Scores and performances from around the NBA.
All of the NBA games yesterday were well worth the price of admission. WIth some potential playoff match ups in both conferences, teams brought their A-games and made sure they were ready to pick up confidence building wins.
Check out our NBA Sunday recap.
Clippers 125, Thunder 117
Two Western Conference title contenders went at it yesterday in Oklahoma City. The Clippers picked up a huge road win and got the edge over the Thunder late in the 4th quarter. This is Russell Westbrook’s second game back following his two month absence, so the Thunder are still trying to get him back into a flow with the team. The Thunder almost pulled this one out but Jamal Crawford lifted the Clippers with an incredible 36 points.
Kevin Durant finished with 42 points but it wasn’t enough against the deep Clippers squad. Matt Barnes finished with 24 points and seven rebounds for the Clippers.
The Clippers improve to 38-20 and the Thunder fall to 43-14.
Heat 93, Bulls 79
No LeBron James? No problem. The Miami Heat flexed their muscles against a tough Chicago Bulls squad as James sat out with a broken nose from Thursday’s showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder. This game was filled with intense defense on both ends but Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade were hard to guard yesterday in Miami.
Bosh led the Heat with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Wade finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Joakim Noah led the Bulls with 20 points.
The Heat improve to 40-14 and the Bulls drop to 29-26.
Rockets 115, Suns 112
In another potential playoff match up, the Suns and the Rockets had a duel in the desert last night. Dwight Howard led the Rockets to a much needed road victory as they continue to fight for playoff position. Goran Dragic put on a show but wasn’t able to finish with a victory.
Howard finished with 25 points and nine rebounds. Dragic led the Suns with 35 points.
The Rockets improve to 38-18 and the Suns fall to 33-22.
Nets 108, Lakers 102
Jason Collins stole all of the headlines for the game in Los Angeles last night. He signed a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets only hours before the game, becoming the first openly gay player to play in the NBA. Despite his minimal impact on the outcome of the game, we cannot deny the significance of this historic day in the league.
The Nets picked up an expected victory against a struggling Lakers squad. Deron Williams finished the game with 30 points and seven assists. Pau Gasol led the Lakers with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
The Nets improve to 26-28 and the Lakers drop to 19-37.
Blazers 108, Timberwolves 97
The Blazers were without their best player LaMarcus Aldridge last night, but they picked up a necessary victory over a tough Timberwolves team. Thomas Robinson filled in for Aldridge and gave the Blazers a much needed boost of scoring, energy and defense. Robinson finished the game with 14 points, 18 rebounds and two huge blocks.
Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 32 points. Kevin Love finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds, his 47th double-double in 53 games.
The Trail Blazers improve to 38-18 and the Timberwolves drop to 27-29.
Wizards 96, Cavaliers 83
The Wizards are on a roll as they picked up their third straight win last night in Cleveland. The Cavaliers have to find a way to win these games at home if they have any hopes of making the playoffs this season.
John Wall led the Wizards with 21 points and nine assists. Spencer Hawes finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavs.
The Wizards improve to 28-28 and the Cavs fall to 22-35.
Raptors 105, Magic 90
The Raptors picked up an expected victory against a struggling Magic squad. Sitting at the 3 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, we don’t think the Raptors are a contender to beat the Pacers or Heat but they sure are an exciting bunch to watch with some great chemistry.
Kyle Lowry finished with 28 points and six assists for the Raptors. Tobias Harris led the Magic with 28 points and six rebounds.
The Raptors improve to 31-25 and the Magic drop to 17-41.
Kings 109, Nuggets 95
As I said in yesterday’s Saturday recap, the Sacramento Kings record might not show it but this is a talented squad that puts on a show every night. Playing against a struggling Nuggets team, the Kings had a field day and scored from all over the Nuggets home court.
Rudy Gay finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds for the Kings. Evan Fournier led the Nuggets with 27 points.
The Kings improve to 20-36 and the Nuggets drop to 25-30.
-Patrick Hazel (@pattywack25)
