Ja Morant made two key baskets in the final minute to help the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-125 on Saturday night in Minneapolis.
Morant finished with 12 points on 5-for-19 shooting but stepped up when it mattered most for Memphis, which won the first game of a four-game road trip. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 33 points and eight rebounds, while Desmond Bane scored 21 points.
Donte DiVincenzo led the Timberwolves with 27 points and 10 rebounds, but their three-game winning streak was snapped. Jaden McDaniels had 21 points, Naz Reid scored 19 off the bench, and Julius Randle contributed 18 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.
The Grizzlies were down 125-121 after Rudy Gobert made a layup for the Timberwolves with 1:41 left. That was Minnesota’s final score of the game.
Heat 119, Trail Blazers 98
Tyler Herro made seven 3-pointers and scored 32 points with five rebounds and five assists to lead the Miami Heat to a win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Nikola Jovic added a season-high 21 points and eight rebounds. Miami won its third straight game, all on the road. Haywood Highsmith scored 14 points and matched his career-high with five steals. Bam Adebayo contributed 13 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, and both Terry Rozier and Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 11 points.
Anfernee Simons had 28 points, including seven 3-pointers, and Shaedon Sharpe added 22 points for Portland, which lost its fifth game in seven. Deni Avdija chipped in 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings
Suns 114, Jazz 106
Devin Booker tied his season-high with six 3-pointers, scoring 34 points, and Kevin Durant added 25 points to help the Phoenix Suns beat the Utah Jazz.
Utah came back from a 16-point deficit in the second quarter and trailed by just three, 91-88, with 8:36 left. Phoenix then went on an 11-0 run to take control.
Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 24 points, Collin Sexton scored 20, and Walker Kessler added 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Pistons 123, Raptors 114
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a season-high 27 points, and the Detroit Pistons held off the Toronto Raptors.
Hardaway made seven of his eight 3-point attempts. Cade Cunningham posted a triple-double with 22 points, 17 assists, and 10 rebounds, helping Detroit win for the sixth time in seven games. Malik Beasley added 18 points off the bench, while Tobias Harris contributed 17 points and seven rebounds.
Immanuel Quickley led the Raptors with 25 points, while Scottie Barnes had 16 points and 12 rebounds. Bruce Brown and Chris Boucher each scored 14 points off the bench. Toronto has now lost five straight games.
Norman Powell scored 20 points and Ivica Zubac added 18 points along with 18 rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers celebrated the season debut of Kawhi Leonard with a 131-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday in Inglewood, Calif.
Amir Coffey scored 17 points, and Leonard had 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting in 19 minutes after missing the first 34 games of the season due to a right knee injury. Terance Mann, who missed the past 11 games with a finger injury, also returned to the game and scored 12 points in 16 minutes.
Los Angeles took control early, leading by as many as 27 points in the first half and improving to 12-2 at home since Nov. 4.
Trae Young scored 20 points and added 14 assists, and De’Andre Hunter contributed 18 points as the Hawks lost their second consecutive game in the Los Angeles area, following a 119-102 defeat against the Lakers on Friday.
Leonard made his first shot of the season, a 3-pointer from the left wing just over two minutes into the game.
Pistons 119, Timberwolves 105
Cade Cunningham scored a season-high 40 points and added nine assists to help Detroit beat Minnesota, despite Anthony Edwards’ career-high 53 points.
Edwards had scored 20 points or less in eight of his previous 14 games. His previous career high was 51 points, which he reached against the Washington Wizards on April 9, 2024. Cunningham’s previous season high was 35 points.
Malik Beasley added 23 points off the bench as Detroit won its third straight game. Tobias Harris scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the win, while Julius Randle had 17 points, seven rebounds, and six assists for the Timberwolves.
Nuggets 122, Spurs 111 (OT)
Nikola Jokic scored 46 points, including the first seven in overtime, leading Denver to a win over San Antonio in the final game of a back-to-back series between the teams.
The Spurs had won 113-110 on Friday in Denver. The Nuggets have now won four of their past five games. San Antonio led by 11 points after three quarters on Saturday, but the Nuggets came back to briefly take the lead in the final minute of regulation before a tip-in by Devin Vassell forced overtime.
Harrison Barnes led San Antonio with 22 points, and Victor Wembanyama scored 20 points while grabbing a career-high 23 rebounds.
