Jackson stars for OKC to extend unbeaten home record.
It was a packed NBA schedule on Wednesday night, which notably brought an end to the winning runs of the San Antonio Spurs and the Portland Trail Blazers.
In arguably the pick of the night’s action, it was the Oklahoma City Thunder who extended their home record to 7-0 for the season after ending the Spurs’ 11-game winning run.
The visitors were able to silence Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook during the early stages, but Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb were able to carry the hosts through to a 94-88 win.
Durant finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, but Jackson matched his career high with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting while Lamb added 12 points.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich conceded that his defense was unable to handle Jackson at times, while he also bemoaned his team’s shot selection as it looked “hurried and frenetic”.
Nevertheless, they remain at the top of the Western Conference although it was a third straight defeat at the Chesapeake Arena and it threatens to become an issue should the two teams meet in the post-season.
The Portland Trail Blazers have been the surprise package of the year so far but their 11-game winning streak also came to an end after a 120-106 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Elsewhere, the Lakers and Clippers were able to do the Los Angeles double over New York, with wins over the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks respectively.
The mood surrounding the Nets had improved after their recent win, but it was another tough night at the Barclays Center as the Lakers secured a 99-94 win with Nick Young adding a game-high 26 points off the bench.
Meanwhile, the Knicks fell to 3-11 for the season after their loss at the Staples Center to the Clippers, despite Chris Paul leaving the game with a hamstring injury.
Carmelo Anthony predictably led the scoring the visitors with 27 points with Andrea Bargani adding 20, but Clippers coach Doc Rivers got good production across his roster and will be pleased to move to 11-5 for the season.
It was business as usual in the Eastern Conference for the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat, with the two championship contenders sealing wins over the Charlotte Bobcats and Cleveland Cavaliers respectively.
C.J. Watson sank five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to move the Pacers to safety in a 99-74 win, while LeBron James was welcomed with a “Come Home” campaign from the Cavaliers fans ahead of scoring 28 points in the 95-84 victory.
NBA Results:
Indiana Pacers 99-74 Charlotte Bobcats
Philadelphia 76ers 94-105 Orlando Magic
Memphis Grizzlies 100-93 Boston Celtics
Los Angeles Lakers 99-84 Brooklyn Nets
Miami Heat 95-84 Cleveland Cavaliers
Chicago Bulls 99-79 Detroit Pistons
Atlanta Hawks 84-113 Houston Rockets
Washington Wizards 100-92 Milwaukee Bucks
Denver Nuggets 117-110 Minnesota Timberwolves
San Antonio Spurs 88-94 Oklahoma City Thunder
Golden State Warriors 99-103 Dallas Mavericks
Portland Trail Blazers 106-120 Phoenix Suns
New York Knicks 80-93 Los Angeles Clippers
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