NBA wrap: LaMarcus Aldridge scores 56 in Spurs' double-OT win over Thunder
The Spurs made their first 14 3-point attempts of the game Thursday.
Published : Jan 11, 2019 14:10 IST
The Spurs won one of the wilder games in the NBA season Thursday.
San Antonio took down Oklahoma City 154-147 in double-overtime behind a career-high 56 points from LaMarcus Aldridge and an unprecedented 3-point shooting display. The 56 points is the most scored by a player without a 3-point attempt since Shaquille O'Neal tallied 61 in 2000 without a shot from beyond the arc.
The Spurs were absolutely on fire from 3-point range in this game, though, as they went a perfect 10-for-10 from beyond the arc in the first half. San Antonio was the first team in the last 20 years to record that stat line in a half.
It didn't stop there, though. San Antonio made its first 14 3-point attempts to start the game. In total, it finished 16 of 19 from beyond the arc.
But the Thunder didn't back down as Russell Westbrook had a great game. He posted his fourth career 20-point, 20-assist performance in addition to a triple-double (24-13-24).
The Spurs (25-18) are now just one game back of the Thunder (25-16) for third place in the Western Conference.
Studs of the Night
Kyrie Irving scored 22 points while adding five rebounds and five assists in a 115-99 loss to the Heat.
Nikola Jokic tallied his fifth triple-double of the season with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in the Nuggets' 121-100 win over the Clippers.
Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein had 14 points, 14 rebounds and five assists in Sacramento's 112-102 win over the Pistons.
Dud of the Night
Al Horford went 1-of-8 shooting and 0 for 4 from 3-point range with two points Thursday. Boston was minus-26 with him on the floor.
DeMar DeRozan almost tallied a triple-double (16-11-8), but he missed a shot to win the game in regulation, again in the first overtime and committed a big foul in the final 12 seconds to give the Thunder a little hope. He also shot 7 for 22 from the field.
Highlight
Heat forward James Johnson put Irving on a poster in Miami's win over Boston.
What's Next
Hornets (19-21) at Trail Blazers (25-17) 10 p.m. ET — Portland continues to impress this season while Charlotte is holding on to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Kemba Walker and Damian Lillard are two of the most entertaining guards in the game, and CJ McCollum can go off on any night.