NBA roundup: Knicks pummel Nets for historic 54-point win
Thu Jan 22 1:50am ET
Field Level Media
Jalen Brunson scored 20 points Wednesday night for the New York Knicks, who snapped out of their slump with a historic 120-66 thumping of the visiting Brooklyn Nets.
The 54-point win was the most lopsided in franchise history for the Knicks, easily surpassing a trio of 48-point wins, the most recent of which was a 130-82 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers on April 21, 1994. A 3-pointer by the Nets' Danny Wolf with 8.5 seconds left prevented New York from earning the largest-margin victory in the NBA this season. The Charlotte Hornets blew out the Utah Jazz 150-95 on Jan. 10.
The 66 points for the Nets were the fewest by an NBA team since March 16, 2015, when the Charlotte Hornets lost to the Utah Jazz 94-66. It was the fewest points allowed by the Knicks since they beat the Washington Wizards 103-65 on April 13, 2012.
Landry Shamet scored 18 points off the bench while fellow reserve Miles McBride had 14 points for the Knicks. New York ended a four-game losing streak and won for just the third time in the last 12 games a day after Brunson reportedly called a players-only meeting to make it clear the team needed to find answers for its recent struggles.
Thunder 122, Bucks 102
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points, dished out 11 assists and grabbed seven rebounds, leading Oklahoma City to a dominant road victory over Milwaukee.
Ajay Mitchell and Kenrich Williams each added 18 points for the Thunder, who won their second straight in dominating fashion and have prevailed in 7 of 8.
Giannis Antetokounmpo compiled 19 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, but the Bucks lost back-to-back games at home by 20-plus points for the first time since 2016. Milwaukee fell for the fourth time in its past five overall.
Cavaliers 94, Hornets 87
Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points as Cleveland's solid defense paved the way to beat the host Hornets.
Evan Mobley provided 14 points and 14 rebounds, Jaylon Tyson posted 14 points and Jarrett Allen had 13 points, as the Cavaliers won for the third time in their last four outings. Cleveland finished with a 60-47 rebounding advantage.
Brandon Miller's 24 points led the Hornets and teammate Kon Knueppel notched 21 points but he was 2-for-10 from 3-point range. The Hornets produced their lowest home point total of the season, and finished the matchup eight for 47 beyond the arc.
Pistons 112, Pelicans 104
Jalen Duren collected 20 points and 15 rebounds and Daniss Jenkins added 17 points while starting in place of All-Star Cade Cunningham, lifting visiting Detroit past New Orleans.
Duren sank 7 of 11 shots from the floor to power the Pistons to their fourth win in a row and their seventh victory in eight contests. Duncan Robinson drained four 3-pointers to highlight his 15-point performance for Detroit, which played without both Cunningham (left hip contusion, illness) and Caris LeVert (illness).
New Orleans' Saddiq Bey made all 11 of his free-throw attempts to finish with a team-high 20 points. Trey Murphy III and rookie Micah Peavy each scored 17 points for the Pelicans, who shot a dismal 21.9% from 3-point range (7 of 32). New Orleans star Zion Williamson scored four points in 15 minutes before exiting the contest due to an illness.
Raptors 122, Kings 109
A trio of Toronto players scored more than 20 points, and Scottie Barnes and Jamal Shead combined for 24 in a third-quarter uprising as the visiting Raptors used a balanced attack to complete a two-day Northern California sweep with a triumph over Sacramento.
Barnes and Brandon Ingram scored 23 points, Sandro Mamukelashvili added 22, Immanuel Quickley chipped in with 18 and Shead had 15 for the Raptors, who had used a torrid first half to run off from the Golden State Warriors en route to a 145-127 victory in San Francisco on Tuesday night.
Giving Domantas Sabonis the night off on the back-to-back, the Kings got a team-high 23 points from Russell Westbrook, 19 from Zach LaVine, 17 from Malik Monk, 16 from Dennis Schroder and 11 from Precious Achiuwa.
Celtics 119, Pacers 104
Jaylen Brown had 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to lead Boston to a victory over visiting Indiana.
