Nuggets 132, Trail Blazers 121
Jamal Murray poured in a career-high 55 points to power Denver to its eighth consecutive win on Wednesday, besting visiting Portland. Murray’s performance ranks third in franchise history, trailing only David Thompson’s 73 (1978) and Nikola Jokic’s 56 (this past December). The sharpshooting guard went 20-for-36 from the field and sank 7 of 15 attempts from beyond the arc.
Jokic posted 26 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, while Christian Braun added 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for Denver. Anfernee Simons finished with 26 points as Portland dropped its third in a row following a six-game winning streak. Rookie Donovan Clingan contributed 17 points and a personal-best 20 rebounds, while Jabari Walker also tallied 17 for the Trail Blazers.
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Knicks 149, Hawks 148 (OT)
Jalen Brunson’s game-winning shot with 11 seconds remaining in overtime propelled host New York past Atlanta in the highest-scoring NBA contest of the season.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 44 points and 10 rebounds. Brunson racked up 36 points and eight assists, and Josh Hart provided 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
Trae Young posted a mammoth 38-point, 19-assist double-double for the Hawks, who forced overtime on Georges Niang’s late 3-pointer. Onyeka Okongwu (21 points, 14 boards) and Caris LeVert (20 points, 10 rebounds) also stood out for Atlanta, which didn’t hold a lead until the extra period.
Bucks 103, Timberwolves 101
Brook Lopez nailed two clutch free throws with 10.9 seconds left, lifting Milwaukee over Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Gary Trent Jr. contributed 21 points off the bench for the Bucks, who were without Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (hamstring). Kyle Kuzma recorded 19 points and 13 rebounds.
Despite Anthony Edwards leading the Timberwolves with 28 points, he hit just 10 of 33 shots and missed two potential tying attempts in the waning seconds. Naz Reid (22 points, 13 rebounds) and Rudy Gobert (20 points, 14 rebounds) both posted double-doubles in defeat.
Celtics 116, Spurs 103
Jayson Tatum tallied 32 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, propelling Boston past visiting San Antonio for its seventh victory in eight games.
Kristaps Porzingis added 29 points and six boards, while Derrick White provided 19 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Al Horford contributed six points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who were without Jaylen Brown (knee) and Jrue Holiday (shoulder).
De’Aaron Fox led the Spurs with 23 points. Rookie Victor Wembanyama registered 17 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two blocks, while Harrison Barnes posted 14 points and seven rebounds. San Antonio forced 17 Boston turnovers but trailed by as many as 24.
Pacers 134, Wizards 130 (OT)
Obi Toppin came off the bench to score 31 points and collect 10 rebounds, helping visiting Indiana rally to an overtime victory at Washington.
Bennedict Mathurin chipped in 28 points, while Tyrese Haliburton delivered 20 points and seven assists as the Pacers snapped a two-game skid. Pascal Siakam contributed 15 points; T.J. McConnell finished with 10 points and nine assists; and Thomas Bryant tallied a team-high 11 rebounds.
Jordan Poole led the Wizards with 42 points, while Corey Kispert posted 21 and Carlton Carrington added 18. Kyshawn George (14 points, nine rebounds) and Malcolm Brogdon (12 points, six assists) rounded out Washington’s attack, but the Wizards dropped their fourth straight.
Rockets 119, Suns 111
Tari Eason scored a team-high 25 points, Jalen Green added 22 and Dillon Brooks knocked down two late 3-pointers to help host Houston edge short-handed Phoenix.
Amen Thompson notched his fourth career triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, while Alperen Sengun produced a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double. The Rockets cashed in on 18 Phoenix turnovers for 28 points and turned 17 offensive rebounds into 19 second-chance points.
Kevin Durant shined in defeat, pouring in a game-best 37 points while adding nine assists for the Suns, who played without Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Grayson Allen. Bol Bol scored 15 points as Phoenix shot 51.7 percent from the field.
Magic 102, Hornets 86
Paolo Banchero delivered 24 points, eight rebounds and six assists to power Orlando past Charlotte, extending the Magic’s record to 3-0 against the Hornets this season.
Banchero made 4 of 9 shots from beyond the arc, while Anthony Black came off the bench to shoot 8 of 13 for 18 points. Orlando’s 33-19 third-quarter surge helped break the game open.
Miles Bridges scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds, attempting to overcome the absence of LaMelo Ball (ankle), but Charlotte lost for the ninth time in its past 10 games.