Nikola Jokic takes the ball forward
76ers 123, Nets 94
Joel Embiid scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in three quarters, helping Philadelphia overcome an early 11-point deficit to beat Brooklyn in New York.
Embiid made 8 of 16 shots from the field, hit all 10 of his free throws, and played 29 minutes to record his fourth double-double in 13 games this season. Philadelphia outscored Brooklyn 123-83 after allowing the game’s first 11 points and won for the 12th time in 19 games since a five-game losing streak in mid-November.
Ziaire Williams led the Nets with 19 points, while Brooklyn shot 41.5 percent and gave up 32 points off 22 turnovers. The Nets lost their 12th game in 16 tries.
Pacers 126, Suns 108
Tyrese Haliburton scored 27 points to lead six Indiana players in double figures, and the Pacers ended Phoenix’s four-game losing streak with a win in Indianapolis.
Indiana opened the second half with a 19-9 run lasting just over four minutes, which gave them a lead they held for the rest of the game. The Pacers later finished the game with a 13-4 run over the final 4:08.
Phoenix stayed close with help from Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, but the Suns never got closer than six points after Indiana’s early third-quarter run. Durant finished with 25 points, and Booker added 20.
Jazz 136, Heat 100
Brice Sensabaugh, a Florida native, scored a career-high 34 points off the bench as Utah ended a five-game losing streak with a win in Miami.
John Collins added 24 points and nine rebounds for Utah, which won only its sixth road game in 19 tries this season. Walker Kessler posted 14 points and a game-high 16 rebounds as the Jazz outrebounded the Heat 57-32.
The Heat trailed by as many as 43 points in the fourth quarter in their first game after suspending star forward Jimmy Butler for seven games for conduct detrimental to the team.
Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat
Bulls 139, Knicks 126
Zach LaVine and Coby White scored 33 points each, and Nikola Vucevic recorded a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds to help Chicago beat New York.
Chicago scored its most points of the season, led by a 20-for-37 effort from three-point range. White set a career-high for made 3-pointers, going 9-for-11. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 44 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists.
The Bulls honored Derrick Rose during a halftime ceremony. Rose, a Chicago native, spent his first seven seasons with the Bulls, winning Rookie of the Year in 2009 and MVP in 2011, before playing for five other teams and spending parts of four seasons with the Knicks.
Trail Blazers 105, Bucks 102
Anfernee Simons scored 28 points and added eight assists to lead Portland to a win over Milwaukee after the Blazers had dropped their last two games.
Deni Avdija scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while Deandre Ayton posted his own double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, helping Portland win on the road for just the fourth time this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 31 points and 11 rebounds. AJ Green scored 21 points off the bench, and Damian Lillard had 16 points.
Warriors 121, Grizzlies 113
Lindy Waters III scored eight of his 16 points late, and Andrew Wiggins scored a game-high 24 points as Golden State defeated Memphis in San Francisco.
Both teams played without their star point guards. Memphis was missing Ja Morant for the fourth straight game due to a shoulder injury, and Golden State rested Stephen Curry on the first game of a back-to-back set.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had 23 points and nine rebounds for Memphis, and Desmond Bane added 22 points and 10 assists. The Grizzlies completed a 2-3 road trip after losing 138-133 to the Sacramento Kings on Friday.
Stephen Curry made history on Thursday night, hitting all eight of his 3-point attempts for the first time in his career as the Golden State Warriors beat the Philadelphia 76ers 139-105 in San Francisco.
Curry ended the game with 30 points and 10 assists, becoming the first player in NBA history to make at least 8-of-8 3-pointers and have double-digit assists in the same game. The NBA record for most perfect 3-pointers in a game is 9, shared by Latrell Sprewell, Ben Gordon (twice), and Jalen Brunson.
Jonathan Kuminga contributed 20 points off the bench, while Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and Dennis Schroder each scored 15 for the Warriors, who took advantage of a tired Philadelphia team playing the second game of a back-to-back road stretch.
Joel Embiid, who sat out Philadelphia’s loss to Sacramento the previous night, returned to lead the 76ers with 28 points and 14 rebounds.
