The 2014-15 NBA regular season resumed on Thursday, December with a healthy slate of 10 games featuring 20 teams. Some of the league’s best were in action, with superstars posting high-caliber numbers and two teams extending lengthy winning streaks.
Here’s how it all transpired.
1. James Harden went off for 34 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals, but the Houston Rockets fell 105-93 to the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry posted 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, Klay Thompson put up 21 points and Harrison Barnes had 20 on 7-of-9 shooting.
Golden State has won 14 consecutive games.
2. Chris Paul took over with 17 points, 15 assists, eight rebounds and three steals as the Los Angeles Clippers took down the Indiana Pacers 103-96. Blake Griffin had 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks, and DeAndre Jordan put up 12 points, 19 rebounds, three blocks and a steal, and Jamal Crawford had 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting to complement CP3’s productivity.
C.J. Miles scored a season-high 30 points for the Pacers.
3. Four separate players scored in excess of 20 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks past the New Orleans Pelicans 112-107. Monta Ellis posted 26 points and Devin Harris, Dirk Nowitzki and Chandler Parsons all tallied 20 for Dallas, while Anthony Davis had 31 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks for New Orleans.
Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday scored a season-high 30 points and dished out 10 assists.
4. John Wall posted 21 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and a steal to help the Washington Wizards get past the Orlando Magic 91-89. Victor Oladipo scored a team-high 17 points for the Magic, but Washington dished out 26 assists to just 13 by Orlando in an otherwise even game.
Bradley Beal converted a tip-in at the buzzer to help Washington improve to 15-6.
5. Derrick Rose scored 23 points in 24 minutes as the Chicago Bulls stormed past the Brooklyn Nets 105-80. Pau Gasol had 16 points, 16 rebounds, two assists and four blocks for Chicago, while Deron Williams led Brooklyn with 17 points and five dimes.
The win snaps Chicago’s three-game home losing streak.
6. Andrew Wiggins put up 23 points and 10 rebounds to give the Minnesota Timberwolves a 90-82 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard scored 23 points for Portland, but he shot just 2-of-12 from beyond the arc and the likes of Thaddeus Young and Jeff Adrien held LaMarcus Aldridge to 3-of-14 shooting from the field.
This was Wiggins’ first career double-double.
7. Kyle Korver and Paul Millsap both scored 17 points and DeMarre Carroll posted 14 and 11 rebounds to help the Atlanta Hawks defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 95-79. Atlanta dominated the boards and sank 10 3-point field goals as it pushed Philadelphia to 2-19.
Atlanta has won eight consecutive games.
8. Marco Belinelli scored a season-high 22 points as the San Antonio Spurs used a balanced attack to get past the New York Knicks 109-95. Tim Hardaway Jr. had 23 points for the Knicks, but New York was overwhelmed by San Antonio having seven players score in double-figures.
The Knicks have lost 10 consecutive games.
9. Rajon Rondo put up 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Boston Celtics, but Al Jefferson led the Charlotte Hornets to a 96-87 victory. Jefferson finished with 23 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, one block and a steal as Charlotte won consecutive games for the first time since November 7.
Rondo has three triple-doubles. No one else has more than two.
10. Wilson Chandler finished with 17 points and eight rebounds as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat 102-82. Arron Afflalo added 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, also holding Dwyane Wade to 4-of-15 shooting in a defensive masterpiece.
The win snapped Denver’s four-game losing streak.
Bonus Fact: The Orlando-Washington game was the first time this season that both teams attempted less than 10 free throws. It happened just once in 2013-14.