Lauri Markkanen scored a career-high 49 points and the Utah Jazz snapped a five-game losing streak with a 131-114 road win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.
Markkanen finished 15-for-27 from the floor and 13-for-13 from the free-throw line. The 25-year-old Finland native, whose previous high was 38 points, also corralled eight rebounds.
Utah’s Malik Beasley, who entered play fifth in the NBA in 3-pointers made despite making only five starts, shot 5 of 11 from behind the arc and scored 19 points. Jordan Clarkson also had 19 points for the Jazz.
Jalen Green led the Rockets with 30 points. Kevin Porter Jr. added 23 points while Alperen Sengun paired 20 points with 14 rebounds as Houston dropped its eighth consecutive home game.
Jayson Tatum posted a triple-double with 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists to propel NBA-leading Boston Celtics to a 124-95 win at Dallas Mavericks.
Tatum scored 18 and Jaylen Brown added 15 of his 19 in the second half as Boston snapped a two-game losing streak. Tatum recorded his only previous triple-double on April 19, 2021, in a loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Luka Doncic scored 23 points, Spencer Dinwiddie had 18 and Christian Wood had a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double for the Mavericks, who had their seven-game win streak end.
Ja Morant scored 32 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 31 points on 12-of-14 shooting from the floor and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Memphis Grizzlies held off host Orlando Magic’s furious fourth-quarter rally, 123-115.
The Magic put together a 15-6 run in the fourth fueled by Franz Wagner’s individual burst. Wagner tallied 10 of his 22 points in less than 90 seconds. Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 30 points and nine rebounds, but his 2-of-7 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc reflected Orlando’s overall struggles from deep. The team finished 11-of-36 on 3-point attempts.
With Caleb Houstan’s banked-in 3-pointer after Wagner’s surge, the Magic cut the deficit to six points but could get no closer.
Jamal Murray scored 18 points, Bones Hyland added 16 and host Denver Nuggets used a big first half to rout Los Angeles Clippers 122-91.
Vlatko Cancar had 15 points and 12 rebounds and Nikola Jokic finished with 12 points and nine assists for the Nuggets, who have won 11 of their past 14 games.
Norman Powell scored 13 points, Moses Brown had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Terance Mann also had 12 points for the Clippers, who lost their fourth straight. No Los Angeles starter scored in double figures. (Reuters)
