Westbrook, Thunder Down Sixers for Eighth Straight Win
The Oklahoma City Thunder got tested by the young Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night, but it was the experienced team that stayed hot on this night. Russell Westbrook had 37 points, 14 assists, and nine rebounds in a 122-112 win over the Sixers for the Thunder's eighth consecutive win. Westbrook was involved in a couple of heated exchanges with Joel Embiid, including an Embiid stare-down after an emphatic dunk, and a similar Westbrook stare-down in the closing seconds of the victory. The reigning MVP overcame a struggling 6-for-20 shooting first half by going 8-of-13 from the floor in the second half. Paul George added 31 points after being added to Team LeBron in the All-Star Game following DeMarcus Cousins' injury. The Thunder are now 7-0 when George scores at least 30 points this season, as Steven Adams added a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds. Embiid had 27 points and 10 rebounds and Ben Simmons finished with 22 points for the Sixers, who still hold the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Thunder will take their win streak to Washington for a battle with the Wizards on Tuesday night. The Sixers move on to Milwaukee to visit the Bucks on Monday.
Purdue Hangs on for Win Over Indiana
The Purdue Boilermakers have taken over as the top team in the Big Ten Conference, as well as a favorite to hold a top seed in the NCAA Tournament, but they were tested on Sunday afternoon. Despite the test, the Boilermakers extended their win streak to 17 games with a 74-67 win over the Indiana Hoosiers. Isaac Haas scored a career-high 26 points, while Vincent Edwards added 19 of his own, helping Purdue improve to 10-0 in conference play. The seniors' big play helped the Boilermakers overcome a two-point halftime deficit to extend their school-record win streak, which is also the longest active streak in the country. They've also won 12 straight Big Ten games dating back to last season, sealed by a late 12-5 second half run. Despite the Hoosiers leading by five halfway through the second half, they fell to 5-5 in conference play, and suffered their 10th loss of the year. Juwan Morgan led Indiana with 24 points and seven rebounds and Robert Johnson finished with 21 points and six assists in the loss. Edwards had the official tiebreaking free throw for the Boilermakers, who will host Maryland on Wednesday night. The Hoosiers move on to another tough test against a very good Ohio State Buckeyes team on Tuesday.
NFL, NHL Host All-Star Games
In what has turned in to a tradition the week before the Super Bowl, the NFL hosted the Pro Bowl on Sunday afternoon, which was back in the AFC-NFC format. It was a late touchdown pass from Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr to Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker that helped the AFC rally past the NFC for a 24-23 victory. Walker's 18-yard touchdown catch with 1:31 to play was his second scoring reception for the AFC, who trailed 20-3 in the first half. Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy scored the only other touchdown for the conference, which sealed its win with a Von Miller sack that forced a Jarred Goff fumble. The winning team got $64,000 each, which doubled the earnings of the losing team. Meanwhile, the NHL hosted their All-Star Game in tournament style between the divisions for the second straight year. It was the Pacific Division that got the best of the Atlantic Division, 5-2, in the final. Brock Boeser of the Vacouver Canucks won the MVP after earning a goal and an assist in the winning game. Rickard Rakell of the Anaheim Ducks scored twice in the final contest, after the Pacific beat the Central, 5-2, earlier in the night. Boeser also scored in the that game, as James Neal of the Las Vegas Golden Knights scored twice in that one. The Atlantic got past the Metropolitan Division, 7-4, before falling later in the night. The hometown team in Tampa Bay got a hat trick from the Lightning's own Nikita Kucherov in that win. Both All-Star Games have messed with the format of the events in recent years, but they may have settled with these rundowns for the foreseeable future.
The Oklahoma City Thunder got tested by the young Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night, but it was the experienced team that stayed hot on this night. Russell Westbrook had 37 points, 14 assists, and nine rebounds in a 122-112 win over the Sixers for the Thunder's eighth consecutive win. Westbrook was involved in a couple of heated exchanges with Joel Embiid, including an Embiid stare-down after an emphatic dunk, and a similar Westbrook stare-down in the closing seconds of the victory. The reigning MVP overcame a struggling 6-for-20 shooting first half by going 8-of-13 from the floor in the second half. Paul George added 31 points after being added to Team LeBron in the All-Star Game following DeMarcus Cousins' injury. The Thunder are now 7-0 when George scores at least 30 points this season, as Steven Adams added a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds. Embiid had 27 points and 10 rebounds and Ben Simmons finished with 22 points for the Sixers, who still hold the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Thunder will take their win streak to Washington for a battle with the Wizards on Tuesday night. The Sixers move on to Milwaukee to visit the Bucks on Monday.
Purdue Hangs on for Win Over Indiana
The Purdue Boilermakers have taken over as the top team in the Big Ten Conference, as well as a favorite to hold a top seed in the NCAA Tournament, but they were tested on Sunday afternoon. Despite the test, the Boilermakers extended their win streak to 17 games with a 74-67 win over the Indiana Hoosiers. Isaac Haas scored a career-high 26 points, while Vincent Edwards added 19 of his own, helping Purdue improve to 10-0 in conference play. The seniors' big play helped the Boilermakers overcome a two-point halftime deficit to extend their school-record win streak, which is also the longest active streak in the country. They've also won 12 straight Big Ten games dating back to last season, sealed by a late 12-5 second half run. Despite the Hoosiers leading by five halfway through the second half, they fell to 5-5 in conference play, and suffered their 10th loss of the year. Juwan Morgan led Indiana with 24 points and seven rebounds and Robert Johnson finished with 21 points and six assists in the loss. Edwards had the official tiebreaking free throw for the Boilermakers, who will host Maryland on Wednesday night. The Hoosiers move on to another tough test against a very good Ohio State Buckeyes team on Tuesday.
NFL, NHL Host All-Star Games
In what has turned in to a tradition the week before the Super Bowl, the NFL hosted the Pro Bowl on Sunday afternoon, which was back in the AFC-NFC format. It was a late touchdown pass from Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr to Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker that helped the AFC rally past the NFC for a 24-23 victory. Walker's 18-yard touchdown catch with 1:31 to play was his second scoring reception for the AFC, who trailed 20-3 in the first half. Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy scored the only other touchdown for the conference, which sealed its win with a Von Miller sack that forced a Jarred Goff fumble. The winning team got $64,000 each, which doubled the earnings of the losing team. Meanwhile, the NHL hosted their All-Star Game in tournament style between the divisions for the second straight year. It was the Pacific Division that got the best of the Atlantic Division, 5-2, in the final. Brock Boeser of the Vacouver Canucks won the MVP after earning a goal and an assist in the winning game. Rickard Rakell of the Anaheim Ducks scored twice in the final contest, after the Pacific beat the Central, 5-2, earlier in the night. Boeser also scored in the that game, as James Neal of the Las Vegas Golden Knights scored twice in that one. The Atlantic got past the Metropolitan Division, 7-4, before falling later in the night. The hometown team in Tampa Bay got a hat trick from the Lightning's own Nikita Kucherov in that win. Both All-Star Games have messed with the format of the events in recent years, but they may have settled with these rundowns for the foreseeable future.
