National Basketball Association Game Capsules
London, England (SportsNetwork.com) – Joe Johnson scored 26 of his 29 points in the first half as the Brooklyn Nets cruised past the Atlanta Hawks, 127-110, in London. Andray Blatche added 20 points, 14 rebounds and six assists for the Nets, who have won six of their last seven games. Paul Pierce and Alan Anderson tallied 18 and 15 points, respectively. Mike Scott and Shelvin Mack each had 17 points for the Hawks, who have lost two in a row. Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap donated 16 and 13 points, respectively.
Final Score: Indiana 117, New York 89
Indianapolis, IN (SportsNetwork.com) – Lance Stephenson launched a “Sir Lancealot” video campaign Tuesday night in an effort to get himself into the upcoming All-Star Game in New Orleans. It’s tough to make a case against him. Stephenson had 28 points and the Indiana Pacers routed the New York Knicks, 117-89, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The NBA’s triple-double leader this season wore a shaggy wig, bowtie, rimmed glasses, suspenders and tucked his pants into his socks in the comedic video. In a loud and raspy voice, Stephenson made his case why he should be in the game. George added 25 points and seven rebounds for the Pacers, who have won seven straight against New York in Indianapolis including last season’s Eastern Conference Playoffs. Indiana has won six of its last seven overall. Carmelo Anthony netted 28 points to lead New York, which has dropped two in a row on the heels of a season-high five- game winning streak.
Final Score: Oklahoma City 104, Houston 92
Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t just ratchet up their defense following a woeful first half, they shut the Houston Rockets down. Kevin Durant had 36 points, seven assists and five rebounds and the Thunder pulled away from the Rockets, 104-92, on Thursday night. The Rockets led 73-59 at the break after going 12-of-20 from beyond the arc, but missed all 14 of their 3-point attempts over the final 24 minutes while tallying just 19 points. The minus-54 point differential is the largest between halves in NBA history. No team has registered 70-plus points in the first half and followed with 25-or-fewer in the second half since the Seattle SuperSonics on Dec. 21, 2001. Reggie Jackson added 23 points and six steals for the Thunder, who had lost three of their last four games coming in. James Harden recorded 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds against his former team for Houston, which has its three-game winning streak snapped. Terrence Jones chipped in with 16 points and 13 boards in defeat.
Categorized in: NBA