NBA wrap: LaMelo Ball helps Hornets beat Hawks, wins for Nuggets, Bucks

LaMelo Ball on Saturday became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.

Published : Jan 10, 2021 12:38 IST

Charlotte Hornets guards LaMelo Ball (2) and Terry Rozier (3) congratulate each other. - AP
Charlotte Hornets guards LaMelo Ball (2) and Terry Rozier (3) congratulate each other. - AP
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Charlotte Hornets guards LaMelo Ball (2) and Terry Rozier (3) congratulate each other. - AP

LaMelo Ball became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Atlanta Hawks 113-105 on Saturday night for their third straight win.

The 19-year-old Ball replaced Markelle Fultz as the youngest NBA player to record a triple-double by 177 days.

Ball, the third overall pick in the NBA draft, was 9 of 13 from the field as the Hornets handed the struggling Hawks their fourth straight loss. He became only the fifth rookie in NBA history to record a triple-double and the first Hornets player ever to reach that plateau coming off the bench.

Terry Rozier scored 23 points for the Hornets.

NUGGETS 115, 76ERS 103

Nikola Jokic had 15 points and 12 assists to lead Denver past Philadelphia, beating a 76ers team that had only seven available players because of injuries and COVID-19 protocols.

The Sixers tipped without four regular starters — All-Stars Ben Simmons (sore left knee) and Joel Embiid (back) due to injury, and Seth Curry and Tobias Harris over virus concerns. Coach Doc Rivers said he didn’t think the game should be played.

Curry learned of his positive coronavirus test while the team played on Thursday in Brooklyn, and the additional testing, contact tracing and COVID-19 health and safety protocols led to a slew of unavailable players.

The team met the minimum eight active players by including injured forward Mike Scott, who was not actually able to play.

Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 39 points in 44 minutes on 18-of-33 shooting in his first career start, and Isaiah Joe had 13 points.

BUCKS 100, CAVALIERS 90

Khris Middleton scored 27 points and Milwaukee withstood the absence of two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to beat Cleveland. Antetokounmpo sat out with back spasms after taking a hard fall one night earlier in a loss to the Utah Jazz.

ALSO READ | Three Mavericks players out under virus protocols

Bobby Portis replaced Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee’s starting lineup and scored 17 points as the Bucks (6-4) closed a five-game home stretch in which they went 4-1. After Jrue Holiday made the game’s first basket, Portis scored the Bucks’ next 10 points.

The Bucks overcame a huge performance from Cleveland’s Andre Drummond, who had 26 points and 24 rebounds. Drummond was the first Cavalier to have at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in the same game since Anderson Varejao did it against Boston on January 31, 2012.

HEAT 128, WIZARDS 124

Tyler Herro scored a career-high 31 points and Jimmy Butler nearly had a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as Miami beat short-handed Washington.

Washington played without the NBA’s leading scorer, Bradley Beal, who was a late scratch when he was placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocol.

 

Miami has alternated wins and losses through its first eight games. The Wizards lost their third straight and are winless in five home games. They were also without their other starting guard, Russell Westbrook, out with a left quad injury. Westbrook, who had triple-doubles in his first four games with the Wizards, was intending to play the second half of a back-to-back for the first time after sitting out the first two.

SPURS 125, TIMBERWOLVES 122, OT

DeMar DeRozan scored 38 points, helping San Antonio beat Minnesota in Karl-Anthony Towns’ return to the Timberwolves.

DeRozan, who went 13 for 23 from the floor and 12 of 13 from the line, had 13 points after the third quarter and keyed San Antonio’s third straight victory with his relentless drives to the basket. Dejounte Murray (22 points) and Patty Mills (21 points) knocked down plenty of timely 3-pointers.

Towns, who missed the last six games with a partial dislocation of his left wrist, had 25 points and 13 rebounds in 37 minutes as Minnesota’s losing streak hit seven games.

Malik Beasley scored 29 points on 7-for-11 shooting from 3-point range, his last make pulling the Timberwolves within three points with 37 seconds left.

MAVERICKS 112, MAGIC 98

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a season-high 36 points, Trey Burke did the same with 29 and Luka Doncic had another triple-double as short-handed Dallas beat Orlando.

Hardaway and Burke took on expanded roles to help Dallas get over .500 for the first time this season with starters Josh Richardson and Dorian Finney-Smith and backup point guard Jalen Brunson sidelined by COVID-19 protocols. The three Mavericks didn’t return with the team from Denver following a 124-117 overtime win on Thursday.

ALSO READ | NBA wrap: LeBron holds up Lakers

Hardaway and Burke made it a rather quiet second triple-double of the season for Doncic, combining to 15 of 21 from 3-point range while the star point guard had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

SUNS 125, PACERS 117

Mikal Bridges scored a career-high 34 points and Devin Booker added 25, leading Phoenix over Indiana.

Phoenix pulled into a tie with the defending champion Los Angles Lakers for the best record in the Western Conference at 7-3 after earning its first road win over the Pacers since 2016. All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis had 28 points and matched his career high with 22 rebounds for the Pacers, who had a two-game winning streak snapped.

Phoenix used a late first-half run to take a 56-53 halftime lead, then opened the second half by scoring the first five points.

TRAIL BLAZERS 125, KINGS 99

C. J. McCollum scored 37 points, making six 3-pointers, and Portland coasted past Sacramento.

The Trail Blazers led by as many as 31 and faced little resistance from a Kings team that gave up 144 points to Toronto just a night earlier. Sacramento didn’t fare much better defensively Saturday and lost for the fifth time in six games.

McCollum scored 16 points in the first half as the Blazers took a 66-49 lead into the break. Then he scored 16 in a roughly seven-minute span to begin the third as Portland rattled off a 22-8 run that ended any hopes of a Sacramento comeback.

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