Jamal Murray delivered one of the season’s most electrifying performances Wednesday night, erupting for 52 points on a nearly flawless shooting display as the Denver Nuggets powered past the Indiana Pacers 135-120 in Indianapolis. Murray, who made an astounding 10 of 11 attempts from beyond the arc and shot 19-for-25 overall, reached the 50-point mark for the third time in his regular-season career — just two nights after suffering a right ankle sprain. His season-high effort fell just three points shy of his career-best 55.
Denver’s offense flowed smoothly behind Murray’s barrage. Nikola Jokic added 24 points and 13 assists, while Bruce Brown contributed 14 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Peyton Watson each scored 11 as the Nuggets extended their road winning streak to eight games. Indiana stayed competitive behind Pascal Siakam’s 23 points, with Andrew Nembhard adding 16 and Bennedict Mathurin finishing with 15. Ben Shepperd and TJ McConnell chipped in 14 apiece, and Jarace Walker closed with 11.
In Cleveland, the Portland Trail Blazers controlled the second half en route to a 122-110 victory over the Cavaliers. Deni Avdija led the way with 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Caleb Love and Shaedon Sharpe each added 20. Donovan Mitchell’s 33-point night wasn’t enough to prevent Cleveland from dropping its fourth game in five outings.
The Brooklyn Nets secured their first back-to-back wins of the season, defeating the Chicago Bulls 113-103 behind Michael Porter Jr.’s 33-point, 10-rebound performance. Noah Clowney added 20, and the Nets drained 19 three-pointers. Chicago’s Josh Giddey kept the Bulls afloat with a triple-double of 28 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
In Atlanta, the Los Angeles Clippers snapped a five-game skid by overpowering the Hawks 115-92. James Harden tallied 27 points, including five threes, while Kawhi Leonard added 21. Ivica Zubac dominated the boards with 17 rebounds.
Karl-Anthony Towns fueled the Knicks with a 35-point, 18-rebound outing in a 119-104 win over the Hornets, while Kevin Porter Jr. led the Milwaukee Bucks’ 113-109 comeback victory against Detroit despite the early loss of Giannis Antetokounmpo to a calf strain.
San Antonio edged Orlando 114-112 thanks to De’Aaron Fox’s 31 points and two late free throws, and Houston surged past Sacramento 121-95 with Alperen Sengun leading a balanced offensive push.
Dallas closed the night with a 118-108 victory over Miami, powered by Cooper Flagg’s 22 points and Anthony Davis’ dominant 17-rebound performance.
