This is the Hangover. We get basketball-wasted all the time. Yes, we recap the NBA every night in our own way.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images.)
After a wild afternoon, the NBA continued to keep busy by providing us with nine games.
01/22/2016
THE GAMES
CHARLOTTE HORNETS 120 (20-23) @ ORLANDO MAGIC 116 (20-22) (OT)
(PHOTO CREDIT: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images.)
The Hornets came back from 19 down to take the lead late. But Victor Oladipo sent the game to OT with a banked three (we all love banked threes). In OT, Orlando would take the lead back but Spencer Hawes countered with a clutch three with 17 seconds left. That proved to be doom for the Magic, who are now 1-9 in January.
Kemba Walker, who scored 52 earlier this week, went for 40. He’s a man! He got 40!
BEHIND THE LINES
Kemba Walker (CHA): 40 pts, 7 rebs, 9 assts.
Marvin Williams (CHA): 11 pts, 14 rebs.
Spencer Hawes (CHA): 16 pts, 10 rebs.
Elfrid Payton (ORL): 11 pts, 9 rebs, 10 assts.
Nikola Vucevic (ORL): 15 pts, 12 rebs, 6 blks.
Tobias Harris (ORL): 22 pts, 5 rebs.
Victor Oladipo (ORL): 29 pts.
CHICAGO BULLS 101 (24-18) @ BOSTON CELTICS 110 (23-21)
The Celtics had a double-digit lead for most of the second half before going on a five-minute scoring drought. Unfortunately, the Bulls never took the lead and Isaiah Thomas put a band aid on the bleeding. Then the Celtics made it into a 12-2 run that put the Bulls away.
BEHIND THE LINES
Isaiah Thomas (BOS): 22 pts, 5 assts.
Avery Bradley (BOS): 21 pts, 4 stls.
Jared Sullinger (BOS): 18 pts, 12 rebs, 5 assts, 3 stls.
Jimmy Butler (CHI): 28 pts, 14 rebs.
Derrick Rose (CHI): 27 pts, 7 rebs.
Pau Gasol (CHI): 18 pts, 11 rebs.
UTAH JAZZ 108 (19-24) @ BROOKLYN NETS 86 (11-33)
You take one look at the Nets and all you see are lost puppies.
They’re probably not this adorable. Also, I wanted an excuse to put puppies in since it’s pretty self-explanatory what happened to the Nets on that score. Anyway, the Nets have lost 10 of 11 games.
BEHIND THE LINES
Gordon Hayward (UTA): 21 pts, 9 assts.
Trevor Booker (UTA): 13 pts, 10 rebs.
Bojan Bogdanovic (BRK): 14 pts.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS 116 (28-15) @ NEW YORK KNICKS 88 (22-23)
(PHOTO CREDIT: Elsa/Getty Images.)
The only excitement here besides DeAndre Jordan dunks was Robin Lopez going E. Honda on Chris Paul.
Otherwise, the Clippers smacked the hell out of the Knicks. I mean, figuratively, that is. Not the Lopez kind.
BEHIND THE LINES
DeAndre Jordan (LAC): 20 pts, 8 rebs.
Chris Paul (LAC): 16 pts, 6 rebs, 13 assts.
Carmelo Anthony (NY): 16 pts, 6 assts.
MIAMI HEAT 81 (23-21) @ TORONTO RAPTORS 101 (28-15)
This wasn’t much of a contest, either. And Team Canada is looking really strong at the moment. Kyle Lowry is having an excellent year and was voted in as an all-star. DeMar DeRozan is also having a hell of a season. The Raptors have now won seven in a row and are holding firm in the second spot in the East.
BEHIND THE LINES
DeMar DeRozan (TOR): 33 pts, 6 rebs.
Jonas Valanciunas (TOR): 9 pts, 13 rebs, 3 blks.
Chris Bosh (MIA): 26 pts, 7 rebs.
Dwyane Wade (MIA): 22 pts.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS 98 (19-26) @ HOUSTON ROCKETS 102 (23-22)
The Rockets reacquired Josh Smith, by the way (which I didn’t write an article about because it got too damn busy in the coaching front). Smith did play and was 1 for 10.
Also, Dwight Howard and Patrick Beverley didn’t play.
James Harden went for 30 as the Rockets held off a late Bucks rally. The Bucks went on an 8-0 run late in the game but it was way way too late for Milwaukee.
BEHIND THE LINES
James Harden (HOU): 30 pts, 5 rebs, 8 assts.
