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 37 Field goals made ,has 19 Free throws attempted ,has 8 Free throws made ,has 7 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Williams') has 8 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 6 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 23 Free throws attempted ,has 14 Free throws made ,has 4 Minutes played ."]

The Los Angeles Clippers (17 - 7) defeated the Detroit Pistons (5 - 20) 113 - 91 on Monday. Los Angeles stopped their two - game losing streak with the win. The Clippers used every available player they had in the blowout, and six of their players finished in double digits. DeAndre Jordan had an impressive double - double of 16 points and 15 rebounds, while the Clippers shot 54 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc as a team. Jordan Farmar led the bench with 15 points and five assists. His shot was dropping from everywhere Monday. Detroit saw their two - game win streak come to an end with the loss. Jodie Meeks tried his best to keep the Pistons in the game, scoring a game - high 20 points off the bench in just his third game of the season. Detroit shot 42 percent from the floor and 30 percent from beyond the arc, but their biggest issue against the Clippers was allowing 27 easy points on 17 turnovers. Los Angeles will host another struggling Eastern Conference team on Wednesday when the Indiana Pacers come into town. Detroit will return home to host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 50 Percentage of 3 points ,has 54 Percentage of field goals ,has 7 Losses ,has 113 Total points ,has 27 Points in 1st quarter ,has 17 Points in 4th quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 30 Percentage of 3 points ,has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 20 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 27 Points in 1st quarter ,has 17 Points in 4th quarter ,has 5 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jodie Meeks') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 50 Assists ,has 16 Free throw percentage ,has 15 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jordan Farmar') has 5 Assists ,has 15 Free throw percentage ."]

DeMar DeRozan paced Toronto overall with 27 points, eight rebounds and five assists while visiting the foul line a game - high 13 times. Kyle Lowry was close behind with a 25 - point, 11 - assist double - double. Jonas Valanciunas bounced back from some recent ankle problems to post 20 points and 10 rebounds, while DeMarre Carroll filled out the stat sheet with 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. The Timberwolves were led by Zach LaVine, who went for a game - high 29 points on 12 - of - 20 shooting, and who added six assists and two rebounds. Andrew Wiggins supplied 25 points, six rebounds and an assist while going 10 - of - 19 from the field. Karl-Anthony Towns contributed a 17 - point, 11 - rebound double - double that also included an assist and a block. Despite the loss, Minnesota shot an impressive 51 percent from the field.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 51 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 1 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 25 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach LaVine') has 6 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 29 Field goals made ,has 2 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarre Carroll') has 2 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 20 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 5 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ,has 27 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 11 Assists ,has 25 Blocks ."]

The Boston Celtics (24 - 21) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers (6 - 39) 112 - 92 on Sunday night. Boston was favored by a significant margin coming into this game and they showed why here. They really dominated the second and third quarters, as they outscored the Sixers by 10 points in each. The assist - to - turnover ratios were the huge difference in this game, as the Celtics outassisted the Sixers 29 to 17 and drew 23 Philly turnovers. Whenever you commit six more turnovers than assists, that's an almost guaranteed loss. Philadelphia was also held to under 40 percent shooting with Boston hitting over 44 percent of their shots. Boston has been playing much better recently, as this was their fifth win in their last seven games. It was once again a team effort, as Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder tied the team - lead with 20 points scored. Marcus Smart came off the bench and gave the team a nice spark as well, as he scored 16 points and recorded four steals in the win. Jared Sullinger flirted with a triple - double too, as he tallied eight points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in the victory. Up next for the Celtics is the Washington Wizards, as they play Monday in the second portion of a back - to - back set. The Sixers have had very few of these types of games since the acquisition of Ish Smith, but this was simply an ugly loss. Committing 23 turnovers is a disastrous number and the game was well out of hand early in the fourth quarter. Robert Covington was the lone bright spot in the defeat, as he hit six three's en route to a 25 - point, eight - rebound performance. No other player on the roster scored more than 12 points or grabbed double - digit rebounds. That's a recipe for disaster and it's even worse considering no one had more than four assists either. Philadelphia will look to play better on Tuesday against the struggling Phoenix Suns.

["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 39 Number of team assists ,has 92 Percentage of 3 points ,has 6 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 29 Number of team assists ,has 44 Percentage of 3 points ,has 44 Percentage of field goals ,has 21 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 24 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jae Crowder') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jared Sullinger') has 7 Assists ,has 8 Points ,has 11 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Smart') has 16 Assists ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 25 Assists ,has 8 Points ."]

The Utah Jazz defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 112 - 97, at Vivnt Smart Home Arena on Friday. Utah was expected to win this game easily and a wire - to - wire victory shows just how much they took care of business. In fact, Utah led by double - digits for the final 20 minutes. The Jazz were efficient on offense, recording 25 assists on 38 made shots, while hitting over 51 percent of their attempts. Three-point shooting was also decisive, as Brooklyn went just 7 - of - 29 from long distance, while Utah went 12 - of - 26. The Nets (10 - 50) ended their 16 - game losing streak in their most recent game, but this was a tough task against a feisty Utah bunch. Quincy Acy led the way for the Nets, as he dropped 18 points on 5 - of - 7 shooting off the bench. Brook Lopez was the only starter in double figures, as he totaled 17 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Trevor Booker came off the bench to provide eight points and 11 rebounds. On deck for Brooklyn is a road matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. The Jazz (38 - 24) came into this fixture in the midst of a two - game losing streak, so a matchup against the Nets is just what the doctor ordered. George Hill was the player of the game, as he amassed 34 points and seven assists on 10 - of - 12 shooting. Derrick Favors finished second on the team with 19 points and 12 rebounds on 8 - of - 9 shooting. Rudy Gobert went a perfect 4 - of - 4 from the field to collect 11 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Gordon Hayward contributed 12 points, three rebounds, six assists and two steals. The Jazz 'next game is on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 25 Number of team assists ,has 51 Percentage of field goals ,has 24 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 38 Points in 1st quarter ,has 38 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 50 Number of team assists ,has 97 Percentage of field goals ,has 10 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 2 Assists ,has 17 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Booker') has 8 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Quincy Acy') has 7 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 18 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 6 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Favors') has 9 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 19 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 2 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 7 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'George Hill') has 7 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 34 Field goals made ."]

The Indiana Pacers (13 - 8) jumped ahead of the Miami Heat (12 - 9) in the standings after beating them 96 - 83 on Friday. Coming fresh off a loss to the powerhouse Golden State Warriors, the Pacers looked determined to prove themselves in the contest against their fellow Eastern Conference contender. Guard Monta Ellis, coming off a cold streak coupled with a back injury, took over the game, pouring in 24 points and dishing out six assists while racking up a whopping six steals. Of course, the always - dominant Paul George continued to establish himself as an MVP contender, recording 23 points and eight rebounds in the win. The Heat played a solid defensive game, but ultimately saw their downfall come in the form of turnovers as they coughed the ball up 19 times. Stars Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, however, looked as electric as ever, with Bosh recording 23 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks, and Wade posting 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Both teams have had strong starts to the season, which they will look to further in their upcoming matchups. The Heat will take on the Grizzlies on Sunday, while the Pacers play host to the Pistons in the second half of a back - to - back.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 8 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 13 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 9 Losses ,has 83 Total points ,has 19 Turnovers ,has 12 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Bosh') has 3 Assists ,has 23 Blocks ,has 10 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dwyane Wade') has 5 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 5 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 23 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 6 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ,has 6 Points ."]

The Sixers built a razor - thin 58 - 57 halftime lead and had to fight until the closing seconds to secure their 11th road win of the season. Dario Saric paced Philadelphia with 23 points, while Robert Covington produced a 21 - point, 13 - rebound double - double. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot produced a near double - double with 17 points and nine boards. Richaun Holmes generated 13 points and T.J. McConnell supplied a full stat line of eight points, 10 assists, two rebounds, three steals and a block. Nik Stauskas led the bench with 11 points. Brook Lopez led Brooklyn with 26 points, nine rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Jeremy Lin filled out the stat sheet with 11 points, seven assists, six rebounds and four steals. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson matched Lin's point total, and Caris LaVert turned in nine points. Spencer Dinwiddie's 10 points led the bench.

["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 21 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 21 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dario Saric') has 23 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Richaun Holmes') has 13 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot') has 17 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'T.J. McConnell') has 10 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 8 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ,has 3 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nik Stauskas') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Caris LeVert') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 6 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 26 Points ,has 9 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeremy Lin') has 7 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 6 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Spencer Dinwiddie') has 10 Assists ."]

The Oklahoma City Thunder (35 - 28) defeated the Toronto Raptors (38 - 25) 109 - 104 on Sunday. Russell Westbrook continued his unbelievable statistical hot streak in the Thunders' winning effort, recording 30 points on 9 - of - 21 shooting, 17 assists, and 11 rebounds in 40 minutes. The triple - double is Westbrook's fifth in six games played and he has averaged 37 points 11 assists, and 12 rebounds over that stretch. Enes Kanter put together his best performance since joining the Thunder at the trade deadline, putting up 21 points on 9 - of - 14 shooting and 12 rebounds. Serge Ibaka also scored 21 points on 10 - of - 16 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and five blocks. As a team, Oklahoma City committed 18 turnovers to Toronto's eight, but were also able to score 17 points off turnovers, while the Raptors were only able to score nine. It was Toronto's wings that lead the way in the losing effort, with DeMar DeRozan scoring a team - high 24 points on 11 - of - 22 shooting and dishing out nine assists, while Terrence Ross added 20 points on 7 - of - 12 shooting. This was the first time Ross scored over 20 points in a game since the beginning of February. In his second game back since being returning from being inactive, Kyle Lowry struggled shooting from the field, going 5 - of - 15 en route to 14 points and five assists. Lou Williams (11), Greivis Vasquez (10), and Jonas Valanciunas (10) round out the Raptors who scored in double figures. Up next, the Thunder, who are holding onto a one - game lead for the eighth seed in the West, will stay at home to go up against the Clippers on Wednesday. Toronto, who are the fourth seed in the East, will travel to San Antonio Tuesday to take on the Spurs.

["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 28 Losses ,has 18 Turnovers ,has 35 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 25 Losses ,has 8 Turnovers ,has 38 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Terrence Ross') has 12 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 20 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 11 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 9 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 24 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 5 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Williams') has 10 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Greivis Vasquez') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Serge Ibaka') has 5 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 10 Field goals attempted ,has 21 Field goals made ,has 7 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Enes Kanter') has 14 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 21 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 17 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 9 Field goals attempted ,has 40 Field goals made ,has 30 Minutes played ,has 11 Points ."]

