The 2014-15 NBA regular season continued on Tuesday, January 20. There were only two games, but three of the four members of the 2014 Conference Finals took part in a night of thrilling action.
Here’s how it all transpired.
1. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both scored 19 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder past the Miami Heat 94-86. Durant finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, four steals and one block, while Westbrook had 19 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals to overcome 18 points from Miami’s Dwyane Wade.
At 21-20, OKC is above .500 for the first time in 2014-15.
2. OKC improves to 13-5 in 18 games with both Durant and Westbrook active. It’s 5-15 when they aren’t.
3. Kawhi Leonard put up 17 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block to help the San Antonio Spurs take down the Denver Nuggets 109-99. Kenneth Faried countered with 26 points and 14 rebounds for Denver, while Tony Parker scored a team-high 18 points for San Antonio.
The 15 rebounds set a career-high for Leonard.
4. Denver’s lost four straight.
5. San Antonio has won four in a row.
Bonus Fact: Three of the four teams in the 2014 NBA Conference Finals competed last night. The Thunder would miss the playoffs if the season were to end today, while the Heat and Spurs—NBA Finals opponents—are the No. 7 seeds in their respective conference.