FloaterDaily Brief
Sunday, December 31, 2017Regular season · 8 games
← Dec 30CalendarJan 1 →

8 games, 1 went to overtime. Biggest comeback: HOU trailed LAL by 11 after three quarters and won 148–142.

Final · Box score
Bulls110
Wizards114
Q1 WAS -8; Q2 WAS -4; Q3 WAS -6; Q4 WAS +4
Final · Box score
Wolves107
Pacers90
Q1 MIN +10; Q2 MIN +11; Q3 MIN +29; Q4 MIN +17
Final · Box score
Nets105
Celtics108
Q1 BOS +10; Q2 BOS +2; Q3 BOS +6; Q4 BOS +3
Final · 2OT · Box score
Lakers142
Rockets148
Q1 HOU +7; Q2 HOU -7; Q3 HOU -11; Q4 Rockets 0; OT1 Rockets 0; OT2 HOU +6
Final · Box score
Hornets98
Clippers106
Q1 LAC +7; Q2 LAC -10; Q3 LAC +9; Q4 LAC +8
Final · Box score
Mavs116
Thunder113
Q1 DAL +3; Q2 DAL -6; Q3 DAL -1; Q4 DAL +3
Final · Box score
Grizzlies114
Kings96
Q1 MEM +14; Q2 MEM +18; Q3 MEM +27; Q4 MEM +18
Final · Box score
Sixers123
Suns110
Q1 PHI +6; Q2 PHI +14; Q3 PHI +3; Q4 PHI +13
On this day · 2016–17Dec 31, 2016: 6 games. Top scorer: James Harden (Rockets-Knicks), 53 points.
Dec 31 in other seasons2025202420232022202120202019201820152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001997
The lead · Lakers-Rockets

James Harden scores 40 as Houston beats Lakers

Russell Westbrook posts a triple-double

Game flow · HOU margin at each break
-20-100+10+20OVERTIMETipEnd Q1HalfEnd Q3End reg.End OT1Final0+7-7-1100+6HOU AHEAD ↑LAL AHEAD ↓
By quarter
Q1Q2Q3Q4OT1OT2T
Lakers37352921119142
Rockets442125321115148
Who led
James HardenPoints, last 10 games: 21, 28, 31, 26, 51, 51, 29, 34, 20, 40HOU40 PTS · 2 REB · 11 AST
Chris PaulPoints, last 10 games: 18, 26, 20, 31, 28, 25, 18, 8, 8, 28HOU28 PTS · 5 REB · 10 AST
Julius RandlePoints, last 10 games: 13, 13, 15, 4, 21, 16, 16, 6, 18, 29LAL29 PTS · 15 REB · 6 AST
Josh HartPoints, last 10 games: 0, 11, 7, 11, 0, 11, 12, 9, 2, 26LAL26 PTS · 6 REB · 1 AST
Second story · the whole slate

Three games go down to the wire

Three of 8 games were decided by four points or fewer. Widest margin: Memphis by 18.

BOS over BKN3DAL over OKC3WAS over CHI4HOU over LAL6LAC over CHA8PHI over PHX13MIN over IND17MEM over SAC18Final margin, points. Pink = decided by 4 or fewer.
Lead changes
Lakers-Rockets23
Mavs-Thunder19
Bulls-Wizards9
Hornets-Clippers8
Sixers-Suns4
Nets-Celtics2
Grizzlies-Kings1
Wolves-Pacers0
Shot of the night

Tucker's jumper with 5 seconds left in 2OT breaks the tie, 148-142 final

The night in charts
Lakers-Rockets combined for 290, 57 more than any other game
Points by game
Lakers-RocketsLakers 142, Rockets 148
290
Sixers-SunsSixers 123, Suns 110
233
Mavs-ThunderMavs 116, Thunder 113
229
Bulls-WizardsBulls 110, Wizards 114
224
Nets-CelticsNets 105, Celtics 108
213
Grizzlies-KingsGrizzlies 114, Kings 96
210
Hornets-ClippersHornets 98, Clippers 106
204
Wolves-PacersWolves 107, Pacers 90
197
3 of 8 games were decided by 5 or fewer
Closest finishes
Mavs-ThunderMavs 116, Thunder 113
+3 DAL
Nets-CelticsNets 105, Celtics 108
+3 BOS
Bulls-WizardsBulls 110, Wizards 114
+4 WAS
Lakers-RocketsLakers 142, Rockets 148
+6 HOU
Hornets-ClippersHornets 98, Clippers 106
+8 LAC
Sixers-SunsSixers 123, Suns 110
+13 PHI
Wolves-PacersWolves 107, Pacers 90
+17 MIN
Grizzlies-KingsGrizzlies 114, Kings 96
+18 MEM
HOU erased a 11-point hole
Biggest comebacks, at quarter breaks
Lakers-RocketsHOU won · Lakers 142, Rockets 148
11 pts
Hornets-ClippersLAC won · Hornets 98, Clippers 106
10 pts
Bulls-WizardsWAS won · Bulls 110, Wizards 114
8 pts
Mavs-ThunderDAL won · Mavs 116, Thunder 113
6 pts
Gibson shot 8-of-10 for the night's hottest hand
Hottest shooting · min 10 FGA
GibsonMIN · 17 PTS, 9 REB, 2 BLK
80% (8-10)
JimmyMIN · 26 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL
73% (8-11)
SaricPHI · 27 PTS, 4 REB, 3 STL, 2 AST
69% (9-13)
HartLAL · 26 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL
69% (9-13)
RandleLAL · 29 PTS, 15 REB, 6 AST, 1 BLK
68% (13-19)
Final · Mavs-Thunder
Mavs 116Thunder 113
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Mavs35222732116
Thunder32312228113
The story
Harrison Barnes' 24 points carried Dallas past Oklahoma City, 116-113

For Oklahoma City, Carmelo Anthony had 21 PTS, 3 AST, 2 REB 24 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST · 10-15 FG, 4-6 3PT

The swing

The Mavericks trailed by 6 going into the third, then won it 27-22.

