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The Hornets (6 - 6) were able to hold on for a 116 - 111 victory against the Nets (2 - 10) at Time Warner Cable Arena on Wednesday. With the score tied 86 - 86 after the third quarter, Nets coach Lionel Hollins decided to roll with a small lineup featuring Shane Larkin, Jarrett Jack, Markel Brown and Joe Johnson. It backfired, as the Hornets were able to take an eight - point lead and would eventually hold on for the win. Nic Batum led the way for Charlotte, scoring 24 points (7 - 12 FG, 3 - 6 3Pt, 7 - 7 FT) while matching his season high of eight assists. Brooklyn had a chance to win its second straight game, but instead fell further behind in the Eastern Conference standings. Perhaps the difference in the game was the rebounding battle, which the Nets lost 49 to 37 while playing mediocre defense after holding the Hawks to 88 points in Tuesday's win. Brook Lopez was limited to just five rebounds, shooting 8 - of - 19 from the floor before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Thad Young, who posted a season - high 27 points (11 - 17 FG, 0 - 1 3Pt, 5 - 6 FT), scored 15 of his 27 in the third quarter to keep the Hornets from running away with the game. Jack nearly finished with a triple - double, pouring in 16 points with nine assists and eight rebounds over 33 minutes. Charlotte got contributions from everywhere Wednesday night, as seven players finished with double - digit scoring. The guard tandem of Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lin continues to work wonders for coach Steve Clifford, with Walker netting 18 points to go along with seven assists and seven rebounds. Lin came off the bench and scored 13 points over a season - high 29 minutes, pulling down nine rebounds and dishing out four assists for perhaps his most productive game of the season. The Hornets clearly feed off the home crowd, improve to 4 - 1 at TWC Arena this season. The Nets travel to Boston to face the Celtics on Friday; the Hornets continue a seven - game homestand against the 76ers. | ["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 27 Number of team assists ,has 6 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 15 Rebounds ,has 6 Turnovers ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 10 Number of team assists ,has 111 Losses ,has 37 Total points ,has 2 Rebounds ."] |
The Chicago Bulls defeated the host Cleveland Cavaliers, 117 - 99, at Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday. Chicago had been struggling prior to the break, but a road win over a 40 - win team is an impressive feat. The third quarter was the decisive stretch, as Chicago outscored Cleveland, 34 - 20. The assist - to - turnover ratio was a huge factor as well, as the Bulls recorded 34 assists to seven turnovers, while the Cavaliers committed 12 turnovers to 24 assists. Chicago had one of their best three - point shooting games of the year too, going 15 - of - 30 from long distance, which marks a season - high in makes. There were 11 ties and 13 lead changes in total, as this game was tight throughout the first three quarters. The Bulls (30 - 29) are now 20 out of the All-Star break and it appears that break is all they needed to get going. Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade carried the load, as they combined for 38 points, 19 rebounds and 20 assists, while they each flirted with a triple - double. Butler finished with a triple - double, totaling 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while Wade accumulated 20 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists of his own. Nikola Mirotic was a huge spark off the bench, as he provided 14 points and 10 rebounds. Rajon Rondo also played well off the bench, collecting 15 points and five assists. The Cavaliers (40 - 17) had to play this game without LeBron James (sickness) and it's clear just how much he means to this team with a loss like this. With Kevin Love also out, Kyrie Irving had to carry the load, as he led the team with 34 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. The other four starters combined for just 29 points. Kyle Korver and James Jones were sharpshooting off the bench, as they scored 14 points a piece, while combining to go 8 - of - 12 from three - point range.. The Bulls are now 30 against the Cavaliers this season. | ["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 24 Number of team assists ,has 17 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 20 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 12 Turnovers ,has 40 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 34 Number of team assists ,has 29 Losses ,has 117 Total points ,has 34 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 7 Turnovers ,has 30 Wins ."] |
The New York Knicks (16 - 64) escaped with an 80 - 79 win over the Orlando Magic (25 - 55). Tim Hardaway hit the game - winning three - pointer with 13 seconds remaining. Both teams combined to score 15 points in the second quarter, an NBA record for the lowest scoring quarter in the shot - clock era. The Knicks won the quarter 8 - 7. The win snapped a two - game losing streak, giving the Knicks a half game lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves for worst record in the league. By night’s end, both teams could be tied if the Timberwolves lose to the NBA’s best team, the Golden State Warriors. The Knicks lost the season series to the Timberwolves, giving them pole position for best draft lottery odds. Tim Hardaway scored the team’s final seven points. He and rookie Langston Galloway each shot 4 - of - 16 from the floor. Cole Aldrich scored 14 points in the first eight minutes and concluded with a career - high 19 points and 14 rebounds in 26 minutes. Cleanthony Early played a team - low 15 minutes in his return to the lineup, missing the previous three games due to an ankle sprain. The Magic fell to 5 - 7 when wearing sleeved jerseys. They have the fifth worst record in the league, two and half games behind the sixth worst team, the Sacramento Kings. Elfrid Payton, Rookie of the Year candidate, snapped a streak of 10 consecutive made free throws, going 1 - of - 4 against the Knicks. He also added seven points, nine assists, two steals, one rebound and one block in 37 minutes. Nikola Vucevic entered the game averaging 27 points and 16 rebounds against the Knicks, yet only managed 12 points on 5 - of - 14 shooting and 13 rebounds. Victor Oladipo scored 21 points on 25 shots, converting 1 - of - 8 three - pointers, including two misses to tie the game in the final 10 seconds. Evan Fournier was given the night off after returning to the lineup Friday against the Toronto Raptors. The Knicks penultimate game occurs Monday against the Atlanta Hawks. The Magic begin a two - game road trip Monday against the Miami Heat. | ["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 55 Losses ,has 79 Total points ,has 7 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 25 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 64 Losses ,has 80 Total points ,has 8 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 16 Wins ."] |
The New York Knicks defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 110 - 96, at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis have formed quite an effective duo on several occasions already this season, with Wednesday's victory serving as the latest example. Anthony rattled off his sixth straight 20 - point - plus performance, while Porzingis joined him in eclipsing that total for the third consecutive contest. Overall, the Knicks (3 - 4) had five players tally double - digit scoring and shot a solid 48 percent from the field overall on their way to evening their home record at 2 - 2. In contrast, the Nets (3 - 5) could only muster one double - digit scoring effort from their starting five, which unsurprisingly came from Brook Lopez. The veteran big man posted 21 points, four rebounds, an assist and three blocks. The other four members of the first unit contributed full but modest stat lines. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson pitched in with eight points, five rebounds, four assists and a block. Sean Kilpatrick, getting the start for Isaiah Whitehead (concussion) at point guard, mustered seven points, five assists and four rebounds. Bojan Bogdanovic provided six points, two rebounds, two assists and three steals, while Trevor Booker rounded things out with five points, six boards, two assists and three steals. Anthony's 22 points led the way for New York, a scoring total he supplemented with seven rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. Porzingis was right behind him with a 21 - point, eight - rebound outing that also included an assist, two steals and two blocks. The backcourt duo of Derrick Rose and Courtney Lee were able to take a more secondary role on the night due to the success up front. They did combine for 27 points on 11 - of - 22 shooting, along with six rebounds and five assists. Second-year man Willy Hernangomez, seeing his first game action in four contests, led the bench with 14 points, six rebounds, two blocks and a steal. The Nets head out west to Phoenix to take on the Suns on Saturday night, while the Knicks travel to Boston for a Friday night date with the Celtics. | ["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 48 Percentage of field goals ,has 4 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 22 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 3 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 5 Percentage of field goals ,has 96 Losses ,has 3 Total points ."] |
The New Orleans Pelicans (5 - 15) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers (13 - 6) 114 - 108 in overtime on Friday. LeBron James scored 23 points in the 4th quarter, but the lone effort was not enough after Jrue Holiday nailed a three pointer with under 10 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. James finished with 37 points, seven rebounds and eight assists on 13 - of - 29 shooting, but was held scoreless in the overtime period. J.R. Smith opened the night hot from the 3 - point line, hitting three straight from deep, but was unable to continue the efficiency, as he finished with 18 points and four rebounds on 6 - of - 14 shooting. Kevin Love added 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Mozgov and Dellavedova contributed eight points each. Anthony Davis provided an all - around dominant performance in front of his hometown fans at the Smoothie King Center, and finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds on 13 - of - 22 shooting. Jrue Holiday contributed clutch baskets down the stretch and in overtime, as he finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes off the bench. Ryan Anderson, Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon all finished in double figures to aid Anthony Davis in a strong win over last years Eastern Conference champions. The Cavaliers will visit the Miami Heat (11 - 6) on Saturday, while Pelicans host the Boston Celtics (11 - 8) on Monday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 15 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 5 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 6 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 13 Wins ."] |
It was a slow game on the offensive end in Thursday's Bulls-Jazz matchup, as both teams struggled to find their shots. The game's leading scorer, Chicago's Jimmy Butler, had 20 points, but shot just 7 - of - 19. Sophomore point guard Jerian Grant, starting in place of an injured Rajon Rondo (ankle), went just 2 - of - 10 from the field, and center Robin Lopez went a sub - par 5 - of - 16. Things did n't look much better for Utah, as star Gordon Hayward shot just 3 - of - 15 on the night. Starters Rodney Hood and Boris Diaw also struggled, hitting 5 - of - 16 and 1 - of - 6, respectively. Despite the slow offense it was by no means a sloppy game, as the two teams combined for just 21 turnovers. Both the Bulls and Jazz have consistently been stellar rebounding teams, and the battle on the boards was a well - fought one as well. The Jazz took the rebounding advantage 48 - 46, with center Rudy Gobert grabbing 13 and Hayward pulling down 12. For the Bulls, Butler and Lopez had 12 each. | ["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 48 Rebounds ,has 13 Turnovers ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 46 Rebounds ."] |
The Golden State Warriors (60) defeated the Denver Nuggets (2 - 4) 119 - 104 on Friday. After serving as one of Denver’s most consistent bench players over the Nuggets’ first five contests, Will Barton entered the starting lineup Friday night. The fourth - year pro did not disappoint, stuffing the stat sheet and coming only a pair of boards short of a double - double. Barton pitched in 19 points, eight rebounds, and five assists over 39 minutes on the floor, and may have earned the right for more starts in the immediate future. Danilo Gallinari once again spearhead Denver’s offense, tallying 25 points against a tough Warriors defense. Gary Harris (16 points) and Emmanuel Mudiay (13 points) supplemented Gallinari’s and Barton’s efforts, but the Nuggets simply were no match for the reigning champs from the start. They were outscored 40 - 23 in the first quarter, and saw the gap widen to a 30 - point deficit by halftime. Their valiant efforts in the second half made the final score respectable, but the contest never seemed to be within reach for Denver. The Nuggets, losers of two straight, fall to 2 - 4 and remain in last place in the Western Conference’s Northwest Division. Denver heads home to take on Portland on Monday. Stephen Curry continues to be the unquestioned linchpin of a prolific Warriors offense that tallied 74 points in the first half alone. Curry led the way with 33 points on 12 - for - 22 shooting, including an astounding eight three - pointers, which he drained at an excellent 50 percent rate. The 2014 - 15 MVP has already amassed 36 treys over six games. Festus Ezeli, starting once again at center for the inactive Andrew Bogut (concussion), chipped in with a season - best 15 points, while the rest of the Warriors starting five also scored in double digits. The Warriors improved to 60 and remain atop the Western Conference’s Pacific Division and the conference overall. They travel to Sacramento for a Saturday tilt with the Kings. | ["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 119 Losses ,has 40 Total points ,has 25 Points in 1st quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 4 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 23 Points in 1st quarter ,has 2 Points in 3rd quarter ."] |
The New Orleans Pelicans (20 - 32) defeated the Utah Jazz (26 - 26) 100 - 96 on Wednesday. The form of these two teams would have indicated a different result, but the Pelicans got a much needed win to keep slim hopes alive for the playoffs. The Pelicans outscored the Jazz 29 - 19 in the fourth quarter for a comeback win. The turnovers were the key difference, as Utah committed 17 turnovers to the Pelicans nine. This loss cracked a seven - game winning streak for the Jazz, so losing in the second end of a back - to - back is nothing to be upset about. Derrick Favors was fantastic, as he amassed 29 points and six rebounds in the loss. Gordon Hayward got off to a terrible start, but finished strong by tallying 21 points, four rebounds and four assists in the defeat. Rudy Gobert finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds en route to a double - double as well. Utah's next game wo n't be until the 18th, when they play the Washington Wizards after tea All-Star break. Only two Pelicans players scored more than 11 points, but they still managed to walk away with a huge win. Jrue Holiday was easily the player of the game, as he tallied 21 points, six rebounds and nine assists off the bench. Anthony Davis was the only other notable stat line, as he accumulated 19 points, four rebounds, and five assists while battling foul trouble in the victory. New Orleans has one final game before the All-Star break, as they travel to play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 32 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 29 Points in 4th quarter ,has 9 Turnovers ,has 20 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 26 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 19 Points in 4th quarter ,has 17 Turnovers ,has 26 Wins ."] |
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers, 111 - 102, at Staples Center on Sunday. The two intra - city rivals met for the first time this season, and the reeling Lakers (12 - 22) caught the Clippers (22 - 10) in a somewhat weakened state. The visitors checked in to the Christmas Day showdown without Chris Paul (hamstring), who missed his second straight game, and Blake Griffin, who is in for a multi - week absence due to his recent knee surgery. The hosts benefited from a balanced effort from their first unit, as all five players, and two reserves, hit double digits in the scoring column. The offensive proficiency led to a 48 percent success rate from the field, and their defense managed to elicit 15 turnovers from the Clippers. The Clippers were co - led by a pair of 22 - point efforts from J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford, with the former adding three assists, two rebounds and a steal, and the latter recording three assists and a steal as well. Raymond Felton drew another start in Paul's place and supplied eight points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks. DeAndre Jordan mustered a modest seven points but did bring down 10 boards as well, while also dishing out six assists. Mareese Speights was productive in a reserve role as well, posting 15 points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal. Timofey Mozgov and Nick Young paced the Lakers with matching 19 - point tallies. Mozgov added three rebounds, while Young added two rebounds, two assists and a steal. D'Angelo Russell went for 14 points, five boards and four assists. Luol Deng continued his offensive resurgence, managing a 13 - point, 12 - rebound double - double that also included two assists, two steals and two blocks. Julius Randle matched Deng's point total and supplemented it with eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals. Lou Williams paced the second unit with 14 points, three rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal. Brandon Ingram came off the bench to supply 10 points and six boards over 28 minutes. The Clippers head back home to face off with the Denver Nuggets on Monday night, while the Lakers remain home to face off with the Utah Jazz on Tuesday evening. | ["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 22 Losses ,has 111 Total points ,has 12 Turnovers ."
"TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 10 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 15 Turnovers ,has 22 Wins ."] |
The Los Angeles Clippers battled back from a 19 - point deficit to grind out a huge win against the visiting Chicago Bulls, 102 - 95, at Staples Center on Saturday. The Bulls (8 - 5) got out to a fantastic start, with a 33 - 23 first quarter and were able to extend their lead to 19 mid - way though the second quarter. However, the Clippers (12 - 2) battled back steadily over the final three quarters, but most definitively in the fourth, where they out - scored the Bulls 30 - 18. Chicago led 77 - 72 after three quarters but the Clippers kept chipping away and eventually took their first lead of the game since leading 4 - 2, when they went up 84 - 82 with seven minutes to go in the game. The Clippers did not let up and held the lead for the rest of the way, ending Chicago's four - game win streak and bolstering their own record to 9 - 1 in their last 10 games. Blake Griffin was the high - point man for the Clippers, finishing with 26 points, along with 13 rebounds, five assists and a steal, in 39 minutes. Marreese Speights had his best game in a Clippers uniform, with 16 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter and 3 - of - 4 shooting from long range. The Clippers shot 41 percent as a team from distance and 47 percent overall. They now look ahead to Monday when they host the Raptors at Staples Center. Dwyane Wade had a great game, leading the Bulls with 28 points on 9 - of - 20 shooting, including hitting 5 - of - 9 from long range. Wade also tallied eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal as he showed that he still has what it takes to compete against even the toughest of opponents. Jimmy Butler added 22 points, while Taj Gibson chipped in 11 points on 5 - of - 8 shooting. The Bulls face the second night of a back - to - back as they stay in Los Angeles to take on the host Lakers on Sunday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 41 Percentage of 3 points ,has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 2 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 23 Points in 1st quarter ,has 30 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 12 Points in 4th quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 5 Percentage of 3 points ,has 95 Percentage of field goals ,has 33 Losses ,has 19 Total points ,has 18 Points in 1st quarter ,has 8 Points in 2nd quarter ."] |
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 112 - 98, at Wells Fargo Center on Monday night. The Bucks (29 - 33) got off to a fast start in the first half, forging a 60 - 43 lead by halftime. Six players tallied double digits in the scoring column and Milwaukee posted respective success rates of 49 percent from the field and 42 percent from three - point range. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tony Snell led the way with a combined 45 points, while the Sixers (23 - 40) hurt their own cause with an 8 - for - 30 effort from three - point range and a subpar 63 percent tally from the free - throw line. Antetokounmpo provided 24 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals to lead Milwaukee. Snell followed with 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Malcolm Brogdon and Khris Middleton offered matching 13 - point efforts, with the former adding five rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block, and the latter supplying eight assists, five rebounds and one block. Greg Monroe paced the second unit with 12 points and two rebounds, while Matthew Delladedova turned in 10 points, seven assists and three boards. Justin Anderson paced the Sixers with 19 points, six boards and three assists. Robert Covington totaled 15 points, three boards, two blocks and one steal. Dario Saric provided a full line of 14 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals. Richaun Holmes managed eight points and nine rebounds in a start for Jahlil Okafor (knee). T.J. McConnell mustered only two points but did dish out eight assists. The Bucks head back home for a Wednesday night showdown with the Knicks, while the Sixers head to Portland for a Thursday evening tilt against the Trail Blazers. | ["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 98 Percentage of 3 points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 42 Percentage of 3 points ,has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 33 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 29 Wins ."] |
The Miami Heat (20 - 24) captured an impressive win on the road Sunday, defeating the Chicago Bulls (29 - 17) 96 - 84. Miami big man Hassan Whiteside stole the show in Chicago, putting up 14 points and 13 rebounds. That was n't the impressive part, however, as he also had a franchise - record 12 blocks against one of the NBA's best front courts. Whiteside recorded the triple - double despite only playing 25 minutes. Miami has now won two in a row after Sunday's victory. Luol Deng turned in a solid game against his former team, putting up 15 points and 10 rebounds. Hassan Whiteside was not in the starting lineup and actually missed Friday's game due to an ankle injury. That did n't stop him from having a dominant performance on a big stage. Miami will look to extend its winning streak Tuesday when the Heat host the Bucks. Chicago entered Sunday having won two straight over Western Conference foes, but was n't able to get the win at home against a sub - .500 Miami club Sunday. Joakim Noah was able to suit up again despite a nagging ankle injury, but only had four points and five rebounds in 22 minutes. Pau Gasol had another huge game, recording 13 points and 17 rebounds to notch his league - leading 27th double - double. He has had at least 15 rebounds in four of his last five games. The Bulls will begin a crucial six - game road trip Tuesday against the Warriors. | ["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 17 Losses ,has 84 Total points ,has 29 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 24 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 20 Wins ."] |
The Memphis Grizzlies (28 - 11) beat the Orlando Magic (15 - 28) 106 - 96 on Friday. Marc Gasol had a nice all - around game, finishing with 12 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and two blocks in a close game against the Magic. Mike Conley (ankle) was not able to go, and Beno Udrih took over the starting point guard role. Udrih finished with 15 points and five assists in 29 minutes. Jeff Green came off the bench for his second game with the Grizzlies. He had 21 points, five rebounds, two assists and one block in 31 minutes. Tony Allen, who's been hobbled by a hamstring injury, started and played 31 minutes, recording 17 points, five rebounds, two steals and one block. Rookie Elfrid Payton, the tenth overall selection in last summer's draft, had the best game of his young career on Friday. He finished with 12 assists, four rebounds and two steals to go along with a team - high 22 points, a new career - high. Channing Frye played 38 minutes and had 17 points, eight rebounds, two assists and three blocks against the Grizzlies. Orlando is three and a half games out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Grizzlies will play the Trail Blazers on Saturday, and the Magic will play the Thunder on Sunday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 28 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 15 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 11 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 28 Wins ."] |
The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Orlando Magic, 107 - 79, at Amway Center on Wednesday evening. The Spurs (43 - 13) set the tone early, jumping out to a 30 - 16 lead after one quarter that they would n't come close to relinquishing. LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard spearheaded the offensive effort, but defense was the story of the night for San Antonio. They clamped down on a Magic (21 - 37) team that lost significant offensive firepower with the trade of Serge Ibaka to Toronto by holding them to 37 first - half points, and paltry success rates of 40 percent from the field and 22 percent from three - point range. Orlando also committed 17 turnovers on the night and saw only three players hit double digits in the scoring column. Aldridge paced the Spurs with a game - high 23 points, which he supplemented with three rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. Leonard was right behind him with 22 points, five rebounds, one assist, two steals and one block. Dewayne Dedmon continued a successful stretch of starts with a 10 - point, 11 - rebound double - double that also included one assist and one block. Patty Mills led the bench with 13 points, six assists, two rebounds and two steals. Nikola Vucevic's 16 - point, 10 - rebound double - double led the Magic. He also recorded a block. Jeff Green and Aaron Gordon turned in matching 11 - point efforts, with the former adding three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block and the latter supplying six rebounds, two assists and one block. Evan Fournier provided nine points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal. Mario Hezonja led the Orlando second unit with eight points, one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block. The Spurs are off until Friday night, February 24th, when they'll kick off the second half of the season in Los Angeles versus the Clippers. The Magic next take the court at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, February 23rd. | ["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 22 Percentage of 3 points ,has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 37 Losses ,has 79 Total points ,has 16 Points in 1st quarter ,has 17 Turnovers ,has 21 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 13 Percentage of 3 points ,has 107 Percentage of field goals ,has 30 Losses ,has 43 Total points ."] |
The Denver Nuggets (13 - 23) defeated the host Minnesota Timberwolves (12 - 24) 78 - 74 on Wednesday night at Target Center. Minnesota and Denver came into this one tied for the worst record in the Northwest Division. With this win Denver is 3 - 1 in the season series. However, with a long way to go in the season the eighth spot in the West is still within reach for either team. Both teams came into this game on losing streaks. Denver snapped their six - game losing streak with this win, while Minnesota's losing streak got extended to four games. The game was back - and - forth with 17 lead changes. Denver was up by one heading into the fourth quarter 66 - 65, but from then on only 21 more points were scored between the two teams, leading to one of the lowest scoring quarters in recent memory. The Timberwolves failed to score in the last four minutes of the game, during which they had numerous chances to tie it up. Denver also did not score in the last four minutes, other than two free throws with five seconds left that sealed the deal. Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets with 20 points (6 - 15 FG, 2 - 2 3Pt, 6 - 7 FT), seven rebounds and four assists, in 35 minutes. Jusuf Nurkic contributed an impressive 15 points (6 - 14 FG, 3 - 6 FT), 10 rebounds, five blocked shots and two assists, in 22 minutes off the bench. No one else scored in double digits for the Nuggets, who shot a horrid 35 percent from the field on the game. Darrell Arthur was notable with seven points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocks, including one game - saving block on Karl-Anthony Towns in the last seconds. Nikola Pekovic was back in the lineup for the Timberwolves after being out with an ankle injury since March 11, 2015. Pekovic played 15 minutes and contributed a solid 12 points (3 - 4 FG, 6 - 6 FT) and two rebounds. Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double - double with 14 points and 14 rebounds, as well as two assists and two blocks, in 32 minutes. Andrew Wiggins was relatively quiet as he finished with 11 points (4 - 14 FG), three rebounds and one assist, in 31 minutes. The Timberwolves shot a poor 38 percent from the field and are continuing to struggle on both ends of the floor. The Timberwolves will have their hands full on Friday when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Nuggets will play in Memphis on Friday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 38 Number of team assists ,has 24 Percentage of field goals ,has 74 Losses ,has 12 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 21 Number of team assists ,has 23 Percentage of field goals ,has 78 Losses ,has 21 Total points ,has 21 Points in 1st quarter ,has 13 Points in 2nd quarter ."] |
When one of the worst offenses faces one of the worst defenses, something has to give. It was the Orlando offense that proved to be more inefficient, as they hit just 36 percent of their shots on the way to 87 points. Both teams made 33 shots in the tight contest, but Orlando took 91 shots to Phoenix's 73 shot attempts. There were six ties and eight lead changes, with no team leading by more than 12 points. Evan Fournier and Nikola Vucevic carried the load for Orlando, as they combined for 46 points, 17 rebounds and four steals. The Suns got a nice team effort, with all five starters scoring at least 10 points. Alex Len was Phoenix's best player, as he totaled 17 points and 12 rebounds in the absence of Tyson Chandler. | ["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 36 Percentage of field goals ,has 87 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 5 Percentage of field goals ."] |
Bojan Bogdanovic's hot hand was on display Saturday as he led all scorers with 26 points and hit a key game - tying three - pointer with 11 seconds left. Brooklyn played without the resting Brook Lopez, but Trevor Booker helped shore up the frontcourt in his absence with a 14 - point, 14 - rebound double and Jeremy Lin continued to look like one of the best offseason acquisitions in the league with 12 points, 10 dimes, three boards and three steals. Rashad Vaughn came off the bench to lead the Bucks with 22 points, while Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to thrive at point guard, posting a 21 - point, 11 - rebound double - double. Backcourt mate Matthew Delladedova was impressive in his own right, with 14 points and nine assists. Both the Nets and Bucks shot well throughout the night, tallying 44 and 47 percent success rates, respectively. | ["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 22 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 44 Rebounds ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 44 Percentage of field goals ,has 1 Points in 2nd quarter ."] |
The Atlanta Hawks (43 - 30) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks (30 - 43) 101 - 90 on Friday. These are two teams going in opposite directions and that ended up playing out on the floor in this matchup. The key for the Hawks was their defense, as they held the Bucks to 42 percent shooting and forced them to commit 15 turnovers. The assisting margin was huge as well, with Atlanta recording 26 assists to the Bucks 16. Amazingly, the Hawks won this game despite going 5 - for - 32 from three - point range. This loss marked the Bucks third - straight and they continue to struggle away from home. Milwaukee still sits in single - digits in road wins, as they are now 9 - 29 on the road. Jabari Parker had a nice game though, as he led the team with 19 points, while also bringing down eight rebounds. John Henson was fantastic off the bench, as he double - doubled, in a 17 - point, 10 - rebound, three - block performance. The Bucks will look to play better on Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets. This gave Atlanta their 12th win in their last 15 games. Paul Millsap was huge, as he tallied 14 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks in an all around performance. Jeff Teague also played well, as he led the team with 18 points and six assists. Al Horford finished with 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks of his own. The Hawks will look to keep things rolling on Saturday against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 26 Number of team assists ,has 16 Percentage of 3 points ,has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 30 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 43 Turnovers ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 16 Number of team assists ,has 42 Percentage of 3 points ,has 43 Percentage of field goals ,has 90 Losses ,has 15 Total points ,has 30 Turnovers ."] |
The host Orlando Magic defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 89 - 82, at Amway Center on Wednesday. In a battle between two struggling teams, the Magic prevailed with a much needed win. Orlando held New Orleans to just 36 percent shooting from the field and forced them to commit 17 turnovers in their win. Orlando was n't much better though, as they shot 39 percent from the field and 58 percent from the free - throw line. The Magic also dominated in the lane, as they scored 38 paint points to the Pelicans' 26. The Pelicans (2 - 10) had to play this game without Anthony Davis (thigh) and it clearly hurt their offense. Terrence Jones started for Davis though and carried the load, as he scored a game - high 26 points on 9 - of - 20 shooting. The only other starter in double figures was E'Twaun Moore, who tallied 14 points, three rebounds and four assists. Langston Galloway was a nice spark off the bench, scoring 15 points on 6 - of - 12 shooting. Omer Asik had a strange line, as he grabbed 10 rebounds, but failed to record another stat. The Pelicans will return to action on Friday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers for their next game. The Magic (5 - 7) have gotten off to a historically bad start offensively this season, but they were able to pull out a win here, thanks to some elite defense. Six players scored in double figures for the Magic, with Serge Ibaka and Evan Fournier tying the team lead with 16 a piece. Ibaka added eight rebounds to his 16 points and Fournier dished out three assists. Elfird Payton scored just five points, but provided four rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in the victory. Nikola Vucevic recorded a double - double, totaling 10 points and 14 rebounds. D.J. Augustin and Damjan Rudez each scored 11 points off the bench. Jeff Green had a game to forget, as he went scoreless on 0 - of - 9 shooting. Orlando will look to keep rolling against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 7 Losses ,has 89 Total points ,has 5 Turnovers ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 10 Percentage of field goals ,has 82 Losses ,has 17 Total points ,has 2 Turnovers ."] |
The Thunder were able to pull out a rare wire - to - wire win here, but it was much closer than the majority of wire - to - wire victories. In fact, Oklahoma City never led by more than 12 points, as this was a single - digit game for well over 40 minutes. Defense was key for the Thunder, as they held the Grizzlies to 41 percent from the field, 57 percent from the free - throw line and 29 percent from three - point range. Oklahoma City also dominated the glass, winning the defensive rebounding battle, 42 - 26. Russell Westbrook added another triple - double to his tally, accumulating 24 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. Enes Kanter was huge off the bench, totaling 19 points and 13 rebounds. Mike Conley led the Grizzlies in scoring, collecting 22 points, four rebounds and six assists. Chandler Parsons and Zach Randolph tied for second on the team, with 14 points apiece. | ["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 29 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 22 Points in 1st quarter ,has 22 Points in 2nd quarter ."] |
The Miami Heat (37 - 45) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers (18 - 64) 105 - 101 on Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. With both teams having already been eliminated from the playoffs, this game was more about giving the young and inexperienced players a chance to make an impression on the coaching staff in hopes of coming back with their team next season in a bigger and better role. As a team, the Heat finished at 44 percent from the field and 39 percent from the three - point line, while the Sixers went 46 percent from the floor but just 18 percent from deep. The Heat rested nearly their whole team in this game, with just six players seeing the court and four players not coming out of the game even once. Michael Beasley was one of those players who played the full 48 minutes Wednesday as a starter. He went off for a game - high of 34 points (12 - 27 FG, 0 - 2 3Pt, 10 - 11 FT), to go along with 11 rebounds and eight assists in a near triple - double effort. They were season - highs across the board for Beasley, who had n't even broken the 20 - point mark yet this season. James Ennis also had a huge game, filling up the stat sheet like Beasley. Over 48 minutes, he recorded 17 points (7 - 20 FG, 2 - 7 3Pt, 1 - 2 FT), 12 rebounds and six assists, marking one of his best games of the season as well. Averaging just 5 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assists per game over the course of the season, this was a great finish for the forward. Both Zoran Dragic and Henry Walker were in the starting lineup as well and put up some points. Dragic finished with 22 points (9 - 17 FG, 3 - 7 3Pt, 1 - 2 FT) and two steals, while Walker chipped in with 21 points (6 - 10 3Pt, 3 - 5 FT) and four rebounds. Despite taking the loss, the Sixers still had some impressive performances of their own. Jakarr Sampson stood out once again. He recorded a team - high of 22 points (8 - 15 FG, 0 - 5 3Pt, 6 - 7 FT), while also adding five rebounds and six assists. Sampson has seen extended time here at the back end of the season, as he's averaged 17 points and 6 rebounds over his last three games. Robert Covington really struggled with his shot, but got to the free throw line enough to score 19 points (4 - 14 FG, 2 - 9 3Pt, 9 - 10 FT), to go along with four rebounds and two blocked shots. After shooting over 40 percent from the field and scoring more than 20 points in his previous three games, this was somewhat of a let - down performance for Covington in the season finale. The Sixers also received a ton of production off their bench from the likes of Hollis Thompson and Thomas Robinson. Thompson finished with 19 points (8 - 15 FG, 3 - 7 3Pt) and four assists, while Robinson ended with 13 points (5 - 7 FG, 3 - 3 FT) and 10 rebounds. With both teams failing to make the playoffs, this marks the end of their respective seasons. | ["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 64 Percentage of 3 points ,has 101 Percentage of field goals ,has 18 Losses ."
"TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 39 Percentage of 3 points ,has 44 Percentage of field goals ,has 45 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 37 Wins ."] |
The Cavaliers (11 - 3) defeated the Magic (6 - 8) 117 - 103 at Quicken Loans Arena on Monday for their third straight victory. Orlando was able to stay in the game through the first half, but Cleveland jumped out to a commanding 16 - point lead after outscoring the Magic 33 - 21 in the third quarter. Kevin Love had another solid game, draining six 3 - pointers and finishing with a game - high 34 points. The Cavaliers had perhaps their best shooting performance of the season, hitting 51 percent of their attempts from downtown (18 - of - 35). It's been an up - and - down season for Magic point guard Elfrid Payton, who went 0 - for - 7 from the field and finished with zero points in 19 minutes. With Payton the bench for most of the game, Shabazz Napier posted a season - high nine assists with 11 points over 29 minutes. The silver lining for Orlando was the play of power forward Andrew Nicholson, who scored a season - high 18 points off the bench. The Magic rotation has been very unpredictable lately with so many starters struggling, so that will likely mean more opportunities for guys like Napier and Nicholson moving forward. With the win, Cleveland kept it's undefeated record at home in tact. In his second straight start in place of the injured Timofey Mozgov, Tristan Thompson registered a game - high 14 rebounds and came a point shy of a double - double for another night in a row. J.R. Smith continues to improve in each game and turned in a season - high 26 points (10 - 16 FG, 6 - 10 3Pt). LeBron James took a night off from scoring and decided to distribute a bit more, dishing out 13 assists as the Cavaliers put on a passing clinic finishing with 34 dimes. The Cavaliers get a tough test on the road Wednesday against the Raptors; the Magic get the Knicks at home. | ["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 34 Number of team assists ,has 51 Percentage of 3 points ,has 3 Losses ,has 117 Total points ,has 33 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 11 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 8 Number of team assists ,has 103 Percentage of 3 points ,has 21 Losses ,has 6 Total points ."] |
The Phoenix Suns (38 - 33) edged out the Dallas Mavericks (44 - 27), 98 - 92, on Sunday at the US Airways Center to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. Phoenix led by as many as 17, but that comfortable lead quickly turned into a six point deficit midway through the fourth. With their playoff chances starting to dwindle, the Suns desperately needed a home win Sunday. Eric Bledsoe canned a deep three to cut Dallas' lead to one. From there, the Suns outscored the Mavericks 13 - 6 over the last four minutes to seal the win. Dallas went 2 - 13 from the floor in the last 7:13 as it faltered to its second straight loss. The Suns clinched the season series with their third win over the Mavericks this season. They will meet for the final time in the regular season on April 8th. Dallas needed a win to keep pace with San Antonio, who got a big win in Atlanta earlier in the day. J.J Barea was out for this game with a sprained ankle and Devin Harris had to exit the game due to illness, leaving Raymond Felton as the lone reserve point guard for Dallas. Felton hit a three to start the fourth but only logged five minutes for the whole game. Monta Ellis was a frigid 4 - for - 22 from the field and finished with 11 points. The Mavericks have a chance to regain some ground this week with two games against the Spurs, who lead them by a game in the race for the West's sixth seed. Phoenix moved ahead of New Orleans in the standings Sunday with a win and a Pelicans loss. However, the Suns still trail the streaking Thunder by 3 games for the West's final playoff spot. Brandon Knight sat out again Sunday, but the club hopes to have him back for Phoenix's next game, which will be Wednesday against Sacramento. | ["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 33 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 38 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 27 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 44 Wins ."] |
By losing LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade the last two offseasons, the Heat has seen a large chunk of offense head out the door. However, Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters and Hassan Whiteside are doing an impressive job filling the void in the first four games. Gragic tallied a second straight 25 - point effort Tuesday, Waiters had his first 20 - point outing in a Heat uniform and Hassan Whiteside tied a franchise record with a fourth consecutive double - double to open the season. Tyler Johnson's 22 points off the bench, seven of which came in overtime, marked a season high. The Kings were led by 30 - point efforts from DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay, but those efforts were partly undermined by the inefficiency of Matt Barnes and Ty Lawson, who combined for just two points on 1 - for - 13 shooting. | ["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 2 Losses ,has 2 Wins ."] |
The Los Angeles Lakers (17 - 46) defeated the Detroit Pistons (23 - 40) 93 - 85 on Monday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. While they were down one after the first half, the Lakers went off in the second, out - scoring the Pistons 44 - 35 to finish the game and pull off the eight - point victory in front of their home crowd. While both teams struggled to just 23 percent from the three - point line, the Lakers grabbed the advantage from the field, finishing at 43 percent from the floor, while the Pistons went just 39 percent. The Lakers also held a significant advantage from the free throw line. They went 26 - for - 30 from the line, while the Pistons made just 13 - of - 19 attempts. Leading the way for the Lakers was Jordan Hill, who went 7 - for - 15 from the field to score 16 points, while adding three rebounds as well. It was his second start in a row at forward, but this game marked a much better result, as he posted just eight points in Sunday's start against the Mavericks. He's now averaging 12 points and eight rebounds on the year. Wesley Johnson also played a factor in the win and finished with 13 points (2 - 6 FG, 1 - 3 3Pt, 8 - 8 FT) and two steals in 33 minutes. He's picked it up offensively of late, averaging 14 points over his last five games, despite averaging just 10 points on the season. The Lakers got some needed production from their bench, with both Jeremy Lin and Ed Davis reaching double figures in points. Lin recorded 12 points (1 - 4 FG, 1 - 1 3Pt, 9 - 12 FT), seven rebounds and five assists, while Davis posted 13 points (6 - 8 FG, 1 - 2 FT) and six rebounds of his own. While he did n't do much offensively with just four points, Carlos Boozer was a big help on the boards and finished with 10 rebounds. Despite the loss, the Pistons saw a strong effort from their frontcourt duo of Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond. Monroe finished with a team - high of 24 points (10 - 14 FG, 4 - 8 FT), while adding nine rebounds and two blocked shots as well. He's been one of the few bright spots during the Pistons' seven - game losing streak, as he's averaged 20 points and 9 rebounds over his last three games. Drummond, on the other hand, recorded 14 points (7 - 11 FG) and a game - high of 21 rebounds. He's been an animal on the boards for the Pistons, recording 18 or more rebounds in three of his last four games. Also getting into the action on the offensive side of the ball was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Caldwell-Pope went 5 - for - 14 from the field and 4 - for - 10 from the three - point line to score 15 points. He has n't been shooting the best recently and has shot less than 40 percent from the field in each of his last six games. Reggie Jackson struggled with his shot as well and finished with just two points (1 - 9 FG, 0 - 4 3Pt) in 22 minutes. The Lakers' next game will be at home against the New York Knicks on Thursday, while the Pistons will travel to Oakland to play the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 23 Percentage of 3 points ,has 43 Percentage of field goals ,has 46 Losses ,has 93 Total points ,has 17 Points in 1st quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 23 Percentage of 3 points ,has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 85 Losses ,has 20 Total points ,has 23 Points in 1st quarter ."] |
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Charlotte Hornets 113 - 103 Wednesday at Spectrum Center. The game did n't come as easy to the Warriors (39 - 7) as the final score may indicate, as Golden State was behind for a good chunk of the second half of Wednesday's contest. It was n't until midway through the final period that the Warriors were finally able to catch up and regain the lead - - a lead they would n't let go of for the final stretch. Kevin Durant was dominant in the winning effort, scoring a game - high 33 points in 37 minutes, while Steph Curry added 28 points of his own while shooting 6 - of - 12 from behind the arc. The two carried the load for most of the way, as they had to, with the five reserves who played off the bench Wednesday managing to score just a combined 18 points. For the Hornets (23 - 23), the loss is their second in a row and drops them back down to .500 on the season. Kemba Walker did all he could, as he continues to make his case for the All-Star game, scoring a team - high 26 points and dishing out eight assists in 38 minutes. Nicolas Batum also put together a solid all - around night, posting 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists in 38 minutes of his own. Charlotte badly missed starting center Cody Zeller (quad), however, as the three centers who played Wednesday struggled mightily. Roy Hibbert, Frank Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes shot a combined 7 - of - 24 (29 percent) from the field en route to scoring just 18 points. Up next, the Warriors will head to Los Angeles on Saturday to take on the Clippers, while the Hornets will look to get back on the right track Friday in New York against the Knicks. | ["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 23 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 23 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 7 Losses ,has 113 Total points ,has 39 Wins ."] |
The Jazz (13 - 23) went on the road and took care of the Bulls (25 - 11) 97 - 77 on Wednesday night. The Jazz, who jumped out to a six - point first quarter lead, led by just four at halftime but came out strong in the third, outscoring Chicago 27 - 19. The onslaught continued in the fourth, as Utah extended the lead to as much as 26 points. The Jazz were led by 20 points and 11 rebounds from Derrick Favors and 18 points from Gordon Hayward. Trey Burke added 17 points, while Rudy Gobert had 11 points to go with 14 rebounds and five blocks. Utah also got 15 points and eight boards from Trevor Booker in 23 minutes off the bench. The Bulls, meanwhile, stumbled to just 33 percent shooting. Derrick Rose had just seven points on 3 - of - 15 shooting, and Jimmy Butler scored 16 but shot 5 - of - 13 from the floor. Joakim Noah also struggled, scoring only one point in 27 minutes. The Bulls shot 6 - of - 20 from three and had just 17 assists to go with 15 turnovers as a team. Up next, the Bulls travel to Washington to take on the Wizards on Friday. Utah continues its road trip out west in Oklahoma City, where it will face the Thunder, also on Friday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 17 Number of team assists ,has 33 Percentage of field goals ,has 11 Losses ,has 77 Total points ,has 19 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 15 Turnovers ,has 25 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 23 Number of team assists ,has 97 Percentage of field goals ,has 27 Losses ,has 13 Total points ."] |
The Minnesota Timberwolves earned their third straight win, as they defeated the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder, 96 - 86, at Target Center on Friday evening. After the Timberwolves won the first quarter, the Thunder battled back to take a 50 - 45 lead into halftime. However, the Timberwolves were not deterred, as they came out of the dressing room with a fire lit beneath them. They fought to regain the lead with 6:24 left in the third and did not look back, leading the entire fourth quarter, while stretching the deficit to as many as 14 in the quarter. This marks the third win in a row for the Timberwolves (14 - 26), who have now knocked off two of the more dangerous teams in the league, defeating Houston and Oklahoma City in the matter of a few days. Despite being notoriously poor in second halves early in the season, the Timberwolves used a 51 - 36 second half to bury the Thunder in this one. Karl-Anthony Towns led the charge, with a game - high 29 points, to go along with 17 rebounds, three blocks, two steals and one assist, in 37 minutes. Andrew Wiggins added 19 points, while Ricky Rubio chipped in 14 points and dished 14 assists. The Timberwolves gave up 16 turnovers, but forced 19 out of their opponent, while they shot 45 percent from the field and managed to hold the Thunder to only 39 percent. The T-Wolves are now 9 - 13 at home and can look ahead to their next game on Sunday in Dallas. Meanwhile, the Thunder (24 - 17) saw their three - game win streak come to an end, as they were stifled by the determined Timberwolves. The Thunder struggled from long range, going only 3 - of - 20. Russell Westbrook had a quiet night in the points column, by his standards that is, as he finished with 21 points. Westbrook added 12 assists and 11 rebounds to notch his 19th triple - double of the season, which is a career - high for him. Enes Kanter continued his solid play, as he added 21 points, in 30 minutes off the bench, while the only other player to score in double digits for the Thunder was Victor Oladipo, who finished with 19. The Thunder will look to bounce back as they take on the Kings in Sacramento on Sunday, which will mark the second game of their current six - game road trip. | ["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 45 Number of team assists ,has 26 Percentage of field goals ,has 96 Losses ,has 14 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 19 Number of team assists ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 17 Losses ,has 86 Total points ,has 24 Wins ."] |
To say there was a lack of defense in this game would be an understatement. The Blazers were especially inept, as they added to their league - worst numbers. In fact, Denver shot 51 percent from the field, 89 percent from the free - throw line and 48 percent from three - point range. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum did all they could, as they combined for 63 points in the defeat. Lillard finished with 40 points and 10 assists, while McCollum tallied 23 points, three rebounds and four assists. Mason Plumlee was the only other Portland player in double figures, totaling 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Eight players scored in double figures for the Nuggets, as their five starters combined for 81 points. Danilo Gallinari led the team, as he dropped 27 points, four rebounds and three assists. Gary Harris was second on the team, as he accrued 18 points, four rebounds and six assists in his first game back from a foot injury. | ["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 48 Percentage of 3 points ,has 51 Percentage of field goals ."] |
The Los Angeles Clippers (20) protected their home court with a win over the Dallas Mavericks (1 - 1) on Thursday night. Thanks to the Mavericks' pursuit of DeAndre Jordan in the off - season the resulting "tug of war" between the teams over the star center was quite entertaining. Jordan eventually proved his loyalty by staying with the Clippers and he also proved his worth in Thursday night's game with a strong performance. DeAndre Jordan owned the paint with 15 rebounds, four blocked shots, and of course, some nasty dunks. It was Blake Griffin who led the Clippers offensively with 26 points and 10 rebounds, with Austin Rivers chipping in 14 points on 5 - 10 shooting. Rivers’ participation was questionable due to his cushion - throwing antics during Wednesday’s game, which resulted in a fine but no suspension. Meanwhile, Jamal Crawford scored a cool 15 points on 6 - for - 11 from the field in only 17 minutes. Two of the Mavericks big offseason pickups, Deron Williams and Wesley Matthews, did n't play Thursday night. Williams was out with a non - serious knee contusion, while coach Rick Carlisle decided to rest Matthews on the second night of a back - to - back for precautionary reasons. Matthews is still recovering from surgery on his Achillies in the offseason. Dirk Nowitzki did n't seem to be bothered by playing two games in as many days, contributing 16 points on 5 - for - 15 shooting, in 25 minutes. John Jenkins added 17 points for the Mavericks, while J.J. Barea scored 12 points and dished out nine assists. The Mavericks were lacking offense, and in addition to Williams and Matthews, the team missed the presence of Chandler Parsons (knee). Parsons will hopefully be ready to go for Sunday. With a strong start to the season, the Clippers have a day of rest before hosting the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. Dallas waits until Sunday to face the Los Angeles Lakers back at the Staples Center. | ["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 20 Percentage of 3 points ,has 1 Losses ,has 17 Points in 1st quarter ,has 20 Points in 4th quarter ,has 1 Wins ."] |
James Harden's near triple - double of 30 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists led Houston. Patrick Beverley followed with 17 points, while Ryan Anderson supplied 14. Trevor Ariza and Clint Capela turned in matching 11 - point efforts, and Montrezl Harrell's 15 points paced the bench. Nicolas Batum's 15 - point, 10 - assist double - double paced the Hornets. Kemba Walker managed 14 points, while Marvin Williams tallied 12 points. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had a modest but full stat line with eight points, nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal. Cody Zeller returned from a seven - game absence with a quad injury and generated nine points, four rebounds, one assist and two steals over 22 minutes before exiting. Marco Belinelli led the bench with 10 points. The Rockets committed 17 turnovers, but overcame them by eliciting a total of 21 from Charlotte. | ["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 21 Points in 4th quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 21 Points in 4th quarter ,has 17 Turnovers ."] |
The New Orleans Pelicans (8 - 8) defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder (5 - 13) 112 - 104 Tuesday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The Pelicans had a big first half in this one, out - scoring the Thunder 69 - 52. Despite a second half attempt at a comeback, the Pelicans were able to hold their ground and spoil the return of Kevin Durant, who played in his first game of the season after sitting out with an injury for the beginning of the year. Although he was n't able to bring the Thunder a win, Kevin Durant came back and did n't show much rust at all, even after missing so many games. He shot 9 - for - 18 from the field and 3 - for - 8 from the three - point line to score 27 points in 29 minutes. He also got to the line seven times and converted on six of those attempts. The Thunder's other superstar, Russell Westbrook, did n't have his best shoting performance. He went 6 - for - 20 from the floor and 1 - for - 4 from beyond the arc to score 21 points. Westbrook recorded six rebounds and seven assists, but had an uncharacteristic seven turnovers as well. The other three members of the Thunder's starting lineup combined for only eight points, which will make it tough for any team to get a win. Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb did have solid games off the bench though, with 17 and 15 points respectively. The Pelicans were led by Anthony Davis, who had 25 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. He was able to get to the line a wopping 16 times, but converted on only nine of those attempts. The double - double was also his fourth in the last five games. Ryan Anderson had a double - double of his own off the bench. He finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds, with the rebounding total being a season - high for the forward. Tyreke Evans led all scorers in this game with 30 points. He was able to get off 24 shots, while converting on 14 of them. It was a season - high for Evans, after coming off a four - point performance on Saturday. The fourth Pelican to reach double figures was Jrue Holiday. Holiday had a great game and finished with 16 points and 10 assists. He made it a point to get everyone involved in this one. The Pelicans' next game will be on the road against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, while the Thunder will travel to Philadelphia to play the 76ers on Friday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 8 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 8 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 13 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 5 Wins ."] |
Dallas has had to turn games into defensive struggles with their inept offense, as they played some elite defense in this win. They held the Pelicans to just 39 percent from the field and 25 percent from three - point range. All the statistics were even, as assists, turnovers, steals, blocks, points in the paint and fouls were all within two of one another. There were 20 ties and 18 lead changes, as this game came down to the wire. In fact, no team led by more than 10 points in this matchup. Anthony Davis was the star of the game, scoring a game - high 36 points, adding 13 rebounds, three assists and two steals to his tally. Jrue Holiday was the only other Pelican to reach double figures in scoring, dropping 17 points, four rebounds and six assists off the bench. The other nine players on New Orleans combined for just 28 points. Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews carried the load for Dallas, combining for 44 of the teams 91 points. | ["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 91 Percentage of 3 points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 25 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ."] |
The Utah Jazz (29 - 33) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans (23 - 38) 106 - 94 on Saturday. Utah's formidable frontcourt duo of Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors had shown some vulnerability lately, as some opposing big men had been able to generate productive nights against them. Saturday, they faced a formidable challenge in the form of one Anthony Davis, who represented a considerable threat despite being hobbled by a sprained toe in recent days. The towering tandem answered the bell however, hauling in a whopping 29 rebounds between them. The Jazz's dominance on the glass was team - wide, as they outrebounded New Orleans on the night by a margin of 53 - 32. Utah's stalwart defense also largely stymied the Pelicans overall, with only Davis and Jrue Holiday able to amass double - digit scoring. Favors' 28 - point, 11 - rebound double - double led the way for the visitors, and he added three assists, a steal and six rejections. Gordon Hayward was right behind him with 24 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal. Shelvin Mack and Rodney Hood followed with a pair of 11 - point efforts. The former complemented his scoring total with four assists, three rebounds and a steal, while the latter pitched in four rebounds, three assists and a steal as well. Trevor Booker led the reserves with 11 points, eight boards and two assists. Utah remains in third place in the Western Conference's Northwest Division, and is currently one - and - a - half games behind the eighth - seeded Houston Rockets. They're headed back home to face the Rockets in a key matchup on Wednesday. Davis' 29 points paced the Pelicans, and he was the only member of the starting five able to tally double - digit scoring. He also managed 11 rebounds, two assists, a steal and two blocks. Holiday pitched in his 22 points off the bench, and he also dished out seven assists and hauled in two boards. Eric Gordon, Norris Cole, Omer Asik and Dante Cunningham, the remaining members of the first unit, could only total 19 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists between them. The Pelicans are in last place in the Western Conference's Southwest Division, and a full seven games behind the eighth - seeded Rockets. They remain home to face the Sacramento Kings in a Monday night tussle. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 38 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 32 Rebounds ,has 23 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 33 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 53 Rebounds ,has 29 Wins ."] |
Six Portland Trail Blazers shared the wealth when it came to the scoring department in the 131 - 109 blowout win at Moda Center on Wednesday. As for the starters, Maurice Harkless and Damian Lillard led the way with 23 points and 28 points, respectively. C.J. McCollum got the hot hand in the third quarter and really staved off many of the Indiana Pacers comeback attempts after scoring 19 points, to go along with five assists and five rebounds. Allen Crabbe and Evan Turner rounded out the bench for Portland on their way to scoring in double figures. Both players combined for 28 points on 9 - of - 15 shooting. The Pacers received another bright spot from Glenn Robinson III, who has seen minutes increased with the injured Paul George. Robinson III contributed 15 points on an efficient 6 - of - 10 shooting. | ["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 131 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 109 Total points ."] |
The Charlotte Hornets (7 - 19) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers (2 - 23) 109 - 91 on Friday. Charlotte ended their four - game losing streak with the win. Kemba Walker led the way with a game - high 30 points in 38 minutes. Al Jefferson put up a double - double of 20 points and 12 rebounds. The Hornets were playing without starting shooting guard Lance Stephenson. He is dealing with a pelvic injury that will keep him out of Saturday's game against the Utah Jazz as well. Philadelphia has lost five straight games. On the bright side of things, the Sixers shot 45 percent from the field, 46 percent from beyond the arc and 88 percent from the free - throw line. However, as has been the case all season for the Sixers, they coughed up too many turnovers, giving up 34 easy points off of 24 turnovers. Coach Brett Brown opted to use a 10 - man rotation that gave every player on Philadelphia at least 11 minutes of action. Alexey Shved was traded to the Houston Rockets on Friday as part of a three - team trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Sixers received back a second - round pick and Ronny Turiaf's contract. Philadelphia will start a seven - game road trip on Sunday against the Orlando Magic. | ["TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 23 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 2 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 19 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 7 Wins ."] |
These are two teams battling for a playoff berth in their respective conferences and their motivation was tested in this overtime battle. Turnovers really let Portland down, as they committed 24 of them, while forcing just seven from Detroit. It was a late run that got the Pistons their win, as they outscored the Blazers by 11 in the fourth quarter and overtime. Damian Lillard carried Portland, as he accumulated 34 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. C.J. McCollum finished with 25 points, four rebounds and two assists. Jusuf Nurkic totaled 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Marcus Morris had one of the best games of his career, as he collected 37 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Andre Drummond finished second on the team with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Ish Smith came off the bench to provide 12 points, seven rebounds and seven steals. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 7 Turnovers ."
"TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 24 Turnovers ,has 24 Wins ."] |
The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the host Los Angeles Lakers, 118 - 116, at Staples Center on Sunday. Rookie Dario Saric scored a career - high 29 points and Jahlil Okafor added 23 to lead the 76ers, who oddly might have been better off losing to the Lakers. Los Angeles' No. 1 draft pick this summer will flip to the 76ers if the Lakers finish better than one of the three worst records in the league this season. With the loss, the Lakers have the league's second - worst record at 20 - 46. Jordan Clarkson scored a career - high 30 points for the Lakers, who rallied from a 12 - point second - half deficit to take the lead, 112 - 111, with about a minute to play. After the 76ers took the lead back on a T.J. McConnell field goal, the Lakers' D'Angelo Russell committed a shot - clock violation to hand the ball, and the game, back to Philadelphia. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot added 18 points for the 76ers, who were without forward Robert Covington because of a right knee injury. Julius Randle posted a double - double with 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers. The 76ers end their three - game road trip Friday at the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers travel to Denver Monday to face the Nuggets. | ["TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 46 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 20 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 118 Losses ."] |
The Pacers (19 - 32) got 26 points from C.J. Miles and held on to beat the Cavaliers (31 - 21) 103 - 99 in Indianapolis on Friday. Cleveland came out hot in the first quarter but Indiana was able to keep pace and trailed by only seven at the half. The Pacers cut the lead to two entering the fourth quarter, and they’d go on to outscore Cleveland 36 - 29 in the final frame. Solomon Hill had nine points in the fourth quarter, and Miles knocked down a series of long jumpers to finish with 16 points in the fourth. Trailing by one with just under two minutes to play, Miles hit a three to put the Pacers up 91 - 89. Iman Shumpert answered with at three of his own at the other end, but George Hill responded with another three for Indiana to put the Pacers up for good with 1:25 remaining. All five Pacers starters scored in double - figures, led by Miles’ 26. George Hill and David West finished with 20 points apiece, and West added 13 rebounds. Solomon Hill had 11 points, and Rob Hibbert added 10 in a team - high 40 minutes. The Pacers shot 47 percent from the floor and committed only eight turnovers. Cleveland, which had its 12 - game winning streak snapped, got 25 points, six rebounds and five assists from James. Kyrie Irving added 29 points (13 - 26 FG, 3 - 9 3Pt), and J.R. Smith finished with 17 points and five three - pointers. Kevin Love was limited to just five point son 2 - of - 8 shooting in 34 minutes. Next up, the Pacers play in Charlotte on Sunday. Cleveland will host the Lakers on Sunday afternoon. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 26 Number of team assists ,has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 32 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 36 Points in 4th quarter ,has 8 Turnovers ,has 19 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 21 Number of team assists ,has 99 Percentage of field goals ,has 29 Losses ,has 31 Total points ."] |
The Orlando Magic saw dominant play from center Nikola Vucevic on Friday, as the big man pulled down a whopping 17 boards along with 18 points. The Magic still lost the rebounding battle, however, 49 - 43. Orlando hit just seven three - pointers on the night but still won the shooting edge easily, as Phoenix went just 2 - of - 14 from beyond the arc. Phoenix did see strong play from some of its young players. Rookie point guard Tyler Ulis went for 19 points and eight assists, while third year forward T.J. Warren had 26 points on 8 - of - 13 shooting and 10 - of - 10 at the free - throw line. However, it was not enough to best Orlando and shooting guard Evan Fournier. Fournier dropped a team - high 25 points and sank three three - pointers en route to a winning effort on Friday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 49 Rebounds ."
"TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 43 Rebounds ."] |
The Utah Jazz (35 - 36) defeated the host Houston Rockets (35 - 37) 89 - 87, Wednesday at Toyota Center. The Utah Jazz came into this game only a half - game behind the eighth - place Houston Rockets and with this win, overtake Houston for the eighth spot in the West. It was a hard - fought win for the Jazz, who had lost their last six games at the Toyota center. Utah trailed 49 - 34 at half - time but then went on a 39 - 24 run, which tied the game at 73 with 6:5 left in the fourth quarter. From there, the teams traded baskets down to the last possession. After a game - tying dunk by Dwight Howard, with 22 seconds left, the Jazz elected not to call time - out and continued play, which led to a game - winning dunk by Derrick Favors, with 2 seconds left. James Harden could not sink a last - second, three - point attempt, leading to Houston's third loss in a row and Utah's second win in a row. The Jazz have now won six of their last seven, while the Rockets have lost five of their last six, as they remain neck - and - neck in the battle for eighth. The season series is now tied at two wins each. Gordon Hayward led the Jazz in scoring, with 22 points, along with six rebounds, five assists and four steals, in 40 minutes. Derrick Favors notched a double - double, including 17 points and 15 rebounds, to go with four assists and three blocked shots, in 36 minutes. Shelvin Mack chipped in 16 points, while the only other player to score in double figures for Utah was Trevor Booker, who added 10 points, in 26 minutes off the bench. Utah had 23 turnovers and shot only 40 percent from the field, but still managed to grind out the win. James Harden gave the Rockets a big boost, with 26 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and eight steals, in 42 minutes. Trevor Ariza chipped in 14 points, while Michael Beasley, Corey Brewer and Clint Capela each added 10 points. No other players scored, assisted or rebounded in double figures for the Rockets, as they were lacking in this ugly, home loss. Next, the Rockets host the Raptors on Friday. The Jazz will head straight to Oklahoma City for a contest on Thursday. This will be the fourth game of a five - game road trip for the Jazz, during which they are now 2 - 1. | ["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 37 Number of team assists ,has 87 Percentage of field goals ,has 35 Losses ."
"TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 22 Number of team assists ,has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 36 Losses ,has 89 Total points ,has 22 Turnovers ,has 35 Wins ."] |
The visiting Denver Nuggets defeated the Phoenix Suns, 120 - 114, on Sunday afternoon. Forward Wilson Chandler led Denver (7 - 10) with 25 points after posting a team - high 32 on Friday night against OKC. Chandler continues to enjoy a featured role due to injuries to wings Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton. The forward helped contribute to Denver's early lead on Sunday, as the team entered halftime up 20 points. Phoenix was able to rally somewhat, however, narrowing the lead by 13 points during the third quarter. Denver, the league's top rebounding team, saw a challenge on the glass in the Suns' Tyson Chandler, who pulled down a game - high 15 boards. The Nuggets were still able to maintain a slight rebounding advantage, recording 49 rebounds to Phoenix's 46. A combined 40 points for Denver's starting backcourt and a 13 - point, 11 - rebound double - double off the bench for Nikola Jokic helped Denver maintain the lead on the scoreboard. Phoenix (5 - 13), meanwhile, saw top - notch performances from both members of its starting backcourt. Eric Bledsoe scored a season - high 35 points while knocking down all 11 of his free - throw attempts. Bledsoe also recorded six rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks. Booker, meanwhile, scored 30 points and had just one turnover. The Suns struggled with efficiency, though, shooting just 40 percent from the field as a team. Phoenix had issues with ball movement as well, recording just 11 assists as a team. The Nuggets will host the Heat and the Suns will host the Hawks on Wednesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 11 Number of team assists ,has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 13 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 46 Rebounds ,has 5 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 10 Number of team assists ,has 120 Percentage of field goals ,has 49 Losses ,has 7 Total points ."] |
These are two teams battling to keep their playoff hopes alive, as New Orleans were able to prevail with a huge comeback win. In fact, the Pelicans scored 75 points in the second half, outscoring the Timberwolves by 20 points. Minnesota really took advantage of the open court, as they outscored New Orleans, 33 - 13, in fastbreak points. Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota, as he tallied 33 points and six rebounds. Andrew Wiggins finished with 25 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Ricky Rubio accumulated 10 points, three rebounds and 14 assists. Anthony Davis led the way for New Orleans, as he accrued 28 points and 12 rebounds. Jrue Holiday totaled 21 points, three rebounds and seven assists. Jordan Crawford was huge off the bench, as he dropped 22 points. DeMarcus Cousins amassed 15 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 28 Points in 1st quarter ,has 20 Points in 2nd quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 20 Points in 1st quarter ."] |
The San Antonio Spurs (3 - 1) defeated the New York Knicks (2 - 2) by a count of 94 - 84 on Monday at Madison Square Garden. Kawhi Leonard continued to look like an All-Star in the affair, recording his second double - double of the season and finishing with 18 points and 14 rebounds in 36 minutes. He also continues to excel as one of the best on - ball defenders in the NBA, recording four blocks and two steals. Tim Duncan added a double - double of his own, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds on top of six assists, while LaMarcus Aldridge scored a team - high 19 points and grabbed six rebounds in 32 minutes. Even in defeat, the Knicks showed promise, as rookie forward Kristaps Porzingis recorded the first double - double of his short NBA career, finishing with 13 points on just 5 - of - 15 shooting and 14 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony added 19 points of his own, but shot just 4 - of - 17 from the field, as shooting struggles plagued the entire team. Overall, New York shot just 36 percent from the field in the losing effort. Up next, the Spurs will travel to Washington D.C. on Wednesday to take on the Wizards, while the Knicks head to Cleveland on Wednesday to take on the Cavaliers. | ["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 36 Percentage of field goals ,has 2 Losses ,has 84 Total points ,has 2 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 1 Percentage of field goals ,has 94 Losses ,has 3 Total points ."] |
The host Golden State Warriors took down the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, 108 - 99. Golden State (29 - 5) made easy work of the Mavs, holding onto a double - digit lead for the majority of the game. Former MVP Kevin Durant helped secure the win with an impressive triple - double. Durant had 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. All-Star Klay Thompson led the team with 29 points, while reigning MVP Steph Curry kept it fairly quiet with only 14 points and five assists. It was another big night overall for the Warriors' historically strong offense, as the team shot 50 percent from the field, sank 11 three - pointers, and dished 31 assists. Dallas (10 - 24) has picked it up since its horrendous start to the season, but struggled on Friday against the league's top team. Veteran Dirk Nowitzki played only 23 minutes and shot just 3 - of - 12 for 11 points. Harrison Barnes, meanwhile, scored 25 points and recorded two steals. Barnes was the lone bright spot in what was a tough night for the Mavs, as the team shot just 41 percent from the field and 25 percent from three - point range. The Mavericks will enjoy a few days of rest, while Golden State will take the court on Monday against the Denver Nuggets. | ["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 31 Number of team assists ,has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 5 Losses ,has 108 Total points ,has 29 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 24 Number of team assists ,has 99 Percentage of field goals ,has 10 Losses ."] |
The visiting Portland Trail Blazers (25 - 27) made good on their trip to Toyota Center on Saturday evening as they defeated the Houston Rockets (27 - 26) 96 - 79. This was a huge win for the Trail Blazers, who came in sitting at ninth place, just 3 games behind the seventh place Rockets. The Blazers came in focused and dominated from the start. Once they took the lead with nine minutes to go in the first quarter they did not let go. Portland stretched it to a 32 - point lead by the five - minute mark of the third quarter and held strong as Houston battled back, bringing it as close as 11 points. This marks Portland's sixth win in seven games. The Trail Blazers turned the ball over 22 times and only shot 40 percent from the field but their 20 offensive rebounds and defense that forced 23 turnovers and held the Rockets to only 32 percent shooting, allowed them some breathing room. Damian Lillard led the team in scoring, with 21 points (7 - 20 FG, 3 - 9 3Pt, 4 - 4 FT), along with 10 assists and four rebounds, in 36 minutes. Five other players scored in double digits for Portland, including C.J. McCollum who finished with 16, along with seven rebounds, four steals and two assists. Maurice Harkless chipped in 14 points, six rebounds and two steals, in 30 minutes. This win evened up the season series at 1 - 1. James Harden did everything he could to avoid this result. He put up 33 points (7 - 18 FG, 4 - 9 3Pt, 15 - 18 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and three steals, in 35 minutes. Harden scored all but two of Houston's 17 points in the third quarter as they began to battle back, but also tallied 10 turnovers in the blowout. The Rockets had a lot of trouble scoring the ball, such that only four players had scored points after three quarters. Dwight Howard was one of those four players, and finished with a solid 17 points (6 - 10 FG, 5 - 8 FT), 14 rebounds, four steals and two assists, in 40 minutes. No one else scored more than eight points for the Rockets, who shot 7 - 36 from deep as a team. The Rockets will begin a five - game road trip, which includes two visits to the Moda Center in Portland, with a match in Golden State on Monday. The Trail Blazers will be in Memphis to face the Grizzlies on Tuesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 26 Percentage of field goals ,has 79 Losses ,has 17 Total points ,has 23 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 27 Points in 4th quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 27 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 22 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 25 Points in 4th quarter ."] |
The Philadelphia 76ers (6 - 38) earned their first Eastern Conference victory Wednesday, defeating the Orlando Magic (20 - 21), 96 - 87. With the win, the Sixers are now 5 - 8 since trading for point guard Ish Smith. The deal, which sent two second - round picks to New Orleans in exchange for the former Sixer, brought in a veteran point guard to help organize Philadelphia's ailing offense. In 13 games with the Sixers, Smith has boasted impressive averages of 17 points, 8 assists, and 2 steals per game. Smith's presence in Philadelphia has helped spark a much - needed turnaround for the once 1 - 30 team. For the second straight game, rookie Jahlil Okafor led Philadelphia in scoring with 20 points. Okafor took a team - high 17 shots, asserting himself as an offensive presence. The Duke alum also grabbed a steal and recorded a block on the defensive end. Fellow big man Nerlens Noel, however, exited the game after just 19 minutes of play with what was reported as a headache and blurred vision. He did not return to action. The Magic faltered on both ends of the ball on Wednesday, hitting just 39 percent of their field goal attempts while allowing Philadelphia to make 49 percent and 47 percent from beyond the three - point line. Recently-returned sophomore Elfrid Payton led the team in points, assists, and minutes, notching a 21 - point, 10 - assist double - double in 41 minutes of play. This was a refreshing effort for Payton, who had struggled in his previous two contests after returning from injury. Unfortunately for Orlando, just two other players scored in double - digits, and Payton accounted for over half of the team's assists. Orlando's next matchup will be against the Hornets on Friday. Philadelphia will have three days of rest before playing host to Boston on Saturday night. | ["TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 39 Percentage of 3 points ,has 21 Percentage of field goals ,has 87 Losses ,has 20 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 38 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 6 Wins ."] |
The Utah Jazz defeated the Denver Nuggets, 105 - 98, at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Saturday. Despite the final scoreline being close, the Jazz were in control for the majority of the game. The third quarter was when Utah made their mark, as they outscored the Nuggets, 33 - 16. Denver did all they could to fight back in the fourth though, as they scored 35 points and pulled the game within four points before losing by seven. Free-throw shooting was the key for Utah, as they went 26 - of - 28 from the charity stripe. Three-point shooting kept the Nuggets hanging around, as they went 13 - of - 24 in the defeat and made 7 - of - 7 at one point in the fourth. Denver (7 - 13) have been struggling recently and they looked lost at times in this defeat. Wilson Chandler once again led the team in scoring, as he tallied 20 points, five rebounds and three assists off the bench. Will Barton matched that team - leading 20 points, as he added five rebounds and four assists. Jameer Nelson was a nice spark off the bench as well, accumulating 13 points, four rebounds and seven assists. On deck for the Nuggets is a matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. Utah (12 - 9) had to play this game extremely shorthanded, but they were still able to prevail with a win. Gordon Hayward was the catalyst, as he scored a game - high 32 points. Rodney Hood was second on the team, as he scored 15 points on an inefficient 4 - of - 14 shooting. Rudy Gobert was a presence down low, as he totaled seven points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Utah will face the Los Angeles Lakers on the road for their next game on Monday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 9 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 33 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 12 Points in 4th quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 13 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 16 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 35 Points in 4th quarter ,has 7 Wins ."] |
The Cleveland Cavaliers (10 - 7) defeated the New York Knicks (4 - 16) 90 - 87 on Thursday. Cleveland has won five straight games, and they've vaulted themselves out of the early - season hole they were in, at one time standing with a sub - .500 record of 5 - 7. Kyrie Irving led the attack on offense, putting up a season - high 37 points in 44 minutes. The other legs of the big three finished with double - doubles. LeBron James facilitated and finished with 19 points and 12 assists in 40 minutes, while Kevin Love cleaned up the glass to finish with 11 ponts and 11 rebounds in 39 minutes. Coach David Blatt certainly has n't shied from playing his key guys big minutes. James, Irving and Love are all averaging at least 36 minutes per game this season. The Cavaliers will try to make it six straight wins when they continue their road trip in Toronto on Friday against the Raptors. As the Cavaliers shift into a higher gear and continue their march up the standings in the East, New York continues to coast downhill, losing their sixth straight game. The Knicks have only reached the 100 - point threshold once in their last eight games as their offense continues to sputter. They shot 42 percent from the field and 31 percent from beyond the arc in Thursday's loss, with Carmelo Anthony finshing with nine points on 4 - of - 19 shooting in 30 minutes. Amar'e Stoudemire was moved over to start at center, pushing Samuel Dalembert to a bench role for the first time this season. Stoudemire has been one of the lone bright spots for the Knicks this season. He's been healthy and productive, finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds in 30 minutes Thursday. The Knicks will try to reverse their fortunes on the road Friday against the Charlotte Hornets. | ["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 31 Percentage of 3 points ,has 42 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 4 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 7 Percentage of 3 points ,has 90 Percentage of field goals ,has 10 Losses ."] |
The host Utah Jazz took down the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, 96 - 88. Utah (30 - 18) had lost two straight but bounced back quickly on Thursday, winning convincingly over Los Angeles. It was a big day for Utah, as star forward Gordon Hayward was named to his first career All-Star Game as a reserve. Hayward played like an All-Star on Thursday, snapping a cold streak to shoot 7 - of - 14 for 24 points. Center Rudy Gobert, meanwhile, told the media earlier in the day that he would use being snubbed from the All-Star Game to fuel himself to perform as the season goes on. Gobert looked like he meant it on Thursday, as he pulled down a team - high 13 rebounds and blocked a whopping five shots. His strong play helped to anchor the tough Utah defense, which held the Lakers to just 42 percent shooting and only four three - pointers. Los Angeles (16 - 34), meanwhile, saw disastrous play from its starting five, leading to a heavy reliance on bench output. The team's starters combined for only 32 points and four assists in what was an abysmal night for the unit. A handful of bench players provided a spark to keep LA within striking distance, however. Sixth man Lou Williams offered yet another strong bench performance, leading the team with 20 points. Rookie center Ivica Zubac, meanwhile, contributed his third career double - double and his second in a row. The Jazz will host the Grizzlies on Saturday, while the Lakers will enjoy almost a week of rest. | ["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 18 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 30 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 34 Losses ,has 88 Total points ,has 16 Wins ."] |
