NBA Roundup: Spurs Rally, End Jazz Win Streak

San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray (5) blocks the shot of Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during an NBA game at Vivint Arena, in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Dec. 17, 2021. (Rob Gray/USA TODAY Sports via Field Level Media)

Lonnie Walker IV made a sensational basket in the waning moments as the San Antonio Spurs stormed back to upset the Utah Jazz 128–126 Friday night in Salt Lake City.

Walker made the play of the game, driving into 7-foot-1 center Rudy Gobert, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and contorting his body with a high-arching fadeaway for the go-ahead score with 14.9 seconds left.

Keldon Johnson scored 24 points and Derrick White added 22 for the Spurs, who trailed by 17 points in the second half before rallying for the victory, which snapped the Jazz’s eight-game winning streak.

Walker finished with 19 points and was one of seven Spurs players in double figures. Dejounte Murray had a triple-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 27 points, but his potential game-winning attempt at the buzzer was way off.

Timberwolves 110, Lakers 92

Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 10 rebounds, and Minnesota pulled away for a win over visiting Los Angeles in Minneapolis.

D'Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley scored 17 apiece for Minnesota, which won its third game in a row. Jaylen Nowell finished with 14 points off the bench.

Isaiah Thomas led the Lakers with 19 points in his season debut. LeBron James scored 18 points and Anthony Davis had nine before limping to the locker room in the third quarter. The Lakers said Davis had a left knee contusion and would undergo additional evaluation in Chicago on Saturday.

Heat 115, Magic 105

Max Strus scored 23 of his career-high 32 points in the first half, Gabe Vincent totaled a career-best 27 points, and Miami took advantage of a decimated Orlando roster, defeating the host Magic for its fourth straight win in the Sunshine State rivalry.

Strus made a career-high eight 3-pointers and Vincent sank four, while Miami converted 19 of 35 triples as a team. P.J. Tucker scored 15 points, former Magic player Dewayne Dedmon finished with 13 points and Kyle Lowry totaled 11 points and a season-high 15 assists.

Franz Wagner (27 points) paced Orlando, which is on a seven-game skid for the second time this season. Gary Harris added a season-high 20 points and Chuma Okeke and Robin Lopez each had 18, also season-highs.

Warriors 111, Celtics 107

Stephen Curry scored 30 points, Andrew Wiggins added 27, and visiting Golden State survived after blowing a 20-point lead in a win over shorthanded Boston.

Andre Iguodala added 12 points while Draymond Green contributed a team-high eight assists for the Warriors, who have won three straight and five of their last six games.

Jayson Tatum had 27 points, eight rebounds, and six assists to lead Boston, which has dropped five of its last seven. Jaylen Brown added 20 points, Marcus Smart had 19 with eight assists, and Josh Richardson scored 15 for the Celtics.

Trail Blazers 125, Hornets 116

Damian Lillard scored a season-high 43 points and added eight assists and Portland snapped a seven-game losing streak with a victory over visiting Charlotte.

Ben McLemore established a season best with 28 points off the bench and matched his career-high of eight 3-pointers as Portland won for just the second time in its past 12 games. Norman Powell added 14 points to help the Trail Blazers halt a six-game home losing streak.

LaMelo Ball scored 27 points in 29 minutes in his first action since missing six games due to COVID-19 protocols. But he couldn’t end Charlotte’s troubles in the Pacific Northwest as the club dropped its 14th straight game in Portland since last winning during the 2007–08 season.

Pelicans 116, Bucks 112 (OT)

Devonte' Graham scored 26 points to lead six New Orleans scorers in double figures as the hosts defeated Milwaukee in overtime.

Jonas Valanciunas added 24 points, Brandon Ingram scored 22, Herbert Jones had 17, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 12, and Josh Hart had 11 points and 15 rebounds for the Pelicans.

Jrue Holiday led the Bucks by scoring a career-high 40 points against his former team, Grayson Allen added 25, and Jordan Nwora had 14 points and 13 rebounds as the Bucks played without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was out due to health and safety protocols.

Nuggets 133, Hawks 115

Rookie Bones Hyland came off the bench to score a career-high 24 points and spark visiting Denver to a win over Atlanta.

Jeff Green added a season-high 20 points to help Denver to its third win in four games and a two-game season sweep over the Hawks. Denver overcame an off night from Nikola Jokic, who still finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. He was limited to 26 minutes because of early foul trouble. Austin Rivers returned after missing eight games in COVID-19 protocol and scored 11 points.

Atlanta was led by Trae Young with 34 points and 10 assists, his league-leading 15th double-double with points and assists. John Collins added 20 points and 10 rebounds, his sixth double-double of the year. Clint Capela, playing despite symptoms of a non-COVID-19 illness, had 15 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks.

Grizzlies 124, Kings 105

Desmond Bane scored 24 points, Dillon Brooks added 23, and Jaren Jackson Jr. pitched in 21 as visiting Memphis used a balanced attack to overpower Sacramento for its fifth straight win.

Memphis led just 66–62 four minutes into the third period before Bane had nine of his points in a 25–13 run that allowed the visitors to claim a 91–75 advantage by quarter’s end. When Bane bombed in a pair of 3-pointers, Killian Tillie added a third, and Jackson converted a three-point play, the Grizzlies’ margin mushroomed to 103–77 in the second minute of the fourth quarter, blowing the game wide open.

All five Kings starters scored in double figures, led by Tyrese Haliburton with 21 points and Harrison Barnes with 20.