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The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Orlando Magic, 121 - 81, at Spectrum Center on Friday. The Hornets were expected to win this game and they left no doubt with this dominating victory. Not only did Charlotte win all four quarters in their wire - to - wire win, they held a 20 - point lead for the final 23 minutes. Shooting was key, with the Hornets shooting 60 percent from the field and 48 percent from three - point range. The Magic could only muster up 41 percent shooting from the field and 19 percent from three - point range. The rebounding was a huge factor as well, with Charlotte winning that battle, 43 - 31. The Hornets also recorded 34 assists, while the Magic only dished out 19. The Magic (24 - 42) are now just 1 - 3 across their last four games, with this loss being one of the worst of the season. Aaron Gordon led Orlando, as he tallied 20 points and five rebounds. Evan Fournier was the only other starter in double figures, as he accrued 14 points and two assists. Elfrid Payton scored just eight points, but handed out 12 of the teams 19 assists. Mario Hezonja led the bench with 11 points. Orlando will be in action again on Saturday in a home matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Hornets (29 - 36) have now won three of their last four games, as they look to keep their playoff hopes alive. Kemba Walker scored a game - high 23 points, as he did that damage on 9 - of - 13 shooting. Nicolas Batum ran the offense, collecting 15 points, three rebounds and 10 assists. Marvin Williams had one of his best games of the season, accumulating 12 points, 18 rebounds and seven assists. Four players came off the bench to score at least 10 points, as Marco Belinelli led them with 18 points. On deck for Charlotte is a home matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 34 Number of team assists ,has 48 Percentage of 3 points ,has 60 Percentage of field goals ,has 36 Losses ,has 121 Total points ,has 43 Points in 4th quarter ,has 29 Rebounds ."
"TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 19 Number of team assists ,has 19 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 42 Losses ,has 81 Total points ,has 19 Points in 4th quarter ,has 31 Rebounds ,has 24 Wins ."] |
The Denver Nuggets (21 - 39) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks (32 - 28) 106 - 95 on Tuesday in Denver. This was Denver's first game since firing head coach Brian Shaw, which occurred Tuesday morning, but the Nuggets were able to control the game from start to finish. The win ended a seven - game losing streak and was just their third win in 22 games. Denver was led by Danilo Gallinari, who scored a game - high 26 points on 8 - of - 16 shooting and seven rebounds in a team - high 37 minutes. Gallinari has played very well of late, averaging 20 points and 4 rebounds over his past five games. Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried, two players who have had up - and - down years for the Nuggets, both posted double - doubles. Lawson recorded 16 points on 6 - of - 12 shooting and 10 assists in 31 minutes, while Faried put up 14 points on 5 - of - 10 shooting and 14 rebounds in 32 minutes. Wilson Chandler (12) was the only other Nugget to score in double figures. As a team, Denver shot 45 percent from the field and took advantage of their free - throw attempts, shooting 16 - of - 20 (80 percent) at the charity stripe. Khris Middleton, although he did not score a point in the fourth quarter, led the way for the Bucks in the losing effort with a solid all - around performance, recording 20 points on 6 - of - 20 shooting, seven rebounds, and six assists in 37 minutes of play. Ersan Ilyasova led the team in scoring, putting up 21 points on 9 - of - 15 shooting in 30 minutes of play. Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a double - double, scoring 19 points on 7 - of - 10 shooting and grabbing 11 rebounds in 35 minutes of play. Michael Carter-Williams continues to work to gel with his new team and recorded 11 points on 4 - of - 11 shooting, five assists, and four rebounds in 33 minutes As a team, the Bucks shot 41 percent from the field and have now lost five of their last seven games since trading away Brandon Knight. Up next, the Nuggets will travel to Minnesota on Wednesday to take on the Timberwolves, while the Bucks will travel to Oakland on Wednesday to take on the West-leading Warriors. | ["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 45 Percentage of field goals ,has 39 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 26 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 21 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 28 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 32 Points in 2nd quarter ."] |
The Golden State Warriors (66 - 15) defeated the Memphis Grizzlies (54 - 27) 111 - 107 on Monday at Oracle Arena in Oakland. Already having locked up the number one overall seed in the Western Conference, the Warriors gained even more momentum against a very tough Grizzlies' team. The Warriors shot the ball extremely well, going 52 percent from the field and 54 percent from the three - point line, while the Grizzlies finished at 42 percent from the floor and 33 percent from deep. This marks a tough loss for the Grizzlies, as they will likely be out of the running for the number two overall seed for the playoffs. With that being said, they will move down to the sixth seed and fall a half game behind the San Atonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers, who all came up with victories on Monday. The Warriors can thank Klay Thompson for this victory, as he was unstoppable all night long. He went a ridiculous 15 - for - 21 from the field and 8 - for - 10 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 42 points, while also adding six rebounds and three assists as well. If Thompson and Stephen Curry both get hot for the playoffs, this team will be very tough to beat. Thompson is averaging 30 points over his last three games, while also hitting at least three three - pointers in each of those outings, so he's well on his way to hitting his groove with the playoffs starting Saturday. Curry, on the other hand, was the only other Warrior's player to reach double figures in points. He finished with 15 points and eight assists, while shooting 6 - for - 10 from the floor and 3 - for - 6 from deep. Curry is shooting unbelievably well right now. He's finished over 50 percent from the field in each of his last five games, while shooting over 45 percent from the three - point line in those five games as well. Arguably the current leader in the MVP race, Curry is averaging 24 points and 8 assists on the season, as he'll look to take his hot shooting into the postseason. Along with holding Mike Conley out of this game, the Grizzlies also limited the minutes of their starters, as Beno Udrih was the only starter to play over 22 minutes. Because of that, it was the bench that did the majority of the work for the Grizzlies. Rookie Jordan Adams came out of nowhere to score a career - high of 19 points (6 - 15 FG, 2 - 5 3Pt, 5 - 7 FT) in 21 minutes off the bench. He had only reach double - digit points in two other games this season and only averages 3 points per game, so it was a very nice surprise for this team. Russ Smith also had a very surprising performance off the bench. He went 5 - for - 8 from the field and 1 - for - 2 from the three - point line to score a season - high of 16 points. He did it in only 10 minutes of action, which made it all the more impressive. Zach Randolph was the only starter in double figures, as he posted 10 points (3 - 7 FG, 4 - 4 FT) and five rebounds over 21 minutes. The Warriors' final game will be at home against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, while the Grizzlies will be at home against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 54 Percentage of 3 points ,has 15 Percentage of field goals ,has 111 Losses ,has 66 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 33 Percentage of 3 points ,has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 27 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 54 Wins ."] |
The Utah Jazz (6 - 16) defeated the San Antonio Spurs (15 - 6) 100 - 96 on Tuesday at Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City. While Tony Parker sat out with a strained left hamstring, the Jazz were able to take advantage and pull off an upset victory over one of the best teams in the Western Conference. The Jazz shot 50 percent from the field and 29 percent from the three - point line, while the Spurs shot 46 percent from the field and only 20 percent from beyond the arc. It gave them enough of an advanatage, to steal a victory against stiff competition. The Jazz's starters did most of the damage in this one. Gordon Hayward shot 7 - for - 13 from the field and 0 - for - 2 from the three - point line to score 20 points, while also adding seven rebounds. He's combined for 39 points in hist last two games and is now averaing 19 points per game. Derrick Favors also had a nice effort in the victory and contributed a team - high of 21 points and eight rebounds. He did n't have much of an impact in Monday's game against the Sacramento Kings, so it was a nice bounce back game for him. Enes Kanter recorded 12 points and 15 rebounds, giving him his fourth double - double of the season. The only other Jazz player to reach double figures in points was Alec Burks, who scored 14 points and chipped in four assists. Starting in the absence of Tony Parker, Cory Joseph did n't do enough to make up for the effort that Parker would've contributed. He finished with only seven points, but also failed to record any assists or rebounds. Tim Duncan did most of the damage for the Spurs, as he posted a team - high of 23 points (10 - 16 FG, 3 - 4 FT) and 14 rebounds. It was his fourth double - double in a row, as he's now averaging 14 points and 11 rebounds on the year. Kawhi Leonard also had a solid offensive game, scoring 16 points (7 - 13 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt, 2 - 5 FT) and adding five assists and five rebounds. He had five steals, showing a significant defensive presence to go along with his offensive output. Coming off the bench, both Manu Ginobili and Marco Belinelli provided a boost with 10 and 13 points respectively, but it was n't enough to propel the Spurs to the victory. The Jazz's next game will be at home against the Miami Heat on Friday, while the Spurs will be at home against the New York Knicks on Wednesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 29 Percentage of 3 points ,has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 6 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 20 Percentage of 3 points ,has 46 Percentage of field goals ,has 6 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 15 Wins ."] |
Dallas shot 48 percent from the field, but struggled from long range, hitting only 5 - of - 27 attempts. All five starters scored in double digits for the Mavs, as Seth Curry led the way with 24 points on 8 - of - 15 shooting, in 37 minutes, while Harrison Barnes followed up with 18 points. Nerlens Noel chipped in 15 points and a career - high - tying 17 rebounds, in his first start as a member of the Mavericks. Meanwhile, Mike Conley was the high - point man for Memphis, with 30 points, to go along with four assists and two rebounds, in 36 minutes. Three other players scored in double digits for the Grizz, including Zach Randolph, who added 24 points and 10 rebounds, in 29 minutes off the bench. Marc Gasol chipped in 13 points on poor 6 - of - 18 shooting, while Vince Carter added 10 points, in 27 minutes off the bench. | ["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 48 Percentage of field goals ."] |
The Dallas Mavericks led wire - to - wire on their way to the 107 - 82 win over the visiting Chicago Bulls on Saturday night at American Airlines Arena. The Mavs took advantage of a Chicago team that left it all on the court Friday night in their win over Cleveland, while the Bulls lack of depth was exposed as they looked depleted on the second night of a back - to - back. Dallas (4 - 15) jumped out with a 29 - 18 first quarter and did not let up, winning the remaining three quarters. Wesley Matthews led the way for the Mavs as he tied his season - high with 26 points. Rookie Dwight Powell notched a career - high 17 points on 7 - of - 11 shooting, in 26 minutes off the bench, while Deron Williams dished a season - high 15 assists. The Mavs tallied 31 assists on 40 field goals and forced 20 turnovers on the way to their fourth win of the season and third at home. They will look to win two in a row for the second time this season as they host the Hornets on Monday, in what will be the second game of a four - game home stand. Chicago (11 - 8) was caught flat - footed, as Dwyane Wade did not play for the sake of rest, while starters Rajon Rondo and Nicola Mirotic combined for two points. Jimmy Butler was the high - point man for the Bulls with 26 points on 8 - of - 18 shooting, along with 10 - of - 12 from the free throw line. Meanwhile, the Bulls had seven players come off the bench with four of them playing over 20 minutes but they only totaled 28 bench points. Chicago will look to get back on track as they play host to the Trail Blazers on Monday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 15 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 29 Points in 1st quarter ,has 4 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 8 Losses ,has 82 Total points ,has 18 Points in 1st quarter ,has 11 Wins ."] |
The Cleveland Cavaliers (1 - 1) defeated the Chicago Bulls (1 - 1) 106 - 91 on Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. After suffering a tough 99 - 92 loss in game number one on Monday, the Cavaliers were able to bounce back with a convincing 15 - point victory in game two. The Cavaliers got off to a really strong start, out - scoring the Bulls 38 - 18 right away in the first quarter. The Cavaliers did n't let off the gas either, as they never trailed in this game. Along with the quick start, the Cavaliers were also the superior shooters. They finished at 45 percent from the field and 46 percent from the three - point line, while the Bulls went 41 percent from the floor and just 32 percent from deep. After going on record saying he'd come out much more agressive in this outing, LeBron James backed those words up, as he finished with a game - high of 33 points (13 - 29 FG, 0 - 2 3Pt, 7 - 9 FT), to go along with eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. James did n't even hit a three - pointer, but he was still able to get to the hoop and score as he pleased. It was clear he planned on taking over from the start and if he can continue to have this type of impact, the Cavaliers should be very tough defeat, even without Kevin Love. Kyrie Irving had a relatively quiet night. He went 5 - for - 11 from the field and 4 - for - 7 from the three - point line to score 21 points, while also adding three assists. After taking double - digit shot attempts in all five of his previous playoff games coming into this one, Irving had just nine field goal attempts Wednesday, although he was able to consistently force his way to the free throw line. Irving was able to take a backseat to James, who readily took this game over from the start. So far this postseason, Irving is averaging 24 points and 4 assists over six games. Iman Shumpert posted 15 points (5 - 11 FG, 4 - 7 3Pt, 1 - 2 FT) and seven rebounds as well, while James Jones added 17 points (6 - 10 FG, 5 - 9 3Pt) and two rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench. After torching the Cavaliers in game number one, the Bulls' superstar backcourt duo of Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose took a step back on Wednesday. They combined to shoot just 11 - for - 34 from the field and 4 - for - 12 from the three - point line for a combined 32 points. Butler finished with 18 points (5 - 14 FG, 2 - 7 3Pt, 6 - 7 FT), two rebounds and two steals, while Rose had 14 points (6 - 20 FG, 2 - 5 3Pt), seven rebounds and 10 assists. Rose nearly recorded the triple - double, but offensively he just was n't as efficient as he needed to be. The Cavaliers really stepped up their defense against the Bulls Wednesday compared to game number one, as they decided to use a much bigger lineup. With Tristan Thompson placed into the starting at power forward alongside Timofey Mozgov, the Bulls were n't able to shoot over the Cavaliers like was the case on Monday. Pau Gasol was directly affected by that, as he managed just 11 points (3 - 8 FG, 5 - 6 FT) and four rebounds. The Bulls were handled on the boards, as the Cavaliers out - rebounded them 45 - 37. These two teams will play again on Friday in Chicago for game three of this best - of - seven series. While the Bulls did take the loss Wednesday, they should still be satisfied with their first two games after stealing home court advantage with the victory in game one. | ["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 46 Percentage of 3 points ,has 45 Percentage of field goals ,has 1 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 38 Points in 1st quarter ,has 45 Rebounds ,has 1 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 32 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 1 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 18 Points in 1st quarter ,has 37 Rebounds ,has 1 Wins ."] |
Indiana jumped out to a 27 - 16 lead after one quarter, and their defense held the Nets to sub - 40 - percent success rates from the field and three - point range while also eliciting 19 turnovers. Paul George and Jeff Teague co - led the Pacers with matching 24 - point efforts. Myles Turner registered 11 points. Thaddeus Young turned in a near double - double with 10 points and nine rebounds. C.J. Miles poured in nine points, while Al Jefferson's 11 led the bench. Brook Lopez's team - high 23 points served as the only double - digit scoring effort on the first unit. The bench made up the shortfall with a combined 63 points. Sean Kilpatrick led the second unit with 18 points, while Joe Harris stepped up with 15. Spencer Dinwiddie chipped in with 13 points, and Quincy Acy and Trevor Booker turned in matching eight - point efforts. | ["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 16 Percentage of 3 points ,has 19 Points in 1st quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 40 Percentage of 3 points ,has 27 Points in 1st quarter ,has 24 Points in 3rd quarter ."] |
All five starters scored in double figures for the Wizards, led by Bradley Beal who finished with 23 points, on 7 - of - 11 shooting, in 30 minutes. Marcin Gortat finished with 21 points on 8 - of - 16 shooting, along with 18 rebounds in 42 minutes. Otto Porter Jr. also finished with a double - double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Only four players came off the bench for Washington, and combined for 17 points. Kawhi Leonard led the way for the Spurs, with 23 points on 9 - of - 18 shooting, along with five rebounds, two assists and two steals, in 34 minutes. LaMarcus Aldridge added 19 points on 8 - of - 14 shooting, along with five rebounds, in 37 minutes. Manu Ginobili chipped in 13 points on 4 - of - 6 shooting, and seven assists, in 24 minutes off the bench. The Wizards shot 51 percent from the field, while the Spurs shot 49 percent. | ["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 23 Points in 3rd quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 51 Percentage of field goals ."] |
The Memphis Grizzlies came back to defeat the Orlando Magic, 95 - 94, at FedEx Forum on Thursday. Defense is the first priority for both of these teams and it's clear through this scoreline. Memphis shot just 42 percent from the field and 39 percent from three - point range, while Orlando shot 45 percent from the field and 25 percent from three - point range. The Magic led 84 - 71 with a little over three minutes left, but the Grizzlies ended the game on a 24 - 10 run to win by one. Strangely. the two teams combined for 114 points in the first and fourth quarters, while combining for just 75 points in the second and third quarters. Turnovers are what really hurt the Magic, as they committed 18, while forcing just 10 from the Grizzlies. Orlando (7 - 12) has made some adjustments to their rotation and the results have been mixed thus far. Nikola Vucevic continues to thrive in his new role off the bench though, as he tallied 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in the defeat. Evan Fouriner led the team in scoring, dropping 28 points on 11 - of - 14 shooting. Serge Ibaka was the only other starter in double figures, totaling 11 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Bismack Biyombo scored just three points, but grabbed 14 rebounds as the starting center. Jeff Green provided 14 points on 5 - of - 8 shooting off the bench. Orlando plays again on Friday, as they face the Philadelphia 76ers on the road. Memphis (12 - 8) continues to play shorthanded and they wo n't allow that to slow them down. Marc Gasol proceeds to carry the load in the absence of Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons, as he led the team with 25 points, two rebounds, three assists and five blocks in the win. Andrew Harrison finished with 11 points, four rebounds and eight assists while filling - in for Conley. Troy Daniels was second on the team in scoring, dropping 19 points on 6 - of - 9 shooting off the bench. Jarell Martin also had a nice game off the bench, accruing six points and 10 rebounds. Memphis will return to action on Saturday, when they host the surprising Los Angeles Lakers. | ["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 18 Number of team assists ,has 39 Percentage of 3 points ,has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 8 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 10 Turnovers ,has 12 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 25 Number of team assists ,has 45 Percentage of 3 points ,has 12 Percentage of field goals ,has 94 Losses ,has 7 Total points ."] |
The Minnesota Timberwolves (7 - 8) came up with an impressive 99 - 95 win over the top tier Atlanta Hawks (10 - 7) on Wednesday night in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves produced strong first and fourth quarters in order to triumph over the Hawks. Minnesota shot a poor 41 percent from the field as a team but managed to grind out a win nonetheless. Although coming off the bench, Zach LaVine led the way in scoring for the Timberwolves with 18 points, he also added six assists and five rebounds in 26 minutes. Andrew Wiggins kept up his strong play but struggled shooting, scoring 15 points on 5 - 17 shooting from the field. Damjan Rudez had a strong showing in 16 minutes off the bench, scoring 13 points on 4 - 5 shooting, including 3 - 4 from deep, while Grogui Dieng notched a double - double with 10 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes, also off the bench. The Hawks managed to shoot even worse than the Timberwolves, going an abysmal 31 - 82 (37%) from the field, including 8 - 32 from deep. Paul Millsap led the way for Atlanta with a double - double of 22 points, including 9 - 11 free throw shooting, and 10 rebounds. Big Al Horford also tallied a double - double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Jeff Teague finished with 22 points, five assists and five rebounds. Despite the strong numbers from their top players, Atlanta still looked disheveled as a team. Next up for the Hawks is a visit to Memphis for a game Friday. The Timberwolves will be playing in Sacramento, also on Friday, in what will be a heat - check sort of game for the young Wolves. | ["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 8 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 7 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 7 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 10 Wins ."] |
The New York Knicks (7 - 6) surprised the Oklahoma City Thunder (7 - 6) n a nail - biter by winning 93 - 90 on Friday. The Thunder came into this game as seven - point favorites, but the Knicks simply looked like a better team. In fact, they were up by 16 points at one point in the fourth quarter and nearly blew out the Thunder, if it weren’t for a late run. Oklahoma City actually drew a turnover with less than 15 seconds left and had two chances to tie the game before the final buzzer went off. It was the long distance shooting that decided this game, as the Knicks went 12 - for - 20 from three - point range while the Thunder went just 3 - for - 29. The Knicks have been a huge surprise this season and this win adds to their impressive resume. The defense was great in this game, as they held one of the best offenses in the NBA to 90 points on just 38 percent shooting. New York was led by Carmelo Anthony who contributed 25 points and five rebounds in the win. Jose Calderon also had one of his best games of the season, as he collected 10 points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals in the victory. They are going to need more performances like this from Calderon, as he's been in a two - year slump since joining the Knicks. New York will have to travel to Houston to take on the struggling Rockets on Saturday in the second half of a back - to - back set. Oklahoma City are starting to really miss Kevin Durant, as they've lost three of their last four games. Luckily for them, he's due back soon and could play as early as Sunday. The three - point shooting was just terrible in this game for the Thunder and that was the difference in the game, as they shot just 10 percent on nearly 30 shots. Russell Westbrook was one of those who struggled from distance, as he shot just 2 - for - 10 from three - point range. He did have another majestic game though, as he amassed 34 points, seven assists, seven rebounds and four steals in the loss. They also got 11 points and 13 rebounds off the bench from Enes Kanter and he is becoming one of the best per - minute producers in the NBA right now. Oklahoma City will look to break their recent slide when they play the hot Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 10 Percentage of 3 points ,has 38 Percentage of field goals ,has 6 Losses ,has 90 Total points ,has 7 Points in 1st quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 6 Percentage of 3 points ,has 93 Percentage of field goals ,has 25 Losses ,has 25 Total points ,has 7 Points in 1st quarter ."] |
