Tim Duncan blocks James Harden and the world loses their collective minds. Victor Oladipo hit the go-ahead three-pointer only to be one-upped by Lou Williams, Oladipo's defensive assignment, seconds later. Gordon Hayward missed the game-tying free throw with 0.1 seconds left. Raymond Felton blocked Kenneth Faried's layup in double-overtime, triggering a little-known out clause for the Nuggets due to the absurdity of the event. Lou Amundson rejected Giannis Antetokounmpo at the summit, yet no one reported that because the only witnesses were the crowd and me. People would rather focus on Antetokounmpo's coast-to-coast block/dunk instead. I'll support the unheralded, those not as accepted by the mainstream. Because if I don't, someone else will.

Disclaimer: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by RotoWire. All opinions expressed by J.J. Calle are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of RotoWire or their staff, partners or sponsors. Additionally, this Box Score Breakdown is longer than the Red Sox/Yankees 19-inning game last night. Let's keep it real and limit the grammatical errors.

HOSPITAL WARD

Terrence Ross left the game with a sore left ankle. He played every game thus far, but his availability for tonight's match in Miami seems questionable. If you've held on this long, feel free to release Ross. Technically, it depends on your league size and format (head-to-head vs. rotisserie).

Gerald Green (back) and Reggie Bullock (concussion) played a combined 20 minutes before exiting Friday's match. T.J. Warren played 29 minutes, and Archie Goodwin played 22 minutes off the bench. Warren is a competent scorer, but neither is an immediate add. That could change if coach Jeff Hornacek decides to run the younger guys out there since the Suns are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. However, they're one of two teams with two remaining games (everyone else plays three), squaring off against the Spurs and Clippers, tossing Warren and Goodwin to the backburner. They'll be useful on Tuesday, a night with only three games on the NBA slate.

Erick Green left in the second quarter after hurting his left shoulder. It's unclear if he'll return this season, but he was averaging roughly 10 minutes per game over the last month.

M.I.A.

• Atlanta
  • Paul Millsap (shoulder)
• Brooklyn
  • Alan Anderson (ankle)
• Charlotte
  • Al Jefferson (knee)
  • Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (ankle)
  • Cody Zeller (shoulder)
  • Lance Stephenson (toe)
• Cleveland
  • Kyrie Irving (hip)
  • Iman Shumpert (quad)
• Dallas
  • Chandler Parsons (knee)
  • Rajon Rondo (rest)
• Denver
  • Jameer Nelson (hip)
  • Darrell Arthur (calf)
• Detroit
  • Spencer Dinwiddie (ankle)
• Houston
  • Kostas Papanikolaou (DNP-CD)
• Indiana
  • C.J. Watson (elbow)
• Los Angeles
  • Jeremy Lin (knee)
  • Carlos Boozer (DNP-CD)
  • Jordan Hill (DNP-CD)
• Memphis
  • Mike Conley (foot)
  • Tony Allen (hamstring)
• Minnesota
  • Gorgui Dieng (concussion)
  • Kevin Garnett (knee)
  • Gary Neal (ankle)
  • Anthony Bennett (ankle)
• New York
  • Andrea Bargnani (illness)
  • Cleanthony Early (ankle)
  • Travis Wear (back)
• Oklahoma City
  • Serge Ibaka (knee)
• Orlando
  • Channing Frye (DNP-CD)
  • Maurice Harkless (DNP-CD)
  • Ben Gordon (DNP-CD)
  • Kyle O'Quinn (DNP-CD)
  • Luke Ridnour (DNP-CD)
• Phoenix
  • Alex Len (ankle)
  • Brandon Knight (ankle)
• Sacramento
  • DeMarcus Cousins (foot)
  • Rudy Gay (concussion)
  • Darren Collison (hip)
• San Antonio
  • Tiago Splitter (calf)
• Toronto
  • Amir Johnson (ankle)
  • James Johnson (DNP-CD)
• Utah
  • Trey Burke (back)
• Washington
  • John Wall (rest)
  • Nene Hilario (shoulder)
  • Garrett Temple (hamstring)

ROTATION NOTES

Kyle Lowry, like Derrick Rose two days earlier, returned to action against the Orlando Magic after missing significant time (~two weeks). He played 33 minutes and believes he'll play tonight against the Heat, the second game of a back-to-back. In his postgame interview, he admitted his back was slightly sore. The Raptors are tied with the Bulls, so every game until they clinch is vital. Even though the Bulls swept the season series, the Raptors are one spot ahead because they won the Atlantic Division.

