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Tag: NBA Playoffs

  • LeBron not trading trash talk with Brooks before Game 3

    LeBron not trading trash talk with Brooks before Game 3

    EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — LeBron James has seemed wise beyond his years since the start of his basketball journey, and he wasn’t about to drop down to Dillon Brooks’ level of discourse heading into a pivotal game for the Los Angeles Lakers.

    James declined to respond to the Memphis Grizzlies’ top agitator Friday after Brooks said the top scorer in NBA history was “old” following Game 2 of the teams’ first-round playoff series, which resumes Saturday night in Los Angeles.

    The 38-year-old James patiently parried several questions about Brooks’ comments and about the importance of trash talk in general before abruptly cutting short his media session at the Lakers’ training complex. James never said Brooks’ name, but he clearly knew who’s behind the narrative trying to push its way into a competitive series after two eventful games in Memphis.

    “I’m ready to play,” James said. “That’s it.”

    The seventh-seeded Lakers’ visit from the Grizzlies is the second game of a Saturday doubleheader at the downtown Los Angeles arena long known as Staples Center. The short-handed Clippers tip off against the Suns in Game 4 about 6 1/2 hours earlier, with Phoenix looking to claim a daunting 3-1 series lead with a second straight road win.

    Also Saturday in Eastern Conference play, the Philadelphia 76ers will look to sweep the Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 before the Heat host the top-seeded Bucks in Game 3 with their series even at 1-1 after Miami swiped the opener in Milwaukee.

    James has won four NBA titles and four league MVP awards on top of practically every other achievement possible in the modern game during his 20 seasons. The 27-year-old Brooks, who is older than the median and average ages of current NBA players, has won one playoff series in his six-year career.

    So a resume competition would be a blowout victory for James, but he wasn’t about to play any such games with Brooks, who described his overall philosophy after Game 2 as: “I poke bears.”

    “At the end of the day, there’s 10 guys on the floor,” James said. “They’re one of the best defensive teams in the league, and we have to respect that. No matter who is out in a Grizzlies uniform during that particular time, during that quarter, during that minute, we’ve got to respect everybody and we’ve got to execute offensively.”

    James will go back to work against Brooks and the Grizzlies on a landmark night in Lakers history: For the first time in 10 years, and for the first time with James and Anthony Davis on the roster, this 17-time NBA champion franchise will hold a playoff game in front of a capacity home crowd.

    The Lakers missed the playoffs in six consecutive seasons after losing in the first round to San Antonio in 2013, and their 2020 championship run occurred in the Florida bubble. They hosted three playoff games in a first-round loss to the Phoenix Suns in 2021, but attendance was capped at less than half-capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions.

    “I’m looking forward to it,” James said.

    Ja Morant’s availability for Game 3 is still unclear after he missed Game 2 with a sore right hand, but the Grizzlies star appears to be improving quickly. He went through a noncontact practice and individual drills Friday in Los Angeles, but coach Taylor Jenkins said they’ll wait until game time to decide whether he’ll play.

    76ERS AT NETS

    76ers lead 3-0. Game 4, 1 p.m. EDT, TNT

    — NEED TO KNOW: After overcoming James Harden’s curious ejection for an impressive victory in Game 3, Philadelphia can earn some valuable rest before the second round by finishing off the Nets, who also got swept in the first round in 2020 and 2022.

    — KEEP AN EYE ON: The Sixers are dominating even with relatively pedestrian contributions from two-time scoring champion and MVP candidate Joel Embiid, who had only 14 points in Game 3.

    — AVAILABILITY WATCH: Neither Harden nor Embiid will be suspended for fouls committed in Game 3.

    — PRESSURE IS ON: Brooklyn, obviously. A tumultuous Nets season will end in ignominious fashion if they can’t take at least one game off the powerhouse Sixers.

    SUNS AT CLIPPERS

    Suns lead 2-1. Game 4, 3:30 p.m. EDT, TNT

    — NEED TO KNOW: Clippers coach Tyronn Lue is making two game plans depending on whether Kawhi Leonard is able to return for Game 4. Los Angeles provided no update on the right knee sprain representing the latest significant injury for the quiet superstar.

    — KEEP AN EYE ON: Devin Booker. He is averaging 36.3 points per game in the series, and the Suns star invariably plays with an extra spring in his step in the building once called home by his hero, Kobe Bryant.

    — INJURY WATCH: “If (Leonard) is not back, we have to rally around each other, support each other, find ways to make something happen.” Russell Westbrook, who had 30 points in the Clippers’ loss in Game 3. … Phoenix’s Cam Payne is questionable with low back soreness.

    — PRESSURE IS ON: Leonard. He missed all of last season and played in just 52 games this season to stay in top shape for the playoffs. Clippers fans are growing increasingly discontented as they wait for Leonard and Paul George to deliver four years into their partnership back home in Southern California.

    BUCKS AT HEAT

    Series tied 1-1. Game 3, 7:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN

    — NEED TO KNOW: The Heat are only 12-11 in their last 23 home playoff games, excluding the “home” games from the bubble in 2020. Among those 11 losses: defeats by 17 and 29 points to the Bucks in 2021. The Heat were 27-14 at home this season, plus 1-1 in the play-in tournament, while Milwaukee was an NBA-best 26-15 on the road.

    — KEEP AN EYE ON: The 3-point line. Milwaukee made 25 3s in Game 2, and that was without Giannis Antetokounmpo around the basket for the Heat to worry about. There’s no way the Bucks are losing when they’re making that many 3s.

    — INJURY WATCH: All eyes on Antetokounmpo, whose back contusion knocked him out of Game 1 early and kept him out of Game 2 entirely. Miami obviously won’t have Tyler Herro, who will be recovering from surgery to repair the right hand that he broke in Game 1.

    — PRESSURE IS ON: Miami. Milwaukee routed the Heat in Game 2 without their best player even in uniform. Miami has to respond.

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    AP Sports Writers Tim Reynolds and Beth Harris contributed to this report.

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  • Warriors in rare territory, trail Kings 2-0 in NBA playoffs

    Warriors in rare territory, trail Kings 2-0 in NBA playoffs

    SAN FRANCISCO — Klay Thompson pondered the Golden State Warriors’ current playoff situation and expressed some relief. In years past under the old best-of-five format, the defending champions would have been on the brink of elimination trailing 2-0.

    Thompson, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have never been in the hole like this, down by two games — and this is a group that has practically seen it all over the past decade while capturing the franchise’s first championship in 40 years with the 2014-15 title and three more since, reaching the NBA Finals in five straight seasons from 2015-19 along the way.

    But the upstart Sacramento Kings, coached by former top Warriors assistant Mike Brown, who helped Golden State accomplish so much as a top assistant, are coming to Chase Center on Thursday night for Game 3 of the best-of-seven first-round series with some serious momentum.

    “Luckily, it’s first to four. It’s not the old format where it’s first to three,” Thompson said, “that would be not so much fun.”

    The Warriors had gone 27 consecutive playoff series during the Curry era without falling behind 2-0. Steve Kerr hadn’t seen it, either, since he began coaching the team in 2014-15. Now, this group will need a mighty comeback and will perhaps have to do it without emotional leader Green after he stomped on Domantas Sabonis during the fourth quarter of Monday night’s 114-106 defeat at Golden 1 Center.

    Sabonis was called for a technical foul for grabbing Green’s leg and Green received a flagrant-2 foul that led to an automatic ejection and possible discipline by the league. There was no announcement as of Tuesday night but often the NBA waits until a day before the next game.

    Green has always walked a fine line with the officials and even his own team. He began the season with a short leave of absence after punching teammate Jordan Poole in the face during training camp.

    Green has been called for six flagrant fouls and 27 technical fouls in 147 career playoff games. He was ejected from a playoff game against Memphis last season.

    Green was suspended for a crucial Game 5 loss to LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals for accumulating too many flagrant fouls in the playoffs that season. The Warriors wound up losing in seven.

    He’s hardly the only concern right now.

    So far this series, Golden State has misfired from 3-point range — a team featuring three shooters with 200 or more 3-pointers in Curry, Thompson and Jordan Poole and Thompson with an NBA-best 301 — and has been sloppy taking care of the ball.

    After Monday’s game, Curry challenged the Warriors to be smarter on both ends.

    “You do this as long as we have, whatever it is, 28 series or whatever, we’ve never been in this situation, so you got to stay together and stay locked in on things we need to do better,” Curry said of the deficit. “Embrace the challenge of protecting our home court, which we’ve been great at all year. And at the end of the day, all we got to do is win one game here, somehow, some way, whatever game it is.”

    Only 26 of 334 teams that fell behind 2-0 have ever rallied to win in a best-of-seven series — a .078 percentage, according to Sportradar.

    This also marks just the fifth time a defending champion has trailed 2-0 in a first-round series and all the others went on to lose. The 2012 Mavericks were swept by the Thunder 4-0; the 2007 Heat lost all four matchups to the Bulls; the 1984 76ers fell 3-2 to the Nets and the 1957 Philadelphia Warriors lost 2-0 to the Syracuse Nationals.

    “The way our guys fought, they showed what they’re made of,” Kerr said. “So now it’s a matter of going home and licking our wounds a little bit. We get a little rest with a couple of days in between games and we go home and take care of our home court.”

    And with Curry, Green and Thompson’s experience, they never count themselves out on the big stage.

    “It’s a new challenge. After the game I was thinking about that, thinking like, ‘Man, I think this is one we haven’t seen yet,’” Green said. “We’ve conquered all the rest of them so why not go conquer this one. It’ll be a lot of fun.”

    This is a group that has regularly been challenged before and bounced back — even during this topsy-turvy regular season and its struggles. The Warriors dealt with injuries and Andrew Wiggins’ extended absences for a personal matter to avoid the play-in game and earn the sixth seed from the Western Conference.

    “It’s unfamiliar territory, but we’ve been down 3-1. We’ve been up 3-1. We’ve been through everything. So we rely on our experience,” Thompson said. “We take a great off day and we recollect ourselves, and do what we do, and that’s play well at home — always.”