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Orlando Magic in overtime, 114 - 106, at Amway Center on Wednesday evening. The Thunder (43 - 31), who could clinch a playoff berth with a win, nevertheless entered the fourth quarter trailing by an 82 - 72 margin. That's when Russell Westbrook often does his best work, however, and such was the case again Wednesday. The MVP candidate's 31 - foot three - point jumper with seven seconds remaining in regulation knotted the score at 102 and OKC then dominated the Magic (27 - 48) in overtime by a 12 - 4 margin. With neither team shooting particularly well, there were plenty of rebounds to be had, and the Thunder ultimately won the battle on the glass, 57 - 53. Westbrook led the way with a mammoth 57 - point, 13 - rebound, 11 - assist triple - double that also included three steals. He took a jaw - dropping 40 shots, which left little for anyone else. Enes Kanter was a distant second with a 17 - point, 10 - rebound double - double off the bench. Victor Oladipo followed with 13 points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal. Steven Adams provided seven points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Andre Roberson filled out the stat line with six points, nine boards, three assists, two blocks and one steal. The Magic had a much more balanced attack, with six players hitting double digits in the scoring column overall. Evan Fournier led the way with 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and a steal. Terrence Ross poured in 23 points and added two assists, a rebound, a steal and a block. Aaron Gordon totaled 13 points, five boards, one assist, four steals and one block. Nikola Vucevic supplied an 11 - point, 16 - rebound double - double that also included an assist, two blocks and a steal. Elfrid Payton tallied 11 points, eight assists, six rebounds and a block. Bismack Biyombo posted an 12 - point, 11 - rebound double - double to lead the bench, along with two assists and two blocks. The Thunder head back home for a showdown with the Spurs on Friday night, while the Magic head to Beantown to do battle with the Boston Celtics on Friday evening as well. | ["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 48 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 31 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 53 Rebounds ,has 27 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 31 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 57 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 43 Rebounds ."] |
The Washington Wizards (1 - 1) secured their first win of the season Thursday, defeating the Orlando Magic (0 - 2) 105 - 98 at the Amway Center in Orlando. Nene and DeJuan Blair returned from their one - game suspensions. Blair never got off the bench Thursday, but Nene was slotted into the starting lineup at power forward and played 34 minutes. Marcin Gortat started at center and finished the game with a double - double of 20 points and 12 rebounds, while John Wall also posted a double - double, scoring 30 points to go with 12 assists. Garrett Temple received a second straight spot start at shooting guard with Bradley Beal (wrist) sidelined. Temple scored 12 points in 34 minutes. Channing Frye made his regular season debut with the Magic after having missed the team's first game while still recovering from the MCL sprain in his knee that was suffered during training camp. Frye played 24 minutes as the starting power forward and scored two points to go with two rebounds. Kyle O'Quinn, who started at power forward in the Magic's season opener, sat out Thursday's game with a sprained ankle that he suffered in the opener. Starting center Nikola Vucevic posted his second consecutive double - double, putting up 23 points and 12 rebounds in the Magic's second loss in as many games. The Magic's next game is at home against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. The Wizards' next game is at home against the Bucks on Saturday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 2 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 23 Points in 1st quarter ,has 0 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 1 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 1 Points in 1st quarter ."] |
The Houston Rockets defeated the host Philadelphia 76ers, 123 - 118, at Wells Fargo Center on Friday. Turnover have plagued these two teams all season and 45 combined turnovers in this game shows just that. The third quarter was the difference for Houston, as they outscored Philadelphia, 33 - 21. Rebounding was also decisive, with Houston winning that battle, 41 - 29. Both teams surpassed 51 percent shooting, despite the two teams combining for 56 three - point attempts. The Rockets (35 - 15) have rode James Harden all year and he had another showcase performance in this big road win. Harden recorded another triple - double accumulating 51 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists. Nene Hilario got the start and finished second on the team with 21 points, six rebounds and two assists on 10 - of - 13 shooting. Clint Capela was effective off the bench, providing 17 points and six rebounds. The Sixers (17 - 28) had won eight of 10 headed into this game, but a matchup with the Rockets is a tough task these days. Joel Embiid was the star for Philly, as he led the team with 32 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. T.J. McConnell was second among starters finishing with 13 points and eight assists. Dario Saric, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Gerald Henderson combined for 37 points on 14 - of - 19 shooting, as they all scored 12 or more. bench scoring, dropping 12 points a piece. | ["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 118 Losses ,has 21 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 15 Losses ,has 123 Total points ,has 33 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 35 Wins ."] |
Alongside the likes of Russell Westbrook and Victor Oladipo, the Thunder's talented bigs are capable of some prolific production. That was evident Saturday, with Steven Adams and Enes Kanter combining for 34 points and 18 rebounds. Westbrook also totaled 28 points, as the trio paved the way for team success rates of 52 and 44 percent from the field and three - point range, respectively. Some of the Timberwolves' most dependable sources of offense went cold Saturday, putting a sizable burden on the shoulders of Karl-Anthony Towns. Andrew Wiggins and Zach Lavine combined for just 11 points on 4 - of - 19 shooting, with each of their individual point totals (seven and four, respectively) serving as season lows. Towns was able to provide a game - high 33 points, but only one other Minnesota player, Shabazz Muhammad, managed double - digit scoring (15 points). | ["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 4 Losses ,has 1 Wins ."] |
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Miami Heat, 116 - 108, at BMO Harris Bradley Center on Friday. A Milwaukee blowout was the expected result with the recent form of these two teams and a wire - to - wire win indicates just who the better team was. The Bucks took a 12 - point lead after the first quarter and the game never got within seven points after that. Rebounding was the glaring difference, with Milwaukee winning that battle, 46 - 27. The Bucks were lights - out shooting too, hitting 50 percent from the field and 60 percent from three - point range. The Heat (11 - 30) are in a world of troubles right now, as they've now lost 10 of their last 11 games. It was a team effort for Miami, as they had six players score in double figures, with no one surpassing 19 points. Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside each scored 19, as Dragic added three rebounds and three assists, while Whiteside provided nine rebounds and two assists. James Johnson was huge off the bench, as he tallied 10 points and 12 assists. Tyler Johnson was the leading scorer off the bench, collecting 14 points, five assists and three steals. The Bucks (20 - 18) have now won five of their last seven games, as they continue to climb up the Eastern Conference ladder. Jabari Parker led the team in scoring, as he accrued 24 points, five rebounds and two assists. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the player of the game, accumulating 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists on 8 - of - 12 shooting. Greg Monroe recorded a double - double off the bench, totaling 16 points and 11 rebounds. Michael Brogdon continued to start at point guard and amassed 13 points, six rebounds and five assists. | ["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 60 Percentage of 3 points ,has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 18 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 11 Turnovers ,has 20 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 30 Percentage of 3 points ,has 108 Percentage of field goals ,has 11 Losses ."] |
The Golden State Warriors defeated the visiting Houston Rockets, 115 - 106, to take a 20 lead in the Western Conference first - round playoffs Monday at Oracle Arena. Stephen Curry missed shoot around earlier Monday because of an ankle injury, and coach Steve Kerr elected to sit the reigning MVP. Kerr relied on Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and a strong performance from reigning NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala to carry the Warriors to a commanding lead in the series. James Harden was far more effective in Game 2, as compared to his free throw - less performance in Game 1. The Rockets All-Star shooting guard found his way to the charity stripe 15 times on Monday and it helped keep Houston within striking distance until the fourth quarter. The Warriors were able to open up a scoring run midway through the the final period, which built to a 13 point lead. Once they broke free of their opponent they did not have to look back, although Houston was never really in control of the game. Thompson led all scorers with 34 points, to go with three rebounds and five assists on 8 - of - 20 shooting, which included a strong 15 - of - 16 from the free throw line. Draymond Green approached another triple - double, and fell just a few dimes short of the mark after he stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one blocked shot, while Iguodala added 18 needed points on 7 - of - 10 shooting in 32 minutes off the bench. Shaun Livingston started in place of the injured Curry, and the regular playing time he saw in the fourth quarters during the Warriors season truly paid off after the backup point guard looked calm and composed in 28 minutes of action. Livingston finished with 16 points, six assists, two boards and two steals. Harden tried to carry the Rockets to a win at Oracle, but fell short towards the end of the game, although he finished with a strong 28 points, 11 assists and two boards on 7 - of - 19 shooting. Dwight Howard fouled out of the game, but before exiting he racked up 12 points and 10 boards. Foul trouble became a significant issue for Houston down the stretch, as both Josh Smith and James Harden earned five fouls before the end of the game. The forced conservatism gave the Warriors a needed opening to pull away with the win. The series now shifts to Houston, where the two teams will face off in Game 3 on Thursday night. | ["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 115 Losses ,has 20 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 2 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 28 Points in 2nd quarter ."] |
San Antonio carried over its No. 1 defense from last season, holding the Pelicans to 37 percent shooting from the field and 17 percent from three - point range Saturday. They continue to succeed with Pau Gasol struggling, as he has played 21 minutes or less for the third - straight game. After averaging 48 points and 17 rebounds per game, the Spurs held Anthony Davis to just 18 points and five rebounds in this blowout victory. Patty Mills and E'Twuan Moore were the only two starters in this game to shoot over 50 percent from the field. Three-point shooting was a huge factor for San Antonio, as they went 10 - for - 24, while holding New Orleans to 4 - for - 23 from long distance. New Orleans was one of the worst road teams in the league last year going 9 - 32, while the Spurs were the best home team, with a 40 - 1 record. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 37 Percentage of field goals ."] |
Malcolm Brogdon's heavily contested 16 - foot jumper with three seconds left gave Milwaukee breathing room at 103 - 100. Marcus Smart then missed a last - gasp 24 - foot three - point attempt at the one - second mark that would have sent the game into the overtime. The Bucks considerably outperformed Boston shooting - wise, as they posted a 53 percent success rate from the field while limiting the Celtics to a 40 percent tally. Giannis Antetokounmpo's 22 points and nine boards led the Bucks. Khris Middleton tallied 19 points. Brogdon posted 16 points and nine assists. Greg Monroe led the bench with 16 points as well. Isaiah Thomas' 32 points paced Boston. Jae Crowder collected 13 points, while Avery Bradley managed a 12 - point, 10 - rebound double - double. Al Horford mustered 11 points. Smart led the bench with 11 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. | ["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 100 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 53 Percentage of field goals ,has 103 Total points ."] |
The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 105 - 97, at Staples Center on Sunday. The Pelicans (25 - 38) came back in the second half after a rough second quarter where they got outscored 39 - 29 and the revival came on the back of the premier offensive talents in Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. The third quarter marked a better defensive impact, as the Pelicans held the Lakers (19 - 44) to just 14 points. With 1:44 left in the fourth quarter, Julius Randle tied the game up at 97 points apiece, but Davis and Jrue Holiday responded with scoring possessions to topple the Lakers at home. Cousins finished with 26 points, 15 rebounds and two assists across 31 minutes, while Davis posted 31 points on 10 - of - 22 shooting. Davis added nine rebounds and two assists and led all scorers in the contest. Holiday scored 20 points, to go with 12 assists and five boards. The Lakers shot the ball much more efficiently than the Pelicans, but the costly 25 turnovers to just 13 mishaps from the Pelicans is what ended up sinking their chances at their 20th win of the season. Brandon Ingram scored 16 points, alongside six rebounds and two assists, while Nick Young buried four three - pointers on his way to 19 points. Next up, the Pelicans play the second game of a back - to - back when they host the Utah Jazz on Monday, while the Lakers visit the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 44 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 39 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 14 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 25 Turnovers ,has 19 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 38 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 29 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 13 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 25 Turnovers ."] |
The Milwaukee Bucks snapped a two - game losing streak as they stomped over the visiting Washington Wizards 123 - 96, at BMO Harris Bradley Center on Friday evening, Washington came into this game winners of six of their last eight games, while Milwaukee came in as losers of five of their last seven, however judging by the final score one might have assumed that each team was on the opposite trend, as the struggling Bucks rolled over the surging Wizards. The Bucks (14 - 14) dominated from the start, taking a 37 - 29 lead after the first quarter. They went on to win the next three quarters, while Giannis Antetokounmpo had his way with a career - high 39 points, along with eight rebounds, six assists and two steals, in 33 minutes. Jabari Parker followed up with 21 points, while Malcolm Brogdon added 17, in 29 minutes off the bench. The Bucks shot a blistering 56 percent from the field and owned the paint, where they outscored the Wizards 66 - 46. The Bucks are now 10 - 7 at home, while their next contest comes on Boxing Day, when they visit Washington, for the second game of a home - and - home series. The Wizards (13 - 16) shot 47 percent from the field and 29 percent from long range, but were not able to slow the stampeding Bucks. Four players scored in double digits for Washington, led by John Wall and Otto Porter Jr., who tallied 18 each. Markieff Morris chipped in 14 points, while Bradley Beal added 10, on 3 - 10 shooting from the field. The Wizards are now 3 - 10 on the road. Their next contest takes place on Boxing Day, when they play host to the Bucks. | ["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 56 Percentage of 3 points ,has 14 Percentage of field goals ,has 123 Losses ,has 37 Total points ,has 14 Points in 1st quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 29 Percentage of 3 points ,has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 29 Points in 1st quarter ,has 18 Points in 4th quarter ,has 13 Wins ."] |
Two of the league's better teams squared off on Thursday as the Houston Rockets took down the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder, 118 - 116. Former teammates and MVP hopefuls James Harden and Russell Westbrook showed down in a battle of the league's top talent. Houston (28 - 9) has been one of the league's hottest teams after a mediocre start. The Rockets won 15 games in the month of December and have seen strong leadership from superstar combo guard James Harden. Harden led the team in both scoring and assists on Thursday, pouring in 26 points to go with 12 assists and eight rebounds. The team saw a strong 27 assists and turned it over just nine times on the night. The Rockets also shot an excellent 48 percent from the field and hit 15 three - pointers. Sixth man Eric Gordon, the league's leading three - point shooter, had five threes. OKC (21 - 16) dropped the game despite seeing 49 points from Russell Westbrook. Westbrook shot 16 - of - 34 and had eight three - pointers while playing an integral part in the Thunder's 33 - 21 fourth quarter that allowed them to remain in the game. The team crashed the boards with tenacity, recording 54 rebounds on the night to Houston's 43. However, the Thunder shot a slightly lower 45 percent and had only 12 shots from beyond the arc. The Rockets will visit Orlando on Friday while OKC will host the Nuggets on Saturday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 48 Percentage of field goals ,has 9 Losses ,has 118 Total points ,has 21 Points in 4th quarter ,has 43 Rebounds ,has 28 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 45 Percentage of field goals ,has 116 Losses ,has 33 Total points ."] |
The Los Angeles Lakers got the better of the Orlando Magic behind two stand out performances from D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle. Both players were able to round out the box score, as Russell finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals on 7 - of - 10 shooting, while Randle finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one steal and one blocked shot across 34 minutes. Brandon Ingram dropped 11 points in the fourth quarter for a second straight game, and went on to finish with 17 points on 6 - of - 9 shooting. As for the Magic, the shooting struggles resulted in just a 38 percent field goal percentage as a unit, but were led in scoring by Evan Fournier and Serge Ibaka, who both added 19 points apiece in the loss. Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo both went for double - doubles, and combined for 29 points and 21 rebounds. | ["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 38 Percentage of field goals ."] |
The Miami Heat (38 - 27) manhandled the Chicago Bulls (32 - 32) on Friday night, 118 - 96. The Heat lead the Southeast Division by two games and now sit just one game shy of the third seed in the Eastern Conference. With All-Star Chris Bosh sidelined with blood clots and star Dwyane Wade going just 3 - for - 15 from the field, production came from unexpected places for Miami on Friday. Point guard Goran Dragic led the team with 26, narrowly trailed by bench veteran Jason Richardson's 22. Richardson clocked 31 minutes and shot 9 - for - 12, including four big three - pointers to help establish and maintain Miami's massive lead. Center Hassan Whiteside also came off the bench, recording 16 rebounds and three blocks in the type of performance that fans have begun to expect from him. Whiteside recently became just the fourth player since 1970 to record 10 straight games of 10 or more rebounds off the bench. The Bulls remain at ninth in the Eastern Conference with the loss, a position that they may be stuck in if All-Star Jimmy Butler continues to miss time with a knee injury. The ailing Bulls have faced major issues with injuries all season, and have fallen cleanly out of the current playoff picture during Butler's absence. Center Pau Gasol has sought to fill the absence, as he neared a triple - double on Friday with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists. Despite Gasol's offensive craftmanship, the team struggled mightily defensively, forcing just eight turnovers and allowing Miami to capitalize on 52 percent of its shots. The Heat are in line to visit the red - hot Raptors on Sunday, while the Bulls will next take the court in Toronto on Tuesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 32 Percentage of field goals ,has 96 Losses ,has 32 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 27 Losses ,has 118 Total points ,has 8 Turnovers ,has 38 Wins ."] |
The Houston Rockets (32 - 32) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers (8 - 56) 118 - 104 on Wednesday. Even though they'd lost 12 consecutive games heading into Wednesday's contest, the Sixers had been competitive in several of them, with their oft - maligned offense showing signs of life on a more consistent basis. Their improvement had persisted in recent outings despite the multi - game absences of Jahlil Okafor (shin) and Nerlens Noel (knee), and they reaped the benefit of Noel's return Wednesday. Philadelphia got off to another strong start against the Rockets, jumping out to a 27 - 21 lead after one period. However, Houston's superior talent eventually wore down the Sixers, with James Harden and Dwight Howard spearheading the charge. The Rockets' dominance during the second and third periods, which they won by a combined margin of 72 - 52, provided them enough of a cushion to hold on for the high - scoring victory. Harden's 29 points paced the Rockets, and he supplemented his scoring total with nine rebounds, eight assists, a steal and a block. Howard was next with a 21 - point, 18 - rebound double - double that also included an assist, a steal and a pair of blocks. Patrick Beverley filled out the stat sheet in continuing his recent stretch of strong all - around play, supplying 16 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals. Trevor Ariza rounded things out for the first unit with 15 points, three assists, a rebound, two steals and a block. K.J. McDaniels paced the Houston bench with 12 points and three rebounds in an efficient 17 minutes. The Rockets are in fourth place in the Western Conference's Southwest Division, and retain a hold on the eighth seed in the conference. They next head to Boston, where they'll take on the Celtics on Friday night. Ish Smith led the way with the Sixers with 21 points, five assists, two rebounds and a steal, but did turn the ball over six times. Robert Covington and Noel were next with a pair of 17 - point efforts, with the former adding seven rebounds, four assists, four steals and a block, and the latter tallying nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. The Sixers' big man notably played 32 minutes in his return. Jerami Grant received another start in Okafor's stead, posting 13 points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. Isaiah Canaan led the reserves with 14 points, four assists and a rebound. The Sixers remain in last place in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They're home again on Friday against the division rival Brooklyn Nets. | ["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 56 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 27 Points in 1st quarter ,has 8 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 32 Losses ,has 118 Total points ,has 21 Points in 1st quarter ,has 32 Wins ."] |
The Toronto Raptors (21 - 13) outscored their opponents 30 - 12 in the fourth, defeating the Charlotte Hornets (17 - 15) 104 - 94. The division - leading Raptors continue to rise in the standings following the win over the Hornets. Per usual, the victory was led by the All-Star backcourt of Kyle Lowry (18 points, 11 assists, five rebounds) and DeMar DeRozan (23 points). The pair contributed heavily to Toronto's impressive 17 - for - 18 free - throw shooting night, combining to knock down 11 - of - 11 at the line. The Raps also saw a big double - double from recently - returned center Jonas Valancianus, who tallied 10 points and 13 rebounds on the night. Despite a surprisingly hot start to the season, the Hornets have come back down to Earth and are now just 7 - 8 in the month of December. The weak stretch was made even tougher to swallow by the loss of center Al Jefferson (knee), who will be out for approximately six weeks with a torn meniscus. Even in the face of a loss, point guard Kemba Walker had a typically strong showing, pouring in 18 points and also recording four steals on the night. Toronto's homestand will continue on Sunday as they take on the Bulls in an afternoon contest. Charlotte, meanwhile, will be forced to take on the powerhouse Thunder in the second half of a back - to - back on Saturday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 13 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 30 Points in 4th quarter ,has 21 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 15 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 12 Points in 4th quarter ,has 17 Wins ."] |
The Atlanta Hawks bullied their way to the top of every team statistic against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. From efficiency on the floor to offensive and defensive boards, steals, blocks, assists and so on, the 76ers were simply unable to find ball movement in the second half or run their half court game plan. Interestingly, Dwight Howard, who was a monster on the boards in the Hawks opener, was held to just two points and seven rebounds in the win on Saturday, but the rest of the team pitched in for a total of 47 boards. Defensively, Atlanta held Philadelphia to 35 percent shooting from the field and 28 percent shooting from behind the arc. Atlanta also kept the 76ers under 20 points in the second, third and fourth quarter, respectively and were able to run away with the game after a double figure lead was opened up by Kyle Korver midway through the second quarter. | ["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 28 Percentage of 3 points ,has 35 Percentage of field goals ."
"TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ."] |
The Golden State Warriors (37 - 3) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (9 - 32) 116 - 98 at Oracle Arena on Thursday. Oracle Arena was all in favor of the Kobe Bryant retirement tour, as the “Ko - be! ” chants started in the second half. The hobbled Bryant (Achilles) was subbed back into the game midway through the fourth quarter, which appeased the sold out arena. Bryant tacked on eight points on 15 shots, and was far from efficient in the effort, but the box score does not reflect the unfinished assists that No. 24 could have had if the rest of his teammates would have finished at the rim. The Lakers’ youth is beginning to show signs of chemistry and potential, as they inch closer to a Kobe-less era in Los Angeles. Julius Randle has been in a funk recently (averaging 6 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists on 28 percent shooting over his last five games), but recorded a strong performance against the Warriors and finished with 14 points and nine rebounds on 7 - of - 14 shooting in just under 30 minutes. Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams both contributed 20 - plus point performances, while D’Angelo Russell also fell victim to some unfinished assists, scoring 14 points, grabbing nine boards and adding three dimes off the bench. The Lakers will look to grab their 10th win of the season when they visit the Utah Jazz (17 - 22) on Saturday. Golden State returned home on a back - to - back after losing their third game of the season to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. The loss put the San Antonio Spurs within two games of the reigning champs, but they handled the Lakers easily at home, as the bench started throughout the fourth quarter. Stephen Curry added eight 3 - pointers for the 8th time this season, scoring 26 points in the contest alongside six rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes. Klay Thompson struggled to find his stroke from both the mid - range and behind the arc, as he scored 12 points on 4 - of - 14 shooting. The aforementioned bench comprised of Harrison Barnes (seeing increased minutes as he eases his way back), Shaun Livingston and Leandro Barbosa all finished in double figures. The Warriors 3 - point shooting was far below average in the first half, which caused a slim lead heading into the half, but a strong 12 - 2 run to finish the third quarter took the pressure off of Golden State, as the has played five games in the last seven days. The Warriors will visit Andre Drummond and the Detroit Pistons (21 - 18) on Saturday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 3 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 37 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 32 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 9 Wins ."] |
The Minnesota Timberwolves (5 - 6) defeated the Miami Heat (6 - 4) 103 - 91 on Tuesday. A quick glance at Tuesday’s box score for each team’s starting five belies the end result of a Timberwolves victory. The Heat enjoyed double - digit scoring performances from each of their starters, including a double - double from Hassan Whiteside. Meanwhile, while only Andrew Wiggins and rookie sensation Karl Anthony-Towns were able to muster significant offense for Minnesota’s first group, the Timbewolves managed to outscore Miami 41 - 22 in the final period to emerge with an impressive double - digit road victory. Wiggins’ shot was falling Tuesday, and the second - year pro tallied 24 points, three rebounds, an assist, three steals, and a block to lead the Timberwolves’ charge. After falling a rebound short of a double - double the last two games, Towns burst through that barrier with a 14 - point, 14 - rebound performance against Hassan Whiteside. Shabazz Muhammad contributed another productive outing from the bench with an efficient 16 points over 20 minutes, while Zach LaVine continued to impress regardless of playing time with 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal over 28 minutes. The Timberwolves currently reside in third place in the Western Conference’s Northwest Division. They travel up to Orlando for a date with the Magic on Wednesday. Not to be outdone by Towns, Whiteside posted 22 points and 10 rebounds over 34 minutes. He joined in the “20 and Over” club by Luol Deng (20 points, six rebounds, an assist, and a block), whose scoring marked a season best. However, stalwarts Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade could only muster 10 points apiece against a Timberwolves defense that came into the contest near the bottom of the league in points allowed per game, significantly hindering Miami’s chances for a win on their home court. The Heat fell to 6 - 4 and remain in second place in the Eastern Conference’s Southeast Division. The remain home for a date versus Sacramento on Thursday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 4 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 22 Points in 4th quarter ,has 6 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 6 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 41 Points in 4th quarter ,has 5 Wins ."] |
The Golden State Warriors (44 - 10) defeated the Washington Wizards (33 - 24) 114 - 107 on Tuesday at the Verizon Center in Washington. The Wizards could n't get it done against one of the best of the Western Conference, marking their fourth loss in as many games. They actually shot better from the field, going 53 percent from the field, compared to 50 percent from the Warriors, but they were killed from the three - point line, as the Warriors finished at 52 percent, while the Wizards went a meager 28 percent. What really made the difference though was the turnovers, as the Wizards were forced into 26, while the Warriors ended with just nine. After missing the last game with a foot injury, Stephen Curry made a welcomed return, finishing with a game - high of 32 points (11 - 18 FG, 5 - 9 3Pt, 5 - 5 FT), to go along with eight assists and two steals. It seems safe to say the injury did n't bother him much in this one. Despite missing a game, he's had a very strong stretch over his last three, averaging 27 points, nine assists and three steals. Fellow backcourt superstar, Klay Thompson also did his part. He went 7 - for - 13 from the field and 1 - for - 2 from the three - point line to finish with 17 points, while also adding four assists and five steals. He was coming off a 39 - point performance on Sunday, but did n't have to do as much this time around with Curry back on the court. Thompson is now averaging 22 points and 3 assists on the season. The Warriors received a nice contribution from their bench. In just 15 minutes, Marreese Speights was very effective, scoring 16 points (6 - 12 FG, 4 - 6 FT) and grabbing two rebounds. After two straight games playing less than 10 minutes, he made a statement with the extra playing time he received. Draymond Green pitched in with 13 points (5 - 9 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt), six rebounds and five assists as well. Paul Pierce did everything he could to shoot the Wizards out of their slump. He went 7 - for - 11 from the field and 2 - for - 4 from the three - point line to score a team - high of 25 points, while grabbing five rebounds as well. He had shot 40 percent or less in four out of his last five games, so it was good to see him get dialed back in and have a nice showing. John Wall also played well, recording 16 points (8 - 18 FG, 0 - 4 3Pt, 0 - 1 FT) and 11 assists. He did have eight turnovers though, so it was n't all good for the point guard. The double - double marked his second in a row, as he's combined for 26 points and 23 assists over his last two matchups. Notching a double - double of his own, Marcin Gortat had a very efficient 16 points (8 - 11 FG), to go along with 11 rebounds and a block. After posting 24 points and 10 rebounds Sunday, he's clearly on a roll and has picked his game up of late. Kevin Seraphin had the most production off the bench, as he posted 10 points (5 - 9 FG) and three rebounds in 18 minutes. It was only the second time in the last 10 games that he reached double - digit points, so the Wizards need him to continue improving to gain some more depth off the bench. The Warriors' next game will be on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, while the Wizards will travel to Minnesota to play the Timberwolves on Wednesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 28 Percentage of 3 points ,has 53 Percentage of field goals ,has 24 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 26 Turnovers ,has 33 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 52 Percentage of 3 points ,has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 10 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 9 Turnovers ,has 44 Wins ."] |
The Indiana Pacers defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 121 - 109, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Thursday. Indiana came into this game as a sizable favorite and they did n't disappoint. The Nets had just two leads in this game that lasted less than a minute and the final one at the end of the second quarter was followed up by a 33 - 11 run by the Pacers to open things up. The Pacers offense was hot all night, as they shot 52 percent from the field and 46 percent from three - point range. They were extremely efficient as well, with the Nets forcing just six turnovers, while committing 13 on their end. Indiana dominated in the paint too, winning that battle, 52 - 30. The Nets (8 - 26) continue to falter on the defensive end, as this 121 - point let up adds to their long list of defensive lapses. Trevor Booker continued his good form, as he led the starters with 16 points and six rebounds in just 19 minutes of action. Brook Lopez was the only other starter with more than 10 points, accruing 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. Sean Kilpatrick was demoted to the bench, but collected 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists in a motivated performance. Justin Hamilton also played great off the bench, amassing 16 points and eight rebounds. Thing's do n't get any easier for Brooklyn, as they play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday for their next game. The Pacers (19 - 18) have now added to a season - long four - game winning streak, as they finally appear to be living up to lofty expectations. Jeff Teague was the player of the game, as he accumulated 21 points, seven rebounds and 15 assists in the win. Paul George led the team in scoring, with 26 points, three assists and three steals. Myles Turner totaled 25 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks on 9 - of - 15 shooting in one of his best games of the year. Indiana will look to get to five - straight wins on Saturday against the New York Knicks. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 46 Percentage of 3 points ,has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 18 Losses ,has 121 Total points ,has 6 Turnovers ,has 19 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 46 Percentage of 3 points ,has 26 Percentage of field goals ,has 109 Losses ,has 13 Total points ,has 8 Turnovers ."] |
The Chicago Bulls (44 - 29) defeated the Toronto Raptors (42 - 30) 116 - 103 on Wednesday. Jimmy Butler continued his breakout season, leading the Bulls to victory with 23 points and five rebounds. Chicago also got another stellar performance from rookie Nikola Mirotic, who scored 15 points off the bench. He is having a spectacular month of March, averaging 21 points, 8 rebounds and 1 blocks a game this month. Joakim Noah returned to the Bulls after missing Mondays' game with soreness, he had five rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes of action. Greivis Vasquez got the start at point guard for Toronto, as Kyle Lowry was forced to miss Wednesday night's game with back spasms. Vasquez scored 22 points in 31 minutes but could n't take his team to the winner's circle. Jonas Valunciunas was slowed down against Chicago's solid interior defense. He scored just eight points but managed to pull down 12 rebounds. Toronto has had a rough go in March, going just 5 - 8. The Raptors have dropped three of four games, including two against Chicago, but will continue their quest to be the fourth team to lock up a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference when they face the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. The Bulls will host the New York Knicks on Saturday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 30 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 42 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 29 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 44 Wins ."] |
The Thunder (7 - 5) were able stave off the Pelicans (1 - 11) for a 110 - 103 win Wednesday at Chesapeake Energy Arena. With commissioner Joel Silver in attendance, and Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant sidelined, Russell Westbrook put on a show with a 43 - point performance. Westbrook has scored at least 40 points in his past two games, going 14 - for - 25 from the field and 15 - of - 20 from the charity stripe while collecting eight assists and nine rebounds over 36 minutes. The Pelicans hung in the game without their all - star power forward behind Ryan Anderson's season - high 30 points (13 - 25 FG, 4 - 10 3Pt), but would ultimately drop their fifth straight game. After leaving Tuesday's loss due to a shoulder injury, Davis missed Wednesday's game and has struggled to get on the court lately. Without Davis's presence on defense, the Pelicans have allowed at least 100 points in all four games he's missed this season. Anderson stepped up big again with Davis out, but did n't get much help from guards Ish Smith and Eric Gordon, who combined to shoot 14 - for - 40 from the field. New Orleans remains winless on the road this season, but will travel home to play a tough Spurs squad with Davis's status up in the air. Durant, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury, missed his fourth game in a row Wednesday. He's surely been missed out on the court, as the Thunder are 2 - 2 without Durant, losing back - to - back games to the Celtics and Grizzlies before tonight's win. Other than Westbrook, Oklahoma City's biggest contributor was Enes Kanter off the bench. Kanter had his way down low against the Pelicans, scoring 24 points (8 - 15 FG, 8 - 12 FT) while pulling down a game - high 14 rebounds over 31 minutes. It's only a matter of time before coach Billy Donovan is forced to insert Kanter into the starting lineup. | ["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 5 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 7 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 11 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 1 Wins ."] |
The host Golden State Warriors took down the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, 123 - 113. Golden State (48 - 9) scored 50 points in the third quarter after entering the second half down by double - digits. Reigning MVP Steph Curry was the spark behind the scoring surge, as he finished the game with a team - high 35 points and six three - pointers. His fellow "Splash Brother," Klay Thompson, scored another 18 points and made two threes. Former MVP Kevin Durant led the team with 15 rebounds and had another 25 points and seven assists. While three of the Warriors' four All-Stars saw solid output, forward Draymond Green had a weak night. Green was called for a technical foul and committed six turnovers while scoring only seven points. Nevertheless, it was another great night for the powerhouse Warriors, who have now won 10 of their last 12 games. Los Angeles (35 - 22) stayed in the game for about two and a half quarters before allowing the game to get out of hand. The Clippers saw a rare bit of offensive dominance in the first half from center DeAndre Jordan, who had 13 points in the first half. Jordan slowed down considerably, however, finishing the night with 17 points and 11 rebounds. All-Star Blake Griffin also went cold, finishing the night with just 12 points on 3 - of - 13 shooting. LA will host the Spurs on Friday, while the Warriors will face the Nets on Saturday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 9 Losses ,has 123 Total points ,has 50 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 48 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 113 Losses ."] |
The Charlotte Hornets (5 - 5) took care of the Portland Trail Blazers (4 - 7) 106 - 94 on Sunday. In a game that was seemingly over at halftime, the Trail Blazers gave the Hornets a late scare. Charlotte outscored Portland by 14 points in the final two quarters and even got the deficit down to six points with three minutes left before the Hornets pulled away late. The difference in this matchup was as simple as shooting, as the Blazers shot just 39 percent, while the Hornets shot just shy of 50 percent. The three - point shooting was bad all - around though, as the teams combined to shoot 14 - for - 52 from long distance. These are teams going in opposite directions right now and this result exemplifies that fact. After a promising start to the season, the Blazers have now lost five - straight games. The losses can be attributed to the poor defense, as Portland have allowed at least 100 points in all five losses. They simply have to rely far too much on their guards to carry the offense and while they can score with anyone, they need some help. Damian Lillard had another good game here, as he tallied 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the defeat. C.J. McCollum struggled a bit with his shot, but still totaled 16 points on 5 - of - 18 shooing in the loss. This is a fun and exciting team to watch with their guard - play, but it's not a recipe for victories with minimal quality post play. Portland will have a quick turnaround as they play the San Antonio Spurs on Monday in the second half of a back - to - back. The Hornets started off the season 0 - 3, but appear to be a far better team than that by winning five of their last seven since. The recent success correlates with Nicolas Batum's recent scoring surge, as he is averaging nearly 30 points a game over his last three games. On Sunday, he tallied 33 points, six assists and five rebounds in the win in another fantastic performance. Charlotte also got a great performance from Al Jefferson, who contributed 29 points, five rebounds and three assists in the victory. This is a very talented team and the more they play together, the better they'll be. The Hornets next matchup will be on Tuesday against the New York Knicks. | ["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 5 Percentage of field goals ,has 106 Losses ,has 5 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 7 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 4 Wins ."] |
The Houston Rockets (40 - 18) defeated the Brooklyn Nets (23 - 33) 102 - 98 on Friday at the Toyota Center in Houston. The Nets came out strong in this one, out - scoring the Rockets 36 - 25 right away in the first quarter. They were n't able to hold the lead though as the Rockets pulled within three points at half and eventually snuck out the four - point win in front of their home crowd. Both teams shot similar percentages, as the Rockets went 46 percent from the field and 28 percent from the three - point line, while the Nets went 45 percent from the floor and 24 percent from deep. The Nets turned the ball over 17 times though, which may have made the difference in this one. Terrence Jones was unstoppable Friday, going 11 - for - 16 from the field and 4 - for - 4 from the free throw line to finish with a game - high of 26 points, while also adding 12 rebounds and a blocked shot. In the five games following the All-Star break, he's looked very well rested and has averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds over that span. It marked his second double - double over his last three games. Trevor Ariza also had a very strong showing, posting 20 points (7 - 11 FG, 5 - 9 3Pt, 1 - 1 FT), five rebounds and two steals. It was his second straight game with 17 points, as he's gone a combined 12 - for - 21 from the field and 10 - for - 19 from the three - point line over those two outings. He's now averaging 13 points and 5 rebounds on the season. With Jones and Ariza providing so much offense, James Harden did n't have to do as much. He still posted 15 points (4 - 15 FG, 0 - 4 3Pt, 7 - 7 FT) though, while also adding five rebounds and 12 assists. His scoring was down, but it marked his third straight double - double, as he's been finding his teams at a very high rate of late. Despite suffering the loss, the Nets had six players reach double figures in points. Mason Plumlee led the way, going 7 - for - 10 from the field for 15 points, to go along with four rebounds and two blocked shots in 22 minutes. He continues to fight for playing time with Brook Lopez at the center position, who equaled his playing time with 22 minutes off the bench. Lopez has been more effective recently and continued to show well Friday, finishing with 12 points (4 - 12 FG, 4 - 4 FT) and 12 rebounds. Over his last four games he's averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds. Recording 15 points (6 - 15 FG, 0 - 3 3Pt, 3 - 3 FT) of his own, Deron Williams got it going as a member of the starting lineup again. He has n't shot well recently, combining to go 9 - of - 28 from the field over his last two games, so we'll see if he can make some adjustments and improve over his next few outings. Both Markel Brown and Joe Johnson also reached double figures in points. Brown contributed 14 points (5 - 12 FG, 2 - 5 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT) and four rebounds, while Johnson had 13 points (5 - 13 FG, 0 - 2 3Pt, 3 - 4 FT), nine rebounds and six assists as well. The Rockets' next game will be at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, while the Nets will travel to Dallas to play the Mavericks on Saturday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 28 Number of team assists ,has 46 Percentage of 3 points ,has 18 Percentage of field goals ,has 102 Losses ,has 25 Total points ,has 40 Points in 1st quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 17 Number of team assists ,has 24 Percentage of 3 points ,has 45 Percentage of field goals ,has 33 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 36 Points in 1st quarter ,has 23 Wins ."] |