James Johnson went back to obscurity with Lowry's return, receiving a DNP-CD. Coach Dwane Casey ran an eight-man rotation, even after Terrence Ross left due to injury. I don't know why, especially against the Magic, Casey didn't use Johnson's versatility. The season's almost over, and I won't have to worry about it much longer.

Luke Ridnour joined the team following the birth of his third child and didn't play. Willie Green missed one game with a hyperextended knee and played 15 minutes off the bench. I tell you this as a confidant and consigliere.

Pero Antic played 13 minutes after missing a game following an early morning arrest. He pump fakes every time and is a terrible three-point shooter, but that doesn't prevent him from launching to the tune of 30 percent from deep.

Nene Hilario, he of perpetual ailments, rejoined the Wizards starting lineup after missing three games with a sore shoulder. He played 19 minutes in their 37-point loss. Baby steps. John Wall rested the second straight game, contributing to the blowout. No word on his status for Sunday's game against the Hawks. The Wizards can't fall further than the five seed, their current location, but have an outside chance of moving up as they're two games behind the Bulls and Raptors with three games left.

Kyrie Irving was given the night off due to a sore right hip. The Cavaliers have the luxury of resting anyone since they're locked into the two seed in the Eastern Conference. Matthew Dellavedova started and played a team-high 41 minutes. The Cavaliers outscored the Celtics 37-25 in the third quarter to pull within two, but coach David Blatt rested his regular starters the final period, ran a 10-man rotation, and limited LeBron James to 26 minutes. There have been murmurs of James resting, perpetuated by me since the beginning of the year, and it appears he'll sit Sunday, the second of a home-and-home against the Celtics. It's possible he sits all three remaining games, and it's possible he suits up for a handful of minutes in the finale for the home crowd before the playoffs pop off. I'm not a soothsayer or evangelist, not that the latter makes sense in this scenario, but James' playing time, and potentially Kevin Love's, won't run their normal course. It's time for the Tristan Thompson and Matthew Dellavedova show. Blackout restrictions apply.

Giannis Antetokounmpo rejoined his comrades in the starting lineup following one DNP-CD. He scored a game-high 23 points, grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, dished out one assist and blocked one shot in 31 minutes. I don't care if coach Jason Kidd wants to rest him the rest of the season. It's his team, and he runs it his way. He doesn't owe anyone except Antetokounmpo an explanation for the phantom DNP.

Andrea Bargnani was under the weather, and Quincy Acy replaced him in the lineup. Coach Derek Fisher also decided to start Tim Hardaway Jr. over Shane Larkin, presumably to matchup with the Bucks' length, and Cole Aldrich over Louis Amundson. The Knicks have nothing to play for and most of the roster won't return next year (only Carmelo Anthony, Jose Calderon, and Hardaway are guaranteed spots), so playing time and rotation, much like all season, is a crapshoot the final three games. Ricky Ledo might get a start, but he's worse than his stats imply. Amundson added 11 points and 10 rebounds; Larkin went for 14 points, five assists, three rebounds, and two steals, and Lance Thomas, entrenched in the starting lineup, scored 16 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting.

Jrue Holiday played for the first time since January 12th. In 15 minutes off the bench, he contributed two points, five assists, one rebound, and one steal. Holiday settled for a bunch of jumpers, but coach Monty Williams alleviated some of the pressure by using Norris Cole to initiate the offense. The Pelicans have one back-to-back remaining, facing the Rockets and Timberwolves. I'm not sure the club would ask him to participate in both, but since he's been out of action for three months, 20 minutes in each game seems reasonable. There's always the potential for aggravation, and with Holiday's premiere defensive capabilities, there's no need to play him against the Wolves.