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  • Murray leads Nuggets past Wolves 109-80 in NBA playoffs

    Murray leads Nuggets past Wolves 109-80 in NBA playoffs

    Jamal Murray overcame some early jitters to have 24 points and eight assists in his first playoff game since the 2020 NBA bubble as the top-seeded Denver Nuggets routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-80 Sunday night.

    “Murray was Murray,” Wolves point guard Chris Conley said. “He’s one of the better scorers, playmakers, from our position.”

    Michael Porter Jr., who scored 18 points in his first playoff game since missing last year’s run with a bad back, said Murray used his time off after blowing out his left knee in 2021 to improve his basketball IQ.

    “I told him the other day I feel like he’s better now than before the injury,” Porter said. “I know he probably doesn’t feel it, but just his overall game, his awareness, he had like a year off where he had to just watch.”

    Porter scored 18 points and Nikola Jokic added 13 points, 14 rebounds and a half dozen assists in 28 minutes as Denver snapped a five-game skid in playoff openers — and became the only higher seed to win on its homecourt Sunday.

    Both Porter and Murray started off slow offensively, so they turned up their defense, diving for loose balls and crashing the glass until they found their shooting touch.

    “That was the game right there,” Murray said. “It wasn’t even offense. I think Mike and I struggled early and we were still playing defense. We were running the floor playing defense, boxing out, playing physical. Everybody made an impact.”

    Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 18 points. Karl-Anthony Towns, who was rounding into form this month after missing 52 games with a bad calf, missed 10 of his first 12 shots and finished with 11 points.

    “It’s the NBA. It’s not forgiving. Just things happen,” Towns said. “They did a great job, give them credit. They had a long week preparing for us and they got ready and you could tell on the court they knew our plays and knew what they’re doing. So we’ve just got to come back ready for Game 2. It’s a series — just move on, flush it and get ready.”

    Minnesota coach Chris Finch lamented Denver’s tougher physicality and better control.

    “Way more physical than we were,” he said. “They played with more speed, more force, they kicked our butts in every category that you possibly can imagine.”

    Jokic said during the Nuggets’ week off that he was eager to see how they’d do do with Murray and Porter back in the lineup with him after injuries and surgeries waylaid Denver’s Big Three each of the last two postseasons.

    The answer was emphatic: the trio combined for 55 points, 33 rebounds and 16 assists — with just two combined turnovers — as all five of Denver’s starters scored in double figures as did reserve Bruce Brown, who chipped in 14.

    The Nuggets were the only one of four home teams to win Sunday as the Bucks, Grizzlies and Suns all surrendered homecourt advantage to lower seeds in the first round.

    The opener marked Murray’s first playoff appearance since his breakout performance in the 2020 NBA bubble, when he twice put up 50 points on the Jazz in helping the Nuggets reach the Western Conference Finals where they lost to LeBron James and the Lakers. Murray tore his left ACL eight months later and missed the Nuggets’ last two playoff runs.

    “It is kind of wild to think it’s been that long,” Denver coach Michael Malone said before tip-off. “I’m just so happy for him, proud of him. It has not been an easy journey for him, but I think this year, we’ve seen Jamal have moments where that’s the Jamal Murray that we all love and remember.”

    The Timberwolves were without starting forward Jaden McDaniels, their best perimeter defender, who broke his right hand punching a wall in Minnesota’s final regular season game.

    Towns promised things would be different in Game 2.

    “I don’t think this team has many nights like this,” he said of the Wolves, who hadn’t been held to 80 or fewer points since Nov. 19, 2016.

    SPICY NUGGETS

    Malone said before tip-off he expected some chippiness in the series: “I don’t mind spicy. This is the playoffs. This isn’t like regular season games.”

    He got just that in the third quarter when rookie Christian Braun got into a tussle with Kyle Anderson after Anderson’s flagrant foul.

    TIP-INS

    Timberwolves: Minnesota surrendered the first eight points of the game and the first nine points after halftime. The Wolves fought back to take a 17-16 lead in the first quarter but there was no similar comeback in the third.

    Nuggets: Jokic re-entered the game with 7:46 remaining and the Nuggets ahead by 30. He quickly picked up his fifth and sixth fouls, including a flagrant on Edwards. Asked on TNT afterward why he went back into the game, Jokic said, “I think that is not a question for me. … I don’t have a problem to play in garbage time or whatever.”

    UP NEXT

    Game 2 is Wednesday night in Denver.

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  • Leonard scores 38 to lead Clippers past Durant, Suns 115-110

    Leonard scores 38 to lead Clippers past Durant, Suns 115-110

    PHOENIX — Kawhi Leonard scored 38 points, including a pair of late 3-pointers, and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Phoenix Suns 115-110 in the opener of their Western Conference playoff series on Sunday.

    Eric Gordon added 19 points and hit a late 3 that kept the Clippers ahead. Russell Westbrook shot just 3 of 19 from the floor for Los Angeles but made a pair of free throws with 17.7 seconds left for a three-point lead, then blocked Devin Booker’s layup attempt at the other end and swatted the ball off Booker to give the Clippers the ball with 10.1 seconds remaining.

    Kevin Durant scored 27 points for the Suns, who lost for the first time with him on the floor. Phoenix acquired the two-time NBA Finals MVP from Brooklyn in February and injuries limited him to eight games — all Suns wins.

    Devin Booker added 26 points for Phoenix, which will try to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole at home on Tuesday.

    The Suns trailed 109-103 with 1:33 remaining but scored the next five points. The Clippers grabbed multiple offensive rebounds on the ensuing possession before Westbrook made his critical free throws. He finished with nine points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and two steals.

    Los Angeles led for much of the evening until midway through the third quarter. Torrey Craig made back-to-back buckets, including one on a powerful fast-break dunk, to push Phoenix ahead 70-68.

    It was part of a 15-0 run that put the Suns up 77-68. The Clippers, led by Leonard’s 12 points in the third, recovered to tie the game at 81-all heading into the fourth.

    Leonard — a two-time Finals MVP playing his first playoff game since June 14, 2021 — did much of his damage from the mid-range, but moved behind the 3-point arc in the game’s late moments. He hit a 3 with 2:36 left and another at the 2-minute mark, finishing 13 of 24 shooting from the field.

    The Clippers were missing one of their best players in eight-time All-Star Paul George. He sprained his right knee last month and it’s unclear if he’ll be able to play in this series.

    Gordon scored 12 points as the Clippers jumped to a 30-18 lead after one quarter. The Suns shot just 31.8% from the field in the first quarter and Durant was held scoreless.

    Durant missed his first five shots from the field before finally connecting on a mid-range jumper early in the second quarter. That seemed to shake the nerves and the 34-year-old poured in 17 points before the break, helping cut the Clippers’ lead to 59-54.

    TIP-INS

    Clippers: George hasn’t played since March 21. … Ivica Zubac had 10 points and 11 rebounds in the first half.

    Suns: G Cam Payne (low back soreness) was not available. He was hurt in the next-to-last game of the regular season. … Were playing their first home playoff game since a 33-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7 of last year’s Western Conference semifinals.

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  • What to know entering the NBA playoffs, which start Saturday

    What to know entering the NBA playoffs, which start Saturday

    Here’s a rarity: All five teams from one division are going to the NBA playoffs.

    And they pulled that off in a year where a division champion almost didn’t get there.

    All five teams from the Pacific Division — Sacramento, Phoenix, the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers — have made the playoffs, which start Saturday.

    But Miami, the champion of the Southeast Division, almost missed out. The Heat got there Friday night by closing on a 15-1 run to beat Chicago 102-91 in the final Eastern Conference play-in game.

    Had the Heat lost, it would have been the first time in NBA history that a division winner wasn’t going to the playoffs.

    On the other end of the spectrum, the whole-division-goes feat had happened only two other times since the NBA went to the six-division, five-teams-in-each format starting with the 2004-05 season.

    The Central Division did it in 2006, and the Southwest Division pulled it off in 2015. It almost happened in the Northwest Division in 2018 when Denver missed the playoffs by a game. And the Atlantic Division had a chance to send all its teams this year if Toronto gotten out of the play-in tournament.

    PLAY IN TO PLAY ON

    The play-in tournament provided a path for Miami, Minnesota, the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta to make the playoffs.

    And now, they’ll try to go from playing in to playing on.

    No team has managed that yet.

    Granted, there’s only been three previous versions of a play-in tournament, but no team has gone from the extra round in between the regular season and playoffs and gotten an actual postseason series win.

    In 2020, Portland (which beat Memphis in a one-game play-in round inside the restart bubble) lost 4-1 to the top-seeded Lakers.

    In 2021, the Lakers (4-2 to Phoenix), Memphis (4-1 to Utah), Boston (4-1 to Brooklyn) and Washington (4-1 to Philadelphia) were all ousted in Round 1.

    And last year, Minnesota (4-2 to Memphis), New Orleans (4-2 to Phoenix), Atlanta (4-1 to Miami) and Brooklyn (4-0 to Boston) also lost their opening series after qualifying through the play-in.

    2 TO 1

    Golden State did something unusual last season. It finished second in the Pacific Division — and first in the NBA.

    That’s a serious break from the norm.

    From 2012 through 2021, every team to make the NBA Finals did so after winning a division championship. The 2011 Dallas Mavericks had been the most recent team not to win its division but make the finals; they won the title that season.

    The Warriors did it last season, also winning the title.

    This season’s division champions: Boston, Milwaukee, Miami, Denver, Sacramento and Memphis. History suggests that two of those six teams would be the wise picks for those forecasting who’ll make the finals.

    SEASON OF COMEBACKS

    Playoffs might not have looked likely for a bunch of teams in the early going of the season.

    Philadelphia started 0-3, Sacramento started 0-4, Brooklyn was 1-5, Golden State was 3-7, the Los Angeles Clippers opened 2-4, Minnesota was 5-8, Miami was 7-11 — and the Los Angeles Lakers were 2-10, a level of bad start that few teams have been able to overcome.

