Harris, Nuggets Stop Thunder at Buzzer
It was a wild fourth quarter in Denver that featured a wild Oklahoma City comeback, a breakout performance from Paul George but in the end, a shutdown buzzer-beater for the Nuggets. Gary Harris took a cross-court inbound pass and drilled a three-pointer at the buzzer for a wild 127-124 win over the Thunder on Thursday night. Harris's game winner came just seconds after George tied the game with an off-balanced three-pointer. PG-13 finished with 43 points on 19-of-26 shooting to lead OKC back from a 15-point deficit that held for a majority of the night. Harris's game-winner gave him 25 points on the night, while Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 33 points in the win. Nikola Jokic contributed a triple-double of 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 14 assists to help overcome Russell Westbrook's 20 points and 21 assists that supported George's masterful efforts. The close win for Denver is their 27th of the season, keeping them in the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. They sit a game above the Los Angeles Clippers as they move on to host another tough Western Conference rival in the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night. The Thunder hope to bounce back when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
Pistons Edge Grizzlies in Griffin's Debut
Their was an unfamiliar buzz for a Detroit Pistons game on Thursday night, and it was all centered around the debut of Blake Griffin. The Pistons got 24 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists from their new acquisition as they held on for a close 104-102 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Just 24 hours after getting introduced at a press conference at The Palace, Griffin put on the Pistons uniform for the first time, and then forgot it to begin the second half, causing him to miss one defensive possession. The newest Piston went on to assist the go-ahead three-pointer by Anthony Tolliver with 1:01 left in the fourth, as Detroit went on to hit its free throws and seal the win. Griffin also played a big role on the defensive end of the floor by stopping Marc Gasol on a drive in the final 10 seconds. After partnering with DeAndre Jordan in Los Angeles, the five-time All-Star moved on to another big man in Andre Drummond, who had 14 points and 15 rebounds in Thursday's win. Gasol finished the night with 19 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies in their 33rd loss of the year. They will visit the Toronto Raptors on Sunday afternoon, while the Pistons play host to the Miami Heat on Saturday night.
Golden Knights Set Record With Win
The Las Vegas Golden Knights have already set the bar really high for any expansion team that comes into existence in the future, and they continue to raise it as the season goes on. On Thursday night, the Knights edged the Winnipeg Jets, 3-2, in overtime, setting the record for wins in an expansion team's first season. David Perron scored 3:57 into the extra period for Las Vegas's 34th victory of the season, as they reach this mark with 32 games left in the year. The win moves them over the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and Florida Panthers, who both earned 34 wins in the 1993-94 campaign. Marc-Andre Fleury overcame giving up the tying goal to Kyle Connor by stopping multiple scoring chances in OT. The Jets remain in the top three of the Central Division, as Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves in the loss. Joel Armia had a goal and an assist, as the Jets saw their seven-game home win streak come to an end. An eighth straight win at home would've set a franchise record. Fleury made 24 saves for the Golden Knights and earned his 389th career win, placing him in a tie for 13th among NHL goaltenders. Reilly Smith and Erik Haula also scored for the Knights, who move on to Minnesota to battle the Wild on Friday. The Jets will be back at it on Saturday when they play host to the Colorado Avalanche.
It was a wild fourth quarter in Denver that featured a wild Oklahoma City comeback, a breakout performance from Paul George but in the end, a shutdown buzzer-beater for the Nuggets. Gary Harris took a cross-court inbound pass and drilled a three-pointer at the buzzer for a wild 127-124 win over the Thunder on Thursday night. Harris's game winner came just seconds after George tied the game with an off-balanced three-pointer. PG-13 finished with 43 points on 19-of-26 shooting to lead OKC back from a 15-point deficit that held for a majority of the night. Harris's game-winner gave him 25 points on the night, while Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 33 points in the win. Nikola Jokic contributed a triple-double of 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 14 assists to help overcome Russell Westbrook's 20 points and 21 assists that supported George's masterful efforts. The close win for Denver is their 27th of the season, keeping them in the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. They sit a game above the Los Angeles Clippers as they move on to host another tough Western Conference rival in the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night. The Thunder hope to bounce back when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
Pistons Edge Grizzlies in Griffin's Debut
Their was an unfamiliar buzz for a Detroit Pistons game on Thursday night, and it was all centered around the debut of Blake Griffin. The Pistons got 24 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists from their new acquisition as they held on for a close 104-102 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Just 24 hours after getting introduced at a press conference at The Palace, Griffin put on the Pistons uniform for the first time, and then forgot it to begin the second half, causing him to miss one defensive possession. The newest Piston went on to assist the go-ahead three-pointer by Anthony Tolliver with 1:01 left in the fourth, as Detroit went on to hit its free throws and seal the win. Griffin also played a big role on the defensive end of the floor by stopping Marc Gasol on a drive in the final 10 seconds. After partnering with DeAndre Jordan in Los Angeles, the five-time All-Star moved on to another big man in Andre Drummond, who had 14 points and 15 rebounds in Thursday's win. Gasol finished the night with 19 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies in their 33rd loss of the year. They will visit the Toronto Raptors on Sunday afternoon, while the Pistons play host to the Miami Heat on Saturday night.
Golden Knights Set Record With Win
The Las Vegas Golden Knights have already set the bar really high for any expansion team that comes into existence in the future, and they continue to raise it as the season goes on. On Thursday night, the Knights edged the Winnipeg Jets, 3-2, in overtime, setting the record for wins in an expansion team's first season. David Perron scored 3:57 into the extra period for Las Vegas's 34th victory of the season, as they reach this mark with 32 games left in the year. The win moves them over the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and Florida Panthers, who both earned 34 wins in the 1993-94 campaign. Marc-Andre Fleury overcame giving up the tying goal to Kyle Connor by stopping multiple scoring chances in OT. The Jets remain in the top three of the Central Division, as Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves in the loss. Joel Armia had a goal and an assist, as the Jets saw their seven-game home win streak come to an end. An eighth straight win at home would've set a franchise record. Fleury made 24 saves for the Golden Knights and earned his 389th career win, placing him in a tie for 13th among NHL goaltenders. Reilly Smith and Erik Haula also scored for the Knights, who move on to Minnesota to battle the Wild on Friday. The Jets will be back at it on Saturday when they play host to the Colorado Avalanche.
