Tuesday, December 10 was highlighted by eight games featuring 16 teams with a common pursuit of a postseason berth. Albeit early in the season, many teams earned victories that hold significant importance to the future of their respective organizations.
Here’s everything you need to know about what transpired during last night’s games.
1. After a much-maligned season debut, Kobe Bryant posted 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and 8-of-8 from the charity stripe in 29 minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe and L.A. fell 114-108 to the Phoenix Suns.
In a game in which he was relatively passive, Bryant still managed to remind the NBA community of an important truth: when he’s on, it only takes so many shots for Kobe to get going.
2. In a rematch of the epic 2013 Eastern Conference Finals, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Miami Heat 90-84. Roy Hibbert scored 24 points, David West posted 17 and nine rebounds, and Paul George scored 17 on 4-of-11 shooting from the field. Dwyane Wade scored 17 points for Miami and LeBron James put up 17, 14 rebounds, six assists and two steals in 39 minutes.
Indiana is 19-3 overall and 10-0 at home. That’s the best home start in franchise history.
3. Kevin Love finished with 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and four three-point field goals made to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 121-94 decimation of the Detroit Pistons. It was Love’s sixth game of the year with at least 25 points and 15 rebounds. The rest of the NBA has a combined 10.
4. Behind 37 points and 11 assists from Kyrie Irving, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the New York Knicks 109-94. It was Irving’s third game with at least 10 assists and his first outing with at least seven dimes since November 15.
Irving played 10 games in that span.
5. The Knicks have fallen to 5-15, matching the worst start in franchise history.
6. Three separate starters registered double-doubles for the Oklahoma City Thunder during a 101-92 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Kevin Durant had 30 points and 10 rebounds, Serge Ibaka posted 19 and 10, and Russell Westbrook dished out 14 points, 11 assists, nine boards and four steals.
It was the first time this season that Durant, Ibaka and Westbrook put up double-doubles in the same game.
7. Deron Williams made his triumphant return to the NBA, posting 25 points, seven assists and three rebounds to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 104-96 win over the Boston Celtics. Brooklyn has won consecutive games for the first time during the Jason Kidd era.
Kevin Garnett had 11 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes, and Paul Pierce added four and seven boards in 22 games in their first game against the Celtics.
8. The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Chicago Bulls in an ugly 78-74 defensive battle. It was the third time in franchise history that the Bucks have won a game while scoring 78 points or less. Two of those games were against Chicago.
9. John Henson stepped up with a season-high 25 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks for the Bucks. Henson has three double-doubles during his past six games after registering six during his previous 78 outings.
10. Seven separate players were in double-figures for the San Antonio Spurs during a 116-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors. That includes Manu Ginobili, who had 16 points and nine assists, and San Antonio with 13 three-point field goals made on a team slash line of .549/.565/.813.
Bonus Fact: The Pacers are in sole possession of the top seed in the Eastern Conference, albeit early in the season. The last time Indiana finished the season atop the East was 2003-04, when the Pacers won 61 games and reached the Conference Finals.