Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

NBA Daily Recap, January 19 – Clippers edge out Lakers, Giannis dominate paint and more

Let's take a look at what happened on Sunday in the NBA.

Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Here’s the NBA Daily Recap for Jan. 19, 2025, where we witnessed seven matchups. Lakers faced their inter-city rivals for the first time this season and SGA shined on his return for the Thunder. We saw some top-class performances from Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Domantas Sabonis and Tyrese Maxey.

From LA Clippers edging out the Lakers in the first inter-city battle to the Blazers snapping their five-game streak, let’s go through the key highlights from the NBA action on Sunday.

Heat 128-107 Spurs

Miami Heat handed a third straight loss to San Antonio Spurs, thanks to a third-quarter surge. Miami held a 27-point advantage during the period. Victor Wembanyama scored 21 points, 10 rebounds and a block.

Devin Vassell added 23 points for the Spurs. Rookie Kel’el Ware finished with 25 points and eight rebounds while Duncan Robinson added 21 for Miami, who snapped a three-game losing skid. Jimmy Butler managed 8 points and 7 assists.

Magic 100-113 Nuggets

Nikola Jokic scored 20 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists in first three quarters to guide Denver Nuggets sixth win in seven games. Christian Braun added 20 points and 11 rebounds. Jamal Murray had 19 points while Michael Porter Jr. contributed 15 points and six rebounds.

Wendell Carter Jr. paced the Magic with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Anthony Black had 14 points and five assists off the bench. Denver outscored Orlando 39-25 in the third period to take full control. Nuggets’ sharp defense didn’t allow Magic to set any comeback.

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Bucks 123-109 76ers

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points and 15 rebounds as Milwaukee Bucks rolled to a 123-109 win over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers. Damian Lillard added 25 points and Khris Middleton chipped in 13 points and eight assists off the bench. Milwaukee Bucks ended their homestand with 4-0.

Tyrese Maxey was the top performer for Philadelphia with 37 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 19 points, and Ricky Council IV had 13 for the Sixers, who lost sixth straight game. Joel Embiid, Paul George, Kyle Lowry and Guerschon Yabusele are out for the 76ers due to injury.

Giannis DOMINATED the paint in the Bucks victory!

😤 34 PTS
😤 15 REB
😤 6 AST

He's had 30+ PTS and 10+ REB in 4 of his last 6 games. pic.twitter.com/ctWoUDjU8g
— NBA (@NBA) January 20, 2025

Thunder 127-101 Nets

Oklahoma City Thunder came back after the loss to Mavericks and routed the Brooklyn Nets 127-101 on Sunday night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returned after an injury and posted a double-double in three quarter. He made 8 of 14 field goals and all 10 of his free throw attempts.

Isaiah Joe added 24 points and Thunder coach Mark Daigneault earned spot as an All-Star head coach. Cam Johnson and Tyrese Johnson scored 15 points apiece for Brooklyn, who have lost eight of nine games. Thunder had a 69-49 lead at halftime and Nets didn’t recover from early setback.

Another behind-the-back transition dime!

This one from Aaron Wiggins to Alex Caruso ⛈️ pic.twitter.com/NbMbAf0MB3
— NBA (@NBA) January 20, 2025

Trail Blazers 113-102 Bulls

Portland Trail Blazers halted a five-game losing streak with a win over the Chicago Bulls. Scoot Henderson scored 25 points for the Blazers, who stretched its lead to 15 points with 7:36 left. Avdija finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Shaedon Sharpe scored 23 points off the bench.

Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 27 points. Nikola Vucevic added 17 points and 11 rebounds while Patrick Williams had 15. Bulls held a 15-point lead in the first half but the Blazers outscored them in the second quarter. Both teams were tied at 75 and Portland thwarted Chicago’s comeback in the fourth.

Kings 123-100 Wizards

Domantas Sabonis dropped 29 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 23-point win over, one of the league’s worst Washington Wizards. DeMar DeRozan finished with 24 points, while Malik Monk chipped in with 23. Keon Ellis had 18 points on 6-for-8 shooting on 3-pointers.

De’Aaron Fox added 12 points and a season-high 13 assists. It was ninth win for the Kings in last 10 games. Jonas Valanciunas scored 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Wizards, who have lost 10 straight games.

FOX WINS THE JUMP & ELLIS BURIES THE TRIPLE!

Kings end the 3Q on a crazy sequence 🎯 pic.twitter.com/RTdoh2xBKY
— NBA (@NBA) January 20, 2025

Clippers 116-102 Lakers

LA Clippers had the first laugh in the inter-city rivalry as they squeezed past the Lakers 116-102. Norman Powell scored 22 points, while James Harden had 21 points and 12 assists in the win. Kawhi Leonard chipped in with 19 points and Ivica Zubac contributed 21 points and 19 rebounds for the Clippers.

Leonard also surpassed 14,000 career points in the third quarter when the Clippers held a 26-point lead. LeBron James led the Lakers with 25 points and 11 assists. Rui Hachimura finished with 19 points. Anthony Davis scored 16 points and 10 rebounds in his return after an injury.

Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.