NBA roundup: Nikola Jokic's 5th straight triple-double lifts Nuggets
Fri Jan 24 3:27am ET
Field Level Media
Nikola Jokic had 35 points, 22 rebounds and a season-high 17 assists for his fifth straight triple-double, and the host Denver Nuggets held on to beat the Sacramento Kings 132-123 on Thursday night.
Jokic, who was voted an All-Star starter Thursday, has secured each triple-double during his current streak before the end of the third quarter. He is the first player since 1996-97 to have five straight triple-doubles before the fourth quarter, and 14 of his NBA-leading 20 have come in that fashion.
Christian Braun had 21 points, Michael Porter Jr. scored 20 and Russell Westbrook and Jamal Murray contributed 18 points each for Denver, which has won four straight.
Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 19 rebounds, DeMar DeRozan scored 24 and De'Aaron Fox finished with 17 points for Sacramento, which is now 10-3 under interim head coach Doug Christie.
Clippers 110, Wizards 93
James Harden recorded his second triple-double of the season and host Los Angeles sent Washington to a 12th consecutive loss.
On his way to an 83rd career triple-double, Harden scored 17 points, dished 13 assists and grabbed 12 rebounds. Norman Powell scored a team-high 22 points, Derrick Jones Jr. added 19 and Kawhi Leonard tallied 15 points and seven rebounds.
Jordan Poole led Washington with 24 points and nine assists. Bilal Coulibaly added 15 points, Alex Sarr recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Bucks 125, Heat 96
Damian Lillard came up one rebound short of a triple-double, scoring 29 points and dishing 11 assists to lead Milwaukee to a win over visiting Miami.
Milwaukee was able to make it home in time after not being able to leave New Orleans until 3 p.m. Central time, with the game being delayed by one hour. Despite not having a normal pregame, Milwaukee won its fifth in a row. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 25 points and Gary Trent Jr. added 21 off the bench, all off 3-pointers.
Without Jimmy Butler due to a two-game suspension, Kel'el Ware led Miami with 22 points and Tyler Herro added 21.
Raptors 122, Hawks 119
RJ Barrett sank a tiebreaking 3-pointer to put Toronto ahead for good with 2:51 remaining, and the visiting Raptors defeated Atlanta.
Scottie Barnes scored a team-high 25 points, Bruce Brown had 18 points off the bench and Chris Boucher and Jakob Poeltl contributed 17 apiece as Toronto won its fourth game in five tries and improved to 2-19 on the road.
Bogdan Bogdanovic led Atlanta with 23 points, while Dyson Daniels added 22 points and Onyeka Okongwu collected 19 points and 12 rebounds. Trae Young tallied 18 points and 13 assists for the Hawks, who dropped their third straight game.
Lakers 117, Celtics 96
Anthony Davis recorded 24 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots to help Los Angeles hand visiting Boston its worst loss of the season.
Austin Reaves had 23 points and six assists and LeBron James added 20 points, 14 rebounds and six assists for Los Angeles, which won for the fourth time in the past five games.
Kristaps Porzingis had 22 points and seven rebounds for the Celtics, who have split their past 10 games after beginning the season with 26 wins in 35 games. Jaylen Brown had 17 points and eight rebounds and Jayson Tatum added 16 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Mavericks 121, Thunder 115
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 28 points and Kyrie Irving added 24 as visiting Dallas beat Oklahoma City, which lost at home for the first time since Nov. 17, snapping a 12-game win streak.
P.J. Washington added 22 points and 19 rebounds as Dallas shot 52.7 percent. Olivier-Maxence Prosper chipped in 14 points off the bench for the Mavericks, who finished 3-1 this season against the West-leading Thunder.
Jalen Williams led Oklahoma City with 33 points and also had seven assists. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander netted 31 points after scoring a career-high 54 in a home win over Utah on Wednesday.
Spurs 140, Pacers 110
Victor Wembanyama collected 30 points and 11 rebounds as part of a successful homecoming, leading San Antonio to a drubbing of Indiana in Paris.
Wembanyama, a Frenchman who also got to play in his native country this past summer at the Paris Olympics, rounded out his complete performance with six assists and five blocks. Nine of his points, six of his boards and four of his rejections came in the third quarter, where San Antonio outscored Indiana 45-23 to virtually put the game away.
Devin Vassell supplied 25 points, Harrison Barnes finished with 20 and Jeremy Sochan posted 13 to go along with nine rebounds for San Antonio, which was lethal from beyond the arc (18-for-36) and overcame 20 turnovers. Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin went for 24 points and Pascal Siakam chipped in 18 points and six assists.
Warriors 131, Bulls 106
Stephen Curry scored 21 points, Quinten Post and Gui Santos recorded career highs off the bench and Golden State endured a 64-point explosion in the first half by visiting Chicago for a victory in San Francisco.
Post, in just his sixth NBA game, led the Warriors' bench assault with 20 points, while Santos scored 19 points. Each hit five 3-pointers as Golden State halted a two-game skid.
