NBA wRap: Kobe reaches another milestone as Lakers win

MANILA, Philippines – Kobe Bryant continued his climb up the NBA’s record books with another incredible performance against the Toronto Raptors on Monday, December 1. 

In the east, old adversaries Miami and New York rekindled their rivalry with stars Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony making emphatic returns from injuries. All that and more on Monday’s NBA wRap:

San Antonio Spurs (12-4) 111 – 89 Boston Celtics (4-10)

SAS: Danny Green 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals

BOS: Evan Turner 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist

The Spurs outscored the Celtics 33-16 in the fourth quarter, leaning mostly on their reserves to spearhead the win. Tim Duncan finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds for San Antonio, while Boris Diaw put up 15 points, 7 boards, and 3 assists.

Rajon Rondo scored only 2 points for Boston, who shot 41% from the field. 

 

Chicago Bulls (11-6) 102 – 84 Brooklyn Nets (6-9)

CHI: Pau Gasol 25 points, 13 rebounds, 2 bocks

BKN: Jarrett Jack 12 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists

Jimmy Butler continued his steady climb to the top of the NBA shooting guard food chain with another outstanding effort: 26 points (7-of-12 shooting), 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. Derrick Rose played 26 minutes in his team’s win, putting up 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Kevin Garnett had just 7 points in 24 minutes, but did try to bite Joakim Noah during a play, not that it helped his squad in any way:

Joe Johnson, who finished with 3 points on 1-of-7 shooting, wasn’t in a chatty mood while talking to the media post-game (Tweet of the Day):

Joe Johnson reacts to another loss pic.twitter.com/J0i8zoyKmN

— Stefan Bondy (@nydninternets) November 30, 2014

Golden State Warriors (14-2) 104 – 93 Detroit Pistons (3-14)

GSW: Steph Curry 16 points, 10 assists, 3 rebounds

DET: Josh Smith 14 points, 12 assists, 9 rebounds, 4 steals

 

Memphis Grizzlies (15-2) 97 – 85 Sacramento Kings (9-8)

MEM: Zach Randolph 22 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals

SAC: Reggie Evans 17 points, 20 rebounds, 1 block

 

Miami Heat (9-7) 86 – 79 New York Knicks (4-14)

MIA: Dwyane Wade 27 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists

NYK: Carmelo Anthony 31 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists

Dwyane Wade (hamstring) made his return from a seven-game absence to torch the Knicks, while Carmelo Anthony returned from a back injury to light up the Heat. However, Wade’s squad had the last laugh, as Chris Bosh, who finished with 20 points and 9 rebonds, hit the game-sealing 3-ball with less than two minutes to go to ice the contest. 

During a post-game interview session with FOX Sports, Dwyane Wade was interrupted a few seconds in by his wife and actress, Gabrielle Union, who couldn’t help but comment on Wade’s free throw shooting:

Orlando Magic (7-12) 93 – 90 Phoenix Suns (10-8)

ORL: Tobias Harris 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals

PHX: Markieff Morris 18 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists

 

Highlight of the Day:

Portland Trail Blazers (13-4) 107 – 93 Minnesota Timberwolves (4-11)

POR: LaMarcus Aldridge 26 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists

MIN: Mo Williams 21 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds

 

Los Angeles Lakers (4-13) 129 – 122 Toronto Raptors (13-4)

LAL: Kobe Bryant 31 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds

TOR: Kyle Lowry 29 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds

Kobe Bryant became the first player in NBA history on Monday to reach 6,000 assists while also recording at least 30,000 points. The Black Mamba also finished with his first triple-double of the season – and the 20th in his career – to lead Los Angeles to just their fourth win this season.

The 36-year-old also schooled young Terrence Ross:

Fantasy Stud of the Week: 

LeBron James was superb for the Cleveland Cavaliers this past week. The four-time NBA MVP averaged 25.7 PPG, 8.7 APG, 5.3 RPG, and 2.3 SPG during Cleveland’s three wins this past seven days, while also shooting 51% from the field, 80% from the foul line, and 30% from downtown. 

– Rappler.com