NBA roundup: Down 21, Thunder storm past Grizzlies
Sat Jan 10 1:52am ET
Field Level Media
Jalen Williams scored a season-high 26 points, Ajay Mitchell added 23 and Kenrich Williams also posted a season high with 21 off the bench as the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from 21 points down in the second half to stun the host Memphis Grizzlies 117-116 on Friday night.
The Thunder outscored the Grizzlies 71-51 in the second half and extended their winning streak over Memphis to 16 consecutive games (including playoffs). The Grizzlies haven't defeated the Thunder since Dec. 7, 2022. Memphis lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Oklahoma City trailed by 11 (114-103) with 3:32 to go when it began a furious comeback. The Thunder went on a 14-0 run and grabbed their first lead since the opening quarter on a 3-pointer by Kenrich Williams with 1:07 to go. Lu Dort capped the run with two free throws with 58.9 seconds left for a 117-114 advantage. Memphis got a putback basket from Jock Landale with 37.3 seconds left but a frantic 15-foot jumper by Cedric Coward in the closing seconds was blocked by the Thunder's Alex Caruso.
Oklahoma City, the reigning NBA champion, played without starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle), Chet Holmgren (shin) and Isaiah Hartenstein (calf). Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 23 points and GG Jackson tied a season high with 18 off the bench. Santi Aldama contributed 15 points and Landale had 13 points and 10 boards for Memphis, which was without Ja Morant (calf) for the fourth straight game.
Trail Blazers 111, Rockets 105
Toumani Camara scored a career-high 25 points and Portland spoiled Kevin Durant's milestone night with a home victory over Houston.
Durant recorded 30 points and 12 rebounds and swished a 3-pointer with 7:57 left in the third quarter to move into seventh on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Durant passed legendary Wilt Chamberlain (31,419). His career point total sits at 31,435 after Houston's second consecutive loss in Portland.
Shaedon Sharpe had 20 points and eight rebounds while Deni Avdija also scored 20 points for the Trail Blazers, who have won five straight and seven of their past eight. Amen Thompson recorded 24 points and nine rebounds and Reed Sheppard added 20 points off the bench for Houston.
Warriors 137, Kings 103
De'Anthony Melton ignited a 15-0 burst bridging the third and fourth quarters with six straight points, Stephen Curry went for a game-high 27 and Golden State won a second in a row to start a lengthy homestand, thumping Sacramento in San Francisco.
Melton finished with 19 points off the bench and Curry completed his second double-double of the season with a game-high 10 assists for the Warriors, who ran up a season-best 39 assists on their 52 baskets.
DeMar DeRozan had a team-high 24 points for the Kings, who played Golden State evenly for the first 33 minutes, gaining an 84-all tie on a Dennis Schroder 17-footer with 3:13 left in the third quarter.
Celtics 125, Raptors 117
Payton Pritchard had a game-high 27 points to go with five rebounds and eight assists to help host Boston end Toronto's three-game winning streak.
Jaylen Brown added 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Celtics as Boston won for the fifth time in six games. Sam Hauser hit five 3-pointers and finished with 19 points in the win.
The Raptors played without two of their top players as forwards Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes both missed the game with injuries. Jakob Poeltl missed his ninth straight game with a back injury. The short-handed Raptors received 19 points from both Ja'Kobe Walter and RJ Barrett.
76ers 103, Magic 91
Tyrese Maxey scored 14 of his 29 points in the third quarter, fueling visiting Philadelphia to a victory over Orlando.
Maxey has totaled 92 points to help the 76ers win two of the three meetings in the season series. Joel Embiid collected 22 points and nine rebounds and Paul George added 18 and nine, respectively, as the 76ers sealed their fifth win in six games by outscoring the Magic 20-12 in the fourth quarter.
Desmond Bane scored 23 points and Anthony Black added 21 as Orlando has traded wins and losses over its last 13 games. Paolo Banchero recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds and Wendell Carter Jr. added 13 and eight, respectively.
Bucks 105, Lakers 101
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 21 points and made two key defensive plays in the closing seconds as visiting Milwaukee finished off a victory over Los Angeles.
