Davis' Monster Performance Lifts Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are doing their best to move on without DeMarcus Cousins this season, and why not turn to the other big man star. Anthony Davis. They did just that on the road as Davis stepped up on Friday night with 43 points and 10 rebounds in the Pelicans' 114-100 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Davis shot 17-of-34 from the floor and scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, where New Orleans pulled away for good. His big night also helped him pass David West on the franchise scoring list with 8,702 career points at just 24 years old. This comes after he passed him on the franchise rebounding list on January 28th. E'Twaun Moore chipped in 26 points for the Pelicans, who earned their first win without Cousins and shot 51 percent as a team on the night. Those numbers helped overcome Russell Westbrook's 16th triple-double of 16 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds. Steven Adams had a big night with 23 points and 12 rebounds, but the Thunder suffered their third straight loss after an eight-game win streak. They will look to start a new win streak when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon. The Pelicans hit the road to visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Durant, Warriors Pull Away From Kings
For a a little bit on Friday night, it looked as if the Sacramento Kings would make things interesting against the Golden State Warriors. That was until Kevin Durant stepped up and took over, as he finished with 33 points in a 119-104 win for the defending champs. Durant went 6-for-7 from three-point range, including three huge long shots down the stretch in the fourth. His biggest quarter was the second, where he scored 13 points for the Warriors, who shot 55 percent overall and 51 percent from beyond the arc. The Warriors scored 35 points in the final 12 minutes, as they improved to 11-0 following losses this season. They were coming off a blowout defeat to the Utah Jazz earlier this week. Despite the win, the Warriors definitely kept things close for the Kings by committing 25 turnovers, but the Kings only turned those in to 19 points. Steph Curry had 23 points and six assists and Klay Thompson added 20 points of his own, as the Warriors improved to 22-5 on the road this year. They will have another road test on Saturday night, as they take on the Denver Nuggets in what would be a first-round playoff matchup if the season ended today. Meanwhile, the Kings stay home to host the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
Penguins' Stars Help Them Take Down Capitals
You had to know that when the Pittsburgh Penguins struggled near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division earlier this year, that someway they would get things going. Well, what do ya know, they are surging and improved their positioning with a 7-4 win over the Washington Capitals on Friday night. Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin each scored twice for Pittsburgh, who scored four times in the third period to pull away at home. Malkin added two assists and Kessel had one as the Penguins now sit just four points behind the Capitals for the top spot in the division. Bryan Rust, Carl Hagelin, and Patric Hornqvist also scored in the Penguins' fourth straight win overall and seventh in a row at home. Sidney Crosby had two assists on the night to extend his point streak to 11 games, which is the longest active streak in the NHL. Between the pipes, Matt Murray made 29 saves and earned the win, despite getting beat by Alex Ovechkin twice. Those two goals pushes Ovechkin's NHL-leading total to 32, while Dmitry Orlov and Evgeny Kuznetzov also scored in the loss for the Caps. The first place team will move on to a tough matchup at home on Sunday afternoon against the Las Vegas Golden Knights. The Penguins hit the road on Saturday night to battle the New Jersey Devils.
The New Orleans Pelicans are doing their best to move on without DeMarcus Cousins this season, and why not turn to the other big man star. Anthony Davis. They did just that on the road as Davis stepped up on Friday night with 43 points and 10 rebounds in the Pelicans' 114-100 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Davis shot 17-of-34 from the floor and scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, where New Orleans pulled away for good. His big night also helped him pass David West on the franchise scoring list with 8,702 career points at just 24 years old. This comes after he passed him on the franchise rebounding list on January 28th. E'Twaun Moore chipped in 26 points for the Pelicans, who earned their first win without Cousins and shot 51 percent as a team on the night. Those numbers helped overcome Russell Westbrook's 16th triple-double of 16 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds. Steven Adams had a big night with 23 points and 12 rebounds, but the Thunder suffered their third straight loss after an eight-game win streak. They will look to start a new win streak when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon. The Pelicans hit the road to visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Durant, Warriors Pull Away From Kings
For a a little bit on Friday night, it looked as if the Sacramento Kings would make things interesting against the Golden State Warriors. That was until Kevin Durant stepped up and took over, as he finished with 33 points in a 119-104 win for the defending champs. Durant went 6-for-7 from three-point range, including three huge long shots down the stretch in the fourth. His biggest quarter was the second, where he scored 13 points for the Warriors, who shot 55 percent overall and 51 percent from beyond the arc. The Warriors scored 35 points in the final 12 minutes, as they improved to 11-0 following losses this season. They were coming off a blowout defeat to the Utah Jazz earlier this week. Despite the win, the Warriors definitely kept things close for the Kings by committing 25 turnovers, but the Kings only turned those in to 19 points. Steph Curry had 23 points and six assists and Klay Thompson added 20 points of his own, as the Warriors improved to 22-5 on the road this year. They will have another road test on Saturday night, as they take on the Denver Nuggets in what would be a first-round playoff matchup if the season ended today. Meanwhile, the Kings stay home to host the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
Penguins' Stars Help Them Take Down Capitals
You had to know that when the Pittsburgh Penguins struggled near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division earlier this year, that someway they would get things going. Well, what do ya know, they are surging and improved their positioning with a 7-4 win over the Washington Capitals on Friday night. Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin each scored twice for Pittsburgh, who scored four times in the third period to pull away at home. Malkin added two assists and Kessel had one as the Penguins now sit just four points behind the Capitals for the top spot in the division. Bryan Rust, Carl Hagelin, and Patric Hornqvist also scored in the Penguins' fourth straight win overall and seventh in a row at home. Sidney Crosby had two assists on the night to extend his point streak to 11 games, which is the longest active streak in the NHL. Between the pipes, Matt Murray made 29 saves and earned the win, despite getting beat by Alex Ovechkin twice. Those two goals pushes Ovechkin's NHL-leading total to 32, while Dmitry Orlov and Evgeny Kuznetzov also scored in the loss for the Caps. The first place team will move on to a tough matchup at home on Sunday afternoon against the Las Vegas Golden Knights. The Penguins hit the road on Saturday night to battle the New Jersey Devils.
