Nikola Jokic recorded 35 points and 16 rebounds to help the Denver Nuggets secure a 115-112 victory against the Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Tuesday evening.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting for the Denver Nuggets (48-21), who recovered from a last-second defeat to the Mavericks in their previous game. Jamal Murray (18 points, 11 assists) and Aaron Gordon (14 points, 11 rebounds) both achieved double-doubles for the Denver Nuggets. Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves (47-22) with 30 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.
Jaden McDaniels of the Timberwolves contributed 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting, while Mike Conley added 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists. This outcome puts Denver Nuggets in a close race with the Oklahoma City Thunder (47-20) for the top spot in the Western Conference, with Timberwolves trailing by one game. The Denver Nuggets established a significant lead in the first quarter against the Timberwolves, who struggled in the second game of a back-to-back.
Zion Williamson scored 28 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out four assists to help the Pelicans secure a 104-91 victory over the Nets in New York. This win marked the Pelicans’ 22nd road victory and secured back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2007-08 and 2008-09. New Orleans has been performing well lately, with a record of 16-5 in their last 21 games, and they are now just half a game behind the fourth-place Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference.
Larry Nance Jr. contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Herbert Jones and Brandon Ingram each added 11 points. On the Nets’ side, Cam Thomas led with 25 points, but the team struggled as they lost for the sixth time in seven games, falling 4 1/2 games behind the 10th-place Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference. Mikal Bridges scored 15 points and Dennis Schroder finished with 12 for the Nets.
Kyrie Irving scored 28 points to help the Dallas Mavericks secure a 113-107 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Despite some struggles from both teams’ star players, Luka Doncic contributed 18 points, 16 assists, and 10 rebounds, but only made 6 of 27 shots for Dallas. Exum scored 16 points coming off the bench, while Daniel Gafford had 13 and Dereck Lively II added 12. On the Spurs’ side, Jones led with 22 points, Vassell had 19, Keldon Johnson scored 14, Jeremy Sochan had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and rookie Victor Wembanyama finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks, and three assists, despite shooting 3-of-13. San Antonio has lost four of its last five games.
Jalen Green equaled his personal best with 42 points, while rookie Amen Thompson achieved a career-high 25 points as the Houston Rockets converted a third-quarter comeback into a 137-114 win against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. Thompson secured 10 rebounds for a double-double, along with Green and teammate Jabari Smith Jr. (18 points, 14 rebounds). Jock Landale contributed 10 points and a career-best seven blocks coming off the bench for the Rockets. Corey Kispert, Justin Champagnie, and Jules Bernard each scored 16 points for the Wizards, who were missing four starters from their previous game against the Rockets. Jared Butler also added 15 points.
Cole Anthony led the Magic to a 112-92 victory over the Hornets by scoring 19 of his 21 points in the first half. This win secured the Magic a spot in at least the play-in round of the NBA postseason. Jalen Suggs contributed 16 points, while Moritz Wagner and Paolo Banchero each scored 13 points, and Franz Wagner added 11 points for the Magic, who have won nine of their last 11 games.
On the other hand, the Hornets, who have a record of 17-52 and have struggled this month with a 2-8 record, were led by Brandon Miller with 21 points and Vasilije Micic with 20 points. Miles Bridges scored 16 points and Tre Mann added 11 points for Charlotte, which had 17 turnovers in the game.
