NBA Roundup: Nikola Jokic (49-14-10) Carries Nuggets to OT Win

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1/21/2022Updated: 12/30/2023

Nikola Jokic had 49 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, Aaron Gordon hit a 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left in overtime and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Clippers 130–128 on Wednesday night.

Jokic finished one point short of his career high, and Gordon wound up with 28 points. Monte Morris had 19 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and Jeff Green scored 12 for Denver.

Ivica Zubac scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Reggie Jackson had 28 points and 12 assists for Los Angeles.

Zubac tied the game with a layup with 26.4 seconds left before the Nuggets’ final play. With the shot clock running down, Jokic threw a cross-court pass to Gordon in the corner, and Gordon drained a trey as the shot clock expired.

76ers 123, Magic 110

Joel Embiid tied his career high with 50 points to go along with 12 rebounds and three blocked shots while leading host Philadelphia to a victory over Orlando.

Embiid shot 17 of 23 from the field and 15 of 17 from the free-throw line. It was his 17th career game with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds. Tobias Harris added 21 points, Tyrese Maxey contributed 14 and Georges Niang had 10 for the Sixers.

Mo Bamba hit 7 of 8 3-point attempts, scored a career-high 32 points and blocked three shots before fouling out for the Magic.

Bucks 126, Grizzlies 114

Giannis Antetokounmpo finished three assists shy of his fourth triple-double of the season as Milwaukee handed Memphis its first road loss since Dec. 23.

Antetokounmpo poured in 33 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and handed out seven assists while helping the Bucks snap their two-game losing streak. Khris Middleton added 27 points.

Ja Morant was also on triple-double watch, pacing the Grizzlies with 33 points, eight rebounds and 14 assists. Jaren Jackson Jr. tallied 29 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.

Mavericks 102, Raptors 98

Luka Doncic scored a season-best 41 points and made a crucial 3-pointer with 1:01 to play as Dallas topped visiting Toronto.

Doncic also had 14 rebounds and seven assists for the Mavericks, who have won four straight and 10 of their past 11. Kristaps Porzingis added 18 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 16 for the Mavericks.

Pascal Siakam scored 20 points for the Raptors, who have lost four of their past five games. OG Anunoby added 19 points for Toronto, and Fred VanVleet had 18 points and 12 assists.

Pacers 111, Lakers 104

Caris LeVert scored 22 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to lead Indiana to a comeback victory at Los Angeles. The Lakers led by 15 points in the first quarter and by five early in the fourth period.

Domantas Sabonis recorded 20 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his fourth triple-double of the season and 17th of his career as Indiana snapped an eight-game road losing streak.

LeBron James had 30 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, who lost for the fourth time in the past five games. Los Angeles’ Dwight Howard grabbed seven rebounds to tie Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond for 10th place in NBA history with 14,464.

Hawks 134, Timberwolves 122

Trae Young scored 37 points, including 23 in the third quarter, to help Atlanta overcome a 16-point deficit and defeat visiting Minnesota.

Young failed to score in the first quarter but finished 10-for-17 from the floor, including 6-for-10 from 3-point range, and added 14 assists. It was his league-leading 11th game this season with at least 30 points and 10 assists.

Minnesota was led by D'Angelo Russell with 31 points, including five 3-pointers, and Anthony Edwards, who scored 20 points before being ejected in the third quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns added 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Heat 104, Trail Blazers 92

With Jimmy Butler ejected, reserve Caleb Martin scored 26 points to lead host Miami past Portland.

Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 11 rebounds for Miami, which has the best home record in the Eastern Conference (15–5). Miami earned its ninth win in the past 10 home games despite Butler getting two technical fouls and an early exit with 2:28 left in the second quarter.

Portland, which is 4–15 on the road, was led by Anfernee Simons (a game-high 27 points but just seven in the second half) and CJ McCollum (24 points but just four in the second half). Jusuf Nurkic added 18 points and 14 rebounds.

Hornets 111, Celtics 102

Terry Rozier finished with a game-high 28 points and 10 assists against his former team to help keep Charlotte rolling with a win over host Boston.

Miles Bridges added 22 points and LaMelo Ball had 15 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for the Hornets, who won for the sixth time in seven games.

Dennis Schroder scored 24 points to pace Boston on an off night for stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Boston had won two straight and five of its previous six games.

Rockets 116, Jazz 111

Garrison Mathews hit a pair of late clutch free throws and scored 23 points off the bench to lift Houston to victory over Utah in Salt Lake City.

Jae'Sean Tate scored 18, Eric Gordon added 16, Kevin Porter Jr. contributed 15 (including a big 3-pointer with 22.4 seconds left) and Christian Wood chipped in 13 points and 15 rebounds for the Rockets.

The Jazz, playing without Donovan Mitchell (concussion protocol), scored only 49 points in the second half while losing for the sixth time in seven games. Utah’s Bojan Bogdanovic was the game’s leading scorer with 29 points, but he shot just 3-for-13 from 3-point range.

Nets 119, Wizards 118

Kyrie Irving scored 30 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added a season-high 27 off the bench to fuel visiting Brooklyn to a victory over Washington.

James Harden added 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Nets, who improved to 1–1 since Kevin Durant sprained his left medial collateral ligament on Saturday.

Washington’s Bradley Beal finished with a team-high 23 points and nine assists. Kyle Kuzma had 16 points for the Wizards, who have dropped two of their past three games.

Bulls 117, Cavaliers 104

DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points and Nikola Vucevic contributed 24 points and 12 rebounds as host Chicago stopped a four-game losing streak by defeating Cleveland.

Ayo Dosunmu had 18 points and eight assists and Coby White chipped in 16 points as the Bulls snapped the Cavaliers’ five-game winning streak.

Chicago withstood a sparkling effort from Cleveland’s Lauri Markkanen, a former Bull, who scored a season-high 28 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Darius Garland notched 20 points and 12 assists for Cleveland.

Spurs 118, Thunder 96

Dejounte Murray racked up a 23-point, 14-assist, 10-rebound triple-double in just three quarters of play to lead a balanced San Antonio attack in a win over visiting Oklahoma City.

Doug McDermott added 20 points for San Antonio, which earned its second win in three games. Devin Vassell scored 19 off the bench.

Aaron Wiggins led the Thunder with 19 points, and Luguentz Dort added 15.

Pistons 133, Kings 131

Cory Joseph capped a wild comeback by sinking a tiebreaking jumper with 26.5 seconds remaining as Detroit overcame a 10-point deficit in the final 2:48 for a victory at Sacramento.

Saddiq Bey poured in 30 points and Kelly Olynyk, playing for the first time since Nov. 10, chipped in with 22 for the Pistons. Detroit snapped a two-game losing streak while playing on the road for a second night in a row.

Sacramento’s Terence Davis exploded for a career-high 35 points but missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with 16.4 seconds remaining as the Kings dropped their second straight.