Jimmy Butler latest to pass 50-points

Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler became the latest player to record a 50-point performance on Monday as the NBA appears headed for a record-breaking season.

Butler scored 52 points as the Bulls beat the Charlotte Hornets 118-111 and became the eighth player this season to achieve more than 50-points in a game, tying the single season record.

Houston's James Harden scored 53 points two days ago, while Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, Boston's Isaiah Thomas, Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins, Washington's John Wall, New Orleans' Anthony Davis and Golden State's Klay Thompson have all also achieved what was once a rare feat.


Thompson scored 60 points in just 29 minutes, further showcasing the league's increasing dependency on three-point shooting and the evolution of individual skill.

NBA scoring leader Westbrook is also threatening to become just the second player to average a triple-double for an entire season.

Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double in the 1961-62 season while playing for the Cincinnati Royals.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Warriors beat Spurs for record-equalling 72nd victory

LOS ANGELES -- The Golden State Warriors notched their record-equalling 72nd victory of the NBA season on Sunday, beating the Spurs in San Antonio 92-86 in a Western Conference heavyweight clash.

The reigning NBA champion Warriors improved to 72-9, matching the league record for regular-season wins set by the 72-10 Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan in 1995-96.

The Warriors can break the record with a victory on Wednesday, when they conclude the regular-season against the Memphis Grizzlies at home in Oakland.

"We've got a great group of guys, that really sacrifice every single night," Warriors star Stephen Curry, who scored 37 points, said of what it took to reach the milestone.

"We're competitive, we're hungry. We care about each other. I think we try to play the right way."

The Warriors' hopes of matching or exceeding the Bulls' mark had dwindled with losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics this month.

Golden State eked out a 100-99 victory over the Grizzlies in Memphis on Saturday, but the clash with the Spurs, who were a perfect 39-0 at home this season going into the contest, was seen as a major hurdle.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr called it one of the team's best wins of the season, as his players coped with the second night of a back-to-back in hostile territory.

"It was a true team win," Kerr said. "Steph was just amazing and so was Draymond (Green). Particularly against the kind of defense that we saw, both guys were just brilliant."

With that said, Kerr noted that the victory "means nothing come playoff time".

San Antonio had won 48 straight regular-season games on their home floor dating back to last season, and the Warriors hadn't won a regular-season game there since 1997.

With both teams playing tough defense it was a close game, but Golden State turned the tide in the fourth quarter.

Forward Harrison Barnes had three key baskets as the Warriors took a six-point lead. Curry and Klay Thompson helped the Warriors build their advantage to 90-79 with 1:34 remaining.

The Spurs pulled within four points in the closing seconds, but wouldn't get any closer.

- Rockets stay in chase -

Fans in Houston were in full voice for visiting Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, who his hurtling toward his final NBA game.

But Rockets guard James Harden didn't have time for sentiment, scoring 40 points in a 130-110 victory over the Lakers that boosted Houston's slim playoff hopes.

Harden scored half his points in the fourth quarter and added 13 assists to help the Rockets withstand a 35-point outburst from Bryant, who will retire after the final game of his 20th season on Wednesday.

"The jump shot was falling, my legs felt good, and you have nights like this," Bryant said of a performance that turned back the clock.

Harden enjoyed matching up with an on-song Bryant one last time.

"He made some big shots, which he has been doing in his 20 years of playing," Harden said. "It was an exciting game. It was something I'll remember for the rest of my life."

The Rockets are in ninth place in the Western Conference, one game behind Utah for the eighth and final berth.

The Jazz helped their cause with a 100-84 victory over the Nuggets in Denver and are one game behind seventh-placed Dallas, whose playoff push was slowed by a 98-91 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

- Pacers punch playoff ticket -

The Indianapolis Pacers locked up the final Eastern Conference playoff berth with a 129-105 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Myles Turner led the Pacers with 28 points and 10 rebounds. George Hill added 18 points, five rebounds and four assists as Indiana reached the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Warriors, Spurs remain perfect at home

LOS ANGELES -- The Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs needed dominant fourth quarters on Saturday to keep their impressive NBA home winning streaks alive.

