Dallas Mavericks 112, Houston Rockets 106
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Dallas Mavericks, odds 1.42
Line: Dallas Mavericks (-5.5), odds 1.88 - only just!
Total Points: Under (221.5), odds 1.88
HOUSTON (AP) — Luka Doncic scored a season-high 50 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, and the Dallas Mavericks held off the Houston Rockets 112-106 on Friday night.
Doncic, who also had 10 assists and eight rebounds, was 17 of 30 from the field, including 6 of 12 on 3-pointers. It was Doncic’s second career 50-point game. He scored a career-high 51 against the Clippers on Feb. 10, 2022.
Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans each scored 11 points for Dallas, which shot 45% and made 16 of 44 3s.
Jabari Smith Jr. finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds for Houston.
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Charlotte Hornets 134, LA Lakers 130
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Charlotte Hornets, odds 2.30
Line: Charlotte Hornets (+3.5), odds 1.88
Total Points: Over (235.5), odds 1.90 - by almost 30 points!
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gordon Hayward got the tiebreaking layup on a goaltending call against LeBron James with 6.3 seconds to play and Charlotte held off Los Angeles for only its second victory in 11 games.
James scored 18 of his 34 points while leading a stirring fourth-quarter comeback by the Lakers, who erased a 16-point deficit in the second half. James scored or assisted on 11 straight points in the final 2:30, and he drove for the tying layup with 30 seconds left.
After Hayward got an offensive rebound and drew the goaltending call, James fed Dennis Schröder for an open corner 3-point attempt — but the German guard missed, and P.J. Washington hit two free throws to ice the Hornets’ second win on their six-game trip.
Washington scored 24 points, while LaMelo Ball had 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists against his hometown team.
LA Clippers 114, Philadelphia 76ers 119
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Philadelphia 76ers, odds 1.63
Line: Philadelphia 76ers (-3.5), odds 1.93 - squeaked in
Total Points: Over (216.5), odds 1.93
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 44 points, James Harden had a career-high 21 assists in a triple-double and Philadelphia overcame a 20-point first-half deficit to beat Los Angeles.
Harden also had 20 points and 11 rebounds to help Philadelphia sweep a seven-game homestand and improve to 19-12. Harden tied Wilt Chamberlain and Maurice Cheeks for the franchise game assist record.
Kawhi Leonard had 28 points on 12-of-19 shooting for Los Angeles. Paul George added 22 points and Norman Powell had 21.
Milwaukee Bucks 100, Brooklyn Nets 118
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Brooklyn Nets, odds 1.68
Line: Brooklyn Nets (-2.5), odds 1.93
Total Points: Under (226.5), odds 1.93
NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 24 points and the Nets held Giannis Antetokounmpo scoreless in the fourth quarter to beat the Milwaukee, winning their eighth straight to match their longest winning streak since moving to Brooklyn a decade ago.
Nic Claxton made his first nine shots and finished 9 for 10 for a season high-tying 19 points for the Nets. They have won 12 of their last 13 games.
Antetokounmpo finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, but didn’t take a shot in the fourth.
San Antonio Spurs 113, Orlando Magic 133
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Orlando Magic, odds 1.36 - by a huge margin
Line: Orlando Magic (-6.5), odds 1.88 - with plenty of room to spare
Total Points: Over (226.5), odds 1.88
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Cole Anthony had 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, Franz Wagner added 21 points and Orlando beat San Antonio for its eighth victory in nine games.
Paolo Banchero had 18 points and six rebounds, and Mo Bamba broke open a close game with three 3-pointers in a 51-second span in the fourth quarter.
Keldon Johnson led San Antonio with 17 points.
Minnesota Timberwolves 109, Boston Celtics 121
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Boston Celtics, odds 1.22
Line: Boston Celtics (-8.5), odds 1.85
Total Points: Under (231.5), odds 1.88 - just about!
BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 23 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter to help Boston beat Minnesota and end a season-worst three-game losing streak.
Jayson Tatum added 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Derrick White scored 18 points and Al Horford had 17 points. Boston won for only the second time in seven games but moved back atop the NBA standings.
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 30 points.
Portland Trail Blazers 107, Denver Nuggets 120
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Denver Nuggets, odds 1.48
Line: Denver Nuggets (-5.5), odds 1.93
Total Points: Under (234.5), odds 1.88
DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray returned to the lineup with 25 points and a season-high 12 assists, Nikola Jokic had 29 points and 11 assists and Denver beat Portland.
Murray also had 12 assists and eight rebounds.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 18 points in his first game after missing 13 with a left heel strain, an injury he said is unrelated to his previous back injuries.
Damian Lillard had 34 points and eight assists for Portland.
