NBA roundup: Jazz overcome Cooper Flagg's historic outing for Mavs
Tue Dec 16 2:22am ET
Field Level Media
Keyonte George scored 37 points -- his second straight 30-plus-point game -- and dished out six assists while leading the Utah Jazz to a 140-133 overtime victory against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday in Salt Lake City.
Utah overcame a historic performance from Dallas' Cooper Flagg, who became the first 18-year-old to have a 40-point game in NBA history. Flagg produced 42 points while also finishing with six assists and seven rebounds.
Lauri Markkanen added 33 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and four steals for the Jazz, teaming with George to score nine of Utah's 11 overtime points. Kyle Filipowski chipped in 25 points and nine rebounds as the Jazz won for the fourth time in six games.
P.J. Washington chipped in 25 points and 13 rebounds for the Mavericks, who had won five of their previous six games. Naji Marshall had 15 points, and Ryan Nembhard added 14 points and 11 assists.
Nuggets 128, Rockets 125 (OT)
Jamal Murray scored six of his 35 points in overtime, Nikola Jokic produced 39 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists before fouling out, and host Denver beat Houston.
Tim Hardaway Jr. and Cameron Johnson scored 13 apiece and Spencer Jones contributed 11, including a 3-pointer in overtime to help Denver end its four-game home losing streak. The Nuggets, who have won five in a row overall, saw Peyton Watson leave for good in the first quarter due to a right trunk injury.
Alperen Sengun finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, Kevin Durant added 25 points and five blocks, Amen Thompson had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Jabari Smith Jr. logged 16 points and 10 boards for Houston.
Grizzlies 121, Clippers 103
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored a season-high 31 points, Cam Spencer added a career-high 27 points and Memphis finished off a victory over Los Angeles at Inglewood, Calif.
Jaylen Wells added 16 points for the Grizzlies, who opened a 90-76 lead through three quarters and cruised to their third victory over the Clippers since Nov. 28. Memphis star Ja Morant was held to 12 points over 21 minutes in his second game since returning from a calf injury. Morant shot 4 of 12 from the floor and played just 21 minutes as the team restricts his action.
Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points and Kris Dunn added 17 for the Clippers, who lost their eighth consecutive home game. James Harden was held to 13 points as Los Angeles fell to 3-12 over a stretch in which it has played 12 of the 15 games on the road.
Pistons 112, Celtics 105
Cade Cunningham collected 32 points and 10 assists to help visiting Detroit extend its winning streak to four games by beating Boston.
Cunningham was 11 of 21 from the floor, which included 6 of 10 from 3-point territory. Caris LeVert and Tobias Harris each added 13 points for the Pistons.
Jaylen Brown had 34 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Boston, but missed seven of his 14 free-throw attempts. Derrick White tossed in 31 for the Celtics, who have lost two in a row.
Raptors 106, Heat 96
Brandon Ingram scored 28 points as Toronto snapped a four-game skid with a win over host Miami.
Ingram buried 5-of-7 3-pointers, while Scottie Barnes compiled 17 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. Immanuel Quickley added 15 points as the Raptors dominated the fourth quarter 32-19.
Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell posted 20 points each for Miami, which suffered its fifth straight defeat. Adebayo also hauled in 10 boards and Kel'el Ware had 13 rebounds in 19 minutes for the Heat, who lost Tyler Herro before the game with a right big toe contusion, then suffered another blow when Nikola Jovic suffered a right elbow injury in the first quarter.
