Eastern Conference Recaps, Jan. 15: Nikola Vucevic's Big Night Leads Chicago Bulls Past Golden State Warriors

-Nikola Vucevic tied his career-high with 43 points to help the Chicago Bulls beat the Golden State Warriors 132-118. It was his first 40-point game since Feb. 5, 2021 when he hit his career-high.

“I know I'm capable of it,” Vucevic said. “I know how good I am, especially at the offensive end. It's just me finding my spots and playing that way.”

Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 26 points while Stephen Curry had 20 points and 10 rebounds.

NEXT BULLS GAME AGAINST THE HEAT: Mar. 18 in Chicago

OTHER NOTES:

-Julius Randle scored a season-high 42 points to lead the New York Knicks to a 117-104 victory against the Detroit Pistons. He also had 15 rebounds while Jalen Brunson had 27 points. Both Saddiq Bey and rookie Jaden Ivey scored 21 points for the Pistons while Kevin Knox had 16 off the bench.

NEXT KNICKS GAME AGAINST THE HEAT: Feb. 2 in New York

NEXT PISTONS GAME AGAINST THE HEAT: Mar. 19 in Detroit

-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points to give the Oklahoma City Thunder a 112-102 win against the Brooklyn Nets. Josh Giddey also had 28 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Seth Curry led the Nets with 23 points off the bench while Nic Claxton had 17.

NEXT NETS GAME AGAINST THE HEAT: Feb. 15 in Brooklyn

-Aaron Gordon led the way with 25 points but it was Nikola Jokic who hit a step-back 3-pointer to give the Denver Nuggets a 119-116 win against the Orlando Magic.

“He stepped back, got the space and just shot over the top,” Gordon said. “It was a beautiful shot.”

Jokic also had 10 rebounds and 14 assists, giving him his 12th triple-double of the season. Markelle Fultz scored 20 points for the Magic while Franz Wagner had 19.

NEXT NUGGETS GAME AGAINST THE HEAT: Feb. 13 at Miami

NEXT MAGIC GAME AGAINST THE HEAT: Jan. 27 at Miami

-Joel Embiid recorded 35 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 113-112 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. James Harden had 24 points and 13 assists while Tyrese Maxey had 16 points off the bench. LeBron James led the Lakers with 35 points and 10 assists while Russell Westbrook had 20 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists off the bench.

NEXT 76ERS GAME AGAINST THE HEAT: Feb. 27 in Philadelphia

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Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog https://allball30.wordpress.com