Thursday, February 20, 2014 featured just three NBA games, but all six teams involved offered some reason for intrigue. LeBron James was bloodied, Kevin Durant was beaten metaphorically, a pair of contenders went to overtime and a disappointing season saw a temporary improvement.
Here’s everything that you need to know about last night’s action.
1. The Big Three went to Chesapeake Energy Arena and absolutely dominated as the Miami Heat toppled the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-81. LeBron James posted 33 points, seven rebounds and four steals, Chris Bosh scored 24 on just nine field goal attempts and Dwyane Wade tallied 24 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and three steals.
The Big Three combined to shoot 32-of-48 from the field for 81 points. The entire Thunder team combined to shoot 28-of-74 for 81 points.
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2. The 103-81 loss marked the Thunder’s largest home loss since April 3, 2009.
3. The Denver Nuggets hit the road and earned a 101-90 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Kenneth Faried led the charge with 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting and Wilson Chandler added 15 on 6-of-8 shooting.
Denver’s win snaps a five-game losing streak.
4. David Lee posted 28 points and 14 rebounds, and Stephen Curry scored 25 as the Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors 102-99 in overtime. Dwight Howard countered with 11 points and 21 rebounds, and James Harden erupted for 39 points, but Houston fell apart down the stretch of overtime.
The loss snapped Houston’s NBA-best eight-game winning streak.
5. Filling in for Andrew Bogut, six-time All-Star center Jermaine O’Neal recorded two points, 10 rebounds and a pair of blocks in 37 minutes. It was the first time O’Neal’s recorded double-digit rebounds in a game since February 27, 2013—nearly one calendar year ago.
Bonus Facts
- Russell Westbrook made his long-awaited return after missing every game since December 25, 2013. He finished with 16 points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals in 24 minutes.
- Don’t read too far into the Heat’s win. OKC went to Miami and won 112-95 less than one month ago.