January 2 – Nikola Jokic had 30 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, and the Denver Nuggets won their eighth consecutive home game by beating the Boston Celtics 123-111 on Sunday night.
Jokic made 10 of his 13 field goal attempts and was 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. It was his ninth triple-double of the season. Denver played without starting guard Jamal Murray (injury management). Bruce Brown replaced Murray in the starting lineup and finished with 21 points.
Jaylen Brown (30 points) and Jayson Tatum (25) led the Boston offense. The Celtics, who entered the contest with a four-game winning streak, fell to 11-6 on the road. Boston interim head coach Joe Mazzulla returned after missing two games with an eye injury.
The Nuggets led 37-28 after one quarter and 62-54 at halftime. Denver’s first-half lead peaked at 15 points in the second quarter. Michael Porter Jr. (19 points), Aaron Gordon (18) and Bones Hyland (17) also scored in double figures for Denver, which led by as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter.
Grizzlies 118, Kings 108
Ja Morant scored 35 points as host Memphis pulled away down the stretch to beat Sacramento for its third straight win.
Morant scored nine of his points in the fourth quarter, as the Grizzlies held the Kings to 21 points. Morant made 13 of 23 shots and also finished with eight rebounds and five assists. Steven Adams matched his career high with 23 rebounds, including a career-best 13 on the offensive end.
De’Aaron Fox scored 19 points to lead the Kings but shot 7 of 18 and committed five turnovers as the Kings were unable to win a third straight. Domantas Sabonis posted his 13th straight double-double with 18 points and 14 boards, while Malik Monk also contributed 18 points.
Wizards 118, Bucks 95
Rui Hachimura scored 26 points and Kristaps Porzingis added 22 as Washington went on the road and took down depleted Milwaukee.
Kyle Kuzma also had a big night, finishing with a 10-point, 13-rebound, 11-assist triple-double, the second of his career. Daniel Gafford and Corey Kispert also finished in double figures, scoring 17 and 12 points, respectively, for the Wizards, who won their fifth straight game.
The Bucks were without their big three in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton. Bobby Portis led the way for Milwaukee in their absence, scoring 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, while Jevon Carter added 14 points. The Wizards quickly built a big lead, going up 34-17 after the first quarter and never looked back, leading by as much as 26.
–Field Level Media
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