Cavaliers 131, Raptors 108
Donovan Mitchell scored 21 points to lead visiting Cleveland to its fourth consecutive victory, rolling past Toronto.
De’Andre Hunter contributed 18 points, Sam Merrill had 16, and Darius Garland added 15 points plus eight assists. With the win, the Cavaliers swept the four-game season series against the Raptors.
RJ Barrett dropped 27 points for Toronto, while Scottie Barnes contributed 16 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks. The Raptors have lost five of their last six.
Thunder 115, Heat 101
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 32 points as Oklahoma City erased a 21-point deficit and claimed its seventh straight win, topping visiting Miami.
A blistering 24-0 run to start the fourth quarter, featuring six Thunder 3-pointers (two each by Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Joe), put Miami on its heels. Gilgeous-Alexander added nine assists, five rebounds and two steals. Jalen Williams had 18 points and Luguentz Dort scored 17.
Bam Adebayo paced the Heat with 27 points, 13 of those in the opening quarter. Miami has dropped three in a row.
Nets 100, 76ers 96
D’Angelo Russell broke out of a shooting slump to post 22 points, helping Brooklyn stave off visiting Philadelphia for its third consecutive win and sixth in seven games.
After hitting just 14 of 49 shots across his previous four contests, Russell connected on 9 of 15 attempts and recorded his second-highest scoring output since arriving from the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 29.
Reserve Trendon Watford scored eight of his 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Nets triumphed. Philadelphia rested Joel Embiid (knee) on the second night of a back-to-back and was without Tyrese Maxey (bruised knee).
Pistons 128, Bulls 110
Cade Cunningham capped his final game before his first All-Star appearance by pouring in 29 points and dishing seven assists as visiting Detroit completed a two-night sweep of Chicago.
Ausar Thompson and Tobias Harris each contributed 19 points, while Jalen Duren added 16 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. Detroit has won four in a row and carries a 29-26 mark into the All-Star break—its first winning-record break since 2009.
Ayo Dosunmu’s 23 points and six assists paced the Bulls, who have lost four straight. Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Josh Giddey chipped in 17 points.
Kings 119, Pelicans 111
Keon Ellis poured in 27 points and DeMar DeRozan added 24 as Sacramento topped New Orleans, handing the Pelicans their 10th straight defeat.
Zach LaVine finished with 23 points and seven assists, Domantas Sabonis totaled 16 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, and Malik Monk contributed 17 points. The Kings will visit the Pelicans again Thursday, riding a three-game winning streak.
Zion Williamson posted 33 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to pace New Orleans. Trey Murphy III scored 19 and Jose Alvarado had 18 with nine assists in the loss.
Jazz 131, Lakers 119
Lauri Markkanen delivered 32 points, helping Utah avenge Monday’s road loss to Los Angeles and snap a three-game skid in the process.
Jordan Clarkson chipped in 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while rookie Keyonte George finished with 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for the Jazz.
Rui Hachimura led the Lakers with 19 points. LeBron James added 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Luka Doncic contributed 16 points, four rebounds and four assists in his second game with the Lakers, shooting 6 of 13 and committing five turnovers in 23 minutes of action. Los Angeles saw its six-game winning streak halted.
Mavericks 111, Warriors 107
Kyrie Irving buried a season-high seven 3-pointers and scored 27 of his game-high 42 points in the second half, lifting Dallas past visiting Golden State.
Klay Thompson and Max Christie contributed 17 points apiece for the Mavericks, while Brandon Williams scored 12 off the bench, and Naji Marshall chipped in 10. Irving finished 7 of 10 from long range and also grabbed seven rebounds.
Stephen Curry led Golden State with 25 points and eight assists. Jimmy Butler recorded 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while Moses Moody and Gary Payton II chipped in 14 points each off the bench. Draymond Green added 13 points in the losing effort.
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Clippers 128, Grizzlies 114
Kawhi Leonard poured in 25 points over a season-high 34 minutes and James Harden contributed 18 points and 10 assists, sending Los Angeles to a home win over Memphis.
Norman Powell scored 18 points off the Clippers’ bench and Ivica Zubac added a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double. Harden surpassed Hakeem Olajuwon for 13th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 26,949 career points.
Desmond Bane paced the Grizzlies with 23 points, while Jaylen Wells added 18. Memphis was without Ja Morant (knee) for the second half of a back-to-back and heads into the All-Star break having dropped two of its last three games.
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