Zach LaVine tallied a game-high 24 points for the Bulls, who lost for the sixth time in seven games. Josh Giddey contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Trail Blazers 101, Magic 79
Portland used a stifling defensive effort to spoil Orlando star Franz Wagner's return and scored its second three-game winning streak of the season with a road rout of the Magic.
Wagner, who missed 20 games with an oblique injury, scored a team-high 20 points on 9-of-19 shooting from the floor. Portland held the rest of the Magic to just 17-of-57 shooting (29.8 percent), including a 1-of-14 performance by Paolo Banchero. Banchero's eight points were his fewest since a six-point outing on Nov. 29, 2023.
The Blazers, meanwhile, complemented their best defensive showing of the season with a balanced scoring effort. Five Blazers scored in double figures, led by Anfernee Simons with 21 points. All five Portland starters scored at least eight points. Robert Williams III grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to go with eight points and four blocked shots.
- NBA roundup: Nikola Jokic's 5th straight triple-double lifts Nuggets
- Two Knicks among those designated NBA All-Star 'starters'
- Magic star Franz Wagner returns after 20-game absence
- Brandon Miller opts for season-ending wrist surgery
- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on Jimmy Butler drama: 'Get used to it'
- NBA roundup: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 54 in OKC's win
- Heat suspending Jimmy Butler two more games
- Lakers F Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) set for season debut
- Mavs' Dereck Lively II (foot) out 2-3 months
- Bucks-Pelicans game postponed due to snow in New Orleans
- Timeline for Gregg Popovich's return to Spurs remains uncertain
- NBA roundup: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets dominate 76ers
- Suns nab three 1st-rounders from Jazz in draft-pick swap
- Hawks rookie Zaccharie Risacher (adductor) out at least 1 week
- NBA roundup: Pelicans come back from down 25, top Jazz in OT
- Warriors F Draymond Green (calf) out at least a week
- Wolves G Donte DiVincenzo (toe) out indefinitely
- NBA roundup: Clippers beat Lakers, extend success in new home
- Thunder's Mark Daigneault earns All-Star coach nod
- NBA roundup: Surging Hawks rally, top Celtics in OT
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (illness) is suffering from an illness on Friday and has been listed as questionable for their game against the New Orleans Pelicans. It's unclear how severe the illness is, so they'll likely take the time from shootaround to warm-ups and see how he's feeling to decide on his status. If he's unable to give it a go, Scottie Pippen Jr. would step up in the playmaking department while Desmond Bane and Jaylen Wells would take on some more offensive responsibilities in the starting five. Wells received the start in their last game and registered 13 points, three rebounds, and two assists while Pippen has averaged 13.9 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game when he starts.
New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (elbow) is considered probable to face off against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. The veteran combo guard is dealing with elbow bursitis but he's been able to play in the last 26 consecutive games including 45 minutes in their last outing against the Utah Jazz. In that game, he registered 26 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds, and three steals. Murray should continue to be a big part of the offense while they still miss two of their starting five.
Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (back) has picked up a questionable tag for Friday's matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers. In their last game on Wednesday, Bridges clocked 34 minutes on the court and posted 17 points, six assists, five rebounds, and one steal. If he's unable to suit up for this one, Cody Martin (probable - groin) should see some extra time, and new addition Josh Okogie could see some big opportunities. Okogie could even turn into a long-term option for a lot of leagues since he'll likely see more minutes than recent seasons with the Phoenix Suns.
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (wrist) popped up on the injury report as questionable for Friday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He's dealing with a right wrist sprain at the moment and could come down to a game-time decision. Through 40 games, the Hornets are just 11-29, so they could opt to go the cautious route given Ball's injury history so far. If he doesn't suit up, Nick Smith Jr. and Vasilije Micic are both solid streaming options. The former has averaged 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.4 threes per contest over the last seven games when he started to receive regular playing time.
Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond (toe) started in the 35-point loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday and will head right back to the sidelines on Friday. The Sixers listed him with toe injury management which is what kept him out for a stretch of six games before playing two of the last three. With Joel Embiid (knee) remaining sidelined as well, Guerschon Yabusele remains the best streaming option as he's averaged 10.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.6 threes per game. Adem Bona would only be an option in very deep leagues.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Caris LeVert (wrist) remains on the injury report and is considered questionable due to a right wrist sprain. He's missed the team's last two games as they move into a back-to-back starting Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers. If there were a time to be cautious, it would be against the Sixers so he could play against the Rockets on Saturday. So, if he does have to miss one more game, Ty Jerome would be the best streaming option after dropping 18 points, four rebounds, and three steals in their last game against the Rockets.
Clippers' G James Harden recorded a triple-double, finishing with 17 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds in a 110-93 win over the Wizards on Thursday, Jan. 23.
