NBA Daily Rundown: Pistons’ Resounding Win Over Nuggets, And Bagley’s Big Game Against Spurs
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Drummond and Pistons ambush visiting Nuggets
The Detroit Pistons relied on a stellar second quarter to break away from Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets with a resounding 129-103 victory. Pistons All-Star big man Andre Drummond led the winning team with 27 points, 12 boards, and 3 blocks, while small forward Stanley Johnson came off the bench to contribute 21 markers and 7 rebounds. The Pistons, who have lost four of their last six games, pulled away in the second period and never looked back from there
Mason Plumlee came up with an all-around performance of 15 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists for the Nuggets, while Jokic had an average outing of 16 points, 4 dishes and 3 boards. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Nuggets.
Giannis flirts with triple-double as Bucks dominate Nets
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks controlled the game from the get-go as they hacked out a dominating 113-94 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Antetokounmpo almost got a coveted triple-double as he finished with 30 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 blocks in the win. Former Rookie of the Year awardee Malcolm Brogdon chipped in 16 points and 8 boards, while point guard Eric Bledsoe tallied 15 markers and hounded the Nets with 5 steals. With a precarious six-point lead entering the second half, the Bucks would torch the Nets with 36 points in the third quarter, putting the game away for good.
All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell topscored for the Nets with 18 points and 5 assists, but didn’t get much contribution from his teammates. Only three Nets players finished with double-figures in the loss. Milwaukee is now on a four-game winning streak, and has won ten of their previous eleven games.
Bagley’s double-double lifts Kings past streaking Spurs
Rookie power forward Marvin Bagley III arguably had the best game of his young career as he and the Sacramento Kings carved a much-needed 127-112 win against the visiting San Antonio Spurs. Bagley came up with an impressive versatile display of 24 points, 12 boards, 4 assists and 3 blocks, putting an emphasis on the victory with an emphatic alley-oop dunk off a dish from point guard De’Aaron Fox. Fox also came up big for the Kings, finishing with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. The young Kings team executed excellently on offense, shooting a solid 55.6% clip from the field as a team.
DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 24 points, while All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 markers and 9 boards in the loss. The loss stopped the Spurs’ five-game winning streak, while the Kings are now embarking on three straight victories, winning four of their last five games.
Harden posts another 40-point outing in victory over Suns
James Harden, the leading candidate for the Most Valuable Player award, impressed with another 40-point performance as the Houston Rockets carved a 118-110 win against the lowly Phoenix Suns. Harden had one of his most efficient games this season, tallying 44 points, 8 boards, 6 assists, 3 steals, and made 15 of his 26 shots, including five makes from beyond the arc. Point guard maestro Chris Paul helped the Rockets’ cause with 18 markers, 4 assists and 5 steals, while Kenneth Faried completed a double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds.
Josh Jackson, who has been streaking as of late after a forgettable first half of the season, led the losing Suns with 25 points and 5 boards. Small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. put up 23 points and 3 steals off the bench.
Other games in the league:
Atlanta Hawks win against the Washington Wizards, 137-129
Indiana Pacers prevail over the New Orleans Pelicans, 109-107