Poole shines before getting ejected to lead Curry-less Warriors past Grizzlies

Jordan Poole is far from a finished product, and the fourth-year guard showed both signs of brilliance and struggles controlling his emotions on the big Christmas Day basketball stage.

Poole scored 32 points — highlighted by emphatic one-handed slam off a pass from Draymond Green in the third — to outduel Ja Morant before being ejected early in the fourth, and the Warriors beat the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 123-109 on Sunday night in a rematch of the Western Conference Finals won in five games by Golden State.

"When we're locked in and we're playing for each other we're a damn good team," guard Donte DiVincenzo said. "The big thing for us is when we're tested with adversity."

Morant scored 36 points while debuting his first Nike signature "Ja 1" shoe for the Grizzlies' first Christmas Day game.

Klay Thompson added 24 points and nine rebounds, DiVincenzo had 19 points and Ty Jerome came up big off the bench in the third for 14 points as the Warriors played their 10th straight Christmas game.

Kerr credits Jerome for settling the team down when he's on the floor, especially important after a tough 1-5 trip with the team trying to build something during an eight-game stay at Chase Center.

"We need wins, on the road, at home," Jerome said. "Every game is huge for us right now."

Facing a Grizzlies team that is healthy at last and using its regular lineup, tensions were high just like that playoff round seven months ago. Poole was tossed for the first time in his career with 9:20 left and Golden State had six technicals.

Poole hit back-to-back 3-pointers 22 seconds apart in the first as the Warriors played without injured reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry for a fifth straight game because of a shoulder injury. Poole had 17 points in the opening quarter on 5-of-9 shooting with three 3s.

The Warriors used a 19-8 burst to begin the second quarter to lead 52-37. But Memphis roared back, getting to 59-54 on three free throws by Tyus Jones just before halftime following a technical on Poole.

Steven Adams grabbed 14 rebounds for Memphis, coming off a 125-100 victory at Phoenix on Friday night in its seventh wire-to-wire win this season. Desmond Bane played his second game back from a 17-game absence with a sprained right big toe.

Green had been questionable with right foot soreness but tested it during a walk-through and was fine to go, contributing 13 rebounds and 13 assists.

Jokic leads Nuggets over Suns

Nikola Jokic had another monster triple-double, Aaron Gordon threw down a pivotal dunk that stood up after a review in overtime and the Denver Nuggets rallied for a 128-125 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night in Denver.

Phoenix star Devin Booker lasted only 4:20 in his return from a groin injury, scoring two points after getting 58 against New Orleans in his previous start.

Jamal Murray tied it in regulation for Denver on a dunk with 10.7 seconds left. But it was Gordon's OT dunk that propelled the Nuggets to the victory.

At first, he was called for an offensive foul, but a review determined that Landry Shamet — who matched his career high with 31 points for Phoenix — was moving, awarding Gordon the basket and a free throw.

Gordon finished with 28 points and Murray 26.

Phoenix had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds, only to throw away a pass.

Deandre Ayton added 22 points and 16 rebounds for Phoenix on a night the Suns lost Booker again to the groin injury that sidelined him the previous two games. Chris Paul had 17 points and 16 assists, but missed five free throws.

Celtics push back on Bucks

Jaylen Brown knocked down his shots in the fourth quarter. And then he knocked down Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Tatum scored 20 in the third quarter, when the Celtics turned a one-point lead into a 100-86 edge. Brown took over in the fourth, contributing on defence with a pick that sent Antetokounmpo to the floor before he bounced back up and shoved Brown in the back.

"I thought I was playing pretty physical defence, nothing dirty. It seemed like it was a clean play," Brown said. "Maybe he was a little bit frustrated. He got up and threw an elbow at me, for whatever reason."

After some jawing back and forth, Antetokounmpo was given a technical foul and went to the bench. The teams played the final 3:41 without further incident.

"There's a difference between trying to be a tough guy and letting your opponent know that I'm not backing down, I'm not afraid of any challenge or any matchup whatsoever," Brown said. "In that moment I was just letting him know that."

Antetokounmpo, who fell hard on his hand on Friday night but was cleared to start, scored 27 points with nine rebounds. Asked about his team's ability to limit the damage done by Antetokounmpo, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said, "Limiting's crazy. He had 27."

