Every Thursday, the NBA takes center stage with marquee matchups that have an impact on the postseason picture. On November 7, 2013, six teams took the court and three emerged with momentum-swinging victories.
Here’s everything you need to know about what transpired.
1. Atlanta Hawks swingman Kyle Korver has now made at least one three-point field goal in 78 consecutive regular season games. That ties Dennis Scott for the third-longest streak in NBA history.
2. The Miami Heat defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 102-97 in what many have referred to as a potential NBA Finals preview. The Heat made less three-point field goals and grabbed less rebounds than the Clippers, and converted just 63.6 percent from the free throw line during the win.
3. Dwyane Wade led the charge with 29 points, seven assists, four rebounds, three steals and one block in 34 minutes. It was Wade’s highest regular season scoring output since he dropped 32 on March 4, 2013.
4. Chris Paul had 11 points and 12 assists during Los Angeles’ loss. He now has 10 or more assists in eight consecutive regular season games, which is his longest streak since November 12, 2008.
5. Blake Griffin erupted for 27 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and one steal on 11-of-15 shooting from the field, 1-of-1 from beyond the arc and 4-of-5 from the free throw line. He now has at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in four of the Clippers’ first six games. He did it twice after the All-Star Break in 2012-13.
6. The Denver Nuggets earned the first win of the Brian Shaw era 109-107 home victory over the Hawks. Shaw had been one of the most talked about assistant coaches in the NBA after serving under the legendary Phil Jackson with the Los Angeles Lakers and Frank Vogel with the Indiana Pacers. Shaw’s finally getting his chance at running the show, and this win is what Denver needed to get over the hump.
7. Point guard Ty Lawson topped 20 points for the fourth time in as many games as Denver moved to 1-3. The 26-year-old finished with 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds on 9-of-16 shooting from the field, 3-of-5 from three-point range and 2-of-3 from the charity stripe.
8. During the Hawks’ loss, Paul Millsap scored a season-high 29 points with 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. It was his highest scoring outburst since November 12, 2012, and the first time since January 25, 2012 that he’s topped 25 points in consecutive outings.
9. The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 99-98 after Steve Blake sank a game-winning three-pointer with 1.3 seconds remaining. The Lakers had 16 three-point field goals made and and 15 free throw attempts, while the Rockets had seven three-pointers converted and 52 free throw attempts.
10. In Dwight Howard’s first game against his former team, he finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and one block on 5-of-16 shooting from the free throw line in 37 minutes.. James Harden added 35 points, but shot 9-of-24 from the field.
Bonus Fact: The Lakers are now 4-8 since Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles tendon.
Maxwell Ogden is a regular contributor for Sheridan Hoops. Make sure to follow him on Twitter.
Can you really erupt for only 27 points? Lebron averages that a game. 😉