Nikola Jokic moved up to No. 3 on the all-time triple-double list with 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 11 assists at Cleveland, but his Denver Nuggets couldn’t keep up with the Cavaliers’ 3-point shooting and lost 126-114 on Thursday night.
Jokic’s 139th career triple-double broke his tie with Magic Johnson. It was also his second triple-double this season with more than 20 points and 20 rebounds.
The Cleveland group of Donovan Mitchell (28 points), Darius Garland (24), Caris LeVert (21), and Evan Mobley (20) combined to hit 17 three-pointers and score 93 points.
The Cavaliers got their third win in a row, while the Nuggets have alternated wins and losses for nine games.
Mavericks 137, Wizards 101
Luka Doncic recorded his first triple-double of the season as Dallas won its sixth straight game, dominating host Washington.
Doncic finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists for his 78th regular-season triple-double. Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 25 points for the Mavericks, who have won 10 of their last 11 games, and former Wizards center Daniel Gafford scored 16 points off the bench.
Malcolm Brogdon and Marvin Bagley III each scored 16 points, and Carlton Carrington added 15 for the Wizards, who tied their franchise record with their 16th straight loss in one season.
Warriors 99, Rockets 93
Jonathan Kuminga set a career-high with 33 points, and Andrew Wiggins scored 23 as Golden State defeated Houston for the 15th consecutive time, winning in San Francisco.
With Stephen Curry resting sore knees and Draymond Green dealing with a calf injury, Golden State used a 21-4 run bridging the second and third quarters to take the lead for good, ending a five-game losing streak.
The Rockets, trying to beat the Warriors for the first time since February 2020, got 16 points from Alperen Sengun and 15 from Dillon Brooks in a balanced attack while dropping their second straight.
Knicks 125, Hornets 121
Karl-Anthony Towns led New York to an easy victory over Charlotte with his 12th straight double-double.
Towns scored 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting and grabbed 16 rebounds. New York had all five starters score in double figures, with OG Anunoby adding 25 points, followed by Jalen Brunson (24), Mikal Bridges (19), and Josh Hart (18). Hart also had 10 rebounds and six assists.
The Hornets got 26 points and six rebounds from Brandon Miller but were outshot 53.9 percent to 44.9 percent. This was their seventh loss in a row. Vasilije Micic had 14 points and 12 assists, and Seth Curry added 18 points off the bench.
Thunder 129, Raptors 92
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points as Oklahoma City beat Toronto.
Jalen Williams added 20 points for the Thunder, who have won two in a row and six of their last seven games. Isaiah Joe contributed 16 points, and Isaiah Hartenstein had 16 rebounds and six assists.
RJ Barrett had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Raptors, who had their four-game home winning streak snapped. Scottie Barnes had 12 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists.
Pelicans 126, Suns 124
Brandon Ingram scored 29 points, and CJ McCollum had 25 as New Orleans ended a nine-game losing streak by defeating Phoenix.
McCollum scored on a drive to break a tie in the final minute, then assisted Trey Murphy III for a dunk and a 125-121 lead with 14 seconds left. Murphy finished with 19 points, and Dejounte Murray had 17 for the Pelicans.
Devin Booker scored 28 points, and Bradley Beal added 24 for the Suns, who had won three of their last four games.
Grizzlies 115, Kings 110
Memphis got 60 points from its reserves and survived losing Ja Morant to a late-game ejection in a win over Sacramento.
Marcus Smart had 18 points off the bench, and starter Desmond Bane also scored 18 to lead the Grizzlies, who won their sixth straight home game. Santi Aldama contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds. Morant was ejected after receiving his second technical foul in just 82 seconds during the fourth quarter.
Sacramento was led by DeMar DeRozan, who had a game-high 26 points, and Malik Monk, who scored 23. De’Aaron Fox added 18 points, six rebounds, and six steals, and Domantas Sabonis had 17 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists.
Bulls 139, Spurs 124
Nikola Vucevic scored a season-high 39 points, and Ayo Dosunmu recorded a season-best 27 points along with 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his first career triple-double as Chicago beat San Antonio.
The Bulls led by 11 points entering the fourth quarter after fending off a late San Antonio run. The Spurs narrowed the lead to 130-122 on two Keldon Johnson free throws with 3:18 left, but Chicago scored nine straight points, capped by Vucevic’s banked layup with 1:31 remaining, to seal the win.
Keldon Johnson had 28 points off the bench for the Spurs. Devin Vassell scored 17 points, and Jeremy Sochan added 16 points and 14 rebounds. San Antonio played without star center Victor Wembanyama (sore back).
