Jalen Brunson scored the first six points of the decisive run in the second overtime for the host Knicks in a 42-point effort as New York earned its eighth straight win by outlasting the Denver Nuggets 134-127.
Brunson outscored the Nuggets 10-8 in the second overtime while also adding nine assists and eight rebounds for the game. Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 12 rebounds while OG Anunoby scored 20 points.
Brunson’s heroics wouldn’t have been needed if not for a controversial foul call. The Knicks appeared to clinch a 119-117 win in the first overtime when Jamal Murray missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer, but Mikal Bridges was called for a foul on Christian Braun away from the ball with 0.3 seconds left. Braun hit both free throws to send it double OT.
Denver’s Nikola Jokic had 30 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists to tie Oscar Robertson for second place all time with his 181st regular-season triple-double. However, he shot a career-worst 1-for-13 from 3-point range and missed two key free throws down the stretch of the second overtime. Murray put up 39 points for the Nuggets, who have lost a season-high three straight games.
Bucks 141, Pelicans 137 (OT)
Ryan Rollins scored 27 points and six teammates scored in double figures as host Milwaukee defeated New Orleans in overtime.
AJ Green scored 20 while Kevin Porter Jr. had 18 for the Bucks, who have won two in a row. Milwaukee squandered a 10-point lead in the last five minutes of regulation before recovering in OT.
Trey Murphy III poured in a career-high 44 points, making a Pelicans franchise-record 12 3-pointers on 19 attempts. Saddiq Bey had 22 points and Zion Williamson added 20 as New Orleans lost its third consecutive game.
Timberwolves 128, Raptors 126
Anthony Edwards scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter as visiting Minnesota came back to defeat Toronto.
Reserve Bones Hyland added 20 points as Minnesota rallied with a 12-2 run in the last 3 1/2 minutes. Jaden McDaniels scored 19 points for the Timberwolves, who have won five of their past six. Rudy Gobert logged 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Brandon Ingram scored 25 points and Immanuel Quickley scored 23 for the Raptors, who have split the opening two games of a five-game homestand. Scottie Barnes added 22 points.
Cavaliers 124, Clippers 91
Donovan Mitchell registered 29 points, nine assists and five rebounds as Cleveland mauled Los Angeles in Inglewood, Calif.
The Cavaliers won for the ninth time in their past 11 games one day after the two teams worked out a trade that included James Harden going to Cleveland and Darius Garland joining the Clippers.
Jaylon Tyson scored 17 points for Cleveland, and Jarrett Allen had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Kawhi Leonard totaled 25 points and seven rebounds while John Collins scored 19 points for the Clippers. Neither Harden nor Garland was allowed to be in the bench area with the trade still pending.
Grizzlies 129, Kings 125
Ty Jerome put up a game-high 28 points, Cam Spencer hit two key late 3-pointers, and Memphis held off host Sacramento.
The defeat spoiled the Kings debut of De’Andre Hunter, who was making his first Sacramento appearance after being acquired from the Cavaliers last week. Thrust into the starting lineup, Hunter had nine points in 26 minutes, making just three of his 11 shots.
Filling in for Ja Morant, Jerome shot 10-for-14 from the floor and dished seven assists. Cam Spencer finished with 20 points for Memphis, which won its second straight. Domantas Sabonis logged 24 points and 15 rebounds for the Kings, who took their 10th straight loss.
Spurs 116, Thunder 106
Keldon Johnson scored 25 points and Victor Wembanyama added 22 points and 14 rebounds to lead host San Antonio past short-handed Oklahoma City.
The win was the second straight for the Spurs as they captured the season series against the Thunder 4-1. San Antonio’s De’Aaron Fox contributed 15 points and 10 assists.
Oklahoma City had just eight available players, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdomen), Chet Holmgren (back), Isaiah Hartenstein (eye) and Luguentz Dort (knee) sidelined. Kenrich Williams led the Thunder with 25 points, and Jaylin Williams amassed 24 points and 12 rebounds.
Celtics 114, Rockets 93
Derrick White scored a game-high 28 points and Payton Pritchard added 27 points off the bench as short-handed Boston throttled host Houston.
The Celtics earned their fourth consecutive victory, and they did so without Jaylen Brown (hamstring/knee). Baylor Scheierman contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Neemias Queta logged 10 points and 19 rebounds.
Kevin Durant led the Rockets with 15 points but missed 7 of 11 shots. Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 13 points apiece as Houston’s three-game winning streak ended.
