Thomas Leads Celtics Over LeBron, Cavs
The top two teams in the Eastern Conference battled on Wednesday night, and it had the feeling of a playoff showdown, which it soon could be. It was a back-and-forth final quarter, so it's only fitting that "Mr. Fourth Quarter" led his team to victory. Isaiah Thomas finished with 31 points, helping the Boston Celtics slip past the Cleveland Cavaliers, 103-99. Boston was able to overcome a triple-double for LeBron James, as he finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists for his seventh triple-double of the year. Kyrie Irving chipped in 28 points of his own for the Cavs, who lost for the first time when leading in the fourth quarter on the road. Jae Crowder had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who beat the Cavs for the first time in three meetings this season. The final 12 minutes felt the most like a playoff game, as it included six ties and 10 lead changes. Deron Williams did make his Cleveland debut, scoring four points in 24 minutes in the loss.
Warriors Lose Durant to MCL Injury
The Golden State Warriors' comeback fell just short against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night, but the big loss came just 90 seconds into the game. The Warriors lost star Kevin Durant after he hyperextended his knee, and it was announced on Wednesday that he suffered an MCL sprain and a bone bruise in his left leg. The star forward will be re-evaluated in four weeks, as the team is hopeful he will play before the regular season finale, which is in six weeks. The team, including teammate Draymond Green, admitted that the news is relieving, since they feared that the injury was season-ending. The incident occurred when teammate Zaza Pachulia was pushed into Durant, as the All-Star was seen hopping away, holding his left leg. The team wasted little time to find some more help, agreeing to a deal with the controversial Matt Barnes on Tuesday night. Their first game without their leading scorer will be Thursday night, when they visit the Chicago Bulls.
Louisville Suffers First Loss to Unranked Team
In a season full of upsets, the Louisville Cardinals were one of the only top-10 teams not to fall to an unranked opponent this season. That was until Wednesday night, as the eighth-ranked Cardinals fell to Wake Forest, 88-81, despite holding a 14-point lead at one point. John Collins had 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead the upset, as they increased their NCAA Tournament chances in their final home game. They are looking to get back to the tournament for the first time since 2010. Keyshawn Woods also had a big night, scoring 20 points, as the Demon Deacons handed Louisville their sixth conference loss. It was Wake Forest's first win over a ranked opponent in eight tries this season, a streak that included a loss to Duke after blowing an 11-point lead. Four of those losses came by six or fewer points. They did more than just compete against a top-25 foe on Wednesday night, instead, they took down a top-10 powerhouse.
The top two teams in the Eastern Conference battled on Wednesday night, and it had the feeling of a playoff showdown, which it soon could be. It was a back-and-forth final quarter, so it's only fitting that "Mr. Fourth Quarter" led his team to victory. Isaiah Thomas finished with 31 points, helping the Boston Celtics slip past the Cleveland Cavaliers, 103-99. Boston was able to overcome a triple-double for LeBron James, as he finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists for his seventh triple-double of the year. Kyrie Irving chipped in 28 points of his own for the Cavs, who lost for the first time when leading in the fourth quarter on the road. Jae Crowder had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who beat the Cavs for the first time in three meetings this season. The final 12 minutes felt the most like a playoff game, as it included six ties and 10 lead changes. Deron Williams did make his Cleveland debut, scoring four points in 24 minutes in the loss.
Warriors Lose Durant to MCL Injury
The Golden State Warriors' comeback fell just short against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night, but the big loss came just 90 seconds into the game. The Warriors lost star Kevin Durant after he hyperextended his knee, and it was announced on Wednesday that he suffered an MCL sprain and a bone bruise in his left leg. The star forward will be re-evaluated in four weeks, as the team is hopeful he will play before the regular season finale, which is in six weeks. The team, including teammate Draymond Green, admitted that the news is relieving, since they feared that the injury was season-ending. The incident occurred when teammate Zaza Pachulia was pushed into Durant, as the All-Star was seen hopping away, holding his left leg. The team wasted little time to find some more help, agreeing to a deal with the controversial Matt Barnes on Tuesday night. Their first game without their leading scorer will be Thursday night, when they visit the Chicago Bulls.
Louisville Suffers First Loss to Unranked Team
In a season full of upsets, the Louisville Cardinals were one of the only top-10 teams not to fall to an unranked opponent this season. That was until Wednesday night, as the eighth-ranked Cardinals fell to Wake Forest, 88-81, despite holding a 14-point lead at one point. John Collins had 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead the upset, as they increased their NCAA Tournament chances in their final home game. They are looking to get back to the tournament for the first time since 2010. Keyshawn Woods also had a big night, scoring 20 points, as the Demon Deacons handed Louisville their sixth conference loss. It was Wake Forest's first win over a ranked opponent in eight tries this season, a streak that included a loss to Duke after blowing an 11-point lead. Four of those losses came by six or fewer points. They did more than just compete against a top-25 foe on Wednesday night, instead, they took down a top-10 powerhouse.