Thunder 116, Clippers 98
The Oklahoma City Thunder earned their 13th straight victory, beating the Los Angeles Clippers at home. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points, and Jalen Williams added 18, helping Oklahoma City move one win away from tying the franchise’s longest-ever win streak, which was 14 games set by the 1995-96 Seattle SuperSonics.
Norman Powell, the Clippers’ top scorer this season, had a tough game, missing his first 10 shots and finishing with just six points on 1-of-11 shooting. Amir Coffey led the Clippers with a season-high 26 points.
Lakers 114, Trail Blazers 106
LeBron James scored 38 points and provided eight assists as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Portland Trail Blazers despite missing Anthony Davis. Max Christie added a career-best 28 points, and Austin Reaves recorded 15 points and 11 assists. The Lakers won for the sixth time in their last eight games. Davis missed the game due to a left ankle sprain.
Portland’s Anfernee Simons scored 23 points, and Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija each had 19. The Trail Blazers lost their 10th game in the last 13 and their eighth straight on the road.
LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers
Pacers 128, Heat 115
Tyrese Haliburton scored 33 points and dished out a season-high 15 assists without committing a turnover, leading the Indiana Pacers to a solid win over the Miami Heat. Haliburton had a great first quarter with 16 points and five assists.
In three games against Miami this season, he has 36 assists and just one turnover. Myles Turner added 21 points, and Pascal Siakam finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
For the Heat, rookie Kel’el Ware scored a career-high 25 points on 9-of-11 shooting and also blocked three shots. Bam Adebayo contributed 20 points and eight rebounds.
Celtics 118, Timberwolves 115
Jayson Tatum scored 33 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and had nine assists, helping the Boston Celtics hold off the Minnesota Timberwolves for a close win in Minneapolis. Derrick White added 26 points, and the Celtics won their second game in a row, despite missing Jaylen Brown (right shoulder strain) and Kristaps Porzingis (sprained left ankle).
Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 27 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Naz Reid scored 20 points off the bench, and Jaden McDaniels added 19 points.
Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves
Nets 113, Bucks 110
Cameron Johnson scored 26 points, and Cam Thomas added 24 as the Brooklyn Nets held off a late comeback from the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Nets were up 111-90 with 6:55 left, but missed their next 12 shots, allowing the Bucks to go on a 20-0 run. Damian Lillard scored five straight points, but missed a 3-pointer with Milwaukee down by three points in the final seconds. Lillard’s 35-foot shot at the buzzer also fell short.
Nic Claxton had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Brooklyn, which won the season series 3-1 against the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 27 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. Lillard finished with 23 points and seven assists.
Josh Hart recorded his second straight triple-double, and Karl-Anthony Towns had at least 30 points and 10 rebounds for the third game in a row on Wednesday night, as the shorthanded New York Knicks defeated the visiting Utah Jazz 119-103.
The Knicks stretched their winning streak to nine games, despite being without star point guard Jalen Brunson (calf), who missed his first game of the season, and backup guard Miles McBride, who was expected to start in place of Brunson but was ruled out due to a tight left hamstring.
Hart didn’t score until the final moments of the first half, but he finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists. Towns contributed 31 points and 21 rebounds, becoming just the third player in Knicks history—joining Hall of Famers Bob McAdoo and Patrick Ewing—to record 30 points and 10 rebounds in three consecutive games.
Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson led the Jazz with 25 points each. Utah took an early 18-8 lead but suffered their fifth straight loss. Lauri Markkanen posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, though he struggled with his shooting, going 6-for-22 from the field and 1-for-10 from beyond the arc.
Kings 113, 76ers 107
Malik Monk made key plays down the stretch to help Sacramento overcome a shorthanded Philadelphia team missing Joel Embiid. Monk’s goaltended layup with 33.8 seconds left gave the Kings the lead, and they finished the game with a 15-0 run. Monk and DeMar DeRozan combined for four clinching free throws.
De’Aaron Fox led Sacramento with 35 points, making 13 of 16 shots. Domantas Sabonis added 17 points, 21 rebounds, and seven assists. Eric Gordon contributed 14 points, Caleb Martin had 12, and Andre Drummond scored 10 points while grabbing nine rebounds for the 76ers.
Sacramento Kings and Philadelphia 76ers
Raptors 130, Nets 113
Scottie Barnes led Toronto to a 130-113 win over Brooklyn with 33 points and 13 rebounds, ending an 11-game losing streak. Immanuel Quickley, back from an elbow injury, scored 21 points and added 15 assists. Gradey Dick finished with 22 points and three steals.
