Seahawks Fall Short Against Falcons on MNF
The Seattle Seahawks have taken two big hits on the defensive side of the ball within the past week, and that difficulty showed on Monday night. With Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor on the sideline, Matt Ryan threw for two touchdowns, while Tevin Coleman found the end zone on the ground in a 34-31 Atlanta Falcons victory in Seattle. The Seahawks attempted a comeback after trailing by 11 in the fourth quarter, but Blair Walsh's 52-yard field goal was just short with two seconds left, sealing the Falcons' win. Mohamed Sanu and Levine Toilolo each caught touchdowns from Ryan, as the Falcons improved to 6-4 to stay in the NFC playoff picture. Russell Wilson had similar success with touchdown passes to Jimmy Graham and Doug Baldwin, as the quarterback threw for 258 yards, but did have one interception. The only other turnover proved to be costly, as Adrian Clayborne returned a fumble 10 yards for an Atlanta score. The Seahawks lost their chance of tying the Los Angeles Rams at the top of the NFC West, as they remain a game back. They also had their 11-game Monday Night Football win streak come to an end. Seattle will head to San Francisco next week against the last place 49ers, while the Falcons will return home to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Celtics Rally in Overtime For 16th Straight Win
The Boston Celtics are not only becoming the top team in the Eastern Conference, but also becoming known as the comeback kids. The Celtics rallied from 13 points down to edge the Dallas Mavericks in overtime for a 110-102 victory, which is their 16th in a row. That is the fourth-longest streak in franchise history, as five of those wins, including three in a row, have come after trailing by double digits. Kyrie Irving went off on the road by scoring 10 of his 47 points in the extra period, including his team's first six points in the final five minutes. That masterful performance spoiled the lowly Mavericks' big night despite Harrison Barnes' 31 points and Wesley Matthews' 18, as they overcame a 12-point deficit after one, which grew to 15 in the second quarter. Dallas would go on to outscore Boston by 20 through the next two quarters. Although, that was not enough to slow down to the now 16-2 Celtics, who also got 22 points from Jaylen Brown. The combination of Brown and Irving shot 24-for-35, while the rest of the team was just 14-for-49 on the night. Boston won for a ninth time in 10 road games this season., and they will stay on the road and take their impressive streak and 16-2 record to Miami to take on the Heat tomorrow night. The Mavericks will head to Memphis to battle the Grizzlies Wednesday night.
James, Cavs Blow Past Pistons With Ease
The Detroit Pistons came in to Monday night in second place in the Eastern Conference with an impressive 11-5 record. It was up to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to bring them back down to earth, and it didn't take them long to do so in Detroit. LeBron James scored 16 of his 18 points in the first quarter alone, as the Cavs used a quick start to roll past the Pistons 116-88. The defending Eastern Conference champs proved that their tough start is far behind them in their 10th win of the year, as Kevin Love's double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds contributed on the road. Cleveland led by 13 after one, 27 after two, and 39 after three, which allowed them to rest their stars for most of the night. That worked, as the Cavs' reserves outscored the Pistons' bench 26-8 in the first half, which jumpstarted the rout. That first half also featured 62 percent shooting from Cleveland, including 11-of-17 from beyond the arc. The Cavaliers have now won five in a row since their 5-7 start, and have scored at least 110 in eight of their past nine contests. The game was a back-and-forth affair early on, including an 18-17 lead for Detroit, but it stopped there in just their second loss on their home floor. It is the second straight blowout for the Cavs over the Pistons, as they earned a 128-96 victory on March 14th, which was the largest margin of victory between the two teams. Cleveland will return home tomorrow to host the Brooklyn Nets, while the Pistons are off until Friday when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Seattle Seahawks have taken two big hits on the defensive side of the ball within the past week, and that difficulty showed on Monday night. With Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor on the sideline, Matt Ryan threw for two touchdowns, while Tevin Coleman found the end zone on the ground in a 34-31 Atlanta Falcons victory in Seattle. The Seahawks attempted a comeback after trailing by 11 in the fourth quarter, but Blair Walsh's 52-yard field goal was just short with two seconds left, sealing the Falcons' win. Mohamed Sanu and Levine Toilolo each caught touchdowns from Ryan, as the Falcons improved to 6-4 to stay in the NFC playoff picture. Russell Wilson had similar success with touchdown passes to Jimmy Graham and Doug Baldwin, as the quarterback threw for 258 yards, but did have one interception. The only other turnover proved to be costly, as Adrian Clayborne returned a fumble 10 yards for an Atlanta score. The Seahawks lost their chance of tying the Los Angeles Rams at the top of the NFC West, as they remain a game back. They also had their 11-game Monday Night Football win streak come to an end. Seattle will head to San Francisco next week against the last place 49ers, while the Falcons will return home to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Celtics Rally in Overtime For 16th Straight Win
The Boston Celtics are not only becoming the top team in the Eastern Conference, but also becoming known as the comeback kids. The Celtics rallied from 13 points down to edge the Dallas Mavericks in overtime for a 110-102 victory, which is their 16th in a row. That is the fourth-longest streak in franchise history, as five of those wins, including three in a row, have come after trailing by double digits. Kyrie Irving went off on the road by scoring 10 of his 47 points in the extra period, including his team's first six points in the final five minutes. That masterful performance spoiled the lowly Mavericks' big night despite Harrison Barnes' 31 points and Wesley Matthews' 18, as they overcame a 12-point deficit after one, which grew to 15 in the second quarter. Dallas would go on to outscore Boston by 20 through the next two quarters. Although, that was not enough to slow down to the now 16-2 Celtics, who also got 22 points from Jaylen Brown. The combination of Brown and Irving shot 24-for-35, while the rest of the team was just 14-for-49 on the night. Boston won for a ninth time in 10 road games this season., and they will stay on the road and take their impressive streak and 16-2 record to Miami to take on the Heat tomorrow night. The Mavericks will head to Memphis to battle the Grizzlies Wednesday night.
James, Cavs Blow Past Pistons With Ease
The Detroit Pistons came in to Monday night in second place in the Eastern Conference with an impressive 11-5 record. It was up to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to bring them back down to earth, and it didn't take them long to do so in Detroit. LeBron James scored 16 of his 18 points in the first quarter alone, as the Cavs used a quick start to roll past the Pistons 116-88. The defending Eastern Conference champs proved that their tough start is far behind them in their 10th win of the year, as Kevin Love's double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds contributed on the road. Cleveland led by 13 after one, 27 after two, and 39 after three, which allowed them to rest their stars for most of the night. That worked, as the Cavs' reserves outscored the Pistons' bench 26-8 in the first half, which jumpstarted the rout. That first half also featured 62 percent shooting from Cleveland, including 11-of-17 from beyond the arc. The Cavaliers have now won five in a row since their 5-7 start, and have scored at least 110 in eight of their past nine contests. The game was a back-and-forth affair early on, including an 18-17 lead for Detroit, but it stopped there in just their second loss on their home floor. It is the second straight blowout for the Cavs over the Pistons, as they earned a 128-96 victory on March 14th, which was the largest margin of victory between the two teams. Cleveland will return home tomorrow to host the Brooklyn Nets, while the Pistons are off until Friday when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder.
