Make it nine straight wins for the New York Knicks while Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets entered the West top four.
Jimmy Butler returned from a five-game absence to help the Heat join the Knicks and Raptors start 2025 on a winning note.| Photos: Knicks, Heat, Raptors
A winning return for Jimmy Butler while the opposite happened to D’Angelo Russell in his first game back for the Brooklyn Nets.
Meanwhile, New York picked up where they left off over Utah, gearing up for a much-awaited showdown with Oklahoma City Thunder in a battle between the two hottest teams in the league.
PISTONS BOUNCE BACK BUT LOST IVY TO INJURY; NUGGETS WIN THREE STRAIGHT
- Detroit Pistons (15-18) def. Orlando Magic (20-15), 105-96: Cade Cunningam’s near triple-double effort had the Pistons cruising to a fourth win in their last five games, but also came at the expense of losing Jaden Ivy due to an apparent leg injury.
- Prayers up for Ivy: The 22-year-old was stretchered off in the early moments of the fourth after he and Orlando's Cole Anthony were going for a loose ball when the latter slipped, fell, and carried his momentum into the former’s planted leg.
- Denver Nuggets (19-13) def. Atlanta Hawks (18-16), 139-120: Nikola Jokic registered his league-leading 14th triple-double as the Nuggets sailed to a third straight win.
[ALSO READ: Nikola Jokic tallies 14th trip-dub of the season, steers Nuggets past Hawks]
- Houston Rockets (22-11) def. Utah Jazz (20-14), 110-99: Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green combined for 45 points, joining forces for the Rockets second win of the season against the Mavericks.
- Washington Wizards (6-25) def. Chicago Bulls (15-19), 125-107: Jordan Poole made it splash to start 2025 as the Wizards dominated the Bulls in the nation’s capital.
- Poole Party 2K25: Poole finished with 30 points, six threes and three steals, becoming the first Wizards player to hit five threes or more in five straight games.
JIMMY BUTLER RETURNS FOR HEAT; RAPTORS SPOIL D’LO’S NETS HOMECOMING
- Miami Heat (17-14) def. New Orleans Pelicans (5-29), 119-108: Jimmy Butler returned from a five-game absence in the Heat’s fourth win in the last five games.
- Heating Up: Tyler Herro continued his fiery form, pacing Miami with 32 points on five threes with Bam Adebayo flirting with a triple-double of 23 markers, 10 boards, and nine dimes as the Heat jumped to the top six in the East.
- Toronto Raptors (8-26) def. Brooklyn Nets (12-21), 130-113: Scottie Barnes and the Raptors ended a 11-game skid on top of spoiling D’Angelo Russell’s Nets homecoming.
- Went to work Up North: Barnes logged a 33-point, 13-rebound double-double for only Toronto's first win in over a month.
- New York Knicks (24-10) def. Utah Jazz (7-25), 119-103: Karl-Anthony Towns went off with a 30-20 game, Josh Hart dropped his second straight triple-double and the Knicks toppled the Jazz for a ninth straight win.
[ALSO READ: Karl-Anthony Towns drops 30-20 game as Brunson-less Knicks top Jazz for ninth straight win]
- Sacramento Kings (14-19) def. Philadelphia 76ers (13-17), 113-107: De'Aaron Fox bannered a gutsy Kings comeback from 14 points down, scoring 35 points to snap the Sixers’ four-game winning run.