Domantas Sabonis had 17 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists for his 16th triple-double of the season, Malik Monk scored 23 points off the bench and the host Sacramento Kings cruised to a 135-106 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
Sabonis leads the NBA in triple-doubles this season, breaking a tie with Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, who had 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the loss.
Jokic played 30 minutes despite getting up gingerly and holding his back after taking a spill following a successful layup in the first quarter. He returned in the second quarter and stayed in the game.
Aaron Gordon had 14 points for the Nuggets, whose three-game winning streak ended. Sacramento snapped a two-game skid.
Lakers 139, Pelicans 122
D’Angelo Russell scored 30 points and Austin Reaves added 27 as host Los Angeles capitalized on a 51-point second quarter in defeating New Orleans.
As the Lakers’ energetic guard duo combined to make nine 3-pointers, Anthony Davis contributed 20 points with six rebounds and six assists, while LeBron James had 21 points with 14 assists. Rui Hachimura also had 21 points for the Lakers. Russell scored 14 consecutive points for Los Angeles early in the second quarter.
Zion Williamson scored 30 points with nine rebounds and Brandon Ingram added 22 for the Pelicans, who saw their four-game winning streak come to an end.
Hawks 127, 76ers 121
Trae Young had 37 points and 12 assists to lift Atlanta past host Philadelphia.
Onyeka Okongwu added 21 points and Saddiq Bey had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks. Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 13 points and De’Andre Hunter chipped in with 11. Jalen Johnson had 11 points and 11 rebounds. The Hawks were missing Clint Capela (adductor) and Dejounte Murray (back).
Buddy Hield and Cameron Payne passed their physicals and were in the starting lineup, scoring 20 points apiece in their Sixers debuts. Kelly Oubre Jr. led the way with 28 points and 12 rebounds, while Tobias Harris scored 21 points for the Sixers, who lost for the eighth time in nine games.
Celtics 133, Wizards 129
Jayson Tatum tossed in a game-high 35 points and Kristaps Porzingis finished with 34 to help Boston defeat visiting Washington.
Boston trailed by seven at halftime but took control by outscoring Washington 36-16 in the third quarter, when Porzingis scored 14 points and Tatum had 13. Tatum also contributed 10 rebounds and eight assists in the win, while Porzingis went 14-for-14 from the free-throw line and grabbed 11 boards.
Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert each scored 24 points for the Wizards, who have lost five in a row. Avdija added 11 rebounds. Washington received 21 points from Bilal Coulibaly and 19 from Jordan Poole. The Wizards connected on 20 of their 47 3-point attempts (42.6 percent).
Bucks 120, Hornets 84
Damian Lillard, a night after sitting out a game, poured in 26 points, and Milwaukee gave Doc Rivers his first home victory since becoming head coach by defeating Charlotte.
Malik Beasley had 21 points, Bobby Portis came off the bench for 18 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 15 points and 14 rebounds in 24 minutes for a Milwaukee team that needed a breakthrough performance even if it came against the struggling Hornets.
The Hornets shot 34.2 percent from the floor as they lost their 10th in a row, a day after they traded P.J. Washington to the Dallas Mavericks for forward Grant Williams and guard Seth Curry, neither of whom played Friday.
Raptors 107, Rockets 104
Immanuel Quickley scored 25 points and Toronto defeated visiting Houston.
RJ Barrett added 21 points for the Raptors, who have won two in a row. Scottie Barnes had 13 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and two steals, Jakob Poeltl had 16 points, 13 rebounds, six blocked shots and three steals, and Bruce Brown added 11 points.
Dillon Brooks scored 20 points and Cam Whitmore followed with 17 for the Rockets, who defeated the Raptors 135-106 last week in Houston. Whitmore left the game in the third quarter with a sprained ankle.