Let's take a look at what happened on Saturday in the NBA.
Here’s the NBA Daily Recap for Jan. 04, 2025, where we witnessed nine matchups again. On Saturday night, we saw an emotional tribute to Derrick Rose at United Center and Leonard’s season debut also made headlines. Steph Curry didn’t take part for the Warriors but we saw some top-class performances including a couple of thrilling finishes.
From Denver snatching a win in overtime through Jokic’s double-double to the Chicago Bulls winning on Derrick Rose’s event, let’s go through the key highlights from the NBA action on Saturday night.
Denver Nuggets spoiled Victor Wembanyama’s 21st birthday after snatching a win in overtime. MVP leader, Nikola Jokic highlighted a 46-point performance with 10 rebounds. Birthday boy scored his 57th double-double with 20 points and 23 rebounds but failed to score in overtime. Both sides also split the home-and-home series.
It was Wemba who stoke the ball from Jokic and helped to win for Spurs in last game. Jokic avenged the loss by scoring nine points in the extra period. Michael Porter Jr. chipped in with 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets. Harrison Barnes led San Antonio with 22 points and Devin Vassell had 19.
Portland Trail Blazers squeezed past Milwaukee Bucks 105-102 to snap a two-game skid. Anfernee Simons scored 28 points and Deni Avdija added 19 in the win. Antetokounmpo scored with 31 points and 11 rebounds, and AJ Green poured in 21 points for the Bucks, who lost two straight games.
Giannis hit two free throws to take a 2-point lead in the dying stage of fourth quarter but Simons completed the three-point play to regain a one-point lead with 23.5 seconds remaining. Simons hit two more free throws with 5.4 seconds left to close the game before Damian Lillard’s missing 3-pointer.
Chicago Bulls gifted a win to former MVP Derrick Rose who was honored during halftime. Coby White scored 33 points, including a career-high nine 3-pointers while Zach LaVine added 33. The latter dropped his third 30-point performance in last four games. Nikola Vucevic chipped in 22 points and 12 rebounds and Josh Giddey contributed 15 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
New York Knicks dropped their second straight game after catching a nine-game winning streak. Knicks lost their 9-point lead at half-time, thanks to a dominant third quarter show from Bulls. Chicago outscored New York 41-17 in the third and it proved to be decisive. Karl-Anthony Towns paced the Knicks with 44 points and 16 rebounds. Jalen Brunson scored 33, and Josh Hart had 16 rebounds.
Short-handed Warriors held the nerves against Memphis Grizzlies to win second straight game. Andrew Wiggins scored 24 points, and Dennis Schroder chipped in with 17 for the Warriors, who also lost Jonathan Kuminga just before the first half due to injury.
Golden State are 5-2 without Stephen Curry. Lindy Waters III contributed 16 with four 3-pointers off the bench. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 23 points and Desmond Bane added 22 points and 10 assists for Memphis Grizzlies, who ended a five-game road trip with three defeats.
Los Angeles Clippers routed Atlanta Hawks to a 26-point win and ended a two-game losing streak. Kawhi Leonard scored 12 on his season-debut and Norman Powell scored 20 points. Ivica Zubac added 18 points and 18 rebounds while Amir Coffey had 17 as the Clippers extended their winning run to three matches at home.
Trae Young paced Atlanta Hawks with 20 points and 14 assists. De’Andre Hunter added 18 points for Atlanta, who dropped third straight game after securing a four-game winning streak. Clippers outscored the Hawks 45-26 in the second and had a 12-3 spark after the break to catch a 24-point lead.
Nets 94-123 76ers
Pacers 126-108 Suns
Pistons 119-105 Timberwolves
Heat 100-136 Jazz
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