Man, if you went to bed early last night, you missed some of the weirdest stat lines and most lopsided "revenge" games we’ve seen in a minute. Whether you’re looking for the NBA box scores or just checking to see if your college team survived the Thursday night gauntlet, the landscape of basketball took a few sharp turns.
Honestly, the biggest story wasn't even the winners. It was the way people won. Who won the game last night in basketball? In the NBA, the big victors were the Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Over in the college ranks, it was a huge night for Gonzaga and Appalachian State.
The Hornets Sting the Lakers in Hollywood
Let’s talk about the Lakers. Or better yet, let’s talk about how they basically let LaMelo Ball treat Crypto.com Arena like his personal backyard. The Hornets won 135-117.
Usually, when Luka Doncic drops 39 points—yeah, he’s in purple and gold now, which still feels a bit like a fever dream—you expect a "W." But the Lakers' defense was sort of nonexistent in the second half. LaMelo was just unconscious. He finished with 30 points, and get this: 27 of those came in the second half. He tied a career-high with nine 3-pointers. Every time he hit one, you could feel the air leave the building.
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The Lakers have now lost four of their last five. LeBron James had 29 points and nine boards, but the bench was a disaster. They shot 4-for-19. You aren't winning many games when your second unit can't buy a bucket.
Klay Thompson and the Mavericks' Offensive Explosion
The Dallas Mavericks absolutely demolished the Utah Jazz. 144-122. That’s a lot of points.
The coolest part of the night was Klay Thompson. He looked like the vintage 2016 version of himself, splashing six triples and moving into fourth place on the all-time career 3-pointers list. He ended up with 26 points. What makes this impressive is that the Mavs were playing without Cooper Flagg, who has been their engine this season.
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Utah’s defense was, to put it bluntly, atrocious.
They are clearly in the "Capture the Flagg" race for the future, even if Flagg is already in the league.
Basically, they couldn't stop anything in transition.
Other NBA Results from Thursday Night
- Golden State Warriors 126, New York Knicks 113: The Warriors are finding their rhythm. They handled the Knicks at the Chase Center without much drama.
- San Antonio Spurs 119, Milwaukee Bucks 101: Victor Wembanyama is doing Victor Wembanyama things. The Spurs' young core looked incredibly cohesive here.
- Oklahoma City Thunder 111, Houston Rockets 91: OKC is just a machine at this point. They stifled Houston’s offense from the jump.
- Portland Trail Blazers 117, Atlanta Hawks 101: A solid win for Portland at the Moda Center.
The College Hoops Rundown
If you follow the NCAA, the highlight of the night was Gonzaga beating Washington State 86-65. It wasn't even as close as the score looks. Beasley Coliseum is usually a tough place to play, but the Zags just have too much size this year.
In the Sun Belt, Appalachian State took down James Madison 80-65. That’s a big win for conference seeding. We also saw some overtime thrillers in the smaller conferences. Bryant outlasted UMBC 79-74 in OT, and IU Indianapolis beat Robert Morris 96-93 in a game that felt like it would never end.
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Why These Scores Actually Matter
When you look at who won the game last night in basketball, you have to look at the season-long implications. For the Lakers, this loss is a massive red flag. They are spiraling, and the trade deadline is looming.
For the Hornets, they’ve now beaten OKC and the Lakers on the road in the span of ten days. They aren't a "gimme" win anymore. Brandon Miller is turning into a legitimate superstar right before our eyes, and his 26 points last night were a testament to his growth.
Next steps for these teams:
The Hornets head to San Francisco to face the Warriors on Saturday. That’s going to be a shootout.
The Lakers are going to Portland. If they lose that one, expect the "Trade Everyone" rumors to reach a deafening roar on social media.
Keep an eye on the injury report for Cooper Flagg in Dallas; the Mavs proved they can score without him, but they need his rim protection long-term.