The Blazers and Grizzlies are slowly
climbing the ladder out West, while someone out of left field is having a
surprisingly good start for the Lakers.
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| Zach Randolph helped power the Grizzlies past the Kings. (image by Rich Pedroncelli/AP) |
The
Best:
- Raise your hand if you had Jordan Hill averaging 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 block while shooting 62% from the field through 12 games. No takers? Looks like we now know who benefited greatly with the exit of Dwight Howard.
- How about Nicolas Batum and Damien Lillard combining for 49 points, 8 triples, 11 rebounds, 12 assists, and just 2 turnovers as the Blazers won in Toronto? Don’t sleep on these upstart Blazers, who are now 8-2 and second in the West just behind the Spurs. They also currently hold the second-best win streak so far – 6 games.
The
Worst:
- Mike Miller had ZERO points and 3 turnovers in 21 minutes against Sacramento. Yep, I don’t think he’s missed that much in Miami.
- You kinda know you’re in it deep when the three guys who shot the most field goals came off the bench, and, worse, they made just 33% of their shots. Against Memphis, John Salmons, Isaiah Thomas, and Marcus Thornton combined for 14/42 FG shooting. In contrast, the Kings’ entire starting unit took just 32 shots.
Final
Score: Portland 118, Toronto 110 (OT)
Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) -
LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and 11 rebounds as the Portland Trail Blazers
needed overtime to beat the Toronto Raptors, 118-110. Damian Lillard added 25
points and eight assists for the Blazers, who have won six in a row. Nicolas
Batum and Wesley Matthews tallied 24 and 17 points, respectively. Rudy Gay
ended with 30 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who have lost two
straight. DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas added 29 and 19 points,
respectively.
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| LaMarcus Aldridge and the Blazers have been surprisingly splendid early in the season. (image by Ron Turenne/Getty Images) |
Final
Score: Memphis 97, Sacramento 86
Sacramento, CA (SportsNetwork.com) -
Marc Gasol filled the stat sheet with 19 points, nine assists and eight
rebounds as Memphis almost squandered a 20- point lead but pulled away late to
beat the Sacramento Kings, 97-86, from Sleep Train Arena. Zach Randolph added
22 points and 10 rebounds on 9-of-12 from the field for Memphis, which won its
second straight game to reach the .500 mark for the first time all season. Mike
Conley tallied 19 points and nine assists while Tayshaun Prince pulled down
nine boards. Travis Outlaw provided a spark off the Kings' bench, dropping 18 points
on 6- of-9 efficiency in just 16 minutes. Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Thornton
netted 15 and 12 points, respectively, as the Kings lost for the seventh time
in eight tries since an opening night victory against the Nuggets. No Kings'
starter scored in double figures.
Final
Score: LA Lakers 114, Detroit 99
Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) -
Jordan Hill had 24 points and 17 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated
the Detroit Pistons, 114-99, on Sunday night. Steve Blake dished out 16
assists, while Nick Young and Jodie Meeks netted 19 points apiece for Los
Angeles, which had dropped four of its last five tilts coming in. Brandon
Jennings registered 23 points and 14 assists, while Andre Drummond added 14
points and 13 boards for the Pistons, who have lost five of their last six
contests.
Highlights:
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