We are over a quarter of the season for some teams, and the intensity at all levels is increasing. Boston looks set for revenge after last year’s NBA Finals disappointment, and Zion Williamson seems like the number one option for a playoff contender. Monday also saw 40-point totals from Kristaps Porzingis, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. So here’s everything you need to know:
Late heroism from Joel Embiid pushes Sixers past Hawks, 104-101
At this point he has to be the favorite for MVP. Embiid, making his comeback from a sprained ankle, finished with 30 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks, but in the final minute alone he had seven of his points (including the bucket departure) and made the decisive deviation:
Kristaps Porzingis’ 40 pieces help Wizards beat Wolves, 142-127
Karl-Anthony Towns slumped in the second half with a calf strain, and his final line read eight points and four assists in nearly 22 minutes. Most of the damage, however, had already been done with the score at 76-93 with 5:25 remaining in the third.
Much of that damage came from Kristaps Porzingis, who scored 29 points in the first half before finishing with a season-high 41 on 12-18 shooting. Washington is currently the top dog among Eastern teams, just half a game out of the top six.
Celtics continue hot throwing Hornets, 140-105
Nets creak by Magic 109-102 behind 45 points from Kevin Durant
Pascal Siakam returns as Raptors beat Cavs, 100-88
After missing Toronto’s last 10 games through injury, Siakam returned after an MVP-like start in his first nine games. On a minute restriction, he played just over 30 minutes and finished with a double-double for 18 points (50% shooting) and 11 rebounds with five assists as well. The MVP race could definitely heat up if Siakam can return to his pre-injury game when he averaged 24.8 points (47.9% shooting), 9.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game.
Overall, it was an extremely poor shooting night for Cleveland, finishing just 7-38 (18.4%) from range with only two players (Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell with 18 each) reaching double digits. . The result signals some issues for the Cavs, who are now 5-7 on the road this season. They’re still top-three in the Loaded East, but they’re closer to No. 4 (half game) than No. 2 (two full games) after the loss.
Pelicans win 105-101 after withstanding OKC rally
Zion Williamson was HIM on Monday night, scoring 23 points, matching a career-high eight assists and giving his team the lead with a tough finish by contact in the minute remaining. New Orleans also needed every moment of Williamson’s big night, as Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr. and Naji Marshall were all inactive.
It was also Zion’s 100th career game, and according to ESPN Stats & Info“his 2,524 points are the most by a player in 100 career games since Michael Jordan scored 2,721 points in his first 100 games.”
Denver uses a strong third quarter to get past Houston, 129-113
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray each hit the 30-plus mark in the game, and the Nuggets used a +13 third quarter to pull ahead. It was yet another game without Michael Porter Jr. (heel) and Bones Hyland (non-COVID illness), but that didn’t hold Denver back too much, as they are in sole possession of the No. 2 in the West.
Cornerstone combo guard Jalen Green scored 17 points and added seven assists for the Rockets, a mark he’s reached just two other times this season. Alperen Sengun led his team with 18 points and seven rebounds. Sengun was also the only Rocket to play over 10 minutes and finish with a positive number in the plus-minus (+2) column.
Chicago beats Utah 114-107 with balanced effort
The Bulls received strong scores from DeMar DeRozan (26 points), Zach LaVine (20) and Nikola Vucevic (16), complemented by a bench that beat the Utah bench 39-18. The Bulls have now won three of their last four games while the Jazz have lost five in a row.
Suns rally to keep winning streak alive, beat Kings 122-117
It’s another 40-plus point outing for Devin Booker as he has the Suns on a five-game winning streak while missing Chris Paul and Cam Johnson well past those five. Booker’s total hit 44 points on 17-28 shooting, and he got strong supporting performances from teammates Deandre Ayton (17 points and 12 rebounds for his sixth straight double-double) and Mikal Bridges (13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists).
The Kings, meanwhile, are heading in the opposite direction and fast, having lost their last three games following a seven-game winning streak. But there’s still a lot to like about their performance against the best team in the West, from Malik Monk’s 30-point, eight-assist outing to a 32-15 team assist-to-rotation ratio. There is still hope for the team on beam as they are still firmly in game position, knocking on the door of a coveted top six spot.
Pacers stun Lakers 116-115 behind Andrew Nembhard’s buzzer-beater
The Pacers have been one of the biggest pleasant surprises this season; they are now fourth in the East at 12-8 after many thought they would enter their names in the Victor Wembanyama contest. The season is still young and they could end up there, but right now they are just super exciting. In that game, it looked like overcoming a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit with rookie Andrew Nembhard beating the buzzer to win the game:
Indiana point guard Tyrese Haliburton is now on a three-game streak averaging 20.0 points, 13.3 assists and 0.0 turnovers (plus three straight 14-game assists before that streak) , prompting many to name him the heir to Chris Paul’s “Point” title. God” (don’t ask Suns fans what they think, they’ll just lament that their team picked now-Pacer Jalen Smith two spots ahead of Haliburton).