Zion Williamson enjoyed an NBA debut to remember even if the 19-year-old could not inspire the New Orleans Pelicans to victory.
Williamson finished with 22 points and shot 8-11 in 18 minutes as the Pelicans went down 121-117 to the San Antonio Spurs.
After missing the first half of his rookie season with a knee injury, the number one draft pick exploded for four-straight threes to bring the Pelicans back to within four in what was a memorable fourth-quarter performance.
.@Zionwilliamson didn't miss from distance, going 4-for-4 in the fourth quarter during his 17-point scoring stretch! pic.twitter.com/vylmrTvSLD — New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 23, 2020
Lamarcus Aldridge led the way for the Spurs, scoring a game-high 35 to help San Antonio clinch a third straight victory.
The Atlanta Hawks staged an incredible comeback to record a shock 102-95 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
After finishing the first-quarter down 16, John Collins inspired Atlanta's fightback with 33 points and a lock-down defensive effort in the second half.
The upset win was just Atlanta's sixth home victory of the season.
FVV – 22 Pts / 8 Ast / 6 3pm / 5 RebPSkills – 18 Pts / 15 RebNorm – 18 Pts / 8 RebMarc – 17 Pts / 5 RebBaka – 16 Pts / 7 RebKLow – 16 Pts / 4 Ast #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/xCeBnY33dE — Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 23, 2020
Toronto took a 2-1 lead in their season series against the Philadelphia 76ers, with Fred VanVleet leading the Raptors to a 107-95 win.
The shooting guard went 6-7 from three to help keep the Raptors in the top three of the Eastern Conference.
However, they still have some work to do to keep up with the Miami Heat, who cemented their second-placed spot with a 134-129 victory against the Washington Wizards.
Tyler Herro led the way for Miami in the high-scoring affair, finishing with 25 points off the bench.
Rockets WIN! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/dRtqkfUdK6 — Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) January 23, 2020
After losing each of their last four games, Houston overcame the Denver Nuggets by 16 points to earn the Rockets a much-needed win.
Russell Westbrook paved the way for Houston with 28 points and 16 rebounds.
The Lakers' all-star duo were on full display in Los Angeles' 100-92 victory over the New York Knicks.
Anthony Davis posted 28 points while Lebron James added 21 in the eight-point win.
Elsewhere, the Detroit Pistons demolished the Sacramento Kings 127-106 and Oklahoma City Thunder overcame the Orlando Magic 120-114.
Jayson Tatum guided the Boston Celtics to a 24 point victory against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Chicago Bulls did enough to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-110, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Phoenix Suns 112-87 and the Utah Jazz were dominant in a blowout 129-96 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