Andre Roberson usurped Kyle Singler's starting gig, a role Roberson occupied pre-injury. As is customary, Roberson played 16 minutes, 10 more than Singler, deferring playing time to Anthony Morrow and D.J. Augustin.

Coach Rick Carlisle and his seven seeded Dallas Mavericks cannot move up or down in the standings. As such, he plans on resting players the final week. He began by giving Rajon Rondo Friday off. Raymond Felton started, connected on the game-winning layup over Kenneth Faried, and then blocked Faried on the other end to secure the victory. My nickname for Faried is 'The Con Manimal.' He's not as good as people want him to be, yet many leap to his defense without considering he's part of the problem. One summer dominating international talent because Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Paul George, LeBron James, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Dwight Howard didn't participate allowed Faried a chance to average 12.2 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds on the World Cup team. I'm guessing Carlisle rests Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler, neither of whom participated in the second overtime, for Sunday's game against the Lakers after Friday's double-overtime win. The entire starting five played at least 30 minutes without Rondo and Chander Parsons (knee). Terrible transition aside, Carlisle doesn't plan on revealing his rest strategy, so we'll have to wait for his rotations shake out.

Mike Conley didn't play due to a right foot sprain. I understand sitting him against the Jazz if the plan was to use him tonight against the Clippers, acknowledging that both opponents provide similar competition and the Jazz shouldn't be taken lightly. Beno Udrih started and scored 20 points to one assist in 35 minutes. Marc Gasol led the team with six assists, and Vince Carter snuck in five assists. The Grizzlies bench accounted for six of the team's 89 points as all the starters played at least 34 minutes. If Conley can't play tonight, prepare for more Udrih, whether Clippers' assistant coach Mike Woodson likes it or not. The Grizzlies are currently the two seed, half a game up on the Spurs and one game ahead of the Clippers and Rockets. Conley has incentive to play; I'm just not familiar with the severity of the injury.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

Seven games ago, Danilo Gallinari scored a career-high 40 points. Three weeks later, Gallinari took advantage of a double-overtime affair, accumulating a career-high 47 points (38 of which came after halftime), nine rebounds, two assists, one steal, and seven three-pointers in 46 minutes. Sitting one game of the previous four back-to-back sets, expect Gallinari to rest one of the final three games, likely recusing himself from Monday's contest against the Clippers. Every team except the Suns and Spurs plays three games to close out the season. If you need to fill your game limit, consider jumping ship, similar advice I provided last time Gallinari scored 40 points heading Week 22 and 23.

ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT

Andrew Wiggins is the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year because the award is called Rookie of the Year, not Rookie of March. I'm looking at you, Nikola Mirotic. In a game where Kevin Martin scored six points in 26 minutes, Wiggins reigned supreme with a game-high 29 points, 10 rebounds, a career-high six assists, and two steals in 42 minutes. He's played the second most minutes in the league (2,843), 36 behind James Harden. The most impressive part of Wiggins' game wasn't the highlight dunks, it was Wiggins' ability to get to and convert at the line, sinking a career-high 15-of-16 free throws. This far into the season, this many minutes into his rookie campaign, Wiggins is shooting 83 percent from the free-throw line in April, a monthly high. That tells me his isn't wearing down just yet. Though we're five games in, April also hosts highs of points (26.2), rebounds (6.0), assists (3.6), and field goal attempts (17.8) for Wiggins. He stopped shooting three-pointers, another sign that he's attacking the rim and fighting off any potential fatigue. Unless I am wrong, and I am never wrong, he's headed dead into the fire swamp.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH

David West is so frustrating to watch. He slips every pick, settles for open jumpers, and his idea of rebounding is to one-hand the ball, which ends up going out of bounds half the time. A preseason ankle injury setback West's season and he hasn't recovered since. West did register 10 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, and one steal in 29 minutes. He's more than capable of running the offense out of the high post, and with Paul George back, those backdoor cuts generate additional assist opportunities once George actively attacks the rim. Not to hijack West's moment, but only five of George's 25 attempts have come within nine feet of the basket, none of which he converted, bricking three layups in the process.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

Evan Fournier, only 22 years old, and Aaron Gordon, the second-youngest player in the league, scored 18 and 13 points off the bench, respectively. It was only Fournier's second game back from a hip injury, and he's closing out the season the same way he started it, scoring and helping facilitate the offense. Gordon, after missing two months (31 games) following foot surgery, is finally receiving meaningful minutes and rewarding his coach. Both players were ascertained in the offseason and received unjust criticism. If the Magic decide to move off Tobias Harris this offseason, you'll know why. Also, unless your name is Doug McDermott, it's a good reminder that young players need time to develop. Could Gordon become the Magic's primary rim defender? Only time will tell. But he's 19 years old and shooting is the only hole in his game, something an additional offseason with Jason Kidd a shooting coach can improve.

