NBA Roundup: Big performances fuel Friday night wins

A strong slate of performances headlined Friday night’s NBA action as Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, and the LA Clippers all posted convincing victories behind standout individual efforts.

Rockets Pull Away from Nets Behind Balanced Attack

The Houston Rockets continued their surge on the road with a dominant 120–96 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Amen Thompson led the way with 23 points as Houston seized control in the second half, outscoring Brooklyn 67–54 after halftime. The Rockets’ defense set the tone early, holding the Nets to just 42 points in the first half. Day’Ron Sharpe recorded eight points, eight rebounds, and seven assists for Brooklyn in the loss.

Norman Powell Explodes for 36 as Heat Hold Off Pistons

Norman Powell delivered one of the night’s most explosive scoring efforts, dropping 36 points to lift the Miami Heat past the Detroit Pistons, 118–112. Cade Cunningham nearly matched the performance with a near triple-double of 31 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists, but Miami executed better down the stretch to secure the road victory.

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Kawhi Leonard has been DIALED IN pic.twitter.com/EiKfokqiXB

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Tyrese Maxey’s Triple-Double Paces Sixers Over Mavericks

Tyrese Maxey stuffed the stat sheet with 34 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers pulled away from the Dallas Mavericks, 123–108. Maxey controlled the game from start to finish, while rookie Cooper Flagg showed flashes of promise for Dallas with 12 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.

Jaylen Brown Leads Celtics’ Fourth-Quarter Surge vs Kings

Jaylen Brown powered the Boston Celtics to a 120–106 win over the Sacramento Kings, finishing with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Boston turned the game in the fourth quarter, holding Sacramento to just 18 points in the final frame. DeMar DeRozan paced the Kings with 25 points and six assists.

Kawhi Leonard Drops 45 as Clippers Cruise Past Jazz

Kawhi Leonard delivered a vintage performance at the Intuit Dome, erupting for 45 points and seven rebounds to lead the LA Clippers to a 118–101 win over the Utah Jazz. Leonard took over in the fourth quarter as the Clippers closed the game with a 36–20 run. Kyle Anderson led Utah with 22 points and eight rebounds.

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