D’Angelo Russell, in his first game with the Nets after being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers, scored 22 points off the bench. Cameron Johnson had 24 points, and Keon Johnson scored 17 for Brooklyn, who lost their third straight game.
Nuggets 139, Hawks 120
Nikola Jokic recorded his 14th triple-double of the season with 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 15 assists, leading Denver to a 139-120 win over Atlanta. Russell Westbrook added 16 points and 11 assists, while Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray each contributed 21 points.
Trae Young led the Hawks with 30 points and nine assists, but Atlanta’s four-game winning streak came to an end. De’Andre Hunter scored 20 points in the loss.
Rockets 110, Mavericks 99
Cam Whitmore came off the bench to score 18 points, and Alperen Sengun contributed 23 points and five steals to lead Houston past Dallas. Sengun and Whitmore teamed up in a big second-quarter run to put the Rockets in control. Jalen Green added 22 points, and Dillon Brooks contributed 19 points and six rebounds.
Klay Thompson scored 16 points for the Mavericks, and Kyrie Irving had 16 points and seven rebounds. Dallas, already without Luka Doncic (calf), lost P.J. Washington to a knee injury, and he didn’t return for the second half.
Houston Rockets and Dallas Maverick
Wizards 125, Bulls 107
Jordan Poole returned from a two-game absence due to a hip injury and scored 30 points to lead Washington past Chicago. Justin Champagnie added 15 points, while Carlton Carrington scored 11 points, hitting all three of his 3-pointers. Rookie Alexandre Sarr posted 11 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.
Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting. Coby White scored 17 points, and Nikola Vucevic added 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Heat 119, Pelicans 108
Tyler Herro scored 32 points to lead Miami in their win over New Orleans, sending the Pelicans to their 11th straight loss. Bam Adebayo added 23 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds, while Jimmy Butler, returning from a five-game absence due to illness, finished with nine points in 25 minutes.
Trey Murphy III scored 34 points, one short of his season-high, and CJ McCollum added 22 points for the Pelicans, who dropped their 20th game in their last 21.
Pistons 105, Magic 96
Jaden Ivey scored 22 points before leaving the game with a serious leg injury, as Detroit defeated Orlando. Ivey was injured when Cole Anthony dived for a loose ball and collided with Ivey’s leg early in the fourth quarter.
Cade Cunningham had 19 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. Jalen Duren contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons, who have won four of their last five games.
Jalen Suggs led the Magic with 24 points, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 21 points and Wendell Carter Jr. added 15 points and eight rebounds for Orlando, who has lost three of their last four games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to their 12th straight win, a 113-105 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.
This streak is the Thunder’s longest since the 2012-13 season and ties the franchise’s longest stretch since moving to Oklahoma City. The team’s longest win streak ever is 14 games, set by the 1995-96 Seattle SuperSonics.
Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City. Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort each added 14 points, with Williams also contributing seven rebounds and seven assists.
For the Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards scored 13 of his 20 points in the second quarter, but the team’s three-game win streak came to an end. Naz Reid had 19 points and eight rebounds, while Mike Conley scored 16 points. Julius Randle contributed 11 points and six assists.
Celtics 125, Raptors 71
Jayson Tatum led Boston with 23 points and eight rebounds as they dominated Toronto for their 10th straight win over the Raptors.
Payton Pritchard added 19 points off the bench for Boston, who shot 51.2% from three-point range, making 22 of 43 attempts. Derrick White (16 points), Jrue Holiday (14 points), Jaylen Brown (12 points), Sam Hauser (12 points), and Jordan Walsh (10 points) also contributed in double figures.
Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 16 points and 13 rebounds, but Toronto struggled with shooting, making just 1 of 8 from three-point range. The Raptors turned the ball over 21 times and scored the fewest points of any team this season. This loss marked Toronto’s 11th straight defeat.
Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors
Cavaliers 122, Lakers 110
Jarrett Allen posted a season-high 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead Cleveland to a wire-to-wire victory over the Lakers, extending their win streak to eight.
Donovan Mitchell added 26 points for the Cavaliers, who finished off Los Angeles with a 17-2 run that began in the third quarter and continued into the fourth. Mitchell hit three of his six three-pointers during this key stretch, which stretched Cleveland’s lead to a game-high 16 points.