Elfrid Payton has hit 10 straight free throws and 19 of his last 21 attempts (90.5 percent). I was asked where Payton should be targeted next season via the twitter. As long as Payton can maintain an average free-throw mark, there's no reason he should fall past the eighth round in 12-team leagues. That number will increase if Tom Thibodeau joins the coaching staff, a known minute maximizer, and Harris doesn't return. I'll be keeping an eye on Payton should he play in summer league. While an 11-game sample size is almost meaningless, I desire extensive proof Payton can carry over the improved touch. His backcourt mate, Victor Oladipo, provided 19 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals, one block, and three three-pointers in 43 minutes. Poor field goal percentage notwithstanding, Oladipo provides above average value in six categories.

Jonas Valanciunas grabbed 13 rebounds in the first half and finished with 13 rebounds in 28 minutes. Little known fact: Valanciunas ranks fourth in field goal percentage (56.7%), yet lost minutes to the double-double machine, Tyler Hansbrough, averaging 15.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks in 36.3 minute per game since replacing Amir Johnson (ankle) in the starting lineup (three games). Two of those three games occurred against the Celtics and Hornets, coincidentally two of the Raptors' final three opponents, the other being the Miami Heat. I don't typically go out of my way to recommend a Hansbrough, of which there are two, but with recency bias on my side, the only roadblock for Hansbrough is Johnson's potential return Saturday after participating in Friday's shootaround. Keep an eye on the situation, and if you're extremely desperate, carry him on your bench in the event Johnson and Valanciunas get the final two days off for rest.

Lou Williams scored at least 13 points for the 10th straight game and ranks first among reserves in total points, total three-pointers made, and free throws made. While my imaginary vote goes to my favorite player, Isaiah Thomas, for Sixth Man of the Year, Williams has been inconsistently consistent, scoring a career-high 15.4 points per game.

Mike Muscala is 21-of-25 in his last four games, mixing three-pointers and jumpers with efficient dunks. Not even DeAndre Jordan shoots 84 percent in a week. Muscala scored a game-high 17 points against the Hornets and grabbed six boards. Paul Millsap (shoulder) won't play again tonight, prolonging the Muscala Experience for all you still competing in fantasy basketball. Games against the Wizards, Knicks, and Bulls close out the season. With more than half of Muscala's value tied to an unsustainable field goal mark, buyers beware. He's playing 23.6 minutes per game and not providing much else outside inflated percentages. Mike Scott is splitting time with Muscala and providing a decent variety of categorical diversity, comparatively. Dennis Schroder has reentered the conversation, posting 14 points, five assists, two rebounds, and two three-pointers in 19 minutes Friday. Even if coach Budenholzer can't rest players because he's without Millsap and Thabo Sefolosha (ankle), the starters haven't been broaching 30 minutes a night.

The Bismark Biyombo Train derailed in Atlanta, inevitability. Sure he grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked a shot for the ninth straight game, the only reason you should have added him, but he finished with one point and missed all three shots in 31 minutes. The entire starting five shot 26 percent and the Hornets were eliminated from playoff contention. Biyombo probably sticks in the starting lineup because the Hornets no longer require the services of Al Jefferson (knee). Not surprisingly, coach Steve Clifford plans to give the younger players more minutes, stating, "That's what these games are going to be for, things that we can take and they can use to learn, and use these next three games the same way." Feel free to move away from Mo Williams; He played a team-low eight minutes. Keep or add Biyombo for the boards and blocks; Feign wonderment when he exceeds your expectations on the offensive end.

