The 2014-15 NBA regular season continued on Friday, February 6. With no hyperbole necessary, it was one of the most awe-inspiring evenings of the year.
Here’s how it all transpired.
1. In what can only be described as an instant classic, Anthony Davis sank the game-winning 3-point field goal at the buzzer to lead the New Orleans Pelicans past the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-113. Davis finished with 41 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks, and Tyreke Evans posted 22 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds to lead New Orleans.
The star of the show for OKC: Russell Westbrook, who tallied 48 points 11 assists, nine rebounds and four steals. He joined rare company with this performance.
Westbrook is the first player since Kobe Bryant in 2006-07 to score at least 45 points in consecutive games.
2. Jeff Teague scored 23 points and Paul Millsap had 21 to help the Atlanta Hawks pick up a signature 124-116 victory over the Golden State Warriors. Klay Thompson scored 29 points and Stephen Curry had 26 points and nine assists for the Warriors, while Kyle Korver posted 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc for Atlanta.
With the victory, the 42-9 Hawks pass the 39-9 Warriors for the best record in the NBA.
3. DeMar DeRozan recorded 24 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two steals to guide the Toronto Raptors to a 123-107 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Blake Griffin had 26 points and nine assists, and Chris Paul put up 22 points, nine assists, six rebounds and two steals for the Clippers, while Kyle Lowry tallied 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
The Clippers have dropped three consecutive games.
4. D.J. Augustin and Greg Monroe took over to guide the Detroit Pistons past the Denver Nuggets 98-88. Augustin recorded 21 points and 11 assists on 6-of-10 shooting, and Monroe dominated the interior with 21 points, 21 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals.
Denver’s lost five consecutive games.
5. George Hill, C.J. Miles and David West rekindled a division rivalry as the Indiana Pacers upset the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-99. Miles scored 26 points, Hill tallied 20 and West posted 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Kyrie Irving led Cleveland with 29 points and LeBron James put up 25.
Cleveland’s winning streak ends at 12 consecutive games.
6. The San Antonio Spurs won an NBA Finals rematch with the Miami Heat 98-85. Kawhi Leonard recorded 24 points on 5-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc and Tony Parker picked up 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field.
Miami has lost three consecutive games and five of six.
7. James Harden scored 33 points to lead the Houston Rockets past Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks 117-111. Trevor Ariza added 24 points and Josh Smith recorded 14 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, one block and a steal on 5-of-8 shooting from the field.
One game after setting a career-high with 25 points, Antetokounmpo did it again with 27 points and a career-best 15 rebounds.
8. The starting five put forth a balanced effort to help the Minnesota Timberwolves defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 90-89. Andrew Wiggins scored 18 points and Ricky Rubio tallied 17 on 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc for Minnesota, while Mike Conley, Marc Gasol and Jeff Green all scored 15 points for Memphis.
Memphis had won eight straight games, but Rubio scored eight points in the final 1:47 to end that streak.
9. Marcus Morris went off for 34 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Phoenix Suns past the Utah Jazz 100-93. Gordon Hayward scored 24 points, Derrick Favors tallied 20 and Rudy Gobert posted 14 points and 12 rebounds for Utah, while Eric Bledsoe chipped in 15 for Phoenix.
Morris’ 34 points set a new career-high.
10. Brook Lopez recorded 22 points, nine rebounds and six blocks to help the Brooklyn Nets past the New York Knicks 92-88. Jarrett Jack added 20 points and eight assists for the Nets, while Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 21 points on 6-of-23 shooting.
Brooklyn has won three in a row, thus passing the Heat for the No. 8 seed.
Bonus Facts
- Tobias Harris scored a career-high 34 points to lead the Orlando Magic past the Los Angeles Lakers 103-97 in overtime.
- Tim Frazier dished out 11 assists in his NBA debut for the Philadelphia 76ers, but it was Jared Sullinger who put up 22 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block to give the Boston Celtics a 107-96 victory.