Warriors 128 (34-2), Trail Blazers 108 (15-24)
A ridiculous first quarter from Klay Thompson sent the Warriors on their way to victory over the scuffling Trail Blazers. Draymond Green continues to produce triple-doubles in seemingly every outing; the former Spartan posted 11 points with 13 boards and 10 dimes, while Stephen Curry added 26 points of his own. The Trail Blazers wasted a brilliant 40-point effort from Damian Lillard, while C.J. McCollum (who’s on the team’s active roster once again) scored 17 points.
Thunder 117 (26-11), Lakers 113 (8-30)
Louis Williams used his free-shooting approach to score a career-high 44 points, going a perfect 15-for-15 from the charity stripe. While the Lakers received solid scoring efforts from Kobe Bryant (19 points) and Jordan Clarkson (17 points), OKC emerged victorious thanks to a 50.6 combined percentage from the field. After catching some attention with his pre-game outfit, Russell Westbrook scored 36 points with 12 boards, and Kevin Durant added 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting.
Raptors 97 (23-15), Wizards 88 (15-19)
DeMar DeRozan scored a season-high 35 points, and Kyle Lowry posted a double-double with 21 points and 10 dimes en route to the team’s second straight victory. John Wall shouldered the offensive load for Washington with 21 points — and Otto Porter Jr. pitched in with 16 points and five boards — but it’s been difficult for the Wizards to compete without Bradley Beal in the lineup.
Magic 83 (20-17), Nets 77 (10-26)
Victor Oladipo (6-8 from downtown) and Nikola Vucevic posted 20 points each in a low-scoring affair; both Orlando and Brooklyn shot under 40 percent from the field. Featuring a veteran-heavy starting five, the Nets fell to their ninth-consecutive home loss with Friday’s defeat.
Nuggets 84 (13-24), Grizzlies 91 (20-18)
Zach Randolph came up big off the bench, scoring 24 points with six boards. Denver received 29 points from Danilo Gallinari on 8-of-18 shooting, but erratic ball-handling and a 36.8 field goal percentage led to defeat. Frustration boiled over late for the Nuggets, as big man Jusuf Nurkic got into it with the considerably-smaller Mario Chalmers.
VIDEO: Jusuf Nurkic and Mario Chalmers getting heated in a close game https://t.co/Hty3j3HDhr #Nuggets #Grizzlies
— An Nguyen (@The_NGUYENNER) January 9, 2016
Cavaliers 125 (25-9), Timberwolves 99 (12-25)
J.R. Smith led the way with 27 points, and Iman Shumpert added 23 off the bench as the Cavs took a lopsided victory over the T’Wolves. LeBron James may have only scored 13 points in this match-up, but he scored two of them in style: slamming home this windmill jam before raising the roof. Andrew Wiggins was a game competitor, scoring a career-high 35 points on 12-of-19 shooting. Despite exiting in the first half with an injury, Kevin Love would return to the game to score 20 points while securing nine rebounds.
Pacers 91 (21-15), Pelicans 86 (11-24)
Pelicans star Anthony Davis departed Friday’s game after just three minutes, suffering a bruised back while diving after a loose ball.
NEWS: Anthony Davis is in the Pelicans locker room after diving for a ball. He was grabbing his back. #INDatNOP pic.twitter.com/rPRIDhZWCR
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 9, 2016
The Pelicans received offense from secondary sources — Ryan Anderson and Tyreke Evans each posted at least 20 points — but are waiting for injury updates on Davis with bated breath. The Pacers took care of business against their short-handed opponents, receiving a double-double from Ian Mahinmi and 15 points from C.J. Miles.
Mavericks 95 (21-16), Bucks 96 (15-23)
Khris Middleton scored 27 points and banked home a lay-up toward the end of regulation to hand Dallas a stunning road defeat. Devin Harris scored a season-high 19 points for the Mavs, and Dirk Nowitzki added 20, but the team couldn’t compensate for 16 turnovers.
Knicks 99 (18-20), Spurs 100 (32-6)
The Knicks’ three-game winning streak came to an end in frustrating fashion, as Jose Calderon missed a three-point attempt (requiring just two points for victory) to end a back-and-forth contest. Kawhi Leonard poured n 19 points with 12 rebounds, Manu Ginobili scored 16 off the bench, and Boris Diaw celebrated the team’s undefeated record at home with an espresso.
Heat 103 (21-14), Suns 95 (13-25)
Dwyane Wade continued his string of incredible performances, as the 34-year-old has now averaged 24 points over his last three games. The high-flying Gerald Green contributed 21 points off the bench, and Goran Dragic added 22 to punctuate Miami’s sharp shooting from the field. The perennially underrated Brandon Knight scored 26 points, and Devin Booker went on an 11-0 run at one point, but the Suns weren’t able to turn their second-half run into a victory.
