Niether
Damian Lillard nor Jeremy Lin will finish the regular season as the top point
guard in the NBA. That spot is reserved for the likes of Rajon Rondo, Chris
Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Tony Parker, but a few years down the line, either
or both Lillard and Lin should become part of that group. Both guys, having a
combined age of 46 years (just 6 years more than the current oldest active
player – New York’s Kurt Thomas), have about a handful more seasons before they
hit their physical prime, and that is an exciting proposition for Portland and
Houston fans.
Lillard was
picked #6 overall this year. Coming out of Weber State, which isn’t exactly the
most renowned US NCAA basketball program around, Lillard surprised many by
being tagged so high in the lottery, but he’s making the Portland front office
look like geniuses with his consistently strong play. The former Wildcat is
norming nearly 19 points, over 6 assists, and more than 1 steal per game. He’s
in the running for Rookie of the Year honors, if not leading the race entirely.
The 22-year old is currently 9th overall in three-pointers made
(including a nice dagger three that beat the Hornets a few nights ago), 16th
overall in total points scored, and 10th among point guards in terms
of efficiency rating. Together with LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum,
Lillard should make the Blazers really dangerous for years to come.
 |
| Damian Lillard's game-winner to beat the New Orleans Hornets provides a glimpse into his bright future. (image by Bruce Ely/AP) |
A team
that’s already quite dangerous is the Houston Rockets. Just ask their latest victims
– the Philadelphia 76ers and the East-leading New York Knicks. At the forefront
of Houston’s seeming renaissance, of course, is former OKC Thunder James
Harden, but one guy who has been a major contributor is Harden’s backcourt
mate, himself a former Knick, Jeremy Lin.
We can still
recall how Lin burst into the scene as a patchwork player for the Knicks
earlier in 2012. He almost single-handedly turned the ship around for NYK and
created what would forever be remembered as “Linsanity.” We can also recall
how, despite his contributions, New York let him go in a surprisingly
nonchalant manner before the 2012-2013 campaign.
A couple of
nights ago, the Harvard grad returned to the Garden with aplomb, scoring 22
points and dishing out 8 assists as the Rockets handed the Knicks their first
home loss of the season. Lin has actually been criticized for his inconsistent
play, but his flashes of brilliance are undeniably appealing. Two nights after
the NY win, Lin dropped 18 and 6 on the Suns as Houston got its fourth win in
the last five contests. In his last two games, Line shot better than 62% from
the floor. This was the guy who, just a week ago, also dropped 38 on Tony Parker
and the Spurs (Houston lost by 8, though).
He might not
yet get the nod for an All-Star slot out of merit (maybe out of the sheer
number of potential votes from both China and Taiwan?), but just a little more
maturity is needed before Lin can become a top-flight PG.
Another thing
contributing to the impending rise of Lillard and Lin is the fact that many of
the West’s great playmakers are getting older. Steve Nash is closing in on 40, Tony
Parker will turn 31 next May, and Chris Paul will hit his early 30s by the time
both Lillard and Lin hit their peaks.
Damian
Lillard and Jeremy Lin – folks, these are the guards of the future.
Game
Recaps (courtesy of the Sports Network):
December
19, 2012
Indiana 104, Utah 84
Gerald Green
totaled 21 points, while Paul George and George Hill each added 20 as the
Indiana Pacers dominated the Utah Jazz, 104-84, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
George also had 11 rebounds and four blocks, as the Pacers won for the fourth
time in five games. Indiana outscored the Jazz, 22-8, in the second quarter to
expand their lead to 53-31 at the break. The Pacers led by as many as 32 in the
third quarter. Derrick Favors had 16 points and nine rebounds for Utah, which
lost for the third time in four contests. The Jazz shot a paltry 37.2 percent,
including a dismal 3-of-20 in the second quarter.
