NBA Saturday recap: Warriors win 48th straight at home, Spurs not far behind at 41
San Antonio Spurs vs Oklahoma City Thunder
The San Antonio Spurs avenge their season-opening loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder by defeating them 95-83 on Saturday at home. They rallied in the fourth quarter outscoring their opponents 27-17 to record 41st consecutive win at home, third most in NBA history. Kawhi Leonard had 26 points and 7 rebounds while LaMarcus Aldridge started hot to eventually finish with 24 points and 9 rebounds on 9 of 14 shooting.
For OKC, Kevin Durant chipped in with 28 points and 8 assists but Russell Westbrook‘s 9 turnovers and 5 of 16 shooting did no good. This game is the 12th in the season that the Thunder have lost after holding a lead heading into the final period. With the win, Spurs extend their lead on the third seed by 12 games and win the 2015-16 South West division title. This is their eighth title since the commencement of divisions in 2004-05.
Indiana Pacers vs Dallas Mavericks
Paul George had a box score of 20 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists as the Indiana Pacers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 112-105, in what was Monta Ellis’ return to Dallas. Ellis chipped in with 17 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals as the Pacers solidified their seventh seed in the East and won their fourth game in the last five.
Meanwhile for the Mavericks the misery continues. The team lost its fifth consecutive game, the longest active losing streak in the NBA. To make matters worse they have lost games which they should have won and now face teams like the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trailblazers and Charlotte Hornets in their next four games. 30 points on 11 of 16 shooting was the only bright spot for Dallas, who have now slipped to eighth seed in the West.
Detroit Pistons vs Philadelphia 76ers
Detroit Pistons shot 66% from the field and outscored the Philadelphia 76ers 73-54 in the second half to win the game. All five starters for Detroit scored at least 19 points to help the Pistons to a 125-111 win which helps them jump the Chicago Bulls for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference Playoff race. Andre Drummond had 19 points and 15 rebounds while Reggie Jackson scored a team-high 24 points to go along with 10 assists.
For the Sixers, six players scored in double figures but the effort was simply not enough against a red-hot Pistons team that stole the game in the second half.
Miami Heat vs Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors won 112-104 in overtime against the Miami Heat to win their third game in the trot and further cement their spot as the second seed in the East. DeMar Derozan was huge for the Raptors and had the stat line of the day:
#SAPStatLineOfTheNight DeMar DeRozan had 38p (13/26 on FG's) to go with 10r, 7a, 2s and 1b in @Raptors big OT win! pic.twitter.com/ZXC9ECBSDG
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) March 13, 2016
For the Miami Heat, who only lost their second game in the last seven, their back-court had cruical contributions. Goran Dragic continued his great form with 13 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds while Joe Johnson had 24 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.
Houston Rockets vs Charlotte Hornets
Nicolas Batum (14 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists) Marvin Williams (25 points) and Kemba Walker (26 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds) led the team to a 125-109 win over the Houston Rockets. Charlotte Hornets have now won seven in a row, the team’s best streak since 2002. The streak also helps them jump to fifth spot in the East and are now within striking distance to fight for home court advantage in the Playoffs.
After winning three in a row in Toronto, Philadelphia and Boston, the Rockets got blown out of the arena in embarassing fashion. Although James Harden (12 points, 10 assists) and Dwight Howard (16 points, 13 rebounds) recorded double-doubles, Harden had a rough night, shooting 2 of 12 from the field and 0 of 5 from long distance.
Phoenix Suns vs Golden State Warriors
League MVP Stephen Curry scored 15 of his game high 35 points in the fourth quarter to lead a Warriors comeback win over the Phoenix Suns. Golden State outscored their opponents 37-21 in the final period to clinch the 123-116 win and extend their record home win streak to 48. The Suns put up a fight till early in the fourth behind the return of the starting guard Brandon Knight, who had himself a night with 30 points, 6 rebound and 7 assists.
With no Andre Iguodala, who is slated to miss two weeks due to a bruised ankle, the champs were trailing for much of the early going. The Suns played so well that actually out rebounded the Warriors 47-42 and dished out more assists (29) than the champs (28).
Memphis Grizzlies vs Atlanta Hawks
A short handed Memphis Grizzlies gave it their best shot but came up short against the full squad of the Atlanta Hawks. Paul Millsap led with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists while for the Grizzlies it was Lance Stephenson, who led the charge with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Despite the loss the Memphis still hold a 4 game lead over the Portland Trailblazers for their fifth seed. The Hawks meanwhile stay in contention to rob home court advantage in the East.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Milwaukee Bucks
Sixteen turnovers and torrid team shooting numbers from the field (39.3%) and from beyond the arc (20.7%) led the New Orleans Pelicans to their eighth loss in the last 10 games. The Milwaukee Bucks, on the other hand, were led to the 103-92 win by the young trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo (18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), Greg Monroe (16 points, 11 rebounds) and Khris Middleton (19 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists).
Both teams are practically out of Playoff contention so the game was more about pride and confidence than anything else.
Washington Wizards vs Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets bench scored 75 of the team’s 116 points as they defeated the Washington Wizards 116-100. The bench was led by D.J. Augustin (17 points, 10 assists), Will Barton (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Jusuf Nurkic who scored all his season high 17 points in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets outscored the Wizards 41-17 in the final period, all points scored by the bench.
John Wall had a double-double as he notched up 19 points and 11 assists but the game got out of his hand. This is the fifth straight loss for the Wizards, increasing the gap they need to make up to get the highly contested eight seed in the Eastern Conference.
Orlando Magic vs Portland Trailblazers
Orlando Magic playing their fourth game in six nights were blown away by the Portland Trailblazers 121-84. Six Blazers scored in double digits led by team captain Damian Lillard with 19 points and 11 assists. It was just a case of one team having an amazing shooting night while the other shooting miserably. Orlando shot 37.4% from the field and 26.9% from the three point line while the Blazers shot 56% from the field, 48.6% from beyond the arc.
Portland recovered after the disaster last night in Oakland, and with Houston’s loss in Charlotte, the team strengthens its hold over the sixth seed.
Plays of the Night:
Lot of dunks on the Top 10 plays for Saturday. A couple of plays from the Spurs-Thunder match-up. Watch here: