Jokic, Nuggets Bounce Knicks
(New York, NY) — Nikola Jokic posted a career-high 40 points as the Nuggets bounced the Knicks, 131-123, at Madison Square Garden. Jokic added nine boards and five assists and he outplayed fellow European big man Kristaps Porzingis. Jameer Nelson added 16 points and 12 dimes as the Nuggets improved to 24-and-29. Carmelo Anthony posted 33 points against his former team. Knicks fans chanted “We want Oakley” in reference to the former Knicks big man being banned from the arena by owner James Dolan on Friday. Porzignis scored 17 points in defeat.
Streaking Heat Top Nets
(Brooklyn, NY) — James Johnson dropped 26 points with eight rebounds off the bench as the Heat stayed red-hot by topping the Nets 108-99 in Brooklyn. Goran Dragic scored 21 in the winning effort. Tyler Johnson added 18 points. Miami has won 13-straight improving to 24-and-30 overall. Brook Lopez paced the Nets with 30 points in defeat. Brooklyn’s bench was outscored 56-39. The Nets have lost 12 in a row and 23 of their last 24.
Spurs Overwhelm Pistons For Road Triumph
(Auburn Hills, MI) — Kawhi Leonard scored 32 points to lead the Spurs to a 103-92 victory over the Pistons at The Palace. San Antonio had 17 more rebounds and led 60-41 at halftime. LaMarcus Aldridge posted 19 points and 11 rebounds while Dewayne Dedmon added 17 points and 17 rebounds. The Spurs won for the fifth time in six games. Reserve Tobias Harris’ 16 points topped the Pistons. Detroit is 4-and-2 in its last six games.
Pelicans Pound Timberwolves
(Minneapolis, MN) — Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday each put up double-doubles as the Pelicans pounded the Timberwolves, 122-106, at the Target Center. Davis finished with 42 points and 13 rebounds, while Holiday finished with 25 points, 12 assists and five steals. The Pelicans trailed by a dozen after the first quarter, but won each quarter thereafter to pull out the win. Karl-Anthony Towns posted 36 points for Minnesota, and Andrew Wiggins put up 29. The T-Wolves have dropped five of their past six games.
Warriors Get Revenge Versus Grizzlies
(Memphis, TN) — Draymond Green’s unusual triple-double and Klay Thompson’s sharp-shooting lifted the Warriors past the Grizzlies, 122-107, in Memphis. The Warriors were 0-and-2 against the Grizzlies entering this matchup. Green finished with 12 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals, five blocks and four points for the Dubs, who improved to 45-and-8. His triple-double is the first in league history with fewer than 10 points. Thompson shot 8-of-15 from beyond the arc and finished with 36 points. Mike Conley led the Grizzlies with 20 points and nine assists. Memphis had its three-game win streak snapped and head coach David Fizdale was ejected in the third quarter for arguing.
Wizards Win Again, Overcome Pacers
(Washington, D.C.) — John Wall and Markieff Morris each scored 26 points as the Wizards downed the Pacers 112-107 in Washington D.C. Marcin Gortat contributed 14 points and a game-high 16 boards, while Bradley Beal finished with 20 points. The Wizards are 9-and-1 in their past 10 games. Paul George led Indiana with 31 points. The Pacers have lost two in a row.
Lakers Hold Off Bucks
(Milwaukee, WI) — The Lakers used a 47-point first quarter to hold off the Bucks, 122-114, in Milwaukee. Nick Young posted a team-high 26 points and Lou Williams added 21 off the bench. L.A. was able to hold off a late Bucks’ rally to improve to 7-and-24 on the road this season. Giannis Antetokounmpo keyed the Bucks with 41 points and eight rebounds. Milwaukee has lost seven of its past eight games.
Kings Clip Hawks Late
(Sacramento, CA) — The Kings rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to clip the Hawks 108-107 in Sacramento. Darren Collison drove to the hoop for the game-winning layup with 3.5 seconds remaining. Collison, DeMarcus Cousins, and Ben McLemore finished with 22 points apiece. Cousins added 11 rebounds as the Kings won for the third time in the last four games. Tim Hardaway Junior paced Atlanta with 28 points. Paul Millsap added 25 and the Hawks fell to 31-and-23.
Suns Set On Bulls
(Phoenix, AZ) — Devin Booker lead all scorers with 27 points to help the Suns slip the Bulls 115-97 in Phoenix. Booker’s back-court mate Eric Bledsoe finished with 23 and eight assists. The Suns won for just the second time in the last 10 games. Alan Williams scored 14 with 11 rebounds off the bench in the winning effort. Jimmy Butler paced the Bulls with 20 points in defeat. Dywane Wade added 18 as Chicago fell to 26-and-28.
Blackhawks Soar Past Jets
(Winnipeg, Manitoba) — Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane, and Artem Anisimov had a goal and an assist apiece to help lift the Blackhawks past the Jets 5-2 in Winnipeg. Marian Hossa and Artem Panarin closed the door with empty-netters in the final two minutes. Panarin also had two-helpers in the winning effort. Chicago has won four in a row. Bryan Little and Adam Lowry found the back of the net in defeat. The Jets have been outscored 14-6 in three consecutive losses.
Wild Down Lightning In Shootout
(Saint Paul, MN) — Mikko Koivu scored the only goal of the shootout as the Wild downed the Lightning, 2-1, at the Xcel Energy Center. Devan Dubynk racked up 26 saves for Minnesota, and Nino Niederreiter notched the regulation goal on a power play in the second period. The Wild improved to 36-12-and-6 and are the top team in the Western Conference with 78 points. Brayden Point lit the lamp for Tampa in the second. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 37 shots in defeat.