Brown was 11 of 22 from the field, but also committed a game-high five turnovers. Sam Hauser connected on 5 of his 7 3-point attempts and added 17 points for the Celtics, who received 17 points and nine rebounds from Neemias Queta.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 32 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Siakam has scored at least 20 points in five straight games and in 12 of his last 13 contests. Indiana has lost three in a row and four of five, falling to 2-19 in road games.
Hawks 124, Grizzlies 122
Jalen Johnson had 32 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists to lead visiting Atlanta past Memphis to snap a four-game losing streak as the Grizzlies picked the worst time to go cold from the line.
Ja Morant led Memphis with 23 points, 12 assists and a career-high three blocks, but missed a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Grizzlies made 24 of 27 free throws, but all their misses came in the game's final 30.7 seconds -- particularly painful considering the Hawks did not score a point in that span.
Onyeka Okongwu added 18 points, nine rebounds and two blocks for the Hawks and former Grizzlies guard Luke Kennard also contributed 18 points, including making four of his five 3-point attempts.
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Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (calf) is questionable for Thursday's meeting with the Wizards. The veteran big man suffered a right calf strain during the win over the Toronto Raptors on New Year's Eve. He was initially projected to be sidelined for at least four weeks. While that may remain the case, the questionable tag seems to indicate Valanciunas might be back sooner than anticipated. With Nikola Jokic (knee) on the shelf, the Nuggets could certainly use Valanciunas's services as soon as possible. In the meantime, Aaron Gordon (hamstring) will presumably continue handling things in the middle, with Zeke Nnaji getting around 15-20 minutes of work from off the bench.
Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (ankle) remains out on Thursday versus the Washington Wizards. There hasn't been any real indication he's nearing a return, although the team certainly isn't looking to rush things regarding his recovery. While Braun continues to work his way back, Jalen Pickett is expected to stay in the starting lineup, with the 26-year-old averaging 10.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 44.2% shooting from behind the arc in 11 starts this season.
Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (knee) is questionable for Thursday's game against Charlotte. He's missed seven contests because of his latest ailment, a right knee contusion. However, even if the 24-year-old isn't back for this one, the questionable designation at least suggests he's trending in a positive direction. If Suggs suits up, he'll probably see limited action. That may last for at least a few games. As a result, Anthony Black should remain even more relevant for fantasy managers while Suggs works his way back to form.
Detroit Pistons shooting guard Caris LeVert (illness) won't play Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans. LeVert is dealing with an illness, and his next chance to return to action is on Friday against the Rockets. Detroit's backcourt will also be without its star point guard, Cade Cunningham (hip, illness), so Jaden Ivey and Daniss Jenkins will likely see expanded roles and could be considered marginal streaming options ahead of tonight's clash in The Big Easy.
Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham (illness, hip) won't suit up against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. The 24-year-old is feeling under the weather, and he is also dealing with a left hip contusion. His next chance to get back on the floor is on Friday against Houston. With Cunningham out of action, Jaden Ivey, Marcus Sasser and Daniss Jenkins will likely have expanded roles in the Pistons backcourt.
Charlotte Hornets PR announced that Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann (illness) will suit up against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. The 24-year-old was feeling under the weather and was added to the injury report late, but he has since been cleared to play. Mann is averaging 7.8 points, 2.3 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game across 28 outings this season. With a fully healthy Hornets backcourt, Mann will likely see limited minutes during tonight's contest.
Toronto Raptors guard/forward Ja'Kobe Walter (hip) won't play on Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings. Walter is dealing with a right hip pointer and he will miss his sixth straight game. The 21-year-old's next chance to suit up comes on Friday on the road in Portland. An injury-riddled Raptors lineup will also once again be without RJ Barrett (ankle), so they will rely on Jamal Shead to be the primary playmaker, making him a solid streaming option during tonight's clash.
Toronto Raptors guard/forward RJ Barrett (ankle) is still not ready to return from a sprained left ankle, and he'll miss his seventh straight game on Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings. Barrett still hasn't been given a timeline for his return, and he should be considered questionable for Friday's matchup with the Trail Blazers. With Ja'Kobe Walter (hip) also out of action, Jamal Shead and Grady Dick will continue to carry a heavier workload during tonight's clash.
