Pacers Complete Comeback to Defeat Thunder, 108-106
The Indiana Pacers defeated the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder, 108-106, at Banker's Life Fieldhouse on Thursday.
While there were only a handful of ties and lead changes in this game, it came down to the wire. In fact, Oklahoma City took a 12-11 lead halfway through the first quarter and didn't surrender that lead until late in the fourth quarter. Indiana actually overcame a 13-point halftime deficit by riding a 58-43 second half to victory. Wesley Matthews played the hero, as he made a putback lay-up with less than two seconds remaining to break a tied game. Free-throw shooting was the difference, with the Pacers hitting 27-of-32 and the Thunder connecting on just 16-of-20. Indiana's bench came up big too, outscoring Oklahoma City's bench, 31-25. Assists, steals, blocks and turnovers were all decided within one in this tightly-contested game.
The Thunder (42-27) were led by Paul George, as he tallied 36 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Russell Westbrook collected 19 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, four steals and two blocks en route to a triple-double. Steven Adams amassed 17 points and eight boards while Dennis Schroder provided seven points, five rebounds and five assists off the bench.
The Pacers (44-25) were led by Domantas Sabonis, as he accrued 26 points, seven rebounds and four assists off the bench. Bojan Bogdanovic led the starters with 23 points, four rebounds and five assists. Darren Collison totaled 17 points, six rebounds, seven assists and four steals while Matthews finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Both teams return to action on Saturday against the top teams in the west, with Indiana traveling to face the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City playing host to the Golden State Warriors.
While there were only a handful of ties and lead changes in this game, it came down to the wire. In fact, Oklahoma City took a 12-11 lead halfway through the first quarter and didn't surrender that lead until late in the fourth quarter. Indiana actually overcame a 13-point halftime deficit by riding a 58-43 second half to victory. Wesley Matthews played the hero, as he made a putback lay-up with less than two seconds remaining to break a tied game. Free-throw shooting was the difference, with the Pacers hitting 27-of-32 and the Thunder connecting on just 16-of-20. Indiana's bench came up big too, outscoring Oklahoma City's bench, 31-25. Assists, steals, blocks and turnovers were all decided within one in this tightly-contested game.
The Thunder (42-27) were led by Paul George, as he tallied 36 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Russell Westbrook collected 19 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, four steals and two blocks en route to a triple-double. Steven Adams amassed 17 points and eight boards while Dennis Schroder provided seven points, five rebounds and five assists off the bench.
The Pacers (44-25) were led by Domantas Sabonis, as he accrued 26 points, seven rebounds and four assists off the bench. Bojan Bogdanovic led the starters with 23 points, four rebounds and five assists. Darren Collison totaled 17 points, six rebounds, seven assists and four steals while Matthews finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Both teams return to action on Saturday against the top teams in the west, with Indiana traveling to face the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City playing host to the Golden State Warriors.
Magic Handle Cavaliers, 120-91
The Orlando Magic defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 120-91, at Amway Center on Thursday evening.
The Magic (32-38) left little doubt about the eventual outcome with a dominant first half. After forging a 36-20 lead through the first 12 minutes. Orlando added another four points to their advantage in the second to give them a formidable 20-point lead. Any hopes of a Cavaliers (17-52) comeback were dashed when the hosts extended their edge to 25 points entering the final period. The Magic leveraged strong rebounding and defense, winning the battle of the boards by a 50-43 margin while forcing 15 turnovers and holding Cleveland to 40.7 percent shooting.
Collin Sexton led the way for the Cavaliers with 23 points, adding four rebounds, three assists and one block. Jordan Clarkson led the way with 15 points and supplemented them with four boards, two assists and one steal. Brandon Knight poured in 12 points, while Ante Zizic contributed 11 and also pulled down eight rebounds. Kevin Love generated 10 points, eight rebounds, one steal and one block across 24 minutes.
