Wednesday, January 15, 2014 was one of the most eventful days of the entire 2013-14 NBA regular season. A former No. 1 overall draft choice played for the first time in more than four years, multiple players set new career-highs and the two-time defending champions fell again.
Here’s everything that you need to know about last night’s action.
1. Joakim Noah posted season-high marks of 26 points and 19 rebounds with six assists, two blocks and two steals as the Chicago Bulls defeated the Orlando Magic 128-125 in an epic triple-overtime affair. In defeat, the Magic received season-high scoring totals from three separate players.
Victor Oladipo posted a career-high 35 points and eight assists, Jameer Nelson tallied a season-high 31 points and 10 assists, and Tobias Harris unloaded his best marks of 2013-14 with 22 points and 16 rebounds.
2. LaMarcus Aldridge took over with 32 points and 18 rebounds as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-96. Damian Lillard added 28 on 5-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc for Portland, and Luol Deng led the Cavaliers with 25 points.
Portland improves to 29-9, which is its best record through 38 games since 1998-99. For what it’s worth, the Blazers made the ’99 Western Conference Finals.
3. John Wall had 25 points and nine assists, Trevor Booker posted 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Nene Hilario dished out a career-high nine dimes as the Washington Wizards defeated the Miami Heat 114-97. Chris Bosh scored 26 points and LeBron James tallied 25, but it wasn’t enough.
Miami has lost three straight games for the first time since January 13, 2011.
4. Former college teammates clashed as Terrence Jones led the Houston Rockets to a 103-100 victory over Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans. Jones finished with career-high marks of 25 points and six blocks, and Davis scored 24.
Eric Gordon scored a season-high 35 points in defeat. That’s his highest scoring total as a member of the Pelicans.
5. Jared Sullinger has performed at a high level in 2013-14, but the second-year power forward took his game to another level on January 15. Sullinger dominated the defensive-minded Toronto Raptors for 25 points and a career-high 20 rebounds on 7-of-14 shooting to lead the Boston Celtics to an 88-83 win.
Undrafted rookie Phil Pressey added a career-high 10 assists in his first start.
6. Rudy Gay scored a season-high 33 points on 12-of-19 shooting as the Sacramento Kings’ big three struck again in a 111-108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Isaiah Thomas added 26 points and seven assists, and DeMarcus Cousins continued his All-Star campaign with 20 and 11 rebounds.
Sacramento has won four of five—its best stretch since experiencing that same success on February 9, 2012.
7. Tony Parker put up 25 points and nine assists as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Utah Jazz 109-105 to earn a league-best 31st win. Marco Belinelli, Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard all scored 15 points, and Manu Ginobili scored 13 in 21 minutes in a rare start.
Enes Kanter had a season-high 25 points and 11 rebounds, Derrick Favors tallied 19 and 12 boards, and Trey Burke dropped 17 and 11 assists for Utah.
8. Gerald Green scored 28 points on 12-of-18 shooting as the Phoenix Suns defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 121-114. Goran Dragic stepped up with 18 points, a season-high 10 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block, and Channing Frye scored 20.
It was Dragic’s first 10-rebound game since he did it three straight times from April 9 to April 13 in 2011.
9. James Johnson was the ultimate super-sub with 15 points, six rebounds, five assists, six blocks and two steals as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 82-77. Johnson is the first player to come off of the bench and post at least 15 points, five rebounds, five assists and five blocks in the same game since Andray Blatche on November 25, 2008.
No player had done it before Blatche since Danny Manning in 1995.
10. The Los Angeles Clippers outlasted the Dallas Mavericks in a memorable 129-127 regulation duel. J.J. Redick scored a career-high 33 points, Matt Barnes dropped a season-high 25 and Darren Collison dished out 10 assists as L.A. held on to improve to 27-13 overall and 18-3 at home.
Only the Indiana Pacers have a better home record than the Clippers.
Bonus Fact: For the first time since December 5, 2009, Greg Oden played in an NBA game. Oden scored six points and two rebounds in eight minutes on 2-of-3 shooting.
Oden was the No. 1 overall draft choice in 2007.
Bonus Fact: Four separate Denver Nuggets players scored at least 20 points as Brian Shaw’s club defeated the Golden State Warriors 123-116. The most impressive 20 of all, however, belonged to J.J. Hickson.
Hickson grabbed a career-high 24 rebounds.
Bonus Fact: Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson combined for 50 points on 20-of-41 shooting. The rest of the Charlotte Bobcats had 42 on a collective mark of 15-of-47.
Charlotte fell 95-92 to the Philadelphia 76ers.