Kyrie Irving erupted for the highest - scoring night of his career as the Cavaliers (27 - 20) held on to defeat the Trail Blazers (32 - 14) on Wednesady night. With LeBron James (wrist) sitting out, this matchup was all about Irving, who was absolutely unstoppable all game long. He went 17 - for - 36 from the field and a ridiculous 11 - for - 19 from the three - point line to score a season - high of 55 points, while also adding four rebounds, five assists and two steals. He was extremely clutch for the Cavaliers, scoring their last five points, therefore giving the home crowd the win that they came for and extending the team's winning streak to eight games in a row. Irving is on an unbelievable stretch over his last two games, combining for 93 points, 11 assists and five steals. While Irving did most of it on his own, Kevin Love at least gave a little help, finishing with 10 points (3 - 15 FG, 2 - 8 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) and 12 rebounds. He shot very poorly, but he still was able to record his fourth double - double in his last six games. Timofey Mozgov had a double - double of his own as well, scoring 12 points (4 - 9 FG, 4 - 6 FT) and grabbing 10 rebounds. Doing his best to match the numbers Irving was having Wednesday, LaMarcus Aldridge had a very impressive performance as well. Aldridge went 13 - for - 23 from the field and 2 - for - 3 from the three - point line to score a team - high of 38 points, while adding 11 rebounds and two blocked shots as well. While he has n't produced as much as Irving, Aldridge has still recorded two solid games in a row, combining for 64 points and 20 rebounds over that span. After scoring 27 points on the Cavaliers the last time they played, Damian Lillard struggled this time around, finishing with only 14 points (4 - 19 FG, 3 - 10 3Pt, 3 - 4 FT) and five assists. This game marked his worst shooting percentage that he's had all year, so it was a big reason the Trail Blazers ended with a loss. The only other Blazer to reach double figures in points was Wesley Matthews, who hadd 11 points (4 - 10 FG, 3 - 8 3Pt, 0 - 1 FT) and two assists. Both the Trail Blazers and Cavaliers struggled to find any help from their bench Wednesday. The Blazers' bench totaled 17 points, while the Cavaliers' bench had only 11 points. While the Blazers may have taken the advantage in that category, the Cavaliers took the advantage in rebounding, out - rebounding the Blazers 46 - 39. That may have just been enough to push them to a victory. The Trail Blazers' next game will be on the road against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, while the Cavaliers will be at home against the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 20 Losses ,has 46 Rebounds ,has 8 Turnovers ,has 27 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 14 Losses ,has 39 Rebounds ,has 32 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 2 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 23 3-pointers made ,has 13 Field goals attempted ,has 38 Field goals made ,has 11 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wesley Matthews') has 2 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 0 Field goals made ,has 11 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 5 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 3 Defensive rebounds ,has 19 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ,has 14 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Love') has 8 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 15 Defensive rebounds ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 12 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Timofey Mozgov') 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,'Kyrie Irving') has 5 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 19 Defensive rebounds ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 36 3-pointers made ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ,has 55 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ,has 2 Offensive rebounds ."]

The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 104 - 95, at Barclays Center on Thursday. The Pelicans (16 - 24) learned earlier in the day that Anthony Davis would miss the contest with the hip injury that he suffered after a flagrant foul by the Knicks' Kyle O'Quinn on Monday. However, that did n't deter them from notching their sixth road victory of the season on the strength of standout efforts from Davis' replacement Terrence Jones and the surging Tyreke Evans off the bench. The two combined for more than half of the Pelicans' points on the night, and New Orleans also forced 16 turnovers from the Nets (8 - 30), which continue to give the ball away at the league's highest clip. Evans led all scorers with 29 points, which he supplemented with four rebounds, three assists, four steals and a block over 28 minutes. Jones posted a 24 - point, 12 - rebound double - double that also included an assist and a steal. Jrue Holiday tallied 21 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Solomon Hill went for 14 points, 10 boards, three assists and a pair of steals. Not all was clicking on the New Orleans side, however, as Omer Asik received only five minutes and went scoreless, while Buddy Hield compiled just five points, five rebounds and an assist over 24 minutes, shooting just 2 - of - 9 from the field and 1 - of - 6 from three - point range. Brook Lopez paced the Nets with 20 points, six rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block, but also committed a game - high six turnovers. Joe Harris produced 15 points, two rebounds and two assists. Bojan Bogdanovic supplied 10 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal, while Trevor Booker generated a modest eight points but complemented them with 12 boards, four assists, a steal and a block. Sean Kilpatrick led the second unit with 18 points, seven boards, an assist and a steal, and Caris LeVert was productive in a reserve role as well with 10 points. The Pelicans continue on the road and visit the Chicago Bulls on Saturday afternoon, while the Nets head north of the border to tangle with the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 30 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 16 Turnovers ,has 8 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 24 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 16 Turnovers ,has 16 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Solomon Hill') has 3 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Terrence Jones') has 1 Assists ,has 24 Blocks ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Omer Asik') has 5 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Buddy Hield') has 1 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 24 Field goals made ,has 5 Minutes played ,has 5 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 4 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyreke Evans') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 28 3-pointers attempted ,has 29 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 2 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trevor Booker') has 4 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brook Lopez') has 3 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 20 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joe Harris') has 2 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sean Kilpatrick') has 1 Assists ,has 18 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 1 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Caris LeVert') has 1 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ."]

The Detroit Pistons (25 - 44) had a lights - out shooting performance in the second half to rout the Chicago Bulls (42 - 29), 107 - 91, on Saturday at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons trailed by as many as 19 midway through the third quarter before starting a furious comeback. Performances from role players like Caron Butler, Joel Anthony, Tayshaun Prince, and Jodie Meeks helped make the difference. In the end, Detroit outscored Chicago 54 - 19 from the 6:41 mark in the third quarter. Chicago was coming off a convincing 108 - 92 win over Toronto on Friday, but was unable to maintain that momentum through Saturday's contest. Pau Gasol led the way for Chicago with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Mike Dunleavy and Nikola Mirotic struggled from beyond the arc, combining for 1 - for - 10 from three point range. The Bulls are hopeful that Jimmy Butler, who is out with an elbow injury, can return within a week. Chicago will return to action Monday at home against Charlotte. Detroit has now notched two wins over playoff teams this week after defeating Memphis on Tuesday and Chicago on Saturday. Reggie Jackson had another big outing with 22 points and 11 assists over 28 minutes. The Pistons outscored the Bulls in the paint 50 - 36 and were only out - rebounded by one despite Greg Monroe missing the game with a knee injury. Detroit will finish its back - to - back set Sunday against Boston.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 44 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 25 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 29 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 42 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Pau Gasol') has 27 Assists ,has 10 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Reggie Jackson') has 11 Assists ,has 28 Minutes played ,has 22 Points ."]

These are two teams that have struggled this season, but they left it all on the floor in this double - overtime thriller. There were 10 ties and 27 lead changes in total, with neither team leading by more than 12 points. The Magic got it done through offense, as they shot 50 percent from the field and from three - point range. Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier carried the load for Orlando, as they scored 26 points a piece. Serge Ibaka finished with 20 points and nine rebounds of his own. Elfrid Payton came off the bench with Vucevic to provide 22 points and six assists. Hassan Whiteside was the player of the game despite the loss, as he totaled 32 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks. Tyler Johnson was huge off the bench for Miami, as he matched Whiteside's 32 points, while adding five rebounds, three assists and three steals.

["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 50 Percentage of 3 points ,has 50 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Serge Ibaka') has 20 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Evan Fournier') has 26 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Vucevic') has 3 Assists ,has 26 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Elfrid Payton') has 6 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 5 Assists ,has 32 Blocks ,has 15 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tyler Johnson') has 3 Assists ,has 32 Blocks ,has 5 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ."]

The Atlanta Hawks (38 - 29) routed the Indiana Pacers (35 - 31) Sunday night at Phillips Arena, 104 - 75. The 20 lead the Pacers took 18 seconds into the game was the last one they'd enjoy, as the Hawks immediately rattled off a 160 run. The Pacers led by at least six points for the entirety of the final 45 minutes. Any chance of a comeback was squelched by a 30 - 5 Atlanta run to end the third quarter. The Hawks used a balanced attack, as Paul Millsap and Al Horford led the club with 18 points apiece. Millsap added nine rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks, and Horford shot a sharp 8 - 12 (2 - 4 3PT) and grabbed four rebounds. Kyle Korver hit four of his nine shots from deep to finish with 14 points as the Hawks shot 50 percent (15 - 30) from beyond the arc overall. Myles Tuner led all scorers as he poured in 19 for the Pacers on 9 - 17 shooting to go with five rebounds, two steals and a block. Monta Ellis (10 points, 4 - 9 shooting) was the only other Pacer to finish in double - digits. Pacers star Paul George made just three of his 15 field goal attempts and finished with seven points. Nothing worked for Indiana, as they shot 21 percent (5 - 24) from three, 44 percent on twos, and earned just seven free throw attempts. Atlanta heads on the road to face Detroit on Wednesday. The Pacers return home Tuesday to host the Celtics.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 50 Percentage of 3 points ,has 29 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 38 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 21 Percentage of 3 points ,has 31 Losses ,has 75 Total points ,has 18 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 19 Points in 4th quarter ,has 35 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 3 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Myles Turner') has 1 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Monta Ellis') has 10 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul Millsap') has 4 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 3-pointers made ,has 50 3-pointer percentage ,has 50 Field goals made ,has 18 Field goal percentage ,has 9 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 4 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 50 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 3-pointers made ,has 4 3-pointer percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Korver') has 1 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 14 3-pointers made ,has 5 3-pointer percentage ."]

The Utah Jazz defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 88 - 83, at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Monday. The Jazz (40 - 24) picked up their 40th win of the season and continue to rise in the Western Conference behind stellar play from Rudy Gobert. The elite center for Utah tipped in the buzzer beater for the win over the Kings on Sunday, and came up with another ridiculous stat line on Monday, as he finished with 15 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks across 36 minutes of action. The Pelicans simply could not find a rhythm shooting the ball, and finished with a season worst 36 percent as a unit. They allowed multiple Jazz scoring runs and did not have a single lead throughout the entirety of the game. The Pelicans picked up their first win with DeMarcus Cousins on Sunday, but were unable to do the same on the second game of a back - to - back. Cousins finished with 15 points, eight boards and three assists on 5 - of - 15 shooting, while Anthony Davis added 20 points and 12 rebounds across 37 minutes. The Jazz were led in scoring by Gordon Hayward, who finished with 23 points on 10 - of - 20 shooting. He was the only efficient scorer amongst the starters, as Utah finished just 41 percent shooting from the field as a team. Next up, the Jazz visit the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, while the Pelicans play the same day when they host the Toronto Raptors.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 24 Losses ,has 88 Total points ,has 40 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 36 Percentage of field goals ,has 83 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 37 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 12 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 3 Assists ,has 15 Blocks ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ,has 8 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 20 Assists ,has 10 Blocks ,has 23 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 36 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ,has 2 Minutes played ."]

The shorthanded Denver Nuggets (12 - 17) defeated the Phoenix Suns (12 - 19) 104 - 96 on Wednesday. This was a bizarre game, but Denver took a 33 - 21 lead in the first quarter and never looked back after that. The free - throw shooting was pathetic from both teams, as Denver went 6 - for - 13, while the Suns went 11 - for - 17. This was Denver's third time winning the second half of a back - to - back this season and that's a good sign of resiliency for this young team. That snapped a three - game losing streak for Denver, which is a great sign with Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Cleveland next on the schedule. The Nuggets training staff is one of the busiest in the NBA right now and it's amazing they pulled off a win here. They were missing Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Jusuf Nurkic, Emmanuel Mudiay and Jameer Nelson in this game, yet still pulled it out. They went with an eight - man rotation and Randy Foye played one of the games of his career. Foye scored a season - high 31 points and dished out six assists. The bench was spectacular as well, as Will Barton, Nikola Jokic and Darrell Arthur combined for 49 points, 28 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and two blocks in the victory. Those were the only three players to come off the bench and it was a hell of a coaching job by Mike Malone to manage everyones minutes. Denver's next game will be a tough one though, as they take on a San Antonio Spurs who are undefeated at home this season. The Suns came into this game as nearly a double - digit favorite, but let down big time here. They let a shorthanded Nuggets team run them up and down the floor and they simply didn’t put in enough effort to win. Brandon Knight played well though, as he scored a team - high 21 points and handed out 10 assists. Ronnie Price also scored a career - high 20 points off the bench and was one of the only Suns playing good defense. This is a concerning loss for Phoenix and it says more about them than it does the Nuggets. Phoenix has a great chance to win in their next game though, as they host the one - win Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 19 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 21 Points in 1st quarter ,has 12 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 17 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 33 Points in 1st quarter ,has 12 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mike Miller') has 3 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Randy Foye') has 6 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 31 Free throws attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Darrell Arthur') has 2 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Knight') has 10 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ronnie Price') has 1 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 1 Free throws attempted ."]

