Saturday night had a Spanish accent in Oklahoma City. Aday Mara delivered one of his best performances with the Thunder, shooting nearly perfect in a blowout win over the Wizards. Elsewhere, the Warriors extended their winning streak to seven with an overtime victory, the Spurs improved to 8-2, and the Nuggets won in Mexico City.
https://youtu.be/_bYqiSvkbtE?si=buP1LaEotOlRXQM8
Mara Leads the Way in Wizards Blowout
Wizards 75-114 Thunder. The Thunder led by 21 at halftime (36-57) and built a lead as large as 43 on a night when Mara made the most of his 27 minutes. The Aragonese center scored 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field, including a three-pointer, and added 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks, with a +17 rating. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 without playing the fourth quarter and Jared McCain added 19. The Wizards, without Anthony Davis, finished with 75 points, the lowest total of the NBA season, shooting 7-of-43 from three. AJ Dybantsa (19) and Alex Sarr (15 points and 14 rebounds) led the way. The Thunder improve to 8-2 despite injuries to Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren.
https://youtu.be/0IhVWLo00tY?si=J6OVEonse6mSs9eu
Curry and Lendeborg Shine in Overtime
Magic 119-126 Warriors. The Warriors led by 16 at halftime (41-57), but a dominant third quarter of 37-20 gave the Magic the advantage. The game went to overtime tied at 110, and Golden State was dominant there (9-16), with a crucial three-pointer from Yaxel Lendeborg. Curry finished with 41 points, his second game of 40-plus this season and his 16th since turning 35, an NBA record. Lendeborg added 23 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. Franz Wagner (30 points and 11 assists) couldn't prevent the Magic's fourth straight loss (2-7). The Warriors, who started 0-3, are now 7-3.
https://youtu.be/XEqPl3RxQms?si=0QYTghpCdnYFluPU
Wembanyama Scores 29 in 24 Minutes
Spurs 125-103 Trail Blazers. The Spurs put the game away in two quarters. They won the second 42-29 and the third 45-27, entering the fourth with a 33-point lead (109-76). They led by as much as 35. Victor Wembanyama needed just 24 minutes to score 29 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Devin Vassell (15), Stephon Castle (14 and 5 assists) and Julian Champagnie (14) complemented an offense that made 17 three-pointers. For the Blazers, Yang Hansen recorded his first NBA double-double (12 and 10), and Deni Avdija scored 15. The Spurs improve to 8-2.
https://youtu.be/LZXZdZapU5E?si=rTLg4Iuz60S-g06S
Brunson Takes Over in Cleveland
Knicks 109-97 Cavaliers. In the first matchup since the Knicks swept the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, Jalen Brunson scored 18 straight points in four and a half minutes of the second quarter and took control for his team. He finished with 31 points and 9 assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 29 and 13 rebounds. Donovan Mitchell scored 37, his best of the season, with 21 in the fourth quarter, but the Cavaliers, without Jarrett Allen, Jaylon Tyson and Sam Merrill, fell to 5-5. The Knicks improve to 5-4.
Jalen Johnson Returns to Lead Hawks Comeback
Nets 121-124 Hawks. The Nets led by 17 in the first quarter, which ended 37-27, and still led early in the fourth. Atlanta won the final quarter 36-26. Jalen Johnson, returning after missing three games with an ankle sprain, scored 30 points, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Aaron Wiggins each added 20. A three-pointer by Danny Wolf with 2.5 seconds left brought the Nets within two, but a free throw by Onyeka Okongwu sealed the game. Michael Porter Jr. (25 and 9) led Brooklyn, and Day'Ron Sharpe recorded his first triple-double (12 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds). The Hawks extend their winning streak to four (7-4).
Booker Stops the Rockets
Rockets 99-102 Suns. The game was tied entering the fourth quarter, and Devin Booker scored seven straight points to break the tie with four minutes remaining. He finished with 24 points, and Miles Bridges came close to a triple-double (13 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists). Kevin Durant, with 21 points and 10 rebounds, made it 99-102 with 46 seconds left, but missed his final three-pointer. The Suns snap an eight-game losing streak against the Rockets and win back-to-back games for the first time this season (3-5). Booker also surpassed Steve Nash as the third player with the most games in franchise history (745).
Nuggets Win in Mexico City
Nuggets 114-102 Pacers. In the NBA game in Mexico, the Nuggets controlled the game from the start. A 15-0 run in the second quarter gave them a 23-point halftime lead (64-41), which grew to 27. The Pacers, without Tyrese Haliburton, cut into it in the third quarter (26-37), but couldn't get close enough. Nikola Jokić recorded 19 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists, and Pascal Siakam scored 23. The Nuggets improve to 5-3 and the Pacers, who have lost five of their last six, fall to 3-7.