    The Lakers are just the 15th team in NBA history to start 0-5 and make the postseason. And only four teams were worse than 2-10 after 12 games and still made the playoffs. Last season’s New Orleans Pelicans started 1-11 and got there, as did the 1967-68 Chicago Bulls and 1984-85 Cleveland Cavaliers.

    But the undisputed bad-start-and-made-playoffs-anyway kings are the 1996-97 Phoenix Suns. They started 0-13, wound up finishing 40-42, held a 2-1 series lead over top-seeded Seattle in the best-of-five opening round, then fell in five games.

    WINS MILESTONE

    Golden State teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have both appeared in 102 playoff victories.

    That’s tied for 25th-best all-time, and they could keep climbing the charts this spring.

    They’re currently two wins behind Danny Green; three behind Dwyane Wade and Dennis Johnson; five behind Bill Russell, Robert Parish and Warriors teammate Andre Iguodala; and six behind No. 18 John Havlicek.

    If the Warriors win another title and Thompson and Green appear in all 16 victories, they’d then have 118 apiece — one fewer than Michael Jordan.

    The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James enters these playoffs as the career leader in postseason wins, with 174. Phoenix’s Kevin Durant needs five to get to 100, and Warriors guard Stephen Curry has 93.

    ON THE ROAD

    Going “on the road” in these playoffs will be a relative term in some cases.

    By driving distance, some of them are pretty close. Only 85 miles or so separates the arenas used by Golden State and Sacramento, and it’s about 100 miles between the arenas in Philadelphia and Brooklyn.

    Phoenix and the Los Angeles Clippers play 375 miles apart, while New York and Cleveland are separated by 450 miles, which is still no more than about an hour by air. The rest of the matchups are a bit longer — it’s 850 miles or so between Minnesota and Denver, 1,100 between Boston and Atlanta, almost 1,500 between Miami and Milwaukee and just over 1,800 between Memphis and the Los Angeles Lakers’ home floor.

    THE WAIT IS OVER

    Sacramento’s last playoff game was May 5, 2006. That was 12 Kings coaches ago.

    A look at some of the other numbers:

    — The Kings played 1,358 games in that span.

    — They used 184 different players.

    — They scored 142,294 points, with DeMarcus Cousins having the most in that span with 9,894.

    — They went 515-843.

    — There will have been 1,384 playoff games in the league between Sacramento’s last playoff game and by the time the Kings and Golden State tip off in Game 1 on Saturday. All 29 other teams played at least 11 playoff games in that span; Boston has the most with 201, and the Celtics and Miami have a league-high 108 playoff wins apiece over that stretch.

    INSIDE THE STANDINGS

    If the 16 playoff teams had their own league this season, with only the games against one another counting, then the Boston Celtics would be feeling pretty confident right about now.

    The Celtics had the best record against fellow playoff qualifiers this season, going 27-15. That just edged out Denver, which went 26-15 against playoff-bound teams during the regular season.

    Boston’s average point differential against playoff-bound teams per game is also better than any other postseason club. The Celtics outscored playoff teams, on average, by 5.6 points per game.

    The rest of the records by playoff qualifiers against one another during the regular season: Milwaukee 26-16, Philadelphia 26-16, Minnesota 22-20, Memphis 21-20, New York 22-21, Miami 21-21, Phoenix 21-23, Sacramento 19-24, Golden State 19-24, Cleveland 18-23, the Los Angeles Clippers 18-24, Brooklyn 18-24, the Los Angeles Lakers 17-25, and Atlanta 16-26.

    WARRIORS’ ROAD WOES

    Golden State has won a road game in 27 consecutive playoff series, an NBA record and obviously a major reason why the Warriors have four of the last eight championships.

    They’ll need to rekindle that road magic.

    The Warriors — who don’t have home-court advantage in Round 1 against Sacramento, so they’ll need at least one road win to have a chance in the series — went 3-19 against playoff teams away from home this season.

    The last time any playoff team was that bad on the road during the regular season against other eventual playoff qualifiers was 2004. Denver was 2-20 entering those playoffs in road games against fellow postseason clubs that season, and Miami was 3-19.

    PLAYOFF POOL

    The NBA’s postseason playoff pool is up nearly $10 million from last year. This year, the 16 playoff teams will divide up $26,969,000.

    Every team is assured of at least $402,493 for making the playoffs. The payouts increase considerably as teams advance, and the teams with the best six records in each conference get more money as well.

    Milwaukee has already clinched $1,860,950 from the pool — $777,777 for having the best record in the NBA and another $680,680 for having the best record in the Eastern Conference. If the Bucks win the title, their share of the pool would soar to $7,907,335.

    Last year’s pool was $17,317,334.

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  • NBA playoff overview: Warriors seek 5th title in 9 years

    NBA playoff overview: Warriors seek 5th title in 9 years

    For the Golden State Warriors, it’s a drive for five, as in five championships in nine years. It’s a similar thought for LeBron James, as the NBA’s all-time points leader is set to resume his quest for a fifth ring.

    And for a bunch of other teams, just one ring would satisfy.

    The NBA playoffs start Saturday, with Milwaukee as the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference and holder of home-court advantage throughout the postseason, and Denver as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the first time.

    “Every year, I mean, it’s tough,” said James, who helped the Los Angeles Lakers get back to the playoffs despite a topsy-turvy year marred by injuries and slumps. “There’s too many great teams, too many great players. Every year is tough. No matter if you’re the 1 seed or the 8 seed, every single year is tough.”

    The defending champion Warriors open on the road, albeit not far from home, as they take on Sacramento — one of the feel-good stories in the NBA this season, back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Kings first-year coach Mike Brown was part of the Warriors’ staff under Steve Kerr for years, and brought that championship culture to Sacramento.

    They’ve been talking playoffs all year. But Brown knows that words only go so far.

    “At the end of the day, the best teacher is going to be the actually going through it and seeing how you hold up to things that come your way, especially the adversity,” Brown said.

    The Warriors know what that means. They opened the season with a ring ceremony, and that was about the last thing that went according to plan. They didn’t get over the .500 mark for good until late February.

    But if there’s another title, the Warriors know all the struggles will be forgotten.

    “When you’re coming off a championship and lacing ’em back up, you’re celebrating what you accomplished,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. “But every time you step foot on the floor and practice and get ready for the games and everything that we’ve been through this year, it’s all about the goal at the end of the year of having an opportunity to go chase another one.”

    Some of the top playoff hopefuls had less-rocky paths to the playoffs. Milwaukee — champions two years ago, with much of the same core now — was at or near the top of the East all season. In some order, the East 1-2-3 has been the Bucks, defending East champion Boston and title-starved Philadelphia since mid-January.

    The Bucks dealt with injuries, the Celtics dealt with a preseason coaching change, and neither was derailed. A title for Boston would be the franchise’s 18th, breaking a tie with the Lakers for the most in NBA history. And the Celtics have not forgotten the pain of losing last year’s finals.

    “We’ve essentially been waiting for this moment, getting to the playoffs,” Celtics forward Jayson Tatum said. “The group is locked in, the group is focused, everybody’s back healthy, so we’re just preparing the right way. … Now, it’s here. We’re all excited and ready for the moment.”

    The moment — and the ring — are all that matters. Just ask Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

    “This is what we need,” he shouted to Bucks fans earlier this month, pointing to his ring finger. “We need a second one.”

    Some need a first.

    Chris Paul still doesn’t have a ring, even though he and the Phoenix Suns led the Bucks 2-0 in the finals two years ago. So now, he and Devin Booker have Kevin Durant — a two-time champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist — alongside them to try and win it all. The Suns drew Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers in Round 1.

    “We’re ready to go,” Booker said.

    Denver — a No. 1 seed, a team that moved into first in the West a few days before Christmas and stayed there the rest of the way — has a two-time (and possibly soon-to-be three-time) MVP in Nikola Jokic, and has the best regular-season record in the West over the last five years.

    And yet, few believe; FanDuel Sportsbook has Denver tied for the third-best odds to win the West and the fifth-best odds to win the NBA title.

    “The pressure, that I have, is pressure I put on myself,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “You’re never going to be able to put any pressure on me. This is my job, this is my livelihood, I love my job and we as an organization put pressure on ourselves to win a championship. That’s what motivates us.”

    James knows that motivation. He’s been running off it for most of his 20-year career.

    “That’s the only reason I play still, is to try to put myself in a position to make championship runs and give teammates that never been a part of a championship run something they haven’t experienced before,” James said. “It has not changed for me, I would say, since about 2006, ’7. That’s just been my mindset every year: How can I make a championship run?”

    He knows the way. So do the Warriors.

    One step at a time, Curry insists. Game 1’s of Round 1 are Saturday and Sunday. Titles will not be won nor lost this weekend. It’s a marathon, as was the regular season when a slew of teams got off to slow starts — the Lakers were 2-10, the Warriors were 3-7, the 76ers were 0-3, the Kings 0-4, Brooklyn 1-5 — and made the playoffs anyway.

    Lock in, as Curry says. It’s ring time.

    “It’s extremely hard to do what we’ve done,” Curry said, “and what we’re going to try to do.”

    ___

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  • Shout it out: DeRozan’s daughter goes viral in play-in game

    Shout it out: DeRozan’s daughter goes viral in play-in game

    Diar DeRozan wanted to skip a day of school

    TORONTO — Diar DeRozan wanted to skip a day of school. Her father grudgingly went along with the plan.

    Turns out, the decision was worth shouting about.

    The 9-year-old daughter of Chicago guard DeMar DeRozan stole the show at the play-in tournament on Wednesday night with shrieks from the stands that went viral and quite possibly played a role in helping the Bulls defeat the Toronto Raptors 109-105 in an Eastern Conference elimination game.

    Her ear-splitting shouts would come when the Raptors — her dad’s former team — were shooting free throws, and they were loud enough to even become a conversation point during the ESPN broadcast of the game. The Raptors finished 18 of 36 from the line in their season-ending loss.

