Murray's 53 points propel Nuggets over Mavs
Philadelphia 76ers teammates Joel Embiid and Paul George celebrate a play in the team's NBA victory over the Chicago Bulls (Mitchell Leff) Denver's Jamal Murray scored 53 points and teammate Nikola Jokic added a monster triple-double as the Nuggets topped the Dallas Mavericks 142-135 on Wednesday. Murray posted his second 50-point game of the season and three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic added 23 points, 21 rebounds and 19 assists. Denver led by as many as 13 in the third quarter, but the Mavs pulled within one, at 127-126, with 4:20 left to play.
Jokic made a floater, Peyton Watson and Murray drilled three-pointers and the Nuggets pulled away again to hand the Mavs -- led by rookie Cooper Flagg's 26 points -- a fifth straight defeat. The Nuggets remain neck and neck with the Minnesota Timberwolves for fourth place in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves overcame a 13-point deficit in overtime to beat the Houston Rockets 110-108.
Philadelphia 76ers stars Joel Embiid and Paul George made triumphant returns, combining for 63 points in the Sixers' 157-137 victory over the Bulls in Chicago. Former NBA Most Valuable Player Embiid showed no sign of rust after missing 13 games with an oblique strain, scoring 35 points -- including 15 of the Sixers' first 19 as they seized control with a 38-point first quarter. George, returning from a 25-game suspension for taking a medication that violated the league's anti-drug program, took longer to warm up, scoring 23 of his 28 in the second half.
Embiid, who said the injury is still "really painful," added six rebounds and seven assists and the duo showed just how big a playoff threat the Sixers could be if both stay healthy. They're seventh in the East, a fraction behind the Atlanta Hawks for sixth and the last direct entry spot to the playoffs. The Hawks, with 27 points apiece from CJ McCollum and Jalen Johnson, downed Eastern Conference leaders Detroit 130-129 in overtime.
- Celtics silence Thunder - Western Conference leaders Oklahoma City also fell, their 12-game winning streak snapped by the Celtics in Boston. Jaylen Brown scored 31 points and Jayson Tatum added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Celtics, who trailed by 13 in the first quarter. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points, making 10 of his 12 attempts from the field for the Thunder.