Nikola Jokic scored 25 of his season-high 55 points in the first quarter and the Denver Nuggets extended their winning streak to six games with a 130-116 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday at Inglewood, Calif.
Jokic added 12 rebounds with six assists while going 18 of 23 from the floor and 5 of 6 from 3-point range. His 25 first-quarter points were a high for any quarter in his career. The 55 points tied the highest total in the NBA this season. Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a 55-point effort against the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 23.
Aaron Gordon scored 18 points, Jamal Murray had 15 and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 12 for Denver, which is 2-0 on a three-game road trip after opening the season 1-2 away from home.
James Harden scored 23 points and Jordan Miller added a career-high 22 in his first game of the season for the Clippers, who saw their losing streak reach six games. Ivica Zubac had 18 points and nine rebounds for Los Angeles.
Magic 124, Knicks 107
Franz Wagner scored 13 of his 28 points during a decisive second-quarter run by Orlando, which overcame an injury to Paolo Banchero to hand New York its first home loss of the season.
Banchero departed in the middle of the second quarter with a strained left groin. Desmond Bane contributed 22 points and eight assists for the Magic, who have won five of seven following a four-game losing streak.
Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 31 points while Karl-Anthony Towns posted 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, whose five-game winning streak ended. Brunson exited in the fourth quarter due to a right ankle injury and left the arena on crutches.
Warriors 125, Spurs 120
Stephen Curry scored 46 points, nearly half of them in a pivotal run in the third quarter, to help visiting Golden State earn a win over San Antonio in the first of two games between the teams in three days in the Alamo City.
The squads will battle again Friday in an NBA Cup clash. The Spurs led by as many as 16 in the first half and by seven at the break before Golden State leapfrogged to the lead with a dominating third in which Curry scored 22 of the Warriors’ 43 points Jimmy Butler III finished with 28 points and Moses Moody had 19.
Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 31 points while taking 15 rebounds and distributing 10 assists. Stephon Castle also posted a triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, with Devin Vassel hitting for 15 points.
Thunder 121, Lakers 92
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 30 points and nine assists in just three quarters of action to lead Oklahoma City to a home win over Los Angeles.
Playing the second night of a back-to-back, the Thunder certainly didn’t look fatigued, reeling off a 23-7 run that started just more than two minutes into the game to take control. Oklahoma City has won four consecutive games and 12 of 13 to start the season. Isaiah Joe scored 21 for the Thunder, who had seven players score in double-figures.
Luka Doncic never found an offensive rhythm, finishing with a team-high 19 points but going just 7 of 20 from the field and 1 of 7 on 3-pointers with four turnovers. Doncic was minus-31 in nearly 33 minutes. Austin Reaves was just 4 of 12 from the field and missed all five of his shots from beyond the arc as the Lakers finished just 40.3% from the field — a season low.
Celtics 131, Grizzlies 95
Payton Pritchard made five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 24 points to propel Boston past visiting Memphis.
Ten players made at least one 3-pointer for the Celtics, who shot 21 of 51 (41.2%) from behind the arc. Derrick White (20), Jaylen Brown (19), Luka Garza (14) and Neemias Queta (13) were the other Boston players who scored in double figures.
Jaren Jackson Jr. put up 18 points for the Grizzlies, who never led and lost for the seventh time in its past eight games. Ja Morant (ankle) didn’t play.
Cavaliers 130, Heat 116
Jarrett Allen scored a game-high 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the short-handed Cleveland won at Miami.
The Heat, who beat visiting the visiting Cavaliers on Monday, slipped to 5-1 at home despite 27 points from Norman Powell.
Cleveland, which has won five of six, got 21 points from De’Andre Hunter. The Cavaliers were missing Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, who both rested, and Jaylon Tyson (concussion) and Darius Garland (toe), who got hurt on Monday.
Rockets 135, Wizards 112
Kevin Durant scored 23 points, Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard combined for 41 off the bench and host Houston claimed a victory over Washington.
Durant tallied 16 first-quarter points to get the Rockets rolling while Eason (20 points, 4-for-6 3-pointers) and Sheppard (21 points, 5-for-8 3-pointers) teamed to extend the margin to 28 in the second quarter before helping fend off the plucky Wizards into the final period.
Alperen Sengun (16 points, 13 rebounds) posted a double-double while Amen Thompson (18 points, eight assists) and Jabari Smith Jr. (15 points, eight rebounds) contributed to another balanced offensive attack for the Rockets, who entered play leading the NBA in offensive rating.
Suns 123, Mavericks 114
Devin Booker scored 26 points and Phoenix topped host Dallas for its fourth straight victory.
Grayson Allen added 23 points for the Suns, and Dillon Brooks contributed 18. Jordan Goodwin scored all of his season-high 13 before halftime.
Klay Thompson led the Mavericks with a season-high 19 points. Rookie Cooper Flagg had 16 points and appeared to tweak his left shoulder in the first quarter. P.J. Washington left with a shoulder strain midway through the first quarter and did not return for Dallas, which has lost six of its past seven games.
Hornets 111, Bucks 100
Miles Bridges scored 20 points and rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner made all eight of his shots from the field as Charlotte defeated visiting Milwaukee to snap a three-game losing streak.
Kalkbrenner finished with 17 points and nine rebounds, Collin Sexton provided 16 points and eight assists and Kon Knueppel bagged three 3-pointers on the way to 16 points for the Hornets.
Ryan Rollins pumped in 25 points, Myles Turner had 21 points and Bobby Portis added 14 points for Milwaukee, which has alternated wins and losses for eight games. The Bucks were playing without scoring leader Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has a knee ailment.
Pistons 124, Bulls 113
Paul Reed piled up 28 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four steals as depleted Detroit won its eighth straight game, knocking off visiting Chicago.
Duncan Robinson contributed 23 points for Detroit, while Daniss Jenkins supplied 18 points and 12 assists. Caris LeVert added 17 points.
Matas Buzelis led Chicago, which has lost four straight, with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Kevin Huerter amassed 20 points, Isaac Okoro had 15 points, and Ayo Dosunmu added 12.
Trail Blazers 125, Pelicans 117
Shaedon Sharpe scored a season-best 35 points and Deni Avdija had 32 as visiting Portland defeated New Orleans.
Jrue Holiday paired 17 points with 12 assists for the Blazers, who snapped a two-game losing streak on the third leg of a five-game road swing.
Rookie Derik Queen posted 26 points for the Pelicans, Saddiq Bey added 25 and Trey Murphy III tallied 22. The second quarter featured nine lead changes and the ejections of New Orleans’ Yves Missi and Portland’s Jerami Grant.
Hawks 133, Kings 100
Jalen Johnson recorded 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to help visiting Atlanta steamroll Sacramento.
Johnson made 9 of 10 field-goal attempts in just 24 minutes as the Hawks improved to 2-0 to start a four-game road trip. Atlanta reserve Onyeka Okongwu hit 6 of 7 shots and scored 21 points.
Keon Ellis made six 3-pointers and scored 20 points off the bench for the Kings, who lost for the fifth time in six games. Zach LaVine (thigh) and Malik Monk (ankle) sat out on the second night of a back-to-back.
