SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Keldon Johnson scored 28 points and the San Antonio Spurs defeated the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers 113-92 on Sunday night to strengthen their bid for a play-in berth.
Coupled with the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss to Denver, San Antonio’s magic number for clinching 10th place in the Western Conference is two games. The Spurs (33-45) also hold the tiebreaker over the Lakers (31-47) with a better conference record.
San Antonio won a two-game weekend series with Portland to complete a four-game sweep of the Trail Blazers. It was the sixth win in seven games for the resurgent Spurs.
San Antonio's Zach Collins had 18 points and 13 rebounds for his first career double-double. Tre Jones added 18 points and Keita Bates-Diop 12.
The Blazers struggled to maintain any consistency offensively without Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic, Josh Hart, Eric Bledsoe, Anfernee Simmons and several other injured players.
Keon Johnson and Ben McLemore had 19 points each to lead Portland.
San Antonio was without Dejounte Murray and Jakob Poeltl.
As they did Friday, the Trail Blazers took an early lead as the Spurs struggled to adjust without its missing starters.
Johnson responded with his sixth straight 20-point game.
San Antonio outscored Portland 34-16 in the third quarter to overcome a 13-point deficit. 
The Spurs tied the game at 23 on a runner by Josh Richardson off a pair of offensive rebounds and then took the lead on Lonnie Walker IV’s 3-pointer.
The Blazers regained the lead in the second quarter, much to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich’s dismay. The veteran called a timeout with 7 minutes remaining after San Antonio allowed a 3-pointer that put up Portland up 43-37.
The Blazers were 6 for 10 on 3-pointers in the second quarter and shot 52% overall in the period. Portland finished 16 for 44 on 3-pointers and shot 40% overall.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Portland has lost four straight to San Antonio. The Trail Blazers' last victory at the AT&amp;T Center was May 8, 2021. ... Portland is 27-51, its first 50-loss season since going 32-50 in 2007. ... Rookie F Greg Brown III was assessed a clear path foul with 11:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. After committing a turnover, Brown began attempting to wrap up Tre Jones near midcourt on a fast break. ... G Kris Dunn received a flagrant foul 1 after hitting Johnson in the head on a layup attempt with 8 minutes remaining in the fourth. Initially ruled a common foul, the penalty was changed after video review. Johnson had to reinsert a contact lens before shooting free throws. 
Spurs: San Antonio star Manu Ginobili received a standing ovation after the Spurs honored the Argentinian for his selection to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Spurs showed a video of Ginobili receiving a call from Hall of Fame president John Doleva informing him of the selection. San Antonio then cut to a live shot of Ginobili, who was in attendance — which drew another huge roar and standing ovation. ... Murray and Poeltl were both late scratches from the starting lineup. Murray is still battling a non-COVID upper respiratory illness. Poeltl has a back injury. ... Collins was a rebound shy of completing his first career double-double on Friday. ... C Jock Landale did not return after spraining his right foot 30 seconds into the second quarter. After writhing in pain on the court for about a minute, Landale walked back to the locker room unassisted. ... Romeo Langford played for the first time since March 7 after missing 12 straight games due to an injured hamstring.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.
Spurs: At Denver on Tuesday night.
—
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Keldon Johnson scored 28 points and the San Antonio Spurs defeated the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers 113-92 on Sunday night to strengthen their bid for a play-in berth.
Coupled with the Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; loss to Denver, San Antonio&rsquo;s magic number for clinching 10th place in the Western Conference is two games. The Spurs (33-45) also hold the tiebreaker over the Lakers (31-47) with a better conference record.
San Antonio won a two-game weekend series with Portland to complete a four-game sweep of the Trail Blazers. It was the sixth win in seven games for the resurgent Spurs.
San Antonio's Zach Collins had 18 points and 13 rebounds for his first career double-double. Tre Jones added 18 points and Keita Bates-Diop 12.
The Blazers struggled to maintain any consistency offensively without Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic, Josh Hart, Eric Bledsoe, Anfernee Simmons and several other injured players.
Keon Johnson and Ben McLemore had 19 points each to lead Portland.
San Antonio was without Dejounte Murray and Jakob Poeltl.
As they did Friday, the Trail Blazers took an early lead as the Spurs struggled to adjust without its missing starters.
Johnson responded with his sixth straight 20-point game.
San Antonio outscored Portland 34-16 in the third quarter to overcome a 13-point deficit.
