November 27th NBA Game Recaps

The Boston Celtics defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 121-110, at TD Garden on Wednesday night.

The Celtics (13-4) didn't get the chance to face off with former teammate Kyrie Irving (shoulder), but another prominent point guard did make his return to the court Wednesday in the form of Kemba Walker. Less than a week removed from a scary neck strain/concussion, Walker spearheaded Boston's attack against the Nets (9-9) with 39 points, a tally partly comprised of 6-for-10 shooting from three-point range. Walker's sharpshooting helped the hosts overcome a 63-57 halftime deficit and outscore Brooklyn by a 64-47 margin in the second half.

Garrett Temple led the way for the Nets with 22 points, adding three assists, two rebounds, one steal and one block. Joe Harris supplied 21 points, five boards, two assists and two blocks. Jarrett Allen generated a 17-point, 14-rebound double-double that also included three assists and one block. Spencer Dinwiddie registered 16 points, 11 assists and three rebounds. Taurean Prince poured in 12 points, while David Nwaba totaled 10 points to lead the bench.

Walker added six rebounds, four assists and one steal to his aforementioned game-high scoring total. Jaylen Brown contributed 22 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block. Jayson Tatum chipped in 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists and one steal. Daniel Theis tallied 14 points, eight boards, one assist and two blocks. Brad Wanamaker paced the second unit with 13 points, while Marcus Smart compiled 10 points, five assists and four rebounds.

The Nets and Celtics meet again at Barclays Center in the second game of the home-and-home series on Friday night.

The Orlando Magic defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 116-104, at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Wednesday.

The Magic (7-10) entered this game winless on the road, but they managed to deliver an impressive performance against a struggling Cavaliers (5-13) team that continues to play worse and worse after each game. The first quarter ended with a 27-27 tie, but Orlando quickly jumped with a seven-point lead following a 32-25 second quarter. Orlando extended their lead furthermore with a 28-21 third period, and the game was essentially out of reach before the final 12 minutes of action. The Cavaliers won the final quarter with a 31-29, but it wasn’t enough, and Orlando secured the win with ease. With the win, Orlando moved to 1-7 on the road, while Cleveland fell to 3-6 at home.

Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic were both out of this game, so Evan Fournier had to take on a bigger responsibility but was up to the challenge and scored 30 points to go along with four rebounds and two steals. Markelle Fultz had 15 points, four assists and three boards. Jonathan Isaac thrived on both ends of the court, chipping in with 16 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Mo Bamba had 15 points off the bench, while Terrence Ross added 16 points and four boards in 23 minutes.

Collin Sexton led the way for the Cavaliers with 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Rookie Darius Garland had 16 points, and Tristan Thompson had a double-double of 13 points and 15 boards. Cedi Osman chipped in with 14 points, while Kevin Love only had nine points on 3-of-9 from the field. Larry Nance Jr. had 11 points and 10 boards off the bench.

The Indiana Pacers defeated the Utah Jazz, 121-102, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday night.

The Jazz (11-7) and the Pacers (11-8) entered this game as two of the best teams in their respective Conferences, but Indiana dominated this contest and had no problems to secure the win here. Indiana quickly jumped ahead to a 21-20 lead following the first quarter, but they separated from their rivals for good with a 32-23 second quarter score. The Jazz pulled back one point with a 37-36 win in the third quarter, but the Pacers didn’t have problems to win the final 12 minutes with a 32-22 score. It was a solid win for Indiana, as they seemed to be in control of the contest from start to finish.

Domantas Sabonis and T.J. Warren were the two top scorers for the Pacers since both ended with 23 points; Sabonis also added 12 rebounds and one steal, while Warren added two steals as well. Malcolm Brogdon impressed with 22 points, eight assists and four rebounds, and Jeremy Lamb chipped in with 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists. T.J. McConnell had some good moments off the bench, and he finished with 12 points in 18 minutes.

Bogdan Bogdanovic led the way for the Jazz since he ended with 30 points and five rebounds. Rudy Gobert had 14 points with 13 rebounds, and Donovan Mitchell chipped in with 26 points while shooting 10-of-23 from the field. Joe Ingles looked impressive off the bench since he ended with 12 points and four steals in 28 minutes. Mike Conley only had five points, but he added five assists and six rebounds.

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the visiting Sacramento Kings, 97-91, at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday.

