The San Antonio Spurs held on for a wild 112-111 victory over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers, led by 24 points from Josh Richardson off the bench and Keldon Johnson’s block of a potential game-winning shot in the dying seconds. After three quarters, the Spurs had a 16-point lead over Cleveland, 92-78, but Jarrett Allen’s two free throws with 3:04 remaining brought Cleveland back within 110-106. With 1:38 remaining, Darius Garland scored two foul shots to counter a basket by Devin Vassell.
With 53 seconds remaining, Donovan Mitchell scored a putback layup to bring Cleveland within two points, and Evan Mobley scored a free throw with 37.9 seconds remaining to make it 112-111. The Cavaliers had a chance to win after Tre Jones missed a reverse layup with 12.6 seconds remaining; however, Mitchell’s layup with 6.7 seconds remaining was stopped by Johnson. After that, Mitchell missed a 3-pointer by Garland with 0.6 seconds left, and Vassell got Mitchell the rebound to win. All scorers were led by Mitchell’s 28 points, and Caris LeVert added 23 from the bench
Pacers 82, Heat 87
Miami defeated Indiana in Indianapolis thanks to a crucial fourth-quarter run by Jimmy Butler, who scored seven of his 20 points. Bam Adebayo and Butler were Miami’s only other double-digit scorers. He had 22 points overall, 15 of which came in the first half. Before the intermission, Adebayo also grabbed 12 of his game-high 17 rebounds.
Buddy Hield, who had a team-high 19 points, made a three-pointer in the final minute to bring Indiana within four points, but Butler’s decisive flurry prevented the host Pacers from getting any closer. The Pacers were led by 18 points from Andrew Nembhard. Myles Turner had 15 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double.
112 Nets, 100 Wizards
Kevin Durant led a group of returning players in double figures with a game-high 30 points in Brooklyn’s victory over Washington, where they continued their upward trajectory. After missing Brooklyn’s win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Joe Harris, Seth Curry, T. J. Warren, and Nic Claxton returned to help the Nets win for the eighth time in nine games.
Irving scored another 24 points, nine of which came during a run in the second quarter that saw the Nets take a commanding lead. The struggling Wizards, who have lost seven straight and 10 of 11, were led by Will Barton, who came off the bench and scored 22 points. Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma each scored 20 points before leaving with tightness in their lower backs. When Brooklyn led by as many as 16 points in the fourth, Washington couldn’t get any closer than eight.
128 Grizzlies, 103 Hawks
Memphis defeated Atlanta, which was shorthanded, in a game that it had won six times in a row thanks to Tyus Jones’ 22 points and a season-high 11 assists. Jones had three steals and shot 8-for-14 from the field, including four 3-pointers. Santi Aldama scored 16, Dillon Brooks scored 18, and Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 15, grabbed seven rebounds, and recorded a career-high eight blocked shots.
Seven Grizzlies players scored at least two goals. The Hawks were without Trae Young (back), Clint Capela (left Achilles), John Collins (left ankle), and Dejounte Murray (left ankle), as well as top reserve Bogdan Bogdanovic (injury management). The only regular starter, De’Andre Hunter, led with 19 points.
Thunder 114, 121, Mavericks 121
Luka Doncic led host Dallas to victory over Oklahoma City with 38 points, just missing a triple-double. Doncic added eight assists and 11 rebounds. Also close to a triple-double was Spencer Dinwiddie, who had 20 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds. As Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tied a career-high with 42 points, the Mavericks needed a big offensive performance.
Gilgeous-Alexander wrapped up with a whirlwind, with six places and an aid in the last 2:03 to slice the Dallas lead to five with 28.1 seconds remaining. But the Mavericks won the game with a pair of free throws from Reggie Bullock and a steal by Maxi Kleber in the final seconds. Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Mavericks with six 3-pointers, making it the team’s second-most of the season. Dallas made 22 of them.