Nikola Jokic recorded 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in three quarters and the Denver Nuggets rolled to a record-setting 157-103 victory over the host Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.
The 157 points were the most scored by an NBA team this season. It was the sixth-highest single-game total in Nuggets history. Jamal Murray added 25 points, six rebounds and six assists as the Nuggets set a team regular-season record with the 54-point margin of victory. Denver also posted the second-most points in a half (82 before halftime) in franchise history.
Denver’s previous record for a regular-season winning margin was 52 points against the Seattle SuperSonics on March 16, 2008. The Nuggets won a playoff game by 58 points when they routed the New Orleans Hornets in a first-round game on April 27, 2009.
Jrue Holiday scored 19 points as Portland was blown out while playing for the first since Feb. 9. Deni Avdija registered 15 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who took their sixth-worst loss in club history.
Lakers 125, Clippers 122
Luka Doncic scored 38 points with 11 assists and Austin Reaves added 29 points as the Lakers used a full complement of stars to earn a victory over the visiting Clippers.
LeBron James added 13 points with 11 assists as the Lakers’ star trio played together for just the 11th time this season and fourth time since mid-December. Doncic returned after missing four games before the All-Star break with a hamstring injury.
Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 26 for the Clippers. They both departed in the closing minutes as Leonard left with ankle soreness with 5:10 remaining and Mathurin fouled out with 1:49 left.
Cavaliers 118, Hornets 113
Donovan Mitchell’s 32 points and Jarrett Allen’s 26 points carried Cleveland, which extended its season-best winning streak to seven games by topping host Charlotte.
James Harden had a strong second half and finished with 18 points and eight assists while Sam Merrill provided 10 points for the Cavaliers, who made 26 of 28 foul shots and won for the 12th time in 13 games. Allen grabbed 14 rebounds and shot 11-for-15 from the floor.
Rookie Kon Knueppel made seven 3-point shots on the way to 33 points for the Hornets, who took their third loss in four games following a nine-game winning streak. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller both finished with 18 points, Ryan Kalkbrenner had 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Josh Green added 11 points.
Timberwolves 122, Mavericks 111
Anthony Edwards scored 40 points on 16-for-30 shooting, and Minnesota held on for a win over Dallas in Minneapolis.
Rudy Gobert notched 22 points and 17 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who won their third game in a row. Naz Reid scored 21 points off the bench.
Khris Middleton scored 18 points to lead the Mavericks, who lost their 10th consecutive game. Naji Marshall and Marvin Bagley III finished with 15 points apiece. Star rookie Cooper Flagg remained sidelined because of a sprained foot.
Grizzlies 123, Jazz 114
Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 23 points and GG Jackson added 20 as host Memphis rallied from a double-digit halftime deficit to defeat Utah and end a four-game losing streak.
Javon Small contributed 16 points, Jaylen Wells had 13 and Lawson Lovering (11 points, 11 rebounds) and Cam Spencer (10 points, 10 assists) produced double-doubles for the Grizzlies, who placed eight in double figures.
Isaiah Collier led the Jazz with 24 points and Kyle Filipowski and Ace Bailey added 20 apiece. Blake Hinson tossed in 13 points in his second NBA game.
Wizards 131, Pacers 118
Alondes Williams posted career highs of 25 points and 10 rebounds off the bench as Washington completed a two-game sweep of visiting Indiana.
Sharife Cooper scored 18 points, Tre Johnson and Tristan Vukcevic added 14 apiece and Bilal Coulibaly had 13 for the Wizards, who won consecutive games for the fourth time this season.
Jay Huff led the Pacers with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, hitting five 3-pointers. Quenton Jackson scored 21 points and Micah Potter added 18.
Thunder 105, Nets 86
Jared McCain scored 21 off the bench and Chet Holmgren had 15 points and seven rebounds to help lift short-handed Oklahoma City past visiting Brooklyn.
The Thunder won for the third time in four games, while the Nets have lost three straight and six of their last eight. Oklahoma City was without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdomen) and Jalen Williams (hamstring).
Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 22 points and nine rebounds but shot just 1 of 9 from beyond the arc. Nolan Traore added 17 points.
Heat 128, Hawks 97
Tyler Herro returned from a lengthy injury absence to score 24 points, leading Miami to a win at Atlanta.
Herro, who missed 15 games with fractured ribs, came off the bench to shoot 9 of 14 from the field with four rebounds. Bam Adebayo totaled 17 points and eight rebounds and Norman Powell added 15 points for the Heat.
Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson amassed 16 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists. The Hawks also got 22 points from Onyeka Okongwu and 20 apiece from Nickeil Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum.
Bucks 139, Pelicans 118
Cam Thomas and Ryan Rollins each scored 27 points and Kevin Porter Jr. added 25, fueling visiting Milwaukee to a victory over New Orleans Pelicans.
Thomas sank 11 of 17 shots from the floor in 21 minutes off the bench. Rollins drained a career-high seven 3-pointers and matched Porter by going 10 of 15 from the floor for the Bucks, who won their third straight game and sixth in the past seven.
The Pelicans’ Zion Williamson scored 14 of his 32 points in the first quarter. He made 13 of 17 shots from the floor for the game and helped New Orleans score 84 points in the paint.
–Field Level Media
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