Two NBA games were held on Thursday, November 14. Those clashes featured elite scorers going toe-to-toe with their A-Game, a buzzer-beater, Linsanity returning to Madison Square Garden and a combined margin of victory of four points.
Here’s everything you need to know about what transpired.
1. Jeremy Lin returned to Madison Square Garden for just the second time since signing with the Houston Rockets. He finished with 21 points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal in 30 minutes off of the bench to lead Houston to a 109-106 victory over the New York Knicks.
Lin scored nine points during the fourth quarter and has now topped 20 in three consecutive games.
2. Two of the game’s top players clashed in the meeting between Houston and New York. Reigning scoring champion Carmelo Anthony tallied a season-high 45 points, while James Harden finished with a season-high 36 points and nine rebounds for the winning Rockets.
‘Melo won the individual battle, but the Rockets took the game.
3. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-115 in a clash between two of the top Western Conference contenders. Russell Westbrook sank a three-pointer with 2.3 seconds remaining to give OKC the lead, only for Andre Iguodala drained the game-winner to grant Golden State the victory.
Golden State is now 6-3 overall and 4-0 at home, while Oklahoma City is 5-3 and 2-3 on the road.
4. Speaking of Westbrook, he finished with a season-high 31 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals on 13-of-20 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 from three-point range. Serge Ibaka added 27 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, while Kevin Durant finished with 20 points, eight assists and seven boards.
5. Golden State’s bright future was on full display during its win. Klay Thompson finished with 27 points, Stephen Curry had 22 and nine dimes, and Harrison Barnes scored 16 in 23 minutes off of the bench. David Lee added 20.
Not only is Golden State a powerful Western Conference squad in 2013-14, but it has sustainability.
Bonus Fact: Andre Iguodala hit his fourth career buzzer-beater during the Warriors’ 116-115 win over the Thunder. That’s tied for the most in the NBA since Iggy entered the league in 2004-05. Gilbert Arenas, Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce and Dwyane Wade are the other four players who have reached that mark.