Nikola Jokic snatched 29 points and 22 rebounds as Denver Nuggets pushed past the Phoenix Suns 120-112 in a double-overtime thriller in Arizona.
Jokic's team-mate Jamal Murray forced the game beyond regulation with a three-pointer that was later matched by Phoenix's Jae Crowder at the end of the first overtime.
But the Nuggets then easily won the second extra period and the match, with the hosts potentially hurting after playing an overtime game against Denver the night before and being without All-Star guard Devin Booker on Saturday for the first time this season.
18 in the fourth to help get us across the finish line. 📼 @KyrieIrving 📼 pic.twitter.com/iFMje70s1t — Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 24, 2021
The Brooklyn Nets rebounded from two disappointing losses in Cleveland to defeat the Miami Heat 128-124 courtesy of a mammoth fourth-quarter performance from Kyrie Irving, though security guards had to step in to stop players swapping jerseys after the game due to Covid-19 protocols.
The Detroit Pistons missed the injured Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose as they fell 114-110 to the dominant Philadelphia 76ers, while the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Chicago Bulls 101-90.
The Houston Rockets pulled ahead of the sluggish Dallas Mavericks with a double-digit lead in just the first five minutes before Houston's DeMarcus Cousins netted 28 points en route to his side's 133-108 victory.
"My favorite player growing up was Reggie Miller." With @StephenCurry30 passing @ReggieMillerTNT tonight for 2nd all-time in threes made, take a look at the mutual admiration these two sharpshooters have for each other. pic.twitter.com/whsHdsV0KG — NBA (@NBA) January 24, 2021
Steph Curry passed Reggie Miller to move to second behind Ray Allen on the NBA all-time three-pointer list as he nailed one from the corner in the third quarter, but it was not enough to stop his Golden State Warriors falling 127-108 to the Utah Jazz.
The Minnesota Timberwolves had lost 11 of their last 12 games before they hosted the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday and few expected them to impress in the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell.
But frontcourt pair Naz Reid – 20 points and four rebounds – and Jarred Vanderbilt stepped up, with the latter recording his first career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Timberwolves closed out their visitors 120-110.
