NBA roundup: LaVine catches fire from long range, Lakers win fourth in a row
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Zach LaVine torched the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night to deliver a 126-112 road win for the Chicago Bulls.
LaVine finished two points off his NBA season-high with 41 points on 14-of-19 shooting, and he made history with his marksmanship from long range.
He hit 11 of his 13 three-point attempts (84.6%), joining Stephen Curry as the only players in NBA history to hit at least 11 three-pointers in a game at over 80% efficiency.
Over his past five games, LaVine is averaging 27.6 points while shooting 54.8% from the field, 55.3% from deep, and 96.2% at the free throw line.
Against the 76ers, LaVine was supported well by third-year forward and former top-five draft pick Patrick Williams, who scored 18 points on seven-of-11 shooting with six rebounds.
It is the latest impressive sign from Williams, who had his best game of the season on Wednesday with 22 points (six-of-eight shooting), seven rebounds, and two steals in an upset win over the Brooklyn Nets.
The 76ers were without franchise centerpiece Joel Embiid, and James Harden put together a poor performance, finishing four-of-17 from the field for his 17 points and 11 assists.
Chicago have won seven of their past 10 to improve their record to 18-21 – two games behind the Eastern Conference's eight seed, currently occupied by the Miami Heat (20-19).
Around the league: Lakers ground the Hawks, Nuggets take top spot in the West
LeBron James was at his playmaking best in the Los Angeles Lakers' 130-114 victory on the road against the Atlanta Hawks.
James had 17 points and 10 assists at three-quarter time, and after the Hawks cut the margin to 10 points early in the last period, James responded by scoring eight of the Lakers' next 10 points to put the game to bed.
He shot 10-of-19 for his 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, while Russell Westbrook flirted with another triple-double off the bench, posting 18 points (seven-of-14), 11 rebounds, and nine assists.
The Denver Nuggets (26-13) are now alone atop the Western Conference standings after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108.
It is the Nuggets' ninth win from their past 11 fixtures, and they were once again carried by reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic with 28 points (10-of-17 shooting), 15 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Jokic averaged 29.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 10.1 assists during the month of December as he continues to build a case to become the first MVP three-peat since Larry Bird from 1984-86.
Cover photo: Collage: REUTERS