NBA roundup 3rd April: San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics win (Part 1)
San Antonio Spurs 114 – Phoenix Suns 97
San Antonio Spurs snapped their six games losing streak in a 114-97 blowout victory over the Phoenix Suns at AT&T Center on Sunday night. George Hill came off the bench for the Spurs and landed a blistering game-high 29 points to end Tim Duncan’s worst losing
streak.
San Antonio’s starters failed to put up a good game but the reserves saved the day. Matt Bonner carried the action with the his team-mate Hill by scoring 16 points and gathering 11 rebounds to put the Spurs on the frontline.
The Suns’ starters on the other hand, provided substantial support and all of them scored in double figures. Vince Carter also lifted the momentum off the bench and landed 12 points. However, their efforts fell short in the face of a gritty display from
the home team, who dominated the night outstandingly.
The Spurs took the charge aggressively right from the beginning and buried nine scorching blows from downtown in the first half to clinch a massive 70-46 lead before halftime. Hill was incredibly good at beating the opposition and scored 24 points in the
first two periods.
The visiting Suns tried hard to retaliate in the second half, however San Antonio’s continuous assault beyond the arc gave them absolutely no hope. Spurs ended the night with 15 3-pointers and crushed Phoenix for a comprehensive 114-97 victory.
Denver Nuggets 95 – Los Angeles Lakers 90
On Sunday night, the Denver Nuggets made everyone stand up and take notice when they knocked down the two-time defending champions Los Angeles Lakers in their own backyard. Danilo Gallinari and Kenyon Martin combined for 40 points to spearhead the Nuggets
for a thrilling 95-90 victory, which also snapped a nine game winning streak from the Lakers.
Raymond Felton came off the bench and carried the action with his 16 points in a hotly fought showdown. The All-Star, Kobe Bryant, landed a game-high 28 points. However, the visiting Denver hung tough down the stretch to pull off the win.
Bryant and Pau Gasol lifted the momentum stoutly in the first half of the game for the Lakers and haunted the Nuggets with their domination. The home team fuelled by their star infused roster had a solid start and grabbed a 47-40 advantage going into the
halftime.
The Nuggets were altogether a different team in the second half though. They bounced back assertively in the second half as the arena witnessed an exciting turnaround. Felton smashed the Lakers with three sizzling 3-pointers to snatch the lead early in the
half. It was continuous domination from the Nuggets after that point as they concluded the night with a thrilling victory.
Boston Celtics 101 – Detroit Pistons 90
The Boston Celtics cruised to a smashing 101-90 victory over the lowly Detroit Pistons by landing 64.1 percent of their shots at TD Garden on Sunday night. The big man, Shaquille O'Neal, returned to the court after missing two months. He scored six points
in a tad more than five minutes of the play and then limped off to the locker room following a new injury as his fitness now raises serious questions.
Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were the frontrunners for the Celtics who combined for 45 points to dominate Detroit. Will Bynum scored a team-high 20 points for the Pistons, who were comprehensively beaten after halftime.
The first two quarters of the game depicted some great aggression from both teams. Detroit were impressive from beyond the arc. Tayshaun Prince scored 14 points in the first half to keep his team in a competitive position and Boston lead by 49-48 going into
the halftime.
Although the Pistons continued to present some stiff resistance to the Celtics early in the third quarter, Garnett and Pierce soon took over the game in the second half, leaving few options for the opposition to gain any sort of momentum. The Pistons failed
to respond to the pin-point shooting of the Celts, who cruised to a 11-point win.
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