Thunder Roll Rockets, 98-80, Pick Up Seventh-Straight Win
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the visiting Houston Rockets, 98-80, at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Thursday.
Houston's offense has been struggling all season long and this 80-point nightmare is hopefully rock-bottom. It was a thorough domination from start to finish, as Oklahoma City led by 10 points after the first quarter and by 20 points headed into the fourth quarter. In fact, the Thunder held a double-digit lead for the entirety of the second half. They held the Rockets to just 38 percent from the field and 26 percent from three-point range while forcing 17 turnovers. Oklahoma City also dominated the boards, outrebounding Houston, 52-37. Getting to the charity stripe was also huge for the Thunder, as they connected on 17-of-24 of their free-throws while the Rockets hit just 7-of-10.
The Rockets (4-6) were led by James Harden, as he tallied 29 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. Clint Capela totaled 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Chris Paul accrued 10 points, two rebounds, five assists and six steals. Carmelo Anthony had a nightmare game off the bench, scoring two points on 1-of-11 from the field.
The Thunder (7-4) were led by Paul George, as he collected 20 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and six steals. Steven Adams amassed 19 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Dennis Schroder accumulated 14 points, six rebounds and five assists. Jerami Grant and Terrence Ferguson also reached double figures in scoring to cap off the starting five.
Both teams return to action on Saturday, with Houston traveling to face the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City playing the Dallas Mavericks on the road as well.
Houston's offense has been struggling all season long and this 80-point nightmare is hopefully rock-bottom. It was a thorough domination from start to finish, as Oklahoma City led by 10 points after the first quarter and by 20 points headed into the fourth quarter. In fact, the Thunder held a double-digit lead for the entirety of the second half. They held the Rockets to just 38 percent from the field and 26 percent from three-point range while forcing 17 turnovers. Oklahoma City also dominated the boards, outrebounding Houston, 52-37. Getting to the charity stripe was also huge for the Thunder, as they connected on 17-of-24 of their free-throws while the Rockets hit just 7-of-10.
The Rockets (4-6) were led by James Harden, as he tallied 29 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. Clint Capela totaled 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Chris Paul accrued 10 points, two rebounds, five assists and six steals. Carmelo Anthony had a nightmare game off the bench, scoring two points on 1-of-11 from the field.
The Thunder (7-4) were led by Paul George, as he collected 20 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and six steals. Steven Adams amassed 19 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Dennis Schroder accumulated 14 points, six rebounds and five assists. Jerami Grant and Terrence Ferguson also reached double figures in scoring to cap off the starting five.
Both teams return to action on Saturday, with Houston traveling to face the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City playing the Dallas Mavericks on the road as well.
Celtics Nip Suns in OT, 116-109
The Boston Celtics defeated the Phoenix Suns in overtime, 116-109, at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Thursday evening.
Matters looked grim for the Celtics (7-4) for the majority of the night, as they surprisingly fell behind, 32-13, after one quarter. Although they were able to cut into their sizable deficit during the middle periods while outscoring the Suns (2-9) by 52-48 margin, they still entered the final 12 minutes trailing by 15. However, a 17-4 run by Boston over a 3:23 period late in the fourth quarter left them within one point of Phoenix. Following a pair of clutch T.J. Warren free throws, the Celtics were able to get the ball into the hands of Marcus Morris, who burned one of his old franchises with a three-pointer with 1.1 seconds on the clock. The visitors then took control in overtime, snapping a 109-109 tie with a 7-0 run over the final 2:05 of the extra period.
Kyrie Irving keyed the Celtics with 39 points, a total he supplemented with seven rebounds, six assists, three steals and one block. He also provided the assist on Morris' game-tying three. Jaylen Brown and Morris each provided 17 points overall. They also hauled in six and eight rebounds, respectively. Terry Rozier provided 10 points, six boards and one assist off the bench. Gordon Hayward (eight points), Al Horford (seven points) and Jayson Tatum (four points) all had underwhelming performances.
