NBA Chicago Bulls vs Charlotte Bobcats

Chicago Bulls vs Charlotte Bobcats 89-87

D.J. Augustin says he has no hard feelings when it comes to the Charlotte Bobcats — even though they let him walk in free agency after the 2012 season. "Just a business," Augustin said with a smile. He sure took care of business Saturday night. Augustin played like a man with something prove, breaking open a close game by scoring 15 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter to help the Chicago Bulls hold off the Charlotte Bobcats 89-87 and get back above .500. The Bulls (22-21) have won 10 of their last 13 games. Augustin hit 4 of 5 shots from the field in the fourth quarter, including three 3-pointers. It was the third time in the last four games Augustin has scored at least 27 points. Augustin was drafted by the Bobcats in 2008 and spent four seasons in Charlotte before the Bobcats decided to go with Kemba Walker as their starting point guard. "It's always fun playing against your old team," Augustin said. "I'm with the Bulls now and that is all that matters." Augustin spent time with Indiana and Toronto last season before joining the Bulls this past off-season. Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau called the 6-foot Augustin a "huge pickup." "We had a need and he had a need as well," Thibodeau said. "It was good for him and it's been great for us and he's played better and better. He was ready when this opportunity came around. It's not only his individual performance, but what he's doing for our team." Joakim Noah added 11 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Bulls, who have won 10 of their last 11 against the Bobcats. Taj Gibson had 13 points and seven rebounds, while Mike Dunleavy had 12 points and eight rebounds. Al Jefferson continued his hot play for the Bobcats (19-27) with 32 points and 13 rebounds. It was his ninth straight 20-point game. "Nobody is playing better than Al over the last eight or nine games," Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said. Jefferson said the discomfort from the ankle he sprained in the preseason is starting to subside. "At the beginning of the season I wasn't healthy," Jefferson said. "My ankle is feeling really good and I'm not surprised how I'm playing. I know I can play at a very high level when I'm 100 per cent." But the Bobcats aren't getting much production from other positions with Walker still out with an ankle injury. The starting frontcourt of Ramon Sessions and Gerald Henderson was a combined 9 of 26 from the field. "They double-teamed me and did a good job of keeping the ball out of my hands. So tonight, Kemba would have been needed," Jefferson said. "But it's an opportunity for some other guys to step up and make a name for themselves." Chicago came in having defeated the Bobcats by an average of 27.5 points in the last four meetings in Charlotte, but this one was close throughout the first three quarters with 14 lead changes and neither team leading by more than six points. The Bulls were up 55-54 going into the final period and quickly extended that lead to 11 sparked by eight quick points from Augustin and six from Tony Snell. The lead would get to 12 before a frantic Bobcats comeback in the final minute, with Jannero Pargo knocking down a 26-footer with 3.4 seconds left to cut the lead to three. But Augustin made two free throws to seal the win. Jefferson hit a one-handed heave from just beyond half court as time expired, although it wouldn't matter. Chicago surrendered 112 point to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night — the second-most they've allowed this season — but the league's second-best defence returned to form against the Bobcats. They held Charlotte to 42 per cent shooting after allowing the Clippers to beat them with 59.3 per cent shooting.