Brook Lopez scored 14 points in the first quarter, matching the opposition, the Wizards. He finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, one steal, and one block in 32 minutes, and hung around for a 43-point fourth quarter. Bojan Bogdanovic scored a career-high 22 points and hit all six of his three-point tries, doing his best Mirza Teletovic impersonation off the bench. Bogdanovic had a similar run heading into the standard fantasy playoffs, only to flame out before turning it on three weeks later, averaging 17.0 points on 57 percent shooting the last four games. To quote 3LW, 'playas gon' play and haters, they gonna hate. Ballers, they gonna ball. Shot callers, they gonna call. That ain't got nothin' to do with me and you.'

Marcin Gortat and Bradley Beal combined for 45 of the team's 80 points. They were the only Wizards, Merlin not included, to score in double figures. Eight of Beal's 19 attempts were mid-range jumpers, of which he connected on two. So the cycle continues. Ramon Sessions, making his second straight start, added 10 assists and seven rebounds. He began the year splitting time with Darren Collison in the preseason on the verge of claiming Sacramento's starting gig, only to get traded for the NBA's oldest active player and sit behind one of the healthiest point guards in the league.

Evan Turner is one of nine players with at least 700 points, 350 rebounds, and 400 assists. Of the lot, he's last in three-pointers, three-point percentage, points, field goals, free throws made and attempted, assists, steals, and antepenultimate with 17 block. It was a misleading and arbitrary cutoff that houses the names of Harden, Curry, Westbrook, Paul, James, and others. Turner would be a first-round pick in a three-category league. However, most casuals play nine category fantasy basketball. And yes, Turner leads the Celtics with 7.0 assists per game since the All-Star break. But if you are an avid reader of mine, you'll remember Jordan Crawford averaged 6.1 assists as the starting point guard last season for coach Bradley Stevens. Turner concluded the night with a career-high 13 assists, and years earlier, he threw away his LeBron James poster.

Avery Bradley scored all 15 of his points in the first half, and Marcus Smart scored 10 of his 19 points in the first quarter.

Langston Galloway, potential Rookie of the Year and future MVP?, scored 20 points in 35 minutes. Poor field goal percentage aside, he's been the one constant since January. He's like Desmond Hume if the Knicks were Daniel Faraday. Since Alexey Shved's (ribs) season ended, Galloway is averaging 14.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.3 three-pointers in 35.7 minutes per game. Granted, he almost always settles for long mid-range jumpers, submerging his accuracy to 39 percent from the field and 29 percent from downtown sans Shved, but as a Knicks fan, I've little else to root for.

John Henson blocked a shot for the eighth straight game, and Khris Middleton notched a career-high six steals. Even though Henson is shooting 36 percent from the free-throw line the past two weeks, his 2.1 blocks per blocks per game negates that hole if your competing in a head-to-head league and don't mind his 1.6 free-throw attempts marginally destroying your chances of clinching that category.

Rodney Stuckey showed up like Casper to haunt his former team with 24 points, matching C.J. Miles' contribution. A quick search confirms my hypothesis from last month, placing Stuckey's shooting percentage at 53 percent when he shares the court with George Hill, a number that drops to 43 percent when Hill's on the bench. Stuckey is also shooting 45 percent on threes with Hill versus 37 percent without, two numbers that easily surpass his career-high mark from downtown. Miles is a different animal; Hill or no Hill, the lefty shooting guard fires away until he's struck down with an injury or coach yanks him from the court.

Reggie Jackson shot 6-of-15 from the floor, misfiring on almost everything in the paint. Who knew the reintegration of Greg Monroe into the lineup would add two more bodies to the paint, clogging Jackson's route to the basket? Color me shocked. Jackson did help out in every counting category, tallying 21 points, nine assists, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one three-pointer in 34 minutes. After belittling his fantasy value by attacking his steal rate, Jackson secured at least one steal in four straight games. It's a start, and now he averages 0.8 steals per game whether he starts or comes off the bench, sullied by a ten minute difference per role. His three-point shooting is regressing to the mean, converting 36 percent the last five games, roughly league average.

