Victor Wembanyama poured in a season-high 43 points to help the host San Antonio Spurs defeat the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves 121-111 on Saturday for their fourth straight victory.
The Timberwolves, already missing star Anthony Edwards (knee) and Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles surgery), also played without defensive stopper Rudy Gobert due to low back spasms and lost for the third time in four games.
The Spurs trailed by a point at halftime before taking a five-point lead into the fourth quarter, thanks in part to a 10-0 run. Dylan Harper added 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Spurs, while De’Aaron Fox scored 22 points and added eight rebounds and seven assists.
Ayo Dosunmu led the Timberwolves with 27 points and nine rebounds, while Jaden McDaniels and Jonathan Kuminga tallied 19 points each LaMelo Ball was 2-for-10 from the field for 10 points before fouling out.
Blazers 112, Jazz 90
Deni Avdija and Damian Lillard combined for 46 points, including 13 in an early 17-0 run, and Portland cruised past Utah in Salt Lake City.
Avdija finished with a game-high 24 points and Lillard had 22 as the Trail Blazers improved to 4-1, winning for the first time since losing star guard Ja Morant for likely the entire month of November with a strained left hamstring. Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara and Scoot Henderson each scored 14 points for Portland, and teammate Donovan Clingan chipped in with a game-high nine rebounds.
Rookie Darryn Peterson had 16 points to pace the Jazz and tied Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier for team-high assists with four. Lauri Markkanen added 13 points and Brice Sensabaugh 12 for Utah, which hadn’t previously been held under 103 points this season.
76ers 109, Hornets 104
Tyrese Maxey poured in a season-high 38 points and Philadelphia scored 13 straight points down the stretch to defeat host Charlotte.
Maxey made 13 of 23 shots from the field, including four 3-pointers, and went 8-for-9 from the free-throw line. Anfernee Simons provided 19 points off the bench, Jaylen Brown scored 16, Jabari Walker had 12 and VJ Edgecombe finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Dean Wade added 10 assists for the 76ers.
Reserve Grayson Allen’s season-high 27 points led the Hornets, who have lost three times in a four-night stretch. Brandon Miller added 24 points, Naz Reid had 14 and Moussa Diabate contributed 10, but Charlotte couldn’t capitalize on shooting 50% from the field (38 of 76).
Grizzlies 136, Kings 105
Rookie forward Cameron Boozer scored a career-high 27 points and Isaiah Stewart added a season-high 24 off the bench as host Memphis remained the league’s only unbeaten team with a win over now 0-6 Sacramento.
The 6-0 start for the Grizzlies matches the franchise’s best opening stretch, which was first accomplished during the 2014-15 season.
Boozer was 8 of 14 from the floor with nine rebounds. Stewart made 8 of 9 shots and scored his 24 points in only 21 minutes. Memphis got 81 points from its bench and made 19 of 38 (50%) from long range. Rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. led the Kings with a career-high 38 points, including nine 3-pointers on 14 attempts.
Pelicans 121, Hawks 99
Saddiq Bey came off the bench to score a season-high 25 points and spark New Orleans past visiting Atlanta for the Pelicans’ second straight win.
The win allowed the Pelicans to end a four-game losing streak against the Hawks, who had won the last three meetings in New Orleans. Bey, who spent parts of two seasons with the Hawks from 2023-24, went 9-for-13 from the field with six rebounds and four steals.
The Hawks got 14 points from CJ McCollum and 13 points from Jalen Johnson, who left the game with a sprained ankle in the fourth quarter. A brief skirmish broke out with 3:04 remaining, resulting in double technicals for Atlanta’s Kingston Flemings, who was ejected, and New Orleans’ Julian Reese.
Cavaliers 136, Bucks 111
Evan Mobley scored a season-high 27 points and Jarrett Allen had 25 points and 11 rebounds as Cleveland routed host Milwaukee.
Donovan Mitchell added 15 points and James Harden had 13 points and seven assists for the Cavaliers, who earned their first road win in three tries this season. Their largest lead was 112-76 early in the fourth quarter. Allen posted his 250th career double-double.
Kel’el Ware had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Tyler Herro scored 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting as the Bucks lost their second straight and fifth of six games to start the season. Both players were acquired in the July trade that sent superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat.
Rockets 119, Thunder 98
Jabari Smith Jr. scored 30 points, Marcus Smart added 24 with seven 3-pointers, and host Houston cruised past depleted Oklahoma City.
Smart started in place of guard Fred VanVleet (rest) and keyed an early charge. Smith and Alperen Sengun, who had 16 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, helped carry the load as the Rockets bounced back from a road loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, their first defeat of the season. Smith added nine rebounds and five assists while shooting 6-for-12 from 3-point range. Smart finished 7-for-10 from beyond the arc as the Rockets made 18 of 41 3-point attempts (43.9%).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points to lead the Thunder, who were without three starters — Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace — because of long-term injuries. Kenrich Williams made three 3-pointers and tallied 11 points with seven rebounds, while Jared McCain chipped in 10 points. Isaiah Hartenstein had 10 points and seven rebounds.
