NBA news and highlights: Hayward drops 30, Warriors lose in Curry's return, Kings win thriller

Benyam Kidane

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NBA news and highlights: Hayward drops 30, Warriors lose in Curry's return, Kings win thriller image

Sunday's NBA action saw seven games around the league, with plenty of superstars on court.

If you missed any of the games, we've got you covered with all the top storylines, best fantasy performers, can't-miss highlights and box scores from everything around the Association.

Top Storylines

Red-hot Hayward drops 30 off the bench

Gordon Hayward put a smile on every Celtics fans face today, with a dominant 30-point performance off the bench to lead Boston to a 118-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Hayward added nine rebounds and eight assists, shooting 4-of-5 from the three-point line and a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line.

With Hayward firing on all cylinders, Boston looked much more dangerous on offence, re-discovering their free-flowing ball movement as they racked up 30 assists on 40 made field goals. Kyrie Irving led them with nine dimes, adding 21 points on the night.


Boston took an 84-77 lead into the fourth quarter, quickly pushing the lead to 10 points thanks to a Hayward triple. Minnesota responded immediately with a 10-0 run to tie the game at 89-89, before some big shots from Irving, Hayward and Marcus Morris shut the door. Morris recorded 16 points, while Jayson Tatum added 19 in the win.


Derrick Rose continued his impressive start to the season, leading the Wolves with 26 points off the bench, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 20 points and nine rebounds. Andrew Wiggins and Robert Covington each scored 17, with the former 76ers wing adding four steals in an impressive defensive performance.

Warriors fall short in Curry's return

Steph Curry returned to the Golden State Warriors lineup from a groin injury, but it wasn't enough as the Detroit Pistons cruised home to a 111-102 win.

In what was an uncharacteristically poor shooting night for the Warriors, they connected on just 6-of-26 from the three-point line, with Kevin Durant going 1-of-7 and Klay Thompson 3-of-9.

Steve Kerr lamented his team's lack of spacing and shot creation, when speaking with reporters post-game.


Durant finished with 28 points, Klay Thompson had 21, while Curry scored 27 in his first game since 6 November.

Blake Griffin led the way for Detroit, with 26 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Andre Drummond finished with 16 points and 19 rebounds. Stanley Johnson provided a spark off the bench 19 points and seven rebounds as the Pistons won their fifth straight game, while the Warriors have now dropped their last six road games.

Cauley-Stein steals it for the Kings

The Sacramento Kings snapped their three-game losing streak, escaping with a 111-110 win over the Indiana Pacers in dramatic fashion.

Willie Cauley-Stein was the hero, dunking home the putback off De'Aaron Fox's miss, giving the Kings the lead with 16.1 seconds remaining.


Bojan Bogdanovic had a shot to potentially win it, with his stepback jumper swirling in and out of the rim. Bogdanovic scored a game-high 27 points, starting the game on fire as he hit 10 of his first 15 shots.

The Pacers struggled to find their offence down the stretch, going scoreless for nearly four minutes late in the game, allowing the Kings to cut the lead and tie things up at 107-107 with 1:32 on the clock.

Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Kings with 20 points on the night, while Cauley-Stein added 17 points and 13 rebounds. 

Knox shows out in the Garden

Kevin Knox has struggled to start the season, dealing with ankle issues and form, but today he put it all together for his most impressive performance of his short rookie season.

Knox was everywhere for the Knicks, pouring in 26 points, including five three-pointers in their 136-134 OT win over the Milwaukee Bucks, coming up huge in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 points in the period, knocking down big shot after big shot.

Best fantasy performers

Giannis Antetokounmpo: 33 points (10-of-17 FG), 19 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks

Eric Bledsoe: 27 points (11-of-18 FG), seven assists, five rebounds and two steals

Emmanuel Mudiay: 28 points (10-of-18 FG), seven assists, three rebounds and a steal 

Kevin Durant: 28 points (9-of-19 FG, 9-of-9 FT), six rebounds and seven assists

Steph Curry: 27 points (10-of-21 FG), five rebounds and three assists

Blake Griffin: 26 points (9-of-22 FG), six rebounds and five assists

Andre Drummond: 16 points (7-of-14 FG), 19 rebounds, three steals and two blocks

John Wall: 30 points (12-of-24 FG), nine assists, five rebounds and one steal

Gordon Hayward: 30 points (8-of-16 FG, 4-of-5 3PT), nine rebounds, eight assists and two steals

Zach LaVine: 29 points (11-of-17 FG), four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks

James Harden: 30 points, seven assists, six rebounds, one steal and one block

Kawhi Leonard: 34 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal

Tristan Thompson: 18 points (6-of-15 FG), 19 rebounds, three assists and one steal

Can't-miss highlights

Hezonja chaneling his inner Iverson

Giannis is a transition nightmare


Zach LaVine hits the runway for take-off 


D-Rose getting fancy


Blake Griffin with the fake and flush


Box Scores

Bucks at Knicks | Warriors at Pistons | Nets at Wizards

Raptors at Cavaliers | Bulls at Rockets | Celtics at Timberwolves

Pacers at Kings

Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.