Aaron Gordon paced the Magic with 21 points and complemented them with six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. D.J. Augustin followed with 20 points, seven assists, three rebounds and two steals. Nikola Vucevic turned in a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included two assists and two steals. Terrence Ross poured in 14 points and also totaled four rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. Khem Birch contributed a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included one assist and two steals.
The Cavaliers next pay a visit to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night, while the Magic remains home to face the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday evening.
The Magic (32-38) left little doubt about the eventual outcome with a dominant first half. After forging a 36-20 lead through the first 12 minutes. Orlando added another four points to their advantage in the second to give them a formidable 20-point lead. Any hopes of a Cavaliers (17-52) comeback were dashed when the hosts extended their edge to 25 points entering the final period. The Magic leveraged strong rebounding and defense, winning the battle of the boards by a 50-43 margin while forcing 15 turnovers and holding Cleveland to 40.7 percent shooting.
Collin Sexton led the way for the Cavaliers with 23 points, adding four rebounds, three assists and one block. Jordan Clarkson led the way with 15 points and supplemented them with four boards, two assists and one steal. Brandon Knight poured in 12 points, while Ante Zizic contributed 11 and also pulled down eight rebounds. Kevin Love generated 10 points, eight rebounds, one steal and one block across 24 minutes.
Aaron Gordon paced the Magic with 21 points and complemented them with six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. D.J. Augustin followed with 20 points, seven assists, three rebounds and two steals. Nikola Vucevic turned in a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included two assists and two steals. Terrence Ross poured in 14 points and also totaled four rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. Khem Birch contributed a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included one assist and two steals.
The Cavaliers next pay a visit to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night, while the Magic remains home to face the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday evening.
Irving Leads Celtics With Triple-Double
By Dan Bruno
The Boston Celtics defeated the visiting Sacramento Kings, 126-120, at TD Garden on Thursday evening.
The Kings got out to a great start on the road, with a 38-25 lead after one quarter. The Celtics picked it up in the second, as they chipped away through the quarter, to make it a six-point game bay halftime. The Celtics picked up where they left off to start the third, as they overtook the lead just minutes into the quarter. The Kings rallied back ahead and led by double digits for much of the quarter, however, the Celtics closed the quarter on a 14-2 run, to take a two-point lead into the fourth. The Celtics managed to stay in control through the four, and held on for their fourth win in their last five games.
Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with 31 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds, one steal and one block, in 37 minutes. Marcus Morris followed up with 21 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Jaylen Brown added 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting, off the bench. The Celtics shot 50 percent from the field, including 9-of-28 from long range.
Meanwhile, Buddy Hield led the KIngs with 34 points, seven assists and four rebounds, in 35 minutes. De'Aaron Fox followed up with 19 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals, while Willie Cauley-Stein added 10 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and one steal. The Kings shot 50 percent from the field, including 11-of-34 from deep.
The Kings (33-34) will look to bounce back as they take on the 76ers in Philadelphia on Friday. The Celtics (42-27) play host to the Hawks on Saturday.
The Kings got out to a great start on the road, with a 38-25 lead after one quarter. The Celtics picked it up in the second, as they chipped away through the quarter, to make it a six-point game bay halftime. The Celtics picked up where they left off to start the third, as they overtook the lead just minutes into the quarter. The Kings rallied back ahead and led by double digits for much of the quarter, however, the Celtics closed the quarter on a 14-2 run, to take a two-point lead into the fourth. The Celtics managed to stay in control through the four, and held on for their fourth win in their last five games.
Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with 31 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds, one steal and one block, in 37 minutes. Marcus Morris followed up with 21 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Jaylen Brown added 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting, off the bench. The Celtics shot 50 percent from the field, including 9-of-28 from long range.
Meanwhile, Buddy Hield led the KIngs with 34 points, seven assists and four rebounds, in 35 minutes. De'Aaron Fox followed up with 19 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals, while Willie Cauley-Stein added 10 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and one steal. The Kings shot 50 percent from the field, including 11-of-34 from deep.
