After taking Thanksgiving off, the NBA was back in action on Friday (Nov. 24). Both LeBron James and Russell Westbrook put up triple-doubles, but no lead appeared to be safe as several teams stormed back from double-digit deficits to earn wins.
Cavaliers (12-7) vs Hornets (8-10) - 100-99
LeBron James wasn't his usual dominant self initially, which allowed the Hornets to maintain a one-point edge after the first quarter and three-point lead at halftime. James scored just six points in the first-half and donned the role of playmaker, dishing out nine assists.
The Hornets’ were led by Dwight Howard’s 11 points and six rebounds.
It wasn't until the second-half that James put on his scoring hat to help the Cavs claim a one-point lead by the end of the third quarter, pouring in 13 points. The tight game remained competitive over the course of the final period. With the score tied 99-99, JR Smith hit a free throw to put Cleveland up one with 48 seconds left. After missed shots by each team, the Hornets had a chance to win, but a Jeremy Lamb three-point shot hit nothing but iron. James’ triple-double consisted of 27 points, 16 rebounds, and 13 assists.
Pistons (12-6) defeat Thunder (8-10) - 99-98
The Reggie Jackson vs. Oklahoma City revenge game! Jackson, a former Thunder player, missed both matchups last season.
But the last time Jackson played his former team in early 2016, he celebrated the victory exuberantly, irritating many of the Oklahoma City players.
The Thunder already beat one ex-teammate (Kevin Durant) this week but failed to cross another one off their list Friday night (Nov. 24) as they blew a second-half lead.
Oklahoma City played well at the start as Russell Westbrook springboarded off his incredible performance against the Warriors to explode for 16 points and nine assists in the first-half.
The Thunder held a 59-49 lead at halftime. And while the Pistons got down by as many as 15 in the third quarter, they went on a scoring binge to cut the deficit to four. Detroit tied the game early in the fourth when Langston Galloway hit a three-point bucket.
The score remained close until the very end, but it was Reggie Jackson who hit two free throws to give the Pistons a three-point lead with 34 seconds on the clock.
Westbrook drove in for a layup to make it a one-point game but missed the game-winner on the Thunder's final possession. Detroit center Andre Drummond had 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Jackson added 12 points on 3-9 shooting. Westbrook finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Celtics (17-3) defeat Magic (8-11) - 118-103
The Celtics came into the Orlando matchup after having their 16-game winning snapped on Wednesday (Nov. 22). Boston has the top-ranked defense in the league but stepped onto the court firing on all cylinders, offensively. The Celtics shot 68.2 percent from the field and 58.3 percent from the three-point line in the first quarter, taking a 40-26 lead. If it wasn’t obvious already that the Celtics were going to rebound from their loss, they extended that margin to 73-47 by halftime.
A 26-point lead grew to 30 by the start of the fourth quarter. A high-scoring Orlando final period (34-19) made the outcome appear somewhat respectable, but the game was never in jeopardy. Kyrie Irving dropped 30 points for the Celtics on 9-15 shooting.
Heat (9-9) defeat Timberwolves (11-8) - 109-97
From start to finish, it just didn't appear to be Minnesota's night. Miami jumped out to a four-point lead after the first quarter and pushed that number to 10 by halftime. Throughout the game, the Timberwolves just couldn’t gain any significant traction offensively or make any key defensive stops. The Heat's lead in the second-half shrank to as little as eight points but reached as high as 20 as they cruised to victory.
Josh Richardson finished with a team-high of 17 points for Miami, while Hassan Whiteside added 14 points and 10 boards.
Hawks (4-15) defeat Knicks (10-8) 116-104
Kristaps Porzingis (10 points) and Courtney Lee (13 points) stepped on the courts hunting for shots. The duo led the Knicks to a 39-24 first quarter lead. Lee’s hot shooting continued throughout the first half; he finished 8-9 from the field for 19 points as the Knicks were up eight over the Hawks at the break
But Atlanta schooled New York in the third quarter, outscoring them by 11 to take an 89-86 lead. The Knicks’ offense and defense remained atrocious in the final period as they completely faded down-the-stretch. Dennis Schroder captained the second-half comeback for the Hawks, scoring 26 points and dishing eight assists.
Lee finished with 26 points for the Knicks.
Pacers (11-8) defeat Raptors (11-7) - 107-104
Indiana continued their strong play this season against Toronto, racing out to a six-point first quarter lead. But the Raptors found their offense in the second quarter to grab a 10-point advantage by halftime. Whatever was said or done in the locker room, Indiana stepped on the court following intermission and took over the game. Their 10-point deficit turned into a one-point lead after Domantas Sabonis knocked in two free throws at the end of the third quarter. The Raptors were able to tie the game, but could never reclaim the lead. Myles Turner led Indiana with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Trail Blazers (11-8) defeat Nets (6-12) - 127-125
Despite a lack of roster talent and injuries to their starting backcourt (Jeremy Lin and D’Angelo Russell), the Nets don’t lay down for anybody. Brooklyn forwards Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and DeMarre Carroll combined to score 12 points in the opening frame to help the Nets to an early 32-23 lead. But a 10-0 run by Portland late in the second cut an 11-point deficit to one; Brooklyn held just a two-point edge heading into halftime. Trail Blazers’ guard CJ McCollum poured in 11 points in the period to push Portland back into the game.
Both teams lit the nets on fire in the second-half as Portland outscored Brooklyn (41-39) in the third quarter to tie the score at 92 all.
The Nets went up six with 2:20 left when Allen Crabbe knocked down a 13-foot floater. But an 8-0 Portland run gave the Trail Blazers the lead and propelled them to victory. Portland was led by Damian Lillard’s 34 points and Jusuf Nurkic’s 29 points and 15 boards.
