Only eight teams were in action on Tuesday, January 14, 2014, but that didn’t stop the NBA from providing a number of noteworthy results. There were offensive clinics, a second team to 30 wins and a display of a disturbing absence of depth.
Here’s everything that you need to know about last night’s action.
1. The Charlotte Bobcats defeated the New York Knicks by a score of 108-98 behind a huge night from their stars. Al Jefferson scored 35 points, Kemba Walker tallied 25 and Gerald Henderson put up 17 to lead the Bobcats’ high-powered offensive attack.
Henderson, Jefferson and Walker scored 77 combined points on 29-of-48 shooting. The rest of the team scored 31 on 9-of-27 shooting. Talk about a three-man show.
2. New York’s loss snapped the Knicks’ five-game winning streak. More specifically, New York fell to 3-15 when it allows at least 100 points. The Knicks are 12-8 when they don’t.
It doesn’t get more clear-cut than that.
3. Paul George scored 31 points as the Indiana Pacers held off DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings for a 116-92 victory. George scored 10 points in the fourth quarter and C.J. Watson added eight during the final period of play as the Pacers improved to a league-best 30-7 overall and 19-1 at home.
On the opposite end, DeMarcus Cousins added 31 points and 13 rebounds for his 12th career game with at least 30 and 10. Only one other Kings player has more since they moved to Sacramento in 1985: Chris Webber with 49.
4. In his fourth game with his new team, Courtney Lee scored a season-high 24 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 90-87 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kevin Durant scored 37 points on 15-of-28 shooting and Reggie Jackson added 17 on a mark of 6-of-14, but that wasn’t enough.
The rest of the Thunder combined to go 12-of-39 for 33 points. Get well soon, Russell Westbrook.
5. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in a 120-118 regulation offensive showcase. Luol Deng scored 27 points—his highest mark as a member of the Cavaliers—while Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson combined for 33 points and 31 rebounds.
Nick Young scored a season-high 28 points, Jodie Meeks tallied a season-high 26 and Kendall Marshall dished out 16 assists. Marshall has posted at least 15 assists in each of his past three home games.
Bonus Fact: Kemba Walker has scored at least 25 points in all three of his games against the New York Knicks this season.