Six of the nine games played around the Association on Saturday were routs, so we chose to highlight two that weren’t blowouts and one that saw a cellar-dweller showing signs of life. Check out today’s NBA Roundup here:
Hornets Edge Out Bulls in Meeting of Ball Bros
Lonzo Ball and younger brother LaMelo Ball met for the first time since November 29, 2021, and the latter got the better of the former in leading the Charlotte Hornets (10-28) to a thrilling 125-123 triumph over the Chicago Bulls (18-24) at United Center.
LaMelo fired 26 points and dished out 9 assists to help the Hornets overcome Nikola Vucevic’s 40 points and 13 rebounds. Mark Williams added 19 points and 19 boards for Charlotte, while Zach Lavine had 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists for Chicago.
Lonzo finished with 6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals in the first Ball showdown in 1,145 days no thanks to Lonzo’s injury woes.
Up next:
Hornets vs. Dallas Mavericks on January 21
Bulls vs. Portland Trail Blazers on January 20
Pelicans Beat Jazz for Second Straight Win
Zion Williamson showed out with 24 points, 14 rebounds, 6 dimes, and 3 blocks to help the New Orleans Pelicans (11-32) to a 136-123 victory over the Utah Jazz (10-30) at Smoothie King Center.
CJ McCollum topscored for the Pelicans with 26 points on six treys, while Trey Murphy III and Daniel Theis had 19 and 18, respectively. Jose Alvarado added 19 points and 6 assists off the New Orleans bench.
Keyonte George paced the Jazz with 26 points, while Collin Sexton chipped in 24 markers and 5 dimes.
Up next:
Rematch on January 21
Mavs Stun Thunder as Kyrie Irving Returns
Kyrie Irving returned from a bothersome back problem just in time to lead the Dallas Mavericks (23-19) to a stunning 106-98 upset of the Oklahoma City Thunder (34-7).
Irving rifled in a team-high 25 points on top of 5 rebounds and 5 assists, while Spencer Dinwiddie and Naji Marshall added 16 and 14, respectively. The Mavs built a 20-point halftime advantage with a 41-17 third quarter but gave nearly all of it back after getting outscored 33-14 in the third. Dallas finished strong by winning the fourth, 29-22, to complete the upset.
Jalen Williams had 19 points and 6 assists for the Thunder, who were coming off a huge win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, they played minus the NBA’s leading scorer in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was out with a sprained wrist.
Up next:
Mavs vs. Charlotte Hornets on January 21
Thunder vs. Brooklyn Nets on January 20
