Jalen Johnson scored a career-high 41 points to lift the visiting Atlanta Hawks to a wild 142-134 double-overtime victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 34 points for Atlanta, while Dyson Daniels pitched in with 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Johnson also contributed 14 rebounds and seven assists for the Hawks, who played without Kristaps Porzingis (illness) in addition to Trae Young (knee).
Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 44 points and nine assists, while Quentin Grimes chipped in with 28 points for the hosts. Joel Embiid (knee), who had missed Philadelphia’s previous nine games, scored 18 points but had only four rebounds in 30 minutes.
With the teams tied at 124-124 late in the first overtime, Maxey made a tough floater in the lane. However, he went 0-of-2 from the foul line with 4.6 seconds left. Johnson was fouled on the other end with 0.3 seconds left and made both free throws to force a second OT. In the second extra session, Maxey’s driving layup forged a 132-132 tie with 2:44 left. However, Johnson answered with a pair of 3-pointers to give Atlanta some breathing room.
Rockets 129, Jazz 101
Alperen Sengun scored a game-high 27 points and Kevin Durant added 25 to lead visiting Houston to a dominant win over Utah in Salt Lake City.
Steven Adams recorded a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Amen Thompson made up for a lack of scoring (five points) with nine assists, eight rebounds and a steal. The Rockets cruised to a win as they shot 52.9% from the field, went 11-for-31 on 3-point attempts and outrebounded the Jazz 50-33.
Rookie Ace Bailey led Utah with 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Lauri Markkanen added 18 points and eight rebounds, while Jusuf Nurkic posted 14 points, six rebounds and nine assists. Keyonte George had eight turnovers over a scoreless 19 minutes.
Knicks 116, Raptors 94
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 22 points as New York notched its fourth straight victory, beating visiting Toronto.
Josh Hart compiled 20 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three steals for the Knicks, while Jalen Brunson paired 18 points with seven assists. Mitchell Robinson pulled in 15 boards off the bench in 17 minutes of action as New York outrebounded Toronto 61-40, including 25-14 on the offensive glass.
Immanuel Quickley had 19 points and eight assists for the Raptors, and Scottie Barnes added 18 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Thunder 123, Trail Blazers 115
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points and Oklahoma City increased its winning streak to 12 with a victory over host Portland.
Jaylen Williams tallied 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists in his second game since his return from two wrist surgeries. Chet Holmgren added 19 points and nine rebounds as the defending champion Thunder won for the 20th time in 21 games this season. Their lone defeat came at Portland on Nov. 5 when they blew a 22-point lead and lost 121-119.
Deni Avdija recorded 31 points, a season-best 19 rebounds and 10 assists for the Trail Blazers, who fell for the ninth time in 12 games. Toumani Camara added 19 points and eight rebounds, and Jerami Grant scored 18 points.
Celtics 117, Cavaliers 115
Payton Pritchard scored a season-high 42 points and Jaylen Brown collected his fourth career triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, as Boston edged host Cleveland.
Anfernee Simons added 18 points off the bench and Jordan Walsh posted career bests with 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who built a 21-point lead before the Cavaliers mounted their unsuccessful comeback.
Cleveland’s Evan Mobley scored 17 of his 27 points in the second half and had 14 rebounds. Teammate Darius Garland had 21 points and eight assists, while Donovan Mitchell also made a run at a triple-double with 18 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
Timberwolves 125, Spurs 112
Anthony Edwards scored 32 points on 13-for-18 shooting, and Minnesota finished strong to defeat San Antonio in Minneapolis.
Julius Randle added 22 points and matched his season high of 12 assists for the Timberwolves, who earned their second victory in as many nights. Donte DiVincenzo tallied 18 points, and Naz Reid scored 15 off the bench.
De’Aaron Fox scored 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting to lead the Spurs. Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson finished with 22 points apiece. San Antonio was outscored 36-19 in the fourth quarter.
Grizzlies 115, Kings 107
Zach Edey had a career performance featuring 32 points, including all six in a lead-changing run late in the game, and Memphis surged past host Sacramento.
Edey’s 32 points were seven more than he’d scored in any previous NBA game. He hit 16 of his 20 shots on a night when he made neither a 3-pointer nor a free throw. The second-year pro also found time for a game-high 17 rebounds, the fourth-most of his career, and a career-best five blocks, helping the Grizzlies extend their winning streak to three.
DeMar DeRozan had a team-high 23 points and Malik Monk 21 for the Kings, who were outshot 52.3% to 45.7% overall and 37.5% to 29.6% on 3-pointers. The Grizzlies dominated on the boards 52-34.
Lakers 133, Pelicans 121
Luka Doncic scored 20 of his 34 points in the first quarter and added 12 rebounds with seven assists as host Los Angeles extended its winning streak to seven games with a victory over short-handed New Orleans.
Austin Reaves scored 33 points with eight assists and Deandre Ayton added 22 points with 12 rebounds before leaving in the fourth quarter with right knee discomfort. The Lakers won without LeBron James, who was resting a sore left foot on the first night of a back-to-back.
Saddiq Bey scored 22 points with 11 rebounds and Bryce McGowens added 23 points with seven rebounds and Jeremiah Frears 21 points for the Pelicans, who were without their top two scorers in Zion Williamson (hamstring) and Trey Murphy III (elbow) on the second night of a back-to-back.
