FloaterDaily Brief
Sunday, December 31, 2006Regular season · 7 games
← Dec 30CalendarJan 1 →

7 games, none went to overtime. Biggest comeback: DAL trailed DEN by 6 at halftime and won 89–85.

Final · Box score
Knicks80
Clippers90
Q1 LAC +6; Q2 LAC +13; Q3 LAC +19; Q4 LAC +10
Final · Box score
Hawks81
Spurs95
Q1 SAS -3; Q2 SAS +3; Q3 SAS +6; Q4 SAS +14
Final · Box score
Suns108
Pistons101
Q1 PHX +7; Q2 PHX +6; Q3 PHX +6; Q4 PHX +7
Final · Box score
Grizzlies109
Rockets111
Q1 HOU -5; Q2 HOU -1; Q3 HOU +10; Q4 HOU +2
Final · Box score
Mavs89
Nuggets85
Q1 DAL -4; Q2 DAL -6; Q3 DAL -6; Q4 DAL +4
Final · Box score
Sixers94
Lakers104
Q1 LAL +8; Q2 LAL +8; Q3 LAL +15; Q4 LAL +10
Final · Box score
Celtics95
Sonics101
Q1 SEA +9; Q2 SEA +9; Q3 SEA +17; Q4 SEA +6
On this day · 2005–06Dec 31, 2005: 8 games. Top scorer: Allen Iverson (Sixers-Jazz), 37 points.
Dec 31 in other seasons2025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200420032002200120001997
The lead · Mavs-Nuggets

Dallas makes it ten straight

Josh Howard goes for 28 points

Game flow · DAL margin at each break
-15-10-50+5+10+15TipEnd Q1HalfEnd Q3Final0-4-6-6+4DAL AHEAD ↑DEN AHEAD ↓
By quarter
Q1Q2Q3Q4T
Mavs2024192689
Nuggets2426191685
Who led
Josh HowardPoints, last 10 games: 29, 15, 23, 28, 15, 25, 27, 16, 15, 28DAL28 PTS · 17 REB · 5 AST
Jason TerryPoints, last 10 games: 26, 18, 12, 22, 17, 15, 4, 35, 25, 21DAL21 PTS · 5 REB · 6 AST
Allen IversonPoints, last 10 games: 31, 45, 37, 26, 25, 22, 28, 44, 21, 28DEN28 PTS · 2 REB · 8 AST
Earl BoykinsPoints, last 10 games: 19, 11, 14, 12, 29, 25, 28, 24, 26, 20DEN20 PTS · 2 REB · 1 AST
Second story · Grizzlies-Rockets

Houston holds off Memphis, 111–109

Houston led 84–74 after three and held on to win by two. Tracy McGrady led Houston with 38 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists.

The whole night · final margins
HOU over MEM2DAL over DEN4SEA over BOS6PHX over DET7LAC over NYK10LAL over PHI10SAS over ATL14Final margin, points. Pink = HOU over MEM.
Lead changes
Grizzlies-Rockets17
Hawks-Spurs7
Suns-Pistons5
Sixers-Lakers5
Mavs-Nuggets2
Knicks-Clippers0
Celtics-Sonics0
The night in charts
Grizzlies-Rockets combined for 220, 11 more than any other game
Points by game
Grizzlies-RocketsGrizzlies 109, Rockets 111
220
Suns-PistonsSuns 108, Pistons 101
209
Sixers-LakersSixers 94, Lakers 104
198
Celtics-SonicsCeltics 95, Sonics 101
196
Hawks-SpursHawks 81, Spurs 95
176
Mavs-NuggetsMavs 89, Nuggets 85
174
Knicks-ClippersKnicks 80, Clippers 90
170
2 of 7 games were decided by 5 or fewer
Closest finishes
Grizzlies-RocketsGrizzlies 109, Rockets 111
+2 HOU
Mavs-NuggetsMavs 89, Nuggets 85
+4 DAL
Celtics-SonicsCeltics 95, Sonics 101
+6 SEA
Suns-PistonsSuns 108, Pistons 101
+7 PHX
Knicks-ClippersKnicks 80, Clippers 90
+10 LAC
Sixers-LakersSixers 94, Lakers 104
+10 LAL
Hawks-SpursHawks 81, Spurs 95
+14 SAS
DAL rallied from 6 down, the night's biggest comeback
Biggest comebacks, at quarter breaks
Mavs-NuggetsDAL won · Mavs 89, Nuggets 85
6 pts
Grizzlies-RocketsHOU won · Grizzlies 109, Rockets 111
5 pts
Hawks-SpursSAS won · Hawks 81, Spurs 95
3 pts
Wilkins shot 9-of-11 for the night's hottest hand
Hottest shooting · min 10 FGA
WilkinsSEA · 20 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 2 BLK
82% (9-11)
ManuSAS · 18 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL
80% (8-10)
Amar'ePHX · 31 PTS, 13 REB, 3 BLK
73% (11-15)
BrandLAC · 32 PTS, 8 BLK, 6 REB, 2 AST
72% (13-18)
Mike MillerMEM · 32 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL
71% (12-17)
Final · Grizzlies-Rockets
Grizzlies 109Rockets 111
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Grizzlies29301535109
Rockets24342627111
The story
Luther Head had 18 points as Houston beat Memphis 111-109

Chucky Atkins led Memphis with 14 PTS, 8 AST, 6 REB 18 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST · 6-8 FG, 5-6 3PT

The swing

Down 1 after the second, the Rockets took the third 26-15.

