Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson achieved their highest career point totals as the Grizzlies won 116-107 against the Warriors on Monday night. Despite the absence of key players like Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, and Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies snapped a two-game losing streak.
Williams and Jackson combined for 47 points for the Grizzlies, who scored 60 points coming from 3-pointers, 32 from free throws, and 24 from two-point baskets. Curry led the Warriors with 26 points and eight assists, and Green returned from a 16-game absence, including a 12-game NBA suspension, to contribute seven points, seven rebounds, and four assists in 24 minutes off the bench.
Joel Embiid made a stunning comeback from injury on Monday, scoring 41 points as the Philadelphia 76ers easily defeated the Houston Rockets 124-115. Embiid had missed the team’s previous three games due to a knee injury sustained in a January 5 loss to the New York Knicks. However, the NBA’s current Most Valuable Player displayed no signs of rustiness, recording his seventh 40-point game of the season along with 10 rebounds and three assists.
He shot 12-of-21 from the field and was nearly flawless from the free-throw line, making 16 of 17 attempts. The Sixers improved to 25-13 and maintained their third-place position in the Eastern Conference with the comfortable victory. In Monday’s game, Embiid received scoring support from Tyrese Maxey with 27 points, Patrick Beverley with 11 points off the bench, and Tobias Harris with 10 points. Houston’s leading scorers were Jalen Green with 20 points and Alperen Sengun with 19.
In other games, Anthony Davis recorded 27 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists, while LeBron James contributed 25 points as the Los Angeles Lakers halted the Oklahoma City Thunder’s four-game winning streak with a 112-105 victory at the Crypto.com Arena. The game, which featured 17 lead changes, shifted in the Lakers’ favor during the third quarter, with Los Angeles outscoring the Thunder 34-26 to secure the lead for the remainder of the game.
In Dallas, Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. combined for 83 points to lead the Mavericks to a 125-120 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Mavericks made a comeback in the fourth quarter after trailing by double digits in the third. Only one other Dallas player, Josh Green, scored in double figures with 13 points. Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 30 points, and C.J. McCollum added 23.
In Toronto, the Boston Celtics, who are leading the Eastern Conference, continued their winning streak with a 105-96 victory over the Raptors. Derrick White and Jrue Holiday were the top scorers for the Celtics, each contributing 22 points. The Celtics currently hold the top spot in the Eastern standings with 31 wins and nine losses, putting them three games ahead of the second-placed Milwaukee Bucks, who have a record of 28-12.
In Atlanta, Trae Young scored 36 points to lead the Hawks to a 109-99 win over the San Antonio Spurs. Despite the loss, San Antonio’s top draft pick Victor Wembanyama had an impressive performance, scoring 26 points, with 18 of them coming in the fourth quarter.
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