New York 100, Brooklyn 86
Carmelo
Anthony returned to the lineup just in time to light up the Brooklyn Nets for
31 points and help the New York Knicks cruise to a 100-86 victory at Madison
Square Garden. After splitting a pair of Battle of the Boroughs meetings at the
Barclays Center, the Knicks showed why they are currently the toast of the Big
Apple. J.R. Smith added 19 points and Tyson Chandler posted 16 points and 12
rebounds for the Knicks, who committed just eight turnovers to Brooklyn's 14
and allowed a mere 38 points in the second half to bounce back from their first
home loss of the season. Joe Johnson paced the Nets with 17 points, while Brook
Lopez and Deron Williams each posted double-doubles. Lopez finished with 16
points and 10 boards and Williams chipped in 16 points and 10 assists.
Orlando 90, Washington 83
J.J. Redick
knocked down four 3-pointers en route to a team-high 17 points on Wednesday, as
the Orlando Magic held off the Washington Wizards, 90-83, at Amway Center.
Arron Afflalo and E'Twaun Moore donated 15 points apiece for the Magic, who have
won four straight games and five of their last six. Glen Davis contributed 12
points and nine rebounds in the victory, but left the game late in the fourth
quarter after taking a hard hit to his shoulder from Washington center Emeka
Okafor. Nene led the Wizards with a game-high 20 points off the bench, while
Jordan Crawford added 19 points and six assists in the setback, Washington's
fifth in a row.
Toronto 97, Detroit 91
DeMar
DeRozan scored 23 points and the Toronto Raptors held off the Detroit Pistons,
97-91, on Wednesday. Alan Anderson added 16 points for the Raptors, who have
won four in a row. Jonas Valanciunas and Ed Davis tallied 12 and 11 points,
respectively. Greg Monroe had a career-high 35 points and 10 rebounds for the
Pistons, who fell to 2-13 on the road this season. Rodney Stuckey donated 13
points.
Oklahoma City 100, Atlanta 92
Kevin Durant
poured in 41 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, as the streaking Oklahoma City
Thunder downed Atlanta, 100-92. Russell Westbrook added 27 points with 11
assists, as the two-man show combined for 68 points, 16 rebounds and 14
assists. The Thunder have now won 12 in a row and haven't lost in nearly a
month. Their last loss came at Boston, 108-100, on November 23. Jeff Teague led
Atlanta with 19 points and nine assists, while Josh Smith posted a
double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds. Lou Williams and Al Horford each
scored 13 in the setback, Atlanta's second in three games.
Boston 103, Cleveland 91
Paul Pierce
scored a season-high 40 points on 13-of-16 shooting and pulled down eight
rebounds as the Boston Celtics knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers, 103-91, on
Wednesday at TD Garden. Pierce also added five assists and three steals. Rajon
Rondo finished with 20 points and eight assists, while Jason Terry contributed
15 points on 6-of-9 from the floor for the Celtics, who have won five straight
at home. Kevin Garnett donated 12 points and six boards in the victory. Kyrie
Irving scored a team- high 22 points, while Tyler Zeller added 20 points for
the Cavs, who played without Anderson Varejao and Daniel Gibson. Both players
suffered injuries in Tuesday's game against Toronto. Dion Waiters netted 13
points, while Tristan Thompson and Alonzo Gee netted 11 points apiece in Cavs'
fifth straight loss.
Houston 125, Philadelphia 103
James Harden
posted a game-high 33 points along with seven assists as Houston thumped
Philadelphia, 125-103, on Wednesday. Jeremy Lin gave 18 points and six assists
while Omer Asik added 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Rockets, who have been
the victor in four of their past five. Nick Young scored 21 points while Dorell
Wright added 20 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Sixers, who are on
a season-high five-game losing streak.
Phoenix 121, Charlotte 104
Shannon
Brown connected on five 3-pointers en route to a team-high 26 points as the
Phoenix Suns rolled over the floundering Charlotte Bobcats, 121-104, at US
Airways Center. Goran Dragic and Jared Dudley each added four shots from beyond
the arc as Phoenix shot 17-for-28 from three-point range in the contest. Dragic
finished with 21 points and 11 assists, while Dudley had 20 points for the
Suns, who stretched their season- high win streak to four games. Kemba Walker
paced the Bobcats with a game-high 27 points and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
followed with 25 to go along with 12 rebounds for Charlotte, which lost its
13th straight game.