The Toronto Raptors defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 123 - 114, at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday. The Raptors (18 - 7) came in to Wednesday hoping to extend their recent stellar run in rather comfortable fashion against what would have seemed like an overmatched Sixers squad. However, Philadelphia (6 - 19) came ready to defend their home court, and rolled out Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor together as starters for the first time this season. While both big men played relatively well, it was Robert Covington who exploded for a season - high 26 points, which he complemented with 12 rebounds and two assists. However, the dynamic duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan put on their usual impressive show for the Raptors, helping them overcome one of the Sixers' stronger offensive performances to date on the season. Philadelphia actually outpaced their visitors from the field by a 50 percent to 47 percent margin, and saw four of the five members of their first unit hit double digits in the scoring column. DeRozan led the way for Toronto with 31 points, five boards and three assists. Lowry was next with 20 points, seven assists and four rebounds. Jonas Valanciunas contributed a 17 - point, 10 - rebound double - double that also featured an assist, two steals and a block. DeMarre Carroll supplied 10 points, three boards, an assist and a steal, while Terrence Ross and Cory Joseph tallied a pair of 13 - point efforts to lead the bench. Okafor was second behind Covington with 17 points, four rebounds, three assists and a pair of blocks. Sergio Rodriguez and Gerald Henderson put forth a pair of 16 - point efforts, with the former adding five assists and a rebound and the latter also posting two assists and a steal. Embiid had a quiet night by his standards, registering nine points, six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal. Ersan Ilyasova, who moved back to the bench with Okafor's insertion into the starting lineup at power forward, went for 12 points, seven rebounds and an assist to lead the bench. The Raptors head back home to face off with the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, while the Sixers remain home to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday evening as well. | ["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 19 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 6 Points in 4th quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 7 Losses ,has 123 Total points ,has 31 Points in 4th quarter ,has 18 Wins ."] |
On Wednesday, the Golden State Warriors recorded perhaps the most dominant offensive performance in recent memory. The Warriors shot 62 percent, blowing away the 43 percent shooting of the Lakers. Golden State hit 19 three - pointers and scored an absurd 80 points in the first half. 85 of the Warriors' points came from three players: 28 for Kevin Durant, 31 for Steph Curry, and 26 for Klay Thompson. The team finished with 149 points, the eighth - most ever scored in a game without overtime. The Warriors also recorded 47 assists on the night, the most since Phoenix in 1991. The game marked the extension of Golden State's 30 - assist game streak to nine games. The 43 - point win was the biggest margin of victory the Warriors have ever seen against the Lakers, arguably the team's greatest historic rival. | ["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 47 Number of team assists ,has 62 Percentage of field goals ,has 26 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 43 Points in 4th quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 43 Number of team assists ."] |
The Miami Heat (27 - 33) beat the Los Angeles Lakers (16 - 44) 100 - 94 on Wednesday. Hassan Whiteside continued his break out season with a phenomenal 25 - rebound performance. He also had 18 points and four blocks in 33 minutes of action. Goran Dragic helped his big man out by putting up 21 points, four rebounds, six assists, three steals and one block in a well rounded game for the new Miami point guard. Veterans Luol Deng and Dwyane Wade combined for 40 points, and 11 boards to help give the Heat a victory as they try and fight to secure a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The starting frontcourt for the Lakers ended Wednesday's game with the same amount as their starting point guard Jordan Clarkson. He had seven rebounds which tied the likes of Carlos Boozer, Ryan Kelly and Robert Sacre. Clarkson also had 10 points and five assists but also shot just 3 - for - 11 and committed seven turnovers. Ed Davis and Jordan Hill came off the bench and each had a double - double. They combined for 27 points and 22 rebounds to try and overcome the lack of rebounding from the starters, outside of Clarkson. The Lakers have dropped three in a row after they won three straight to end the month of February. The Memphis Grizzlies will host the Lakers on Friday, as the Heat will head to Washington to take on the Wizards. | ["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 33 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 27 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 44 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 16 Wins ."] |
The Los Angeles Clippers (40) held off thePhoenix Suns (2 - 2) on Monday en route to a 102 - 96 victory. Although Phoenix shot only 36 percent as a team, they managed to keep the game close down to the final minutes, but ultimately could not hold off the powerful Clippers. Blake Griffin continued his excellent start to the season by scoring 22 points on 8 - for - 15 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds. Coach Doc Rivers spread the minutes around in this one, as nine players clocked in 14 minutes or more. Wesley Johnson who played only 14 minutes, but was very efficient with nine points on 4 - of - 5 shooting and three rebounds. Josh Smith provided some spark off the bench with seven points, five rebounds, three assists, and one block. Phoenix gave a good effort on Monday night, but a few instances of poor shot selection and not enough defensive muscle spelled their demise. The Suns had five players scoring double digits, including Markieff Morris with 19 points and eight rebounds, Brandon Knight with 12 points and eight assists, and Eric Bledsoe with 16 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Tyson Chander made his presence felt and did what Phoenix brought him there to do by grabbing 17 rebounds and scoring 14 points on 7 - of - 10 shooting. Next up for the Clippers is a tough match in Golden State on Wednesday, when both teams will be looking to stay undefeated. The Suns will also be back in action on Wednesday as they host Sacramento. | ["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 102 Losses ."
"TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 2 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 16 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 2 Wins ."] |
The Toronto Raptors (32 - 15) defeated the visiting Detroit Pistons (25 - 23) 111 - 107, on Saturday at Air Canada Center. This was the first match up of the season between these two teams. The streaking Raptors led the entire game and were up by 20 points with only six minutes left in the fourth quarter but the Pistons battled back to bring it to a four - point difference with five seconds left. However, a couple of clutch free throws by DeMar DeRozan allowed the Raptors to enjoy a franchise - best 11th straight win. This was the last of a seven - game home stand for the Raptors. They are now 18 - 6 at home this season. Detroit had the unfortunate task of playing this game on the second night of a back to back, after a tough loss in Cleveland Friday night. Detroit has now lost two in a row. DeMar DeRozan continued his high level of play as he finished with a game - high 29 points (10 - 21 FG, 9 - 10 FT), along with four assists, three rebounds and two steals, in 33 minutes. Kyle Lowry struggled shooting but added 18 points (4 - 15 FG, 1 - 5 3Pt, 9 - 12 FT), eight rebounds and three steals, in 39 minutes. Bismack Biyombo was huge in 21 minutes off the bench, as he tallied a double - double with 12 points and 13 rebounds, along with three blocked shots. Detroit had seven players score in double digits as all hands were on deck, trying to grind out this second game in as many nights. Brandon Jennings gave the Pistons a lift off the bench and was a big part of their late - game comeback. Jennings finished with 22 points (7 - 14 FG, 5 - 11 3Pt, 3 - 5 FT), four rebounds and two steals, in 21 minutes. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope chipped in 15 points, four rebounds, two steals and a block, in 34 minutes, while Andre Drummond tallied 11 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, in 27 minutes. Anthony Tolliver started in place of Ersan Ilyasova, who sat out with a sore thigh. The Pistons will be in Brooklyn on Monday to play the second game of their current three - game road trip. The Raptors will begin a six - game road trip in Denver on Monday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 15 Losses ,has 111 Total points ,has 32 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 23 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 25 Wins ."] |
The host San Antonio Spurs took down the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, 118 - 102. San Antonio (53 - 16) snapped a rare two - game losing streak with a massive blowout win on Sunday. A full team effort was at the heart of the Spurs' blowout success on Sunday. Seven San Antonio players scored in double figures, with veteran big man Pau Gasol leading the way at 22 points. He added nine rebounds. As a unit, the Spurs shot over 49 percent from the field and hit 11 three - pointers. The team also managed 31 assists on the night and held a 45 - 40 rebounding advantage. The Kings (27 - 43) have now gone 2 - 9 in their last 11 games. Sacramento saw a team - high 18 points from both sophomore Willie Cauley-Stein and rookie Buddy Hield. Both added five assists. The Kings shot over 49 percent from the field, but attempted only ten three - pointers on the night. Personal fouls were another issue for Sacramento, as the team allowed San Antonio to get to the line 27 times on the night. On the flip side, the Kings were only sent to the line 17. The team did a good job shutting down San Antonio superstar Kawhi Leonard, though, holding him to just 3 - of - 12 shooting and 12 points on the night. On Tuesday, the Spurs will visit Minnesota, while the Kings will host the Bucks on Wednesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ,has 118 Total points ,has 53 Points in 1st quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 43 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 27 Points in 1st quarter ,has 11 Turnovers ,has 27 Wins ."] |
The Charlotte Hornets (15 - 10) defeated the Toronto Raptors (16 - 11) 109 - 99 in overtime on Thursday. The Hornets' prized offseason acquisition, Nicolas Batum, left Wednesday night's contest versus the Magic with an illness. That same malady extended into Thursday, opening up the starting opportunity for Jeremy Lin. The six - year pro had his best scoring game in over two years, tallying a game - high 35 points on outstanding 13 of 22 shooting from the field. The total included a pair of three - pointers, and was amassed over a robust 47 minutes. Lin's previous scoring high on the season was 19 points, but the 27 - year - old showed that he is still highly capable of a breakout performance when given extended opportunity. The player who had considerable trouble defending Lin, DeMar DeRozan, nevertheless had a stellar offensive showing of his own. The Raptors' shooting guard collected a team - high 31 points and added five assists, four rebounds, a steal and a block. The outing was DeRozan's fifth consecutive game with 20 or more points. His trusty backcourt mate Kyle Lowry pitched in with 20 points, but needed an astounding amount of shot attempts to get there. Lowry was an atrocious 6 of 29 from the field, including 3 for 17 from beyond the arc. Bismack Biyombo and Terrence Ross both provided solid contributions, with the former accumulating a season - high 18 rebounds (along with eight points), and the latter pouring in 17 points on the strength of a season - high five three - pointers. The Raptors fell to 16 - 11 but remain in first place in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They head to Miami to take on the Heat on Friday. Kemba Walker was the second member of the Hornets' backcourt to spearhead Charlotte's offensive attack, supporting Lin's effort with 27 points of his own. He added seven assists, six rebounds, a pair of blocks and a steal. Marvin Williams contributed a 10 - point, 10 - rebound double - double, while P.J. Hairston pitched in with a second straight 14 - point performance that included a season - high four three - pointers. One of those long - range buckets came with 1:30 left in the overtime period and gave the home team a lead they would not relinquish. Spencer Hawes was highly productive off the bench, collecting a modest five points but hauling in an impressive 10 boards. He added four assists, three steals and a block in a highly efficient 23 minutes of action. The Hornets improved to 15 - 10 and currently reside in second place in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division. They head to Washington for a Saturday night showdown with the Wizards. | ["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 10 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 15 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 11 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 16 Wins ."] |
The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves, 93 - 71, on Saturday night at FedEx Forum. This marks the fourth win in a row for the Grizzlies (8 - 5), who are making a habit of shutting down opponents with silencing defense. After holding the Mavericks to only 64 points on Friday, the Grizz came out on the second night of a back - to - back set and held the young and spry Timberwolves to only 71 points. Memphis held Minnesota to 39 percent shooting, but also struggled themselves, hitting only 38 percent of their shots. However, the Grizzlies hit 33 - of - 38 free throws, hauled in 13 offensive boards and forced 19 turnovers to gain the edge on a poor shooting night and improve to 5 - 2 at home. Five players scored in double figures for Memphis, including JaMychal Green who led the way with 19 points and eight rebounds, in 28 minutes. Zach Randolph followed up with 18 points and seven rebounds, in 21 minutes off the bench. The Grizzlies head out for a two - game road trip, beginning in Charlotte on Monday. The Timberwolves (4 - 8) came into this game averaging 108 points per game on the season but were stopped in their tracks by a stubborn, veteran Memphis squad. The Grizzlies managed to get Karl-Anthony Towns in foul trouble as he picked up his fourth early in the third and was forced to sit most of the quarter. In addition to Towns being limited by fouls, Andrew Wiggins simply struggled from the field, shooting 2 - of - 11 and 0 - of - 3 from long range. Zach LaVine was the high - point man for the'Wolves with 22 points on 9 - of - 16 shooting, in 37 minutes. Minnesota moves to 1 - 5 on the road this season and should be looking forward to getting back on home court, as they host the Celtics on Monday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 38 Percentage of field goals ,has 5 Losses ,has 93 Total points ,has 8 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 8 Losses ,has 71 Total points ,has 4 Wins ."] |
The Cleveland Cavaliers (29 - 20) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (8 - 39) 106 - 90 on Saturday at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Cleveland got another huge game from LeBron James on Saturday as he dropped 36 points on Minnesota. The Cavaliers have now won 10 games in a row and are closing in on the Bulls in the East. Andrew Wiggins, the key piece in the Kevin Love trade over the summer, led the Timberwolves with 33 points. The Cavaliers won its second game in as many nights on Saturday and are now just one game behind the Bulls for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Kevin Love had 14 points and 17 rebounds against his former club. Cleveland will return home Monday to host Philadelphia, who nearly snapped Atlanta's winning streak on Saturday. Minnesota dropped its second game in a row Saturday, but held its own against one of the hottest teams in the league. Chase Budinger hit a pair of free throws to give the Timberwolves a two - point lead early in the fourth, but Minnesota was unable to maintain the advantage. Kevin Marin returned to the starting lineup and recorded 14 points and six rebounds over 37 minutes. Minnesota will host Dallas on Monday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 39 Losses ,has 90 Total points ,has 8 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 20 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 29 Wins ."] |
The Bulls (12 - 7) knocked off the Hornets (4 - 15) 102 - 95 Wednesday night in Charlotte. The Hornets dropped their tenth consecutive game and allowed at least 100 points for the fifth straight contest. They were paced by 23 points, five rebounds and four assists from Kemba Walker, who converted 7 - of - 18 field goal attempts. Lance Stephenson contributed 20 points and eight rebounds, while Al Jefferson added 13 points and seven boards. All five Charlotte starters scored in double figures, but the Hornets shot just 40 percent from the field as a team. The Bulls, who rebounded from a double - overtime loss at the hands of the Mavericks on Tuesday, shot 46 percent from the field and made 12 - of - 28 three - point attempts. Pau Gasol led the way with 19 points and 15 rebounds, while Joakim Noah added 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler each had 15 points, and Nikola Mitotic contributed 11 points and 12 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench. Chicago out - rebounded the Hornets 49 - 42 but turned the ball over 11 times, compared to Charlotte’s five. Up next, the Bulls take on the Warriors on Saturday. The Hornets play host to the Knicks on Friday night. | ["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 15 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 42 Rebounds ,has 5 Turnovers ,has 4 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 46 Percentage of field goals ,has 7 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 49 Rebounds ,has 11 Turnovers ,has 12 Wins ."] |
The Portland Trail Blazers (28 - 27) defeated the visiting Golden State Warriors (48 - 5) 137 - 105 on Friday night at Moda Center. The trouncing started right away as Portland scored 42 points in the first quarter and then outscored the Warriros 69 - 43 in the second half to hand Golden State its worst loss since February 2013. Damian Lillard was on another level, perhaps aiming to prove something after not being selected as an All-Star. Lillard scored a career - high 51 points on 18 - of - 28 shooting, including 9 - of - 12 from three - point range. He added seven assists and six steals in 31 minutes. Lillard tied for the fourth most points in a game in franchise history, while setting a franchise record for three - pointers made. The Blazers extended their win streak to four games, improving to 13 - 3 in their last 16 games. They also snapped the Warriors' 11 - game winning streak. C.J. McCollum finished with 21 points (9 - 18 FG, 3 - 4 3Pt), seven assists, four rebounds and two steals, in 32 minutes, while Mason Plumlee chipped in 12 points, five rebounds and five assists, in 20 minutes. As a team the Blazers shot a blazing 54 percent from the field and 57 percent from long range. Stephen Curry was no slouch in the loss, tallying 31 points (12 - 23 FG, 7 - 13 3Pt), five assists, three rebounds and two steals, in 26 minutes. Klay Thompson also did his usual thing as he contributed 23 points but it was not enough to match the heat of the Blazers. Draymond Green accumulated stats across the board with 14 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, but other than this "big three," the Warriors lacked significant contribution from the rest of the squad. They also gave up 20 turnovers as they were shocked back to reality after the break. The Warriors will visit the Clippers in L.A. on Saturday, for the second of a back - to - back. It will be a challenge for them to bounce back from this loss on the second night of a back - to - back on the road. The Trail Blazers will host the Jazz on Sunday, as Portland will look to solidify its place in the top eight, while Utah looks to break in. | ["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 57 Percentage of 3 points ,has 54 Percentage of field goals ,has 27 Losses ,has 137 Total points ,has 42 Points in 1st quarter ,has 28 Turnovers ."
"TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 5 Percentage of 3 points ,has 105 Percentage of field goals ,has 20 Losses ,has 48 Total points ."] |
The Denver Nuggets (22 - 39) won their second - straight game Wednesday with a 100 - 85 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves (13 - 47) 100 - 85 at the Target Center. It appeared as though Denver had hit rock bottom earlier in the week with its sixth straight loss since the All-Star break, which resulted in coach Brian Shaw being relieved of his duties. The Nuggets have responded with two wins in two nights after holding the Bucks and Timberwolves under 100 and 90 points respectively. Kenneth Faried was big for Denver, putting up 18 points and 14 rebounds. The Nuggets won the season - series against the Timberwolves 3 - 1. Denver managed to record a 15 - point victory despite an unusual performance from one of its best players. Ty Lawson, who averages 16 points - per - game, went scoreless on 0 - of - 9 shooting, but still nearly managed a double - double after adding nine assists and seven rebounds. Denver will travel to San Antonio to take on the Spurs on Friday. Minnesota has been playing better than its record would suggest of late, but still could n't finish with a victory Wednesday. Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Martin returned to action Wednesday, but made little impact. Pekovic had six points in 15 minutes and Kevin Martin was 3 - for - 15 from the floor on the way to scoring nine points. The Timberwolves will return to action Saturday against Portland. | ["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 47 Losses ,has 85 Total points ,has 13 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 39 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 22 Wins ."] |
Up-tempo and high - powered offense was the story in Denver on Thursday night, as multiple Nuggets posted eye - catching stat lines. Sophomore center Nikola Jokic dominated the game, scoring 17 points to go along with 14 rebounds and 11 assists in his fifth triple - double of the season. Wing Will Barton, meanwhile, scored a career - high 35 points including seven three - pointers to lead Denver in scoring. Gary Harris scored an additional 20 points including three three - pointers, while big man Mason Plumlee had 10 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. As a team, the Nuggets posted stats reminiscent of their high - tempo offenses of the late 80s and early 90s. Denver had 31 assists and just 10 turnovers, while shooting 53 percent from the field. The Nuggets hit 15 three - pointers on the night as well. | ["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 31 Number of team assists ,has 10 Turnovers ."] |
The Phoenix Suns (26 - 18) took down the Portland Trail Blazers (31 - 12) 118 - 113 on Wednesday. Phoenix has now won eight of their last 10, including wins in four consecutive games. The three - pronged point guard attack of Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas continues to get it done for the Suns. Those three combined for 76 points on 29 - of - 53 from the field Wednesday. 33 of those points were put in by Bledsoe, who also grabbed 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals. Isaiah Thomas had 27 off the bench, hitting three three - pointers and dishing out four assists. The Suns still hold a three - game lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder for the eighth - best Western Conference record. The Trail Blazers struggled for much of the game against the Suns. They made it a game late, but Bledsoe sank four free - throws in the final 10 seconds to end the Blazers' hopes of a comeback victory. Portland was short - handed with LaMarcus Aldridge out with a thumb injury suffered in their 98 - 94 win over the Sacramento Kings on Monday. Similiar to last year when Aldridge was out, Dorell Wright stepped into the starting lineup. Wright played 35 minutes and had 15 points, five assists and two steals. Damian Lillard played a game - high 41 minutes for Portland. Lillard and shooting guard Wesley Matthews each scored 22 points. Nicholas Batum was the man for the Blazers, though, putting up a personal season - high 27 points to go with 10 rebounds, five assists and one block. The Trail Blazers have now dropped four of their last five games. The Trail Blazers will take on the Boston Celtics on Thursday, and the Suns will face the Houston Rockets on Friday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 18 Losses ,has 118 Total points ,has 26 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 12 Losses ,has 113 Total points ,has 31 Wins ."] |
The Indiana Pacers (9 - 19) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (5 - 21) 100 - 96 on Sunday at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Despite a fierce comeback by the Timberwolves, who out - scored the Pacers 58 - 48 in the second half, the Pacers were able to hold them off and steal the victory on the road. The Timberwolves secured the rebounding advantage in this game, as they out - rebounded the Pacers 43 - 36, but the Pacers were able to use their superior shooting and pull out the victory. CJ Miles made the biggest impact for the Pacers. He came off the bench to shoot 10 - for - 18 from the field and 4 - for - 11 from the three - point line to score 28 points, while also chipping in six rebounds. It was two points off a season high for Miles, who pushed his season average to 11 points on the year. Roy Hibbert finished with 15 points (6 - 11 FG, 3 - 4 FT) and eight rebounds. After failing to score on Saturday, Hibbert had somewhat of a bounce back game and scored at least 15 points for the first time in three weeks. He's averaging only 11 points and seven rebounds on the year. The other Pacer starter to reach double figures was David West, who went 6 - for - 9 to score 14 points in 28 minutes. Both Luis Scola and Donald Sloan posted 10 points off the bench. Mo Williams and Shabazz Muhammad did most of the dirty work for the Timberwolves. Williams went 10 - for - 16 from the field and 2 - for - 5 from the three - point line to score 24 points, while also handing out 10 assists. It was his fifth double - double of the season. Muhammad has now combined to score 96 points in his last four games, as he's become a central piece to the Timberwolves offense with all of the injuries. He's now averaging 13 points and 4 rebounds on the season. Chase Budinger had a solid day off the bench, as he shot 6 - for - 10 from the field and 1 - for - 2 from the three - point line to score 13 points. The only other Timberwolve to reach double figures in points was Gorgui Dieng, who scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds. The Pacers' next game will be at home against the New orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, while the Timberwolves will travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers on Tuesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 21 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 43 Rebounds ,has 5 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 19 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 36 Rebounds ,has 9 Wins ."] |
The Houston Rockets (26 - 11) cruised during Saturday's 97 - 82 victory against the Utah Jazz (13 - 25). Houston entered the contest with a previously - unknown quandary, but Dwight Howard brushed aside a minor knee injury to earn a game - high 37 minutes. While his double - double streak ended at four outings, he still managed to tally eight points, eight rebounds, one block, and one assist. The bulk of the offense came from a familiar source, James Harden, who recorded his 15th 30 - point game of the season to uphold his status as the NBA's leading scorer. By drilling four of the Rockets' 13 three - pointers, he's now hit multiple treys in five consecutive contests - - and 28 of 37 games this season - - en route to 27 points per outing. Even Donatas Motiejunas got in on the act, knocking down one trey, but more important was his third double - double of 2014 - 15 (14 points, 10 boards, and three steals in 36 minutes). On Monday, the Rockets return to the East Coast to take on the Brooklyn Nets, with an eye on extending their winning streak to four games. After Wednesday's impressive win in Chicago, the Jazz have suffered back - to - back defeats, and the primary culprit has been a combined 47 turnovers, including 27 on Saturday. On a positive note, the frontcourt welcomed back Enes Kanter following a four - game absence due to a sprained ankle, and the big man responded with 16 points, six rebounds, and one steal in only 21 minutes. The presence of Kanter did n't push Rudy Gobert back to the bench (yet). However, the Frenchman upheld his workload from Kanter's stay on the sideline, racking up four points, five boards, three assists, three blocks, and one steal in 35 minutes. By the final horn, the Jazz had shot merely 41 percent from the field, but no one contributed to the mark more than Gordon Hayward, who put up an ordinary nine points on 2 - for - 10 shooting. Upon returning to Utah, the Jazz will attempt to press the reset button in their next outing, Tuesday versus the Golden State Warriors. | ["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 11 Percentage of field goals ,has 97 Losses ,has 26 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 25 Losses ,has 82 Total points ,has 27 Turnovers ,has 13 Wins ."] |
The Memphis Grizzlies (42 - 36) left the Chicago Bulls (39 - 39) barely clinging to their playoff dreams, beating them 108 - 92 on Tuesday. Memphis is left jockeying with Portland for the fifth seed in the West, holding just a single - game lead after Tuesday's win. Injuries to star center Marc Gasol and point guard Mario Chalmers have left the team, once slated as a Western Conference contender, decimated and struggling to close out the season. Veteran Zach Randolph took matters into his own hands on Tuesday, however, going for 27 points and 10 rebounds en route to the big win. All-Defense team guard Tony Allen, meanwhile, showed off his lockdown skills on the perimter by stealing the ball four times. The team forced 20 turnovers as a whole in what was a solid defensive outing. The Bulls, meanwhile, look as though they may miss the playoffs for the first time since 2007 - 8. With four games remaining, including matchups against the Heat and Cavaliers, and a 3 game deficit to overcome, the Bulls may find themselves on the outside of the postseason looking in. Tuesday's double - digit beatdown did not instill confidence for the squad, as turnovers and free - throw shooting both looked weak in Memphis. Hitting just 68 percent of shots from the line, the Bulls struggled mightily at the charity stripe. All-Star Jimmy Butler was reduced to a non - factor by veteran defensive specialist Tony Allen. Butler scored just five points on the night. The Bulls face a make - or - break matchup on Thursday in Miami. Memphis, meanwhile, will travel to take on Dallas on Friday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 36 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 42 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 39 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 39 Wins ."] |
The visiting New York Knicks defeated the host Sacramento Kings on Friday, 103 - 100. Star forward Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks (13 - 10) with 33 points, including 12 - of - 14 from the free - throw line. The game was a turnaround for the veteran star, as he posted only eight points in New York's blowout loss to the Cavaliers earlier in the week. Sophomore star Kristaps Porzingis, meanwhile, managed 17 points despite hitting just 6 - of - 19 from the field. Porzingis also recorded 10 rebounds on the night. New York held a massive 54 - 39 advantage in rebounding overall. 11 of those boards came from bench big man Kyle O'Quinn, who also had eight points and five assists. Sacramento (8 - 14) saw a team - high 28 points and 12 rebounds from All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins also dished out six assists, seemingly playing every role for Sacramento in the loss. The team struggled from the field, hitting just 40 percent of its shots and going only 7 - of - 28 from three - point range. The Kings also struggled on the boards, as no one other than Cousins recorded more than five rebounds. The Knicks will visit the Lakers on Saturday, while the Kings will host the Lakers on Sunday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 14 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 39 Rebounds ,has 8 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 10 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 54 Rebounds ,has 13 Wins ."] |
The San Antonio Spurs dominated the Pelicans on the glass in Sunday's win, holding a 49 - 37 edge in the rebounding column. Veteran big man Pau Gasol led the team with 14 rebounds. Forward LaMarcus Aldridge scored a team - high 22 points while pulling down an additional seven boards. Long-time San Antonio veteran Manu Ginobili added another 17 in just 17 minutes off the bench. The former Sixth Man of the Year had three three - pointers. The team ended with 11 threes on 50 percent shooting and shot 48 percent overall. The Pelicans, meanwhile, saw massive struggles on the glass, due in part to an off night from star Anthony Davis. Davis scored only 12 points and had just four rebounds in the game. Center Alexis Ajinca, meanwhile, scored a team - high 16 and had eight rebounds. | ["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 49 Rebounds ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 37 Rebounds ."] |
The Charlotte Hornets (16 - 13) defeated the Memphis Grizzlies (16 - 16) 98 - 92 on Saturday night This was a tight game throughout, but the Hornets ended up prevailing in the final quarter winning it 24 - 18. Both teams struggled from the field, as they barely shot over 40 percent a piece. The biggest differential was the free - throw shooting, as Memphis went just 11 - for - 21 while Charlotte went 28 - for - 32. This snapped a three - game losing streak for Charlotte and this was the first time Al Jefferson played in about a month. Memphis got one of their best games of the season out of Zach Randolph, but the rest of the team didn’t play well enough. Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley all scored in between 18 and 19 points, but no other player scored more than eight points. Conley was the best player for Memphis on this night, as he tallied 19 points, seven assists four rebounds and three steals in the loss. Randolph tallied 18 points and 12 rebounds in his best game off the bench this season. Memphis will have a much better chance at a win when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday in their next game. The Hornets have been struggling a bit as of late, but free - throw shooting got them a victory here. Nicolas Batum and Kemba Walker both flirted with triple - doubles and carried the Hornets to a win. Batum accumulated 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in the win. Walker had a team - high 22 points and also pitched in six rebounds and eight assists. They also got 17 minutes from Al Jefferson who fouled out in a rusty performance. Charlotte has a good chance to start a winning - streak when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in their next scheduled game. | ["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 13 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 24 Points in 4th quarter ,has 16 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 16 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 18 Points in 4th quarter ,has 16 Wins ."] |
The Blazers' defense has been the worst in the NBA over recent weeks, as they are allowing 116 points a game across their last seven contests. The offense was what really let them down here, as they shot under 40 percent from the field and from three - point range. In addition to that, the Pelicans combined for 21 blocks and steals, while the Blazers had just three. Damian Lillard did score 27 points, but he went just 8 - of - 24 from the field. He has now failed to make more than eight shots in any of his last four games, while taking at least 17 shots in all those appearances (29 - of - 81). Anthony Davis was a monster in this game, as he accumulated 38 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals and four blocks in the win. Jrue Holiday made his first appearance of the season, totaling 21 points and seven assists in 23 minutes off the bench. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 3 Losses ."
"TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 7 Losses ,has 7 Wins ."] |
The Miami Heat defeated the visiting Charlotte Hornets, 106 - 73, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference first - round playoffs Sunday at American Airlines Arena. A close series ended in a manner that was anything but, as Miami walloped Charlotte 29 - 18 in the first quarter and only continued the onslaught from there. Though the Heat remain without superstar forward Chris Bosh, the veteran team played some of its best basketball of the season in Sunday's blowout. Point guard Goran Dragic found his stride, scoring a game - high 25 points on impressive 11 - for - 17 shooting. Defensive Player of the Year second - runner - up Hassan Whiteside, meanwhile, showcased his impressive block timing by swatting five shots. It was an all - out dismantling on Sunday, with the Heat out - rebounding their opponents 58 - 36 and shooting 48 percent to Charlotte's dismal 32. Charlotte, meanwhile, picked the worst possible time to go cold, finishing the series in an underwhelming fashion. Rookie Frank Kaminsky epitomized Charlotte's struggle on the court, going just 3 - for - 15 from the floor. The team's star, Kemba Walker, fared no better, shooting just 3 - for - 16 and tallying just nine points while turning the ball over three times. Despite the loss, the series marked Charlotte's first playoff win as a franchise in over a decade and a marked improvement over its lottery finish in 2014 - 15. The Heat will face the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference semifinals, which begin Tuesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 48 Percentage of 3 points ,has 106 Percentage of field goals ,has 29 Total points ,has 58 Points in 1st quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 32 Percentage of 3 points ,has 32 Percentage of field goals ,has 73 Total points ,has 18 Points in 1st quarter ,has 36 Rebounds ,has 7 Turnovers ."] |
The Suns (9 - 5) knocked off the Pacers (5 - 8) 106 - 83 in Indianapolis on Saturday. Phoenix, which shot 45 percent from the floor, got 13 points from Markieff Morris and 11 from Goran Dragic. Eric Bledsoe struggled from the field, adding just nine points on 2 - of - 10 shooting. Gerald Green led all scorers with 23 points off the bench, while Isaiah Thomas chipped in 16. The Suns out - rebounded Indiana 51 - 47 and shot 12 - of - 31 from beyond the arc. The Pacers, whose two - game winning streak was snapped, shot a paltry 37 percent from the floor while turning it over 14 times. Only three players scored in double - figures, led by 14 points from Rodney Stuckey in 20 minutes off the bench. Ian Mahinmi had a 12 - point, 10 - rebound double - double, and Solomon Hill added 13 points. Luis Scola scored just one point but had 10 rebounds in 27 minutes. Starting center Roy Hibbert departed in the first quarter after suffering a sprained left ankle and did not return. The Suns have now won four straight games, each victory coming against an Eastern Conference foe. They’ll conclude their six - game road swing in Toronto on Monday. Indiana, meanwhile, heads to Dallas to face the 10 - 3 Mavericks, also on Monday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 8 Losses ,has 83 Total points ,has 47 Rebounds ,has 14 Turnovers ,has 5 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 45 Percentage of field goals ,has 5 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 51 Rebounds ,has 9 Turnovers ."] |
The Atlanta Hawks (14 - 6) defeated the Indiana Pacers (7 - 14) 108 - 92 on Monday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Hawks got out quick and took it to the Pacers early, out - scoring them 60 - 43 in the first half. They demonstrated superior shooting, as they finished at 52 percent from the field and 43 percent from the three - point line compared to the Pacers, who shot 44 percent from the floor and only 33 percent from beyond the arc. The Hawks were led by the duo of Jeff Teague and Al Horford in this one. Horford had a team - high of 25 points (9 - 18 FG, 1 - 1 3Pt, 6 - 6 FT), while also grabbing eight rebounds. The 25 points were a season - high for Horford, who has struggled lately and has failed to reach the 20 - point mark in his last six games. Teague had 21 points of his own and went 8 - for - 11 from the field and 1 - for - 1 from the three - point line, as he had his shot dialed in all night. He also chipped in three steals, which was the third time he's done that in the last four games. Kyle Korver had a solid game as well, going 4 - for - 7 from the floor and 3 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score 13 points, while adding four assists. The only starter for the Pacers to reach double figures in points was Rodney Stuckey. He scored 15 points (6 - 11 FG, 1 - 1 3Pt, 2 - 4 FT) and recorded three assists in just over 27 minutes of playing time. With most of the starters struggling, the bench played a significant role in this one and scored 50 out of the 92 total points. C.J. Miles had the biggest contribution and went 5 - for - 11 from the field and 4 - for - 7 from beyond the arc to score 15 points. Considering he's averaging only 7 points on the year, it was a nice surprise for the Pacers. The other bench contribution came from Luis Scola, who came one rebound shy of a double - double and finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. The Hawks' next game will be at home against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, while the Pacers will be at home against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday as well. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 33 Percentage of 3 points ,has 44 Percentage of field goals ,has 14 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 7 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 43 Percentage of 3 points ,has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 6 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 14 Wins ."] |
The Washington Wizards (24 - 11) scored more points than the New York Knicks (5 - 33), 101 - 91. The Knicks recorded their franchise - record and league - leading 13th straight loss to maintain a stranglehold on last place in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks were without the services of Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Andrea Bargnani due to injury. They used their 21st unique starting lineup. At one point during the contest, the Knicks' lineup contained four players from their summer league roster. Jose Calderon kept his free - throw streak alive, converting his lone attempt for a perfect 21 - of - 21 mark. Langston Galloway made his season debut on the strength of a 10 - day contract and contributed seven points (2 - 8 FG, 1 - 2 3Pt, 2 - 2 FT), three assists, two rebounds and one steal in 17 minutes. Paul Pierce rested his second game all season, and Otto Porter started in his absence. Nene Hilario picked up his second technical foul of the season and led the team with 20 points (8 - 13 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt, 4 - 6 FT), six rebounds, four assists and one steal in 24 minutes. Rasual Butler knocked in two three - pointers to increase his yearly accuracy to 49 percent from downtown, and Bradley Beal chipped in four three - pointers. The Knicks travel back home Thursday to take on the Houston Rockets for their fourth game in five nights. The Wizards host the Chicago Bulls on Friday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 11 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 24 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 33 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 5 Wins ."] |
The Atlanta Hawks (34 - 8) held off the Detroit Pistons (16 - 26) to notch their 13th consecutive victory on Monday by a score of 93 - 82. This game got off to a rough start as the two teams combined for just 28 points in the first quarter. With star point guard Jeff Teague struggling, it was Mike Scott who became the latest unsung hero for the Hawks. Scott scored 20 points in 21 minutes off the bench. The Pistons' Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond combined for 38 rebounds but that was n't enough to overcome the team's 35 percent shooting performance from the field. Atlanta has now won all three meetings against Detroit this year. Detroit entered Monday's contest as winners of four of its last five, but fell short against arguably the best team in the league right now. Greg Monroe recorded a career - high 20 rebounds and was a force on the offensive glass, helping the Pistons pull down 20 offensive rebounds as a team. The Pistons will return home Wednesday to take on the Magic. Atlanta now has a five - game lead in the Eastern Conference after recording its league - leading 34th win of the season. Jeff Teague turned in one of his worst offensive performances of the season, shooting just 4 - for - 15 from the field, including 0 - for - 5 from three point range. Despite Teague's shooting woes, the Hawks got solid performances from Paul Millsap, Al Horford, and Kyle Korver to help secure the win. On the injury front, reserve point guard Dennis Schroder played 18 minutes Monday after not playing Saturday against Chicago. The Hawks play their next six games at home with their next contest coming Wednesday against the Pacers. | ["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 8 Percentage of field goals ,has 93 Losses ,has 34 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 35 Percentage of field goals ,has 26 Losses ,has 82 Total points ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 16 Wins ."] |
The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Boston Celtics on Thursday night at TD Garden, 104 - 92, to win Eastern Conference first - round playoff series, 4 - 2. After a sluggish first half, the Hawks owned a 41 - 33 lead, but they opened up in the third quarter. Atlanta poured in 39 points in the frame and opened its lead to 21 points. The Celtics made a late run but were unable to cut it any closer than 11 points in the final quarter. The Hawks won with their balanced attack, as they did all season, with six players scoring between 11 and 17 points. Paul Millsap scored 17 points (4 - 10 FG, 9 - 11 FT) to lead the Hawks and added eight rebounds. Kyle Korver grabbed a team - high nine rebounds and had a perfect shooting night (4 - 4 FG, 2 - 2 3PT, 4 - 4 FT) to power a 14 - point performance. Kent Bazemore (6 - 13 FG) and Al Horford (7 - 10 FG) added 15 points apiece. The Hawks shot 51 percent from the field and were able to score consistently despite grabbing just three offensive rebounds. Isaiah Thomas scored 25 points (9 - 24 FG, 6 - 7 FT) to lead all scorers and notched a double - double with 10 assists. Jae Crowder added 15 points (5 - 15 FG) and six rebounds before fouling out. Jonas Jerebko and Marcus Smart were the only other Celtics to reach double figures with 13 points apiece. The Celtics shot a brutal 36 percent of the field and made just 7 - 32 (22 percent) from three - point line. Boston's advantages on the glass (20 percent offensive rebound rate against 8 percent for Atlanta) and in turnovers (12 against 18 for Atlanta) were n't enough to overcome the poor shooting. The Hawks will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. | ["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 22 Percentage of 3 points ,has 36 Percentage of field goals ,has 92 Losses ,has 17 Total points ,has 12 Points in 1st quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 51 Percentage of 3 points ,has 2 Percentage of field goals ,has 104 Losses ,has 21 Total points ,has 39 Points in 1st quarter ,has 18 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 4 Points in 3rd quarter ."] |
In a battle between two struggling teams, Orlando really put it to Los Angeles in this matchup. This was a true wire - to - wire win, as Orlando started the game up 100 and never relinquished the lead after that. The Magic actually outscored the Lakers by 16 in the first quarter, while recording a franchise - record nine blocks. Shooting was the key difference, with Orlando shooting over 50 percent from the field, while Los Angeles failed to crack 36 percent. Jordan Clarkson was the lone bright spot for the Lakers, as he led the team with 18 points and five rebounds off the bench. Luol Deng recorded a double - double, totaling 11 points and 10 boards. Elfrid Payton was the Magic's mist valuable player, as he accrued 25 points, three rebounds and nine assists off the bench. Serge Ibaka was equally as important, as he collected 19 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. | ["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 16 Number of team assists ,has 36 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Turnovers ."] |
The Toronto Raptors (4 - 1) defeated the Boston Celtics (1 - 3) 110 - 107 on Wednesday at the TD Garden in Boston. The Raptors forced the Celtics into 28 turnovers, compared to only seven of their own. The Celtics out - rebounded the Raptors 55 to 24, keeping them in the game in this close one. Kyle Lowry had his best game of the season. He struggled Tuesday against the Thunder, scoring only nine points on 2 - of - 7 shooting, but Lowry bounced back Wednesday with 35 points, shooting 12 - for - 17 from the field and 2 - for - 3 from beyond the three - point line. DeMar DeRozan contributed 23 points. He's now averaging 22 points per game on the year. Patrick Patterson started again with Amir Johnson still out with an ankle injury. Patterson ended with 14 points (5 - 8 FG, 4 - 6 3Pt), and three rebounds. Louis Williams had the most production off the bench for the Raptors, as he posted 11 points, while adding two steals. Jonas Valanciunas sat out the game with a hand injury, and Tyler Hansbrough filled in as a starter in the fronctourt. The Celtics were led by Rajon Rondo, who notched his first triple - double of the year. Shooting 5 - for - 8 from the field, he scored 13 points, adding 15 assists and 10 rebounds. Jeff Green led all scorers on the Celtics with 20 points (9 - 16 FG, 2 - 7 3Pt), while also providing three blocks. With his first double - double of the year, Kelly Olynyk put up 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, helping the Celtics own the boards Wednesday. Jared Sullinger also had a double - double, going for 19 points and 16 rebounds. If the Celtics did n't turn the ball over 28 times, they would have likely been able to pull out a victory. The Raptors' next game will be at home against the Washington Wizards on Friday, while the Celtics will be play at home against the Indiana Pacers on Friday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 3 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 55 Rebounds ,has 1 Turnovers ."
"TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 1 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 24 Rebounds ,has 7 Turnovers ,has 4 Wins ."] |
The Milwaukee Bucks (34 - 30) defeated the Orlando Magic (21 - 45) on Wednesday in Milwaukee. A 60 run over the last 1:30 of the game sealed the deal for the Bucks, who were once again led by Khris Middleton, who scored a game - high 30 points on 12 - of - 17 shooting. Middleton has now scored 30 points in two of his last three outings. Zaza Pachulia recorded a double - double, putting up 10 points on 4 - of - 8 shooting and 12 rebounds in 24 minutes. Michael Carter-Williams also stuffed the stat sheet as he starts to grow more comfortable in Milwaukee's offense, recording 11 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in 34 minutes. All five of Milwaukee's starter scored in double figures, with Ersan Ilyasova (12) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (11) rounding out the five. The Bucks recorded 30 assists on 39 made field goals, and the win brings them within two games of the Wizards for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Nikola Vucevic had a double - double for the Magic in the losing effort, recording 19 points on 9 - of - 20 shooting and 14 rebounds in 39 minutes. Victor Oladipo struggled shooting the ball for the second straight game, putting up 14 points on 4 - of - 17 shooting and six assists in 39 minutes. Oladipo has now shot 8 - for - 29 in his last two outings. Tobias Harris (17), Elfrid Payton (14), and Channing Frye (13) round out the Orlando players who scored in double figures. Up next, the Bucks will travel to Indiana Thursday to take on the Pacers, while the Magic head to Boston to go up against the Celtics. | ["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 30 Number of team assists ,has 30 Losses ,has 34 Points in 4th quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 45 Number of team assists ,has 19 Losses ,has 14 Points in 4th quarter ,has 21 Turnovers ."] |
The Memphis Grizzlies (55 - 27) took a 20 lead when they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers (51 - 31) 97 - 82 on Wednesday. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol went just 9 - for - 31 from the floor combined, yet the Grizzlies still managed to win game two of the series, with ease. They found other ways to get it done on the floor, as Randolph grabbed ten rebounds and Gasol recorded three blocks and five assists. It did n't hurt that they turned the ball over just five times and took incredible care of the basketball throughout the game. Point guards Mike Conley and Beno Udrih turned the ball over just twice in 48 minutes combined. The Grizzlies top bench performer was Jeff Green who had a plus - 20 in the plus/minus statistic and finished with nine points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 27 minutes. In this series he's averaging 10 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks in 28 minutes a game. He'll try and continue to lead the Memphis bench attack again on Saturday in game three from Portland. LaMarcus Aldridge had 15 points and 10 rebounds at half time with his team down 50 - 39. He was n't able to keep up the pace and his team was n't able to mount a comeback, and now they'll head back to Portland without a victory thus far in the series. Aldridge still put up a great all - around game with 24 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and two steals, but he and Nicolas Batum each had four costly turnovers that the Trail Blazers paid for them in the end. Damian Lillard could n't quite get it going on offense, as he scored 18 points on 5 - for - 16 shooting with seven points coming from the free throw line. He also only managed to dish out one assist from the point guard position in 40 minutes, after recording just three as in game one. The Blazers will try and take game three at home in Portland on Saturday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 97 Total points ,has 5 Turnovers ,has 2 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 82 Total points ."] |
The Miami Heat defeated the Sacramento Kings, 107 - 102, despite a remarkable comeback by the Kings at Golden 1 Center on Wednesday. The first half was a one sided affair after the Heat (11 - 26) led for practically every minute from tip - off to the second quarter buzzer, but an emphatic third quarter rally on behalf of the Kings (15 - 20) made for an exciting second half. The Kings were down as much as 19 points with 2:11 left in the third quarter after James Johnson drained two free throws, but Sacramento responded with 13 straight points to close out the quarter and trailed by only six points heading into the final period. DeMarcus Cousins made a three foot layup to put the Kings up by two points with 7:35 remaining in the fourth quarter, but that was the last lead the Kings had in the game. Cousins went back to the line later in the period to tie the game at 102 points a piece, however, Tyler Johnson's and - 1 sealed the deal with under :20 left and the Heat came away with a wild road victory. Both teams were led by their bench after a dreadful showing on behalf of most of the starters from each squad. Anthony Tolliver provided 14 points, three boards and two assists in 29 minutes for the Kings, while his bench counterparts Aaron Afflalo, Garrett Temple and Ty Lawson each provided 15 points. Cousins rounded out the box score, but not in the precise fashion that he has been providing all season long. The Sacramento all - star center posted 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals on 4 - of - 15 shooting across 32 minutes. As for the Heat, the story is the same. Tyler Johnson lit up the bench with 23 points, which led all scorers in the game, to go along with six rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks on 7 - of - 11 shooting. Goran Dragic led the starters with 19 points and seven assists, while the Heat, as a unit, shot 49 percent from the field en route to the road win. Both teams play Los Angeles based teams on Friday, as the Heat visit Staples Center to take on the Lakers, while the Kings host the Clippers at Golden 1 Center. | ["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 20 Percentage of field goals ,has 102 Losses ,has 15 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 26 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 11 Wins ."] |
In the absence of Kyrie Irving LeBron James did his part to make sure the ball was moving, as he dished 10 assists, to go along with a game - high 32 points on efficient 12 - of - 20 shooting, and five rebounds, in 40 minutes. Kevin Love turned in a solid double - double with 23 points and 16 rebounds, in 35 minutes. Three other players scored in double digits for the Cavs, including Channing Frye, who chipped in 14 points off the bench. Tristan Thompson added 12 points, while Kyle Korver added 11 points in 31 minutes off the bench. Meanwhile, Brandon Jennings led the way for the Knicks, with 23 points on 8 - of - 13 shooting, to go along with 10 assists, five rebounds and two steals, in 42 minutes. Carmelo Anthony shot 6 - of - 20 on his way to 17 points, while Kristaps Porzingis also struggled shooting, going 3 - of - 10 on his way to nine points. | ["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 23 Points in 3rd quarter ."] |
The Oklahoma City Thunder (10 - 6) took care of business Wednesday night with a 110 - 99 win over the Brooklyn Nets (3 - 12). Brooklyn had 26 - 25 lead after the first quarter but Oklahoma City woke up in the second quarter and did not look back out - scoring Brooklyn 85 - 73 the rest of the way. Brook Lopez had a monstrous game for Brooklyn with 26 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots, but it was still not enough to quiet the Thunder. Thaddeus Young also played well for the Nets, finshing with 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Three other players scored double digits for Brooklyn, including Andrea Bargnani, who contributed 13 points on 6 - 12 shooting, in 16 minutes off the bench. Rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson tallied a strong double double with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 28 minutes as a starter. Hollis-Jefferson has a good opportunity to shine at the shooting guard spot for the Nets going forward. Kevin Durant was back in top form Wednesday night as he finished with 30 points on 11 - 18 shooting, including 5 - 8 from long range, along with six rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. Russell Westbrook would not be too far out - done and finished with 27 points of his own along with a generous 13 assists, six rebounds and five steals. Dion Waiters provided 16 points on 6 - 13 shooting and has been a nice boost off the bench for the Thunder so far this season. As a team Oklahoma City shot a strong 52 percent from the field and finished with 26 assists on 41 made field goals. Next up the Thunder will be hosting Detroit on Friday. Brooklyn will be visiting Cleavland on Saturday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 26 Number of team assists ,has 6 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 25 Points in 1st quarter ,has 10 Points in 2nd quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 12 Number of team assists ,has 99 Losses ,has 26 Total points ,has 26 Points in 1st quarter ,has 3 Points in 2nd quarter ."] |
The Houston Rockets (16 - 15) defeated the San Antonio Spurs (25 - 6) 88 - 84 on Friday in a Christmas Day showdown. The Rockets pulled off quite the feat here, as they beat one of the powerhouses in the NBA. They got it done with an even more bizarre recipe, as they won with defense and very little three - point shooting. Houston really turned it on in the second half overcoming a halftime deficit to win the second half by nine points. Houston didn’t shoot efficiently from the free - throw line, but they did a fantastic job of drawing fouls, as they took 26 free throws to the Spurs eight. The Spurs are known for their staunchy defense, but they didn’t play enough offense here to get a win. They barely shot 40 percent from the field and got to the free - throw line just eight times. Tim Duncan recorded a double - double, but Kawhi Leonard was the star on the night. Leonard has a great all - around game, tallying 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists, five steals and three blocks in an outstanding performance. This was a tough task to beat a hungry Houston team on the road in a showcase game and the Spurs have nothing to be ashamed about with their amazing play this season. They'll take on the Denver Nuggets at home on Saturday in their next game to try to continue their undefeated home streak this season. The Rockets haven’t had a great season by their standards, but this was a great performance in a showcase game. They attempt the most three - pointers in the NBA, but went just 7 - for - 15 here in an efficient fashion. Dwight Howard recorded a double - double, but the beard was the hero. He showed up big in the second half and carried them to a win. Harden finished with 20 points, nine assists and four rebounds en route to the victory. Jason Terry also scored nine points in the final quarter and came up clutch for this Rockets team to help aid the win. They'll look to build off this win in Saturday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans. | ["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 15 Losses ,has 88 Total points ,has 16 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 6 Losses ,has 84 Total points ,has 25 Wins ."] |
