NBA schedule: Wild finishes in Toronto and Charlotte make for an exciting night of basketball

Irving likes being looked at as the team’s leader. Late in games, he knows he’s earned the expectation that he’ll have the ball. He enjoys all the eyes on him.

“I just look at all my teammates, look at all their faces,” Irving said. “They have the trust in me. They believe in me, they’ve seen me do it before. It makes it easier down the stretch. Whether I make or miss it’s just a game at the end of the day. We’re trying to win the game but make or miss we’re still going home teammates. That’s all it’s about.”

Millsap scored in double-figures for the third consecutive game and has recorded 12 steals in the past three games.

The Jazz led 98-92 with 1:37 left in the fourth quarter before Indiana scored the next six points to tie the game at the end of regulation and send it into overtime. Utah opened the overtime period on a 6-0 run and outscored Indiana 16-12 in the extra frame to secure the win.

After watching this, I’m willing to bet Wesley Matthews becomes a master of the yo-yo, having just been used as one.

Portland would now fight for the name “Lob City” but it’s too mainstream.

Instead, he got his foot tangled up with Walker’s, opting for the falling-down jump shot at the buzzer.

I guess they could have used more last-second J.J Barea half-court shots after all.

And then Kyrie Irving happened. On a fast break, Irving drove down the court with numbers not quite in his favor. But with the advantage of speed and being Kyrie Irving, he took them on and made a beautiful euro-step to get him around the defender for a circus layup.

And then Kyrie Irving happened again.

But after this dunk it won’t matter how well he plays; this is how everyone’s going to remember him in this game.

H/T to Ben Golliver at Sports Illustrated’s The Point Forward

Halfway through its first season, the Royce White era for the Houston Rockets has been rather rocky. White, who has well-documented anxiety concerns, has tried to get the team to implement progressive yet uncommon mental health documents. His goal is to make the NBA a healthier place for him and future players who may have their own concerns with mental health.

The Rockets, who have had trouble managing White’s very public profile amid his striving for mental health awareness, relegated him to the team’s D-League squad. But White refused the assignment to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, leading to a suspension.

Deng, 27, made his second All-Star team this season as one of the key players on a surprisingly competitive Bulls squad. Over 38 games this season, he’s averaging 17.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in a league-leading 39.8 minutes per contest.

The Bulls and Wizards tip off a 7 p.m. ET from Verizon Center.

Taking a look at their numbers, we see some similarities:

Griffin is a better rebounder and a bit more efficient with his scoring, which is natural because he does a lot more of his work in the paint whereas Aldridge likes to shoot a lot of long twos.

Perhaps that will give the Nets a little motivation when they face the Rockets, who have won two of three after a woeful seven-game losing streak. Houston will also be on the second night of a back-to-back, as they destroyed the New Orleans Hornets 100-82 on Friday night. The 82 points allowed is tied for the least amount given up in a game by the Rockets this season.

The Rockets have dominated the Nets in recent history, winning 14 of the last 15 meetings and 11 in a row. But considering the major changes that took place in the off-season to both rosters, those numbers mean very little.

Chicago hardly needs the boost after winning six of their last seven games, but at least Deng won’t be feeling the effects of the back-to-back. The Bulls will need to continue bringing their consistent defensive effort to slow down the upstart Wizards.

The Wizards continue to monitor Wall’s activity as he returns from a major knee injury, but the speed guard’s presence has lifted the whole team to bring hope back to what was a dismal start to the season. Wall’s return has really given a boost to the league’s worst offense as the team has scored in excess of 100 points in four of their six recent wins.