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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 26 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists, Jamal Murray added 23 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, and the Denver Nuggets outlasted the New Orleans Pelicans 116-108 on Saturday night.
Denver has won four of its last five games and moved to 3-0 against the Pelicans this season. New Orleans dropped its sixth consecutive contest, four of which have come at home.
Jokic was on triple-double watch, shooting 9 of 14 from the field. Murray shot 9 of 16 and was a team-high +16.
Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 24 points. Saddiq Bey added 16 points, and rookie guard Jaron Pierre Jr. scored 13 in 23 minutes after scoring 23 points for the G-League Laketown Squadron’s inaugural home game earlier Saturday afternoon.
CAVALIERS 127, MAVERICKS 117
CLEVELAND (AP) — Tyrese Proctor posted his first triple-double with 24 points, 11 rebounds and a career-best 10 assists in leading short-handed Cleveland to a victory over Dallas.
Australia native Proctor became the first Cleveland player with a triple-double since Max Strus against Charlotte on April 14, 2024. The points and assists were new career-highs for Proctor, and he also matched his pro high in rebounds.
The Cavaliers played without their entire usual starting lineup as Donovan Mitchell (left knee), James Harden (left calf), Evan Mobley (left big toe), Jarrett Allen (right knee) and Peyton Watson (right hamstring) were sidelined with injuries. Sixth man Sam Merrill (right hamstring) also was inactive. The Cavs ruled out all of their starters after travel delays following the nationwide ground stop on Friday and having to stay overnight in South Florida after a loss to the Miami Heat.
Former Cleveland guard Kyrie Irving scored 20 of his 34 points in the third quarter for Dallas, while Cooper Flagg had 18 points and eight rebounds. Flagg hugged fellow 2025 draftee — and former college teammate — Proctor shortly after he earned his 10th assist on a pass to Mario Hezonja.
GRIZZLIES 129, NETS 110
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Cedric Coward had 23 points and 12 rebounds and Taylor Hendricks scored a career-high 22 as Memphis built an early lead and defeated Brooklyn.
A night after a 142-111 victory over New Orleans featured 10 Memphis players reaching double figures, tying an NBA record, seven Grizzlies reached double figures against the Nets. Javon Small scored 19 and Cam Spencer finished with 17 and eight assists as Memphis won its third in the last four.
Julius Randle lead Brooklyn with 22 points and Day’Ron Sharpe added 16 points and 11 rebounds as Brooklyn lost its third in the last four. Noah Clowney scored 15.
Memphis built a 20-point first-half lead behind 3-point success and weathered a third quarter Brooklyn burst that cut the advantage to single digits. By early in the fourth quarter, Memphis had taken the lead back to 24.
HEAT 137, PISTONS 117
MIAMI (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, some of the spectacular variety, and the Miami Heat beat the Detroit Pistons 137-117 on Saturday night for their fourth straight win.
Klay Thompson scored 26 points in his return from a sprained ankle and Bam Adebayo added 20 for the Heat. Davion Mitchell had 15 points and nine rebounds for Miami.
Cade Cunningham had 33 points and eight assists for Detroit, which got 20 points and seven assists from Kevin Huerter.
Miami had nine players record at least one block and finished with 14 as a team — one shy of the franchise record.
The NBA record for players on the same team having at least one block in a game is 10, done twice — both by Golden State, first in 1991 and then again in 2016. The Heat team record for players with at least one block was eight, done on five occasions.
BULLS 117, TIMBERWOLVES 106
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Norman Powell scored 23 points, Matas Buzelis added 18 points and nine rebounds, and short-handed Chicago won for the second night in a row with a victory over Minnesota..
Buddy Hield and Tre Jones each chipped in 16 points off the bench for the Bulls, who ended Minnesota’s five-game winning streak convincingly.
Chicago’s travel to Minneapolis on Friday was delayed by the nationwide ground stop that impacted many flights across the country. That meant the Bulls didn’t arrive to Minnesota until the day of the game Saturday after beating the Hawks in Chicago on Friday.
The travel disruption didn’t seem to impact the Bulls, nor did a limited roster. Rookie Caleb Wilson is out for an extended period with a fractured hand. Jalen Smith also missed Saturday’s game with a hand injury, and center Nic Claxton was sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Buzelis picked up the scoring in their absence with 14 first-half points.
The Timberwolves missed their first 13 shots from 3-point range and finished 9 for 38.
Minnesota was held to 17 points in the first quarter, its lowest-scoring quarter of the season. The Wolves failed to reach 110 points for the first time this season.
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