- NBA roundup: Jazz overcome Cooper Flagg's historic outing for Mavs
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- Warriors G Stephen Curry (thigh) expected to return Friday
- Mavs C Dereck Lively II to have season-ending foot surgery
- Malik Beasley, agent deny reports guard close to playing in Serbia
- Suns minority owners maintain Mat Ishbia's majority stake is in play
- Chris Paul feeling at peace after being dumped by Clippers
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- NBA roundup: Pacers down Kings, continue rebound from 2-16 start
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- Magic F Franz Wagner could miss weeks with ankle injury
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San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama will come off the bench in Tuesday's NBA Cup Final against the Knicks. He recently returned from a 12-game absence for Saturday's win over Oklahoma City. Although he also came off the bench for that one, he still finished with an impressive 22 points, nine boards, two blocks, and one steal. There's a good chance Wemby plays a little more than the 20 minutes he logged in his last outing, making him a must-start in all fantasy setups.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (personal) isn't listed on the injury report for Wednesday's matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies. The multi-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year was having himself a fantastic night in Sunday's win over Sacramento. However, he exited after 20 minutes due to "personal reasons," and would finish that one with seven points, 12 boards, and one block. With Anthony Edwards (foot) potentially out once again, Gobert could continue to benefit on both sides of the floor versus a Memphis team that is without Zach Edey (ankle).
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (foot) is considered questionable heading into Wednesday's meeting with the Memphis Grizzlies. He's already missed two-straight games because of what is being called right foot "injury maintenance." However, despite how the issue is labled on the official Injury Report, the chance of another absence certainly doesn't sit well with fantasy managers. With Mike Conley (Achilles) out again, Bones Hyland, coming off an 18-point, five-assist, one-block effort, is worth considering for fantasy lineups. Of course, that's assuming he remains in the starting lineup.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (ankle) is questionable ahead of Wednesday's contest versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. He recently missed 10 games because of a right calf strain. However, after returning for the loss to the Utah Jazz on December 12, the 26-year-old tweaked his left ankle late in Monday's win over the the Los Angeles Clippers. It's unknown just how severe Morant's latest injury is, although it's somewhat reassuring that he at least has a shot to suit up, or so it appears. If he's unable to get on the floor, Vince Williams Jr. will likely take his place his rotation. The 2022 No. 47 overall pick has made 11 starts throughout the 2025 campaign, averaging 8.1 points, 7.2 assists, and 4.6 rebounds, giving him some value for those participating in deep fantasy formats, especially since Cam Spencer (personal), who had 27 points on Monday night, has already been ruled out.
San Antonio Spurs forward/center Victor Wembanyama may start Tuesday's NBA Cup final against the New York Knicks on the bench. The French superstar came off the bench for the first time in his career when he returned from a calf strain in Saturday's semifinal against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Wembanyama sat out the entire first quarter and played only seven minutes in the first half. He logged 13:20 after halftime, recording 22 points, nine rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks in the game. Even with a limited workload, Wembanyama can make a huge impact, and his fantasy production isn't dependent on whether he starts or not.
Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Cooper Flagg had a special night on Monday, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 40-plus points in a game. He led all scorers with 42 points on 13-for-27 shooting in a 140-133 overtime loss. Flagg, who will turn 19 on Sunday, also had seven rebounds, six assists, one steal, and two blocks in the contest. He went 15-for-20 at the charity stripe and shot 1-for-4 from downtown. Previously, the highest points total by an 18-year-old in the NBA was 37, set by LeBron James in 2003. Although Flagg has struggled with consistency at times in his rookie year, he has still had a strong overall season. Across his first 26 career appearances, Flagg has averaged 18.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (elbow) will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports. Only seconds after entering Monday's tilt against the Toronto Raptors, Jovic injured his right elbow and had to exit the game. He took an awkward fall on a dunk attempt. X-rays on Jovic's right arm came back negative on Monday night, which is good news. However, he might still have to miss time. Simone Fontecchio and Jaime Jaquez Jr. will see additional playing time if Miami loses Jovic from the rotation. The team will return to work on Thursday night against the Brooklyn Nets.
Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser (ankle) played only four minutes in Monday's 112-105 loss to the Detroit Pistons. He left the action in the first quarter after injuring his left ankle. Initially, the team announced that Hauser was questionable to return, but he sat out the rest of the contest. In his absence, Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman picked up more shifts off the bench. Gonzalez made a greater impact, scoring five points and recording five assists in 18 minutes. Boston will be off until Friday, when the team starts a back-to-back set, giving Hauser extra time to recover. Whether this will be enough for him to play and avoid his first absence of the season remains uncertain.
Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (side) is not expected to miss extended time, Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette reports. Watson played only six minutes in Monday's 128-125 overtime win against the Houston Rockets, leaving the action with a right trunk contusion. "Nothing long term as far as I can understand," Nuggets head coach David Adelman said postgame about Watson's injury, calling it a "stinger." Due to injuries, Watson has held a very important role in the rotation, starting every game over the last month. He has averaged 14.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 30.0 minutes as a starter. Watson must recover by Thursday to avoid missing his first game of the season.
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (ankle) suffered another injury blow in Monday's 121-103 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal reports. The enigmatic star tweaked his left ankle on a drive to the basket late in the fourth quarter. He missed the final 3:40 of action, finishing with 12 points, three rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block in 21 minutes. This was Morant's second game back after he missed 10 contests with a calf injury. Morant also dealt with a left ankle injury during preseason and didn't play in any of the exhibition games. Memphis will re-evaluate Morant on Tuesday to determine his availability for the rest of this week's slate.
Rockets' C Alperen Sengun recorded a triple-double, finishing with 33 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in a 125-128 loss to Denver on Monday, Dec. 15.
Denver's C Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 39 points, 10 assists and 15 rebounds in a 128-125 win over the Rockets on Monday, Dec. 15.
Mavericks' F Cooper Flagg scored 42 points on 13-of-27 shooting in a 133-140 loss to Utah on Monday, Dec. 15.
Memphis Grizzlies forward/center Brandon Clarke (knee) is not ready to make his season debut on Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers. The team has downgraded Clarke's status from doubtful to out. Clarke's next chance to return will be a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. With Zach Edey (ankle) ruled out for several weeks, Clarke could have a significant role in the rotation once he's available. A season ago, Clarke averaged 8.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game.
Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (calf) will play on Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk reports. Some confusion arose about Harden's status when he was labeled a game-time decision, despite Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue seemingly confirming his availability during his pre-game press conference with reporters. Harden has struggled to score in meetings with Memphis this season, managing just 20.5 points per game on 38.7 percent shooting. However, he has notched one of his eight double-doubles against the Grizzlies, averaging 9.0 assists per contest in the matchup.
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant will continue to have his minutes monitored in Monday's matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers, Janis Carr of The Orange County Register reports. On Friday against the Utah Jazz, Morant returned from a 10-game absence and was limited to 25 minutes. He will likely have a similar workload on Monday. Even with the restriction, Morant recorded a double-double versus Utah, finishing with 21 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, and one block. Monday presents another favorable matchup for Morant, as the Clippers give up the 10th-most fantasy points this season to point guards.
Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (calf) may not be available after all on Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies. Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue reportedly misspoke when he said Harden would definitely play against Memphis. According to Janis Carr of The Orange County Register, the former MVP is actually considered a game-time decision. If Harden is unavailable, Kris Dunn and Bogdan Bogdanovic are likely to take on larger roles.
Memphis Grizzlies guard/forward John Konchar (thumb) will be re-evaluated in three weeks, the team announced on Monday. Due to a UCL tear in his left thumb, Konchar will miss a second consecutive game on Monday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. Konchar has averaged 13.0 minutes per game this season, posting 3.0 points and 2.7 rebounds. He has recently enjoyed a slightly larger workload due to Memphis' injury situation. Konchar has joined Brandon Clarke (knee), Zach Edey (ankle), Ty Jerome (calf), Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), and Javon Small (toe) on the shelf.
Denver Nuggets guard/forward Julian Strawther (back) has been cleared to return to the lineup on Monday versus the Houston Rockets. He has missed 12 games due to a back problem and was initially listed as questionable for the matchup. Strawther's return adds another body to the Nuggets' rotation, but he likely won't play a large role for the team, even with Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Christian Braun (ankle) on the shelf. This season, Strawther has been limited to 3.7 points and 1.6 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per game.
Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (calf) will suit up on Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. Due to a calf contusion, the former MVP was in danger of missing his second game of the season. However, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue has confirmed that Harden will play. Recently, Harden dropped 34 points on the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he has been sluggish overall this month. In five December outings, Harden has posted 22.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. The veteran superstar met the Grizzlies only a couple of weeks ago, settling for 16 points in 36 minutes and handing out seven assists.
