Raptors, Wizards, Hawks and Bulls all win as East’s finest continue streaks…
Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler continued his impressive season on Saturday night with 33 points against the New Orleans Pelicans to secure a win.
Butler played a key role with 33 points and five rebounds which sealed a sixth straight win for Chicago as they improve to 21-9 for the season.
Derrick Rose added 19 points including some key plays for the hosts, and ultimately it was enough for the Bulls to overcome a 29-point and 11-rebound performance from MVP candidate Anthony Davis who was a presence on both ends of the court.
“I feel like we got a lot of easy baskets as a team,” Butler said. “We rebounded the ball well and we got out into the open court and we got a lot of layups. When we’re playing like that, I think we’re really, really hard to beat.”
The Bulls also had three reserves score in double figures in their ninth win in 10 games as Aaron Brooks (13 points) and Taj Gibson (12 points, 10 rebounds) played key roles off the bench.
Elsewhere in the East, Kyle Lowry put up 25 points and seven assists in a win for the Toronto Raptors on the road over the Los Angeles Clippers.
The victory keeps the Raptors top of the Eastern Conference with a 23-7 record, but both the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards also won on Saturday night with Kris Humphries putting up 18 points and nine rebounds while Jeff Teague enjoyed a stellar night with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Meanwhile, over in the Western Conference, the Sacramento Kings claimed a thrilling overtime win over the New York Knicks with DeMarcus Cousins going for 39 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
Carmelo Anthony responded with 36 points and 11 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough for the Knicks to avoid falling to a 5-27 record.
Elsewhere, the Golden State Warriors putting their recent skid behind them to claim a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves with Stephen Curry putting up 25 points and six assists in a comfortable win.
NBA Results
Toronto Raptors 110-98 Los Angeles Clippers
Orlando Magic 102-94 Charlotte Hornets
Boston Celtics 88-101 Washington Wizards
Memphis Grizzlies 103-95 Miami Heat
New Orleans Pelicans 100-107 Chicago Bulls
Indiana Pacers 110-85 Brooklyn Nets
Atlanta Hawks 90-85 Milwaukee Bucks
Philadelphia 76ers 71-88 Utah Jazz
New York Knicks 129-135 Sacramento Kings
Minnesota Timberwolves 97-110 Golden State Warriors
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