Some of the NBA’s top superstars were in action on Saturday, January 18, 2014, and they didn’t disappoint. The reigning MVP was forced to step up in overtime, a fellow award-winner joined the company of one of his franchise’s all-time greats, and a second-year player put on a career-best performance.
Here’s everything that you need to know about last night’s action.
1. Terrence Jones continued his Most Improved Player of the Year campaign with a career-high 36 points and 11 rebounds on 14-of-20 shooting as the Houston Rockets defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 114-104. Dwight Howard added 20 points and 14 rebounds, and James Harden scored 22 for Houston.
Milwaukee shot 50.0 percent from the field and converted 11 3-point field goals, but the Bucks made just 13 free throws to the Rockets’ 25.
2. The Indiana Pacers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 106-92 to improve their league-best record to 32-7 overall and 21-1 at home. Paul George led the way with 35 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, while Lance Stephenson stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and one steal.
George is the first Pacers player to put 35 points and five 3-point field goals on 70 percent shooting from the field since Reggie Miller on December 4, 1996. Forgive my specificity, but that’s rare company.
3. LeBron James ripped off 34 points, eight rebounds, six assists and a steal as the Miami Heat survived an overtime scare against the Charlotte Bobcats, 104-96. Chris Bosh added 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting and Ray Allen had a season-high nine rebounds in a start for the resting Dwyane Wade.
Bosh has scored at least 25 points in three straight games for the first time as a member of the Miami Heat. He last completed the three-peat on April 4, 2010—his second-to-last game with the Toronto Raptors.
4. The Heat are 14-0 against the Bobcats since the Big Three came together.
5. The Portland Trail Blazers were dominant again with a 127-111 road victory over the Dallas Mavericks. LaMarcus Aldridge had 30 points and 12 rebounds, and Damian Lillard put up 14 points and 10 assists for his first double-double of the month.
Since dropping four of six, the Trail Blazers have won five straight games.
6. A true force for Portland was center Robin Lopez. The former Stanford Cardinal star finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in 26 minutes.
Lopez entered the 2013-14 regular season with 15 double-doubles. Through 40 games in 2013-14, he has 15 double-doubles.
7. It’s no secret that the Utah Jazz are bad, but last night’s performance was a new low. The Minnesota Timberwolves earned a 98-72 victory over the Jazz during a game in which Kevin Love attempted 10 field goals and Rick Adelman’s crew shot just 58.8 percent from the free throw line.
So how did it happen? For starters, Alec Burks was the only Jazz player in double-figure scoring with 18 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the floor.
As a team, the Jazz posted a field goal percentage of 28.8. That’s the worst mark in Utah’s 40-year franchise history.
8. With a chance to move above .500 for the first time since starting the 2009-10 season at 2-1, the Washington Wizards lost 104-98 to the Detroit Pistons. Josh Smith scored 22 points and Rodney Stuckey added 20 as Detroit won a battle between two teams that both shot worse than 60.0 percent from the free throw line.
John Wall ripped off 34 points on 15-of-23 shooting, but he didn’t have enough support to help the Wizards earn a monumental victory. Washington is 19-20.
9. Joakim Noah had 21 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, four blocks and two steals to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 103-78 decimation of the Philadelphia 76ers. Carlos Boozer added 15 points and 13 rebounds, and D.J. Augustin continued his bounce-back season with 19 points, eight assists and three steals.
Noah has at least 10 rebounds in a career-best 12 consecutive games.
10. Stephen Curry scored 28 points and David Lee added 22 to help the Golden State Warriors defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 97-87. Andrew Bogut added 10 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks on a perfect shooting mark of 5-of-5 from the field.
Albeit in a loss, Anthony Davis erupted for 31 points and 17 rebounds on 11-of-17 shooting from the floor and 9-of-12 from the charity stripe.
Bonus Fact: Don’t be too sad, Wizards fans. 19-20 is Washington’s best mark through 39 games since 2007-08, when it most recently made the playoffs.