    “My daughter called me the other day when she was getting out of school and she just said, ‘Dad, can I come to the Toronto game?’” DeRozan said. “I remember her going to all the Toronto games when she was a kid and I almost said no because she’s in school back home. But she kept asking. She was just adamant about coming to support and I said, ‘All right, you can miss one day of school and come to a game.’

    “I’m glad I did,” DeRozan said. “I owe her some money for sure.”

    The 18-for-36 showing was Toronto’s worst of the season from the foul line.

    “Not a great free throw night for us in general,” Toronto’s Pascal Siakam said.

    The Bulls advanced to face Miami on Friday night in a win-or-go-home game, with a chance to make the playoffs and face No. 1 Milwaukee in Round 1 of the East playoffs starting Sunday.

    Good news for the Heat: Diar’s dad said she isn’t going to Miami.

    “No,” DeRozan said. “She’s got to go back to school.”

    ___

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  • Lakers outlast Wolves 108-102 in OT, advance to face Memphis

    Lakers outlast Wolves 108-102 in OT, advance to face Memphis

    LOS ANGELES — Nearly everything about this season has been a grueling challenge for the Los Angeles Lakers, so nobody in a gold jersey really seemed surprised when Anthony Davis committed a baffling foul that allowed Minnesota’s Mike Conley to snatch a playoff berth from their hands with 0.1 seconds on the regulation clock.

    The Lakers simply absorbed the latest body blow to their championship hopes and played on.

    Five overtime minutes later, they finally claimed a postseason berth that seemed all but unattainable just a couple of months ago.

    LeBron James had 30 points and 10 rebounds, and the Lakers snagged the seventh spot in the Western Conference playoffs with a 108-102 victory over the short-handed Timberwolves in the NBA’s play-in tournament Tuesday night.

    Conley hit three clutch free throws to tie it after Davis foolishly fouled him on a 3-point attempt, but the Lakers coolly kept rolling toward their 10th win in 12 games overall. Their reward is a date with the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round starting Sunday.

    “It took everything out of us to get to where we are, and it took more out of us tonight,” Davis said. “But we’ve got a couple of days before we go to Memphis to start preparing for them. It’s been a battle. It’s been an up-and-down season for us, but now is the time to show who we are, and we showed it tonight.”

    Dennis Schröder scored 21 points, drilling a tiebreaking 3-pointer on a pass from James with 1.4 seconds left in regulation before icing the win with two free throws with 8.4 seconds left for the Lakers, who started the season 2-10 and sat six games below .500 at the trade deadline.

    “Once you get to the end of things, to have everyone healthy, to be playing in the type of rhythm we’re playing in, to defend at the level that we’re defending at, going into the most important time of the year, you can’t ask for a better situation,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said.

    The Wolves still forced overtime when Conley hit his free throws after Davis stepped on his foot after he had already released a 3-point attempt. Davis and James said they had a mix-up about who was supposed to defend the shooter in the corner.

    “The play was between me and AD, and we discussed it on the bench, and then we moved forward,” James said. “We’ve still got five more minutes to play. That’s how we started overtime. We was able to recalibrate. Get our game back.”

    Instead of getting down, the Lakers went back to work.

    “That was totally on me,” said Davis, who had 24 points and 15 rebounds. “He faded out of bounds where I was going. But it goes back to next-play mentality, and we got it done in overtime.”

    Los Angeles finally won it with defense, holding the Wolves to seven points in the final 11 minutes from midway through the fourth quarter while rallying from a 15-point deficit.

    Conley scored 23 points for Minnesota, which gave an inspired effort for the first three quarters while playing without starters Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels. Gobert is suspended for punching teammate Kyle Anderson during Minnesota’s regular-season finale against New Orleans, while McDaniels is out indefinitely with a broken hand after punching a wall in frustration Sunday.

    Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points for the Wolves, who will host New Orleans or Oklahoma City on Friday for the eighth spot and a first-round date with top-seeded Denver beginning Sunday.

    The Pelicans host the Thunder on Wednesday night, and Minnesota must then beat the winner to reach the playoffs for only the third time in 19 seasons.

    “We expected to win this game,” Conley said. “It’s disappointing to lose. We had a lead and let it slip. This should be a different postgame speech. … We’ve just got to be mentally and physically more engaged at the end, and we’ve got a couple of days to work on it.”

    After leading for most of the night, Minnesota went scoreless for six full minutes in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles began its comeback after Towns had to sit with his fifth foul, and it took the lead for good on a 3-pointer on the opening possession of OT by Rui Hachimura, who had 12 points.

    The Wolves missed 11 consecutive shots before Anthony Edwards’ dunk with 2:36 left in overtime. Edwards scored just nine points — more than 15 below his average — and left the court briefly in the second half to get tape on his left shoulder after taking an early fall.

    Schröder stepped up tremendously for D’Angelo Russell, who had a nightmare game for Los Angeles against the team that traded him in February. Russell had eight assists, but scored two points on 1-of-9 shooting before getting benched down the stretch.

    TIP-INS

    Timberwolves: McDaniels attended the game. … A minor confrontation after the first-quarter buzzer ended with technical fouls for Edwards and Hachimura.

    Lakers: Schröder returned from a two-game injury absence. … Tristan Thompson and Shaq Harrison were in uniform for the first time after signing last Sunday. Neither veteran played.

    UP NEXT

    Timberwolves: Host Pelicans or Thunder on Friday.

    Lakers: At Grizzlies on Sunday.

    ___

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  • The field is set: Warriors, Clippers are in the playoffs

    The field is set: Warriors, Clippers are in the playoffs

    Golden State is in the playoffs. LeBron James is heading to the play-in tournament. And the Minnesota Timberwolves lost Rudy Gobert to a fight with a teammate, then won a battle to improve their playoff hopes.

    The final day of the NBA season was predictably wild — with tons of unpredictable elements as well.

    It took until the 1,230th and last game of the year went final, but the Western Conference playoff and play-in bracket are finally set, highlighted by the Los Angeles Clippers and defending champion Golden State Warriors getting a few days off knowing that they’re officially in the postseason.

    The Clippers beat Phoenix to clinch the No. 5 seed — and a first-round matchup with Phoenix. Golden State had its highest-scoring game in almost 33 years on its way to routing Portland 157-101 and clinching the No. 6 seed, giving the Warriors an automatic berth in the playoffs and a first-round matchup with Sacramento.

    Golden State led by as many as 59 in that game, the largest lead by any team all season.

    “We’re playing Sacramento, obviously. They’re a great team, they’ve had an amazing season and it’s going to take everything to beat them four times — especially starting on the road,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. “But we love the opportunity in front of us.”

    James and the No. 7 — for now — Los Angeles Lakers will get two chances to get into the playoffs, starting with Tuesday’s play-in game against No. 8 Minnesota. If the Lakers lose that game, they’ll get another chance Friday against the winner of Wednesday’s game between No. 9 New Orleans and No. 10 Oklahoma City.

    “For us, it’s just good that we don’t have to travel,” James said after the Lakers ended their regular season with a home win over Utah. “We’ve traveled a lot lately. It’s good that we get to stay here, but we shouldn’t get comfortable. We have to stay on edge.”

    The Lakers-Timberwolves winner gets No. 2 Memphis in Round 1; the winner of Friday’s West play-in game will start the playoffs next Sunday at No. 1 Denver.

    No team in the West has had a better record since the All-Star break than the Lakers, who went 16-7 down the stretch — even with James sidelined for about half of that run by injury.

    Minnesota locked up the No. 8 seed (and two chances at the playoffs) by holding off New Orleans 113-108.

    It was the last game to finish in the league this season, though for Gobert, it ended early. He threw a punch at Kyle Anderson — his teammate — after heated words during a first-half time-out, didn’t return to the game, and Minnesota also lost Jaden McDaniels to a right hand injury after he appeared to punch a wall.

    “We made the decision to send Rudy Gobert home after the incident in the second quarter,” Timberwolves President Tim Connelly said in a postgame statement. “His behavior on the bench was unacceptable and we will continue handling the situation internally.”

    There appeared to be progress on that front quickly, with Wolves veteran Mike Conley suggesting that the team is ready to move forward.

    “We’re going to need all of us,” Conley said.

    Gobert chimed in Sunday night as well, tweeting: “Emotions got the best of me today. I should not have reacted the way i did regardless of what was said. I wanna apologize to the fans, the organisation and particularly to Kyle, who is someone that i truly love and respect as a teammate.”

    If the Timberwolves lost that game, they would have been the No. 9 seed out West. There were 16 possible ways the 5-6-7-8-9 seeds on the West bracket could have gone on Sunday — and the Pelicans had a shot to finish as high as No. 5. Instead, they settled for No. 9.

    The Eastern Conference postseason matchups were all set before Sunday. No. 7 Miami plays No. 8 Atlanta on Tuesday, and No. 9 Toronto plays No. 10 Chicago on Wednesday. The Heat-Hawks winner advances to play No. 2 Boston in Round 1; the Raptors-Bulls winner will play the Heat-Hawks loser on Friday for the chance to play No. 1 Milwaukee in the opening round.

    No. 3 Philadelphia will play No. 6 Brooklyn, and No. 4 Cleveland will meet No. 5 New York.

    FIRST ROUND OPENERS

    The Brooklyn-Philadelphia series starts Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern. The rest of Saturday’s schedule has the Heat-Hawks winner visiting Boston, then New York at Cleveland and finally Golden State visiting Sacramento.

    The Clippers-Suns series starts next Sunday, as will the matchups featuring Denver, Milwaukee and Memphis.

    ___

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  • NBA set for final day, and West race will go to the wire

    NBA set for final day, and West race will go to the wire

    The NBA will get what it wanted — drama to end the regular season.

    All 30 teams will play their 82nd game of the season on Sunday, with four matchups — New Orleans at Minnesota, Utah at the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State at Portland and the Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix — set to decide how the Western Conference playoff and play-in bracket will look.

