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| Kobe Bryant torched the Rockets with 37 points. |
*All images are from the Associated Press.
Andrew Bynum had the first 20-20 game of his career and Kobe Bryant recovered from his awful shooting (against Denver two nights ago). Kyrie Irving gave the Ohio faithful a glimpse of the future with 20 points, 6 assists and 3 boards. Chicago pulled the rug from under the Hawks as D-Rose took over in the final 12 minutes and Luol Deng scored the marginal basket via a backdoor play. Props to Thibs for that play. Portland unseated the Thunder in Oklahoma, and overtook them in the standings at 4-1. The Grizzlies didn’t miss Zebo too much as Rudy Gay pumped in 23 to dump the Kings. Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap played sweet frontline music for the Jazz against the hapless Bucks.
After the JUMP, key stat-stuffers for today’s games:
CLE over CHA, 115-101 – This season’s top pick drops 20 on the Cats, and, don’t look now, the Cavs are 3-2.
CHI over ATL, 76-74 – The Hawks looked set to slay another giant, but D-Rose rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter to help Chicago tie the Heat atop the East.
POR over OKC, 103-93 – Thunder lose 2 in a row as the Blazers snare the top spot out West.
MEM over SAC, 113-96 – Rudy Gay takes advantage of Zebo’s absence to lead the Grizz to their second win.
UTA over MIL, 85-73 – Al Jefferson and the Jazz remain immaculate at home, but they’re still winless on the road.
LAL over HOU, 108-99 – Kobe bounces back by putting 37 on the board against Houston. And, well, Bynum got his first 20-20 game ever.
Super Scorers (Top scorers of the night!)
Kobe Bryant (LAL) – 37
LaMarcus Aldridge (POR) & Derrick Rose (CHI) – 30
DJ Augustin (CHA) & Al Jefferson (UTA) - 26
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| LaMarcus Aldridge dunks one over Serge Ibaka as the Blazers get their 4th win in 5 games. |
Ragin’ Rebounders (Top rebounders of the night!)
Andrew Bynum (LAL) – 22
Marc Gasol (MEM) – 15
Josh Smith (ATL) – 14
Drew Gooden (MIL) & Paul Millsap (UTA) – 12
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| Andrew Bynum's monster 20-20 might just quell the persistent Dwight Howard rumors. |
Dynamic Dishers (Top playmakers of the night!)
Kyle Lowry (HOU), DJ Augustin (CHA) & Ramon Sessions (CLE) – 9
Russell Westbrook (OKC) & Earl Watson (UTA) – 8
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| DJ Augustin is slowly becoming one of the most versatile playmakers in the league. |
Terrific Thieves (Top thieves of the night!)
Mike Conley (MEM), Wesley Matthews (POR) & Brandon Jennings (MIL) – 4
Boomin’ Blockers (Top blockers of the night!)
Derrick Favors (UTA) – 5
Andrew Bynum (LAL), Kevin Durant (OKC) & Omer Asik (CHI) – 3
Sharpshooters (Top 3-point shooters of the night!)
DJ Augustin (CHA), Kyle Lowry (HOU), Chase Budinger (HOU) & Jimmer Fredette (SAC) – 4
Jan. 3, 2012 First Five
C – Andrew Bynum (LAL) – 21pts, 22rebs & 3blks
F – Al Jefferson (UTA) – 26pts, 10rebs, 3stls & 2blks
F – Kobe Bryant (LAL) – 37pts, 8rebs, 6asts & 1blk
G – Kyle Lowry (HOU) – 22pts, 10rebs, 9asts 4 triples & 2stls
G – DJ Augustin (CHA) – 26pts, 9asts, 4rebs, 4 triples, 1stl & 1blk
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| Al Jefferson's yeomanly effort kept the Jazz well ahead of the Bucks. |
Honorable Mention:
Drew Gooden (MIL) – 24pts, 12 rebs, 1ast & 1blk
Kyrie Irving (CLE) – 20pts, 6asts, 3rebs & 2blks
LaMarcus Aldridge (POR) – 30pts, 8rebs, 1ast & 1blk
For a full summary of the day, here’s today’s NBA Daily Zap:
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