D’Angelo Russell racked up 35 points and nine assists for Los Angeles while the host Detroit Pistons established a franchise record for futility in the Lakers’ 133-107 victory on Wednesday night.
Anthony Davis powered for 28 points and 16 rebounds while LeBron James contributed 25 points as the Lakers bounced back from a 44-point loss to Philadelphia on Monday.
Detroit has lost 15 straight games, setting a franchise record for the longest losing streak in a single season. The Pistons lost 14 consecutive games during the 1979-80, 93-94 and 2021-22 campaigns.
Cade Cunningham’s 15 points led Detroit. Isaiah Livers had 14 points, while Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson chipped in 12 apiece.
Magic 139, Wizards 120
Franz Wagner scored a season-high 31 points to fuel host Orlando past Washington, the Magic’s eighth straight win.
Wagner made 11 of 14 shots from the floor — including 4 of 6 from 3-point range — for Orlando, which can tie its franchise-record run of nine straight wins (accomplished three times) when the club hosts Washington again on Friday.
Washington’s Kyle Kuzma scored 24 points and Deni Avdija added 15 of his 22 points in the second quarter for the Wizards, who have lost 14 of their last 16 games.
Raptors 112, Suns 105
Scottie Barnes scored 23 points — 12 in the fourth quarter — and Toronto defeated visiting Phoenix to end the Suns’ seven-game winning streak.
Pascal Siakam added 22 points and Jakob Poeltl had 17 for the Raptors, who had lost their two previous games.
Kevin Durant scored 30 points for the Suns after missing two games with a sore right foot. Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkic had 19 points and 14 rebounds, but Devin Booker was held to eight points on 2-of-12 shooting.
Grizzlies 105, Jazz 91
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 20 points, David Roddy added 19 and host Memphis snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over Utah.
The Grizzlies overcame an early eight-point deficit and led by as many as 25 points en route to their first home win after losing their first eight in Memphis. Desmond Bane contributed 17 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals as the Grizzlies picked up their fourth win.
John Collins scored 17 points to lead the Jazz. Utah shot only 37.8 percent — compared to Memphis’ 49.4 percent shooting — and had only three players reach double figures in scoring.
Nuggets 134, Rockets 124
Nikola Jokic recorded his seventh triple-double of the season and Michael Porter Jr. scored a season-high 30 points as Denver never trailed in a win over visiting Houston.
Jokic had 32 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds after being sidelined for one game due to low back pain. Jamal Murray returned after missing 11 games with a strained right hamstring and scored 16 points in 22 minutes as Denver won its third straight game overall and improved to 9-0 at home this season.
Jalen Green led Houston with 26 points and nine assists. Alperen Sengun scored 22 points, Jabari Smith Jr. had 15, Jeff Green added 12 and Dillon Brooks had 11.
Clippers 131, Kings 117
Kawhi Leonard went for a team-high 34 points, James Harden led a 3-point barrage with five en route to 26 points and visiting Los Angeles beat an emotionally drained Sacramento team.
Paul George chipped in with 19 points, Terance Mann 18 and Ivica Zubac 14 for the Clippers, who ran up 72 points while building a 22-point halftime lead before coasting home.
De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with 40 points for the Kings, who celebrated an NBA in-season tournament group win via a one-point thriller over the Golden State Warriors one night earlier.
Pelicans 124, 76ers 114
Zion Williamson scored 33 points and host New Orleans never trailed in a victory against Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia.
CJ McCollum returned from a 12-game absence caused by a collapsed lung to score 20 for the Pelicans. Jonas Valanciunas added 19 points.
Embiid sat out because of an illness two nights after he reached a triple-double in the third quarter of a 138-94 rout of the visiting Los Angeles Lakers. In his absence, Tyrese Maxey scored 33 and De’Anthony Melton had 17.
–Field Level Media
