NBA: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets edge Pelicans in final seconds

N EW ORLEANS, JAN 25 (AGENCIES): Nikola Jokic had a triple-double and scored the winning basket with 16 seconds left as the visiting Denver Nuggets defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 99-98 on Tuesday night.

Jokic, returning from a two-game absence due to hamstring tightness, finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Jamal Murray also scored 25 points and Bruce Brown and Aaron Gordon scored 11 apiece for the Nuggets, who won for the 10th time in 11 games.

Wizards127,Mavericks126

Kyle Kuzma made one of two free throws with five seconds left and finished with 30 points as visiting Washington edged Dallas.

Bradley Beal scored 22 points, Deni Avdija added 15 points and 10 rebounds and Corey Kispert had 14 points for Washington, which sealed the victory on a Delon Wright steal of Luka Doncic’s pass with 1.2 seconds left. Doncic led the Mavericks with 41 points and 15 rebounds, while Dwight Powell scored a season-high 22 points. Spencer Dinwiddie contributed 20 points, Josh Green scored 16 and Dorian Finney-Smith added 12.

Berlin

(GERMANY), JAN 25 (IANS): Joshua Kimmich’s late hammer secured Bayern Munich a 1-1 draw with courageous Cologne while ruthless Leipzig crushed last-placed Schalke 6-1 in the curtain raiser of the 17th round.

Cologne caught a fairytale start on the road and stunned Bayern with the early opener in the fourth minute when Julian Chabot flicked on Florian Kainz’s corner to the back post where Ellyes Skhiri finished the job from very close range.

Bayern remained unimpressed and controlled possession but still Cologne posed more threats in front of the target as goalie Yann Sommer had to defuse a low cross to deny Skhiri a second goal at the half-hour mark, reports Xinhua.

The hosts eventually created their first opportunity in the 44th minute when Benjamin Pavard forced Cologne goalkeeper Marvin Schwabe into action for the first time.

Julian Nagelsmann’s side started an onslaught on Cologne’s goal after the restart but neither Matthijs de Ligt nor Kingsley Coman was able to beat Schwabe despite promising chances.

Schwabe remained in the thick of things and denied Bayern another golden chance after defusing a close-range header from Thomas Muller in the 79th minute. Cologne’s custodian was hapless moments later as Kimmich unleashed a hammer from 30 meters into the roof of the net to secure a share of the spoils in the 90th minute.

Elsewhere, Leipzig moves on second for now after trashing Schalke 6-1 courtesy of Andre Silva’s first-half brace, four points behind leaders Bayern.

Wolfsburg snatched another high victory and extended their winning streak to six games after easing 5-0 past hapless Hertha Berlin, while Hoffenheim played out a 2-2 draw with Stuttgart.

CJ McCollum scored 20 points, Jose Alvarado had 17, Jonas Valanciunas had 14, Willy Hernangomez added 12 and Trey Murphy III and Larry Nance Jr. each had 10 for the Pelicans, who lost their season-worst fifth straight game.

Hernangomez made two free throws with 36 seconds left to give the Pelicans a 98-97 lead, but Jokic answered with a jump hook from the lane. The Pelicans missed three shots in the final six seconds.

Heat98,Celtics95

Bam Adebayo had 30 points -- including the goahead jumper in the lane with 20.4 seconds left -- to lead host Miami over Boston.

Adebayo also grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds as Miami won without its leading scorer, Jimmy But-