NBA Roundup 30th March: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats and Indiana Pacers win
Atlanta Hawks 85 – Orlando Magic 82
On Wednesday night at Philips Arena, Josh Smith landed a game-high 26 points including 3 scorching blows from downtown to spearhead Atlanta Hawks for an enthralling 85-82 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Atlanta coach Larry Drew made a savvy move early in the game by bringing in the 7-foot reserve centre Jason Collins into the game. Collins was a revelation. He went body-to-body against the superstar Dwight Howard all throughout the night, hounding him
effectively and reduced him to only 17 points. Smith scored 17 points of his 26 in the first half of the game and retaliated Magic’s assail from long distance as the home team managed to get a 46-43 advantage.
Orlando buried seven blistering blows beyond the arc in the game however Hawks kept their momentum intact. Joe Johnson and Al Horford carried the action for Atlanta in the second half of the game. Both the team were neck-to-neck till the very last moments
of the game when Jameer Nelson’s driving layup shot tied the game at 82-all.
With 1:11 left in the game, Atlanta hung tough and repelled the Magic offense. Joe Johnson then came up with a game breaking jumper in the defining moments of the play and Collins followed it with a free throw as the Hawks prevailed by 85-82.
Charlotte Bobcats 98 – Cleveland Cavaliers 97
Charlotte Bobcats are making their final chances for the playoff push count as they sealed their fourth straight victory 98-97 against the slumping Cleveland Cavaliers at Time Warner Cable Arena. Boris Diaw scored 26 points and dished out 11 assist to lead
Bobcats in a thrilling victory.
Kwame Brown and Gerald Henderson carried the action for Charlotte and combined for 30 points to keep the scoring log ticking. Ramon Sessions was outstanding with the ball as he landed a team-high 24 points off the bench however Cavaliers lost the game in
the defining moments.
The visiting team was fairly dominant in the first half of the game and also buried four scorching blows from downtown. Brown scored 13 points of his 16 in the first two periods however Cavaliers managed to take 50-47 advantage in the halftime.
Both the teams showed great aggression throughout the second half of the game. Diaw, who scored 10 points in the last quarter, landed a tie-breaking free throw with 14 seconds remaining. The Bobcats held on their slender advantage in the remaining passage
to scratch out a win.
Indiana Pacers 111 – Detroit Pistons 101
After a slow start in the preliminary moments of the game, Indiana Pacers romped with 31-12 run in the second quarter to snatch a 111-101 victory over the Detroit Pistons at Conseco Fieldhouse on Wednesday night.
Darren Collison and Danny Granger combined for 37 points to lead the Pacers. For the Pistons, Rodney Stuckey exploded off the bench and clinched a game-high 24 points and nine assists. The Pistons’ starter put on an impressive show as except for Tracy McGrady
all the players scored in double figure.
Detroit Pistons managed to dominate in the first quarter but Indiana picked up their pace outstandingly before the halftime. With three blistering 3-pointers in the second quarter, the home team sealed a 59-47 advantage as the game progressed into the first
half.
The Pacers sustained their momentum early in the second half as they rolled onto a 10-point win.
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