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks 92 - 91 Monday at American Airlines Center. With just over three minutes remaining in Monday's contest, the Thunder (42 - 31) looked dead in the water, as they were down 13 and the Mavericks (31 - 42) had control for majority of the game. Russell Westbrook, however, had other plans, as he led the team on a 140 run to end the game that was topped off by a game - winning jumper from the free throw line. Westbrook finished with yet another triple - double of 37 points (16 of which came in the final quarter), 13 rebounds and 10 assists in 36 minutes, and he did so while shooting an efficient 15 - of - 30 from the field. And the MVP-candidate carried the load for Oklahoma City, as Victor Oladipo (15) and Taj Gibson (13) were the only other players to score in double figures for the Thunder. As for Dallas, they played a strong 45 minutes before collapsing down the stretch and missing their final six shots from the field. Six different Mavericks players managed to score in double figures, but overall, it ended up being a subpar offensive performance from the team, as they shot just 41 percent from the field. It was, however, one of the better performances from Nerlens Noel since he was traded to Dallas, as he recorded 15 points on 6 - of - 12 shooting and eight rebounds - - both of which were team - highs - - in 28 minutes. Up next, the Thunder will head to Orlando on Wednesday to take on the Magic, while the Mavericks will look to avoid dropping their third straight game in New Orleans on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 42 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 31 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 31 Percentage of field goals ,has 92 Losses ,has 42 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Taj Gibson') has 13 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Victor Oladipo') has 15 Assists ,has 15 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 10 Assists ,has 30 Field goals attempted ,has 15 Field goals made ,has 36 Minutes played ,has 37 Points ,has 13 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nerlens Noel') has 1 Assists ,has 12 Field goals attempted ,has 6 Field goals made ,has 28 Minutes played ,has 15 Points ,has 8 Total rebounds ,has 1 Turnovers ."]

The Pistons elicited 21 turnovers while also limiting the Lakers to 43 percent shooting. They pulled away with a 36 - point third quarter, establishing the cushion they needed to seal a comfortable home win. Andre Drummond's 24 - point, 17 - rebound double led the way for Detroit. Jon Leuer was next with 20 points, while Tobias Harris led the second unit with 19 points. Marcus Morris managed 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and one steal. Aron Baynes and Ish Smith turned in matching 10 - point efforts off the bench. The Lakers were led by matching 17 - point efforts from Julius Randle and Lou Williams. Brandon Ingram pitched in with 15 points, while Jordan Clarkson totaled 12 points over 22 minutes off the bench. Nick Young supplied nine points, and Tarik Black posted eight points but also brought down 10 boards.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 36 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 43 Percentage of field goals ,has 21 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Ingram') has 15 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Julius Randle') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tarik Black') has 8 Assists ,has 10 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nick Young') has 9 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jordan Clarkson') has 22 Assists ,has 12 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Williams') has 17 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Morris') has 3 Assists ,has 14 Minutes played ,has 6 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jon Leuer') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 24 Assists ,has 17 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 19 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ish Smith') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Aron Baynes') has 10 Assists ."]

The Indiana Pacers (8 - 17) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (8 - 17) 110 - 91 on Monday. Indiana broke their eight - game losing streak with the win. They were wading through one of the more difficult stretches of their schedule, so the prolonged losing streak was n't entirely surprising, and neither was the fact that they were able to snap their losing streak against the Lakers. Indiana's defense is nothing to write home about, but the Lakers shot just 33 percent from the field and were out - rebounded 53 - 38, putting the game out their reach in more than one telling category. C.J. Miles (knee) returned to action and scored 20 points off the bench, while Rodney Stuckey had one of his Blue Moon great performances, approaching a triple - double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Los Angeles' recent success and three - game winning streak came to a brutal end. After passing Michael Jordan for third on the all - time scoring list in Sunday's game, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers were coming down from an emotional milestone game which put them at risk of coming into Monday's back - to - back without the energy to put up a proper fight. Bryant chucked his way to 21 points, shooting 8 - of - 26 from the field to take the wind out of the Lakers' sails. Indiana will embark on a three - game road trip that starts Wednesday in Los Angeles against the Clippers. The Lakers will have three days off before hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 17 Percentage of field goals ,has 110 Losses ,has 53 Total points ,has 8 Rebounds ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 33 Percentage of field goals ,has 17 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 38 Rebounds ,has 8 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kobe Bryant') has 26 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 21 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rodney Stuckey') has 7 Assists ,has 1 Field goals attempted ,has 20 Field goals made ,has 10 Free throws made ,has 1 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ Miles') has 1 Assists ,has 20 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ."]

The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 113 - 107, at TD Garden on Friday. These two teams came into this matchup tied for the most wins in NBA history and the Celtics were able to pull ahead of the Lakers with this victory. The second quarter was the difference in the game, as Boston outscored Los Angeles, 33 - 21. Defense was also key for the Celtics, as they held the Lakers to 39 percent from the field and 37 percent from three - point range. Boston shot 48 percent on their end and recorded 28 assists on their 39 made baskets. The Lakers (17 - 36) have now lost 10 of their last 12 games, as they ca n't get out of their own way. Lou Williams led Los Angeles in scoring, as he provided 21 points, four rebounds and four assists off the bench. D'Angelo Russell led the starters, collecting 20 points, six rebounds and six assists. Nick Young was the only other starter with more than four points, as he dropped 17 points to add to his three rebounds and three assists. Larry Nance Jr. recorded an 18 - point, 11 - rebound double - double off the bench. The Celtics (32 - 18) have rode Isaiah Thomas' absurd fourth quarter numbers all season and he was at it yet again here. Thomas scored 17 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter, to go along with two rebounds and four assists. Al Horford flirted with a triple - double, accumulating 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Jae Crowder was second on the team in scoring, totaling 18 points, six rebounds and two steals. Marcus Smart was a spark plug off the bench, accruing nine points, seven assists and five steals.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 28 Number of team assists ,has 37 Percentage of 3 points ,has 48 Percentage of field goals ,has 18 Losses ,has 113 Total points ,has 33 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 32 Turnovers ." "TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 37 Number of team assists ,has 39 Percentage of 3 points ,has 36 Percentage of field goals ,has 107 Losses ,has 21 Total points ,has 12 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 17 Turnovers ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nick Young') has 3 Assists ,has 17 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'D'Angelo Russell') has 6 Assists ,has 20 Points ,has 6 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Larry Nance Jr.') has 4 Assists ,has 18 Points ,has 11 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lou Williams') has 4 Assists ,has 21 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jae Crowder') has 18 Assists ,has 6 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 8 Assists ,has 11 Points ,has 8 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 4 Assists ,has 38 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Smart') has 7 Assists ,has 9 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ."]

The Oklahoma City Thunder (15 - 8) defeated the Utah Jazz (10 - 11) 94 - 90 on Friday night. The Thunder took a 27 - 15 lead after the first quarter and did n't relinquish the lead after that. Not only did they outrebound the Jazz, they shot 47 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free - throw line. The starters were the big difference, as the Oklahoma City starters scored 64 points to Utah's 43 points. Oklahoma City did n't play the cleanest game, but they came away with a hard fought win in a tough environment. That now gives them eight wins in their last 10 games and they appear to be back at full - force. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook carried the load once again, as they totaled 45 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals in the win. No other player had more than 11, but this is one of the few teams in the NBA who can live off just two players. The Thunder will look to keep this hot stretch going when they take on these same Jazz on Sunday. Utah did a great job of climbing back in this game, but just could n't pull it out late. They got it down to a two - point lead late in the fourth quarter, but did n't get any help from OKC. Gordon Hayward led the team with 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the loss. Alec Burks and Trey Burke also had nice games off the bench, as they each recorded at least 15 points, three rebounds and four assists. They needed more from their other starters though, as they combined for just 11 points outside of Hayward and Derrick Favors. The Jazz will look to avenge this loss when they get a rematch against these same Thunder on Sunday.

["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 11 Percentage of field goals ,has 90 Losses ,has 15 Total points ,has 10 Points in 1st quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 8 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 27 Points in 1st quarter ,has 15 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 3 Assists ,has 19 Points ,has 8 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Alec Burks') has 15 Assists ,has 3 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Trey Burke') has 4 Assists ,has 3 Points ."]

The Boston Celtics earned a 107 - 106 win as they survived a hard - fought game in Philadelphia as the 76ers took them down to the wire at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday evening. The 76ers started out strong with a 30 - point first quarter and held on to lead by eight at halftime. The Celtics battled back early in the third to tie it up at 74 heading into the fourth. With 1:8 left in the game the Celtics led by four before a couple of hustle plays by Dario Saric tied it up at 100 with 30 seconds left. However, Isaiah Thomas answered with a flash to the basket for the go - ahead layup, which served to put Boston in control the rest of the way. The Celtics (11 - 8) earned their second win in as many nights as they hung - in on the second night of a back - to - back. Isaiah Thomas led the way, tying his season - high in points with 37 on 11 - of - 19 shooting, along with seven assists and four rebounds, in 33 minutes, while Avery Bradley was solid with 20 points and nine rebounds. The Celtics have won six of their last eight games and will look to continue the momentum as they visit Houston on Monday. The 76ers (4 - 16) put up a solid fight, led by rookie Dario Saric, who tied his career - high with 21 points, and grabbed 12 rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench. Meanwhile, all five starters scored in double figures Philly, including Ersan Ilyasova with 18 points and Sergio Rodriguez, who tallied a career - high 15 points, along with eight assists and two steals, in 32 minutes. The Sixers shot 15 - of - 33 from long range and 46 percent from the field over all, but gave up 17 turnovers in the loss. They will look to avoid their seventh straight loss as they play host to the Nuggets on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 16 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 30 Points in 1st quarter ,has 21 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 4 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 8 Losses ,has 107 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 20 Assists ,has 9 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 7 Assists ,has 19 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 33 Free throws attempted ,has 37 Free throws made ,has 4 Free throw percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ersan Ilyasova') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Sergio Rodriguez') has 8 Assists ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 32 Field goals made ,has 15 Free throws attempted ,has 5 Free throws made ,has 2 Free throw percentage ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dario Saric') has 4 Assists ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 100 Field goals made ,has 27 Free throws attempted ,has 21 Free throws made ."]

