Two-thirds of the NBA was to take the floor on Friday night with a lot of Playoff positions at stake. Some teams had costly losses and some teams continued rising. We also have you covered on the impact of the game’s on the standings. Here’s a recap from all the action on Friday night:
Portland Trailblazers vs Golden State Warriors
If you shot 43% from the field, 52.8% from the distance, 82.6% from the free throw line and turned the ball over just eight times, you’ve done enough to win a game right? Most of the times the answer would be yes but not when you’re facing the dominant defending champions the Golden State Warriors.
Those percentages were how Portland performed in the game and yet they lost by 16 points 112-128. Warriors with the win extend their NBA record home winning streak to 47 games. Klay Thompson had one of those nights; he had 37 points on 13 of 22 shooting while his backcourt mate and MVP Stephen Curry had 34. Despite the one-sided nature of the game, a NBA record was broken by both teams:
The loss is a bad one for the Trailblazers as they hold a very slim lead over the Rockets for the sixth seed.
Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers
For the second straight game the Philadelphia 76ers upset the Brooklyn Nets 95-89. With just their 9 wins for the season, the 76ers hold a season series advantage with the Nets 2-1. The most jaw-dropping stat of this game is that the 76ers won this game despite 19 turnovers (Nets-12).
Seven players scored in double figures for the 76ers led by a near triple-double from Ish Smith (10 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists) and a double-double from Nerlens Noel (13 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks). Carl Landry had a massive contribution of 16 points and 8 rebounds in just 25 minutes.
For the Nets, Brook Lopez led the scoring with 24 points and point guard Donald Sloan also had a near triple-double with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. The team’s poor shooting from the field and three-point line was a huge factor in their loss.
This game had no Playoff implications. It was a contest between the bottom two teams in the East.
Detroit Pistons vs Charlotte Hornets
In a game between two teams looking to book their ticket to the Playoffs in a tight Eastern Conference race, the Charlotte Hornets came out on top defeating the Detroit Pistons 118-103. Marvin Williams scored a team-high 22 points while veteran guard/forward Nicolas Batum contributed with 17 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds.
For Detroit, Reggie Jackson was the only major contributor finishing with a double-double of 20 points and 10 assists. This is a huge loss for the Pistons who were in a race with the Chicago Bulls for the eighth spot. On the other hand, the Hornets have been surging and winning at the right time. This is their sixth straight win and they are 9-2 since the All-Star break.
Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls
Pau Gasol’s monster game (17 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists was in vain as the Chicago Bulls turned the ball over 18 times in their 118-96 loss to the streaking Miami Heat. Goran Dragic led the Heat with 26 points and 9 assists to the win, the team’s sixth in seven games.
This game has a huge effect on the Playoffs. The Heat establishes their fourth seed and is now within half a game of the Boston Celtics for the third seed. Meanwhile fortunately for the Bulls, the Pistons lost on Friday as well helping them keep the eighth seed.
Houston Rockets vs Boston Celtics
Behind James Harden’s 32 points, the Houston Rockets won 102-98 and stopped the Boston Celtics’ home winning streak at 14 games. After being named the foreign player MVP in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), Michael Beasley shined off the bench for the Rockets with 18 points and 8 rebounds in just 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, for Boston, it was just a night of bad shooting. They shot 37% from the floor and 26% from the three point line. Add to that the 6 turnovers from their primary ball handler Isaiah Thomas (30 points) and their primary guard defender Avery Bradley facing foul trouble.
With this win, the Rockets win three in a row and jump to seventh seed in the West, only half a game behind the sixth-seeded Portland Trailblazers.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Ricky Rubio (13 points, 12 assists, 8 rebounds) knocked a dagger three with 0.2 seconds remaining to give the Minnesota Timberwolves a 99-96 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Certainly OKC’s 24 turnovers did them no good but this loss is the team’s 7th loss in 11 games since the All-Star Game.
Kevin Durant scored 28 points, extending his 20+ point’s streak to 50 games. Russell Westbrook registered 26 points and 8 assists, however the most valuable player for the Thunder was Enes Kanter off the bench with 17 points and 14 rebounds in 20 minutes on 7 of 9 shooting. For Minnesota, their front court of Karl-Anthony Towns (17 points and 13 rebounds) and Gorgui Dieng (25 points) were a huge reason for the win.
This loss is also the 11th time the Thunder have lost a game when they have the lead heading into the fourth quarter, that’s the most in the NBA. Philadelphia 76ers are second with 10 such instances.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Memphis Grizzlies
This was a match-up between two teams with the most injured players in the league. The Memphis Grizzlies came up on top 121-114 in overtime with an unlikely triple-double from Matt Barnes (26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists). Lance Stephenson dropped 33 points while JaMychal Green had 21 points and 10 rebounds.
New Orleans had three players recording a double-double : Anthony Davis (25 points, 13 rebounds), Jrue Holiday (34 points, 10 assists) and Ryan Anderson (24 points, 14 rebounds). The win is a huge deal for Memphis given the players they have injured; it also helps them hold on their lead for the fifth seed.
Washington Wizards vs Utah Jazz
Recently acquired Shelvin Mack (27 points) led a fantastic shooting night for the Utah Jazz as they defeated the Washington Wizards 114-93. The Jazz shot 56.7% from the field, 56.2 from the beyond the three-point line while their opponents shot 43.8% from the field and 29.2% from beyond the arc.
John Wall had his regular numbers of 24 points and 9 assists but received very little support from his teammates. This win is huge for the Jazz, it’s just their third win in nine games. However, with Houston winning as well, the Jazz are still behind by three games for the eight spot.
Orlando Magic vs Sacramento Kings
Six Orlando Magic players scored in double figures led by 20 points and 11 rebounds from Aaron Gordon to defeat a Sacramento Kings squad without DeMarcus Cousins. The Magic outrebounded their opponents 51-37 and ended a three-game losing streak in the process. Meanwhile, for the Kings, Rajon Rondo’s double-double of 16 points and 14 assists was the only high point.
Los Angeles Clippers vs New York Knicks
The New York Knicks fought hard but eventually Chris Paul (24 points, 15 assists) and the Los Angeles Clippers ran away with the game in the closing minutes. Carmelo Anthony’s 20 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists went in vain. Knicks center had a surprising double-double of 20 points and 19 rebounds, DeAndre Jordan also had 19 rebounds to go along with 10 points.
With Thunder’s loss, the Clippers win helps them cover up some ground and reduce the lead for the third seed.
Top Plays of the Night:
Guess the Lakers players!
