NBA roundup: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets edge Warriors

 

[November 09, 2023]  Nikola Jokic produced 35 points and 13 rebounds, Reggie Jackson scored 20 points and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Golden State Warriors 108-105 on Wednesday in a matchup of the past two NBA champions.

Michael Porter Jr. added 17 points while Aaron Gordon finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds for Denver, which swept a four-game homestand.

Stephen Curry put up 23 points and Klay Thompson had 15 for the Warriors, who have lost two of their past three games. Thompson's 3-point attempt at the buzzer slipped out of his hands.

The Warriors played without Draymond Green (personal reasons) and Gary Payton II (non-COVID illness). Denver guard Jamal Murray missed his second straight game with a right hamstring strain.

76ers 106, Celtics 103

Joel Embiid had 27 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots, Tyrese Maxey added 25 points and nine rebounds and host Philadelphia held on to clip Boston.

Tobias Harris scored 17 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. contributed 14 for the Sixers, who won their sixth game in a row following a one-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in their season opener.

Kristaps Porzingis led the Celtics with 29 points, Derrick White added 19 and Jayson Tatum had 16 points, 15 rebounds and six assists. Trailing 106-103, the Celtics had a chance to tie the game, but Porzingis missed a 3-point try with 6.2 seconds left.

Kings 121, Trail Blazers 118 (OT)

Domantas Sabonis' free throw with 42.8 seconds remaining in overtime broke a tie, Malik Monk dropped in a pair of foul throws with 13 seconds left and Sacramento snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over visiting Portland.

The Trail Blazers' Jerami Grant (38 points, nine rebounds) had two looks at a potential tie but missed consecutive 3-point attempts in the final 9.1 seconds. The extra session was required after Monk scored the final four points of regulation for the Kings.

Sabonis led the Kings with 27 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Monk had 23 points and a team-high 10 assists.

Suns 116, Bulls 115 (OT)

Grayson Allen scored 26 points while sinking a career-high eight 3-pointers and Kevin Durant added 25 points to lift Phoenix past host Chicago in overtime.

Jusuf Nurkic scored the go-ahead layup off a screen-and-roll pass from Durant with 7.3 seconds left in OT and finished with 20 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists. Nurkic missed two free throws with 0.4 seconds to go, but the Bulls' backdoor lob attempt on their final possession was unsuccessful.

Making his regular-season debut for the Suns after dealing with back spasms during the preseason, Bradley Beal contributed 13 points. His night featured three 3-pointers, as Phoenix finished 19-for-48 from beyond the arc.

Heat 108, Grizzlies 102

Bam Adebayo scored a season-high 30 points and added 11 rebounds to fuel visiting Miami past Memphis, which remains winless at home in four tries.

Adebayo made 8 of 15 shots from the floor and 14 of 16 attempts from the free-throw line. That effort came on the heels of his 22-point, 19-rebound, 10-assist performance in the Heat's 108-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.

Miami's Tyler Herro sustained a right ankle sprain after landing on the foot of Memphis' Jaren Jackson Jr. during the first quarter. Herro did not return to the contest, finishing with six points and two assists in eight minutes. Jackson scored a team-high 28 points.

Wizards 132, Hornets 116

Kyle Kuzma pumped in 33 points and Washington snapped a four-game losing streak with some huge offensive bursts against host Charlotte.

Danilo Gallinari and Delon Wright paced Washington's bench scoring with 18 points apiece. The Wizards' reserves outscored the Hornets' backups 72-23.

LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 34 points and seven assists. Gordon Hayward added 18 points.

Rockets 128, Lakers 94

Jalen Green scored a game-high 28 points while Alperen Sengun chipped in 19 as host Houston extended its winning streak to four games with a wire-to-wire victory over injury-ravaged Los Angeles.

Green was efficient throughout, making 11 of 15 attempts. Sengun was 8 of 10 from the floor while, like Green, adding seven rebounds.

