Grizzlies Rally, Defeat Timberwolves On The Road
The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 100-87, at Target Center on Sunday afternoon.
The Grizzlies (10-5) seem to be leaving their awful 2017-18 season in the rear view as they delivered another strong effort to defeat the Timberwolves (7-10), putting themselves near the top of the Western Conference echelon and sitting five games over the .500 mark while also ending Minnesota's three-game winning streak. The T'Wolves jumped to a three-point lead after the first quarter (20-17), but Memphis would flip the script in the subsequent two quarters, winning them 30-23 and 28-19, respectively. The final quarter saw Minnesota put up a fight, but it wasn't enough and Memphis ended cruising their way towards a rather comfortable 13-point win away from home.
Marc Gasol had a spectacular performance and led the Grizzlies offensively with 26 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 36 minutes of action. Mike Conley came one assist shy of a double-double thanks to 18 points and nine assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr. ended with 13 points despite playing only 19 minutes. Shelvin Mack delivered 12 points off the bench.
Despite coming off the bench, Derrick Rose led the way for the Timberwolves on offense after finishing with 18 points, three rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns posted a strong double-double of 15 points and 20 rebounds, while Robert Covington delivered 15 points and four steals. Andrew Wiggins had 14 points, but only shot 6-of-18 from the field. Dario Saric also contributed with 14 points coming off the bench.
The Grizzlies (10-5) seem to be leaving their awful 2017-18 season in the rear view as they delivered another strong effort to defeat the Timberwolves (7-10), putting themselves near the top of the Western Conference echelon and sitting five games over the .500 mark while also ending Minnesota's three-game winning streak. The T'Wolves jumped to a three-point lead after the first quarter (20-17), but Memphis would flip the script in the subsequent two quarters, winning them 30-23 and 28-19, respectively. The final quarter saw Minnesota put up a fight, but it wasn't enough and Memphis ended cruising their way towards a rather comfortable 13-point win away from home.
Marc Gasol had a spectacular performance and led the Grizzlies offensively with 26 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 36 minutes of action. Mike Conley came one assist shy of a double-double thanks to 18 points and nine assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr. ended with 13 points despite playing only 19 minutes. Shelvin Mack delivered 12 points off the bench.
Despite coming off the bench, Derrick Rose led the way for the Timberwolves on offense after finishing with 18 points, three rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns posted a strong double-double of 15 points and 20 rebounds, while Robert Covington delivered 15 points and four steals. Andrew Wiggins had 14 points, but only shot 6-of-18 from the field. Dario Saric also contributed with 14 points coming off the bench.
LeBron's 51 Leads Lakers To Victory
By Dan Bruno
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the host Miami Heat, 113-97, at American Airlines Arena on Sunday evening.
The Lakers got out to a great start on the road, as they jumped out to a 34-21 lead after one quarter. They kept their cushion for most of the second quarter, until the Heat cut the deficit to seven with 3:30 to go. However, the Lakers closed the half on an 11-3 run, to take a 15-point lead into halftime. Both teams came out strong in the third, but the Heat could not cut into the lead, as the Lakers held a double-digit advantage for almost the entire quarter. The fourth featured no surprises, as the Lakers were able to hold their ground and cruise to a much-needed win.
LeBron James went off against his former squad, as he finished with 51 points on 19-of-31 shooting, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block, in 38 minutes. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope followed up with 19 points, four rebounds, one steal and one block, in 28 minutes off the bench, while Kyle Kuzma chipped in 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting. The Lakers shot 45 percent from the field, including 11-of-27 from long range.
Meanwhile, the Heat were without Goran Dragic (toe). Wayne Ellington led Miami with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, in 37 minutes. Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson added 17 points each, while Rodney McGruder tallied 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists. The Heat shot 40 percent from the field, including 13-of-32 from deep.
The Heat (6-10) will look to bounce back as they play host to the Nets on Tuesday. The Lakers (9-7) head to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers on Wednesday.
The Lakers got out to a great start on the road, as they jumped out to a 34-21 lead after one quarter. They kept their cushion for most of the second quarter, until the Heat cut the deficit to seven with 3:30 to go. However, the Lakers closed the half on an 11-3 run, to take a 15-point lead into halftime. Both teams came out strong in the third, but the Heat could not cut into the lead, as the Lakers held a double-digit advantage for almost the entire quarter. The fourth featured no surprises, as the Lakers were able to hold their ground and cruise to a much-needed win.
