The 2014-15 NBA regular season continued on Wednesday, January 28. A number of stars were at their very best, including one who had the performance of a lifetime with a 55-point eruption.
Here’s how it all transpired.
1. Kyrie Irving exploded for a career-high 55 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers past the Portland Trail Blazers 99-94. LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 38 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal, but his teammates combined to shoot just 38.6 percent from the field.
Irving joins Rick Barry, LeBron James and Brandon Jennings as the only players in NBA history to score at least 55 points in a game before turning 23.
2. Paul Millsap went off for 28 points, 15 rebounds, two blocks and a steal as the Atlanta Hawks escaped with a 113-102 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Al Horford added 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Jeff Teague tallied 13 points and 11 assists, while Joe Johnson led Brooklyn with 26 points and Jarrett Jack had 13 assists.
Atlanta has won a franchise record 17 consecutive games and is 38-8 for the season. It was 38-44 in 2013-14.
3. Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook dueled as the New York Knicks stunned the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 100-92 upset. Westbrook went off for 40 points for OKC, while Anthony put up 31 points and 10 rebounds for New York.
Since opening the season at 5-36, the Knicks have won four of five.
4. Monta Ellis put up 33 points, but the Dallas Mavericks eventually fell 99-94 to the Houston Rockets. James Harden put up 17 points, eight assists, five rebounds and four steals, and Josh Smith scored 18 points as the Rockets pulled out a win over the Mavericks at home.
Dallas has lost four consecutive games.
5. Jamal Crawford and Chris Paul both scored 21 points and Austin Rivers provided quality production from the bench as the Los Angeles Clippers took down the Utah Jazz 94-89. Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter were superb along the interior, but the Jazz couldn’t match the Clippers’ shooting from beyond the arc.
The Clippers have won six consecutive games.
6. Goran Dragic put up 20 points to lead the Phoenix Suns past the Washington Wizards 106-98. Kris Humphries tallied 11 points and 15 rebounds for the Wizards, while Isaiah Thomas scored 18 points and Markieff Morris had 16 for the Suns.
Washington drops to 11-8 against the Western Conference. It’s 20-8 against the Eastern Conference.
7. Behind a balanced attack, the San Antonio Spurs pulled away late to take down the Charlotte Hornets 95-86. Al Jefferson had 17 points and 16 rebounds, and Cody Zeller had 13 boards and seven assists for Charlotte, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Tony Parker’s 17 points and Tim Duncan’s 12 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and two steals for the Spurs.
San Antonio has won seven of eight.
8. Louis Williams caught fire, posting 27 points to lead the Toronto Raptors past the Sacramento Kings 119-102. Rudy Gay posted 22 points against his former team, but the Raptors overwhelmed the opposition with seven different players scoring in double-figures.
Sacramento’s lost seven in a row.
9. Tyreke Evans put up 25 points and Anthony Davis recorded 24 points and 12 rebounds, but the New Orleans Pelicans were otherwise dreadful in a 93-85 collapse against the Denver Nuggets. Arron Afflalo led the Nuggets with 20 points and Ty Lawson dished out 13 assists in a surprising win.
Denver had lost seven straight and New Orleans had won four in a row entering this game.
10. Michael Carter-Williams recorded 14 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds and two blocks to help the Philadelphia 76ers obliterate the Detroit Pistons 89-69. Robert Covington added 19 points on 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc for Philly, while Greg Monroe led Detroit with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
The Pistons have lost four consecutive outings.
Bonus Fact: Zach LaVine had 17 points in 24 minutes and Gorgui Dieng posted 16 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks as the Minnesota Timberwolves took down the Boston Celtics 110-98. Kevin Martin returned from a 34-game absence with 21 points.