The Spurs tied the game at 23 on a runner by Josh Richardson off a pair of offensive rebounds and then took the lead on Lonnie Walker IV&rsquo;s 3-pointer.
The Blazers regained the lead in the second quarter, much to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich&rsquo;s dismay. The veteran called a timeout with 7 minutes remaining after San Antonio allowed a 3-pointer that put up Portland up 43-37.
The Blazers were 6 for 10 on 3-pointers in the second quarter and shot 52% overall in the period. Portland finished 16 for 44 on 3-pointers and shot 40% overall.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Portland has lost four straight to San Antonio. The Trail Blazers' last victory at the AT&amp;T Center was May 8, 2021. ... Portland is 27-51, its first 50-loss season since going 32-50 in 2007. ... Rookie F Greg Brown III was assessed a clear path foul with 11:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. After committing a turnover, Brown began attempting to wrap up Tre Jones near midcourt on a fast break. ... G Kris Dunn received a flagrant foul 1 after hitting Johnson in the head on a layup attempt with 8 minutes remaining in the fourth. Initially ruled a common foul, the penalty was changed after video review. Johnson had to reinsert a contact lens before shooting free throws.
Spurs: San Antonio star Manu Ginobili received a standing ovation after the Spurs honored the Argentinian for his selection to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Spurs showed a video of Ginobili receiving a call from Hall of Fame president John Doleva informing him of the selection. San Antonio then cut to a live shot of Ginobili, who was in attendance &mdash; which drew another huge roar and standing ovation. ... Murray and Poeltl were both late scratches from the starting lineup. Murray is still battling a non-COVID upper respiratory illness. Poeltl has a back injury. ... Collins was a rebound shy of completing his first career double-double on Friday. ... C Jock Landale did not return after spraining his right foot 30 seconds into the second quarter. After writhing in pain on the court for about a minute, Landale walked back to the locker room unassisted. ... Romeo Langford played for the first time since March 7 after missing 12 straight games due to an injured hamstring.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.
Spurs: At Denver on Tuesday night.

Keldon Johnson led the San Antonio Spurs with 28 points in their play-in strengthening win against the Trail Blazers.

Spurs top short-handed Blazers to strengthen play-in hopes

TORONTO (AP) — Raptors fans and guard Kyle Lowry finally got to enjoy their long-awaited reunion Sunday.
The six-time All-Star guard returned to Toronto for the first time in more than two years, his first trip back north of the border since an offseason trade to the Miami Heat.
“I missed everything about the city, the country, the organization,” Lowry said in a pregame press conference. “It’s a lot to miss.”
A key part of Toronto’s NBA championship in 2019, Lowry spent nine seasons with the Raptors. He remains the franchise leader in assists (4,277), steals (873), 3-pointers (1,518) and triple-doubles (16).
“It’s a place I called home for a long time,” Lowry said of his emotions about returning to his old arena. “I won a lot of basketball games here, set a lot of records here. I’ve got a banner hanging up in there. It’s just a special place.
“It’s not my home building anymore, but it’s a place I’ll always call home.”
After a video tribute spanning his Raptors career, Lowry was introduced as a visitor the same way he once was as a local star, with the words “From North Philly to your city…”
With a full house of cheering fans on their feet, Lowry led his two young sons to center court, holding his hands aloft in gratitude but managing to contain his emotions. He’d previously suggested he might cry but pledged before the game to try and hold it in.
“I know if I cry, DeMar’s going to make fun of me and it’s going to go viral and all that stuff,” Lowry said, referring to longtime teammate DeMar DeRozan. “I’m looking forward to just being in the moment.”
Lowry last played in Toronto on Feb. 28, 2020, when the defending champion Raptors lost to Charlotte.
“I’m going to be honest, I don’t even remember who we played,” Lowry said.
Less than two weeks later, the NBA season was shut down by the pandemic, eventually resuming at Walt Disney World, where Toronto’s title defense ended in a seven-game loss to Boston in the second round.
With the Canadian border still closed by COVID-19, the Raptors were forced to relocate to Tampa, Florida for Lowry’s final season with the team in 2020-21, depriving Toronto fans of a proper goodbye.
Struggling to win in their temporary home after the team was hit by a coronavirus outbreak, Toronto nearly traded Lowry at the deadline last season. Instead, they moved him to Miami in the summer, landing guard Goran Dragic and forward Precious Achiuwa in exchange.
“It was just time,” Lowry said of his amicable Toronto exit. “It was like naturally a good phase out. It was time for the next phase.”
