NBA roundup: Nikola Jokic's return sparks Nuggets past Clippers
Sat Jan 31 3:08am ET
Field Level Media
Nikola Jokic returned from a 16-game absence to produce 31 points and 12 rebounds, leading the host Denver Nuggets over the Los Angeles Clippers 122-109 on Friday night.
Jokic, who had been sidelined since sustaining a left knee injury at Miami on Dec. 29, shot 13-for-17 from the foul line to help Denver win its second in a row. The Nuggets went 10-6 while he was out.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 22 points, Peyton Watson contributed 21 and Jamal Murray finished with 20 points for Denver.
The Clippers were led by James Harden, who recorded 25 points and nine assists. Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points as Los Angeles saw its three-game win streak end.
Lakers 142, Wizards 111
Luka Doncic punctuated his sixth triple-double of the season with 37 points as visiting Los Angeles rolled past Washington.
Doncic showed no ill effects from the injury he sustained when falling off Cleveland's elevated court on Wednesday, reaching a triple-double by halftime with 26 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. He finished with 13 assists and 11 boards.
Los Angeles' Deandre Ayton posted 28 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, while LeBron James chipped in 20 points and six assists. Malaki Branham scored 17 points as the Wizards failed in a bid for their first three-game winning streak of the season.
Celtics 112, Kings 93
Payton Pritchard tossed in a game-high 29 points and Neemias Queta had 10 points and 15 rebounds to lead Boston to a victory over visiting Sacramento.
Pritchard made 12 of 16 shots from the field, including 5 of 6 3-point attempts. Anfernee Simons and Baylor Scheierman each added 16 points for the Celtics, who didn't have leading scorer Jaylen Brown (hamstring/knee).
Zach LaVine scored 17 points and Maxime Raynaud logged 14 points and 14 rebounds, but the Kings lost their eighth game in a row.
Knicks 127, Trail Blazers 97
Karl-Anthony Towns posted 14 points and 20 rebounds New York, which continued surging with a wire-to-wire win over visiting Portland.
Jalen Brunson scored a team-high 26 points for the Knicks, who ended the month with five straight wins following a 2-9 skid that began Dec. 31. OG Anunoby (24 points) and Josh Hart (20) also contributed to New York's offense.
Shaedon Sharpe scored 26 points for the Trail Blazers, who concluded a winless three-game East Coast road trip as they lost their fourth straight overall.
Pistons 131, Warriors 124
Cade Cunningham scored 29 points and handed out 11 assists as Detroit withstood a fourth-quarter rally to beat Golden State in San Francisco.
Jalen Duren added 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Pistons, who earned their third win four games. Duncan Robinson scored 15 points on five 3-pointers.
Golden State star Stephen Curry exited the game late in the third quarter due to right knee soreness and did not return. He scored a team-high 23 points.
Magic 130, Raptors 120
Desmond Bane scored 16 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter and sank a season-best seven 3-pointers, lifting host Orlando to a victory over Toronto.
Anthony Black scored 25 points and hit all 14 of his free-throw attempts for the Magic, who outscored the Raptors 44-21 in the fourth quarter. Wendell Carter Jr. chipped in with 23 points and seven rebounds.
Brandon Ingram led all scorers with 35 points, while Scottie Barnes totaled 19 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four blocks, but Toronto's road winning streak ended at four games.
Suns 126, Cavaliers 113
Dillon Brooks scored 17 of his 27 points in Phoenix's 45-point third quarter as the host Suns handled Cleveland.
Jordan Goodwin put up 17 points and made five 3-pointers while Collin Gillespie added 16 points for the Suns, who won their third straight. Phoenix sank a season-high 23 3-pointers in 48 attempts.
De'Andre Hunter scored 17 points and Donovan Mitchell and Jaylon Tyson added 16 points each for the Cavaliers, who had won a season-high five straight. Mitchell committed eight turnovers.
Pelicans 114, Grizzlies 106
Rookie Derik Queen scored 22 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out seven assists as New Orleans turned a dominant third quarter into a victory over visiting Memphis.
Saddiq Bey added 22 points and eight rebounds and Zion Williamson scored 21 as the Pelicans defeated the Grizzlies for the second time in eight days, marking their third win in four games overall.