Spurs guard Danny Green was an unlikely catalyst in San Antonio, where the Spurs trailed by two going into the final period but emerged with a 93-85 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Green had missed all eight of his shots before draining a go-ahead three-pointer with 7:19 left to play that ignited the Spurs' finishing burst.

"(Green's) a pro and we made it clear to him there's only two outcomes -- it goes in or it doesn't," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "He still gets his paycheck. His family still loves him, so screw it, let 'em fly -- and he did."

The Spurs improved to 32-0 at home this season and have won 41 in a row dating back to last season.

In Oakland, California, the Warriors stretched their NBA record home winning streak to 48 with their 30th home win of this season, 123-116 over the struggling Phoenix Suns.

But they, too, had to rally in the fourth, overcoming a nine-point deficit after three quarters with the aid of a 14-0 fourth-quarter scoring run.

Superstar sharp-shooter Stephen Curry, who missed most of the third quarter because of foul trouble, returned to score 15 points in the final frame.

Golden State trailed 108-105 before Curry launched the decisive run with a game-tying three-pointer with 5:36 remaining.

The Suns missed their next six shots as the Warriors got a dunk by reserve center Marreese Speights, a dunk by Harrison Barnes and another three-pointer from Curry that gave the Warriors a 115-108 lead with 3:31 to play.

Draymond Green stretched the lead to nine with a driving basket and Curry made two free-throws to cap the 14-0 run.

Curry scored a game-high 35 points, making seven of 16 three-point attempts and handing out six assists.

Speights added 25 points, Klay Thompson scored 20 and Green 19 for the Warriors, who were without NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Andre Iguodala because of a sprained left ankle.

Brandon Knight led the Suns with 30 points, but Phoenix endured their third straight defeat and fell to 17-49, next-to-last in the Western Conference ahead of the lowly Los Angeles Lakers.

The Spurs, meanwhile, were up against a tough Oklahoma City team lying third in the West and trying to close the gap on second-placed San Antonio.

Instead the Thunder lost their second straight, and their fourth of six on the road.

Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 24 for the Spurs and the Thunder went the final 3:53 without a field goal and missed nine of their last 10 shots.

"San Antonio is the best defensive team in the league, and we generated a lot of good looks tonight," said Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, who led all scorers with 28 points.

"San Antonio hit some big shots in the fourth quarter -- especially Green's shot from the corner -- but we made them work for everything they got."

Nuggets rally past Wizards

In Denver the Nuggets' second-half rally included out-scoring Washington 41-17 in the fourth quarter en route to a 116-100 victory over the Wizards.

Nuggets reserves scored 75 points as Denver extended their winning streak to a season-best four games, dealing the Wizards' playoff hopes another blow.

Washington, who led 72-62 late in the third quarter, are now three and a half games behind Detroit for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"This leaves us in a really bad position," said Washington's John Wall. "We just keep digging ourselves a bigger hole with 17 games left."

Hornets down Rockets

The Charlotte Hornets notched their seventh straight victory, routing the Houston Rockets 125-109.

Kemba Walker scored 26 points and Marvin Williams added 25 for the Hornets, who saw a 19-point first-half lead dwindle to two in the third quarter before they rebuilt the advantage with a 17-2 scoring run.

"We just get better as the game goes on," Walker said. "We just got locked in."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

WATCH: Curry beats buzzer from half court - again

What can't this guy do?

Watch how Steph Curry rifled a half court shot in the waning seconds of the first half during the Golden State versus Utah game.

The shot sent the fans at the Oracle Arena to their feet even as the reigning MVP ran straight to the dugout for the halftime break.

"Don't act surprised," said the commentator. "He can make it from anywhere."

