The Miami Heat beat the Phoenix Suns in a battle between upcoming teams
The Heat and Suns have been very entertaining to watch this season. They’ve found ways to win against championship contenders, and have made the case early on that they will not be pushovers in their respective conferences. Both teams entered with a record of 5-2, better than some of those expected to make deep playoff runs.
Jimmy Butler and the Heat had no intention of dropping today’s game, however. Butler set the tone for the game with 34 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. He also went for a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line. He was backed up by a big game from veteran partner Goran Dragic as well, who put up 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. While many previous games focused on their youngsters Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro (who scored 11 and 15 points respectively), this 124-108 victory was all about the vets.
The Suns didn’t do a bad job playing, either. It was close through the first three quarters, but they couldn’t shut down Jimmy Buckets. Devin Booker put up a 22 points and Aron Baynes put up 23. Ricky Rubio also had an effective game, with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists.
The Los Angeles Clippers survive the Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard and the Blazers desperately wanted to take home the road win, but they weren’t able to take the lead in the closing minutes of the game. They fought back from a 7 point halftime deficit in the third quarter, outscoring the Clippers by 10.
The Clippers, as usual, fought back in the final stanza and took back the lead and held on down the stretch. The Blazers had the lead whittled down to a point with 45 seconds remaining, but Lou Williams had absolutely no intention of letting it happen, hitting a dagger 3 with 31.7 seconds left to give the Clippers a 4 point lead. Rodney Hood then hit a jumper to pull it within two points with 16.8 seconds to go. Kawhi Leonard iced the game with four straight free throws to cap the 107-101 victory.
Leonard finished the game with 27 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks. Lou Williams dropped in 26 off the bench, and Ivica Zubac had a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Lillard and CJ McCollum each put up 22 points in the close loss.
The San Antonio Spurs bounce back against the Oklahoma City Thunder
LaMarcus Aldridge put on a vintage performance while leading the Spurs to a 121-112 win against the Thunder. He put up 39 points in 34 minutes of play, and chipped in 6 rebounds, 4 assists, steals, and one block. The victory, which saw the Thunder have decent games out of Dario Gallinari, Chris Paul, and Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, proves that the Spurs will just find ways to keep on contending for the playoffs.
While the future looks bright for OKC, the present is certainly not going to be kind to them. Especially in a loaded Western Conference.
The Boston Celtics take down the Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets entered the game against the Celtics with a surprising 4-3 record. However, they were quickly humbled by the boys from Bean Town in a 108-87 loss. The Hornets only managed to get double digit scoring from Miles Bridges and Devonte Graham, and neither of them scored 20 or more.
The Celtics (6-1), on the other hand, had a far more balanced attack. Jayson Tatum posted 23 points and 9 rebounds, and Gordon Hayward had a double-double with 20 points and 10 boards. Kemba walker had a relatively quiet night against his former team with 14 points and 6 assists – but he must be overjoyed that he doesn’t have to carry a team on a nightly basis anymore.