Philadelphia led for 47 minutes of this 48-minute game, as a 25-18 first quarter really set the tone. In fact, a 29-19 third quarter put the game to bed, with the Sixers leading by at least five points for the entirety of the fourth quarter. Rim protection was critical, with Philly winning the defensive rebounding battle, 42-34, while out-blocking Sacramento, 10-3. The Sixers also went 20-of-24 from the free-throw line while the Kings hit just 4-of-9.

The Kings (7-10) were led by Buddy Hield, who amassed 22 points, six rebounds and four assists on 9-of-24 from the field. Harrison Barnes totaled 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Dewayne Dedmon led the bench with 18 points and six boards while Bogdan Bogdanovic provided 17 points, two rebounds, three assists and four steals.

The Sixers (12-6) were led by Joel Embiid, who collected 33 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks. Ben Simmons accumulated 10 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and two steals. Tobias Harris generated 14 points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocks while Al Horford tallied 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

On deck for the Sixers is a road matchup against the New York Knicks on Friday. As for the Kings, they return to action on Saturday, hosting the Denver Nuggets.

The Charlotte Hornets defeated the visiting Detroit Pistons, 102-101, at Spectrum Center on Wednesday evening.

The Hornets got out to a great start at home, with an early 13-3 lead, but the Pistons rallied back and took a one-point lead into the second quarter. The Pistons carried the momentum into the second and held the edge through the quarter, as they increased their lead to five points by halftime. The Hornets kicked off the third with a 12-2 run, to take a five-point lead less than three minutes into the quarter. The Pistons clawed back to reclaim the lead momentarily, but the Hornets closed the quarter with another 12-2 run, to take a six-point lead into the final frame. The Hornets held the lead through the fourth but went scoreless for the final two minutes of the contest, almost allowing it to slip away.

Bismack Biyombo was the high-point man for the Hornets, as he finished with 19 points and nine rebounds, in 34 minutes. Devonte' Graham followed up with 16 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds, while P.J. Washington added 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting. The Hornets shot 44 percent from the field, including 7-of-30 from long range.

Meanwhile, Blake Griffin led the Pistons with 26 points, six rebounds and two assists, in 31 minutes. Andre Drummond totalled 14 points, 21 rebounds, seven assists and a steal. The Pistons shot 47 percent from the field, including 10-of-32 from deep.

The Pistons (6-12) will look for revenge as they play host to the Hornets (7-12) on Friday.

The Toronto Raptors defeated the New York Knicks, 126-98, at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday evening.

These two teams started this game on opposite spectrums – while the Raptors are one of the best franchises in the league and the reigning NBA champions, the Knicks have been struggling once again and they already seem like lottery candidates just one month into the season. However, those differences were not noticeable, and the Knicks jumped ahead to a 29-21 lead following the first quarter. Toronto flipped the script in the second quarter, however, and they grabbed the lead at half time following a 37-17 second quarter. Toronto also won the other two quarters, 31-23 and 37-29 respectively, as they ended winning by an impressive 28-point margin that reflects better the gulf of difference between both franchises.

Pascal Siakam was the best player for the Raptors in this game since he finished with 31 points, eight rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes. Fred VanVleet had 15 points and OG Anunoby added 13 points with 12 rebounds. The biggest contributions came from the bench, though. Chris Boucher (13 points, 12 rebounds), Terence Davis (15 points, five assists, four rebounds), Malcolm Miller (13 points) and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (12 points) scored in double digits off the bench.

Julius Randle was the best player for the Knicks since he ended with 19 points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes of action. R.J. Barrett had 16 points with five boards, four assists and three steals. Alonzo Trier scored 10 points off the bench. No other Knicks players reached 10 or more points.

The Houston Rockets defeated the visiting Miami Heat, 117-108, at Toyota Center on Wednesday evening.

The Rockets got out to a great start at home, with a 19-6 lead halfway through the first quarter, but the Heat managed to cut it to a four-point game heading into the second. The Rockets blew the game open in the second, where they outscored the visitors by 20, to take a 66-42 lead into halftime. They carried the momentum into the second half and maintained their lead through the third quarter, taking a 23-point lead into the final frame. The Heat did not give up and mounted an impressive rally through the fourth, outscoring the Rockets 40-26 in the quarter, but it was too little, too late, as the Rockets held on for the win.

James Harden led the Rockets with 34 points, six rebounds and five assists, in 35 minutes. Russell Westbrook tallied 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while Danuel House Jr. finished with 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting. The Rockets shot 46 percent from the field, including 15-of-44 from long range.

Meanwhile, Tyler Herro was the high-point man for the Heat, with 22 points on 8-of-18 shooting, off the bench. Bam Adebayo added 17 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, while Kelly Olynyk tallied 19 points and six rebounds, off the bench. The Heat shot 46 percent from the field, including 14-of-37 from long range.