James Harden didn't perform well for the second straight game against the surging San Antonio Spurs. Like an idiot, I started him in both my rotisserie leagues following Wednesday's damning evidence. Harden finished with 16 points on 5-of-19 shooting to go along with 10 assists, three steals, and two rebounds in 38 minutes, momentarily slipping to second in the scoring race. With the game on the line, his layup attempt was blocked by Tim Duncan. And it's not as though Kawhi Leonard guarded Harden the entire game; Danny Green and Cory Joseph took shifts on the potential MVP before Leonard accommodated Harden for a majority of the second half.

Josh Smith was 12-of-26 from the foul line, attempting 16 in the fourth quarter under the Hack-a-Shaq provision. The most embarrassing moment of my life on a basketball court was when I shot 3-of-17 from the free-throw line in an organized YMCA game. I wasn't intentionally fouled like many of the professionals with awry aim. I welcomed the contact using my patented pump fake under the basket in order to draw the contact. At the conclusion of that game, I practiced free throws, to the detriment of the rest of my game, improving to an 80 percent shooter by junior high. No, I'm not a professional athlete, but players like Smith, Dwight Howard (an average free-throw shooter in pregame warmups), and DeAndre Jordan have had their whole careers to remedy one hitch in their game, yet routinely act as a liability to their team. As long as they miss more than they make, teams will continue to exploit their weakness.

Dwight Howard played 27 minutes, most since returning from his knee injury. The Rockets have a back-to-back against the Pelicans and Hornets bleeding into next week. Smart money has Howard resting the second game against the Hornets before they close out the season hosting the Jazz. Howard added 12 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks while shooting a respectable 6-of-9 from the foul line.

Vitamin Timmy D, or Father Tim, played 34 minutes and provided 29 points on 12-of-15 shooting, 10 rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and one steal. The Spurs are riding a 10-game winning streak and vaulted into the three seed, swapping spots with the Rockets, half a game ahead of them and the Clippers. They close out the season with the Suns and Pelicans. Duncan might rest the finale, but that's only if they've locked seeding by then, which isn't guaranteed.

Tony Parker and Danny Green combined for two points on 1-of-14 shooting. It happens, and when it does, Patty Mills is there for 14 points in 11 minutes off the bench. I'm sure this comparison has been made before, but the Spurs are like the T-100 from Terminator 2: Judgment Day; a morphing liquid impervious to weaponry with one goal. When one appendage gets removed, Matt Bonner's there to repair the vacancy. If you need to bypass a security system, Marco Belinelli offers a helping hand.

Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans each shot 6-of-14 from the field while Omer Asik and Quincy Pondexter shot a combined 2-of-12. At least Asik corralled 18 rebounds in 22 minutes. Ryan Anderson's tumultuous season suffered a 1-of-7 performance. Even though his game limits his fantasy value, Anderson is one of those bounce back candidate next year, two years removed from the spinal surgery that ended his 2013-14 season prematurely. A career 38 percent three-point flamethrower, Anderson is shooting a career-low 34 percent from downtown this year. It's an anomaly that I believe will course correct.

It's straight chaos in Sacramento. Derrick Williams, he who shall not be added, scored 17 points, grabbed six rebounds, and tallied an assist in 26 minutes off the bench. If it's heartbreak you seek, look no further than Williams. The Kings close the season with a game against the Nuggets and two against the Lakers. It's the perfect recipe for counterfeit stat lines. Omri Casspi did his thing with Rudy Gay (concussion) out, supplying 15 points, six rebounds, one steal, and two three-pointers in 28 minutes. Ray McCallum and Ben McLemore combined for 37 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five three-pointers, each playing at least 35 minutes. Let the run on Kings players commence, especially given their end-of-season schedule.

Russell Westbrook took a slim lead in the scoring race, 0.0228 points, thanks to his 27 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds in 38 minutes. Seriously, Andre Miller was guarding Westbrook for stretches, partially why he shot 11-of-19, eclipsing the .500 mark for the first time in nine games. When Miller wasn't on Westbrook, Ray McCallum tried his hand and almost lost it. Dion Waiters added 22 points, and Anthony Morrow produced 19 points on the strength of five three-pointers. Enes Kanter had 25 points in 32 minutes as the entire Thunder team bounced back from a terrible loss to the Spurs three days ago.