Tuesday night was a continuation of what has been a dominant start to the season for forward Anthony Davis. After becoming the first player in over three decades to combine for 95 points in his first two games of the season, Davis has seen even more statistical success. On Tuesday, the big man scored 34 points on 14 - of - 22 shooting, while also contributing eight rebounds, two steals, and four blocks. The remainder of the Pelicans' roster did not enjoy the same success, however, as three other members of the starting five contributed just five points each. For Sacramento, another dominant young big man stood out: All-Star DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins shot 11 - of - 20 and scored a team - high 28 points. He was followed closely by teammate Rudy Gay, who scored 21, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out six assists.

["PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 2 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 Field goals attempted ,has 3 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gay') has 6 Assists ,has 21 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 20 Assists ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 28 Field goals attempted ."]

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been a model of consistency for the Bucks all season long and Tuesday night was his most impressive performance of the season, as he posted 34 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals. The 34 points was a season - high, while the 12 rebounds was his second highest total of the season. Tuesday also marked the second time this year Antetokounmpo recorded 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals as he continues to stuff the stat sheet as well as any player in the NBA. However, it was the play of Michael Beasley that may have been just as, if not more, important for Milwaukee's upset victory. Beasley's 17 points Tuesday night were his second highest total of the season and the seventh time he has reach double - digit scoring. In those seven games, the Bucks are 6 - 1, as Beasley's contributions off the bench have had a positive effect on Milwaukee's offensive attack.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 34 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 5 Assists ,has 34 Field goals made ,has 12 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Michael Beasley') has 7 Assists ,has 17 Field goals made ."]

Despite the Pacers leading for over 40 minutes of this game, the Heat battled and kept it close all night long. In fact, there were 10 lead changes, with neither team leading by more than 12 points. Fastbreak points was the most notable difference, with the Pacers winning that battle, 160. They also dominated the free - throw shooting, hitting 84 percent of their 32 free - throw attempts, while Miami only hit 69 percent of their 16 attempts. Hassan Whiteside was a load, as he led Miami with 26 points and 21 rebounds. Dion Waiters was the only other starter in double figures, totaling 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Paul George carried Indiana, as he accumulated 28 points and 10 rebounds. Jeff Teague collected 13 points, five rebounds and four assists. Myles Turner provided 15 points and eight rebounds.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 32 Losses ,has 32 Points in 1st quarter ,has 28 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 32 Losses ." "PlayerStat(G,'Hassan Whiteside') has 26 Assists ,has 21 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dion Waiters') has 6 Assists ,has 20 Points ,has 8 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 28 Assists ,has 10 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Myles Turner') has 15 Assists ,has 8 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 4 Assists ,has 5 Points ."]

The Houston Rockets defeated the visiting Portland Trail Blazers, 126 - 109, in a high - scoring affair on Thursday evening at Toyota Center. James Harden and the Rockets (7 - 5) certainly did not let Wednesday's loss to the Thunder, or the fact that they were playing on the second night of a back - to - back, shake them off their game. Instead, they came out guns - blazing, with a 41 - point first quarter and although they slipped a little in the second, came out of halftime cooking with a 38 - point third quarter. Harden notched his third triple - double of the season, with 26 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds, in 32 minutes. Meanwhile, Patrick Beverley made his season - debut for Houston, after missing time due to knee surgery. Beverley was featured in Coach Mike D'Antoni's starting lineup and finished with 11 points, three assists, three blocks and two rebounds, in 25 minutes. The Rockets will have a day off before they host the Jazz on Saturday. The Trail Blazers (7 - 6) have now lost two games in a row by a combined total of 42 points. Defense has certainly been a problem for Portland as it came into this game averaging 111 points - against this season, the second - worst in the league. The Blazers were out - hustled in this one, giving up 17 offensive rebounds and 25 fast - break points. This was only the third time this season that Damian Lillard did not lead his team in scoring. Lillard finished with 18 points, while C.J. McCollum was the high - point man with 26. The Trail Blazers had four players score in double figures and nine players score five or more points, but once again their defense let them down. The Blazers will face the second night of a back - to - back as they visit New Orleans to play the Pelicans on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 5 Losses ,has 126 Total points ,has 41 Points in 1st quarter ,has 38 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 7 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 6 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 7 Points in 1st quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 26 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patrick Beverley') has 3 Assists ,has 3 Blocks ,has 25 Minutes played ,has 11 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'James Harden') has 14 Assists ,has 32 Blocks ,has 26 Minutes played ,has 12 Points ."]

The Indiana Pacers evened their Eastern Conference first - round playoff series against the visiting Toronto Raptors with a 100 - 83 victory Saturday in Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Up to this point in the series, the Pacers had seemingly placed an inordinate amount of pressue on their most talented player, Paul George. The All-Star forward had led Indiana in scoring over the first three games, but they'd received rather modest contributions from the other members of the starting five. The key to a rather surprising double - digit victory Saturday was a departure from this trend, as Ian Mahinmi and George Hill managed matching 22 - point totals, marking the first time that either had eclipsed the 20 - point mark in the series. This made for a much more balanced scoring performance for the home squad, allowing them to knot the series up at two. The Raptors were led by Jonas Valanciunas' 16 points, six rebounds and a block. Kyle Lowry followed with 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and a steal. DeMarre Carroll matched Lowry's point total and added six boards. One game after getting over the 20 - point mark for the first time in the series, DeMar DeRozan was back to single - digit scoring, collecting eight points, six rebounds, four assists and a steal. Patrick Patterson led the second unit with eight points, two assists, a rebound and a block. Mahinmi added ten rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block to his stat line, while Hill complemented his scoring total with four boards and three assists. George pitched in with 19 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Solomon Hill paced the bench with seven points, three assists, three rebounds and a steal. The series now shifts back to the Air Canada Centre for Game 5 on Tuesday night.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 100 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 83 Total points ,has 16 Points in 1st quarter ,has 16 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarre Carroll') has 6 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jonas Valanciunas') has 1 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 6 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 4 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 6 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 5 Assists ,has 12 Blocks ,has 3 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Patrick Patterson') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 8 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 2 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ,has 4 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ian Mahinmi') has 5 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 22 Points ,has 10 Total rebounds ,has 2 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'George Hill') has 3 Assists ,has 22 Blocks ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Solomon Hill') has 3 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 3 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ."]

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Boston Celtics, 116 - 102, at Staples Center on Monday. The Clippers (38 - 25) needed to sub in the likes of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin late in the fourth quarter after Brad Steven's testy defensive unit was able to compete down the stretch. The last four minutes added some drama after Jamal Crawford and DeAndre Jordan hooked up time and time again to put the Clippers up as many as 16 points with under 7:0 minutes remaining in the final period. Paul and Griffin were sitting on the bench late, leaving the game in the hands of Raymond Felton and Crawford, and both players had body parts wrapped in ice. Los Angeles has had trouble closing out games this season, but even a motivated Celtics (40 - 24) squad without Al Horford (elbow) was not able to overcome the deficit. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin did their damage early, and went on to finish with 23 points and 26 points, respectively. Paul added five rebounds and four assists, while Griffin contributed eight boards and five dimes. Crawford missed his first five shots from the field, but went on to sink the next five and finished with 19 points and five assists. DeAndre Jordan also grabbed most of his points late, and added 15 points and 12 boards in the win. Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics and all scorers with 32 points, to go with five assists and three steals, while Avery Bradley pitched in 14 points. Marcus Smart was the next most effective Boston player on the floor, and added 21 points in 32 minutes off the bench, to go with three rebounds, three assists and one steal. Next up, the Celtics visit the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, while the Clippers play the same night and visit the Minnesota Timberwolves.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 25 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 38 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 24 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 21 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 40 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Isaiah Thomas') has 5 Assists ,has 32 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcus Smart') has 3 Assists ,has 32 3-pointers attempted ,has 21 Minutes played ,has 3 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 26 Assists ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 15 Assists ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 4 Assists ,has 23 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 Minutes played ,has 5 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Crawford') has 5 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 19 Minutes played ."]

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the visiting Utah Jazz, 108 - 95, at Staples Center on Saturday afternoon. The Clippers (44 - 30) jumped out of the gates with a 28 - 14 first quarter, but let off the gas in the second and third quarters, allowing the Jazz (44 - 29) to bring it to a two - point game, with the score 72 - 70, heading into the fourth. However, the Clippers pulled away in the fourth, behind Jamal Crawford, who poured in 17 of his season - high 28 points in the quarter. The Clippers out - scored the Jazz 36 - 25 in the final frame to earn the win and clinch their sixth straight postseason berth. This was a huge win for the Clippers, as it brings them within 1 games of the Jazz, who hold on to fourth in the West. Jamal Crawford led the way for Los Angeles, with 28 points on 8 - of - 12 shooting, including 3 - of - 6 from long range, in 25 minutes off the bench. Blake Griffin finished with 15 points, six rebounds, three steals and an assist, while DeAndre Jordan hauled in 15 rebounds, to go along with seven points, in 26 minutes. Marreese Speights came up big off the bench for the Clippers, as he double - doubled with 11 points and 10 rebounds, in 22 minutes. The Clippers will look to build on this victory, as they face the second night of a back - to - back, when they play host to the Kings on Sunday. Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert was doing it all for the Jazz, as he led the way in scoring with 26 points on 10 - of - 13 shooting, and rebounding, with 14 rebounds, in 36 minutes. Joe Johnson followed up with 17 points, in 26 minutes off the bench, while Gordon Hayward chipped in 13 points, five rebounds and three assists. Hayward left the game mid way through the fourth with knee soreness and did not return. The Jazz will look to bounce back, as they play host to the Pelicans on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 30 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 28 Points in 1st quarter ,has 36 Points in 4th quarter ,has 44 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 29 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 14 Points in 1st quarter ,has 25 Points in 4th quarter ,has 44 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 3 Assists ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rudy Gobert') has 13 Assists ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 36 3-pointers made ,has 26 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Joe Johnson') has 26 Assists ,has 17 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 1 Assists ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 6 3-pointers made ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 1 Assists ,has 26 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 15 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Crawford') has 6 Assists ,has 3 3-pointers attempted ,has 12 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 25 Field goals made ,has 28 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marreese Speights') has 22 Assists ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ,has 10 3-pointers made ."]

