Charlotte, NC (Sports Network) - Kevin Durant totaled 19 points, seven assists
and six rebounds and the Thunder once again routed the Charlotte Bobcats in a
116-94 victory on Friday. Much like the last encounter, when Oklahoma City
handed the Bobcats their worst loss in franchise history back on Nov. 26, the
Thunder starters weren't needed by the time the fourth quarter came around.
Russell Westbrook scored 11 points and the Thunder received three 3-pointers
and 13 points apiece from Derek Fisher and Thabo Sefolosha in the team's
seventh win in eight games. Gerald Henderson finished with a game-high 21
points on 7-of-13 shooting, but the Bobcats dropped their ninth in a row and
22nd in 24 games at home.
Final Score: Indiana 115, Orlando 86
Orlando, FL (Sports Network) - Paul George made four 3-pointers en route to 25
points as the Indiana Pacers dominated the Orlando Magic, 115-86, on Friday.
Tyler Hansbrough added 18 points and six rebounds for the Pacers, who bounced
back from a tough loss to the Celtics on Wednesday. D.J. Augustin made four 3-
pointers for 14 points, George Hill added 11 points and Lance Stephenson and
Roy Hibbert each donated 10 in the victory. Indiana shot 51.8 percent from
the floor and went 11-of-19 from beyond the arc. Arron Afflalo had 19 points
to pace the Magic, who have lost seven straight at home. Nikola Vucevic and
Beno Udrih tallied 12 points apiece.
Final Score: Brooklyn 95, Washington 78
Brooklyn, NY (Sports Network) - Deron Williams had a first quarter to remember
and finished with a Nets record 11 3-pointers, as Brooklyn cruised past the
Washington Wizards, 95-78, at Barclays Center. Williams set an NBA record with
nine 3-pointers in the first half, including a 7-for-7 effort in the game's
first eight minutes. Behind Williams' 42-point effort, the Nets led by as
many as 27 and ended a three-game skid at home with relative ease despite
scoring just 36 points in the second half. Reggie Evans pulled down a
career-high 24 rebounds and, along with Brook Lopez, was Brooklyn's next
highest scorer with 11 points. The Wizards have dropped two in a row since
star rookie Bradley Beal went down with an ankle injury. Unlike Williams,
they were 3-of-17 from behind the arc and shot 36 percent overall. John Wall
led the way with 16 points, while Nene and Kevin Seraphin chipped in 11 apiece
in the setback.
Final Score: Memphis 103, Cleveland 92
Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Marc Gasol scored 22 points on 11-of-16
shooting and added eight rebounds and five assists to help the Memphis
Grizzlies to a 103-92 decision over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday at
Quicken Loans Arena. Mike Conley had 17 points, 11 assists and five steals
for the Grizzlies, who have won three straight and 11 of their last 12 games
overall. Jerryd Bayless also had 17, while Ed Davis contributed 12 points
and nine boards in the victory. Kyrie Irving, who was doubtful prior to
the game because of an undisclosed illness, finished with a game-high 24
points. CJ Miles had 13 points and Tristan Thompson recorded a double-
double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who have lost three
of four.
Final Score: Dallas 102, Detroit 99
Auburn Hills, MI (Sports Network) - O.J. Mayo led seven Dallas players in
double figures with 22 points, and the Mavericks wasted a 15-point fourth-
quarter lead, but topped the Detroit Pistons, 102-99, Friday night. Brandan
Wright chipped in 14 points, while Dirk Nowitzki and Mike James each chipped
in 12 points. Nowitzki hit the go-ahead jumper with 2:08 remaining, as the
Mavericks won for the third time in four games. Brandon Knight had 21 points
for the Pistons, losers of four in a row and seven of eight. Charlie
Villanueva, who scored 12, had a chance to force overtime, but his left corner
3-pointer clanked off the rim as time expired.
Final Score: Boston 107, Atlanta 102 (OT)
Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Jason Terry made a 3-pointer with 35 seconds
left in overtime to lift the Boston Celtics over the Atlanta Hawks, 107-102.
Terry scored Boston's final five points in overtime and finished the game with
19 points. Paul Pierce added 27 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for
the Celtics, who pushed their home winning streak to nine games Friday. Kevin
Garnett donated 17 points and eight boards for Boston, which has won five
in a row overall. Jeff Green tallied 12 points. Josh Smith ended with 32
points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Hawks, who have dropped
four of five. Jeff Teague had 26 points and Al Horford recorded a double-
double with 22 points and 13 boards.
Final Score: Chicago 89, Utah 88
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Marco Belinelli capped a sharp shooting
performance by burying the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final seconds, lifting
the Chicago Bulls to a 89-88 victory over the Utah Jazz at United Center.
Belinelli scored 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting and kept his foot just behind
the arc on his third triple of the night to give the Bulls a one-point edge
with 5.9 seconds remaining. Carlos Boozer also had 22 points in addition to
10 rebounds to help Chicago snap out of a two-game skid. Nate Robinson
chipped in with 14 points, seven assists and six boards in the victory. Gordon
Hayward appeared to slip prior to taking Utah's final shot, which came up
short. Al Jefferson returned after missing three games with a sprained
ankle to score 23 points, but the Jazz ultimately dropped their third straight
game.
Final Score: Miami 102, Philadelphia 93
Miami, FL (Sports Network) - The Miami Heat have already clinched a spot in
the playoffs. The Heat pulled away in the fourth quarter Friday to earn their
17th straight win, this time a 102-93 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers
to mark the earliest date they have ever earned a postseason berth. LeBron
James totaled 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and scored six points
on a pivotal run early in the final frame that turned a close contest into an
inevitable outcome -- a 13th straight win over the struggling Sixers. Dwyane
Wade chipped in 22 points and Chris Bosh added 16 in the victory. Thaddeus
Young led Philadelphia with 25 points, Dorell Wright followed with 14 and
Spencer Hawes finished with 13 points and 10 boards in Philadelphia's 12th
consecutive road loss.
Final Score: Portland 136, San Antonio 106
San Antonio, TX (Sports Network) - Damian Lillard scored a game-high 35 points
and dished out nine assists as the Portland Trail Blazers earned a convincing
136-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. LaMarcus Aldridge
followed with 26 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the floor and J.J. Hickson
added 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who have won four of
six. Portland also took the season series with the victory -- en route to
scoring the most points against the Spurs in San Antonio since Nov. 7,
1990 vs. Denver. HemisFair Arena was the home of the Spurs at the time. Tim
Duncan had 18 points and eight boards for the Spurs, who had a three-game
winning streak come to an end. Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili added 16 points
apiece in the setback.
The Sports Network