FloaterDaily Brief
Tuesday, January 8, 2002Regular season · 9 games
← Jan 7CalendarJan 9 →

9 games, none went to overtime. Biggest comeback: UTA trailed PHX by 12 after the first quarter and won 98–84.

Final · Box score
Clippers88
Wizards96
Q1 WAS -8; Q2 WAS -2; Q3 WAS +12; Q4 WAS +8
Final · Box score
Blazers92
Hawks101
Q1 ATL +4; Q2 ATL -2; Q3 ATL +8; Q4 ATL +9
Final · Box score
Heat95
Nets104
Q1 NJN +2; Q2 NJN +12; Q3 NJN +6; Q4 NJN +9
Final · Box score
Lakers121
Pistons92
Q1 LAL +3; Q2 LAL +18; Q3 LAL +30; Q4 LAL +29
Final · Box score
Raptors81
Grizzlies84
Q1 MEM +2; Q2 MEM -1; Q3 MEM +4; Q4 MEM +3
Final · Box score
Nuggets94
Mavs95
Q1 DAL -2; Q2 DAL +12; Q3 DAL +8; Q4 DAL +1
Final · Box score
Knicks86
Rockets88
Q1 HOU +5; Q2 HOU +6; Q3 HOU +4; Q4 HOU +2
Final · Box score
Suns84
Jazz98
Q1 UTA -12; Q2 UTA +12; Q3 UTA +12; Q4 UTA +14
Final · Box score
Bucks113
Warriors97
Q1 MIL +10; Q2 MIL +19; Q3 MIL +15; Q4 MIL +16
On this day · 2000–01Jan 8, 2001: 6 games. Top scorer: Michael Finley (Mavs-Bulls), 30 points.
Jan 8 in other seasons2026202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032000199819971996
The lead · Suns-Jazz

Utah fights back from 12 down against Phoenix

Bonzi Wells goes for 26 points

Game flow · UTA margin at each break
-20-100+10+20TipEnd Q1HalfEnd Q3Final0-12+12+12+14UTA AHEAD ↑PHX AHEAD ↓
By quarter
Q1Q2Q3Q4T
Suns309242184
Jazz1833242398
Who led
Karl MalonePoints, last 10 games: 21, 28, 22, 31, 17, 19, 20, 15, 32, 17UTA17 PTS · 7 REB · 3 AST
Scott PadgettPoints, last 10 games: 4, 3, 5, 4, 1, 8, 8, 3, 16, 17UTA17 PTS · 6 REB · 2 AST
Shawn MarionPoints, last 10 games: 21, 16, 20, 12, 30, 22, 16, 20, 14, 17PHX17 PTS · 8 REB · 1 AST
Rodney RogersPoints, last 10 games: 13, 18, 7, 7, 5, 22, 9, 4, 19, 17PHX17 PTS · 2 REB · 1 AST
Second story · the whole slate

Three close finishes and one Lakers rout

Three of 9 games were decided by four points or fewer. Lakers beat Detroit by 29.

DAL over DEN1HOU over NYK2MEM over TOR3WAS over LAC8ATL over POR9NJN over MIA9UTA over PHX14MIL over GSW16LAL over DET29Final margin, points. Pink = decided by 4 or fewer, plus the widest win.
The night in charts
Lakers-Pistons combined for 213, 3 more than any other game
Points by game
Lakers-PistonsLakers 121, Pistons 92
213
Bucks-WarriorsBucks 113, Warriors 97
210
Heat-NetsHeat 95, Nets 104
199
Blazers-HawksBlazers 92, Hawks 101
193
Nuggets-MavsNuggets 94, Mavs 95
189
Clippers-WizardsClippers 88, Wizards 96
184
Suns-JazzSuns 84, Jazz 98
182
Knicks-RocketsKnicks 86, Rockets 88
174
Raptors-GrizzliesRaptors 81, Grizzlies 84
165
3 of 9 games were decided by 5 or fewer
Closest finishes
Nuggets-MavsNuggets 94, Mavs 95
+1 DAL
Knicks-RocketsKnicks 86, Rockets 88
+2 HOU
Raptors-GrizzliesRaptors 81, Grizzlies 84
+3 MEM
Clippers-WizardsClippers 88, Wizards 96
+8 WAS
Heat-NetsHeat 95, Nets 104
+9 NJN
Blazers-HawksBlazers 92, Hawks 101
+9 ATL
Suns-JazzSuns 84, Jazz 98
+14 UTA
Bucks-WarriorsBucks 113, Warriors 97
+16 MIL
Lakers-PistonsLakers 121, Pistons 92
+29 LAL
UTA erased a 12-point hole
Biggest comebacks, at quarter breaks
Suns-JazzUTA won · Suns 84, Jazz 98
12 pts
Clippers-WizardsWAS won · Clippers 88, Wizards 96
8 pts
Nuggets-MavsDAL won · Nuggets 94, Mavs 95
2 pts
Blazers-HawksATL won · Blazers 92, Hawks 101
2 pts
Raptors-GrizzliesMEM won · Raptors 81, Grizzlies 84
1 pt
Brand shot 8-of-10 for the night's hottest hand
Hottest shooting · min 10 FGA
BrandLAC · 17 PTS, 11 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK
80% (8-10)
ReddMIL · 18 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST
80% (8-10)
Popeye JonesWAS · 16 PTS, 8 REB, 1 STL
70% (7-10)
ZoMIA · 26 PTS, 14 REB, 1 AST
69% (11-16)
Kenny ThomasHOU · 24 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 2 BLK
69% (11-16)
Final · Nuggets-Mavs
Nuggets 94Mavs 95
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Nuggets2416243094
Mavs2230202395
The story
Dallas beat Denver 95-94 behind 27 points from Dirk Nowitzki