The Utah Jazz (35 - 42) defeated the Sacramento Kings (26 - 50) 101 - 95 on Sunday at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento. While both teams have already been eliminated from playoff contention, it was still another hard fought game Sunday. Both teams shot very similar percentages, with the Jazz going 46 percent from the field and 33 percent from the three - point line, while the Kings went 48 percent from the floor and 33 percent from deep. This marked the fifth straight loss for the Kings, as they look to improve their draft positioning for the 2015 NBA Draft. The Jazz got their biggest offensive contribution from Rodney Hood, who led this team to the close victory. The rookie finished with a team - high of 25 points (9 - 17 FG, 1 - 6 3Pt, 6 - 7 FT), to go along with four steals. He's only averaging 8 points on the season, but he's put together two impressive performances in a row, combining for 42 points and five steals. His four steals were also a career - high. While Gordon Hayward struggled to just five points (2 - 11 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt), it was Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors who gave Hood the most help. Gobert finished with 10 points (5 - 7 FG), nine rebounds and two blocked shots, while Favors added 11 points (5 - 11 FG, 1 - 1 FT) and five rebounds of his own. Favors could have put up some higher numbers, but he was limited to just 16 minutes, as he was given a light work load due to the season wearing down and nothing much left to play for. Favors has averaged 16 points and 8 rebounds so far this season, both of which are the best numbers of his five - year career. With Rudy Gay sitting out another game due to suffering a concussion earlier last week, it was Ben McLemore who gave DeMarcus Cousins the most help on the offensive side of the ball. McLemore shot 8 - for - 12 from the field and 2 - for - 3 from the three - point line to score 20 points, while also contributing five rebounds and four steals. McLemore has struggled with his consistency over the course of this season, so the Kings' coaching staff would love to see McLemore show some added improvement as the second - year guard's season comes near to its end. The four steals also matched a season - high for him. Cousins, on the other hand, posted a game - high of 26 points (11 - 22 FG, 4 - 9 FT), to go along with 12 rebounds and four assists. It marked his sixth double - double in a row, a stretch where he's averaging an impressive 28 points and 17 rebounds. The only other King in double figures was Omri Casspi, who chipped in with 14 points (5 - 10 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt, 3 - 4 FT) and five rebounds. The Kings' next game will be at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, while the Jazz will head home to play the Kings again on Wednesday.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers (39 - 14) defeated their division rival Chicago Bulls (27 - 26) Thursday night at Quicken Loans Arena, 106 - 95. The Bulls took their only lead of the game at 20. The Cavaliers swiftly rattled off a 10 - 2 run and held the lead for the rest of the game. Cleveland led by just six at halftime, but a 30 - 22 third quarter put the game away, as the Cavaliers led by double - digits for the entire final period. LeBron James finished one rebound and one assist away from a triple - double and scored a team - high 25 points on an efficient 11 - 19 shooting night. Triston Thompson was a beast inside, as he scored 16 on 8 - 10 shooting and added 10 rebounds. Kevin Love joined the double - double party with 15 points (5 - 10 FG) and 15 rebounds. The Cavaliers were tidy on offense, as they recorded 21 assists and turned the ball over just 10 times. Derrick Rose led all scorers with 28 points (11 - 19 FG) and added seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. Pau Gasol was the only other Bulls starter to reach double - digits, as he scored 14 to go with nine rebounds, four assists and a block. Bobby Portis was one of the few bright spots for Chicago, as he poured in 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in just 26 minutes off the bench. The Bulls shot just 40 percent from the floor and recorded more turnovers (13) than assists (12). The Bulls return home Friday for a matchup against the Raptors. The Cavaliers hit the road for a matchup Sunday afternoon against the Thunder.

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The Phoenix Suns took down the Sacramento Kings on Friday, 105 - 103. Phoenix (16 - 34) saw strong play from sophomore Devin Booker in the win, as Booker led the team with 33 points on 11 - of - 24 shooting. Per usual, strong backcourt play kept the Suns in the game, as point guard Eric Bledsoe added another 20 points. The duo of guards contributed seven of Phoenix's 12 three - pointers on the night. Forward T.J. Warren was also an integral piece of the win, as the young wing scored 21 points for the Suns. Though the team shot just over 41 percent from the field, they were able to compensate with stellar shooting from beyond the arc and at the free - throw line. Sacramento (19 - 31) left the game with a disappointing result, as the team needed a win to stay close to Denver for eighth in the Western Conference. The team was narrowly edged out on Friday, despite shooting almost four percent better from the field than their opponent. Even in the loss, center DeMarcus Cousins was able to make a considerable impact. Cousins posted a triple - double, scoring 22 points and dishing 12 assists while pulling down 12 rebounds. Off the bench, point guard Ty Lawson showed flashes of his former self, scoring 18 points in 28 minutes. The Kings will host the Warriors on Saturday, while Phoenix will host the Bucks.

["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 31 Percentage of 3 points ,has 103 Losses ,has 19 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 41 Percentage of 3 points ,has 34 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 16 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'TJ Warren') has 21 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Devin Booker') has 24 Assists ,has 11 Field goals attempted ,has 33 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Bledsoe') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMarcus Cousins') has 12 Assists ,has 22 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ty Lawson') has 28 Assists ,has 18 Field goals attempted ."]

The Orlando Magic (25 - 30) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers (8 - 48) 124 - 115 on Tuesday. A contest between two sub - .500 teams turned into an explosive affair, with Nikola Vucevic leading the way against his former team. The Magic's big man posted a season - high 35 points, along with nine rebounds, four assists and a block, dominating a Sixers frontcourt that's one of the most permeable in the league. Philadelphia's penchant for handing the ball to the opposition persisted as well, with Orlando eliciting 22 turnovers from them, which was one of their undoings in the loss. The Sixers actually hung with Orlando until early in the final period, which they'd entered trailing only 97 - 93. However, Victor Oladipo spearheaded the visitors' attack by scoring 10 of his 22 points in the quarter, helping to seal the victory. Oladipo added four rebounds, four assists and three steals to his point total. Evan Fournier was right behind him with 21 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Aaron Gordon managed his second straight double - double, totaling 11 points, 11 boards, three assists, three steals and a block. Ersan Ilyasova paced the Magic bench with 10 points and eight rebounds. Orlando remains in last place in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division, and is currently four games behind the eighth - seeded Chicago Bulls. They head home for a showdown with the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. The Sixers were spearheaded by Ish Smith, who amassed 22 points, five assists and a rebound in a major bounce - back performance after a three - point outing against the Mavericks on Sunday. Jahlil Okafor supplied 17 points, two rebounds and a pair of blocks. Nerlens Noel registered a 16 - point, 11 - rebound double - double that also included four assists, two steals and a block. Robert Covington pitched in with 12 points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal. Hollis Thompson paced the Sixers bench with 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Philadelphia remains in last place in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They head to Detroit for a tussle with the Pistons on Thursday.

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The Toronto Raptors (30 - 15) notched their 30th win of the season Tuesday, defeating the Indiana Pacers (16 - 31) 104 - 91 at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Raptors held a five - point lead mid way through the third quarter before reeling off a 17 - 6 run to go up by double digits. Toronto's DeMar DeRozan snapped out of his cold streak on the road by scoring a game - high 24 points after managing just 14 points in his previous three games away from the Air Canada Centre. Toronto has now won both of its meetings with Indiana this season. Toronto has now won three straight to move into a tie for second place in the East. Kyle Lowry had a terrific performance with 19 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds in 34 minutes on the floor. The Raptors will play the second installment of a back - to - back set Wednesday when they host the Kings. Indiana snapped its seven - game losing streak Sunday against Orlando, but was unable to carry that momentum into Tuesday's contest. C.J Miles missed his second consecutive game with a groin injury and is considered questionable for Thursday's match up with the Knicks. George Hill was able to play his third straight game, but was on a minutes limit. He compiled 13 points, three assists, and two rebounds in 20 minutes of action. The Pacers have four games remaining on their current homestand.

["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 31 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 16 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 15 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 30 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 24 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 8 Assists ,has 34 Minutes played ,has 19 Points ,has 7 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'George Hill') has 3 Assists ,has 20 Minutes played ,has 13 Points ,has 2 Total rebounds ."]

The Indiana Pacers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 109 - 103 Thursday at Target Center. The Pacers (23 - 22) came into Thursday's matchup as one of the worst road teams in the NBA, boasting a 6 - 16 record away from home. They were, however, able to end a three - game losing streak and pull this one out, but it did n't come without a few heroic offensive performances. Paul George led the way with a team - high 32 points, five assists and four rebounds in 37 minutes, while young star Myles Turner an efficient 23 points on 10 - of - 14 shooting from the field on top of six rebounds. But in the backcourt, point guard Jeff Teague put together one of the best all - around performances of his first season with the Pacers, scoring 20 points, dishing out 13 assists and grabbing what ended up being a team - high eight rebounds. The three ended up accounting for 75 of the team's 109 points, with no other Indiana player managing to score in double figures. In the end, the Pacers won the game through their play on the perimeter, with the team shooting an impressive 10 - of - 18 (56 percent) from downtown. As for the Timberwolves (17 - 29), the biggest issues they've faced all season - - poor defense and lack of depth - - surfaced in Thursday's contest. Despite getting three stellar performances from their three young stars, they got no help from any of their teammates, and no one could stop the Pacers' offensive attack. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with a game - high 33 points on top of 10 rebounds and four assists, while Zach LaVine added 23 points and Andrew Wiggins posted 21 of his own. Their Minnesota teammates, however, managed to score just 26 points, causing them to fall just short and putting their three - game win streak to an end. Up next, the Pacers will head home Friday to take on the Kings, while the Timberwolves will look to get back on the right track Saturday against the Nets.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 29 Percentage of 3 points ,has 103 Losses ,has 26 Total points ,has 17 Points in 2nd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 56 Percentage of 3 points ,has 22 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 23 Points in 2nd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 5 Assists ,has 37 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 32 Field goals attempted ,has 4 Field goals made ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Myles Turner') has 1 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers made ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jeff Teague') has 13 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 1 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 21 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 4 Assists ,has 33 Blocks ,has 10 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach LaVine') has 23 Assists ."]

The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Washington Wizards 119 - 104 Monday at Target Center. The Timberwolves (28 - 38) did n't waste any time opening up Monday's contest, as they ended the first quarter with an 18 - point lead and never let the Wizards (41 - 25) within one possession, as their smallest lead from that point was five points. Karl-Anthony Towns had his way in the outing, scoring a game - high 39 points on 17 - of - 26 shooting and grabbing 13 rebounds. Those offensive opportunities for Towns came in large part to the play of Ricky Rubio, who scored 22 points and recorded 19 assists in Monday's matchup. It was a hot shooting night for the team overall, as Minnesota shot 52 percent from the field and a scorching 48 percent from behind the arc. As for Washington, the loss ended a five - game winning streak, but the team has still won seven of its last nine games. They were led, once again, by their backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal. Wall finished with a game - high 27 points, while scored 20 points of his own. The next highest scorer for the Wizards, however, was Bojan Bogdanovic, who shot just 3 - of - 11 from the field en route to scoring 12 points. It was a poor shooting night all around for Washington, as the team shot just 43 percent from the field and 27 percent from behind the arc. Up next, the Timberwolves will travel to Boston on Wednesday to take on the Celtics, while the Wizards will head home to play the Mavericks on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 48 Percentage of 3 points ,has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 38 Losses ,has 119 Total points ,has 28 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 27 Percentage of 3 points ,has 43 Percentage of field goals ,has 25 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 41 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 27 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bojan Bogdanovic') has 11 Assists ,has 3 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 26 Assists ,has 17 Field goals attempted ,has 39 Field goals made ,has 13 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ricky Rubio') has 19 Assists ,has 22 Field goals attempted ."]

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Phoenix Suns 116 - 98 at Staples Center on Monday. The Clippers (40) rallied behind their core four starters in Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and JJ Reddick in the blowout win over the Suns. The two teams battled it out through three quarters, and Phoenix was able to keep the game within striking distance towards the end of the fourth quarter, but the Clippers started to pull away through effective pick - and - roll play and Jamal Crawford’s bench performances. Crawford aided the starters after making back - to - back baskets early in the final period, and then added a trip to the free throw line, which put the Clippers up by 17 points with 7:50 left to play. Crawford finished with 14 points on 5 - of - 10 shooting in 27 minutes. The aforementioned core four starters all finished in double figures, led by Paul’s 24 points, eight assists and five rebounds, while Griffin totalled 21 points, five assists and 11 rebounds. The Suns (0 - 4) fail to grab their first win of the season, but got a solid performance from Brandon Knight and hung with one of the Western Conference’s most complete teams through three quarters. Knight scored 18 points, but did not add any assists or rebounds, while Eric Bledsoe rounded out the box score with 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Devin Booker was ruled out for the game as he nursed a sprained right big toe. Next up, the Suns host the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, while the Clippers stay at home the same day to face the Oklahoma City Thunder.