NBA Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors 121-120

The streak that has haunted Minnesota all season is finally over. After losing 11 straight games decided by four points or less, the Timberwolves wouldn't let another opportunity slip away. Kevin Martin made a step-back jumper with 8.4 seconds left for the go-ahead score, Kevin Love lived up to his new All-Star credentials and Minnesota outlasted the Golden State Warriors 121-120 on Friday night for its third consecutive victory. "It feels good. Eventually we've got to win games like that," said Love, who was voted into the All-Star game as a starter for the first time Thursday. "We just need to grow up in situations like that and get a little bit of luck on our side." Martin scored 26 points despite playing with a cut on his right pinkie, and Love finished with 26 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists after turning his left ankle in the third quarter. Minnesota double-teamed Stephen Curry on a pick-and-roll on the final possession, forcing him to pass to a wide-open Harrison Barnes standing just inside the 3-point line. Barnes missed the jumper before the final buzzer sounded, leaving Golden State with its second straight loss — and giving the Timberwolves a monumental win that has eluded them all season. "I just like the way we competed all game," Wolves coach Rick Adelman said. "I didn't think anybody was going to stop anybody in the first half, but in the second half we stayed with it. It's the type of team that scores in bunches so you have to get some kind of momentum going where you're shutting things down." The back-and-forth game featured just about everything — except defence. The Warriors outshot the Wolves 55 per cent to 50 per cent but were outrebounded 44-41. Both teams also finished 9 of 13 from beyond the arc. Curry had 33 points and 15 assists in his first game since being voted to the Western Conference All-Star team as well, and David Lee added 23 points and seven rebounds for the streaky Warriors — who have lost five of seven since winning 10 in a row. "There is not one guy that is doing their job defensively," coach Mark Jackson said. In the first game since the NBA announced Thursday that Curry and Love were voted All-Star starters, neither newbie disappointed on the offensive end. And neither team did, either. The Warriors scored the final 10 points of the third quarter to take a 98-91 lead before Minnesota rallied to tie it halfway through the fourth. The Wolves began to pull away when Ricky Rubio stole the ball from Curry and passed ahead to Love, who started a three-point play when he was fouled by Curry, putting Minnesota ahead by four. Corey Brewer hit a 3-pointer the next time down to give the Wolves a 116-111 lead with 2:55 remaining. The teams traded baskets before Andre Iguodala's jumper brought the Warriors within three. Rubio made one of two free throws, then Iguodala hit a 3 while getting fouled by Martin — but missed the potential tying free throw. Iguodala got the ball back after a miss by Minnesota, and he was dribbling on the fast break before Rubio stepped in front of him to draw a charge, which Iguodala vehemently protested. Iguodala followed on the next possession with two free throws to give Golden State a 120-119 lead with 27.9 seconds left after getting fouled on a reach-in by Martin, who quickly atoned for his mistake. Love found Martin for a shot over Klay Thompson in the corner to put the Timberwolves in front for good. "Maybe I should (get) hurt more," Martin joked. Nikola Pekovic added 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Rubio dished out 12 assists and scored nine points for a Minnesota team searching for consistency. Both sides entered the game at less than full strength. Andrew Bogut, who tied his career high with seven blocks, strained his right knee and Lee sprained his left shoulder in the fourth quarter of Golden State's loss to Indiana on Monday night. Alexey Shved played with a plastic mask over his broken nose, and Martin started with a lacerated pinkie for Minnesota. The teams were tied 63-all at halftime, and nothing slowed them down after the break. Love appeared to turn his left ankle going for a rebound, but he shook off the pain and stayed in the game, giving Golden State fits on the boards to bring Minnesota back. "I thought we were going to score 200 points tonight," Martin said. "Each team."