The Heat (12-5) will look to bounce back as they play host to the Warriors on Friday. The Rockets (12-6) play host to the Hawks on Saturday.

The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the visiting Atlanta Hawks, 111-102, at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday.

There were six ties and 15 lead changes in this game, as Milwaukee did all their damage in two quarters. In fact, they got out to a 33-17 lead after the first quarter and took control with a 30-20 fourth quarter, Milwaukee ended up shooting 48 percent from the field while holding Atlanta to 40 percent shooting. In addition, the Bucks out-blocked the Hawks, 11-5. the Bucks also outscored the Hawks in the paint, 60-48 while winning the points off turnover differential, 22-8.

The Hawks (4-14) were led by Jabari Parker, who tallied 33 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and two steals. Trae Young finished with 29 points, four rebounds and seven assists. Damian Jones amassed 10 points and six boards while DeAndre Hunter totaled 10 points and five rebounds. No other player had more than six points.

The Bucks (15-3) were led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who tallied 30 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. Eric Bledsoe accumulated nine points, five rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and two blocks. Khris Middleton made his return from injury to lead the bench with 16 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Both teams return to action on Friday, with Milwaukee traveling to face the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta playing the Indiana Pacers on the road as well.

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the host Memphis Grizzlies, 121-119, at FedEx Forum on Wednesday.

There were 16 ties and 21 lead changes in this closely-fought battle, with neither team leading by more than 10 points. In fact, Montrezl Harrell broke a tied game with less than three seconds remaining to grab the win for the Clippers. Harrell and the bench was the difference in the game, with Los Angeles' bench outscoring Memphis' bench, 71-28. In addition, Los Angeles recorded four more assists than Memphis while committing five fewer turnovers. They also doubled them up on blocks, 6-3.

The Clippers (14-5) had to play this game without Kawhi Leonard (rest), as Lou Williams led the way with 24 points, 13 assists and two steals off the bench. Harrell finished with 24 points and 10 boards off the pine as well. Paul George led the starters with 22 points, five rebounds and two assists. Patrick Beverley collected six points, seven rebounds, 11 assists and two blocks,

The Grizzlies (5-12) were led by Jonas Valanciunas, who tallied 30 points, 16 rebounds and three assists on 12-of-17 from the field. Jae Crowder amassed 20 points and four boards. Ja Morant accumulated 20 points, five rebounds and 11 assists while Jaren Jackson Jr tallied 17 points, six rebounds and two assists. Brandon Clarke led the bench with 10 points, six rebounds and two assists.

Both teams return to action on Friday, with Los Angeles traveling to face the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis remaining home to play the Utah Jazz.

The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the host San Antonio Spurs, 113-101, at AT&T Center on Wednesday evening.

The contest got out to a tight start, as the Spurs held a two-point lead after one quarter. The Timberwolves picked up the pace in the second and created some separation, as they outscored the Spurs by 12 in the quarter, to take a 57-47 lead by halftime. The Spurs came out stronger in third and cut the deficit down to three, as they outscored the visitors by 10 in the quarter, to make anybody's game heading into the fourth. The Spurs kept up the momentum in the fourth and took a one-point lead halfway through the quarter. However, the Timberwolves rose up for crunch time, as they outscored the Spurs 22-9 in the final six minutes, to walk away with their second consecutive win.

Andrew Wiggins led the Timberwolves with 26 points, eight rebounds and two assists, in 36 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns added 23 points, 14 rebounds and six assists, while Keita Bates-Diop chipped in 16 points off the bench. The Timberwolves shot 44 percent from the field, including 18-of-40 from long range.

Meanwhile, LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 22 points and six rebounds, in 33 minutes. DeMar DeRozan added 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block, while Rudy Gay tallied 10 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, off the bench. The Spurs shot 42 percent from the field, including 5-of-29 from long range.

The Spurs (6-13) will look to bounce back as they play host to the Clippers on Friday. The Timberwolves (10-8) play host to the Grizzlies on Sunday.

The Washington Wizards defeated the host Phoenix Suns, 140-132, at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Wednesday evening.

The contest got out to a hot start, as the Wizards held a 36-34 lead after one quarter. The high-scoring trend continued through the second, while the Wizards were able to expand their lead to five, by halftime. The Wizards came out on fire in the third, with a 16-2 run to start the quarter. They stayed in control through the rest of the quarter and took a 13-point lead into the final frame. The Suns kept fighting and cut the deficit down to four points, with three minutes left, but the Wizards stayed composed down the stretch and held on for the road win.

