The win
streaks of Portland and San Antonio were both halted, John Wall and Nene formed
a dynamic duo, while Brandon Knight made the news for the wrong reasons.
The Best:
- John Wall and Nene formed a nifty one-two punch for the Wizards here. Wall shot 10/18 from the field to finish with 31 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals, while Nene added 30 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals. If Washington can get these two guys to play this well consistently, then a playoff run won’t be far off.
- Goran Dragic had a sublime night as the Suns halted the Blazers’ win streak. Dragic connected on 4 triples on his way to 31 points while also handing out 10 assists. Dragic is looking really good early in the season, and he looks to be a sleeper candidate for Most Improved Player.
- Nikola Vucevic is as solid a big man as the post-Howard Magic can hope for. Against the Sixers, Vucevic dropped 21 points and 16 rebounds, while also adding 5 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal. It was a superb all-around performance that was highlighted by the big man’s shooting 10/13 from the field.
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| Goran Dragic and the Suns finally dealt a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. (image by Jennifer Stewart/USA Today) |
The Worst:
- When Kyle Korver is waxing hot, it’s a thing of beauty, but when he’s ice cold, well, we’d rather watch America’s Funniest Videos. Against the Magic, Korver shot 1/6 from the floor on his way to a measly 3 points in 37 minutes. The streaky sniper also turned the ball over three times.
- Remember Brandon Knight? Yeah, the guy who was on everyone’s poster last season? He hasn’t really improved much. Knight now plies his trade for the Bucks, and when they squared off against the Wiz, Knight was, well, forgettable. He shot 2/12 from the fieldto finish with 7 points in 30 minutes. Worse, he also had 5 turnovers. Way to go, Mr. Posterized.
November
27, 2013
Final Score: Brooklyn 102, Toronto 100
Toronto, ON
(SportsNetwork.com) - The injury-ridden Brooklyn Nets picked up a close win
against a first-place team Tuesday, albeit a weak one in the Toronto Raptors.
Andray Blatche scored 24 points, Joe Johnson added 21 and the Nets survived a
late push to pull out 102-100 victory -- just their fourth of the season.
Brooklyn figured to be a player in the Eastern Conference race, but injuries to
regulars Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, Jason Terry and Andrei Kirilenko has the
club scuffling out of the gate with 10 losses in its first 14 games. The Nets
upended their Atlantic Division rivals despite failing to make a field goal
over the final 5:21. The Raptors sit atop the standings even though they are
under .500 at 6-8. The backcourt combination of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry
paced Toronto with 27 and 24 points, respectively, while Rudy Gay struggled
with just nine points on 3-of-12 shooting to go with seven turnovers.
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| Andray Blatche continues to prove he is a vital cog for the struggling Nets. (image by Tom Szczerbowski/USA Today) |
Final Score: Washington 116, LA Lakers 111
Washington,
DC (SportsNetwork.com) - John Wall had 31 points, nine assists and six rebounds
as the Washington Wizards defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 116-111, on Tuesday
night. Wall, who netted all 13 of his fourth-quarter points in the final 4:40,
has scored more than 30 points in three consecutive games. Nene added a
career-high 30 points, while Martell Webster tallied 20 points, nine rebounds
and four steals for Washington, which has won four of its last five games.
Jordan Farmar had 22 points and eight assists, while Pau Gasol finished with 17
points and eight assists for the Lakers, who had their three-game winning
streak snapped.
Final Score: Orlando 109, Atlanta 92
Atlanta, GA
(SportsNetwork.com) - Arron Afflalo netted 10 of his game-high 26 points during
a third-quarter surge that propelled the Orlando Magic to their first road win of
the season with a 109-92 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday at Philips
Arena. Victor Oladipo and Andrew Nicholson each netted 18 points, while Nikola
Vucevic donated 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Magic, who had lost their
last 11 meetings with Atlanta. Al Horford and Jeff Teague tallied 15 points
apiece to lead Atlanta, which has dropped two straight games.
Final Score: Golden State 102, New Orleans 101
New Orleans,
LA (SportsNetwork.com) - Eric Gordon's potential game-winning 3- point try rimmed
out at the buzzer as the Golden State Warriors survived the New Orleans
Pelicans, 102-101, at New Orleans Arena. All five Warriors starters scored in
double figures to snap a three-game slide, led by Klay Thompson's 22-point,
eight-assist effort. David Lee added 18 points and seven rebounds, Jermaine
O'Neal chipped in with 18 and eight and Stephen Curry handed out a game-high
nine assists to go with 16 points. Ryan Anderson paced the Pelicans with team
highs of 21 points and 12 boards, but the club dropped its second game in as
many nights. Jrue Holiday and Gordon netted 17 and 16 points, respectively, and
the backcourt duo each had seven assists in the setback.
