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NBA highlights on Jan. 19: A record night for multiple star players
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Joel Embiid (#21) of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks in the game against the Orlando Magic at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

Joel Embiid (#21) of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks in the game against the Orlando Magic at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Orlando Magic 123-110 at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday to beat the same opponent for the third time this season.

76ers franchise center Joel Embiid dropped 50 points, which matched his career high, plus 12 rebounds and three blocks in only 27 minutes. He scored 20 and 23 points, respectively, in the first and third quarters, helping his team leave the Magic far behind with a 47-23 run in Q3. Moreover, it took Embiid no more than 23 field goal (FG) attempts to get 50 points after he made 15 of 17 shots at the free throw line.

Embiid joined Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain as the only three players in franchise history to score 50 points in more than one game. Furthermore, it was the fewest minutes played to reach 50 points and 10 rebounds in the NBA since 1955.

Joel Embiid (#21) of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots in the game against the Orlando Magic at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

Joel Embiid (#21) of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots in the game against the Orlando Magic at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

76ers guard Tyrese Maxey asked Embiid who he would be in Wednesday's game, Shaquille O'Neal or Dirk Nowitzki? As one of the biggest guys in today's NBA, Embiid could dominate the paint like O'Neal did. Meanwhile, with his improved shooting, Embiid didn't have to fight other muscular monsters under the rim every time he wanted to score – instead, he could fire in the middle range like Nowitzki did.

"I said me," Embiid said. "Because at times, whenever I want I'm able to be Shaq, whenever I want I'm also able to be Dirk, or Kobe (Bryant) or MJ (Michael Jordan), or any guards really, meaning shooting off the dribble, or pull-ups, or ball-handling, just a combination of everything offensively."

After watching Embiid's incredible performance on Wednesday night, few would remember that Mo Bamba scored a career-high 32 points for the Magic.

Nikola Jokic (#15) of the Denver Nuggets looks on in the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

Nikola Jokic (#15) of the Denver Nuggets looks on in the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

Jokic refuses to repeat history

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 130-128 in overtime (OT) at Ball Arena on Wednesday to get vengeance for the loss eight days ago.

Nikola Jokic put down 49 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists for the Nuggets. This triple-double beats Michael Adams' 45+11+12 performance for the best game in team history. Jokic also became the second center in league history to score at least 45 points in a triple-double after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The "Sky Hook" had 50 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists in January 1975. Before Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain had two 50+ point triple-doubles.

Unlike the low scoring 87-85 loss on January 11, both sides turned on full power from the beginning. The Clippers led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter, but Jokic tied the game almost by himself with 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the second half. The reigning MVP continued to score another nine of the Nuggets 16 points in OT and delivered three assists. He was literally involved in every point the team had during the five-minute competition.

Aaron Gordon (#50) of the Denver Nuggets shoots in the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

Aaron Gordon (#50) of the Denver Nuggets shoots in the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

The game was 127-127 with 26.4 seconds left. Jokic had to receive the ball via a screen set by Monte Morris. He was dribbling on the right wing, facing 2.18-meter-tall Ivica Zubac. Amir Coffey came to double-team Jokic when there were less than eight seconds left. Jokic somehow passed the ball to Aaron Gordon, who was open in the left corner. Gordon made the game-winning 3-pointer for the Nuggets and gave the 10th assist to Jokic.

"I knew the ball was going to come to me because Jok makes the right play, the right pass, even in pressure situations," Gordon said after the game. "He put it on time and on target. All I had to do was catch and shoot."

"It couldn't be more perfect," Zubac said. "I don't think many people in this world can make that pass. That's why he's MVP of this league."

Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said only Jokic and LeBron James could make a pass like that.

Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after making a 3-pointer in the game against the Toronto Raptors at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after making a 3-pointer in the game against the Toronto Raptors at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

Doncic teaches Barnes a lesson

The Dallas Mavericks beat the Toronto Raptors 102-98 at American Airlines Center on Wednesday to secure their fourth straight win.

Luka Doncic had one of the best shooting games this season, going 13-24 in FGs and 4-10 in 3-pointers to score 41 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists for the Mavericks. It's the third time for Doncic to get at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in one game in his career, more than anyone else in franchise history.