HOU lead by quarter
200 −5−1+10+2 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Final · Mavs-Nuggets
Mavs 89Nuggets 85
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Mavs2024192689
Nuggets2426191685
The story
Jason Terry's 21 points carried Dallas past Denver, 89-85

For Denver, Marcus Camby had 13 PTS, 13 REB, 3 AST 21 PTS, 6 AST, 5 REB · 9-19 FG, 1-5 3PT

The swing

The Mavericks trailed by 6 going into the fourth, then won it 26-16.

DAL lead by quarter
200 −4−6−6+4 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Final · Celtics-Sonics
Celtics 95Sonics 101
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Celtics1821203695
Sonics27212825101
The story
Seattle beat Boston 101-95 behind 17 points and 11 assists from Luke Ridnour

Rajon Rondo paced Boston: 12 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST 17 PTS, 11 AST, 4 REB, 3 STL · 5-9 FG, 0-1 3PT

The swing

A 27-18 first quarter did the most damage for the SuperSonics.

SEA lead by quarter
200 +9+9+17+6 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle
Heating up
+10.6points, last 5 vs season avg
Points per game
14.0Season avg24.6Last 5

24.6 points a game over his last five games, against 14.0 in 25 earlier games. Today: 20 points in 38 minutes.

Losing minutes
−14.4minutes, last 3 vs season avg
Minutes per game
28.1Season avg13.7Last 3

13.7 minutes a game over his last three games, against 28.1 in 31 earlier games. Today: 8 points in 15 minutes.

Stepped-up role
+20.4minutes, today vs season avg
Minutes per game
18.6Season avg39Today

39 minutes today, against 18.6 a game in 28 earlier games. Line: 18 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists.

Top performances

Tracy McGrady leads the day with 38

Tracy McGradyPoints, last 10 games: 23, 7, 31, 14, 23, 28, 19, 17, 31, 38Rockets-Grizzlies · W
20.4 PPG season to date · +18.4 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Season high38 PTS · 9 REB · 3 AST
Steve NashPoints, last 10 games: 18, 18, 16, 16, 10, 42, 9, 24, 20, 35Suns-Pistons · W
20.6 PPG season to date · +15.0 vs his regular-season average before tonight
35 PTS · 4 REB · 12 AST
Kobe BryantPoints, last 10 games: 33, 53, 45, 19, 24, 21, 16, 27, 58, 35Lakers-Sixers · W
28.7 PPG season to date · +6.6 vs his regular-season average before tonight
35 PTS · 8 REB · 6 AST
Elton BrandPoints, last 10 games: 20, 23, 19, 24, 18, 16, 21, 25, 22, 32Clippers-Knicks · W
19.7 PPG season to date · +12.7 vs his regular-season average before tonight
32 PTS · 6 REB · 2 AST
Mike MillerPoints, last 10 games: 11, 20, 29, 22, 18, 28, 9, 18, 27, 32Grizzlies-Rockets · L
16.2 PPG season to date · +16.3 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Season high32 PTS · 4 REB · 2 AST
Amar'e StoudemirePoints, last 10 games: 30, 12, 25, 20, 28, 16, 12, 25, 11, 31Suns-Pistons · W
17.8 PPG season to date · +13.6 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Season high31 PTS · 13 REB · 0 AST
Hot and cold

Last 10 games against the season so far

Hot
Tony AllenBOS+7.0 16.8 last 10 · 9.8 season
Earl BoykinsDEN+6.6 20.8 last 10 · 14.2 season
Gerald WallaceCHA+6.0 19.3 last 10 · 13.3 season
Caron ButlerWAS+5.4 25.9 last 10 · 20.5 season
Rasual ButlerNOK+5.3 15.6 last 10 · 10.3 season
Cold
Vince CarterNJN−5.3 20.1 last 10 · 25.4 season
Sam CassellLAC−4.9 8.4 last 10 · 13.3 season
Joe JohnsonATL−3.3 22.8 last 10 · 26.1 season
Metta World PeaceSAC−3.3 11.6 last 10 · 14.9 season
Wally SzczerbiakBOS−3.3 13.6 last 10 · 16.9 season