January 20th NBA Game Recaps

The Washington Wizards defeated the Detroit Pistons, 106-100, at Capital One Arena on Monday afternoon.

The Wizards (14-29) and the Pistons (16-28) kicked things off during the Martin Luther King Day's 14-game slate in the NBA with a game that remained tight throughout, and the matchup was decided in the dying minutes of the final quarter. Detroit jumped to a 35-30 lead in the first quarter, but the Wizards flipped the script with a 30-23 second-quarter score that gave them a two-point lead. The third quarter ended with a 23-23 tie, and the final 12 minutes of action saw both teams going back and forth looking to secure the win. The Wizards prevailed, however, and a 23-19 score allowed them to clinch a huge win on the road. Detroit disappeared offensively after the first half, and they paid a steep price for that. With the win, Washington moved to 9-11 at home while the Pistons fell to 8-15 on the road.

Bradley Beal led the way for the Wizards since he ended with 29 points and six assists, and Ian Mahinmi complemented him well. The big man had one of his best performances of the season as he finished with 21 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two assists. Thomas Bryant had a productive game off the bench since he chipped in with 13 points and six rebounds in 22 minutes. No other Washington played cracked the 10-point plateau.

Derrick Rose led the Pistons as a starter, as he finished with 21 points despite shooting just 8-21 from the field. Andre Drummond filled the scoresheet once again, and he ended with 18 points, 16 rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocks. Tony Snell had 16 points, and Sekou Doumbouya only added six points. Markieff Morris and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk each added 10 points off the bench.

The Toronto Raptors defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 122-117, at State Farm Arena on Monday afternoon.

On paper, it seemed as if the Raptors (29-14) were going to cruise their way against the lowly Hawks (10-34) but that couldn't have been further from the truth. Atlanta posted a tough challenge and, with a bit more luck and a few bounces going their way, they could have pulled quite an upset here. The Raptors jumped to an early 36-25 lead and it looked as if they were going to set the tone for the rest of the afternoon, but Atlanta came out of nowhere to turn things around and grab a three-point lead at the break. Toronto steered the game their way in the third quarter with a 26-22 score, and the Raptors sealed the deal with a 39-35 score during the final 12 minutes of action. With the win, Toronto moved to 14-7 on the road while Atlanta fell to 5-16 at home.

Pascal Siakam led the way for Toronto since he finished with 18 points and six rebounds, although the team’s leading scorer was Norman Powell who exploded for 27 points off the bench. Fred VanVleet had 20 points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists, including several clutch free throws down the stretch. Marc Gasol had 14 points and five rebounds. Kyle Lowry had 10 assists and seven dimes.

Trae Young led the way for the Hawks since he had 42 points, 15 assists and six rebounds, including 18 fourth-quarter points. John Collins had 17 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out. DeAndre Hunter and Cam Reddish each had 13 points – Hunter added six rebounds and four assists, while Reddish added eight boards. Bruno Fernando contributed 12 points in only 16 minutes coming off the bench.

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 117-111, at Barclays Center on Monday afternoon.

The 76ers (29-16) extended their winning run to four games here, a solid production considering they have been without Joel Embiid for the last few games, as they had to come from behind to get past a resilient Nets (18-24) team. Brooklyn entered this game having lost 10 of their last 12 contests, but they grabbed an early 32-29 lead in the first quarter, and they extended it with a 36-35 score in the second quarter. However, Brooklyn would see their four-point lead evaporate after the half-time break. Philly cut the deficit to one point following a 26-23 score in the third quarter, and they would complete their comeback in the final 12 minutes of action where they registered a 27-20 advantage. Aside from extending their winning run, Philly moved to 9-14 on the road with the win, while the Nets continue to crumble and are now 11-11 at home.

Ben Simmons carried Philadelphia offensively since he finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists and five steals while shooting 12-14 from the field and 10-14 from the charity stripe. Al Horford had 19 points and six boards, while both Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson chipped in with 15 points. Furkan Korkmaz contributed off the bench with 10 points, three assists and two boards in 24 minutes.

Spencer Dinwiddie led the way for the Nets with 22 points and five rebounds, while Jarrett Allen chipped in with a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double. Taurean Prince had 12 points with 12 boards, Joe Harris contributed 12 points despite shooting 1-5 from deep. Caris LeVert (16 points, six assists), Nicolas Claxton (15 points, four rebounds) and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (12 points) all delivered strong performances while coming off the bench.

The New York Knicks defeated the host Cleveland Cavaliers, 106-86, at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Monday.

