Jalen Brunson Drops 55 as Knicks Extend Streak to 7

Jalen Brunson scored 55 points including nine in overtime leading the New York Knicks to a 136-132 victory over the Washington Wizards. This win extended their streak to seven games with Karl-Anthony Towns adding 30 points and 14 rebounds. The Knicks have now won 17 of their last 21 games including 11 of 13 in December. Washington missing their leading scorer Jordan Poole due to injury were led by Justin Champagnie, who scored 31 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his second career double-double.

In another Saturday NBA matchup, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings 132-122, despite being without LeBron James due to illness. Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 36 points and 15 rebounds while Austin Reaves contributed 26 points and 16 assists. Sacramento, playing one day after firing head coach Mike Brown, suffered their sixth consecutive loss under interim coach Doug Christie.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder, top of the Western Conference extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 106-94 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points and Jalen Williams added 20 as Charlotte dropped their seventh straight game. The Golden State Warriors ended a three-game losing streak with a 109-105 victory against the Phoenix Suns, thanks to Jonathan Kuminga’s 34 points and Stephen Curry’s 22.

The Denver Nuggets held off a Detroit Pistons comeback, winning 134-121 with Nikola Jokic scoring 37 points and Jamal Murray adding 34. The Philadelphia 76ers won 114-111 against the Utah Jazz with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey both scoring 32 points. The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 126-122 while the Chicago Bulls triumphed 116-111 over the Milwaukee Bucks with Josh Giddey recording a triple-double.