["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 116 Losses ,has 3 Total points ." "TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 4 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 0 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Brandon Knight') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Eric Bledsoe') has 5 Assists ,has 12 Defensive rebounds ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Blake Griffin') has 5 Assists ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 21 3-pointers attempted ,has 11 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 4 Assists ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Crawford') has 3 Assists ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 10 3-pointers attempted ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 27 Field goals made ,has 14 Minutes played ,has 2 Personal fouls ,has 2 Points ."]

The Denver Nuggets did n't need to play most of their stars, including rising center Nikola Jokic, to grab a home victory against a weak Sacramento Kings lineup. Wilson Chandler led the way for Denver, as he scored 36 points, draining 13 shots and adding 12 rebounds and four assists. Danilo Gallinari scored 18 points on an efficient 5 - of - 7 shooting across 31 minutes of action. The bench only stretched four players deep, with Will Barton leading the scoring with a lowly nine points in 27 minutes. Mason Plumlee pitched in a double - double with 10 points and 12 boards, while Gary Harris added 15 points, three rebounds and three assists. Darren Collison led the Kings scorers with 17 points, to go with two boards and five assists. Kosta Koufos contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Buddy Hield had 14 points on 4 - of - 7 shooting including 2 - of - 2 from three - point range.

["PlayerStat(G,'Kosta Koufos') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Darren Collison') has 5 Assists ,has 17 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Buddy Hield') has 2 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Danilo Gallinari') has 7 Assists ,has 5 3-pointers attempted ,has 31 3-pointers made ,has 18 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Wilson Chandler') has 4 Assists ,has 13 3-pointers attempted ,has 36 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mason Plumlee') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gary Harris') has 3 Assists ,has 15 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Will Barton') has 27 Assists ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 9 3-pointers made ."]

The Philadelphia 76ers (13 - 45) defeated the Washington Wizards (33 - 26) 89 - 81 on Friday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. With both teams riding their respective five - game losing streak, each were looking to get things turned around with a victory on Friday. In a surprising effort, the Sixers were able to come out victorious and end their drought. While they did n't necessarily have the best game shooting the ball, finishing at 35 percent from the field and 36 percent from the three - point line, they still shot better than the Wizards, who finished at just 32 percent from the field and a meager 24 percent from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Sixers was Nerlens Noel, who went 5 - for - 9 from the floor and 4 - for - 6 from the free throw line for a team - high of 14 points, to go along with 13 rebounds, two steals and three blocked shots. He's really started to get it going offensively, averaging 12 points per game over his last five. It was also his first double - double since the end of January, so it was good to see that type of production. Robert Covington was a key contributor in the win. In just 26 minutes, he posted 13 points (3 - 9 FG, 2 - 7 3Pt, 5 - 5 FT) and six rebounds. He's played well following the All-Star break, averaging 13 points and 5 rebounds over five games. Coming just short of his own double - double, Luc Richard Mbah A Moute recorded 10 points (4 - 9 FG, 2 - 6 3Pt, 0 - 4 FT), eight rebounds and four assists. He combined for just 12 points and eight rebounds over his previous two games, so it was good to seem him have a little more success Friday. The only other Sixer to reach double figures in points was Jason Richards, who finished with 12 points (4 - 9 FG, 4 - 7 3Pt) and five assists in 26 minutes. For the Wizards, John Wall did the bulk of the damage despite the loss. He went off for 21 points (7 - 26 FG, 0 - 2 3Pt, 7 - 8 FT) and 11 assists, notching his third double - double over his last four games. During that four game stretch, he's averaged 13 points and 11 assists, but made just 1 - of - 10 from the three - point line over that same span, so it was n't all good for the guard. Another surprise performance came from Otto Porter, who went 8 - for - 19 from the field and 2 - for - 3 from the three - point line to score 19 points as the starter at small forward. It was a new season - high for the forward, as he received extended playing time with Paul Pierce sitting due to a knee injury. It was his second solid showing in a row, as he's combined for 32 points on 14 - of - 30 shooting from the floor. Coming off the bench, Ramon Sessions added 14 points (4 - 10 FG, 1 - 1 3Pt, 5 - 7 FT) and four rebounds in 21 minutes. Considering he's averaging just 5 points on the season, it was a nice surprise for the Wizards. Marcin Gortat chipped in with eight points (4 - 8 FG, 0 - 2 FT) and 14 rebounds as well. The Sixers' next game will be on the road against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, while the Wizards will be at home against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.

["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 36 Percentage of 3 points ,has 35 Percentage of field goals ,has 45 Losses ,has 89 Total points ,has 13 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 24 Percentage of 3 points ,has 32 Percentage of field goals ,has 26 Losses ,has 81 Total points ,has 33 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Otto Porter') has 19 Assists ,has 8 Blocks ,has 19 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcin Gortat') has 8 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 8 3-pointers made ,has 14 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 11 Assists ,has 4 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 0 3-pointers attempted ,has 26 3-pointers made ,has 7 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ,has 7 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ,has 21 Minutes played ,has 4 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ramon Sessions') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 7 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 21 Field goals made ,has 14 Free throws attempted ,has 4 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 5 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 3 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 5 Field goals made ,has 26 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 13 Minutes played ,has 6 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Luc Mbah a Moute') has 4 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 0 Field goals made ,has 10 Free throws attempted ,has 8 Free throws made ,has 2 Minutes played ,has 2 Personal fouls ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nerlens Noel') has 3 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 5 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 5 Field goals attempted ,has 14 Field goals made ,has 13 Free throws attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jason Richardson') has 5 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 4 Defensive rebounds ,has 9 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 26 Field goals attempted ,has 12 Field goals made ."]

Bradley Beal has been playing like an offensive juggernaut since returning from a hamstring injury that held him out for three games, and his 31 - point performance on Wednesday continued that trend. Since returning, Beal has been averaging 28 points while shooting 50 percent from the field overall. And while those numbers jump off the page, what may jump even higher off the page is the number of minutes he has been playing. Beal, who already has a rich injury history in this young season, has played at least 38 minutes in his last six games with the 42 he played against Oklahoma City being the highest he's played all season. Head coach Scott Brooks has said that he needs Beal on the floor to give the Wizards a chance of winning the game, but with Beal failing to put together anything close complete NBA season in his career, the wear and tear on an already fragile body could be dangerous for a struggling Washington team.

["PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 42 Minutes played ,has 31 Points ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies (40 - 30) defeated the Los Angeles Clippers (43 - 25) 113 - 102 on Saturday. Memphis came into this game as a double - digit underdog, but walked away with a huge win. Zach Randolph returned from a seven - game absence and was clearly the star, as he recorded his first career triple - double. The key for the Grizzlies was the rebounding, as they snatched down 44 rebounds to the Clippers 30. Los Angeles hasn’t been playing their best ball recently and this may be their worst loss in that stretch. Chris Paul still showed up though, as he tallied 25 points and six assists in the defeat. DeAndre Jordan was the only other player who scored more than 12, as he totaled 16 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals. The Clippers have a quick turnaround, as they play the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday in their next matchup. The Grizzlies continue to surprise and these sort of wins are a credit to their resiliency and grittiness. Zach Randolph played one of his best games of his career, as he accumulated 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the win. Tony Allen continued his offensive surge as well, as he scored 22 of his own. JaMychal Green was a great energizer off the bench, as he amassed 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. The Grizzlies will look to build off this win against the Phoenix Suns on Monday.

["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 30 Losses ,has 113 Total points ,has 44 Rebounds ,has 40 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 25 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 30 Rebounds ,has 43 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 2 Assists ,has 16 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 6 Assists ,has 25 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Zach Randolph') has 10 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 11 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tony Allen') has 22 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'JaMychal Green') has 4 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 7 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 Points ."]

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Indiana Pacers 142 - 106 at Oracle Arena on Monday. Klay Thompson scored 60 points in 29 minutes and led the Warriors (18 - 3) to an incredible rout of the Pacers (10 - 11) to grab their ninth home win of the season. The remarkable scoring effort started early and had Oracle Arena rowdy for the three quarters of play in which Thompson dominated from every square inch of the court. Golden State racked up 80 points by the half, and took a 30 point lead into the third quarter, where Thompson added 20 more points to the 40 points he scored in the first half. The Pacers simply had no answer for Thompson, even when they finally switched Paul George onto the hot shooting guard after he broke the 50 point mark. Thompson’s final line was 60 points, two rebounds and one assist 21 - of - 33 shooting including 8 - of - 14 from behind the arc and 10 - 11 from the free throw line. Kevin Durant added 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists on 14 shots, while Stephen Curry scored 13 points on 2 - of - 7 shooting from deep. As for the Pacers, the game was out of reach from midway through the second quarter, and the defensive effort and game play focuses on Curry and Durant. Paul George led Indiana with 21 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and one steal on 4 - of - 12 shooting. Next up, the Pacers visit the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, while the Warriors visit the Los Angeles Clippers.

["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 3 Losses ,has 142 Total points ,has 18 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 11 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 10 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Paul George') has 3 Assists ,has 12 3-pointers attempted ,has 4 3-pointers made ,has 21 Field goals attempted ,has 10 Field goals made ,has 1 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 4 Assists ,has 14 3-pointers attempted ,has 20 3-pointers made ,has 8 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Klay Thompson') has 29 Assists ,has 60 3-pointers attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Stephen Curry') has 7 Assists ,has 2 3-pointers attempted ,has 13 3-pointers made ."]

John Wall and Bradley Beal combined for 44 points to lead Washington. Their effort helped overcome that of Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokunmpo, (28 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists). Wall led with 24 points, while Beal followed with 20 points. Markieff Morris and Otto Porter combined for 25 points. Kelly Oubre, Jr. continued his strong play, pacing the second unit with 19 points. Marcin Gortat contributed just nine points but hauled in 14 boards. Mirza Teletovic was Milwaukee's second - leading scorer, posting 25 points on 8 - of - 12 shooting from the bench. John Henson supplied 14 points (on 70 percent shooting). Jabari Parker (eight points) and Matthew Dellavedova (six points) underwhelmed, but Malcolm Brogdon poured in 11 points off the bench. Despite the defeat, the Bucks posted 51 and 52 percent success rates from the field and three - point range, respectively.

["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 52 Percentage of 3 points ,has 51 Percentage of field goals ,has 25 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 28 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 7 Assists ,has 28 Field goals attempted ,has 13 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jabari Parker') has 8 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Henson') has 70 Assists ,has 14 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Matthew Dellavedova') has 6 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Mirza Teletovic') has 12 Assists ,has 8 Field goals attempted ,has 25 Field goals made ." "PlayerStat(G,'Malcolm Brogdon') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcin Gortat') has 9 Assists ,has 14 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 24 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kelly Oubre Jr.') has 19 Assists ."]

