NBA roundup: Wizards end skid despite Nikola Jokic's 56 points
Sun Dec 8 3:04am ET
Field Level Media
Jordan Poole scored 39 points to help the host Washington Wizards overcome Nikola Jokic's career-high 56 points and beat the Denver Nuggets 122-113 on Saturday to end their 16-game losing streak.
Poole hit a career-high nine 3-pointers and was one of five Wizards to score in double figures. Justin Champagnie had 23 points, and Jonas Valanciunas finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots.
With Jamal Murray (hamstring) and Aaron Gordon (calf) out, the Nuggets leaned on Jokic. The three-time NBA MVP went 22-for-38 from the floor and was 3-for-5 from 3-point range. He added 16 rebounds and eight assists.
Jokic recorded the second-most points in a single game in franchise history, trailing only David Thompson's 73-point performance in 1978.
The Wizards, who shot 48.4 percent from the floor, earned their first win since Oct. 30 despite not having No. 2 overall pick Alexandre Sarr, who missed the game with a sore back.
Pistons 120, Knicks 111
Cade Cunningham finished with 29 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds to lead Detroit to its first win over host New York in 17 tries.
Cunningham shot 9 of 17 from the field and went 5-for-8 from 3-point range. Malik Beasley added 23 points off the bench, making 7 of 10 attempts from beyond the arc. The Pistons ended a three-game skid overall.
The Knicks were without their leading scorer, Karl-Anthony Towns, who missed the game because of a knee injury. Jalen Brunson had 31 points and 10 assists and Mikal Bridges added 20 points for New York, which had its four-game winning streak end.
Cavaliers 116, Hornets 102
Evan Mobley had a huge first quarter on his way to a career-high 41 points as visiting Cleveland held off Charlotte.
Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell each posted 18 points and Jarrett Allen tallied 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Cavaliers won their fourth game in a row.
Brandon Miller racked up 25 points, DaQuan Jeffries added 17 points off the bench and Josh Green had 16 points for the injury-riddled Hornets, who've lost eight consecutive games. Charlotte couldn't overcome its 11-for-39 performance from 3-point range.
Thunder 119, Pelicans 109
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and visiting Oklahoma City never trailed while defeating New Orleans.
Jalen Williams scored 27 points, Luguentz Dort and Alex Caruso had 14 apiece and Isaiah Hartenstein added 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Western Conference-leading Thunder, who won for the seventh time in their past eight games.
Dejounte Murray scored 26 points, Herbert Jones had 24 and Trey Murphy III had 16 for the Pelicans, who lost for the 10th time in their past 11 games. Forward Brandon Ingram, the team's leading scorer who was playing in his second game after a five-game absence due to a calf injury, scored five points before leaving the contest in the third quarter after hurting his left ankle.
Mavericks 125, Raptors 118
Luka Doncic had 30 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists and visiting Dallas defeated Toronto for its seventh straight win.
Kyrie Irving added 29 points for the Mavericks, who have won 11 of their past 12 games. Klay Thompson scored 20 points, P.J. Washington added 13 and Spencer Dinwiddie finished with 11.
Gradey Dick scored 27 points for the Raptors, who have lost two games in a row. Scottie Barnes added 19 points and 14 assists, Jakob Poeltl had 20 points and seven rebounds and RJ Barrett scored 18 points. Kelly Olynyk made his season debut and went for 13 points.
Grizzlies 127, Celtics 121
Ja Morant had 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to help visiting Memphis to a win, its first in Boston since 2013.
The Grizzlies had lost 16 of their past 17 games against the Celtics, with nine of those setbacks coming in Boston. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 27 points, nine rebounds and three steals for Memphis.
Jayson Tatum had 17 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists for Boston. Marcus Smart, who spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Celtics before he was traded to Memphis in a three-team deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston, was 1 of 11 from the field and scored three points.
Heat 121, Suns 111
Bam Adebayo had game highs of 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists as Miami defeated visiting Phoenix.
Adebayo had 12 of his points in the third quarter, when Miami surged ahead for a lead it never relinquished. Jimmy Butler had 24 points, including nine straight Heat points in the final five minutes of the game. Miami also got 19 points from Duncan Robinson and 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists from Tyler Herro.
Royce O'Neale led the Suns with a season-high 23 points. Devin Booker scored 21 points on 6-for-16 shooting. Phoenix was without starters Kevin Durant (sprained left ankle) and Jusuf Nurkic (right thigh contusion).
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Mavericks' G Luka Doncic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 30 points, 11 assists and 13 rebounds in a 125-118 win over Toronto on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Detroit's G Cade Cunningham recorded a triple-double, finishing with 29 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a 120-111 win over New York on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Nuggets' C Nikola Jokic recorded a double-double, scoring 56 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in a 113-122 loss to Washington on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Cleveland's C Evan Mobley recorded a double-double, scoring 41 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in a 116-102 win over Charlotte on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) is listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Brooklyn Nets due to right patella tendinopathy.. The former MVP is on the injury report once again, but all signs point to him being ready for Sunday's matchup. Giannis has been playing at an elite level, posting at least 30 points and 11 rebounds in each of his last two games, showcasing his usual dominant performance on both ends of the floor.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (ankle) is probable for Sunday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. The veteran guard made his season debut on Friday night against the Celtics, playing 23 minutes in his return. Middleton made an immediate impact, contributing 11 points, three rebounds, and five assists. As he continues to regain his rhythm, Middleton could see a similar workload on Sunday. The Bucks will need him to stay healthy and perform at a high level if they hope to contend this season.
Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Denver Nuggets. Johnson may have sustained a right shoulder injury during Friday's game against the Lakers. If he is unable to play, De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic are expected to see more minutes on Sunday. Johnson has been playing at a high level this season, nearly averaging a double-double with 19.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. His presence on both ends of the floor has been valuable, making his potential absence a significant blow for both Hawks fans and fantasy owners.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (back) is considered questionable for Sunday's matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. After missing the last two games due to bilateral low back soreness, the 20-year-old could make his return to the court on Sunday. Wembanyama has been a fantasy standout this season, averaging 23.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, and leading the league with 3.4 blocks per game. Fantasy managers will want to check back for updates as game time approaches.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bulls. The former MVP has been sidelined for the last seven games due to a left knee injury, but there's a possibility he will return for Sunday's contest. If Embiid is unable to go, Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele are expected to continue taking on expanded roles. Embiid has struggled to find a rhythm this season, and fantasy managers are hoping he can return to full health soon to help get the 76ers' season back on track.
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (Achilles) is considered probable for Sunday's matchup against the Denver Nuggets. Young has been managing right Achilles tendinitis, but it hasn't impacted his performance. The All-Star point guard recently put up a remarkable 31 points and 20 assists in Friday's win over the Lakers, marking the second time in six games he's reached at least 20 assists. With over 12 assists per game, he continues to lead the league in that category.
New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson (back) will remain in the lineup on Saturday versus Detroit. He was initially regarded as questionable for the contest due to a back issue. With Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) on the shelf, Brunson is looking at extra offensive duties on Saturday. However, with the Pistons allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points in the league to opposing point guards, it might not be a very good night for Brunson, especially if he's not at 100 percent.
New York Knicks point guard Cameron Payne (elbow) is not ready to rejoin the lineup on Saturday against Detroit. A left elbow problem will keep Payne sidelined for a second consecutive game. Miles McBride and Tyler Kolek will get additional work off the bench on Saturday. The pair may also benefit from the fact that Jalen Brunson (back) is dealing with an injury and might not have a full workload. Kolek has yet to prove his worth as a rookie, but McBride has been performing well off the Knicks bench all year.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's matchup against Detroit. He's dealing with a knee issue and is missing only his second game of the season. It's been a superb debut campaign for Towns in New York, and it will be difficult to replace him. Jericho Sims will start in his absence, while Precious Achiuwa and Ariel Hukporti should fill some of the minutes at the five position as well. Sims' only previous start this season resulted in a four-point, seven-rebound effort in 18 minutes.
Toronto Raptors center Kelly Olynyk (back) is set to make his 2024-25 regular-season debut on Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks. This is exciting news for the 33-year-old, who has been sidelined since October due to a back strain. Last season, Olynyk appeared in 28 games for Toronto, contributing 12.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game while playing a key role in the rotation. His minutes will likely be limited in his return, but his presence provides valuable depth to the Raptors' frontcourt. Hopefully, he can stay healthy and make an impact moving forward.
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (foot) will take the court on Saturday against Memphis. He has been upgraded from probable to available. White is dealing with a right foot sprain but is good to go as Boston closes out a back-to-back. He's likely delighted to quickly get a new opportunity to play, as White had a season-low six points on horrible 1-for-10 shooting in Friday's 111-105 win over Milwaukee. That's now two rough shooting nights on the bounce for White, who is typically quite efficient with his scoring and has been averaging a career-high 17.6 points this season.
Boston Celtics forward/center Kristaps Porzingis (leg) will return to the lineup for Saturday's contest against Memphis. He was kept out of action on Friday versus Milwaukee as Porzingis continues to manage a leg injury. The Latvian big man will be a natural replacement for Al Horford (toe), who will exit the lineup on Saturday. Porzingis only recently made his season debut and has averaged 21.0 points and 7.8 rebounds in 27.3 minutes across four games. He faces a tough matchup on Saturday, as Memphis has shown strong defensive numbers against opposing big men this season.
Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (illness) is available for Saturday's game against the Dallas Mavericks, limiting his absence to just one game after missing Thursday's contest against the Thunder. This is great news for Toronto, as Poeltl has been a force in the paint, consistently delivering on both ends of the floor. The big man has recorded at least one block in six straight games and tallied double-doubles in eight of his last 10 outings, showcasing his invaluable presence for the Raptors.
Miami Heat shooting guard Pelle Larsson (ankle) will not play against Phoenix on Saturday. He sprained his right ankle in Friday's practice and will come out of the lineup after enjoying a good stretch of games in the rotation. The rookie from Sweden has logged 15-plus minutes in six of the last seven contests. Jaime Jaquez Jr. figures to take care of most of Larsson's minutes on Saturday, although fantasy managers might still not get enough value out of him.
Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (ankle) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Raptors. His next opportunity to return will be Tuesday against the Thunder. Hardy's playing time often fluctuates based on the health of the Mavericks' roster, but he's shown the ability to score in bursts, as evidenced by his 13 points in just six minutes during his last outing. With Hardy sidelined, Spencer Dinwiddie could see increased minutes in the backcourt.
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (knee) will be active against Phoenix on Saturday. He was listed as probable on the initial injury report. The Heat star recently missed one game with a sore knee but looked great last time out against the Lakers. He finished a blowout win on Wednesday with 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one block, and two steals in 29 minutes. Butler's presence in the lineup limits Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s fantasy appeal. He logged only 17 minutes off the bench on Wednesday.
