Wizards win first game without starter Wall
LOS ANGELES — The Washington Wizards, who learned they have lost all-star guard John Wall for a significant period of time, snapped the Oklahoma City Thunder’s eight game win streak with a 102-96 win on Tuesday.
The Wizards announced earlier Tuesday that Wall would undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
Wall, picked for his fifth all-star game last week, is second on the Wizards in scoring, averaging 19.4 points, and is second in the league with 9.3 assists per game.
In July, he agreed to a $170-million, four-year contract extension.
Bradley Beal had 21 points and nine assists for Washington, who held Thunder star Russell Westbrook to just 13 points. Westbrook finished with 10 assists, six rebounds and seven turnovers and made only five of 18 shots.
Paul George had 28 points for Oklahoma City, but none in the fourth quarter while Carmelo Anthony missed three shots in the final 30 seconds.
The Wizards started Tomas Satoransky in Wall’s place. The Czech point guard finished with four points and six assists.
In Toronto, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry overcame a slow start as the Toronto Raptors rallied to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 109-104.
DeRozan finished with 23 points and eight assists and Lowry scored 15 with nine assists as Toronto improved to 34-15 on the season. Center Jonas Valanciunas had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Jimmy Butler led Minnesota with 25 points, five rebounds and six assists, for the Timberwolves who lost their 14th consecutive game at Air Canada Centre arena. Canadian Andrew Wiggins scored 15 with eight rebounds.
Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, who was playing a day after the birth of his child, finished the game with 10 points.
The Raptors were without sixth man CJ Miles who has a right knee injury.
In Detroit, the Piston’s got ready to welcome new acquisition Blake Griffin into the fold by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers, 125-114.
The Pistons acquired the five-time all-star in a multi-player trade on Tuesday and is expected to join his new team soon.
HISTORIC NIGHT FOR HARDEN
James Harden became the first player in NBA history to record a 60-point triple double as the Houston Rockets defeated the Orlando Magic, 114-107, on Tuesday night.
The 60 points were also a franchise single game record as he surpassed Calvin Murphy who scored 57 points in 1978. Murphy was in attendance at the game as a member of the Rockets’ Root Sports television broadcasting crew.
Harden scored 18 points in the final quarter to record his ninth career 50-point game.
He reached the 60-point milestone with a four-point play, stepping back and draining a three pointer while being fouled by Mario Hezonja. Harden then made the freethrow as the crowd rose to its feet. Murphy smiled and clapped as his scoring mark fell by the wayside.
Harden collected his 10th rebound just moments later to earn his third triple double this season. He made 17 of 18 free throws and was 19 of 30 from the field with five baskets from beyond the arc. He also had four steals and one block. —