"He's a great player," he said, "and you've got to be disciplined against him."

Jrue Holiday scored 23 for Milwaukee, which lost a third straight game for the first time this season. The Celtics have also struggled lately, losing five of six before winning back-to-back games.

Still, Boston (24-10) has the best record in the league, followed by Milwaukee (22-11).

"Obviously, we lost to them last year in the playoffs and we've had battles with them since I've gotten to Milwaukee," said Bucks forward Pat Connaughton. "So they're two teams that are very familiar with each other."

The Celtics led by 10 in the first quarter and 11 in the second, when Antetokounmpo fired back-to-back bricks from three-point range and in the middle got dunked on by Jayson Tatum.

Their lead was down to one point, 62-61, before Bobby Portis fouled Brown on a desperation three-pointer at the halftime buzzer. Brown missed all three free throws; he missed another in the third quarter before hitting the second and finished 2-for-6 from the line.

Boston pulled away in the third, opening up a double-digit lead that Milwaukee only briefly chipped into.

The teams met in the second round of last year's Eastern Conference playoffs, and the Celtics won in seven games en route to the NBA Finals. It's their first meeting since then. Last Christmas in Milwaukee, the Bucks beat Boston 117-113.

Mavericks wrap up Lakers

Luka Doncic scored 32 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. had 16 of his 26 points in a huge third quarter for Dallas and the Mavericks beat the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 124-115 on Sunday.

Dallas took its first lead during a 51-point third quarter, the highest-scoring quarter on Christmas in NBA history and a league-best this season. Golden State and Orlando have each had a 50-point quarter.

"I think we had to get the jitters out a little bit, some guys' first time playing on Christmas," Hardaway said. "Just being able to appreciate the opportunity."

LeBron James scored 38 points, one shy of his season high, and the Lakers led by 12 early in the third before the Mavericks took over.

Wood started the surge with a 3-pointer, and Dallas was within one when Doncic had a chance to challenge James at the rim but passed to Hardaway for a corner 3 and the first Dallas lead at 65-63.

The Mavericks, who scored just 43 points in the first half and trailed by 11 at the break, didn't slow down from there.

Doncic, who had six of his nine assists in the quarter, hit three free throws after a foul and a technical against Russell Westbrook, Hardaway scored inside and out and Wood converted a three-point play to break the 50-point mark.

"We talked about before the game just being ready to initiate, sustain and finish with energy, effort and competitiveness," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. "We left it in the locker room at halftime."

The Lakers scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to trim a 19-point deficit to 10, but LA couldn't get the deficit back under 10 until the final minute.

Doncic was called for his sixth foul on a charge against Austin Reaves with 3:50 left, but the call was reversed on replay. Reaves was assessed a blocking foul, and Doncic made both free throws. Doncic had nine rebounds.

76ers come back to beat Knicks

The Philadelphia 76ers weren't playing well, and worse than that, Joel Embiid thought he was playing soft.

He and James Harden have the Sixers on too good a roll to stay down too long.

"We just know how to play. We just know what to do," Embiid said.

Georges Niang hit four 3-pointers in Philadelphia's fourth-quarter surge and finished with 16 points, while De'Anthony Melton added 15 as the 76ers got off to a good start on a four-game road trip after sweeping a seven-game homestand.

"It was one of those games where you've just got to stick around," Harden said. "Like, stick around, stick around and then fourth quarter you give yourself a chance."

And the 76ers seized it.

After never leading through three, they outscored the Knicks 24-9 to open the fourth, turning a one-point deficit into a 116-102 lead.

Julius Randle scored 35 points and Jalen Brunson had 23 points and 11 assists for the Knicks, who have lost three straight following an eight-game winning streak.

Coming off a career-best, 21-assist outing on Friday, Harden played the entire second half, helped by the 76ers turning to a zone defence, and scored 18 points.

Embiid scored 15 in the third quarter and Harden took over the game when Embiid went to the bench, with a four-point play and another 3-pointer that trimmed it to 96-95. He made another 3 in the opening minute of the fourth to tie it at 98, then found Niang for a 3 that gave the 76ers their first lead with 10:37 to play.

Niang hit consecutive 3s midway through the period before Embiid had two baskets and Harden made one and set up the other in an 8-0 flurry that put it away at 116-102.