Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert had an impressive Friday night and put up a record-setting double-double performance in his team’s win in Texas.
Jazz too smooth for Mavericks
Rudy Gobert’s 27-point, 25-rebound double-double – a first for any NBA player this season, helped the Utah Jazz beat the Mavericks 112-107 in Dallas. Gordon Hayward had 26 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Joe Johnson had 15 points and five rebounds.
The Mavs were led by Harrison Barnes with 19 points and five rebounds, Deron Williams had 16 points, four rebounds and eight assists, Seth Curry had 15 points and three rebounds, and Tunisian center Salah Mejri finished with two rebounds, one steal and one block.
Sixers outdo Blazers
The Philadelphia 76ers got their fifth straight home win and beat the Portland Trail Blazers 93-92. Ersan Ilyasova had 24 points and six rebounds, Robert Covington had 22 points and six rebounds, and Cameroonian rookie sensation Joel Embiid, who had to leave the game after 22 minutes due to a knee contusion, finished with an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 30 points and five rebounds, CJ McCollum had 16 points, four rebounds and four assists, Mason Plumlee had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Nigerian forward Al-Farouq Aminu had nine points and nine rebounds.
Hornets sting Raptors
Kemba Walker’s 32 points, four rebounds and eight assists helped the Charlotte Hornets beat the Toronto Raptors 113-78. Frank Kaminsky had 16 points and eight rebounds, and Cameroonian-French guard Nicolas Batum ended the game with 13 points, four rebounds and six assists.
The Raptors were led by Kyle Lowry with 24 points and three assists, DeMar DeRozan had 23 points and three rebounds, Jonas Valanciunas had 11 points and six rebounds, while Cameroonian rookie Pascal Siakam finished with two points, four rebounds and two steals.
Magic strike Bucks
The Orlando Magic beat the Milwaukee Bucks 112-96. Elfrid Payton had 20 points, four rebounds and six assists, Jeff Green had 18 points and seven rebounds, DRC-born center Bismack Biyombo had a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double and Congolese forward Serge Ibaka had 13 point and four rebounds.
Jabari Parker had 25 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo had a 17-point, 14-rebound double-double, and Malcolm Brogdon had 16 points and five assists.
Hawks claw Bulls
The Atlanta Hawks beat the Chicago Bulls 102-93 on the back of Gambian-German guard Dennis Schroder’s 26 points and six assists. Paul Millsap had 14 points and nine rebounds, Dwight Howard had 11 points and six assists, and South African-Swiss forward Thabo Sefolosha finished with 10 points and four rebounds.
The Bulls were led by Jimmy Butler with 19 points, Jerian Grant had 12 points and Robin Lopez, Paul Zipser and Bobby Portis combined for 30 with 10 points apiece.
The rest
Marc Gasol’s 28-point game helped the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Sacramento Kings 107-91, the Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets 125-108 on the back of Kevin Durant’s 32 points, the Brooklyn Nets gave the New Orleans Pelicans a 29-point game beating them 143-114 and Lou Williams was once again impressive off the bench with 27 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers 108-96.
By Kaunda Chama
