Bucks Hand Pistons Fifth Straight Loss
By Dan Bruno
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the host Detroit Pistons, 126-106, at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday evening.
The Bucks took control from the start, with a 32-18 lead after one quarter. They kept the pressure on in the second and amassed a 29-point lead by halftime. The Pistons came out with some motivation in the third quarter and battled to trim the deficit by two, heading into the final frame. They kept up the fight in the fourth and outscored the Bucks by seven points in the quarter, however, it was too little, too late, as they fell for their fifth straight loss.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 33 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block, in 32 minutes. Khris Middleton added 28 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a steal, while Eric Bledsoe totaled 19 points, six assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block. The Bucks shot 50 percent from the field, including 10-of-33 form long range.
Meanwhile, Christian Wood led the Pistons with 18 points, 11 rebounds, a steal and a block, in 27 minutes. Bruce Brown tallied 16 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Derrick Rose added 12 points, four rebounds and a steal. The Pistons shot 48 percent from the field, including 13-of-37 from long range.
The Pistons (19-39) will look to bounce back as they head to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers on Sunday. The Bucks (47-8) play host to the Bucks on Saturday.
The Bucks took control from the start, with a 32-18 lead after one quarter. They kept the pressure on in the second and amassed a 29-point lead by halftime. The Pistons came out with some motivation in the third quarter and battled to trim the deficit by two, heading into the final frame. They kept up the fight in the fourth and outscored the Bucks by seven points in the quarter, however, it was too little, too late, as they fell for their fifth straight loss.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 33 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block, in 32 minutes. Khris Middleton added 28 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a steal, while Eric Bledsoe totaled 19 points, six assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block. The Bucks shot 50 percent from the field, including 10-of-33 form long range.
Meanwhile, Christian Wood led the Pistons with 18 points, 11 rebounds, a steal and a block, in 27 minutes. Bruce Brown tallied 16 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Derrick Rose added 12 points, four rebounds and a steal. The Pistons shot 48 percent from the field, including 13-of-37 from long range.
The Pistons (19-39) will look to bounce back as they head to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers on Sunday. The Bucks (47-8) play host to the Bucks on Saturday.
Hawks Surpass Heat, 129-124
The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Miami Heat, 129-124, at State Farm Arena on Thursday night.
The Heat (35-20) had proven to be a much better team at home than the road in the pre-All-Star-break portion of their season, but they got off on the right foot in terms of reversing that trend Thursday. Miami jumped out to a 36-32 lead on the Hawks (16-41) through the first 12 minutes before Atlanta bounced back to shave all but one point from its deficit going into halftime. However, the visitors regained a measure of control during the third quarter, a period in which they built their advantage back out to seven. The hosts would then make their big push in the fourth quarter, racking up 39 points and storming back from a 124-119 deficit over the final 1;31 to finish the game with 10 unanswered points.
Bam Adebayo paced the Heat with a 28-point, 19-rebound double-double that also included seven assists, three steals and one block. Goran Dragic provided 19 points, three rebounds and three assists. Jimmy Butler delivered 17 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, two steals and one block. Jae Crowder and Kendrick Nunn supplied matching 14-point tallies, with Crowder also pulling down four rebounds and recording two blocks. Duncan Robinson registered 10 points.
Trae Young led the Hawks with 50 points, complementing them with eight assists, two rebounds, two steals and one block. Kevin Huerter and De'Andre Hunter posted 17 points apiece while pulling down seven and six rebounds, respectively. Cam Reddish registered 16 points, four boards, one assist, two steals and two blocks. John Collins turned in 12 points, seven rebounds, one assist, three blocks and two steals. Jeff Teague matched Collins' scoring tally and also dished out four assists.
The Heat head back home to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night, while the Hawks remain home and face the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.
The Heat (35-20) had proven to be a much better team at home than the road in the pre-All-Star-break portion of their season, but they got off on the right foot in terms of reversing that trend Thursday. Miami jumped out to a 36-32 lead on the Hawks (16-41) through the first 12 minutes before Atlanta bounced back to shave all but one point from its deficit going into halftime. However, the visitors regained a measure of control during the third quarter, a period in which they built their advantage back out to seven. The hosts would then make their big push in the fourth quarter, racking up 39 points and storming back from a 124-119 deficit over the final 1;31 to finish the game with 10 unanswered points.