DAL lead by quarter
200 +3−6−1+3 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Final · Lakers-Rockets
Lakers 142Rockets 148
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4OT1OT2T
Lakers37352921119142
Rockets442125321115148
The story
Chris Paul had 28 points and 10 assists as Houston beat Los Angeles 148-142 in OT

Tyler Ennis led Los Angeles with 20 PTS, 11 AST, 4 REB 28 PTS, 10 AST, 5 REB · 8-20 FG, 3-10 3PT

The swing

Down 11 after the third, the Rockets took the fourth 32-21.

HOU lead by quarter
200 +7−7−1100+6 Q1Q2Q3Q4OT1OT2
Final · Hornets-Clippers
Hornets 98Clippers 106
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Hornets2230143298
Clippers29133331106
The story
LA beat Charlotte 106-98 behind 40 points and 8 assists from Lou Williams

Kemba Walker paced Charlotte: 30 PTS, 2 AST 40 PTS, 8 AST, 2 REB · 12-21 FG, 6-9 3PT

The swing

A 33-14 third quarter erased a 10-point hole for the Clippers.

LAC lead by quarter
200 +7−10+9+8 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle
Heating up
+9.6points, last 5 vs season avg
Points per game
20.8Season avg30.4Last 5

30.4 points a game over his last five games, against 20.8 in 33 earlier games. Today: 40 points in 37 minutes.

Losing minutes
−10.3minutes, last 3 vs season avg
Minutes per game
21.8Season avg11.5Last 3

11.5 minutes a game over his last three games, against 21.8 in 37 earlier games. Today: 6 points in 12 minutes.

Stepped-up role
+39.7minutes, today vs season avg
Minutes per game
5.8Season avg45.5Today

45 minutes today, against 5.8 a game in 15 earlier games. Line: 20 points, 4 rebounds, 11 assists.

Top performances

James Harden leads the day with 40

James HardenPoints, last 10 games: 21, 28, 31, 26, 51, 51, 29, 34, 20, 40Rockets-Lakers · W
32.3 PPG season to date · +7.9 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Most like it, modern era: Allen Iverson PHI, Feb 19, 2004: 40 PTS · 2 REB · 11 AST
40 PTS · 2 REB · 11 AST
Lou WilliamsPoints, last 10 games: 17, 31, 23, 13, 18, 32, 36, 21, 23, 40Clippers-Hornets · W
21.4 PPG season to date · +19.2 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Most like it, modern era: Devin Harris NJN, Feb 23, 2009: 39 PTS · 2 REB · 8 AST
40 PTS · 2 REB · 8 AST
Bradley BealPoints, last 10 games: 18, 20, 27, 26, 4, 17, 25, 20, 21, 39Wizards-Bulls · W
23.4 PPG season to date · +16.1 vs his regular-season average before tonight
39 PTS · 9 REB · 9 AST
Russell WestbrookPoints, last 10 games: 27, 25, 38, 24, 30, 27, 31, 30, 40, 38Thunder-Mavs · L
24.8 PPG season to date · +13.5 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Most like it, modern era: LeBron James CLE, Jun 7, 2015: 39 PTS · 16 REB · 11 AST
38 PTS · 15 REB · 11 AST
Devin BookerPoints, last 10 games: 23, 13, 33, 22, 38, 46, 19, 32, 26, 32Suns-Sixers · L
24.9 PPG season to date · +7.3 vs his regular-season average before tonight
32 PTS · 5 REB · 6 AST
Kemba WalkerPoints, last 10 games: 13, 25, 14, 9, 15, 32, 19, 24, 16, 30Hornets-Clippers · L
21.6 PPG season to date · +8.6 vs his regular-season average before tonight
30 PTS · 1 REB · 2 AST
Hot and cold

Last 10 games against the season so far

Hot
Russell WestbrookOKC+6.2 31.0 last 10 · 24.8 season
Jimmy ButlerMIN+5.8 27.1 last 10 · 21.3 season
Josh RichardsonMIA+5.7 18.1 last 10 · 12.4 season
Reggie BullockDET+4.9 11.7 last 10 · 6.8 season
Dario SaricPHI+4.9 18.5 last 10 · 13.6 season
Cold
Reggie JacksonDET−4.2 10.4 last 10 · 14.6 season
Thaddeus YoungIND−4.0 8.0 last 10 · 12.0 season
Brook LopezLAL−3.6 9.2 last 10 · 12.8 season
Ryan AndersonHOU−3.6 6.9 last 10 · 10.5 season
Ben SimmonsPHI−3.3 13.3 last 10 · 16.6 season