Devin Booker enjoyed another productive night versus the Celtics, leading the Suns with 38 points and adding nine assists, three rebounds and three steals. Warren supplied 29 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. Deandre Ayton posted a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double. Trevor Ariza filled out the stat sheet with 11 points, nine rebounds, six assists and one block.
The Celtics remain on their road trip and pay a visit to the Utah Jazz on Friday night, while the Suns hit the road as well and face the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday evening.
Matters looked grim for the Celtics (7-4) for the majority of the night, as they surprisingly fell behind, 32-13, after one quarter. Although they were able to cut into their sizable deficit during the middle periods while outscoring the Suns (2-9) by 52-48 margin, they still entered the final 12 minutes trailing by 15. However, a 17-4 run by Boston over a 3:23 period late in the fourth quarter left them within one point of Phoenix. Following a pair of clutch T.J. Warren free throws, the Celtics were able to get the ball into the hands of Marcus Morris, who burned one of his old franchises with a three-pointer with 1.1 seconds on the clock. The visitors then took control in overtime, snapping a 109-109 tie with a 7-0 run over the final 2:05 of the extra period.
Kyrie Irving keyed the Celtics with 39 points, a total he supplemented with seven rebounds, six assists, three steals and one block. He also provided the assist on Morris' game-tying three. Jaylen Brown and Morris each provided 17 points overall. They also hauled in six and eight rebounds, respectively. Terry Rozier provided 10 points, six boards and one assist off the bench. Gordon Hayward (eight points), Al Horford (seven points) and Jayson Tatum (four points) all had underwhelming performances.
Devin Booker enjoyed another productive night versus the Celtics, leading the Suns with 38 points and adding nine assists, three rebounds and three steals. Warren supplied 29 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. Deandre Ayton posted a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double. Trevor Ariza filled out the stat sheet with 11 points, nine rebounds, six assists and one block.
The Celtics remain on their road trip and pay a visit to the Utah Jazz on Friday night, while the Suns hit the road as well and face the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday evening.
Blazers Stave Off Clippers at Home
The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers, 116-105, at Moda Center on Thursday.
The Trail Blazers (9-3) continue to play great basketball, as they have now won five of their last six games. As it typically does, Thursday's win started with the production from the team's backcourt. Damian Lillard led the way for the home team, scoring a game-high 25 points, but he struggled a bit from the field, shooting just 11-of-25. Additionally, in what may be the most surprising stat of the night, Lillard did not attempt a single free throw in in 35 minutes of play. C.J. McCollum wasn't too far behind Lillard, scoring 23 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 35 minutes of his own. Jusuf Nurkic had another efficient night, but he fell one rebound short of a double-double with 16 points and nine boards in just 23 minutes. As a team, while Portland did not shoot particularly well from the field (41.2 percent), the team made the most of its trips to the charity stripe, hitting 26-of-28 free throws Thursday night.
As for the Clippers (6-5), their loss put an end to a two-game winning streak. The main difference for Los Angeles in the loss was their inability to close out defensive possessions, as they allowed the Trail Blazers to get 14 offensive rebounds and they took eight more shots as a result. Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari led the way for the Clippers on Thursday as each dropped 20 points. It was a rough night shooting the ball for Tobias Harris, who has emerged as the team's No. 1 option on offense this season, but he still managed to finish with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds in 37 minutes. Rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to impress in his first NBA season, scoring 19 points in 35 minutes as the starting point guard.
The Trail Blazers (9-3) continue to play great basketball, as they have now won five of their last six games. As it typically does, Thursday's win started with the production from the team's backcourt. Damian Lillard led the way for the home team, scoring a game-high 25 points, but he struggled a bit from the field, shooting just 11-of-25. Additionally, in what may be the most surprising stat of the night, Lillard did not attempt a single free throw in in 35 minutes of play. C.J. McCollum wasn't too far behind Lillard, scoring 23 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 35 minutes of his own. Jusuf Nurkic had another efficient night, but he fell one rebound short of a double-double with 16 points and nine boards in just 23 minutes. As a team, while Portland did not shoot particularly well from the field (41.2 percent), the team made the most of its trips to the charity stripe, hitting 26-of-28 free throws Thursday night.
