Malik Monk saved 11 of his 22 points for overtime, Kevin Huerter drilled a key 3-pointer with 32 seconds to go and the Sacramento Kings outlasted the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 132-127 on Sunday night.
De’Aaron Fox went for a game-high 37 points for the Kings, who overcame Domantas Sabonis fouling out and a late surge by LeBron James. Sabonis had 12 points and a team-high 15 rebounds before fouling out.
Monk had two 3-pointers, a three-point play and two free throws in the extra five minutes, the foul shots coming with 15.2 seconds remaining to clinch the win after James had made his third basket of overtime to get the Lakers within 130-127 with 23.6 seconds left.
Anthony Davis and James both recorded double-doubles for the Lakers. Davis collected a team-high 30 points and a game-high 16 rebounds, while James totaled 27 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. D’Angelo Russell finished with 17 points and a game-high nine assists.
Nuggets 128, Thunder 95
Nikola Jokic scored 28 points with 14 rebounds and five assists as Denver coasted past host Oklahoma City.
Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points, Jamal Murray 19 and Peyton Watson a career-high 17 off the bench for the Nuggets. The win was the third consecutive for the defending champions to start the season and Denver’s fourth consecutive win in Oklahoma City.
Rookie Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was just 2-of-16 from the floor, finishing with seven points, his lowest scoring total since December 2019.
Warriors 106, Rockets 95
Stephen Curry scored 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, burying four late 3-pointers that helped Golden State beat host Houston.
After the Rockets secured their first lead since late in the first quarter on a driving layup from Jalen Green with 6:42 left in the game, the Warriors reclaimed the advantage at 88-87 when Draymond Green scored through a foul. Green missed the ensuing free throw, but the Warriors corralled the offensive rebound and Curry followed with a three at the 5:09 mark that pushed the lead to 91-87.
Jalen Green led the Rockets with 21 points and nine rebounds. Alperen Sengun added 19 points and seven assists while Jabari Smith Jr. chipped in 14 points and eight boards. Houston finished with a 46-24 advantage in points in the paint and committed only seven turnovers.
76ers 128, Blazers 98
Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey posted double-doubles, Tobias Harris chipped in 24 points and Philadelphia won for the second time in as many days, thumping visiting Portland.
Embiid complemented game highs in points (35) and rebounds (15) with seven assists, six blocks and two steals for the 76ers, who were coming off a tough 114-107 win at Toronto.
Shaedon Sharpe had 20 points and Malcolm Brogdon supplied 18 to pace the Trail Blazers, who were opening a four-day, three-game trip.
Hawks 127, Bucks 110
Trae Young’s 20 points led eight Atlanta scorers in double figures, and the Hawks led wire to wire en route to a rout over host Milwaukee.
The Hawks shot 47-of-93 from the floor, including 15-of-37 from 3-point range, led by Bogdan Bogdanovic’s 4-of-7. Bogdanovic led three Hawks reserves in double figures with 17 points. Onyeka Okongwu added 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Saddiq Bey scored 13 points with nine rebounds.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a game-high 26 points while Damian Lillard -of-12 for six points, and was scoreless until the second half. Malik Beasley scored 18 points, Brook Lopez had 13 points and Bobby Portis scored 12 points off the bench for the Bucks. Antetokounmpo grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds.
Clippers 123, Spurs 83
Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points in 28 minutes as Los Angeles rolled over San Antonio in the first road game for rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama.
Paul George and Russell Westbrook each scored 19 points for the Clippers, who improved to 2-0 at home and rebounded from a disappointing two-point defeat on the road against the Utah Jazz on Friday. Bones Hyland scored 18 points and Ivica Zubac had 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field for Los Angeles.
Devin Vassell scored just two of his 14 points in the second half and Cedi Osman added 12 for the Spurs, who went 1-1 at home. Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 No. 1 overall selection in this year’s draft, scored 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting.
–Field Level Media