Saturday, March 8, 2014 was a night of relatively underwhelming measures, with some of the NBA’s worst underachievers in action. Fortunately, there were significant results sprinkled in between that every fan needs to know about.
Here are the most significant happenings from last night’s action.
1. Tony Parker scored 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting to lead the San Antonio Spurs past the Orlando Magic 121-112. Six separate Spurs scored in double-figures, including all five starters, with Manu Ginobili posting 24 points off of the bench and Tim Duncan tallying 11, 10 boards and three blocks down low.
Maurice Harkless was a bright spot for Orlando, as the second-year forward secured his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. During a season like the Magic are experiencing, it’s the little things that count.
2. With the win, the Spurs move into a three-way tie with the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the NBA at 46-16.
3. The Spurs have matching records of 23-8 both at home and on the road. The only other team with at least 20 wins at home and on the road is the Thunder.
4. Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire continued to work together in the starting lineup as the New York Knicks went on the road to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-97. Anthony posted 26 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks, while STAT finished with 17 points, 12 boards, four dimes and three swats.
Since losing seven in a row, the Knicks have won three straight games.
5. The Los Angeles Clippers’ starting lineup put on yet another impressive performance as Doc Rivers’ squad survived a 109-108 scare against the Atlanta Hawks. Blake Griffin led the charge with 27 points, eight rebounds, five assists and a steal, while Chris Paul posted 19 points, 10 dimes and two swipes.
Los Angeles has won seven straight, while Atlanta has lost 13 of its past 14 games. Only the Philadelphia 76ers have been worse in that span of time.
6. Griffin has scored at least 20 points in a franchise-record 22 consecutive games. The only player with a longer streak this season is Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder with his active stretch of 35 straight 20-point performances.
7. Trevor Ariza scored 28 points and John Wall dished out 13 assists to guide the Washington Wizards to a 114-107 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Brandon Knight countered with 25 points for the Bucks, but it wasn’t enough to keep Milwaukee from suffering yet another defeat.
Washington has quietly won eight of its past nine games.
8. At 12-50, Milwaukee has the dreadful honor of being the first team to 50 losses. It’s the first time the Bucks have lost at least 50 games since 2007-08.
9. Gordon Hayward put up 22 points and eight assists to help the Utah Jazz take down the Philadelphia 76ers 104-92. Derrick Favors added 15 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks, and Enes Kanter chipped 13 points and 10 boards off of the bench.
The bright spot for Philadelphia was Tony Wroten, who scored a career-high 30 points and swiped four steals while shooting 12-of-15 from the floor.
10. The 76ers have lost an NBA-worst 16 consecutive games. That’s the third-longest streak in franchise history and Philadelphia’s worst stretch since 1973.
The last team to lose at least 16 straight games was the Charlotte Bobcats between November 26 and December 29 of 2012.
Bonus Facts
- The Clippers have the best home record in the Western Conference at 26-5.
- The Hawks were 19-22 on the road in 2012-13. They’re 9-23 away from home in 2013-14.
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