Shai shines as Thunder strike down Raptors; Porter Jr shines on first Nuggets start; Short-handed Rockets lose to Pels; Grizzlies down Hornets
Monday 30 December 2019 08:11, UK
LeBron James orchestrated the game on Sunday night to lead the Los Angeles Lakers past the banged-up Dallas Mavericks 108-95 at Staples Center.
LeBron James orchestrated the game on Sunday night to lead the Los Angeles Lakers past the banged-up Dallas Mavericks 108-95 at Staples Center.
Anthony Davis top scored with 23 points and nine rebounds but on the eve of his 35th birthday, James finished with 13 points and 13 assists. His pass-first mentality, coupled with his laser-sharp court vision, meant he was providing open looks for his team-mates all night.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 19 points, converting 5 of 9 shots and 4 of 5 three-pointers off the bench for the Lakers, while Dwight Howard scored all 15 of his points in the first half.
Luka Doncic, who entered the contest as the NBA's third-leading scorer at 29.1 points per game, had 19 points on 5-of-14 shooting to go with seven assists. He was 0-for-6 from deep.
The Mavericks got a scare in the second quarter when the young superstar crashed to the floor after being fouled by Howard on a drive to the bucket. He left the game with 2:02 remaining in the first half but returned for the second half but seemed in discomfort throughout which probably contributed to his struggles.
Dallas wasn't as fortunate with Tim Hardaway Jr, who left the contest with 5:26 remaining in the first quarter after sustaining a hamstring injury.
Delon Wright added 14 points off the bench for the Mavs, while Kristaps Porzingis managed 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting.
Victory means the Lakers are 11-4 at home, Dallas dropped to 12-4 on the road.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander matched his career best with 32 points - including the go-ahead jumper with 36 seconds remaining - as the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder managed a 98-97 win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
Chris Paul scored 20 of his 25 points in the second half as the Thunder won their fifth straight game in Toronto and sixth in their last seven contests overall.
Paul added 11 rebounds and eight assists in the victory. Nerlens Noel added 13 points and Darius Bazley scored 12 for Oklahoma City.
Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet each scored 20 points for the Raptors. Patrick McCaw added 13 points, Serge Ibaka had 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Terence Davis II had 11 points.
The game was tight down the stretch and VanVleet's two free throws put Toronto up by one with 54.2 seconds to go, before Toronto-born Gilgeous-Alexander decided the outcome with a short jumper.
Rookie Michael Porter Jr had a season-high 19 points in his first career start as the host Denver Nuggets relied on a balanced offense beat the Sacramento Kings 120-115.
Will Barton also had 19 points, Jerami Grant scored 18, Nikola Jokic had 17, Mason Plumlee had 15 off the bench and Jamal Murray had 13 points and seven assists for Denver.
Nemanja Bjelica had 27 points, Buddy Hield scored 20, De'Aaron Fox added 18 points and 13 assists and Richaun Holmes also scored 18 for the Kings, who have lost seven straight.
The Nuggets played without guard Gary Harris (left shin contusion) and forward Paul Millsap (left knee contusion) but have now won 9 of the last 10 and sit second in the Western Conference.
Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball scored 27 points each as the New Orleans Pelicans won at home against the short-handed Houston Rockets by 127-112.
Ball hit a career-high 7 threes in a game, while Jrue Holiday and E'Twaun Moore added 25 each and Derrick Favors had 12 points and 16 rebounds as the Pelicans won for the fifth time in six games. They outscored the Rockets 41-19 in the fourth quarter.
The Rockets played without James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Coach Mike D'Antoni said Harden, averaging a league-best 38.3 points, could have played but was held out to rest a sprained toe and a sore knee. Westbrook was inactive on the back end of a back-to-back after host Houston beat the Brooklyn Nets 108-98 on Saturday.
Danuel House Jr scored 22 points, Eric Gordon added 20, Isaiah Hartenstein had 19 points and nine rebounds, Chris Clemons had 16 points and nine assists, and Ben McLemore scored 12 to lead the Rockets.
Dillon Brooks scored 20 points and the Memphis Grizzlies found numerous sources of offense to defeat the visiting Charlotte Hornets, 117-104.
Brandon Clarke tallied 18 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 16, Grayson Allen matched a season-high mark with 15 points and Jaren Jackson Jr supplied 14 and 12 rebounds for the Grizzlies.
Ten Memphis players knocked down at least two field goals as the Grizzlies went to several scoring options and they also shot 17-for-17 on free throws.
Malik Monk led Charlotte with 18 points off the bench, while PJ Washington and Devonte' Graham both chipped in with 16. Cody Zeller provided 14 points and Bismack Biyombo had 10.
The sour-shooting Hornets have lost five games in a row, while the Grizzlies have won three of five as they sit 10th in the West, 1.5 games back from the final playoff slot.