    There are 16 possible seeding scenarios, based on the outcomes of those four games. And they’ll all be starting at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, with no games scheduled to play later, meaning it’s possible that the final shot of the regular season might be the one that fills out the bracket.

    For the defending NBA champion Warriors and the Clippers, the math is easy: Win Sunday, and they’re in the playoffs and about to get a week off to get ready for Round 1 matchups against either Sacramento or Phoenix. Lose Sunday, and the play-in tournament — which starts Tuesday — might be the daunting consolation prize.

    “It’s the only thing that we can control,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “There’s other games that can factor in, but it doesn’t matter to us as long as we win. That’s a great position to be in and we’ve got to go do something about it.”

    This much of the West is settled: Denver is the No. 1 seed, Memphis is No. 2, Sacramento is No. 3, Phoenix is No. 4, and Oklahoma City will be No. 10 for the play-in tournament.

    The rest goes down to the wire.

    The Clippers could be fifth, sixth or seventh. The Warriors could be fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth. The Lakers could be sixth, seventh or eighth. The Timberwolves could be seventh, eighth or ninth — and the Pelicans, somehow, have all the bases covered. New Orleans could be No. 5, No. 6, No. 7, No. 8 or No. 9 in the West when the final whistle blows on Sunday.

    “We’ve got one more game to handle our business,” Pelicans coach Willie Green told his team Friday night.

    There are some very simple possibilities Sunday:

    — The loser of the New Orleans-Minnesota game will be the No. 9 seed and hosting Oklahoma City in an elimination game on Wednesday.

    — The Clippers are the No. 5 seed with a win and will face the Suns in Round 1, after also seeing them in Sunday’s finale.

    — New Orleans gets the No. 5 seed if it wins, combined with wins by Phoenix and Portland.

    — The Lakers will be the No. 8 seed and on the road for a play-in game Tuesday if they lose to Utah. They would be No. 6 or No. 7 with a win, except if the Pelicans, Warriors and Suns all also win. That scenario would leave the Lakers No. 8.

    — There is a chance for a Clippers-Lakers play-in game to happen on Tuesday night. New Orleans and Phoenix would both have to win as part of the formula, and then there would have to be Lakers-Warriors, Jazz-Warriors or Jazz-Blazers wins as well.

    — The Warriors are the No. 5 seed (facing Phoenix) or the No. 6 seed (facing Sacramento in a matchup of teams separated by about 90 miles) with a win. If the Warriors and Clippers both win, Golden State is No. 6. Otherwise, a Warriors win clinches the No. 5 seed.

    “Whatever team we play, I think we’ll be ready for,” Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo said.

    EAST BRACKET

    The Eastern Conference bracket is set, regardless of Sunday’s outcomes. No. 1 Milwaukee, No. 2 Boston, No. 3 Philadelphia, No. 4 Cleveland, No. 5 New York and No. 6 Brooklyn have playoff berths locked. No. 7 Miami will face No. 8 Atlanta in a play-in game Tuesday, No. 9 Toronto plays No. 10 Chicago in an elimination game Wednesday, and the Heat-Hawks loser faces the Raptors-Bulls winner on Friday.

    The Heat-Hawks winner will play Boston in Round 1. The winner of the Friday game will play Milwaukee in Round 1.

    SCORING RACE

    Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid will be the scoring champion for a second consecutive year, averaging 33.1 points per game. His closest pursuers — Dallas’ Luka Doncic (32.4) and Portland’s Damian Lillard (32.2) — are done for the season, and Embiid won’t play Sunday in a meaningless finale for Philadelphia.

    Doncic and Lillard both did something this season that only one other player had pulled off in the last 59 seasons combined.

    Before this season, only two players had ever averaged at least 32 points per game and not won the scoring crown. Allen Iverson (33.0) was second to the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (35.4) in 2005-06, and Elgin Baylor (who averaged 34.0 points in 1962-63, 38.3 in 1961-62 and 34.8 in 1960-61) was the other player on that list.

    Baylor lost the scoring race in all three of those seasons to Wilt Chamberlain.

    ___

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  • Clippers beat Blazers to bolster hopes of avoiding play-in

    Clippers beat Blazers to bolster hopes of avoiding play-in

    LOS ANGELES — Kawhi Leonard scored 27 points, Norman Powell added 23 and the Los Angeles Clippers solidified their hopes of avoiding the play-in game with a 136-125 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.

    Russell Westbrook had 20 points for the Clippers, who have won four of their last six and hold the fifth spot in the Western Conference.

    Wins by LA and Minnesota on Saturday ensured the Clippers can finish no lower than seventh. Their best hope of avoiding the play-in game though is beating Phoenix on Sunday in what could be a preview of a first-round series.

    While the Suns are expected to sit most of their starters, which they also did Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, coach Tyronn Lue said he will play everyone that he can.

    “I hope they sit all five guys. I’ll take it however I can get it,” Lue said. “My main focus is doing what we have to do to get into the playoffs. It doesn’t matter what seed.”

    The Clippers need a win in the final regular-season game to avoid landing in the play-in for the second straight season. They were the eighth seed last season and lost to Minnesota and New Orleans to miss the playoffs.

    “We have to win. That’s the focus,” Leonard said.

    The Clippers would be assured of a top six seed if the Timberwolves beat the Pelicans on Sunday afternoon. A win would wrap up the fifth seed while a loss and Golden State win would drop them to sixth.

    However, if the Pelicans win, the Clippers could fall into the seventh spot and host the play-in game on Tuesday with a loss. The only way they would avoid it in that scenario is if Portland beat Golden State and the Lakers defeated Utah.

    “The parity in the West is incredible this year. I’ve seen some tough races, but this may be the toughest I’ve seen. Just all the way down to today and tomorrow, guys need to win. It’s some tough situations,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “I hate that we are not participating in it, but there’s been a lot of learning experiences this year because of that.”

    Kevin Knox II had 30 points, Shaedon Sharpe 26 and Trendon Watford 24 for the Trail Blazers, who have dropped three straight and eight of their last nine.

    “We played against a very desperate team. they are fighting and clawing for every win and they need it,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “Our group came out and got it going. They made some adjustments in the second half when they needed to.”

    Portland led 70-64 at halftime before the Clippers went on a 14-2 run early in the third quarter to gain control.

    The Trail Blazers rallied to get within 86-85 on a 3-pointer by Knox before the Clippers put it away for good with a 23-7 spurt.

    Leonard had 13 points in the third quarter as the Clippers were 15 of 24 from the field, including eight 3-pointers.

    “It wasn’t a great first half because we didn’t play the right way. That’s why they came out and played like they did in the third quarter,” Lue said.

    Los Angeles’ largest lead was 19 in the fourth quarter.

    TIP INS

    Trail Blazers: In the first half, Sharpe had 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting; while Watford added 18 while going 7 of 9. … Shaquille Harrison had a career-high 11 assists.

    Clippers: Ivica Zubac had 14 points and 10 rebounds for his 27th double-double, which is new career high in a season.

    UP NEXT

    Trail Blazers: Host Golden State Sunday in the season finale.

    Clippers: Travel to Phoenix Sunday in what could be a first-round preview.

    ___

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  • Lakers beat Suns to keep hopes alive of avoiding play-in

    Lakers beat Suns to keep hopes alive of avoiding play-in

    LOS ANGELES — Darvin Ham gets briefed every morning on where his team could end up in the Western Conference playoff race. While the various scenarios are enough to warp the mind of any fan, the Los Angeles Lakers’ coach knows the only thing he can do is make sure his team keeps on winning.

    The Lakers kept their hopes alive of avoiding a spot in the play-in tournament with a 121-107 victory over the resting Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

    “However it falls, we need to take care of what we need to do,” Ham said after the Lakers improved to 42-39 with their eighth win in the last nine games.

    Even with the win, Lakers remained the seventh seed and in a play-in spot in the Western Conference after Golden State’s victory over Sacramento.

    On a night when LeBron James and Anthony Davis were held to a combined 30 points, it was two players acquired at the trade deadline that helped propel the Lakers. DeAngelo Russell led Los Angeles with 24 points and Malik Beasley had 21.

    Austin Reaves, who has emerged as Los Angeles’ most improved player this season, scored 22.

    “Nobody can key in on just AD and me. When you have Beasley shooting the way he was, Russell shooting at a high rate and Reaves playing exceptional it keeps the defense always out there,” said James, who had 16 points on 6-for-19 shooting.

    Russell and Beasley also combined to make 10 of the Lakers’ 18 3-pointers as they pulled away in the fourth quarter.

    “We’re not going to always shoot the ball tonight. LeBron and I struggled tonight but we have a complete team. The depth on our team is strong to where we had a very convincing win,” said Davis, who finished with 14 points and 21 rebounds.

    The Suns, who are locked into the fourth spot in the West, rested starters Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. It was the second game of a back-to-back set after Phoenix beat Denver on Thursday.

    Torrey Craig led Phoenix with 18 points, Jock Landale had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Josh Okogie scored 16 points.

    Suns coach Monty Williams did not say if he would sit his core four starters again in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the LA Clippers.

    “We’ll evaluate tomorrow and do what’s best for our guys. Thankfully, we’re in a position where we’ll have time to play next week and get the conditioning level where it needs to be,” he said.

    It was tied at 96 early in the fourth quarter before the Lakers scored 11 straight points as part of a 13-2 run. James had seven points during the spurt and Rui Hachimura added four.

    “I thought we played great, we just couldn’t make a shot in the second half,” Williams said. “They made 18 3s and a lot of them happened at the end of plays. We had a lot of open shots we just couldn’t convert and that happens on a back-to-back.”

    TIP INS

    Suns: Phoenix had a pair of injuries occur during the second quarter. Bismack Biyombo injured his right knee after a collision with Anthony Davis. Earlier, Cameron Payne tweaked his lower back in a hard fall.

    “It’s one of the reasons why you’re cautious this time of the year. We’re grateful that they weren’t worse,” Williams said. “We’ll wait to get all the images and official stuff done before we make anything from an announcement standpoint.”

