Norman Powell pumped in 25 points as the Miami Heat — backed by the highest-scoring quarter in the franchise’s 38-year history — defeated the visiting Charlotte Hornets 126-108 on Friday in NBA Cup action.
Miami scored 53 points in its record-breaking first quarter — the second-highest scoring for a first quarter in league history — shooting 67.7% overall (21 of 31) and 66.7% (10 of 15) on 3-point attempts. The Heat had 13 assists and zero turnovers in the period.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for Miami, which entered the game ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring average (122.4) and was without its two All-Stars: Bam Adebayo (toe) and Tyler Herro (ankle).
Kon Knueppel, Charlotte’s rookie first-round pick, scored a game-high and a season-best 30 points, and teammate Tre Mann contributed 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Thunder 132, Kings 101
Isaiah Hartenstein and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went over 30 points together for the first time, Ajay Mitchell put up his second career double-double and visiting Oklahoma City thrashed Sacramento.
Hartenstein complemented a career-best 33 points with a game-high 19 rebounds and Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 30 points, helping the Thunder successfully bounce back from their only loss of the season on Wednesday in Portland. Mitchell added 18 points and a career-high 10 assists.
Longtime Thunder standout Russell Westbrook had 24 points, nine assists and six rebounds for the Kings, who lost to the defending champions for the second time this season.
Magic 123, Celtics 110
Franz Wagner scored 27 points and Desmond Bane had 22 to fuel host Orlando’s victory over Boston.
Wendell Carter Jr. added 18 points as the Magic overcame Jaylen Brown’s 32-point, nine-rebound performance to record their third win in their last four games. Paolo Banchero collected 15 points and nine rebounds for Orlando.
Brown made 15 of 28 shots from the floor to reach the 30-point plateau for the third time in a row and the fifth time in six games.
Cavaliers 148, Wizards 114
Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points to lead seven players in double figures and Cleveland cruised past host Washington. The Cavaliers set a season high for points scored and recorded their 13th consecutive win over the Wizards.
Darius Garland scored 20 points, and Evan Mobley (18 points and 10 rebounds) and Jarrett Allen (16 points and 14 rebounds) each recorded a double-double for the Cavaliers, who led by as many as 37 and won their third straight.
CJ McCollum led the Wizards with 25 points while Tre Johnson scored a career-high 18 points in the first start of his rookie season.
Spurs 121, Rockets 110
Harrison Barnes scored 24 points and Victor Wembanyama and Julian Champagnie had 22 each as host San Antonio defeated Houston.
Devin Vassell added 15 points and Castle amassed 14 points and distributed 13 assists for the Spurs, who snapped a two-game skid.
Alperen Sengun led all scorers with 25 points while Kevin Durant added 24 for the Rockets, who had their five-game winning streak snapped. Reed Sheppard hit for 16 points.
Pistons 125, Nets 107
Cade Cunningham totaled 34 points and 10 assists as Detroit surged ahead in the third quarter of a victory over Brooklyn in New York.
The Pistons overcame an early 10-point deficit and won their fifth straight game — four by double-digit margins. Jalen Duren added 30 points and 11 rebounds for Detroit, which controlled the paint by a 80-32 margin and outrebounded Brooklyn 46-30.
The Nets were unable to follow up their first win in eight games with another, and they dropped to 0-5 at home. Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 28 points.
Raptors 109, Hawks 97
RJ Barrett scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half to help lift visiting Toronto to a come-from-behind win over Atlanta and extend its winning streak to four games.
Barrett finished 7-for-15 from the floor and was one of seven Raptors players to finish in double figures. Toronto got 20 points from Brandon Ingram and 18 from Immanuel Quickley.
Jalen Johnson put up 21 points and seven rebounds for the Hawks, who had won three of their previous four games. Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 20 points.
Bucks 126, Bulls 110
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 41-point, 15-rebound, nine-assist performance powered Milwaukee to a win over visiting Chicago. Antetokounmpo scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to help keep the Bulls at bay.
Ryan Rollins finished with 20 points and shot 4-for-6 from 3-point distance for the Bucks, who have alternated wins and losses for five games. Myles Turner put up 23 points, six more than his previous season high, and grabbed eight rebounds.
Matas Buzelis finished with team highs of 20 points and eight rebounds for the Bulls, who took their second loss in three games.
Timberwolves 137, Jazz 97
Anthony Edwards scored 37 points on 12-for-21 shooting as Minnesota sprinted to a big win over Utah in Minneapolis.
Julius Randle notched a triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for the Timberwolves, who posted their most lopsided victory of the season. Jaden McDaniels finished with 22 points to go along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Keyonte George scored 18 points to lead the Jazz, who lost for the fifth time in the past six games. Lauri Markkanen finished with 12 points but missed 10 of 14 shots from the field.
Grizzlies 118, Mavericks 104
Ja Morant and rookie Cedric Coward each scored 21 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 17 points as Memphis snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory over visiting Dallas.
Morant added 13 assists and Coward grabbed nine boards. The Grizzlies used an overpowering opening two quarters to take a 23-point advantage at the half. They built the lead to 35 points in the second half and withstood a late Mavericks rally in the closing minutes.
Max Christie led Dallas with 18 points, Naji Marshall added 16 and P.J. Washington scored 14. The Mavericks dropped their fourth straight.
Nuggets 129, Warriors 104
Nikola Jokic had 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, Jamal Murray finished with 23 points and eight assists, and host Denver beat short-handed Golden State.
Aaron Gordon contributed 18 points, Jonas Valanciunas finished with 16 points, Christian Braun had 12 and Peyton Watson 10 for the Nuggets, who have won three in a row.
The Warriors played without Steph Curry for the second straight game due to an illness but got Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler III back after a one-game absence. Al Horford (left foot) also didn’t play. Green had 17 points and made a season-high five 3-pointers while Butler finished with 16 points.
–Field Level Media
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