Teams at the top of the standings headlined the eight-game slate around the NBA on Saturday, and all but one—the New York Knicks—won their assignments. Three of them are featured in today’s roundup:
Nuggets Survive Suns as Nikola Jokic Posts 30-20-20 Game
The Denver Nuggets (41-22) survived a furious Phoenix Suns (29-34) comeback and got a 149-141 victory at Ball Arena thanks to another great performance from Nikola Jokic.
Jokic didn’t just played great, actually. He made history, finishing with 31 points, 21 rebounds, and 22 assists to log the NBA’s first ever 30-20-20 game. Christian Braun backstopped The Joker with 25 points—including a straightaway three that gave the Nuggets a 125-122 advantage with one second left.
But Kevin Durant, who finished with 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists, hit a game-tying triple from the corner to send the game to OT. Devin Booker topscored for the Suns with 34 points on top of 6 rebounds and 7 assists.
Up next:
Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder on March 10
Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks on March 10
Cavs Survive Hornets’ Upset Bid, Miles Bridges’s 46
Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland powered the Cleveland Cavaliers (53-10) to a 118-117 escape act against the Charlotte Hornets (14-48) at Spectrum Center.
Mitchell fired 24 points, while Garland added 20. The two shot a combined 10-for-29 only but made 21 free throws between them. Evan Mobley chipped in 19 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks, while Jarrett Allen had a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double with 5 steals.
The Cavs’ collective effort proved enough to fend off Miles Bridges’s game- and season-high 46 points. Jusuf Nurkic added 12 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists for the Hornets, who tied the game at 110 with just a minute remaining.
Up next:
Cavs vs. Milwaukee Bucks on March 10
Hornets vs. Brooklyn Nets on March 9
Grizzlies Beat Mavs, Stop Four-Game Slide
Ja Morant fired 31 points to help the Memphis Grizzlies (39-24) to a 122-111 triumph against the vastly shorthanded Dallas Mavericks (32-32) at American Airlines Center.
Morant also had 8 assists, while his backcourt running mate, Desmond Bane, put up 27 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 assists. The two also helped the Grizzlies finish strong, outscoring the Mavericks 33-17 in the fourth to turn a 94-89 deficit into an 11-point winning margin.
Brandon Williams led Dallas with 31 points of the bench, while Naji Marshall had 29 points and 17 boards. Klay Thompson, the lone Mav who started for the team in November, added 15. The Mavericks were without Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Derrick Lively II, Jaden Hardy, and P.J. Washington.
Up next:
Grizzlies vs. New Orleans Pelicans on March 10
Mavericks vs. Suns on March 10
