Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 31 points to help the Washington Wizards beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 105-103 on Saturday, ending their 16-game losing streak.
With 15.1 seconds left, Mike Conley made three free throws to cut the lead to 105-103. The Timberwolves had a chance to tie the game after Nickeil Alexander-Walker stole the ball, but he missed a 3-point shot at the end.
Jordan Poole added 19 points for Washington, which avoided setting a franchise record for losses with 17 straight. The Wizards hadn’t won since beating the Chicago Bulls 125-107 on January 1. Bilal Coulibaly scored 14 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Kyshawn George contributed 11 points.
Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels posted 23 points and 12 rebounds, while Rudy Gobert added 16 points and 16 rebounds. The Timberwolves were missing stars Anthony Edwards (illness) and Julius Randle (groin), and Naz Reid didn’t return after injuring his finger. Minnesota’s five-game win streak was snapped.
Lakers 128, Knicks 112
LeBron James put up another impressive performance at Madison Square Garden, recording a triple-double as the Lakers defeated the Knicks. James, who turned 40 in December, finished with 33 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds, improving to 23-8 in his career at Madison Square Garden. His average there is now 28.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 7.6 assists. The triple-double was his 10th of the season.
Austin Reaves scored 27 points for the Lakers, who have won eight of their last 10 games. Former Laker Josh Hart had 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists for his seventh triple-double of the season for New York. The Knicks’ five-game win streak ended, and they also lost forward OG Anunoby to a right foot sprain.
Nets 110, Rockets 98
D’Angelo Russell scored 18 points, and Ziaire Williams came close to a double-double as the Brooklyn Nets beat Houston.
After ending a seven-game losing streak with a win over the Charlotte Hornets, the Nets earned back-to-back victories for the first time since November. They shot 49.4 percent from the field, had a 60-50 advantage in paint points, and limited Houston to 40 percent shooting.
Six Nets players scored in double digits. Williams had 21 points and eight rebounds, while Day’Ron Sharpe added 13 points off the bench. Jalen Green scored 29 points for the Rockets, who played without All-Star center Alperen Sengun (calf injury) for the second game in a row. Steven Adams had 11 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks filling in for Sengun.
Thunder 144, Kings 110
Aaron Wiggins set a career-high with 41 points and 14 rebounds, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a win over Sacramento.
Wiggins, filling in for All-Star Jalen Williams (right wrist sprain), beat his previous career highs of 28 points (as a rookie) and 10 rebounds (last season).
The Thunder have won four of their last six games, while the Kings have lost four of their last five. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 29 points and nine assists before sitting out the entire fourth quarter. De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 20 points.
Pacers 132, Hawks 127
Pascal Siakam led the Indiana Pacers with 20 points, helping the team beat the Atlanta Hawks in Indianapolis.
Trae Young had a standout game with 34 points and 17 assists for Atlanta, which lost its eighth straight game.
Dyson Daniels scored 23 points, and Zaccharie Risacher added 17 points. Young hit a 3-pointer with 27.1 seconds left to make the score 127-125, but the Pacers sealed the win by making five free throws in the final 22.1 seconds.
Heat 105, Spurs 103
Bam Adebayo made a game-winning jumper at the buzzer, finishing with 30 points to help the Miami Heat defeat the San Antonio Spurs.
With 3 seconds left, Kel’el Ware grabbed a rebound of a missed shot from Chris Paul, and Miami called a timeout to set up a final play. Adebayo, who added 12 rebounds and nine assists, hit the jumper from 19 feet to give Miami the win in the first game of a four-game road trip.
Keldon Johnson led the Spurs with 19 points off the bench, and Devin Vassell scored 18 points. San Antonio missed star center Victor Wembanyama, who was out with an undisclosed illness. The Spurs were playing their second game of a home back-to-back after a 144-118 win over Milwaukee on Friday.
Nuggets 107, Hornets 104
Nikola Jokic posted a triple-double, leading Denver to a victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
Jokic finished with 28 points, 17 assists, and 13 rebounds, recording his 22nd triple-double of the season. Christian Braun contributed 24 points, and Jamal Murray added 20 points. Despite a strong start, the Nuggets nearly lost a 17-point lead, scoring only 17 points in the fourth quarter.
Miles Bridges had 24 points and 12 rebounds, and Mark Williams recorded 20 points and 15 rebounds for Charlotte, which lost its fourth straight game.
Jazz 113, Magic 99
Collin Sexton scored 22 points and dished out eight assists, while John Collins added 19 points to help Utah break an eight-game losing streak with a win over Orlando.
The Jazz, who hadn’t won since a 112-111 overtime victory over the Brooklyn Nets on January 12, led by as much as 21 points and kept a double-digit lead throughout the second half.
Franz Wagner led all scorers with 37 points for Orlando, which struggled offensively despite his strong performance, especially at the free-throw line where he went 18-for-20. This loss marked the Magic’s third straight defeat.
Trail Blazers 127, Suns 108
Deandre Ayton led Portland with 24 points on 11-of-12 shooting to help the Trail Blazers beat Phoenix.
Jerami Grant added 20 points for Portland, which led by as many as 27 points and won its third straight game and seventh in the past eight. Toumani Camara had 18 points, 10 rebounds, and four steals, while Anfernee Simons scored 16 points and had seven assists.
Devin Booker scored 37 points for Phoenix, marking his second straight game with 30 or more points. Kevin Durant added 22 points, continuing his streak of 24 games with at least 20 points. The Suns lost for just the fourth time in their last 13 games. The teams will face off again on Monday in Portland.