The Warriors won, 115-94, racking their 46th straight at home -- an NBA record.

source:  www.abs-cbnnews.com

Warriors set record with 27th straight home win

The Golden State Warriors broke the NBA record for consecutive home-court victories Monday night, getting a combined 68 points from backcourt mates Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in a hard-earned, 119-113 win over the Orlando Magic.

The Warriors' 27th straight win at Oracle Arena this season was their 45th in a row at home dating back to January 2015, allowing them to surpass the previous record of 44, set by the Chicago Bulls from March 30, 1995, to April 4, 1996.

Coming off a game in which they combined to shoot 1-for-18 from 3-point range, Curry (7-for-13) and Thompson (5-for-11) combined for 12 treys in helping the Warriors soothe the sting of their 112-95 road defeat to the Los Angeles on Sunday.

The Warriors (56-6) hit 16 of their 35 3-point attempts Monday, outscoring the Magic 48-15 from beyond the arc.

Curry finished with 41 points and Thompson added 27 as the Warriors extended their season-opening streak of not having experienced back-to-back losses to 62 games.

The Warriors are now 15-1 in second game of back-to-back sets this season.

Curry, who poured in 51 points in a 130-114 win at Orlando last month, became the first player in NBA history to make 300 3-pointers when he connected on his sixth of the night, a step-back 24-footer, during a 13-4 flurry late in the third period that put the Warriors in a seemingly commanding position.

Curry (three), reserve Brandon Rush (two) and Thompson (one) combined for six 3-pointers in the first period, during which Golden State built a 13-point lead.

Orlando, who would up taking a sixth consecutive loss to Golden State, got within four on one occasion in the second quarter.

Curry saved some of his best for the end. He had three consecutive Warriors hoops to stave off Orlando's fourth-quarter rally, capped by his seventh 3-pointer to push the Golden State lead to 109-100 with 3:58 to go.

The Magic did make one more push, closing within 111-109 with 1:13 to play on five points from reserve guard Brandon Jennings and from Victor Oladipo.

However, Thompson turned a broken play into his fifth 3-pointer from the right corner with 52.5 seconds left, and the Warriors held on for their record-setting win.

Rush finished with 11 points, Draymond Green had 10 rebounds and nine assists on a one-point night, and Andrew Bogut amassed 10 rebounds, six assists and four points for the Warriors, who were tipping off a six-game homestand.

Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier and Jennings had 20 points apiece for the Magic, who began a stretch in which they play nine of 11 on the road.

Gordon also had 16 rebounds for Orlando (27-35). The Magic sit five games out of the final playoff spot in the East.

Oladipo added 19 points and Jason Smith 13 for the Magic, who were coming off 102-84 home loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Warriors beat Thunder, tie consecutive home wins record

Stephen Curry turned an offensive rebound into a three-point play to highlight a 10-point, fourth-quarter spurt as the Golden State Warriors outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106 to tie the all-time NBA record for consecutive home wins Thursday night.

The Warriors' second win over the Thunder in six days was their 44th in a row at Oracle Arena, allowing them to match the record set by the Chicago Bulls from March 30, 1995, to April 4, 1996.

The win also capped a three-game, season-series sweep for the Warriors (55-5) over the Thunder (42-20). Those games included a 121-118 Warriors win in overtime at Oklahoma City on Saturday.

As was the case last week, the Thunder held a fourth-quarter lead before the Warriors, who have recorded the best record in NBA history through 59 games, rallied.

The Warriors, who trailed by as many as nine in the third quarter and were down 83-82 entering the final period, took the lead for good on backup guard Shaun Livingston's two free throws in the first minute of the final quarter.

The advantage was just 99-97 before Draymond Green scored from the interior with 5:47 left, triggering the game-breaking, 10-0 run.

Curry's key play came after backcourt mate Klay Thompson had misfired on a 3-point attempt.

The NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player grabbed the rebound, circled back to the top of the key before changing directions and using an Andrew Bogut screen to get to the rim for a layup on which he was fouled.

