Nets Hold On, Defeat Celtics At Home
The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Boston Celtics, 109-102, at Barclays Center on Monday.
The Nets (22-23) have been quite inconsistent over the current 2018-19 NBA season, but they managed to deliver an impressive performance while facing one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference such as the Celtics (25-18). Brooklyn quickly jumped ahead to a 27-25 lead in the first quarter, but Boston kept things close and the first half ended with a 46-45 edge for the hosts. Brooklyn would jump through a huge 44-21 after the third quarter, which gave them a 24-point edge heading into the final 12 minutes and even though Boston would cut the deficit in the final quarter (36-19), the Nets ended winning the game by a rather comfortable seven-point advantage.
Undoubtedly, D'Angelo Russell was the biggest scoring threat for the Nets since he finished with 34 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Jarrett Allen had an impressive performance on both ends of the floor, as he chipped in with 19 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. Rodions Kurucs had 19 points, while Joe Harris added 13 points, eight boards and three assists. DeMarre Carroll added 10 points off the bench.
Only three Boston players ended scoring with more than 10 points, and second-year player Jayson Tatum led the way with an impressive 34-point performance, but he also contributed five rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Jaylen Brown had 22 points, but he also chipped in with six rebounds and two steals. Brad Wanamaker had a solid outing off the bench, with 13 points, four assists and three boards.
The Nets (22-23) have been quite inconsistent over the current 2018-19 NBA season, but they managed to deliver an impressive performance while facing one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference such as the Celtics (25-18). Brooklyn quickly jumped ahead to a 27-25 lead in the first quarter, but Boston kept things close and the first half ended with a 46-45 edge for the hosts. Brooklyn would jump through a huge 44-21 after the third quarter, which gave them a 24-point edge heading into the final 12 minutes and even though Boston would cut the deficit in the final quarter (36-19), the Nets ended winning the game by a rather comfortable seven-point advantage.
Undoubtedly, D'Angelo Russell was the biggest scoring threat for the Nets since he finished with 34 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Jarrett Allen had an impressive performance on both ends of the floor, as he chipped in with 19 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. Rodions Kurucs had 19 points, while Joe Harris added 13 points, eight boards and three assists. DeMarre Carroll added 10 points off the bench.
Only three Boston players ended scoring with more than 10 points, and second-year player Jayson Tatum led the way with an impressive 34-point performance, but he also contributed five rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Jaylen Brown had 22 points, but he also chipped in with six rebounds and two steals. Brad Wanamaker had a solid outing off the bench, with 13 points, four assists and three boards.
Rockets Topple Grizzlies, 112-94
The Rockets (25-18) came into the contest even more short-handed than they've recently been, as they found out earlier Monday that Clint Capela will miss multiple weeks with a thumb injury. When also factoring in the absences of Chris Paul (hamstring) and Eric Gordon (knee), it seemed like James Harden was the last man standing for Houston going into the game. He offered a performance befitting such a designation, lighting up the Grizzlies (19-24) for 36 points in a first half in which he helped the Rockets overcome a 29-24 first-quarter deficit. Harden finished with 57 points overall, adding nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. The home squad turned the game around in the middle periods, as they outscored Memphis by a 63-41 margin over the second and third quarters.
Mike Conley and Garrett Temple paced the Grizzlies with matching 14-point tallies. Conley added seven rebounds, seven assists and one steal, while Temple finished with three boards and three assists. Jaren Jackson, Jr. mustered 12 points, six rebounds, one assist and three blocks. Omri Casspi matched Jackson's scoring total off the bench and added three boards, two steals and one block. Shelvin Mack produced 10 points, seven assists and three rebounds. Rookie Jevon Carter drew the start for Kyle Anderson (ankle) and managed eight points, two assists, one rebound and one steal.
Danuel House, Jr. was a distant second to Harden, producing 15 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Gerald Green followed with 14 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Austin Rivers supplied 11 points, six assists and three steals. Gary Clark offered eight points, three points, one steal and one block.
The Grizzlies next pay a visit to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, while the Rockets remain home and tangle with the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday evening as well.
Mike Conley and Garrett Temple paced the Grizzlies with matching 14-point tallies. Conley added seven rebounds, seven assists and one steal, while Temple finished with three boards and three assists. Jaren Jackson, Jr. mustered 12 points, six rebounds, one assist and three blocks. Omri Casspi matched Jackson's scoring total off the bench and added three boards, two steals and one block. Shelvin Mack produced 10 points, seven assists and three rebounds. Rookie Jevon Carter drew the start for Kyle Anderson (ankle) and managed eight points, two assists, one rebound and one steal.
Danuel House, Jr. was a distant second to Harden, producing 15 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Gerald Green followed with 14 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Austin Rivers supplied 11 points, six assists and three steals. Gary Clark offered eight points, three points, one steal and one block.
The Grizzlies next pay a visit to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, while the Rockets remain home and tangle with the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday evening as well.
Hornets Surprise Spurs, 108-93
The Charlotte Hornets defeated the host San Antonio Spurs, 108-93, at AT&T Center on Monday.
