FloaterDaily Brief
Sunday, December 30, 2001Regular season · 6 games
← Dec 29CalendarDec 31 →

6 games, none went to overtime. Biggest comeback: ORL trailed NYK by 12 after three quarters and won 94–90.

Final · Box score
Heat80
Pistons86
Q1 DET +5; Q2 DET +4; Q3 DET +9; Q4 DET +6
Final · Box score
Spurs83
Grizzlies79
Q1 SAS -3; Q2 SAS +3; Q3 SAS +5; Q4 SAS +4
Final · Box score
Magic94
Knicks90
Q1 ORL +1; Q2 ORL -6; Q3 ORL -12; Q4 ORL +4
Final · Box score
Celtics94
Kings109
Q1 SAC +12; Q2 SAC +14; Q3 SAC +23; Q4 SAC +15
Final · Box score
Rockets90
Lakers114
Q1 LAL +7; Q2 LAL +13; Q3 LAL +14; Q4 LAL +24
Final · Box score
Wolves95
Blazers93
Q1 MIN +2; Q2 MIN -5; Q3 MIN +1; Q4 MIN +2
On this day · 2000–01Dec 30, 2000: 11 games. Top scorer: Allen Iverson (Sixers-Kings), 46 points.
Dec 30 in other seasons2025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320021999199719961995
The lead · Magic-Knicks

Orlando rallies from 12 down to beat New York

Tim Duncan goes for 27 points

Game flow · ORL margin at each break
-20-100+10+20TipEnd Q1HalfEnd Q3Final0+1-6-12+4ORL AHEAD ↑NYK AHEAD ↓
By quarter
Q1Q2Q3Q4T
Magic2716203194
Knicks2623261590
Who led
Tracy McGradyPoints, last 10 games: 32, 40, 47, 21, 40, 36, 4, 31, 20, 29ORL29 PTS · 11 REB · 4 AST
Troy HudsonPoints, last 10 games: 11, 12, 15, 10, 8, 13, 6, 6, 2, 15ORL15 PTS · 8 REB · 3 AST
Latrell SprewellPoints, last 10 games: 49, 22, 13, 12, 30, 27, 6, 21, 17, 28NYK28 PTS · 7 REB · 3 AST
Allan HoustonPoints, last 10 games: 24, 19, 13, 23, 21, 25, 16, 34, 28, 17NYK17 PTS · 3 REB · 2 AST
Second story · the whole slate

Three games go down to the wire

Three of 6 games were decided by four points or fewer. Widest margin: Lakers by 24.

MIN over POR2SAS over MEM4ORL over NYK4DET over MIA6SAC over BOS15LAL over HOU24Final margin, points. Pink = decided by 4 or fewer.
The night in charts
Rockets-Lakers combined for 204, 1 more than any other game
Points by game
Rockets-LakersRockets 90, Lakers 114
204
Celtics-KingsCeltics 94, Kings 109
203
Wolves-BlazersWolves 95, Blazers 93
188
Magic-KnicksMagic 94, Knicks 90
184
Heat-PistonsHeat 80, Pistons 86
166
Spurs-GrizzliesSpurs 83, Grizzlies 79
162
3 of 6 games were decided by 5 or fewer
Closest finishes
Wolves-BlazersWolves 95, Blazers 93
+2 MIN
Magic-KnicksMagic 94, Knicks 90
+4 ORL
Spurs-GrizzliesSpurs 83, Grizzlies 79
+4 SAS
Heat-PistonsHeat 80, Pistons 86
+6 DET
Celtics-KingsCeltics 94, Kings 109
+15 SAC
Rockets-LakersRockets 90, Lakers 114
+24 LAL
ORL erased a 12-point hole
Biggest comebacks, at quarter breaks
Magic-KnicksORL won · Magic 94, Knicks 90
12 pts
Wolves-BlazersMIN won · Wolves 95, Blazers 93
5 pts
Spurs-GrizzliesSAS won · Spurs 83, Grizzlies 79
3 pts
Brian Grant shot 10-of-11 for the night's hottest hand
Hottest shooting · min 10 FGA
Brian GrantMIA · 22 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL
91% (10-11)
PattersonPOR · 19 PTS, 2 AST, 2 STL, 1 REB
69% (9-13)
SzczerbiakMIN · 27 PTS, 10 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL
65% (11-17)
RobinsonSAS · 21 PTS, 12 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK
64% (9-14)
KGMIN · 27 PTS, 16 REB, 6 AST, 2 BLK
60% (9-15)
Final · Wolves-Blazers
Wolves 95Blazers 93
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Wolves2817272395
Blazers2624212293
The story
Minnesota beat Portland 95-93 behind 27 points and 16 rebounds from Kevin Garnett

Damon Stoudamire paced Portland: 19 PTS, 13 AST, 2 REB 27 PTS, 16 REB, 6 AST · 9-15 FG, 3-5 3PT

The swing

A 27-21 third quarter erased a 5-point hole for the Timberwolves.

