Day 13 of the delayed/cancelled NBA simulation season as it was originally scheduled:
Minnesota loses its first game of the year while the Bulls and Magic squeak out much needed 1-point wins.
New Jersey Nets 116, Minnesota Timberwolves 93
Of all the teams to end Minnesota’s winning streak, it would be a team as bad as New Jersey. The Nets gave the Wolves their first loss of the year, and getting their second win in the process. Brook Lopez had the game of his career with 48 points and 14 rebounds. Michael Beasley tried to match him with 26 points and 6 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough.
Los Angeles Clippers 111, Philadelphia 76ers 101
Blake Griffin was busy doing Blake Griffin things in this game with 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. Chris Kaman added 23 points and 9 rebounds to help beat up on the size-challenged Sixers. Jrue Holiday led Philly with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Orlando Magic 82, Atlanta Hawks 81
Dwight Howard wasn’t as dominant as he has been in the early season, but was still good enough to lead his team to a win. The center had 19 points and 11 rebounds while Jameer Nelson added 11 points and 10 assists. Al Horford and Josh Smith combined for 35 points and 19 assists in the loss.
Washington Wizards 83, Chicago Bulls 84
Chicago eked out a one-point win to get over .500. Derrick Rose scored 28 points with 12 assists, but also 5 turnovers. Neither team shot as much as 62 percent from the line which would have made all the difference in such a close game. John Wall and Nick Young combined for 30 points for Washington, but shot just 4-8 from the free throw line.
Oklahoma City Thunder 114, Toronto Raptors 90
Oklahoma City got a much needed win moving both teams’ records to 3-4. Russell Westbrook had a monster game with 30 points and 19 assists. I’m not sure how likely that is in a real life NBA game, but it’s fun to imagine exactly how dominant the point guard would look putting up a stat line like that. Kendrick Perkins was big in the middle with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks. OKC destroyed Toronto on the boards holding a 53 to 22 edge in that department.
Los Angeles Lakers 106, Detroit Pistons 83
The Lakers blew out another opponent to stay unbeaten. They are now 8-0 on the season. Kobe Bryant scored 45 points and had 12 assists apparently taking out some frustration from the 2004 Finals. Lamar Odom added a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, but also 6 turnovers. Only two Pistons scored in double figures. Charlie Villanueva had 13 points while Rodney Stuckey had 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists.