While San Antonio came into this game as a sizable favorite, Charlotte dominated this matchup. In fact, they led for 40 minutes of this 48-minute game, as a 32-21 fourth quarter gave them enough separation to win. It was an 80-79 scoreline with eight minutes remaining but the Hornets finished the game on a 28-14 run. Rebounding was key for the Hornets, as they outrebounded the Spurs, 45-36. Three-point shooting was also critical, with Charlotte hitting 13-of-36 and San Antonio connecting on 7-of-20. The Hornets did a ton of their damage down low, outscoring the Spurs in the paint, 44-34.
The Hornets (20-23) got a gem of a performance from Kemba Walker, as he led the way with 33 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals. Jeremy Lamb accrued 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Marvin Williams totaled 11 points, five rebounds and three assists while Tony Parker led the bench with eight points, three rebounds and four assists.
The Spurs (25-20) were led by LaMarcus Aldridge, as he tallied 28 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. DeMar DeRozan accumulated 14 points, five rebounds and five assists. Derrick White amassed 18 points, four rebounds and seven assists while Patty Mills led the bench with 14 points and two boards.
On deck for San Antonio is a road matchup versus the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. As for Charlotte, they return to action on Thursday when they play host to the Sacramento Kings.
While San Antonio came into this game as a sizable favorite, Charlotte dominated this matchup. In fact, they led for 40 minutes of this 48-minute game, as a 32-21 fourth quarter gave them enough separation to win. It was an 80-79 scoreline with eight minutes remaining but the Hornets finished the game on a 28-14 run. Rebounding was key for the Hornets, as they outrebounded the Spurs, 45-36. Three-point shooting was also critical, with Charlotte hitting 13-of-36 and San Antonio connecting on 7-of-20. The Hornets did a ton of their damage down low, outscoring the Spurs in the paint, 44-34.
The Hornets (20-23) got a gem of a performance from Kemba Walker, as he led the way with 33 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals. Jeremy Lamb accrued 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Marvin Williams totaled 11 points, five rebounds and three assists while Tony Parker led the bench with eight points, three rebounds and four assists.
The Spurs (25-20) were led by LaMarcus Aldridge, as he tallied 28 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. DeMar DeRozan accumulated 14 points, five rebounds and five assists. Derrick White amassed 18 points, four rebounds and seven assists while Patty Mills led the bench with 14 points and two boards.
On deck for San Antonio is a road matchup versus the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. As for Charlotte, they return to action on Thursday when they play host to the Sacramento Kings.
Jazz Defeat Pistons, 100-94
The Utah Jazz defeated the visiting Detroit Pistons, 100-94, at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Monday.
While there were only four ties and eight lead changes in this game, it came down to the wire. It was a defensive struggle throughout, as neither club cracked 40 percent shooting. That's really indicative by the second half, as there were just 82 combined points. Utah ended the game strong, as they trailed 80-75 with nine minutes remaining and finished the game on a 25-14 run. Rebounding was the difference for the Jazz, as they outrebounded the Pistons, 55-38. Getting to the free-throw line was also huge, with Utah hitting 26-of-36 and Detroit connecting on just 13-of-16 from the charity stripe.
The Pistons (18-24) were led by Blake Griffin, as he tallied 19 points, four rebounds and four assists. Andre Drummond collected 15 points, 13 rebounds and three steals. Reggie Jackson accrued 11 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals while Reggie Bullock amassed 11 points, two boards and two steals.
The Jazz (24-21) were led by Donovan Mitchell, as he accumulated 28 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Rudy Gobert was a presence, as he totaled 19 points, 25 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Joe Ingles generated 13 points, four rebounds and eight assists while Kyle Korver led the bench with 19 points.
Both teams return to action on Wednesday against struggling opponents, with Detroit playing host to the Orlando Magic and Utah traveling to face the Los Angeles Clippers.
While there were only four ties and eight lead changes in this game, it came down to the wire. It was a defensive struggle throughout, as neither club cracked 40 percent shooting. That's really indicative by the second half, as there were just 82 combined points. Utah ended the game strong, as they trailed 80-75 with nine minutes remaining and finished the game on a 25-14 run. Rebounding was the difference for the Jazz, as they outrebounded the Pistons, 55-38. Getting to the free-throw line was also huge, with Utah hitting 26-of-36 and Detroit connecting on just 13-of-16 from the charity stripe.
The Pistons (18-24) were led by Blake Griffin, as he tallied 19 points, four rebounds and four assists. Andre Drummond collected 15 points, 13 rebounds and three steals. Reggie Jackson accrued 11 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals while Reggie Bullock amassed 11 points, two boards and two steals.
The Jazz (24-21) were led by Donovan Mitchell, as he accumulated 28 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Rudy Gobert was a presence, as he totaled 19 points, 25 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Joe Ingles generated 13 points, four rebounds and eight assists while Kyle Korver led the bench with 19 points.
Both teams return to action on Wednesday against struggling opponents, with Detroit playing host to the Orlando Magic and Utah traveling to face the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kings Hold Off Blazers, 115-107
The Sacramento Kings defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, 115-107, at Golden 1 Center on Monday.
