Nevertheless, the Bulls outscored, outplayed and outmatched the disappointing Nets in every category there is. Brooklyn led by two after the first quarter of play, but it was all Bulls after that. Bench play was certainly a key to Chicago's success today, getting contributions from D.J. Augustin with 13 points and 5 assists and Taj Gibson with a team high 20 points and 8 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench. After trailing by two at the end of the first quarter, Chicago turned on the jets and never looked back, finishing the game with a 17 point win- a nice gift for Bulls fans everywhere.
Time to talk about another disappointing New York basketball team- the New York Knicks. Coming into this season as a possible Eastern Conference contender, the Knicks (9-19, 4-11 home) have yet to find their rhythm and are showing that they are becoming more comfortable with the thought of losing day after day. With Oklahoma City coming into MSG on Christmas day, the Knicks hoped to at least be able to contend with one of the Western Conference's best teams. But plagued by injuries to Raymond Felton, Metta World Peace, and superstar Carmelo Anthoy, the Knicks were simply throttled on their home court, proving yet again why the Thunder are considered one of the most complete teams in the NBA. Kevin Durant had a game high 29 points with Serge Ibaka contributing 24 points. Russell Westbrook had an impressive triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Thunder had this one in the bag from the start, finishing the day with a comfortable 29 point win.
Our third Christmas day game was actually a close one between the defending champion Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers. Strong bench play was yet again a key to keeping Los Angeles in this one, getting contributions from Xavier Henry (14 points) and Nick Young (20 points), however Miami proved to be too much for this inexperienced Lakers team. With injuries sidelining Steve Nash, Steve Blake, and superstar Kobe Bryant, the Lakers had to dig deep into their bench, even giving former Duke star Ryan Kelly 17 minutes off the bench. The Lakers stayed with the Heat all throughout the game, never letting up-even for a second. However, the big three proved to all of us why they are back to back champions, with another dominating performance from all three (LeBron James-19 points) (Dwayne Wade- 23 points) (Chris Bosh- 23 points, 11 rebounds). A nail-biter to the finish, the Heat escaped with a slim six point victory.
With arguably one of the best starting lineups in basketball, the new-look Houston Rockets traveled to San Antonio to take on a veteran filled Spurs squad in a battle of two Western Conference powers. Houston jumped out to an early 15 point first quarter lead and would never look back, winning this one with ease 111-98. It's hard to lose when your entire starting lineup scores in double-digits and you get double-double contributions from newly-acquired center Dwight Howard (15 points, 20 rebounds) and forward Terrance Jones (21 points, 14 rebounds). James Harden chipped in a game high 28 points, with Chandler Parsons adding 21 and Jeremy Lin adding 13. This young Houston team is out to prove that they have what it takes to compete with the best of the best and bring a championship home to the city of Houston.
It was certainly a Christmas to remember, as not one home team could bring a victory to their fans for the holiday. Hopefully next Christmas a home team might be able to get a win for their fans. Overall, id say the NBA on Christmas day 2013 was a success.
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