The 2014-15 NBA regular season continued on Friday, Marc 20 with a healthy slate of 24 games. March Madness may be stealing headlines, but the NBA continues to put forth some incredibly efficient and influential performers and performances.
This is how it all transpired.
1. Harrison Barnes recorded 22 points and Stephen Curry dished out 11 assists to help the Golden State Warriors pick up a 112-96 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. The victory helped the Warriors secure win No. 55 for the first time since 1991-92.
Golden State is 36-0 when it holds opponents below 100 points.
2. Russell Westbrook went off for 36 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds on 8-of-24 shooting from the field to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder past the Atlanta Hawks 123-115. Dion Waiters added 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting for OKC, while Paul Millsap scored 19 points and Al Horford put up 10 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and a block for Atlanta.
Westbrook has nine triple-doubles in 2014-15—the most of any player since Jason Kidd in 2007-08.
3. Nikola Mirotic put up 29 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks to help the Chicago Bulls get past the Toronto Raptors 108-92. Joakim Noah put up eight points, 14 assists, 10 rebounds, one block and a steal for the Bulls as Chicago overcame DeMar DeRozan’s 27 points for the Raptors.
At 42-28, Chicago secures a record above .500 for the fifth consecutive season. That’s their longest streak since 1998.
4. Zach Randolph scored 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting and Marc Gasol recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Memphis Grizzlies past the Dallas Mavericks 112-101. Devin Harris and Dirk Nowitzki both had 16 points for the Mavericks, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Grizzlies’ balanced attack.
Memphis snaps a three-game losing streak on the road.
5. LeBron James posted 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 95-92 victory over the Indiana Pacers. George Hill scored 24 points and Roy Hibbert had 20 points and eight rebounds for the Pacers, but James stepped up late to lead the Cavaliers past the Pacers.
The Cavaliers clinch a postseason berth for the first time since 2009-10.
6. Chris Paul led the Los Angeles Clippers past John Wall and the Washington Wizards for a 113-99 victory. CP3 finished with 30 points, 15 rebounds, six rebounds and a steal for the Clippers, while Wall put up 19 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and a steal for the Wizards.
This marks the first time in franchise history that the Clippers have won at least 45 games in three consecutive seasons.
7. Dwyane Wade scored 22 points and Goran Dragic had 18 as the Miami Heat stepped up to secure a 108-91 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Kenneth Faried scored 20 points and Ty Lawson dished out 12 assists for the Nuggets, while Michael Beasley tallied nine points, eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block for the Heat.
Miami has won seven consecutive home games.
8. Kawhi Leonard posted 22 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals as the San Antonio Spurs brought down the Boston Celtics 101-89. Tiago Splitter added 18 points for the Spurs, while Evan Turner scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and Jonas Jerebko pulled down 12 rebounds for the Celtics.
After going 6-5 in February, San Antonio is already 7-2 in March.
9. Brook Lopez and Zaza Pachulia had a duel for the ages as the Brooklyn Nets outlasted the Milwaukee Bucks for a 129-127 victory in triple-overtime. Pachulia had 22 points, 21 rebounds, seven assists and 18 offensive boards, while Lopez finished with 32 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks for the Nets—his sixth double-double in his past 15 games after recording five in his previous 42.
Pachulia’s 18 offensive rebounds are the third-most in NBA history and are the most since Dennis Rodman pulled down 18 on March 4, 1992.
10. Elfrid Payton recorded 22 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals to lead the Orlando Magic to a 111-104 upset of the Portland Trail Blazers. LaMarcus Aldridge put up 31 points and 10 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, but Payton, Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vucevic all scored 22 points for the Magic.
Payton is the first player in franchise history to record back-to-back triple-doubles.
Bonus Fact
- Nerlens Noel went off for 23 points, 14 rebounds, seven offensive boards, five steals and three blocks as the Philadelphia 76ers overcame Alexey Shved and the New York Knicks 97-81. Shved had 25 points and six rebounds for the Knicks.
- Playing without DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay erupted for 33 points to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 101-91 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.