NBA Roundup: Lakers Tie Nuggets for Third, Spurs’ Mamukelashvili Stuns Knicks, Booker Drops 41 in Suns’ Win

The Los Angeles Lakers rode a scorching first quarter from Luka Doncic to a 120-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, tying their opponents for third place in the Western Conference standings. 

Doncic poured in 21 of his 31 points in the opening period, setting the tone for a strong home performance. Austin Reaves added 22 points, and Dorian Finney-Smith contributed 14 as the Lakers secured their ninth consecutive home win despite missing LeBron James (groin) and Rui Hachimura (knee).

Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs stunned the New York Knicks 120-105 behind a career night from Sandro Mamukelashvili, who erupted for 34 points, including 21 in the fourth quarter. Mamukelashvili was nearly flawless, shooting 13-for-14 from the field and making all seven of his three-point attempts. 

Stephon Castle added 22 points, while Chris Paul chipped in 12 points and nine assists. The Knicks, now 3-3 since losing Jalen Brunson to injury, saw Karl-Anthony Towns lead the way with 32 points and nine rebounds.

In Sacramento, Keegan Murray broke a late tie with a key basket, and DeMar DeRozan sealed the deal with clutch buckets in the final minutes as the Kings outlasted the Cleveland Cavaliers 123-119. DeRozan paced Sacramento with 27 points, Malik Monk added 22, and rookie Devin Carter notched a season-high 16 off the bench. Cleveland’s Evan Mobley delivered a strong performance with 31 points and 10 rebounds, while Donovan Mitchell scored 26.

Portland secured a 115-99 victory over Memphis thanks to Deni Avdija’s monster performance of 31 points, 16 rebounds, and eight assists. Anfernee Simons added 22 points for the Trail Blazers, who won their third straight. The Grizzlies, dropping their second consecutive game, were led by Desmond Bane’s 20 points.

Phoenix climbed into 10th place in the West by defeating the Chicago Bulls 127-121, fueled by Devin Booker’s 41-point explosion. Booker scored 33 after halftime, while Kevin Durant added 26. The Bulls got solid contributions from Nikola Vucevic and Coby White, both scoring 24.

Detroit stunned Miami 116-113 on a buzzer-beater from Cade Cunningham, who capped his triple-double with a banked-in three-pointer with 0.6 seconds left. Cunningham finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, while Miami’s Bam Adebayo nearly matched him with 30 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. The loss marked the Heat’s ninth straight defeat, their longest skid since the 2007-08 season.

Indiana outlasted Dallas 135-131, with Bennedict Mathurin erupting for 16 points in the final six minutes to lift the Pacers at home. Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 29 points, while Andrew Nembhard’s late three-pointer helped seal the win. P.J. Washington led the Mavericks with 26 points.

Zion Williamson powered New Orleans past Minnesota 119-115, scoring 29 points on 12-for-16 shooting. The Pelicans snapped a rough stretch, winning for just the second time in their last nine games. Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards had 29 points but struggled from the field, shooting just 5-for-19.

Houston extended its winning streak to eight games with a 116-108 road victory over Orlando, led by Jalen Green’s 26 points. Alperen Sengun added 22 points and 12 rebounds. Paolo Banchero’s 31 points weren’t enough for the Magic, who have lost eight of their last 11.

Utah finally ended its 10-game losing skid by beating Washington 128-112. Kyle Filipowski and Keyonte George combined for 41 points as the Jazz used a 14-0 second-half run to pull away. The Wizards, despite 24 points from Colby Jones, fell to another frustrating loss.

Oklahoma City moved closer to securing the top seed in the West by routing Philadelphia 133-100. Aaron Wiggins scored 26 points, and Jaylin Williams posted a triple-double with 19 points, 17 rebounds, and 11 assists. Quentin Grimes led the 76ers with 28 points.