Luka Doncic achieved a milestone by scoring 50 points and reaching the 10,000-point mark, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 128-114 win against Phoenix on Monday. Meanwhile, Boston defeated the Lakers in a Christmas matchup between long-standing NBA rivals.
Luka Doncic made eight three-pointers, reaching 10,000 career points with a long-range shot in the first quarter. At 24 years old, he is the sixth-fastest player to achieve this milestone based on age and tied for the seventh-fastest in terms of games played, reaching it in 358 games. Despite the early lead, the Dallas Mavericks had to work hard against the Suns, who rallied from a 15-point deficit and led by six in the fourth quarter.
A 17-4 scoring run in the final quarter helped Dallas secure a 115-106 victory, with Doncic celebrating in front of the Suns’ fans. Grayson Allen scored 32 points for Phoenix, with 19 coming in the third quarter. Devin Booker added 20 points and 10 assists, and Kevin Durant scored 16, but the spotlight was on Doncic, who made all 12 of his free throws and became the fourth player to score 50 or more points on Christmas, a day when the NBA traditionally features marquee games.
Boston Celtics 126, Los Angeles Lakers 115
On Monday, the Celtics faced off against the Lakers, two teams with the highest number of NBA titles at 17 each. Kristaps Porzingis scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Jayson Tatum contributed 25 points for the Celtics. They managed to secure a 126-115 victory despite Lakers’ star Anthony Davis scoring 40 points.
LeBron James, on the other hand, only scored 16 points on five-of-14 shooting. The Celtics took an early 12-0 lead and led by as much as 18 before the Lakers started to narrow the gap, reducing the deficit to just one point at halftime. In the second period, both teams experienced a scare when James and Jaylen Brown collided, with both players going down. However, they both returned to the game after the collision.
New York Knicks 129, Milwaukee Bucks 122
The day began with the New York Knicks defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 129-122 at Madison Square Garden. Jalen Brunson scored 38 points, leading the Knicks to end Milwaukee’s seven-game winning streak. This victory was significant as the Knicks had lost their previous nine games against Milwaukee, including a 130-111 defeat just the day before.
Denver Nuggets 120, Golden State Warriors 114
The Denver Nuggets, current champions, defeated the Golden State team with a score of 120-114 in a match between the last two title holders. This left Warriors coach Steve Kerr angry at the officiating. Jamal Murray scored 28 points and Nikola Jokic, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, compensated for a poor shooting performance by making all 18 of his free throws, contributing to the Nuggets’ five-game winning streak.
Despite only making four of 12 field goal attempts, Jokic finished with 26 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists, helping the Nuggets secure a victory in a back-and-forth game. The Warriors entered the game with a five-game winning streak, but their star player Stephen Curry was limited to 18 points on seven-of-21 shooting, while Andrew Wiggins scored 22 points coming off the bench.
Miami Heat 119, Philadelphia 76ers 113
In Miami, rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. had a standout performance, scoring a personal best of 31 points and securing 10 rebounds to lead the Heat to a 119-113 win against the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers were missing NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid. Bam Adebayo contributed 26 points and 15 rebounds, while Tyler Herro added 22 points for Miami. Their coach Erik Spoelstra’s Christmas game record improved to 9-0.
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