Jokic hits winning 3-pointer, Nuggets defeat 76ers 137-134
Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic reacts after scoring during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nikola Jokic made the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 39 seconds left, Jamal Murray had 31 points and 11 assists, and the Denver Nuggets overcame Tyrese Maxey’s 42 points to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 137-134 on Friday night.
Jokic finished with 28 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, just missing what would have been his NBA-leading 22nd triple-double.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 24 points and Julian Strawther had 18 off the bench as Denver ended a three-game losing streak.
Maxey also had nine assists, but it wasn’t enough to extend the 76ers’ four-game winning streak. Guerschon Yabusele set a career high with 28 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 27.
PISTONS 117, MAVERICKS 102
DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham scored 40 points a day after being selected as an All-Star reserve, helping Detroit beat Dallas.
Cunningham matched a season high for points on 17-of-30 shooting. He added six rebounds and four assists while falling three points of his career-best 43 points.
Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak. Tobias Harris added 17 points and Jalen Duren had 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Kyrie Irving led Dallas with 28 points. P.J. Washington had 22 points and 13 rebounds.
After the Mavericks cut it to 93-91 with 10:13 left, the Pistons responded with a 10-2 run with Cunningham on the bench.
CLIPPERS 112, HORNETS 104
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Norman Powell scored 27 points, Kawhi Leonard added 21 points and nine rebounds, and Los Angeles held off pesky Charlotte.
All-Star James Harden finished with 14 points and 10 assists for the Clippers, while Ivica Zubac had 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The Clippers built a 10-point lead in the third quarter but couldn’t completely shake the Hornets until late in the game.
Harden’s 3-pointer made it 102-95 with 6:06 to play and Leonard’s dunk with 1:45 to play gave the Clippers their biggest of the game at 110-99.
Miles Bridges had 27 points and nine rebounds for Charlotte. Vasa Micic scored 20 points.
BULLS 122, RAPTORS 106
TORONTO (AP) — Coby White scored 25 points, Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 12 rebounds and Chicago won to end Toronto’s season-best winning streak at five.
Jalen Smith added a season-high 17 points, Josh Giddey had 15 and Matas Buzelis added 12 to help the Bulls win their third straight north of the border.
Scottie Barnes had 20 and 10 rebounds, RJ Barrett scored 19 points and Immanuel Quickley added 14 for the Raptors, who came in having won seven of eight.
Quickley returned to the starting lineup after missing the past eight games because of a strained left hip. It was his 10th appearance of the season. Toronto is 1-9 in those games.
The Raptors fell to 1-24 when trailing at the half.
SPURS 114, BUCKS 118
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 30 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks and San Antonio had a season high in points to overcome 35 points and 13 rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo and beat Milwaukee.
Keldon Johnson added 24 points and Stephon Castle had 20 as San Antonio snapped a two-game skid and won for just the second time in seven games.
Damian Lillard had 22 points for Milwaukee. Khris Middleton added 21.
Wembanyama was 9 for 20 from the field in an dynamic showing one day after being named to his first All-Star Game as a Western Conference reserve.
Wembanyama banked in a 34-foot 3-pointer that hit the backboard, bounced off the front of the rim, hit the backboard again and dropped in with 7:18 remaining in the third quarter. The 3-pointer drew loud gasps and cheers from the fans and left Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers with his arms raised in puzzlement.
Wembanyama closed out a 14-point quarter by making a running, one-legged 3-pointer.
CELTICS 118, PELICANS 116
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jayson Tatum’s jumper with 0.7 seconds left gave Boston a victory over short-handed New Orleans.
Jaylen Brown scored 28 points and Tatum had 27 as the Celtics handed the Pelicans their fifth straight loss. New Orleans lost Dejounte Murray to a lower right leg injury in the first quarter.
Tatum had 22 points through three quarters before being held in check for much of the fourth. But the Celtics went to him after CJ McCollum’s tying basket with 24 seconds left and he hit the eventual winner over McCollum from the left wing.
Trey Murphy had a season-high 40 points, going 8 for 12 on 3-pointers. Jose Alvarado added 20 points and McCollum had 17.
Luke Kornet and Kristaps Porzingis scored 13 of the Celtics’ first 17 points of the fourth quarter to build a 108-101 lead. Porzingis and Derrick White each had 16 points.
SUNS 130, WARRIORS 105
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Devin Booker had 31 points and 11 assists, Kevin Durant scored 19 points against his former team and Phoenix ran away from Golden State for a victory.
Nick Richards added 14 points and 16 rebounds and Bradley Beal had 21 points off the bench for Phoenix.
Warriors star Stephen Curry didn’t score until hitting a short jumper 7:38 before halftime on just his second shot of the game and finished with 14 points — going 1 for 6 from 3-point range. He missed his initial four tries from deep before connecting with 11:12 remaining in the game.
Moses Moody came off the bench to score 17 point for Golden State, which had hoped to build some momentum from an impressive 116-109 victory over Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.