The early Wednesday night games (Nov. 22) in the NBA were all about streaks. The Cavs won their sixth game in a row, while the Celtics saw their 16-game winning streak come to an end. The Clippers won for the first time in 10 games, and Russell Westbrook and the Thunder finally beat Golden State.
Thunder (8-9) defeat Warriors (13-5) 108-91
The boos rained down on Kevin Durant every time he touched the ball, fouled, or even had a lane violation called on him. He was questionable with an ankle injury, but there was no way he was missing this game against his former team.
Coming into the matchup, last year’s MVP Russell Westbrook was shooting under 40 percent from the field. In order to get his game back on track, Westbrook needed to stop looking for his teammates and start attacking the basket. With 11 points in the first quarter, Westbrook helped springboard the Thunder to a 33-26 first quarter lead. Westbrook remained aggressive in the second quarter, which even led to words with Durant and Draymond Green. The jawing between Westbrook and Durant continued in the third as the Thunder's 17-point halftime lead was extended to 23.
This was the Warriors fourth game of a four-game road trip and fatigue may have won out. Without the ability to gain any traction, Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr waved the white flag with eight minutes left, taking out all of the Golden State starters.
Westbrook finished with a monster game, scoring 34 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and dishing out nine assists. Durant had 21 points and five rebounds for Golden State.
Cavaliers (11-7) defeat Nets (6-11) 119-109
The Cavaliers came into the matchup looking to avenge an October 25 loss to the Nets. Cleveland held a 20-17 lead after a low-scoring first quarter behind LeBron James’ seven points.
But the highlight (or lowlight) in the early part of the game came when James missed this dunk on a fastbreak.
The scoring for both teams picked up in the second quarter. Reserve Nets' guard Joe Harris (11 points) found the hot hand, helping Brooklyn to a 46-45 lead. After getting down by as many as seven points, Cleveland tied the game by the end of the third quarter.
LeBron James suffered a laceration to his face, but after receiving stitches, he returned with a puffy lip and elevated game. James dropped 18 straight and 23 total points in the final quarter as Cleveland won their sixth game in a row.
Heat (8-9) defeat Celtics (16-3) 104-98
Boston saw their 16-game winning streak snapped in South Beach Wednesday night (Nov. 22). The Celtics found themselves down by 11 after the first quarter and appeared out-of-sorts at times, losing the ball out-of-bounds and making careless turnovers. The Heat held a 13-point halftime lead as Goran Dragic exploded for 20 first-half points.
The Celtics began making their inevitable move back into the game in the fourth quarter.
Down 77-91, the Celtics went on a 13-0 run to get the score within one-point at the 3:14 mark. That's when Dion Waiters thwarted the comeback with back-to-back three-point shots. Heat guards Dragic (27 points) and Waiters (26 points) teamed up to play the role of giant-slayer to stop the Celtics' streak. Kyrie Irving led Boston with 23 points.
Knicks (10-7) defeat Raptors (11-6) 108-100
A nasty Enes Kanter dunk over Serge Ibaka scored the first two points for the Knicks.
Toronto came out firing in the first quarter, hitting six three-pointers to take a 34-26 lead over New York. The Raptors pushed their lead to 11 by halftime as their All-Star backcourt (DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry) combined for 29 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in the first half.
But as hot as Toronto was to start the game, they went a degree below frigid in the third quarter. The Knicks blew the doors off the Raptors, outscoring them 41-10 to flip-the-script and take a 20-point lead in the final period. Toronto discovered their game and closed the gap to six with 2:26 left, but a 6-0 New York run put the game out-of-reach. Tim Hardaway Jr. had 38 points, six rebounds, and seven assists for the Knicks. Lowry led the Raptors with 25 points and 10 boards.
Hornets (8-9) defeat Wizards (10-8) 129-124 OT
A balanced Wizards attack (every starter scored at least four points) gave Washington a 26-25 edge after the first quarter. The two teams exchanged leads several times in the second, but the Wizards were ahead by four at halftime.
Markieff Morris (10 points) was the only Washington player to hit double figures in the first half.
Washington maintained their lead in the second half and went up by nine when John Wall knocked down a jumper with 3:32 left. But the Hornets stormed back, going on a 12-3 run and tied the game on two clutch free throws by Kemba Walker with two seconds on the clock. Charlotte made the first shot in overtime and never trailed again to secure the five-point win. Hornets' center Dwight Howard scored 26 points and grabbed 13 points, and point guard Kemba Walker added 24 points and five assists. John Wall had a game-high 31 points and 11 assists.
