Lakers win without Doncic; Spurs dedicate victory to Wembanyama

The Los Angeles Lakers bounced back from their latest loss by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 110-102 on the road at the Moda Center. Without Luka Doncic, the NBA's second-winningest franchise returned to winning ways with a stellar LeBron James performance.

The all-time leading scorer in league history racked up 40 points against the Blazers: the second time he has reached this mark since turning 40 on Dec. 30, 2024. Along with his point total, "King James" added 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

Doncic sat out the game due to a muscle strain. In his absence, Austin Reaves served as LeBron's running mate and put up 32 points and 7 assists. Dorian Finney-Smith aided the Lakers with 10 points.

Spurs overcome loss of Wemby 

The San Antonio Spurs received some of the worst news they could have Thursday. Their star, Victor Wembanyama, will be out for the remainder of the season because of a venous thrombosis in his right shoulder.

However, the franchise faced adversity in the best possible way and were able to dedicate the win to Wemby in their first game without the young French player. The Spurs defeated the Phoenix Suns 120-109 at the Moody Center thanks to a great team performance. Seven of the nine players who were on the hardwood scored 10 or more points, highlighting the 26 points recorded by De'Aaron Fox.

Celtics remain unbeatable

The reigning NBA champions are in great form. The Boston Celtics steamrolled the Philadelphia 76ers with a resounding 124-104 win, adding their fourth straight victory and eighth win in their last nine games. Jayson Tatum, with a triple-double (15 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists), shined, and Payton Pritchard, with 28 points, finished as the game's top scorer.

In the rest of the day's action, the Cleveland Cavaliers continue to aspire to finish the regular season as the top team in the Eastern Conference and overcame the Brooklyn Nets with a 110-97 win.

In Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Bucks took advantage of the return of their leader, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished with 23 points, to beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 116-110. In Colorado, the Denver Nuggets, with the duo of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic looking unstoppable, topped the Charlotte Hornets, 129-115.