Denver's C Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 35 points, 17 assists and 22 rebounds in a 132-123 win over the Kings on Thursday, Jan. 23.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (calf) won't play on Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers. The 23-year-old logged only 50 games in 2023-24. But he missed only two of the Cavs' first 40 games this season, giving fantasy managers hope he would remain on the court. Unfortunately, Mobley has been sidelined for the last three contests because of a calf strain, and it's unknown how much longer he'll be on the shelf. He has averaged a career-high 18.6 points with 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks during the 2024-25 campaign, so this is not an ideal scenario for fantasy managers. With that in mind, until Mobley returns, Max Strus, averaging 7.0 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 steals in two starts this season, will likely remain with the first five.
Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (ankle) has been ruled out ahead of Thursday's game against the Golden State Warriors. White will now miss his second game in a row due to a right ankle injury. His next chance to get back on the court will be Saturday versus the Philadelphia 76ers. Both Lonzo Ball and Ayo Dosunmu should see increased roles in the rotation with White out. Both players are worth a look as possible streaming options with Dosunmu being the slightly better choice between the two.
Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (calf) has been upgraded to available ahead of Thursday's game against the Golden State Warriors. Dosunmu was considered questionable coming into this game after sitting out of Monday's contest. However, Dosunmu appears to be feeling good enough to give it a go against the Warriors. He could have an increased role in the rotation with Coby White (ankle) sidelined for this game. Dosunmu and Lonzo Ball will likely be asked to play more which should give both guards increased fantasy appeal on Thursday.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (knee) has been upgraded to available ahead of Thursday's game against the Chicago Bulls. The superstar guard was listed as questionable coming into this game due to knee tendinitis. Despite that, Curry will be active during Thursday's game, according to head coach Steve Kerr. There was no mention of Curry being limited in any way, so fantasy managers can feel safe getting Curry into their lineups. The 36-year-old has only missed two games this month and still remains one of the better fantasy options at his position.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (ankle) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. This comes as little of a surprise considering Ingram hasn't played in a game since early December. Ingram is working his way back from a left ankle sprain that is likely going to keep him sidelined for at least a few more games. He reportedly hasn't been cleared for contact drills yet, so it doesn't appear that Ingram is on the verge of a return. He remains without a timetable to return and should be considered week-to-week right now. Trey Murphy III has been playing big minutes in the rotation and that should continue until Ingram is back in the mix.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (conditioning) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Williamson sat out on Monday due to an illness and was tagged as questionable ahead of Wednesday's contest. That game was postponed, but now Williamson is sitting out due to reconditioning. Hopefully, Williamson will be back in shape in time for Saturday's contest against the Charlotte Hornets. His absence on Friday should mean that Javonte Green and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl will see increased playing time. Neither player is a great fantasy option, but Green is the slightly better streaming choice because of his defensive ability.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) will play on Thursday against the Heat. This isn't the first time he's landed on the injury report because of right patella tendinopathy this season, so fantasy managers are used to it at this point. Fortunately, the multi-time All-Star is good to go, which is even better news, considering Khris Middleton (ankles) was surprisingly downgraded to out after carrying a probable designation. With that in mind, Antetokounmpo remains a top fantasy option despite a challenging matchup on the horizon versus a Miami club that has allowed only 110.1 points per contest during the 2024-25 campaign.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (ankles) won't play on Thursday against Miami. He was listed as probable, so his absence likely caught some fantasy managers by surprise. But the Bucks play again on Saturday versus the Clippers in Los Angeles, and there's a good chance he'll return for that one. Fortunately, Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) is good to go, which will help lessen the blow. Taurean Prince, averaging 7.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 34 starts this season, will likely replace Middleton in the lineup.
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (groin) will play on Thursday versus Milwaukee. The 25-year-old is averaging 24.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 40.7% shooting from behind the arc, all the highest marks of his career. Even better, he has appeared in 41 games, missing his first game of the 2024-25 campaign on Tuesday against the Trail Blazers. With Jimmy Butler (suspension) out again, Herro could see an uptick in scoring. The same can be said for Duncan Robinson, Nikola Jovic, Bam Adebayo, and Kel'el Ware.
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (Achilles) will play on Thursday against the Raptors. Young has been dealing with right Achilles tendinitis for quite some time. However, the 26-year-old has only missed three games during the 2024-25 campaign. He did log 40 minutes in Wednesday's loss to the Detroit Pistons, so there's a chance he could see less work than normal. Still, Young is a must-start versus Toronto, a team that has allowed 117.9 points per game this season, one of the worst averages in the National Basketball Association.
Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (knee) won't play on Thursday versus Toronto. The veteran has had issues staying healthy over the years. However, he will miss just his first game of the 2024-25 campaign because of a sore knee. Capela recently lost his starting job to Onyeka Okongwu, so his value has dropped for fantasy managers. But until he can return, Dominick Barlow may see some minutes from off the bench, although he has a way to go before earning a place in fantasy lineups.
Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (shoulder) is good to go for Thursday's meeting with the Raptors. The 23-year-old missed time recently because of shoulder inflammation. While the ailment has kept him on the injury report since returning, it won't keep him off the floor against Toronto. With that in mind, Johnson is a must-start versus the Raptors, a team that has allowed 117.9 points per contest during the 2024-25 campaign, the fifth-worst mark in the NBA.
