Pacers Come From Behind To Defeat Bulls
The Indiana Pacers defeated the Chicago Bulls, 116-110, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday.
The Pacers (24-25) are moving closer to the .500 mark and did it by notching an impressive against another play-in contender such as the Bulls (22-25). Indiana endured a slow start, however, and they lost the first quarter by 12 points (33-21) while looking overmatched. The Bulls also won the second quarter by a 29-25 score, and it seemed as if they were going to cruise their way to victory in the second half, but that wasn’t the case. The Pacers started walking the comeback trail in the third quarter after outscoring the Bulls by a 34-25 score, and even though they were down by seven points with only 12 minutes left, the momentum was clearly on their side. The Pacers didn’t slow things down and outscored the Bulls by an expressive 36-23 score, turning a seven-point deficit into a comfortable six-point win. With the victory, the Pacers moved to 16-9 at home while the Bulls fell to 9-15 on the road.
Myles Turner finished with 26 points and seven rebounds for the Pacers, while T.J.McConnell posted a double-double of 20 points and 10 assists while adding three rebounds and three steals. Buddy Hield notched 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals, and Chris Duarte racked up 11 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Bennedict Mathurin delivered 26 points, seven rebounds and two assists while coming off the bench.
DeMar DeRozan notched 33 points for the Bulls, and he also added five rebounds and three assists. Nikola Vucevic finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and Zach LaVine posted 14 points, four assists and three rebounds. Derrick Jones Jr. had 10 points and five rebounds while coming off the bench.
The Pacers (24-25) are moving closer to the .500 mark and did it by notching an impressive against another play-in contender such as the Bulls (22-25). Indiana endured a slow start, however, and they lost the first quarter by 12 points (33-21) while looking overmatched. The Bulls also won the second quarter by a 29-25 score, and it seemed as if they were going to cruise their way to victory in the second half, but that wasn’t the case. The Pacers started walking the comeback trail in the third quarter after outscoring the Bulls by a 34-25 score, and even though they were down by seven points with only 12 minutes left, the momentum was clearly on their side. The Pacers didn’t slow things down and outscored the Bulls by an expressive 36-23 score, turning a seven-point deficit into a comfortable six-point win. With the victory, the Pacers moved to 16-9 at home while the Bulls fell to 9-15 on the road.
Myles Turner finished with 26 points and seven rebounds for the Pacers, while T.J.McConnell posted a double-double of 20 points and 10 assists while adding three rebounds and three steals. Buddy Hield notched 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals, and Chris Duarte racked up 11 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Bennedict Mathurin delivered 26 points, seven rebounds and two assists while coming off the bench.
DeMar DeRozan notched 33 points for the Bulls, and he also added five rebounds and three assists. Nikola Vucevic finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and Zach LaVine posted 14 points, four assists and three rebounds. Derrick Jones Jr. had 10 points and five rebounds while coming off the bench.
Heat Mount Comeback To Defeat Celtics
The Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics, 98-95, at Miami-Dade Arena on Tuesday.
The Heat (27-22) had one of their best performances of the season to get past the Celtics (35-14) at home, as they mounted a massive comeback in the second half to get the victory. Miami jumped out to a 32-30 lead in the first quarter and looked good in the early going, but the Celtics responded with a 28-18 score in the second quarter that gave them an eight-point lead at the break. Miami showed signs of life following a 25-24 score in the third quarter, but it still seemed as if this was Boston’s game to lose, and that’s exactly what happened. The Heat tightened things up defensively and limited Boston to just 13 points, scoring 23 of their own and completing a massive comeback in front of their fans. With the win, Miami moved to 16-9 at home while the Celtics fell to 17-9 on the road.
Bam Adebayo had an impressive performance for the Heat and finished with 30 points, 15 rebounds and two steals, while Max Strus ended with 13 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Tyler Herro only had nine points while shooting an awful 4-for-19 from the field. Kyle Lowry scored two points and shot just 1-for-7 from the field, but he added eight assists and five rebounds. Haywood Highsmith ended with 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
Jayson Tatum finished with 31 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists for the Celtics, while Derrick White ended with 23 points, six assists and three rebounds. Payton Pritchard ended with 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Robert Williams III posted 11 points with eight rebounds. Grant Williams finished with 10 points and four boards as well.