The Lakers, who added Anthony Davis (hip) to a long list of sidelined rotation players, dropped their third game in a row. Los Angeles reserve Rui Hachimura scored a team-high 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds in his return from a four-game absence caused by a concussion.

Pacers 134, Jazz 118

Aaron Nesmith scored 24 points to lead six players in double figures as Indiana took control in the fourth quarter to beat Utah in Indianapolis.

Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin scored 22 points apiece, while Tyrese Haliburton scored all 16 of his points in the second half for the Pacers, who have won three of their past four games.

Nov 8, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul (3) looks to pass the ball under pressure from Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the fourth quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Jordan Clarkson scored 33 points to lead the Jazz, who lost their fourth straight. Lauri Markkanen had 24 points and nine rebounds.

Knicks 126, Spurs 105

Julius Randle posted another double-double for host New York, which scored the first 13 points of the game and was never seriously threatened in a win over San Antonio.

Randle finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds in his seventh double-double in eight games this season. Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 25 points while RJ Barrett had 24 points for the Knicks, who committed just four turnovers.

Jeremy Sochan scored 16 points while Malaki Branham and No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama each had 14 points for the Spurs, who have lost three straight. Wembanyama missed his first seven shots from the field and scored just six points in the first three quarters.

Nets 100, Clippers 93

Lonnie Walker IV scored a season-high 21 points and host Brooklyn survived a shaky finish to defeat Los Angeles and keep James Harden winless with his new team.

Walker stepped up for the Nets after Cam Thomas was lost for the final 20:33 due to a sprained left ankle. Royce O'Neale clinched Brooklyn's first home win by hitting a 3-pointer with 18.3 seconds to go.

The Clippers' Paul George scored 24 to lead all scorers, but they shot just 39.6 percent and missed 28 of 36 3-point tries in their third straight defeat. Harden contributed 12 while hearing boos every time he touched the ball against the team that traded him to Philadelphia at the 2022 trade deadline.

Timberwolves 122, Pelicans 101

Anthony Edwards scored 26 points and dished eight assists as Minnesota cruised past New Orleans in Minneapolis.

Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting for the Timberwolves, who won their fourth game in a row. Rudy Gobert registered 17 points and 21 rebounds.

Brandon Ingram scored 24 points on 11-for-25 shooting and rookie Jordan Hawkins added 14 points for the Pelicans, who lost their third straight game.

Bucks 120, Pistons 118

Damian Lillard had 34 points as host Milwaukee overcame Giannis Antetokounmpo's ejection and a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Detroit.

Bobby Portis had 18 points for the Bucks, and Brook Lopez added 14, including a pivotal 3-pointer in the late going. Antetokounmpo was whistled for a technical in the first quarter and picked up another three minutes into the second half, triggering an automatic ejection. He stared down Detroit's Isaiah Stewart after a dunk.

Cade Cunningham put up 33 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and Marcus Sasser supplied 26 points for the Pistons, who have lost six straight games.

Raptors 127, Mavericks 116

Pascal Siakam recorded season bests of 31 points and 12 rebounds and also had five assists to help Toronto knock off host Dallas.

OG Anunoby added 26 points and Dennis Schroder had 18 for the Raptors, who won for the third time in the past four games. Scottie Barnes contributed 14 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

Luka Doncic registered 31 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and four steals for the Mavericks, who fell for just the second time in eight games this season. Kyrie Irving added 22 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. buried five 3-pointers while scoring 17 points.

Thunder 128, Cavaliers 120

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a season-high 43 points to lift host Oklahoma City past Cleveland.

The Thunder closed out their season-high, six-game homestand with a 3-3 record, winning the final two games. Oklahoma City swept the two-game season series with the Cavaliers.

Caris LeVert led Cleveland with 29 points off the bench while Evan Mobley added 22 and Donovan Mitchell had 20. Mitchell shot just 1 of 9 from beyond the 3-point arc, however.

--Field Level Media

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