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Denver Nuggets 144-143 in double-overtime. Stats were bloated, and 22 players found themselves on the court throughout the ball game. Ty Lawson recorded a career-high 18 assists in a game-high 52 minutes, and Dirk Nowitzki played a team-high 38 minutes, most since January 13th in a single overtime game. Richard Jefferson scored a season-high 24 points, and Devin Harris added 21 points and nine assists. Neither team plays until Sunday, providing someone like Wilson Chandler, who played 49 minutes, or Randy Foye, with 47 minutes under his belt, a brief reprieve. We already know coach Rick Carlisle will rest players; now coach Melvin Hunt must determine how to finagle his rotation.

Gordon Hayward broke his two-game funk (nine points combined), scoring 27 points on 50 percent shooting, but he could not make the third of three free-throws to tie the game with less than a second remaining in regulation. Rodney Hood is on a solid four-game stretch after Friday's 18-point showing, averaging 20.0 points on 51 percent shooting. His stat line could use some diversity, but while he's on a hot streak, you keep him in your lineup. Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors had polar opposite games. Gobert went for 14 points and 14 rebounds while Favors shot 2-of-10. Bryce Cotton added a career-high 11 points with Trey Burke (back) sidelined.

The Timberwolves and Lakers competed in a battle of the worst teams in the Western Conference. Defense was optional. The Lakers won and appear locked into the fourth-worst record, five games better than the Magic and three games worse than the Sixers. The Timberwolves lost their ninth straight game and are one game behind the Knicks for the worst record in the league. So for the second straight year, after the national media bitched and moaned about the Sixers' execution of their plan, Philadelphia will not finish with the worst record yet again.

Game wise, Jordan Clarkson smothered the box score with 18 points, nine assists, six rebounds, four steals, and one three-pointer in 40 minutes. His backcourt mate, Jabari Brown, contributed 20 points, seven assists, and three rebounds substituting for the injured Jeremy Lin (knee). Ryan Kelly and Tarik Black proved me right for one night. Kelly scored 21 points and handed out seven assists while hitting five three-pointers in 38 minutes. Black scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds on the strength of 8-of-9 shooting. Like I said, defense was optional. Zach LaVine helped out with 18 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two three-pointers in 32 minutes. The rest of the non-rookie Timberwolves didn't do anything that jumps off the box score.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. Danilo Gallinari, F, DEN: 47 points
2. DeMar DeRozan, G, TOR: 29 points
3. Tim Duncan, F, SAS: 29 points

Rebounds

1. Omer Asik, C, NOP: 18 rebounds
2. Marcin Gortat, C, WAS: 16 rebounds
3. Andre Drummond, C, DET: 15 rebounds

Assists

1. Ty Lawson, G, DEN: 18 assists
2. Evan Turner, G, BOS: 13 assists
3. James Harden, G, HOU: 10 assists
4. Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 10 assists
5. Ramon Sessions, G, WAS: 10 assists

Steals

1. Khris Middleton, G, MIL: 6 steals
2. Randy Foye, G, DEN: 5 steals
3. Kawhi Leonard, G, SAS: 4 steals
4. Elfrid Payton, G, ORL: 4 steals
5. Michael Carter-Williams, G, MIL: 4 steals
6. Brian Roberts, G, CHA: 4 steals
7. Jordan Clarkson, G, LAL: 4 steals

Blocks

1. Steven Adams, C, OKC: 4 blocks
2. Eight players tied with three blocks
3. Ten players tied with two blocks

Three-Pointers

1. Danilo Gallinari, F, DEN: 7-12 3Pt
2. Bojan Bogdanovic, F, BKN: 6-6 3Pt
3. C.J. Miles, G, IND: 5-9 3Pt
4. Anthony Morrow, F, OKC: 5-10 3Pt
5. Ryan Kelly, F, LAL: 5-6 3Pt
6. Randy Roye, G, DEN: 5-13 3Pt

Minutes

1. Ty Lawson, G, DEN: 52 minutes
2. Wilson Chandler, F, DEN: 49 minutes
3. Randy Foye, G, DEN: 47 minutes