Memphis 90, Milwaukee 80
Zach
Randolph had 15 points and 17 rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies took a 90-80
win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. Rudy Gay scored 13 points to go with
eight rebounds and five assists, while Marc Gasol added 12 points and 12 boards
for the Grizzlies, who have won three straight. Brandon Jennings scored 26
points to go with seven rebounds for the Bucks, who had won five of six coming
into the game. Marquis Daniels gave 12 points and six boards in the loss.
Sacramento 131, Golden State 127
Aaron
Brooks, one of seven Kings scoring in double figures, hit a critical 3-pointer
in crunch time to help Sacramento beat the Golden State Warriors for the second
time this season in a 131-127 offensive showcase between Pacific Division foes.
The crowd at Sleep Train Arena, which housed a large contingent of Warriors
fans, saw both teams shoot 50 percent from the field and 24-of-45 (53 percent)
from 3-point range. Brooks finished with 23 points, DeMarcus Cousins added 24
-- 14 from the foul line -- and Marcus Thornton netted 19 in his return from a
four-game absence for the Kings, who snapped a five-game losing streak. Stephen
Curry led Golden State with 32 points before fouling out with 2:13 remaining.
David Lee and Jarrett Jack chipped in 29 and 28 points, respectively, in the
setback.
LA Clippers 93, New Orleans 77
Blake
Griffin paced the Clippers with 18 points as Los Angeles tied a franchise
record with a 93-77 victory over the New Orleans Hornets at the Staples Center.
It was the Clippers' 11th straight win, tying the Buffalo Braves' franchise
mark set during the 1974-75 season. Also on Wednesday, Chris Paul finished with
10 points and 12 assists to give him 5,003 career assists. Jamal Crawford added
17 points, DeAndre Jordan poured in 12 and Matt Barnes contributed 11 in the
victory. Robin Lopez dropped in a game-high 22 points to go along with nine
rebounds and Anthony Davis scored 16 points for the Hornets, who have dropped
nine straight.
December
18, 2012
Toronto 113, Cleveland 99
Six Raptors
finished in double figures and Toronto won its third consecutive contest with a
113-99 triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jose Calderon netted 23 points
with six assists and five rebounds, Alan Anderson added 18 points, Amir Johnson
had 17 and DeMar DeRozan chipped in 16 for Toronto, which last won three in a
row from Apr. 1-4 of last season. Kyrie Irving registered 23 points and seven
assists for the Cavs, who have dropped four straight and nine of their last 10.
Atlanta 100, Washington 95 (OT)
DeShawn
Stevenson hit a go-ahead 3-pointer late in overtime and the Atlanta Hawks held
on to beat the Washington Wizards, 100-95, at Verizon Center. Atlanta, coming
off a 22-point home loss to Golden State, was paced by Lou Williams' 24 points,
while Josh Smith netted 17 to go with 13 rebounds. The Hawks have topped their
Southeast Division rivals 18 times in the past 19 meetings, but were pushed to
overtime Tuesday for the second time this season. They overcame the second
triple-double of Jordan Crawford's career. The third-year guard totaled 27
points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for Washington, which has dropped four
straight overall.
Utah 92, Brooklyn 90
Mo Williams
totaled 19 points and six assists as Utah escaped with a 92-90 victory over
Brooklyn at Barclays Center. Al Jefferson contributed 16 points and 10
rebounds, while Derrick Favors picked up 13 points for the Jazz, who began a
four-game road trip by snapping a two-game slide. Joe Johnson recorded 19
points and Brook Lopez had 16 for the Nets, who have lost two in a row and
seven of their last nine. Deron Williams totaled 14 points and five assists in
defeat.