Bam Adebayo paced the Heat with a 28-point, 19-rebound double-double that also included seven assists, three steals and one block. Goran Dragic provided 19 points, three rebounds and three assists. Jimmy Butler delivered 17 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, two steals and one block. Jae Crowder and Kendrick Nunn supplied matching 14-point tallies, with Crowder also pulling down four rebounds and recording two blocks. Duncan Robinson registered 10 points.
Trae Young led the Hawks with 50 points, complementing them with eight assists, two rebounds, two steals and one block. Kevin Huerter and De'Andre Hunter posted 17 points apiece while pulling down seven and six rebounds, respectively. Cam Reddish registered 16 points, four boards, one assist, two steals and two blocks. John Collins turned in 12 points, seven rebounds, one assist, three blocks and two steals. Jeff Teague matched Collins' scoring tally and also dished out four assists.
The Heat head back home to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night, while the Hawks remain home and face the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.
Hornets Topple Bulls, 103-93
The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Chicago Bulls, 103-93, at United Center on Thursday night.
The Hornets (19-36) came into Thursday's contest as the lowest-scoring road team in the league, but one wouldn't have known it by their first-quarter performance. Charlotte compiled 33 points over the first 12 minutes to take a 13-point lead on the Bulls (19-37), and they'd extended that advantage to 16 points by halftime. However, Chicago came out of intermission a different team, outscoring their guests by a 29-18 margin during the third period to go into the fourth quarter trailing by a modest five points. Although they got as close as within six points with just 1:23 remaining, the Bulls ultimately fell short in their comeback bid.
Malik Monk led the Hornets with 25 points, complementing them with six rebounds and three assists. Miles Bridges followed with 22 points, eight boards, two assists and two steals. P.J. Washington followed with 17 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. Cody Zeller finished with 16 points, eight boards, two assists, two steals and one block. Terry Rozier supplied 14 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Thaddeus Young paced the Bulls with a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included one assist, four steals and one block. Zach LaVine furnished 19 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals and one block. Shaquille Harrison registered 13 points, two boards and two assists. Tomas Satoransky and Coby White generated matching 12-point tallies, with Satoransky also dishing out eight assists, pulling down six rebounds and recording one steal.
The Hornets return home to face the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night, while the Bulls remain home and tangle with the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night as well.
The Hornets (19-36) came into Thursday's contest as the lowest-scoring road team in the league, but one wouldn't have known it by their first-quarter performance. Charlotte compiled 33 points over the first 12 minutes to take a 13-point lead on the Bulls (19-37), and they'd extended that advantage to 16 points by halftime. However, Chicago came out of intermission a different team, outscoring their guests by a 29-18 margin during the third period to go into the fourth quarter trailing by a modest five points. Although they got as close as within six points with just 1:23 remaining, the Bulls ultimately fell short in their comeback bid.
Malik Monk led the Hornets with 25 points, complementing them with six rebounds and three assists. Miles Bridges followed with 22 points, eight boards, two assists and two steals. P.J. Washington followed with 17 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. Cody Zeller finished with 16 points, eight boards, two assists, two steals and one block. Terry Rozier supplied 14 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Thaddeus Young paced the Bulls with a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included one assist, four steals and one block. Zach LaVine furnished 19 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals and one block. Shaquille Harrison registered 13 points, two boards and two assists. Tomas Satoransky and Coby White generated matching 12-point tallies, with Satoransky also dishing out eight assists, pulling down six rebounds and recording one steal.
The Hornets return home to face the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night, while the Bulls remain home and tangle with the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night as well.
Sixers Hang On In Overtime Win
By Dan Bruno
The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the visiting Brooklyn Nets, 112-104, at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday evening.