LeBron James went off against his former squad, as he finished with 51 points on 19-of-31 shooting, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block, in 38 minutes. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope followed up with 19 points, four rebounds, one steal and one block, in 28 minutes off the bench, while Kyle Kuzma chipped in 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting. The Lakers shot 45 percent from the field, including 11-of-27 from long range.
Meanwhile, the Heat were without Goran Dragic (toe). Wayne Ellington led Miami with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, in 37 minutes. Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson added 17 points each, while Rodney McGruder tallied 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists. The Heat shot 40 percent from the field, including 13-of-32 from deep.
The Heat (6-10) will look to bounce back as they play host to the Nets on Tuesday. The Lakers (9-7) head to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers on Wednesday.
Magic Blast Knicks, 131-117
The Orlando Magic defeated the New York Knicks, 131-117, at Amway Center on Sunday evening.
The Magic (9-8) have shown a penchant for some prolific tallies on the scoreboard this season, and Sunday shaped up as a possible scenario for another big offensive night. That much was confirmed from the opening tip, as Orlando racked up 44 first-quarter points and held a 67-66 halftime lead on the Knicks (4-13). They tightened up their defense in the second half, limiting New York to under 30 points in each of the final two periods while compiling another 64 to secure the victory. As their final point total implies, the home squad enjoyed a sharp shooting night, draining 57.1 percent of their attempts.
The bench played a pivotal role for the Knicks, but it was Tim Hardaway, Jr. who led the way with 32 points. He added two rebounds, two assists and three steals. Trey Burke followed with 31 points in 29 minutes on the second unit. Enes Kanter provided a 21-point, 19-rebound double-double while playing 38 minutes off the bench. Emmanuel Mudiay was the only other double-digit scorer with 12 points.
Aaron Gordon paced the Magic with 31 points, a total he supplemented with two assists, one rebound and one steal. Nikola Vucevic had a near triple-double with 28 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Evan Fournier totaled 19 points, six assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block. Jonathan Isaac delivered 16 points, four boards, three assists, two steals and one block. D.J. Augustin generated 12 points, seven assists and three rebounds. Terrance Ross poured in 10 points off the bench.
The Knicks return home to take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, while the Magic remains home and tangles with the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday evening as well.
The Magic (9-8) have shown a penchant for some prolific tallies on the scoreboard this season, and Sunday shaped up as a possible scenario for another big offensive night. That much was confirmed from the opening tip, as Orlando racked up 44 first-quarter points and held a 67-66 halftime lead on the Knicks (4-13). They tightened up their defense in the second half, limiting New York to under 30 points in each of the final two periods while compiling another 64 to secure the victory. As their final point total implies, the home squad enjoyed a sharp shooting night, draining 57.1 percent of their attempts.
The bench played a pivotal role for the Knicks, but it was Tim Hardaway, Jr. who led the way with 32 points. He added two rebounds, two assists and three steals. Trey Burke followed with 31 points in 29 minutes on the second unit. Enes Kanter provided a 21-point, 19-rebound double-double while playing 38 minutes off the bench. Emmanuel Mudiay was the only other double-digit scorer with 12 points.
Aaron Gordon paced the Magic with 31 points, a total he supplemented with two assists, one rebound and one steal. Nikola Vucevic had a near triple-double with 28 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Evan Fournier totaled 19 points, six assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block. Jonathan Isaac delivered 16 points, four boards, three assists, two steals and one block. D.J. Augustin generated 12 points, seven assists and three rebounds. Terrance Ross poured in 10 points off the bench.
The Knicks return home to take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, while the Magic remains home and tangles with the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday evening as well.
Trail Blazers Take Down Wizards, 119-109
By Oscar Heanue
The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Washington Wizards, 119-109, at Capital One Arena on Sunday evening.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for Portland (11-5), who had dropped back-to-back contests heading into Sunday's matchup. Washington (5-11), on the contrary, has now dropped two straight after what seemed like a revitalizing three-game win streak last week. It was tough to question Portland's dominance in Sunday's win, though, as the team quickly jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter. The game was all but sealed by the stifling defense the Blazers exhibited in the second quarter. Washington was held to just 16 points on under 40 percent shooting from the field in the period.