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Washington Wizards, 120 - 112, at Wells Fargo Center on Friday evening. The Sixers' first game after the All-Star break featured Dario Saric's debut as the permanent starting power forward, and the 2014 first - round pick did not disappoint. Saric contributed a 20 - point, 11 - rebound double - double that also included four assists and one steal. All five members of the Sixers (22 - 35) starting five posted double - digit scoring, and Philadelphia managed a 49 percent success rate from the floor in an explosive offensive showing overall. The impressive effort helped the home team overcome a spectacular 40 - point effort from the Wizards' Bradley Beal. Beal added four rebounds, two assists and two steals to his game - high scoring total. John Wall was right behind with a 29 - point, 14 - assist double - double that also included eight boards and a pair of blocks. Markieff Morris was a distant third for the Wizards (34 - 22), generating 14 points, seven rebounds and one steal. Marcin Gortat compiled an 11 - point, 11 - rebound double - double that also included one assist and one block. Robert Covington paced the Sixers with 25 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and four steals. Gerald Henderson tallied 20 points and five boards. Richaun Holmes, seeing an expanded role off the bench with the departures of Nerlens Noel and Ersan Ilyasova at the trade deadline, supplied 12 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, five blocks and two steals. Jahlik Okafor and Nik Stauskas produced matching 11 - point efforts, with the former adding two rebounds and two assists, and the latter registering three boards, one assist and one block. T.J. McConnell amassed 10 points, eight assists, four rebounds, two steals and one block. The Wizards head back home to tangle with the Utah Jazz on Sunday afternoon, while the Sixers head to New York to take on the Knicks on Saturday evening.

["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 35 Losses ,has 120 Total points ,has 22 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 22 Percentage of field goals ,has 112 Losses ,has 34 Total points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Markieff Morris') has 14 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ,has 1 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Marcin Gortat') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 11 Points ,has 11 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bradley Beal') has 2 Assists ,has 40 Blocks ,has 4 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'John Wall') has 14 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 29 Points ,has 8 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 3 Assists ,has 25 Blocks ,has 11 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dario Saric') has 4 Assists ,has 20 Blocks ,has 11 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jahlil Okafor') has 2 Assists ,has 11 Blocks ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Gerald Henderson') has 20 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'T.J. McConnell') has 8 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 10 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ,has 2 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Richaun Holmes') has 1 Assists ,has 5 Blocks ,has 12 Points ,has 10 Total rebounds ,has 2 Steals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Nik Stauskas') has 1 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 11 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ."]

These were two teams going in opposite directions headed into this matchup, but the Cavaliers bucked that trend with a 28 - point win over the T'Wolves. Cleveland did most of their damage in the second half, winning that 24 - minute period, 62 - 37. The Cavaliers dominated the shooting, hitting 54 percent of their shots, while holding Minnesota to just 44 percent on their end. Karl-Anthony Towns tallied 26 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the defeat. Andrew Wiggins was second on the team with 23 points, in an otherwise empty line. Ricky Rubio scored 14 points, while handing out 13 assists. LeBron James was the player of the game, as he accumulated 27 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists. Kyrie Irving scored just 14 points, but dished out a career - high 14 assists. Tristan Thompson was a presence down low, totaling 16 points and 14 rebounds.

["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 54 Percentage of field goals ." "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 44 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 23 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 4 Assists ,has 26 Points ,has 12 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Ricky Rubio') has 13 Assists ,has 14 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'LeBron James') has 12 Assists ,has 27 Points ,has 8 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tristan Thompson') has 14 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyrie Irving') has 14 Assists ,has 14 Points ."]

The Dallas Mavericks (40 - 22) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans (32 - 28) 102 - 93 on Monday. Dallas was without big man Tyson Chandler, who was out with a hip injury. Coach Rick Carlisle gave Bernard James the start at center. James had two blocks, six rebounds and zero points but led his team with a plus - 23 rating during his time on the court. Rajon Rondo pitched in with 19 points on a team - best 9 - for - 15 shooting night from the field. The recently - acquired Amar'e Stoudemire came off the bench and put up 14 points to go along with four rebounds, two assists and two steals. The Mavs are 8 - 5 since the beginning of February, and they'll begin a three - game road trip on Thursday against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Pelicans were lead in points by Norris Cole. Cole came off the bench and scored 19 points in 36 minutes, but it was n't enough to extend New Orleans' win streak to six games, ending it at five. The five - game span started with the re - injuring of Anthony Davis' shoulder, and he remains out without a firm timetable for his return. The Pelicans will look to begin a new streak when they welcome the Detroit Pistons to the Smoothie King Center on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 22 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 40 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 28 Losses ,has 93 Total points ,has 32 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Norris Cole') has 36 Assists ,has 19 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Bernard James') has 2 Assists ,has 6 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Rajon Rondo') has 15 Assists ,has 9 Blocks ,has 19 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'Amar'e Stoudemire') has 2 Assists ,has 14 Blocks ,has 4 Field goals attempted ,has 2 Field goals made ."]

The host Portland Trail Blazers defeated the visiting Denver Nuggets on Sunday, 112 - 105. After trailing by double - digits midway through the second quarter, Portland rallied to catch up and establish a significant lead. A 36 - 15 advantage in the third quarter helped the Blazers (7 - 4) to regain control of the game. It was another strong performance for star point guard Damian Lillard, who is averaging over 30 points per game and leading the Blazers in assists. Lillard scored 32 on Sunday to go along with eight rebounds and six assists. Lillard's backcourt partner, C.J. McCollum, contributed significantly as well, scoring 21 points. While Portland's starting five saw success, the Blazers' bench struggled, shooting just 7 - of - 29 on the night. After what had been a promising start to the season for Denver (3 - 7), the Nuggets have now lost four consecutive games. The Nuggets remain among the league's top rebounding teams, as the team displayed by earning a 59 - 44 rebounding advantage against the Blazers. However, Denver's shooting woes were on full display Sunday, particularly among their young players. The team shot just 39 percent from the field, with sophomore point guard Emmanuel Mudiay shooting just 3 - of - 16 on the night. Portland will host the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, while Denver will host the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 4 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 30 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 36 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 44 Rebounds ,has 7 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 7 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 15 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 59 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 3 Rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Emmanuel Mudiay') has 16 Assists ,has 3 Field goals attempted ." "PlayerStat(G,'CJ McCollum') has 21 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 6 Assists ,has 32 Field goals attempted ,has 8 Field goals made ."]

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 97 - 96 Monday at BMO Harris Bradley Center. It was a remarkable comeback effort for the Spurs (17 - 4), who, after scoring just 35 points in the first half and just nine in the second quarter, used a terrific second - half effort to earn the victory and improve to a perfect 120 on the road this season. Overall, San Antonio outscored Milwaukee (10 - 9) by 14 points in the second half and their run was topped off by a game - winning layup from LaMarcus Aldridge, who finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists, with just over 20 seconds remaining. Kawhi Leonard led the way for the Spurs, scoring a team - high 21 points and grabbing nine rebounds of his own, while Pau Gasol posted 15 points and nine boards. It was a matchup won in the frontcourt for the Spurs, as the only other San Antonio player to reach double figures was Dewyane Dedmon, who finished with 10 points and six rebounds off the bench. For the Bucks, they were led once again by their young stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker. Antetokounmpo 22 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Parker managed 23 points, eight rebounds and two assists. The rest of the Bucks starters, meanwhile, combined to score just 20 points, and it was the contributions from Milwaukee's reserves that kept them ahead, with Greg Monroe posting a double - double of 10 points and 13 rebounds and Mirza Teletovic scoring 11 points off the bench. The Bucks could potentially get themselves into trouble as the season goes on if they do n't have a legitimate scoring option after Parker and Antetokounmpo, as teams will focus more and more on the young stars with both putting together stellar seasons. Up next, the Spurs will look to win their 13th straight on the road when they take on the Timberwolves on Tuesday, while the Bucks will stay home Wednesday and play the Trail Blazers.

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The Los Angeles Clippers (26 - 13) defeated the Portland Trail Blazers (30 - 9) 100 - 94 on Wednesday. It was the usual suspects turning in big performances for the Clippers on Wednesday. Chris Paul finished with 23 points, ten assists and two steals in 40 minutes. DeAndre Jordan had 13 points and 11 rebounds in the first half and finished with 17 points and 18 rebounds in 35 minutes. Jamal Crawford was hot off the bench, putting up 25 points in 30 minutes. The Clippers hold the Western Conference's sixth best record. Portland got big performances from its frontcourt, including three double - doubles. Meyers Leonard and Chris Kaman each recorded a double - double, along with LaMarcus Aldridge's huge 37 - point, 12 - rebound performance. Damian Lillard was held in - check for most of the game by Chris Paul, finishing with 15 points, three rebounds, four assists and one steal. The Trail Blazers' win streak was snapped at four games. It was the their fifth win streak of at least four games this season. The Trail Blazers will play the Spurs on Friday, and the Clippers will head home to face the Cavaliers on Friday.

["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 9 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 30 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 13 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 26 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeAndre Jordan') has 35 Assists ,has 17 Minutes played ,has 18 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Chris Paul') has 10 Assists ,has 23 Minutes played ,has 2 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jamal Crawford') has 25 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'LaMarcus Aldridge') has 37 Assists ,has 12 Minutes played ." "PlayerStat(G,'Damian Lillard') has 4 Assists ,has 15 Minutes played ,has 3 Points ,has 1 Total rebounds ."]

The Hawks (19 - 12) escaped a scare from the Pistons (17 - 13) for a 107 - 100 win at Philips Arena on Wednesday. After a fairly even first quarter, the Hawks took control with a 19 - 7 run to end the first half with a 16 - point lead. Atlanta shot well over 50 percent from the field through three quarters and were still employing the "Hack-a-Drummond" strategy late in the game despite the score. Andre Drummond would go on to finish 7 - of - 18 from the charity stripe. The Pistons got hot in the fourth quarter and cut the deficit to seven points, but were unable to complete the comeback. The loss for Detroit ended a three - game win streak which landed the Pistons in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. But an inconsistent effort Wednesday - - particularly on the offensive side of the ball - - knocked them back a bit with teams so close in the standings. There were n't many bright spots in the game - - besides the fourth quarter - - and while Drummond's free - throw shooting put the Pistons in a bind, he still managed to finish with 25 points and 12 rebounds for his league - leading 26th double - double. It was a fifth straight win for the Hawks and fifth game scoring 100 or more points as Atlanta is playing its best basketball since starting the season 7 - 1. The win also thrusts the Hawks into sole possession of second place in the Eastern Conference behind the Cavaliers, who defeated the Knicks 91 - 84 to improve to 19 - 7. The big shot of the night came from Kyle Korver, who moved into a tie with Rashard Lewis for ninth on the NBA/ABA all - time 3 - pointers made list with his 1,787th career trey. The Hawks bench outscored the Pistons reserves 34 - 17.

["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 12 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 19 Wins ." "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 13 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 17 Wins ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 18 Free throws attempted ,has 7 Free throws made ,has 25 Points ,has 12 Total rebounds ."]

