NBA Roundup Feb.23: Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors win – Part 2
Sacramento Kings 111 – Orlando Magic 105
In NBA, games are not won on paper-strength. The matchup between the mighty Orlando Magic and the Sacramento kings was a clear proof of that. Even after scoring 31 points and 17 rebounds for yet another scorching double-double,
Dwight Howard trudged through an almost empty Orlando Magic locker room late Wednesday night looking solemn and seeking something to fill a silence in the air that was downright deafening.
The short-handed Kings, who came into the game without Tyreke Evans, kept pace with the powerful Magic offense throughout the first three quarters of the game. The Magic always had the upper hand though. They led by 90-83 with
9:20 left in the game and appeared to be cruising at that point.
The kings had other plans though.
Omri Casspi made a three point play to spark the start of what proved to be game breaking 8-0 run, one he ultimately finished with a triple pointer.
The Kings never looked back after that as they scratched out the biggest upset of the night with a 111-105 win. Jermaine Taylor had a career-high 21 points while Beno Udrih added 18 for the Sacramento Kings.
Philadelphia 76ers 117 – Washington Wizards 94
There will be quite a few uncommon names in the Washington Wizards roster in the coming matches of the season. But, one thing that is remaining common at the moment is their losses. On Wednesday night, the Wizards again lost on
the road against as they went down without a fight against the Philadelphia 76ers.
In a game that witnessed seven Sixers featuring in the double figures, Jrue Holiday led the front with 20 points in their 117-94 rout of the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. Thaddeus Young was solid off the bench with 18 points
and 10 rebounds.
The Wizards had a solid start to the game and led the Sixers 31-24 at the culmination of the first twelve minutes. The Sixers offense though soon found its groove as they outscored the listless Wizards 64-33 over the course of
the nest two frames to pull away with the match. With this win, the Sixers now jump to a 28-29 record, not bad after a 3-13 start this season.
John Wall paced the Wizards with 21 points and 12 assists while Trevor Booker scored 17 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. The Wizards have lost 12 of their last 14 games.
Chicago Bulls 113 – Toronto Raptors 118
In what proved to be a night of surprises, the mighty Chicago Bulls who are at the third place in the Eastern Conference, fell down 118-113, against the lowly Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto.
The shock win by the Raptors, which spoiled the return of the Bulls’ centre Joakim Noah after a 30-game injury layoff was made possible by some red hot shooting . The Raptors rapped the visitors with a scorching conversion rate
of 58 percent from the field, the highest against the Bulls by any team in the season.
After an evenly fought first stanza that finished with the Bulls leading by 58-55, the Raps scored on six of their first possession to snatch back the lead. A 14-4 run in the following minutes completely put the Raptors in the
driver’s seat.
The Bulls however launched a 12-2 spurt, bridging the third quarter and the early parts of the fourth, to take back a one point lead. The Raptors though showed some great fighting spirit as they pulled away down the stretch, thanks
to strong fourth-quarter performances from DeMar DeRozan and Leandro Barbosa.
DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani led the Raptors with 24 points apiece and Jose Calderon finished with a game-high 17 assists. The Bulls were led by Derrick Rose who finished with a game-high 32 points and 10 assists.
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