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Cam Spencer each scored 16 points for the Grizzlies, who have lost five in a row.
Nets 109, Jazz 99
Egor Demin scored 25 points and collected 10 rebounds to lead Brooklyn past Utah in Salt Lake City.
Cam Thomas added 21 points to help the Nets end a seven-game losing streak. Day'Ron Sharpe chipped in 16 points and nine rebounds.
Keyonte George posted 26 points and seven assists while Kyle Filipowski had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Jazz, who lost their fifth straight game and fell to 1-9 in their past 10.
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Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (ankle) exited Friday's loss to Brooklyn late in the fourth quarter after turning his left ankle and did not return, though postgame imaging was clean. He still led Utah with 26 points, seven assists, three rebounds, one block, and 32 minutes, underscoring how much offense runs through him. George's strong play this season means any absence would leave a significant usage gap. Isaiah Collier would be the primary beneficiary after averaging 11.3 points and 7.3 assists over his last three games, with rookie Walter Clayton Jr. potentially picking up a few extra minutes.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (knee) did not return Friday against Detroit after dealing with right knee soreness, wrapping up the night with 23 points, two assists, one rebound, one block, and 25 minutes before heading to the locker room in the third quarter. Curry was noticeably limited before his exit and should be viewed as questionable for Tuesday against Philadelphia. De'Anthony Melton has already been operating with an expanded role following Jimmy Butler's (knee) season-ending absence and continued to deliver with 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists. If Curry misses additional time, Melton's usage and minutes could climb further, while Pat Spencer, Brandin Podziemski, and Will Richard would see modest bumps in deeper fantasy formats.
Lakers' G Luka Doncic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 37 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in a 142-111 win over Washington on Friday, Jan. 30.
Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham (hip) will play on Friday night against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, ESPN's Anthony Slater reports. Detroit's leading man was a slight doubt for the game due to a sore right hip, but he has been cleared for action and will start the contest. After some disappointing outings earlier this month, Cunningham has been back to his best in recent games. He has averaged 25.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists, and 2.0 steals over the last three contests.
Detroit Pistons guard/forward Caris LeVert (illness) will miss a sixth consecutive game on Friday against the Golden State Warriors. The veteran is having trouble shaking off an illness and was listed as doubtful on the initial injury report. In LeVert's absence, Daniss Jenkin has held a regular role in the rotation. However, his performances as a reserve have been up and down. LeVert's next chance to return will come on Sunday against his first NBA team, the Brooklyn Nets.
Golden State Warriors forward Gui Santos (calf) has been cleared for action and will play on Friday against the Detroit Pistons. The team has upgraded Santos from probable to available ahead of tip-off. Santos is coming off a season-best 16-point performance against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. On Friday, he will go up against a much better team and a tighter defense, making it difficult for Santos to replicate his performance.
Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (calf) will be active against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. Valanciunas put in a 25-minute shift in Thursday's win over Brooklyn and is ready to play for a second consecutive night after initially being listed as probable. Nikola Jokic's (knee) return will push Valanciunas to the bench, and he will have a tough time making fantasy contributions going forward. As a reserve, Valanciunas has been limited to 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this season.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (knee) has been officially listed as available for Friday's contest against the Los Angeles Clippers. The three-time MVP is ready to make his first appearance of 2026 after recovering from a left knee bone bruise. Jokic had a monster game with 55 points and 14 rebounds in his previous meeting with the Clippers. Nuggets head coach Rick Adelman has confirmed that Jokic will have a minutes limit on Friday. Even so, the Serbian superstar doesn't need to see a lot of action to fill the box score.
Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray (hamstring, hip) will play in Friday's tilt against the Los Angeles Clippers. The team has upgraded his status from probable to available. Murray has been hot recently and tallied 27 points with six assists in Thursday's win over Brooklyn. With Nikola Jokic (knee) back in the lineup, Murray's offensive usage will drop, but he will remain a key cog in the Nuggets' offense.
Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (illness) will return from a one-game absence on Friday against the Sacramento Kings. The Portuguese big man couldn't play on Wednesday against Atlanta due to illness. Amari Williams and Luka Garza shared the center minutes in Queta's absence. With Williams back in the G League, Queta looks set to resume his regular duties as Boston's starting center. The 26-year-old has averaged 10.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 24.9 minutes this season. Queta has a good opportunity to shine on Friday, as Sacramento won't have Domantas Sabonis (knee) in the lineup. Additionally, the Kings give up the second-most fantasy points to centers.
