The Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz are currently the hottest teams in the NBA, and both recorded big wins on Friday night, with the Lakers beating Memphis by 20 points for the seventh straight win, which was only improved by Utah, who won in 11 match in a row.
Memphis Grizzlies 105-115 Los Angeles Lakers
Anthony Davis had 35 points and nine rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to seven games with a 115: 105 win over visiting Memphis Grizzlies.
Davis, who returned after an absence in two games with Achilles ’soreness, made 16 of 27 shots from the floor, while the Lakers were overcome from an early 20-point difference.
LeBron James had 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Kyle Kuzma contributed 20 points and 10 rebounds, five for those in the offensive finish.
Lakers big man Montrezl Harrell, who left the game early in the fourth after Kuzma hit him in the head with his elbow, had 14 points and seven rebounds in 16 minutes.
Grayson Allen scored 23 points and Jonas Valanciunas and Ja Morant scored 22 points each for the Grizzlies, who have dropped five of their last six competitions – Morant has also ruled out 10 assists.
A 13-4 attack pulled the Lakers to 63-59 to open third after Davis ’jumper. But the Grizzlies maintained the lead until James scored the Lakers ’last seven points in the quarter for an 87-82 lead and the fourth scored.
The Lakers increased their lead to double digits and were never threatened the rest of the way.
Milwaukee Bucks 115-129 Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz underlined their championship title with a 129-115 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, a win in which four players scored at least 25 points for incandescent NBA leaders.
Donovan Mitchell and Utah Jazz record 11th consecutive victory (AP Photo / Rick Bowmer)
Utah recorded their sixth straight win and 17th win in 18 games with Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles scoring 27 points each to lead the Jazz, who have now recorded the best start to the season in a 21-5 season.
Donovan Mitchell finished with 26 despite shooting 6 of 20 from the field, and Jordan Clarkson continued his stellar play from the bench with 25.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 29 points, 15 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals, but the Bucks dropped the second game in a row.
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We highlight the Milwaukee Bucks ’trip to the Utah Jazz in Week 8 of the NBA League
Brook Lopez added 23 points, Khris Middleton 18, Bobby Portis 15 and DJ Augustin 12.
Despite the absence of All-Star candidate Mike Conley, who missed the third game in a row with a tendon injury, Utah used a 34-21 second quarter to take a double-digit lead that held the rest of the way.
The Jazz have beaten the Bucks both times this season, in double digits, losing just one game since their Jan. 8 win in Milwaukee began a streak of 11 consecutive wins.
Cleveland Cavaliers 110-129 Portland Trail Blazers
Gary Trent Jr. scored 26 points and Carmelo Anthony added 23 as the Portland Trail Blazers fell out in the early lead and rushed to a 129-110 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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We highlight the Cleveland Cavaliers ’trip to the Portland Trail Blazers in Week 8 of the NBA League
Enes Kanter scored 21 points with 13 rebounds and Damian Lillard had 20 points as the Blazers scored 3-0 during a brief return to the Pacific Northwest and will now play six of the next seven away games. Portland returned last week from a 3-3 trip.
Collin Sexton scored 25 points, while Jarrett Allen had 2 for the Cavaliers who have now lost six in a row and seven out of nine.
Portland showed no bad consequences after the 76ers pushed them in the final minutes. The Trail Blazers led 34-23 after one quarter and 73-52 by halftime shooting 60.5 percent in the opening 24 minutes.
Portland increased the lead to 100-77 after three quarters and had a fourth player to 20 points when Anthony scored in the opening minute of the final period.
Orlando Magic 123-112 Sacramento Kings
Nikola Vučević scored six three-pointers on the way to scoring 42 points, and Michael Carter-Williams returned from an absence of 19 games and added 21 in the season as short-lived Orlando Magic beat host Sacramento Kings 123-112.
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We highlight the Orlando Magic trip to the Sacramento Kings in Week 8 of the NBA League
One day after satisfying just eight players and then losing Frank Mason III after four minutes, the Magic used a nine-man list to outlive the Kings team that ruled out De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III shortly before game time.
Vučević found time for an equalized nine rebounds, helping Magic break a three-game losing streak.
Orlando beat Sacramento 45-36 in a three-pointer, and Terrence Ross completed Vučević’s six with his four in the 18-point performance.
Carter-Williams had seven rebounds and seven assists in the high game, while Dwayne Bacon of Orlando scored 11 points and James Ennis III 10.
Buddy Hield had 19 points to lead the Kings, who lost two in a row after winning four of five.
Hassan Whiteside had 16 points, while Tyrese Haliburton had 14, with seven assists from high-scoring teams for Sacramento, who have now opened the home for five games with a couple of defeats.
Oklahoma City Thunder 95-97 Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, Jamal Murray also scored 22 points, and host Denver Nuggets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-95.
Nikola Jokic continued his impressive season with 22 points, while Denver gathered on Friday night and beat Oklahoma (AP Photo / David Zalubowski)
Michael Porter Jr. scored 15 points, Paul Millsap added 12 and Will Barton added 10 for Denver. Justin Jackson scored 20 points, Hamidou Diallo and Al Horford added 16 each, and Luguentz Dort finished with 15 for Thunder.
Thunder led with as many as 19 late in the first half, but Jokic scored seven of his 16 points in the first half in the final few minutes to get the Nuggets to a break between 53-40.
Oklahoma City withstood an early rise by the Naggets in the second half to climb 66-51 in the middle of the third to a three-pointer by Kenrich Williams before Porter scored nine points and Millsap four in a 13-4 run, which Denver scored with six late in the quarter.
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We highlight the Oklahoma City Thunder’s trip to the Denver Nuggets in Week 8 of the NBA League
Both teams had an empty possession before Porter’s short jumper made the game for one point, and after an hour-long foul for a shot by Oklahoma City, Jokic hit a 15-pointer and brought Denver to the first lead with 1:21 left.
Horford missed the next possession from the depths, and Barton drained a three-pointer to give the Nuggets a four-point lead with 42 seconds left – and that should have been crucial.
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