The Houston Rockets dominated the Los Angeles Lakers 134 - 95 Wednesday at Target Center. This game appeared to be over after the first quarter, as the Lakers' (10 - 14) leaky defense had no answered for the Rockets' (15 - 7) high - powered offensive attack, as Houston won the quarter 43 - 27. And while Los Angeles managed to pull closer before halftime, the Rockets absolutely poured it on in the second half. Houston was led by shooting guard Eric Gordon, who has really adjusted to his new role off the bench, as he scored a game - high 26 points in just 24 minutes on a scorching 9 - of - 13 from the field. Early MVP-candidate James Harden was not too far behind, scoring 25 points on top of eight rebounds, six assists and four steals. To round off a terrific performance from the Rockets' backcourt players, Patrick Beverley put together his best performance since returning from injury, recording 10 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds and three steals in 32 minutes. As a team, the Rockets made a living at the 3 - point line, shooting an impressive 15 - of - 36 from long range. For the Lakers, it was a night to forget, as the team shot a dreadful 39 percent from the field and 25 percent from behind the arc. Julius Randle led the way with a double - double of 21 points and 10 rebounds in 29 minutes, while Lou Williams continued to campaign for a Sixth Man of the Year award, posting an efficient 24 points in 25 minutes. Meanwhile, Jordan Clarkson made his first start at point guard this season and posted a lowly seven points on just 3 - of - 13 shooting from the field. Up next, the Rockets will head to Oklahoma City on Friday to take on the Thunder, while the Lakers will head home Friday to play the Suns. | ["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 7 Percentage of 3 points ,has 134 Percentage of field goals ,has 43 Losses ,has 15 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 25 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 14 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 27 Points in 1st quarter ,has 10 Wins ."] |
The Bucks utilized a pair of season - best scoring totals from two starters to overcome a game - high 24 points from the Nets' Bojan Bogdanovic. John Henson and Matthew Dellavedova posted 20 and 18 points, respectively, and the Bucks shot 47 percent while limiting the Nets to a stingy 37 percent success rate. Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a 16 - point, 10 - rebound double - double, while Jabari Parker managed 15 points. Tony Snell registered 10 points and Greg Monroe paced the bench with 13 points. Sean Kilpatrick checked in second on the Nets with 19 points, despite shooting just 3 - of - 13. Brook Lopez had a down game by his standards, posting 13 points, six assists, four rebounds, three blocks and a steal. Anthony Bennett posted 14 rebounds while drawing the start for Trevor Booker. Joe Harris led the second unit with 17 points. | ["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 47 Percentage of field goals ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 18 Points in 2nd quarter ."] |
Dallas have struggled on offense all season and this 78 - point effort shows just why. Toronto did a nice job on defense though, holding the Mavericks to 37 percent from the field and 28 percent from three - point range. Rebounding was the key for the Raptors, as they won that battle, 55 - 34. Harrison Barnes led Dallas in scoring, as he dropped 18 points. Dirk Nowitzki was their best player, as he totaled 17 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Dwight Powell recorded a double - double off the bench, providing 10 points and 10 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan carried the load for Toronto, as he accrued 26 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Norman Powell started and finished with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists. Jonas Valanciunas recorded a double - double, totaling 14 points and 12 rebounds. | ["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 28 Percentage of 3 points ,has 37 Percentage of field goals ,has 78 Total points ."] |
The Atlanta Hawks (35 - 34) defeated the Denver Nuggets (28 - 41) 116 - 98 on Thursday. The Hawks made a change to the starting lineup, with Kent Bazemore heading to the bench with a knee injury and Tim Hardaway, Jr. stepping into the starting five in his stead. The move was highly successful, as Hardaway filled out the stat sheet with 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal. Atlanta was essentially superior in every category as well, as they posted 50 percent and 46 percent success rates from the field and three - point range, respectively. They also elicited 14 turnovers from the Nuggets, and hauled in 40 boards on the night. D.J. Augustin paced Denver in his reserve role, tallying 17 points, seven assists, a rebound and a block. A second bench player, Joffrey Lauvergne, was next in line with 16 points, six rebounds, an assist and a block. Gary Harris pitched in 15 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Emmanuel Mudiay followed with 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal, as the only other starter besides Harris to manage double - digit scoring. The Nuggets remain in fourth place in the Western Conference's Northwest Division, and are 8 games behind the eighth - seeded Dallas Mavericks. They head to Charlotte to face the Hornets on Saturday night. Jeff Teague followed Hardway's effort with 16 points, eight assists, three rebounds and a steal. Paul Millsap matched Teague's scoring total and added 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. Al Horford and Kyle Korver rounded out a productive night for the starting five with a pair of 11 - point efforts. The former managed three rebounds, three assists and three blocks, while the latter dished out four dimes and a rebound. Thabo Sefolosha paced the reserves with 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Kris Humphries and Dennis Schroder also had a pair of 11 - point outings in reserve roles. The Hawks retain a hold of first place in the Eastern Conference's Southeastern Division, and of the third seed in the conference as well. They're home again on Saturday versus the Houston Rockets. | ["TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 46 Percentage of 3 points ,has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 116 Losses ,has 40 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 41 Percentage of 3 points ,has 98 Percentage of field goals ,has 14 Losses ,has 28 Total points ."] |
The Golden State Warriors (57 - 13) defeated the Washington Wizards (40 - 31) 107 - 76 on Monday at Oracle Arena in Oakland. This game looked like it was going to be a close one when the Warriors were up just two points at the half. They came out firing in the third quarter though, out - scoring the Wizards 29 - 8, which allowed them to eventually coast to the convincing 31 - point victory in front of their home crowd. With the win, the Warriors extended their Western Conference lead to seven and a half games over the Memphis Grizzlies, while the Wizards sit in the fifth projected playoff seed in the East, five and a half games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks. Stephen Curry had himself a night, going 8 - for - 14 from the field and 5 - for - 8 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 24 points, while also adding five rebounds and six assists in just 28 minutes. His numbers could have been a lot higher, but he did n't have to play as much due to blowout. Curry has combined to shoot 8 - for - 14 from the three - point line over his last two games, helping him score 48 points over that span as well. He's now averaging 23 points and 8 assists per game on the season. Marreese Speights also played a factor in the win. He played just 14 minutes off the bench, but finished with an efficient 16 points (6 - 9 FG, 4 - 4 FT) and five rebounds. Draymond Green also chipped in with 13 points (5 - 11 FG, 3 - 8 3Pt, 0 - 2 FT) and six rebounds. With all the starters playing less than 30 minutes, the bench got a ton of extra time, as a total of 13 players ended up playing at least nine minutes on Monday. The Wizards really struggled to get anything going. Their starting frontcourt was miserable, as Marcin Gortat, Nene Hilario and Paul Pierce combined for just 18 points between the three. John Wall and Bradley Beal were the only starters in double figures. Wall posted 11 points (4 - 16 FG, 0 - 3 3Pt, 3 - 3 FT), five rebounds and five assists, while Beal had 12 points (4 - 11 FG, 2 - 4 3Pt, 2 - 3 FT) and two rebounds. Wall looks to be struggling lately, combining to go just 7 - for - 26 from the floor and 1 - for - 6 from the three - point line over his last two games. He'll need to play much better than that if the Wizards want to make some noise in the playoffs. Ramon Sessions and Kevin Seraphin both reached double figures off the bench with 12 points apiece. The Warriors' next game will be on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, while the Wizards will be at home against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 13 Losses ,has 107 Total points ,has 29 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 57 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 31 Losses ,has 76 Total points ,has 8 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 40 Wins ."] |
The Portland Trail Blazers (21 - 26) defeated the Sacramento Kings (20 - 25) 112 - 97 at Moda Center on Tuesday. The Kings entered the contest on the second game of a back - to - back after a tough double overtime loss to the Hornets on Monday. DeMarcus Cousins scored a league high 56 points against Charlotte, but was far from his league leading January numbers against the Blazers. Sacramento looked exhausted, as expected after playing six periods, and ran out of steam at the beginning of the third quarter. They did hang with Portland for first half and entered the third quarter down six points, but the Blazers extended their six point lead to as many as 20 midway through the fourth quarter. Cousins inefficiency resulted in missed opportunities, as he finished with 17 points on 4 - of - 21 shooting, and injured his hand in the second half, which took him out of the game for a brief moment before returning to action the following possession. Rajon Rondo added 15 points and 11 assists, marking his 23rd double - double of the season, and uncharacteristically took 17 shots in the loss. Omri Casspi, Willie Cauley-Stein and Marco Belinelli also finished in double figures, but no combination of minutes was able to overcome a gassed Kings squad. Sacramento will take a day off before visiting the New Orleans Pelicans (16 - 28) on Thursday. Portland opened up the floor in the second half and used pace to their advantage, which allowed them to pull ahead by double figures and coast to their 21st win of the season. It was an important win, as the Blazers and Kings are currently battling for the 8 - seed in the Western Conference. Led by point guard Damian Lillard, who scored 15 points and added 13 dimes, the floor general spaced the floor, resulting in seven Blazers finishing in double figures. CJ McCollum led all Blazers in scoring with 18 points on 7 - of - 16 shooting, Mason Plumlee added 12 points and Noah Vonleh scored 10 points of his own. The Portland bench was equally impressive as the starting five, combining for 50 points led by the combination of Allen Crabbe (13 points), Ed Davis (11 points) and Gerald Henderson (15 points). Portland will play their second game of a back - to - back when they host the Charlotte Hornets (22 - 23) on Wednesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 26 Losses ,has 112 Total points ,has 21 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 25 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 20 Wins ."] |
The host Minnesota Timberwolves obliterated the Philadelphia 76ers, 110 - 86, at Target Center on Thursday. In a battle between two developing franchises, the Timberwolves showed just how much further along they are than the Sixers. Minnesota took it to Philadelphia early, as they led by 28 points at the half and held the Sixers to just 33 points in that 24 - minute stretch. Defense was key all night long, as the T'Wolves held the Sixers to 37 percent from the field and 28 percent from three - point range. Minnesota also dominated down low, as they won the rebounding battle 49 - 40 and the points in the paint differential 56 - 40. The Sixers (2 - 10) continue to struggle and results like this are downright ugly. Ersan Ilyasova was a lone bright spot, as he led the starters with 13 points, three rebounds and three assists. Nik Stauskas played well off the bench, totaling 13 points, four rebounds and two steals of his own. Dario Saric led the team in scoring, as he dropped 16 points of his own off the bench. Robert Covington struggled with his shot yet again, as he scored just four points on 1 - of - 12 shooting. Joel Embiid played 22 minutes and amassed 10 points and 10 rebounds. On deck for the Sixers is a home matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday. The Timberwolves (4 - 7) had their first primetime game in awhile and they did n't disappoint. Andrew Wiggins was especially impressive, as he scored a game - high 35 points on 14 - of - 20 shooting. He also added 10 rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes of action. Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double - double in the blowout, totaling 25 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Gorgui Dieng also recorded a double - double, accumulating 12 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. The Timberwolves will look to build off this win when they travel to Memphis to play the Grizzlies on Saturday for their next game. | ["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 7 Losses ,has 110 Total points ,has 4 Points in 4th quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'76ers') has 86 Losses ,has 28 Total points ,has 2 Points in 4th quarter ."] |
The Indiana Pacers (26 - 23) defeated the Brooklyn Nets (12 - 38) 114 - 100 on Wednesday. Despite a remarkably balanced offensive attack that featured all five starters posting double - digit scoring, the Nets were outdone by a Pacers team that received their highest point total from a reserve. Indiana was spearheaded by the streaky C.J. Miles, whose shot was certainly dialed in on Wednesday. Miles managed 27 points in just 22 minutes on the floor, while adding a pair of rebounds and an assist. He was 10 of 15 overall and 4 of 7 from three - point range, playing an integral part in the Pacers' matching 50 percent tallies from the field and beyond the arc. Buttressed by Miles' prolific night, the Indiana bench outscored the Nets reserves by the margin of 58 - 16. Paul George led the starting unit for the visitors with 17 points, six assists, four rebounds, a block and a remarkable five steals. George Hill followed with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and three thefts of his own. Monta Ellis was relatively quiet on the scoring front by his standards, but still made notable contributions across the stat sheet. He registered 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and a steal, with his only blemish being the fact that he committed five turnovers. With Jordan Hill only playing 19 minutes on the night, it was Lavoy Allen who manned the center spot for 25 minutes off the bench and posted a near double - double, totaling 12 points, eight rebounds, an assist and a block. The Pacers remain in third place in the Eastern Conference's Central Divison. They head to Atlanta to take on the Hawks on Friday. Brook Lopez led the way for Brooklyn with 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block. Joe Johnson continued his resurgent play with a near double - double, supplying 20 points, nine assists, four boards and two steals. Thaddeus Young was a force on the glass, hauling down 14 rebounds and also pitching in 16 points and an assist. Wayne Ellington supplied 16 points, two rebounds and a steal, while Donald Sloan rounded out the starting unit's productive night with 11 points, seven assists and a steal. Brooklyn remains in fourth place in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. They await the Sacramento Kings for a Friday night tussle. | ["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 38 Percentage of 3 points ,has 100 Percentage of field goals ,has 23 Losses ,has 12 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 50 Percentage of 3 points ,has 50 Percentage of field goals ,has 23 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 26 Points in 1st quarter ,has 26 Wins ."] |
LeBron James scored 29 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers (2 - 1) to a 102 - 92 victory over his former team, the Miami Heat (1 - 1), on Friday night. James was firing on all cylinders from the get go, finishing with 10 points in the first quarter and reaching 18 by halftime while shooting 8 - for - 12 from the field during that span. He would finish the night with an efficient 13 - for - 19 shooting mark In addition, the Cavaliers received the best performance of the young season so far from Kevin Love, who tallied 24 points, 14 boards, and five assists. Love and James represented the bulk of the offense for the Cavs in this one, as no other player in the starting lineup had more than nine points. Fortunately for Cleveland, Tristan Thompson was able to provide some complementary scoring off the bench, picking up 13 points on 6 - for - 9 shooting to go along with nine boards. Reserve guard Matthew Dellavedova handed out a team - leading 10 assists and grabbed five boards. On the other side, James’ former compatriots of Miami’s “Big Three” - - Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh - - also turned in excellent outings. Wade contributed 25 points, four boards, and two assists, while Bosh churned out 16 points on 7 - for - 15 shooting. The lack of bench contributions ultimately spelled the difference, as the Heat only had 19 points from their reserves compared to the Cavs’ 32. The Heat will return home Sunday to play their next game against the Houston Rockets. Cleveland, meanwhile will head to Philadelphia for a tilt with the 76ers on Monday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 1 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 29 Points in 1st quarter ,has 29 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 2 Points in 3rd quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 1 Losses ,has 92 Total points ,has 19 Points in 1st quarter ,has 1 Points in 2nd quarter ."] |
The Los Angeles Clippers (20 - 10) defeated the Golden State Warriors (23 - 5) 100 - 86 on Thursday. Los Angeles stopped their two - game losing streak with the win. Jamal Crawford paced the team with a game - high 24 points, while the Clippers shot just 39 percent from the field and 28 percent from beyond the arc as a team. They won the game at the foul line, going to the charity stripe 31 times compared to the Warriors' 22 trips to the free - throw line. Blake Griffin continued to rebound well, posting 18 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes. The Clippers will remain home to host the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. Golden State has lost their last two games, tying their longest losing streak of the season. As a team, they shot just 43 percent from the field and 21 percent from beyond the arc. Marreese Speights moved into the starting lineup with both Andrew Bogut (knee) and Festus Ezeli (ankle) out Thursday. Bogut is expected to start doing some on - court work in the next few days, but he likely remains at least a couple weeks away from returning. David Lee has played off the bench for the first three games of his return to the active roster. He put up 11 points and three rebounds in 19 minutes Thursday. The Warriors will return home to host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 28 Percentage of 3 points ,has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 10 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 20 Points in 2nd quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 21 Percentage of 3 points ,has 43 Percentage of field goals ,has 5 Losses ,has 86 Total points ,has 22 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 23 Wins ."] |
The Toronto Raptors (35 - 17) defeated the San Antonio Spurs (32 - 19) 87 - 82 on Sunday. The Raptors made a change to their starting lineup, moving James Johnson into the starting small forward spot and shifting Greivis Vasquez back to a bench role. Johnson capitalized on the promotion to score a game - high 20 points in 30 minutes. Vasquez played 16 minutes off the bench and put up five points and two assists. It was a gritty game, with both teams shooting 43 percent or worse from the floor. The Raptors pulled away from the Spurs thanks to their work at the free - throw line. DeMar DeRozan led the charge there, marching to the line to convert 10 - of - 12 attempts. The Spurs could n't buy a shot, shooting 33 percent from the field and 25 percent from beyond the arc. Tim Duncan and Marco Belinelli tied for a team - high 12 points, illustrating the Spurs' futility on offense. Toronto is in second place in the Eastern Conference, but they sit seven games behind the conference - leading Hawks. The Raptors will host the Wizards on Wednesday. San Antonio sits in seventh place in the Western Conference standings, 4 games ahead of the eighth place Suns. The Spurs will continue their nine - game road trip in Indiana on Monday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 17 Percentage of 3 points ,has 87 Percentage of field goals ,has 35 Losses ."
"TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 25 Percentage of 3 points ,has 33 Percentage of field goals ,has 19 Losses ,has 82 Total points ,has 12 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 32 Wins ."] |
The Warriors (13 - 2) used a second quarter run to top the Pistons (3 - 13) Sunday in Detroit. Golden State, winners of nine straight, trailed by three at the end of the first quarter before beginning the second on a 13 - 4 run keyed by Marreese Speights and Harrison Barnes. Detroit battled back to trim the deficit to five points but the Warriors closed on a 10 - 1 run to lead 53 - 40 at half. From then on, the margin never returned to single - digits, with the lead reaching 22 points midway through the third quarter. The Warriors were led by 16 points and 10 assists from Stephen Curry. Klay Thompson had 15 points, while Draymond Green added a game - high 20 to go with six rebounds. Speights chipped in 11 points and 12 rebounds off the bench, and Shaun Livingston finished with 12 points in 23 minutes. It was another night of poor shooting (36%) for the Pistons, losers of eight straight, as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the only starter to make at least half of his shots. The second - year guard finished with 22 points and six assists, while backcourt mate Brandon Jennings added 23 points. Josh Smith finished with 14 points and 12 assists, but Golden State held Andre Drummond to just two points (1 - 8 FG) and seven rebounds in 24 minutes. Greg Monroe, who came off the bench, had a 13 - point, 10 - rebound double - double. Up next, the Warriors return home to host the Magic on Tuesday. Detroit plays host to the Lakers, also on Tuesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 36 Percentage of field goals ."] |
The Toronto Raptors defeated the Houston Rockets 115 - 102 at Toyota Center on Wednesday. It was a wire - to - wire victory for the Raptors (9 - 6), who ended their two - game slide Wednesday night on the road. While he did n't reach his scoring average on the season, DeMar DeRozan still led the way with 24 points, nine assists and five rebounds in 36 minutes, with DeMarre Carroll managing to score 20 points of his own on 9 - of - 14 shooting. Jonas Valanciunas added a double - double of 15 points and 16 rebounds in what was a great night for the Toronto starting lineup, who scored 78 of the team's 115 points. As a team, the Raptors shot a scorching 12 - of - 23 (52 percent) from behind the arc. For the Rockets (9 - 6), it was James Harden, as usual, leading the way with 29 points, 15 assists and six rebounds in 41 minutes. He was, however, a bit careless with the basketball, managing 12 turnovers and nearly matching the Raptors' team total of 14. As a team, the Rockets had an astonishing 26 turnovers, which led to plenty of empty possessions that ultimately left them with little chance to win Wednesday's contest. On the bright side, each of the five Houston starters scored in double figures, but Ryan Andersen had the next highest total behind Harden with just 13 points. Up next, the Raptors will head to Milwaukee on Friday to take on the Bucks, while the Rockets will travel Friday to Sacramento and play the Kings. | ["TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 6 Percentage of 3 points ,has 102 Losses ,has 26 Total points ,has 9 Turnovers ."
"TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 52 Percentage of 3 points ,has 6 Losses ,has 115 Total points ,has 14 Turnovers ,has 9 Wins ."] |
The Oklahoma City Thunder (11 - 6) defeated the Detroit Pistons (8 - 8) 103 - 87 on Friday. This was the Reggie Jackson homecoming game, but he did n't have his best performance. In fact, both point guards struggled mightily. Jackson battled foul trouble all game long while shooting just 4 - for - 16 from the field. Westbrook was even worse, as he tallied just 14 points, four rebounds and four assists while committing a ghastly 11 turnovers. These were the top - two rebounding teams in the NBA coming in and that proved to be the difference. The Thunder actually outrebounded the Pistons 58 - 38 and simply dominated the boards. The Pistons are usually carried by Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond, but they were both battling foul trouble all game long. That's a recipe for disaster and they could n't quite bounce - back with that adversity. They still managed to combine for 30 points and 12 rebounds but that was n't enough. In fact, those seven rebounds from Drummond marks the first time he has n't cracked double - digits this season. The Pistons also did n't get much bench production, as only four players came off the bench with none of them scoring more than six points. If Drummond and Jackson are going to battle foul problems and the bench does n't step up, a win is a nearly impossible proposition. Detroit will take on the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday in their next scheduled game. The Thunder got a win, despite Westbrook's worst game of the season. The defense was the key, as they held the Pistons to just 32 points in the second half. Oklahoma City was also happy to see Kevin Durant at full strength and playing at an MVP level in this game. Durant dropped 34 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in the win. Those are the types of performances the Thunder need from Durant all season if they are to compete for an NBA title. That is the beauty of having Durant and Westbrook. If one is off, the other can go crazy and carry the team on any given night. Oklahoma City will have a tough matchup in their next game, as they travel to Atlanta to take on the Hawks on Monday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 6 Losses ,has 103 Total points ,has 58 Rebounds ,has 11 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 8 Losses ,has 87 Total points ,has 38 Rebounds ,has 8 Wins ."] |
The Houston Rockets defeated the host Brooklyn Nets, 137 - 112, at Barclay's Center on Sunday. The second - best offense facing the worst defense usually results in a lot of points and that was just the case here. This was a near wire - to - wire win for Houston, as they won each individual quarter and never trailed after the first three minutes. Scoring came at ease for the Rockets, as they shot 51 percent from the field and 48 percent from three - point range. Rebounding was a key advantage for Houston, winning that battle, 50 - 38. The Houston starters really put it to the Nets starters too, outscoring them, 89 - 49. The Rockets (32 - 11) were in the midst of their first losing streak of the season, but a matchup against the Nets is a great way to break that. James Harden was once again the star, as he tallied 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists en route to a triple - double. Eric Gordon was a huge spark off the bench, as he accrued 24 points, three rebounds and three assists. Trevor Ariza also surpassed 20 points, providing 23 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Patrick Beverley collected 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Montrezl Harrell got the start at center and dropped 16 points and seven rebounds. The Nets (8 - 32) have struggled on defense all season and a date with the Rockets is the last thing they wanted to see. Trevor Booker led the team in scoring, contributing 18 points, five rebounds and three steals. Justin Hamilton got the start for Brook Lopez (rest) and totaled 11 points, three rebounds and three blocks in the defeat. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was great off the bench, amassing 14 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Both teams will be in action again on Tuesday, as they Rockets play the Miami Heat on the road, while the Nets host the Toronto Raptors. | ["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 32 Percentage of 3 points ,has 112 Losses ,has 8 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 48 Percentage of 3 points ,has 11 Losses ,has 137 Total points ,has 32 Wins ."] |
Miami has been the best team in the NBA over the past month and road wins over teams like Cleveland show just how well they're playing. The assist - to - turnover ratio was the difference in the game, with Miami recording eight more assists than Cleveland, while committing 10 less turnovers. The Heat dominated from long distance too, going 16 - of - 35 from three - point range, while the Cavaliers went just 9 - of - 27. Dion Waiters was the star, as he led Miami with 29 points and five assists. Goran Dragic finished with 21 points and six assists. Hassan Whiteside totaled 13 points and 11 rebounds en route to a double - double. Wayne Ellington came off the bench to provide 18 points, four rebounds and four assists. Kyrie Irving led the way for Cleveland, tallying 32 points, seven rebounds and three assists. LeBron James accumulated 31 points, 17 rebounds and six assists. No other Cleveland player reached double figures in scoring. | ["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 29 Points in 1st quarter ."] |
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the visting Golden State Warriors, 118 - 94, to take a 3 - 1 lead in the Western Conference finals Tuesday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Warriors withstood an opening 22 - 8 run from the Thunder to close the gap to four to end the first period. But with the Thunder leading 44 - 40 with 6:39 to go in the first half, Oklahoma City rattled off a dominant 28 - 13 run to go into the half with a 19 - point lead. Despite a valiant effort from Klay Thompson, who scored 19 points in the third quarter, the Warriors were never able to get it closer than eight points in the second half. Russell Westbrook recorded his third career playoff game with a triple - double and at least 30 points, as he scored 36 (12 - 27 FG, 4 - 8 3PT), dished 11 assists and grabbed 11 rebounds (six offensive) in a dominant performance. Kevin Durant struggled from the floor (8 - 24) but still scored 26 points and added 11 rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks. Andre Roberson had his best game of the playoffs, as he scored 17 points (7 - 12 FG) and secured 12 rebounds, and Serge Ibaka also scored 17 points to go with seven rebounds and two blocks. Oklahoma City dominated on the glass (56 - 40 overall, 16 - 8 on offensive rebounds) and blocked eight shots as they held Golden State to just 41 percent shooting. Thompson led Golden State with 26 points (9 - 17 FG, 4 - 11 3PT, 4 - 4 FT). Steph Curry could n't find his shot, and he finished with 19 points (6 - 20 FG, 2 - 10 3PT, 5 - 7 FT), five rebounds and five assists against six turnovers. Harrison Barnes was the only other Warrior to reach double figures with 11 points (4 - 6 FG, 1 - 2 3PT, 2 - 2 FT). Golden State hit just nine of their 30 three - point attempts, a 30 percent mark that sits over 11 points below their regular season average. Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals is scheduled for 9:0 PM Eastern Time on Thursday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 1 Percentage of 3 points ,has 118 Percentage of field goals ,has 56 Losses ,has 3 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 30 Percentage of 3 points ,has 41 Percentage of field goals ,has 94 Losses ,has 26 Total points ,has 40 Points in 1st quarter ."] |
The visiting Boston Celtics took down the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, 104 - 98. Boston (38 - 21) was up by double digits for much of the game's middle portion but saw their lead dwindle towards the game's end. The Celtics were actually down by a point with 45 seconds remaining, when a deep three - point miss with time on the shot clock from Detroit's Reggie Jackson allowed Boston to take possession and the lead. On the other end, rookie Jaylen Brown hit a game - clinching three - pointer while being fouled. Brown finished the night with 13 points on 5 - of - 9 shooting. All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas was, per usual, the team's leading scorer. Thomas scored 33 points and hit five three - pointers, helping to extend his streak of games with at least 20 points to 43. As a team, the Celtics now are on the second - longest streak of games with at least 10 made three - pointers of all time, as the Cs have met the mark in 17 straight contests. It was a disappointing night for Detroit (28 - 31), as the Pistons entered the game having won five of their last seven contests. It was also the jersey retirement celebration for legendary Pistons guard Richard "Rip" Hamilton. The Pistons were unable to treat Hamilton to a win, however, despite a valiant comeback effort. Perhaps the biggest hang - up for Detroit was free - throw shooting, as the team went a miserable 16 - of - 35 from the free - throw line. A big piece of that was center Andre Drummond, who went just 1 - of - 11 at the stripe. Drummond is the worst career free - throw shooter in the league's history at just over 38 percent during his time in the association. Boston will host the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, while Detroit will host the Trail Blazers on Tuesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 31 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 45 Rebounds ,has 28 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 21 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 38 Rebounds ."] |
The Brooklyn Nets (31 - 40) took down the Cleveland Cavaliers (47 - 27) 106 - 98 on Friday. The Nets were able to defeat the second best team in the Eastern Conference with strong performances from Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson, who each scored 20 points. Bojan Bogdanovic added a nice spark off the bench with 18 points to help relieve the starters. He was n't the only one filling it up for the Brooklyn bench, Alan Anderson and Jarrett Jack combined for 29 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals. Brooklyn kept their playoff hopes alive and are just a half a game back from the Boston Celtics, who currently hold the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. The Cavaliers ended a four game win streak that began with a victory over the same Nets who beat them on Friday. The big three of LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving combined for 68 points but were the only Cleveland players to reach double figures in any statistical category. The Nets were without Thaddeus Young, but like most teams as of late, the Cavs did n't have an answer for Brook Lopez. It did n't help that bigman Timofey Mozgov was held to just two points and five rebounds with zero fouls in 17 minutes. Cleveland will host Nerlens Noel and the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, as the Nets will welcome the Los Angeles Lakers to town. | ["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 40 Losses ,has 106 Total points ,has 29 Points in 1st quarter ,has 31 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 27 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 47 Points in 1st quarter ."] |
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving stepped up for a second straight night in Kevin Love's absence, combining for 60 points on 23 - of - 41 shooting. Irving added a career - high 13 assists, six rebounds and a steal, while James posted nine rebounds and six assists. Richard Jefferson supplied 10 points in Love's stead, and Tristan Thompson hauled in 15 rebounds. A pair of 10 - point efforts from Channing Frye and Iman Shumpert paced the second unit. Giannis Antetokounmpo's 28 points led Milwaukee, and Jabari Parker was right behind him with 27 points, as the duo tried to keep pace with Cleveland's Big Two. However, John Henson, Tony Snell, and Matthew Dellavedova, the remaining members of the first unit, could only combine for nine points between them. Malcolm Brodgon supplied 11 points off the bench as the only other double - digit scorer. | ["TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 28 Points in 2nd quarter ."] |
The Boston Celtics (35 - 42) defeated the Toronto Raptors (45 - 32) in a 117 - 116 overtime thriller Saturday at the Air Canada Centre. Boston had a six point lead with under two minutes to go in the fourth, but DeMar DeRozan had eight points in the final 1:23 to send this game into overtime. The Celtics and Raptors traded baskets in the extra period, with three lead changes in the final 32 seconds. Toronto's Louis Williams canned the go - ahead three with four seconds to go, but Marcus Smart answered with a buzzer beater to give the Celtics the win. Boston will look to tie the season series at two games apiece when they meet again April 14. Boston gained ground on Miami and Brooklyn on Saturday after the Heat and Nets both lost. The Celtics moved ahead of the Heat for the eighth and final spot in the East with Saturday's thrilling victory. Isaiah Thomas was a difference maker again off the bench, scoring a team - high 25 points. The Celtics have five games remaining, with three of those games coming against playoff bound teams. Boston will be off until Wednesday when they take on Detroit. Toronto dropped both games of a back - to - back set after Saturday's loss at home. The Raptors lost those two games by six points combined. DeMar DeRozan was prolific in his 43 minutes on the floor, pouring in 38 points. Louis Williams was a big contributor off the bench with 27 points. Kyle Lowry was sidelined again with a back issue that has lingered since late March. The Raptors will be off until Wednesday as well when they travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets. | ["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 32 Losses ,has 116 Total points ,has 45 Points in 2nd quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 42 Losses ,has 117 Total points ,has 32 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 35 Wins ."] |
Toronto looked poised to grab a huge road win, but Boston made the final push that gave them the victory. In fact, Toronto led for the first 42 minutes of this game, with the Celtics largest lead being the five - point final margin. The fourth quarter was decisive, as Boston won that quarter, 32 - 19. Fee-throw shooting was the Raptors downfall, as they hit just 56 percent, while the Celtics shot 83 percent from the charity stripe. Kyle Lowry carried the load in the absence of DeMar DeRozan (ankle), as he tallied 32 points, five assists and two steals. Powell started for DeRozan and finished with 12 points, five rebounds and two assists. Jared Sullinger played well off the bench, totaling 13 points and six rebounds. Isaiah Thomas was the player of the game, as he accumulated 44 points, four rebounds and seven assists. Jae Crowder was second on the team in scoring, providing 14 points and eight rebounds. | ["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 32 Points in 4th quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 19 Points in 4th quarter ."] |
Golden State's'big four 'continued to dominate in Thursday's win over the Jazz. Reigning MVP Steph Curry scored a game - high 26 with three three - pointers. However, Curry shot just 3 - of - 9 from beyond the arc, continuing his stretch of abnormally poor three - point shooting. Kevin Durant, meanwhile, scored 21 while pulling down 11 rebounds. Draymond Green also posted a double - double and neared a triple - double, scoring 13 and pulling down 10 rebounds to go with eight assists. The Warriors shot almost 49 percent on the night and had 47 rebounds, ending with an advantage on the glass. The shorthanded Utah Jazz, meanwhile, were led by star center Rudy Gobert. Gobert had 20 points and 17 rebounds and shot a perfect 8 - of - 8 from the field. Point guard Shelvin Mack scored 19 points, while forward Joe Ingles led the team with 21 points off the bench. | ["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 47 Rebounds ."] |
This marks the fifth straight loss for the Knicks, as they continue to slide down the standings. The big difference in this game was the ball movement, as the Magic dominated the assist - to - turnover ratio. In fact, the Magic recorded 35 assists to just 12 turnovers, while New York committed 18 turnovers to match their 18 assists. Jodie Meeks led the Magic in scoring, as he dropped 23 points on 7 - of - 9 shooting. Aaron Gordon and Serge Ibaka dominated down low, as they each provided 22 points and six rebounds. Nikola Vucevic and Elfrid Payton each recorded a double - double off the bench, as Vucevic totaled 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Payton accrued 13 points and 14 assists. Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks in scoring, as he collected 19 points and seven rebounds. Derrick Rose was second on the team, with his 18 points, three rebounds and four assists. | ["TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 18 Number of team assists ,has 18 Points in 4th quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Magic') has 35 Number of team assists ,has 23 Points in 4th quarter ,has 12 Turnovers ."] |
The Milwaukee Bucks (13 - 12) defeated the Phoenix Suns (12 - 14) 96 - 94 on Monday. Milwaukee has won two straight over Western Conference teams whom are expected to fight for playoff spots this season. The Bucks lost Jabari Parker to a sprained left knee during the contest. Parker will undergo examination to determine the severity of the injury, but when reviewing the tape, it appears Parker may be forced to sit out for at least a few games. Milwaukee used their deep bench to gain an advantage on the thin Suns, with four of the Bucks' bench players finishing in double digits. Starting point guard Brandon Knight scored a team - high 20 points to lead the way. Phoenix is careening downhill with a six - game losing streak. They moved Alex Len into the starting center spot with Miles Plumlee moving to a bench role. Len fouled out, but put up six points, six rebounds and three blocks in 19 minutes. Goran Dragic missed a second straight game with a lower back injury, giving Gerald Green another spot start at shooting guard. Green finished with 12 points and eight rebounds in 40 minutes but shot just 3 - of - 18 from the field. Milwaukee has three games left on their road trip. They'll take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Phoenix's schedule relaxes over their next couple games, starting with Wednesday's game in Charlotte against the Hornets. | ["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 14 Losses ,has 94 Total points ,has 12 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 12 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 13 Wins ."] |
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings 101 - 91 at Golden 1 Center on Thursday. The Lakers (5 - 4) were down by 19 points with 4:54 left in the second quarter after Anthony Tolliver buried a 25 - foot three point jumper, but the narrative did not stay the same for the Kings (4 - 6) on their home court. Through nine games, the Lakers captured their fifth win of the season, which took them until late December to get to that total last season. Luke Walton's system is working, especially for the shooters like Nick Young and Lou Williams. Both players were instrumental in leading the second half comeback, as Young grabbed 13 of his 16 points in the second half. Sacramento, on the other hand, went through a long scoring drought in the third quarter, and simply did not get many calls under the rim. DeMarcus Cousins found some life in the fourth quarter after getting some rest, but it was too little too late for the Kings to mount a comeback. Cousins finished with 28 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals on 10 - of - 25 shooting, but only got to the free throw line eight times. Rudy Gay and Ty Lawson finished in double figures for the starters alongside Cousins, but the inefficient bench shooting sunk the Kings while the Lakers got the hot hand. Los Angeles turned to their bench, specifically Lou Williams. The ex - sixth man of the year went off for 21 points on 12 shots in 23 minutes of action. Williams driving layup with 8:40 left in the fourth quarter and three pointer made with 4:52 left in that same final period kept the Kings just out of reach, and came in clutch moments to help the starters. Julius Randle was defensively impressive, especially in transition, including a big block on DeMarcus Cousins. Both Kentucky products were jawing at each other by the end of the game. Randle pitched in an all around game with 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Next up, the Kings visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, while the Lakers visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Kings') has 6 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 25 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 4 Points in 3rd quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Lakers') has 4 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 25 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 5 Points in 3rd quarter ."] |
