Dose: Jimmy Fest
James Harden had the line of the night, Jimmy Butler stayed hot, Chandler Parsons stunk, Rajon Rondo double-doubled, David Lee finally played, Festus Ezeli and Justin Holiday had big games for the Warriors, and the Hawks beat the Mavericks to move into second place in the East on Monday night. Click here to follow me on Twitter.
Atlanta 105, Dallas 102
Jeff Teague was out again with his hamstring injury and sounds iffy for the entire week, but that didn’t stop the Hawks from opening up a 20-point lead on the Mavericks before hanging on for the tight win. Dennis Schroder has been filling in admirably for Teague and had 22 points and six assists on 9-of-15 shooting. Shelvin Mack, who went nuts a couple games ago, hit just 1-of-6 shots for two points and four assists, proving that it’s Schroder you want to own in daily leagues as long as Teague is in street clothes. All five Hawks starters hit double digits in scoring and Paul Millsap added 12 boards, seven assists, two blocks and a 3-pointer to go along with his 12 points. The Mavericks outscored the Hawks 39-23 in the fourth quarter, but weren’t able to close it out, meaning the Hawks have now won 15 of their last 17 games, and passed the Wizards for the No. 2 seed in the East with the win. They now sit just one game behind the Raptors for the best record in the conference.
Chandler Parsons was awful for the Mavs, hitting just 2-of-6 shots for four points and four rebounds, but they had six players in double figures, including three off the bench. Monta Ellis led the way with 18 points on 8-of-22 shooting, Dirk Nowitzki had 16 points, and Rajon Rondo had his first double-double for Dallas with 13 points, 11 assists, three steals, a block and a 3-pointer. Tyson Chandler had just eight points, but also racked up 19 rebounds and two blocks in 34 minutes. He also has games with 20 and 25 rebounds under his belt this season, so the 19 fell well short of his season high. Charlie Villanueva had 14 points, six boards and four 3-pointers in just 13 minutes, Devin Harris scored 11 and Richard Jefferson had 10 points off the bench. I’m thinking it’s best to ignore all of them for now, while Parsons should bounce back in the next one. And owners of Rondo have to be pleased with a game this good, this early in his Mavs’ career.
Charlotte 110, Denver 82
Charlotte got 22 points and seven boards from Al Jefferson, who hit 10-of-13 shots, while Kemba Walker added 18 points, nine dimes and two 3-pointers in the win. Cody Zeller added 10 points, four boards and two blocks, but played just 19 minutes due to foul trouble. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had just five points to go with a steal and block, and Gerald Henderson was invisible with four points and six boards in 19 minutes. P.J. Hairston scored 10 and Gary Neal had 13 off the bench, but these guys should simply be on your radar if you’re in a real deep league. Marvin Williams played 26 minutes off the bench, but hit just 1-of-5 shots for four points and four boards.
Ty Lawson (18 points, four assists) and Alonzo Gee (15 points off the bench) were the only two Nuggets to score in double figures last night. Lawson was questionable with a bad back but played through it. Kenneth Faried flirted with a double-double with eight points, nine boards and a block, and Wilson Chandler had just six points and six boards despite playing 25 minutes. Timofey Mozgov is in a funk right now and had just two points and three boards in 15 minutes after scoring six in his previous game. I hope you’re not like me and stuck with him in a weekly lineup right now, especially since he got popped in the face and needed four stitches last night. Arron Afflalo hit just 4-of-12 shots and no 3-pointers for nine points as the Nuggets fell to 12-16. This team is a mess and the only guys I trust are Lawson, Chandler, Afflalo, and to some extent, Faried and Mozzy.
Chicago 129, Toronto 120
The Bulls are finally back at full strength and got 29 points and three assists on 12-of-19 shooting from Derrick Rose, who returned from an illness. Jimmy Butler had 27 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks, and also hit 11-of-11 free throws in the win. Pau Gasol added 14 points, nine boards and three blocks, and hit 10-of-10 free throws, and Joakim Noah hit 4-of-4 shots for 14 points, four boards, four assists and a steal in 30 minutes, while Mike Dunleavy stunk it up with three points in 23 minutes. Taj Gibson was back in action with 10 points, seven boards, a steal and two blocks in just 18 minutes off the bench, while Aaron Brooks (17 points) and Nikola Mirotic (10 points) also hit double figures off the pine. Dunleavy is one of the most inconsistent players in the league, so don’t be surprised if he bounces back for a solid line in his next game. The Bulls took down the best team in the East tonight behind big games from Rose and Butler.
