Spurs Come Back For Win Over Thunder
The San Antonio; Spurs have struggled after a hot start, and Friday night looked like more of the same early on. After the Spurs trailed by as many as 23, they were able to outscore the Oklahoma City Thunder by 20 from the second quarter-on to rally for a 104-101 victory. LaMarcus Aldridge led the comeback with 26 points and nine rebounds, as the Thunder were not able to get a legitimate shot off in the final seconds in their attempt to force overtime. Danny Green scored 17 points and Pau Gasol added 14 against the Thunder, who saw their three-game win streak come to an end. The Spurs outscored the Thunder 89-69 in the final three quarters after being held to a season-low 15 points in the first quarter. Carmelo Anthony had 20 points for the Thunder, while Russell Westbrook was held to just 15 points, 10 of which came in the first quarter alone. The reigning MVP shot 5-for-22 from the field in the loss. The Spurs improved to 10-6 overall, including 7-2 at home, as they will play host to the lowly Atlanta Hawks on Monday night. The Thunder fell a game under .500 at 7-8 with the loss and they will visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.
LeBron, Cavs Hold Off Clippers in Overtime
To prove that the Cleveland Cavaliers are getting back on the right track, a comeback, overtime victory over a Western Conference team was probably very helpful in that process. LeBron James had 39 points to help Cleveland outlast the Los Angeles Clippers in overtime for a 118-113 victory. Kevin Love added 25 points for the Cavs, who won their fourth in a row, while also handing the Clippers their seventh straight defeat. James added 14 rebounds in 46 minutes, while Love recorded two big three-pointers in overtime, where the Cavs outscored the Clippers, 13-8. Dwayne Wade also played a big role in the win with 23 points and 11 rebounds in 37 minutes. On the other end, Blake Griffin's 23 points and DeAndre Jordan's 20 points and 22 rebounds were not enough in a losing effort, despite them not trailing in the game until overtime. The Clippers dropped to 5-9 following their 5-2 start to the season. James's free throw in overtime gave the Cavs their first lead, as Love's two threes and James's dunk sealed the win for the defending Eastern Conference Champs. Cleveland has now won five of six overall and will visit the upstart Detroit Pistons, who are 10-5, on Monday. The Clippers will look to snap their recent skid when they visit the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.
Hornets Drop Sixth Straight Despite Walker's Big Game
The Charlotte Hornets' recent losing streak needed a big performance from their big star, which is what they got on Friday, but somehow that wasn't enough to snap the skid. Justin Holiday scored 27 points to help the Chicago Bulls snap a five-game losing streak of their own with a 123-120 win over the Hornets. What made this loss so tough for Charlotte was that Kemba Walker went off for 47 points in what was the Hornets' sixth consecutive defeat. Lauri Markkanen made two free throws with 2.6 seconds left, sealing the Bulls' third win in 13 games this season. Chicago shot 52 percent from the field, including 17 of 34 from beyond the arc, despite coming in last in the NBA in shooting percentage. Kris Dunn scored a career-high 22 points, while Denzel Valentine added 18 and Markkanen added 16 in the Chicago victory. Walker's career-high is 52 points, as he shot 17-of-27 on Friday night in his team's ninth loss of the season. Charlotte dropped to 1-7 away from home this season and will look to snap their skid against another struggling team in the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night. The Bulls move on to take on the Phoenix Suns out west on Sunday night.
The San Antonio; Spurs have struggled after a hot start, and Friday night looked like more of the same early on. After the Spurs trailed by as many as 23, they were able to outscore the Oklahoma City Thunder by 20 from the second quarter-on to rally for a 104-101 victory. LaMarcus Aldridge led the comeback with 26 points and nine rebounds, as the Thunder were not able to get a legitimate shot off in the final seconds in their attempt to force overtime. Danny Green scored 17 points and Pau Gasol added 14 against the Thunder, who saw their three-game win streak come to an end. The Spurs outscored the Thunder 89-69 in the final three quarters after being held to a season-low 15 points in the first quarter. Carmelo Anthony had 20 points for the Thunder, while Russell Westbrook was held to just 15 points, 10 of which came in the first quarter alone. The reigning MVP shot 5-for-22 from the field in the loss. The Spurs improved to 10-6 overall, including 7-2 at home, as they will play host to the lowly Atlanta Hawks on Monday night. The Thunder fell a game under .500 at 7-8 with the loss and they will visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.
LeBron, Cavs Hold Off Clippers in Overtime
To prove that the Cleveland Cavaliers are getting back on the right track, a comeback, overtime victory over a Western Conference team was probably very helpful in that process. LeBron James had 39 points to help Cleveland outlast the Los Angeles Clippers in overtime for a 118-113 victory. Kevin Love added 25 points for the Cavs, who won their fourth in a row, while also handing the Clippers their seventh straight defeat. James added 14 rebounds in 46 minutes, while Love recorded two big three-pointers in overtime, where the Cavs outscored the Clippers, 13-8. Dwayne Wade also played a big role in the win with 23 points and 11 rebounds in 37 minutes. On the other end, Blake Griffin's 23 points and DeAndre Jordan's 20 points and 22 rebounds were not enough in a losing effort, despite them not trailing in the game until overtime. The Clippers dropped to 5-9 following their 5-2 start to the season. James's free throw in overtime gave the Cavs their first lead, as Love's two threes and James's dunk sealed the win for the defending Eastern Conference Champs. Cleveland has now won five of six overall and will visit the upstart Detroit Pistons, who are 10-5, on Monday. The Clippers will look to snap their recent skid when they visit the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.
Hornets Drop Sixth Straight Despite Walker's Big Game
The Charlotte Hornets' recent losing streak needed a big performance from their big star, which is what they got on Friday, but somehow that wasn't enough to snap the skid. Justin Holiday scored 27 points to help the Chicago Bulls snap a five-game losing streak of their own with a 123-120 win over the Hornets. What made this loss so tough for Charlotte was that Kemba Walker went off for 47 points in what was the Hornets' sixth consecutive defeat. Lauri Markkanen made two free throws with 2.6 seconds left, sealing the Bulls' third win in 13 games this season. Chicago shot 52 percent from the field, including 17 of 34 from beyond the arc, despite coming in last in the NBA in shooting percentage. Kris Dunn scored a career-high 22 points, while Denzel Valentine added 18 and Markkanen added 16 in the Chicago victory. Walker's career-high is 52 points, as he shot 17-of-27 on Friday night in his team's ninth loss of the season. Charlotte dropped to 1-7 away from home this season and will look to snap their skid against another struggling team in the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night. The Bulls move on to take on the Phoenix Suns out west on Sunday night.
