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The NBA celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day with nine games on their schedule. LeBron James torched the Houston Rockets with 48 points to snap the LA Lakers' losing streak. James has been on a tear since turning 38 years old, carrying the team in the absence of Anthony Davis due to injury.
Meanwhile, Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings and Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks were named NBA Players of the Week. Sabonis is having an All-Star season in his first full season in Sacramento, while Brunson has been playing great since returning from a minor injury.
Here is the NBA news today, Jan. 17, brought to you by Sportskeeda.
LeBron James drops 48 points to snap Lakers losing streak
LeBron James has been on a tear since turning 38 years old, averaging 37.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 8.6 assists in the past seven games. James scored a season-high 48 points in the LA Lakers' 140-132 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night.
"The King" also had eight rebounds and nine assists, while Russell Westbrook added 24 points off the bench. The Lakers snapped their three-game losing streak to improve their record to 20-24. They are still 13th in the Western Conference standings, but are just 1.5 games from the final play-in spot.
Meanwhile, Alperen Sengun had the best game of his young career. Sengun finished with 33 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists, while Eric Gordon had 19 points and eight assists. The Rockets have now lost 11 games in a row and remain the worst team in the NBA.
Watch: Shaquille O'Neal hilariously mocks Kenny Smith's terrible penalty kick on 'Inside the NBA'
Domantas Sabonis, Jalen Brunson named NBA Players of the Week
Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings and Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks were named NBA Players of the Week for Week 13.
Sabonis led the Kings to a 4-0 last week, averaging 18.5 points, 14.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists. It has been an amazing run for Sabonis and the Kings, currently owning a record of 24-18. They are fourth in the Western Conference standings and could finally end their playoff drought.
Meanwhile, Brunson was simply too good last week, averaging 34.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists in four games. The Knicks are five games above .500 and might return to the postseason.
Also Read: Russell Westbrook gives clarification on his verbal spat with LA Lakers' assistants
Jayson Tatum explodes for 41 points in win over Hornets
Jayson Tatum continued to solidify his MVP campaign on Monday in the Boston Celtics' 130-118 win against the Charlotte Hornets. Tatum exploded for 51 points, nine rebounds and five assists to lead the Celtics to their seventh consecutive win.
Derrick White had 19 points and eight assists, while Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points off the bench. Boston improved their record to 33-12, which is the best in the entire league.
On the other hand, LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 25 points, five rebounds and six assists. Charlotte have now lost five straight games and have dropped to last place in the Eastern Conference standings. They also have the second-worst record in the NBA.
Also Read: Draymond Green insinuates his time as a Golden State Warrior is coming to an end
Suns continue downward spiral, now 12th in the West
The Phoenix Suns continued their downward spiral in the standings with another loss on MLK Day against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Suns were blown out by the Grizzlies 136-106 to give them a current record of 21-24.
They have now lost nine of their last 10 games and are now 12th in the Western Conference standings. It has been a struggle for the Suns without Devin Booker and Chris Paul. DeAndre Ayton recently returned from injury, but can't seem to carry the team to a few wins.
Since the start of December, the Suns are just 6-18. It's the third-worst record in the league in that behind the Houston Rockets and Charlotte Hornets. They now enter a five-game homestand against teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, Grizzlies again, Hornets, and the Dallas Mavericks.
Also Read: Top 5 Mac McClung dunks in his career as he becomes first G-Leaguer to be in NBA Slam Dunk Contest
Complete NBA scores for MLK Day
There were nine games in the NBA's special MLK Day celebration. The Boston Celtics kicked off the day with a win over the Charlotte Hornets. The Milwaukee Bucks looked unstoppable against the Indiana Pacers, while the New York Knicks fell to the Toronto Raptors in overtime.
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the New Orleans Pelicans and the Atlanta Hawks sealed an important victory against the Miami Heat. The Utah Jazz barely squeeked out a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, while the Golden State Warriors were too much for the Utah Jazz.
Here are the complete NBA results for Jan. 16:
- Boston Celtics def. Charlotte Hornets 130-118
- Milwaukee Bucks def. Indiana Pacers 132-119
- New York Knicks def. Toronto Raptors 123-121 OT
- Golden State Warriors def. Washington Wizards 127-118
- Cleveland Cavaliers def. New Orleans Pelicans 113-103
- Atlanta Hawks def. Miami Heat 121-113
- Utah Jazz def. Minnesota Timberwolves 126-125
- Memphis Grizzlies def. Phoenix Suns 136-106
- LA Lakers def. Houston Rockets 140-132
Also Read: Ben Simmons credits Boston Celtics' "team basketball" but says they don't have any great individuals
Guess the Lakers players!
