Day 16 of the delayed/cancelled NBA simulation season as it was originally scheduled:
Boston hosts Miami in the biggest match-up of the season while the Knicks and Nuggets take part in the highest scoring game of the season.
Charlotte Bobcats 93, Cleveland Cavaliers 101
Antawn Jamison turned back the clock to post 24 points and 17 rebounds. Charlotte actually had seven different players score in double figures, but none had more than 14. Balance is not necessarily a good thing in the NBA. Both teams shot less than 39 percent from the field.
Phoenix Suns 102, Toronto Raptors 95
Steve Nash had 22 points and 9 assists to help Phoenix to a much-needed victory. Channing Frye was a zero on offense shooting just 2 of 13 from the field, but he unusually helped out with 11 rebounds. Andrea Bargnani had 28 points for Toronto.
Indiana Pacers 83, Atlanta Hawks 88
Three Hawks posted double-doubles in an ugly game against the Pacers. Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, and Al Horford were stars in the frontcourt for Atlanta.
New Jersey Net 107, Oklahoma City Thunder 118
OKC had a rough start to the year, but it has finally climbed over .500 at 5-4 beating up on the lowly Nets. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 71 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists. James Harden was the only other Thunder player in double figures with 12, but that was enough for the win with the superstars showing up in a big way. Deron Williams had 36 points for New Jersey.
Dallas Mavericks 82, Memphis Grizzlies 90
Rudy Gay starred this night scoring 25 points with 6 assists and hitting all 3 of his three-point attempts. Marc Gasol had just 6 points, but grabbed 13 rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki had 19 points to lead the Mavs. Dallas suffered just its second loss of the season.
Houston Rockets 85, New Orleans Hornets 95
Both Jarrett Jack and Chris Paul posted double-doubles to lead the Hornets to a win. The two guards combined for 39 points and a whopping 29 assists. Kevin Martin had 22 for Houston while Chase Budinger added 14.
Boston Celtics 75, Miami Heat 84
Both teams hang their hats on defense leading to a letdown on what was the marquee match-up for the night. The one player to break loose offensively was LeBron James. He scored 38 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to make the difference in the game. Boston got just 7 points from its bench.
Milwaukee Bucks 108, Minnesota Timberwolves 97
After starting the year winning five in the row Minnesota has lost two straight. Brandon Jennings had 22 points and 10 assists while Andrew Bogut had 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks to lead Milwaukee. Kevin Love didn’t notch a double-double with 16 points and 6 rebounds.
Los Angeles Clipper 112, San Antonio Spurs 120
The Spurs are well on their way to another great regular season. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan eached scored 22 points while Manu Ginobili added 13 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals. The Clippers fell under .500 with the loss and were led by Eric Gordon and Mo Williams who each scored 21 points. Forward Blake Griffin sat out the game with an injury.
Chicago Bulls 104, Portland Trail Blazers 103
Derrick Rose hasn’t played terrifically leading to some struggles for Chicago in the early season. That wasn’t the case on this night as Rose was truly an MVP scoring 48 points and dishing off 22 assists. Rose was directly responsible for more than 88 percent of his team’s points. Ray Felton and Gerald Wallace led Portland with 21 points apiece.
Washington Wizards 100, Sacramento Kings 107
John Wall had 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists in a losing effort. Andray Blatche had 16 points and 11 rebounds while rookie Jan Vesely added 14 points and 7 rebounds. DeMarcus Cousins was the man in the middle for Sacramento with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
New York Knicks 135, Denver Nuggets 128
The Knicks came out on top in the highest scoring game of the year. Only four Knicks scored in double figures, but all four had at least 20. Carmelo Anthony had 44 points, Amare Stoudemire had 25 points and 15 rebounds, Chauncey Billups had 20 points and 10 assists, and Bill Walker had 20 points. Five Nuggets scored 15 or more points led by Danilo Gallinari’s 26. Rookie Jordan Hamilton continued a strong season with 18 points.
Philadelphia 76ers 115, Golden State Warriors 128
Thaddeus Young had 23 points making 11 of 13 shots, but that wasn’t enough to lead his team to a win. The Sixers simply could not contain Golden State’s high-scoring backcourt of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis. The pair combined for 61 points hitting 8 three-pointers. Dorrell Wright also added 16 while Klay Thompson had 10.
