Friday, March 7 was an action-packed day of basketball that featured 11 games featuring 22 hungry teams. There was a meeting between championship contenders, another defensive meltdown from a legendary organization and a 30-point deficit that was erased and preserved in the same game.
Here’s everything that you need to know about last night’s action.
1.The hottest team in the NBA earned one of its biggest wins yet as the Houston Rockets took down the Indiana Pacers 112-86. This victory gives the Rockets wins over both the Pacers and the Miami Heat over the course of the past four days.
The Rockets are an NBA-best 22-6 since January 1, while the Pacers have lost three straight games for the first time this season.
2. Kenneth Faried posted 32 points and 13 rebounds, and Ty Lawson dropped 30 points and 17 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 134-126 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the third consecutive game that the Lakers have allowed at least 130 points.
As for Lawson, he’s the first Nuggets player since Allen Iverson on March 17, 2007 to post at least 30 points and 15 dimes.
3. The Memphis Grizzlies went on the road to earn a surprisingly strong 85-77 victory over the Chicago Bulls. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph both registered double-doubles for Memphis and Taj Gibson scored 18 points for the Bulls, but this one was all about smothering defense.
Memphis improves to 22-9 since January 1 and sit just 1.0 game behind the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.
4. Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points and dished out a season-high eight assists as the New York Knicks earned a convincing 108-81 victory over the Utah Jazz. The Jazz did everything they could to lose, shooting 6-of-27 from beyond the arc and committing 19 turnovers to New York’s seven.
The Knicks have won consecutive games for the first time since January 30.
5. The Dallas Mavericks blew a 30-point lead and trailed the Portland Trail Blazers late in the second half, but managed to earn a 103-98 victory. Dirk Nowitzki added 22 points and Monta Ellis stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
LaMarcus Aldridge nearly led a comeback victory with 30 points and 17 rebounds. He has four games with 30 and 15 in 2013-14 after doing it three total times in his first seven seasons.
6. The Toronto Raptors used a balanced offensive attack to pick up a 99-87 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Terrence Ross led the charge with 18 points for the Raptors, while DeMarcus Cousins scored 24 for the Kings.
Toronto improves to 34-26, which matches its win total from 2012-13.
7. Rajon Rondo battled former teammate Paul Pierce at the TD Garden for the first time as the Boston Celtics secured a 91-84 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Rondo finished with 20 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals, while Pierce had 10 points and three steals in 33 minutes.
In a display of questionable coaching and game-planning, Brooklyn shot just 4-of-30 from 3-point range.
8. Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans took over to give the New Orleans Pelicans a 112-104 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Davis finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal, while Evans tallied 25 points and seven dimes for his fourth straight outing with at least 20.
Milwaukee may have lost, but pleasant surprise Jeff Adrien continued to shine with a career-high 20 points and 10 boards.
9. Kevin Love and Greg Monroe dueled as the Minnesota Timberwolves emerged victorious over the Detroit Pistons 114-101. Love finished with 28 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Monroe tallied 20 points and 15 boards.
At 31-30, this is the latest in a season that Minnesota has been above .500 since 2006-07.
10. Jermaine O’Neal posted 17 points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes to lead the Golden State Warriors to a big 111-97 win over the Atlanta Hawks. With the victory, the Warriors improve to 8-2 in the past 10 games and 39-24 on the season.
As for Atlanta, it falls to 1-13 in its past 14 games.
Bonus Fact: Al Jefferson scored 28 points and Kemba Walker posted 20 and 14 assists to guide the Charlotte Bobcats to a 101-92 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.