A 6-matchup roster of NBA games behind us, including the Milwaukee Bucks taking down the pesky Boston Celtics, the Denver Nuggets surviving the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers, led by Kawhi Leonard, blowing out the Orlando Magic.
Phoenix Suns 121 New York Knicks 98
Despite a weak first quarter, the Suns eventually got their offensive gears going and picked up a blowout win in MSG, something almost everyone does this season. Three players scored 25 or more, led by Devin Booker with 29; DeAndre Ayton had the 26-21 impressive box score; Ricky Rubio finished with 25 points and 13 assists.
Boston Celtics 123 Milwaukee Bucks 128
The big Eastern showdown, despite the final score, was something of a blowout for most of it. The Bucks jumped on the lead early and never let go. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 to go with 17 boards and 7 assists. Kemba Walker’s 40 was impressive, but not enough.
Utah Jazz 132 New Orleans Pelicans 138
The Jazz’ outstanding form on both ends of the floor ran into Brandon Ingram, outdueling Donovan Mitchell (46 points on 34 shots), finishing with 49 of his own. His career high ended Utah’s 10-game win streak, while pulling the Pelicans to 3.5 games from the 8th spot.
Denver Nuggets 134 Golden State Warriors 131
The Nuggets rallied back from behind 19 points down to win in overtime. Will Barton finished with 31, Nikola Jokic added 23 with some big plays in the clutch, not letting their starting backcourt’s absence stop them from beating the worst team in the West. The Warriors are still one win shy of 10 this season (!!!). Alec Burks led the Dubs scoring with 25 off the bench.
Orlando Magic 95 Los Angeles Clippers 122
The Magic didn’t end up having another upset celebration at Staples. The Clippers took a double digit lead in the first quarter and built on it from there. Kawhi Leonard led the team with 32 points (still no Paul George), getting plenty of help from Montrezl Harrell who finished with 21 off the bench. The former second round pick out of Louisville is averaging an impressive 19.2 points in just under 29 minutes a night.
Eastern Conference Standings
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee Bucks | 36 | 6 | .857 | – | 42 |
| 2 | Miami Heat | 28 | 12 | .700 | 7.0 | 40 |
| 3 | Boston Celtics | 27 | 12 | .692 | 7.5 | 39 |
| 4 | Toronto Raptors | 26 | 14 | .650 | 9.0 | 40 |
| 5 | Indiana Pacers | 26 | 15 | .634 | 9.5 | 41 |
| 6 | Philadelphia 76ers | 26 | 16 | .619 | 10.0 | 42 |
| 7 | Orlando Magic | 20 | 21 | .488 | 15.5 | 41 |
| 8 | Brooklyn Nets | 18 | 22 | .450 | 17.0 | 40 |
| 9 | Chicago Bulls | 15 | 27 | .357 | 21.0 | 42 |
| 10 | Detroit Pistons | 15 | 27 | .357 | 21.0 | 42 |
| 11 | Charlotte Hornets | 15 | 29 | .341 | 22.0 | 44 |
| 12 | Washington Wizards | 13 | 27 | .325 | 22.0 | 40 |
| 13 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 12 | 29 | .293 | 23.5 | 41 |
| 14 | New York Knicks | 11 | 30 | .268 | 24.5 | 41 |
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks | 9 | 32 | .220 | 26.5 | 41 |
Western Conference Standings
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles Lakers | 33 | 8 | .805 | – | 41 |
| 2 | Denver Nuggets | 28 | 12 | .700 | 4.5 | 40 |
| 3 | Utah Jazz | 28 | 12 | .700 | 4.5 | 40 |
| 4 | Los Angeles Clippers | 28 | 13 | .683 | 5.0 | 41 |
| 5 | Houston Rockets | 26 | 14 | .650 | 6.5 | 40 |
| 6 | Dallas Mavericks | 26 | 15 | .634 | 7.0 | 41 |
| 7 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 23 | 18 | .561 | 10.0 | 41 |
| 8 | Memphis Grizzlies | 19 | 22 | .463 | 14.0 | 41 |
| 9 | San Antonio Spurs | 17 | 22 | .436 | 15.0 | 39 |
| 10 | Portland Trail Blazers | 18 | 24 | .429 | 15.5 | 42 |
| 11 | Phoenix Suns | 16 | 24 | .400 | 16.5 | 40 |
| 12 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 15 | 25 | .375 | 17.5 | 40 |
| 13 | New Orleans Pelicans | 15 | 26 | .366 | 18.0 | 41 |
| 14 | Sacramento Kings | 15 | 26 | .366 | 18.0 | 41 |
| 15 | Golden State Warriors | 9 | 33 | .214 | 24.5 | 42 |
Standings via Wikipedia