While there were seven ties and 13 lead changes in the first 28 minutes of this game, New York took control in the third quarter. In fact, the Knicks outscored the Cavs in that quarter, 30-14, holding a double-digit lead for the entirety of the fourth quarter. New York ended up shooting 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range while holding Cleveland to 34 percent from the field and 33 percent from long range. In addition, the Knicks out-blocked the Cavaliers, 9-4.

The Knicks (12-32) were led by Marcus Morris, who amassed 19 points and three rebounds. Julius Randle matched those 19 points, adding nine rebounds to his tally. Elfrid Payton accumulated nine points, six rebounds and eight assists while Bobby Portis led the bench with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists.

The Cavaliers (12-32) were led by Collin Sexton and his 17 points, five rebounds and four assists. Cedi Osman totaled 14 points and three assists. Kevin Love accrued 12 points and nine boards while Tristan Thompson finished with 13 points and 22 rebounds. Larry Nance picked up a double-double off the bench, providing 12 points and 10 boards.

New York returns to action on Wednesday, returning home to face a dominant Los Angeles Lakers squad. As for Cleveland, they remain home to face the Washington Wizards on Thursday for their next outing.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the host Houston Rockets, 112-107, at Toyota Center on Monday evening.

The Thunder stunned the Rockets, as they rallied back from a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit, to steal the road win. The Thunder used a 13-0 run to make it a two-point game and managed to tie the score at 101, with four minutes to go. They kept the momentum going through the final minutes to stay one step ahead and hold on for their second straight win. This marks the fourth straight loss for the Rockets, who came unraveled in the fourth quarter, after leading for most of the contest.

Chris Paul came up huge for the Thunder, with 28 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block, in 32 minutes. Danilo Gallinari added 25 points, 13 rebounds and a steal, while Dennis Schroder tallied 23 points, five rebounds and four assists, off the bench. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and a block. The Thunder shot 44 percent from the field, including 12-of-32 from long range.

Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 32 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds and two steals, in 38 minutes. James Harden finished with 29 points, nine rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block, while Danuel House Jr. chipped in 13 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals, off the bench. The Rockets shot 45 percent from the field, including 9-of-45 from deep.

The Rockets (26-16) will look to bounce back as they play host to the Nuggets on Wednesday. The Thunder (25-19) take on the Magic in Orlando on Wednesday.

The Miami Heat defeated the Sacramento Kings, 118-113, in overtime at American Airlines Arena on Monday evening.

Despite an unsightly 7-14 road record coming in, the Kings (15-28) got off to a fast start and held a 58-56 lead at halftime. After each squad matched the other bucket for bucket in the third, the Heat (30-13) managed to force overtime on a Bam Adebayo layup with 0.8 seconds left after a Nemanja Bjelica basket with 1.9 seconds remaining had snapped a 103-103 tie. In the extra period, Miami found itself down 113-111 at the 2:05 mark before finishing the contest on a 7-0 run to seal the win.

Bjelica paced the Kings with 22 points, complementing them with six boards, three assists and one steal. Buddy Hield delivered 20 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks. Marvin Bagley III generated a 15-point, 15-rebound double-double that also included two assists and one steal. De'Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovic posted 14 points apiece, with Fox adding eight assists, two rebounds and three steals. Harrison Barnes supplied 11 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Kendrick Nunn led the Heat with 25 points and added seven rebounds and six assists. James Johnson came off the bench to contribute 22 points, six boards, three assists and two blocks. Goran Dragic furnished 18 points, four assists, two rebounds and one steal. Adebayo had 16 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. Duncan Robinson poured in 12 points.

The Kings remain on the road and take on the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, while the Heat remain home to face the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night as well.

The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Chicago Bulls, 111-98, at Fiserv Forum on Monday evening.

The Bucks (39-6) checked into the contest looking to secure a four-game sweep of the regular-season series with the Bulls (16-29), but Chicago bounced back impressively from a seven-point first-quarter deficit to trail by just one at halftime. However, Milwaukee's superior talent came to the forefront in the second half, with the home squad outscoring the visitors by a 58-46 margin over the final two quarters. The Bucks shot an impressive 57.7 percent, including 42.3 percent from three-point range.

Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 24 points, adding five rebounds, one assist and three steals. Kris Dunn provided 15 points, five boards, two assists and three steals. Thaddeus Young delivered 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Lauri Markkanen and Chandler Hutchison generated eight points apiece while pulling down eight and five boards, respectively.

Giannis Antetokounmpo paced the Bucks with a 28-point, 14-rebound, 10-assist triple-double that also included one steal and one block. Khris Middleton turned in 24 points, six rebounds and six assists. Wesley Matthews poured in 13 points and supplemented them with two rebounds, two assists and one steal. Kyle Korver finished with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal.

