Nikola Jokic achieved his 14th triple-double of the season with 25 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists, leading the Nuggets to a 113-107 victory over the Bucks on Monday night and spoiling Doc Rivers’ debut as the head coach of the Bucks.
Jokic has achieved 119 triple-doubles in regular season games, which is the fourth-highest number in NBA history. Jokic has also recorded six of these triple-doubles against the Bucks. The Bucks dismissed their first-year coach, Adrian Griffin, on January 23 and then hired Doc Rivers three days later. Under interim coach Joe Prunty, the team won two out of three games before Rivers took over coaching duties on Monday night. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Brook Lopez scored 19 points, Damian Lillard finished with 18, Khris Middleton contributed 14, and Bobby Portis secured 12 rebounds for Milwaukee but it was not enough to defeat Jokic and the Nuggets.
Mikal Bridges had a 33-point game and Ben Simmons made a successful return from a back injury, recording a double-double in just 18 minutes. The Brooklyn team secured a victory against Utah at home. Simmons contributed 10 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds after being absent for 38 games. Cam Thomas also scored 25 points for the Nets, who achieved their highest point total of the season and won their second consecutive game. Despite rookie Keyonte George’s 21 points, the Jazz suffered their fourth loss in six games.
Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points and dished out 12 assists to help Cleveland defeat the visiting Los Angeles team, putting an end to the Clippers’ five-game winning streak. Jarrett Allen achieved his 15th consecutive double-double with 20 points and 17 rebounds, while Isaac Okoro contributed all 17 of his points in the first half for the Cavaliers. Cleveland has won 10 of their last 11 games. Evan Mobley made a return for the Cavaliers after missing the previous 22 games due to arthroscopic left knee surgery, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds. Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 30 points and eight rebounds.
Luka Doncic had an impressive performance, scoring 45 points and dishing out 15 assists, while also grabbing nine rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed 36 points, with 13 of them coming in the final quarter, as Dallas overcame a 16-point deficit to defeat Orlando. The game saw eight lead changes in the last 7:35, including two from three-pointers by Hardaway. He finished with 11 of 17 shooting from the field and five of nine from beyond the arc. Orlando made attempts to close the gap, with Paolo Banchero leading their efforts with 36 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.
Eric Gordon, a substitute player, scored 23 points, and Devin Booker contributed 22 as Phoenix defeated Miami, extending the hosts’ losing streak to seven games – the longest for the Heat since the 2007/08 season and the longest under coach Erik Spoelstra. Despite averaging 53 points in his previous two games, Booker had a slow start, scoring only eight points in the first half before improving in the second half. Miami’s top performer was Jimmy Butler, who scored 26 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and made four assists. Grayson Allen of Phoenix suffered a right ankle sprain in the second quarter and only managed to score three points.
Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, while Donte DiVincenzo added 28 points as New York continued their winning streak with a dominant victory over Charlotte. Despite missing one of their key players, Julius Randle, the Knicks scored 44 points in the third quarter, almost equaling their first-half total of 46. This was New York’s seventh consecutive win, achieved despite Randle’s absence due to a shoulder injury. Charlotte suffered their third home blowout loss in four nights, despite Brandon Miller’s 29 points and Miles Bridges’ 21 points.
Jayson Tatum contributed 28 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists to help Boston secure a win over New Orleans and avoid a third consecutive home loss. Jaylen Brown also made a significant impact with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists for the Celtics, who managed to overcome an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. On the other side, Brandon Ingram scored 28 points and Zion Williamson finished with 26 for the Pelicans. Despite trailing 92-81 early in the fourth quarter, the Celtics went on a 23-6 run to take a 104-98 lead. The game-changing moment came when Derrick White’s 3-pointer put Boston in front 99-98 with 5:05 left to play, securing the lead for the rest of the game.
Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun both had impressive double-doubles as Houston dominated against Los Angeles. Green achieved his third consecutive double-double with 34 points, a career-best 12 rebounds, and seven assists. Sengun also contributed 31 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists, showcasing a strong offensive performance for the Rockets. The team shot 53.1% from the field and scored 29 fastbreak points. Meanwhile, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and D’Angelo Russell each scored 23 points for the Lakers, with James leading the team with 10 assists. Prior to this game, Los Angeles had won five of their last seven matches.
Anthony Edwards scored 27 points to help Minnesota defeat Oklahoma City. The win gave the Timberwolves a one-game lead over the Thunder for the best record in the Western Conference and resulted in a split in the teams’ four-game season series. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 37 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.
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