After a day of ugly basketball on Sunday, November 16, the NBA returned with significantly better action on Monday, November 17. 18 teams took part in nine high-octane games, with upsets, statement wins and legendary feats stealing headlines.
Here’s how it all transpired.
1. In a clash between the top two seeds in the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies dominated the Houston Rockets 119-93. Mike Conley scored a game-high 19 points, while Tony Allen and Courtney Lee held James Harden to six points on just 1-of-8 shooting.
That’s Harden’s lowest scoring output as a member of the Rockets.
2. Dating back to the 2013-14 season, the Grizzlies have won 20 consecutive home games.
3. Monta Ellis scored 18 points and Chandler Parsons tallied 17 to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 108-80 decimation of the Charlotte Hornets. Tyson Chandler posted 14 points and nine rebounds on 7-of-7 shooting, all the while holding Al Jefferson to six points on a mark of 3-of-12 from the field.
With 13 points against the Hornets, Dirk Nowitzki became the ninth player to score 27,000 points and joined Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Karl Malone as the only players to reach that plateau with just one team.
4. Anthony Davis went off for 31 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and three steals, but the New Orleans Pelicans fell 102-93 to the Portland Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard scored 24 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 to help Portland pull out a comeback victory.
Portland has won five consecutive games.
5. Six players scored in double-figures as the Chicago Bulls went on the road to take down the Los Angeles Clippers 105-89. Jimmy Butler led the charge with 22 points and eight assists, while Taj Gibson scored 20 and Joakim Noah put up 11 points, 16 rebounds and six assists.
Chicago has opened the season at 6-0 on the road.
6. Markieff Morris posted a career-high 30 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals as the Phoenix Suns narrowly defeated the Boston Celtics 118-114. Goran Dragic matched a season-high with 22 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals, and Alex Len scored a career-high 19 points with seven boards.
This is the second consecutive game that Len has set a new career-high in scoring.
7. Ty Lawson put up 24 points and 12 assists, and Arron Afflalo scored 23 points to help the Denver Nuggets upset the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-97. LeBron James tallied 22 points and Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Dion Waiters all posted 20 for the Cavaliers.
Denver is 3-2 against the Eastern Conference and 0-5 against the West.
8. Mario Chalmers stepped up with 22 points to lead the short-handed Miami Heat past the Brooklyn Nets 95-83. Chris Bosh added 15 points and nine rebounds as the Heat overcame the absence of both Luol Deng and Dwyane Wade.
Bojan Bogdanovic matched his career-high with 22 points for the Nets.
9. Matt Bonner scored a season-high 18 points in 20 minutes as the San Antonio Spurs handed the Philadelphia 76ers another loss. This time around, it was a 100-75 decimation that continued Philadelphia’s putrid start to the season.
The Sixers fall to a league-worst 0-10.
10. Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris continued their big seasons by leading the Orlando Magic past the Detroit Pistons 107-93. Vucevic posted 25 points and 14 rebounds, while Harris tallied 24 points, five rebounds, four assists, five steals and one block.
Evan Fournier dished out a career-high eight assists for Orlando.
Bonus Fact: Orlando is 3-5 on the road in 2014-15. The Magic went 4-37 on the road in 2013-14