NBA Wrap: Andrew Bogut steps up but Golden State Warriors struggle without Stephen Curry
GOLDEN State battle without Steph Curry as Andrew Bogut comes to the fore and Boston cheer for Kobe Bryant. All the latest results are in the NBA Wrap.
GOLDEN State battle without Steph Curry but Andrew Bogut puts up solid numbers, Boston cheer for Kobe Bryant as Lakers beat Celtics, and Raptors hold off Washington.
All the latest results are in the NBA Wrap.
AUSSIES IN ACTION
Joe Ingles had a quiet game in Utah Jazz’s loss to Minnesota. Ingles scored two points, had two blocks, one steal and one rebound in 18 minutes off the bench.
The Warriors struggled without star three-point machine and MVP Steph Curry, but Aussie centre Andrew Bogut had a notable performance. Bogut had 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal and nine points in his side’s loss to Dallas.
For San Antonio Patty Mills was efficient in his limited time on court (17 minutes) to score seven points, two assists, one rebound and one steal.
Andrew Bogut has double-digit rebounds (10) for the sixth time this season to go with nine points (4-of-4 FG)
— GSWStats (@gswstats) December 31, 2015DALLAS MAVERICKS 114 — GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 91
The Golden State Warriors flopped without Stephen Curry, getting blown out for just their second loss of the season behind 23 points for Dallas’ J.J. Barea in a 114-91 victory for the Mavericks on Wednesday night.
Curry missed his first game of the season with a lower left leg bruise that might keep the NBA’s leading scorer and reigning MVP out again Thursday at Houston. But the Warriors (29-2) still have the best 31-game start in NBA history, a game better than four teams.
Klay Thompson, the other half of the Splash Brothers, couldn’t make up for Curry’s absence, going 4 of 15 for 10 points. Ian Clark led the Warriors with 21.
Zaza Pachulia had 14 points and 15 rebounds and Dirk Nowitzki added 18 and eight boards for the Mavericks, who won their fourth straight game without injured point guard Deron Williams.
CHICAGO BULLS 102 — INDIANA PACERS 100 (OT)
Jimmy Butler tipped in a basket with 1.2 seconds left in overtime and the Chicago Bulls beat the Indiana Pacers 102-100 despite playing without Derrick Rose.
Butler scored 28 points and Aaron Brooks had 29 points to help Chicago win its third in four games. Chicago got 52 points from its bench and held Indiana to 38.1 per cent shooting from the field. Pau Gasol had 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Rose was scratched an hour before the game with right hamstring tendinitis.
Butler scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and overtime combined.
Brooks’ floater with 58.7 seconds left gave Chicago a 100-95 advantage. Solomon Hill made two free throws, and Brooks’ turnover set up Monta Ellis’ tying 3-pointer with 3.7 seconds left.
On the final play, Butler tipped in Gasol’s lob from atop the key. Butler then defended Paul George on a lob to preserve the win.
George Hill led Indiana with 20 points.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS 112 — PHOENIX SUNS 79
LaMarcus Aldridge had 21 points and 12 rebounds and the Spurs routed the Phoenix Suns 112-79 on Wednesday night for their 19th straight home win to start the season.
San Antonio successfully rang out an eventful 2015 that saw them add Aldridge in free agency after being bounced from the opening round of the playoffs and open the season with a franchise record home winning streak.
The Spurs also extended their franchise record home winning streak to 28 straight games dating back to last season by holding the Suns to several season lows.
Phoenix had season lows for total points, first-half points (33) and points in the opening quarter (12).
Kawhi Leonard had 19 points, Manu Ginobili added 13 and Tony Parker had 12 points and seven assists for San Antonio (28-6).
LA LAKERS 112 — BOSTON CELTICS 104
Kobe Bryant had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles in likely his final game in Boston, leading the Lakers to a 112-104 victory over the Celtics on Wednesday night.
Bryant played 33 minutes and recorded his first double-double of the season. Jordan Clarkson scored 24 points and Lou Williams had 19 as Los Angeles stopped a four-game slide.
Isaiah Thomas had 24 points and Evan Turner scored 20 for Boston, which had won four in a row.
Bryant plans to retire after the season. It was his 173rd career double-double.
The crowd chanted “Kobe! Kobe!” in the final minute.
Danny Ainge, Rich Gotham and Steve Pagliuca presented @kobebryant with a piece of the parquet floor earlier today. pic.twitter.com/OF5DUk9n99
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 30, 2015TORONTO RAPTORS 94 — WASHINGTON WIZARDS 91
DeMar DeRozan had 34 points, six rebounds and five assists, and the Toronto Raptors beat the Washington Wizards 94-91 on Wednesday night.
DeRozan went 15 for 15 at the free-throw line as Toronto won its fifth straight regular-season game against the Wizards, who swept the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs last season.
