Dyson Daniels’ New Orleans Pelicans have continued their worrying slide down the Western Conference standings with a house defeat to the No.1-ranked Denver Nuggets.
To make issues worse, the Australian guard suffered an ankle harm with round eight minutes left in first half and did not return in Louisiana on Tuesday evening.
The 19-year-old got here off the bench late within the opening quarter and registered two factors and one rebound within the 99-98 loss.
Daniels missed a floater within the lane earlier than touchdown awkwardly on Nuggets huge man Zeke Naji’s foot, turning his proper ankle and needing assist off the courtroom to the locker room.
The hosts have been with out Zion Williamson (hamstring) since January 4, and had been additionally lacking Brandon Ingram (toe), so this was one other setback to a aspect attempting to halt a current slide.
Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic was again for Denver after lacking the final two video games with a hamstring harm of his personal and registered one more triple-double (24 factors, 11 rebounds, 10 assists).
Jamal Murray additionally had 25 factors, whereas Bruce Brown and Aaron Gordon each scored 11.
A tenth win within the final 11 helps the Nuggets to 34-14, whereas the Pels fall to 26-22.
In Miami, the NBA-leading Boston Celtics dropped back-to-back video games by dropping 98-95 to the Heat.
There was no Jimmy Buttler (again) for the hosts, nor Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon for the Celtics, however the sixth-ranked Heat had been capable of enhance to 27-22 with a come-from-behind victory.
Bam Adebayo had 30 factors and 15 rebounds, together with the leap shot that put Miami forward to stick with 20.4 seconds remaining, because the Heat rallied from 14 down.
Jayson Tatum completed with 31 factors, 14 rebounds and 7 assists for the Celtics, who now sit at 35-14.
Elsewhere within the East, the seventh-placed Knicks beat the fifth-placed Cleveland Cavaliers 105-103 in New York.
Julius Randle had 36 factors and 13 rebounds, RJ Barrett added 16 factors and Jalen Brunson 14 for the Knicks, who snapped a four-game dropping streak.
Jarrett Allen had 24 factors and 12 rebounds and Donovan Mitchell 24 factors, eight assists and 7 rebounds in his return for the Cavs from a three-game absence.
Chasing play-in spots, Indiana and Chicago proved an exciting affair with the Pacers storming residence within the second half to beat the Bulls 116-110 and snap a seven-game dropping streak.
With AP.