His successful free throw completed the three-point play, pushing the Golden State lead to 106-97 and setting the stage for a runaway finish.

Curry finished with a game-high 33 points for the Warriors, who have won seven in a row. Almost half his points came on five 3-pointers, although it took him 15 attempts to get them.

Thompson added 21 points on 10-for-19 shooting, and Green contributed 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to Golden State's fifth consecutive home win over the Thunder.

Kevin Durant had 32 points and Russell Westbrook 22 for the Thunder, but each had more than his usual fair share of problems.

Durant, who also found time for 10 rebounds and nine assists, committed nine turnovers.

Westbrook, meanwhile, hit only eight of his 24 shots, including one of eight from 3-point range.

Serge Ibaka added 20 points for the Thunder, who were playing their second game in two nights.

The loss was the sixth in its past eight games for Oklahoma City, which blew a 22-point lead in their Wednesday defeat against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Warriors trailed 80-71 with 4:52 remaining in the third quarter before beginning a comeback by holding the Thunder to three points the rest of the period to get within 83-82.

Golden State then opened the fourth quarter with 13 points on its first six possessions to pull into a 95-87 lead. Backup center Marreese Speights had a 3-pointer in the run.

A three-point play by Westbrook at the 6:02 mark got the Thunder back within 99-97, before Golden State took command for good with its decisive spurt.

After a first half that featured 13 lead changes and 13 ties, the Thunder surged to its biggest lead of the game -- 80-71 -- on the strength of two third-quarter runs.

Ibaka had a hand in each.

He broke a 63-all tie with a pair of hoops, igniting a 7-2 burst that opened a 70-65 advantage with 7:48 remaining in the period.

After Golden State closed within one, the Thunder countered immediately with a 10-2 flurry, this one capped by an Ibaka 3-pointer that produced a nine-point lead at the 4:52 mark.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

WATCH: Warriors becomes fastest NBA team to win 50 games

Check out how Steph Curry dazzled his way past the Atlanta Hawks to give the Golden State Warriors their 50th win this season.

Despite giving up a 23-point lead, the Warriors were able to turn the tables on the Hawks for a 102-92 victory on Monday.

Curry scored 36 points and gave out eight assists.

With the win, Golden State has set a new NBA record by becoming the fastest team to garner 50 wins. The Warriors now has a record of 50-5, a game ahead of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

The victory also brought Golden State closer to the 72-10 record set by Michael Jordan and the Bulls.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Stephen Curry to defend NBA three-point crown at all-star showcase

Stephen Curry, who is on pace to shatter his single-season three-point record, will attempt to defend his long-range shooting title at next week's NBA All-Star Game weekend in Toronto.

The announcement Thursday comes less than 24 hours after the Golden State superstar Curry finished one three-pointer shy of matching the one game NBA record of 12 three pointers in the Warriors' 134-121 win over Washington.

Reigning league Most Valuable Player and current NBA scoring leader Curry has made 232 three-pointers in 49 games this season, putting him on track to break his own record of 286 which he established last season.

The NBA also announced that Zach LaVine will attempt to become the first repeat champion in the popular slam dunk contest since Nate Robinson did it in 2009 and 2010.



Curry highlights an eight-player three-pointer field that also includes Warrior teammate Klay Thompson and Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat, James Harden of the Houston Rockets and Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors.

Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks and JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Clippers are expected to take part in the Skills competition on February 13 at Air Canada Centre arena.

Curry, who is averaging 29.8 points per game, has led the league in three-pointers in each of the past three seasons. He is the first player in league history to sink 200 in four straight seasons.

LaVine is hoping to join Michael Jordan (1987-88), Jason Richardson (2002-03) and Robinson as the only back-to-back slam dunk winners.

The 20-year-old LaVine is also the lone player from last year's competition willing to take part again as Denver's Will Barton, Detroit's Andre Drummond and Orlando's Aaron Gordon are making their slam dunk debuts.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com