Terrence Jones (HOU): 14 pts, 8 rebs, 4 blks.
Jabari Parker (MIL): 11 pts, 10 rebs.
Greg Monroe (MIL): 21 pts, 9 rebs, 4 blks.
Khris Middleton (MIL): 21 pts, 7 assts.
Michael Carter-Williams (MIL): 11 pts, 12 rebs, 5 assts.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 109 (33-12) @ DALLAS MAVERICKS 106 (25-20)
The Mavs were down 17 in the fourth before making a surge. Deron Williams made a three to cut the deficit to one before Kevin Durant punched back with a jumper with about a minute left. The Mavs had plenty of chances to send the game to OT but Dirk Nowitzki and Chandler Parsons missed last-ditch threes. Durant and company escape with a win. Here’s a pic of Durant smiling since we hardly see that these days.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images.)
BEHIND THE LINES
Kevin Durant (OKC): 24 pts, 7 assts.
Chandler Parsons (DAL): 26 pts, 5 rebs.
Deron Williams (DAL): 22 pts, 5 assts.
INDIANA PACERS 110 (23-20) @ GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 122 (40-4)
Steve Kerr was back coaching for the first time this season.
And the Warriors didn’t disappoint. Myles Turner had a career-high for the Pacers but Stephen Curry messed around and ruined people’s lives again (more on this later). Just the usual virtuoso performance from the MVP.
BEHIND THE LINES
Stephen Curry (GS): 39 pts (8/15 3FG), 10 rebs, 12 assts.
Draymond Green (GS): 22 pts, 11 rebs, 4 stls.
Myles Turner (IND): 31 pts, 8 rebs.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS 108 (38-6) @ LOS ANGELES LAKERS 95 (9-36)
It was the 10th anniversary of Kobe Bryant‘s 81-point game. But the Lakers only could muster 14 more than that against the basketball machine that is the Spurs. It was business as usual for the Spurs and they won their 13th straight game.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Mark J. Terrill/AP.)
As for Kobe Bryant? He fell 76 short of his career-high.
BEHIND THE LINES
Manu Ginobili (SA): 20 pts, 5 stls.
Julius Randle (LAL): 12 pts, 14 rebs.
D’Angelo Russell (LAL): 18 pts.
GETTING SOCIAL
The Knicks getting killed on D, Clippers forcing the Knicks to switch on D. LAC getting a TON of mismatches. #NYK
— NYK(22-23)NYJ (@NYJNYK247) January 23, 2016
Steph is something else sheesh
— Nik Stauskas (@NStauskas11) January 23, 2016
Rockets get past .500 after beating the Bucks 102-98 without Dwight Howard
— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) January 23, 2016
NBA coach, my PG, Kemba Walker, is available on feb 12-14 and has a passport, so he can travel to Canada !
— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) January 23, 2016
Good win by my @celtics
— fresh_$$$ (@mrbereal) January 23, 2016
WATCH THIS PLAY
The reigning MVP made this shot from halfcourt look easy. Two things: 1) he made a shot from like 60 feet in the first quarter that didn’t count. 2) I bet most people expected him to make this halfcourt shot.
(VIDEO CREDIT: NBA.)
THE TAKEAWAY
Curry has the record for most three-pointers in a season at 286. The Dubs are 44 games in (barely halfway through) and how many does he have right now? 204. Unbelievable.
Sticking with the Warriors, with the firing of David Blatt, that means three of the four coaches that faced the Dubs in the playoffs are no longer in their posts. We’re not saying the Warriors are directly responsible for all three of those firings but not keeping up with them didn’t help their cause. ESPECIALLY the Cavs.
Meanwhile, Pacers rookie Myles Turner has been on a tear in the last few games. We mentioned the career-best 31 points. Well, he’s averaging 23.8 points in the last three games. So, yeah, watch out for that.
It’s pretty amazing that the Spurs have never been 38-6. Not many people are talking about how the Spurs can win 70 as well. They’re actually ahead of another team that threatened 70: the 1991-92 Chicago Bulls. They ended up finishing 67-15 but it was a very real threat for that team.
Lastly, would David Blatt still be the coach if he didn’t talk to LeBron James with nothing but a towel on?
I’m going to lay off the photoshop and the drugs now.
(I actually don’t do drugs. Thanks for your concern.)
Follow Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass for all tweets about the NBA and terrible pop music. Also, check out his podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental.
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