Lakers overcome Luka’s triple-double to rip Mavs
LOS ANGELES: Anthony Davis finished an assist shy of a triple-double, D’Angelo Russell scored 29 points and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame Luka Doncic’s triple-double to beat the Dallas Mavericks 127-110 on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).
Returning after missing three games because of a sprained right ankle, Doncic had 33 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in 33 minutes for his seventh triple-double of the season and 63rd overall.
Davis had 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting and added 12 rebounds and nine assists in 33 minutes. Russell led the Lakers in scoring for the seventh time this season and had five 3-pointers.
LeBron James added 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to help the Lakers win for the fourth time in six games.
Los Angeles, which evened its record at 21-21, shot 53.8 percent from the field (49 for 91) and had 12 3-pointers. It also had a 32-7 advantage in fast-break points.
Dereck Lively 2nd added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks, who dropped to 5-4 in January.
Knicks 109, Rockets 94
In New York, Julius Randle scored 31 points, Jalen Brunson added 30 in his return from a two-game absence and New York beat Houston.
Brunson missed two games because of a bruised left calf and Randle struggled without his point guard in a loss to Orlando on Monday, shooting 5 for 18 for 15 points. But the offense was flowing nicely again in the second half as the Knicks pulled away after leading by two at halftime.
OG Anunoby had 15 points for the Knicks, who reached the halfway point of their schedule at 24-17. Josh Hart finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Fred VanVleet had 24 points and 12 assists for the Rockets, who finished 1-5 on a six-game trip. Alperen Sengun added 18 points and 10 rebounds in Houston’s eighth straight loss to New York.
Celtics 117, Spurs 98
In Boston, Jayson Tatum scored 24 points and Jaylen Brown returned from a one-game absence to score 21 as Boston beat San Antonio in Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama’s first game on the Celtics’ famous parquet floor.
The 7-foot-3 French rookie, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, scored 10 points in the first quarter, when San Antonio kept it close. He finished with 27 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes as the Spurs (7-33), who have the worst record in the Western Conference, lost their third straight.
Jrue Holiday scored 22 points and Luke Kornet matched his season high with nine rebounds for the Celtics, won their third game in a row and improved to 20-0 at home, extending their franchise record.
Pelicans 132, Hornets 112
In New Orleans, Brandon Ingram highlighted a 28-point performance with a career-best seven 3-pointers to go with 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and New Orleans set a franchise record for 3s with 25.
It was the third career tripledouble for Ingram, who received a standing ovation as he checked out of the game for good in the final minutes.
CJ McCollum scored 22 points and hit four times from deep. Rookie guard Jordan Hawkins made six 3s and finished with 21 points for New Orleans, while Trey Murphy 3rd hit five 3s and scored 18.
LaMelo Ball had 29 points and Terry Rozier added 25 for Charlotte, which trailed most of the game and by 24 in the second half. Nick Richards added 10 points and 12 rebounds for the struggling Hornets, who have lost six straight and 17 of 18.
Cavs 135, Bucks 95
In Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell had 31 points and Cleveland took advantage of Milwaukee being without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to extend their winning streak to a season-best six games.
Antetokounmpo sat with a bruised right shoulder, an injury that kept him out of the lineup for the first time in 29 games — the second longest streak of his career. The two-time MVP is not expected to be out for an extended period.
Georges Niang made 13 of 14 shots and added a career-high 33 points — 20 in the first half — for the Cavs, who improved to 11-3 since they lost Darius Garland (broken jaw) and Evan Mobley (knee surgery) with injuries last month. Jarrett Allen added 21 points and 13 rebounds — his 10th straight double-double.
Damian Lillard led Milwaukee with 17 points on 7-of-20 shooting. Khris Middleton had two points, going 1 of 10 from the field.