The 2014-15 NBA regular season continued on Sunday, December 28 with a slate of six games. There were career-best performances, season-highs in multiple games and the continuation of significant winning streaks.
Here’s how it all transpired.
1. Danny Green scored a team-high 24 points as the San Antonio Spurs pulled out a 110-106 victory over the Houston Rockets. Dwight Howard had 24 points and 17 rebounds on 11-of-13 shooting from the field for the Rockets, while Tim Duncan tallied 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks for the Spurs.
Houston’s 24 turnovers mark a season-high.
2. James Harden scored 28 points, giving him 16 games with at least 25 points in 2014-15. Only Anthony Davis has more at 17.
3. Corey Brewer scored a season-high 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, 6-of-8 from beyond the arc and 3-of-4 from the free throw line. The six 3-point field goals tie a career-high.
4. Brandon Jennings posted 25 points, six assists, five rebounds and one steal as the Detroit Pistons destroyed the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-80. Andre Drummond finished with 16 points, 17 rebounds, five blocks and one steal for Detroit, while Kevin Love led Cleveland with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Detroit made a franchise-record 17 3-point field goals.
5. After Derrick Favors did it on December 27, Drummond exceeded 15 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks on December 28. The feat had been achieved just twice all season before it transpired twice in as many days.
6. Dirk Nowitzki scored 30 points and Chandler Parsons had 26 to lead the Dallas Mavericks past the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-107. Serge Ibaka posted 26 points and 10 rebounds on 11-of-14 shooting from the field, Reggie Jackson added 21 points and Russell Westbrook put up 18 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and five steals on 6-of-23 shooting.
Nowitzki’s 30 points matched a season-high.
7. Lou Williams erupted for 31 points and Kyle Lowry went off for 30 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, one block and a steal as the Toronto Raptors went on the road to defeat the Denver Nuggets 116-102. Ty Lawson put up 28 points and Kenneth Faried had 17 points and 19 rebounds for the Nuggets, but it wasn’t enough for Denver to overcome Toronto’s backcourt attack.
Faried has at least 19 rebounds in consecutive games. The last player to do that was reigning and defending rebounds champion DeAndre Jordan on January 22, 2014.
8. Wesley Matthews continued his strong season with 28 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 101-79 decimation of the New York Knicks. Cole Aldrich had 12 points and 19 rebounds for New York, while Joel Freeland had 10 points and 10 boards for Portland in a battle of the low-profile centers.
Portland is the first team to reach 25 wins.
9. New York has lost eight consecutive games and 18 of 19.
10. Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas took turns lighting up the Los Angeles Lakers as the Phoenix Suns picked up a 116-107 win. Dragic scored 24 points, Bledsoe had 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and Thomas tallied 15 points in 25 minutes.
The Suns have won six consecutive games.
Bonus Fact: Corey Brewer became the fifth Rockets player to make at least five 3-point field goals in 2014-15. That’s the most for any team.