The 2014-15 NBA regular season continued on Wednesday, April 1 with a slate of 12 games. There were a pair of stunning triple-doubles, a 51-point scoring outburst and a stunning performance in which a point guard recorded 41 points and 17 assists.
This is how it all transpired.
1. James Harden was dominant to lead the Houston Rockets past DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings 115-111. Harden took over with 51 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals on 8-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc for the Rockets, while Cousins went off for 24 points, 21 rebounds, 10 assists, six blocks and three steals for the Kings.
Harden’s 51 points set a new career-high. He’s the first player in Rockets history with multiple 50-point games in a season.
2. Chris Paul was untouchable, leading the Los Angeles Clippers from 19 points down in a 126-122 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. CP3 finished with 41 points, 17 assists, five rebounds and four steals on 13-of-21 shooting from the field, 5-of-9 from beyond the arc and 10-of-10 at the charity stripe.
Paul is the first player to record at least 40 points and 15 assists since… Himself. He last did it on October 31, 2010.
3. Led by a 69-point scoring outburst via the second unit, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Orlando Magic 103-91. Victor Oladipo tallied 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Magic, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Spurs’ balanced attack.
With its win, the Spurs secure a postseason berth for the 18th consecutive season.
4. Monta Ellis scored 26 points and Chandler Parsons had 22 as the Dallas Mavericks out-dueled Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder 135-131. Russell Westbrook had 31 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, and Enes Kanter tallied 30 points and 16 rebounds, but OKC failed to play an adequate level of defense.
With an 18-point performance against the Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki became the seventh player in NBA history to reach 28,000 points.
5. Michael Carter-Williams stepped up with 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks past the Chicago Bulls 95-91. Jimmy Butler scored 25 points to the lead the Bulls, but Chicago was unable to secure the win.
Milwaukee has won three consecutive home games against Eastern Conference foes.
6. Seven players scored in double-figures to lead the Toronto Raptors past the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-99. Louis Williams led the charge with 18 points and DeMar DeRozan scored 17 for the Raptors, while Andrew Wiggins scored 25 points and Zach LaVine had 22 for the Timberwolves.
The Raptors have won at least 45 games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2001.
7. John Wall dished out 15 assists and Marcin Gortat had 23 points and 14 rebounds on 10-of-11 shooting as the Washington Wizards picked up a lopsided 106-93 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Ish Smith scored 23 points and Nerlens Noel had 14 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals for the 76ers.
At 42-33, Washington has secured a winning record in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2006.
8. The international stars took over as the Utah Jazz dominated the Denver Nuggets defensively in a 98-84 win. Rudy Gobert had 20 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and a steal, Dante Exum dished out 12 assists and Joe Ingles went 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Utah has held 21 of its past 25 opponents to less than 100 points.
9. Anthony Davis had 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists, four blocks and a steal as the New Orleans Pelicans secured a vital 113-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Tyreke Evans added 16 points and eight assists for the Pelicans, while Jordan Clarkson had 18 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for the Lakers.
This is New Orleans’ first 40-win season since 2010-11.
10. They cut it close, but Deron Williams and Brook Lopez helped the Brooklyn Nets survive a 100-98 scare against the New York Knicks. Williams had 26 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Lopez tallied 18 points, seven boards and five blocks for the Nets, while Andrea Bargnani had a team-high 22 points for the Knicks.
The Nets have won five consecutive games.
Bonus Facts
- Marvin Williams had 18 points and Kemba Walker scored 17 as the Charlotte Hornets dominated the fourth quarter for a 102-78 win over the Detroit Pistons.
- Evan Turner put up 13 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics past the Indiana Pacers 100-87. This is Turner’s third triple-double of 2014-15. Only Westbrook has more.
Thing that bugs me about Harden is that some of his ‘best’ scoring games have been against low teams: Kings and Nuggets. It will be interesting to see how he handles the burden of being the top player in his team as the finals approach.