Jayson Tatum’s return 10 months after rupturing his Achilles tendon, Luka Doncic’s scoring fest for the Lakers and the New York Knicks’ big win over the Denver Nuggets brightened Friday’s NBA action, with the Charlotte Hornets snapping their eight-game winning streak.
It was Tatum’s night, who 298 days after his serious injury suffered in the 2025 playoffs was back in uniform in the Boston Celtics’ 120-100 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Big win for Celtics
Tatum had 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in 27 minutes and acknowledged that this game was “everything I could dream of.”
Jaylen Brown contributed 24 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Derrick White contributed 20 and Neemias Queta had a double-double of 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Spain’s Hugo González contributed six points, two rebounds and two assists in just under 19 minutes on the court, making two three-pointers from the arc.
Doncic, among the Lakers elite
At Crypto.com Arena, Luka Doncic sealed his 12th 40-point game in a Lakers jersey by pouring in 44 points against the Pacers in a 128-117 win for the Los Angeles team.
Doncic became the fourth player in Lakers history to post 10 games of 40 points or more, joining Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, according to data provided by the Purple and Gold.
The Slovenian finished the game with 44 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks.
He already had 22 in the first half and 29 at the break, with nine of fifteen shots.
JJ Redick’s team was without LeBron James, out with an elbow problem.
Knicks give a test of strength
The Knicks gave the Denver Nuggets a test of strength on their home court, sweeping them 142-103 to get their road trip away from New York off to the best possible start.
OG Anunoby showed the Knicks the way with 34 points.
Supported by Josh Hart’s 18 points and a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds from Dominican Karl Anthony Towns.
The Knicks dominated the Nuggets, who lost three of their last five games.
Despite 35 points and eight rebounds from Serbia’s Nikola Jokic.
The Knicks are third in the East (41-23), behind the Celtics (42-21) and Detroit Pistons (45-16) – (Filed as: Luka Doncic Lakers).
Heat cut Hornets’ flight short
The Hornets, one of the most in-form and surprising teams of the season, had their eight-game winning streak snapped when they fell at home to the Miami Heat.
Tyler Herro dominated with 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, with eight three-pointers to pace the Heat.
A 30-19 run in the fourth period was key to Erick Spoelstra’s men’s team’s 128-120 win over the Hornets, where Kon Knueppel scored 27 points.
For Miami, Bam Adebayo had a double-double of 24 points and twelve rebounds and Mexico’s Jaime Jaquez, 21 points (Filed under: Luka Doncic Lakers).
They lit up Friday's NBA action
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Among the other results, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 116-112 with 27 points and ten rebounds from Frenchman Victor Wembanyama to strengthen their second place in the West (46-17).
Only the OKC Thunder (49-15) have a better record than the Texans.
In addition, Turkey’s Alperen Sengun led the Houston Rockets to a 28-point victory over the Portland Trail Blazers (106-99).
And the Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans 118-116.
With information from EFE
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