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Saturday’s NBA slate had a bit of everything: Nikola Jokic played closer, Detroit grabbed the East’s No. 1 seed, and Miami turned a track meet into a rout.
Jokic Slams the Door on San Antonio
Nikola Jokic put on another absurd stat-line special, finishing with 40 points and 13 assists as Denver beat San Antonio 136-134 in overtime on Saturday.
The shot that stuck was a 7-foot floater late in the extra period, part of a seven-point overtime burst from Jokic that helped the Nuggets erase a game they spent most of the night chasing. Denver stretched its winning streak to eight and snapped San Antonio’s 11-game run in the process.
Christian Braun added 21 points for Denver, while Jamal Murray posted 15 points and 10 assists. Cam Johnson scored 17, Aaron Gordon had 15, and Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in 10.
For anyone riding the Spurs’ heater, this was a brutal finish. San Antonio led by six with 1:39 left in regulation, then watched Denver claw its way back and finally take control in overtime.
Victor Wembanyama was brilliant in defeat, piling up 34 points and 18 rebounds while going 16-for-17 from the foul line. Stephon Castle scored 20, Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie each had 18, De’Aaron Fox added 14, Dylan Harper scored 12, and Keldon Johnson finished with 10.
The loss stung even more because San Antonio had won 27 of its previous 29 games coming in, so this was not some sleepy team running out the string.
Pistons Grab the No. 1 Seed in the East
Detroit handled business in Philadelphia, beating the 76ers 116-93 to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Tobias Harris led the way with 19 points, while Daniss Jenkins filled the box score with 16 points and 14 assists. Jalen Duren also scored 16 as the Pistons secured home-court advantage in the East for the first time since 2007.
That is a massive development for playoff futures, and Detroit has done it while missing star guard Cade Cunningham, who has been sidelined by a collapsed lung. Even so, the Pistons are now 8-2 since his injury, and he is expected back later in the regular season.
Philadelphia faded badly after halftime. The Sixers shot just 34.2 percent in the second half and managed only 33 points after the break.
Tyrese Maxey scored 23 points and Paul George added 20 for Philadelphia, which was playing the second half of a back-to-back and did not have Joel Embiid after intermission.
Heat Turn It Into a Track Meet Against Washington
Miami did not just beat Washington. The Heat blasted the Wizards 152-136 in one of the highest-scoring games in franchise history.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. poured in a season-high 32 points, while Kel’el Ware delivered a monster two-way performance with 24 points, 19 rebounds, and seven blocks, matching his career high in rejections.
Miami effectively ended this one in the second quarter, building a lead as large as 35 before emptying the bench. The 152 points marked the third time in franchise history that the Heat reached the 150-point mark.
Washington kept scoring, but mostly because someone had to. Will Riley led the Wizards with 31 points on 12-for-17 shooting, Sharife Cooper added 20, and Jaden Hardy finished with 19.
The bigger picture is ugly. Washington has now lost 21 of its past 22 games, which is the sort of skid that stops feeling surprising and starts feeling automatic.
