Nikola Jokic had 28 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds to overcome nine turnovers, and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 120-113 on Thursday night in a crucial Western Conference matchup.
Lakers star LeBron James finished with 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting to reach another milestone in his 23rd season. James entered the night two behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in made field goals in NBA history and passed the all-time great on a 12-foot turnaround jumper in the first quarter.
James didn’t reach the end of the game, though. He exited with 3:58 to go in the fourth quarter after sinking a layup, falling to the floor and hurting his left elbow. In the first quarter, Los Angeles’ Deandre Ayton exited for good due to a knee injury. Coach JJ Redick had no substantive updates about either player postgame.
Jamal Murray scored 28 points for the Nuggets, while Luka Doncic logged 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Lakers.
Warriors 115, Rockets 113 (OT)
De’Anthony Melton converted a second-chance basket with 5.3 seconds remaining and short-handed Golden State held on for an overtime victory at Houston.
Melton finished with 23 points and six rebounds for the Warriors, who were without Stephen Curry and Kristaps Porzingis. Brandin Podziemski paced the Warriors with 26 points and nine rebounds, including five points early in overtime that yielded a 111-106 lead.
Reed Sheppard led the Rockets with 30 points, six 3-pointers and six assists, and Kevin Durant added 23 points. Amen Thompson posted 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Magic 115, Mavericks 114
Wendell Carter Jr. threw down a dunk with 1.4 seconds left as Orlando beat visiting Dallas and spoiled Cooper Flagg’s return to the lineup.
Dallas moved ahead 114-110 with 37.3 seconds remaining on Flagg’s three-point play before Jalen Suggs hit a 3-pointer. Flagg missed a 14-foot jumper ahead of Carter’s game-winner, and Dallas was unable to get a shot off on its final play. Tristan da Silva scored 19 points and Suggs added 17 for Orlando, which won for the fourth time in its past six games.
Klay Thompson led Dallas with 24 points off the bench, sinking a season-high seven 3-pointers. Khris Middleton scored 19 points, Flagg and P.J. Washington had 18 apiece.
Spurs 121, Pistons 106
Victor Wembanyama amassed 38 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots as San Antonio opened a six-game homestand with a decisive victory over Detroit.
The Spurs earned their second straight win and their 13th victory in the past 14 games. Two of those wins were against the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons. San Antonio set the tone by going up by as many as 19 points in the first half en route to a 71-55 lead at the break. De’Aaron Fox finished with 29 points for the Spurs.
Cade Cunningham had 26 points for Detroit, which dropped its second consecutive outing after an 8-1 stretch. The Pistons’ Ausar Thompson was forced from the game with a sprained right ankle in the first quarter and did not return.
Heat 126, Nets 110
Kel’el Ware scored 16 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, set a career high with seven blocks and added five steals, helping host Miami beat Brooklyn.
The Heat, who have won three straight games, also got 25 points from Tyler Herro and 21 from Bam Adebayo. Miami has played all three of those games without its leading scorer, Norman Powell (groin).
Michael Porter Jr. logged game highs in points (27) and rebounds (13), but the Nets lost their 10th straight game, the longest active skid in the NBA. Brooklyn dropped to 1-40 when trailing after three quarters.
Bulls 105, Suns 103
Collin Sexton scored a season-high 30 points, Tre Jones added 21, and Chicago never trailed in a victory at Phoenix.
Guerschon Yabusele had 16 points and Rob Dillingham added 11 off the bench for the Bulls, who saw a 12-point lead with six minutes left dwindle to one before holding on. Chicago’s Nick Richards made a free throw with 4.4 seconds left before missing the second, and the Bulls controlled the loose ball as time ran out.
Devin Booker scored 27 points and Grayson Allen added 21 for the Suns, who had a two-game winning streak end.
Timberwolves 115, Raptors 107
Anthony Edwards scored 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting, and Minnesota held on for a win over Toronto in Minneapolis.
Rudy Gobert added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who won their fifth game in a row. Julius Randle finished with 17 points and eight boards.
RJ Barrett scored 25 points on 9-for-14 shooting to lead the Raptors, who lost for the fourth time in their past five games. Immanuel Quickley tallied 18 points.
Jazz 122, Wizards 112
Ace Bailey scored a career-high 32 points to help Utah end a seven-game losing streak with a win at Washington.
Isaiah Collier finished with 27 points and 11 assists for the Jazz, and Kyle Filipowski added 20 points and 14 rebounds.
Trae Young made his debut for the Wizards after being acquired in a trade with Atlanta in January. He finished with 12 points and six assists in 19 minutes. Rookie Julian Reese led Washington with 18 points and 20 rebounds, both career highs, as the Wizards lost their seventh game in a row.
Pelicans 133, Kings 123
Zion Williamson scored 23 points, six teammates chipped in with double-digit point totals and visiting New Orleans used a big third quarter to distance itself from Sacramento.
Trey Murphy III had 21 points and Saddiq Bey 20 for the Pelicans, who ended a two-game losing streak and became a 20-game winner for the season.
Precious Achiuwa equaled his career best with a game-high 29 points for the Kings, who became the league’s first 50-game loser this season with a third consecutive setback.
