Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points and the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Indiana Pacers 127-117 on Tuesday night.
Darius Garland scored 24 points and Evan Mobley added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who bounced back after the Pacers ended their 12-game winning streak with a 108-93 victory on Sunday night.
Pascal Siakam scored 23 points and Bennedict Mathurin 19 for the Pacers, who had their six-game winning streak halted. Myles Turner added 17 points.
The Cavaliers led 82-77 in the third quarter before going on a 10-0 run that included 3-pointers by Max Strus, Georges Niang and Mobley. Cleveland led 100-89 after three periods.
Indiana cut its deficit to 111-106 but could get no closer.
The Pacers played without All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was sidelined with a left groin strain.
After the Pacers pulled within 115-109, Garland sank a 27-foot, 3-pointer to put Cleveland ahead 118-109 with 4:48 left.
Jarrett Allen puts the on the @cavs NBA-leading 34th win of the season pic.twitter.com/sI2VmE7LbX
— NBA (@NBA) January 15, 2025
Antetokounmpo does it all as Bucks cool Kings
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds for his 50th career triple-double as the Milwaukee Bucks beat Sacramento 130-115 to snap the Kings’ seven-game win streak.
Antetokounmpo’s triple-double was his fifth of the season. He had a sixth in the Bucks’ NBA Cup championship victory over Oklahoma City, but players’ statistics from that game aren’t official.
Damian Lillard had 24 points, Brook Lopez 21 and A.J. Green 16 for the Bucks, who never trailed and led by as many as 28.
DeMar DeRozan scored 28, De'Aaron Fox 20 and Keon Ellis 16 for Sacramento. Domantas Sabonis had 16 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
Sacramento dropped to 7-2 under interim head coach Doug Christie. Sacramento hadn't lost since a 132-122 road defeat against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 28, the day after Mike Brown was fired.
The Bucks took control by going on a 21-2 spurt late in the first quarter.
King in his castle. pic.twitter.com/3EMvA1W2On
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 15, 2025
Murray pours in 45 in Nuggets' rout
Jamal Murray scored 32 of his season-high 45 points in the first half and led the Denver Nuggets to a 118-99 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
Murray easily surpassed his previous season-best of 34 points, scored against Detroit on Dec. 28.
He shot 18 for 26 from the floor, including 5 of 9 from 3-point distance, and added six assists and two steals. Murray headed to the bench with just under four minutes remaining, five points shy of his career high of 50 points against Cleveland on Feb. 19, 2021.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 13 points and Nikola Jokić had 10 points and 14 rebounds in Denver’s fourth straight win, the last two coming at Dallas.
Kyrie Irving was back in the lineup after missing five games with a lumbar back sprain and had 11 points on 4-for-18 shooting. Daniel Gafford scored 13 points and Naji Marshall had 11.
Dallas' Dereck Lively II left with a right ankle sprain with eight minutes remaining in the first quarter and did not return.
WWWW pic.twitter.com/3hnk8Rbrsa
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 15, 2025