Heat Take Down Cavs For Second Straight Game
The Miami Heat have been feeling real good about themselves the past couple of months, and now back-to-back wins over the defending NBA Champs have their confidence sky-high. Dion Waiters scored 29 points to lead the Heat past the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second straight game, this one in Cleveland on Monday, 106-98. Goran Dragic added 21, as the Heat overcame a 30-point, 17-rebound effort from LeBron James. Kyrie Irving added 32 points in the loss for the Cavs, who trailed by as many as 20 in the game. The Heat took care of the Cavs by 22 points in Miami on Saturday, but that was without LeBron or Irving in the lineup. Miami has now won 19 of 23 overall, and sit a game and a half out of the final playoff spot in the East. The night got a little worse for the Cavs early on, as Andrew Bogut fractured his left tibia just 58 seconds into his Cavs debut. The injury occurred in the second quarter when he got tangled up with Miami's Okaro White. Bogut is done for the remainder of the season.
Leonard Clutch in Spurs Win Over Rockets
Kawhi Leonard may have put himself ahead of James Harden in the MVP race on Monday night, as he outplayed the bearded one down the stretch for a clutch Spurs win. Leonard had 39 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, to rally San Antonio past the Houston Rockets at home, 112-110. In the final 30 seconds of the game, the Spurs' star knocked down the game-winning basket, and recorded a game-sealing block at the rim on Harden. The Rockets' star had 39 points of his own, but was outscored by Leonard, 17-4, in the final 12 minutes. Tony Parker had 19 points, while LaMarcus Aldridge added 15 to support Leonard's effort, as he shot 12-of-18 from the floor overall, including 4-for-6 in the fourth. The Rockets led by as many as 16 in the first quarter, after shooting 67 percent in the opening 12 minutes. Houston had won eight of 10 before Monday's close loss.
Star Snap Capitals' Home Win Streak
The Washington Capitals saw their home win streak come to an end on Monday night, as Kari Lehtonen made 42 saves in the Dallas Stars' 4-2 victory. The win also snaps the 17-game home point streak for the first place Capitals, who hold a comfortable seven-point lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins. It was their first regulation loss in D.C. since December 17th, and first of any kind since December 29th. Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars continued their personal dominance over the Caps, extending their point streak against them to 12 games. They are 10-0-2 against them in that span, which dates back to November of 2006. Patrick Sharp, Devin Shore, Radek Faksa, and Jason Spezza scored on Monday, helping Dallas pull within five points of a playoff spot in the West. The Capitals outshot the Stars, 44-22, on the night, but struggled turning the puck over in their 14th regulation loss of the year.
The Miami Heat have been feeling real good about themselves the past couple of months, and now back-to-back wins over the defending NBA Champs have their confidence sky-high. Dion Waiters scored 29 points to lead the Heat past the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second straight game, this one in Cleveland on Monday, 106-98. Goran Dragic added 21, as the Heat overcame a 30-point, 17-rebound effort from LeBron James. Kyrie Irving added 32 points in the loss for the Cavs, who trailed by as many as 20 in the game. The Heat took care of the Cavs by 22 points in Miami on Saturday, but that was without LeBron or Irving in the lineup. Miami has now won 19 of 23 overall, and sit a game and a half out of the final playoff spot in the East. The night got a little worse for the Cavs early on, as Andrew Bogut fractured his left tibia just 58 seconds into his Cavs debut. The injury occurred in the second quarter when he got tangled up with Miami's Okaro White. Bogut is done for the remainder of the season.
Leonard Clutch in Spurs Win Over Rockets
Kawhi Leonard may have put himself ahead of James Harden in the MVP race on Monday night, as he outplayed the bearded one down the stretch for a clutch Spurs win. Leonard had 39 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, to rally San Antonio past the Houston Rockets at home, 112-110. In the final 30 seconds of the game, the Spurs' star knocked down the game-winning basket, and recorded a game-sealing block at the rim on Harden. The Rockets' star had 39 points of his own, but was outscored by Leonard, 17-4, in the final 12 minutes. Tony Parker had 19 points, while LaMarcus Aldridge added 15 to support Leonard's effort, as he shot 12-of-18 from the floor overall, including 4-for-6 in the fourth. The Rockets led by as many as 16 in the first quarter, after shooting 67 percent in the opening 12 minutes. Houston had won eight of 10 before Monday's close loss.
Star Snap Capitals' Home Win Streak
The Washington Capitals saw their home win streak come to an end on Monday night, as Kari Lehtonen made 42 saves in the Dallas Stars' 4-2 victory. The win also snaps the 17-game home point streak for the first place Capitals, who hold a comfortable seven-point lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins. It was their first regulation loss in D.C. since December 17th, and first of any kind since December 29th. Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars continued their personal dominance over the Caps, extending their point streak against them to 12 games. They are 10-0-2 against them in that span, which dates back to November of 2006. Patrick Sharp, Devin Shore, Radek Faksa, and Jason Spezza scored on Monday, helping Dallas pull within five points of a playoff spot in the West. The Capitals outshot the Stars, 44-22, on the night, but struggled turning the puck over in their 14th regulation loss of the year.
