NBA roundup: Mavs top Suns behind Luka Doncic's 50

 

[December 26, 2023]  Luka Doncic recorded 50 points, 15 assists, six rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots and also went over 10,000 career points while leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 128-114 victory over the host Phoenix Suns on Monday night.

Doncic reached 50 for the sixth time in the regular season and made eight 3-pointers as Dallas won its second straight after losing four of its previous five contests. Derrick Jones Jr. added 23 points, Dereck Lively II had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 18 points for the Mavericks.

Phoenix's Grayson Allen scored a season-high 32 points and matched his career best of eight 3-pointers. Chimezie Metu had career bests of 23 points and 19 rebounds for the Suns, who have lost nine of their past 12 games. Devin Booker contributed 20 points and 10 assists, Kevin Durant scored 16 points and Eric Gordon had 14 for the Suns.

Doncic topped 10,000 points by draining a 34-foot, straightaway 3-pointer with 4:52 left in the first quarter. He reached 10,000 points in 358 games, matching Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo for seventh fastest in NBA history. Wilt Chamberlain holds the record of 236 games.

Knicks 129, Bucks 122

Jalen Brunson scored 38 points for host New York, which snapped a nine-game losing streak against Milwaukee. The win was the first for the Knicks against the Bucks since a 113-98 victory on Nov. 5, 2021.

Julius Randle contributed 24 points and nine rebounds while RJ Barrett scored 21 points and Immanuel Quickley had 20 points off the bench for the Knicks. Isaiah Hartenstein scored 11 points and Josh Hart added 10 points.

Giannis Antetokounmpo put up 32 points and 13 rebounds for the Bucks, whose seven-game winning streak ended. Damian Lillard also had 32 points while Khris Middleton finished with 24 points.

Nuggets 120, Warriors 114

Jamal Murray scored 28 points, Nikola Jokic added 26 points and 14 rebounds while hitting all 18 of his free-throw attempts and host Denver beat Golden State.

Michael Porter Jr. finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Aaron Gordon added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets. Denver has won five straight and eight of its past nine.

Andrew Wiggins scored 22 points off the bench and Stephen Curry scored 18 points for Golden State, which had a five-game winning streak snapped.

Dec 25, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) and guard Josh Hart (3) during the second half at Madison Square Garden./Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Celtics 126, Lakers 115

Kristaps Porzingis scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Boston to a victory at Los Angeles.

Porzingis, who did not play in Boston's win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday because of an ankle injury, helped the Celtics overcome a 40-point, 13-rebound performance by Lakers center Anthony Davis.

Jayson Tatum finished the game with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Celtics, who capped a 3-1 California road trip. LeBron James logged 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers, who took their fifth loss in six games.

Heat 119, 76ers 113

Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. recorded career highs with 31 points and 10 rebounds as Miami took advantage of the absence of injured Philadelphia star Joel Embiid to beat the visiting 76ers.

Bam Adebayo added 26 points and 15 rebounds for Miami, which won its third straight game. Tyler Herro scored 22 points.

With Embiid sitting out due to a sprained right ankle, the 76ers got 27 points from Tobias Harris and 25 from Kelly Oubre Jr.

--Field Level Media

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