The Blazers and the Spurs continued their
hot streaks, the Mavs rallied to beat the Rockets, PG24 outdueled Melo, and
Miami continued to heat up in the past two days’ action from the Association.
 |
| Tony Parker and the Spurs continued their winning ways against the hapless Celtics. (image by Eric Gay/AP) |
The
Best:
- It was a boogie kind of night in Sac-town two days ago when the Kings beat Phoenix, 107-104, thanks to DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins unloading a 27-12 double-double line. The embattled Cousins, who has had to battle one controversy after another in his young pro career, shot 50% from the field while adding 4 steals, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in the night’s best performance.
- Monta Ellis scored a season-high 37 markers as the Mavericks came back from 14 down at the start of the fourth to pull the rug from under the Rockets. Ellis shot 13/18 from the field – a rarity in the shot-monger’s resume – and also tallied 8 dimes and 2 swipes. This win pushed Dallas past Houston in the West’s ladder. Dirk Nowitzki also had a wonderful night with 35 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.
- Paul George cemented his status as arguably the best player in the NBA right now by outdueling Carmelo Anthony. PG24 outscored Melo, 35-30, and led his Pacers to their tenth win in eleven games. George also registered 5 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists, and 2 blocked shots. Melo’s Knickerbockers, meanwhile, fell to 3-8 and tied cross-town rival Brooklyn for last place in the Atlantic Division.
The
Worst:
- Avery Bradley has a golden opportunity this season to show what he’s made of. Without Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo in the active roster, Bradley is surely one of the primary options for Boston at the perimeter. His game against Houston two nights ago, however, left a lot to be desired. Bradley shot just 5/22 from the floor and turned the ball over 3 times in 27 minutes.
- Tristan Thompson is a significant barometer for Cleveland’s success, and that came to fore when the Cavs played Washington last night. Thompson missed all 5 of his field goals, turned the ball over twice, and grabbed only 4 rebounds in 24 minutes of action. Result? Cavs lose to the Wiz just a few days after they beat them on the road in their previous game.
November 20, 2013:
Final
Score: Washington 104, Minnesota 100
Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) -
John Wall deposited 14 points and matched a career-high with 16 assists as the
Washington Wizards snapped a four-game losing skid to top the Minnesota
Timberwolves 104-100 on Tuesday. Wall pushed the Wizards in front with a jumper
with 1:26 remaining but Kevin Martin drilled a 3-pointer at the other end to
put the visitors on top. The Wizards took the shot clock down on their next
possession, and on a broken play, Wall swung a pass to Martell Webster for a
contested triple and a 100-98 Washington lead. Bradley Beal and Nene scored 25
and 20 points, respectively, and put the game away with a set of free throws in
the final seconds. Webster made five 3s en route to 17 points while filling in
for an injured Trevor Ariza. Marcin Gortat netted 14 points on 7-of-10 from the
floor. The loss spoiled yet another terrific effort from Kevin Love, who
tallied 25 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Love got off to a hot start,
dropping 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the first quarter. Minnesota shot 60
percent as a team and led 34-27 after one.
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| John Wall had a career-high 16 assists as the Wiz beat the Wolves. (image by Alex Brandon/AP) |
Final
Score: Detroit 92, New York 86
Auburn Hills, MI (SportsNetwork.com) -
Rodney Stuckey helped the Pistons pull away from the Knicks in the second half,
scoring 15 of his 21 points after the break as Detroit earned a 92-86 victory
in a battle of struggling clubs. Both teams came in with disappointing 3-6
records, and it stayed close before Stuckey sparked the Pistons to just their
second win in the past seven games. Josh Smith donated 19 points while Greg
Monroe and Andre Drummond each posted double-doubles in the victory, Detroit's
first in its last eight meetings against the Knicks. Carmelo Anthony paced the
Knicks once again with a 25- point effort but shot a pedestrian 8-of-20 from the
floor and committed seven turnovers. J.R. Smith put in 18 points off the bench
in New York's third straight loss.
