Scores and performances from around the NBA last night.
The NBA is back after a short All-Star Weekend break. Some teams came back refreshed and had a brand new attitude last night. Others showed more of the same with their losing and winning ways respectively. Check out our NBA Tuesday recap.
Heat 117, Mavericks 106
LeBron James was one of those players that came out rejuvenated and ready to make a statement. James finished the game with a season-high 42 points, along with nine rebounds and six assists. Miami made sure they are ready for a showdown with Kevin Durant, the returning Russell Westbrook and the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder tomorrow night in OKC.
Chris Bosh helped out with 22 points. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
The Heat improve to 38-14 and the Mavericks fall to 32-23.
Pacers 108, Hawks 98
The Pacers made sure they didn’t take any steps backwards out of All-Star break as Indiana kept up the winning ways. The Hawks have been struggling as last night is their sixth straight loss.
Paul George finished the game with 26 points and got some help from teammate David West with 17 points. Kyle Korver led the Hawks with 19 points and hit five threes.
The Pacers improve to 41-12 and the Hawks drop to 25-27.
Grizzlies 98, Knicks 93
The New York Knicks just can’t get right. Every game has become a must win for them as they are now playing for the hopes of Carmelo Anthony staying in New York City and holding onto Mike Woodson’s job. They continued their losing ways and took a loss last night in Memphis.
Mike Conley Jr. led the Grizzlies with 22 points. Anthony put up a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks.
The Grizzlies improve to 30-23 and the Knicks fall to 20-33.
Bucks 104, Magic 100
Two of the worst teams in the league squared up last night in Milwaukee and something had to give. The Bucks picked up their tenth win last night and gave Bucks fan a reason to cheer as the Bucks put on a tough and clutch performance last night.
Nate Wolters was the hero last night in Milwaukee as he hit a 3-pointer with 29 seconds left to give the Bucks the 104-100 lead. Caron Butler led the Bucks with 21 points and seven rebounds. Aaron Afflalo led the Magic with 21 points. The Magic have lost 13 straight road games.
The Bucks improve to 10-43 and the Magic drop to 16-39 at home.
Spurs 113, Clippers 103
The Clippers have been playing some great basketball this season, but their biggest problem this season has been their ability to finish strong vs the leagues best. Last night proved true again as the Clippers fell to the Spurs last night in Los Angeles.
The Spurs played without Tony Parker which is even more discouraging for the Clippers. Patty Mills filled in for Parker and finished the game with 25 points, five rebounds and five assists. Mills scored 16 of his 25 points in the fourth. Blake Griffin had another MVP performance as he led the Clippers with 35 points and 12 rebounds. Griffin is fifth in double-doubles with 33 in 56 games.
The Spurs improve to 39-15 and the Clippers drop to 37-19.
Cavaliers 114, 76ers 85
The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently on a five game winning streak and they kept the winning ways going after the All-Star break. On the other hand, the Sixers continued the embarrassing blowout losses last night in Philly.
Tyler Zeller led the Cavs with 18 points and 15 rebounds, while Thaddeus Young and Michael Carter-Williams both dropped 15 points for the Sixers.
The Cavaliers improve to 21-33 and the Sixers drop 15-40.
Raptors 103, Wizards 93
These two teams are fighting for Eastern Conference playoff positions, so all of their remanding games are key. The Raptors picked up a big road win in Washington over the Wizards.
Kyle Lowry led the Raptors with 24 points and 10 assists. Marcin Gortat led the Wizards with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
The Raptors improve to 29-24 and the Wizards fall to 25-28.
Bobcats 108, Pistons 96
The Charlotte Bobcats picked up a much needed road win last night in Detroit. Al Jefferson had a monster game with 32 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Rising Stars Challenge MVP Andre Drummond led the Bobcats with 16 points and 22 rebounds.
The Bobcats improve to 24-30 and the Pistons drop to 22-31.
Suns 112, Nuggets 107
The Phoenix Suns continue to be the surprise team in the Western Conference. The Suns picked up an overtime win in Denver last night vs a struggling Nuggets squad.
Gerald Green had a big game with 36 points and five rebounds and his teammate Goran Dragic added 21 points and 14 assists. Evan Fournier led the Nuggets with 25 points.
The Suns improve to 31-21 and the Nuggets drop to 24-28.
-Patrick Hazel (@pattywack25)