The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 113 - 93, at FedEx Forum on Monday. The recent form of these teams would have indicated a closer game, but Memphis took care of business in this wire - to - wire win. In fact, the Grizzlies led by at least seven points for the entirety of the second half, as the final 20 - point margin was their largest lead of the game. Memphis was very efficient on offense, shooting 52 percent from the field and 52 percent from three - point range. The Grizzlies also dominated the assist - to - turnover ratio, recording nine more assists than Milwaukee, despite committing five less turnovers. The Bucks (32 - 34) snapped a six - game winning streak with this loss, as they simply could n't match the energy of this hungry Grizzlies team. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for Milwaukee, as he tallied 18 points, five rebounds and four assists. Malcolm Brogdon finished second on the team, providing 15 points and eight assists off the bench. No other player on the roster finished with more than 13 points, five rebounds or four assists. On deck for Milwaukee is a road matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. The Grizzlies (37 - 30) carried a five - game losing streak into this matchup, so a dominating win is just what they needed to get out of this rut. Vince Carter turned back the clock, as he dropped a game - high 24 points on a perfect 8 - of - 8 shooting. Mike Conley finished second on the team, totaling 20 points, 10 assists and three steals. Marc Gasol collected 13 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Zach Randolph was the lone bench player in double figures, amassing 14 points and seven rebounds. Memphis will look to build off this win on Wednesday in a road matchup versus the Chicago Bulls.

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The Pistons are in a terrible slide right now and losses like this show just how badly they are struggling. Not only did Milwaukee win each individual quarter, they outscored the Pistons by 26 points over the final 29 minutes. The Bucks offense was extremely efficient, as they recorded 36 assists on 57 percent shooting. Jabari Parker was the player of the game, as he tallied 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Giannis Antetokounmpo was just as good, accumulating 23 points, five rebounds and eight assists of his own. Tobias Harris was recently moved to the bench and he's been the Pistons best player since, as he led the team with 23 points and 12 rebounds in this loss. Andre Drummond led the Detroit starters in scoring, as he totaled 16 points and nine rebounds.

["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 26 Number of team assists ." "TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 36 Number of team assists ,has 57 Percentage of field goals ." "PlayerStat(G,'Giannis Antetokounmpo') has 8 Assists ,has 23 Points ,has 5 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jabari Parker') has 7 Assists ,has 31 Points ,has 9 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Andre Drummond') has 16 Assists ,has 9 Points ." "PlayerStat(G,'Tobias Harris') has 23 Assists ,has 12 Points ."]

These are two teams who expect to be in it for the long haul and this game had a playoff atmosphere to it. The third quarter is what truly decided this matchup, as the Raptors outscored the Celtics, 33 - 18 in that 12 - minute stretch. Boston relied way too heavily on three's, as they went 17 - of - 42 from long distance. Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Norman Powell were the only Toronto players in double figures, as they each finished with at least 20 points. Lowry scored game - high 34 points, while adding seven rebounds and three steals. DeRozan scored 24, while Powell dropped 20 of his own. Avery Bradley and Al Horford led the Celtics in scoring, as they dropped 19 points a piece. Horford also added seven rebounds and six assists in an all - around great game. Backcourt players really struggled for Boston, as Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, and Terry Rozier combined to go 9 - of - 34 from the field in the absence of Isaiah Thomas.

["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 18 Points in 3rd quarter ." "TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 33 Points in 3rd quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Norman Powell') has 20 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'DeMar DeRozan') has 24 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kyle Lowry') has 34 Assists ,has 7 Points ,has 3 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Al Horford') has 6 Assists ,has 19 Points ,has 7 Total rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Avery Bradley') has 19 Assists ."]

The New York Knicks (10 - 10) evened out their record to .500 on Friday, defeating the Broooklyn Nets (5 - 14) 108 - 91 in a New York City showdown. The Knicks started the game with an explosive 42 point first quarter, and their dominance of the game only continued from there. Superstar Carmelo Anthony led the way for the Knicks, dropping in 28 points including five makes from beyond the three - point line. The Knicks as a whole looked strong from deep, shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc. Even more impressive, however, was their perimeter defense, as they held the Nets to just 3 - for - 11 from three - point range. Also impressing for the Knicks was power forward Kristaps Porzingis. The reigning Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month posted yet another double - double, scoring 19 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Porzingis has been sensational thus far this season. Despite projecting as a project player, the Latvian forward is looking like a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year. For the Nets, meanwhile, the loss marked a dropoff in momentum after two straight wins. Brooklyn holds the unfortunate title of second - worst record in the Eastern Conference, a problem only confounded by the fact that Boston owns the rights to their draft pick this year. Despite solid play from the frontcourt tandem of Brook Lopez (21 points, four rebounds, two blocks) and Thaddeus Young (19 points, 11 rebounds), the Nets were simply unable to get anything going tonight, trailing by at least 15 points for the last three and a half quarters. The Knicks currently sit at eleventh in the Eastern Conference, trailing one and a half games behind the Celtics, Magic, and Hawks. New York will look to carry momentum from the strong showing against the Nets into their next matchup, a trip to Milwaukee on Saturday to face the Bucks. Meanwhile, the Nets will look to regain their mojo after the blowout. They take on the undefeated Warriors on Sunday in Brooklyn.

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The Knicks forged a 102 - 100 lead at the one - minute mark after two Derrick Rose free throws but would n't score again, with Dario Saric sinking three of four shots from the charity stripe and Justin Anderson draining a six - foot jumper over the final 48 seconds to seal the Sixers win. Lance Thomas' 21 points led the way for the Knicks. Rose was right behind him with 20 points. Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis supplied matching 18 - point efforts, while Courtney Lee tallied 16 points. Saric paced Philadelphia with a 21 - point, 10 - rebound double - double. Anderson led the second unit with 19 points, five rebounds, two assists and one block. Robert Covington registered 16 points and Jahlil Okafor compiled 12 points. T.J. McConnell submitted 11 points, while Richaun Holmes and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot were productive as reserves with matching 10 - point tallies.

["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 21 Points in 4th quarter ." "PlayerStat(G,'Carmelo Anthony') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Lance Thomas') has 21 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Kristaps Porzingis') has 18 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Courtney Lee') has 16 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Rose') has 20 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ." "PlayerStat(G,'Robert Covington') has 16 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Dario Saric') has 6 Assists ,has 21 Blocks ,has 10 Defensive rebounds ." "PlayerStat(G,'Jahlil Okafor') has 12 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'T.J. McConnell') has 11 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Richaun Holmes') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot') has 10 Assists ." "PlayerStat(G,'Justin Anderson') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 2 Defensive rebounds ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ,has 2 Free throws made ,has 19 Personal fouls ,has 5 Points ."]

The New York Knicks defeated the Indiana Pacers 87 - 81 Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. It was a rough start for the Knicks (27 - 41), who scored just 18 points in the first quarter. Those struggles carried into the second quarter, and the team found themselves down by 10 at the half and they appeared ready to earn their fourth straight loss. A big second half, however, helped turn this around, and they managed to outscore the Pacers (34 - 33) by 16 in the second half en route to the victory. Carmelo Anthony led the way for New York, recording a double - double of 22 points and 13 rebounds in 41 minutes. Kristaps Porzingis struggled in the outing, shooting just 5 - of - 17 from the field en route to scoring 11 points, and to make matters worse, he left the game early in the fourth quarter and did not return due to a thigh bruise. As for Indiana, it was a forgettable shooting night for them in every aspect of the game. As a team, the Pacers shot just 37 percent from the field, 28 percent from behind the arc and 60 percent from the free throw line - - although they only attempted 15 shots at the charity stripe. Paul George led the way with over a quarter of the team's points, finishing with 22 points on a rough 9 - of - 22 shooting performance from the field. Myles Turner was the only other Indiana player to score in double figures, with the big man notching a double - double of 17 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes. Up next, the Knicks will have a rematch with the Nets on Thursday, while the Pacers will head home Wednesday to play the Hornets.

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The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Miami Heat, 91 - 82, at Spectrum Center on Thursday. The refrain is a familiar one for the Hornets (19 - 14), but does n't seem to get old: The dynamic duo of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum supply a significant portion of the offense, and the complementary pieces around them step up in support as needed. That formula equaled another home victory for Charlotte on Thursday, their 11th of the season in 17 home games. Walker scored a game - high 22 points, while Batum provided 16. The hosts also played superior team defense, holding the Heat (10 - 23) to 40 percent shooting overall and inducing 16 turnovers. Miami was paced by Josh Richardson, who followed up a 22 - point outing against the Thunder on Tuesday with another 20 points on Thursday, along with four rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal. Tyler Johnson came off the bench to supply 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. Wayne Ellington provided 12 points, two boards and an assist in a reserve role as well. The returning Goran Dragic could only muster five points on 2 - of - 11 shooting, although he did add eight assists, three rebounds and a steal. Hassan Whiteside went for eight points, 10 rebounds and two blocks, notably taking only seven shots on the night. Walker complemented his aforementioned scoring total with seven rebounds, four assists and a steal. Batum filled out the stat sheet with 13 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and a block. Marvin Williams registered 13 points, two assists, a rebound and a steal. Cody Zeller offered nine points, seven rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block, while Jeremy Lamb led the second unit with 10 points, eight rebounds and a block. The Heat next head to Boston for a Friday night battle with the Celtics, while the Hornets host the Cleveland Cavaliers for a New Year's Eve showdown on Saturday night.

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There are n't many teams as hot as the Heat and as cold as the Bucks and those trends played out in this wire - to - wire win for Miami. The Heat dominated down low, as they won the rebounding differential, 48 - 34 and the points in the paint battle, 54 - 44. Hassan Whiteside recorded another monster double - double, as he totaled 23 points and 16 rebounds on 10 - of - 12 shooting. Goran Dragic finished with 16 points, four rebounds and seven assists. James Johnson was huge off the bench, as he provided 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the lone bright spot for the Bucks, as he led the team with 20 points and eight rebounds. Jabari Parker was second on the team, scoring 14 points to go along with two assists. Khris Middleton made his season debut and totaled five points, two rebounds and two assists in 14 minutes of action.

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The Boston Celtics (37 - 42) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers (51 - 28) 99 - 90 on Friday in Cleveland. With the Cavaliers solidified as the No. 2 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs, they did not try particularly hard to win this game, starting with sitting Kyrie Irving (hip) to make sure he stays healthy. Regardless, the Celtics took advantage, picking up a huge victory as they fight to stay in the playoffs. Marcus Smart led the way scoring for Boston, posting 19 points on 7 - of - 10 shooting in 34 minutes. Avery Bradley was close behind, scoring 15 points (7 - 12 FG) in 31 minutes. The Celtics starting frontcourt of Tyler Zeller and Brandon Bass combined to score 25 points and grab 11 rebounds. Boston's final starter, Evan Turner, struggled shooting the ball and only scored four points, but still managed to dish out 13 assists and grab six rebounds. Isaiah Thomas, as he has done so well since joining the Celtics, provided solid production off the bench, scoring 17 points (4 - 12 FG, 2 - 6 3Pt) in 23 minutes. The victory keeps Boston in the playoff chase, as they are tied with the Nets for the final playoff spot, but currently hold the tiebreaker. They are 2 games behind the Bucks for sixth place. For Cleveland this was essentially a night off, as both Lebron James and Kevin Love played less than their normal load of minutes and sat out during crunch time. James scored 14 points (5 - 14 FG, 0 - 5 3Pt) and dished out seven assists in 26 minutes, while Kevin Love scored 19 (6 - 12 FG, 4 - 8 3Pt) and grabbed six rebounds in 31 minutes. Timofey Mozgov played just 17 minutes, but scored 13 points, and J.R. Smith scored zero points in 18 minutes. Mike Miller was the only other Cavalier player to score in double figures with 11. Up next, these teams will both head to Boston on Sunday for a rematch.

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