NBA Roundup: Hornets Come out Firing, Blow out Bucks

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1/7/2023Updated: 12/30/2023

Charlotte guards Terry Rozier and LaMelo Ball took turns raining 3-point baskets on the host Milwaukee Bucks, and the Hornets put together a record-setting first quarter in a 138–109 romp on Friday night.

Charlotte scored 51 first-quarter points, tying the NBA record for most points in an opening quarter and setting a franchise record for any quarter. The Hornets also tied the highest single-quarter output in the league this season.

Rozier scored 39 points, bagging six treys, and Ball racked up 24 points, with seven of his eight field goals coming from 3-point range, as the Hornets won for just the second time in seven games. Ball, who finished with 12 assists, has poured in at least 20 points in 14 consecutive games.

The Bucks, who had won three of four games entering the night, never got in much of a rhythm. Bobby Portis Jr. scored a team-high 19 points, while Giannis Antetokounmpo had a season-low nine points.

Bulls 126, 76ers 112

Zach LaVine hit 11 of 13 shots from 3-point territory and scored 41 points to lift Chicago past host Philadelphia. It was the third time that LaVine made at least 10 treys in a game in his career.

Nikola Vucevic added 19 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists, and Patrick Williams contributed 18 points. DeMar DeRozan also had 12 for the Bulls, who shot 20–of–34 overall on 3-pointers.

Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 26 points and Tobias Harris had 22 points and 11 rebounds. James Harden shot just 4–of–17 but added 17 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds.

Pacers 108, Trail Blazers 99

Rookie Bennedict Mathurin scored 19 points and Tyrese Haliburton collected 15 points and 12 assists to fuel host Indiana’s victory over Portland in Indianapolis.

Myles Turner recorded 17 points and seven rebounds and Isaiah Jackson scored 12 points after being recalled from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the G League earlier on Friday.

Portland’s Anfernee Simons scored 20 points, Damian Lillard added 19 and eight assists and Jerami Grant had 15 points.

Nets 108, Pelicans 102

Kevin Durant had 33 points and 10 rebounds and visiting Brooklyn held off New Orleans.

Kyrie Irving added 19 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, T.J. Warren scored 15 and Royce O’Neale had 14 for the Nets, who won for the 13th time in 14 games.

CJ McCollum scored 28 points, Naji Marshall scored a career-high 23, Jose Alvarado had 17, Jonas Valanciunas added 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Trey Murphy III scored 11 points for the Pelicans, who lost for just the fifth time in 22 homes games this season.

Nuggets 121, Cavaliers 108

Nikola Jokic had 28 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for his 10th triple-double of the season, Jamal Murray scored 18 points and host Denver beat Cleveland.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 16 points and Aaron Gordon added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets, who won for the 12th time in 15 games.

Caris LeVert scored 22 points and Darius Garland had 21 for the Cavaliers, who had a three-game winning streak end. Cleveland star Donovan Mitchell sat out for rest.

Lakers 130, Hawks 114

LeBron James returned from an illness to put up a team-high 25 points, four teammates joined him in double figures in the first half alone and Los Angeles ran away from visiting Atlanta.

Kendrick Nunn (23) and Russell Westbrook (18) combined for 41 points off the bench for the Lakers, who won their fourth straight game and successfully closed out a two-game homestand. James had 10 assists, and Thomas Bryant contributed 19 points and 13 rebounds.

Trae Young had a game-high 32 points for the Hawks, who lost for the fifth time in six games. John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, and Dejounte Murray added 16 points apiece.

Spurs 121, Pistons 109

Tre Jones scored 25 points and Jakob Poeltl had 11 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists as host San Antonio turned it on in the final 18 minutes to run away from Detroit and snapped a three-game losing streak.

Romeo Langford added 15 points for San Antonio, with Malaki Branham hitting for 14 and Jeremy Sochan 10. Sochan has scored in double figures in 17 games this season, the most by any Spurs rookie since Kawhi Leonard’s 25 in 2011–12.

Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 21 points, while Jaden Ivey added 20, Killian Hayes 18, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duran 11 each, and Saddiq Bey 10.

Thunder 127, Wizards 110

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points to help host Oklahoma City knock off Washington.

Alexander finished 12 of 23 from the floor. Josh Giddey added 20 points and nine assists for the Thunder, who have combined for 61 assists in their past two home games.

Washington was led by Kyle Kuzma, who finished with 23 points and seven assists. Daniel Gafford had 15 points and nine rebounds, and Kristaps Porzingas added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Knicks 112, Raptors 108

Julius Randle scored 32 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to help visiting New York hold off Toronto.

Jalen Brunson added 26 points and eight assists for the Knicks, who have won four straight. Quentin Grimes scored 16 points for New York, Immanuel Quickley scored 13 points and Mitchell Robinson had 10 points and 16 rebounds.

Fred VanVleet scored 28 points for the Raptors, who have lost the first two games of a six-game homestand and three straight overall. Gary Trent Jr. added 27 points, and Pascal Siakam had 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Timberwolves 128, Clippers 115

Rudy Gobert tied a season high with 25 points and grabbed 21 rebounds as Minnesota won in Minneapolis, handing Los Angeles its season-worst fifth consecutive loss.

Gobert’s first 20/20 performance since Oct. 28 paved the way. D’Angelo Russell added 25 points, but Anthony Edwards—the team’s leading scorer on the season at 24.2 points per game—had just five points when he exited midway through the third quarter. Edwards did not return due to left hip soreness.

Norman Powell came off the bench to pace the Clippers with 21 points. John Wall had 14 points and eight assists, and Moses Brown produced 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

Heat 104, Suns 96

Victor Oladipo scored a season-high 26 points off the bench to help Miami send host Phoenix to its second five-game losing streak of the season.

Bam Adebayo recorded 21 points and 11 rebounds and Jimmy Butler added 20 points and six assists for the Heat. Max Strus scored 19 points as Miami completed a sweep of the two-game season series.

Deandre Ayton had 23 points and 14 rebounds and Torrey Craig registered 17 points and nine boards for the Suns, who have dropped 13 of their past 17. Suns star Devin Booker (groin) missed his sixth straight game, and Phoenix dropped to 2–9 without him this season.