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Luka Doncic dropped 46 points and 12 assists as the Lakers outlasted the Bulls, while Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant powered a fourth-quarter Houston comeback. Below are the biggest betting takeaways and full recaps from Monday’s slate. For line shopping and market movement, start with the latest NBA odds and scores.
Top takeaways
The Lakers answered recent defensive issues by holding Toronto to 93 on Sunday, then carried that momentum into Chicago with better half-court execution and a steady closing run after the Bulls made it a one-point game in the third.
Houston flipped its game late behind Sengun’s dominant fourth quarter and timely Durant shot-making, a classic example of why live bettors prioritize pace control and foul pressure in the final eight minutes.
Cleveland’s sweep over Orlando was driven by Donovan Mitchell’s early burst and clean shot quality, while Minnesota’s win over Golden State came with key availability notes that mattered more than raw form.
If you want a framework for filtering noise from signal on nights like this, use the NBA Bettor’s Handbook.
Game recaps
Lakers 129, Bulls 118
Doncic poured in 46 with 12 assists and LeBron James added 24 as Los Angeles ended Chicago’s four-game win streak. The Bulls ripped off a big third-quarter push to trim a 13-point halftime deficit to one, but the Lakers responded with an 8-0 run to regain control and never fully let go. Coby White led Chicago with 23, with Ayo Dosunmu scoring 20 and Nikola Vucevic posting 18 and 11.
Rockets 108, Grizzlies 99
Sengun and Durant scored 33 apiece as Houston closed strong against a short-handed Memphis group. Sengun orchestrated the fourth-quarter swing with scoring, playmaking, and offensive rebounding presence, while Durant found his rhythm from deep after a slow start. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama paced the Grizzlies with 17 points each.
Celtics 102, Trail Blazers 94
Payton Pritchard’s 23 and Jaylen Brown’s 20 carried Boston wire-to-wire. Derrick White added 18 but turned it over nine times. Portland got 19 from Jerami Grant and 18 from Toumani Camara, while Deni Avdija missed his second straight with a back issue.
Timberwolves 108, Warriors 83
Minnesota snapped a five-game skid by pulling away to split the mini-series with Golden State. Julius Randle scored 18 and Rudy Gobert added 15 and 17. Golden State played without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green on the back-to-back, and Quinten Post led the Warriors with 13.
Hawks 132, Pacers 116
Atlanta rallied past Indiana behind a trio of 20-plus scorers: C.J. McCollum (23), Dyson Daniels (22), and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (21). Pascal Siakam had 26 for Indiana, and Andrew Nembhard dished 13 assists, but the Pacers could not stem Atlanta’s second-half surge.
Hornets 130, 76ers 93
Charlotte blasted Philadelphia with eight players in double figures and a decisive 40-15 third quarter. Brandon Miller scored 30 on 9-for-11 shooting with six threes. Kelly Oubre Jr. led the Sixers starters with 17, while Jared McCain scored 16 off the bench.
Cavaliers 114, Magic 98
Donovan Mitchell scored 45 (26 in the first half) as Cleveland swept the home-and-home. Evan Mobley added 20 and nine, and the Cavs controlled the game flow after building early separation. Paolo Banchero posted a season-high 37 and 10 for Orlando in the loss.
NBA picks and handicappers
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