National Basketball Association Game Capsules

Orlando, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Rookie Elfrid Payton became the first player in Orlando Magic history with consecutive triple-doubles in a 111-104 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. Payton had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists and the Magic used a late- game surge to snap a six-game losing streak. The first-round draft pick had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in a loss to Dallas on Wednesday. Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vucevic also scored 22 points for Orlando. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 18 of his 31 points in the third quarter for the Blazers, who have dropped three in a row to fall to 1-3 on a five-game road trip. Aldridge added 10 rebounds, Damian Lillard scored 18 points, but just two after halftime, and C.J. McCollum had 15 points for the Blazers.

Final Score: Philadelphia 97, New York 81

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – Nerlens Noel scored a career-high 23 points and added 14 rebounds, five steals and three blocks in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 97-81 win over the New York Knicks. With 15 points and nine assists from Ish Smith, 14 points from Luc Mbah a Moute and 12 from Isaiah Canaan, Philadelphia won two games in a row for the first time since Jan. 28-30 and ended a four-game losing streak against the Knicks. Alexey Shved scored a career-high himself with 25 points for the Knicks, who lost for the fourth time in five games. Andrea Bargnani contributed 17, and Shane Larkin had 13.

Final Score: Brooklyn 129, Milwaukee 127 (3-OT)

Brooklyn, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – Brook Lopez’s 32 points and 18 rebounds helped the Brooklyn Nets outlast the Milwaukee Bucks 129-127 in another triple-overtime thriller between the teams. The rematch of a Nov. 19 clash at Barclays Center, which also lasted three overtimes, mirrored the first meeting except for the result. The Bucks won that previous showdown, but ultimately ran out of steam and were saddled with their 10th consecutive loss on the road. Thaddeus Young added 24 points for Brooklyn and Joe Johnson had 20 while twice extending the contest with late 3-pointers. The Bucks received nearly all their production from their starting five while pulling down an astounding 38 offensive rebounds, 18 of which were recorded by center Zaza Pachulia. Khris Middleton paced Milwaukee with 29 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 23 with 14 rebounds and Pachulia finished with 21 total boards along with 22 points and seven assists.

Final Score: Cleveland 95, Indiana 92

Cleveland, OH (SportsNetwork.com) – LeBron James is headed back to the playoffs with the Cleveland Cavaliers. James scored 29 points and the Cavaliers held on to beat the Indiana Pacers 95-92 on Friday night to clinch a spot in the playoffs for the first time since James left for Miami following the 2009-10 season. Kevin Love added 11 points and 13 rebounds and Kyrie Irving scored 13 for the Central Division-leading Cavs, who have won six of their last seven. James played despite missing Friday’s shootaround with an illness and scored 20 of his 29 points in the second half, including 13 in the fourth quarter. George Hill led Indiana with 24 points and Roy Hibbert scored 20 but the Pacers dropped their fourth game in a row following a season-high seven-game winning streak.

Final Score: Miami 108, Denver 91

Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Dwyane Wade scored 22 points to lead five Heat players in double figures in Miami’s 108-91 win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday. The Heat have won three games in a row for the first time since the opening three games of the season. They got 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists from Goran Dragic, 15 points from Luol Deng, 14 points and 10 boards from Hassan Whiteside and 10 points off the bench from Mario Chalmers. All five Denver starters reached double figures in its third straight loss. Kenneth Faried led the Nuggets with 20, Jusuf Nurkic and Randy Foye had 16 apiece, Wilson Chandler tallied 13, and Ty Lawson added 10 points and 12 assists.

Final Score: Chicago 108, Toronto 92

Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) – Nikola Mirotic scored 29 points with 11 rebounds and Joakim Noah came up just shy of a triple double as the Chicago Bulls posted a 108-92 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. Noah finished with 14 assists, 10 rebounds and eight points for Chicago, which has won two straight following a 1-5 stretch. Mike Dunleavy had 21 points and Pau Gasol and Aaron Brooks netted 11 apiece. DeMar DeRozan had 27 points and seven rebounds for a Toronto team that has dropped six of nine. Patrick Patterson supplied 17 points and Greivis Vasquez scored 11. Kyle Lowry didn’t play for the Raptors because of a back contusion.

