CLE @ TOR: Well, I got to see Kyrie Irving (12 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST) in person, until he left with a sore shoulder late in the third quarter. Dion Waiters (21 PTS, 4 REB) scored 13 in the fourth to keep the Cavaliers in the game, but even without Rudy Gay (back), the Raptors held off the charge. Amir Johnson (17 PTS, 16 REB, 2 AST, 3 BLK) was strong all night, and Jonas Valanciunas (11 PTS, 7 REB, 2 BLK) stayed out of foul trouble for 33 minutes. Fellow rookie Terrence Ross (14 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST) got 28 minutes as the starting SF and sparked the decisive run right after halftime.
POR @ NOH: No loss is fun, but that one really hurt the Blazers in their uphill fight to make the playoffs. Ryan Anderson (20 PTS, 13 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL) hit four 3-pointers and came up with two huge buckets in the final 16 seconds to be the hero for New Orleans. Greivis Vasquez (20 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL) played mostly at SG because Eric Gordon was rested and Brian Roberts (9 PTS, 9 AST, 2 STL) got the start at PG. Anthony Davis (18 PTS, 10 REB) has been on a nice roll for four games. Wesley Matthews (24 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL) led Portland, with Damian Lillard (20 PTS, 8 AST) and J.J. Hickson (14 PTS, 14 REB, 3 STL) also sharp. LaMarcus Aldridge (16 PTS, 6 REB) was a non-factor in the fourth after rolling his ankle.
DAL @ MIN: Without Shawn Marion (calf) the Dallas starters did not impress. Dirk Nowitzki (16 PTS, 9 REB) was the only one to score more than eight points, but the bench was great. Vince Carter (22 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL) led a 35-point second quarter that sucked the life out of the T-Wolves. Elton Brand (10 PTS, 12 REB, 3 AST) and Brandan Wright (13 PTS, 7 REB) helped the Mavs’ reserves pile up 58 points in this romp. Derrick Williams (18 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST) was the lone bright spot for Minnesota, though J.J. Barea (16 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST) continues to reward his fantasy owners.
MIL @ SAC: Guess what? DeMarcus Cousins is an idiot who cost his team another win. Having scored 24 points on 10-12 shooting while grabbing ten rebounds, the league’s biggest bonehead threw a vicious elbow to the head of Mike Dunleavy (16 PTS, 4 REB) and got ejected. Again. A suspension seems certain. Monta Ellis (29 PTS, 9 AST, 4 REB) led Milwaukee, with Brandon Jennings (16 PTS, 8 AST) chipping in and Samuel Dalembert (10 PTS, 11 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK) did a nice job filling in for injured Larry Sanders (knee). J.J. Redick (ankle) sat out and Ersan Ilyasova (knee bruise) missed another game, so Gustavo Ayon (12 PTS, 7 REB, 2 STL) made the most of his 14 minutes.
DET @ LAC: The mighty Clippers roared out to a big early lead, then pulled away. They shot 62.5% and DeAndre Jordan (13 PTS, 7 REB, 2 BLK) threw down a dunk that will be replayed for years. Chris Paul (20 PTS, 14 AST, 2 STL) and Blake Griffin (22 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST) were ultra-efficient in limited minutes and Matt Barnes hit five 3-pointers in as many attempts to lead the second unit. Jose Calderon (18 PTS, 4 AST) led the Pistons and Jonas Jerebko (14 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST) might be worth owning in deeper leagues.