Kevin Porter Jr. scored 22 points, Kyle Kuzma had 13 against his former team and Bobby Portis had 11 points with 12 rebounds as the Bucks improved to 2-1 on a four-game road trip. Milwaukee is 5-2 since Dec. 27.
LeBron James scored 26 points with nine rebounds and 10 assists, while Luka Doncic scored 24 points with nine rebounds and nine assists as the Lakers dropped to 4-6 since Dec. 20. Doncic was 4 of 6 from 3-point range and 4 of 19 on two-point shots.
Suns 112, Knicks 107
Devin Booker scored 31 points, Dillon Brooks added 27 and the pair combined for nine 3-pointers as host Phoenix held off New York.
Grayson Allen made four free throws and Brooks hit two in the final 13.5 seconds after the Knicks overcame a 12-point deficit to tie the game at 101 with three minutes remaining. Jalen Brunson scored 27 points and made five 3-pointers and Karl-Anthony Towns had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who have lost five of six.
The Suns have won five straight at home and broke a three-game losing streak to the Knicks. Phoenix is 22-11 since starting 1-4 in coach Jordan Ott's first season.
Clippers 121, Nets 105
James Harden scored 31 points and Los Angeles started quickly in a wire-to-wire victory over Brooklyn in New York.
Harden scored 22 in Los Angeles' dominant first half and finished with his ninth 30-point game this season. He made 10 of 13 shots and handed out six assists as the Clippers finished with 28 assists and won for the eighth time in 10 games. Kawhi Leonard added 26 on 9-of-15 shooting for his 19th straight game with at least 20 points.
Rookie Egor Demin led the Nets with 19 points and hit five 3-pointers, but Michael Porter Jr. struggled with 18 points on 7-of-20 shooting (0-of-9 from 3-point range). Nic Claxton and Cam Thomas added 13 apiece as Brooklyn was unable to capitalize on getting 19 offensive rebounds.
Hawks 110, Nuggets 87
Jalen Johnson scored 29 points, Dyson Daniels finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and Atlanta outscored host Denver 36-12 in the fourth quarter to pull out a win.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 22 points for Atlanta, which was playing its first game since four-time All-Star Trae Young was dealt to Washington. CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, acquired in the Young deal, have yet to join the team.
Peyton Watson scored 25 points, Aaron Gordon added 14, Zeke Nnaji finished with 12, and Tim Hardaway Jr. and Hunter Tyson scored 10 each for Denver, which was 4-for-17 shooting in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets played without Jamal Murray and Spencer Jones, both nursing left ankle injuries, in addition to the absences of Nikola Jokic (left knee), Jonas Valanciunas (calf) and Cameron Johnson (right knee).
Pelicans 128, Wizards 107
Trey Murphy III scored 15 of his game-high 35 points in the third quarter and Zion Williamson dominated at times in both halves en route to 31 points as New Orleans decisively ended its nine-game losing streak with a win at Washington.
Murphy III, who also had eight rebounds, missed Wednesday's loss at the Atlanta Hawks due to lower-back spasms. He demonstrated his readiness right away with two 3-pointers in the opening minutes and finished with seven treys overall.
This was the second time this season the Pelicans stopped a nine-game losing streak. Williamson shot 85.7% (12-for-14) from the field while Derik Queen, who returned home after starring as a freshman at Maryland last year, registered his second career triple-double. He had 14 points to go with a team-high 16 rebounds and 12 assists.
- NBA roundup: Down 21, Thunder storm past Grizzlies
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- Giannis Antetokounmpo ask Bucks for a trade? 'Never'
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- Hawks trade 4-time All-Star PG Trae Young to Wizards
- Hawks' Trae Young eyes Wizards as preferred destination
- Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (knee) questionable vs. Jazz
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- Kings F Keegan Murray (ankle) out 3-4 weeks
- Heat's Tyler Herro cleared for return: 'I just had to get healthy'
- Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell (rest) out vs. Pacers
- NBA roundup: Visiting Hornets shock Thunder with blowout win
- Hawks, Trae Young mutually exploring trade options
- Rockets, Mavs to play preseason games in Macao
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- Clippers' Derrick Jones Jr. out with another MCL sprain
Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (ankle) will be absent for a third consecutive game on Saturday against the Chicago Bulls. He has landed on the shelf with a right ankle sprain and will get his next opportunity to return on Monday night in a meeting with the Brooklyn Nets. Naji Marshall is likely to keep his starting spot on Saturday and deserves fantasy attention. He is averaging 16.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in a starting role this campaign.