Austin Reaves matched his career high with 35 points for the Lakers, adding 10 assists and nine rebounds. Anthony Davis chipped in 28 points and 13 rebounds, but the Lakers fell after winning five of their previous six games.
Bucks 120, Pacers 112
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Milwaukee to a comeback win over Indiana in Indianapolis.
Brook Lopez added 16 points for the Bucks, who rallied from 19 points down in the second half to end a two-game losing streak. Khris Middleton scored 15 points.
Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 25 points, while Pascal Siakam added 20 points and Myles Turner posted 16 points and 10 rebounds. The Pacers have now lost three of their last four games after a five-game winning streak.
Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks
Spurs 122, Clippers 86
Victor Wembanyama scored 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds in just 26 minutes, leading San Antonio to an easy win over Los Angeles.
Wembanyama set the tone early, scoring 17 points in the first quarter, which matched the Clippers’ total as a team. San Antonio led by 25 points late in the first half, 28 points after three quarters, and by as many as 41 in the final moments.
James Harden led the Clippers with 17 points, including 13 in the first quarter. Norman Powell added 15 points, and Amir Coffey scored 14 points, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a blowout loss.
Grizzlies 117, Suns 112
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 38 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Desmond Bane added 31 points to lead Memphis to a win over Phoenix.
Luke Kennard contributed 17 points and seven rebounds off the bench. The Grizzlies held a 14-point lead at halftime and held off a late Phoenix rally in the fourth quarter.
Kevin Durant led the Suns with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. However, the Suns lost Bradley Beal to a hip contusion after the first quarter. Beal was hurt when he landed awkwardly after a foul by Jackson and played through the pain before being ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Anthony Edwards hit a 3-pointer with 23.2 seconds left to complete a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback and lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 113-112 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday.
The Timberwolves finished the game with a 23-6 run in the last five minutes. This rally included two 3-pointers from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, nine points from Naz Reid, and a three-point play from Edwards with 1:31 left that brought Minnesota within 110-108.
Edwards finished with 24 points for Minnesota, which completed a 2-1 road trip. Julius Randle contributed 27 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, while Donte DiVincenzo added 22 points.
Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with a season-high 38 points and 12 rebounds. However, he missed two free throws in the final 69 seconds as Houston’s four-game winning streak ended.
Cavaliers 149, Nuggets 135
Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points, and Jarrett Allen added 22 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals as Cleveland won its sixth straight game by beating Denver.
Nikola Jokic recorded his NBA-best 12th triple-double with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists, while Jamal Murray scored 27 points and matched a season-high with 11 assists for Denver. Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon was out with a right calf strain from a loss to Phoenix on Wednesday.
Cleveland led by 15 at halftime. Denver cut the lead to 12 early in the third, but Mitchell made two free throws to extend the lead to 96-77. Caris LeVert made two 3-pointers to give Cleveland a 113-93 lead.
Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets
Clippers 102, Warriors 92
Norman Powell scored 26 points, and James Harden added 18 as Los Angeles capitalized on Stephen Curry’s absence to win against Golden State in Inglewood, California.
Ivica Zubac scored 17 points with 11 rebounds and five blocks, Derrick Jones Jr. added 14 points, and Kris Dunn had 13. The Clippers won for the fourth time in their last five games and are 3-0 against the Warriors this season.
Jonathan Kuminga scored 15 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter and had 10 rebounds, while Trayce Jackson-Davis added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Warriors, who gave Curry the night off for knee-injury management.
Celtics 142, Pacers 105
Jaylen Brown scored a season-high 44 points to help Boston end a two-game losing streak with a dominant win over Indiana.
Brown made 16 of 24 shots, including 6 of 11 from beyond the arc. He also grabbed five rebounds, had three assists, and four steals. Jayson Tatum added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Celtics, who made 23 of 57 three-pointers. Payton Pritchard provided 18 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds off the bench.
Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 19 points and nine assists. Bennedict Mathurin and Pascal Siakam contributed 18 and 14 points, respectively.
Knicks 108, Magic 85
Jalen Brunson had 26 points and nine assists, and Josh Hart added 23 points and 13 rebounds, leading New York to a sixth consecutive win at Orlando.
