Trey Murphy III scored 24 points as the New Orleans Pelicans snapped a seven-game skid with a 143-120 win over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday.
Bryce McGowens added a career-high-tying 23 points — going 5-for-5 on 3-point attempts — and Jordan Poole contributed 22 off the New Orleans bench in his first game since Nov. 4 following a left quad strain.
McGowens scored 10 points without a miss in the fourth quarter, which New Orleans dominated 38-23 to seize control of the contest.
Shaedon Sharpe posted 21 and Sidy Cissoko finished with a personal-best 20 for Portland, which took its sixth loss in seven games.
Nuggets 136, Kings 105
Nikola Jokic poured 23 of his game-high 36 points into a first-half runaway as visiting Denver crushed Sacramento.
Despite failing to add to his league-league total of 11 triple-doubles, Jokic also found time for a game-high 12 rebounds and eight assists, helping Denver beat Sacramento for a third time in four meetings this season. Peyton Watson chipped in with 21 points for the Nuggets, who have won 11 consecutive road games.
Malik Monk had a team-high 18 points for the Kings, who lost for the sixth time in their past seven games. In a head-to-head with Jokic, one of his primary challengers for all-time triple-double leadership, Sacramento’s Russell Westbrook had 17 points but just three rebounds and five assists.
Bucks 116, Celtics 101
Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 31 points to lead Milwaukee to a win over visiting Boston.
Bobby Portis added 27 on 11-of-13 shooting off the bench for the Bucks, who snapped a two-game skid. Kevin Porter Jr. compiled 18 points, 13 assists and 10 boards as Milwaukee prevailed without Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf).
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 30 points while Jordan Walsh added 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting. The Celtics had their five-game winning streak end.
Rockets 115, Clippers 113
Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson teamed up to spearhead a fourth-quarter rally that carried Houston to a victory over visiting Los Angeles.
Sengun (22 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, four steals) contributed two critical post baskets down the stretch. Thompson posted 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, including a three-point play with 17.2 seconds left that broke a 110-110 tie.
Los Angeles’ Kawhi Leonard was dynamic on both ends, posting 24 points, nine rebounds and five steals. Ivica Zubac dominated the interior, producing 33 points on 13-of-14 shooting and grabbing seven rebounds. James Harden (22 points, seven assists) drilled a 3-pointer with 37.1 seconds left that tied the game at 110-110, but the Clippers could not avoid their eighth loss in nine games.
