Twenty NBA teams took to the hardwood on Saturday in an action-packed evening that saw Miami Heat big man Hassan Whiteside get an impressive double-double in only 27 minutes of play and the Spurs gave coach Gregg Popovich his record-breaking 1,128th win with the same franchise.
Heat scorch Philly
Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside had a 30-point, 20-rebound double-double in the team’s 125-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Goran Dragic has 16 points, four rebounds and eight assists, and Tyler Johnson also had 16 points with six rebounds and six assists.
The Sixers were led by Ersan Ilyasona with 21 points and five rebounds, Richaun Holmes had 12 points and nine rebounds, and Gerald Henderson finished with 12 points.
Spurs break Nuggets
The San Antonio Spurs beat the Denver Nuggets 121-97. Kawhi Leonard had 19 points, six rebounds and five assists, Tony Parker had 18 points and four assists and Manu Ginobilli also had 18 points.
Jamal Murray led Denver with 20 points, Nikola Jokic had 11 points, Wilson Chandler had 10 points and Congolese guard Emmanuel Mudiay finished with six points, four rebounds and four assists.
Grizzlies graze Wolves
The Memphis Grizzlies beat the Timberwolves 107-99 in Minnesota. JaMychal Green had 29 points and six rebounds, Mike Conley had 20 points and eight assists and James Ennis III had 13 points and six rebounds.
Karl-Anthony Towns had a 27-point, 16-rebound double-double, Andrew Wiggins had 23 points and five assists, while Ricky Rubio ended the game with 14 points and six assists. Senegalese center Gorgui Dieng had two points and 13 rebounds.
Bucks shade Suns
Nigerian-Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 30-point, 12-rebound double-double was key to the Milwaukee Bucks beating the Phoenix Suns 137-112. Mirza Teletovic had 19 points, and Jabari Parker had 18 points and nine rebounds.
Devin Booker had 31 points and four rebounds for the Suns, Marquese Chriss had 27 points and six rebounds, and Eric Bledsoe and PJ Tucker combined for 26 with 13 points apiece.
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the New York Knicks 111-104. LeBron James, who became the youngest player to reach 28,000 career points, had a 32-point, 10-rebound double-double, Kevin Love also had a double-double with 23 points and 16 rebounds and Channing Fraye finished with 14 points.
The Knicks were led by Brandon Jennings with 23 points and 10 assists, Carmelo Anthony had 17 points and six rebounds, and Courtney Lee ended the game with 17 points and four rebounds.
The rest
The Sacramento Kings beat the Golden State Warriors 109-106 in overtime, the Washington wizards beat the New Orleans Pelicans 105-91 for their 18th consecutive home win, the Atlanta Hawks beat the Orlando Magic 113-86, the Indiana Pacers are now on a six-game winning streak after beating the Detroit Pistons 105-84, and Gordon Hayward’s 33 points helped the Utah Jazz beat the Charlotte Hornets 105-98.
By Kaunda Chama