The Raps got 34 points, six boards, three assists, a steal and four 3-pointers from Kyle Lowry, and Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and nine boards in the loss. James Johnson had 16 points, two rebounds, four steals and two blocks on 7-of-10 shooting, and is a guy I’d recommend picking up, as he might keep the starting job even when Landry Fields returns from his concussion. And Terrence Ross is playing better lately, and had 17 points, four boards, two steals, a block and five 3-pointers, despite being matched up against Butler at times tonight. Patrick Patterson continues to run circles around Amir Johnson, and had 12 points and nine rebounds in 30 minutes, while Johnson hit just 1-of-6 shots for two points and four boards in 18 minutes. Pat-Pat’s another guy you should be thinking about picking up, despite his bench role. Lou Williams scored 12 points, but hit just 3-of-10 shots, and continues to be as hit-or-miss as they come. Greivis Vasquez also disappeared tonight after playing well in his last couple, and hit 1-of-7 shots for two points in just 15 minutes. Unreliable.
Houston 110, Portland 95
James Harden had the line of the night with 44 points, three rebounds, seven assists, five steals, four 3-pointers and just one TO, hitting 14-of-26 shots and 12-of-13 free throws. Congratulations are in order if you had him in any lineups tonight. Dwight Howard had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and even hit both of his free throws tonight, Patrick Beverley had 11 points and a full stat line, and Donatas Motiejunas added 10 points, eight rebounds, a block and a 3-pointer in another start for Terrence Jones. We still don’t know when TJ is going to play, so D-Mo is worth hanging onto until further notice. Trevor Ariza is still struggling with his shot and hit just 3-of-9 shots for seven points, but did have six rebounds and a 3-pointer. Corey Brewer made his debut for the Rockets and had 12 points, four rebounds, four assists, five steals, a block and two 3-pointers in 23 minutes, so it’s possible he’s going to hold some value on his new team. However, this could easily end up being his best game of the season for the Rockets.
Nicolas Batum hit rock bottom last night, hitting just 1-of-3 shots for two points, two rebounds and three assists. His scoring has been atrocious and he’s averaging just 5.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals over his last five games. I hate to say it, but he’s probably better served on your bench until he gets this worked out. Joel Freeland and Meyers Leonard started for LaMarcus Aldridge (illness) and Robin Lopez (broken hand), but neither did a whole lot, other than render Thomas Robinson useless. Leonard was actually solid with a season-high 13 points, four rebounds, three 3-pointers and a block, and now looks like the guy to own in the absence of RoLo. Damian Lillard had 18 points and three assists, but hit just 6-of-16 shots, didn’t hit a 3-pointer and committed six TOs, while Wesley Matthews added 14 points and three 3-pointers in the loss. T-Rob was invisible, failing to score in just 13 minutes, and that one big game he had last week is now a distant memory. Chris Kaman is not the answer at center like we thought he was going to be, and had just nine points and six boards in 15 minutes. With Batum struggling, C.J. McCollum got loose for a season-high 17 points, three steals, a block and three 3-pointers in 27 minutes, but I need to see it again before getting excited. Aldridge should be back for the next one.
Utah 97, Memphis 91
The 9-20 Jazz shocked the short-handed Grizzlies for the win last night, as every starter scored in double figures except for Trey Burke. Alec Burks scored 23 with two 3-pointers, Gordon Hayward had 21 points and two 3-pointers, Derrick Favors added 15 points, seven rebounds and a block, and Enes Kanter stayed relevant with 13 points, nine rebounds, a block and a 3-pointer. Burke had eight points, four rebounds, four assists and a 3-pointer, so his line wasn’t too bad, either. Rudy Gobert played 30 minutes off the bench and hit just 1-of-6 shots, but still had two points, a career-high 16 rebounds and two blocks. I still don’t trust him as long as Favors and Kanter are healthy, but it’s impossible to ignore this line, or his recent play.
