This week saw records set, streaks ended, a historic blowout and a team rise up. Here is the week that was in the NBA.
LeBron James Drops Career-High 61 Points In Game
On Monday night in Miami, fans were treated to a career performance from LeBron James. The four-time NBA MVP set a career and franchise high in scoring with 61 points against the playoff-contending Charlotte Bobcats.
James was 22-33 from the field for the game for an absurd 66 percent shooting as he set a new career mark for most made field goals. LeBron also hit on his first eight 3-point attempts, going 8-10 from distance on the game.
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James not only set a franchise mark in scoring (surpassing Glen Rice’s 54-point outburst against Orlando in 1995), but he also set franchise marks for most points in any quarter by scoring 25 in the third, as well as most points in the second half with 37.
The Heat needed LeBron to overcome Al Jefferson’s 38 points and 19 rebounds, but never trailed after the first quarter as they took down the Bobcats 124-107.
It was the Heat’s eighth win in a row and when coupled with Indiana’s recent struggles, it puts the Heat back in competition for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Kyle Korver's 3-Point Record Ends
On Wednesday night in Portland, an impressive streak came to an unceremonious end.
Kyle Korver’s streak of consecutive games with a made 3-point attempts ended at 127 when he failed to connect from distance against the Blazers. Korver absolutely blew away the previous record of 89 set by Dana Barros from 1994-1996.
Korver, the league leader in 3-point field goal percentage at 48 percent, missed all five of his attempts from beyond the arc in the game. Korver was harassed most of the evening by Wesley Matthews, who seemed to take the challenge of ending Korver’s streak unusually personally.
Now that Korver’s streak is over, Steph Curry is the player with the longest active 3-point streak at 52 games.
Lakers Suffer Worst Loss In Franchise History
Thursday night in LA, the two hometown teams faced off and one of them gave the other their largest loss in franchise history. If you only consider the history of these two franchises, then you would be forgiven for thinking the Lakers were the team delivering the blows in this beating.
On this evening, LA’s other team asserted itself against their co-tenant at the Staples Center as the Clippers dismantled the Lakers, 142-94. The difference of 48 points was the largest margin of defeat in Lakers franchise history.
The game started out looking like it would be a competitive contest throughout. The Lakers actually led by seven midway through the first and found themselves down only two at the end of the quarter.
Pau Gasol’s 10 first quarter points looked to bode well for the Lakers, but in the second quarter the Clippers picked up the pace of the game and ran the Lakers out of the gym.
By the second half, the Lakers did not seem interested at all in running back on defense after their numerous turnovers.. The team in purple and gold was shell-shocked as the crowd could hardly contain their excitement at the high-flying antics of Blake Griffin and company.
This games marked a new low point for a Lakers team that holds a .344 winning percentage. If they continue winning at this less-than-furious pace, the 2014 Lakers will finish with their worst winning percentage since moving to LA from Minnesota 54 years ago.
Rockets Looking Like Championship Contenders
Houston finally has ignition. After a less-than-stellar start to the season, the Rockets have the league’s best record since the new year at 19-6 heading into this week.
Tuesday marked the beginning of a tough stretch of games for the Rockets as they faced Miami followed by Orlando, Indiana, Portland, Oklahoma City, Chicago and Miami again.
Miami came into the game Tuesday fresh off LeBron’s 61-point performance against the Bobcats and riding an eight-game winning streak. For their part, the Rockets came in winners of 11 of their last 13 games and with a recently bolstered defense to add to their already potent offense.
LeBron seemed to be back at it, scoring 12 first-quarter points but it wasn’t enough as the Rockets came out firing from distance, connecting on four-of-five attempts in the quarter to take a 39-32 lead. LeBron added seven more points in the second quarter as the Heat went into the half down one.
In the second half, fatigue and Chandler Parsons limiting LeBron’s effectiveness on offense helped, as James had only one field goal in the second half. Uncharacteristically, the Rockets had 24 assists on 40 field goals as they held on for the 106-103 victory, despite a late charge by Dwyane Wade and the Heat.
After the Rockets dispatched of the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, the Rockets returned home to face the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers were coming off a 22-point loss to the Bobcats on Wednesday and were looking to right the ship in Houston.
The last time these two teams played was on Dec. 20, where the Rockets were expertly dispatched in their largest loss of the season, 114-81. It was obvious from the start that the Rockets had revenge on their minds.
After three lead changes in the first quarter, the Rockets held a lead throughout the second and were up 50-43 at the half.
The Rockets came out firing in the second half behind James Harden’s 16 third-quarter points. Houston forced the Pacers into four turnovers and 6-18 shooting, and Indiana tied Harden in scoring in the quarter managing just 16 points to Houston’s 38.
From there, the game wasn’t in doubt and the Rockets handed the Pacers their worst loss of the season, 112-86, while also sending them on their first three-game losing streak of the season.
With the wins over the Heat and Pacers in the same week, the Rockets became the first team in nine attempts to beat both Eastern Conference behemoths in the same week this season.
On Sunday, the Rockets faced the Blazers and fell behind 10-0 early. The Blazers never trailed and even held a 12-point advantage heading into the final quarter until James Harden again came to the rescue for the Rockets.
Harden scored 17 of his game-high 41 points in the fourth quarter and hit the 3-pointer that tied the game at 106 and sent the proceedings to overtime. In OT, Jeremy Lin scored six of 26 points, leading the Rockets to a 118-113 overtime victory.
The Rockets seem to be clicking on all cylinders right now, and if they can make it through this tough stretch of games relatively unscathed, they will have made a statement to the league that they are serious contenders for a title this season.
Cavaliers Retire Zydrunas Ilgauskas' Jersey
After a stellar 14-year NBA career, 12 of which spent with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Zydrunas Ilgauskas had his No. 11 jersey retired to the rafters of Quicken Loans Arena.
Longtime teammate and close friend LeBron James chartered his own plane to attend the proceedings ahead of the Heat’s Sunday afternoon game in Chicago.
Ilgauskas is the Cavs all-time leader in rebounds, games played, blocks and is second in Cavs history in scoring behind LeBron James.
Sixers Still Suck
The Sixers continue to be awful. With their loss to the lowly Utah Jazz on Saturday, Philadelphia has lost 16 in a row.
Though the Sixers are awful, they are not the worst. Despite the prolific losing streak that the Sixers are on, the Milwaukee Bucks still have the league’s worst record with three fewer wins than Philadelphia.
