Sacramento Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins (Centre) is poised to score as Portland Trail Blazers’ Robin Lopez (right) and LaMarcus Aldridge defend during the second half of their NBA Game in Sacramento, California. (EPA)
Not even the frigid sub-zero winter temperatures in Milwaukee could cool off the red-hot Golden State Warriors. David Lee had 22 points with 18 rebounds as the visiting Warriors extended their winning streak to a season-high 10 games on Tuesday, 101-80 over the league-worst Milwaukee Bucks.
“The way that David Lee has played the last 15 games, he’s an All-Star,” Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. “We’re playing with great confidence and we’re playing at a high level. We’re just trying to keep it going.”
On their longest run since the 1975 NBA title season, the Warriors will look to match the franchise-record of 11 straight wins yesterday against the Brooklyn Nets and make league history, as well, by completing a perfect 7-0 road trip.
“We’re going to chase history,” Jackson said. “Whoever thought we’d have an opportunity to do something that hasn’t been done in the history of this league?”
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson had off-nights, scoring 15 apiece. Australian Andrew Bogut collected eight with 12 rebounds against his former team as the Warriors held the hosts to just 32 second-half points on a frosty 30 per cent shooting.
“You can have off-nights offensively and still win ball games,” Jackson said. “We defended at a high level and when you do that good things happen.”
Ahead by two at halftime, Golden State started the third quarter on a game-breaking 27-9 blitz to open up a 77-57 cushion with 3:53 left. The Warriors had their lead cut to eight early in the fourth quarter but quickly built it back to 20 and coasted home. Turkish-native Ersan Ilyasova led the Bucks (7-27) with 20 points.
Utah Jazz 112, City Thunder 101
Gordon Hayward poured in a career-high 37 points, including Utah’s final 17, and the host Jazz overcame Kevin Durant’s own NBA-season-high 48 points to stun the Western Conference-best Thunder.
Sacramento 123, Trail Blazers 119
DeMarcus Cousins had 35 points with 13 rebounds, Rudy Gay scored 32, and the Kings withstood Damian Lillard’s career-high 41 points, including 26 in the fourth quarter, to edge the visiting Trail Blazers.
Indiana Pacers 86, Toronto Raptors 79
Roy Hibbert scored 22 points, leading the NBA-best Pacers (28-6) to their third straight win after beating the visiting Raptors, who got a game-high 28 points from DeMar DeRozen.
Miami Heat 107, Orleans Pelicans 88
LeBron James dropped in half his 32 points in the third quarter as the Heat pulled away to beat the visiting Pelicans, who got 22 points and 12 boards from Anthony Davis.
San Antonio 110, Grizzlies 108 (OT)
Argentine ace Manu Ginobili hit the game-winning layup with 1.8 seconds left in overtime as the visiting Spurs edged the Grizzlies. Tim Duncan led San Antonio with 24 points and 17 rebounds. Mike Conley had 30 points for Memphis, who rallied from 16 down late in the fourth quarter to force the extra session.
Denver Nuggets 129, Boston Celtics 98
Randy Foye fired in seven triples en route to a season-best 23 points, and the Nuggets rolled to their third straight win while sending the visiting Celtics to a fifth consecutive loss.
New York Knicks 89, Detroit Pistons 85
Carmelo Anthony had 34 points, including a pair of clinching free throws with 2.9 seconds left, and the Knicks halted a four-game home skid, while handing the Pistons a season-high fifth straight defeat. Josh Smith topped Detroit with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
Chicago Bulls 92, Phoenix Suns 87
Taj Gibson had 19 points with 10 rebounds, and the Bulls set the visiting Suns in their first game since dealing All-Star forward Luol Deng to Cleveland late Monday. Slovenia’s Goran Dragic topped Phoenix with 21 points.
Washington Wizards 97, Charlotte Bobcats 83
Bradley Beal scored 21 points, Polish-native Marcin Gortat had 18 with 13 boards, and the visiting Wizards stopped a three-game slide after beating the Bobcats, who wasted a season-high 27 points from Gerald Henderson.
Cavaliers 111, Philadelphia 76ers 93
CJ Miles drained a franchise-record 10 triples en route to 34 points, and the Cavs crushed the visiting Sixers, who received a season-high 33 points from rookie Michael Carter-Williams.
Dallas Mavericks 110, LA Lakers 97
German star Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 points as the Mavericks stopped a four-game home slide while sending the Lakers to their eighth loss in the last nine outings, despite 24 from Jodie Meeks.