Grizzlies extend Celtics' lead over Cavaliers

The Boston Celtics, reigning NBA champions, were defeated at home by the Memphis Grizzlies, while the Cleveland Cavaliers, who triumphed over the Hornets, gained ground in the race for first place. The night also featured Nikola Jokic’s record-setting 56-point performance, which, however, wasn't enough to prevent the Denver Nuggets from losing to the Washington Wizards, currently the league's weakest team. The Wizards' victory helped them avoid one of the worst starts in NBA history.

Memphis point guard Ja Morant led the Grizzlies to a 127-121 victory with 32 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Center Jaren Jackson Jr. added 27 points and 9 rebounds, helping the visitors fend off the Celtics' comeback attempt in the final quarter.

Despite a strong performance from their homegrown star Jayson Tatum, the Celtics struggled to find their rhythm and failed to assert themselves. The forward nearly recorded a triple-double, finishing with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists, but struggled with a poor 6-of-21 shooting performance from the field.

Bittersweet night for Jokic

Jokic, a three-time NBA MVP, surpassed both his previous regular-season high of 50 points (set against Sacramento in 2021) and his playoff record of 53 points (set against Phoenix in 2023).

The Serbian center also added 16 rebounds and eight assists to his tally in a Herculean effort to prevent a disaster for his Nuggets against the league-worst Wizards, who snapped a 16-game losing streak. The Nuggets' third win of the season, and first since October 30, was fueled by Jordan Poole, who scored 39 points.

The shooting guard made 9 of Washington's 16 three-pointers, a career high, while the Nuggets managed to hit just 5 of their 24 attempts from beyond the arc. "Hearing some 'MVP' chants was great, especially when the 'MVP' (Jokic) was on the court," Poole said, referring to the cheers from his fans.

Justin Champagnie scored 23 points, while Jonas Valančiūnas added 20 points and 12 rebounds against a Nuggets team that was missing Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, leaving Jokic to shoulder much of the load. Defending champions Denver now hold a concerning 11-10 record, placing them ninth in the Western Conference and outside of direct playoff contention.

Doncic shines in Mavericks victory

Another league star, Luka Dončić, recorded a triple-double in the Dallas Mavericks' 125-118 win over the Toronto Raptors. The Slovenian finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists, while Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson contributed 29 and 20 points, respectively.

New York also witnessed another triple-double by Cade Cunningham as the Detroit Pistons stunned the New York Knicks 120-111. The point guard recorded 20 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high 15 assists, marking his fifth triple-double of the season. He now ranks second in the league behind Jokic (9) and LeBron James (7) in that category.

Cavaliers within two wins of Celtics

League leaders, the Cleveland Cavaliers, capitalized on another stellar performance by Evan Mobley to defeat the Charlotte Hornets 116-102 in the day's opener. Mobley was the standout player, scoring 41 points, including a career-high six three-pointers, along with 10 rebounds and three blocks—stats that only three players in NBA history have ever achieved in a single game.

The 23-year-old power forward was supported by guard Donovan Mitchell and point guard Darius Garland, who each scored 18 points. The Hornets, already missing star LaMelo Ball, were outplayed from the start, with the first quarter ending 41-18 in favor of the visitors.

The Cavaliers lead the East with a 21-3 record and are now two wins ahead of the Celtics.

Saturday's NBA results:

Charlotte Hornets - Cleveland Cavaliers 102-116

Washington Wizards - Denver Nuggets 122-113

New Orleans Pelicans - Oklahoma City Thunder 109-119

New York Knicks - Detroit Pistons 111-120

Toronto Raptors - Dallas Mavericks 118-125

Boston Celtics - Memphis Grizzlies 121-127

Miami Heat - Phoenix Suns 121-111