Brunson made 11 of 21 shots as the Knicks defeated the Magic for the third time this month. New York dominated inside, outscoring Orlando 60-34 in the paint and 21-2 in fastbreak points.
Jalen Suggs scored 27 points, and Goga Bitadze added 14 points and 11 rebounds for Orlando, which has lost five of its last seven games.
New York Knicks and Orlando Magic
Mavericks 98, Suns 89
Kyrie Irving scored five 3-pointers and scored 20 points, and Dallas won at Phoenix without injured Luka Doncic.
Daniel Gafford scored 16 points as the Mavericks won for the 15th time in 19 games. Doncic is expected to miss at least a month due to a left calf strain suffered on Christmas.
Kevin Durant scored 35 points for the Suns, who lost for the fourth time in their last five games.
Spurs 96, Nets 87
Victor Wembanyama scored 19 points, grabbed seven rebounds, blocked six shots, and had four assists as San Antonio overcame a tough start to beat Brooklyn in New York.
Julian Champagnie scored 10 of his 18 points in the second quarter, helping the Spurs recover after trailing 22-11 in the first quarter. Keldon Johnson added 15 points, and Jeremy Sochan contributed 12 points and 14 rebounds. San Antonio allowed the fewest points in a game this season.
Keon Johnson scored 15 of his career-high 25 points in the fourth quarter for the Nets. Shake Milton had 16 points and 12 assists, and Tyrese Martin added 13 points. Brooklyn committed 18 turnovers, allowing 20 points off those mistakes.
Grizzlies 132, Pelicans 124
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 33 points, and Ja Morant had 25 points before injuring his right shoulder as Memphis defeated New Orleans for its eighth win in 10 games.
Morant left for the locker room with 4:13 left in the third quarter after colliding with Pelicans center Daniel Theis. Desmond Bane added 18 points, and Zach Edey had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Grizzlies.
Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with a season-high 35 points, and CJ McCollum added 32 points. Dejounte Murray scored 15, but the Pelicans lost their ninth straight game and 18 of their last 19. Theis finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.
Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points to help the Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 124-101 at home on Friday, bringing Milwaukee down from their NBA Cup championship win.
Five other Cavaliers scored in double figures, including Darius Garland with 16 points, Evan Mobley and Dean Wade with 15 each, Ty Jerome with 13 points, and Jarrett Allen with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 33 points and 14 rebounds. Damian Lillard didn’t travel with the team due to a right calf strain. Khris Middleton scored 14 points off the bench, and Brook Lopez added 10 points.
The Cavaliers have now won three straight games and seven of their last eight. The Bucks had their three-game winning streak ended, although it doesn’t include their 97-81 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup final on Tuesday, as that game doesn’t count in the regular-season standings.
Thunder 104, Heat 97
Jalen Williams scored a season-high 33 points, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 25 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder held off a late rally from the Miami Heat to win.
Luguentz Dort scored 14 points, and Isaiah Hartenstein had 13 points and matched his season-high with 18 rebounds for the Thunder, who won their seventh consecutive official game. Their loss to the Bucks in the NBA Cup final on Tuesday does not count in the standings.
Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors
Tyler Herro led Miami with 28 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. Bam Adebayo added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Duncan Robinson and Dru Smith each scored 13 points. Heat star Jimmy Butler left the game with 4:41 remaining in the first quarter due to illness and did not return.
76ers 108, Hornets 98
Joel Embiid scored 12 of his game-high 34 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a home win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Tyrese Maxey contributed 23 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 22 points, each hitting four 3-pointers. This win marked Philadelphia’s second victory over Charlotte this week. Embiid missed Monday’s game due to a sinus fracture but played with a protective mask against the Hornets.
Vasilije Micic led the Hornets with a season-high 20 points. The Hornets have now lost 12 of their last 13 games. Charlotte played without LaMelo Ball (calf) and Brandon Miller (ankle).
Victor Wembanyama made two free throws with 2.4 seconds left, and the San Antonio Spurs came from behind to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 118-116 on Friday night. Wembanyama was perfect at the free-throw line, hitting all 10 attempts, and finished with 28 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
Devin Vassell added 23 points off the bench, Julian Champagnie scored 19 points, and Jeremy Sochan had 15 points. San Antonio won with a 24-4 run in the final quarter.