Final Score: Oklahoma City 123, Atlanta 115

Oklahoma City, OK (SportsNetwork.com) – The Oklahoma City Thunder have gotten used to playing without reigning MVP Kevin Durant. They showed Friday they can still beat the best without him, as Russell Westbrook recorded yet another triple-double in the Thunder’s 123-115 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Hawks. Before the game the Thunder announced Durant will be sidelined indefinitely because of lingering soreness in his foot and did not give a timetable for his return. Someone will need to step up and complement the otherworldly production of Westbrook, who posted his ninth triple-double of the season — seventh in the past month — with 36 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds. Several role players did just that in the club’s fourth win in five games, notably Dion Waiters pouring in 26 points and Anthony Morrow scoring 21, including 12 during a game-changing run in the fourth quarter. Atlanta finished its six-game road trip at 3-3 despite seven players scoring in double figures. Pero Antic netted a career- high 22 points, Dennis Schroder added 21 and Paul Millsap dropped 19.

Final Score: Memphis 112, Dallas 101

Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – Zach Randolph led seven Grizzlies in double figures with 21 points as Memphis lit up the Dallas Mavericks, 112-101, in a Southwest Division showdown on Friday. The Grizzlies shot an impressive 53.2 percent from the floor with nearly all of their regulars getting in on the act. Marc Gasol totaled 15 points and 10 rebounds, Jeff Green added 15 points and Mike Conley scored 14 for division-leading Memphis, which bounced back from a loss in Detroit on Tuesday. Dallas’ stars struggled most of the night. Dirk Nowitzki shot 4-of-14 from the field and finished with 16 points before fouling out, while Monta Ellis was held without a field goal for the first three quarters before scoring 10 of his 12 in the fourth.

Final Score: San Antonio 101, Boston 89

San Antonio, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points and the San Antonio Spurs went wire-to-wire in a 101-89 win over the Boston Celtics at AT&T Center. Tiago Splitter added 18 points in a game the Spurs never trailed en route to a ninth win in 11 outings. Tony Parker contributed 15 points and seven assists for the reigning NBA champs. The Celtics, who dropped both tests of a two-game trip they entered off a season-best five straight wins, were paced by Evan Turner’s 17 points. Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder finished with 16 and 14, respectively, in defeat.

Final Score: Sacramento 101, Charlotte 91

Sacramento, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Rudy Gay poured in 33 points and the Sacramento Kings ended a four-game skid with a 101-91 victory over the struggling Charlotte Hornets on Friday. With All-Star forward DeMarcus Cousins sidelined due to a calf injury, Sacramento used a balanced scoring attacked behind Gay. Derrick Williams chipped in with 13 points, Omri Casspi added 10 and four other Kings scored at least eight in the wire- to-wire win. Charlotte has opened its five-game road trip with three straight losses and has dropped five of six overall to stay on the outside looking in at the Eastern Conference playoff race. Gerald Henderson led the way with 20 points, Kemba Walker netted 18 and Al Jefferson added 17 in a losing effort.

Final Score: Golden State 112, New Orleans 96

Oakland, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Harrison Barnes scored 22 points and Stephen Curry had 16 as the Golden State Warriors topped the playoff-hopeful New Orleans Pelicans, 112-96, at Oracle Arena. Marreese Speights added 13 points, Leandro Barbosa scored 12 and Andre Iguodala had 10 for the Warriors, who played without Klay Thompson (ankle). Golden State won despite Curry having an off-night, as he shot 4-of-17 from the field. He did have 11 assists. The Western Conference-leading Warriors posted their fourth straight victory overall and 11th straight at home. It was their 55th win of the season, which ties for second-most in franchise history, just shy of the 59 set during the 1975-76 campaign. Norris Cole had 16 points for New Orleans, which sits two games behind Oklahoma City for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.

Final Score: LA Clippers 113, Washington 99

Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Chris Paul posted 30 points, 15 assists and six rebounds to guide the Los Angeles Clipper to a 113-99 rout of the Washington Wizards on Friday. J.J. Redick scored 26 points, Blake Griffin had 22, six boards and five assists and DeAndre Jordan pulled down 23 rebounds in the Clippers’ third straight win. John Wall had 19 points and 10 assists to lead six Wizards in double figures. Bradley Beal netted 18, though 16 of those came in the first half, Nene added 14 and Marcin Gortat scored 12 in the setback.

Categorized in: NBA