The Heat (27-22) had one of their best performances of the season to get past the Celtics (35-14) at home, as they mounted a massive comeback in the second half to get the victory. Miami jumped out to a 32-30 lead in the first quarter and looked good in the early going, but the Celtics responded with a 28-18 score in the second quarter that gave them an eight-point lead at the break. Miami showed signs of life following a 25-24 score in the third quarter, but it still seemed as if this was Boston’s game to lose, and that’s exactly what happened. The Heat tightened things up defensively and limited Boston to just 13 points, scoring 23 of their own and completing a massive comeback in front of their fans. With the win, Miami moved to 16-9 at home while the Celtics fell to 17-9 on the road.
Bam Adebayo had an impressive performance for the Heat and finished with 30 points, 15 rebounds and two steals, while Max Strus ended with 13 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Tyler Herro only had nine points while shooting an awful 4-for-19 from the field. Kyle Lowry scored two points and shot just 1-for-7 from the field, but he added eight assists and five rebounds. Haywood Highsmith ended with 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
Jayson Tatum finished with 31 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists for the Celtics, while Derrick White ended with 23 points, six assists and three rebounds. Payton Pritchard ended with 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Robert Williams III posted 11 points with eight rebounds. Grant Williams finished with 10 points and four boards as well.
Knicks Edge Cavaliers, 105-103
The New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 105-103, at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.
The Knicks' (26-23) bid to snap a four-game losing streak started off well, with the hosts forging a 34-27 lead through one. However, the Cavaliers (29-20) bounced back with some impressive defense in the second, limiting New York to 19 points while lopping five points from their deficit before intermission. While the home squad was able to stretch its advantage back out to five points going into the final period, Cleveland battled all the way back to tie with 2:29 remaining and was within two with 39.1 seconds left before Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley both missed would-be game-tying buckets in the final 4.1 seconds to seal the victory for the Knicks.
Jarrett Allen and Mitchell co-led the Cavaliers with 24 points while pulling down 12 and eight rebounds, respectively. Mitchell also posted eight assists and four steals. Darius Garland furnished 22 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals. Mobley delivered 12 points, seven boards, three assists, two blocks and one steal. Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert produced matching nine-point contributions, with Okoro also managing six boards and five assists.
Julius Randle paced the Knicks with a 36-point, 13-rebound double-double that also included four assists. RJ Barrett supplied 16 points, four rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal. Jalen Brunson registered 14 points, four assists, two boards and one steal. Obi Toppin turned in 11 points and three rebounds. Quentin Grimes recorded 10 points, three assists, one rebound and one block.
The Cavaliers remain on the road and visit the Houston Rockets on Thursday night, while the Knicks visit the Boston Celtics on Thursday night as well.
The Knicks' (26-23) bid to snap a four-game losing streak started off well, with the hosts forging a 34-27 lead through one. However, the Cavaliers (29-20) bounced back with some impressive defense in the second, limiting New York to 19 points while lopping five points from their deficit before intermission. While the home squad was able to stretch its advantage back out to five points going into the final period, Cleveland battled all the way back to tie with 2:29 remaining and was within two with 39.1 seconds left before Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley both missed would-be game-tying buckets in the final 4.1 seconds to seal the victory for the Knicks.
Jarrett Allen and Mitchell co-led the Cavaliers with 24 points while pulling down 12 and eight rebounds, respectively. Mitchell also posted eight assists and four steals. Darius Garland furnished 22 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals. Mobley delivered 12 points, seven boards, three assists, two blocks and one steal. Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert produced matching nine-point contributions, with Okoro also managing six boards and five assists.
Julius Randle paced the Knicks with a 36-point, 13-rebound double-double that also included four assists. RJ Barrett supplied 16 points, four rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal. Jalen Brunson registered 14 points, four assists, two boards and one steal. Obi Toppin turned in 11 points and three rebounds. Quentin Grimes recorded 10 points, three assists, one rebound and one block.
The Cavaliers remain on the road and visit the Houston Rockets on Thursday night, while the Knicks visit the Boston Celtics on Thursday night as well.
Nuggets Get Past Pelicans, 99-98
The Denver Nuggets defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 99-98, at Smoothie King Arena on Tuesday night.
The Nuggets (34-14) put together an impressive first half of on the offensive end to take a 63-47 lead into halftime. However, the Pelicans (26-23) were able to knock seven points from their deficit during the third quarter and then battled all the way back to take a 98-97 advantage with 36.2 seconds remaining. However, Nikola Jokic, making his return from a two-game absence due to hamstring tightness, knocked in what would be the game-winning basket with 16.2 seconds left and both C.J. McCollum and Herbert Jones were unable to drain would-be go-ahead buckets in the closing seconds.