Jerami Grant matched his career-high with eight 3-pointers and scored 32 points, but Portland lost its fifth straight game and has now dropped nine of its last 11 games. Anfernee Simons finished with 30 points and seven assists, and Deni Avdija contributed 19 points off the bench.
Suns 134, Jazz 126
Devin Booker scored a game-high 34 points, and Kevin Durant returned from injury to add 30 points, helping Phoenix secure a win over Utah in Salt Lake City. Tyus Jones also had 19 points and 11 assists, and Royce O’Neale chipped in with 17 points as the Suns snapped a three-game losing streak during their four-game road trip.
Jordan Clarkson led Utah with 23 points, John Collins scored 22 points with six rebounds and six assists, Lauri Markkanen added 19 points, and Keyonte George finished with 18 points, nine assists, and six rebounds. However, Utah lost for the seventh time in eight games.
Cavaliers 115, Wizards 105
Donovan Mitchell scored 20 points, and Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, and Jarrett Allen combined for 24 free throws as Cleveland held off a surprising challenge from Washington. Garland led the team with 24 points, Allen scored 21, and LeVert added 14, with most of his points coming from free throws. Garland was 9-of-10, and Allen was 7-of-10 from the line.
Bilal Coulibaly led Washington with a career-high-tying 27 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Jordan Poole had 17 points, six assists, and three steals, while Justin Champagnie added 16 points and eight rebounds. Alexandre Sarr scored 14 points.
Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards
Pacers 121, 76ers 107
Tyrese Haliburton scored 32 points, leading Indiana to a road win over Philadelphia. Pascal Siakam added 23 points and eight rebounds, and Obi Toppin contributed 20 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Haliburton was 7-of-15 from three-point range and also had 11 assists.
Joel Embiid left the game late in the second quarter after taking an accidental hit to the face and did not return. He finished with 12 points and five assists in 17 minutes. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 22 points, while Kelly Oubre Jr. had 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Timberwolves 97, Lakers 87
Anthony Edwards scored 23 points on 9-for-20 shooting, and Minnesota held off Los Angeles for a wire-to-wire win in Minneapolis. Julius Randle finished with 21 points for the Timberwolves, who won five of their last six games. Jaden McDaniels scored 18 points, and Rudy Gobert posted a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Anthony Davis led Los Angeles with 23 points and 11 rebounds, but the Lakers lost for the eighth time in 11 games. Austin Reaves contributed 18 points, and Max Christie scored 15. LeBron James missed the game due to left foot soreness, his second absence of the season.
Grizzlies 135, Nets 119
Ja Morant scored 28 points with 10 assists and seven rebounds as Memphis won its fourth straight game, defeating Brooklyn. Desmond Bane added 21 points and eight assists, and Santi Aldama made five 3-pointers to score 20 points off the bench. Jaren Jackson Jr. contributed 20 points, while Brandon Clarke had 14 points, and Jaylen Wells scored 12 points.
Dorian Finney-Smith led Brooklyn with 19 points, and the Nets committed 18 turnovers in their fifth loss in six games. Dennis Schroder and Jalen Wilson each scored 15 points, and Noah Clowney, Shake Milton, Day’Ron Sharpe, Cameron Johnson, and Keon Johnson each scored 12 points.
Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets
Nuggets 120, Clippers 98
Jamal Murray scored 20 points in his return from a hamstring injury, and Michael Porter Jr. added 17 points as Denver beat Los Angeles to win consecutive games for the first time in a month. Nikola Jokic scored 16 points, while Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson each had 14 points, as the Nuggets won their first game against the Clippers this season after two losses.
Kevin Porter Jr. and Norman Powell each scored 16 points for Los Angeles, which lost its third straight game.
Bulls 109, Hornets 95
Chicago led Charlotte almost from start to finish with strong defense, winning the final game of a three-game homestand. The Bulls began with a 12-2 run, with Ayo Dosunmu scoring a team-high 19 points, including seven consecutive points during that run. Dosunmu was one of six Chicago players to score in double figures, including all five starters.
Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 21 points, but he also had a game-high seven turnovers and made just 3 of 15 three-point attempts. Mark Williams shot 6-for-7 from the field and grabbed nine rebounds, finishing with 15 points in the loss, which was Charlotte’s ninth in its last 10 games.
