Miami, Oklahoma City and Golden State all pick up wins.
On a busy Sunday night in the NBA, the Indiana Pacers confirmed themselves as genuine contenders after a win in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
Much had been made of the fact that Indiana had made the most of their favourable schedule, as they had yet to face a team with a winning record in the Eastern Conference.
Having lost to the Chicago Bulls, there were doubts regarding their title credentials, but Frank Vogel’s men undoubtedly made a statement with their win at a noisy Staples Center.
In a frantic finish which saw both teams miss key shots, the Pacers used their inside strength and rebounding prowess to prevail, with Paul George scoring 27 points for the visitors.
“We can become a lot better. We’re still nowhere close to where we want to be offensively, and that’s the next step for us,” George said, as reported by ESPN.
“The defense is clicking well, the transition defense is clicking well, and we’re playing like a team. This was a great win for us. We knew coming in that it was going to be a hard-fought game.”
Elsewhere, Kevin Durant had the stat-line of the night during the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 113-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The latest win moves OKC to 12-3 for the season, and maintains their nine-game winning streak at home so far this year.
Durant ended the game with 32 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks as he recorded a triple double to help his team to victory and push them further toward a top seeding in the Western Conference as they sit just behind Portland and San Antonio.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors put on another of their thrilling shows courtesy of the ‘Splash Brothers’. Stephen Curry (36) and Klay Thompson (28) were in great shooting form, particularly from three-point range.
The duo went 13-of-19 from beyond the arc combined, while Curry had a double-double for the night as he added 10 assists to his performance.
Elsewhere, late heroics from Chris Bosh ensured the Miami Heat extended their winning streak to 10 games as they overcame the Charlotte Bobcats 99-98 at the AA Arena.
Bosh scored 13 straight points in the final minutes, including a trio of 3-pointers that capped a late rally for the defending champions.
NBA Results:
Denver Nuggets 112-98 Toronto Raptors
Indiana Pacers 105-100 Los Angeles Clippers
Philadelphia 76ers 100-115 Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors 115-113 Sacramento Kings
Charlotte Bobcats 98-99 Miami Heat
Minnesota Timberwolves 103-113 Oklahoma City Thunder
New Orleans Pelicans 103-99 New York Knicks
Portland Trail Blazers 114-108 Los Angeles Lakers
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