The Sixers came through in overtime, after they almost let the game slip away in the fourth. The 76ers got out to a good start, with a 13-3 lead early, and they held a six-point lead after one quarter. The Nets turned it up in the second and outscored the hosts by 16 points in the quarter, to take a 10-point lead into halftime. The Sixers came out strong in the third quarter and cut it to a one-point game, heading into the final frame. They held the edge for most of the fourth, but the Nets rallied ahead in the final minutes. The Sixers used an 8-2 run to tie it up by the end of regulation and dominated overtime, outscoring the visitors 9-1 in the period, to seal the win.
Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 39 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks, in 41 minutes. Tobias Harris added 22 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two steals, while Alec Burks chipped in 19 points and four rebounds, in 30 minutes off the bench. The Sixers shot 44 percent from the field, including 4-of-22 from long range.
Meanwhile, Caris LeVert led the Nets with 25 points, six rebounds, five assists and a steal, in 39 minutes. Spencer Dinwiddie added 22 points, eight assists, five rebounds and a block, while DeAndre Jordan totaled 14 points, 15 rebounds and four assists, off the bench. The Nets shot 35 percent from the field, including 10-of-34 from long range.
The Nets (25-29) will look to bounce back as they take on the Hornets in Charlotte on Saturday. The 76ers (35-21) take on the Bucks in Milwaukee on Saturday.
The Sixers came through in overtime, after they almost let the game slip away in the fourth. The 76ers got out to a good start, with a 13-3 lead early, and they held a six-point lead after one quarter. The Nets turned it up in the second and outscored the hosts by 16 points in the quarter, to take a 10-point lead into halftime. The Sixers came out strong in the third quarter and cut it to a one-point game, heading into the final frame. They held the edge for most of the fourth, but the Nets rallied ahead in the final minutes. The Sixers used an 8-2 run to tie it up by the end of regulation and dominated overtime, outscoring the visitors 9-1 in the period, to seal the win.
Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 39 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks, in 41 minutes. Tobias Harris added 22 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two steals, while Alec Burks chipped in 19 points and four rebounds, in 30 minutes off the bench. The Sixers shot 44 percent from the field, including 4-of-22 from long range.
Meanwhile, Caris LeVert led the Nets with 25 points, six rebounds, five assists and a steal, in 39 minutes. Spencer Dinwiddie added 22 points, eight assists, five rebounds and a block, while DeAndre Jordan totaled 14 points, 15 rebounds and four assists, off the bench. The Nets shot 35 percent from the field, including 10-of-34 from long range.
The Nets (25-29) will look to bounce back as they take on the Hornets in Charlotte on Saturday. The 76ers (35-21) take on the Bucks in Milwaukee on Saturday.
Kings Defeat Grizzlies, 129-125
The Sacramento Kings defeated the visiting Memphis Grizzlies, 129-125, at Golden 1 Center on Thursday.
While there were five lead changes in the first five minutes of this game, that was the only time the lead changed hands. In fact, the Kings held the lead for the final 44 minutes of play, taking a nine-point lead into the half. With that said, the Grizzlies got it down to a one-point margin with just seven seconds remaining but could never tie or recapture the lead. Defense was the difference, with the Kings forcing 19 turnovers from the Grizzlies while committing just 10 on their end. In addition, Sacramento shot 49 percent from three-point range while holding Memphis to 41 percent. The Kings won despite being out-rebounded, 51-27.
The Grizzlies (28-27) were led by Ja Morant, who amassed 19 points and two assists. Jaren Jackson Jr generated 16 points, two rebounds and two assists. Kyle Anderson accrued 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Jonas Valanciunas totaled eight points and 11 boards while De'Anthony Melton led the bench with 24 points, six rebounds and three assists.
The Kings (22-33) were led by Harrison Barnes, dropping 32 points on 7-of-11 from three-point range. De'Aaron Fox was the only other starter in double figures, collecting 26 points, two rebounds and four assists. Nemanja Bjelica accumulated eight points, six rebounds and five assists while Buddy Hield led the bench with 20 points, three rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Memphis has to play again on Friday, traveling to face the Los Angeles Lakers. As for Sacramento, they return to action on Saturday when they face the Los Angeles Clippers on the road.
