NBA on a Wednesday 1/21/15
Miami Heat at Charlotte Hornets. Hornets beat Heat 78-76.
Kemba Walker returned to the Hornets lineup after missing some time due to a knee injury and led Charlotte to a win over their division rival Miami Heat. Walker scored 15 points on the day to lead Buzz city, Bismack Biyombo scored 12 points while grabbing 12 rebounds, Gerald Henderson dropped 11 points and for the second consecutive game, Al Jefferson came off the bench but he scored 12 points.
Miami Heat were led by the usual suspects in Dwyane Wade, who scored 17 points with 7 rebounds, Chris Bosh who also had a 17 point, 7 rebound outing and Mario Chalmers who scored 13 on the night.
Miami Heat are 18-24. Charlotte Hornets are 18-25.
Utah Jazz at Cleveland Cavaliers. Cavs defeat Jazz 106-92.
Cavs used some fancy plays to destroy the Jazz at home. In total, 5 members of the Cavs scored in double-figures led by LeBron James who scored 26 points with 9 assists and 7 rebounds. Kyrie Irving scored 18 points, 4 assists, swiped 5 steals, Kevin Love scored 19 points with 13 rebounds, Timofey Mozgov scored 16 points while pulling down 11 rebounds and J.R. Smith scored 15 points with 7 rebounds.
Enes Kanter led the Jazz with 24 points and 17 rebounds while Gordon Hayward struggled on the night, shooting 4-11 and scoring 14 points and Derrick Favors scored 12 points on the night.
Utah Jazz are 14-28. Cleveland Cavaliers are 23-20.
New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers. Knicks beat 76ers 98-91.
Knicks have won 2 consecutive games for the second time this season, first time since they started the season 2-1. Carmelo Anthony led the way for New York with 27 points and 11 rebounds on the night, Langston Galloway got his second career start but his 11 point, 7 rebound night was very special as he returned to Philadelphia where he played college basketball with St. Joseph’s to play his first career NBA game in the city of ‘Brotherly Love’. Jose Calderon scored 15 points with 7 assists and Tim Hardaway Jr scored 13 points coming off the bench.
Michael Carter-Williams scored 27 points on the night for the Sixers with 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 steals, Robert Covington dropped 17 points and K.J. McDaniels scored 12 points for the Sixers.
New York Knicks are 7-36. Philadelphia 76ers are 8-34.
Indiana Pacers at Atlanta Hawks. Hawks beat Pacers 110-91.
Eastern Conference leading Atlanta Hawks had 6 players score in double figures with Jeff Teague and DeMarre Carroll scoring 17 each with Teague handing out 11 assists. Al Horford scored 14 points with 7 rebounds, Paul Millsap scored 12 points with 9 rebounds, Kyle Korver scored 10 points and Pero Antic came off the bench for 12 points.
The changing of the guard is fully in motion as the Indiana Pacers, who were the number 1 seed in last years Eastern Conference, couldn’t keep up with the Hawks, who were the 8 seed in last years Eastern Conference standings. C.J. Miles came off the bench to score 18 points, C.J. Watson dropped 13 points and Rodney Stuckey scored 12 points on the night for the Pacers.
Indiana Pacers are 15-29. Atlanta Hawks are 35-8.
Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons. Pistons defeat Magic 128-118.
Pistons continue their playoff push as they were led on the night by Brandon Jennings who had the NBA’s first 20-plus-point, 20-plus-assist game in more than five years when Steve Nash did it on November 9, 2009, while he was still with the Phoenix Suns. Jennings finished with 24 points and a career-high 21 assists on the night. Andre Drummond was a recipient of some of those assists when he scored 26 points while pulling down 17 rebounds and Greg Monroe was as well when he scored 24 points while grabbing 10 rebounds of his own. Kyle Singler scored 14 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope dropped 10 points of his own.
Magic were led by their big 3 young stars with the newest participant to the 2015 dunk contest, Victor Oladipo, scored 23 points on the night, Nikola Vucevic dropped 26 points with 15 rebounds and Tobias Harris came off the bench to score 19 points.
Orlando Magic are 15-30. Detroit Pistons are 17-26.
Toronto Raptors at Memphis Grizzlies. Grizzlies defeat Raptors 92-86.
