Three standout individual performances stood out from the games that concluded on NBA night, with Jalen Brunson, Sai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jalen Johnson each scoring 30 or more points and leading their teams to victories.
The New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-97, with Brunson finishing with 31 points and adding nine assists.
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Last year’s Finals MVP made the difference mainly in the second quarter, when he scored 18 consecutive points in 4:24 and helped the champions take control of the game. Karl-Anthony Towns added 29 points.
Cleveland tried to mount a comeback in the final stretch, led by Donovan Mitchell. The Cavaliers star finished the game with a season-high 37 points, 21 of which came in the fourth quarter, but the Knicks found the necessary answers in the clutch.
In Oklahoma City, the Thunder cruised past the Washington Wizards, winning decisively 114-75.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needed just three quarters to score 30 points; with the lead already secure, he didn’t play at all in the fourth quarter.
Jared McCain added 19 points, and rookie Ante Mara had 18 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks, as the Thunder improved to 8-2.
Washington had a very poor offensive night, scoring just 75 points—the team’s lowest total so far this season. The Wizards shot just 29.6% from the field and went 7-for-43 from three-point range.
In Atlanta, Jalen Johnson returned after missing three games due to a left ankle injury, and he did so in impressive fashion.
The Hawks’ forward scored 30 points and was his team’s leading scorer in a hard-fought 124-121 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
Atlanta had to come back from a 17-point deficit in the first quarter, completing the comeback in the final quarter, which they won 36-26.
Nikiel Alexander-Walker and Aaron Wiggins each scored 20 points for the Hawks, who earned their fourth straight win.
For Brooklyn, Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points, while De’’Ron Sharp, recording the first triple-double of his career with 12 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds.
In Mexico, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Indiana Pacers 114–102, with Nikola Jokić coming close to a triple-double, recording 19 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists.
Cameron Johnson added 18 points and Jamal Murray 16, as Denver notched its fourth win in its last five games.
The game marked the NBA’s 35th appearance in Mexico since 1992, with the country having hosted more league games than any other outside the United States and Canada.
*photo source: AP