While there were five lead changes in the first five minutes of this game, that was the only time the lead changed hands. In fact, the Kings held the lead for the final 44 minutes of play, taking a nine-point lead into the half. With that said, the Grizzlies got it down to a one-point margin with just seven seconds remaining but could never tie or recapture the lead. Defense was the difference, with the Kings forcing 19 turnovers from the Grizzlies while committing just 10 on their end. In addition, Sacramento shot 49 percent from three-point range while holding Memphis to 41 percent. The Kings won despite being out-rebounded, 51-27.
The Grizzlies (28-27) were led by Ja Morant, who amassed 19 points and two assists. Jaren Jackson Jr generated 16 points, two rebounds and two assists. Kyle Anderson accrued 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Jonas Valanciunas totaled eight points and 11 boards while De'Anthony Melton led the bench with 24 points, six rebounds and three assists.
The Kings (22-33) were led by Harrison Barnes, dropping 32 points on 7-of-11 from three-point range. De'Aaron Fox was the only other starter in double figures, collecting 26 points, two rebounds and four assists. Nemanja Bjelica accumulated eight points, six rebounds and five assists while Buddy Hield led the bench with 20 points, three rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Memphis has to play again on Friday, traveling to face the Los Angeles Lakers. As for Sacramento, they return to action on Saturday when they face the Los Angeles Clippers on the road.
Rockets Roll Warriors, 135-105
The Houston Rockets defeated the host Golden State Warriors, 135-105, at Chase Center on Thursday.
A 38-17 first quarter really set the tone in this game, with Houston holding the lead for the final three quarters. In fact, Golen State never got the game within a 17-point margin after that opening quarter. In addition, the Rockets led by at least 25 points for the final 20 minutes of play. Houston went 25-of-49 from three-point range while Golden State hit just 7-of-33. In addition, the Rockets ended up recording 30 assists to 14 turnovers while the Warriors had 25 assists to 21 turnovers.
The Rockets (35-20) were led by James Harden, who tallied 29 points, three rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and two blocks on 14-of-15 from the free-throw line. Russell Westbrook was ejected in the fourth quarter but still finished with 21 points, five rebounds and 10 assists. Robert Covington generated 20 points, five rebounds and four blocks. Jeff Green led the bench with 17 points and four boards.
The Warriors (12-44) were led by Andrew Wiggins and his 22 points, three rebounds and two blocks. Jordan Poole collected 19 points, four rebounds and two assists. Damion Lee accumulated 13 points, four rebounds and three assists. Draymond Green amassed four points, four rebounds and seven assists. Eric Paschall led the bench with 12 points and seven rebounds.
On deck for Houston is a road matchup with the Utah Jazz on Saturday. As for Golden State, they're off until Sunday when they play host to the New Orleans Pelicans.
A 38-17 first quarter really set the tone in this game, with Houston holding the lead for the final three quarters. In fact, Golen State never got the game within a 17-point margin after that opening quarter. In addition, the Rockets led by at least 25 points for the final 20 minutes of play. Houston went 25-of-49 from three-point range while Golden State hit just 7-of-33. In addition, the Rockets ended up recording 30 assists to 14 turnovers while the Warriors had 25 assists to 21 turnovers.
The Rockets (35-20) were led by James Harden, who tallied 29 points, three rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and two blocks on 14-of-15 from the free-throw line. Russell Westbrook was ejected in the fourth quarter but still finished with 21 points, five rebounds and 10 assists. Robert Covington generated 20 points, five rebounds and four blocks. Jeff Green led the bench with 17 points and four boards.
The Warriors (12-44) were led by Andrew Wiggins and his 22 points, three rebounds and two blocks. Jordan Poole collected 19 points, four rebounds and two assists. Damion Lee accumulated 13 points, four rebounds and three assists. Draymond Green amassed four points, four rebounds and seven assists. Eric Paschall led the bench with 12 points and seven rebounds.
On deck for Houston is a road matchup with the Utah Jazz on Saturday. As for Golden State, they're off until Sunday when they play host to the New Orleans Pelicans.