LeBron James made two free throws with 1.2 seconds left in the second overtime to cap his triple-double of 36 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 145-144 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.
Warriors star Stephen Curry hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds left in the second OT and made another over Anthony Davis with 1:22 to go on the way to 46 points with a season-high nine 3s.
D’Angelo Russell connected from deep with 53 seconds left in the second OT and also hit another earlier in the period after also coming up clutch late in regulation on the way to 28 points.
James scored 12 points in the two OT periods and had his third triple-double of the season and 110th of his career. Davis added 29 points and 13 rebounds.
NUGGETS 111, 76ERS 105
Nikola Jokic had 26 points and 16 rebounds, but was denied his rematch with fellow MVP contender Joel Embiid when Denver fended off short-handed but gritty Philadelphia.
Philadelphia’s star center missed a game at Denver for a fourth consecutive season after the team’s medical staff determined he shouldn’t play on his balky left knee.
Jamal Murray added 23 points for Denver and Michael Porter Jr. had 20. Paul Reed led Philadelphia with a career-best 30 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 25.
The 76ers scratched Embiid minutes before tipoff after he had discomfort in his troublesome left knee during warmups. It denied basketball fans another marquee matchup between the last two NBA MVPs.
KINGS 120, MAVERICKS 115
De’Aaron Fox scored 34 points and Sacramento beat Dallas, with Mavericks star Luka Doncic finishing with 28 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds a night after scoring a franchise-record 73 points in a win at Atlanta.
Harrison Barnes had 20 points, Kevin Huerter added 18 and Domantas Sabonis had 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds as the Kings won their third straight following a season-worst four-game losing streak.
The Mavericks split their back-to-back, having won 148-143 at Atlanta on Friday night when Doncic tied for the fourth most points in a game in NBA history behind only Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant.
CLIPPERS 115, CELTICS 96
Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points in only 29 minutes and Los Angeles routed Boston.
Paul George added 17 points for the Clippers, who used a 21-0 run in the third quarter to win their fifth straight and avenge a 37-point home loss to Boston in December. Leonard, George and the rest of the starters sat out the fourth quarter.
It was the most-lopsided loss of the season for Boston, which lost for just the second time at home after starting the season 20-0 at TD Garden.
Jayson Tatum led Boston with 21 points. The Celtics shot 35% from the field.
BUCKS 141, PELICANS 117
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 12 rebounds in Milwaukee’s blowout victory New Orleans.
Damian Lillard added 26 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Brook Lopez scored 24 points with 6-for-9 shooting from 3-point range, and Bobby Portis had 20 points.
The Bucks shot 56% as they improved to 2-1 in their third and final game with Joe Prunty as interim head coach following the firing of Adrian Griffin. Doc Rivers held his introductory news conference as Griffin’s permanent replacement Saturday.
Brandon Ingram scored 26 points for New Orleans.
SPURS 113, TIMBERWOLVES 112
Devin Vassell had 25 points, Victor Wembanyama added 23 points and 10 rebounds and San Antonio rallied to beat Minnesota.
Anthony Edwards had 32 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota, and Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points each. Towns missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer as the Timberwolves had a two-game winning streak snapped.
Officials halted play two minutes into the game when a bat descended on the court seconds after Wembanyama made a 3-pointer.
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The Spurs’ mascot, The Coyote, captured the bat with a net after numerous failed attempts, much to the delight of Wembanyama and Jeremy Sochan. The Coyote had previously corralled two bats, and Manu Ginobili swatted another to the court with his bare hand in November 2009.
KNICKS 125, HEAT 109
Jalen Brunson had 32 points and eight assist and New York beat Miami, winning its sixth straight and sending the Heat to a sixth consecutive loss.
Julius Randle added 19 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks, but left with 4:27 remaining after landing hard on his right shoulder when Jaime Jaquez Jr. stepped in front of him trying to take a charge on Randle’s drive to the basket.
Coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game that he knew only that Randle was being checked by the medical staff and didn’t know the nature of the injury.
OG Anunoby also had 19 points for the Knicks, who improved to 12-2 this month after he made his first start on New Year’s Day.
Jimmy Butler scored 28 points for Miami.
WIZARDS 118, PISTONS 104
Kyle Kuzma scored 30 points and Washington beat Detroit for Wizards interim coach Brian Keefe’s first victory.
Keefe lost his first game Thursday, hours after Wes Unseld Jr. was moved to the Wizards’ front office. Jordan Poole added 17 points to help Washington end a six-game losing streak.
Bojan Bogdanovic led Detroit with 30 points.
JAZZ 134, HORNETS 122
Lauri Markkanen had 33 points and 12 rebounds and Utah beat Charlotte for its 11th victory in 15 games.
Collin Sexton added 24 points and 13 assists. The Jazz shot 56% from the field, made 17 3-pointers and built 36-point lead in the third quarter.
P.J. Washington tied a career high with 43 points — 31 in the second half — and Nick Richards added a career-best 26 to go with 13 rebounds for Charlotte.
NETS 106, ROCKETS 104
Cam Thomas scored 37 points and Brooklyn outlasted Houston to snap a three-game losing streak.
The Nets led by 28 points in the second quarter, with the Rockets rallying to cut it to one with seconds left.
Mikal Bridges and Dorian Finney-Smith each had 19 points for Brooklyn. Jalen Green, Dillan Brooks and Cam Whitmore each had 19 points for the Rockets. They have lost seven of their last 10 games.
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