November
28, 2013
Final Score: Indiana 99, Charlotte 74
Charlotte,
NC (SportsNetwork.com) - C.J. Watson scored 15 of his team-high 18 points in
the fourth quarter, including 5-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc in the final
frame to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 99-74 rout of the Charlotte Bobcats. Paul
George and Lance Stephenson each had 15 points, while Roy Hibbert scored 14
points with 10 rebounds for Indiana, which won its fourth consecutive game over
Charlotte. Stephenson also had 10 boards for the Pacers, who have won five in a
row overall and 13 of the last 14 against the Bobcats. Al Jefferson scored 16
points with nine rebounds, Kemba Walker netted 15, and Gerald Henderson added
10 points in the loss. Charlotte has now lost three straight at home and six of
its last seven at Time Warner Cable Arena.
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| Luis Scola and the Pacers are sitting pretty atop the league standings. (image by R. Brent Smith/AP) |
Final Score: Orlando 105, Philadelphia 94
Orlando, FL
(SportsNetwork.com) - Nikola Vucevic poured in 21 points and pulled down 16
rebounds to lead the Orlando Magic to a 105-94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers
on Wednesday. Vucevic for 10-for-13 from the field and also dished out five
assists against his former club. Vucevic was dealt to the Magic prior to the
2012-13 season. Glen Davis added 19 points, Victor Oladipo had 18 points, five
assists and five steals, but also committed eight of Orlando's 17 turnovers.
Arron Afflalo finished with 18 points for Orlando, which has won two straight
on the heels of a four-game skid. Thaddeus Young scored 26 points off the bench
and Evan Turner finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for the
Sixers, losers in six of their last seven games. Rookie Michael Carter-Williams
scored 23 points and added four steals in the setback.
Final Score: Memphis 100, Boston 93
Boston, MA
(SportsNetwork.com) - Jerryd Bayless led five Memphis players in double figures
with 22 points in the Grizzlies' 100-93 win over the Boston Celtics. Mike
Conley finished with 14 points and nine assists, Zach Randolph had 13 points
and seven rebounds and Tony Allen chipped in with 12 points for the Grizzlies,
winners in five of their last seven games. Jeff Green scored 26 points and
Jared Sullinger added 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Celtics, who have
dropped seven of their last nine games.
Final Score: LA Lakers 99, Brooklyn 94
Brooklyn, NY
(SportsNetwork.com) - Paul Pierce's uncontested 3-pointer rimmed out in the
final seconds as the Los Angeles Lakers topped the Brooklyn Nets, 99-94, from
Barclays Center. Brooklyn trailed by 27 points early in the contest and never
led but battled back to tie the score behind Mirza Teletovic, who netted a
career-high 17 points in the setback. The Nets, though, could never get over
the hump. Jodie Meeks sank a pair of free throws before Pierce found space at
the top and unleashed the potential game-tying trey, which was off the mark.
Xavier Henry corralled the rebound and drained two at the line for the final
margin. Nick Young led the Lakers, who have won four of five, with a
season-high 26 points off the bench. Pau Gasol added 21 points while Steve
Blake handed out 10 assists. Joe Johnson paced Brooklyn with 18 points. Pierce
scored 12 but struggled shooting, converting just 4-of-17 from the field.
Final Score: Miami 95, Cleveland 84
Cleveland,
OH (SportsNetwork.com) - LeBron James had 28 points, eight rebounds and eight
assists, and the Miami Heat stretched their winning streak to eight games
Wednesday with a 95-84 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Dwyane Wade added
22 points for the Heat and Michael Beasley scored 17 off the bench. The Heat
have also won eight straight games over the Cavaliers and are 11-1 against them
since James left Cleveland for Miami after the 2009-10 season. They will remain
in the Cleveland area for Thanksgiving dinner at James' home on Thursday. Dion
Waiters scored 24 points to lead the Cavaliers, who have lost four in a row and
seven of their last eight. Kyrie Irving had 16 points and Earl Clark scored 13
in the loss.
Final Score: Chicago 99, Detroit 79
Auburn
Hills, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Luol Deng poured in a season-high 27 points and
the Chicago Bulls got back on track with a 99-79 win over the Detroit Pistons
at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Taj Gibson put up 23 points on 11-of-13 shooting
off the bench to help the Bulls snap a four-game skid and record their first
victory since Derrick Rose's latest season-ending knee injury. Deng finished
11-of-17 from the field, while Kirk Hinrich had 13 points and seven assists
starting in Rose's place. Hinrich added three steals to head up a stout
defensive effort by Chicago, which limited the Pistons to a paltry 26 points
and a 27.8 shooting percentage after halftime. Detroit suffered its 19th loss
in its last 20 encounters with the Bulls despite a 25- point effort from Rodney
Stuckey.
