NBA: Grizzlies rally, nip Spurs on late block

Cam Spencer scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, and Santi Aldama blocked a potential game-winning shot by De'Aaron Fox with 5.2 seconds remaining, lifting the Memphis Grizzlies to a 106-105 victory over the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night.

Spencer gave the Grizzlies the lead with 37.3 seconds left on a baseline jumper, after hitting a 3-pointer a minute earlier to cut San Antonio’s lead to 105-104. Jaren Jackson Jr. also scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Jock Landale added 19 points and nine boards. Vince Williams Jr., returning from a long injury absence, contributed 15 points, six rebounds, and five assists.

Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs off the bench with 30 points. Julian Champagnie added 23 points and eight rebounds, and Stephon Castle had 15 points and eight boards before fouling out with 3:13 remaining.

The Grizzlies were without starters Ja Morant, Cedric Coward, and Zach Edey. Morant missed his second straight game with a right calf contusion, marking his 18th absence in the team’s 36 contests due to various injuries. Coward sprained his left ankle in Sunday’s loss to the Lakers.

Los Angeles Lakers 111, New Orleans Pelicans 103

Luka Doncic and LeBron James each scored 30 points as the Lakers defeated New Orleans for their third consecutive win. Doncic also recorded 10 assists, while James added eight rebounds and eight assists.

Doncic scored 11 points in the first quarter and 16 by halftime despite missing all six of his 3-point attempts. Deandre Ayton posted a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, helping the Lakers take control in the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run.

Trey Murphy III set a career-high with 42 points for the Pelicans, who suffered their eighth straight loss. Zion Williamson contributed 15 points, and Derik Queen had 10 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists.

Cleveland Cavaliers 120, Indiana Pacers 116

Darius Garland scored 29 points with six assists to lead the Cavaliers past Indiana, handing the Pacers their 13th consecutive loss, a franchise record.

Evan Mobley added 20 points, and Jarrett Allen recorded 19 points and 12 rebounds. Cleveland secured the win despite resting Donovan Mitchell, the NBA’s fourth-leading scorer at 29.8 points per game, and losing Dean Wade early due to a left knee re-injury.

Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 22 points, Jay Huff scored 20, and Johnny Furphy posted nine points with 11 rebounds. Indiana’s last win came on Dec. 8 against Sacramento. The team also has the league’s worst home record at 5-15.

Minnesota Timberwolves 122, Miami Heat 94

Anthony Edwards scored 26 points in 29 minutes as the Timberwolves cruised past Miami in Minneapolis.

Jaden Daniels added 19 points on 7-for-15 shooting, while Julius Randle (15 points, 11 rebounds) and Rudy Gobert (13 points, 17 rebounds) recorded double-doubles. Naz Reid contributed 14 points off the bench.

For the Heat, Norman Powell, Bam Adebayo, and Kel’el Ware each grabbed 11 rebounds. Tyler Herro returned from a right big toe injury, scoring 17 points with nine rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench.

Washington Wizards 120, Orlando Magic 112

CJ McCollum led Washington with 27 points, and Alex Sarr added 23 points with eight rebounds as the Wizards defeated the Magic at home. Justin Champagnie contributed 17 points off the bench, and Washington converted 31 of 33 free throws.

Bilal Coulibaly recorded 14 points, eight rebounds, and five steals. Orlando’s rookie Jase Richardson posted a career-high 20 points. Desmond Bane scored 15 points, Paolo Banchero had 14, and Tristan da Silva added 13. The Magic committed 19 turnovers, resulting in 29 points for Washington. Despite narrowing a 26-point deficit to two late in the game, a 10-2 Wizards run sealed the victory.

—Field Level Media/Reuters