Phoenix Remains Undefeated, Secure Win Over Oklahoma City
The Phoenix Suns defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 128-101, on Monday at Orlando.
This contest between the Suns (32-39) and the Thunder (43-27) was a tale of two halves, as Oklahoma City dominated the first 24 minutes of action, while Phoenix mounted an impressive comeback after the break. The Thunder got off to a better start and led by 14 points after the end of the first quarter, but the Suns began their push for a turnaround in the second half and built a one-point lead at the break. Phoenix would dominate the game completely in the second half, and they built a double-digit lead after a 33-17 third quarter. The Thunder attempted a fourth-quarter comeback, but it wasn't enough and the Suns closed things out comfortably. With the win, the Suns moved to 6-0 in the Orlando bubble, while the Thunder has gone 3-3.
Devin Booker paced the Suns with an impressive 35-point performance, but he received great support from the rest of the starting unit as Mikal Bridges (18 points, six rebounds), Cameron Johnson (18 points, four boards, three dimes) and Dario Saric (16 points, nine boards) all contributed offensively. Ricky Rubio had nine assists while also adding seven points and five rebounds. Cameron Payne contributed 14 points, six rebounds and five assists off the bench.
The Thunder rotated the starting lineup in this game although veteran floor general Chris Paul was in the squad, and he finished with 14 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Mike Muscala had 11 points with four rebounds, and Abdel Nader chipped in with 15 points. Darius Bazley was the team's top scoring threat with 22 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes.
This contest between the Suns (32-39) and the Thunder (43-27) was a tale of two halves, as Oklahoma City dominated the first 24 minutes of action, while Phoenix mounted an impressive comeback after the break. The Thunder got off to a better start and led by 14 points after the end of the first quarter, but the Suns began their push for a turnaround in the second half and built a one-point lead at the break. Phoenix would dominate the game completely in the second half, and they built a double-digit lead after a 33-17 third quarter. The Thunder attempted a fourth-quarter comeback, but it wasn't enough and the Suns closed things out comfortably. With the win, the Suns moved to 6-0 in the Orlando bubble, while the Thunder has gone 3-3.
Devin Booker paced the Suns with an impressive 35-point performance, but he received great support from the rest of the starting unit as Mikal Bridges (18 points, six rebounds), Cameron Johnson (18 points, four boards, three dimes) and Dario Saric (16 points, nine boards) all contributed offensively. Ricky Rubio had nine assists while also adding seven points and five rebounds. Cameron Payne contributed 14 points, six rebounds and five assists off the bench.
The Thunder rotated the starting lineup in this game although veteran floor general Chris Paul was in the squad, and he finished with 14 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Mike Muscala had 11 points with four rebounds, and Abdel Nader chipped in with 15 points. Darius Bazley was the team's top scoring threat with 22 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes.
Shorthanded Mavs Top Shorthanded Jazz
By Dan Bruno
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Utah Jazz, 122-114, on Monday at Orlando.
Despite missing Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic, the Mavs managed to grind out an impressive win over the Jazz, who were also missing a couple key players, as Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic were sidelined. The contest got out to a hot start, as the Jazz took a, 38-30 lead after one quarter. They stayed on top through the second, where they pushed their lead to 16, by halftime. The Jazz maintained control through the third, but the Mavs chipped away to make it a 12-point game heading into the final frame. The Mavericks took their game to another level in the fourth, as they kicked off the quarter with a, 13-0, run to take a one-point lead with just over seven minutes to go. They kept the momentum going from there and outscored the Jazz by 20 points in the quarter to secure the comeback win.
Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Mavericks with 27 points, four assists and three rebounds, in 34 minutes. Boban Marjanovic added 20 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal, while Seth Curry tallied 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting. J.J. Barea, Trey Burke and Maxi Kleber each scored in double digits to help round out a great team win.
Meanwhile, Jordan Clarkson led the Jazz with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting, in 14 minutes of action. Rayjon Tucker added 17 points, while Emmanuel Mudiay chipped in 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal. Rudy Gobert played just 16 minutes and finished with nine points, five rebounds, three assists and a block.
The Jazz will be back in action as they take on the Spurs on Thursday. The Mavericks will face the second night of a back-to-back, as they take on the Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
Despite missing Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic, the Mavs managed to grind out an impressive win over the Jazz, who were also missing a couple key players, as Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic were sidelined. The contest got out to a hot start, as the Jazz took a, 38-30 lead after one quarter. They stayed on top through the second, where they pushed their lead to 16, by halftime. The Jazz maintained control through the third, but the Mavs chipped away to make it a 12-point game heading into the final frame. The Mavericks took their game to another level in the fourth, as they kicked off the quarter with a, 13-0, run to take a one-point lead with just over seven minutes to go. They kept the momentum going from there and outscored the Jazz by 20 points in the quarter to secure the comeback win.
Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Mavericks with 27 points, four assists and three rebounds, in 34 minutes. Boban Marjanovic added 20 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal, while Seth Curry tallied 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting. J.J. Barea, Trey Burke and Maxi Kleber each scored in double digits to help round out a great team win.
Meanwhile, Jordan Clarkson led the Jazz with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting, in 14 minutes of action. Rayjon Tucker added 17 points, while Emmanuel Mudiay chipped in 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal. Rudy Gobert played just 16 minutes and finished with nine points, five rebounds, three assists and a block.
The Jazz will be back in action as they take on the Spurs on Thursday. The Mavericks will face the second night of a back-to-back, as they take on the Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
Raptors Topple Bucks, 114-106
The Toronto Raptors defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 114-106, in an NBA seeding game in Orlando on Monday evening.
The Raptors (51-19) can no longer catch the Bucks (55-16) for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but they still came out with plenty of motivation against a Milwaukee squad playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo (mouth). Toronto turned a five-point first-quarter advantage into a 14-point halftime lead. Milwaukee played much better on the defensive end of the floor during a third quarter where they shaved a point off their deficit, but their best play came during a 13-2 run from the 8;04 to 6:11 marks of the final period. The Bucks would eventually get as close as within six points with 1:21 remaining, but the Raptors were able to close things out with buckets from Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Chris Boucher.
Boucher paced the Raptors with 25 points off the bench, adding 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Matt Thomas supplied 22 points, four boards and one assist. Norman Powell registered 21 points, eight boards, one assist, three blocks and two steals. Pascal Siakam furnished 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Hollis-Jefferson contributed 11 points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal. Terence Davis managed 10 points, three rebounds and one steal.
Kyle Korver led the Bucks with 19 points, supplementing them with four rebounds, two assists and one steal. Khris Middleton finished with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists. George Hill offered 14 points, three assists and two rebounds. Brook Lopez and Pat Connaughton mustered 12 points each, with Connaughton adding five rebounds, two assists and one steal. Eric Bledsoe stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and one block.
The Raptors are back on the court Wednesday evening against the Philadelphia 76ers, while the Bucks face off with the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
The Raptors (51-19) can no longer catch the Bucks (55-16) for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but they still came out with plenty of motivation against a Milwaukee squad playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo (mouth). Toronto turned a five-point first-quarter advantage into a 14-point halftime lead. Milwaukee played much better on the defensive end of the floor during a third quarter where they shaved a point off their deficit, but their best play came during a 13-2 run from the 8;04 to 6:11 marks of the final period. The Bucks would eventually get as close as within six points with 1:21 remaining, but the Raptors were able to close things out with buckets from Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Chris Boucher.
Boucher paced the Raptors with 25 points off the bench, adding 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Matt Thomas supplied 22 points, four boards and one assist. Norman Powell registered 21 points, eight boards, one assist, three blocks and two steals. Pascal Siakam furnished 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Hollis-Jefferson contributed 11 points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal. Terence Davis managed 10 points, three rebounds and one steal.
Kyle Korver led the Bucks with 19 points, supplementing them with four rebounds, two assists and one steal. Khris Middleton finished with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists. George Hill offered 14 points, three assists and two rebounds. Brook Lopez and Pat Connaughton mustered 12 points each, with Connaughton adding five rebounds, two assists and one steal. Eric Bledsoe stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and one block.
The Raptors are back on the court Wednesday evening against the Philadelphia 76ers, while the Bucks face off with the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
Heat Throttle Pacers, 114-92
The Miami Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers, 114-92, in an NBA seeding game in Orlando on Monday night.
The two squads were particularly effective on the defensive end during a tightly contested first quarter, with the Heat (44-27) emerging from the period with a slim four-point edge. The Pacers (43-28) erased that deficit in the second to lead to a 48-48 halftime deadlock, but Miami changed the tone of the contest for good in the third quarter, when they opened on an 8-0 run over the first 1:58 of the period. The Heat was up by 14 entering the fourth quarter and added another eight points to their advantage in the final 12 minutes for the lopsided win.