Final Score: Houston 113, Atlanta 84
Houston, TX
(SportsNetwork.com) - Francisco Garcia and Aaron Brooks both scored 21 points
off the bench and the Houston Rockets made 14 3-pointers on the way to a 113-84
win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. Garcia and Brooks combined to go
7-of-12 on 3s and Houston shot 51.9 percent as a team from beyond the arc.
Chandler Parsons and Terrence Jones both added 14 points for the Rockets, who
have won three in a row without injured guard James Harden (sore foot) and six
of their last seven games overall. Houston shot 55.1 percent overall from the
floor. Paul Millsap had 16 points to lead the Hawks, who have lost three
straight.
Final Score: Washington 100, Milwaukee 92 (OT)
Milwaukee,
WI (SportsNetwork.com) - Marcin Gortat scored six of his game-high 25 points in
overtime and ended 11-of-12 from the field to lead the Washington Wizards to a
100-92 overtime win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. John Wall
scored 19 points with six assists and five steals and Martell Webster netted 18
points for Washington, which won its third consecutive game. O.J. Mayo, who
scored 21 points, hit a 3-pointer that sent the game to overtime. Khris
Middleton netted 13 points and Ersan Ilyasova added 12 for Milwaukee, which
lost its 10th straight game. It's the Bucks' longest skid since dropping 15
straight, March 4-30, 1996.
Final Score: Denver 117, Minnesota 110
Minneapolis,
MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Ty Lawson led eight Nuggets in double figures with 23
points as Denver survived a late Minnesota rally to top the Timberwolves,
117-110, at Target Center. Nate Robinson and Wilson Chandler netted 15 and 14
points, respectively, as the Nuggets won their fourth straight tilt. Kenneth
Faried had 13 points while Jordan Hamilton added 11 and Hickson, Randy Foye and
Andre Miller all scored 10. Kevin Martin made 11-of-11 from the free throw line
en route to 29 points for the Timberwolves, who have dropped three in a row and
five of six.
Final Score: Oklahoma City 94, San Antonio 88
Oklahoma
City, OK (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin Durant scored 24 points, 13 of which came
during a dominant second half for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who put an end to
the San Antonio Spurs' 11-game win streak with a 94-88 victory at Chesapeake
Energy Arena. Serge Ibaka netted 13 of his 17 points after the break to help
the Thunder remain unbeaten on their home court this season and post their fifth
win in a row overall. Reggie Jackson turned in a big effort as well, matching a
career high with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting off the bench. The Thunder
outscored the Spurs by a 51-42 margin over the final two quarters en route to
handing San Antonio only its second defeat of the campaign. Tony Parker paced
the Spurs with 16 points and seven assists, with Kawhi Leonard notching 14
points, 10 rebounds and four steals in a losing cause.
Final Score: Dallas 103, Golden State 99
Dallas, TX
(SportsNetwork.com) - Dirk Nowitzki led six Dallas scorers in double figures
with 22 points to guide the Mavericks to a 103-99 win over the Golden State
Warriors on Wednesday. Jose Calderon and Jae Crowder finished with 12 point
apiece while Shawn Marion, Samuel Dalembert and DeJuan Blair each scored 11 for
the Mavericks, who improved to 8-1 at American Airlines Center. Stephen Curry
had 29 points and eight assists while David Lee and Klay Thompson both turned
in double-doubles for the Warriors, who have dropped four of five. Lee had 20
points and 12 rebounds and Thompson finished with 20 points and 10 boards.
Final Score: Phoenix 120, Portland 106
Phoenix, AZ
(SportsNetwork.com) - Goran Dragic made four 3-pointers and had 31 points with
10 assists and the Phoenix Suns ended the Portland Trail Blazers' 11-game
winning streak with a 120-106 victory on Wednesday night. Channing Frye added
25 points, Markieff Morris scored 19 and Marcus Morris had 15 for the Suns, who
shot 51.9 percent overall and 10-of-24 from 3-point range to set a season high
in points scored. The Blazers were led by LaMarcus Aldridge's 24 points. They
hadn't lost since Nov. 5 to Houston -- their longest winning streak in almost
six years. Damian Lillard scored 16 points in the loss and Nicolas Batum had 15.
Final Score: LA Clippers 93, New York 80
Los Angeles,
CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Blake Griffin registered 15 points and 13 rebounds to
power the Los Angeles Clippers to a 93-80 win over New York to send the Knicks
to a seventh straight loss. Chris Paul added 15 points and seven assists, but
suffered a strained right hamstring. JJ Redick tallied 15 points in the win.
DeAndre Jordan had 13 rebounds and Jamal Crawford scored 13 for LA, which has
won three in a row and eight of its last 10 games. The Clippers, who were
coming off a franchise-record 39-point win over the Bulls on Sunday, limited
the Knicks to 6-of-19 shooting in the fourth quarter. Carmelo Anthony had 27
points and nine rebounds for the Knicks.
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