Jaren Jackson Jr. made two free throws with 8.6 seconds left to give the Memphis Grizzlies a 120-119 win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday.
In a game between two of the Western Conference’s top teams, there were 14 ties and 13 lead changes. Houston had a chance to win at the buzzer, but Fred VanVleet missed a 3-point shot.
Desmond Bane led Memphis with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. Luke Kennard added 22 points, and Jackson finished with 21. Memphis ended the game on a 13-4 run, marking its seventh win in the last eight games.
Houston, ending its four-game win streak, was led by Jalen Green, who had 25 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Dillon Brooks contributed 22 points, and Amen Thompson had 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and four blocks.
Cavaliers 137, Hawks 115
Darius Garland scored 26 points, and Donovan Mitchell added 24 as Cleveland defeated Atlanta at home.
Ty Jerome scored 20 points off the bench. Evan Mobley, celebrating his NBA All-Star Game selection, had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Jarrett Allen grabbed 15 rebounds and scored nine points. Cleveland dominated the third quarter 39-21, shot 58.2 percent, and outrebounded Atlanta 53-43, earning its third consecutive victory.
Zaccharie Risacher led the Hawks with 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting. De’Andre Hunter scored 25, and Trae Young posted 15 points and 10 assists.
Timberwolves 138, Jazz 113
Anthony Edwards led the Minnesota Timberwolves with 36 points and 11 assists in Salt Lake City, helping the team extend its win streak to five games.
Edwards made 12 of 18 field-goal attempts, including 6 of 9 from 3-point range, and blocked three shots. Rookie Rob Dillingham, the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft, scored a career-high 19 points with eight assists. Luka Garza had a season-high 16 points.
Former Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Nickeil Alexander-Walker also played well against their old team. Gobert finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and four blocks, while Alexander-Walker added 15 points and five assists. Minnesota’s Julius Randle left with right groin soreness.
Keyonte George led the Jazz with 23 points. Collin Sexton added 19 points, while John Collins and Jordan Clarkson each scored 16.
Lakers 134, Wizards 96
LeBron James recorded 24 points and 11 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers dominated Washington.
LeBron’s son, Bronny James, entered the game for Los Angeles at the start of the fourth quarter, playing the final 12 minutes. He scored a career-high five points. Rui Hachimura added 22 points, and Shake Milton scored 21 points off the bench, helping the Lakers win their fifth game in six tries.
Washington, losing its 16th straight game, was led by Jordan Poole with 19 points and Kyle Kuzma with 13.
Trail Blazers 119, Magic 90
Shaedon Sharpe came off the bench to score 23 points and lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a comfortable victory over Orlando.
Sharpe hit 3 of 6 from 3-point range, shooting 9 of 14 overall. Scoot Henderson also had 23 points, along with seven assists. The Trail Blazers have won six of their last seven games.
Franz Wagner led the Magic with 24 points, but Orlando lost for the seventh time in eight games. Paolo Banchero scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds.
