Luka Doncic scored 37 points and Kyrie Irving made a left-handed floater at the buzzer to help the Mavericks defeat the Denver Nuggets 107-105 on Sunday. This victory ended the Denver Nuggets’ five-game winning streak despite a fourth-quarter comeback attempt.
Denver Nuggets made a comeback from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter and held a 105-102 lead before Doncic’s 3-pointer tied the game with 25 seconds remaining. The Mavericks then called a timeout to plan Irving’s game-winning shot. Irving ended with 24 points and nine assists for the Mavericks, who had a season-high 22 offensive rebounds. Dereck Lively II contributed 14 points and eight rebounds, while P.J. Washington Jr. secured 11 rebounds. Murray led the Denver Nuggets with 23 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter. Porter Jr. added 20 points, Jokic had 16 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, Gordon scored 11 points, and Braun and Caldwell-Pope each had 10 points.
Damian Lillard stepped up in the absence of teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was sidelined with a hamstring injury, by scoring 31 points and dishing out 16 assists in Milwaukee’s 140-129 victory over Phoenix in the NBA on Sunday. Bobby Portis, coming off the bench, contributed 31 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who now hold a 44-24 record and have strengthened their position in second place in the Eastern Conference. Khris Middleton, who returned after missing 16 games due to a sprained left ankle, added 22 points for Milwaukee. Bradley Beal led the Suns with 28 points, while Grayson Allen and Devin Booker scored 25 and 23 points, respectively.
Miami’s Bam Adebayo hit a 30-foot 3-pointer as time expired to secure a 104-101 victory over Detroit. Adebayo ended the game with 20 points and a game-leading 17 rebounds. Duncan Robinson of Miami also had an impressive performance, scoring 30 points and setting a new NBA record by becoming the quickest player to reach 1,000 3-pointers in just 343 games, surpassing Buddy Hield’s previous mark by seven games.
In Boston’s win over Washington, Sam Hauser set a new personal record by scoring 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting, all from beyond the arc, before having to leave the game due to a left ankle injury. Jayson Tatum also contributed 30 points for the Celtics, who extended their winning streak to five games and now hold the best record in the NBA at 53-14. On the other hand, Washington, with the worst record in the NBA at 11-57, suffered another loss.
In a game between San Antonio and Brooklyn, French newcomer Victor Wembanyama led the way with 33 points, 16 rebounds, seven blocks, and seven assists, helping San Antonio secure a 122-115 overtime victory.
