NBA Wrap: Orlando Magic hold off New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana Pacers defeat Philadelphia 76ers
ANDREW Bogut and Aron Baynes collided heavily as the NBA got back into full swing after the All-Star break. It’s all in our NBA Wrap.
ANDREW Bogut and Aron Baynes collided heavily as the NBA got back into full swing after the All-Star break.
It’s all in our NBA Wrap.
AUSSIES IN ACTION
BOGUT got the better of Baynes on the scoreboard as the Warriors topped the Spurs 110-99, but Baynes had the edge in the physical duel.
Baynes, starting for the second night in a row, added 12 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and a steal in 25:06 minutes. He also floored Bogut early in the third quarter with an apparent elbow, adding extra spice to the contest.
Bogut finished with four points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 24:24 minutes.
Baynes catches Bogut on the jaw and the refs are reviewing it. Ain’t nothing #LetsGoWarriorsLive
— LetsGoWarriors (@LetsGoWarriors) February 21, 2015Baynes (+3) and fellow Australian Patty Mills (+6) were the only members of the Spurs to finish with in the positive side of the +/- ledger. Mills contributed eight points, one assist and a block in 23:05 minutes off the bench.
Joe Ingles returned from a back injury to help the Utah Jazz to an upset 92-76 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Ingles tallied eight points, two assists, three rebounds and two steals in 30:49.
He started alongside fellow Aussie Dante Exum, who added three points on one-from-four shooting along with three assists, four rebounds and a steal in 19:36 minutes.
Exum told the Deseret News he learned a lot during the All-Star period after playing in the Rising Star Challenge.
“A lot of the season, there’s been some fatigue and everyone was getting to that point,” Exum said. “Just getting away for a little bit, having that bit of a break, I think it helps us a bit.
“It was good. New York was just a crazy place with the All-Star Weekend and just the traffic and cold weather. But a good experience and got a few days off to come back here and get in the gym and work on my shot a bit.”
Matthew Dellavedova contributed eight points, five assists and two rebounds in 23:07 minutes as the Cleveland Cavaliers rolled the Washington Wizards 127-89.
Cameron Bairstow was not activated by the Chicago Bulls in their 100-91 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
MAGIC 95 — PELICANS 84
VICTOR Oladipo had 22 points, Nik Vucevic had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic rallied to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 95-84 on Friday night.
Evan Fournier added 16 points.
It marks the first time the Magic have posted back-to-back wins since Jan. 14.
Orlando trailed by four at the half, but used a 9-0 run early in the fourth quarter to take control. The Magic are now 3-2 under interim coach James Borrego.
Tyreke Evans led New Orleans with 14 points and 10 assists. Anthony Davis added 13 points and 11 rebounds in his return from a right shoulder injury.
Both Davis and Ryan Anderson, who was out with a right elbow strain, missed the previous two games. Anderson had 13 points in 27 minutes.
RAPTORS 105 — HAWKS 80
THE matchup of the Eastern Conference’s top teams was a rout as Toronto opened the second half of the season with a surprisingly lopsided 105-80 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
Lou Williams had 26 points while making seven of 10 3-pointers and DeMar DeRozan had 21 points for Toronto. The Raptors outscored the Hawks 28-13 in the third quarter to turn a close game into a 23-point lead.
The Raptors won with defense. Williams had four of Toronto’s 15 steals and the Raptors blocked nine shots.
Atlanta still has a 5 1/2 game lead over Toronto in the Eastern Conference standings, but the Raptors won the season series 3-1. No other team has two wins over the Hawks.
The Hawks have lost four of seven games following a team-record 19-game winning streak.
PACERS 105 — 76ERS 95
HEAT 111 — KNICKS 87
WITH Chris Bosh hospitalized in South Florida for tests and Goran Dragic not yet available, eight of nine Miami players scored in double figures and the Heat beat New York.
Dwyane Wade scored 12 points after a seven-game absence for a hamstring injury. Rookie Shabazz Napier scored a season-high 18 points to lead the Heat, adding seven rebounds and six assists.
Bosh was still getting tested to determine the cause of his back and side pain. Coach Erik Spoelstra Spoelstra said it was premature to comment about the All-Star forward’s condition, amid speculation that the concern was blood clots had worked their way from his legs to his lungs.
The Heat traded four players Thursday in the three-team deal that brought Dragic and his brother, Zoran, from Phoenix. They were getting their physicals Friday and Spoelstra hopes they could be available Saturday at home against New Orleans.
WARRIORS 110 — SPURS 99
STEPHEN Curry had 25 points and 11 assists, Klay Thompson scored 20 and Golden State Warriors returned from the All-Star break to beat San Antonio.
Curry controlled the game the way he so often has this season, burnishing his MVP credentials by leading Golden State to big runs at the end of the second and third quarters.
The Warriors went ahead by 21 points entering the fourth, and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich rested his regulars the final 12 minutes.
Aron Baynes had 12 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio.
