The embarrassment known as the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2021-22 NBA season continued on Thursday as they lost the latest Battle of L.A. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant made his long awaited return to the Brooklyn Nets’ lineup. There was a lot of exciting matchups to watch around the league as a whole.
Here’s a look at all of the NBA scores and highlights from Thursday night’s loaded slate with some key takeaways from each matchup:
Trae Young Leads Atlanta Hawks Over Chicago Bulls (130-124)
In a game that featured high-powered NBA offense from both sides, the Atlanta Hawks used a 40-point fourth quarter to narrowly get by the Chicago Bulls. Trae Young led the way with 39 points and 13 assists, but the Hawks received six total performances of double-figure scoring totals. The Chicago Bulls’ “Big 3” of DeMar DeRozan (22), Zach LaVine (22), and Nikola Vucevic (21) each surpassed the 20 threshold.
Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Dominates 4th Quarter vs. Memphis Grizzlies (120-107)
With Jayson Tatum scoring a staggering 21 points in the fourth-quarter, the Boston Celtics managed to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies. Tatum ended his night with 37 points overall and added six boards and five dimes to go along with. Despite not having Jaylen Brown in the lineup, the C’s kept their recent hot streak rolling. Ja Morant dropped 38 points and seven assists with Jaren Jackson Jr. chipping in 20 points of his own, but the supporting largely underwhelmed with their lack of contributions.
Miami Heat Spoils Kevin Durant’s Return For Brooklyn Nets (113-107)
After missing about a month and a half due to an MCL sprain, Kevin Durant made his return to the Brooklyn Nets’ lineup and finished with 31 points. He had a chance for a go-ahead bucket with 57 seconds to play on a three-point attempt but it didn’t drop. Kyrie Irving still isn’t allowed to play home games and Ben Simmons is working his way through a back injury. Despite Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry being sidelined for this game, the Miami Heat received a staggering four players who crossed the 20-point threshold between Bam Adebayo (30), Tyler Herro (27), Caleb Martin (22), and Max Strus (21).
Detroit Pistons Stun Toronto Raptors In Road Win (108-106)
With the Detroit Pistons receiving three 20-point performances from Jerami Grant (26), Saddiq Bey (23), and Cade Cunningham (22), the team managed to steal a road win against the Toronto Raptors. Neither team shot particularly well from deep, but the Raptors’ mark of 7/26 (26.9 percent) was too much to overcome. Toronto nearly pulled off a double-figure comeback victory but couldn’t quite finish the job.
Luka Doncic Continues Rampage In Win vs. Golden State Warriors (122-113)
It was an epic performance from Luka Doncic to lead the Dallas Mavericks over the Golden State Warriors. Doncic finished with an incredible 41 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists while dropping in four makes from beyond the arc. Spencer Dinwiddie came in big during the clutch along with Doncic. Stephen Curry had a relatively quiet night with 21 points for his standards as he did not record a single field goal attempt in the fourth quarter. Potential swing in the All-NBA First-Team race?
Sacramento Kings Grind Out Win Against San Antonio Spurs (115-112)
In direct competition for the final NBA play-in spot in the Western Conference, it was important for the Sacramento Kings to get the job done against the San Antonio Spurs. Using an 11-1 run in the fourth-quarter, the Kings managed to take their first lead at the right time, and ultimately hung on to win. De’Aaron Fox finished with 26 points and nine assists while Harrison Barnes led the team with 27 points. Lonnie Walker IV (30) and Dejounte Murray (29) combined for 59 points for the Spurs.
LA Clippers Crush Los Angeles Lakers (132-111)
It was the Reggie Jackson show for the LA Clippers in their blowout win over the Los Angeles Lakers as he tallied 36 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists. LeBron James led the Lakers with 26 points but there just wasn’t nearly enough help in the supporting cast to compete. The Clippers went a staggering 17/27 (63.0 percent) from beyond the arc—finishing with five more makes on eight fewer attempts.
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