College basketball received some significant hype on Wednesday, February 12. Inevitably, the NBA responded by providing some of the best action of the year with All-Star Weekend just around the corner.
Here’s everything that you need to know about a wild night of action.
1. Two of the Top 5 big men in the NBA squared off as Blake Griffin led the Los Angeles Clippers past LaMarcus Aldridge and the Portland Trail Blazers, 122-117. Griffin finished with 36 points and 10 rebounds, Jamal Crawford scored 25 and Chris Paul put up 20 points, 12 assists and three steals.
Despite missing 19 games, CP3 has more double-doubles, 27, than any other guard in the NBA. Second-best is Stephen Curry with 20.
2. LeBron James sank a game-winner with less than one second on the clock to give the Miami Heat a 111-110 win over the Golden State Warriors. LeBron finished with 36 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and two steals to fall just one dime short of his first triple-double of the year.
The win pulls Miami to within 2.5 games of the first-place Indiana Pacers and pushes Golden State into eighth in the Western Conference.
3. In an unforeseen setback, the Indiana Pacers fell 81-73 in a home game against the rising Dallas Mavericks. Monta Ellis led the charge with 23 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal, while Paul George and Lance Stephenson combined to shoot 10-of-33.
Prior to this game, Indiana was 24-0 in games that it held the opposition below 90 points. Undefeated no more.
3. DeMar DeRozan scored 31 points and Kyle Lowry dished out 13 assists as the Toronto Raptors decimated the Atlanta Hawks 104-83 at the Air Canada Centre. It was ugly for Atlanta, but big man Gustavo Ayon posted his first double-double of the season with a career-high 18 points and a season-high 10 rebounds.
As for Toronto, 28-24 is the team’s best record before the trade deadline since 2009-10. The Raptors started that season at 29-23 and finished at 40-42.
4. Tim Duncan scored 25 points and Marco Belinelli tallied 16, 11 rebounds and eight assists to help the San Antonio Spurs take down the Boston Celtics 104-92. The win gives San Antonio a league-best 20 road victories heading into All-Star Weekend.
Kelly Olynyk led Boston with 15 points and 10 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double after failing to register a single one in his first 42 appearances.
5. Jimmer Fredette scored a career-high 24 points as the Sacramento Kings surprised the New York Knicks 106-101 in overtime at Madison Square Garden. Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas both scored 20 points, and DeMarcus Cousins put up 19 and 14 rebounds.
Carmelo Anthony finished with 36 points and 11 rebounds for his 18th double-double—the most he’s ever posted before the All-Star Break.
6. Tristan Thompson put up 25 points and 15 rebounds on 12-of-16 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Detroit Pistons 93-89. Kyrie Irving added 23 points on 6-of-16 shooting as Cleveland won its fourth consecutive game.
This is the first time Cleveland has won four straight games in the post-LeBron James era.
7. Paul Pierce put on an offensive clinic as the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Charlotte Bobcats 105-89. Pierce finished with 25 points in 22 minutes, shooting 9-of-11 from the field, 5-of-5 from 3-point range and 2-of-3 from the free throw line.
Brooklyn enters the All-Star Break having won 14 of 19 after opening the season at 10-21. 24-26 has the Nets just three games out of the Atlantic Division lead.
8. James Harden scored 25 points as the Houston Rockets escaped the Washington Wizards 113-112. Dwight Howard posted 24 points, 16 rebounds, three blocks and two steals, and Chandler Parsons tallied 18 points, 12 boards and six assists.
Houston has won seven straight games and is 15-4 since January 1—the best mark in the NBA during that time.
10. Alec Burks scored 26 points as the Utah Jazz earned a 105-100 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Evan Turner came up with 21 points and Spencer Hawes registered a double-double, but the Sixers continued their losing ways.
The Jazz have won three straight games for the first time this season.
Bonus Facts
- Blake Griffin has 12 30-point games in 2013-14. He had seven in 2011-12 and 2012-13 combined.
- Trevor Ariza of the Wizards finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds and a franchise-record 10 3-pointers.
- Nick Calathes stayed hot with 12 points, six assists, five rebounds, four steals and two blocks as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Orlando Magic 86-81.
- Alexis Ajinca was nearly perfect—16 points, nine rebounds, 7-of-7 shooting—as the New Orleans Pelicans took down the Milwaukee Bucks 102-98.