NBA Indiana Pacers vs Sacramento Kings

Indiana Pacers vs Sacramento Kings 116-111

Midway through the season, Indiana's Paul George is being mentioned as an MVP candidate. On Friday night, he showed why he deserves such consideration. George scored eight of his 36 points in overtime to help the Pacers beat the Sacramento Kings 116-111. George sent the game to overtime with a four-point play to cap a nine-point fourth quarter. He made a 3 and was fouled by Derrick Williams with 15 seconds left. George then made the free throw to complete the four-point play and tie the score at 103. "We run that play a lot and I practice that shot," said George, who has seven 30-plus point games this season. "I was coming off a screen and felt him pushing me from behind. I just knew to rise up." Isaiah Thomas missed a jumper in the closing seconds for the Kings, sending the game into overtime. In overtime, George made 3 of 4 shots and had a key steal to thwart any thoughts of a Sacramento comeback. David West made 3-pointer and George dunked after a steal, putting Indiana up 110-106. George, voted a starter for the Eastern Conference in next month's All-Star game, later added a corner jumper for a 114-111 lead. After his heroics on offence, George added one at the defensive end. He stole the ball from Thomas with 12 seconds left and was fouled. George made two free throws for a 116-111 lead. "They got some incredible bounces tonight," Kings coach Michael Malone said. "But when we defend like we did tonight I can't ask a whole more from our guys. The difference between winning and losing close games is going to come down to execution on offence and can you get the best shot possible." The Pacers overcame a 17-point second-quarter deficit and rallied in the fourth to tie the score. Indiana then outscored the Kings 13-8 in overtime to avoid a rare two-game losing streak. The Pacers were coming off a humbling 124-100 loss Wednesday in Phoenix. Marcus Thornton matched his career high, scoring 42 points and hitting seven 3-pointers for the Kings. Thomas had a career high-tying 38. The undermanned Kings played without injured leading scorers DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay. "Even though they were missing two key players, we weren't taking them lightly," Pacers centre Roy Hibbert said. "But in the first half I was thinking, 'is it going to be one of those nights again?' It took a big heart (by George) to make that shot. Then we took over the game in overtime.' Lance Stephenson had 24 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Pacers. David West had 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Hibbert and George Hill scored 10 points each. Cousins sprained his left ankle in second quarter in Wednesday's game in Houston and Gay went out in the opening quarter with a left Achilles strain. Both players are day-to-day for Sunday's home game against Denver. The Pacers hardly resembled the NBA's top defensive team in the opening half, allowing 60 points. Indiana entered the game having allowed fewer than 100 points in only seven of 41 games, including 11 games of 80 points or fewer. "We knew they would be up, be loose for this game. And they were," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "Isaiah and Marcus were sensational with their shot-making. I'm proud of our guys for weathering the storm and finding a way to win." After the Pacers cut the lead to a basket, Thomas followed with a 3 and two free throws and Thornton dropped in a short jumper, putting the Kings ahead 93-86 midway through the third quarter. Thornton, who has struggled all season offensively and entered the game shooting 36 per cent, scored 22 points in an amazing first quarter. He made 9 of 12 shots, including four 3-pointers in scoring the most points in a quarter this year for the Kings. Thornton exceeded his season-high of 24 points late in the second quarter. He had 26 in the first half to help the Kings take a 60-50 lead at the break. On the Kings' recent six-game road trip, Thornton had totalled just 24 points and shot 29 per cent. He also had failed to score in double figures in his last nine games as a starter. "When you have 43 points sitting on the sidelines like Rudy and Cousins, somebody has to step up. I took it upon myself to be that guy," Thornton said. Hill scored 10 points and George had eight in the third quarter when the Pacers cut the Kings' halftime lead in half, to 84-79, entering the fourth. Thornton had 11 points in the third, but the Kings shot 31 per cent.