Toronto Raptors forward/center Collin Murray-Boyles (thumb) will sit out Wednesday's game against the Sacramento Kings. The 20-year-old rookie will miss his second consecutive contest due to a thumb contusion. His next chance to return is on the road in Portland on Friday. With Jakob Poeltl (back) still out, Sandro Mamukelashvili should get all the work he can handle. Mamukelashvili can score points in bunches, and with added minutes, he could be a servicable streaming option during tonight's tilt.
Sacramento Kings forward/center Domantas Sabonis (rest) won't play against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. Tonight's contest is the second half of a back-to-back, so the 29-year-old big man will sit out for injury maintenance. Sabonis finished with six points, 10 rebounds, and three assists in 17 minutes during Tuesday's 130-117 loss to the Heat. With Sabonis out and Precious Achiuwa (ankle) considered questionable, Maxime Raynaud could be in line for extra minutes. The 22-year-old rookie has become a marginal fantasy asset as he's posted averages of 9.9 points and 6.8 rebounds in his last eight outings.
Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (calf) will miss his 13th consecutive game on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks. He has yet to play in 2026 due to a right soleus strain. Oklahoma City's frontcourt may also be without Jaylin Williams (glute), who is considered questionable for Wednesday night. Kenrich Williams and Branden Carlson are looking at an opportunity to make larger contributions off the bench, but they aren't good fantasy options. Hartenstein's next chance to return will be on Friday against the Indiana Pacers. Given the lack of updates from the team, it wouldn't be surprising if Hartenstein remains out for the week.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (oblique) is questionable for Wednesday's tilt against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He may miss a meeting with the defending champions due to an oblique strain. Porter Jr. has had a productive year in Milwaukee, but he was dropped to the bench on Monday against the Atlanta Hawks after he had produced a zero-point outing in the previous game. Kyle Kuzma jumped to the first unit and had 10 points with two assists. If Porter Jr. can't play against the Thunder, Ryan Rollins' workload will likely increase, and Cole Anthony may get back into the rotation.
Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner (ankle) is considered questionable for Wednesday's matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is on the injury report with a left ankle sprain. Turner recently missed his first game of the season due to illness. It has been a frustrating year for Turner, who has been limited to 10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in January. Should Turner sit out on Wednesday night, Bobby Portis would be poised to take his place in the starting lineup, while Pete Nance and Jericho Sims could see extra minutes off the bench.
Boston Celtics guard/forward Jaylen Brown (hamstring) is listed as probable for Wednesday's game against the Indiana Pacers. The 2024 Finals MVP is expected to play despite experiencing tightness in his left hamstring. Brown recently missed one game due to a back issue. Since returning, he has averaged 33.3 points and 8.0 rebounds over three outings. Against Indiana, Brown has put up 30.5 points per game across two prior meetings in 2025-26, shooting an impressive 53.3 percent from the field.
Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (eye) made an early exit against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports. The big man was poked in the eye late in the second quarter and sat out the rest of the game. Ayton finished with four points and eight rebounds in 15 minutes. Jaxson Hayes and Drew Timme filled the gap at center in the second half. "He got poked in the eye," Lakers head coach JJ Redick said postgame. "He looks like a pirate. His eye is not in good shape, but we're hopeful that it's just the bare minimum -- just a poke in the eye -- and he'll be back tomorrow." The Lakers return to action on Thursday night against the Clippers. Although Redick seemed optimistic about Ayton's availability for the Clippers game, it wouldn't be a shock if he appeared on the injury report.
Houston Rockets center Steven Adams (ankle) has been ruled out indefinitely with a Grade 3 left ankle sprain. He was injured in Sunday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Josh Okogie started in Adams' place on Tuesday night against the San Antonio Spurs. He had a quiet outing with five points, one rebound, and one steal. Houston also brought Clint Capela back into the rotation, and the Swiss big man finished with six points and two rebounds in 12 minutes. With Adams on the shelf, Jabari Smith Jr. could also see time at the center position.
Toronto's G Immanuel Quickley recorded a double-double, scoring 40 points with 10 assists in a 145-127 win over Golden State on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Lakers' G Luka Doncic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 38 points, 10 assists and 13 rebounds in a 115-107 win over Denver on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Utah's G Keyonte George scored 43 points on 15-of-28 shooting in a 127-122 win over the Timberwolves on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Jazz's C Jusuf Nurkic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 16 points, 10 assists and 18 rebounds in a 127-122 win over the Timberwolves on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
