Despite a record-setting 51-point performance from rookie Cooper Flagg, the Dallas Mavericks couldn’t overcome Orlando’s balanced attack in a 138-127 defeat at home Friday evening.
The Magic spread the scoring load effectively, with Wendell Carter Jr. leading the charge with 28 points while Franz Wagner contributed 18 points in only 17 minutes of action. Desmond Bane added 27 points, and both Tristan da Silva and Jalen Suggs chipped in 19 points each for Orlando, who continues fighting for Eastern Conference playoff positioning.
At just 19 years old, Flagg made NBA history by becoming the youngest player ever to reach the 50-point milestone. The first-year player connected on 19 of 30 shots for Dallas, who have now dropped eight of their last nine contests.
Flagg’s 51-point explosion topped his previous career-best of 49 points against Charlotte last month. Combined with his 42-point performance at Utah in December, he now owns the three highest-scoring rookie games this season.
Hornets 129, Pacers 108
Charlotte continued their strong play with a decisive win over Indiana at home, led by Brandon Miller’s 22 points. The Hornets have captured eight victories in their past 10 outings as they pursue a guaranteed Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Kon Knueppel delivered 20 points, Miles Bridges contributed 19, and LaMelo Ball recorded 18 points with nine assists for Charlotte, who connected on an impressive 24 of 49 three-point attempts (49%).
Indiana got 30 points on efficient 13-of-24 shooting from Pascal Siakam, while Quenton Jackson added 16 points. The loss prevented the Pacers from achieving their second three-game winning streak this season.
Knicks 136, Bulls 96
New York dominated from the opening tip, racing to a 20-1 advantage and never relinquishing control against Chicago at Madison Square Garden. OG Anunoby led the offensive explosion with 31 points, hitting seven of 10 three-point attempts.
Mitchell Robinson recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson added 17 points and 10 assists for the Knicks, who reached 50 victories for the third consecutive season. New York shot 52.7% from the field and converted 28 points off 16 Chicago turnovers.
Collin Sexton paced the Bulls with 19 points off the bench, connecting on four first-half three-pointers. Chicago extended their road losing streak to seven games and overall skid to six straight.
Hawks 141, Nets 107
Atlanta maintained control throughout their matchup with Brooklyn, never trailing en route to a comfortable victory in New York. CJ McCollum paced the Hawks with 25 points as they improved to 18-2 over their last 20 games.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 21 points for Atlanta, who opened the game with 10 unanswered points and maintained double-digit leads for most of the contest. Jalen Johnson added 18 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists in the Hawks’ fourth consecutive victory.
The defeat moved Brooklyn within half a game of Washington for the league’s worst record. Nic Claxton topped the Nets with 16 points.
Raptors 128, Grizzlies 96
Toronto snapped a two-game slide with a convincing road victory over Memphis, getting 25 points from RJ Barrett. Collin Murray-Bowles added 19 points and Brandon Ingram contributed 17 points with seven rebounds for the Raptors, who have won seven of their past eight games.
Memphis received a season-high 30 points from GG Jackson on 10-of-16 shooting, but couldn’t avoid their third straight loss and eighth defeat in nine games.
Rockets 140, Jazz 106
Houston extended their winning streak to five games with a dominant wire-to-wire victory over Utah at home. Kevin Durant led six players in double figures with 25 points, while the Rockets built leads as large as 37 points.
Amen Thompson recorded 21 points and eight rebounds, and Alperen Sengun added 19 points with five assists for Houston. Utah got 27 points and 11 rebounds from Cody Williams and 20 points from Brice Sensabaugh, but dropped their eighth consecutive game.
Celtics 133, Bucks 101
Boston cruised to an easy road victory in Milwaukee behind Jaylen Brown’s 26 points and Jayson Tatum’s near triple-double of 23 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. Six Celtics reached double figures, including Neemias Queta with 19 and Derrick White with 17.
The victory marked Boston’s second straight win and fifth in six games. Milwaukee suffered their second consecutive loss and sixth in seven games, with Taurean Prince leading the way with 18 bench points.
76ers 115, Timberwolves 103
Philadelphia overcame a poor first half to defeat Minnesota at home, with Paul George scoring 23 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. delivering crucial late three-pointers in his 21-point performance. The 76ers have now won eight of their last 11 games.
Joel Embiid recorded 19 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists for Philadelphia. Minnesota got 21 points each from Julius Randle and Bones Hyland, while Anthony Edwards struggled with just eight points on 3-of-15 shooting in his return from a one-game absence.
Kings 117, Pelicans 113
Sacramento held off New Orleans thanks to crucial late defensive plays from Dylan Cardwell, who delivered emphatic blocks on both Zion Williamson and Jeremiah Fears in the final moments. The victory extended the Pelicans’ losing streak to seven games.
Maxime Raynaud led Sacramento’s offense with 28 points, while Nique Clifford added 23. Cardwell finished with five blocks, eight rebounds, and six points. New Orleans got 28 bench points from Jeremiah Fears in the losing effort.