Seven players scored in double digits for Washington, led by Bradley Beal, who finished with 35 points, six assists, two rebounds, a steal and a block, in 40 minutes. Thomas Bryant followed up with 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists, while Ish Smith chipped in 21 points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals, off the bench. The Wizards shot 57 percent from the field, including 19-of-35 from long range.

Meanwhile, the Suns had eight players score in double digits, as Devin Booker led the way with 27 points, eight assists, two rebounds, a steal and a block, in 38 minutes. Dario Saric tallied 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Cameron Johnson and Cheick Diallo also finished with 17 points each. The Suns shot 52 percent from the field, including 15-of-38 from deep.

The Suns (8-9) will look to bounce back as they play host to the Mavs on Friday. The Wizards (6-11) take on the Lakers in L.A. on Friday.

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 114-110, at Smoothie King Center on Wednesday night.

The star-studded affair had no shortage of storylines, as not only did it mark Anthony Davis' return to New Orleans, but several former Lakers were also facing off against their old squad. The Pelicans (6-12) got off to a red-hot start, building a 38-25 first-quarter lead that the Lakers (16-2) had whittled down to 10 points by halftime. After New Orleans was able to match Los Angeles bucket for bucket in the third, a 9-0 run by the visitors about midway through the final period helped pull them ahead and a Kyle Kuzma three-pointer followed by three Davis free throws allowed the Lakers to clinch the win.

Davis led the Lakers with 41 points and added nine rebounds, one assist, three steals and one block to his game-high scoring tally. LeBron James generated a 29-point, 11-assist double-double that also included five rebounds, two steals and one block. Kuzma totaled 16 points and five boards. Dwight Howard posted nine points, seven rebounds and one block.

Jrue Holiday paced the Pelicans with a 29-point, 12-assist double-double that also included six rebounds and three steals. Brandon Ingram provided 23 points, 10 rebounds, one assist and two blocks. J.J. Redick poured in 18 points and also pulled down four boards. Kenrich Williams supplied 11 points, seven rebounds, one assist and one steal.

The Lakers head back home to take on the Washington Wizards on Friday night, while the Pelicans pay a visit to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night as well.

The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 136-119, at Moda Center on Wednesday night.

The Trail Blazers (7-12) set the tone early, establishing a 42-26 first-quarter lead. While the Thunder (6-11) managed whittle down their deficit slightly to 13 by halftime, Portland put up another 41 points in the third to build their advantage to 24 points going into the final period for the easy home win. The hosts shot 52.1 percent from the field, including 46.7 percent from three-point range.

Abdel Nader led the Thunder with 23 points, adding two rebounds and one assist. Chris Paul delivered 16 points, five assists and two rebounds. Danilo Gallinari compiled 14 points, four boards and two assists. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander supplied 11 points, five assists and two rebounds. Dennis Schroder registered 10 points, three rebounds, one steal and one block.

Damian Lillard paced the Trail Blazers with 27 points, complementing them with five rebounds, five assists and one steal. C.J. McCollum supplied 22 points, four assists and two rebounds. Hassan Whiteside generated a 21-point, 16-rebound double-double that also included one assist. Carmelo Anthony managed 19 points, four boards and two assists. Rodney Hood and Anfernee Simons contributed 14 points apiece.

The Thunder heads back home to tangle with the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night, while the Trail Blazers remain home to tangle with the Chicago Bulls on Friday night as well.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Chicago Bulls, 104-90, at Chase Center on Wednesday night.

The Warriors (4-15) got off to a rare fast start, building a 25-17 lead through one quarter. The Bulls (6-13) were much more competitive in the middle periods, actually outscoring Golden State by a 56-53 margin over the second and third quarters. However, the home squad was able to limit Chicago to 17 points again over the final 12 minutes, helping them seal a double-digit home win.

Zach LaVine paced the Bulls with 36 points, adding five rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. Tomas Satoransky furnished 19 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Wendell Carter, Jr. and Lauri Markkanen managed matching eight-point tallies while pulling down nine and four rebounds, respectively.

Eric Paschall led the Warriors with 25 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Alec Burks delivered 23 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Omari Spellman supplied 13 points, 11 boards, one assist, three blocks and two steals. Marquese Chriss and Glenn Robinson contributed matching 11-point tallies, with Chriss also recording five rebounds, four steals and two blocks.

The Bulls pay a visit to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night, while the Warriors hit the road to tangle with the Miami Heat on Friday night as well.