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NBA Thursday round-up: Kobe and LeBron battle one last time, Spurs win another game at home

Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in action during their final meeting at the Staples Center

There was no doubt about the fact that Thursday night was going to be all about the final meeting between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, despite three other NBA games scheduled for that evening. The game at Staples Center was nationally televised on Turner Network Television (TNT) and on Sony Six in India.

Here’s the detailed recap of the all the games played on Thursday night:

Los Angeles Lakers vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Prior to tip-off, Bryant and James had faced off 21 times (never in the Playoffs) with the latter having a 15-6 edge. Given the state and competitiveness of both teams, Thursday was no different as James once again pulled one over Bryant. However the Black Mamba did not go down quietly, he put up his best night shooting in more than 3 years with 26 points on 11 of 16 shooting.

On the other hand, the Cavaliers led a more balanced attack to take down the Lakers. All five starters scored in double digits led by Kyrie Irving’s 26 points and 9 assists, and LeBron James all round performance of 24 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Recently acquired from the Orlando Magic, Channing Fyre started the game in place of resting Kevin Love and scored 21 points on 8 of 10 shooting. 

Recently developing Lakers rookie continued his streak of positive games with a good box score of 24 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. The other rookie Julius Randle fell one rebounds short of a double-double with 15 points and 9 rebounds, which would have placed tied 13th for double-doubles in the league with Greg Monroe.

The Cavaliers continue four-game West Cost trip having started with two wins. They next face the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. Meanwhile the Lakers, recently officially eliminated from the Playoffs, the earliest in their history, lost game number 52.

Toronto Raptors vs Atlanta Hawks

DeMar DeRozan dropped 30 points on the Atlanta Hawks to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 104-96 win, inching the team ever so close to another 50 game season. Five other Raptors scored in double digits led by Kyle Lowry’s 19 points and 7 assists to hold a 2-0 lead in the season series with the Hawks. The win also helps cement the Raptors second seed, separating themselves from the rest of the pack in the East.

On the flip side, the loss was brutal for the Hawks as they lose the fourth seed to the Miami Heat and are now at sixth in a tight Eastern Conference Playoff race. Four of the five starters scored in double digits for Atlanta with Dennis Schroder playing a big role off the bench with 11 points and 5 assists in 25 minutes of playing time. A key stat to point out for the Hawks in this loss in their rebounding disadvantage, they were outrebounded 48-33.

Chicago Bulls vs San Antonio Spurs

Chicago Bulls visited San Antonio to challenge the Spurs home record but came up short like the 39 previous opponents. Playing without All-Star guard Jimmy Butler, Bulls relied heavily on Pau Gasol and he delivered with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists, still it wasn’t enough.

The loss is another costly one for the Bulls as they look to hold on to their eighth spot in the East and hold off a rising Detroit Pistons.

The Spurs win the game 109-101 extending their home win streak to 40 games, tied for third most with 1994-95 Orlando Magic.The Spurs were led by a trio of players having big games: LaMarcus Aldridge (26 points, 10 rebounds), Kawhi Leonard (29 points, 7 rebounds) and Tony Parker (20 points and 12 assists). This was Parker’s only second double-double of the season.

Here’s a comparison of the home records of the Warriors and Spurs this season:

Denver Nuggets vs Phoenix Suns

Sometimes two of the bottom ranked teams come together to put on a stellar show but this one went on just as expected. Six Denver Nuggets players scored in double figures led by rookies Emmanuel Mudiay (30 points) and Nikola Jokic (18 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists) as they defeated the lowly Phoenix Suns in convincing fashion-18 points. With both teams practically out of the Playoff race, the results does not affect anything for the team other than the players morale.

Having said that the Suns have to be glad the rookie guard Devin Booker continues to excel. He recorded 35 points with 5 assists on 50% shooting, registering his third 30+ point game in the last five games. 

Plays of the Night:

Thursday night’s highlight reel was guard heavy. Watch here:

 

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