Day 8 of the delayed/cancelled NBA simulation season as it was originally scheduled:
The Heat remained undefeated, the Thunder beat the Knicks, while the Bulls survived Blake Griffin to win their first game of the year.
Houston Rockets 99, Indiana Pacers 111
This was an ugly game with a combined 46 turnovers. Houston shot just 33.7 percent from the field while Indiana shot just 42.7 percent. The Pacers though got 26 and 11 from Danny Granger and a huge performance from their backcourt. A.J. Price, Darren Collison, George Hill, and Paul George combined to score 65 points and 9 steals. Houston got 13 and 10 from Luis Scola and 28 points from Kevin Martin.
Utah Jazz 87, Miami Heat 92
Miami pushed their record to a perfect 4-0. The Big Three – LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh – were indeed big this game combining for 65 points, 24 rebounds, and 19 assists (also 12 turnovers). Utah was led by Paul Millsap who always seems to play well against the size-challenged Heat. He had 21 points while rookie Enes Kanter had 10 points and 9 rebounds.
Oklahoma City Thunder 113, New York Knicks 107
The Knicks better hope they can add a third superstar to their duo soon. Carmelo and Amare combined to score 62 points with 19 rebounds, but still lost for the third time in 4 games. Chauncey Billups was the only other Knick to score in double figures with 16. The Thunder meanwhile got 38 points from stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, but also had 5 other players score between 9 and 13 points. The Thunder took advantage of the nonexistent New York defense to shoot 54 percent from the field.
Los Angeles Clippers 96, Chicago Bulls 108
The Clippers lost for the first time this season while the Bulls got their first win. Chicago was able to survive 33 points and 14 rebounds from Blake Griffin behind Derrick Rose who had 33 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. Rose actually shot just 11-30 from the field, but he had much more help with the offensive load with 7 teammates scoring between 7 and 15 points. The Bulls also turned the ball over just six times compared to 18 for the Clippers.
