"Grizzlies narrowly defeat Rockets in thrilling NBA finish"
Jaren Jackson Jr. converted two foul shots with 8.6 seconds left to give the Memphis Grizzlies a 120-119 win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday.
In a clash between two of the top three teams in the Western Conference, the game saw 14 ties and 13 lead changes. The Rockets had a chance to win at the buzzer, but Fred VanVleet missed a 3-pointer.
Desmond Bane led the Grizzlies with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. Luke Kennard scored 22 points, and Jackson ended with 21. Memphis closed the game with a 13-4 run, securing their seventh win in eight games.
Houston, whose four-game winning streak came to an end, received 25 points, six rebounds, and five assists from Jalen Green. Dillon Brooks added 22 points, while Amen Thompson had 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and four blocks.
Cavaliers 137, Hawks 115
Darius Garland scored 26 points and Donovan Mitchell added 24 as Cleveland defeated the Atlanta Hawks at home.
Ty Jerome contributed 20 points off the bench, Evan Mobley celebrated his first NBA All-Star Game selection with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Jarrett Allen grabbed 15 boards to go along with nine points. A dominant third quarter, shooting 58.2 percent from the field, and outrebounding the Hawks 53-43 all played a part in Cleveland's convincing third consecutive victory.
Zaccharie Risacher led the Hawks with 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting, while De'Andre Hunter added 25 points off the bench and Trae Young recorded 15 points and 10 assists.
Timberwolves 138, Jazz 113
Anthony Edwards scored 36 points and dished out 11 assists as the Minnesota Timberwolves extended their winning streak to five games with a victory over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
Edwards shot 12-of-18 from the field, including 6-of-9 from beyond the arc, and also had three blocks. Rookie Rob Dillingham, the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft, added career highs of 19 points and eight assists. Luka Garza scored a season-high 16 points, while former Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Nickeil Alexander-Walker both had strong performances in their return to Utah. Gobert finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and four blocks, while Alexander-Walker contributed 15 points and five assists. Julius Randle of the Timberwolves left the game due to a sore right groin.
Keyonte George led the Jazz with 23 points, while Collin Sexton added 19 points and John Collins and Jordan Clarkson each had 16 points.
Lakers 134, Wizards 96
LeBron James recorded 24 points and 11 assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a blowout victory over the Washington Wizards on the road.
Bronny James, the 20-year-old son of 40-year-old LeBron, entered the game at the start of the fourth quarter and played the entire final 12 minutes, finishing with a career-high five points. Rui Hachimura added 22 points for the Lakers, while Shake Milton scored 21 points off the bench. Los Angeles has now won five of their last six games.
Washington, who have now lost 16 consecutive games, were led by Jordan Poole's 19 points and Kyle Kuzma's 13 points.
Trail Blazers 119, Magic 90
Reserve Shaedon Sharpe scored 23 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a comfortable win over the Orlando Magic at home.
Sharpe went 3-for-6 from beyond the arc and 9-for-14 from the field. Scoot Henderson also had 23 points and seven assists for the Trail Blazers, who have now won six of their last seven games.
Franz Wagner led the Magic with 24 points, while Paolo Banchero added 21 points and six rebounds. Orlando has now lost seven of their last eight games.
