Curry steadies Golden State as Minnesota turns a 24-point hole into a late test

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry's 44-point night had to hold up against Minnesota's fourth-quarter push, while Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić reached a career milestone in a road win. Houston and Philadelphia also left with victories, but neither needed the same route to get there.

Golden State Warriors @ Minnesota Timberwolves: Curry closes the door

Golden State made 30 of 37 free throws, and that margin mattered once Minnesota found its way back into the game. The Warriors beat the Timberwolves 119-114 after leading by as many as 24, with Curry scoring a season-high 44 points and going 16-for-16 at the line. The official box score records Golden State's 53-42 rebounding edge; Curry added eight rebounds and six assists.

Minnesota made a fourth-quarter run and got within four, but the Warriors still had enough control at the stripe to keep the comeback from becoming a one-possession finish. Curry's 16-for-16 was the cleanest answer to the pressure, and his six made threes gave Golden State a second way to punish the defense. The ESPN recap has the late sequence and confirms the season-high scoring line.

Denver Nuggets @ New Orleans Pelicans: the ball moves, then Jokić makes history

Denver's 30 assists to New Orleans' 20 gave the 104-91 road win its shape. The Nuggets also made 12 of 31 three-pointers against the Pelicans' seven of 30, while Nikola Jokić recorded 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Jamal Murray added 23 points and made five of 11 from three, according to the NBA box score.

The assist gap is the useful detail here. Denver did not need to win every loose-ball measure: New Orleans finished with 14 steals to the Nuggets' 11, and the teams were nearly even on the glass, 41-42. But Denver created more assisted offense and hit five more threes, enough separation to make the final margin feel earned rather than dependent on one late shot.

Jokić's line also placed the result inside a larger career marker. His triple-double was the 200th of his regular-season career, a milestone that arrived in a game Denver controlled through shared offense rather than a high-volume scoring night from one player.

Philadelphia 76ers @ Indiana Pacers: Maxey answers Indiana's surge

Indiana won the rebounding count 47-45, but Philadelphia had the decisive response after the Pacers took control. The 76ers won 114-109 behind 27 points from Tyrese Maxey, who made two three-pointers in the final minute and a half. The official box score shows Philadelphia made 13 of 36 threes to Indiana's nine of 36 and converted 21 of 24 free throws.

The swing was sharp. Philadelphia led 62-52 at halftime; Indiana opened the third quarter with 17 straight points and carried an 88-75 advantage into the fourth. The 76ers answered with 39 points in the final period, and Maxey's late shooting gave the road team the last clean look at the finish. The ESPN game recap details the run and Maxey's closing sequence.

That is a more useful account than calling the result a simple comeback. Philadelphia had to recover its spacing and execution after a third quarter in which Indiana controlled the pace. Maxey's two late threes were the visible ending, but the 76ers needed a full 39-point fourth to turn the game back around.

Houston Rockets @ Milwaukee Bucks: pressure travels

Houston's 12 steals helped turn a 32-point win into more than a shooting story. The Rockets beat Milwaukee 132-100, blocked 10 shots to the Bucks' three, and made 17 of 38 three-pointers. They also finished with 27 assists against Milwaukee's 19, according to the NBA box score.

Fred VanVleet scored 24 points and Amen Thompson added 23, giving Houston two different sources of pace and pressure. The Rockets' 12 steals and 10 blocks forced Milwaukee to work through a crowded floor, while the three-point gap gave Houston a reliable way to extend the margin. A 132-point road total is the headline; the mix of disruption and efficient perimeter shooting explains why the game separated by 32.

A scorer's peak and a career marker

Curry supplied the night's biggest individual scoring performance with 44 points. Jokić's 200th career regular-season triple-double was the more durable league-wide marker, a milestone built from 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists rather than an extraordinary scoring total.

The two performances sat at opposite ends of the same recap. Curry had to protect a large lead against a late push; Jokić helped Denver turn a collective passing edge into a steady road result. The box scores give both stories a clear signature, and Philadelphia's fourth-quarter answer showed how quickly a game can change when the team behind finally gets its offense back.