Nikola Jokic had 27 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his fourth straight triple-double and the host Denver Nuggets beat the reeling Philadelphia 76ers 144-109 on Tuesday night.
Jokic needed just three quarters to record his 19th triple-double of the season and the 149th of his career. Russell Westbrook, who finished with 11 points and nine assists on Tuesday, is the all-time leader in triple-doubles with 202.
Julian Strawther had a career-high 23 points thanks in part to a season-high five 3-pointers. Christian Braun scored 20 points and Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. contributed 19 apiece for Denver, which tied its season high in points as it won for the 11th time in 14 games. Tyrese Maxey tallied 28 points and 10 assists, and Yabusele scored 22 points for Philadelphia, which lost for the seventh straight time.
Lakers 111, Wizards 88
Anthony Davis recorded 29 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots to help Los Angeles beat visiting Washington. LeBron James added 21 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his ninth triple-double of the season and 121st of his career. Austin Reaves had 16 points and eight assists and reserve Dorian Finney-Smith also scored 16 points as the Lakers won for just the third time in seven games. Bilal Coulibaly scored 17 points, Jordan Poole had 15 points and seven rebounds and reserve Corey Kispert also had 15 points for the Wizards. Washington lost its 11th straight game and fell to 1-18 on the road this season. The Wizards have won an NBA-low six games.
Raptors 109, Magic 93 Scottie Barnes had 17 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as Toronto defeated visiting Orlando. RJ Barrett added 19 points and eight rebounds for the Raptors, who have won three of their past four games. Gradey Dick scored 17 points, while Bruce Brown contributed 15 and fellow reserve Kelly Olynyk had 12 to go along with four blocks. Paolo Banchero had 26 points and 12 boards for the injury-riddled Magic, who have lost four games in a row. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 20 points, Anthony Black chipped in 17 and Wendell Carter Jr. had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Trail Blazers 116, Heat 107 Anfernee Simons scored a game-high 24 points and Deandre Ayton added 22 points and 15 rebounds as Portland beat host Miami. Simons returned after missing Portland’s previous game due to a strained right elbow. Deni Avdija added 16 points and 10 rebounds for Portland, which has won two straight games after dropping five in a row. Duncan Robinson put up 22 points for the Heat, who have lost four of their past five games. Miami played without leading scorer Tyler Herro (groin).
Knicks 99, Nets 95 Jalen Brunson was held to 17 points but delivered the go-ahead basket with 2:18 remaining for visiting New York, which struggled on offense for most of the fourth quarter before making enough plays down the stretch in a victory over Brooklyn. Karl Anthony-Towns amassed 25 points, 16 rebounds and six assists. OG Anunoby added 20 points for the Knicks, who earned the win despite scoring only 15 points in the fourth. Brunson missed 10 of his first 14 shots before hitting three baskets and scoring eight points in the last 2:18 to give New York a ninth straight win over the Nets. D’Angelo Russell led the Nets with 23 points and 10 assists but shot 6-for-17 from the floor. Cameron Johnson added 16 points but was 6-for-20 from the field. Brooklyn shot 37.2 percent, lost its eighth straight home game and fell for the ninth time in 10 games overall.
