If you felt like ringing in the new year with some hoops you were in luck, as there were seven games of NBA action on the final day of 2018.
We got the day started with an interesting contest in Indianapolis, as the Pacers held off the pesky Hawks. To close out the night, the Warriors took care of business by crushing the lowly Suns.
In between, the Hornets dominated the Magic, the Spurs used a huge third quarter to pull away from the Celtics, the Rockets won their fifth game in a row by beating the Grizzlies, the Pelicans snuck past the Timberwolves, and the Thunder got revenge on the Mavericks.
See you in 2019, everyone!
NBA schedule for Monday, Dec. 31
All times Eastern
- Indiana Pacers 116, Atlanta Hawks 108 (Box Score)
- Charlotte Hornets 125, Orlando Magic 100 (Box Score)
- Houston Rockets 113, Memphis Grizzlies 101 (Box Score)
- San Antonio Spurs 120, Boston Celtics 111 (Box Score)
- Oklahoma City Thunder 122, Dallas Mavericks 102 (Box Score)
- New Orleans Pelicans 123, Minnesota Timberwolves 114 (Box Score)
- Golden State Warriors 132, Phoenix Suns 109 (Box Score)
NBA schedule for Tuesday, Jan. 1
All times Eastern
- Utah Jazz at Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m. (GameTracker) -- TV: NBA TV Streaming: fubo TV (try it free)
- Detroit Pistons at Milwaukee Bucks, 8 p.m. (GameTracker) -- Watch on fuboTV with NBA League Pass extension
- New York Knicks at Denver Nuggets, 9 p.m. (GameTracker) -- Watch on fuboTV with NBA League Pass extension
- Portland Trail Blazers at Sacramento Kings, 9 p.m. (GameTracker) -- Watch on fuboTV with NBA League Pass extension
- Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Clippers, 10:30 p.m. (GameTracker) -- Watch on fuboTV with NBA League Pass extension
Harden gets fourth straight 40-point game in Rockets' fifth straight win
James Harden continues to play at an MVP level for the Houston Rockets. The high-scoring guard poured in another 43 points on Monday night, recording his fourth straight game with 40-plus points and his eighth straight game with at least 35 points. He also put up 10 rebounds and 13 assists to record a triple-double and help the Rockets take down the Grizzlies for their fifth straight win. In the process, Harden joined elite company, passing Oscar Robertson to become the only player in NBA history with at least 35 points and five assists in eight straight games. He also became the third player in the last 30 years to score 400 points in a 10-game span, joining Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
Westbrook's triple-double leads Thunder over Mavs
Russell Westbrook had a rough night on Saturday when the Thunder lost to the Mavericks, shooting just 4-of-22 from the field. But on Monday night, Westbrook and OKC got revenge, beating the Mavericks by 20 points. In this game, Westbrook recorded his 10th triple-double of the season, finishing with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
Curry goes off for Warriors
Steph Curry and the Warriors closed out 2018 on a good note, crushing the Suns by 23 points. Curry lead the way, going for 34 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Randle steps up for Pelicans with Davis out
Anthony Davis missed out on the Pelicans' game vs. the Timberwolves due to a stomach ailment. That could have been bad news for the Pels, but Julius Randle stepped up in Davis' absence. Randle went for 33 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Pelicans to an important win.
💪 @J30_RANDLE posts a double-double of 33 PTS, 11 REB in the @PelicansNBA victory! #DoItBig pic.twitter.com/Cpjq0h8L9e
— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2019
Aldridge has big night in Spurs win
LaMarcus Aldridge got his night started with two big blocks, and it only got better from there. The big man finished with 32 points, nine rebounds and five assists to lead the Spurs over the Celtics. It was the third win in four tries for the Spurs, who have climbed back into the playoff picture.
👏 @aldridge_12's (32 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST) 2nd consecutive 30+point game fuels the @spurs home W! #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/qNXG3XezSO
— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2019
KAT shows off his vision
Karl-Anthony Towns made history on Sunday night against the Heat, and just kept rolling on Monday vs. the Pelicans. The big man showed off his passing skills with a slick overhead dime.
👀 KAT vision on full display! #AllEyesNorth pic.twitter.com/YccdIE2Pga
— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2019
Bell climbs the ladder for the oop
Jordan Bell's playing time has been sporadic this season, but he took advantage of his minutes against the Suns. Check out this alley-oop after he climbed the ladder.
Jordan Bell hammers it home off the Draymond feed!#DubNation 87#TimeToRise 72
— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2019
💻📱: https://t.co/cYXnbWzIYB pic.twitter.com/1WH07QTfwZ
Kemba leads the Hornets to victory
Kemba Walker had himself another big night on New Year's Eve. The Hornets point guard went for 24 points and seven assists to lead his squad past the Magic
👌 @KembaWalker' 24 PTS, 7 AST guides the @hornets at home! #Hornets30 pic.twitter.com/mMwMsFkOW1
— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2019
Okogie soars for a putback slam
Josh Okogie showed off his athleticism down in New Orleans on Monday night. After Karl-Anthony Towns missed a 3-pointer, Okogie soared in for a ridiculous putback slam.
Josh Okogie CLIMBS THE LADDER! #NBARooks #AllEyesNorth pic.twitter.com/EkCaJJDS9D
— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2019
Spurs drop 46 points in one quarter against the Celtics
The Spurs struggled a bit in the first half against the Celtics, scoring just 46 points, which had them trailing by six. But in the third quarter they caught fire, matching their first half output with an incredible 46-point quarter.
👀 the best buckets from the @spurs quarter season-high 46 point 3rd Q! #GoSpursGo @NBATV pic.twitter.com/D4uviiDpL4
— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2019
Brown gets off to a hot start
It's been a tough season at times for Jaylen Brown, but the swingman has it all working against the Spurs. He made six of his first eight shots for a quick 18 points.
Jaylen Brown is on 🔥! He's up to 18 PTS with 5 mins to play in the first half on NBA TV!#CUsRise | #PlayersOnly pic.twitter.com/ploAxSniVA
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 1, 2019
Aldridge rises up for two nice rejections
LaMarcus Aldridge set the tone for the Spurs in the first few minutes against the Celtics by rising up for two nice rejections at the rim. First he got Marcus Morris, then he sent away Al Horford.
LA is locked-in on defense! 🔒#GoSpursGp | #PlayersOnly
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 1, 2019
📺: NBA TV pic.twitter.com/fJFjs4uqYe
Bamba soars for a block
Mo Bamba showed off his incredible athleticism early on against the Hornets. As Malik Monk drove inside, Bamba rotated over from the weak side for a high-flying block.
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) December 31, 2018
Young shows off his passing skills
Everyone knows about Trae Young's incredible range on his 3-point shot, but he's also a skilled passer, as he showed on Monday afternoon. Check out this slick bounce pass to Alex Len for a bucket.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
— FOX Sports: Hawks (@HawksOnFSSE) December 31, 2018
❤️❤️❤️❤️that pass ❤️❤️❤️❤️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/CfEh1K5acp
Turner rejects Len at the rim
Myles Turner is leading the league in blocks this season, and he showed why early on against the Hawks. Alex Len went up for a slam, but Turner had other ideas.
🚫 @Original_Turner 🚫#Pacers pic.twitter.com/F0AVqyibrr
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 31, 2018