Wednesday’s seven-game slate was a mixed bag of blowouts (the Houston Rockets trounced the Washington Wizards, 135-112), close games, and somewhat close calls. But among the seven games, these three were most noteworthy:
Hawks Edge Jazz with Trae Young’s 50-Footer
Trae Young had 24 points, 20 rebounds, and the game-winner from past halfcourt to give the Atlanta Hawks (19-18) a 124-121 victory over the Utah Jazz (9-26) at Delta Center.
Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter backed up Young with 18 and 17, respectively, for the Hawks, who played without star forward Jalen Johnson. Lauri Markkanen led all scores with 35 points. Collin Sexton added 24, while Walker Kessler had 21 points and 10 boards in the tight battle between the two teams.
Up next:
- Hawks vs. Phoenix Suns on January 10
- Jazz vs. Miami Heat on January 10
Mavs Give Lakers Thorough Beating without Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic
A balanced effort was all it took for the Dallas Mavericks (21-16) to give the Los Angeles Lakers (20-16) a 21-point loss at American Airlines Center.
The Mavs actually lost the first quarter, 27-24, to the full-strength Lakers. But the home team took over from there, winning the next three quarters rather convincingly to chalk up the win even without superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Quentin Grimes led Dallas with 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 dimes off the bench. PJ Washington had 22 points and 8 rebounds, while added 19 points and 8 assists. LeBron James had 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists but couldn’t quite spark the listless Lakers.
Up next:
- Mavs vs. Portland Trail Blazers on January 10
- Lakers vs. Charlotte Hornets on January 10
Celtics Too Good for Nuggets in Battle of Former NBA Champs
Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis combined for 54 points to help the Boston Celtics (27-10) to a 118-106 win over the Denver Nuggets (20-15) at Ball Arena.
Tatum finished with 29 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks in an all-around tour de force, while Porzingis had 11 boards to go along his 25 points. That proved more than enough against the Nikola Jokic-less Nuggets, who were led by the 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists of Russell Westbrook. But he also coughed the ball up 8 times.
Up next:
- Celtics vs. Sacramento Kings on January 11
- Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers on January 9