    Lakers: Beasley scored 11 points in the second quarter. … Davis had eight rebounds during the third quarter.

    UP NEXT

    Suns: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday in what could be a first-round preview.

    Lakers: Host Utah on Sunday.

    ___

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  • Pelicans top Grizzlies 138-131 in OT, earn play-in spot

    Pelicans top Grizzlies 138-131 in OT, earn play-in spot

    NEW ORLEANS — While Herbert Jones makes his living as the Pelicans’ top defender, he can also punish opponents who underestimate his shot.

    Jones highlighted a career-high, 35-point performance with five 3-pointers, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 19-point deficit to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 138-131 in overtime Wednesday night and clinch a play-in spot.

    “I show up every day and put in a ton of work on my jump shot,” said Jones, who repeatedly found himself unguarded by the Grizzlies when he received the ball near the 3-point arc. “I just kind of felt disrespected. I just stayed aggressive and the shots fell.”

    Jones’ fast-break dunk capped a decisive 10-0 run to open the extra period. The surge started with a pair of 3s by Trey Murphy III, who hit seven 3s in the game and finished with 30 points.

    The Pelicans combined to hit 21 3s. CJ McCollum hit six from deep and finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans, while Brandon Ingram overcame a slow start and hit a slew of clutch shots to wind up with 24 points and 13 rebounds.

    The victory guarantees the Pelicans (41-39) at least a top-nine finish in the Western Conference, good enough to get into the play-in. The question is what seeding they’ll have after their final two games. They could get into the top six — and bypass the play-in — if they win twice more and get some help in the form of losses by the Clippers or Warriors.

    “It’s incredible to have the opportunity two years in a row to play in the postseason,” second-year Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “We’re continuing to build. So, for us, this a big step.”

    Jaren Jackson Jr. had 40 points, nine rebounds and four blocks for Memphis, which led for most of regulation despite resting Ja Morant (left hip), Luke Kennard (right ankle) and Xavier Tillman (right ankle).

    Despite those absences, Memphis surged in front by 19 late in the second quarter when Brooks hit a 10-foot turnaround fade to make it 69-50.

    The Grizzlies led for most of regulation and were up 101-89 in the fourth quarter when the Pelicans stunningly turned the game on its head with a 22-6 run during which they made seven 3s — four by Murphy. That put New Orleans in front 111-107 and had the crowd roaring and out of their seats as Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins called timeout.

    Ingram, who scored 10 in the last 3:39 of regulation, hit a 16-foot, pull-up jumper in the face of tight defense from Dillon Brooks to make it 123-118 with 14.3 seconds left, and Trey Murphy III made it 124-118 when he hit one of two free throws with 11 seconds to go.

    Memphis then remarkably forced overtime with a 6-0 run in the last five seconds, starting with Brooks’ corner 3 as he was fouled by Jones.

    Brooks missed the free throw, apparently on purpose in hopes of his team getting a rebound, but New Orleans got it and called timeout, only to turn the ball over on an offensive foul during and inbound.

    New Orleans then fouled Desmond Bane on the dribble with 2.6 seconds left, and he hit one free throw before purposely missing the second. Jaren Jackson rebounded and was fouled as he tried to put the ball back up with 0.4 on the clock. Jackson hit two free throws to tie it at 124.

    But the Pelicans’ resolve seemed undiminished by their collapse in the final seconds regulation.

    “We just understood that we came too far in this game to just let it go to waste,” Murphy said. “It’s one of those wins that builds character. We had lot of adversity, fought back, had more adversity and fought back again.”

    TIP-INS

    Grizzlies: Brooks finished with 25 points, while Bane had 24. Tyus Jones had 13 points, 12 assists and four steals. … Outscored the Pelicans 70-34 in the paint and outrebounded New Orleans 49-44.

    Pelicans: Had three players with 30 points in a game for the first time in franchise history. … The 19-point comeback was their largest this season. … Need one more victory in their last two games to finish with a winning regular season record for the first time since 2017-18, when they went 48-34. … Shot 50% (44 of 88), including 21 of 39 (53.8%) from 3.

    UP NEXT

    Grizzlies: At Milwaukee on Friday night.

    Pelicans: Host New York on Friday night.

    ___

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  • Lakers overtake Timberwolves in standings with 123-111 win

    Lakers overtake Timberwolves in standings with 123-111 win

    MINNEAPOLIS — Anthony Davis scored 17 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter and had 17 rebounds to lift the Los Angeles Lakers past Minnesota 123-111 to leapfrog the Timberwolves on Friday night in the crowded Western Conference playoff race.

    LeBron James added 18 points and 10 rebounds and D’Angelo Russell had 12 points and 10 assists against his former team as the Lakers (39-38) won for the fifth time in six games to move into seventh place. They’re even with New Orleans, owning the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Pelicans.

    Mike Conley had 25 points on 7-for-11 shooting with seven assists before fouling out, and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 23 points for the Timberwolves (39-39), who tumbled into ninth place. They entered the evening one game behind Golden State and the cut to avoid the play-in tournament, with the Warriors tipping off later at home against San Antonio.

    Davis scored 12 straight points for the Lakers over a 3:52 span late in the fourth quarter to seal the steely comeback from a deficit that hit 13 points shortly after halftime. He made five baskets in a row with Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert on the bench.

    The Lakers took charge earlier with a 24-2 spurt over a 6:49 stretch of the third quarter with their defense on lockdown mode. Conley’s turn to rest on the bench during that run was ill-timed. Davis rolled his left ankle around the start of the Lakers surge, a breath-holding sequence that only seemed to energize the visitors.

    The Wolves, whose bench was shortened without center Naz Reid and his broken wrist, went 2 for 14 from 3-point range in the third quarter and were outscored 35-18 in a discouraging stretch for a fired-up crowd that included local sports superstars Justin Jefferson and Kirill Kaprizov in floor seats.

    James has been rebuilding his stamina from the month-long absence to a torn tendon in his right foot, and the second time with this new starting lineup around him of Davis, Russell, Austin Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt produced a second win to start this five-game road trip. The Lakers improved to 9-4 since losing at home to the Wolves on March 3. Davis had 38 points Wednesday in the win at Chicago.

    HELLO, D-LO

    Russell, who was sent to his original team in Los Angeles in a three-team trade with Utah on Feb. 8, was welcomed back to Target Center with a brief tribute video before the player intros. Russell played 173 games for the Timberwolves, the most among the four teams he’s been with.

    “If you’re not here or you haven’t lived here or anything like that, then you’re not aware of how good of a city it is and a sports town, how committed fans are,” he told reporters at the morning shootaround.

    WHISTLE STOP

    Gobert ($25,000) and coach Chris Finch ($15,000) were fined by the NBA earlier in the day for criticizing the officiating Wednesday after their loss at Phoenix when the Suns had 27 free-throw attempts and the Wolves had 12. This time, they went to the line 19 times — making 16 — and the Lakers had 30 tries.

    TIP-INS

    Lakers: Vanderbilt had 12 points. … Another former Wolves player, Malik Beasley, had three first-quarter 3-pointers.

    Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards had 11 points on just 4-for-16 shooting. … Gobert had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

    UP NEXT

    Lakers: At Houston on Sunday night.

    Timberwolves: Host Portland on Sunday.

    ___

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  • Booker leads Suns over Timberwolves in Durant’s home debut

    Booker leads Suns over Timberwolves in Durant’s home debut

    PHOENIX (AP) — Kevin Durant’s a 13-time All-Star, a two-time NBA champion, a four-time league leader in scoring and has done just about everything else a player can do in the game of basketball.

    But even he can get a little nervous on a night like Wednesday.

    Devin Booker scored 29 points, Durant had 16 points and eight rebounds in his home debut and the Phoenix Suns won their third straight game, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 107-100.

    After a huge ovation from the sellout crowd — which waited more than a month to see him play a game in Phoenix after his trade from Brooklyn — Durant missed his first six shots and finished 5 of 18 from the field, though he did hit a couple important 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter.

    “It was hard for me to get sleep today, it was hard for me to stop thinking about the game,” Durant said. “Sometimes you can want it too bad and you come out, start rushing and being uncharacteristic.”

    “I’m glad I’m back, I’m glad I’m playing again and being one of the guys. Just building from here.”

    Even with the nerves, the Suns are 4-0 with Durant in the lineup. The Timberwolves had a four-game winning streak snapped.

    The Suns and Wolves are in the middle of the Western Conference playoff race, fighting to stay in the top six so they don’t fall to the play-in tournament. Every game is crucial at this point — just three wins separated the Nos. 4-11 spots coming into Wednesday.

    The Suns took an 81-74 lead into the fourth quarter and held on in the final minutes.

    Durant changed his shoes at halftime, hoping for some better mojo.

    “I thought he battled on both ends,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “I think his cardio has got to get back to the level he wants it. Once he gets that, we’ll see the Kevin that we all know.”

    Chris Paul added 19 points and six assists for Phoenix.

    Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 31 points. Karl-Anthony Towns added 25.

    Durant played for the first time since March 5. He was warming up for his first home game with the Suns three days later when he sprained his left ankle during pregame preparation. The injury cost him 10 games.

    The timing of that ankle injury — less than an hour before his expected home debut — felt like a bad omen for the Suns, who added the 34-year-old Durant in a blockbuster trade-deadline deal that sent Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and draft picks back to the Nets.

    But Phoenix managed to tread water in the standings without its newest star. His second attempt at the home debut went much better, even if his shooting touch was off.

    The Timberwolves took a 51-48 halftime lead. Towns scored 20 points, hitting four 3-pointers. Booker led the Suns with 12.

    MAD GOBERT

    The Timberwolves — and particularly center Rudy Gobert — were irritated about a 27-12 advantage in free throw attempts for the Suns.

    “It’s really not fair every night,” Gobert said. “I have been in this league for 10 years and I try to always give the benefit of the doubt, but it is hard for me to think that they are not trying to help (the Suns) win tonight.

    “It is hard for me to think that they didn’t try to have the Warriors win the other night or the Sacramento Kings the other night. It is just so obvious as a basketball player. I have been in this league for so long and it is disrespectful.”