NBA Washington Wizards vs Phoenix Suns

Washington Wizards vs Phoenix Suns 101-95

Phoenix was flying high after a blowout win over Indiana. Then the Washington Wizards came to town and brought down the Suns with a thud. Trevor Ariza scored 23 points, Bradley Beal sank a pair of crucial shots down the stretch and the Wizards opened a four-game road trip Friday night with a 101-95 victory. Beal's 3-pointer with 2:03 left gave the Wizards the lead for good at 96-93. His 15-footer made it 99-95 with 26.9 seconds to go, then he finished with a game-ending dunk. "I knew that eventually the ball was going to come my way and I just stayed ready," Beal said. "I wasn't making too many shots throughout the game, but I just stayed with it and stayed confident." John Wall had 18 points and 12 assists for the Wizards. Nene scored 18, Beal 17 and ex-Sun Marcin Gortat 14 for Washington. Goran Dragic had 19 points and 11 assists for the Suns, who had handed the Pacers their worst loss of the season, a 24-point blowout on Wednesday night. Channing Frye scored 16, Miles Plumlee 14 and Markieff Morris 13 for Phoenix. "We can't play that way," Frye said. "Too many turnovers and terrible defence." After making 11 of 16 3-pointers against Indiana, the Suns were 7 of 22 against Washington, just 1 of 12 in the second half. Washington, which pulled back to .500 with the win, outrebounded Phoenix 44-30, including 19-9 on the offensive boards. After nine turnovers against Indiana, Phoenix had 21 on Friday. "There was a bunch of things," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. "We had 21 turnovers. It's been probably six or seven games since we have a big turnover night. Then the offensive rebounds — they got 19 of them. So all that stuff adds up." The Suns rallied from an eight-point deficit late to tie it at 93 on Plumlee's hook shot with 2:43 to go. But P.J. Tucker missed two free throws that would have given Phoenix the lead, then Beal made the go-ahead 3. Nene made one of two free throws with 1:38 to go to boost the lead to 97-93, and Plumlee's dunk on a pass from Dragic cut it to 97-95 with 41.9 seconds left. Beal's 15-footer with 26.9 seconds remaining put Washington ahead 99-95, then after a pair of missed 3s by the Suns, his dunk ended it. Frye said the Suns are mistaken to think that the win over Indiana was a big deal. "If your season was betting on beating the Pacers one time at home," he said, "then, hey, I think we need to sit you back down and let you know you've got 81 more." Ariza switched onto Frye and shut him down after a 12-point first quarter. "It was just defensive intensity," he said. "When we press up defensively and get stops, it ignites our offence. It's what gets me going. When we play good defence, we're a good team." Phoenix led 57-51 at halftime and was up 59-51 after Frye opened the third quarter with a basket. Washington then took off on a 17-4 run. Hornacek drew a technical during the outburst for complaining about an offensive foul call on Dragic. Nene's driving layup capped the spurt and put the Wizards up 68-63 with 7:06 left in the third quarter. Nene's dunk put the Wizards ahead 89-81 with 8:17 to go, then Dragic led the Suns back. He sank a 16-footer, Gerald Green got a layup after Nene's turnover, then Dragic scored on a driving layup to cut Washington's lead to 89-87 with 6:13 to go. But Dragic missed a layup in traffic that would have tied it, Nene rambled down the lane for a dunk and Washington led 91-87 just 5:28 from the finish. Phoenix managed to get even one more time, but then Beal finished it off. "It didn't all go our way," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. "We had a couple of breakdowns there and they tied it up but we came down and made some plays." There were 19 lead changes in the game and neither team led by double figures.

NBA Memphis Grizzlies vs Houston Rockets

Memphis Grizzlies vs Houston Rockets 88-87

Courtney Lee is fitting right in with his new team. Lee scored 19 points, Zach Randolph added 15 and the Grizzlies held off the Houston Rockets for an 88-87 win on Friday night. The victory helped Memphis improve to 6-2 since Lee joined the team on Jan. 7 from the Celtics as part of a three-team trade. "I'm super comfortable," Lee said. "From Day 1 when I came in, coaches told me to go out and play my game. Everybody that's playing is on the same page. We're just playing the right way." Lee made six free throws on Friday night to remain perfect by making all 22 of his free throw attempts since the trade. Mike Miller drew an offensive foul to give Houston the ball back with 8.3 seconds left. But Patrick Beverley shot an air ball 3-point attempt under heavy pressure to give the Grizzlies the victory. It is the first win for Memphis over a Southwest Division opponent after it started the season 0-10 in the division. The victory ruined a spectacular night for Houston's Chandler Parsons. He had a career-high 34 points and made 10 3-pointers — all in the second half. It is an NBA record for 3s in a half and a franchise record for 3s in a game. "I was pretty much unconscious. My body went numb," Parsons said when asked about his second-half shooting. "I've never felt that feeling on a basketball court before." But he really couldn't celebrate his big night since it didn't get Houston a win. "It's frustrating," he said. "At the end of the day, you want to win the game no matter how good or bad you play." A 6-1 run by Memphis gave the Grizzlies an 88-84 lead with about two minutes left. Parsons made his 10th 3 to make it 88-87 right after that. He had his only miss of the second half a few seconds later, and James Harden couldn't get him the ball on the last possession. Harden set a career high with 13 assists, but had a tough night shooting. He was just 2 of 11 and finished with 10 points. "Lee was really good and did a good job of staying in front of Harden," coach Dave Joerner said. The Grizzlies led by four points when Houston scored five quick points capped by Parsons' ninth 3-pointer to take an 83-82 lead with a little more than four minutes remaining. He was knocked to the ground by Tayshaun Prince as it left his hand and no foul was called. He looked angrily at the nearest official as the crowd erupted when it swished the net. "Chandler kept us in the game," coach Kevin McHale said. "Otherwise, it would have been an 88-70 game." Memphis outscored Houston 12-7 over the first four minutes of the fourth quarter to take a 76-71 lead. The Rockets scored the first 11 points of the second half to erase a nine-point deficit and take a 46-44 lead with about nine minutes left in the third quarter. Houston — which had made just one 3-pointer in the first half — had two during that run. They were both by Parsons, who was 0 for 3 on 3s in the first half. Memphis finally ended its offensive drought with a 3-pointer by Prince after that, but Houston responded with a pair of 3s to push the lead to 52-47. Randolph scored seven straight points after that to put the Grizzlies back on top 53-52. About a minute later, Lee scored the first five points of a 7-0 spurt to extend the lead to 60-55. Houston tied the game at 64-all entering the fourth quarter thanks to 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions by Parsons to end the third and leave him with six in the quarter. The Rockets missed five 3-pointers in that span as part of a 0-for-12 start to 3-point shooting. Omri Casspi made Houston's first one with less than a minute remaining in the first half. They were 1 for 14 on 3s in the first half and trailed 44-35 at the break. The Grizzlies were up by seven points in the first quarter before Houston used a 12-6 run to cut the lead to 21-20.

