National Basketball Association Game Capsules

Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) – Jameer Nelson scored 12 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, including a key 3-pointer late, and the Orlando Magic snapped a six-game losing streak with a 92-83 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday. Glen Davis also scored 17 with 12 rebounds and Arron Afflalo had 16 points for the Magic, who salvaged a 1-5 road trip with their first win since Nov. 27. It was just Orlando’s second win in 12 road games this season. Nikola Vucevic didn’t score after halftime but finished with a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds. The Bobcats had a two-game winning streak snapped to finish a three-game homestand and haven’t won three straight since the end of last season. Gerald Henderson scored 12 points to lead Charlotte and Al Jefferson had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Final Score: LA Clippers 96, Boston 88

Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) – Jamal Crawford came up huge down the stretch, netting 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to help the Los Angeles Clippers escape Boston with a 96-88 win over the Celtics in Doc Rivers’ return to TD Garden. Rivers, who coached the Celtics to a 416-305 regular-season record and the 17th championship in club history, was traded to the Clippers in an unconventional move this past summer for a 2015 first-round draft pick. Rivers spent nine seasons on the Celtics’ bench, leading them to seven playoff appearances. Chris Paul tallied 22 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in the triumph while Blake Griffin scored 18 points. The Clippers improved to 3-2 on their current season-long seven-game road trip. Jeff Green poured in a game-high 29 points for Boston, which has lost two in a row on the heels of a three-game winning streak. Jordan Crawford had 20 points and nine assists and Brandon Bass registered 17 points with 12 boards.

Final Score: Oklahoma City 116, Memphis 100

Memphis, TN (SportsNetwork.com) – The Memphis Grizzlies took advantage of Russell Westbrook’s torn meniscus in last year’s Western Conference semifinals and defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games. Memphis, though, was the team shorthanded this time. Westbrook had 27 points, nine assists and six rebounds as the Thunder defeated the Grizzlies 116-100 on Wednesday night. The Thunder defeated the Houston Rockets in the opening round despite losing Westbrook in Game 2, but lost four straight in the semis after taking Game 1. Kevin Durant added 18 points and six rebounds for OKC, which has won 12 of its last 13 games. Jeremy Lamb scored 18 points off the bench in the triumph. Mike Conley netted 20 points to go with nine assists and Zach Randolph donated 17 points and eight boards for the Grizzlies, who continue to play without star center Marc Gasol due to a sprained MCL and guard Tony Allen due to a hip injury. Memphis is also missing forward Ed Davis (ankle) and swingman Quincy Pondexter (right foot).

Final Score: San Antonio 109, Milwaukee 77

Milwaukee, WI (SportsNetwork.com) – Tim Duncan contributed 21 points and 16 rebounds in the San Antonio Spurs’ 109-77 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. Duncan played just 24 minutes as he led six Spurs in double figures and outscored Milwaukee’s starting unit himself. Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard netted 15 and 13 points, respectively, as San Antonio improved to 9-1 against the Eastern Conference this season. Marco Belinelli had 11 points in the victory, while Cory Joseph and Danny Green scored 10 apiece. Milwaukee, which has lost four of six, got career-high scoring efforts from a pair of rookies. Nate Wolters tallied 18 points with seven assists and Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 15 points.

Final Score: Minnesota 106, Philadelphia 99

Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) – Kevin Love scored 26 points with 15 rebounds and five assists to help the Minnesota Timberwolves erase a 19-point first half deficit en route to a 106-99 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Ricky Rubio posted 21 points with seven assists and Nikola Pekovic added a double-double with 20 points and 10 boards for Minnesota, which won its fourth consecutive game over the Sixers for the first time in franchise history. Tony Wroten and Spencer Hawes each scored 20 points with Hawes making 4-of-5 from distance. Thaddeus Young and James Anderson registered 16 points apiece, while Evan Turner added 13 points.

Final Score: New Orleans 111, Detroit 106 (OT)

New Orleans, LA (SportsNetwork.com) – Jason Smith netted 22 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to help the New Orleans Pelicans to a 111-106 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons. Ryan Anderson had 22 points and Jrue Holiday added 19 and eight assists for the Pelicans, who will host Memphis Friday. With 11.3 to play in overtime, Tyreke Evans went to the charity stripe for two shots. He split the pair, but a lane violation on Josh Smith gave him another chance, and Evans drained it to put the Pelicans up 110-106. Greg Monroe scored a game-high 28 points with 10 rebounds for Detroit, which will host Brooklyn Friday. Brandon Jennings added 25 points and Rodney Stuckey had 20.

Final Score: New York 83, Chicago 78

New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – The New York Knicks were on the wrong end of back-to-back blowouts. They were hurt. They built a 23-point lead against the Chicago Bulls, let them come back to tie the score, then escaped Madison Square Garden on the winning end of a stinker. But a win is a win — and the Knicks haven’t seen many of those in the last month. Carmelo Anthony scored 30 points, Amare Stoudemire had 14 and the Knicks beat the Bulls 83-78 on Wednesday night despite shooting 21 percent in the fourth quarter. The Knicks took control with a 19-0 run to start the second quarter and led by as many as 23 before a 33-10 Bulls run spanning the third and fourth quarters tied the game. Stoudemire’s jumper and Anthony’s free throws stopped the surge, giving New York a four-point lead with 1:29 left, and the Bulls let the shot clock run out then turned the ball over on two possessions in the final minute, allowing Anthony to seal the win at the foul line. Anthony had a double-double, getting 10 rebounds, and Stoudemire approached one off the bench with nine boards. It was only the Knicks’ third win in 14 games and just their third victory at home this season. They snapped a six-game losing streak to the Bulls.

Final Score: Utah 122, Sacramento 101

Sacramento, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Richard Jefferson shot 7-of-9 from the floor and led Utah with 20 points as the Jazz exacted revenge with a 122-101 win over the Sacramento Kings from Sleep Train Arena. Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward netted 17 points apiece for the Jazz, who lost at home in overtime to the Kings on Dec. 7. Favors returned after missing the last two games — including the Sacramento loss — with lower back soreness and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds with three blocked shots. Alec Burks dropped 17 points off the bench in the triumph and Trey Burke went for 11 points while matching a career-high with nine assists. The Kings were once again without Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray. The trio was acquired in a trade earlier in the week from Toronto but did not pass physicals in time to play in Wednesday’s contest. All three should be available on Friday in Phoenix. DeMarcus Cousins led the hosts with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Isaiah Thomas had 20 points with seven assists as the Kings’ brief two-game winning streak came to an end.

Final Score: Golden State 95, Dallas 93

Oakland, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Stephen Curry sure made up for all those turnovers over the first three quarters. Curry had 16 of his 33 points in the fourth, including a go-ahead jumper with three seconds left as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks 95-93 on Wednesday night. Monta Ellis, who played for Golden State from 2005-12, drove in for a reverse layup with 1:26 remaining to give Dallas a 92-86 lead before Curry’s four-point play and Draymond Green’s right wing triple put the Warriors in front for the first time since the 6:45 mark of the opening frame. Ellis split a pair of free throws at the other end to knot the tilt at 93-93 with 46.8 ticks to go and Curry’s driving layup on the Warriors’ next touch didn’t drop. Ellis missed a fallaway jumper from the foul line with 24.9 seconds on the clock. Curry then got the ball at the top of the arc with Shawn Marion guarding him. Curry dribbled to the right elbow, moved Marion out of the way with a pump fake and then calmly rose up and knocked down the jumper.

Categorized in: NBA