Miami 103, Minnesota 92
Dwyane Wade
scored 24 points and the Miami Heat pulled away in the second half to record a
103-92 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at American Airlines Arena.
LeBron James amassed 22 points and 11 assists for Miami, which began the fourth
quarter with a 17-6 run to break open a relatively close contest en route to
its fourth win in five games. Andrei Kirilenko had 22 points to pace Minnesota
and Nikola Pekovic racked up 18 points and 12 rebounds in the loss, the
Timberwolves' second straight following a season-best four-game win streak.
Kevin Love grabbed 18 boards for Minnesota, but went just 2-of-10 from the
field while ending with 11 points.
Chicago 100, Boston 89
Joakim Noah
recorded his second career triple- double as the Chicago Bulls rolled over the
Boston Celtics, 100-89, at the United Center. Noah finished with 11 points, 13
rebounds and 10 assists, while Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng each netted 21
points and Nate Robinson connected on five 3-pointers en route to 18 points for
the Bulls, who have won three of their last four. Rajon Rondo paced the Celtics
with 26 points and eight assists as Boston dropped its third straight contest.
Paul Pierce contributed 16 points, Courtney Lee had 14 and Kevin Garnett scored
10 in defeat.
Milwaukee 98, Indiana 93
Brandon
Jennings had 13 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter and the Milwaukee Bucks
downed the Indiana Pacers, 98-93, on Tuesday. Jennings was 13-of-22 from the
field for Milwaukee, which has won five of its last six games. Monta Ellis
added 19 points and six assists in the victory. George Hill tallied 18 points
to lead the Pacers, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.
Dallas 107, Philadelphia 100
O.J. Mayo
scored 26 points and handed out eight assists to lead the Dallas Mavericks over
the Philadelphia 76ers, 107-100, at American Airlines Center. Both teams came
in sporting three-game losing streaks, and the Mavs stopped theirs by shooting
54 percent from the field and 25-of-29 from the foul line. Chris Kaman added 20
points and seven rebounds, while Shawn Marion went for 14 and nine for Dallas,
which saw point guard Derek Fisher leave early with a strained right knee.
Dorell Wright shot 7- of-13 from behind the arc to pace the Sixers with 25
points, while Spencer Hawes and Evan Turner chipped in 18 and 17 points,
respectively, in another setback.
Denver 112, San Antonio 106
Danilo
Gallinari tallied 28 points and nine rebounds in the Denver Nuggets' 112-106
win over the San Antonio Spurs. Kenneth Faried added 19 points and 11 boards,
while Kosta Koufos pulled down 14 rebounds for the Nuggets, who have won three
in a row and improved to 7-1 at the Pepsi Center this season. Tim Duncan
recorded 31 points, 18 rebounds and six assists for San Antonio, which has
dropped four of its last five contests.
Golden State 103, New Orleans 96
David Lee
recorded 26 points, nine rebounds and four assists as the Golden State Warriors
held off a late push by the New Orleans Hornets to take a 103-96 victory at
Oracle Arena. Klay Thompson added 19 points and Jarrett Jack contributed a
double-double with 16 points and 10 assists for the Warriors, who have won two
straight and seven of their last eight overall. Ryan Anderson connected on four
3-pointers en route to a game-high 28 points for New Orleans, which dropped its
eighth consecutive contest. Greivis Vasquez went 4-for-5 from beyond the arc
and finished with 20 points, 11 assists and five rebounds in the loss.
LA Lakers 101, Charlotte 100
The Los
Angeles Lakers welcomed back Pau Gasol on Tuesday, but still needed to erase an
18-point deficit to survive the Charlotte Bobcats, 101-100, at Staples Center.
Kobe Bryant hit two big shots down the stretch and finished with 30 points,
seven assists and six rebounds in the Lakers' third straight win. Los Angeles
had been 3-5 without the services of Gasol, who returned from a knee injury and
contributed 10 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four blocks in 29-plus
minutes. Dwight Howard chipped in 16 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks,
including a pivotal denial of a driving Kemba Walker in the final seconds.
