Gilgeous-Alexander, Wemby and Antetokounmpo shine in the NBA
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder's resounding 136-104 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Orlando Magic against Memphis Grizzlies
Canada's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo and France's Victor Wembanyama all excelled Monday to lead their teams to regular-season victories in the NBA, while Detroit beat Boston in a clash of Eastern Conference leaders.
Here are the top scenes from a packed lineup to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder's resounding 136-104 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Two days after suffering an upset loss to Miami, the NBA champions made sure there would be no repeat of history against Cleveland.
Except for a brief lapse early in the first quarter, Oklahoma City dominated the game from start to finish, building a double-digit lead before sealing the game with an impressive 45-point final period.
A 30-point performance by Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's current MVP and Monday's "starter" pick for the All-Star Game in February, was key.
He was joined by center Chet Holmgren contributing 28 points and Luguentz Dort another 18.
Isaiah Joe contributed 16 points off the bench in the Thunder victory, while Aaron Wiggins finished with 12, with five players for the champions in double figures.
Oklahoma City improved its record to 36 wins and eight losses, consolidating its place at the top of the Western Conference.
The San Antonio Spurs improved to 30-13 on Monday with a comfortable 123-110 win over the Utah Jazz (14-29).
Jimmy Butler suffers serious injury and will be out for the season
Butler, 36, was injured Monday during the third quarter of the regular-season game against his former team, the Miami Heat, which the Warriors won 135-112.
After leaving the court, he underwent an MRI that confirmed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, ending his season with the Bay-Area franchise, according to ESPN.
Golden State, the team led by superstar Stephen Curry, is currently eighth in the Western Conference, in contention for a direct playoff berth. Their last NBA championship title dates back to 2022.
Six time All-Star, Butler joined Golden State a year ago after a long stint with the Miami Heat.
This season he averaged more than 30 minutes a game and 20 points per game. He shined last Thursday by contributing a career-high 32 points in the Warriors' win over the New York Knicks.
French star Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 33 points, 21 of them from three-point range, on a night when San Antonio's offensive potential was on display with seven players scoring more than a dozen units.
Pistons win by the narrowest of margins over Celtics
Tobias Harris scored 25 points to lead the Detroit Pistons past the Boston Celtics 104-103 in a thriller between the top two teams in the East.
Harris was one of four Detroit players to finish with double-digit scoring, with Jalen Duren contributing 18 points and point guard Cade Cunningham adding 16 points and 14 assists.
With the win, Detroit extended its lead at the top of the East with a 31-10 record, 5.5 games ahead of second-place Boston, which now has a 26-16 record.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics in scoring with 32 points and nearly clinched the win in the closing seconds, but his shot on the buzzer bounced off the rim, allowing Detroit to hang on for the narrow victory.
Giannis leads Bucks
Milwaukee built as much as a 23-point lead midway through the third quarter, but a tenacious home team chipped away at the deficit and took a one-point lead with just over a minute remaining before the Bucks reacted and pulled out the victory.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, coming off the bench, led Atlanta in scoring with 32 points, including seven three-pointers, while Jalen Johnson finished with 28 points for the home team.
Despite the loss, Atlanta remains one spot ahead of Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks are 10th with a 20-25 record and the Bucks 11th with a 18-24 record.
LATEST
