Kobe Bryant’s jersey retirement and several close games highlighted today’s memorable NBA day.
Indeed, sports betting fans have plenty to be happy about. Not only that they were able to witness the immortalisation of one of the game’s greats that thrilled live betting over the years, but they were also able to watch exciting basketball that turned the betting odds upside down.
New York Knicks 91-109 Charlotte Hornets
With Kristaps Porzingis sitting out, the Knicks failed to extend their winning run. Charlotte, in contrast, ended their skid behind double-double performances from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Dwight Howard as well as a 24-point explosion off the bench from Frank Kaminsky.
Boston Celtics 112-111 Indiana Pacers
Boston trailed Indiana by four in the dying seconds, but Kyrie Irving banked a clutch three-pointer to put the C’s within one before Terry Rozier made a steal and dunked the ball to give them the lead and the victory. Victor Oladipo scored 38 in a losing effort for the Pacers.
Miami Heat 104-110 Atlanta Hawks
Goran Dragic’s absence proved to be a huge blow for Miami as they fall to lowly Atlanta. The Heat had 19 turnovers in the game, giving the Hawks the chance to stay close and win. Taurean Prince and Dennis Schroder led the home team with a combined 47 points.
Philadelphia 76ers 115-117 Chicago Bulls
Chicago continued to surprise fans, this time beating Philadelphia for their sixth straight win. Nikola Mirotic remained in impressive form and bagged a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Bulls’ charge over Dario Saric and the Sixers.
Utah Jazz 99-120 Houston Rockets
Utah never really had a chance in this game, not with Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors out. Clint Capela had a great time manning the middle for Houston and finished with 24 points and 20 boards, while Chris Paul flirted with a triple-double. James Harden chipped in 26 to pile more misery on the short-handed Jazz.
Portland Trail Blazers 107-108 Minnesota Timberwolves
CJ McCollum put the Blazers in the front seat with less than a minute left, but Jimmy Butler catapulted the Wolves back with a pair of game-winning freebies. The former Bulls’ star ended the game with 37 points, effectively cancelling out McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic’s 20-point outings.
Denver Nuggets 94-95 Oklahoma City Thunder
In a night when most Thunder starters struggled offensively, Russell Westbrook stepped up and showed why he is the reigning NBA MVP. The 29-year-old guard notched 38 points, including the game-tying layup and the winning free throw, to pace Oklahoma past Denver who had five players reaching double figures.
Phoenix Suns 97-91 Dallas Mavericks
Another late-game collapse saw the Mavericks go down against the Devin Booker-less Suns. Besides TJ Warren’s 19, Phoenix got a boost from their bench players, with Isaiah Canaan, Alex Len and Troy Daniels combining for 43 points. Dallas, meanwhile, had Harrison Barnes bag 26 markers.
LA Clippers 91-109 San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio led by 14 at the end of the first quarter and never looked back as they blew out the Clips missing the offensive production of Blake Griffin. It was a balanced performance from the Spurs, with LaMarcus Aldridge and Tony Parker filling up the scoreboard while the reserves provided solid minutes.
Golden State Warriors 116-114 Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers did their best to show their Mamba mentality and make Kobe proud, challenging the undermanned Warriors to overtime. In the end, however, Kevin Durant proved to be too hot to handle for the motivated Purple and Gold.
Durant sparked the Warriors with 36 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists while also scoring the game-winner that denied Los Angeles a double celebration.
For the latest sports update, promotions and betting picks with SBOBET get social with our official Twitter, Google+, YouTube and Facebook accounts. Visit SBOBET and join us now. Start placing your bets today!
Click for more basketball betting options.
