Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded a triple-double of 35 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists as the host Milwaukee Bucks recorded their first win in three tries against the Miami Heat this season with a 123-115 decision on Saturday.
Khris Middleton scored 24 points off the bench for the Bucks, who won their seventh straight game. Milwaukee led almost the entire way but never by more than 12 points and with eight ties — including 92-92 late in the third quarter. The Bucks went on a 10-0 run from that point to take a lead they never relinquished.
Jimmy Butler helped keep Miami within striking distance throughout the night, logging a team-high 32 points in his most prolific scoring performance since Jan. 16. Tyler Herro added 24 points despite shooting just 2 of 8 from 3-point range, and Bam Adebayo recorded a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds.
With the win, Milwaukee has won nine of its last 10 for its best stretch since opening the season 9-0. Grayson Allen shot 4 of 7 from deep en route to 19 points, Pat Connaughton converted 4 of 9 treys for 14 points and Jrue Holiday made 3 of 5 beyond the arc in a 15-point performance.
Clippers 134, Knicks 128 (OT)
Los Angeles squandered a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter, but Nicolas Batum hit a late 3-pointer to force overtime before his team pulled away at the free-throw line to earn a win over host New York.
Kawhi Leonard scored 35 points to lead six players in double figures for the Clippers, who have won seven of their last nine games. Paul George had 30 points while Norman Powell finished with 24 points off the bench. Jalen Brunson scored 41 points, three shy of his career high, while Julius Randle posted 28 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks.
Following a timeout late in the fourth, Leonard missed a pullup jumper, and Brunson then drove the length of the court and hit a floater to extend the lead to 115-112. George missed a long 3-pointer, but Ivica Zubac was able to tap the ball back to George, who passed to Batum. His 3-pointer from the right corner just beat the buzzer. The Clippers then went 15-for-18 from the charity stripe in overtime.
Warriors 119, Mavericks 113
Golden State snapped a two-game losing streak but lost All-Star Stephen Curry to a knee injury in the third quarter of a victory over Luka Doncic-less Dallas in San Francisco.
Curry had a team-high 21 points in 26 minutes and Draymond Green chipped in with 17 points, a game-high nine assists and a game-high-tying nine rebounds for the Warriors, who were leading 98-78 with 2:01 remaining in the third period at the time of Curry’s injury. The Mavericks rallied against the Curry-less Warriors to within 102-86 by third quarter’s end, then as close as 116-108 with still 2:46 remaining in the game after two free throws by Spencer Dinwiddie.
Dallas had two chances to get closer, but Dinwiddie misfired on a 3-pointer and Green blocked a Dorian Finney-Smith long-distance attempt, and by the time Tim Hardaway Jr. connected from 3-point range to make it 116-111, only 1:28 remained. Dinwiddie had a game-high 25 points and Hardaway 22 to pace Dallas, which was playing its first game in San Francisco since getting eliminated from the Western Conference finals in Game 5 last May.
Nuggets 128, Hawks 108
Nikola Jokic recorded his 18th triple-double of the season and Jamal Murray scored a season-high 41 points to give Denver a win over visiting Atlanta and extend its winning streak to three games.
Jokic had 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting with 18 rebounds and 10 assists. He has put up triple-doubles in nine of his last 11 games, and the Nuggets have won all 18 this season when he achieves the feat. Murray topped 30 points for the third straight game, hitting 15 of 24 from the floor, including seven 3-pointers, with five rebounds and seven assists. The Nuggets improved to 13-1 when Murray scores 25-plus points.
Atlanta’s Trae Young, who averages 27 points and 9.9 assists, missed the game with a non-COVID illness and watched the game from the bench. Dejounte Murray had 28 points, with 10 assists for his seventh double-double. De’Andre Hunter scored 20 points and Clint Capela had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Pelicans 131, Lakers 126
Brandon Ingram scored 35 points and led a fourth-quarter surge as host New Orleans ended a 10-game losing streak by defeating Los Angeles.
CJ McCollum added 23 points, Trey Murphy III scored 21 and Jonas Valanciunas had 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Pelicans. LeBron James finished with 27 points to pull within 35 points of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career scoring record, and Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 34 points and 14 rebounds.
Trey Murphy III made back-to-back 3-pointers as the Pelicans took a 114-108 lead early in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles tied the score three times before Ingram scored on a drive to give New Orleans the lead for good. He added two free throws and another jumper for a 129-123 lead with 1:02 left.
Nets 125, Wizards 123
Cam Thomas scored 19 of his career-high 44 points in the fourth quarter and converted the go-ahead three-point play with 12.2 seconds remaining as Brooklyn rallied from a 23-point deficit to beat Washington in New York.
Thomas joined Stephon Marbury as the only player in franchise history to score 40-plus points in under 30. Kyrie Irving did not play after telling the Nets he wants to be traded before Thursday’s deadline. The Nets said Irving was out with a sore right calf after adding him to their injury report Saturday afternoon.
The Nets’ Edmond Sumner added a career-high 29 points and also drew the sixth foul on Kristaps Porzingis with 2:51 remaining. Nic Claxton collected 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Patty Mills contributed 13 points. Porzingis scored 38 points as the Wizards blew another big lead. Deni Avdija added 23 points and Monte Morris contributed 18.
Suns 116, Pistons 100
Deandre Ayton powered his way to 31 points and 16 rebounds and visiting Phoenix never trailed while defeating Detroit.
Ayton made 13 of 15 field goal attempts. Mikal Bridges supplied 24 points for Phoenix, which defeated Eastern Conference leader Boston on Friday. Cameron Johnson, who sat Friday due to right knee injury management, had 20 points. Torrey Craig contributed 14 points and Chris Paul had 14 assists as Phoenix shot 56 percent from the field. Star guard Devin Booker missed his 21st consecutive game due to a left groin strain.
The Pistons, who defeated Charlotte on Friday, failed to win back-to-back games once again. They haven’t posted two straight wins since November. Saddiq Bey led Detroit with 25 points off the bench. Bojan Bogdanovic had 23 points, Isaiah Stewart added 17 and grabbed nine rebounds, and Jaden Ivey chipped in 13 points and six assists.
Bulls 129, Trail Blazers 121
Zach LaVine scored 36 points to help host Chicago overcome a 17-point deficit in the third quarter and post a victory over Portland.
LaVine made 11 of 18 shots from the floor — including 5 of 10 from 3-point range. He also made all nine of his free-throw attempts. DeMar DeRozan collected 27 points, seven assists and seven rebounds, and Nikola Vucevic had 23 points and 11 rebounds. Portland’s Damian Lillard scored 28 of his 40 points in the first half. He drained five 3-pointers and made all 11 of his foul shots to reach the 30-point plateau for the sixth time in seven games.
Drew Eubanks’ dunk trimmed Chicago’s lead to 105-104 before the Bulls went on a 12-0 run, with Vucevic scoring seven points in that sequence. Anfernee Simons sank three 3-pointers and Trendon Watford added one of his own to cut Chicago’s advantage to 123-119. Portland, however, was unable to draw any closer.
Thunder 153, Rockets 121
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 42 points to help lift host Oklahoma City to a blowout victory over Houston.
The Thunder’s 153 points marks a franchise record (not including time as SuperSonics), topping the 150 points they scored in a win over the Boston Celtics earlier this season.
Gilgeous-Alexander hit his first six shots of the game, and by the time the first quarter was over, he was 7 of 10 from the field with 20 points and three steals. It was Gilgeous-Alexander’s fifth career 20-point quarter.
-Field Level Media
