The 2014-15 NBA regular season continued on Monday, March 30 with a healthy slate of seven games. One All-Star scored 11 points in 65 seconds, another set a new career-high in scoring and a number of teams met with postseason ramifications.
This is how it all transpired.
1. DeMar DeRozan erupted for 42 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Toronto Raptors past the Houston Rockets 99-96. James Harden countered with 31 points, five rebounds and five assists, but the Rockets shot just 41.7 percent from the field as a team.
DeRozan’s 42 points set a new career-high.
2. Over its past six games, Toronto is 3-0 when it holds its opponent to less than 100 points and 0-3 when it doesn’t.
3. DeMarre Carroll took over with 23 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two blocks on 9-of-13 shooting to lead the Atlanta Hawks past the Milwaukee Bucks 101-88. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 18 points and Zaza Pachulia had 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Bucks, while Al Horford scored 18 points and Paul Millsap had 15 points and nine rebounds for the victorious Hawks.
Atlanta’s 56 wins match its most since 1996-97.
4. Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge stepped up to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a lopsided 109-87 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Lillard had 19 points and seven assists in 29 minutes and Aldridge posted 17 points and seven rebounds in 30 for the Trail Blazers, while T.J. Warren scored 13 points in 22 minutes for the Suns.
With its win, Portland clinches a spot in the playoffs.
5. Mike Conley scored 18 points to help the Memphis Grizzlies secure a balanced 97-83 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Rudy Gay scored 24 points against his former team, but the Kings were unable to secure the W without DeMarcus Cousins.
Memphis snaps its three-game losing streak.
6. Gordon Hayward put up 22 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals to help the Utah Jazz destroy the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-84. Trevor Booker put up 17 points, 13 rebounds and a pair of blocks, and Rudy Gobert had 15 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and a steal for the Jazz, while Zach LaVine scored a game-high 21 points for the T-Wolves.
Utah is 16-8 since losing 100-93 on February 6. It was 17-33 before that.
7. Gobert had five consecutive double-doubles. He had zero in all of 2013-14.
8. Postseason aspirations were put to the test as Avery Bradley and the Boston Celtics out-dueled Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets 116-104. Bradley recorded 30 points and eight rebounds for the Celtics, while Walker put up 28 points and 12 rebounds for the Hornets.
Charlotte has lost nine of its past 12 games.
9. Jordan Clarkson took over with 26 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and three steals to lead the Los Angeles Lakers past the Philadelphia 76ers 113-111 in overtime. Nerlens Noel led the 76ers with 19 points, 14 rebounds, seven offensive boards, four assists, one block and a steal.
Jabari Brown, an undrafted rookie, scored a career-high 22 points.
10. Clarkson joins Archie Clark in 1966-67, Jerry West in 1960-61 and Elgin Baylor in 1958-59 as the only rookies in Lakers history to record a 25-10-5 game.
Bonus Fact: Kyle Korver scored 11 points for the Hawks. All 11 points were scored in a 65-second span.