The 2014-15 NBA regular season continued on Sunday, March 29. Superstars were in action, postseason hopefuls took part in crucial games and a number of teams made statements as the final month of the regular season nears and the postseason steadily approaches.
This is how it all transpired.
1. James Harden put up 24 points and six assists to help the Houston Rockets pick up a 99-91 victory over the Washington Wizards. John Wall had 25 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds and four steals, but the Wizards continued on their downward spiral.
Houston improves to 43-12 when Harden scores at least 20 points. It’s 7-11 when he doesn’t.
2. Washington has lost five of its past six games.
3. Dwyane Wade went off for 40 points as the Miami Heat took down the Detroit Pistons 109-102. Andre Drummond put up 32 points, 14 rebounds, two blocks and a steal, and Reggie Jackson had 31 points, nine assists and six steals for the Pistons, but Detroit ultimately fell short.
Detroit snaps its four-game winning streak.
4. LeBron James recorded 20 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers escaped with an 87-86 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Robert Covington scored 19 points and sank five 3-point field goals to lead the Sixers, but Cleveland found a way to avoid the massive upset.
The Cavaliers have won 16 consecutive home games.
5. J.J. Redick scored 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting and Chris Paul had 21 points and 10 assists on just nine field goal attempts to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 119-106 victory over the Boston Celtics. Blake Griffin added 21 points, nine rebounds, four assists, one block and a steal for the Clippers, while Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics with 19 points and seven assists.
The Clippers have won seven consecutive games.
6. Kawhi Leonard put up a calm 25 points and 10 rebounds to lead the San Antonio Spurs get past the Memphis Grizzlies 103-89. Zach Randolph put up 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Grizzlies, but San Antonio beat Memphis by double-digits.
San Antonio has won six of its past seven games, including double-digit victories over the Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder.
7. Russell Westbrook recorded 33 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder came back from 20 points down for a 109-97 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Markieff Morris recorded a team-high 24 points for the Suns, but Phoenix blew it late in an absolutely vital game.
OKC snaps a four-game road losing streak.
8. Anthony Davis poured in 28 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block to give the New Orleans Pelicans a 110-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Andrew Wiggins scored 20 points and pulled down six rebounds for the T-Wolves, but New Orleans won a vital game for their postseason aspirations.
Davis has 30 games with at least 25 points in 2014-15.
9. C.J. Miles torched the Dallas Mavericks for 28 points on 9-of-12 shooting as the Indiana Pacers picked up a crucial 104-99 victory. Rajon Rondo put up 17 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, two steals and a block, but the Mavericks failed to put enough offense on the board.
Dallas has lost four of its past five games.
10. Brook Lopez took over with 30 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks as the Brooklyn Nets picked up a vital 107-99 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Jordan Hill had 22 points and 16 rebounds for the Lakers, while Joe Johnson added 18 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals for the Nets.
Lopez has scored at least 30 points four times in his past six games. He’d done it once all season beforehand.
Bonus Fact: Wade has multiple 40-point games in a season for the first time since 2010-11.