Walker logged 28 points, Ramon Sessions had 20 and Gerald Henderson 19 with
nine rebounds for the Bobcats, losers of 12 straight.
December
17, 2012
Orlando 102, Minnesota 93
Glen Davis
poured in a game-high 28 points to lead the Orlando Magic to a 102-93 win over
the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. Davis scored 20 of those points in the
second half and went 10-for-11 from the field over the final 24 minutes. J.J.
Redick had 18 points and seven assists off the bench and Nikola Vucevic notched
a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards for the Magic, who have won three
straight games for the first time this season. Arron Afflalo added 13 points,
five rebounds and three assists in the win. Kevin Love led six Timberwolves
players in double figures with 23 points and also pulled down 15 rebounds.
Nikola Pekovic had 19 points and 12 rebounds while Andrei Kirilenko added 13
points and six assists for Minnesota, which had a four-game winning streak
snapped. Luke Ridnour had 11 points while J.J. Barea and Dante Cunningham each
netted 10 in the setback.
LA Clippers 88, Detroit 76
Blake
Griffin scored 15 points to lead a balanced Los Angeles scoring attack, as the
Clippers earned their 10th straight victory with an 88-76 triumph over the
Detroit Pistons Monday at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Jamal Crawford also
finished with 15 points, while Chris Paul added 14 along with seven assists for
the Clippers, who are one win away from tying the franchise record for
consecutive victories set by the Buffalo Braves from Nov. 3-23, 1974. Brandon
Knight paced the Pistons with 16 points and five assists, while Tayshaun Prince
donated 15 points and seven boards in the setback, Detroit's fifth in a row.
Houston 109, New York 96
Jeremy Lin
couldn't have hoped for a better return to Madison Square Garden. The former
Knick who took the world by storm last year logged one of his best games of the
season for the Rockets, tallying 22 points and eight assists to help Houston to
a 109-96 victory over New York that handed the Knicks their first home loss of
the season. James Harden posted a double-double, scoring a team-high 28 points
to go with 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who snapped a seven-game road losing
streak in ending New York's 12-game unbeaten run at home dating back to last
season. Of the Knicks' six losses this year, two have come to the Rockets in
blowout fashion. Without Carmelo Anthony for the second consecutive game, New
York was unable to keep up with the scoring pace of the Rockets, who outscored
the Knicks 54-29 over the second and third quarters. Chris Copeland, who
started in place of Anthony for the second straight game, notched a career-best
29 points -- all in the second half -- for the Knicks in the setback.
 |
| Jeremy Lin returned to MSG and conquered the Big Apple once more. (image by Elsa/Getty Images) |
Memphis 80, Chicago 71
Mike Conley
had 17 points and the Memphis Grizzlies stayed hot at home with an 80-71
victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday. Rudy Gay and Wayne Ellington added 12
and 11 points, respectively, for the Grizzlies, who improved to 10-2 at home
this season. Zach Randolph recorded a double-double with 10 points and 15
rebounds. Carlos Boozer ended with 16 points and 13 boards for the Bulls, who
had a brief two-game winning streak snapped. Marco Belinelli donated 13 points.
Oklahoma City 107, San Antonio 93
On this
night, youth prevailed over experience. Behind a monster night from Serge Ibaka
and a dominant third quarter, the Oklahoma City Thunder ran their winning
streak to 11 consecutive games with a 107-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs
in a marquee matchup between the top two teams in the Western Conference. Ibaka
racked up game- highs of 25 points and 17 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook
tallied 22 points and nine assists to help the defending West champions record
the franchise's longest unbeaten stretch since an 11-game run by the Seattle
SuperSonics from Nov. 7-24, 1996. Kevin Martin contributed 20 points on 7-
of-10 shooting off the bench and Kevin Durant finished with 19 points for
Oklahoma City, which outscored the Spurs by a 29-16 count in the third quarter
to break open a close contest. Tony Parker had 14 points and seven assists and
Nando de Colo also notched 14 points for the suddenly struggling Spurs, now
losers in three of their last four outings following an 18-4 beginning to the season.