It was pretty close to a wire-to-wire victory for the Kings (23-21), as a huge second quarter helped them jump out to an early lead before halftime, and they never looked back. The Trail Blazers (26-19) did their best to make things close in the final couple of minutes, closing the margin to six points, but they were unable to complete the comeback.
Six different Kings players scored in double figures Tuesday, with Buddy Hield's 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting leading the way for the home team, who won its fourth straight game in Sacramento. Bogdan Bogdanovic was also very efficient off the bench, going 8-of-10 from the field en route to scoring 18 points as a reserve. De'Aaron Fox, on the other hand, didn't manage to have as great of a shooting night, as the second-year point guard went just 3-of-11 from the field, but he made a habit of getting to the free throw line and still finished with 16 points and nine assists.
As for Portland, the team simply did not have enough left in the tank on the second night of a back-to-back. However, that didn't stop star point guard Damian Lillard from doing all he could to will the Blazers back into Tuesday's contest. Lillard shot just 11-of-27 from the field, but he still finished with a game-high 35 points in 37 minutes. Unfortunately for the Portland, C.J. McCollum didn't have the same the same level of success, as he shot a miserable 2-of-14 from the field and scored only six points in 30 minutes. It was a miserable shooting day for the Trail Blazers as a team, as they hit just 40.2 percent of their shots overall.
It was pretty close to a wire-to-wire victory for the Kings (23-21), as a huge second quarter helped them jump out to an early lead before halftime, and they never looked back. The Trail Blazers (26-19) did their best to make things close in the final couple of minutes, closing the margin to six points, but they were unable to complete the comeback.
Six different Kings players scored in double figures Tuesday, with Buddy Hield's 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting leading the way for the home team, who won its fourth straight game in Sacramento. Bogdan Bogdanovic was also very efficient off the bench, going 8-of-10 from the field en route to scoring 18 points as a reserve. De'Aaron Fox, on the other hand, didn't manage to have as great of a shooting night, as the second-year point guard went just 3-of-11 from the field, but he made a habit of getting to the free throw line and still finished with 16 points and nine assists.
As for Portland, the team simply did not have enough left in the tank on the second night of a back-to-back. However, that didn't stop star point guard Damian Lillard from doing all he could to will the Blazers back into Tuesday's contest. Lillard shot just 11-of-27 from the field, but he still finished with a game-high 35 points in 37 minutes. Unfortunately for the Portland, C.J. McCollum didn't have the same the same level of success, as he shot a miserable 2-of-14 from the field and scored only six points in 30 minutes. It was a miserable shooting day for the Trail Blazers as a team, as they hit just 40.2 percent of their shots overall.
Pelicans Hold Off Clippers, 121-117
By Oscar Heanue
The New Orleans Pelicans took down the Los Angeles Clippers, 121-117, at Staples Center on Monday evening.
It was shaping up to be an easy win for New Orleans (21-23), as the team led by as much as 20 points midway through the third quarter. The Clippers (24-19), however, had other plans, and mounted a furious comeback late in the fourth. LA cut the lead to as little as two points by the end of the fourth quarter, thanks in large part to a 13-2 run in the third quarter. Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, and Tobias Harris all scored for LA during the run. Unfortunately for the Clippers, though, Anthony Davis and the Pelicans were able to hold off the comeback.
Davis delivered a monster performance to help protect his team's lead. The superstar big man scored 46 points to go with a game-high 16 rebounds and three steals. It was Davis's seventh 40-point outing of the season.
The Pelicans also saw impressive outings from Julius Randle and Jrue Holiday. Holiday scored 19 points and dished out eight assists. Randle, meanwhile, had 27 points and grabbed six rebounds.
LA saw its own fair share of strong performances despite coming up short. Danilo Gallinari delivered 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting, adding five rebounds and six assists. Bench big man Montrezl Harrell led the second unit with 26 points and also had 10 rebounds.
On Wednesday, the Pelicans will visit Golden State while the Clippers will host the Utah Jazz.
It was shaping up to be an easy win for New Orleans (21-23), as the team led by as much as 20 points midway through the third quarter. The Clippers (24-19), however, had other plans, and mounted a furious comeback late in the fourth. LA cut the lead to as little as two points by the end of the fourth quarter, thanks in large part to a 13-2 run in the third quarter. Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, and Tobias Harris all scored for LA during the run. Unfortunately for the Clippers, though, Anthony Davis and the Pelicans were able to hold off the comeback.
Davis delivered a monster performance to help protect his team's lead. The superstar big man scored 46 points to go with a game-high 16 rebounds and three steals. It was Davis's seventh 40-point outing of the season.
The Pelicans also saw impressive outings from Julius Randle and Jrue Holiday. Holiday scored 19 points and dished out eight assists. Randle, meanwhile, had 27 points and grabbed six rebounds.
LA saw its own fair share of strong performances despite coming up short. Danilo Gallinari delivered 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting, adding five rebounds and six assists. Bench big man Montrezl Harrell led the second unit with 26 points and also had 10 rebounds.
On Wednesday, the Pelicans will visit Golden State while the Clippers will host the Utah Jazz.