Final
Score: Miami 104, Atlanta 88
Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - The
Miami Heat didn't have Dwyane Wade. Good thing they rarely have trouble with
the Atlanta Hawks these days. Chris Bosh scored 19 points and Mario Chalmers
keyed a big third-quarter run Tuesday night as the Heat topped the Hawks for
the eighth straight time with a 104-88 win. Wade, who has battled knee
injuries, was held out for precautionary reasons and the Heat spread the
scoring out to extend their overall winning streak to four games. Ray Allen
scored 17 points off the bench, Chalmers added 14 and LeBron James had 13. Mike
Scott had 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for the Hawks, who had a
two-game winning streak snapped. Al Horford and Pero Antic added 12 points
apiece in Atlanta's 14th loss in its last 16 games against Miami.
 |
| LeBron James and the Heat beat the Hawks sans Dwyane Wade. (image by Wilfredo Lee/AP) |
Final
Score: Houston 109, Boston 85
Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) -
Terrence Jones scored a career-high 24 points, including six during an 18-1 run
to open the game, and the Houston Rockets shot almost 57 percent in a 109-85
win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night. The outcome was never in doubt
after Houston's game-opening run. The Rockets shot 80 percent in the first
quarter for a 40-18 lead and 72.2 percent in the first half for a 68-44
advantage the break. Patrick Beverley had 16 points, James Harden scored 15,
Chandler Parsons had 11 points and Dwight Howard filled the stat sheet with 10
points, 11 rebounds, two steals and three blocks in under 28 minutes. The
Rockets have won three in a row and four of their last five. Courtney Lee
scored 17 points off the bench to lead the Celtics, who have lost four in a row
since a four-game winning streak. Avery Bradley added 11 points and Jared
Sullinger scored 10.
Final
Score: Sacramento 107, Phoenix 104
Sacramento, CA (SportsNetwork.com) -
Isaiah Thomas had 19 points off the bench, including a pair of go-ahead free
throws with 30.4 seconds remaining, as the Sacramento Kings rallied for a
107-104 win over the Phoenix Suns. Cousins had 27 points and 12 rebounds for
the Kings, who ended the game on a 10-0 run. Goran Dragic's runner and Gerald
Green's 3-pointer on back-to- back touches gave the Suns a 104-97 advantage
with 3:35 remaining, but Phoenix turned the ball over five times down the
stretch. Cousins' three- point play cut the deficit to two and Travis Outlaw's
turnaround jumper from the high post with 39.9 ticks to go knotted the contest.
Ish Smith fouled Thomas after he gave the ball away with 30.4 seconds. His foul
shots gave Sacramento its first lead since it was 33-31 at the 9:48 mark of the
second. Dragic's backdoor feed for Miles Plumlee on Phoenix's next trip down
the floor was intercepted by Cousins. He dribbled up past midcourt before being
trapped by two Suns along the right sideline. A tip following a tie-up between
Thomas and Marcus Morris was won by Morris, but Dragic missed a short
turnaround bank shot from the lower right block with 5.6 seconds left. The ball
deflected off Outlaw to give Phoenix the ball back, but Marcus Morris' right
corner 3 came up short and Cousins secured the rebound with 0.8 ticks on the
clock. Cousins split the foul shot's and Green's halfcourt attempt at the horn
clanked off the glass. Gerald Green netted 23 points for Phoenix, which has
dropped three straight tilts.
November 21, 2013:
Final
Score: Charlotte 95, Brooklyn 91
Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) -
Kemba Walker made four 3-pointers, shot an efficient 12-of-20 from the field
and sank the clinching free throws to lift the Charlotte Bobcats to a 95-91
victory over the struggling Brooklyn Nets. The Bobcats caught the Nets at the
right time in order to earn their first win in the series since April 11, 2011
-- a span of seven consecutive losses. They took advantage of Nets center Brook
Lopez missing a third straight game by owning a 52-34 advantage in paint. To
make matters worse for the Nets, Deron Williams reinjured his ankle late in the
second quarter when he stepped on Walker's foot and never returned. The result
was Brooklyn's sixth loss in its last seven games. Walker led all scorers with
31 points while Gerald Henderson and Ramon Sessions each chipped in 13 to help
snap Charlotte's two- game skid. Andray Blatche went on a personal 8-0 run down
the stretch to bring the Nets within striking distance and finished with a
team-high 25 points. Joe Johnson and Alan Anderson put up 19 and 16 points,
respectively, in the setback.
Final
Score: Washington 98, Cleveland 91
Cleveland, OH (SportsNetwork.com) -
Bradley Beal poured in 26 points to go with seven rebounds and eight assists as
the Washington Wizards held off the Cleveland Cavaliers, 98-91, on Wednesday.
Nene added 24 points, eight boards and six assists and John Wall scored 15
points and handed out nine helpers for the Wizards, who have won two straight
on the heels of a four-game slide. Kyrie Irving poured in 28 points on 9-of-14
shooting while Jarrett Jack and Anderson Varejao added 14 points apiece off the
bench for the Cavaliers, losers in four of their last five games.
