National Basketball Association Game Capsules
Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) – Gerald Henderson scored 27 points on an efficient 10-of-15 shooting to lead the Charlotte Hornets to a 94-87 win over the Washington Wizards on Thursday night. Brian Roberts scored all 12 of his points in the second half for the Hornets, who overcame an 11-point deficit late in the third to win their third straight game, including back-to-back games against Washington. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Lance Stephenson and Jason Maxiell each posted 11 points in the win, with Maxiell blocking a career-high seven shots. The Wizards have dropped five straight games for the first time since they closed the 2012-13 season with six straight losses. Paul Pierce paced Washington with 19 points and John Wall registered 15 points with 13 assists in the loss. Wizards guard Bradley Beal left the game after just 11 minutes of action with soreness in his right big toe.
Final Score: Cleveland 105, LA Clippers 94
Cleveland, OH (SportsNetwork.com) – Kevin Love had 24 points and nine rebounds, LeBron James added 23 points and nine assists and the Cleveland Cavaliers routed the Los Angeles Clippers 105-94 for their 12th straight win. J.R. Smith hit four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points and Timofey Mozgov supplied 12 points and nine boards for the Cavs, who led by as many as 32. Blake Griffin posted 16 points and eight rebounds, while Chris Paul provided 10 points and nine assists for Los Angeles, which has dropped three of its last four games on the heels of a six-game winning streak.
Final Score: Dallas 101, Sacramento 78
Sacramento, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Monta Ellis scored 21 points, Tyson Chandler had 16 points and 16 rebounds and the road-weary Dallas Mavericks rolled to a 101-78 win over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night. J.J. Barea and Devin Harris each scored 15 in the win and Richard Jefferson added 14 points for the Mavericks, who went 3-0 against the Kings this season. Dallas finished 11-8 during a stretch in which it played 14 of 19 games on the road since Jan. 2, including a 128-114 loss to Golden State in Oakland on Wednesday night. The short turnaround caused Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle to give Dirk Nowitzki the night off to rest. Carlisle’s team will return to Dallas to begin a three-game homestand on Saturday against Portland. DeMarcus Cousins had 23 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Kings, who have lost 10 of their last 11. Rudy Gay was the only other scorer in double figures as Sacramento missed 50 of its 79 shots.
Final Score: Portland 108, Phoenix 87
Portland, OR (SportsNetwork.com) – LaMarcus Aldridge had 19 points and 13 rebounds, Nicolas Batum added 20 points and seven assists and the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Phoenix Suns 108-87 on Thursday night. Wesley Matthews posted 14 points and eight rebounds, while Robin Lopez supplied 11 points and 12 boards for the Blazers, who have won back-to-back games on the heels of a 1-5 stretch. Markieff Morris tallied 18 points and eight rebounds and Eric Bledsoe provided 17 points and seven boards for Phoenix, which has dropped five of its last seven contests.
Categorized in: NBA