Jokic and Bruce Brown co-led the Nuggets with 25 points, with Jokic adding 11 rebounds and 10 assists and Brown also recording seven dimes and three steals. Aaron Gordon and Bruce Brown each posted 11 points while pulling down four and two rebounds, respectively.
McCollum led the Pelicans with 20 points, supplementing them with four rebounds and four assists. Jose Alvarado delivered 17 points, three assists and one rebound. Jonas Valanciunas furnished 14 points, nine boards and one block. Willy Hernangomez managed 12 points, six rebounds, two assists and one steal. Trey Murphy III and Larry Nance contributed matching 10-point, six-rebound efforts.
The Nuggets remain on the road and visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, while the Pelicans host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night as well.
The Nuggets (34-14) put together an impressive first half of on the offensive end to take a 63-47 lead into halftime. However, the Pelicans (26-23) were able to knock seven points from their deficit during the third quarter and then battled all the way back to take a 98-97 advantage with 36.2 seconds remaining. However, Nikola Jokic, making his return from a two-game absence due to hamstring tightness, knocked in what would be the game-winning basket with 16.2 seconds left and both C.J. McCollum and Herbert Jones were unable to drain would-be go-ahead buckets in the closing seconds.
Jokic and Bruce Brown co-led the Nuggets with 25 points, with Jokic adding 11 rebounds and 10 assists and Brown also recording seven dimes and three steals. Aaron Gordon and Bruce Brown each posted 11 points while pulling down four and two rebounds, respectively.
McCollum led the Pelicans with 20 points, supplementing them with four rebounds and four assists. Jose Alvarado delivered 17 points, three assists and one rebound. Jonas Valanciunas furnished 14 points, nine boards and one block. Willy Hernangomez managed 12 points, six rebounds, two assists and one steal. Trey Murphy III and Larry Nance contributed matching 10-point, six-rebound efforts.
The Nuggets remain on the road and visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, while the Pelicans host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night as well.
Wizards Hold On In Dallas
By Dan Bruno
The Washington Wizards defeated the host Dallas Mavericks, 127-126, at American Airlines Center on Tuesday evening.
The game got out to a high-scoring start as the Wizards led, 32-28, after one quarter. Both sides kept up the pace in the second, while the visitors managed to push their lead to five, by halftime. The Mavericks jumped out to a strong start in the third and rallied to a brief lead before facing a two-point deficit heading into the final frame. The score stayed tight through the fourth and after a back-and-forth battle in the final minutes, the Wizards emerged for their third straight win.
Kyle Kuzma led the Wizards with 30 points, five rebounds, two assists and a block, in 37 minutes. Bradley Beal followed up with 22 points, four assists and a block, while Deni Avdija tallied 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals. The Wizards shot 50.6 percent from the field, including 11-of-30 from long range.
Meanwhile, Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 41 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and a steal, in 38 minutes. Dwight Powell followed up with 22 points, nine rebounds, a steal and a block, while Spencer Dinwiddie added 20 points and eight rebounds. The Mavericks shot 52.8 percent from the field, including 10-of-30 from deep.
The Mavericks (25-24) will look to bounce back as they take on the Suns in Phoenix on Thursday. The Wizards (21-26) take on the Rockets in Houston on Wednesday.
The game got out to a high-scoring start as the Wizards led, 32-28, after one quarter. Both sides kept up the pace in the second, while the visitors managed to push their lead to five, by halftime. The Mavericks jumped out to a strong start in the third and rallied to a brief lead before facing a two-point deficit heading into the final frame. The score stayed tight through the fourth and after a back-and-forth battle in the final minutes, the Wizards emerged for their third straight win.
Kyle Kuzma led the Wizards with 30 points, five rebounds, two assists and a block, in 37 minutes. Bradley Beal followed up with 22 points, four assists and a block, while Deni Avdija tallied 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals. The Wizards shot 50.6 percent from the field, including 11-of-30 from long range.
Meanwhile, Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 41 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and a steal, in 38 minutes. Dwight Powell followed up with 22 points, nine rebounds, a steal and a block, while Spencer Dinwiddie added 20 points and eight rebounds. The Mavericks shot 52.8 percent from the field, including 10-of-30 from deep.
The Mavericks (25-24) will look to bounce back as they take on the Suns in Phoenix on Thursday. The Wizards (21-26) take on the Rockets in Houston on Wednesday.
Suns Defeat Hornets, 128-97
The Phoenix Suns defeated the visiting Charlotte Hornets, 128-97, at Footprint Center on Tuesday.
While Charlotte grabbed the first lead in this game, that was the only time it was competitive. In fact, The Suns outscored the Hornets in that opening frame, 36-15, riding a 40-30 third quarter to this blowout scoreline. They led by at least seven points after the opening four minutes and got their lead up to 31 points at times. Phoenix out-rebounded Charlotte, 56-40, while out-assisting them, 33-18. They also shot 50 percent from the field and 55 percent from three-point range while holding the Hornets to 41 percent from the field and 24 percent from long range.
The Hornets (13-36) were led by Terry Rozier, tallying 19 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals. Mason Plumlee provided 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. Jalen McDaniels had 15 points, 10 rebounds and two assists, while PJ Washington amassed nine points, two rebounds, two assists and four steals.
The Suns (25-24) were led by Cameron Johnson, collecting 24 points, three rebounds and three assists. Mikal Bridges totaled 18 points, two rebounds and three assists. Chris Paul compiled 14 points, five rebounds and 11 assists, while Bismack Biyombo finished with six points, nine rebounds, four assists and five blocks. Dario Saric led the bench with 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists, while Jock Landale had 15 points and three boards.
Both teams return to action on Thursday, with Phoenix remaining home to play the Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte returning home to face the Chicago Bulls.
While Charlotte grabbed the first lead in this game, that was the only time it was competitive. In fact, The Suns outscored the Hornets in that opening frame, 36-15, riding a 40-30 third quarter to this blowout scoreline. They led by at least seven points after the opening four minutes and got their lead up to 31 points at times. Phoenix out-rebounded Charlotte, 56-40, while out-assisting them, 33-18. They also shot 50 percent from the field and 55 percent from three-point range while holding the Hornets to 41 percent from the field and 24 percent from long range.
The Hornets (13-36) were led by Terry Rozier, tallying 19 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals. Mason Plumlee provided 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. Jalen McDaniels had 15 points, 10 rebounds and two assists, while PJ Washington amassed nine points, two rebounds, two assists and four steals.
The Suns (25-24) were led by Cameron Johnson, collecting 24 points, three rebounds and three assists. Mikal Bridges totaled 18 points, two rebounds and three assists. Chris Paul compiled 14 points, five rebounds and 11 assists, while Bismack Biyombo finished with six points, nine rebounds, four assists and five blocks. Dario Saric led the bench with 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists, while Jock Landale had 15 points and three boards.
Both teams return to action on Thursday, with Phoenix remaining home to play the Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte returning home to face the Chicago Bulls.
Clippers Defeat Lakers, 133-115
The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the host Los Angeles Lakers, 133-115, at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday.
A 37-30 first quarter set the tone for the Clippers in this wire-to-wire win, putting things away behind a 40-24 second quarter. That allowed them to maintain a double-digit lead for the entirety of the second half, getting their lead up to 23 points at times. The Clippers shot 61 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range while holding the Lakers to 44 percent from the field and 40 percent from long range. The Clippers also doubled up the Lakers in blocks, 8-4.
The Clippers (26-24) were led by Paul George, providing 27 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Kawhi Leonard finished with 25 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Norman Powell led the bench with 22 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Reggie Jackson accrued 19 points, three rebounds and five assists.
The Lakers (22-26) were led by LeBron James, collecting 46 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals on a career-high 9-of-14 from three-point range. Thomas Bryant tallied 15 points and seven rebounds. Russell Westbrook led the bench with 17 points, five assists and two steals. No other player reached double figures in scoring.
The Clippers return to action on Thursday, playing host to the San Antonio Spurs. As for the Lakers, they play a back-to-back on Wednesday, playing host to the Spurs as well.
A 37-30 first quarter set the tone for the Clippers in this wire-to-wire win, putting things away behind a 40-24 second quarter. That allowed them to maintain a double-digit lead for the entirety of the second half, getting their lead up to 23 points at times. The Clippers shot 61 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range while holding the Lakers to 44 percent from the field and 40 percent from long range. The Clippers also doubled up the Lakers in blocks, 8-4.
The Clippers (26-24) were led by Paul George, providing 27 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Kawhi Leonard finished with 25 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Norman Powell led the bench with 22 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Reggie Jackson accrued 19 points, three rebounds and five assists.
The Lakers (22-26) were led by LeBron James, collecting 46 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals on a career-high 9-of-14 from three-point range. Thomas Bryant tallied 15 points and seven rebounds. Russell Westbrook led the bench with 17 points, five assists and two steals. No other player reached double figures in scoring.
The Clippers return to action on Thursday, playing host to the San Antonio Spurs. As for the Lakers, they play a back-to-back on Wednesday, playing host to the Spurs as well.