Jamal Murray scored 32 points, Nikola Jokic compiled 23 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Orlando Magic 126-115 on Thursday night.
Jokic passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most career assists by a center. The Denver star now has 5,667 assists, seven more than Abdul-Jabbar’s lifetime total and the 50th-best figure in NBA history.
Cameron Johnson contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds, Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 12 points, Bruce Brown added 11 points and Jonas Valanciunas finished with 10 points for Denver, which has won six straight.
Orlando’s Paolo Banchero had 26 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists for the third triple-double of his career and his first of the season. Wendell Carter Jr. also scored 26 points while Anthony Black finished with 22 points for the Magic, who have lost three of the past four.
Pelicans 133, Rockets 128 (OT)
Saddiq Bey scored 29 points, Trey Murphy III added 27 and New Orleans completed a franchise-record-tying comeback to beat visiting Houston in overtime.
The Pelicans trailed by 22 points at halftime and as many as 25 points early in the third quarter. A 36-20 fourth-quarter rally fueled the comeback, which culminated in Derik Queen knocking down a pair of clutch free throws with 9.4 seconds remaining in regulation. The game-tying foul shots contributed to a 16-point, 12-rebound night for Queen.
Houston’s Kevin Durant posted a game-high 32 points. Alperen Sengun overcame a slow offensive start to record 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
Thunder 122, Clippers 101
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander amassed 32 points, seven rebounds and six assists while leading Oklahoma City to a home victory over Los Angeles.
The Thunder improved to 13-0 at home and have won 17 of 18 overall. Chet Holmgren put up 22 points while Jalen Williams added 20 for the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander sat out the fourth quarter, a common occurrence for him this season.
The Clippers, who have dropped five consecutive games and 10 of their past 11, were without James Harden for just the second time this season. He missed the game with a left calf contusion. Kawhi Leonard led Los Angeles with 22 points, while John Collins logged 20.
Knicks 114, Pacers 113
Jalen Brunson scored 25 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 5.6 seconds remaining, leading New York to a comeback win over Indiana in Indianapolis.
Jordan Clarkson had 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting from deep and Tyler Kolek added a career-high 16 points and 11 assists as the Knicks earned their sixth consecutive win. After winning the NBA Cup on Tuesday, the Knicks were without Karl-Anthony Towns (knee), Josh Hart (abdomen) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle).
Andrew Nembhard led all scorers with 31 points on 12-for-19 shooting for the Pacers, who have lost three in a row. Pascal Siakam finished with 26 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter.
Mavericks 116, Pistons 114 (OT)
Cooper Flagg registered 23 points and 10 rebounds, Anthony Davis scored two pivotal baskets in overtime and host Dallas held off Detroit.
Naji Marshall supplied 16 points while Davis contributed 15 points with 14 rebounds for the Mavericks, who blew an 18-point lead before earning their sixth win in eight games.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 29 points and nine assists, and he pulled down 10 rebounds. Jalen Duren had 17 points and 13 rebounds. Detroit’s Ausar Thompson was ejected during the second quarter for making contact with an official while arguing a foul call.
Lakers 143, Jazz 135
Luka Doncic scored 45 points, dished out 14 assists, collected 11 rebounds and had five steals to help Los Angeles beat Utah in Salt Lake City.
LeBron James tallied 28 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for the Lakers, who topped the Jazz for the third time this season.
Keyonte George led Utah with 34 points and dished out eight assists. Isaiah Collier added 18 points and 13 assists off the bench for the Jazz, who played without leading scorer Lauri Markkanen (groin).
Trail Blazers 134, Kings 133 (OT)
Deni Avdija made two free throws with 1.5 seconds left in overtime to cap a 35-point outing and give Portland a wild victory over Sacramento.
DeMar DeRozan scored 14 of his 33 points in overtime for the Kings, and he knocked down a turnaround jumper with 4.4 seconds left to give Sacramento its only lead of the extra session. Shaedon Sharpe added 26 points for Portland, which has won two in a row.
Rookie Maxime Raynaud established career bests of 29 points and 11 rebounds and Russell Westbrook added 20 points and 10 assists for the Kings, who lost their fourth straight game.
Heat 106, Nets 95
Norman Powell scored 24 points as Miami stopped a season-worst five-game losing streak with a victory over Brooklyn in New York.
Powell shot 8 of 14 to help the Heat earn their second win in eight games. Miami’s Kel’el Ware tied a season high with 22 points to go along with 12 rebounds. Bam Adebayo had a season-high 17 rebounds but was held to eight points due in part to foul trouble.
Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 28 points while Nic Claxton collected 16 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. The Nets, who have alternated wins and losses for six games, finished 11 of 49 (22.4%) from 3-point range.
Hornets 133, Hawks 126
LaMelo Ball returned to action and cranked out 28 points and 13 assists with a splendid shooting display as Charlotte beat visiting Atlanta.
Ball sank seven of his nine 3-point baskets in the first half, when he rolled up 21 points. He finished 10-for-16 from the field. Kon Knueppel provided 28 points and Brandon Miller pumped in 26 points for the Hornets, who shot 24-for-49 (49%) on 3-point attempts and 53.8% from the field.
Jalen Johnson poured in 43 points to go with 11 rebounds and nine assists for the Hawks, who took their fifth loss in seven games. Nickeil Alexander-Walker notched 28 points.
Raptors 111, Bucks 105
Brandon Ingram scored 29 points to lead Toronto to a road victory over Milwaukee, which was without Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Kyle Kuzma (illness).
Scottie Barnes added 24 points and 11 rebounds as the Raptors secured their second straight win immediately following a four-game losing skid.
Bobby Portis led the Bucks with 24 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Kevin Porter Jr. added 22 points with 13 assists, and Myles Turner scored 21.
Spurs 119, Wizards 94
Dylan Harper poured in a career-high 24 points in 23 minutes off the bench to help host San Antonio beat Washington for its fourth straight victory.
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama added 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots in 17 minutes after beginning the game on the bench for the third straight game. He is on a minutes restriction after missing 12 contests with a calf injury.
Alex Sarr put up 18 points for the Wizards, who have lost five of the past six games. Bub Carrington added 15 points.
Suns 99, Warriors 98
Devin Booker scored 23 of his 25 points in the second half, Jordan Goodwin made a free throw with four-tenths of a second remaining, and Phoenix overcame a 14-point deficit to beat visiting Golden State.
Dillon Brooks had 24 points, Collin Gillespie added 16 and Oso Ighodaro grabbed 13 rebounds for the Suns, who broke a two-game losing streak.
Jimmy Butler III logged 31 points while Brandin Podziemski had 18 for the Warriors, who have lost three in a row and nine of 13. Stephen Curry finished with 15 points on 3-of-13 shooting from the floor. He made just 2 of 9 attempts from 3-point range.
–Field Level Media
