Nick Young hits game-winning three for Lakers…
On a busy Friday night in the NBA, Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose led his team to a win over the Portland Trail Blazers with 31 points at the United Center.
It was the first time since March 2012 that Rose had scored 30 points or more in a game, and it came at a vital time for the Bulls as LeMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard were in great form.
Aldridge scored 21 of his 35 points in the first quarter as he seemingly couldn’t miss the bucket, while Lillard also posted a season-high 35 points for the visitors.
However, the Bulls secured back-to-back wins at home as Rose went 14-of-24 from the floor and coach Tom Thibodeau will be delighted to see him be more aggressive and take it to the rim rather than settling for jump-shots.
“Every game I’m getting more and more comfortable with it,” Rose said.
The Bulls have now won three of four and improve to 4-5 at the United Center, while they are now 14-8 overall in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks were able to end their 10-game slide against the Boston Celtics, with Carmelo Anthony recovering from a knee injury to score 22 points.
Amar’e Stoudemire added 20 points as the Knicks gained a much-needed win after signs of trouble over the last week or so.
“It’s always hard when you’re climbing uphill, then you get that one game like today. It’s kind of like relief,” Anthony said. “It gives you a chance to feel what winning a basketball game is like.”
Jeff Green had 28 points for the hosts, but it wasn’t enough as the Knicks improve to 5-20.
Staying in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost their second game in a row as Tyreke Evans led the New Orleans Pelicans to a win with 31 points and 10 rebounds.
LeBron James returned from his knee injury to score 41 points while Kevin Love added 21, but it wasn’t enough for the visitors even though the hosts lost Anthony Davis in the first quarter to a chest contusion.
However, that didn’t stop Evans while Ryan Anderson tied a career high with eight three-pointers to finish with 30 points.
Over in the Western Conference, the biggest shock of the night came in San Antonio with the Spurs losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Although Kobe Bryant wasn’t able to surpass Michael Jordan in the NBA’s all-time scoring list, he did manage to put up 22 points. However, it was Nick Young who was the star of the overtime show as he drilled a three-pointer to win the game.
Tim Duncan had 19 points and 18 rebounds but it wasn’t enough to prevent the defending champions slipping to 16-7 after a performance that coach Gregg Popovich described as “pitiful”.
NBA Results
Portland Trail Blazers 106-115 Chicago Bulls
Los Angeles Clippers 96-104 Washington Wizards
Orlando Magic 81-87 Atlanta Hawks
New York Knicks 101-95 Boston Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers 70-88 Brooklyn Nets
Indiana Pacers 94-106 Toronto Raptors
Charlotte Hornets 107-113 Memphis Grizzlies
Oklahoma City Thunder 111-92 Minnesota Timberwolves
Cleveland Cavaliers 114-119 New Orleans Pelicans
Detroit Pistons 105-103 Phoenix Suns
Miami Heat 100-95 Utah Jazz
Los Angeles Lakers 112-110 San Antonio Spurs
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