Paul George needed to find his game and showcased what he was capable of against the Timberwolves. The Pistons fell apart in the second-half versus the Wizards, while the Heat bounced back at home after two bad losses on-the-road. Anthony Davis left with what looked like a painful injury in the Pelicans' loss.
Thunder (9-12) defeat Timberwolves (13-10) - 111-107
The Thunder desperately needed a win. Paul George has been underutilized so far this season, but came out aggressive against the Timberwolves, scoring 15 first quarter points. Oklahoma City held a nine-point lead after one, and a 10-0 run to start the second quarter pushed that number to 19.
But there are several reasons why the Thunder’s record is so poor compared to their expectations and one is that Oklahoma City can’t hold a lead.
Minnesota made it a 10-point game by halftime and six heading into the fourth quarter. A Jerami Grant dunk put the Thunder back up 11 at the 6:25 mark, but the Timberwolves went on an immediate 8-0 run to slash the lead to three with 4:17 in the game. With 12 seconds left, Andrew Wiggins knocked down a shot to reduce the deficit to two, but George iced the game for the Thunder at the charity stripe. George led Oklahoma City with 36 points and nine assists, while Steven Adams added 27 points on 11-11 from the field and 5-5 from the free throw line. Adams was an unsung hero with plays like this.
Warriors (17-6) defeat Magic (9-14) - 133-112
Rarely do the Warriors perform poorly, much less two games in a row. Golden State played uninspired ball versus the Lakers on Wednesday (Nov. 30) in an overtime win, but the Warriors’ offense quickly shifted into gear against Orlando. The defending champs dropped 41 points in the opening quarter.
The Magic hung right with Golden State initially, scoring 34 of their own, but found themselves down 15 points at halftime.
The Warriors remained in control for much of the third quarter, but Orlando made a late run to trim the lead to nine. However, Golden State quickly regained command and cruised to a 21-point win. Klay Thompson had a team-high 27 points on 11-14 shooting for the Warriors.
Durant had 25 points and was ejected late in the fourth quarter.
Wizards (12-10) defeat Pistons (14-7) - 109-91
Even without All-Star John Wall, the Wizards matched the second-best team in the Eastern Conference (prior to the game) point-for-point in the first quarter. The score was tied 26 after one, but Detroit began to separate themselves in the second, holding a 52-46 halftime lead. Pistons’ center Andre Drummond dominated down low in the first-half with five points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.
But the Wizards completely flipped-the-script following intermission. Washington raced out 17-0 to start the third quarter and outscored the Pistons 35-15 to take an 81-67 lead. Whatever spell the Wizards cast over the Pistons in the second-half, Detroit couldn’t find their way out of it and blew a game they should have won.
Heat (11-11) defeat Hornets (8-13) - 105-100
The Heat are coming off two blowout losses against the Cavs and Knicks. Playing at home, it was imperative that Miami turn things around on their home court, but the Hornets stormed out the gate to a 16-1 lead. The Heat clawed their way back, slashing the deficit to eight after the first quarter before stepping on the gas and racing ahead of Charlotte 50-49 by halftime.
The score remained tight throughout the second-half. A Josh Richardson basket and foul with 2:47 put the Heat up one, but Michael Carter-Williams hit two free throws to give the Hornets back the lead. However, Miami responded with nine straight points to go up eight with 46 seconds left and held on for the victory.
Richardson led the Heat with 27 points on 11-14 shooting.
Raptors (14-7) defeat Pacers (12-11) - 120-115
The Pacers have been a pleasant surprise this season and continued their strong play against the Raptors, jumping out to an early 32-27 lead. But despite Indiana guard Victor Oladipo pouring in 20 first-half points, the Raptors battled back to go ahead by seven at halftime. After cutting the deficit to five, the Pacers were down just one early in the fourth quarter, but that’s as close as they’d get. DeMar DeRozan finished with 26 points for the Raptors, while Oladipo had a game-high 36 points.
Jazz (12-11) defeat Pelicans (11-11) - 114-108
With center Rudy Gobert still sidelined for Utah, the Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins combination should have had their way with the Jazz.
But it’s always something with the Pelicans; one step forward, two steps back. Anthony Davis got ejected Wednesday (Nov. 29) in a New Orleans loss to Minnesota, and the Pelicans were up 84-80 in the fourth quarter during this game when Davis left with an injury.
From there, rookie sensation Donovan Mitchell scored five straight points to give Utah the lead. New Orleans came back to tie the score at 103, but Mitchell came back with five straight points again to put the Jazz up five with 52 seconds and help them secure the game. Mitchell had an astounding 41 points to lead Utah.
Spurs (15-7) defeat Grizzlies (7-14) - 95-79
The Grizzlies are reeling, but where's rock bottom? Injuries, a fired coach, and nine-game losing streak (prior to the San Antonio game) have made for rough-sledding in Memphis.
The Grizzlies woes continued against the Spurs. They were down six points after the first quarter and nine at the break. While the Memphis stayed within single digits for as long as they could, the Spurs ran away with the game in the final period. LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points and six rebounds for San Antonio.
Kings (7-15) defeat Bulls (3-18) - 107-106
The Bulls played well in a loss to Denver Thursday (Nov. 30) night, but it’s impossible to trust this team to perform even decent on any particular night. Sacramento isn’t much better, but a close game between two bad teams is still a close game. A two-point Chicago first quarter lead changed hands in the second as the Kings claimed a one-point edge.
Zach Randolph exploded for 17 points and eight rebounds in the first-half.
Sacramento remained up by just a single point going into the fourth quarter as the Bulls and Kings continued to trade baskets. A Bogdan Bogdanovic three-point shot put Sacramento up four at the 3:17 mark. And twice the Bulls got the score within a bucket, but Sacramento answered back each time to help earn the win. Randolph finished with 25 points and 13 boards.