Terrence Ross added 14 points for the Raptors (20-13), who have won three of four. Bismack Biyombo, who started the previous 18 games at centre in place of injured Jonas Valanciunas, had 12 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks.
Otto Porter led the Wizards (14-16) with 20 points and nine rebounds.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 94 — UTAH JAZZ 80
Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 10 rebounds and the Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the shorthanded Utah Jazz in a 94-80 victory on Wednesday night.
Ricky Rubio tied a career high with 17 assists and Andrew Wiggins scored 17 points on 6-for-17 shooting for the Timberwolves, who improved to 5-12 at home this season. Gorgui Dieng had 12 points and nine rebounds and the Wolves held off a late charge from the Jazz, who were missing Derrick Favors for a third straight game with back spasms.
Trey Burke scored all 23 of his points in the second half for Utah. The Jazz turned the ball over 19 times and were shooting an ugly 27 per cent late in the third quarter. They shot 35 per cent for the game and were 10 for 39 (25.6 per cent) on 3-pointers.
LA CLIPPERS 122 — CHARLOTTE HORNETS 117
J.J. Redick scored 26 points, Austin Rivers added a season-best 22, and the Los Angeles Clippers held off the Charlotte Hornets 122-117 on Wednesday night.
Chris Paul had 19 points and 11 assists for the Clippers, who had a season-high scoring game in winning their fourth straight on the road. DeAndre Jordan finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Kemba Walker scored 29 points for the Hornets, who played without Al Jefferson due to a knee injury that will sideline the centre for at least six weeks. Frank Kaminsky had 20 points, Jeremy Lamb and Nicolas Batum added 19 apiece, and Cody Zeller scored 12.
Down 92-86 entering the fourth quarter, Charlotte managed to cut Los Angeles’ lead to 94-93 on Lamb’s three-point play with 10:09 remaining. But the Clippers responded with a 14-4 run.
ORLANDO MAGIC 100 — BROOKLYN NETS 93
Nik Vucevic had 20 points and nine rebounds, and the Orlando Magic rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Brooklyn Nets 100-93.
Evan Fournier added 17 points and five assists for Orlando, which has won seven of nine. Vucevic has scored 20 or more points in seven straight games.
The Magic trailed for most of the second half, but used a 9-0 run late in the third quarter to cut into what had been a double-digit deficit. Then they outscored the Nets 32-20 in the final period.
Brooklyn led by as many as 13 but fell part down the stretch, going 3 for 20 from the 3-point line.
Brook Lopez led the Nets with 24 point and 15 rebounds. Bojan Bogdanovic added 20 points.
Trailing 93-90, Orlando scored on back-to-back lay-ups by Vucevic and Tobias Harris to take a 94-93 lead with 45 seconds to play.
The Nets were the more energetic team in the first half, and used a 19-7 surge in the second quarter to build as much as a 13-point lead.
Orlando went through several different line-ups trying to find some cohesion, with 12 of the 13 active players on the roster seeing action.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS 110 — SACRAMENTO KINGS 105
Ish Smith scored five of his 18 points over the final 3 1/2 minutes and Jerami Grant made three late free throws to in Philadelphia’s victory over Sacramento.
The 76ers have won two of their past three games since acquiring Smith in a trade with New Orleans, improving their NBA-worst record to 3-31. Nerlens Noel had a season-high 20 points and added nine rebounds, and Grant finished with 16 points, a career-best 11 rebounds and five blocked shots.
DeMarcus Cousins had 21 points and 11 rebounds for Sacramento but fouled out with 1:47 left.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS 110 — DENVER NUGGETS 103
C.J. McCollum scored 29 points, Allen Crabbe had 20 and Portland beat Denver for its third consecutive victory.
McCollum, starting at point guard for a fourth consecutive game with Damian Lillard sidelined with a left foot injury, hit 12 of 19 shots, Crabbe was 8 of 14, going 4 for 7 from 3-point range.
Will Barton, traded by Portland to Denver last season, led the Nuggets with 31 points.
Originally published as NBA Wrap: Andrew Bogut steps up but Golden State Warriors struggle without Stephen Curry
Longley: ‘I don’t feel sorry for Josh Giddey’
Australian basketball icon Luc Longley says he doesn’t feel sorry for Josh Giddey after the young gun copped brutal NBA treatment.
Michael Jordan at centre of $61m rumour
Michael Jordan is joining NBC’s NBA coverage from the beginning of next season, but questions surrounding his payday remain unanswered.
‘Pretty simple’: Aussie Super Bowl champion takes aim at Simmons
Sydney-born Super Bowl champion Jordan Mailata has taken a swipe at Aussie NBA star Ben Simmons, offering frank advice over how he handled his departure from the Philadelphia 76ers.