LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors 145-144 in an exciting NBA double-overtime game on Saturday.
LeBron, at 39 years old, surpassed expectations as the oldest player in the league by scoring 36 points, grabbing 20 rebounds, and dishing out 12 assists in 48 minutes on the court for the Lakers. Despite an impressive performance of 46 points and seven assists from the 35-year-old two-time MVP Curry, the Warriors ended up losing. The game was ultimately decided by four-time MVP Lebron, who secured the win by making two free throws with just one second left on the clock.
The Warriors briefly took the lead by one point after Curry made a remarkable 28-foot, three-point shot with 5.2 seconds remaining, and Klay Thompson extended the game into a second overtime period with a 25-foot three-pointer with seven seconds left. All of this followed Curry’s game-tying shot with 5.2 seconds left in regulation, making for an intense and captivating game against the Lakers.
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, the reigning champions, managed to secure a 111-105 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, despite the absence of star center Joel Embiid. Embiid, the current MVP, was a last-minute absence due to left knee soreness after his pre-game warm-up. This marks the fourth consecutive season that Embiid has missed the opportunity to face off against two-time MVP Jokic in Denver.
The 76ers, who had previously defeated Denver at home earlier in the month, were also without injured players Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris, but still gave the Nuggets a tough challenge. Jokic contributed 26 points and 16 rebounds, while Jamal Murray scored 23 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 20 for Denver, who held a 64-62 lead at halftime. Paul Reed’s alley-oop layup narrowed the gap to four points with 24 seconds left, but after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made two free throws, Murray blocked Marcus Morris’s three-point attempt. Reed led the Sixers with 30 points and 13 rebounds, and Kelly Oubre scored 25.
The Miami Heat lost their sixth consecutive game, falling 125-109 to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Jalen Brunson led the scoring with 31 points and eight assists. This marks Miami’s first six-game losing streak since March 2021 and also showcases the Knicks’ improvement since acquiring OG Anunoby in December. New York has a 12-2 record since adding Anunoby from Toronto, and he contributed significantly to the win with 19 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Miami, last year’s beaten finalists, currently hold the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference with a 24-22 record.
Reports from the media indicated that the Knicks’ two-time All-Star Julius Randle dislocated his right shoulder and is scheduled for an MRI on Sunday. Randle, who sustained the injury in the fourth quarter after scoring 19 points against Miami, had played in all 46 games for the Knicks this season. Head coach Tom Thibodeau expressed serious concern about Randle’s injury, which occurred during a hard fall while attempting a layup.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 141-117 victory over the New Orleans team. This win came just before Doc Rivers’ first game as their coach.
Luka Doncic, who set a franchise record with 73 points in a win against Atlanta on Friday, was unable to lead the Dallas Mavericks to victory as they suffered a 120-115 loss to Sacramento. Despite Doncic’s 28 points and 17 assists, Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox scored 34 points to secure the win for the Kings.
In a matchup between two French players, Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs pulled off a surprise victory over Rudy Gobert’s Minnesota Timberwolves with a score of 113-112. Wembanyama, the top draft pick, contributed 23 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists as the Spurs, who are currently at the bottom of the Western Conference, defeated the second-ranked team in their conference.
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