The Kings (33-34) will look to bounce back as they take on the 76ers in Philadelphia on Friday. The Celtics (42-27) play host to the Hawks on Saturday.
Undermanned Raptors Take Down Lakers
The Toronto Raptors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 111-98, on Thursday at Air Canada Centre.
The Raptors (49-20) came into Thursday's contest without two key players, with Kyle Lowry (ankle) and Serge Ibaka (suspension) both sidelined, but that didn't have much of an impact when it came to beating up on the lowly Lakers. Mostly because they still had star player Kawhi Leonard, who scored a team-high 25 points to go along with eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in the wire-to-wire victory. Pascal Siakam struggled mightily from the floor, going just 3-of-16, but he still managed to finish with 16 points thanks to his ability to get to the free throw line. Lastly, Normal Powell came up with a huge performance off the bench, scoring 20 points and grabbing eight rebounds in 24 key minutes as a reserve. It wasn't the most efficient offensive performance for the Raptors, however, as they shot 39.6 percent from the field, but the 16 threes they hit helped overcome that and propel them to victory.
As for the Lakers (31-37), they have now lost six of their last seven games, and injuries have left them with a real lack of quality depth. Los Angeles only had three guys who played double-digit minutes off the bench, and only one, Alex Caruso, scored in double figures with an impressive 16-point outing. LeBron James, of course, scored a game-high 29 points to go along with four rebounds and six assists across 32 minutes, while Rajon Rondo's 13 points made him the third and final Laker player to score in double figures. As a team, what killed Los Angeles was its inability to hit a shot from behind the arc, as the team shot a miserable 7-of-31 (22.6 percent) from three Thursday night.
The Raptors (49-20) came into Thursday's contest without two key players, with Kyle Lowry (ankle) and Serge Ibaka (suspension) both sidelined, but that didn't have much of an impact when it came to beating up on the lowly Lakers. Mostly because they still had star player Kawhi Leonard, who scored a team-high 25 points to go along with eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in the wire-to-wire victory. Pascal Siakam struggled mightily from the floor, going just 3-of-16, but he still managed to finish with 16 points thanks to his ability to get to the free throw line. Lastly, Normal Powell came up with a huge performance off the bench, scoring 20 points and grabbing eight rebounds in 24 key minutes as a reserve. It wasn't the most efficient offensive performance for the Raptors, however, as they shot 39.6 percent from the field, but the 16 threes they hit helped overcome that and propel them to victory.
As for the Lakers (31-37), they have now lost six of their last seven games, and injuries have left them with a real lack of quality depth. Los Angeles only had three guys who played double-digit minutes off the bench, and only one, Alex Caruso, scored in double figures with an impressive 16-point outing. LeBron James, of course, scored a game-high 29 points to go along with four rebounds and six assists across 32 minutes, while Rajon Rondo's 13 points made him the third and final Laker player to score in double figures. As a team, what killed Los Angeles was its inability to hit a shot from behind the arc, as the team shot a miserable 7-of-31 (22.6 percent) from three Thursday night.
Jazz Blow Out Timberwolves, 120-100
By Oscar Heanue
The Utah Jazz took down the Minnesota Timberwolves, 120-100, at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Thursday evening.
The Jazz (39-29) cruised to victory on Thursday, continuing its strong play from its win over Phoenix on Wednesday. Utah maintained strong efficiency, shooting over 49 percent from the floor and knocking down 13 three-pointers. Minnesota (32-37) could not keep up, shooting a dismal 5-of-24 from three-point range in the loss. Utah's hard-nosed defense also kept Minnesota at bay in the paint. The Jazz combined to block eight shots in Thursday's win.
Donovan Mitchell scored a team-high 24 points in the win. Mitchell's strong play was complemented by double-doubles from big men Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors. Gobert finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while Favors shot 8-of-12 for 17 points and 11 boards.