Final
Score: Indiana 103, New York 96 (OT)
New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Paul
George hit three free throws with 5.2 seconds remaining to force overtime, then
dropped in nine points during the extra session as the Indiana Pacers left
Madison Square Garden with a startling 103-96 win over the reeling New York
Knicks. George finished with 35 points along with five steals as the now 10-1
Pacers bounced back from their lone loss of the young season, a 110-94 setback
at Chicago on Saturday. George Hill came up with a big night as well for
Indiana, scoring 18 of his 23 points during the second half and OT while adding
eight rebounds. The Knicks, meanwhile, were dealt a season-high fourth straight
defeat and sixth in a row at home in large part to a critical mistake in the
final seconds, as Iman Shumpert fouled George on a 3-point attempt while
clinging to an 89-86 lead. Carmelo Anthony had 30 points and 18 rebounds in New
York's latest loss, with J.R. Smith contributing 21 points off the bench and
Beno Udrih posting season bests of 19 points and eight rebounds.
 |
| Paul George and Carmelo Anthony both lit up the Madison Square Garden last night. (image from KicksOnFire.com) |
Final
Score: Miami 120, Orlando 92
Orlando, FL (SportsNetwork.com) -
LeBron James posted 21 points, seven assists and six rebounds to lead the Miami
Heat to a 120-92 victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday in the opener of a
home-and-home set from Amway Center. Chris Bosh followed with 18 points, while
James Jones knocked down five 3- pointers en route to 17 points for the Heat,
who won their fifth straight game despite guard Dwyane Wade sitting out his
second consecutive game with a sore knee. Arron Afflalo connected on 7-of-9
shots from beyond the arc and finished with a game-high 30 points for the
Magic, who have lost five of their last six games.
Final
Score: Toronto 108, Philadelphia 98
Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) -
DeMar DeRozan continued his hot shooting with 33 points and the Toronto Raptors
shot a blistering 14-of-29 from 3-point range in a 108-98 win over the
Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Rudy Gay scored 18 points, Terrence
Ross chipped in with 17, and Kyle Lowry scored 13 points with 10 assists for
the Raptors, who snapped a brief two-game losing streak. Philadelphia's Evan
Turner made a pair of free throws late in the first quarter before Toronto used
an 8-0 run to take a 25-19 lead after a pair of 3-pointers from Ross and Steve
Novak. The Sixers never regained the lead and trailed by double-digits for much
of the second half. Spencer Hawes scored a season-high 28 points with 10
rebounds while Turner also added a double-double, scoring 13 points with 10
boards, in the loss. Philadelphia has now lost four straight games after its
overtime win against Houston.
Final
Score: Atlanta 93, Detroit 85
Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - The
Atlanta Hawks welcomed Josh Smith back to Philips Arena by handing his Detroit
Pistons a 93-85 loss. Paul Millsap shook off an elbow injury that forced him to
miss Tuesday's loss to the Heat and donated a team-high 19 points on 8-of-14
shooting.DeMarre Carroll, one of several offseason additions trying to fill the
void of Smith's departure in free agency, donated 11 points and 12 rebounds,
while Jeff Teague chipped in 18 points and seven assists in the win. Smith, who
played his first nine seasons in Atlanta and received a positive reception in
pregame introductions, struggled in his first game there as a visitor,
finishing with just 11 points on 5-of-15 shooting. Brandon Jennings paced
Detroit with 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Rodney Stuckey
added 18 points before fouling out late in the game.
Final
Score: Portland 91, Milwaukee 82
Milwaukee, WI (SportsNetwork.com) -
LaMarcus Aldridge poured in 21 points and Damian Lillard added 19 in the
Portland Trail Blazers' 91-82 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. Wesley
Matthews added 15 points and Nicolas Batum finished with eight points, eight
rebounds and eight assists for the Blazers, who have won eight straight.
Portland is one of three teams in the NBA with 10 wins this season. The Indiana
Pacers and San Antonio Spurs also have 10 wins. Luke Ridnour scored a team-high
13 points, while Zaza Pachulia and Gary Neal added 11 points apiece for the
reeling Bucks, who have dropped six straight.