    TIP-INS

    Timberwolves: Forwards Taurean Prince and Matt Ryan missed the game with an illness. … Rudy Gobert had 15 rebounds.

    Suns: Hosted a 63rd straight sellout crowd. … Deandre Ayton and Bismack Biyombo both blocked three shots. … Cam Payne scored 11 points off the bench on 5 of 10 shooting.

    UP NEXT

    Timberwolves: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

    Suns: Host Denver on Friday night.

    ___

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  • Kings end long playoff drought with 120-80 win over Blazers

    Kings end long playoff drought with 120-80 win over Blazers

    PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — While a throng of purple-clad visiting fans were already celebrating, De’Aaron Fox was watching from the bench as the moments ticked down in Sacramento’s 120-80 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

    For Fox, drafted by the Kings in 2017, the wait was finally over. Sacramento clinched a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

    “We want to do bigger things, but 16 years — that’s a long time,” Fox said.

    Fox finished with 18 points in the victory, which also gave the Kings home-court advantage. The team’s 16-year playoff drought was the longest in NBA history and the longest active postseason dry spell among teams in the NBA, NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball.

    “Definitely with this team, I think you’re just playing for a higher purpose,” Fox said. “And I think we have a team that’s capable and we know that we can continue to get better.”

    The last time the Kings made the playoffs, Fox was 8 years old.

    Kings rookie Keegan Murray made his 188th 3-pointer of the season with 6:44 to go in the third quarter to set the NBA record, passing Donovan Mitchell’s mark of 187 set in 2017-18. Murray, who flashed an understated grin after the shot fell, finished with 13 points.

    Malik Monk finished with 19 points off the bench and Kevin Huerter added 17. The Kings fans at Portland’s Moda Center celebrated with the team’s rallying cry, “Light the Beam!”

    “For all the support they’ve given us over the years, continuing to come to the arena, heartbreak, frustration and disappointment season after season,” forward Harrison Barnes said. “To finally get this moment for them, it’s everything.”

    The Kings (46-30) sit in third in the Western Conference. The first-place Denver Nuggets and the Memphis Grizzlies, who sit three games back, had already clinched.

    Rookie Shaedon Sharpe had 30 points for the Blazers, who have lost four straight and 10 of their last 11 games. The loss to the Kings eliminated Portland from playoff contention.

    Portland was depleted with regular starters Damian Lillard (right calf), Jusuf Nurkic (right knee), Anfernee Simons (right foot) and Jerami Grant (left quad) all nursing injuries. It got a bit worse for Portland on Wednesday when Keon Johnson, who had 20 points in a loss to New Orleans on Monday, broke a finger in shootaround. Only seven Blazers played.

    The Kings are 23-14 on the road this season, third-best in the NBA. And they’ve avoided extended losing streaks: The team’s longest came at the start of the season when the Kings opened with four straight.

    “Our guys are excited about it,” Kings coach Mike Brown said about finally reaching the playoffs. “They’re excited about the way that they played tonight and the accomplishments that they’ve had so far. They were excited for Keegan. But in the same breath, and not to downplay anything, they expect more.”

    Portland had a 20-19 edge after the first quarter, but the Kings took over, going up 44-32 on Huerter’s 3-pointer with 3:51 to go before halftime. Portland closed the gap to 50-46 at the break.

    The Kings went on to lead by as many as 40 points in the second half. Domantas Sabonis finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

    “Biggest difference was in the second half, they started making 3s, and they’re that type of team,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “They’re going to play the same way. They’re going to shoot a lot of 3s, and miss or make, they’re going to play that way. We just couldn’t keep up.”

    PRAISE FOR MURRAY

    Murray’s milestone was not lost on Brown in the midst of the celebrating.

    “Breaking any type of records at the highest level in anything you do is absolutely amazing. And to see Keegan do that tonight, with the way he’s played all year and how hard he’s worked, was an amazing feat,” Brown said. “You don’t take that for granted. That is hard to do when you’re talking about something in the history of something.”

    TIP-INS

    Kings: The Kings were also in a position to clinch Monday, but they fell to Minnesota 119-115. … “I think every experience that we’ve gone through this year can help translate (to the playoffs),” Brown said before the game. “But I’m telling you, we’ll experience it in the playoffs at another level. And every round you advance in the playoffs, it’s going to even take it up another notch.”

    Trail Blazers: It will likely be the second straight season the Blazers have missed the postseason. … Forward Justise Winslow had surgery Wednesday on his left ankle. He is expected to be ready to play next season.

    UP NEXT

    The Kings and the Trail Blazers play again Friday night at the Moda Center.

    ___

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  • Kings end long playoff drought with 120-80 win over Blazers

    Kings end long playoff drought with 120-80 win over Blazers

    PORTLAND, Ore. — While a throng of purple-clad visiting fans were already celebrating, De’Aaron Fox was watching from the bench as the moments ticked down in Sacramento’s 120-80 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

    For Fox, drafted by the Kings in 2017, the wait was finally over. Sacramento clinched a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

    “We want to do bigger things, but 16 years — that’s a long time,” Fox said.

    Fox finished with 18 points in the victory, which also gave the Kings home-court advantage. The team’s 16-year playoff drought was the longest in NBA history and the longest active postseason dry spell among teams in the NBA, NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball.

    “Definitely with this team, I think you’re just playing for a higher purpose,” Fox said. “And I think we have a team that’s capable and we know that we can continue to get better.”

    The last time the Kings made the playoffs, Fox was 8 years old.

    Kings rookie Keegan Murray made his 188th 3-pointer of the season with 6:44 to go in the third quarter to set the NBA record, passing Donovan Mitchell’s mark of 187 set in 2017-18. Murray, who flashed an understated grin after the shot fell, finished with 13 points.

    Malik Monk finished with 19 points off the bench and Kevin Huerter added 17. The Kings fans at Portland’s Moda Center celebrated with the team’s rallying cry, “Light the Beam!”

    “For all the support they’ve given us over the years, continuing to come to the arena, heartbreak, frustration and disappointment season after season,” forward Harrison Barnes said. “To finally get this moment for them, it’s everything.”

    The Kings (46-30) sit in third in the Western Conference. The first-place Denver Nuggets and the Memphis Grizzlies, who sit three games back, had already clinched.

    Rookie Shaedon Sharpe had 30 points for the Blazers, who have lost four straight and 10 of their last 11 games. The loss to the Kings eliminated Portland from playoff contention.

    Portland was depleted with regular starters Damian Lillard (right calf), Jusuf Nurkic (right knee), Anfernee Simons (right foot) and Jerami Grant (left quad) all nursing injuries. It got a bit worse for Portland on Wednesday when Keon Johnson, who had 20 points in a loss to New Orleans on Monday, broke a finger in shootaround. Only seven Blazers played.

    The Kings are 23-14 on the road this season, third-best in the NBA. And they’ve avoided extended losing streaks: The team’s longest came at the start of the season when the Kings opened with four straight.

    “Our guys are excited about it,” Kings coach Mike Brown said about finally reaching the playoffs. “They’re excited about the way that they played tonight and the accomplishments that they’ve had so far. They were excited for Keegan. But in the same breath, and not to downplay anything, they expect more.”

    Portland had a 20-19 edge after the first quarter, but the Kings took over, going up 44-32 on Huerter’s 3-pointer with 3:51 to go before halftime. Portland closed the gap to 50-46 at the break.

    The Kings went on to lead by as many as 40 points in the second half. Domantas Sabonis finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

    “Biggest difference was in the second half, they started making 3s, and they’re that type of team,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “They’re going to play the same way. They’re going to shoot a lot of 3s, and miss or make, they’re going to play that way. We just couldn’t keep up.”

    PRAISE FOR MURRAY

    Murray’s milestone was not lost on Brown in the midst of the celebrating.

    “Breaking any type of records at the highest level in anything you do is absolutely amazing. And to see Keegan do that tonight, with the way he’s played all year and how hard he’s worked, was an amazing feat,” Brown said. “You don’t take that for granted. That is hard to do when you’re talking about something in the history of something.”

    TIP-INS

    Kings: The Kings were also in a position to clinch Monday, but they fell to Minnesota 119-115. … “I think every experience that we’ve gone through this year can help translate (to the playoffs),” Brown said before the game. “But I’m telling you, we’ll experience it in the playoffs at another level. And every round you advance in the playoffs, it’s going to even take it up another notch.”

    Trail Blazers: It will likely be the second straight season the Blazers have missed the postseason. … Forward Justise Winslow had surgery Wednesday on his left ankle. He is expected to be ready to play next season.

    UP NEXT

    The Kings and the Trail Blazers play again Friday night at the Moda Center.

    ___

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  • Anthony Davis scores 37, Lakers hold off Thunder 116-111

    Anthony Davis scores 37, Lakers hold off Thunder 116-111

    LOS ANGELES — Anthony Davis had 37 points and 14 rebounds, Dennis Schröder added 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and the Los Angeles Lakers got a vital victory for their playoff hopes, 116-111 over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.

    Lonnie Walker scored 20 points in an impressive return to the rotation for the Lakers, who won their third straight to move even with Minnesota in seventh place in the Western Conference standings despite the injury absences of LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell.

    “It was a must-win game for us,” said Davis, who made 15 of his 21 shots. “We had to come out and get this game, and we came out offensive and defensively just playing extremely well. … We’ve got to .500, and now it’s time to get on the other side.”

    With Davis leading the way on both ends of the court, Los Angeles (37-37) reached .500 for the first time this year. The Lakers started the season 2-10, but they’re 12-6 since the trade deadline with a rapidly cohering roster and the looming return of the NBA’s career scoring leader.

    “This team is locked in and connected,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “The vibe and the spirit have been great. Guys are really trying to figure out how we can be better. That’s what you want. … Guys are competing because they know what they’re representing. They know the history of the franchise they’re representing.”