The Bulls return home to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night, while the Bucks remain home and take on the Charlotte Hornets on Friday afternoon.

The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the host Memphis Grizzlies, 126-1126, at FedEx Forum on Monday.

While there were six ties and five lead changes in the first quarter, that was the only time Memphis was in this game. In fact, New Orleans rode a 38-20 second quarter to a 17-point halftime lead and the Pelicans could never get the game within a five-point margin after that. Three-point shooting was the difference, with the Pelicans hitting 21-of-48 and the Grizzlies connecting on just 9-of-33. In addition, New Orleans shot 88 percent from the free-throw line while the Grizzlies shot just 71 percent on three fewer attempts.

The Pelicans (17-27) were led by Jrue Holiday and his 36 points, six rebounds and two steals on 7-of-10 from three-point range. Brandon Ingram accrued 25 points, four rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Lonzo Ball collected eight points, nine rebounds and five assists while Nicolo Melli led the bench with 15 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

The Grizzlies (20-23) were led by Dillon Brooks, who amassed 31 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals. Ja Morant generated 16 points, three rebounds and nine assists. Jaren Jackson Jr totaled 19 points, six rebounds and two blocks while Jonas Valanciunas finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and two steals.

Both teams return to action on Wednesday, with Memphis traveling to face the Boston Celtics and New Orleans returning home to play the San Antonio Spurs.

The Orlando Magic defeated the host Charlotte Hornets, 106-83, at Spectrum Center on Monday evening.

The Hornets got out to a great start at home, with a 27-19 lead after one quarter. The Magic turned it around in the second, as they outscored the hosts by 14 points in the quarter, to take a six-point lead by halftime. The Magic stayed in control, as they pushed their lead to 17, mid way through the third, and held on to a seven-point lead, heading into the final frame. The Magic kept the pressure on in the fourth and had no trouble closing out the road win, to end their six-game road trip with a 3-3 record. This marks the seventh straight loss for the Hornets.

Evan Fournier led the Magic with 26 points, four assists, two rebounds, a steal and a block, in 32 minutes. Nikola Vucevic tallied 24 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and a steal, while Terrence Ross added 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting, in 31 minutes off the bench. The Magic shot 48 percent from the field, including 14-of-28 from long range.

Meanwhile, Malik Monk led the Hornets with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, in 21 minutes off the bench. P.J. Washington added 19 points and seven rebounds, while Devonte' Graham finished with 15 points, six assists and two rebounds. The Hornets shot 38 percent from the field, including 10-of-33 from long range.

The Hornets (15-30) will look to bounce back as they play host to the Bucks on Friday. The Magic (21-23) play host to the Thunder on Wednesday.

The Boston Celtics defeated the visiting Los Angeles Lakers, 139-107, at TD Garden on Monday.

Boston won all four individual quarters in this game, winning in dominating fashion. In fact, they won each of the final three quarters by at least eight points apiece. That allowed the Celtics to lead by double-digits for the entirety of the second half and by at least 20 points for the whole of the fourth quarter. Boston ended up out-rebounding Los Angeles, 48-36, while out-assisting them, 31-22. In addition, the Celtics shot 56 percent from the field and 47 percent from three-point range.

The Lakers (34-9) were led by LeBron James and his 15 points, seven rebounds and 13 assists. JaVale McGee amassed 18 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Anthony Davis made his return from injury to total nine points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Rajon Rondo led the bench with 13 points, two rebounds and three assists.

The Celtics (28-14) were led by Jayson Tatum, accruing 27 points, five rebounds and three assists. Kemba Walker collected 20 points, four rebounds and seven assists. Jaylen Brown totaled 20 points, four rebounds, six assists and three steals. Enes Kanter led the bench with 18 points and 11 boards. Gordon Hayward accumulated 16 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Both teams return to action on Wednesday, with Los Angeles remaining on the road to face the New York Knicks and Boston staying home to play the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Denver Nuggets defeated the host Minnesota Timberwolves, 107-100, at Target Center on Monday evening.

Michael Porter Jr. led the Nuggets with 20 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and a block, in 30 minutes. The contest got out to a competitive start, with the Timberwolves holding a three-point lead after one quarter. The Timberwolves led for most of the second, but the Nuggets pulled ahead late in the quarter, to take a one-point lead into halftime. The score stayed close through through the third quarter, and the Nuggets took a two-point lead into the final frame. They pushed their lead to 10, mid way through the fourth and held the lead the rest of the way, to earn the road win. This marks the sixth straight loss for the Timberwolves.

Nikola Jokic added 17 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and a steal, while Jerami Grant finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. The Nuggets shot 48 percent from the field, including 11-of-31 from long range.

Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 28 points, eight rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block, in 35 minutes. Josh Okogie tallied 16 points, eight rebounds and a steal, while Andrew Wiggins finished with 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and a block. The Timberwolves shot 42 percent from the field, including 13-of-42 from deep.

The Timberwolves (15-28) will look to bounce back as they take on the Bulls in Chicago on Wednesday. The Nuggets (30-13) take on the Rockets in Denver on Wednesday.

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the host Phoenix Suns, 120-118, at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Monday.

While San Antonio led for all but a minute of this game, it came down to the final shot. In fact, the Spurs got out to that lead thanks to a 38-25 second quarter but Phoenix took the lead late thanks to a 35-24 fourth quarter. San Antonio was able to prevail though, scoring six unanswered points with three minutes left, after the Suns grabbed their first and only lead at 113-111. Devin Booker did have a chance to tie the game at the buzzer but missed that 30-foot three-pointer. Three-point shooting was the difference, with the Spurs hitting 17-of-31 and the Suns connecting on 8-of-22. In addition, they outscored their bench, 47-14, while recording 12 steals and seven blocks to the Suns' six combined steals and blocks.

The Spurs (19-23) leading scorer was Bryn Forbes, who dropped 24 points on 8-of-11 from three-point range. LaMarcus Aldridge tallied 19 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks. DeMar DeRozan collected 18 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Dejounte Murray accrued 10 points, four assists and four steals while Derrick White led the bench with 25 points, three rebounds and seven assists.

The Suns (18-25) were led by Booker, who amassed 37 points, seven rebounds and five assists. DeAndre Ayton totaled 27 points, 12 rebounds and two assists on 10-of-15 from the field. Ricky Rubio generated 15 points, three rebounds, nine assists and two steals. Kelly Oubre finished with 15 points and eight boards before fouling out.

Both teams return to action on Wednesday, with San Antonio staying on the road to face the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix remaining home to play the Indiana Pacers.

The Utah Jazz defeated the visiting Indiana Pacers, 118-88, at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Monday.

Utah won all four individual quarters in this game, winning in wire-to-wire fashion. In fact, they won all of them by at least five points apiece, holding a double-digit lead for the entirety of the second half. Utah ended up out-rebounding Indiana, 53-30. The Jazz shot 54 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range while holding the Pacers to 42 percent from the field and 29 percent from long range.

The Pacers (28-16) were led by Myles Turner, who accrued 12 points, five rebounds and six steals. Jeremy Lamb generated 11 points, four rebounds and two steals. Malcolm Brogdon went just 2-of-11 from the field to finish with five points, four rebounds and five assists. T.J. McConnell was the best player off the bench, providing six points, 10 assists and two steals.

The Jazz (30-13) were led by Donovan Mitchell, who tallied 25 points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals. Bojan Bogdanovic amassed 16 points and four boards. Joe Ingles collected six points, five rebounds and seven assists. Rudy Gobert totaled 20 points, 14 rebounds and two assists. Mike Conley led the bench with 14 points and two assists.

Both teams return to action on Wednesday, with Utah traveling to face the struggling Golden State Warriors and Indiana staying on the road to play the Phoenix Suns.

The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Golden State Warriors in overtime, 129-124, at Moda Center on Monday night.

The Trail Blazers (19-26) got off to a strong start through the first 12 minutes, forging a 27-23 lead in the first quarter. However, the Warriors (10-35) quickly bounced back, erasing their deficit and carrying a four-point edge of their own into halftime. Golden State ultimately entered the final period with a five-point advantage, but Damian Lillard's stepback jumper with 15.3 seconds remaining, two of his career-high and franchise-record 61 points, knotted the game at 113 and forced overtime. Portland then had to overcome a 6-0 run by the visitors to open the extra period, which they did by outscoring the Warriors, 16-5, the rest of the way.

Alec Burks led the way for the Warriors with 33 points, adding eight assists, seven rebounds, two blocks and one steal. D'Angelo Russell followed with 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Eric Paschall generated a 22-point, 13-rebound double-double that also included two assists and one steal. Marquese Chriss delivered 14 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal. Willie Cauley-Stein managed 12 points, seven boards, three assists, three blocks and one steal.

Lillard added 10 rebounds, seven assists and one steal to his aforementioned scoring tally. Hassan Whiteside posted a 17-point, 21-rebound double-double that also included two assists and six blocks. Anfernee Simons delivered 15 points, three assists, two rebounds and two blocks. Carmelo Anthony provided 14 points, nine boards, two assists, two steals and one block.

The Warriors head back home to take on the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, while the Trail Blazers remain home and tangle with the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.