Nets 'reassign' Lawrence Frank
Nuggets 111, Nets 87
The Brooklyn Nets are beginning to try to find a place to put the blame. The season has continued to be a disaster even before the 24-point home loss to the Nuggets. A 31-15 third quarter and 17 points and 20 rebounds from Timofey Mozgov helped Denver win its seventh straight game.
Brooklyn has lots of problems to sort through in the meantime.
The problems first started in the afternoon when the team announced it was re-assigning Lawrence Frank. This might amount to firing the head coach since Frank was Jason Kidd's chief adviser on the coaching staff and many believed Frank was doing a lot of the coaching heavy lifting. Either way it is a high-priced reassignment. Frank is the highest paid assistant coach in the NBA.
That leaves Kidd all alone as the architect of the rest of this now-5-13 mess. Should he shoulder the blame?
If you ask SNYNets, the answer is no. Not so much.
The TV station's Nets site did a poll of readers to assign blame. Only one in three blame the coaching staff. Nets fans really like Jason Kidd, I guess. Most of them blame the players. So shape up or ship out. . .
Pistons halt Heat's streak
Pistons 107, Heat 97
Dwyane Wade got a night off to rest his bulky knee. Maybe Miami needed him to keep its win streak going. The Pistons scored more than 25 points in each quarter against that dominant defense. Kyle Singler scored 18 points off the bench and all five starters for Detroit hit double figures. Andre Drummond added 18 rebounds (and missed four of six free throws if you are counting). LeBron James and Michael Beasley each had 23 points.
Celtics outpace Bucks
Celtics 108, Bucks 100
If you like scoring, this was probably not the game you expected to want to watch. But 76 combined points in the fourth quarter made this one a bit more exciting than you might believe. Boston though had control of the game and outlasted Milwaukee to keep Milwaukee struggling at 3-14. Jordan Crawford scored 25 points and dished out five assists to lead the Celtics in the win.
Ugly win for Mavericks
Mavericks 89, Bobcats 82
Dirk Nowitzki scored 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and Dallas won the quarter by 14 points to upend Charlotte at home. Tough luck, Bobcats. Al Jefferson led Charlotte with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Charlotte looked to be in position to win despite shooting 38.5 percent for the game. Dallas though got hot and executed at the right time. The Bobcats just could not score when things mattered most.
Warriors rally stuns Raptors
Warriors 112, Raptors 103
The Raptors had a 27-point lead and Rudy Gay was even shooting a decent percentage. What could possibly go wrong? The Warriors rallied and frustrated the Raptors even more this season with a home win late in the evening on the East Coast on Tuesday. Stephen Curry had 27 points and 10 assists for the Warriors, who scored 42 points in the fourth quarter, holding the Raptors to 12 in the final quarter. That is impressive stuff.
Comparing the Jazz and the Pacers . . . 
Pacers vs. Jazz, 9 p.m.
The Jazz might be getting a little bit too big of a head on their two-game win streak. The Deseret News is running a headline that reads: "Comparisons inevitable between Jazz, Pacers." That is getting a little ahead of ourselves. Utah is sitting at 4-15 while Indiana is at 16-2 (although Indiana is coming off a loss to Portland on Monday). Obviously, the Pacers are closer to winning a title right now than the Jazz.
Willie Green expected to step up
Clippers vs. Hawks, 7:30 p.m.
The Clippers are starting a daunting East Coast road trip without a couple of their best players. Matt Barnes is still out and J.J. Redick is now out recovering from a fractured hand and a torn UCL. Believe it or not, the Clippers will rely on Willie Green to step in to fill those minutes. Many teams in the NBA will roll their eyes at that notion. Green has found a way to stick around in this league and he gets his chance once again.
Grizzlies cruise past Suns
Grizzlies 110, Suns 91
The Grizzlies cruised past the Suns on Tuesday, leaving no doubt who the better team was. It was just Jon Leuer was the one leading the way for Memphis. Leuer scored 23 points to lead the Grizzlies in the romp. The win surprisinlgy pushes Memphis a half game ahead of Phoenix in the early Western Conference Playoff race.
Thunder hold off Kings
Thunder 97, Kings 95
The Kings seemed ready to get a big win over the Thunder. Then Kevin Durant happened. And when Kevin Durant happens, teams like the Kings are going to struggle. Durant scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and the Thunder held off the Kings' run. Sacramento outscored Oklahoma City 30-19 in the final 12 minutes, nearly erasing the double-digit lead Oklahoma City had built before. Isaiah Thomas had 24 points to lead Sacramento in scoring.
Oladipo, Carter-Williams set NBA history
Philadelphia 76ers 126, Orlando Magic 125, 2OT
Victor Oladipo and Michael Carter-Williams made NBA history by recording their first career triple doubles in the same game. They became the first duo of rookie players in NBA history to record their first triple doubles in the same game. Victor Oladipo scored 26 points and had 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the double overtime loss. Michael Carter-Williams scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to go with 10 assists. It was the Sixers outlasting the Magic in double overtime however thanks to 20 offensive rebounds and 31 second-chance points.
Spurs sign Malcolm Thomas
Spurs vs. Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m./NBATV
Malcolm Thomas might have the best timing of any player in the league. Thomas signed a deal with the Spurs after averaging 33.5 points per game in two games with the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the D-League. He had previously been with the Spurs. So why is the timing good? San Antonio is taking on Minnesota in Mexico City on Wednesday. Fun times South of the Border.
