The 2014-15 NBA regular season continues on Friday, January 30 with a slate of nine games featuring 18 hungry teams. There were shocking upsets, a number of career-best performances and the continuation of the association’s latest player craze.
Here’s how it all transpired.
1. Paul Millsap scored 21 points and Jeff Teague dished out eight assists as the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 105-99. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Trail Blazers with 37 points and 11 rebounds, and Damian Lillard had 11 assists, but it wasn’t enough for Portland to overcome the red-hot Hawks.
The Hawks have won 18 consecutive games and 31 of 33. It’s the fifth team in league history to win at least 18 straight games before the All-Star Break.
Three of the previous four won the NBA title.
2. The 2014-15 Hawks are 39-8. The 2013-14 Hawks were 38-44.
3. Stephen Curry and Gordon Hayward dueled as the Utah Jazz shocked the Golden State Warriors 110-100. Curry put up 32 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals for the Warriors, while Hayward recorded 26 points, a career-high 15 rebounds, six assists and three steals
Utah had lost six consecutive games to the Warriors before achieving this victory.
4. The Hassan Whiteside show continued, but it was Charlie Villanueva who scored 20 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 93-72 obliteration of the Miami Heat. Whiteside recorded 16 points, 24 rebounds, one block and a steal on 7-of-11 shooting for Miami, while Tyson Chandler had 11 points and 13 boards for Dallas.
Whiteside’s 24 rebounds are the most by a Heat player since Kevin Willis on December 21, 1994.
5. Kevin Love recorded 23 points and 10 rebounds to help the Cleveland Cavaliers get past the Sacramento Kings 101-90. Kyrie Irving added 21 points and six assists, and LeBron James had 19 points, seven assists, three rebounds, four steals and two blocks to round out a strong outing from the Cavaliers.
Cleveland becomes the first team in NBA history to win nine in a row following a six-game losing streak, per ESPN Stats & Info.
6. Eric Bledsoe recorded 23 points and Goran Dragic put up 21 as the Phoenix Suns worked past the Chicago Bulls 99-93. Jimmy Butler stepped up for the Bulls with 22 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, and Pau Gasol pulled down 19 rebounds, while Markieff Morris had 12 points and 14 boards for the Suns.
Gasol has nine consecutive double-doubles and a league-best 30 for the season.
7. Donatas Motiejunas took over with 26 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Houston Rockets to a 93-87 victory over the Boston Celtics. Brandon Bass recorded 17 points and eight rebounds, and Marcus Thornton had 17 points and seven assists for the Celtics, while James Harden shot just 4-of-21 for the Rockets.
Motiejunas’ 26 points set a career-high and his 12 rebounds matched the career-best mark he’d achieved on November 22, 2014.
8. Jarrett Jack went off for a career-high 35 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and a steal, and Brook Lopez tallied 35 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and three steals, but the Brooklyn Nets fell 127-122 in overtime to the Toronto Raptors. DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points, Louis Williams had 25 and Amir Johnson put up 24 on 10-of-11 shooting for the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors.
Toronto’s won five games in a row.
9. The quietly thriving New Orleans Pelicans took down the Los Angeles Clippers 108-103 behind 28 points and seven assists from the surging Eric Gordon. Ryan Anderson added 24 points and Tyreke Evans had 11 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds, while Chris Paul led the Clippers with 24 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
The Clippers had won six straight games before this loss.
10. Michael Carter-Williams recorded 17 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, one block and a steal to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 103-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Nerlens Noel added 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, six blocks and four steals on 7-of-8 shooting as Philadelphia won its second in a row.
Carter-Williams is tied with Rajon Rondo with an NBA-best three triple-doubles.
Bonus Fact: With Atlanta’s win and Golden State’s loss, the Hawks now have the best record in the NBA.