James Harden produced a dazzling individual performance as he broke his all-time record for most assists in a game in the Philadelphia 76ers 119-114 win over the Los Angeles Clippers
Harden, who has been in strong form since returning from a stint on the sidelines in which he missed 12 games, finished with 20 points, 21 assists and 11 rebounds from 40 minutes on the court to secure his first triple-double of the season and the 70th of his career.
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However, it didn’t stop the 33-year-old from finishing with 20 points, 21 assists and 11 rebounds from his 40 minutes on the court.
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With 21 assists, it also meant Harden tied the Sixers’ franchise record and moved him into the elite company of Maurice Cheeks and Wilt Chamberlain as the only two Philly players to make 20 assists or more in a single game.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Philadelphia against the Clippers though, as the Californian side held a 63-51 lead at half-time and led by as many as 20 points at one stage.
However, a monster third quarter from the Sixers in which they outscored the Clippers 34-22 helped swing the momentum in their favour.
The final quarter was a tighter affair, but Philadelphia kept a fast-finishing Clippers team at bay to hold on for the win.
RED-HOT NETS DELIVER BIG STATEMENT IN CRUSHING BUCKS WIN
Not much has gone awry lately for the high-flying Nets, who pushed their NBA-best winning streak to eight games Friday night with a 118-100 victory over the Bucks at Barclays Center.
The clash with the Bucks, who came in with the best record in the NBA, offered an opportunity for the Nets to show just how far they have come during their current torrid stretch.
Kevin Durant led the way with 24 points, Nic Claxton added 19, and six different Nets scored in double-figures in a bullying performance. The Nets (21-12) led by as many as 23 points in the second half and have now won 12 of their last 13 games.
Before the game, Nets coach Jacque Vaughn stressed the need for his team to come out “a little bit more focused” against the Bucks. Slow starts have threatened to derail this winning streak, and necessitated furious late comebacks recently in both Detroit and Toronto.
No such rally was needed Friday. Seamless ball movement — the Nets notched 11 assists on their first 13 baskets — helped open up a seven-point lead after the first quarter.
Then, a steal and fastbreak slam by Claxton put the Nets up by double digits and drew the ire of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, whom Claxton bumped on his way back to the bench after Milwaukee called for a timeout. But that was all the fight the Bucks (22-10) showed.
By halftime, the Nets’ advantage had ballooned to 13 after they shot 50 percent from both the field and beyond the arc.
And yet the Nets knew better than to be complacent. On Oct. 26, in the only prior contest between the two teams this season, the Nets led by 12 points at halftime and ended up losing by 11.
That collapse contributed to the Nets’ early season tailspin, which included a 2-6 start and the firing of head coach Steve Nash.
Much as they did to open the game Friday, the Nets heeded Vaughn’s message and came out of the locker room for the second half clicking and determined.
Five minutes into the third quarter, a Royce O’Neale straightaway 3-pointer increased the lead to 20. A few moments later, Ben Simmons lofted home a sky hook to swell the lead to 23.
The Bucks, worthy of their pedigree, didn’t go away easily. They countered with a 9-0 third-quarter run and drew within 10 points on numerous occasions in the fourth quarter. Yet they got no closer, as the Nets countered with their own relentless offense to withstand Milwaukee’s comeback efforts. Kyrie Irving, quiet for much of the night after missing the game Wednesday with right-calf tightness, scored 14 points in the final quarter to lead the Nets to the finish.
Unlike during their early season clash, the Nets did not relinquish their halftime lead this go-around. Instead, they established themselves as a formidable contender in the Eastern Conference as the good times in Brooklyn kept on rolling.
KNICKS STAR EXPLODES FOR 44 PTS BUT BULLS WIN AT THE BUZZER
By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, chants of “RJ Barrett” filled the sold-out Garden whenever the Knicks star stepped to the line for free throws.
And yet, despite a monster game from Barrett, in which he dropped 44 points on the Bulls, the Knicks had been unable to pull away from Chicago all night.
That, along with some brutal free-throw shooting, came back to haunt them.
By the end of the game, the overarching sound was that of stunned silence as DeMar DeRozan nailed a jumper with 0.3 seconds left to lift the Bulls to a 118-117 win over the Knicks on Friday night.
One of the best games of Barrett’s career went for nought.
With the Knicks clinging on to a one-point lead in the final minute, Barrett drove to the net once more and got off a tough shot that sank to make it a 117-114 lead with 29.4 seconds left.
The Bulls then missed a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, but the Knicks could not corral the rebound and Zach LaVine took advantage with a bucket that made it 117-116 with 7.1 seconds left. Jalen Brunson had a chance to extend the Knicks’ lead with 6.4 seconds left but missed a pair of free throws — a minute after Quentin Grimes also had missed twice from the line. The Knicks finished the night 15-for-26 from the charity stripe.
The Bulls called timeout with six seconds left and drew up a play for DeRozan, who rose up over Grimes near the foul line and sank the dagger to send the Knicks to their second straight loss after an eight-game winning streak.
Barrett surpassed his previous season-high in points (30) early in the third quarter and then added some power and flair two possessions later when he made a strong drive to the rim and dunked over 6-foot-10 center Nikola Vucevic.
DeRozan fouled Barrett on the play, and his ensuing free throw gave the Knicks a 77-73 lead.
With Barrett on the bench for the final 4:55 of the third quarter, the Knicks used a 7-0 run to get some more breathing room before the Bulls answered again to get within 92-89 headed into the fourth quarter.
Barrett had caught fire in the first half and dropped 26 points by halftime on 9-for-13 shooting.
He was assertive with his drives to the rim and also provided a spark by going a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc.
The 26 points were four shy of his season-high for an entire game, which he had done twice, including Wednesday.
The Knicks opened the game by taking a 15-12 lead before the Bulls reeled off an 8-0 run.
LaVine scored his first five points of the game during that run and then scored seven more before the quarter was over, helping the Bulls stake out a 29-22 advantage after one.
But Barrett began to heat up early in the second quarter, at one point scoring eight straight Knicks points to get them back in the game.
Back-to-back buckets from Immanuel Quickley later opened a 41-37 lead for the Knicks before the Bulls came back with a 12-3 run keyed by former Nets guard Goran Dragic.
The Knicks nearly matched that to end the first half, though, with two 3s from Barrett and one apiece from Julius Randle and Grimes closing out a 12-4 run to take a 60-58 lead into halftime.
FULL RESULTS
Magic 133-113 Spurs
76ers 119-114 Clippers
Nets 118-110 Bucks
Knicks 117-118 Bulls
Celtics 121-109 Timberwolves
Hawks 130-105 Pistons
Cavaliers 107-118 Raptors
Rockets v Mavericks
Thunder v Pelicans
Heat 108-111 Pacers
Nuggets v Trail Blazers
Kings v Wizards
Suns v Grizzlies
Lakers v Hornets