NBA Los Angeles Clippers vs Chicago Bulls

Los Angeles Clippers vs Chicago Bulls 112-95

When the Los Angeles Clippers lost All-Star Chris Paul to a separated shoulder, they turned to Blake Griffin for leadership. And he has responded by stepping up his play. Griffin had 26 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 112-95 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. The Clippers improved to 7-3 since Paul, who was averaging 19.6 points and 11.2 assists, was injured. "Blake doesn't run from a challenge," Clippers guard Jamal Crawford said. "He's one of the hardest workers I've seen." The Clippers enjoyed a strong outside game, opening up Griffin on the inside, and he finished with his 27th double-double. "(I want to be) a leader for us, knocking down shots and being able to mix up my game, going inside when I felt the need to and going outside when I needed to," Griffin said. Crawford added 19 points for the Clippers, who had six players score in double figures and shot 54 per cent from the field — including 13 for 21 on 3-pointers. DeAndre Jordan added 10 points and 12 rebounds. "They were open, the right guy was taking them, all of our 3-point shooters," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "They made them, and that opened it up for Blake." Carlos Boozer scored 22 points for the Bulls, who snapped a three-game winning streak. "I don't think any aspect of our defence was any good," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. The Clippers have won four straight against the Bulls, and improved to 3-2 on their seven-game trip. Chicago cut the lead to eight in the third quarter but Darren Collison answered with two quick baskets and the Clippers led 92-80 heading to the fourth. Los Angeles got off to a strong start. The Clippers shot 10 for 14 on 3s and finished 64.1 per cent overall from the field in the first half to take a 68-55 lead at halftime. Jordan's dunk gave the Clippers a 60-39 lead, their largest margin, with 3:52 left before halftime. Los Angeles was 7 for 8 from beyond the arc in the first quarter to set a franchise record for 3s in a quarter. The Clippers led 41-26 after shooting 73.7 per cent in the period. "That's kind of what we talked about, especially defensively," Griffin said about the quick start. "But we still didn't do a good job in the first quarter. We were just so hot early. We got that lead and kept it. Especially on the road, you never want to come out sluggish." In the teams' previous meeting, the Clippers routed the Bulls 121-82 on Nov. 24 for their worst loss of the season in the first game after Derrick Rose suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Clippers were averaging 105.4 points, fifth in the league. The Bulls were one of the NBA's top defensive teams, holding opponents to 92.5 points per game before Friday. "Giving up 3s, we strive for five or less," Bulls forward Taj Gibson said. "That was just crazy. We kept fighting. But once they give a team like that confidence, it's hard to shut them off." J.J. Redick scored 18 points and shot 4 for 7 from 3-point range. Collison, playing despite a sprained toe, had 17 points. Boozer, back from a one-game absence due to a sore left calf, scored 16 points in the first quarter. Gibson added 18 points, Mike Dunleavy had 17 and Joakim Noah 12 as the Bulls shot 43 per cent from the field and 6 for 19 from 3-point range. The Bulls were without Kirk Hinrich, who missed his second consecutive game with a strained right hamstring. "I think we were passive," Bulls guard Jimmy Butler said. "I don't like the word 'soft,' but I think we were a little bit of that too. They got the shots they wanted to get. We didn't make it too tough for them at all."

