An NBA official ball sits on the floor near the basket NBA logo before the start of the Miami Heat-Denver Nuggets game at the Pepsi Center on November 15, 2012 in Denver. UPI/Gary C. Caskey |
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Indianapolis, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - Andrew Bynum had a successful Pacers debut and helped Indiana snap a season-long four-game slide with a 94-83 victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. Bynum, signed by Indiana as a free agent on Feb. 1, totaled eight points and 10 rebounds in just under 16 minutes off the bench. David West checked in with 24 points while Paul George and George Hill netted 12 apiece for the Pacers, who bounced back after losing their previous three contests by an average of nearly 20 points per game. Jared Sullinger and Kris Humphries paced Boston with 17 and 15 points, respectively, but the Celtics folded late in dropping their fifth straight road test.
Final Score: Detroit 99, Sacramento 89
Auburn Hills, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Josh Smith notched 24 points and eight rebounds in the Detroit Pistons' 99-89 triumph over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. Rodney Stuckey contributed 23 points off the bench, while Andre Drummond gave 15 points and five blocked shots to help Detroit break a three- game slide. Kyle Singler had 11 points and five steals in the win. Rudy Gay paced the Kings with 20 points, Isaiah Thomas chipped in 19 points and eight assists and DeMarcus Cousins stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, 14 boards and six blocks. The Kings have now dropped three in a row, falling to 1-3 on their season-long seven-game road trip.
Final Score: San Antonio 104, Chicago 96
Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - The San Antonio Spurs showed why they own the league's best record on Tuesday with a dismantling of a Chicago Bulls team fresh off one of their signature wins of the season. Manu Ginobili scored a team-high 22 points as the Spurs raced out to a huge lead and picked up a 104-96 win whose final score skewed the one-sided affair. Tony Parker donated 20 points and nine assists, Kawhi Leonard chipped in with 16 points and nine rebounds and Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli contributed 10 points apiece off the bench. San Antonio, which shot 61 percent from the field en route to a 28- point halftime lead, has reeled off seven straight wins and improved to 14-3 since the start of February. Chicago took a step back following Sunday's thrilling overtime win over the two-time champion Miami Heat. D.J. Augustin scored 24 points, Jimmy Butler added 23 and Joakim Noah netted 13 with eight rebounds and seven assists.
Final Score: Memphis 109, Portland 99
Memphis, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Marc Gasol flirted with a triple-double, posting 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to help the Memphis Grizzlies take a 109-99 win over the Portland Trail Blazers at FedExForum. Zach Randolph added 18 points and 12 rebounds, Mike Conley scored 17 and Mike Miller chipped in with 14 off the bench for the Grizzlies, winners in three straight and five of their last six overall. Damian Lillard scored a game-high 32 points and handed out seven assists for Portland. He was 4-for-8 from 3- point range and 12-for-13 from the free throw line. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, but was just 8-for-23 from the field and Nicolas Batum chipped in with 15 points and eight rebounds for the Trail Blazers, losers in three straight and four of their last five. Portland shot just 40.7 percent (35-for-86) from the field.
Final Score: Minnesota 112, Milwaukee 101
Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin Love poured in 27 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished six assists to lead Minnesota to a 112-101 win over Milwaukee on Tuesday. Kevin Martin scored 26 and J.J. Barea netted 19 points for the Timberwolves, who have won five of their last seven. Nikola Pekovic added 14 points and eight boards and Ricky Rubio tallied 11 points and 10 assists. Brandon Knight had 21 points, Nate Wolters added 14 and Jeff Adrien scored 12 for the Bucks, who have lost four of their last five. Khris Middleton and Ramon Sessions put through 11 apiece in defeat.
Final Score: Oklahoma City 106, Houston 98
Oklahoma City, OK (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin Durant registered his 11th 40- point game of the season and Serge Ibaka grabbed 16 rebounds to help the Oklahoma City Thunder snap a two-game slide with a 106-98 triumph over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday from Chesapeake Energy Arena. Durant shot 12-of-22 for 42 points, while Ibaka scored 12 points with four blocked shots for OKC. Russell Westbrook stuffed the stat sheet with 24 points, seven assists and four steals while Caron Butler added 11 points off the bench. Durant and Westbrook combined to shoot 24-of-30 from the free throw line, outscoring the Rockets (23-of-34) at the stripe by themselves. James Harden flirted with a triple-double in the setback, putting in 28 points with nine assists and eight rebounds as Houston's five-game winning streak came to an end. Chandler Parsons donated 19 points.
Final Score: Golden State 108, Dallas 85
Oakland, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jordan Crawford posted 19 points off the bench as the Golden State Warriors drubbed the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, 108-85. Andrew Bogut had 15 points and 10 rebounds for Golden State, which led comfortably for most of the contest en route to its fifth straight triumph. Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes donated 14 and 13 points, apiece, with David Lee grabbing a game-high 11 boards. Monta Ellis paced the Mavs with 15 points in the setback while Dirk Nowitzki notched 12, tying him with Celtics legend John Havlicek for 12th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Dallas' brief two-game winning streak came to a halt.