Marc Gasol powered the Grizzlies over a tough Eastern Conference opponent in the Raptors when he scored 26 points with 7 rebounds to lead the way for the Grizzlies. Zach Randolph dropped 19 points with 13 rebounds and Mike Conley scored 12 points on the night.
Lou Williams came off the bench to lead the Raptors in scoring with 21 points, Kyle Lowry dropped 20 points and Jonas Valenciunas scored 12 points with 10 rebounds for Toronto. The Raptors have hit a wall recently, going 6-9 in their last 15 games.
Toronto Raptors are 27-15. Memphis Grizzlies are 30-12.
Dallas Mavericks at Minnesota Timberwolves. Mavs beat T-Wolves 98-75.
A slick play by Rajon Rondo was the story of the night when the Mavs took on the Wolves in Minnesota but it was Chandler Parsons who led the way for the Mavs with his 26 points on the night accompanied by Dirk Nowitzki’s 16 points and 9 rebounds on the day.
Dallas Mavericks are 30-12. Minnesota Timberwolves 7-34.
Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Pelicans. Pelicans beat Lakers 96-80.
It was announced earlier in the day that the Pelicans would be without the their starting point guard Jrue Holiday for up to a month, it didn’t seem to phase the Pelicans as they were powered by a returning Anthony Davis who scored 29 points with 8 rebounds on the day. Tyreke Evans started in place of Holiday and scored 19 points while Eric Gordon dropped 17 points with 10 assists and Quincy Pondexter came off the bench for 12 points.
Kobe Bryant has an injury to his shoulder that sidelined him for some of the game, but he did return to score 12 points on the night with 7 rebounds. Jordan Hill led the Lakers with 15 points and 13 rebounds and Wayne Ellington dropped 12 points coming off the bench.
Los Angeles Lakers are 12-31. New Orleans Pelicans are 21-21.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Washington Wizards. Thunder defeat Wizards in overtime 105-103.
Kevin Durant returned home and had an explosion with 24 points, 7 rebounds and one big slam on the night while his All-Star teammate Russell Westbrook dropped 32 points with 8 assists. Anthony Morrow scored 10 off the bench while Steven Adams scored only 6 points but grabbed 20 rebounds for the Thunder.
Nene led the Wizards with 24 points while John Wall had another double-double, scoring 18 points and handing out 13 assists, Bradley Beal scored 14 points with 8 rebounds and Paul Pierce dropped 14 points with 12 rebounds.
Oklahoma City Thunder are 22-20. Washington Wizards are 29-14.
Portland Trail Blazers at Phoenix Suns. Suns beat Blazers 118-113.
The 3 headed monster at point guard for the Suns, Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas, dropped a combined 76 points for the Suns. Bledsoe led the way with 33 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists, Isaiah Thomas came off the bench for 27 points and Goran Dragic dropped 16 points on the night. Gerald Green also came off the bench and scored 12 points.
Portland Trail Blazers are 31-12. Phoenix Suns are 26-18.
Brooklyn Nets at Sacramento Kings. Nets beat Kings 103-100.
Brooklyn Nets were led by a big bench player with Brook Lopez scoring 22 points, 6 rebounds and 6 blocks in a reserve role. Joe Johnson dropped 16 points with 8 rebounds along with Jarrett Jack scoring 16 points and Alan Anderson coming off the bench for 14 points.
Kings had a pair of 20 point scorers with DeMarcus Cousins dropping 28 points, 14 rebounds and Rudy Gay scoring 25 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Darren Collison scored 16 points and Omri Casspi scored 10 coming off the bench.
Brooklyn Nets are 18-24. Sacramento Kings are 16-26.
Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors. Warriors beat Rockets 126-113.
Is there a new rivalry brewing in the NBA? Possibly between the Warriors and Rockets, but the Rockets need to start winning games against the ‘Dubs’ after they struggled last night to contain the ‘Splash Brothers’.
Stephen Curry scored 22 points with 10 assists and Klay Thompson dropped 27 points to lead the Warriors to a commanding win. Draymond Green scored 18 points with 6 rebounds and Harrison Barnes dropped 11 points.
James Harden scored 33 points to lead the Rockets but that was it for the starters as no one else that started for the Rockets scored in double-figures. Corey Brewer came off the bench for 20 points and Jason Terry dropped 14 points in a reserve role.
Houston Rockets are 29-14. Golden State Warriors are 34-6.
