Pacers bounce back, end three-game losing slide.
It was a busy night in the NBA on Wednesday with no less than 12 games, as the San Antonio Spurs kept their streak alive to make it 19 straight wins.
Tony Parker had 18 points and eight assists as the Spurs cruised against the Golden State Warriors, while Tim Duncan added 15 points and eight rebounds to seal the result.
That now takes their franchise-record winning streak to 19 games, and with their latest victory they have now extended their lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder at the top of the Western Conference to four games ahead of their match-up on Thursday night.
San Antonio (59-16) coach Gregg Popovich was also able to rest his key players as they led comfortably down the stretch, with Duncan playing 20 minutes and Parker 28 as both sat out the entire fourth quarter.
Nevertheless, the bench stepped up as usual to ensure another win, but they will need to be at the top of their game as they prepare to face their biggest threat in the West.
Over in the East, the Indiana Pacers ended a three-game losing streak with a win over the Detroit Pistons, as Paul George put his offensive slump behind him to score 27 points while also grabbing 13 rebounds and dishing out seven assists.
However, the All-Star was keen to stress that the most difficult part is now to rediscover that level of consistency having finally won again, and while they remain in second place in the conference, they will be focused on making up for their recent struggles.
The Miami Heat remain top of the pile after their comfortable win over the Milwaukee Bucks, with LeBron James having a quiet night by his high standards but still posted up 17 points and eight assists.
However, the real stories continue to come from the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, and the general race in the West for the final few spots.
Following their 29-point win over city rivals the Brooklyn Nets, coupled with the Atlanta Hawks’ loss to the Chicago Bulls, the New York Knicks moved percentage points above the Hawks and into the playoff picture for the first time this season.
J.R. Smith had 24 points, eight rebounds and six assists while Carmelo Anthony added 23 points and 10 rebounds as the Knicks continue to turn their season around.
Coach Mike Woodson insists that the players “are hungry”, and despite their 33-43 record this season, all that matters for them is making the playoffs and overcoming the early troubles that they suffered from.
Meanwhile, the result was also a blow for Brooklyn’s hopes of securing the third seed, as coupled with wins for the Bulls and Toronto Raptors, they slipped two-and-a-half games behind.
NBA Results:
Detroit Pistons 94-101 Indiana Pacers
Brooklyn nets 81-110 New York Knicks
Cleveland Cavaliers 119-98 Orlando Magic
Charlotte Bobcats 123-93 Philadelphia 76ers
Houston Rockets 103-107 Toronto Raptors
Boston Celtics 92-118 Washington Wizards
Chicago Bulls 105-92 Atlanta Hawks
Milwaukee Bucks 77-96 Miami Heat
Memphis Grizzlies 88-102 Minnesota Timberwolves
Golden State Warriors 90-111 San Antonio Spurs
New Orleans Pelicans 107-137 Denver Nuggets
Los Angeles Clippers 112-108 Phoenix Suns
Los Angeles Lakers 102-107 Sacramento Kings
COMMENTS