It was a night packed with competitive basketball across the league Thursday, with several teams rallying past deficits, youngsters posting career nights and veterans leading clutch finishes. Here’s how all eight games unfolded:
Rockets 111, Pistons 104
Kevin Durant scored 32 points, grabbed seven rebounds and handed out three assists in a 40‑minute, turnover‑free outing as the Houston Rockets snapped a five‑game road skid and beat the Detroit Pistons 111–104. Alperen Şengün added 19 points, Reed Sheppard had 18, and Amen Thompson flirted with a triple‑double with 15 points, nine boards and seven assists. Detroit’s Ryan Rollins scored 21, but the Pistons couldn’t complete a late comeback as Houston held on at the finish.
Hawks 110, Suns 98
Sandro Mamukelashvili scored a season‑high 20 points and Brandon Ingram added 20 to help the short‑handed Atlanta Hawks defeat the Phoenix Suns 110–98. Atlanta led by double digits for much of the second half despite being outscored from deep (39–27) and losing the turnover battle. Phoenix was without Deni Avdija, and though Jrue Holiday and Shaedon Sharpe each had 21 points, the Suns’ four‑game win streak ended.
Celtics 130, Nets 126 (2OT)
In a thriller that needed double overtime, Payton Pritchard scored 32 and Jaylen Brown recorded a triple‑double (27 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds) as the Boston Celtics outlasted the Brooklyn Nets 130–126. Hugo González forced the second OT with a 3 with 0.4 seconds left in the first extra session, but Boston controlled the final period. Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 30 points, and Nic Claxton had 19.
Cavaliers 123, Kings 118
Donovan Mitchell scored 33 and Evan Mobley had 29 — matching his season high — to lift the Cleveland Cavaliers past the Sacramento Kings 123–118. The Cavs overcame a late Kings surge, and Mitchell hit a key late 3 to swing momentum. Domantas Sabonis posted 24 points and 16 rebounds for Sacramento in his return from injury. Cleveland remained without Darius Garland, yet found balanced scoring throughout.
Pelicans 133, Grizzlies 127
Saddiq Bey exploded for 36 points, including 19 in the fourth quarter, as the New Orleans Pelicans rallied to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 133–127. Trey Murphy III added 32 and Zion Williamson had 24 points and 11 rebounds. Memphis cut into a big deficit late behind 21 from Cam Spencer and 26 from Jaren Jackson Jr., but New Orleans held on. Ja Morant sat out again with a left elbow UCL strain.
Pacers 117, Thunder 114
Andrew Nembhard had 27 points and 11 rebounds, and Jarace Walker scored a career‑high 26 to lift the Indiana Pacers over the Oklahoma City Thunder 117–114. Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander scored 47 and Chet Holmgren had 25 points and 13 boards for OKC, but Indiana held off a late rally as Walker iced the game at the free‑throw line. The matchup was a rematch of last season’s Finals pairing.
Nuggets 102, Bucks 100
Julian Strawther scored a season‑high 20 to lead the short‑handed Denver Nuggets to a 102–100 win against the Milwaukee Bucks. Denver built a 23‑point lead before holding on down the stretch. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 22 with 13 rebounds and seven assists before exiting late with a right calf injury. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 17 points for the Nuggets, who remain without Nikola Jokić.
Raptors 110, Trail Blazers 98
Sandro Mamukelashvili (20) and Brandon Ingram (20) helped the Toronto Raptors control the second half of a 110–98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Toronto led by as many as 13 and closed the game strong despite Portland hitting more 3s. Jrue Holiday and Shaedon Sharpe each scored 21 in the loss, which snapped Portland’s four‑game win streak.
