The latest night in the NBA has played out as expected, with the Cavaliers and Thunder securing victories. One of the most notable games was between the Nets and the Heat, where the Nets completely dominated the Heat in a thrilling match. This comes as the aftermath of the trade window is starting to take shape.
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Toronto Raptors 121-109. Chet Holmgren returned to the starting lineup after being out for 39 games and contributed to the team’s win. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points, and Jalen Williams added 27 points for the Thunder. The Raptors, who were without Brandon Ingram, had Scottie Barnes score 21 points. The Thunder controlled the game throughout, only allowing the Raptors a brief advantage at the start.
In another game, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Washington Wizards 124-114. Jordan Poole scored 45 points for the Wizards, surpassing his previous record of 43 points when he played for the Golden State Warriors. However, this was not enough for the Wizards to surprise the Eastern Conference leaders. Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points, Evan Mobley had 27 points, and Darius Garland added 23 points for the Cavaliers.
The Brooklyn Nets won against the Miami Heat 102-86. The Heat had a disastrous fourth quarter, scoring only 9 points with a 9.5% success rate in field shots. The Nets, led by Cam Johnson with 18 points and D’Angelo Russell with 17 points, won the last quarter 31-9. For the Heat, Terry Rozier scored 20 points, and Bam Adebayo had 18 points.
The Detroit Pistons defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 125-112. Malik Beasley scored a record 36 points for the Pistons, and Tobias Harris added 22 points. Jalen Duren had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. For the 76ers, Tyrese Maxey scored 27 points, Joel Embiid had 23 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr. had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The Atlanta Hawks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 115-110. Giannis Antetokounmpo was absent for the Bucks, who debuted Kyle Kuzma, newly transferred from the Washington Wizards. Kuzma scored 12 points and caught 7 rebounds in nearly 24 minutes off the bench. The Bucks also had 26 points from Bobby Portis and 23 points from Damian Lillard. The Hawks were led by Trae Young’s 24 points, with six players scoring more than 10 points.
In a close game, the Charlotte Hornets defeated the San Antonio Spurs 117-116. A triple by De’aaron Fox was initially thought to have won the game for the Spurs, but upon review, it was determined to be out of time. Instead, a triple by Miles Bridges with 1.4 seconds left secured the win for the Hornets. Bridges scored 25 points, LaMelo Ball had 24 points and 10 assists, and Moussa Diabate caught 15 rebounds for the Hornets. The Spurs had Stephon Castle score 33 points, his NBA record, Fox score 22 points, and Victor Wembanyama score 16 points despite struggling with his shot.