Dallas Mavericks point guard Brandon Williams (illness) won't be available on Saturday against the Chicago Bulls. An illness limited Williams to nine minutes on Thursday against the Utah Jazz, and he will now sit out the entire game on Saturday to give his body a chance to recover. With Williams out, Ryan Nembhard and Klay Thompson are likely to be more involved in the rotation on Saturday night. Thompson matched his season high with 23 points on Thursday, entering the weekend with positive momentum.
Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (back) is in danger of missing a second consecutive game, as the team listed him as questionable for Saturday's game against the Miami Heat. Nembhard couldn't play on Thursday versus the Charlotte Hornets due to a sore lower back. Quenton Jackson started in his place, while T.J. McConnell and Ben Sheppard saw more action off the bench. McConnell had by far the best game of the trio, producing 23 points with four rebounds, eight assists, and four steals. If Nembhard remains out on Saturday, McConnell will be an appealing fantasy target in a matchup against a team that gives up the fifth-most fantasy points to point guards.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (foot/sciatica) will play on Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. The NBA's all-time leading scorer has received a couple of upgrades throughout the day and has now officially been listed as available for the game. James will return from a one-game absence, and as a result, Jarred Vanderbilt must likely settle for a bench role on Friday night.
Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (toe) is considered questionable for a meeting with the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. The Bosnian big man could miss a second consecutive game with a toe injury. Kevin Love, who had 10 points and 10 rebounds in Thursday's win over the Dallas Mavericks, is looking at a second straight start if Nurkic isn't healthy enough to return. Kyle Filipowski would also have a more meaningful role to play, especially with Lauri Markkanen (rest) out of the lineup.
Denver Nuggets guard/forward Bruce Brown (knee) has been upgraded from questionable to available for Friday's encounter with the Atlanta Hawks. The veteran swingman is ready to play despite dealing with inflammation in his right knee. Brown had a busy night as a starter on Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers, but he will come off the bench on Friday night, limiting his fantasy appeal.
Charlotte Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow) is listed as probable for Saturday's contest against the Utah Jazz. This is a sign that the rookie big man is ready to end a 10-game absence. He departed the lineup before the holidays due to a left elbow sprain. Kalkbrenner's return would mark the end of Moussa Diabate's run as a starter. Meanwhile, PJ Hall could fall out of the rotation. Kalkbrenner has chosen a good spot for his return, as Utah has some of the weakest defensive numbers in the league against opposing centers.
Denver Nuggets guard/forward Spencer Jones (ankle, illness) will not play on Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks. He's dealing with inflammation in his right ankle and an illness. Jones has been a regular starter for Denver since late November. The team has several options to replace him in the starting unit, including Aaron Gordon, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Bruce Brown (knee), who has shaken off a questionable tag.
Denver Nuggets guard/forward Christian Braun (ankle) will suit up for Friday's clash against the Atlanta Hawks. The team upgraded Braun's status from probable to available. This will be Braun's third game since his return from an ankle injury. His first couple of efforts since the injury have been underwhelming, as the 24-year-old has averaged 4.0 points and 3.5 rebounds. On Friday, Braun could have a more prominent role on offense, with Jamal Murray (ankle, illness) joining Nikola Jokic (knee) on the shelf.
Denver Nuggets forward/center Aaron Gordon (hamstring) is active against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. Denver upgraded his status from probable to available ahead of tip-off. Gordon has averaged 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 22.5 minutes since returning from a hamstring injury. He has been used off the bench since his comeback, and Gordon will remain part of the second unit on Friday night.
Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray (ankle, illness) has been ruled out for Friday's matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. The star guard was initially on the injury report as probable with a left ankle injury. However, he was downgraded to questionable earlier in the day due to illness, and the team has now ruled him out. Jalen Pickett recently had a big game against the Philadelphia 76ers as Murray's replacement in the starting unit, and he will likely play a larger role again on Friday night.
Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Julius Randle (thumb) is considered questionable for Saturday's meeting with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The veteran is dealing with a sore thumb on his shooting hand. If he can't shake off the injury, Randle would be out for the first time this campaign. There is also a question mark hanging over Anthony Edwards (foot), so Minnesota's attack could have a completely different look on Saturday. Randle's departure from the lineup would likely mean larger roles for Naz Reid and Jaylen Clark.
Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (knee) won't play on Friday night against the Denver Nuggets. The team downgraded the French youngster from questionable to out, resulting in Risacher's fourth absence of the season. This opens the door for Vit Krejci and Luke Kennard to see increased minutes, with Kennard the more appealing fantasy option given his five-game double-digit scoring run.
Atlanta Hawks forward/center Kristaps Porzingis (Achilles) won't play on Friday night against the Denver Nuggets. The team has ruled him out after Porzingis was a late addition to the injury report due to a sore left Achilles. His exit from the lineup opens up additional minutes for Mouhamed Gueye, who will operate as the backup center behind Onyeka Okongwu. With no Nikola Jokic (knee) for the Nuggets, it could be a field day for Atlanta's centers inside the paint.
Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (rest) won't play on Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets. The former All-Star has logged 40-plus minutes in three of the last four games, and the team has decided to give him some rest on Saturday. Without Markkanen, Kyle Filipowski, Cody Williams, and Taylor Hendricks all have more playing opportunities. Filipowski has the best fantasy upside among them, but his inconsistency is a concern. On Saturday, Filipowski may also benefit from Jusuf Nurkic's (toe) absence, as he is listed as questionable on the injury report.
Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham (wrist) is questionable for Saturday's matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers. He missed his fourth game of the season on Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls due to a wrist injury. In Cunningham's absence, Jaden Ivey started the game, while Daniss Jenkins stood out with a career-high 15 assists off the bench. Both guards will have additional fantasy value again on Saturday if Cunningham remains out of the lineup.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Alex Caruso (back) is available to play Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. Caruso has missed the last two games with a back injury but is set to return Friday. The veteran has averaged 6,9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 18 minutes, all down from his 2024-25 averages. With key starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren (shin) ruled out for Friday's contest against the Grizzlies, Caruso may have a larger role despite playing his first game this week. While he could play more minutes than usual, Caruso remains on the low end of fantasy relevance at this point.
Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (ankle) has been ruled out for Saturday's contest against the Los Angeles Clippers. He continues to nurse a right ankle sprain sustained during New Year's Day's game against the Miami Heat. Isaiah Stewart's workload has significantly increased during Duren's absence. After initially struggling as a starter, Stewart finally came through for fantasy managers on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls. The 24-year-old scored a career-high 31 points on 14-for-17 shooting. Stewart has a good chance to do more damage on Saturday against one of the league's weakest defensive squads.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward Anthony Edwards (foot) is listed as questionable for Saturday's clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Even though he's been listed as questionable for a number of games recently due to a right foot injury, the Timberwolves star has managed to stay in the lineup. He also went head-to-head with the Cavaliers on Thursday, producing 25 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and one block. Bones Hyland would probably assume a more prominent role if Edwards takes some time off because of his injury.
Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday (calf) will remain on the shelf for Friday's tilt against the Houston Rockets. The team has downgraded Holiday on the injury report from doubtful to out. The veteran guard will miss his 27th straight game due to a right calf strain. Although Holiday will sit out again on Friday, he seems to be moving in the right direction. He was cleared for on-court activities last week and hadn't been listed as doubtful before. With Holiday sidelined, Caleb Love will continue to have additional fantasy value on Friday night. He has notched 15.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game since the turn of the year.