It's also the fourth most in NBA history, matching Kevin Durant and following James (six times), Oscar Robertson (seven times) and Rick Barry (11 times).

Luka Doncic (#77) of the Dallas Mavericks shoots in the game against the Toronto Raptors at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

Luka Doncic (#77) of the Dallas Mavericks shoots in the game against the Toronto Raptors at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

The Raptors acted out of their character in Wednesday's game on defense. Instead of stopping at nothing to trap Doncic, coach Nick Nurse decided to trust his guys with containing Doncic one-on-one. Theoretically, the Raptors have enough defensive resources to do it because they have full-size forwards like OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam who could match Doncic in power and have better athleticism. Even at the point guard position, Fred VanVleet is one of the best options for switch defense.

However, it didn't take Doncic long to figure out the biggest weak spot in the Raptors' defense: first-year forward Scottie Barnes. Barnes has much better athleticism than Doncic. His size and wingspan also seem reliable to tussle with the Mavericks' ace. Nonetheless, Doncic destroyed Barnes with his skillful footwork, smart control of pace and rich offensive experience.

Having played only 28 minutes on the floor, Barnes committed five personal fouls and kept watching Doncic go around him patiently to make easy shots. Barnes is a Rookie of the Year award favorite, but on Wednesday night he got a hard peak at what a long way he has to go to become the top player in the NBA.

LeBron James (#6) of the Los Angeles Lakers look on in the game against the Indiana Pacers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

LeBron James (#6) of the Los Angeles Lakers look on in the game against the Indiana Pacers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

Another career milestone for James, another loss for Lakers

The Indiana Pacers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 111-104 at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday after overcoming a double-digit deficit.

Domantas Sabonis recorded a triple-double of 20 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the Pacers. He went 9 of 12 from the field, including shooting 5 of 5 in the second half. Caris LeVert exploded in the last quarter, making nine of his 10 FG attempts to score 22 points in this quarter alone. The Pacers sealed their win on the road with a 35-24 run in Q4 and they couldn't have done it without the excellent performance by LeVert.

"I knew I felt good," LeVert said. "My teammates kept me in it. ... My body felt great, and I felt locked in. The fouls were definitely frustrating. I knew I had to have a big fourth with Malcolm sitting out in the fourth."

Caris LeVert (#22) of the Indiana Pacers drives toward the rim in the game game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

Caris LeVert (#22) of the Indiana Pacers drives toward the rim in the game game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

James had 30 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, reaching another milestone of grabbing 10,000 rebounds in his career. However, his team lost to the third-last franchise in the Eastern Conference at home.

Russell Westbrook had another cold night of shooting after missing 12 of his FG attempts. The irony was that he went 4-6 from downtown, which meant he only made one shot within the 3-point line, including going 1-5 in the paint.

Before any finger is pointed at Westbrook, like what usually happens after the Lakers' losses, one thing must be revealed: he didn't play in the last 3:52 of the game. The purple and gold were trailing by seven (101-94) then and they lost by seven in the end.

Frank Vogel, head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, look on in the game against the Indiana Pacers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

Frank Vogel, head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, look on in the game against the Indiana Pacers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 19, 2022. /CFP

Vogel said he was "playing the guys that he thought were going to win the game" when asked why he benched Westbrook during that period. There was actually another question he should answer: his team lost in both rebounds (48-40) and points in the paint (62-46). Why did he give Dwight Howard only 13 minutes of playing time, during which Howard had five points, seven rebounds and two blocks?

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Lakers won't fire Vogel for the moment. It's interesting that a head coach keeping his job has become breaking news from a top NBA insider these days.

Other games on Wednesday (away teams come first):

Brooklyn Nets 119-118 Washington Wizards

Minnesota Timberwolves 122-134 Atlanta Hawks

Portland Trail Blazers 92-104 Miami Heat

Cleveland Cavaliers 104-117 Chicago Bulls

Memphis Grizzlies 114-126 Milwaukee Bucks

Oklahoma City Thunder 96-118 San Antonio Spurs

Houston Rockets 116-111 Utah Jazz

Detroit Pistons 133-131 Sacramento Kings

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