MIN lead by quarter
200 +2−5+1+2 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Final · Spurs-Grizzlies
Spurs 83Grizzlies 79
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Spurs1529162383
Grizzlies1823142479
The story
David Robinson had 21 points and 12 rebounds as San Antonio beat Memphis 83-79

Pau Gasol led Memphis with 24 PTS, 15 REB 21 PTS, 12 REB · 9-14 FG

The swing

Down 3 after the first, the Spurs took the second 29-23.

SAS lead by quarter
200 −3+3+5+4 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Final · Magic-Knicks
Magic 94Knicks 90
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Magic2716203194
Knicks2623261590
The story
Tracy McGrady's 29 points and 11 rebounds carried Orlando past New York, 94-90

For New York, Latrell Sprewell had 28 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST 29 PTS, 11 REB, 4 AST, 4 STL · 7-23 FG, 1-5 3PT

The swing

The Magic trailed by 12 going into the fourth, then won it 31-15.

ORL lead by quarter
200 +1−6−12+4 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle
Heating up
+11.4points, last 5 vs season avg
Points per game
6.0Season avg17.4Last 5

17.4 points a game over his last five games, against 6.0 in 28 earlier games. Today: 17 points in 36 minutes.

Losing minutes
−14.6minutes, last 3 vs season avg
Minutes per game
33.0Season avg18.4Last 3

18.4 minutes a game over his last three games, against 33.0 in 21 earlier games. Today: 7 points in 16 minutes.

Stepped-up role
+19.4minutes, today vs season avg
Minutes per game
15.4Season avg34.8Today

35 minutes today, against 15.4 a game in 28 earlier games. Line: 9 points, 6 rebounds, 0 assists.

Top performances

Chris Webber leads the day with 30

Chris WebberPoints, last 9 games: 18, 24, 21, 26, 22, 19, 16, 22, 30Kings-Celtics · W
22.0 PPG season to date · +9.0 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Season high30 PTS · 8 REB · 3 AST
Tracy McGradyPoints, last 10 games: 32, 40, 47, 21, 40, 36, 4, 31, 20, 29Magic-Knicks · W
26.1 PPG season to date · +3.0 vs his regular-season average before tonight
29 PTS · 11 REB · 4 AST
Latrell SprewellPoints, last 10 games: 49, 22, 13, 12, 30, 27, 6, 21, 17, 28Knicks-Magic · L
20.3 PPG season to date · +7.9 vs his regular-season average before tonight
28 PTS · 7 REB · 3 AST
Kevin GarnettPoints, last 10 games: 24, 29, 23, 15, 29, 20, 14, 22, 19, 27Wolves-Blazers · W
20.9 PPG season to date · +6.3 vs his regular-season average before tonight
27 PTS · 16 REB · 6 AST
Tim DuncanPoints, last 10 games: 28, 32, 26, 24, 26, 21, 22, 53, 38, 27Spurs-Grizzlies · W
25.6 PPG season to date · +1.4 vs his regular-season average before tonight
27 PTS · 18 REB · 4 AST
Wally SzczerbiakPoints, last 10 games: 12, 28, 27, 13, 13, 14, 19, 16, 31, 27Wolves-Blazers · W
19.0 PPG season to date · +8.3 vs his regular-season average before tonight
27 PTS · 10 REB · 6 AST
Hot and cold

Last 10 games against the season so far

Hot
Steve NashDAL+5.1 24.2 last 10 · 19.1 season
Cuttino MobleyHOU+5.1 24.5 last 10 · 19.4 season
Voshon LenardDEN+4.9 15.4 last 10 · 10.5 season
Jason RichardsonGSW+4.2 14.8 last 10 · 10.6 season
Tim DuncanSAS+4.1 29.7 last 10 · 25.6 season
Cold
Bonzi WellsPOR−4.9 12.1 last 10 · 17.0 season
Clifford RobinsonDET−4.6 10.7 last 10 · 15.3 season
Jalen RoseIND−4.6 13.6 last 10 · 18.2 season
Donyell MarshallUTA−4.0 13.3 last 10 · 17.3 season
Nick Van ExelDEN−3.5 20.5 last 10 · 24.0 season