Thunder Defeat Jazz 123-114
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 54 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 123-114 home victory over the Utah Jazz. The game stayed close until the Thunder pulled away in the final three minutes.
Gilgeous-Alexander topped his previous career high of 45 points by making 17 of his 35 shots and going 17 of 18 from the free-throw line. He also contributed eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Jalen Williams, back after missing one game due to injury, added 25 points. The Thunder have won 21 of their last 23 games.
For the Jazz, John Collins scored 22 points with 12 rebounds, Walker Kessler posted 17 points and 15 rebounds, and Keyonte George had 15 points and 10 assists. Utah has lost four consecutive games.
Rockets Hold Off Cavaliers 109-108
Alperen Sengun hit two free throws with 4.5 seconds remaining, and the Houston Rockets survived a long scoring drought to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-108.
The Cavaliers had a chance to win when Darius Garland was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 2.8 seconds left. However, Garland missed the first two free throws, and Donovan Mitchell missed a 3-point shot at the buzzer. Sengun finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Amen Thompson had 16 points with 16 rebounds.
Garland led Cleveland with 26 points, while Mitchell had 19 points on 7-of-21 shooting. Jarrett Allen added 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Kings Comeback to Beat Warriors 123-117
De’Aaron Fox scored eight of his 14 points in the final moments, helping the Sacramento Kings overcome an 18-point deficit to defeat the Golden State Warriors 123-117.
The Kings closed the game with 10 consecutive points in the final four minutes. Domantas Sabonis finished with 26 points and 18 rebounds. Sacramento has now won 10 of their last 11 games.
Andrew Wiggins led Golden State with 25 points. Stephen Curry had 14 points and 12 assists but made just one 3-pointer on four attempts.
Celtics Edge Clippers 117-113 in OT
Jaylen Brown scored 25 points, and Jayson Tatum added 24 to help the Boston Celtics defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 117-113 in overtime in Inglewood, California. Both teams were missing key players due to injury.
The Celtics were without Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis, while the Clippers were missing four starters: Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac. Derrick White added 20 points for Boston.
Pistons Beat Hawks 114-104
Cade Cunningham scored 29 points, and Malik Beasley came off the bench for 19 points to help the Detroit Pistons defeat the Atlanta Hawks 114-104. Detroit has now won two straight games and improved to 10-4 since Christmas.
Dyson Daniels led Atlanta with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Jalen Johnson posted 17 points, nine rebounds, and six steals. Trae Young had 13 points and nine assists.
Timberwolves Hold Off Mavericks 115-114
Jaden McDaniels scored a career-high 27 points, and Anthony Edwards added 21 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Dallas Mavericks 115-114.
Mike Conley had a season-high 18 points for Minnesota, which snapped a two-game losing streak. Kyrie Irving led Dallas with 36 points and nine assists, but the Mavericks were without several key players due to injuries.
Grizzlies Top Hornets 132-120
Desmond Bane scored 24 points, and Luke Kennard added a season-high 23 points to help the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Charlotte Hornets 132-120. Memphis won their fourth straight game.
Kennard scored 18 points in the first half, and Jaren Jackson Jr. contributed 22 points. Charlotte got a career-high 38 points from Mark Williams, who made 14 of 18 field goals and grabbed nine rebounds.
Suns Beat Nets 108-84
Kevin Durant scored 24 points in three quarters against his former team as the Phoenix Suns defeated the Brooklyn Nets 108-84 in New York. Phoenix never trailed in the game and ended their five-game road trip with a victory.
Devin Booker scored 12 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn, missing several key players, has now lost nine straight home games. Keon Johnson led the Nets with 20 points.
Bucks vs. Pelicans Postponed
The game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the New Orleans Pelicans was postponed due to extreme weather conditions. Around 10 inches of snow fell in New Orleans, causing the delay. A new date for the rescheduled game will be announced later.