Raef LaFrentz paced Denver: 24 PTS, 11 REB 27 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST · 7-19 FG, 1-4 3PT

The swing

A 30-16 second quarter erased a 2-point hole for the Mavericks.

DAL lead by quarter
200 −2+12+8+1 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Final · Knicks-Rockets
Knicks 86Rockets 88
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Knicks2115282286
Rockets2616262088
The story
Steve Francis' 19 points and 9 assists carried Houston past New York, 88-86

For New York, Allan Houston had 28 PTS, 4 AST, 2 REB 19 PTS, 9 REB, 9 AST, 3 STL · 6-15 FG, 1-3 3PT

The swing

The first quarter, 26-21, was where the Rockets built it.

HOU lead by quarter
200 +5+6+4+2 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Final · Raptors-Grizzlies
Raptors 81Grizzlies 84
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Raptors1826201781
Grizzlies2023251684
The story
Stromile Swift had 20 points and 10 rebounds as Memphis beat Toronto 84-81

Jerome Williams led Toronto with 12 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST 20 PTS, 10 REB · 10-17 FG

The swing

Down 1 after the second, the Grizzlies took the third 25-20.

MEM lead by quarter
200 +2−1+4+3 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle

Vince Carter led the game in fantasy with 43.8 FPTS (31 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST)

Fantasy angle
Heating up
+7.1points, last 5 vs season avg
Points per game
18.7Season avg25.8Last 5

25.8 points a game over his last five games, against 18.7 in 34 earlier games. Today: 23 points in 40 minutes.

Losing minutes
−14.1minutes, last 3 vs season avg
Minutes per game
23.1Season avg9.0Last 3

9.0 minutes a game over his last three games, against 23.1 in 32 earlier games. Today: 2 points in 9 minutes.

Stepped-up role
+16.6minutes, today vs season avg
Minutes per game
19.4Season avg36Today

36 minutes today, against 19.4 a game in 28 earlier games. Line: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists.

Top performances

Nick Van Exel leads the day with 31

Nick Van ExelPoints, last 10 games: 25, 11, 13, 27, 33, 24, 25, 0, 24, 31Nuggets-Mavs · L
23.5 PPG season to date · +7.7 vs his regular-season average before tonight
31 PTS · 3 REB · 6 AST
Vince CarterPoints, last 10 games: 23, 23, 33, 27, 15, 15, 28, 34, 24, 31Raptors-Grizzlies · L
25.9 PPG season to date · +5.2 vs his regular-season average before tonight
31 PTS · 4 REB · 3 AST
Shareef Abdur-RahimPoints, last 10 games: 28, 20, 6, 16, 28, 22, 21, 22, 20, 30Hawks-Blazers · W
20.2 PPG season to date · +10.2 vs his regular-season average before tonight
30 PTS · 10 REB · 2 AST
Shaquille O'NealPoints, last 10 games: 46, 31, 37, 28, 20, 16, 26, 24, 24, 28Lakers-Pistons · W
25.9 PPG season to date · +2.2 vs his regular-season average before tonight
28 PTS · 10 REB · 3 AST
Allan HoustonPoints, last 10 games: 21, 25, 16, 34, 28, 17, 19, 20, 22, 28Knicks-Rockets · L
19.6 PPG season to date · +8.6 vs his regular-season average before tonight
28 PTS · 2 REB · 4 AST
Dirk NowitzkiPoints, last 10 games: 24, 8, 12, 26, 24, 35, 18, 30, 28, 27Mavs-Nuggets · W
23.2 PPG season to date · +3.9 vs his regular-season average before tonight
27 PTS · 8 REB · 4 AST
Hot and cold

Last 10 games against the season so far

Hot
Eddie GriffinHOU+7.2 14.4 last 10 · 7.2 season
Antawn JamisonGSW+5.7 24.5 last 10 · 18.8 season
Samaki WalkerLAL+4.5 11.6 last 10 · 7.1 season
Chauncey BillupsMIN+4.5 14.4 last 10 · 9.9 season
Jason RichardsonGSW+4.1 15.1 last 10 · 11.0 season
Cold
Anfernee HardawayPHX−5.7 10.0 last 10 · 15.7 season
Jalen RoseIND−5.4 12.2 last 10 · 17.6 season
Derek AndersonPOR−4.3 8.4 last 10 · 12.7 season
Brad MillerCHI−4.1 8.6 last 10 · 12.7 season
LaPhonso EllisMIA−3.9 4.3 last 10 · 8.2 season