Memphis Grizzlies 125, Phoenix Suns 100
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Memphis Grizzlies, odds 1.70
Line: Memphis Grizzlies (-2.5), odds 1.87
Total Points: Under (226.5), odds 1.88 - by just 1.5!
PHOENIX (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. had 24 points and 11 rebounds, Desmond Bane scored 17 points in his return and Memphis took advantage of Phoenix star Devin Booker’s absence to rout the Suns.
Phoenix played without Booker because of groin soreness for the third straight game, with the Suns losing the last two. In his last game, Booker scored a season-high 58 points in a home victory over New Orleans.
Tied with Denver for the Western Conference lead at 20-11, the Grizzlies had their starting lineup from last season on the floor for the first time this season. Bane played 24 minutes after missing 18 games because of a sprained right big toe.
Brandon Clarke had 24 points and nine rebounds off the bench for Memphis. Deandre Ayton led Phoenix with 18 points.
Toronto Raptors 118, Cleveland Cavaliers 107
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Toronto Raptors, odds 2.50
Line: Toronto Raptors (+4.5), odds 1.87
Total Points: Over (215.5), odds 1.93
CLEVELAND (AP) — Pascal Siakam had 26 points and nine assists, O.G. Anunoby scored 26 points and Toronto became the first Eastern Conference team to beat the Cavaliers in Cleveland this season.
Scottie Barnes scored 25 points and Fred VanVleet added 18, helping Toronto beat the Cavaliers for the third time in three games this season. The Raptors made a season-high 19 3-pointers, with Anunoby tying his career best with six.
Darius Garland had 17 points and eight assists for Cleveland.
Chicago Bulls 118, New York Knicks 117
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Chicago Bulls, odds 2.75 - upset the odds!
Line: Chicago Bulls (+5.5), odds 1.87
Total Points: Over (224.5), odds 1.93
NEW YORK (AP) — DeMar DeRozan’s jumper with less than a second to play lifted Chicago past New York.
DeRozan finished with 25 points in Chicago’s third straight victory. Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 33 points and Nikola Vucevic added 25.
RJ Barrett led the Knicks with a season-high 44 points. Julius Randle finished with 29 points and 12 rebounds.
Indiana Pacers 111, Miami Heat 108
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Indiana Pacers, odds 3.20 - big outsiders
Line: Indiana Pacers (+6.5), odds 1.93
Total Points: Under (225.5), odds 1.92
MIAMI (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds and had a career-high 43 points, helping Indiana beat Miami.
Haliburton’s winning shot with just over four seconds left was his team-record 10th 3-pointer of the game. He shot 14 for 20 from the field and 10 for 16 on 3s.
The Heat rallied from a 12-point deficit early in the fourth quarter and tied it at 108 on Tyler Herro’s 3-pointer with 10 seconds left. Herro scored 28 points.
New Orleans Pelicans 128, Oklahoma City Thunder 125 - OT
Betting Results:
Head to Head: New Orleans Pelicans, odds 2.02
Line: New Orleans Pelicans (+1.5), odds 1.95
Total Points: Over (232.5), odds 1.93 - helped by overtime
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Trey Murphy III scored 23 points and New Orleans overcame the absence of leading scorer Zion Williamson and a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Oklahoma City in overtime,
Murphy and CJ McCollum each hit a 3-pointer in the first two minutes of overtime to stake the Pelicans to a four-point lead, and Oklahoma City never recovered.
Williamson also sat out Thursday night in a victory over San Antonio due to health and safety protocols.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 44 points for Oklahoma City. He also had 10 rebounds and six assists.
Washington Wizards 125, Sacramento Kings 111
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Washington Wizards, odds 3.85 - wow!
Line: Washington Wizards (+8.5), odds 1.93
Total Points: Under (236.5), odds 1.93 - by 0.5 points
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Kyle Kuzma scored 32 points and Washington beat Sacramento to end a six-game trip.
The Wizards had lost 10 of their last 11. They snapped a 10-game losing streak with a victory at Phoenix on Tuesday night, then fall at Utah on Thursday night.
Bradley Beal added 24 points for Washington.
Domantas Sabonis had his second consecutive triple-double for Sacramento with 20 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. De’Aaron Fox scored 26 points.
Detroit Pistons 105, Atlanta Hawks 130
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Atlanta Hawks, odds 1.25
Line: Atlanta Hawks (-8.5), odds 1.95 - by a long way
Total Points: Over (233.5), odds 1.93
ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young had 26 points and 13 assists, Dejounte Murray added 26 points and Atlanta used a dominant third quarter to beat Detroit.
The Hawks have won three of four to improve to 17-16. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 points for NBA-worst Detroit. The Pistons have lost five straight.
By The Associated Press and DJ Arthurs | 12/24/22
Follow DJ Arthurs on Twitter at @DJArthursJourno