Zach Randolph (knee) and Tony Allen (eye) missed another game for the Grizz and it’s quickly become apparent just how important they are to the their team. Mike Conley had 28 points, four assists and four 3-pointers, and Marc Gasol added 24 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in the loss. Tayshaun Prince started, but failed to score in 24 minutes, and Kosta Koufos had just five points and four boards in 33 minutes and a start. Jon Leuer, who got the start and had a nice line in his previous game, came off the bench and had just four points and five rebounds despite playing 26 minutes. Randolph is day-to-day, while we still don’t know when Allen will play again.
San Antonio 125, LA Clippers 118
The Spurs played most of their guys tonight and Tony Parker had 26 points, four assists, two steals and a 3-pointer on 11-of-18 shooting. He should be well rested and ready to roll again. Tim Duncan added 21 points and 12 boards after resting on Saturday, while Danny Green had 11 points, five assists, a steal, a block and three 3-pointers in 29 minutes. Kyle Anderson started for Kawhi Leonard, who’s out indefinitely with his hand injury, but played just 10 minutes and scored five points. Boris Diaw stayed hot off the bench with a season-high 23 points, six boards and two 3-pointers on 9-of-11 shooting in 25 minutes, and Manu Ginobili came through with 19 points, 10 assists and two 3-pointers in 27 minutes, but also dinged up his shoulder late, which could be enough to put him back on the shelf. Obviously, none of these guys are very reliable when playing for Gregg Popovich, as it’s impossible to tell who is going to play from night to night. It was nice to see Diaw do this with Duncan, Parker and Ginobili playing, but just know his next game could be a complete dud. However, as long as Leonard is out, it looks like Diaw is the guy who will benefit most. With Parker back, Cory Joseph played just 18 minutes and had three points and three assists, meaning you only want to use him if Parker’s out.
The Clippers got 25 points, nine assists and a very full stat line from Chris Paul, 22 points, six boards, six assists, a steal and a block from Blake Griffin, and 21 points and five 3-pointers for J.J. Redick. DeAndre Jordan just missed a double-double with nine points, 11 boards, a steal and a block, and is having a fine season. Matt Barnes was quiet again in another start, finishing with just four points and four rebounds in the loss. I own him in a few leagues, but he’s really testing my patience right now. Jamal Crawford managed to score 18 points without hitting a 3-pointer, but has become unreliable with Redick playing so well.
Golden State 128, Sacramento 108
David Lee finally returned from his hamstring injury and hit 3-of-9 shots for six points, seven rebounds and a block in 16 minutes off the bench. Draymond Green played 26 minutes, but hit just 2-of-5 shots for six points, but still added eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Maybe Lee will keep him from getting in a groove at times, but the starting job is clearly Green’s from here on out. Klay Thompson had 25 points and two 3-pointers on 10-of-16 shooting, Stephen Curry added 12 points, 11 dimes, three steals and a 3-pointer on 5-of-12 shooting, and Festus Ezeli started in place of Andrew Bogut (knee) and had a career-high 15 points to go along with six boards and two blocks. He played just 18 minutes, but looked good in them. Marreese Speights played just 13 minutes, but still had 12 points, four rebounds and three assists. With the emergence of Ezeli and the return of Lee, Speights’ run might be over, which is a shame. Harrison Barnes played 27 minutes and had eight points, eight boards, a steal and a 3-pointer, and should still be owned in most leagues in my opinion. Justin Holiday came out of nowhere for a career-high 18 points, three boards, three assists and three 3-pointers in 20 minutes, but I need to see him do it at least two more times before jumping. Golden State won this game easily so there was some garbage time involved.
DeMarcus Cousins had 22 points, eight boards, six assists, a steal and a block, and Darren Collison added 17 points, five dimes and two 3-pointers in the loss. Rudy Gay scored just 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting, but played 37 minutes despite being banged up in this one. He is dealing with knee, ankle and Achilles issues right now, but none of them seem serious enough to keep him out. Ben McLemore also cooled off with 11 points and three 3-pointers in 33 minutes, but they should both bounce back. Carl Landry scored 12 off the bench and Omri Casspi had 16 points, eight boards and a block on 7-of-10 shooting off the pine. Casspi’s worth keeping a close eye on, but Landry’s line was a fluke against his former team.