Phoenix 101, Sacramento 90
Shannon
Brown scored 22 points and Jared Dudley added 20 as the Phoenix Suns downed the
Sacramento Kings, 101-90, at US Airways Center. Marcin Gortat had 14 points and
13 rebounds and Luis Scola had 14 points, 10 assists and six rebounds for the
Suns, who have won three straight for the first time all season. Jimmer
Fredette poured in a career-high 22 points and Aaron Brooks dropped in 12 for
the Kings, losers in five straight.
December
16, 2012
Golden State 115, Atlanta 93
David Lee
led five Golden State players in double figures with 20 points and 11 rebounds
as the Warriors thumped Atlanta, 115-93, Saturday at Philips Arena. Carl Landry
netted 19 points and pulled down seven rebounds, while Harrison Barnes also
dropped in 19 on 8-of-14 shooting for the Warriors, who finished a seven-game
road trip at 6-1. Stephen Curry poured in 18 points with 11 assists and eight
rebounds, while Jarrett Jack finished with 13 points and eight assists in the
triumph. Al Horford netted a team-high 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds for
the Hawks, who had a two-game winning streak stopped. Louis Williams added 16
points, while Ivan Johnson and Jeff Teague contributed 15 and 10, respectively,
in the loss.
Orlando 107, Charlotte 98
Arron Afflalo
had 20 points and six rebounds as Orlando took a 107-98 win over struggling
Charlotte at Time Warner Cable Arena. Glen Davis had 20 points, Jameer Nelson
gave 16 points and six assists while J.J. Redick added 14 points for the Magic,
who have won three of four. Nikola Vucevic had 13 points and 13 rebounds in the
win. Kemba Walker had a career-high 32 points along with seven assists for the
Bobcats, who have dropped 11 straight contests. Gerald Henderson gave 16 points
in defeat.
Indiana 88, Detroit 77
David West
scored 23 points and the Indiana Pacers took down the Detroit Pistons, 88-77,
on Saturday. George Hill, fresh off his first career triple-double in Friday's
win over Philadelphia, added 18 points and seven assists for the Pacers, who
have won three in a row. Paul George donated 15 points, eight rebounds and
eight assists for Indiana, which had lost three straight at Detroit. Tyler
Hansbrough finished with 11 points and six boards. However, the news was not
all good for the Pacers. Center Roy Hibbert left the game before the half with
a bruised left thigh and did not return. Greg Monroe ended with 18 points and
eight rebounds to pace the Pistons, who have lost four in a row. Rodney Stuckey
and Brandon Knight had 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Miami 102, Washington 72
LeBron James
compiled 23 and 10 rebounds as the Miami Heat exacted a measure of revenge on
the Washington Wizards with a 102-72 rout of their Southeast Division rival at
American Airlines Arena. The Heat were dealt a shocking 105-101 defeat in
Washington to a Wizards team that was 1-13 at the time back on Dec. 4, but
ensured there would be no repeat outcome this time. Miami never had a lead
under double digits after the second quarter and was ahead by as many as 35
points at one stage. Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem each netted 13 points to
help the defending world champions bounce back from Wednesday's 97-95 home
setback to Golden State as well. Bradley Beal and Cartier Martin were the lone
bright spots in an otherwise awful offensive display for Washington, which shot
a meager 37.5 percent from the field and committed 21 turnovers that the Heat
converted into 30 points. Beal paced the Wizards with 19 points, with Martin
recording 18 off the bench while making good on 4-of-6 attempts from 3-point
range.
