NBA Roundup 6th April: New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons win (Part-2)
New York Knicks 97 – Philadelphia 76ers 92
Carmelo Anthony is showing no signs of retreat. On Wednesday night, he once again led the New York Knicks as they romped to their fifth straight victory 97-92 over the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. Anthony erupted
with a game-high 31 points and 11 rebounds placing Knicks on the frontline.
Amar'e Stoudemire landed 18 points and dished out 7 assists to support the scoring machine of the night. Thaddeus Young was incredibly outstanding off the bench and notched up a team-high 25 for Philadelphia while the star forward
Elton Brand finished the night with 24 points.
Stoudemire and Anthony lifted the momentum for the visiting Knicks and escorted the team to 49-41 advantage going into the halftime. Young and Brand strived aggressively to gain advantage and combined for 24 points in the first
two periods but they were dominated by the two offensive powers.
Anthony went invincible in the third period and racked up 15 points of his 31 including three sizzling blows from beyond the arc as the Knicks amplified the lead to 78-65 points.
Young took the charge magnificently in the final quarter and came up with successive blows as the Sixers snatched the lead 88-87 with three minutes remaining in the final buzzer. Toney Douglas retaliated stoutly and scored 7 points
in the defining moments of the game to clinch a thrilling 97-92 win for New York.
Cleveland Cavaliers 104 – Toronto Raptors 96
On Wednesday night at Air Canada Centre, the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to withstand a late charge by the Toronto Raptors and amassed their 17th success of the season in an exciting 104-96 win. The Cavaliers moved
a step forward from the worst team of the league as Minnesota Timberwolves now holds that banner.
Cleveland’s centre-forward J.J. Hickson shared a game-high 28 points with the Raptors’ reserve guard Jerryd Bayless. Baron Davis clinched a double-double with 19 points and 12 assists to put the visiting Cavaliers on the frontline.
Cleveland went for a 17-10 run to grab an early advantage as Hickson scored eight points in the starting five minutes. The Cavaliers’ starters carried the action and continued to dominate Toronto extensively. The visiting team
restricted the Raptors from taking control and managed to seal a massive 60-24 advantage as the game progressed into the first half.
Toronto was trailing by 22 points when DeMar DeRozan and Bayless haunted the leading Cleveland with their aggressive charge. A seemingly effortless win wavered in the second half when the home team managed to cut down the double
figure lead to 82-88 followed by a blistering jump shot from Bayless with 5:57 left on the clock. Davis and Hollins reacted resolutely for Cleveland and survived two blistering 3-pointers from the home team to nab a thrilling 104-96 victory.
Detroit Pistons 116 – New Jersey Nets 109
Brook Lopez’s milestone night was reduced to rubbles as the Detroit Pistons took the charge stoutly after the halftime to overshadow New Jersey Nets for an action-packed 116-109 victory at Palace of Auburn Hills. Lopez landed
a blistering career-high 39 points however he failed to turn his incredible effort into a feat.
The Pistons guard Richard Hamilton racked up a team-high 25 points while Rodney Stuckey provided a substantial support from the bench with 22 points and 10 rebounds. The centre-forward Greg Monroe also joined the action with his
20 points to subjugate the scoring machine of the night.
Detroit romped with 16-6 run in the preliminary minutes of the game when Travis Outlaw responded swiftly with two successive blows from beyond the arc. Lopez than started the domination with is flawless shooting and scored 11 points
to cut down the huge deficit 32-28 in the first quarter. The Pistons sustained their lead until the Nets restricted the opposition to score in the last couple of minutes before halftime and snatched the advantage 59-52.
Third quarter depicted some dithering moments for both the teams. Lopez free throw followed by a hook shot reclaimed the advantage 88-86 for New Jersey however Austin Daye’s 3-pointer placed Detroit on the frontline once again.
The Pistons succeeded in their plan to restrict the inexorable Lopez in the final quarter and Stuckey smashed New Jersey with 14 points of his 22 to clinch an enthralling 116-109 victory.
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