New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (ankle) will be absent for a second consecutive game on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers, Steve Popper of Newsday reports. This was expected after McBride was downgraded to doubtful on the injury report earlier in the day. McBride's absence will secure expanded roles for Landry Shamet and Tyler Kolek, but neither player has provided consistent fantasy value. Still, Kolek impressed with his playmaking on Wednesday against Toronto, delivering 10 assists.
Washington Wizards guard/forward Tre Johnson (ankle) won't play on Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers. He sprained his left ankle during Thursday's win over Milwaukee and will sit out at least one game due to the injury. On Thursday, Bub Carrington started the second half in Johnson's absence and figures to have a larger role again in Friday's game. Malaki Branham could also be more involved in the rotation, especially with Khris Middleton (knee) also absent against the Lakers.
New York Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart (ankle) will play against his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, on Friday night, Steve Popper of Newsday reports. He was initially uncertain for the contest due to ankle soreness, but the team has officially listed him as available. Hart's offensive production tends to be inconsistent, but he's done a solid job overall for the Knicks. Across eight January appearances, Hart has averaged 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.0 steals. Among these games is an 18-point outing against Portland that occurred three weeks ago.
Washington Wizards forward Khris Middleton (knee) won't play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Washington will be in action for a second consecutive night, and it's not surprising that Middleton will be held out of Friday's contest due to his right knee injury. With Middleton out, Will Riley could see an expanded role against the Lakers, though the 19-year-old hasn't been a very productive player during his rookie campaign. Justin Champagnie and Bub Carrington may get a chance to step up offensively without Middleton.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (calf) won't play in Friday's game against the Washington Wizards, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports. Reaves is nearing his return and had a questionable tag on the initial injury report, but he isn't quite ready to play yet. His next chance for a comeback will be on Sunday against the New York Knicks. Reaves' absence from the backcourt allows Marcus Smart and Gabe Vincent to play larger roles. While Smart had a disappointing two-point outing on Wednesday against Cleveland, he has played well in January. He's in a great bounce-back spot on Friday against the Wizards, who allow 122.3 points per game.
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Doncic (ankle) will be available on Friday against the Washington Wizards, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports. The NBA's leading scorer tweaked his left ankle in Wednesday's loss to Cleveland and was listed as questionable on the initial injury report. Doncic has notched 33.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game during his first full season in L.A. He could cook up something very special against the league's second-worst defense on Friday.
Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (personal) won't take the court on Friday against the Utah Jazz. Porter Jr. had a monster game on Thursday against Denver, scoring 38 points in 37 minutes in a matchup with his former team, but he will sit out Friday's action for personal reasons. Brooklyn will have Egor Demin (foot) and Cam Thomas (hamstring) back in the lineup against Utah, and they will take over some of Porter Jr.'s offensive touches. Meanwhile, Danny Wolf could again hover around 30 minutes.
Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (illness) won't play on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets. The Bosnian big man has been battling an illness all week and missed the first leg of a back-to-back on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers. Kevin Love (illness) moved into the starting unit on Tuesday night, but he also isn't feeling well and will sit out Friday's game. As a result, the Jazz are set to lean heavily on Kyle Filipowski in the frontcourt, while Taylor Hendricks could rejoin the rotation.
Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (ankle) is set to end a two-game absence on Friday against the Boston Celtics after the team removed him from the injury report. Monk injured his right ankle last week. Recently, Monk has had a larger role with the Kings, averaging 18.6 points and 3.2 assists in 27.1 minutes across his last five appearances. With Russell Westbrook (foot) out on Friday, the opportunity is there for Monk to make a significant impact.
Sacramento Kings forward/center Domantas Sabonis (knee) will sit out the second leg of a back-to-back on Friday against the Boston Celtics. He is managing a left knee injury, and the team doesn't want to overwork Sabonis, who logged 28 minutes in Thursday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Maxime Raynaud is likely to replace Sabonis in the first unit on Friday, while Dylan Cardwell could also have a larger role. That said, the two rookies likely won't have it easy against a team that gives up the fifth-fewest fantasy points to centers.
