A total of 11 games were on tap in the NBA on Thursday, but we need to choose just three. Here’s what went down:
Kings Beat Cavs, Send East Leader to Third Straight Loss
The Sacramento Kings (35-33) used a strong third quarter to erase a double-digit Cleveland Cavaliers (56-13) lead en route to a 123-119 triumph over the Eastern Conference leaders at Golden 1 Center.
DeMar DeRozan topscored for the Kings with 27 points, while Malik Monk recorded 22 markers, 6 boards, and 8 dimes. Keegan Murray, Keon Ellis, and Trey Lyles added 13 apiece, Devin Carter chipped in 16, and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 13 boards to send the Cavs to their third straight loss.
Evan Mobley led all scorers with 31 points and had 10 rebounds. Donovan Mitchell added 26 points, while Dean Wade and Max Strus had 12 each. Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen missed the game for the Cavs.
Up next:
Kings vs. Chicago Bulls on March 21
Cavs vs. Phoenix Suns on March 22
Lakers Handle Nuggets as Stars Miss Big Game
The highly anticipated showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers (43-25) and Denver Nuggets (44-26) turned into a laugher early as the Purple and Gold raced out to a 46-29 first quarter lead and never looked back en route to a 130-108 victory at crypto.com Arena.
Luka Doncic’s 21 first-quarter points led the Lakers’ torrid start. He finished with 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Austin Reaves backed him up with 22 markers and 8 assists as they made up for the absence of LeBron James, who is still nursing a groin injury. Gabe Vincent and Dalton Knecht each had 12 off the bench to give the Lakers additional firepower.
Aaron Gordon had 26 points and 11 rebounds to pace the Nuggets, who rested Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray due to nagging injuries. Peyton Watson, Michael Porter Jr., and Russell Westbrook all had 12 points.
Up next:
Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks on March 21
Nuggets vs. Portland Trail Blazers on March 22
Pelicans Break Wolves’ Eight-Game Winning Run
Zion Williamson continued his recent strong play as he led the New Orleans Pelicans (19-51) to a 119-115 upset of the Minnesota Timberwolves (40-31) at Target Center.
Williamson finished with 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists while going 12-for-16 from the field. CJ McCollum added 18 points, while Bruce Brown and Jordan Hawkins had 15 and 13, respectively, off the New Orleans bench. The Pelicans won for just the third time in 10 games.
Anthony Edwards fired 29 for the Wolves but was just 5-for-19 from the field. Julius Randle added 17 but turned the ball over six times.
Up next:
Rematch on March 22
