LeBron flirts with triple-double while Parker shines for San Antonio.
There were 11 games on the NBA schedule on Monday night with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kevin Durant securing a win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Having seen his previous scoring streak end last week, the 25-year-old began a new one with 31 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in a grind-out win over Memphis.
Serge Ibaka added 21 points and 12 rebounds as the Thunder continued their home dominance in moving their record to 21-3 with a seventh straight win at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
“I thought we did a good job of playing tough defensive basketball throughout the game,” Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. “One of the strengths of our team, obviously, is our versatility. I think tonight it showed that sometimes you have to play different styles of basketball to get a win.”
Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs improved to 35-13 win a win over the New Orleans Pelicans, with Tony Parker scoring 32 points and adding 9 assists to help rally his side after the break.
Parker scored 21 of his 32 points in the second-half as the Spurs overcame a 14-point deficit, while Tim Duncan had 17 points and 16 rebounds on the night as he battled it out with Anthony Davis (17 points, 16 rebounds).
However, the biggest drama of the night was in Denver as the Nuggets hit a late three through Randy Foye to secure a win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Despite 36 points from Blake Griffin, the visitors couldn’t stop Foye’s buzzer beating winner which came 30-feet away from the basket as he sent the home crowd wild with a significant win over a rival Western Conference outfit.
Over in the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers sealed a comfortable 98-79 win over the Orlando Magic to maintain their lead at the top of the standings, while LeBron James ensured that the Miami Heat didn’t lose further ground with a 24-point, eight-rebound and 11-assist night in the win over the Detroit Pistons.
Dwyane Wade added 30 points, a season-high 10 rebounds and five assists as he looked rejuvenated following a break to help his knees recover, and with the Heat stars contributing to denying James a triple-double, they could afford to laugh as they looked strong throughout.
Chris Bosh insisted that the rest Wade had last month has done him well, and coach Erik Spoelstra will now hope to have his “Big Three” firing through the remainder of the regular season.
The Brooklyn Nets successfully overcame the test supplied by the Philadelphia 76ers, although there was more disappointment for the New York Knicks who dropped a game on the road in Milwaukee.
NBA Results:
Orlando Magic 79-98 Indiana Pacers
Portland Trail Blazers 90-100 Washington Wizards
Philadelphia 76ers 102-108 Brooklyn Nets
Detroit Pistons 96-102 Miami Heat
New York Knicks 98-101 Milwaukee Bucks
San Antonio Spurs 102-95 New Orleans Pelicans
Memphis Grizzlies 77-86 Oklahoma City Thunder
Cleveland Cavaliers 107-124 Dallas Mavericks
Los Angeles Clippers 115-116 Denver Nuggets
Toronto Raptors 94-79 Utah Jazz
Chicago Bulls 70-99 Sacramento Kings
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