For those of you who didn’t know, there were a few games on the NBA schedule on Thursday night before the ball dropped on 2009. Check out wrap-ups for each of these five games with a little addition to close out the decade!

Thunder 87, Jazz 86

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: Good teams find ways to win close games.

Did I just say the Thunder were a good team? I think I did. OKC won their fifth straight game on Thursday night, their longest such streak since the Seattle days. Kevin Durant scored 31 points, tying a franchise record of six straight 30-point games. See a trend here? When Durant is at his best, the Thundercats win.

This game came down to the final seconds, when Nick Collison grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled. Collison went to the line with a one-point Jazz lead, but he calmly sank both free throws to take a one-point lead. After a timeout, Ronnie Price missed a shot at the buzzer and the Thunder won the game.

These are the games that the Thunder have to win if they want to make the playoffs. A close game, at home, against a team they will be competing with for the final spots. Both the Thunder and the Jazz are now 18-14 and tied for the final playoff spot.

End of the Decade Stat of the Game: Kevin Durant not only had his sixth straight 30-point game, but he also owns the FINAL 30-point game of the decade. Will that go down in history? More so than the other stats below, haha.

Rockets 97, Mavericks 94

It’s amazing how a game can be close from tipoff to the final few minutes and then just a couple of possessions can totally give one team the game. That was the case in Houston as the Rockets put the Mavericks away with two big threes.

Shane Battier hit a tie-breaking three-pointer with 2:11 left, followed by an Aaron Brooks three-pointer with 1:35 left. The Rockets led by 6 and held on for a three-point victory. Brooks led all scorers with 30 points, while Luis Scola notched a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

End of the Decade Stat of the Game: The Houston Rockets are the last team of the decade to wear their road jerseys at home. And on that note, the Dallas Mavericks are the last team of the decade to wear their home jersey on the road….. I know, it’s pretty awesome.

Spurs 108, Heat 78

The Spurs are perennially one of the best teams in the NBA. They always step it up against the best teams in the league, and as a result, they were picked by many to win the championship this season. Well, this was before the season.

The Spurs have struggled mightily against teams over .500 this year, but they were able to pick up their first win against a team with a winning-record in nearly a month. Tim Duncan led the way with 23 points and 10 boards, while Manu Ginobili scored 18 off the bench. After leading by 9 at halftime, the Spurs used an impressive third quarter (outscored MIA 28-13) to make the game a blowout.

End of the Decade Stat of the Game: The Heat are the last team to lose by 30 points in the decade. Ouch – I hope they can find a way to recover from this one.

Bulls 98, Pistons 87

Is Joakim Noah an All-Star?

I’m not asking if he’s a Hall of Famer or anything like that; but is he an All-Star this season? Before Thursday, I would say he is. After Thursday, I would say he is. In Detroit, Noah scored 15 points and grabbed 21 rebounds to help the Bulls snap an eight-game road losing streak.

Also, Chicago has now won three-straight games. This comes ever since the Bulls unofficially announced that they don’t want Vinny Del Negro as their coach. Just scratch your head and move on.

End of the Decade Stat of the Game: For the last time in the decade, the road team won a game – courtesy of the Chicago Bulls. Who knows what the new decade will bring…maybe a road team will never win a game again!

Clippers 104, 76ers 88

Now for the final game of the decade!

It was an inspired game by the Clips at home, as they shot 55% from the field and 10-16 from downtown. Chris Kaman scored 26 with 10 rebounds and Marcus Camby dropped 14 points with 10 boards as well.

The Clippers won despite the absence of their coach Mike Dunleavy – who missed the game because of a sneeze. Ok, it was more than sneeze; it was a ‘violent’ sneeze that cause Dunleavy to pull a muscle in his back. This turned out to be too much for him to be able to overcome with standing on the sideline.

End of the Decade Stat of the Game: As the last game of the decade, there are plenty of stats that are set as the last of the decade: Last Point – Jrue Holiday, Last FG – Chris Kaman, Last Rebound – DeAndre Jordan, Last Double-Dribble – Rasual Butler.

-Shooter