DETROIT (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 21 of his 33 points in the first half, Russell Westbrook became the 25th player in NBA history to score 25,000 points and the Los Angeles Clippers put on an offensive show in a 136-125 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.
Los Angeles got off to a slow start while trailing by as many as 14 points in the first quarter, but scored 109 points in the final three periods. They shot 59.6% from the floor and 48.3% on 3-pointers.
Westbrook added 23 points and nine assists, and Paul George scored 18 points for the Clippers, who have won seven of eight.
Jalen Ivey had 28 points and Bojan Bogdanovic added 26 for Detroit, which is 4-41 after a 2-1 start. Marcus Sasser added 21 points.
MAGIC 108, TIMBERWOLVES 106
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Paolo Banchero had 23 points and six assists to help Orlando overcome a 17-point second-quarter deficit and beat Minnesota.
Wendell Carter Jr. added 18 points and 12 rebounds, Franz Wagner scored 19 points and Jalen Suggs pitched in 15 points in his hometown for the Magic in their rally.
Rudy Gobert had 22 points and 16 rebounds and Anthony Edwards scored 22 points for the Wolves, whose NBA -leading scoring defense has been hindered at times by an underperforming offense. This was another example of ill-timed turnovers and ill-advised shots down the stretch, as the Wolves had just 18 points in the fourth quarter.
NUGGETS 120, TRAIL BLAZERS 108
DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 27 points, 22 rebounds and 12 assists as Denver held off short-handed Portland.
Jokic recorded his 15th triple-double of the season. Jamal Murray nearly had a triple-double, too, finishing with 13 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Peyton Watson had 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter to help the Nuggets improve to 20-4 at home. Aaron Gordon finished with 18 as seven Nuggets players scored in double figures.
Reserve Scoot Henderson scored 30 points and Anfernee Simons added 29 for a Portland team missing some of its scoring punch, with Jerami Grant a late scratch due to lower back tightness. The Blazers were already without Shaedon Sharpe (lower abdominal strain).
HEAT 110, WIZARDS 102
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored 24 points, Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 14 rebounds and Miami used a 31-point third quarter to beat Washington for its second straight win after a seven-game skid.
Butler went 7 of 10 from the floor and hit his only 3-point attempt. Adebayo posted his 25th double-double of the season. Kevin Love added 13 points and 10 rebounds in 15 minutes.
Corey Kispert scored a season-high 26 points as Washington sank to 2-3 under interim coach Brian Keefe since he replaced Wes Unseld Jr.
Jordan Poole had 16 points and 10 assists, and Daniel Gafford added 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Wizards.
PELICANS 114, SPURS 113
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Zion Williamson had 33 points, including the winning layup over three defenders with 3.8 seconds left, in New Orleans’ win over San Antonio.
Williamson shot 12 for 21 from the field and had four points in the final 29 seconds as New Orleans won its second straight to finish its trip 2-2. C.J. McCollum added 21 points and Brandon Ingram had 19.
Devin Vassell had 28 points, but missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for San Antonio. Jeremy Sochan finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds, Victor Wembanyama added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Tre Jones had 20 points for the Spurs.
HAWKS 129, SUNS 120
ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young had 32 points and 15 assists, leading Atlanta over Phoenix.
Young shot 7 for 11 from 3-point distance and added two steals. Bogdan Bogdanovic came off the bench to hit 4 of 7 shots from long distance and finish with 23 points for Atlanta, which has won three straight games. Dejounte Murray scored 22 points and Jalen Johnson 16.
Kevin Durant led the Suns with 35 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Devin Booker added 24 points.
KINGS 133, PACERS 122
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Domantas Sabonis had 26 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists to break Oscar Robertson’s single-season franchise record with his 30th consecutive double-double and De’Aaron Fox added 25 points and six steals as Sacramento topped Indiana.
Malik Monk finished with 23 points, six assists and five rebounds for the Kings, who won for the fifth time in six games.
Bennedict Mathurin had 31 points and five rebounds for the Pacers, who shot 54% from the field and committed 21 turnovers. Pascal Siakam added 22 points and six rebounds as Indiana fell to 4-8 in its last 12 games.
ROCKETS 135, RAPTORS 106
HOUSTON (AP) — Rookie Cam Whitmore scored a season-high 25 points and Alperen Sengun had 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in three quarters to lead Houston’s rout of Toronto.
Houston led by double figures for most of the game and was up by 30 after three periods, allowing coach Ime Udoka to rest his starters for the entire fourth quarter.
Rockets rookie Amen Thompson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft, also had a season high with 19 points.
Scottie Barnes had 28 points and Immanuel Quickley added 25 for the Raptors, who lost for the sixth time in seven games.
THUNDER 126, HORNETS 106
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, and Oklahoma City rolled past Charlotte.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored at least 30 points for the ninth straight game. He made 11 of 15 field goals and had nine assists, five steals and three blocks in three quarters as the Thunder moved into a tie for first place in the Western Conference with Minnesota at 34-15.
Chet Holmgren added 16 points for the Thunder, who have won two straight and seven of nine.
Rookie Brandon Miller scored 28 points and Bryce McGowens added 15 for the Hornets, who lost their sixth straight. LaMelo Ball missed his fourth straight game for the Hornets with a right ankle overuse injury.
WARRIORS 121, GRIZZLIES 101
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jonathan Kuminga scored 29 points and Golden State defeated Memphis.
Stephen Curry had 20 points, six assists and six rebounds, and Klay Thompson added 14 points for the Warriors, who won their second straight. Kuminga was 11 for 15 from the field, with a 3-pointer, and surpassed 20 points for the eighth straight game.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 27 points. Jacob Gilyard scored a career-best 16 points and Vince Williams Jr. added 15 points, six rebounds and four assists as Memphis lost its fourth straight.
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