NBA Roundup: Bradley Beal Fuels Wizards’ Upset of Jazz

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) secures a rebound in the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, on Dec. 18, 2021. Rob Gray/USA TODAY Sports via Field Level Media

Bradley Beal bested Donovan Mitchell in a high-scoring duel with 37 points to lead the Washington Wizards to a 109–103 upset over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

Beal hit 13 of 24 field goals and 9 of 10 free throws, dished out seven assists, grabbed five rebounds, and fueled a game-changing run in the fourth quarter to help the Wizards snap a four-game losing streak.

Mitchell finished with 32 points and four 3-pointers with five assists, but also committed five turnovers as Utah lost for the second consecutive night at home after an eight-game winning streak.

Thunder 104, Clippers 103

Luguentz Dort scored 29 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to give host Oklahoma City the win over Los Angeles.

The win was just the fourth in 17 games for Oklahoma City. The Clippers have lost two consecutive games. Dort, who missed the Thunder’s last game with a left ankle injury, returned to go 12 of 19 from the floor. Gilgeous-Alexander added 18 points. Josh Giddey had 18 rebounds and 10 assists to go with eight points.

Luke Kennard led the Clippers with a season-high 27 points, tying a career-high with seven 3-pointers. Terance Mann added 18 and Jackson 16.

Rockets 116, Pistons 107

Christian Wood scored 21 points against his former team to lift visiting Houston past sliding Detroit.

Wood added eight rebounds to his ledger as all five Houston starters scored in double figures. Eric Gordon added 18 points and five assists, Garrison Mathews 16 points on 4-of-9 3-point shooting, and Jae'Sean Tate 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Kenyon Martin Jr. (10 points, 11 rebounds) added a double-double off the bench as Houston shot 49.5 percent from the floor.

The Pistons suffered their 14th consecutive loss, committing 21 turnovers and missing 26 of 36 from 3-point range. Cade Cunningham had 21 points and 11 assists, while Saddiq Bey led Detroit with 23 points.

Raptors 119, Warriors 100

Fred VanVleet and Scottie Barnes combined for 48 points as host Toronto romped over road-weary Golden State.

VanVleet posted game-highs in points with 27 and assists with 12, while Barnes put up a well-rounded 21 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, as the Raptors returned to the court after Thursday’s game against the Chicago Bulls was postponed for COVID reasons.

The Warriors suited up just nine players for the finale of an eight-day, five-game trip that featured two back-to-backs. Damion Lee added 14 points for the Warriors, who saw a three-game winning streak come to an end, while Gary Payton II had 13, Kevon Looney 12, Moses Moody 11, and Nemanja Bjelica 10.

Cavaliers 119, Bucks 90

Cedi Osman scored 23 points and Darius Garland added 22 as Cleveland won its sixth straight game, routing short-handed host Milwaukee.

Kevin Love had 15 points, and Ricky Rubio tallied 15 points and 10 assists for Cleveland, which snapped an eight-game losing streak against Milwaukee. The Cavaliers led by as many as 30 points in the third quarter.

Jordan Nwora scored a season-high 28 points for Milwaukee, which has lost two straight and three of its last four. The Bucks played without Bobby Portis, Wesley Matthews, Donte DiVincenzo, and star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who are all in the league’s health and safety protocol. The Bucks were also without Khris Middleton (left knee) and Jrue Holiday (rest).

Magic 100, Nets 93

Chuma Okeke hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:11 remaining in the fourth quarter and Orlando halted a seven-game losing streak by beating significantly undermanned host Brooklyn Nets in New York.

The Magic snapped their second seven-game skid of the season and won for the second time in 15 games after blowing a 17-point lead.

Robin Lopez paced the Magic with 20 points and 10 rebounds while Gary Harris added 17 points and Wagner chipped in 14 as Orlando earned its third win in New York this season following two earlier wins over the Knicks. Patty Mills scored a game-high 23 points for the Nets, who shot 38.2 percent and misfired on 37 of 46 3-point tries. David Duke Jr. added 18 points and 14 boards.

Celtics 114, Knicks 107

Josh Richardson scored 27 points, Jayson Tatum finished with 25 and nine rebounds, and host Boston held off New York in a matchup that saw a combined 12 players sidelined by COVID protocols.

Jaylen Brown contributed 23 points, Payton Pritchard added 16, and Robert Williams III scored 15 with eight rebounds for the Celtics. Boston won for the second time in three games after losing four of its previous five.

Former Celtics guards Evan Fournier (32 points) and Kemba Walker (29 points) led the Knicks in their return to Boston. Julius Randle totaled 20 points, nine boards, and seven assists and Alec Burks scored 19 for New York, which has dropped eight of 10.