Minnesota, meanwhile, saw a lone bright spot in the strong play of big man Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns, who had been averaging 35 points per game since the All-Star break, came up big once again, scoring 26 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He was the only Minnesota player to score more than 14 points, with Andrew Wiggins shooting a suboptimal 6-of-17 from the floor.
Utah will host the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, while the Timberwolves next suit up in Houston on Sunday.
The Jazz (39-29) cruised to victory on Thursday, continuing its strong play from its win over Phoenix on Wednesday. Utah maintained strong efficiency, shooting over 49 percent from the floor and knocking down 13 three-pointers. Minnesota (32-37) could not keep up, shooting a dismal 5-of-24 from three-point range in the loss. Utah's hard-nosed defense also kept Minnesota at bay in the paint. The Jazz combined to block eight shots in Thursday's win.
Donovan Mitchell scored a team-high 24 points in the win. Mitchell's strong play was complemented by double-doubles from big men Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors. Gobert finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while Favors shot 8-of-12 for 17 points and 11 boards.
Minnesota, meanwhile, saw a lone bright spot in the strong play of big man Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns, who had been averaging 35 points per game since the All-Star break, came up big once again, scoring 26 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He was the only Minnesota player to score more than 14 points, with Andrew Wiggins shooting a suboptimal 6-of-17 from the floor.
Utah will host the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, while the Timberwolves next suit up in Houston on Sunday.
Nuggets Beat Mavericks, 100-99, on Jokic Buzzer-Beater
By Oscar Heanue
The Denver Nuggets defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 100-99, in a last-minute thriller at Pepsi Center on Thursday.
Everything seemed poised to go the Mavericks' (27-40) way after a strong third quarter left Dallas with a double-digit lead. Denver (44-22), however, managed to put together a defensive masterpiece in the fourth to eke out the win. The Mavericks were limited to just 10 points in the fourth quarter, which culminated in a wild back-and-forth finish. Rookie sensation Luka Doncic put the Mavericks up by one point on a dunk with just 5.8 seconds remaining. He was fouled on the play, but missed the free-throw, allowing Denver a final possession to take the lead. The Nuggets did that, winning the game on a buzzer-beating floater from star center Nikola Jokic.
Jokic flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 11 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists. He was not particularly aggressive offensively, shooting just 3-of-8 on the night. Veteran Paul Millsap took the lead instead, shooting 14-of-19 from the field en route to a season-high 33 points.
Doncic nearly had a triple-double of his own, finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. The rookie star continued to struggle at the free-throw line, though, going just 3-of-7 at the stripe. Fellow rookie guard Jalen Brunson also had a memorable game, finishing with 20 points.
Both teams will take the floor again on Saturday, with Denver hosting the Indiana Pacers and Dallas seeing a visit from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Everything seemed poised to go the Mavericks' (27-40) way after a strong third quarter left Dallas with a double-digit lead. Denver (44-22), however, managed to put together a defensive masterpiece in the fourth to eke out the win. The Mavericks were limited to just 10 points in the fourth quarter, which culminated in a wild back-and-forth finish. Rookie sensation Luka Doncic put the Mavericks up by one point on a dunk with just 5.8 seconds remaining. He was fouled on the play, but missed the free-throw, allowing Denver a final possession to take the lead. The Nuggets did that, winning the game on a buzzer-beating floater from star center Nikola Jokic.
Jokic flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 11 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists. He was not particularly aggressive offensively, shooting just 3-of-8 on the night. Veteran Paul Millsap took the lead instead, shooting 14-of-19 from the field en route to a season-high 33 points.
Doncic nearly had a triple-double of his own, finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. The rookie star continued to struggle at the free-throw line, though, going just 3-of-7 at the stripe. Fellow rookie guard Jalen Brunson also had a memorable game, finishing with 20 points.
Both teams will take the floor again on Saturday, with Denver hosting the Indiana Pacers and Dallas seeing a visit from the Cleveland Cavaliers.