NBA Round up: Warriors, Cavaliers fall to surprise losses
Monday marked the 110th time over the last three seasons the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers played on the same day and, for just the fifth time, they both lost.
Dion Waiters knocked down six three-pointers against the Warriors but none were as big as his last, a 25-footer from the top of the key over Klay Thompson in the dying seconds that gave the Miami Heat a dramatic 105-102 win.
New Orleans duo Terrence Jones (36) and Jrue Holiday (33) combined for 69 points as the Pelicans held on to top the Cavaliers 124-122 despite 49 points from Kyrie Irving.
WAIT NO LONGER
Waiters scored 33 points on Monday as the Warriors suffered their seventh loss of the season, ending a seven-game win streak.
The Heat were ahead by as many as 10 points with five minutes remaining but the Warriors battled back and Kevin Durant’s driving dunk tied the game at 102 with 11 seconds to play. Miami called a timeout to regroup but Waiters called his own number on the final play.
DW for the #HEATwin! pic.twitter.com/tJxgwhhsbc
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 24, 2017
Golden State had one last chance to tie with 0.6 seconds remaining but Stephen Curry’s three-point heave was off target. It was an ugly game for the Warriors, who committed two flagrant fouls. The first, a Durant push on Hassan Whiteside, was followed by a weak flagrant call on Zaza Pachulia for slapping Luke Babbitt, whose flop earned him a technical foul.
It is the first time this season the Warriors have lost when Durant, Curry and Thompson all scored at least 20 points.
ANTHONY DAVIS WHO?
All-Star Anthony Davis sat out for the Pelicans due to a quad injury but New Orleans built a 22-point lead against the defending champions without him.
The Cavs cut the deficit to three with one minute, 32 seconds left before a Langston Galloway steal of LeBron James ended the comeback hopes. James had a triple-double (26 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds) for Cleveland, who have lost five of their past seven games.
NOAH NOT MAKING IT RAIN
Joakim Noah scored just two points in 12 minutes in the New York Knicks’ 109-103 win over the Indiana Pacers.
While Noah was putting up bricks, his team-mate Carmelo Anthony picked up the slack with his game-winning shot with 25 seconds to go.
HARDEN MEETS HIS MATCH
James Harden just missed a triple-double with 26 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds in the Houston Rockets’ 127-114 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks but the All-Star did so while knocking down just six field goals. Giannis Antetokounmpo (31 points) and Jabari Parker (28) took the spotlight in the Bucks’ win that snapped a five-game losing streak.
Russell Westbrook had a monster triple-double against the Utah Jazz in a 97-95 Oklahoma City Thunder win. The MVP candidate finished with 38 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to tie Larry Bird for fifth-most triple-doubles in NBA history (59). He also hit a game-winning 21-footer in the final seconds.
Westbrook’s heroics win it!
Russ picks up 22nd triple-double of the season (38p, 10r & 10a).@okcthunder get past @utahjazz 97-95. pic.twitter.com/PbhcA5OBGL
— NBA (@NBA) January 24, 2017
The Washington Wizards beat the Charlotte Hornets 109-99, the Los Angeles Clippers overcame the Atlanta Hawks 115-105, the San Antonio Spurs crushed the Brooklyn Nets 112-86 and the Sacramento Kings edged the Detroit Pistons 109-104.
TORONTO SPURNED
Toronto (28-16) will be without All-Star DeMar DeRozan (ankle) for the next two games and are in danger of dropping their fourth in a row on Tuesday against the Spurs (35-9), who have won their past four.
