Victor Wembanyama made two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining and the San Antonio Spurs overcame a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to notch a 118-116 victory over the host Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.
Wembanyama made all 10 of his free-throw attempts while recording 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Devin Vassell scored 23 points off the bench, Julian Champagnie had 19 points and Jeremy Sochan added 15 for San Antonio, which overcame Portland with a 24-4 run in the final quarter.
Jerami Grant matched his career high of eight 3-pointers and scored 32 points as Portland lost its fifth straight game and fell for the ninth time in the past 11. Anfernee Simons produced 30 points and seven assists, and Deni Avdija had 19 points off the bench.
Suns 134, Jazz 126
Devin Booker put up a game-high 34 points and Kevin Durant returned from an injury absence to score 30, lifting Phoenix to a win over Utah in Salt Lake City.
Tyus Jones added 19 points and 11 assists and former Jazz forward Royce O’Neale chipped in with 17 points as the Suns snapped a three-game skid at the end of a four-game road trip.
Jordan Clarkson led Utah with 23 points and John Collins totaled 22 points, six rebounds and six assists. Lauri Markkanen contributed 19 points and Keyonte George tallied 18 points, nine assists and six rebounds, but the Jazz lost for the seventh time in eight games.
Cavaliers 115, Wizards 105
Donovan Mitchell had 20 points and Darius Garland, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen combined to make 24 free throws as Cleveland survived a surprising challenge from visiting Washington.
Garland finished with a team-high 24 points, Allen 21 and LeVert 14 for the Cavaliers, who improved to 14-1 at home this season. LeVert did most of his scoring on free throws as he made 8-of-12 attempts, while Garland went 9 of 10 and Allen 7 of 10.
Bilal Coulibaly paced Washington with a career-high-tying 27 points to go with six rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Jordan Poole chipped in with 17 points, a team-high six assists and three steals, Justin Champagnie pulled a team-high eight rebounds to complement 16 points and Alexandre Sarr added 14 points.
Pacers 121, 76ers 107
Tyrese Haliburton recorded 32 points to propel Indiana to a road victory over Philadelphia.
Pascal Siakam chipped in 23 points and eight boards for Indiana, while Obi Toppin notched 20 and eight off the bench. Haliburton drained 7 of 15 shots from beyond the arc and also dished out 11 assists.
Sixers star Joel Embiid, who has missed significant time this season due to injuries and suspension, exited late in the second quarter and did not return after taking an errant blow to the face. He finished with 12 points and five assists in 17 minutes. Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 22 points, while Kelly Oubre Jr. had 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Timberwolves 97, Lakers 87
Anthony Edwards scored 23 points on 9-for-20 shooting, and Minnesota held on for a wire-to-wire win over Los Angeles in Minneapolis.
Julius Randle finished with 21 points for Minnesota, which won for the fifth time in its past six games. Jaden McDaniels scored 18 points, and Rudy Gobert registered a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Anthony Davis scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Los Angeles, which lost for the eighth time in 11 contests. Austin Reaves contributed 18 points, and Max Christie scored 15. LeBron James did not play because of left foot soreness. James, who turns 40 on Dec. 30, missed his second game of the season.
Grizzlies 135, Nets 119
Ja Morant had 28 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds as Memphis won its fourth straight game, beating visiting Brooklyn.
Desmond Bane added 21 points and eight assists and Santi Aldama made five 3-pointers and had 20 points off the bench for the Grizzlies, who won for the 10th time in their past 11 games. Jaren Jackson Jr. put up 20 points, Brandon Clarke scored 14 and Jaylen Wells had 12.
Dorian Finney-Smith scored 19 points to lead Brooklyn, which committed 18 turnovers and lost for the fifth time in its past six games. Dennis Schroder and Jalen Wilson scored 15 points apiece, and Noah Clowney, Shake Milton, Day’Ron Sharpe, Cameron Johnson and Keon Johnson each had 12 points.
Nuggets 120, Clippers 98
Jamal Murray scored 20 points in his return from a hamstring injury and Michael Porter Jr. added 17 as Denver beat visiting Los Angeles to win consecutive games for the first time in a month.
Nikola Jokic scored 16 points, while Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson added 14 each as the Nuggets won for the first time in three tries against the Clippers this season.
Kevin Porter Jr. and Norman Powell each scored 16 points as the Clippers lost their season-high-tying third consecutive game.
Bulls 109, Hornets 95
Chicago led Charlotte nearly wire to wire behind a stingy defensive performance and salvaged the finale of a three-game homestand.
The Bulls pounced on Charlotte with an early 12-2 run. Ayo Dosunmu, who scored a team-high 19, notched seven straight to cap the pivotal early run. Dosunmu led six Chicago scorers in double figures, including all five starters. Josh Giddey had a strong all-around performance with 17 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
Charlotte’s Brandon Miller led all scorers with 21 points, but he committed a game-high seven turnovers and shot a dismal 3-for-15 from 3-point range. Mark Williams, who shot 6-for-7 from the floor and grabbed nine rebounds, finished with 15 points in the loss, the Hornets’ ninth in their last 10 games.
–Field Level Media