As for the Clippers (6-5), their loss put an end to a two-game winning streak. The main difference for Los Angeles in the loss was their inability to close out defensive possessions, as they allowed the Trail Blazers to get 14 offensive rebounds and they took eight more shots as a result. Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari led the way for the Clippers on Thursday as each dropped 20 points. It was a rough night shooting the ball for Tobias Harris, who has emerged as the team's No. 1 option on offense this season, but he still managed to finish with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds in 37 minutes. Rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to impress in his first NBA season, scoring 19 points in 35 minutes as the starting point guard.
Bucks Halt Streaking Warriors
By Dan Bruno
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the host Golden State Warriors, 134-111, at Oracle Arena on Thursday evening.
The Bucks got out to a great start on the road, as they kept it close, before managing to pull ahead in the final minutes of the first quarter, and take a 32-29 lead into the second. The Bucks kept their foot on the gas through the second, as they did not allow the Warriors to catch up, constantly pulled another step ahead, as they outscored the home team, 32-22, in the quarter, to take a 64-51 lead into halftime. The Bucks iced the game in the third, where they took to a 20-5 run to pull ahead by 26 late in the third quarter. Stephen Curry was forced to leave the game in the third, as he suffered a strained groin. The Bucks went on to cruise to their third road win, while the Warriors saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end. Draymond Green (toe) did not suit up in the contest.
Eric Bledsoe led the Bucks with 26 points, six assists, four rebounds and one steal, in 26 minutes. Giannis Antetokounmpo followed up with 24 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks, in 26 minutes, while Malcolm Brogdon finished with 20 points, three rebounds, two steals and one assist. The Bucks shot 52 percent from the field, including 9-of-35 from long range.
Meanwhile, Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 24 points, three rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal, in 33 minutes. Kevin Durant followed up with 17 points, nine assists, five rebounds and one block, while Damian Jones tallied 12 points, four rebounds, one assist and a block. The Warriors shot 48 percent from the field, including 10-of-28 from deep.
The Warriors (10-2) will look to bounce back as they play host to the Nets on Saturday. The Bucks (9-2) take on the Clippers in Los Angeles on Saturday.
The Bucks got out to a great start on the road, as they kept it close, before managing to pull ahead in the final minutes of the first quarter, and take a 32-29 lead into the second. The Bucks kept their foot on the gas through the second, as they did not allow the Warriors to catch up, constantly pulled another step ahead, as they outscored the home team, 32-22, in the quarter, to take a 64-51 lead into halftime. The Bucks iced the game in the third, where they took to a 20-5 run to pull ahead by 26 late in the third quarter. Stephen Curry was forced to leave the game in the third, as he suffered a strained groin. The Bucks went on to cruise to their third road win, while the Warriors saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end. Draymond Green (toe) did not suit up in the contest.
Eric Bledsoe led the Bucks with 26 points, six assists, four rebounds and one steal, in 26 minutes. Giannis Antetokounmpo followed up with 24 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks, in 26 minutes, while Malcolm Brogdon finished with 20 points, three rebounds, two steals and one assist. The Bucks shot 52 percent from the field, including 9-of-35 from long range.
Meanwhile, Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 24 points, three rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal, in 33 minutes. Kevin Durant followed up with 17 points, nine assists, five rebounds and one block, while Damian Jones tallied 12 points, four rebounds, one assist and a block. The Warriors shot 48 percent from the field, including 10-of-28 from deep.
The Warriors (10-2) will look to bounce back as they play host to the Nets on Saturday. The Bucks (9-2) take on the Clippers in Los Angeles on Saturday.