The 2013-14 NBA regular season is rapidly approaching its end. With the opportunity to improve records, season averages and postseason standing running thin, 14 teams took to the court to make a lasting statement.
There were season-best performances from All-Stars, significant wins by contenders and a clash between two of the association’s best interior players. An embattled lottery pick set a career-high, a first-round selection from 2013 continued his breakout month and a dynamic player continued to post triple-doubles.
Here’s everything that you need to know about last night’s action.
1. Lance Stephenson recorded 17 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to lead the Indiana Pacers to a nail-biting 102-97 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. David West scored 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting and Paul George shot his way to 20 points and 12 rebounds on a mark of 6-of-17 from the field.
With the win, the Pacers re-claimed the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
2. Stephenson has an NBA-best five triple-doubles.
3. Stephen Curry went off for a season-high 47 points, but the Golden State Warriors fell 119-117 in overtime to the Portland Trail Blazers. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points, Wesley Matthews had 24 and Nicolas Batum posted 18 points and 12 rebounds for the victorious Blazers.
Portland has at least 30 wins at home for the first time since 2010-11. Coincidentally, that was also the last time Portland made the playoffs.
4. On top of scoring 47, Curry became the first player in NBA history to make at least 250 3-point field goals in multiple seasons.
5. DeMar DeRozan poured in 30 points and Kyle Lowry dropped 28 as the Toronto Raptors went on the road to earn a 116-107 win over the Detroit Pistons. Andre Drummond posted 14 points and 17 rebounds, and Greg Monroe tallied 23 points and 10 boards, but Detroit shot just 41.7 percent as a team.
At 47-33, the Raptors have tied a franchise record for wins in a single season.
6. Mason Plumlee picked up 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 97-88 victory over the Orlando Magic. Mirza Teletovic added 20 points as the Nets’ bench scored 49 points to the 48 from Brooklyn’s starting lineup.
Plumlee is averaging 10.9 points while shooting 84.2 percent from the field during the month of April. That’s called thriving in your role.
7. DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Love went toe-to-toe in a meeting between stars on bad teams as the Sacramento Kings took down the Minnesota Timberwolves 106-103. Kevin Love went off for 43 points and 11 rebounds, while DeMarcus Cousins posted 35 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and three blocks.
Call it a silver lining on a terrible season: Sacramento has matched its 2012-13 win total at 28-53.
8. Minnesota has lost at least 40 games in nine consecutive seasons. That’s the worst active stretch in the NBA.
9. Mike Conley posted 24 points and eight assists on 9-of-12 shooting as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 102-90. Marc Gasol added 18 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and three steals for Memphis, while Jodie Meeks scored a team-high 20 for Los Angeles.
Lakers forward Wesley Johnson tallied 15 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.
10. Tim Hardaway Jr. posted 20 points and the New York Knicks played lockdown team defense during a 100-89 victory over the Chicago Bulls. Joakim Noah posted 13 points, 17 rebounds, nine assists, one block and a steal, but Chicago shot 39.2 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from distance.
With its loss, the Bulls temporarily surrender the No. 3 seed to the Raptors.