New York 103, Cleveland 102
Tyson
Chandler tallied a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds and the New
York Knicks escaped with a 103-102 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers to
remain unbeaten at home. Without Carmelo Anthony, who sat with an injured
ankle, Raymond Felton scored a team-high 25 points. He also finished with seven
assists for New York, which also received 16 points from J.R. Smith and 13
points from Steve Novak off the bench. The Cavaliers got a monstrous effort out
of Kyrie Irving, who scored a game-high 41 points a day after fracturing his
jaw against the Milwaukee Bucks. He led a furious late comeback, though
Cleveland ultimately fell short after Anderson Varejao missed a potential
game-tying free throw with a second left in the game.
Chicago 83, Brooklyn 82
Marco
Belinelli's driving layup in the closing seconds put the Bulls on top for good
as Chicago outlasted the Brooklyn Nets, 83-82, at the United Center. Belinelli
finished with a team-high 19 points, while Luol Deng followed with 17 and
Joakim Noah contributed a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds for the
Bulls, who have won two straight and five of their last six. Deron Williams
dropped in a game-high 24 points for the Nets, but could not connect on a
game-tying jumper following Belinelli's decisive basket. Brook Lopez added 18
points and 10 boards, and Joe Johnson poured in 16 points as Brooklyn had its
two-game winning streak snapped.
Minnesota 114, Dallas 106 (OT)
Nikola
Pekovic scored a game-high 21 points and pulled down nine rebounds as the
Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the Dallas Mavericks, 114-106, in overtime on
Saturday at Target Center. Alexey Shved netted 18 points with six assists,
while Derrick Williams contributed 16 and six rebounds for the Timberwolves,
who have won a season- high four straight. Luke Ridnour scored 15 points, while
Andrei Kirilenko put home 14 and grabbed 10 boards and J.J. Barea finished with
14 points in the victory. Minnesota point guard Ricky Rubio made his season
debut after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral
ligament in his left knee last March. Rubio donated eight points and handed out
nine assists. O.J. Mayo and Derek Fisher scored 20 points apiece in the setback
for Dallas, which has lost three straight games.
LA Clippers 111, Milwaukee 85
Blake
Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul each recorded double-doubles as the
red-hot Los Angeles Clippers dominated the Milwaukee Bucks, 111-85. Griffin
ended with 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who have won nine in a
row for the first time since Nov. 3-23, 1974, when the Buffalo Braves set a
franchise record with 11 straight wins. Jordan had 15 points and 11 boards for
Los Angeles (17-6), which is off to its best start in franchise history after
23 games as well. Paul tallied 10 points and 13 assists, while Matt Barnes
added 21 points off the bench. Marquis Daniels ended with 16 points to pace the
Bucks, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Monta Ellis and Luc Richard Mbah
a Moute added 13 and 11 points, respectively.
San Antonio 103, Boston 88
Tony Parker
compiled 22 points and eight assists as the San Antonio Spurs put an end to
their first losing streak of the season by coming through with a 103-88 triumph
over the Boston Celtics at the AT&T Center. The Spurs returned home having
been handed back-to-back defeats to Utah and Portland on a 4-game road trip,
but outscored the Celtics by a 51-39 margin in the second half to pull away and
get back on track. Gary Neal helped San Antonio's cause by dropping in 20
points, with Tiago Splitter adding 16 points to the victory. The night wasn't
all positive for the Spurs, however, as valued guard Manu Ginobili exited the
contest in the first quarter with a bruised left quadriceps and did not return.
Paul Pierce and Jason Terry each netted 18 points in the loss, Boston's second
in a row following two straight wins.
Memphis 99, Utah 86
Zach
Randolph registered a double-double with 25 points and 16 rebounds on Saturday,
as the Memphis Grizzlies snapped a three-game skid with a 99-86 triumph over
the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Marc Gasol donated 16 points and eight
boards, while Rudy Gay added 14 points in the victory, Memphis' first in Utah
since Jan. 24, 2007. Al Jefferson led the Jazz with 21 points and eight
rebounds and Paul Millsap chipped in 12 points for Utah, which has lost two
straight on the heels of a four-game winning streak.
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