KINGS 109 — CELTICS 101
DEMARCUS Cousins had 31 points and 15 rebounds, Rudy Gay scored 28 points and Sacramento beat Boston to make new coach George Karl a winner in his return to the NBA.
The Kings overcame an early 16-point deficit and gave Karl his first victory since a playoff win with Denver against Golden State on April 30, 2013. This one was his 1,132nd regular-season victory, sixth-most in league history and more than the wayward Kings have in 30 seasons in Sacramento.
Avery Bradley scored 28 points for Boston.
BUCKS 89 — NUGGETS 81
KHRIS Middleton scored 15 points, John Henson added 14 and Milwaukee beat Denver in its first game since tweaking its roster at the NBA trade deadline.
Michael Carter-Williams, who was acquired from Philadelphia as part of a three-team deal that sent Brandon Knight to Phoenix, did not play because of a sprained right big toe.
Wilson Chandler led Denver with 19 points.
PISTONS 100 — BULLS 91
ANDRE Drummond had 18 points and 20 rebounds to lead short-handed Detroit past Chicago.
Greg Monroe and Caron Butler each scored 20 points, and rookie point guard Spencer Dinwiddie set career highs with 12 points and nine assists in his first NBA start.
The Pistons dressed only 10 players, having traded four away Thursday to get Reggie Jackson and Tayshaun Prince. Jackson was on Detroit’s bench, cheering wildly, but didn’t get clearance in time to play. Prince won’t arrive until Saturday.
Jimmy Butler had 30 points for Chicago.
PACERS 106 — 76ERS 95
RODNEY Stuckey scored a season-high 30 points off the bench, C.J. Miles added 17 and Indiana beat Philadelphia for its fifth victory in six games.
Stuckey shot 10 for 16 from the field and 8 for 8 from the free throw line, but his night came to an early end when he landed awkwardly on his left ankle with less than four minutes remaining. The eighth-year guard was grimacing in pain and had to be helped off the floor.
Luc Mbah a Moute and Jerami Grant led the 76ers with 16 points apiece. Nerlens Noel finished just shy of a triple-double with 12 points, nine rebounds and a career-high nine blocks.
MAVERICKS 111 — ROCKETS 100
DEVIN Harris scored 17 points, Al-Farouq Aminu set season highs with 17 points and 12 rebounds, and balanced Dallas held on to beat Houston.
Rajon Rondo scored 13 points in his second game back from a broken bone near his left eye to help the Mavericks bounce back a night after a blowout loss at Oklahoma City in their return from the All-Star break. James Harden scored 26 points to lead the Rockets.
TIMBERWOLVES 111 — SUNS 109
KEVIN Martin scored 28 points and Andrew Wiggins added 20 to lead Minnesota past Phoenix.
Ricky Rubio had 10 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds for the Wolves in their final home game before the highly anticipated return of franchise icon Kevin Garnett.
Markieff Morris scored 31 points for the Suns, who have lost six of seven to fall behind Oklahoma City in the race for the final Western Conference playoff spot. The Suns dressed only 10 players after trading Goran Dragic, Isaiah Thomas and three others Thursday.
MAGIC 95 — PELICANS 84
VICTOR Oladipo scored 22 points, and Nik Vucevic had 18 points and 13 rebounds in Orlando’s victory over New Orleans.
Evan Fournier added 16 points to help the Magic win consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 14. The Magic are 3-2 under interim coach James Borrego.
Tyreke Evans led New Orleans with 14 points and 10 assists. Anthony Davis added 13 points and 11 rebounds in his return from a right shoulder injury.
JAZZ 92 — TRAIL BLAZERS 76
GORDON Hayward scored 20 points, and Trey Burke had 19 points off the bench to help Utah beat Portland.
The Jazz used a 39-10 run over the third and fourth quarters to take an 80-59 lead.
Damian Lillard scored 19 points for Portland.
NETS 114 — LAKERS 105
JOE Johnson scored 23 points and Brook Lopez added 22 off the bench, leading the Brooklyn Nets to a victory over the skidding Los Angeles Lakers.
Deron Williams had 15 assists and 12 points in his first start since Dec. 19, helping the Nets end a three-game slide midway through their eight-game road trip. It was the first game back for both teams following the All-Star break.
Thaddeus Young had eight points in 12 minutes off the bench in his Nets debut after Thursday’s trade that sent Kevin Garnett to Minnesota — where the 2004 NBA MVP and 15-time All-Star spent his first 12 seasons.
Originally published as NBA Wrap: Orlando Magic hold off New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana Pacers defeat Philadelphia 76ers
‘No notes’: Aussie’s nickname takes over NBA
Aussie youngster Dyson Daniels is taking over the NBA after he was bestowed arguably the greatest nickname ever.
‘Sucks to be Tom Brady’s kid’: Son’s shock call
NFL legend Tom Brady has left jaws on the floor after attending an NBA game in New York with his 17-year-old son Jack.
The sad state of the Cowboys and can KC go unbeaten?
Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys lament a lost season, with the amazing stats showing why, and can the Chiefs go unbeaten the rest of the way?