BRANDIN Podziemski made 12 of his 18 points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets, 128-117, on Sunday night (Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, PH time), the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Podziemski shot 7-for-16 from the field and added 15 rebounds and nine assists.
Al Horford knocked down six three-pointers and finished with 22 points and seven assists as the Warriors snapped a two-game losing streak despite missing Stephen Curry (knee), Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Jimmy Butler (torn right ACL). Draymond Green (back) was also a late scratch.
Moses Moody contributed 23 points and seven rebounds, while De’Anthony Melton chipped in 20 points for Golden State.
Nikola Jokic paced Denver with 25 points, 20 rebounds, and 12 assists. It marked his fifth triple-double in seven games, 19th of the season and the 183rd of his career.
Jamal Murray scored 21 points for the Nuggets, who had won three of their previous five games. Christian Braun added 18 points and Bruce Brown finished with 12.
Coming off a 54-point victory over Portland on Friday, Denver never led in the first half. The Nuggets rallied after the break, but the Warriors closed the game on a decisive 19-8 run.
Podziemski sparked the surge with two three-pointers and a put-back basket, while Horford’s sixth three-pointer energized the Chase Center crowd.
Horford set the tone early, scoring 11 points, including two three-pointers, in the opening quarter.
Golden State stretched its lead to 76-67 late in the second quarter, even as Jokic entered halftime just one assist shy of a triple-double.
Magic 111, Clippers 109
The Orlando Magic edged the Los Angeles Clippers, 111-109. Desmond Bane scored 36 points and Paolo Banchero added 16 points and eight assists as Orlando improved to 5-2 since Feb. 5, according to AP.
Wendell Carter Jr. posted 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Tristan da Silva added 13 for the Magic. Kawhi Leonard, playing through an ankle injury, scored 37 points for the Clippers, while Bennedict Mathurin had 21 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Mathurin missed a potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.
Mavericks 134, Pacers 130
In Dallas, the Mavericks snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 134-130 win over the Indiana Pacers. Khris Middleton scored 25 points and P.J. Washington added 23 to lead six Dallas players in double figures.
Middleton also had seven rebounds and seven assists, while Marvin Bagley III recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds. The victory was Dallas’ first since Jan. 22 against Golden State.
Pascal Siakam returned from a three-game absence to lead Indiana with 30 points and eight rebounds. Andrew Nembhard had 22 points and 11 assists, and Jarace Walker contributed 18 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Kobe Brown scored a career-high 15 as the Pacers dropped to 0-3 since the All-Star break.
Elsewhere, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-113, Toronto routed Milwaukee 122-94, Atlanta Hawks beat Brooklyn Nets 115-104, Charlotte topped Washington 129-112, Boston downed the Los Angeles Lakers 111-89, Philadelphia won 135-108 at Minnesota, Portland prevailed 92-77 at Phoenix, and New York defeated Chicago 105-99. / LBG