You never know what might happen in the NBA. Against the lowly Kings, I didn’t think LeBron James would need to play more than 30 minutes. Instead, he scored a season-high 40 points, handed out a career-high 16 assists and grabbed eight rebounds in almost 48 minutes on the floor. Not to be outdone, Dwyane Wade (39 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST, 3 STL, 2 BLK) hit 19 of 28 shots. Playing their fifth game in seven nights, the Heat allowed Sacramento to shoot 52% and couldn’t close the deal in regulation or the first overtime. Marcus Thornton made eight 3-pointers and finished with 36 points, more than any other bench player this season. Tyreke Evans (26 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 5 STL) was outstanding; he and DeMarcus Cousins (24 PTS, 15 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL) both managed to avoid a sixth foul and extend this wacky game. Miami got five 3-pointers from Ray Allen (21 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST) and shot 55% to earn a twelfth straight win the hard way.
Other February 26 Game Recaps
GSW @ IND: It was a memorable evening for Roy Hibbert — 13 PTS, 9 REB, 5 BLK and a fight that got him ejected and probably suspended. David West (28 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST, 3 STL) and George Hill (23 PTS, 7 AST, 3 REB, 3 STL) led the Pacers to 108 points and the W. David Lee (12 PTS, 12 REB, 4 STL, 2 BLK) was in the first shoving match with Hibbert, who then tossed Stephen Curry to the floor. Proving he’s more scorer than fighter, Curry had a season-high 38 points in the losing cause. Jarrett Jack (11 PTS on 2-for-10 shooting, with 5 TO) was finally cooled off by that Indiana defense. A rusty Danny Granger missed six more shots and is now 2-17 on the season. He should try to make a layup and his owners must be patient.
ORL @ PHI: It’s tempting to stick a fork in the 76ers; they look done. At home, against a team that had lost ten in a row and is full of rookies and sophomores, Philly looked disinterested. Six Orlando players scored in double figures, led by recently-acquired Tobias Harris (16 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK), who is a borderline pickup in 12-team leagues but should be scooped up in all deeper formats. Nikola Vucevic (12 PTS, 19 REB) had his way with Spencer Hawes (6 PTS in 21 minutes) and Arron Afflalo (16 PTS, 7 AST, 6 REB) was also sharp. Jrue Holiday (9 PTS, 10 AST) did not dominate E’Twaun Moore (12 PTS, 10 AST) as expected; the Sixers bench outscored their starters 48-36. Al Harrington (9 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST in 12 minutes) finally made his Magic debut after sore knees kept him out all season.
BRK @ NOH: It look like a blowout for the Nets, who led by as many as 22 until the Hornets woke up and made this an exciting finish. Deron Williams (33 PTS, 8 AST) was brilliant in the first and fourth quarters. Twin brothers Brook Lopez (20 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 4 BLK) and Robin Lopez (14 PTS, 7 REB, 2 BLK) both played well enough to win me some cash on DraftStreet. Greivis Vasquez (20 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST, 3 STL) led New Orleans as usual; Anthony Davis (6 PTS, 4 REB, 2 BLK) played just 21 minutes and left with a sore shoulder. He returned to the bench but did not get back on the floor.
CLE @ CHI: With their lone superstar Kyrie Irving (knee) unavailable, the Cavaliers had ‘no chance’ on paper but prevailed on the hardwood. Shaun Livingston (15 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST) filled in at PG, Dion Waiters (25) handled the scoring and Luke Walton (8 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST) made some key plays off the bench. Maybe the Bulls were overconfident. Taj Gibson (knee) was out, so Carlos Boozer (27 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST) was a beast for 39 minutes and Luol Deng (26 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL) also had a great fantasy line. Kirk Hinrich (11 PTS, 11 AST, 6 REB) was back in the starting five for Chicago, his elbow stitches healed.