76ers (10-7) defeat Trail Blazers (10-8) 101-81
The 76ers jumped out to a 16-0 lead to start the game.
The Trail Blazers didn’t hit their first bucket until 5:01 left in the first quarter. Philly center Joel Embiid scored seven points and grabbed three rebounds as the Sixers held a 26-14 lead after one. Down 13 points at halftime, Portland star Damian Lillard had done everything he could to keep the Trail Blazers in the game with 17 first-half points.
Portland cut the lead to nine twice in the second half, but couldn't get any closer. Embiid finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds, while rookie Ben Simmons contributed 16 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists. Lillard led the Trail Blazers with 30 points.
Nuggets (10-8) defeats Rockets (14-4) 125-95
The Nuggets received horrible news when it was announced that Paul Milsap would be out with an injury for the next three months.
But even with Milsap in the lineup, he wouldn’t have been much of a difference against Houston. The Rockets came out and shot 65 percent from the field in the first quarter on their way to a 36-17 lead. What was bad got worse for the Nuggets in the second quarter; the 19-point deficit was pushed to 35 (75-40) by halftime. Denver went on a 12-0 run after the break, but that wasn’t nearly enough to make more than a small dent in the lead. Houston cruised to a 30-point win. Chris Paul had his best game of the season for the Rockets, scoring 23 points and dishing out 12 assists.
Mavericks (4-15) defeat Grizzlies (7-10) 95-94
Memphis had lost five in a row before Wednesday night's (Nov. 22) game. A struggling Dallas team probably seemed like the perfect cure to a losing streak, but a 29-foot bank shot by Harrison Barnes gave the Mavericks the win.
The Grizzlies were up big early, taking a 27-12 lead after the first quarter and then extending that margin to 56-39 at the half.
But Dallas decided not to go down without a fight. A 35-16 third quarter gave the Mavericks a two-point lead. The score remained tight throughout the final quarter, but a dunk by Grizzlies forward JaMychal Green put Memphis up two with 0.5 seconds left. That’s when Barnes knocked down the game-winner. Barnes finished with 22 points and eight rebounds.
Pelicans (10-8) defeat Spurs (11-7) 107-90
The two Pelicans’ big men (Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins) get all the headlines, but it was the Spurs’ seven-footers, Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge, who came out to combine for 15 points as San Antonio led 29-19 after the first quarter.
However, the tables were turned on the Spurs in the second quarter as New Orleans outscored San Antonio 29-13 to go ahead 50-42. The Pelicans came out of the break and continued to dominate the Spurs with a 37-17 third quarter before winning easily by 17. Davis had 29 points and 11 rebounds, while Cousins finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds.
Timberwolves (11-7) defeat Magic (8-10) 124-118
The Magic raced out to a 35-30 as point guard Elfrid Payton found a way to get everyone involved, dishing out seven assists in the opening frame. It wasn't until the second quarter that the Timberwolves were finally able to get some defensive stops and take a three-point lead into halftime. Minnesota stepped on-the-court in the third quarter with the intention of putting the game away, outscoring the Magic 41-18.
But the NBA is a game of runs, and Orlando gave them a dose of their own medicine in the fourth. The Timberwolves’ 26-point lead was cut to eight with 5:29, but the Magic couldn't get the score any closer. Every Minnesota starter scored at least 18 points.
Clippers (6-11) defeat Hawks (3-15) 116-103
The wheels are coming off the Clippers' season. Heading into the game, Los Angeles had lost nine games in a row and word had come that guard Patrick Beverley was out for the season. The Clippers desperately needed a win, and the downtrodden Hawks came on the schedule at the perfect time.
But Atlanta battled the Clippers from the start, holding a one-point lead after the first quarter and then again at halftime.
Reserve Hawks' guard Marco Belinelli scored 16 points in the first half. In the name of finally getting the losing streak off their backs, Los Angeles outscored the Hawks by five in the third quarter to take a four-point lead. An Atlanta bucket reduced the lead to two, but the Hawks would never reclaim the lead. Clippers' forward Blake Griffin had a triple-double (26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists) to help earn the win.