The Washington Wizards defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 95 - 92, at Verizon Center on Friday. For over 47 minutes Friday, the Hawks' Kyle Korver could n't find the net despite his best efforts. The veteran guard had come up empty on his first seven shots while also committing four turnovers. However, Korver's first points came at a crucial juncture, as he sank a three - pointer with 41 seconds remaining, closing Atlanta's (3 - 2) deficit to 95 - 92. Following a missed three - pointer from Bradley Beal, who led all scorers, Korver had a chance for a game - tying three on the very next possession, but instead tallied his eighth missed shot on nine overall attempts. The misfire allowed the Wizards (1 - 3) to escape with a hard - fought victory, their first of the season, despite shooting just 39 percent from the field. Atlanta was paced by a pair of 20 - point efforts from Dwight Howard and Dennis Schroder, with the former also posting 12 rebounds, an assist and three steals and the latter supplying seven boards and three assists. Paul Millsap was next with 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals. However, the other two members of the starting five, Kent Bazemore and Korver, created a scoring void by only registering three points on combined 1 - of - 16 shooting. Mike Muscala and Tim Hardaway, Jr. helped make up some for the lack of production with a pair of 10 - point efforts off the bench. Muscala also added seven rebounds, while Hardaway added four rebounds, three assists and a steal. Beal contributed a total of 28 points, three assists, two rebounds and a block. Wall posted 21 points, 10 boards, six assists and two steals. Markieff Morris came just a rebound short of a double - double himself, collecting 18 points, nine rebounds, an assist, three steals and a block. Marcin Gortat did accomplish the feat, compiling 12 points, 15 rebounds, a steal and a block. The Hawks head back home to take on the Rockets on Saturday night, while the Wizards hit the road to for their own Saturday tussle with the Orlando Magic. | ["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 3 Losses ,has 95 Total points ,has 1 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 2 Percentage of field goals ,has 92 Losses ,has 3 Total points ."] |
The Phoenix Suns (36 - 33) held off the New Orleans Pelicans (37 - 31) on Thursday at the US Airways Center by a score of 74 - 72. Anthony Davis' absence was certainly apparent Thursday after the rising super star was scratched from the lineup with a sprained ankle suffered during the morning shootaround. As a result, Phoenix's Brandan Wright had free reign of the paint all night, finishing with seven blocks and eight rebounds. Omer Asik's departure due to a calf injury did n't help the Pelicans' cause either as the Suns out - rebounded them by 12. It was a sloppy game on the offensive end as well with neither team shooting above 40 percent from the field. The Suns were able to come away with the win in the end after Tyreke Evans' jumper with time running out did n't fall. These two teams are battling for the final playoff spot in the West and will have a pivotal meeting on April 10 to decide the season series. New Orleans' last two games have been decided by a grand total of three points as they are now a full game behind Oklahoma City in the Western Conference. Asik and Davis were n't the only injured Pelicans on Thursday; Tyreke Evans was noticeably playing through pain in his left ankle, but gritted out 35 minutes of time on the floor. The Pelicans do n't have much time to nurse their wounds with a matchup with the Warriors on the slate for Friday. It's unclear whether Anthony Davis or Omer Asik will be available for that contest. Phoenix finished its five - game homestand with a 3 - 2 mark after getting a big win Thursday. Brandon Knight, Alex Len, and Marcus Thornton were all sidelined with injuries, but Markieff Morriss and Brandan Wright helped the Suns get the win. The Suns will travel to Houston to take on the Rockets on Saturday before kicking off a four - game homestand on Sunday against Dallas. That homestand is critical for the Suns, who will be on the road for seven of its final eight games. | ["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 33 Losses ,has 74 Total points ,has 12 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 12 Turnovers ,has 36 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Pelicans') has 31 Losses ,has 72 Total points ,has 37 Points in 3rd quarter ."] |
The Indiana Pacers (31 - 26) defeated the New York Knicks (24 - 35) 108 - 105 on Wednesday. A nip - and - tuck battle came down to the last shot, with Carmelo Anthony missing a 24 - foot three - point jumper at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime. At the 1:19 mark of the fourth quarter, it was looking increasing improbable that the Knicks would even have a chance to tie, as Paul George had helped the Pacers open up a 107 - 101 lead with a 17 - foot jumper. However, after New York got as close as 107 - 105, Kristaps Porzingis missed a 27 - foot three - point jumper with three seconds remaining, and Myles Turner was able to haul in the all - important defensive rebound. Turner's succesful conversion of one of two free - throw attempts resulting from an immediate foul by Langston Galloway stretched the lead to three, setting up Anthony's last - gasp shot from beyond the arc. The missed three notwithstanding, the Knicks enjoyed a remarkable night from long range, shooting 50 percent. Porzingis led the way for New York with 22 points, two rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block. Jose Calderon was next with 20 points, his second highest total of the season, which he supplemented with four rebounds, four assists and a steal. Anthony contributed 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a steal. The bench was led by two notable performances. Kyle O'Quinn paced the reserves with 19 points, six boards and a block in a highly efficient 16 minutes, while Galloway supplied 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. New York remains in third place in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division, and six and a half games behind the eighth - seeded Charlotte Hornets. They're home against the Orlando Magic on Friday. Indiana was spearheaded by George, who furnished 27 points, seven rebounds, six assists and a steal. He came out of intermission on a mission, as all but two of his points came in the second half. Turner finished with 24 points, six boards and a steal. George Hill registered 10 points, three rebounds, an assist and a pair of thefts. Joseph Young led the reserves with eight points, three assists and a pair of rebounds. Indiana is currently in second place in the Eastern Conference's Central Division, and is also the fifth seed in the conference. They remain home to face the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 26 Percentage of 3 points ,has 108 Losses ,has 31 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 50 Percentage of 3 points ,has 35 Losses ,has 105 Total points ,has 24 Wins ."] |
The Boston Celtics defeated the Golden State Warriors, 99 - 86, Wednesday at Oracle Arena. The game remained tight throughout Wednesday's contest, with two points separating the teams as they entered the final period. It was at that point, however, where the Celtics (41 - 24) turned it on and ended up running away with the game. Courtesy of a 150 run over three minutes and a 21 - 7 run overall to end the game, Boston was able to dominate the Warriors (52 - 12) 27 - 12 in the fourth quarter. And they did n't need any heroics from Isaiah Thomas to do so, as the point guard scored just seven points in the final 12 minutes. Thomas did, however, finish with a team - high 25 points in 34 minutes, but the team's most valuable performance Wednesday came off the bench from Kelly Olynyk, who scored 17 points on 7 - of - 9 shooting in 26 minutes as a reserve. As for the Warriors, it was a fourth quarter to forget. More specifically, it was a fourth quarter to forget for the reigning two - time MVP Stephen Curry, who was 0 - for - 1 from the field and committed two turnovers in the five minutes he managed to play in the final period. Curry still finished with 23 points on 8 - of - 16 shooting from the field to go along with six assists and five rebounds, while Klay Thompson added a team - high 25 points on 11 - of - 23 shooting. In the end, however, Golden State's 17 turnovers, four of which occurred in the last seven minutes of the game, were too much for them to overcome late. Up next, the Celtics will look to keep things rolling Friday against the Nuggets, while the Warriors will head to Minnesota on Friday to take on the Timberwolves. | ["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 12 Losses ,has 86 Total points ,has 12 Points in 4th quarter ,has 17 Turnovers ,has 52 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 24 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 27 Points in 4th quarter ,has 41 Turnovers ."] |
The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 120 - 118, at Barclays Center on Monday. The 7 - 22 record the Nets came in to Monday's game with certainly inspired no confidence that they could topple a Hornets squad sporting a solid 17 - 12 mark, but the one glimmer of hope was the fact that all but one of Brooklyn's victories had come at home. Accordingly, the hosts put on a spectacular offensive display Monday, even after losing starting point guard Jeremy Lin to a hamstring injury in the third quarter. After a back - and - forth tussle for three quarters, the Nets entered the final period on the wrong end of an 88 - 83 score. However, they battled back to take a 111 - 105 lead with just 3:4 remaining after a Sean Kilpatrick three - pointer. The Hornets would n't go quietly however, and following a Cody Zeller put - back with three seconds left, they were back up on top by a 118 - 117 margin. That set up a final possession for Brooklyn, one that culminated in a buzzer - beating 25 - foot three - pointer from veteran sharpshooter Randy Foye that sealed the victory. Notably, it was Foye's only basket of the evening. Charlotte was paced by a 24 - point effort from Nicolas Batum, which he supplemented with five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Jeremy Lamb followed from the bench with 17 points, four rebounds, an assist and a block. Kemba Walker and Zeller contributed a pair of 15 - point efforts, with the former also supplying six assists, three rebounds and two steals, and the latter adding nine rebounds, two assists and a steal. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist contributed a 12 - point, 10 - rebound double - double that also included two assists and two blocks. Frank Kaminsky was productive in a reserve role as well with 13 points and five rebounds. The Nets saw Bojan Bogdanovic lead them with 26 points in 27 minutes off the bench, a total he supplemented with four rebounds and two assists. Kilpatrick followed with 23 points, five boards and four assists. His point total consisted of a 9 - of - 15 tally from the field, including 4 - of - 7 from three - point range. Brook Lopez supplied 21 points, five, rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Jeremy Lin registered 17 points, four assists and a pair of steals. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson continued to be productive as a reserve with 10 points and four boards. The Hornets head down to Central Florida for a Wednesday night with the Orlando Magic, while the Nets visit Chicago on Wednesday evening as well. | ["TeamStat(G,'Nets') has 120 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 118 Total points ."] |
The Toronto Raptors defeated the host Indiana Pacers, 101 - 85, to take a 2 - 1 lead in the Eastern Conference first - round playoffs Thursday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Just as the Pacers had ambushed the Raptors in the first game of the series on their home court, Toronto returned the favor by playing the role of unruly visitor in Indiana. The Raptors established themselves early, jumping out to a 24 - 17 lead after one quarter. That margin extended to 53 - 36 by intermission, as Toronto was able to receive contributions from two key components that had been quiet in the series until now. DeMarre Carroll (17 points) and DeMar DeRozan (21 points) both stepped up to help postseason stalwarts Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas, allowing the Raptors to essentially cruise to a 2 - 1 series lead. DeRozan and Lowry co - led the attack with their respective 21 - point totals. The former also pitched in with three assists, two rebounds and two steals, while the latter handed out eight assists, hauled in four rebounds and recorded a steal. Carroll supplied 17 points, five rebounds, a steal and a block. Valanciunas had his lowest scoring total of the series so far (nine points), but snared 14 boards and recorded a block. Cory Joseph continued to play well off the bench, leading the reserves with 10 points, four assists, two rebounds and a steal. Paul George did the heavy lifting for the Pacers for the third straight game, tallying 25 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block. George Hill contributed 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Monta Ellis, who'd missed practice Wednesday with a personal issue, could only muster seven points, six rebounds, four assists and a steal. Myles Turner led the reserves with 17 points, eight rebounds, an assist and three blocks. The two teams reconvene for Game 4 on Saturday afternoon at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 85 Losses ,has 17 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 1 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 24 Points in 1st quarter ,has 2 Wins ."] |
The Dallas Mavericks saw the most impressive offensive night of their season so far, thanks in large part to shooting guard Wesley Matthews. Matthews scored a team - high 25 points on 10 - of - 14 shooting with five three - pointers. The sharpshooter was complemented by forward Harrison Barnes, who shot 6 - of - 11 en route to 18 points. Point guard Deron Williams went 7 - of - 16 for 17 points and also dished out a team - high eight assists. Dallas posted ridiculously high team shooting splits of 58 percent from the field, 46 percent from three - point range, and 83 percent from the line in the game. Denver, meanwhile, saw a fairly sloppy offensive night, as the team had 16 turnovers and shot just 42 percent. Bench big man Nikola Jokic, however, provided a bright spot for the Nuggets. The sophomore had 27 points and 11 rebounds on 10 - of - 12 shooting in what was one of the best statistical performances of his young career. | ["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 46 Percentage of 3 points ,has 58 Percentage of field goals ."
"TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 42 Percentage of 3 points ,has 16 Percentage of field goals ."] |
The Houston Rockets took down the host Dallas Mavericks, 106 - 98, in a matchup of divisional rivals on Friday. Houston was able to pull away in the third quarter on the back of strong three - point shooting. Forward Trevor Ariza led the team with 27 points and five three - pointers, while All-Star guard James Harden trailed narrowly behind with 26 points and four makes from deep. Harden also dished out eight assists, showing continued commitment to his new role as point guard. Harden made the shift under the guidance of new head coach Mike D'Antoni and in part due to the acquisition of shooting guard Eric Gordon. Gordon scored 18 points, also notching four rebounds and six assists. For Dallas, meanwhile, new acquisition Harrison Barnes led the way with 31 points. Barnes, the former Warrior, opened up his career in Dallas with a buzzer beater to force overtime on Wednesday. He picked back up with a strong outing, establishing himself as the focal point of the Mavericks offense. Despite Barnes's significant contribution, however, Dallas was simply out - shot from behind the arc. The Mavericks made just 8 of 29 shot from three, compared to 15 of 32 for the Rockets. The teams will face off again on Sunday night, with Houston playing host. | ["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 98 Total points ,has 31 Points in 4th quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Rockets') has 106 Total points ."] |
The Utah Jazz (2 - 3) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers (1 - 3) 102 - 100 on Wednesday at Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City. The Cavaliers have n't been able to find their flow as a team thus far, and they took their second straight loss Wednesday. The Jazz were led by the duo of Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors, who each scored 21 points on a combined 16 - of - 25 from the field. Favors also contributed 10 rebounds, putting togeher his second double - double of the season, while Hayward added seven assists. After going for 17 points on Monday, Enes Kanter had his second straight game with solid offensive output, as he finished this game with 18 points and five rebounds. Alec Burks was the fourth Jazz starter to reach double - digit scoring, as he had 11 points of his own. Coming off the bench, Trevor Booker led all reserves with nine points and four rebounds. The big three of LeBron James, Kyrie irving, and Kevin Love were the only Cavaliers to score in double - digits in this game. James went 8 - for - 18 from the field and 3 - for - 5 from beyond the arc for 31 points, while adding four assists as well. Irving got off a team - high 23 shots and converted on 12 of them, finishing with 34 points of his own. Despite shooting only 2 - for - 10 from the field and 1 - for - 5 from three - point land, Love scored 14 points, largely due to making it to the line 11 times and making nine of them. Shawn Marion got the start at shooting guard over Dion Waiters, but struggled to establish any consistency and finished scoreless with two rebounds. Waiters did n't do much off the bench as he had only five points, but considering he only played 13 minutes, it was n't as bad as it looked. The Jazz's next game will be at home against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, while the Cavaliers will go on the road to Denver to play the Nuggets on Friday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Jazz') has 3 Losses ,has 102 Total points ,has 2 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 3 Losses ,has 100 Total points ,has 1 Wins ."] |
The Chicago Bulls (24 - 10) defeated the Boston Celtics (11 - 20) 109 - 104 in overtime on Saturday. Chicago has won two straight and nine of their last ten games. They earned Saturday's win with Jimmy Butler (personal) and Mike Dunleavy (ankle) out of the lineup. Kirk Hinrich and Nikola Mirotic mad spot starts at shooting guard and small forward. It was Mirotic's first start of his career, and he finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes. The Bulls were led by Pau Gasol, who put up 29 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks in 38 minutes. Gasol has blocked 14 shots over his last two games, and he is averaging a career - high 2 blocks per game for the season. Chicago will stay home to host the Houston Rockets on Monday. Boston has lost two straight and six of their last seven games. Evan Turner started a third straight game at point guard and finished with 29 points and six assists in 40 minutes. Six players scored in double digits for the Celtics, and Jared Sullinger put up a double - double of 16 points and 16 rebounds. Boston will return home to host the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 10 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 29 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 24 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 20 Losses ,has 104 Total points ,has 11 Points in 2nd quarter ."] |
The visiting Toronto Raptors defeated the Denver Nuggets in overtime, 113 - 111, at Pepsi Center on Friday. These two teams have had both of their games go down to the wire this season and the Raptors have escaped with both wins. This game was tight throughout, as there were 26 lead changes, with no team leading by more than 12 points. Three-point shooting was the Nuggets downfall, as they went 4 - of - 25 in the loss. The Raptors also dominated the turnover differential, as they committed 12 turnovers to the Nuggets' 19. Toronto (8 - 4) continually flies under the radar and road wins like this only add to their already impressive resume '. DeMar DeRozan once again led the team in scoring, as he tallied 30 points, five rebounds and four assists in the win. Kyle Lowry was second on the team, finishing with 18 points, five rebounds and 13 assists. Jonas Valanciunas provided 15 points and nine rebounds on 6 - of - 9 shooting. Terrence Ross was a nice spark off the bench, scoring 16 points on 6 - of - 11 shooting. Toronto will stay on the road, as they play the Sacramento Kings on Sunday for their next game. Denver (4 - 8) has fallen victim to late game execution all season long and this was yet another meltdown in overtime. Emmanuel Mudiay did all he could, as he played 45 minutes, in a 25 - point, six - rebound, nine - assist performance. Wilson Chandler also scored 25 points, adding 10 rebounds off the bench. Despite going just 4 - of - 13 from the field, Danilo Gallinari tallied 21 points and nine rebounds, thanks to a 13 - of - 13 night from the free - throw line. Nikola Jokic had one of his best games of the season, accumulating eight points, 12 rebounds and four assists off the bench. The Nuggets will look to play better on Sunday, when they host the Utah Jazz for their next game. | ["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 8 Losses ,has 111 Total points ,has 19 Points in 1st quarter ,has 19 Turnovers ,has 4 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 4 Losses ,has 113 Total points ,has 8 Points in 1st quarter ."] |
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the host Toronto Raptors, 123 - 102, at Air Canada Center on Thursday. It's rare to see Toronto dominated in its home building, but that was just the case here. In fact, this was a wire - to - wire win for Oklahoma City, as they led by at least 19 points for the entirety of the fourth quarter. Shooting was key, with the Thunder shooting 53 percent from the field and 56 percent from three - point range. The Raptors could only muster up 46 percent from the field and 26 percent from three - point range. Rebounding was decisive as well, with Oklahoma City winning that battle, 47 - 32. The 33 assists recorded by the Thunder dominated the 15 dished out by Toronto too. The Thunder (39 - 29) have now won four - straight games, as they continue to ride Russell Westbrook's heavy shoulders. Westbrook picked up his 34th triple - double of the season in this win, as he collected 24 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists. Victor Oladipo was just behind Westbrook, totaling 23 points, five rebounds and two assists. Enes Kanter was a huge spark off the bench, providing 14 points and seven rebounds. Taj Gibson, Alex Abrines and Steven Adams each scored 10 points a piece. On deck for the Thunder is a home matchup against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. The Raptors (39 - 29) continue to struggle without Kyle Lowry and home losses like this show just how much his absence hurts this team. DeMar DeRozan carried the load. as he tallied 22 points, three rebounds and three assists. Cory Joseph accrued 11 points, six assists and two steals. Norman Powell finished second on the team in scoring, dropping 13 points and four rebounds off the bench. Toronto will be in action again on Friday, as they play the Detroit Pistons on the road for their next game. | ["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 15 Number of team assists ,has 46 Percentage of 3 points ,has 29 Percentage of field goals ,has 102 Losses ,has 39 Total points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 33 Number of team assists ,has 56 Percentage of 3 points ,has 53 Percentage of field goals ,has 29 Losses ,has 123 Total points ,has 39 Wins ."] |
Tuesday proved to be a good night to be a starter in Dallas, as both teams saw some impressive performances from members of their starting five. For Portland, the backcourt tandem of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum stole the show, contributing 61 points, including seven three - pointers. McCollum had 32 of those points, while Lillard had 29 and dished out a team - high six assists. In what was an unusual outing, Portland held a massive advantage on the glass, out - rebounding Dallas 55 - 30. The normally weak Blazers frontcourt saw a team - high 15 rebounds from center Mason Plumlee. Dallas, meanwhile, saw all three members of its starting frontcourt score at least 23 points. Veteran Dirk Nowitzki delivered a vintage performance, scoring 25 points and blocking a pair of shots. As a team, the Mavericks shot a stellar 49 percent from the field and drained 12 three - pointers. | ["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 49 Percentage of field goals ,has 30 Rebounds ."
"TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 55 Percentage of field goals ."] |
The Portland Trail Blazers (18 - 6) defeated the Indiana Pacers (7 - 17) 95 - 85 on Saturday. Portland stopped the bleeding from their two - game losing streak with the win. Five players finished in double figures with LaMarcus Aldridge scoring a team - high 19 points. C.J. McCollum remains sidelined with a broken finger, but the Trail Blazers are otherwise healthy. This was the final game of their five - game road trip. Portland will return home to host the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. Indiana has lost eight straight games. Though they are traversing one of the rougher parts of their schedule, the depths to which the Pacers have struggled is surprising. Other than Paul George (leg) and George Hill (knee) being out, the team is healthy, but they have n't found their groove yet this season. Roy Hibbert recorded a double - double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, his first double - double in six games. The Pacers shot a woeful 39 percent from the field in Saturday's loss. They'll host the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, giving them a realistic opportunity to get a new number in the win column. | ["TeamStat(G,'Pacers') has 39 Percentage of field goals ,has 17 Losses ,has 85 Total points ,has 7 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Trail Blazers') has 6 Percentage of field goals ,has 95 Losses ,has 18 Total points ."] |
The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 114 - 80, at FedEx Forum on Thursday. The Grizzlies (21 - 14) have a well - earned defensive reputation, but their thorough domination of the Thunder (20 - 13) was significantly helped by the ejection of Russell Westbrook for back - to - back technical fouls after 23 minutes for arguing a referee's call. However, Memphis did earn the victory through their own strong offensive play as well, as they tallied superb 52 and 59 percent success rates from the field and three - point range, respectively. Meanwhile, without their MVP, the Thunder's offense was largely neutered, as only two reserves, Enes Kanter and Alex Abrines, managed to get into double digits in the scoring column. Westbrook led OKC in scoring despite the early exit, supplying 21 points to go along with five rebounds and two steals, although he notably did not record any assists. Kanter totaled 19 points and five rebounds, while Abrines managed 10 points and three boards. Steven Adams mustered only six points but did haul in 15 rebounds and added two assists and two blocks. However, Andre Roberson, Domantas Sabonis and Anthony Morrow could only register two points apiece. The Grizzlies were paced by Marc Gasol, who compiled 25 points, eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and five blocks. The next two highest point totals came from the bench, as Troy Daniels posted 22 points, along with three rebounds and two assists, and Zach Randolph went for 21 points, eight boards and two assists. JaMychal Green produced 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block, and Andrew Harrison, drawing another start for Mike Conley, tallied 10 points. Chandler Parsons returned after taking off the last game for rest purposes and produced two points, three assists and two steals over 15 minutes. The Thunder return home to face the Los Angeles Clippers on New Year's Eve, while the Grizzlies are at Sacramento on Saturday afternoon as well. | ["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 59 Percentage of 3 points ,has 52 Percentage of field goals ,has 14 Losses ,has 114 Total points ,has 21 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 13 Percentage of 3 points ,has 80 Percentage of field goals ,has 20 Losses ."] |
Boston were expected to win this game easily, but 12 ties and 18 lead changes show just how close it was. Both offenses went off, as they each surpassed 50 percent shooting from the field. Boston took advantage of the lines on the court though, as they shot 83 percent from the free - throw line and 53 percent from three - point range. The Heat hit just 70 percent of their free - throws and 39 percent of their three's. Isaiah Thomas had a historic night, as he dropped a career - high 52 points, with 27 of those coming in the fourth quarter. Al Horford was the only other Boston player in double figures, as he tallied 19 points, four rebounds and six assists. Josh Richardson filled - in for Goran Dragic to accrue 19 points, six rebounds, eight assists and four steals in the defeat. The Johnson's came off the bench to do work yet again for Miami, as Tyler and James combined for 41 points, seven rebounds, and 12 assists | ["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 53 Percentage of 3 points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 39 Percentage of 3 points ."] |
The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 121 - 109, at Spectrum Center on Saturday. The Cavs (25 - 7) entered the contest down one of their Big Three, as Kyrie Irving's hamstring strain proved too much to play on. That left a larger load than usual on the capable shoulders of LeBron James and Kevin Love, and as customary, both All-Stars were up to the challenge. However, Kemba Walker was in no mood to let the Hornets (19 - 15) back down from the reigning NBA champs on Charlotte's home court, and went off for a game - high 37 points. He supplemented his scoring haul with five rebounds and five assists over 35 minutes, and went 13 - of - 22 from the field overall. Despite his remarkable effort and the fact that the Hornets managed a 51 percent success rate from the field, the visitors still proved to be a bit too much to handle, as they drained their buckets at an equally impressive 51 percent clip, including 45 percent from three - point range. James' 32 points led Cleveland, and he added nine assists, six boards and a steal. Love provided a 28 - point, 10 - rebound double - double, while Jordan McRae, drawing the start in Irving's stead, totaled 20 points, four rebounds and an assist while putting on a shooting clinic. The second - year guard was 8 - of - 12 from the floor, including 3 - of - 4 from three - point range. Tristan Thompson supplied 11 points, six rebounds and a steal and Kay Felder, another young backcourt player getting extended opportunity due to Irving's injury, led the second unit with 13 points. Frank Kaminsky III was actually second in scoring behind Walker on the Hornets, as he registered 15 points and five rebounds. Nicolas Batum compiled 13 points, eight assists, six rebounds and a pair of blocks in another stat - sheet - stuffing outing. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist amassed 12 points, eight rebounds and a block, while Marvin Williams managed 10 points, four rebounds, an assist, two blocks and a steal. The Cavs return home to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday evening, while the Hornets visit the Chicago Bulls on Monday night as well. | ["TeamStat(G,'Hornets') has 51 Percentage of field goals ,has 15 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 19 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 7 Percentage of field goals ,has 121 Losses ,has 25 Total points ."] |
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 109 - 98, at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Thursday. The Mavericks (16 - 30) checked in to Thursday's contest as one of the stingiest defenses in the league, and they certainly held their own against a high - octane Thunder (28 - 19) squad overall. However, they could n't truly contain Russell Westbrook, who may not have tallied one of his trademark triple - double, but who still went for a game - high 45 points, a total he supplemented with eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. Westbrook was 16 - of - 29 from the floor, including an outstanding 4 - of - 8 from three - point range. The Mavs put in a valiant effort, particularly considering they were without both Deron Williams (toe) and Dirk Nowitzki (rest), even leading 26 - 23 after one quarter. However, the Thunder and Westbrook gained some separation during a third quarter in which the hosts scored 34 points, sending Dallas to their 18th road loss in 24 games. With two of his veteran teammates on the bench Thursday, Harrison Barnes took on a particularly pivotal role for the Mavs, posting a team - high 31 points, along with two rebounds, two assists and a steal. Justin Anderson was next with a bench - leading 17 points, which he complemented with five rebounds and an assist. Dorian Finney-Smith and Seth Curry were next with matching 11 - point efforts, with the former adding five rebounds, two assists, four steals and a block, and the latter supplying four assists, a rebound and a steal. Pierre Jackson drew the start for Williams and provided nine points, four assists and two rebounds. Victor Oladipo was a distant second behind Westbrook, managing 17 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Steven Adams posted 15 points and seven boards. Donatas Sabonis tallied 10 points, five boards and a steal. Cameron Payne led the bench with six points in 13 minutes. The Mavericks head to San Antonio to take on the Spurs on Sunday night, while the Thunder visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon. | ["TeamStat(G,'Thunder') has 19 Losses ,has 109 Total points ,has 34 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 28 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 30 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 16 Points in 3rd quarter ."] |
The Bucks largely dominated the Bulls through the first three quarters, jumping out to a 64 - 45 halftime advantage, and an 88 - 66 edge after three quarters. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker led the way, combining for 58 points. Milwaukee also shot 47 percent from the field and 55 percent from three - point range, while eliciting 16 turnovers from the Bulls. Antetokounmpo's 30 - point, 14 - rebound double - double paced the Bucks' attack. Parker was right behind with 28 points. Matthew Dellavedova tallied nine points and nine assists. John Henson hauled in 10 boards, while Mirza Teletovic led the second unit with 13 points. Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 21 points, and Dwyane Wade (20 points) and Taj Gibson (19 points) were also productive. However, Robin Lopez (six points) and Rajon Rondo (five points) were n't able to provide much on the scoreboard. | ["TeamStat(G,'Bucks') has 55 Percentage of 3 points ,has 47 Percentage of field goals ,has 30 Points in 1st quarter ."
"TeamStat(G,'Bulls') has 47 Percentage of 3 points ,has 21 Percentage of field goals ,has 16 Points in 1st quarter ."] |
The host Golden State Warriors took down the visiting Toronto Raptors, 121 - 111, on Wednesday. Golden State (28 - 5) maintains the league's top record, despite leading by only a game and a half over the San Antonio Spurs. The Warriors have the league's highest - scoring offense, and showed their firepower again against the tough Toronto D. Three players scored 20 or more for Golden State. Reigning MVP Steph Curry scored 28 to go with seven rebounds and seven assists. Former MVP Kevin Durant scored 22 and added a team - high 17 rebounds and seven assists of his own. Klay Thompson scored 21. The Warriors finished shooting an absurd 57 percent from the field with 33 assists and 51 rebounds. Despite the Warriors' staggering numbers, the Raptors (22 - 9) kept the game close until the final minutes after a comeback in the fourth. Guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan each had fantastic games, scoring 27 and 29 respectively. Wing Terrence Ross came off the bench for 24. The team shot a poor 38 percent, but was able to remain in the game thanks to tough defensive play. The Raptors forced 20 turnovers while committing only seven of their own. The Raptors will visit Phoenix Thursday while Golden State will host Dallas on Friday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Warriors') has 33 Number of team assists ,has 57 Percentage of field goals ,has 5 Losses ,has 121 Total points ,has 51 Rebounds ,has 20 Turnovers ,has 28 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 9 Number of team assists ,has 111 Percentage of field goals ,has 7 Losses ,has 22 Total points ."] |
The Wizards posted a collective 56 percent success rate from the floor and limited the Knicks to 37 - and - 21 percent tallies from the field and three - point range, respectively. Bradley Beal's 28 points (12 - 18 FG) set the pace. Markieff Morris generated a 24 - point, 10 - rebound double - double. Marcin Gortat went for 15 and 10 himself, while John Wall made it a double - double hat trick with 15 points and 13 assists. Otto Porter, Jr. contributed 10 points and Kelly Oubre, Jr. paced the bench with 14. Carmelo Anthony stepped up with both Derrick Rose (ankle) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness) out and scored 26 points. Brandon Jennings supplied 21, while fellow fill - in Willy Hernangomez posted a 15 - point, 14 - rebound double - double. Courtney Lee mustered five points. Joakim Noah went scoreless, but Kyle O'Quinn helped make up for it with a 13 - point, 10 - rebound double - double. | ["TeamStat(G,'Wizards') has 56 Percentage of 3 points ."
"TeamStat(G,'Knicks') has 21 Percentage of 3 points ,has 37 Percentage of field goals ."] |
With Kyle Lowry sitting for rest, replacement Cory Joseph and DeMar DeRozan combined for 69 points. DeRozan's 36 led Toronto, while Joseph compiled 33 on 15 - of - 22 shooting. Terrence Ross' 15 points paced the second unit, while Fred VanVleet posted a career - high 10 as a reserve. DeMarre Carroll generated nine points, and Jonas Valanciunas (seven points) hauled in 10 rebounds. Toronto tallied 52 and 53 percent success rates from the field, and three - point range, respectively. Brook Lopez's 28 points led the Nets. The Nets' bench combined for 57 points, spearheaded by matching 14 - point totals from Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Caris LeVert. On the first unit, Bojan Bogdanovic supplied 11 points, while Trevor Booker pitched in with eight points and eight rebounds. Spencer Dinwiddie could only muster five points, while Joe Harris went scoreless over 18 minutes. | ["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 53 Percentage of 3 points ,has 52 Percentage of field goals ."] |
The San Antonio Spurs (17 - 7) defeated the Denver Nuggets (10 - 14) 99 - 91 on Sunday. San Antonio has lost two of their last four games, with both recent losses coming against non - playoff teams, the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers. Sunday's win over the Nuggets was accomplished with Tony Parker sitting out with a lingering hamstring issue that has caused him to miss four of the last five games. Kawhi Leonard (hand) returned from a two - game absence to record a team - high 18 points in 37 minutes. The Spurs forced the Nuggets into 21 turnovers that resulted in 30 easy points for the Spurs, using the Nuggets' inability to protect the ball to gain an advantage. San Antonio will conclude their two - game road trip against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. Denver has lost six of their last seven games. While they are traversing a rather difficult part of their schedule, the Nuggets' regression over the last two weeks seems more of a regression to the mean than merely a poor stretch. Kenneth Faried sat out the game with an ankle injury, and the team continues to ride the hot hand from game to game, showing little faith in most of their players to account for a poor start and make adjustments. Coach Brian Shaw tends to yank anyone he deems to be underperforming in favor of throwing his bench players into the fray in wild attempts to find an elixir for their problems within a given game. Arron Afflalo scored a game - high 31 points to keep them in Sunday's game, but Afflalo also committed six of the turnovers that proved to be their undoing. The Nuggets will host the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. | ["TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 14 Losses ,has 91 Total points ,has 30 Points in 4th quarter ,has 21 Turnovers ,has 10 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Spurs') has 7 Losses ,has 99 Total points ,has 17 Points in 4th quarter ."] |
The Toronto Raptors defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 128 - 84, at Air Canada Centre on Saturday. The Hawks (10 - 11) checked in to Saturday as a badly flawed team, sporting five consecutive losses on their ledger and once again missing star power forward Paul Millsap due to a hip injury. Their most recent defeat, a 121 - 85 trouncing at the hands of the Detroit Pistons on Atlanta's home court, had come just a night prior. Things looked like they had nowhere to go but up, but the floundering Hawks found a way to sink even further. They shot just 40 percent from the field and 25 percent from three - point range in a season - worst 44 - point loss, while surrendering 58 and 54 percent success rates to the Raptors (14 - 6) in those respective categories. The visitors were also outrebounded by a 48 - 38 margin and committed 18 turnovers while only forcing 12. Atlanta was led by a pair of 15 - point efforts, the first of which came from Dennis Schroder, who supplemented the scoring with six assists, a rebound and a steal. Tim Hardaway, Jr. supplied the second off the bench, and added a rebound, assist, steal and block over 23 minutes. Dwight Howard was the only other member of the starting five with double digits in the scoring column, supplying a 10 - point, 17 - rebound double - double that also included an assist and two blocks. Mike Muscala, who started in Millsap's stead, Kyle Korver and Kent Bazemore combined for just 21 points. Kris Humphries was also productive in a reserve role, registering 10 points and three rebounds. The Raptors saw eight players manage double - digit scoring and were led by DeMar DeRozan, who posted 21 points, four assists, three rebounds and a steal. Backcourt mate Kyle Lowry followed with 17 points, eight assists, eight rebounds and a block. Pascal Siakam totaled a career - high 14 points and complemented them with three rebounds, two blocks and a steal. DeMarre Carroll managed 10 points, five rebounds and three steals. Patrick Patterson led the bench with 17 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal, while Terrence Ross (15 points), Lucas Nogueira (11 points) and Cory Joseph (10 points) also showed up well on the stat sheet. The Hawks head back home to face off with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday evening, while the Raptors remain home to take on the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night as well. | ["TeamStat(G,'Raptors') has 54 Percentage of 3 points ,has 58 Percentage of field goals ,has 6 Losses ,has 128 Total points ,has 14 Wins ."
"TeamStat(G,'Hawks') has 25 Percentage of 3 points ,has 40 Percentage of field goals ,has 11 Losses ,has 84 Total points ,has 10 Wins ."] |
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