Westbrook, George Lead Thunder Over Raptors
The Oklahoma City Thunder's win streak has stayed relevant due to the quality of their opponents during the run. They took down another quality opponent on Wednesday night with a 124-107 win over the Toronto Raptors on their home floor. Russell Westbrook had 30 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds, while Paul George added 33 points in what was the Thunder's sixth straight victory. The Thunder improved to 12-3 in December, putting them five games over .500 after a tough 8-12 start to their season. Carmelo Anthony and Steven Adams added 18 points apiece for OKC, who sit two games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Northwest Division. The Raptors did lead by as many as 12 in this game, and did have a 23-2 run at one point, which could not keep OKC down. C.J. Miles led the way with 20 points, while Kyle Lowry had a double-double of 13 points and 10 assists in Toronto's second straight loss. They fell to 10-3 in the month of December, as they are coming off a six-game win streak of their own, but struggled on Wednesday, including shooting just 11-of-38 from beyond the arc. The Raptors will return home on Friday to host the Atlanta Hawks, while the Thunder will look to stay hot when they host the Milwaukee Bucks that same night.
Rondo Dishes Pelicans to Big Win
Rajon Rondo has struggled since leaving the Boston Celtics a few years back, and only put up two points on Wednesday night, but found a way to contribute in a different, convincing fashion. Rondo recorded an NBA-high 25 assists in the New Orleans Pelicans' 128-113 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Anthony Davis benefited from his teammate's sharing with 33 points, 11 rebounds, and six blocks, as Rondo became the seventh player in NBA history with 25 assists in a game. He set a franchise record in just his 20th game with the team, and is now the only active player with that total in a contest. Jason Kidd was the last player to do so in 1996 with the New Jersey Nets. Kidd, Scott Skiles, John Stockton, Kevin Johnson, Nate McMillan, and Isaiah Thomas were the only other players to earn the feat. Rondo's assists produced 58 points for New Orleans, which is the most by any player in the past 20 years. He put up 25 assists in just 30 minutes, which is the shortest amount of time for that number, and he is the oldest player to get there at 31 years, 308 days. Elsewhere, DeMarcus Cousins had 27 points and 14 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday added 23 in the Pelicans' third straight win. They will play host to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.
Purdue Outlasts Tate, Arizona in Wild Bowl Game
It was probably the craziest bowl game early on this season and it took place in Santa Clara, California on Wednesday night as the Purdue Boilermakers got past the Arizona Wildcats for a 38-35 win. Elijah Sindelar found Anthony Mahoungou for a 38-yard touchdown pass with 1:44 remaining for a Foster Farms Bowl victory. The win helps the Boilermakers overcome Khalil Tate's five touchdown passes, as he threw for 302 yards and ran for 58 more in the loss. Purdue led by as many as 17 points before Tate led Arizona's second half rally, which saw his fifth touchdown pass give them their first lead with 3:21 to play. Sindelar's game-winning touchdown pass ended a 75-yard drive, giving his team their first winning season since 2011, and first bowl win over a major conference team since 2002 when they beat Washington in the Sun Bowl. Sindelar finished with 396 yards and four touchdown passes, with his top two targets being Anthony Mahoungou and Gregory Phillips, who had 118 and 149 yards respectively and two touchdowns apiece. The win was Purdue's seventh of the season after totaling just nine victories in the previous four seasons combined. Arizona was out-gained 555-430, as they also end the year at 7-6.
The Oklahoma City Thunder's win streak has stayed relevant due to the quality of their opponents during the run. They took down another quality opponent on Wednesday night with a 124-107 win over the Toronto Raptors on their home floor. Russell Westbrook had 30 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds, while Paul George added 33 points in what was the Thunder's sixth straight victory. The Thunder improved to 12-3 in December, putting them five games over .500 after a tough 8-12 start to their season. Carmelo Anthony and Steven Adams added 18 points apiece for OKC, who sit two games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Northwest Division. The Raptors did lead by as many as 12 in this game, and did have a 23-2 run at one point, which could not keep OKC down. C.J. Miles led the way with 20 points, while Kyle Lowry had a double-double of 13 points and 10 assists in Toronto's second straight loss. They fell to 10-3 in the month of December, as they are coming off a six-game win streak of their own, but struggled on Wednesday, including shooting just 11-of-38 from beyond the arc. The Raptors will return home on Friday to host the Atlanta Hawks, while the Thunder will look to stay hot when they host the Milwaukee Bucks that same night.
Rondo Dishes Pelicans to Big Win
Rajon Rondo has struggled since leaving the Boston Celtics a few years back, and only put up two points on Wednesday night, but found a way to contribute in a different, convincing fashion. Rondo recorded an NBA-high 25 assists in the New Orleans Pelicans' 128-113 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Anthony Davis benefited from his teammate's sharing with 33 points, 11 rebounds, and six blocks, as Rondo became the seventh player in NBA history with 25 assists in a game. He set a franchise record in just his 20th game with the team, and is now the only active player with that total in a contest. Jason Kidd was the last player to do so in 1996 with the New Jersey Nets. Kidd, Scott Skiles, John Stockton, Kevin Johnson, Nate McMillan, and Isaiah Thomas were the only other players to earn the feat. Rondo's assists produced 58 points for New Orleans, which is the most by any player in the past 20 years. He put up 25 assists in just 30 minutes, which is the shortest amount of time for that number, and he is the oldest player to get there at 31 years, 308 days. Elsewhere, DeMarcus Cousins had 27 points and 14 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday added 23 in the Pelicans' third straight win. They will play host to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.
Purdue Outlasts Tate, Arizona in Wild Bowl Game
It was probably the craziest bowl game early on this season and it took place in Santa Clara, California on Wednesday night as the Purdue Boilermakers got past the Arizona Wildcats for a 38-35 win. Elijah Sindelar found Anthony Mahoungou for a 38-yard touchdown pass with 1:44 remaining for a Foster Farms Bowl victory. The win helps the Boilermakers overcome Khalil Tate's five touchdown passes, as he threw for 302 yards and ran for 58 more in the loss. Purdue led by as many as 17 points before Tate led Arizona's second half rally, which saw his fifth touchdown pass give them their first lead with 3:21 to play. Sindelar's game-winning touchdown pass ended a 75-yard drive, giving his team their first winning season since 2011, and first bowl win over a major conference team since 2002 when they beat Washington in the Sun Bowl. Sindelar finished with 396 yards and four touchdown passes, with his top two targets being Anthony Mahoungou and Gregory Phillips, who had 118 and 149 yards respectively and two touchdowns apiece. The win was Purdue's seventh of the season after totaling just nine victories in the previous four seasons combined. Arizona was out-gained 555-430, as they also end the year at 7-6.
