FloaterDaily Brief
Thursday, February 21, 2002Regular season · 8 games
← Feb 20CalendarFeb 22 →

8 games, none went to overtime. Biggest comeback: DAL trailed BOS by 12 at halftime and won 98–92.

Final · Box score
Lakers104
Cavs97
Q1 LAL +6; Q2 LAL +9; Q3 LAL +5; Q4 LAL +7
Final · Box score
Nets93
Wizards82
Q1 NJN +1; Q2 NJN +7; Q3 NJN +6; Q4 NJN +11
Final · Box score
Clippers102
Magic119
Q1 ORL +7; Q2 ORL +12; Q3 ORL +21; Q4 ORL +17
Final · Box score
Suns78
Grizzlies72
Q1 PHX -10; Q2 PHX -1; Q3 PHX -5; Q4 PHX +6
Final · Box score
Celtics92
Mavs98
Q1 DAL -2; Q2 DAL -12; Q3 DAL -7; Q4 DAL +6
Final · Box score
Wolves83
Rockets89
Q1 HOU +6; Q2 HOU +8; Q3 HOU +7; Q4 HOU +6
Final · Box score
Kings92
Spurs115
Q1 SAS +15; Q2 SAS +23; Q3 SAS +36; Q4 SAS +23
Final · Box score
Hawks79
Blazers94
Q1 POR +10; Q2 POR +19; Q3 POR +19; Q4 POR +15
On this day · 2000–01Feb 21, 2001: 8 games. Top scorer: Vince Carter (Raptors-Nets), 39 points.
Feb 21 in other seasons2026202520212020201920162015201420132012201020092008200720062004200320001999199819971996
The lead · Celtics-Mavs

Dirk Nowitzki posts 33 and 23 as Dallas beats Boston

Jason Kidd goes for 30 points

Game flow · DAL margin at each break
-20-100+10+20TipEnd Q1HalfEnd Q3Final0-2-12-7+6DAL AHEAD ↑BOS AHEAD ↓
By quarter
Q1Q2Q3Q4T
Celtics3030181492
Mavs2820232798
Who led
Dirk NowitzkiPoints, last 10 games: 13, 19, 38, 22, 21, 27, 18, 20, 9, 33DAL33 PTS · 23 REB · 8 AST
Michael FinleyPoints, last 10 games: 11, 11, 31, 10, 16, 15, 23, 19, 10, 24DAL24 PTS · 10 REB · 6 AST
Tony BattiePoints, last 10 games: 11, 12, 4, 2, 0, 7, 17, 8, 7, 17BOS17 PTS · 9 REB · 0 AST
Paul PiercePoints, last 10 games: 22, 24, 24, 16, 25, 30, 31, 24, 33, 17BOS17 PTS · 6 REB · 1 AST
The night in charts
Clippers-Magic combined for 221, 14 more than any other game
Points by game
Clippers-MagicClippers 102, Magic 119
221
Kings-SpursKings 92, Spurs 115
207
Lakers-CavsLakers 104, Cavs 97
201
Celtics-MavsCeltics 92, Mavs 98
190
Nets-WizardsNets 93, Wizards 82
175
Hawks-BlazersHawks 79, Blazers 94
173
Wolves-RocketsWolves 83, Rockets 89
172
Suns-GrizzliesSuns 78, Grizzlies 72
150
PHX won the closest game by 6
Closest finishes
Suns-GrizzliesSuns 78, Grizzlies 72
+6 PHX
Celtics-MavsCeltics 92, Mavs 98
+6 DAL
Wolves-RocketsWolves 83, Rockets 89
+6 HOU
Lakers-CavsLakers 104, Cavs 97
+7 LAL
Nets-WizardsNets 93, Wizards 82
+11 NJN
Hawks-BlazersHawks 79, Blazers 94
+15 POR
Clippers-MagicClippers 102, Magic 119
+17 ORL
Kings-SpursKings 92, Spurs 115
+23 SAS
DAL erased a 12-point hole
Biggest comebacks, at quarter breaks
Celtics-MavsDAL won · Celtics 92, Mavs 98
12 pts
Suns-GrizzliesPHX won · Suns 78, Grizzlies 72
10 pts
Kenny Thomas shot 8-of-11 for the night's hottest hand
Hottest shooting · min 10 FGA
Kenny ThomasHOU · 16 PTS, 5 REB, 3 STL, 1 AST
73% (8-11)
Ricky DavisCLE · 19 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK
67% (8-12)
Charles SmithSAS · 32 PTS, 3 REB, 2 BLK
65% (13-20)
BattieBOS · 17 PTS, 9 REB, 1 STL
62% (8-13)
Bobby JacksonSAC · 18 PTS, 4 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL
58% (7-12)
Final · Celtics-Mavs
Celtics 92Mavs 98
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Celtics3030181492
Mavs2820232798
The story
Michael Finley had 24 points and 10 rebounds as Dallas beat Boston 98-92

Paul Pierce led Boston with 17 PTS, 6 REB 24 PTS, 10 REB, 6 AST · 10-20 FG, 2-5 3PT

The swing

Down 7 after the third, the Mavericks took the fourth 27-14.