Final
Score: LA Clippers 102, Minnesota 98
Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) -
Chris Paul and Blake Griffin each extended their double-double streaks to lead
the way in the Los Angeles Clippers' 102-98 victory over the Minnesota
Timberwolves at the Target Center. Paul compiled 20 points and 11 assists to
notch his 12th double-double in as many games this season. Griffin has now posted
one in five straight after amassing 20 points and 10 rebounds. Jamal Crawford
added 16 points and J.J. Redick contributed 15 to the Clippers' fifth win in
six games and second in nine days against Minnesota, which dropped a 109-107
decision to Los Angeles at the Staples Center on Nov. 11. Kevin Martin had 28
points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves and Nikola Pekovic recorded 20
points in the loss. Kevin Love pulled down 12 boards and dished out eight
assists, but was held to a season-low 10 points on a dreadful 2-of-14 shooting
night.
Final
Score: New Orleans 105, Utah 98
New Orleans, LA (SportsNetwork.com) -
Anthony Davis had a game-high 22 points with nine rebounds and eight blocks to
lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a 105-98 win over the Utah Jazz at New Orleans
Arena. Ryan Anderson netted 19 off the bench on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point
land and Jrue Holiday added 14 points with four assists in handing Utah its
12th loss in 13 games. New Orleans also snapped a personal four-game losing
streak to the Jazz, avenging a 111-105 loss Nov. 13 in Utah. Enes Kanter paced
Utah with 19 points and nine rebounds while Derrick Favors scored 13 points
with 11 boards. Gordon Hayward, Utah's leading scorer, tallied just six points
on 1-of-17 shooting from the field.
Final
Score: San Antonio 104, Boston 93
San Antonio, TX (SportsNetwork.com) -
Kawhi Leonard netted 12 of his 16 points in the decisive third quarter, as the
San Antonio Spurs used a second-half surge to extend their winning streak to
eight games with a 104-93 triumph over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday at
AT&T Center. San Antonio trailed 50-48 early in the third quarter before
Leonard and Tim Duncan combined on a 13-2 surge that put the Spurs in front for
good. Tony Parker finished with a team- high 19 points, while Duncan added 13
points and nine rebounds for the Spurs, who joined Indiana and Portland as the
first three teams to reach 10 wins this season.
Final
Score: Sacramento 113, Phoenix 106
Phoenix, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) -
Isaiah Thomas scored a team-high 23 points, DeMarcus Cousins put up 19 points
with 12 rebounds and the Sacramento Kings swept their home-and-home series
against the Phoenix Suns with a 113-106 win. The Kings led by as many as 20
after a strong start to the second half and were the first team this season to
prevent the Suns from taking a lead in the fourth quarter. Greivis Vasquez
chipped in 13 points and six assists for Sacramento, which outscored the Suns
at the free throw line, 32-15. Goran Dragic and Gerald Green paced Phoenix with
31 and 23 points, respectively, but it was not enough to stop the club's
three-game slide, including Tuesday's 107-104 setback in Sacramento.
Final
Score: Dallas 123, Houston 120
Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Monta
Ellis scored a season-high 37 points with eight assists and Dirk Nowitzki
scored 14 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Dallas Mavericks
to a 123-120 comeback win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Shawn
Marion and Jose Calderon each netted 13 points for Dallas, which maintained its
perfection at home. The Mavericks trailed 101-87 after three quarters but
Nowitzki and Ellis spearheaded a monster come back in the final stanza to
extend Dallas' winning streak to three games. Dwight Howard scored a
season-high 33 points on 12-of-16 shooting from the field, and 9-of-13 from the
foul line, while grabbing 11 rebounds, and James Harden chipped in with 23
points and eight assists.
Final
Score: Memphis 88, Golden State 81 (OT)
Oakland, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Zach
Randolph had 21 points and 12 rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the
Stephen Curry-less Golden State Warriors in overtime, 88-81, on Wednesday
night. Neither team scored in the final 2:02 of regulation and back-to-back
buckets by Golden State's David Lee and Klay Thompson knotted the contest at
79-79 with 1:55 left in overtime. Mike Conley then hit a 3-pointer to put
Memphis in front and after Thompson was whistled for an offensive foul,
Tayshaun Prince knocked down a left wing jumper to give Memphis an 84-79
cushion. Andrew Bogut then threw down Andre Iguodala's alley-oop feed before
Prince nailed a tough step-back jumper from the top of the key with the shot
clock running down for an 86-81 margin with 24.8 ticks to play. Harrison Barnes
missed a jumper at the other end and Marc Gasol sank two free throws to seal
the victory. Gasol added 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Conley chipped in
with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Grizzlies, who swept
their four-game California trek. Thompson netted 21 points and Bogut registered
12 points and 14 boards for Golden State, which had its four-game winning
streak snapped.
Dallas rallies to beat Houston:
Paul George vs. Carmelo Anthony:
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