There was a lot happening on Wednesday night in the NBA, as 20 teams were in action. We saw 10 interesting matchups around the league, including the one between the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Pistons were at home, playing in front of a sellout crowd at their Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. They were looking to get their third win of the season, while the Timberwolves were hoping to bounce back with a win after losing to the Pacers earlier this week. Minnesota was shorthanded in this one as they played without Jimmy Butler who was sidelined due to a sickness.
Comfortable win for the home team
The Wolves opened up the game with a solid first quarter, outscoring the Pistons 26-23 in the opening period. But in the second quarter, they fell apart. Detroit went on to score 40 points in the second quarter while allowing the Timberwolves to score just 18 points in the period. It was 63-44 for the home team at halftime. Midway through the third quarter, Detroit held a 79-55 lead and heading into the final period of the game they were in front 91-73. The Pistons never allowed the Timberwolves to get back in this game, and they ended up with a convincing, 122-101 victory.
Tobias Harris led the way for the home team in this one with 34 points and four rebounds.
Avery Bradley added 20 points and three assists, while Andre Drummond finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds.
For the Timberwolves, it was Karl-Anthony Towns with 23 points who led them in scoring. Towns also added 10 rebounds. Andrew Wiggins contributed with 21 points, while Jeff Teague added 18 points and six assists.
Lakers win in overtime
It was a sellout crowd once again at Staples Center as the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Washington Wizards. The Lakers started off strong, leading 23-18 after the first period of the game. The Wizards answered with a 31-point second quarter, and they held a 49-45 lead at halftime. Late in the third quarter, Washington had a 10-point lead at 71-61 and heading into the final period of the game, they were up 79-69.
It seemed like an easy victory was in store for the Wizards, but the Lakers had other plans. They outscored Washington 23-13 in the final 12 minutes of the game and with the score tied at 92-92, the game went into overtime. Los Angeles was the more focused team in the overtime, as they ended up with the narrow, 102-99 victory.
Five players finished in double-digit scoring for the Lakers on Wednesday night. Brandon Ingram led them with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Larry Nance added 18 points and 10 rebounds. Lonzo Ball finished with 6 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists for the Lakers.
Bradley Beal was the leading scorer for the away squad in this one with 28 points. John Wall contributed with 18 points and nine assists, while Marcin Gortat finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Wizards.
