The NFL playoffs are in full swing, but that doesn't mean that basketball has to take a backseat. There were seven games on this busy Sunday in the NBA. 

To start the day, the Timberwolves jumped out to a huge lead early on the Lakers, and never let up, cruising to an easy win. Then, they fired Tom Thibodeau. Meanwhile, the Nets kept up their strong play, winning their third game in a row by crushing the Bulls. Out West, the Clippers came back from a 15-point deficit to beat the Magic. 

Later on, the Hawks earned an easy win over the poor-shooting Heat, and the Wizards took down the Thunder for their first win ever in OKC. Also, the Raptors picked up another nice win, beating the red-hot Pacers. To close out the night, the Hornets held off the Suns.

NBA schedule for Sunday, Jan. 6

  • Brooklyn Nets 117, Chicago Bulls 100 (Box Score)  
  • Los Angeles Clippers 106, Orlando Magic 96 (Box Score)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves 108, Los Angeles Lakers 86 (Box Score) 
  • Atlanta Hawks 106, Miami Heat 82 (Box Score)
  • Washington Wizards 116, Oklahoma City Thunder 98 (Box Score) 
  • Toronto Raptors 121, Indiana Pacers 105 (Box Score) 
  • Charlotte Hornets 116, Phoenix Suns 113 (Box Score)

NBA schedule for Monday, Jan. 7

*All times Eastern

Towns goes off again as Wolves crush Lakers

The Lakers never had a chance against the Timberwolves on Sunday, and a large part of that was due to the play of Karl-Anthony Towns. The big man has been playing some excellent basketball lately, and he kept it up with a 28-point, 18-rebound outing in this win. Towns has now had at least 28 points and 12 rebounds in six straight games. 

Wade and Jones Jr. connect on incredible alley-oop

The day of dunks continued in Atlanta on Sunday, when Dwyane Wade and Derrick Jones Jr. connected on an incredible alley-oop on the fastbreak. 

Walker comes up clutch for the Hornets

The Hornets had to work a bit harder than they may have expected against the lowly Suns, but they still escaped with the victory. Kemba Walker made the difference, finishing with 29 points and seven rebounds. He scored 18 of those points in the fourth quarter, including a couple of late jumpers to seal it. He also hit a deep 3 from beyond halfcourt at the buzzer, even though he wasn't really trying to make it.  

Russell's strong night leads Nets to another win

Don't look now, but the Nets are one of the hottest teams in the league. They've won three in a row, and 12 of their last 15 games after dispatching the Bulls on Sunday, and are now up to seventh place in the East. D'Angelo Russell led them to victory in this one, going for 28 points, four rebounds and five assists. 

Crawford shows off his dribbling skills

Jamal Crawford still has some of the best handles in the entire league, and he put them on display against the Hornets. Check out this fancy move. 

Towns puts McGee on a poster

The trend of big dunks on Sunday continued in the second half of Timberwolves vs. Lakers when Karl-Anthony Towns powered right through JaVale McGee for a nasty poster. 

Lowry returns, Raptors use team effort to beat Pacers

Kawhi Leonard was out, but Kyle Lowry returned to action for the Raptors after missing 10 of the last 11 games, and he helped them pick up another big win. A night after taking down the Bucks on the road, the Raptors beat another of the East's top teams, the Pacers. It was a true team effort, with eight different Raptors scoring in double figures in the win. With the victory, the Raptors now have a one-game lead atop the East.

Westbrook gets triple-double, but Wizards win first game ever in OKC

The Wizards only head to Oklahoma City once a season, but it's still a bit surprising that this is the first time they've ever won there. It snaps a 10-game losing streak in the city. Bradley Beal led the way, finishing with 25 points, five rebounds and six assists. In the loss, Russell Westbrook recorded his 12th triple-double of the season. 

Young connects from way downtown, trades jerseys with history-making Wade

The matchup between the Hawks and the Heat did not produce much offense but Trae Young did his best to change that. Then, after the win he got to trade jerseys with Dwyane Wade. The soon-retiring Wade may have lost the game, but he did make history. He became the third player ever with 20,000 points, 5,000 assists, 4,000 rebounds, 1,500 steals, 800 blocks and 500 3-pointers.


Wiggins climbs the ladder for the oop

Few players can get up like Andrew Wiggins, and he proved that once again against the Lakers. Using a nice back-door cut, he shook the defense and climbed the ladder for an awesome alley-oop.

Gordon soars for the alley-oop

Aaron Gordon throws down a highlight reel dunk seemingly every game, and he's already got one against the Clippers. Out on the fastbreak, he soared for a nice alley-oop. 

Allen rocks the rim, then rises for the rejection

Jarrett Allen has been making waves with his rim protection this season, but he can rock the rim as well. He proved that early against the Bulls with a big slam. Later on though, he reminded everyone why he's such a strong rim protector.