With only seven games on the NBA schedule Monday night, the focus was on the Miami Heat and its pursuit of a franchise record 15th consecutive win in Minnesota. It wasn’t the only action worth watching however, as the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers had their eye on the Utah-Milwaukee game, which carried heavy playoff implications for both teams.
Lets take a look at the facts:
1. The Miami Heat set a franchise record Monday night, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 97-81 for the teams 15th consecutive victory. Dwayne Wade decided to give the hobbled LeBron James a rare night off and led the way with 32 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. The Heat and Clippers each have had winning streaks of 15-plus games this season. The Last time two teams had 15-plus winning streaks in regular season was 2006-07 (Suns had two Mavericks had one).
2. Speaking of winning streaks, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Atlanta Hawks 104-88 which marked their 11th consecutive victory at the Pepsi Center and have tied Miami for the best home record in the NBA at 26-3. Corey Brewer scored 22 points and Ty Lawson chipped in with 18.
3. The New York Knicks were in a bad spot. Trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers by 22 points at halftime and without Carmelo Anthony for the second half after he suffered a knee injury, the Knicks were looking at dropping their second game in as many nights. The Knicks prevailed, defeating the Cavs 102-97 Monday night. Amare Stoudemire scored 22 points and J.R. Smith added 18 as the Knicks snapped a 10-game losing streak at Quicken Loans Arena.
4. It took a superb effort from new acquisition J.J. Redick to help the Milwaukee Bucks defeat the Utah Jazz 109-108 in overtime. Brandon Jennings’ step-back 3-pointer with eight seconds to play in regulation tied the game, but it was Redick who pushed the Bucks over the hump in overtime, scoring the teams first eight points in the five minute period. Redick finished with 17 points off the bench while Jennings totaled 20 points and 17 assists. Monta Ellis did not disappoint either, giving the Bucks the scoring punch they needed with 34.
5. Stephen Curry continued his fantastic stretch of play Monday night at home against the Toronto Raptors as the Golden State Warriors broke a four-game losing streak with a 125-118 win at Oracle Arena. Warriors’ All-Star forward David Lee led the way with 29 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, but Stephen Curry chipped in with 26 points and a career-high 12 assists. Curry set a career-high in points with his 54-point outburst against the Knicks last week.
Ben Baroff is a sports journalist and marketing professional who blogs and writes columns for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter.