Zion Williamson amassed 34 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals as the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 112-104 in their latest matchup.

In addition to Williamson’s performance, Trey Murphy III contributed with 14 points, Brandon Ingram with 13 points, Larry Nance Jr. with 12 points, and CJ McCollum with 11 points, leading the Pelicans (40-26) to a 3-1 victory in the season series against the Clippers. This win also brought New Orleans within two games of fourth-place Los Angeles (42-24) in the Western Conference standings.

For the Clippers, Paul George scored 26 points, Kawhi Leonard added 23, and Norman Powell had 15 points in a game where they were without James Harden due to a strained left shoulder for the second consecutive time.

Los Angeles managed to narrow the gap to four points on four occasions, but crucial plays by Williamson and Ingram extended the Pelicans’ lead to 105-96 with 5:37 left. Despite efforts from George and Leonard to bring the Clippers closer, Nance and Williamson sealed the victory for New Orleans.

Suns 107, Hornets 96

Devin Booker led Phoenix with 21 points in a well-balanced offensive effort that brought down the Charlotte Hornets at their home court.

Grayson Allen chipped in with 17 points, Bradley Beal contributed 15 points, Eric Gordon provided 14 points off the bench, and both Jusuf Nurkic (21 rebounds) and Kevin Durant finished with 13 points for the Suns (39-28).

Vasilije Micic led the scoring for the Hornets (17-50) with 21 points, closely followed by Grant Williams with 20 points. Despite their efforts, Charlotte has suffered eight losses in their last ten games. Miles Bridges also added 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Brandon Miller put up 14 points.

Heat 108, Pistons 95

Bam Adebayo‘s impressive performance of 22 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks assisted Miami in ending their four-game losing streak against the Detroit Pistons.

Caleb Martin contributed 18 points, eight rebounds, and six assists for the Heat (36-30). Terry Rozier also scored 18 points, Duncan Robinson added 16 points along with five assists, and Jimmy Butler finished with 14 points.

Simone Fontecchio led the Pistons (12-54) in scoring with 24 points, while Jalen Duren posted 15 points and 17 rebounds, and Jaden Ivey contributed 14 points and nine assists. Despite a previous favorable streak, Detroit has now lost three straight games.

Nuggets 117, Spurs 106

Nikola Jokic‘s 31-point performance in three quarters propelled Denver to a well-deserved victory over San Antonio in Austin, Texas.

The Nuggets (47-20) controlled the game, leading by as much as 21 points in the second quarter, maintaining a nine-point lead at halftime, and ending the third quarter with a seven-point advantage.

A strong start to the fourth quarter with a 15-5 run solidified Denver’s win, reaching a score of 101-84 on a jumper by Jamal Murray with 7:20 remaining. This victory marked the Nuggets’ fifth consecutive win and their 11th in the last 12 games since the All-Star break.

Jeremy Sochan led San Antonio with 19 points, and Devin Vassell along with Victor Wembanyama both added 17 points. Zach Collins contributed 13 points, while Julian Champagnie tallied 10 points for the Spurs (14-53), who have now faced three consecutive losses as the home team.

Magic 113, Raptors 103

Orlando’s Franz Wagner scored 19 points in a successful game against the undermanned Toronto Raptors.

Paolo Banchero contributed 17 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists for the Magic, who have maintained an impressive record with 10 wins in their last 13 games. The teams are scheduled to face off again in Orlando on Sunday, with the Magic (39-28) having secured victories in the first two encounters.

For the Raptors, Gary Trent Jr. led the scoring with a season-high 31 points, but it wasn’t enough to prevent their sixth consecutive loss. Jordan Nwora added 14 points, Bruce Brown had 12 points, and Immanuel Quickley, Kelly Olynyk, and Jahmi’us Ramsey each had 10 points for Toronto (23-44).

Jazz 124, Hawks 122

Keyonte George‘s 25 points along with Collin Sexton‘s 21 points guided the Utah Jazz to a hard-fought victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

With a shorter roster, the Jazz (29-37) showcased a strong performance starting three rookies including Brice Sensabaugh (14 points) and Taylor Hendricks (10 rebounds). Utah received unexpected contributions from G-League call-ups Johnny Juzang (19 points) and Micah Potter (11 points).

John Collins, a veteran who played for Atlanta in the previous six seasons, recorded 18 points and 11 rebounds against his former team. Dejounte Murray led all scorers with a remarkable 33 points, along with nine assists and seven rebounds.