Damian Lillard bounced back from a rather pedestrian 16-point outing on Friday to score a game-high 40 points in the win. Though he shot just 12-of-29 from the floor, Lillard made up for it with a 13-of-15 performance at the free-throw line. C.J. McCollum added another 25 points, while big man Jusuf Nurkic flirted with a triple-double, tallying 13 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists on the night.
For the Wizards, meanwhile, John Wall led the way with 24 points. Kelly Oubre, Jr. led the bench unit with 19 points in 29 minutes of action on the floor. The team, however, struggled to make the best use of its opportunities at the free-throw line, effectively playing itself out of the game at the stripe. Washington went just 10-of-21 from the free-throw line.
Portland will continue its road trip with a visit to Madison Square Garden to take on the Knicks this Tuesday. Washington, meanwhile, will play host to the LA Clippers.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for Portland (11-5), who had dropped back-to-back contests heading into Sunday's matchup. Washington (5-11), on the contrary, has now dropped two straight after what seemed like a revitalizing three-game win streak last week. It was tough to question Portland's dominance in Sunday's win, though, as the team quickly jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter. The game was all but sealed by the stifling defense the Blazers exhibited in the second quarter. Washington was held to just 16 points on under 40 percent shooting from the field in the period.
Damian Lillard bounced back from a rather pedestrian 16-point outing on Friday to score a game-high 40 points in the win. Though he shot just 12-of-29 from the floor, Lillard made up for it with a 13-of-15 performance at the free-throw line. C.J. McCollum added another 25 points, while big man Jusuf Nurkic flirted with a triple-double, tallying 13 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists on the night.
For the Wizards, meanwhile, John Wall led the way with 24 points. Kelly Oubre, Jr. led the bench unit with 19 points in 29 minutes of action on the floor. The team, however, struggled to make the best use of its opportunities at the free-throw line, effectively playing itself out of the game at the stripe. Washington went just 10-of-21 from the free-throw line.
Portland will continue its road trip with a visit to Madison Square Garden to take on the Knicks this Tuesday. Washington, meanwhile, will play host to the LA Clippers.
Spurs Defeat injury Riddled Warriors 104-92
By Jason Rubin
The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Golden State Warriors 104-92 at AT&T Center on Sunday.
The Spurs returned home and picked up a needed win to end the three game losing streak they carried into the contest, although the win will be overshadowed by the beat up Warriors lineup that was run in light of Stephen Curry (groin) and Draymond Green (toe) being sidelined. The Warriors announced that Curry will be reevaluated in a week and have struggled to find an offensive rhythm without the two-time MVP in the lineup. On Sunday, the firepower from behind the arc was lacking, which in turn kept the Warriors just out of the lead every quarter. The Warriors (12-6) shot 5-of-26 from three, and needed 51 points on 51 shots combined from Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. One half of the splash brothers did hit a big time three with 3:38 remaining in the fourth quarter to pull the game within one point, but the Spurs (8-7) came back with seven unanswered points on the backs of DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge to put the game away.
DeRozan had 20 points, six rebounds and nine assists on 8-of-19 shooting, while Aldridge posted 24 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks. The Warriors mixed in Damian Jones and Quinn Cook for 23 minutes and 29 minutes, respectively, to try and answer the subtraction of Curry and Green. Cook contributed 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, to go with eight rebounds and two assists.
Next up, the Spurs go back on the road to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, while the Warriors host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
The Spurs returned home and picked up a needed win to end the three game losing streak they carried into the contest, although the win will be overshadowed by the beat up Warriors lineup that was run in light of Stephen Curry (groin) and Draymond Green (toe) being sidelined. The Warriors announced that Curry will be reevaluated in a week and have struggled to find an offensive rhythm without the two-time MVP in the lineup. On Sunday, the firepower from behind the arc was lacking, which in turn kept the Warriors just out of the lead every quarter. The Warriors (12-6) shot 5-of-26 from three, and needed 51 points on 51 shots combined from Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. One half of the splash brothers did hit a big time three with 3:38 remaining in the fourth quarter to pull the game within one point, but the Spurs (8-7) came back with seven unanswered points on the backs of DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge to put the game away.
DeRozan had 20 points, six rebounds and nine assists on 8-of-19 shooting, while Aldridge posted 24 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks. The Warriors mixed in Damian Jones and Quinn Cook for 23 minutes and 29 minutes, respectively, to try and answer the subtraction of Curry and Green. Cook contributed 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, to go with eight rebounds and two assists.
Next up, the Spurs go back on the road to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, while the Warriors host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.