DAL lead by quarter
200 −2−12−7+6 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Final · Suns-Grizzlies
Suns 78Grizzlies 72
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Suns1527191778
Grizzlies251823672
The story
Shawn Marion's 18 points carried Phoenix past Memphis, 78-72

For Memphis, Lorenzen Wright had 12 PTS, 12 REB, 2 AST 18 PTS, 5 REB, 3 STL, 2 AST · 9-19 FG, 0-1 3PT

The swing

The Suns trailed by 5 going into the fourth, then won it 17-6.

PHX lead by quarter
200 −10−1−5+6 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle

Shane Battier was the fantasy play: 38.3 FPTS on 15 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST

Final · Wolves-Rockets
Wolves 83Rockets 89
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Wolves1922172583
Rockets2524162489
The story
Houston beat Minnesota 89-83 behind 16 points and 11 rebounds from Steve Francis

Kevin Garnett paced Minnesota: 19 PTS, 12 REB, 2 AST 16 PTS, 11 REB, 9 AST · 7-16 FG, 1-4 3PT

The swing

A 25-19 first quarter did the most damage for the Rockets.

HOU lead by quarter
200 +6+8+7+6 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle
Heating up
+8.4points, last 5 vs season avg
Points per game
12.0Season avg20.4Last 5

20.4 points a game over his last five games, against 12.0 in 53 earlier games. Today: 17 points in 37 minutes.

Losing minutes
−16.3minutes, last 3 vs season avg
Minutes per game
30.6Season avg14.3Last 3

14.3 minutes a game over his last three games, against 30.6 in 51 earlier games. Today: 4 points in 14 minutes.

Stepped-up role
+28.4minutes, today vs season avg
Minutes per game
14.3Season avg42.7Today

43 minutes today, against 14.3 a game in 29 earlier games. Line: 8 points, 1 rebounds, 1 assists.

Second story · the whole slate

Eight games, by the margins

Closest finish: 6. Widest: San Antonio by 23.

PHX over MEM6DAL over BOS6HOU over MIN6LAL over CLE7NJN over WAS11POR over ATL15ORL over LAC17SAS over SAC23Final margin, points. Pink = closest and widest.
Top performances

Dirk Nowitzki leads the day with 33

Dirk NowitzkiPoints, last 10 games: 13, 19, 38, 22, 21, 27, 18, 20, 9, 33Mavs-Celtics · W
24.0 PPG season to date · +9.2 vs his regular-season average before tonight
33 PTS · 23 REB · 8 AST
Kobe BryantPoints, last 10 games: 23, 13, 24, 38, 23, 23, 21, 28, 27, 32Lakers-Cavs · W
26.2 PPG season to date · +5.9 vs his regular-season average before tonight
32 PTS · 6 REB · 6 AST
Charles SmithPoints, last 10 games: 19, 2, 12, 11, 11, 9, 10, 6, 9, 32Spurs-Kings · W
9.6 PPG season to date · +23.0 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Career high32 PTS · 3 REB · 0 AST
Shaquille O'NealPoints, last 10 games: 40, 24, 25, 26, 23, 30, 26, 31, 25, 31Lakers-Cavs · W
26.2 PPG season to date · +4.9 vs his regular-season average before tonight
31 PTS · 4 REB · 2 AST
Jason KiddPoints, last 10 games: 21, 31, 14, 14, 12, 8, 16, 11, 26, 30Nets-Wizards · W
14.7 PPG season to date · +15.6 vs his regular-season average before tonight
30 PTS · 7 REB · 8 AST
Cuttino MobleyPoints, last 10 games: 13, 15, 23, 30, 29, 26, 27, 31, 8, 26Rockets-Wolves · W
20.7 PPG season to date · +5.4 vs his regular-season average before tonight
26 PTS · 6 REB · 0 AST
Hot and cold

Last 10 games against the season so far

Hot
Jason RichardsonGSW+5.0 17.5 last 10 · 12.5 season
Raef LaFrentzDEN+4.9 19.8 last 10 · 14.9 season
Michael OlowokandiLAC+4.4 13.2 last 10 · 8.8 season
Keon ClarkTOR+4.2 15.4 last 10 · 11.2 season
Brevin KnightMEM+4.2 11.4 last 10 · 7.2 season
Cold
Donyell MarshallUTA−6.0 10.4 last 10 · 16.4 season
Dion GloverATL−6.0 3.4 last 10 · 9.4 season
Nick Van ExelDEN−5.6 15.8 last 10 · 21.4 season
Jumaine JonesCLE−4.6 5.3 last 10 · 9.9 season
Derek AndersonPOR−4.3 6.9 last 10 · 11.2 season