Day 12 of the delayed/cancelled NBA simulation season as it was originally scheduled:
The Knicks and Rockets get offensively fueled wins while Boston uses its trademark defense to move to stay unbeaten.
Charlotte Bobcats 94, Utah Jazz 100
Derrick Favors faces a tough fight for minutes in a crowded frontcourt, but he was the star on this night with 14 points and 6 rebounds to lead the Jazz. Rookie Alec Burks also contributed 11 points in the win. Charlotte was led by rookie point guard Kemba Walker who had 18 points, 2 assists, and 2 steals in the best game of his young career.
New York Knicks 111, Indiana Pacers 92
Carmelo and Amare powered the Knicks offensive fueled win. The duo each had 14 rebounds and combined for 62 points. Darren Collison led the Pacers with 24 points and 7 assists in the loss.
Cleveland Cavaliers 66, Boston Celtics 92
Boston used its trademark defense to clamp down on the Cavs en route to an easy victory. Each of Boston’s five starters scored in double figures led by Paul Pierce’s 21 points and 10 rebounds. Antawn Jamison led Cleveland with 16 points while rookie Kyrie Irving learned a tough lesson with just 4 points and 7 assists.
Houston Rockets 120, Golden State Warriors 115
Normally the Warriors are the team associated with scoring points, but Houston was able to beat them at their own game behind Kevin Martin’s 31. The model of efficiency, Martin was able to rack up that many points on just 18 shots getting to the line 5 times and hitting 6 three-pointers. Stephen Curry led Golden State with 28 points and 9 assists.
Chicago Bulls 94, Sacramento Kings 84
Carlos Boozer usually plays well in the regular season, and that was the case this night as the forward had 18 points and 16 rebounds. Derrick Rose had a dubious triple-double with 24 points, 12 assists, and 12 turnovers, but Chicago still got the win. DeMarcus Cousins had a double-double for Sacramento with 12 and 10.
Memphis Grizzlies 116, Toronto Raptors 104
DeMar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani each scored 20 points, but it wasn’t enough to lead Toronto to a win. Memphis’ frontcourt was dominant in this game led by Rudy Gay’s 32 points. Zach Randolph had 29 points and 17 rebounds while Marc Gasol contributed 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.
San Antonio Spurs 108, New Orleans Hornets 91
Chris Paul had 27 points and 10 assists, but that was really the only bright spot for New Orleans as San Antonio controlled the action throughout. Shooter Gary Neal had quite a night hitting 8 threes and scoring 25 points. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili each chipped in with 18 points.
Milwaukee Bucks 104, Phoenix Suns 97
One of these teams is 5-2 and it is not the Suns. Milwaukee has started the season on fire behind new acquisition Stephen Jackson. Phoenix fell to 2-5 on the year.
Portland Trail Blazers 90, Detroit Pistons 96
Detroit’s win kept Portland in a tailspin. The Blazers were led by Wesley Matthews who had 18 points and 6 rebounds, but fell further below .500. Detroit got 9 points and 14 rebounds from Greg Monroe and 18 points from Charlie Villanueva.