The Sacramento Kings (23 - 31) defeated the Denver Nuggets (22 - 33) 116 - 110 on Friday. It's rare to say that the Kings won a game with defense, but they did just that here. They held the Nuggets to just 46 points in the final two quarters after allowing nearly 60 in the first two. The shooting was key for Sacramento, as they shot 49 percent from the field, 78 percent from the free - throw line and 48 percent from three - point range. Amazingly, the Kings got all but four of their points from just five of their players in the win. Sacramento's starters scored 87 points compared to Denver's 55. Denver came into this game winning four of six, but couldn’t muster up enough to beat a talented Kings team. Danilo Gallinari continued his scoring ways, as he dropped 27 points in the loss. No other starter scored in double - digits aside from Gary Harris, who finished with 14 points, four rebounds and five assists. Joffrey Lauvergne had his best game of the season off the bench, as he tallied 22 points and seven rebounds. On deck is a matchup against the Boston Celtics on Sunday. It's not too often that an NBA team can win with five payers combining for four points, but Sacramento did just that. DeMarcus Cousins went bonkers in the win, as he accumulated 37 points, 20 rebounds, and four blocks. Rajon Rondo fell an assist shy of a triple - double, as he tallied 24 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and five steals in a monster game. Rudy Gay pitched in with 24 points of his own and Darren Collison scored 17 off the bench. The Kings next game will be on Tuesday, when they get a rematch against these same Denver Nuggets. | ["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 48 Percentage of 3 points ,has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 31 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 23 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 33 Percentage of 3 points ,has 110 Percentage of field goals ,has 22 Losses ."] |
The Boston Celtics defeated the Toronto Raptors, 109 - 104, at TD Garden on Wednesday. Despite the Raptors leading for the first 42 minutes of this game, the Celtics took the most important one to escape with a win. In fact, the five - point margin was Boston's biggest lead, as they held the lead for less than three total minutes. The fourth quarter was the difference, with the Celtics winning that quarter, 32 - 19. Despite dominating the shooting, the free - throw line really killed Toronto, as they shot 56 percent from the charity stripe, while Boston shot 83 percent. The assist - to - turnover differential was huge for Boston too, recording seven more assists than Toronto and committing six less turnovers. The Raptors (30 - 20) had to play this game without DeMar DeRozan (ankle), as it marked their seventh loss in their last nine games. Kyle Lowry carried the load, as he led the team with 32 points, two rebounds five assists and two steals. Norman Powell started for DeRozan and finished with 12 points, five rebounds and two assists. Jared Sullinger was second on the team in scoring, dropping 13 points and six rebounds off the bench. Toronto will play the Orlando Magic on the road for their next game on Friday. The Celtics (31 - 18) have rode Isaiah Thomas' ridiculous fourth quarter form all season and that was the recipe once again here. Thomas finished the game with 44 points and seven assists, with 19 of those coming in the fourth quarter. Jae Crowder was second on the team, providing 14 points and eight rebounds. Al Horford scored just 11 points on 4 - of - 13 shooting, but grabbed three rebounds and handed out six assists. Marcus Smart was the only other Boston player in double figures, as he accumulated 10 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals off the bench. The Celtics next game is on Friday, as they host the Los Angeles Lakers. | ["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 18 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 32 Points in 4th quarter ,has 9 Turnovers ,has 31 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 20 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 19 Points in 4th quarter ,has 30 Turnovers ."] |
The Chicago Bulls (10) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers (0 - 1) 99 - 92 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Bulls had a trio of 20 - point scorers to lead them to victory past the Cavaliers who were without J.R. Smith, due to a suspension that will also hold him out for Game 2. Mike Miller started in place of Smith at shooting guard but only played 16 minutes. He hit one three - pointer and grabbed five rebounds in his time on the floor, but his team was clearly missing the spark that Smith provides. The Cavaliers were also missing Kevin Love, who underwent surgery on his shoulder last Wednesday. Love is out for the remainder of the postseason and it's quite possible he's already played in his final game as a Cleveland Cavalier. Iman Shumpert stepped in the starting lineup in Love's absence. Shumpert was the second - leading scorer for Cleveland with 22 points. With Shumpert and Miller's insertion into the starting lineup, LeBron James was bumped to power forward. However, big - man Tristan Thompson played 37 minutes which allowed James to play more from his preferred position of small forward. James finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists, three steals and costly six turnovers. Kyrie Irving led Cleveland in scoring with 30 points. He and James will need to come back strong in Game 2 to try and even up the series before they head to Chicago. Derrick Rose started off strong as he did in the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks. On Monday he had 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal in his teams Game 1 upset of the Cavs in Cleveland. Jimmy Butler continued his amazing run this year with 20 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals, while guarding the most dominant force in the NBA, LeBron James. Pau Gasol once again proved he's still one of the top big men in the league. He dropped 21 points on the Cavs to go along with 10 rebounds, four assists an four key blocked shots. He also had the best plus/minus of any player on either team with a plus - 21. Joakim Noah did n't score on any of his four shots in 29 minutes but that proved to be irrelevant as Chicago was still able to take down Cleveland in Game 1. If the Bulls manage to win Game 2 as well, they will head back to Chicago with a 20 lead with two games to play at home in a row. | ["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 1 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 22 Points in 4th quarter ,has 0 Turnovers ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 99 Losses ,has 10 Total points ,has 1 Points in 4th quarter ."] |
The Dallas Mavericks (10 - 7) defeated the Denver Nuggets (6 - 11) 92 - 81 thanks to a horrible third quarter by Denver. The Mavericks and Nuggets were in a tightly - contested battle at halftime, but something drastic happened to alter the result. The Nuggets did n't show up in the third quarter and they put up some mind boggling stats. Denver started the quarter going 0 - for - 14 with six turnovers and failed to score in the first nine minutes. That started a 160 run for Dallas and they never looked back after that. The turnovers were a problem as well, as Dallas won that battle 20 - 13. A five - point third quarter proved to be the difference in a frustrating loss for the Nuggets. Scoring 29 points in the second half simply wo n't get it done in the NBA and that's just what the Nuggets did. The team was led by Darrell Arthur, who tallied 16 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks in the defeat. Kenneth Faried did make his return after a three - game absence due to an ankle injury, but played just 14 minutes. Denver has now scored 161 points over their last two games and this is obviously not the potent up - tempo Denver offense of the past. They'll look to get out of this six - game skid when they play another struggling team in the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday. Dallas played some fantastic defense en route to an impressive win on Saturday. The surprise start for Dallas has to be credited to Zaza Pachulia, who put in yet another great game. Pachulia collected 16 points, 12 rebounds and three steals to pick up his 10th double - double of the season. Deron Williams also had a nice game, as he amassed 22 points, four assists and four rebounds in the win. The Mavericks had 13 steals in the game and they forced the Nuggets into bad shots time after time. This is n't the prettiest team in the NBA, but they're certainly dangerous and a threat in the West. Dallas will play the Sacramento Kings on Monday in their next scheduled game. | ["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 7 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 13 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 10 Turnovers ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 11 Losses ,has 81 Total points ,has 5 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 20 Turnovers ,has 6 Wins ."] |
The Golden State Warriors (20) continued their recent success against the Houston Rockets (0 - 2) on Friday by blowing them out in Houston 112 - 92. The Golden State Warriors won eight of their nine games against the Houston Rockets last season and it appears they simply own them at this point. Golden State has now scored at least 98 points in all nine of those games and the Rockets simply ca n't stop this potent offense. The Warriors were led by MVP Steph Curry, who tallied 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the blowout victory. Dwight Howard also made his return from a suspension for the Rockets in this game, as he tallied nine points and seven assists while battling foul trouble across 22 minutes of play. The Warriors outscored the Rockets in all four quarters and the game was decided well before the final buzzer. The Warriors had just one player who scored more than 14 points in this matchup, but they did have seven players who scored at least nine points. This is now two blowout wins over playoff teams from last year and the Warriors appears to have a major chip on their shoulder with naysayers in the offseason belittling their championship run. The Rockets are a poor man's Golden State and it will be tough for them to beat the Warriors in the future in a three - point shootout with all the shooters Golden State possess. The Warriors take on the New Orleans Pelicans (0 - 2) on Saturday in the second half of a back - to - back in their next matchup. The Rockets started the season with two home games and now have two 20 - point blowout losses. The team continued its terrible shooting from distance and they're also looking like a poor defensive team yet again. The Rockets are currently shooting below 25 percent from three - point range in their first two games and they have allowed their opponents to shoot nearly 50 percent from the field as well. Harden has also struggled mightily in these first two games, as he is 10 - for - 39 from the field and a dreadful 3 - for - 22 from three - point range. Houston will look to bounce back on the road in their next game on Sunday against the Miami Heat. | ["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 2 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 0 Turnovers ."
"TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 112 Losses ,has 8 Total points ,has 2 Turnovers ."] |
The defensive - minded Grizzlies managed to hold Golden State to a season - low point total, temporarily derailing their run of 16 victories in 17 games in the process. They also forced 23 turnovers from the Warriors while holding them to a 33 percent success rate from long range. Kevin Durant (21 points) and Stephen Curry (17 points, 4 - of - 14 from long distance) were the only double - digit scorers among the Warriors' starters, while Ian Clark paced the bench with a modest 10 points. The Grizzlies' Marc Gasol and Tony Allen lead the way with a pair of 19 - point efforts, and JaMychal Green post a 14 - point, 10 - rebound double - double. Matching 11 - point tallies from Andrew Harrison and Troy Williams rounded things out for the first unit, while Zach Randolph (14 points) and Jarell Martin (13 points) were strong in reserve roles. | ["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 17 Percentage of 3 points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 33 Percentage of 3 points ,has 16 Points in 1st quarter ,has 23 Turnovers ."] |
The San Antonio Spurs (31 - 7) destroyed the Utah Jazz (15 - 19) 123 - 98 to continue their torrid run at home on Wednesday night. The Spurs came into this game as one of the biggest favorites of the year and actually covered their ginormous spread. The amazing part is that they still dominated without Tony Parker and LaMarcus Aldridge in the lineup, simply to rest their studs. The offense was incredibly efficient tonight, as they shot 61 percent and recorded 34 assists as a team. The bench was huge for San Antonio as well, as they had five bench players score in double - figures. The Spurs won every single quarter in the game and it was well in hand from start to finish. The Jazz have really been struggling recently and they were walking into a buzz saw here. This game was decided early, as no starter played more than 28 minutes to spare some minutes for a game on Thursday. Trey Burke was the only bright spot, as he tallied 21 points and four assists off the bench. Gordon Hayward also played well against some Kawhi Leonard defense, as he amassed 18 points, four rebounds and four assists. Utah has been living off their defense, but this is just one of those games you have to tip your cap to the better team. It's a good thing the starters got some rest as their next game is on Thursday in the second half of a back - to - back against the Houston Rockets. The Spurs just continue their ridiculous form at home, as they are now 210 at AT & T Center. The defense has been dominating all season, but the offense was on display here. They now rank in the top - five in offensive and defensive efficiency and this looks like one of few teams in the league who can compete with the Golden State Warriors. Tim Duncan had a renaissance game here, as he collected 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the win. David West turned back the clock as well in a rare start, as he double - doubled in an impressive performance. The scary thing is that the Spurs dominated here without an All-Star point guard and an All-Star power forward. They'll loo to extend their home winning streak to 31 games on Friday against the New York Knicks. | ["TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 34 Number of team assists ,has 61 Percentage of field goals ,has 123 Losses ,has 31 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 19 Number of team assists ,has 98 Percentage of field goals ,has 15 Losses ."] |
The Golden State Warriors (39 - 4) routed the Chicago Bulls (24 - 17) on Wednesday night at United Center, 125 - 94. The Warriors jumped out to a 34 - 18 lead in the first quarter, including a 21 - 6 run in the final 6:11 of the period. The Bulls were never able to mount a comeback, as the Warriors' lead remained in double - digits for the final three quarters. Steph Curry had a rare pedestrian shooting night, as he finished 8 - 18 and 3 - 9 from three - point range, but he nearly recorded a triple - double, as he finished with 25 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. Klay Thompson chipped in 20 points (7 - 18 FG, 3 - 8 3PT) and Harrison Barnes added 19 on a crisp shooting night (8 - 13 FG, 3 - 5 3PT). Golden State poured in 12 three - pointers as a team on 32 attempts (38 percent) as the Bulls could n't run the Warriors off the line. Derrick Rose had one of his most explosive games of the season, as he scored 29 on a sharp 12 - 22 shooting night. Jimmy Butler added 23 (7 - 16 FG, 9 - 12 FT) and Bobby Portis scored 16 and grabbed eight rebounds in just 24 minutes off the bench. The Bulls got nothing from their starting big men, however, as Pau Gasol managed just one point (0 - 8 FG) and Taj Gibson scored just four (2 - 6 FG). The Warriors will return home from a three - game road trip to host the Pacers on Friday night. The Bulls will head on the road for a Friday contest in Boston. | ["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 17 Percentage of 3 points ,has 94 Losses ,has 18 Total points ,has 24 Points in 1st quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 38 Percentage of 3 points ,has 4 Losses ,has 125 Total points ,has 34 Points in 1st quarter ,has 39 Wins ."] |
The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 99 - 84 Wednesday at Staples Center. After going through some real struggles following Chris Paul's injury, the Clippers (35 - 21) now enter the All-Star break with plenty of momentum via a four - game winning streak, and Wednesday's victory was the walk - in - the - park the team likely preferred to have before their week off. It ended up being a complete team effort, with 11 total players getting in the scoring column and five different players managing to score in double figures. Blake Griffin led the way with 17 points, nine assists and five rebounds, while J.J. Redick added 15 points of his own. But it was the bench mob that ended up playing a crucial role in the team's victory, accounting for 42 of the team's 99 points Wednesday. Thanks to the four - game win streak, the Clippers now sit a half - game ahead of the Jazz for fourth place in the Western Conference. As for the Hawks (32 - 24), it was the final game of their three - game West-coast road trip, and it resulted in a fairly lackluster effort from the team. While all 13 Atlanta players that saw action got in the scoring column Wednesday, there were no standout performances in the defeat. Dwight Howard recorded a double - double of 11 points and 15 rebounds, while Dennis Schroeder led the way in the scoring column with 15 points to go along with seven assists. But with All-Star Paul Millsap shooting just 3 - of - 12 from the field en route to scoring just eight points, the team never really had a shot. Both teams still enter the break in the top five of their conference standings, with the Clippers resuming Feb. 23 against the Warriors and the Hawks returning to the court Feb 24 against the Heat. | ["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 24 Number of team assists ,has 21 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 35 Points in 3rd quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 24 Number of team assists ,has 84 Losses ,has 24 Total points ,has 32 Points in 3rd quarter ."] |
The Toronto Raptors defeated the Indiana Pacers, 102 - 99, at Air Canada Centre on Tuesday to take a 3 - 2 lead in the Eastern Conference first - round playoffs. Raptors All-Star DeMar DeRozan, who had been relatively quiet in the series, delivered a team - high 34 points to help lead a 23 - 2 comeback run after the Raptors trailed by 13 points to start the fourth quarter. Toronto heled Indiana to just nine fourth - quarter points. While only one Raptor recorded more than five rebounds, that player did so in grandiose fashion. Bismack Biyombo pulled down 16 boards in just 23 minutes off the bench, keeping Toronto's rebounding total even with Indiana's. Turnovers ended up proving a difference - maker in the game, as Indiana coughed the ball up 14 times to Toronto's seven. Indiana superstar Paul George, meanwhile, scored 39 points and went for eight rebounds and eight assists on the night. George truly was the backbone of the Pacers' tough effort on Tuesday, as he finished at plus - 15 on the night despite playing over 41 minutes in a loss. It was a big night early for Indiana, as the team scored 35 in the first quarter and hit seven three - pointers in the first. The team went on to hit 13 threes, but the long - range artillery was n't enough to get the job done late, as Indiana allowed Toronto its biggest playoff comeback in franchise history. Game 6 will see the action return to Indiana on Friday night. | ["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 2 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 7 Points in 1st quarter ,has 3 Points in 4th quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 99 Losses ,has 35 Total points ,has 9 Points in 1st quarter ,has 14 Points in 4th quarter ."] |
Neither team could generate much offense on a night when both clubs shot under 40 percent from the field and the Wizards also rested John Wall. A pair of 18 - point efforts represented each team's high score, and the Magic's actually came from the bench in the person of Jeff Green. Evan Fournier and Serge Ibaka were the only two members of the first unit to hit double digits in the scoring column, but over half of the former's points came from seven made free throws. The normally productive trio of Nicola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton created a sizable scoring void with their struggles, as they managed a combined 21 points on 8 - of - 21 shooting. Meanwhile, Markieff Morris was the Wizards' high scorer, while Otto Porter and Marcin Gorat combined to haul in 27 boards. | ["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 40 Percentage of field goals ."] |
The Houston Rockets (8 - 11) won for the third time in four games Wednesday night as they held off the New Orleans Pelicans (4 - 15) to win 108 - 101 at the Toyota Center. The Pelicans took a one - point lead with 8:56 to go in the game, but the Rockets rattled off a 100 run over the next four minutes to build up an insurmountable lead. Rockets guard James Harden fueled the run with its first five points, and the Rockets never trailed in the game's final five minutes. Harden's 24 points paced the Rockets despite an off shooting night (7 - 20), as he used his skills to get to the foul line and chip in nine free throws in 10 attempts. Patrick Beverley supplied a double - double with 10 points, 10 redbounds, all while playing a stellar point guard and dishing six assists without a turnover. Terrence Jones added 15 points off the bench and was just one of three Rockets reserves to score in double - digits. For the Pelicans, it was superstar Anthony Davis leading the way, as he had his own double - double with 29 points (9 - 20 shooting) and 13 rebounds, and he made his presence felt on the defensive end with a pair of blocks and steals each. Ryan Anderson came off the bench to supply 19 points (3 - 9 three - point shooting) and 10 rebounds. Poor shooting killed the Pelicans, who managed just 41 percent from the floor and 28 percent from deep. Houston will look to make it a winning streak Friday at Dallas. New Orleans next gets the Cavaliers at home on Friday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 11 Percentage of 3 points ,has 108 Percentage of field goals ,has 24 Losses ,has 10 Total points ,has 8 Points in 1st quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 28 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 15 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 29 Points in 1st quarter ,has 4 Points in 4th quarter ."] |
It was a superstar showdown in Sacramento, as DeMarcus Cousins lifted his Kings over Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Cousins led the game with 36 points on 50 percent shooting from the field. The All-Star added a game - high 13 rebounds and knocked down 5 - of - 6 attempts from the free - throw line. With Cousins taking the lead, Sacramento was able to take a 46 - 38 rebounding advantage over a tenacious Thunder team. On OKC's side, meanwhile, it was the usual situation, as Westbrook led the team in points, rebounds, and assists. Westbrook, the league's leading scorer, had 31 points to go along with 11 boards and nine dimes. The point guard also grabbed three steals on the defensive end. Guard Victor Oladipo had a strong showing as well, recording 18 points and six rebounds. | ["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 46 Rebounds ."
"TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 38 Rebounds ."] |
The Portland Trail Blazers (24 - 26) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks (20 - 31) 107 - 95 on Tuesday to gain sole possession of the Western Conference eighth seed. Breakout star CJ McCollum led the rising Blazers in scoring with 30. McCollum stuffed the stat sheet, finishing with an additional four rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and two steals. Point guard Damian Lillard, meanwhile, scored below his season average with just 14, but totalled a whopping 12 assists on the night. Portland shot a respectable 46 percent on the night as a team, while holding a 49 - 43 advantage on the glass. Milwaukee, a playoff team in 2014 - 15, has slid deep into the lottery picture so far this season. With the loss to Portland, the Bucks have now dropped six of their last seven contests. In Tuesday's contest, Milwaukee, the worst three - point shooting team in the association, again struggled from deep, hitting just five three - pointers in comparison to their opponent's eleven. Shooting guard Khris Middleton did offer some hope for the strugglin squad, pouring in 22 points while providing defensive hustle that led to three steals. The Bucks will travel to Utah on Friday to take on the Jazz. Portland, on the other hand, will continue their homestand on Thursday against the Raptors. | ["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 46 Percentage of field goals ,has 26 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 24 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 31 Percentage of field goals ,has 95 Losses ,has 20 Total points ."] |
The Golden State Warriors (7 - 2) defeated the Charlotte Hornets (4 - 6) 112 - 87 on Saturday. Golden State is on a two - game win streak. They were up 67 - 46 on the Hornets at halftime, and the Hornets were never able to dig into the deficit in the second half. Klay Thompson scored a game - high 21 points in 27 minutes. The Warriors will go on the road to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Charlotte was playing the second night of a back - to - back set. They beat the Phoenix Suns 103 - 95 on Friday, and with the way the Suns run, it's no surprise the Hornets did n't have enough in the tank to take on a rested Warriors squad. Charlotte shot 38 percent from the field and a bizarre 57 percent from the free - throw line. They were also out - rebounded by the Warriors 51 - 41. Charlotte will return home to host the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 2 Percentage of field goals ,has 112 Losses ,has 51 Total points ,has 7 Rebounds ."
"TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 38 Percentage of field goals ,has 6 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 41 Rebounds ,has 4 Wins ."] |
The Toronto Raptors (50 - 24) reached 50 wins for the first time in franchise history on Wednesday after defeating the Atlanta Hawks (45 - 31) 105 - 97. Toronto has emerged as a contender this season, rivaling LeBron and the Cavaliers for the top spot in the East for the bulk of the season. The Raps sit just two games back from the first seed with eight games remaining until the playoffs. Toronto once again proved successful against one of the East's hottest teams, comfortably defeating the surging Hawks. Limiting Atlanta's ball movement was a focal point, as the stingy Toronto defense was able to force 18 Atlanta turnovers. Per usual, the Toronto offense was carried by the stellar backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, both of whom had impressive nights. DeRozan had a game - high 26 points, while Lowry scored 17 and also dished out 11 assists. Atlanta, meanwhile, has sought to separate itself from the middle of the Eastern Conference and hold on to the three seed heading into the playoffs. Wednesday's performance did the team no favors, however, as the starting five simply struggled to find their mojo offensively. Only Jeff Teague scored in double digits for the unit, and the team as a whole had a turnover issue, coughing the ball up seven more times than Toronto on the night. With six games remaining, last year's first seed will hope to retain homecourt advantage for the playoffs. Toronto will take on The Grizzlies on Friday, while Atlanta will have a long break before taking the floor on Tuesday against the Suns. | ["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 24 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 50 Turnovers ."
"TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 31 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 18 Turnovers ,has 45 Wins ."] |
The Jazz saw big outings from a number of key players en route to one of their most decisive victories of the season on Friday. Utah shot almost 54 percent from the field and hit 16 three - pointers while making over half its shot attempts from beyond the arc. Three Jazz starters scored 20 or more, as sophomore guard Rodney Hood led the team with 27 points. Hood was 7 - of - 8 on attempts from beyond the arc. Point guard George Hill scored 22 and was 5 - of - 6 on threes, and forward Gordon Hayward scored 20 while going 8 - of - 12 from the field. Utah was also able to hold a 48 - 35 advantage in the rebounding column. Center Rudy Gobert led the team with 11 boards. Despite losing the team rebounding battle, center Andre Drummond pulled down a whopping 19 boards. While Drummond made a big impact on the glass, neither he nor any other Piston could get the job done on offense. The team shot under 40 percent and made only six three - pointers. Tobias Harris was the team's leading scorer with 13. | ["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 54 Percentage of field goals ."] |
The Cavs exploded for a 44 - point first quarter and built a 74 - 48 halftime lead. Cleveland posted success rates of 60 percent from the field and 63 percent from behind the arc while limiting Detroit to respective tallies of 37 and 21 percent. The Cavs' second unit posted a collective 48 points in the blowout. Kyrie Irving's 26 points led Cleveland. Iman Shumpert followed with 18 points, while LeBron James registered a 16 - point, 12 - assist, 11 - rebound triple double. Reggie Jefferson equaled James' point total, and the second unit was led by matching 13 - point efforts from Derrick and Deron Williams. J.R. Smith totaled 12 bench points over 23 minutes. Tobias Harris' 17 points paced Detroit. Maurice Morris managed 13 points while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope poured in 11. Ish Smith posted 12 points, while Andre Drummond supplied eight points and 14 rebounds. | ["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 63 Percentage of 3 points ,has 60 Percentage of field goals ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 21 Percentage of 3 points ,has 37 Percentage of field goals ."] |
The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Charlotte Hornets in overtime, 125 - 120, at Spectrum Center on Saturday. The Timberwolves (6 - 14) may have looked like somewhat easy prey to the hometown Hornets, considering they came in with a 5 - 14 record despite their solid talent. The first quarter did nothing to dissuade those beliefs, as Charlotte (11 - 9) jumped out to a 29 - 19 lead after the first 12 minutes. However, Minnesota clawed back to trail by only three, 52 - 49 by intermission. The second half was a continuous see - saw battle that appeared like it might go the Hornets' way in the closing seconds, until an Andrew Wiggins 31 - foot three - point jumper with eight seconds remaining knotted the score at 106. He then sunk a pair of clutch free throws with 11 seconds remaining in overtime to give Minnesota some crucial breathing room at 123 - 118. That five - point margin was the final separation between the two teams, as the Timberwolves secured only their third road win of the season. Wiggins totaled 29 points overall while leading the visitors, and he added four assists, a rebound and three steals. Karl-Anthony Towns was right behind him with 27 points, 15 rebounds, an assist, two blocks and a steal. Zach LaVine supplied 17 points, three assists, two rebounds, two steals and a block. Ricky Rubio managed a modest seven points but did dish out 12 assists. Nemanja Bjelica and Shabazz Muhammad led the bench with a pair of 12 - point efforts, and also totaled eight rebounds between them. The Hornets were paced by Kemba Walker, who posted 22 points, eight assists and four rebounds. Frank Kaminsky III got another start at power forward in place of Marvin Williams and tallied 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist registered 15 points, six rebounds and an assist. Nicolas Batum matched his point total and made it a double - double with 12 assists, while also hauling in eight rebounds, recording three steals and posting a block. Marco Belinelli led the second unit with 15 points. The Timberwolves head back home to face the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday evening, while the Hornets travel to Dallas to face the Mavericks on Monday night. | ["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 9 Losses ,has 120 Total points ,has 29 Points in 1st quarter ,has 22 Points in 4th quarter ,has 11 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 14 Losses ,has 125 Total points ,has 19 Points in 1st quarter ,has 6 Points in 4th quarter ."] |
Russell Westbrook's sixth triple - double spearheaded the win. The perennial All-Star was only 8 - of - 22 from the floor but managed 17 points, 15 assists, 13 rebounds, a steal and a block. Victor Oladipo had a team - high 18 points, while Steven Adams had a near double - double with 16 points and nine boards. The second unit provided some valuable support, led by Anthony Morrow's 21 points. Enes Kanter contributed 12 points, and the bench tallied 48 points overall. Tobias Harris spearheaded Detroit with 21 points, four rebounds, while Ish Smith chimed in with 14 of his own. A trio of 10 - point efforts from Marcus Morris, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Andre Drummond rounded out the starting five's night. Jon Leuer led the bench with eight points, but the Pistons were historically bad from beyond the arc, going just 1 - of - 19 (5 percent). | ["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 5 Percentage of 3 points ."] |
John Wall, Marcin Gortat and Trey Burke led the way for the Wizards on a night where Bradley Beal rested his sprained ankle. Washington had the hot hand on offense, shooting 57 percent from the field and 50 percent from three - point range. Burke led the way with a season - high 27 points, while Wall and Gortat turned in matching 19 - point performances to go along with 14 assists and 13 rebounds, respectively. Otto Porter (12 points) and Markieff Morris (10 points) rounded out the first unit. Trevor Booker's and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's matching 16 - point tallies paced the Nets, while Bojan Bogdanovic went for 12 points. Brook Lopez compiled 11 points, but Sean Kilpatrick (seven points) and Isaiah Whitehead (six points) underwhelmed, going a combined 4 - of - 14 from the field. Caris Levert supplied 12 points in a reserve role. | ["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 50 Percentage of 3 points ,has 57 Percentage of field goals ."] |
The Chicago Bulls (15 - 8) defeated the Memphis Grizzlies (14 - 13) by a score of 98 - 85, Wednesday night in Chicago. It was a tight game to start and the Grizzlies were up three by half time. Chicago came out strong in the second half and took over, with a 24 - 13 third quarter, followed by a 24 - 19 fourth quarter. Memphis is now 3 - 12 versus plus .500 teams, while Chicago has now won four straight. The Grizzlies continued to struggle beyond the arc, shooting a poor 5 - 19 and also could not convert from the free throw line in this game, going 16 - 28. Although his team struggled, Courtney Lee had a nice game with 18 points (8 - 11 FG, 2 - 2 3Pt), along with six assists, seven rebounds and two steals, in 36 minutes. Zach Randolph came off the bench again and finished with a double - double of 10 points, 11 rebounds, along with five assists, in 29 minutes. Marc Gasol logged only eight points (4 - 10 FG) but grabbed seven rebounds and dished seven assists, in 33 minutes. Chicago played an all around solid team game, with all 10 players who touched the floor contributing in a variety of ways. Jimmy Butler was the high - point man for his team, with 24 points (10 - 22 FG, 1 - 4 3Pt), four assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block, in a long 38 minutes. Derrick Rose had a good game and finished with 19 points (9 - 19 FG, 0 - 3 3Pt), five assists, two rebounds and a steal, in 33 minutes. Pau Gasol won the match - up against his brother, as he finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and two blocks, in 33 minutes. Doug McDermott was one away from his career - high, as he finished with 17 points off the bench. The Bulls will close out their current five - game home stand with a game versus Detroit Pistons on Friday. The Grizzlies will be in Dallas on Friday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 8 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 24 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 24 Points in 4th quarter ,has 15 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 13 Losses ,has 85 Total points ,has 13 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 19 Points in 4th quarter ,has 14 Wins ."] |
The Atlanta Hawks (35 - 28) defeated the Los Angeles Clippers (40 - 21) 107 - 97 at Staples Center on Saturday. The Hawks demonstrated resiliance throughout the second half matchup after falling behind by double figures early on. Mike Budenholzer received coach of the year honors last season, partly for his ability to adjust midgame, and that was precisely what happened against the Clippers on Saturday. Los Angeles stormed out to what seemed like a devastating first quarter lead, scoring 37 points on lights out shooting, while Chris Paul assisted on play after play. The Hawks turned the quarter early in the second half after Kent Bazemore, Paul Millsap and Al Horford started a scoring run, and they did not have to look back. Jeff Teague and Millsap led the scoring department for Atlanta after scoring they combined for 42 points in the winning effort. Millsap went ballistic on the glass, grabbing 18 rebounds, to go along with five assists on 8 - of - 14 shooting, while Teague dished out seven assists. Bazemore finished with 17 points, five rebounds and two assists, Horford added a double - double with 11 points and 12 rebounds and Korver buried two baskets behind the arc to round out the starters. Dennis Shroder proved once again his value as a backup point guard, and contributed 16 points in 20 minutes. The Clippers showed balance amongst the starters, but no one player was able to take the lead and help out enough in scoring to counteract the Hawks style. DeAndre Jordan scored 17 points, but was overpowered by Millsap's rebounding, even though they were not directly matched up against each other. Chris Paul matched Jordan's 17 points, to go along with 11 assists to complete a double - double. Jeff Green got the starting nod at the forward position and also finished in double figures with 14 points, while Paul Pierce and Kyle Korver also finished with 11 points and 10 points, respectivally. The Clippers will visit the Dallas Mavericks (33 - 29) on Monday, while the hawks will visit the Utah Jazz (29 - 33) on Tuesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 21 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 40 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 28 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 35 Wins ."] |
The Atlanta Hawks defeated the host Orlando Magic, 111 - 92, at Amway Center on Wednesday. In a battle between two teams battling for a playoff spot, the more experienced team went on a late run to cap off a big road win. In fact, the Hawks finished the game on a 23 - 8 run to open things up and win comfortably. They actually led for the majority of the game, as Orlando's only lead lasted less than two minutes in the second quarter. Shooting was the big difference in the game, with Atlanta hitting 54 percent from the field and 53 percent from three - point range, while Orlando went 43 percent from the field and 32 percent from three - point range on their end. The assist - to - turnover ratio was decisive as well, as the Hawks recorded more assists than the Magic, while committing less turnovers. The Hawks (19 - 16) are starting to rebound after a terrible December and dominant road wins like this show just how good they can be. Dennis Schroeder ran the offense at ease, accumulating 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists in the win. Dwight Howard recorded a double - double, totaling 13 points and 12 rebounds. Paul Millsap tallied 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Kent Bazmore was second in scoring, dropping 17 points and handing out four assists. The Hawks will play again on Thursday in a road matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Magic (16 - 21) have been plying better with their recent lineup change, but that was n't the case here. Elfrid Payton was moved back to the starting - five for this game and led the team with 15 points, four rebounds, six assists and three steals. Aaron Gordon tied the team lead in scoring, amassing 15 points and 10 rebounds. No other starter scored in double figures, as Serge Ibaka was ejected with nine points and 11 rebounds in the final minute. Nikola Vucevic came off the bench to provide 10 points, six rebounds and six assists. Evan Fournier returned from a five - game absence to contribute 14 points off the bench. Orlando will host the Houston Rockets on Friday for their next game. | ["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 32 Percentage of 3 points ,has 43 Percentage of field goals ,has 21 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 16 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 53 Percentage of 3 points ,has 54 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ,has 111 Total points ,has 19 Wins ."] |
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 98 - 94, at BMO Harris Bradley Center on Monday. The game was a showcase for two of the NBA's hottest talents, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Russell Westbrook, with both players having filled out the stat sheet on a nightly basis to date this season. Neither disappointed in the Monday night showdown, as they both led their respective clubs in scoring. After a big third quarter from the Bucks (17 - 16) that saw them outscore the Thunder (21 - 14) by a 29 - 16 margin, OKC battled back to actually take an 88 - 86 lead with 5:56 remaining on a Westbrook driving layup. Ultimately, a pair of clutch free throws from standout rookie Malcolm Brogdon with eight seconds remaining following a Westbrook foul gave the Bucks the final margin of victory. Westbrook scored a game - high 30 points and complemented them with seven rebounds, six assists and three steals over 36 minutes. Steven Adams was his wing man on the night, posting 20 points, eight boards, two assists, a steal and three blocks. Victor Oladipo was solid again in his second game back in action, tallying 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal. Semaj Christon paced the bench with 11 points, two assists and a rebound. Andre Roberson and Domantas Sabonis notably both went scoreless over a combined 45 minutes on the court. Antetokounmpo contributed a 26 - point, 10 - rebound double - double that also included five assists, a steal and a block. Jabari Parker supplied 19 points, six rebounds, two assists and a block. John Henson chipped in with 12 points, five boards, an assist, a steal and a block. Brodgon matched Henson's scoring total and added five assists and a pair of boards. Greg Monroe continued his strong work off the Milwaukee bench, registering 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. The Thunder continue their road trip, with their next stop in Charlotte for a Wednesday night showdown with the Hornets. Milwaukee faces off with the Knicks in New York on Wednesday evening as well. | ["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 16 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 29 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 17 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 14 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 16 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 21 Wins ."] |
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the host Chicago Bulls, 96 - 90, at United Center on Wednesday. In a battle between two offensively - minded teams, neither of these squads could find their shots. Chicago shot just 35 percent from the field, while Los Angeles shot 41 percent on their end. Three-point shooting was n't pretty either, with the Lakers going 2 - of - 8 and the Bulls hitting 4 - of - 21. Bench scoring and rebounding were key for the Lakers, as they outrebounded the Bulls, 60 - 46 and outscored them on the bench, 56 - 16. The assist - to - turnover ratio was the only big advantage for the Bulls, as they committed 14 turnovers to 22 assists, while the Lakers committed 23 turnovers to 17 assists. There were seven ties and 14 lead changes, as this game was tight throughout. The Lakers (10 - 10) were a big underdog in this game, but this was an impressive performance on the road. The bench carried them once again, as Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams led the team in scoring. Clarkson finished with 18 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Williams finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists. Larry Nance Jr. was also very good off the bench, amassing 12 points, 11 rebounds and three steals. Julius Randle was the best starter, as he scored 13 points and tied a career - high with 20 rebounds. The Lakers will be on the road for their next game, as they face the Toronto Raptors on Friday. The Bulls (10 - 7) have been off for five days because of their circus road trip and they clearly had some rust to wear off in this tough loss. Despite every starter shooting 50 percent or below, they all finished with double figures in scoring. Robin Lopez was their best player, as he flirted with a triple - double in a 10 - point, nine - rebound and eight - block game. Rajon Rondo was flirtatious himself, finishing with 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Jimmy Butler led the team in scoring, accruing 22 points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals on just 4 - of - 18 shooting. Despite being listed as questionable, Dwyane Wade still accumulated 17 points, four rebounds and six assists. Chicago's next game is a tough one, as they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 22 Number of team assists ,has 35 Percentage of field goals ,has 7 Losses ,has 90 Total points ,has 46 Rebounds ,has 14 Turnovers ,has 10 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 17 Number of team assists ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 10 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 60 Rebounds ,has 23 Turnovers ,has 10 Wins ."] |
The Hawks (15 - 12) dominated the 76ers (1 - 26) en route to a 127 - 106 victory at Philips Arena on Wednesday. The Hawks built on an 11 - points halftime lead by using a 27 - 7 run to lead by 26 after the third quarter. It was another embarrassing loss for the 76ers, who basically used every healthy player off their bench and somehow managed to out rebound the Hawks 32 - 25. Atlanta's 127 points was a season high as the Hawks shot an unconscious 62 percent from the field (48 - for - 78). The lone 76er who did not enter the game Wednesday was Nerlens Noel, who was held out for a second consecutive contest due to an eye injury he suffered last weekend. Fortunately for Philadelphia, Noel should be back in time for Friday's game against the rival Knicks. This game would have gotten uglier has it not been for the shooting of Isaiah Canaan, who scored a game - high 24 points (7 - 12 FG, 6 - 8 3Pt, 4 - 5 FT). Atlanta managed to snap a three - game losing streak and had one of its best offensive games of the season. One of the many differences on the night was the turnover battle, which the Hawks won 22 - 12. They also made the 76ers pay from beyond the arc, shooting 10 - of - 21 from distance (48 percent). Paul Millsap scored 14 of his 21 points in the third quarter and shot 7 - of - 8 from the field as the Hawks were able to extend the lead and out Philadelphia in an insurmountable hole. | ["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 48 Percentage of 3 points ,has 62 Percentage of field goals ,has 12 Losses ,has 127 Total points ,has 25 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 12 Rebounds ,has 15 Turnovers ."
"TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 26 Percentage of 3 points ,has 106 Percentage of field goals ,has 21 Losses ,has 32 Total points ,has 22 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 1 Rebounds ."] |
The Memphis Grizzlies (24 - 8) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (10 - 23) 109 - 106 on Friday. Memphis extended their win streak to three games with the victory. Zach Randolph sat out a sixth straight game, giving Jon Leuer another spot start at power forward. The Grizzlies shot 49 percent from the field and 43 percent from beyond the arc with Mike Conley leading the way on offense with a team - high 19 points and nine assists in 32 minutes. Marc Gasol pitched in with a double - double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Memphis currently sits at third place in the Western Conference standings and will continue their road trip against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. Los Angeles has lost four of their last five games as they have struggled to find a proper balance on both sides of the court all season. Jeremy Lin led the way Friday, putting up 20 points and five assists in 28 minutes off the bench. Ed Davis pitched in 20 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes as the starting power forward. Davis was playing through a broken nose that he suffered in their last game and was wearing a protective mask. The Lakers are in second to last place in the Western Conference and will stay home to host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 23 Percentage of 3 points ,has 106 Percentage of field goals ,has 10 Losses ."
"TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 43 Percentage of 3 points ,has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 8 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 24 Wins ."] |
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