Harrison Barnes matched his season-best performance by making seven 3-pointers and scoring a team-leading 23 points, while Domantas Sabonis recorded a triple-double as the Sacramento Kings held off a late push from LeBron James and the visiting Lakers to secure a 120-107 victory on Wednesday evening.
The Sacramento Kings had all five of their starting players scoring in double digits, with Sabonis leading the way with 17 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists, marking his 23rd triple-double of the NBA season. De’Aaron Fox contributed 21 points, Keegan Murray scored 19, and Keon Ellis added 14 points for the Kings. This victory put them three games ahead of the Lakers in the Western Conference playoff race and completed a 4-0 season-series sweep.
LeBron James scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds but narrowly missed achieving his 111th career triple-double by one assist. Murray also had 11 rebounds and Fox provided seven assists for the Sacramento Kings, who defeated the Lakers for the second time in a week. The Sacramento Kings have won four of their last five games. Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 28 points, making seven of their 14 3-pointers. Anthony Davis contributed 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Rui Hachimura added 20 points for the Lakers.
Luka Doncic’s streak of triple-doubles came to an end, but the Dallas Mavericks relied on the shot-blocking skills of big men Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II to defeat the short-handed Golden State Warriors 109-99 on Wednesday night. Gafford and Lively combined for 22 points, 14 rebounds, and nine blocks, helping the Mavericks secure only their second win of the season when scoring less than 112 points. Gafford recorded seven of Dallas’ 13 blocks, narrowly missing his career-high.
Jonathan Kuminga led the Warriors with 27 points as they played without Stephen Curry for the third consecutive game due to a sprained right ankle. Additionally, Draymond Green was absent due to a sore lower back. Josh Green and P.J. Washington each contributed 11 points for Dallas, who secured their second consecutive win against Golden State this season. Andrew Wiggins scored 17 points for the Warriors, while Trayce Jackson-Davis added 10 points and nine rebounds.
DeMar DeRozan had a season-best performance, scoring 46 points for the Chicago Bulls in their 132-129 victory over the Indiana Pacers. He hit a crucial jumper with 0.3 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, where he added nine more points. Siakam contributed 17 points and nine rebounds, while Nesmith chipped in with 13 points. Tyrese Haliburton also had a strong showing with 17 points and 14 assists.
Miles Bridges scored 27 points and rookie Vasilije Micic had a career-high 25 points as the Charlotte Hornets achieved an unusual victory with a comfortable performance, beating the Memphis Grizzlies 110-98 on Wednesday night.
Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen both achieved double-doubles as the Cleveland Cavaliers utilized strong three-point shooting to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 116-95 on Wednesday night. Garland recorded 27 points and 11 assists, while Allen contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds. Georges Niang scored 16 points, Sam Merrill added 15, and Donovan Mitchell, back after missing seven games due to a knee injury, scored 14 points along with Damian Jones. Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 33 points, followed by Brandon Ingram with 20 and Trey Murphy III with 11, but their team’s four-game winning streak came to an end.
Michael Porter Jr. led the Denver Nuggets to a 100-88 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night by scoring 25 points, the highest in the game. Nikola Jokic, a two-time NBA MVP, contributed 12 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists for the Nuggets, who have won four consecutive games and 10 of their last 11. The Heat, on the other hand, have lost four games in a row and were guided by Bam Adebayo, who achieved a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Adebayo scored nine points during Miami’s strong third quarter. Jimmy Butler added 15 points for Miami, while Terry Rozier contributed 14 points.