NBA New York Knicks vs Charlotte Bobcats

New York Knicks vs Charlotte Bobcats 125-96

Carmelo Anthony let it fly from halfcourt, and when it went in, he had proof of what was already obvious. "When I made the shot at the half, I told myself the zone was there," Anthony said. Soon, he had passed Kevin Durant. Next was Bernard King, and finally Kobe Bryant. Three records, all shot down in one scintillating performance. Anthony scored a career-high 62 points to break the franchise and current Madison Square Garden marks, and the New York Knicks beat the Charlotte Bobcats 125-96 on Friday night to stop a five-game losing streak. Anthony made 23 of 35 shots, one when he leapt from centre court to beat the halftime buzzer, and even added 13 rebounds in the NBA's highest-scoring performance this season. Anthony had 56 after three quarters, bettering Durant's previous season high of 54, and stayed in for the first few minutes of the fourth to break King's Knicks record of 60 set in 1984 and Bryant's arena record of 61 set five years ago. "I made history tonight, with the performance, but just to be a part of that group of people, like I said, there's only a small group of people that knows what that zone feels like and tonight I was one of them," Anthony said. It was easily the highlight of the season for Anthony, on pace to miss the playoffs for the first time in his career and facing frequent questions about his future with the team as he heads into free agency this summer. That was all on hold for one night, the focus simply on Anthony's amazing scoring. He easily passed his previous career best of 50 points and possibly could've even passed 70 or more had the game been close. Instead, he checked out for good after breaking the records when he banked in a short jumper with 7:24 to play. "I've seen him score a lot of points, but that was some performance right there," said J.R. Smith, who was also a teammate of Anthony's in Denver. Smith noticed a different focus from Anthony before the game, a seriousness replacing the usual laughter. Perhaps some of it was some added pregame motivation after the team watched a video featuring Muhammad Ali, one of Anthony's favourite athletes. With the Knicks desperately thin in the frontcourt after losing Andrea Bargnani on top of the injuries to Amare Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin, Anthony simply took on more of the scoring load as New York won for the first time on its eight-game homestand after dropping the first three. King, elected to the Hall of Fame last year, said he was proud of Anthony, who he considers one of the best players in the game. "If anyone was to break my Knicks record that I have held for so long, I'm absolutely delighted that it was Carmelo," King said through the team's public relations department. Al Jefferson had 25 points and nine rebounds for the Bobcats, snapping his streak of four straight 20-10 games. Charlotte had won two in a row, holding division leaders Toronto and the Los Angeles Clippers to an average of 93 points. But the Knicks, who had lost to the Bobcats 10 days ago to start their current skid, shot 56 per cent. So what happened to Charlotte's defence? "Melo. Enough said," Jefferson said. Fans chanted "Melo! Melo!" when the Knicks had the ball in the second half, as if they were calling a play. That was replaced by "We Want Melo! We want Melo!" after he checked out. He made 20 of his first 26 shots against what had been a good defensive team, but there was no defence for the zone Anthony was in. "When he's in one of those zones, ain't nothing nobody can do about it," Jefferson added. Last season's scoring champion had eight points in the first 2 1/2 minutes, went 8 of 10 in the first quarter and had 20 points as the Knicks led 30-21. He skipped his usual break and kept playing deep into the second quarter before finally taking a seat with 4:34 left, shortly after missing an open jumper. He returned with 2 1/2 minutes left to finish the half in style, throwing in a buzzer beater from just inside halfcourt to cap his 15-of-21 half and make it 67-46, Stoudemire laughing hysterically on the bench in his brown suit jacket and the rest of the players leaping in celebration. "Just to see everybody smiling once again, that's what I was more excited to see," Anthony said. "Guys on the bench smiling, high-fiving, having fun once again, that's the only thing I care about." Turned out Anthony was just getting started. He made his first five shots in the second half and the Bobcats would eventually grow frustrated, picking up two technical fouls on one play after Anthony's 3-pointer late in the third. He made both free throws, part of his 10-for-10 showing at the line, and said he tried to check himself out earlier but his teammates wouldn't allow it.