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey scored 27 points apiece for Oklahoma City, which lost for only the fourth time in 12 games down the stretch. The Thunder (36-38) dropped into a tie with Dallas for 10th in the West despite holding the Lakers to only 42 points in the second half after LA put up 41 in the first quarter alone.

    “That’s a testament to our ability to scrap and hang in there,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “That’s how you want teams to score against you. All the things they got down the stretch are things we’re willing to live with. It’s hard to slow that down.”

    Russell sat out with a sore right hip, joining James on the sideline at an important game for the Lakers’ playoff hopes. Los Angeles still improved to 8-5 during James’ latest injury absence.

    Oklahoma City erased all of Los Angeles’ early 17-point lead when Gilgeous-Alexander’s jumper tied it at 102-102 with 5:25 to play. Davis responded with three points, and Walker hit a tiebreaking shot with 3:50 left.

    Schröder replaced Russell in the starting lineup and had another standout game, including six points in the final 3:18 while the Lakers hung on. Walker got his most significant playing time since early March in Russell’s absence, and the former starter responded with four 3-pointers.

    “I’ve just been in the gym, being positive and focused on what we’re trying to accomplish,” Walker said. “I love these guys, and I’m fortunate to play with them.”

    Ham said Russell’s hip injury was “not too serious, but serious enough where we need to manage it.”

    Gilgeous-Alexander played despite the Thunder being on the back end of consecutive games. The Thunder have been resting him in the second game of recent back-to-backs.

    TIP-INS

    Thunder: Aleksej Pokuševski dressed for the first time since breaking his left leg in December. The Serbian big man didn’t play, but he has been playing in the G League. … Luguentz Dort scored 15 points.

    Lakers: Used their 37th starting lineup in 74 games this season. … Walker played 24 minutes in his first action since March 15. He started 32 games this season.

    UP NEXT

    Thunder: At Portland on Sunday.

    Lakers: Host Chicago on Sunday.

    ___

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  • Grizzlies clinch playoff berth with 151-114 rout of Rockets

    Grizzlies clinch playoff berth with 151-114 rout of Rockets

    MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Luke Kennard made a franchise-record 10 3-pointers to match his career high with 30 points, Desmond Bane added 25 points and the Memphis Grizzlies clinched a playoff spot after building a 31-point halftime lead and coasting to a 151-114 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday night.

    Kennard, acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in a trade deadline deal Feb. 9, connected on 10 of 11 shots from outside the arc — only the second player in NBA history to score 30 points all on 3-pointers. Bane was 5 of 7 from 3-point range as Memphis made 25 3-pointers to set a franchise mark.

    “When you start hitting a couple in a row, usually about three for me, I start feeling it a little bit,” Kennard said. “It’s the kind of thing where once it leaves your hand, you think it’s going in. So, it was pretty fun.”

    Ja Morant scored 18 points and had eight assists in his second game after serving an eight-game league-imposed suspension after he posted a video in which he is shown waving a gun at a Denver-area strip club. Morant, as he did in his first game back Wednesday also against the Rockets, again came off the bench. He entered with 5:08 left in the first quarter.

    Jaren Jackson Jr. also scored 18 points and had seven rebounds and two blocks for Memphis, which had the second-most points in franchise history. The Grizzlies won their 11th straight at home and moved within three games of idle Denver, which holds the top spot in the Western Conference.

    Tari Eason had 21 points to lead Houston, while Kevin Porter Jr. and Jabari Smith Jr. each had 20. Porter also had seven assists and six rebounds. Smith grabbed eight boards.

    Unlike Wednesday night’s game between the teams that was closely played, Memphis put this one out of reach in the first half. The Grizzlies shot 60% overall in the half, connected on 14 of 25 from outside the arc and built the advantage to as many as 31 with an 83-52 lead at the break.

    “We weren’t physical with them. They were physical with us,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “We were just letting them run around wherever they wanted. Obviously, Kennard got going and we were just late (defending the 3-point line).”

    While Memphis isn’t normally known for its 3-point shooting, Silas noted that Kennard and Bane combined to make 15 long-range shots.

    “Kennard was 10 for 11. The guy was going,” Silas said.

    For Kennard, it was the best game for Memphis since the trade. Soon after he arrived, he was reluctant to take shots as he became more comfortable with his new team. From coaches to players, all have encouraged him to take his shot.

    “Obviously, he’s coming out talking about how we’ve been on him, his teammates have been on him talking about being more aggressive,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “You see his confidence building one game at a time.

    “This is why we made the trade for him.”

    TIP-INS

    Rockets: Kenyon Martin Jr., who has connected on 59% of his shots since the All-Star break, was 4 of 6 from the field. … Houston has lost five straight in the series, the longest losing streak of either team. … The Rockets are 1-5 in their last six road games.

    Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks returned and started after serving his second one-game suspension for technical fouls. Brooks has 18 this season. The next threshold for another one-game suspension is his 20th technical. … Memphis went undefeated at home against the Southwest Division. Their only two division losses — to Dallas and New Orleans — both came on the road. … Bane passed Rudy Gay for fifth in franchise history for 3-pointers made. … The previous record for 3s in a game was nine, twice by Mike Miller and once by Jackson Jr.

    UP NEXT

    Rockets: Continue a five-game road trip in Cleveland on Sunday.

    Grizzlies: At Atlanta on Sunday to face the Hawks

    ___

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  • Markkanen’s scoring, Kessler’s block lifts Jazz past Celtics

    Markkanen’s scoring, Kessler’s block lifts Jazz past Celtics

    SALT LAKE CITY — Lauri Markkanen scored 28 points and Walker Kessler had a game-saving block to help the Utah Jazz to a 118-117 comeback win over the Boston Celtics on Saturday night.

    Grant Williams, who had 23 points and a career-high seven 3-pointers, was driving for a potential game-winner but ran into Kessler, who blocked his shot just before the final buzzer.

    “I figured he was going to shot fake so I stayed down and tried to time it as best as I could and I got a hand on it,” Kessler said about his rejection at the rim.

    The play was designed to go to Jayson Tatum on a dribble handoff, but Williams had 12 points in the fourth quarter and took it to the hoop.

    “I’m not frustrated at Grant. If he made it, everybody would be happy. It’s not why we lost, that last play,” Tatum said.

    Talen Horton-Tucker had 19 points and Ochai Agbaji added 16 for the Jazz, who overcame a 19-point deficit to win and stay in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.

    “We want to make the playoffs,” said Markkanen of his team that was universally picked near the bottom of the league before the season began. “That playoff intensity will just help this young team grow.”

    Jaylen Brown scored 25 points, Malcolm Brogdon had 16 and Tatum finished with 15, but was shut out in the second half as the short-handed Celtics were playing their third game in four nights.

    “Our physicality waned,” Williams said. “They started playing more aggressive and … we started playing a little more passively.”

    The Jazz played a hybrid zone defense at times and doubled Tatum whenever they could on the perimeter. That left other Celtics wide open, especially in the corners as the Jazz scrambled to keep up.

    The Celtics (49-23) made 22 3-pointers, one off their season high, but missed enough down the stretch for the Jazz to pull off the win.

    “Our defensive intensity picked up and our communication got better,” Utah coach Will Hardy said.

    After Brown’s 3-pointer gave the Celtics a 117-113 lead with 1:19 to play, Markkanen made a 3-pointer and Horton-Tucker drove for a layup while Tatum missed two jumpers.

    But the Jazz allowed the Celtics one last chance when Horton-Tucker dribbled for 20 seconds and then lost the ball out of bounds.

    Kessler, who had 12 points and 14 rebounds, saved Utah’s comeback effort with the defensive play of the game and his third blocked shot.

    Kelly Olynyk had 13 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for the Jazz (34-36), who have won three of four.

    The Jazz hadn’t played a home game since Feb. 28 and were coming off five days of rest after a six-game trip.

    Meanwhile, the injury-riddled Celtics were looking for someone to score, and the Jazz were daring somebody other than Tatum to beat them.

    “I was just playing the game the right way. They were trying to get the ball out of my hands,” Tatum said.

    Williams nearly pulled it off, but was one shot short.

    Regular Boston starters Marcus Smart (hip) and Al Horford (back) missed the game. Fortunately, Brogdon (Achilles) made his return.

    The Jazz weren’t at full strength either, with Jordan Clarkson (thumb) and Collin Sexton (hamstring) on the injured list.

    Despite Tatum going scoreless in the third quarter, Brogdon hit a 3 and fed Luke Kornet for a dunk to power a 16-3 Boston run and make it 91-85 with 39 seconds left in the third.

    The Celtics led 64-57 at the half on the strength of 13 3-pointers and Tatum’s three free throws after being fouled with 0.4 seconds left in the second quarter.

    THE DO-FLY ZONE

    Olynyk and Markkanen asked Hardy to revisit the zone the Jazz had tried without much success earlier in the season.

    It looked like a 1-3-1 zone at times with switching and doubling, especially when Tatum or Brown had the ball. Once the Jazz went down 19, Hardy didn’t feel like he had much to lose.

    “He’s super open-minded. He’s an outside-the-box thinker and loves that kind of stuff and all the different opportunities and possibilities,” Olynyk said.

    Markkannen lobbied for it because of the team’s youth and athleticism with Kessler as the anchor.

    “It’s chaos,” Markkanen said. “Just flying around, really trying to mess up their rhythm and make them hesitate on their decision making.”

    TIP-INS Celtics: Robert Williams III (hamstring) missed his eighth game in a row, while Payton Pritchard (heel) has been held out of six straight. … Brown was called for a Flagrant Penalty 1 on Walker Kessler’s drive with 1:43 to play, but Kessler missed both free throws. … The Celtics committed six turnovers.

    Jazz: Outscored Boston in the paint, 48-30. … Kelly Olynyk got a technical when he was on the bench in the first quarter. … The Jazz outrebounded the Celtic 56-40 and had 20 second-chance points.

    UP NEXT

    Celtics: At Sacramento on Tuesday to finish their season-high six-game road trip.

    Jazz: Host Sacramento on Monday.

    ___

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