Victor Oladipo led the Pacers with 14 points, adding five rebounds, one assist and one steal. Malcolm Brogdon and T.J. Warren supplied matching 12-point tallies, with Brogdon adding eight boards and dishing out six assists. Myles Turner and Doug McDermott generated matching nine-point tallies while hauling in seven and five rebounds, respectively.
Jimmy Butler paced the Heat with 19 points, complementing them with 11 rebounds, five assists, four steals and one block. Derrick Jones totaled 18 points, five rebounds, one steal and one block. Tyler Herro followed with 17 points, five rebounds, two assists and one block. Jae Crowder and Duncan Robinson delivered 14 points each, with Crowder also contributing eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo posted 11 and 10 points, respectively. Dragic also recorded nine assists, six rebounds and one steal, while Adebayo totaled nine rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
The Pacers will jump back into action Wednesday afternoon against the Houston Rockets, while the Heat faces the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
The two squads were particularly effective on the defensive end during a tightly contested first quarter, with the Heat (44-27) emerging from the period with a slim four-point edge. The Pacers (43-28) erased that deficit in the second to lead to a 48-48 halftime deadlock, but Miami changed the tone of the contest for good in the third quarter, when they opened on an 8-0 run over the first 1:58 of the period. The Heat was up by 14 entering the fourth quarter and added another eight points to their advantage in the final 12 minutes for the lopsided win.
Victor Oladipo led the Pacers with 14 points, adding five rebounds, one assist and one steal. Malcolm Brogdon and T.J. Warren supplied matching 12-point tallies, with Brogdon adding eight boards and dishing out six assists. Myles Turner and Doug McDermott generated matching nine-point tallies while hauling in seven and five rebounds, respectively.
Jimmy Butler paced the Heat with 19 points, complementing them with 11 rebounds, five assists, four steals and one block. Derrick Jones totaled 18 points, five rebounds, one steal and one block. Tyler Herro followed with 17 points, five rebounds, two assists and one block. Jae Crowder and Duncan Robinson delivered 14 points each, with Crowder also contributing eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo posted 11 and 10 points, respectively. Dragic also recorded nine assists, six rebounds and one steal, while Adebayo totaled nine rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
The Pacers will jump back into action Wednesday afternoon against the Houston Rockets, while the Heat faces the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
Lakers Defeat Nuggets, 124-121
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets, 124-121, in Orlando on Monday.
There were 14 ties and 16 lead changes in this game, as it came down to the final shot. In fact, Kyle Kuzma hit a game-winner with 0.4 seconds left to grab the win. Neither club led by more than seven points in total. Both offenses were on point, with Denver shooting 58 percent from the field and 57 percent from three-point range while Los Angeles shot 54 percent from the field and 48 percent from long range. The Lakers ended up winning the turnover battle, 14-10.
The Nuggets (46-25) were led by P.J. Dozier, who provided 18 points, four rebounds and four assists off the bench. Michael Porter Jr led the starters with 15 points and four boards. Jamal Murray tallied 14 points, four rebounds and three assists while Paul Millsap totaled 13 points, four rebounds and four assists. None of the starters played in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers (52-18) were led by LeBron James, who finished with 29 points, 12 assists and two blocks. Anthony Davis amassed 27 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks. Kuzma added 25 points, six rebounds and three assists to his game-winner. Dion Waiters led the bench with 12 points and three assists.
On deck for Denver is a matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. As for the Lakers, they're off until Thursday when they face the Sacramento Kings.
There were 14 ties and 16 lead changes in this game, as it came down to the final shot. In fact, Kyle Kuzma hit a game-winner with 0.4 seconds left to grab the win. Neither club led by more than seven points in total. Both offenses were on point, with Denver shooting 58 percent from the field and 57 percent from three-point range while Los Angeles shot 54 percent from the field and 48 percent from long range. The Lakers ended up winning the turnover battle, 14-10.
The Nuggets (46-25) were led by P.J. Dozier, who provided 18 points, four rebounds and four assists off the bench. Michael Porter Jr led the starters with 15 points and four boards. Jamal Murray tallied 14 points, four rebounds and three assists while Paul Millsap totaled 13 points, four rebounds and four assists. None of the starters played in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers (52-18) were led by LeBron James, who finished with 29 points, 12 assists and two blocks. Anthony Davis amassed 27 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks. Kuzma added 25 points, six rebounds and three assists to his game-winner. Dion Waiters led the bench with 12 points and three assists.
On deck for Denver is a matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. As for the Lakers, they're off until Thursday when they face the Sacramento Kings.