Lowry found the perfect accessory for the stylish blue suit he wore to his pregame press conference: his massive, diamond-studded ring from Toronto’s 2019 championship.
“It’s special to me and the city, and the country, and the organization, so why not wear it?” Lowry said.
Earlier, Toronto Mayor John Tory officially proclaimed Sunday “Kyle Lowry Day” in the city to mark the star guard’s return. In a video posted to Twitter, the mayor praised Lowry for both his play and his off-court charitable work.
“We love him, we will always love him,” Tory said.
Lowry didn’t play between Jan. 15 and Feb. 3 because of personal reasons, missing all three previous meetings between the Heat and Raptors. Those games included Miami’s Feb. 1 visit to Toronto, which was played before just a few hundred fans because of Ontario government restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those restrictions have since been lifted, and a large crowd arrived early to welcome Lowry back to Toronto, cheering when he came out for warmups.
While Raptors fans were delighted to see Lowry back in town, coach Nick Nurse wasn’t laying out the welcome mat for his former star.
“I hope to God we ruin his night,” Nurse joked.
Lowry insisted he was up to meeting Nurse's challenge.
“As a competitor, I know the competitiveness is going to come out, so I’m going to try to win it,” he said, “but I’m going to enjoy this moment and enjoy being here.”
With Heat coach Erik Spoelstra entering the health and safety protocols Sunday., assistant Chris Quinn led the Heat in Lowry’s emotional return. Quinn said Lowry has made a big impact on Miami since his arrival.
“A guy with his stature, his leadership qualities, he’s brought our team to another level,” Quinn said. “We certainly enjoy being around him and learning from him.”
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; Raptors fans and guard Kyle Lowry finally got to enjoy their long-awaited reunion Sunday.
The six-time All-Star guard returned to Toronto for the first time in more than two years, his first trip back north of the border since an offseason trade to the Miami Heat.
&ldquo;I missed everything about the city, the country, the organization,&rdquo; Lowry said in a pregame press conference. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a lot to miss.&rdquo;
A key part of Toronto&rsquo;s NBA championship in 2019, Lowry spent nine seasons with the Raptors. He remains the franchise leader in assists (4,277), steals (873), 3-pointers (1,518) and triple-doubles (16).
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a place I called home for a long time,&rdquo; Lowry said of his emotions about returning to his old arena. &ldquo;I won a lot of basketball games here, set a lot of records here. I&rsquo;ve got a banner hanging up in there. It&rsquo;s just a special place.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not my home building anymore, but it&rsquo;s a place I&rsquo;ll always call home.&rdquo;
After a video tribute spanning his Raptors career, Lowry was introduced as a visitor the same way he once was as a local star, with the words &ldquo;From North Philly to your city&hellip;&rdquo;
With a full house of cheering fans on their feet, Lowry led his two young sons to center court, holding his hands aloft in gratitude but managing to contain his emotions. He&rsquo;d previously suggested he might cry but pledged before the game to try and hold it in.
&ldquo;I know if I cry, DeMar&rsquo;s going to make fun of me and it&rsquo;s going to go viral and all that stuff,&rdquo; Lowry said, referring to longtime teammate DeMar DeRozan. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking forward to just being in the moment.&rdquo;
Lowry last played in Toronto on Feb. 28, 2020, when the defending champion Raptors lost to Charlotte.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to be honest, I don&rsquo;t even remember who we played,&rdquo; Lowry said.
Less than two weeks later, the NBA season was shut down by the pandemic, eventually resuming at Walt Disney World, where Toronto&rsquo;s title defense ended in a seven-game loss to Boston in the second round.
With the Canadian border still closed by COVID-19, the Raptors were forced to relocate to Tampa, Florida for Lowry&rsquo;s final season with the team in 2020-21, depriving Toronto fans of a proper goodbye.
Struggling to win in their temporary home after the team was hit by a coronavirus outbreak, Toronto nearly traded Lowry at the deadline last season. Instead, they moved him to Miami in the summer, landing guard Goran Dragic and forward Precious Achiuwa in exchange.
&ldquo;It was just time,&rdquo; Lowry said of his amicable Toronto exit. &ldquo;It was like naturally a good phase out. It was time for the next phase.&rdquo;
Lowry found the perfect accessory for the stylish blue suit he wore to his pregame press conference: his massive, diamond-studded ring from Toronto&rsquo;s 2019 championship.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s special to me and the city, and the country, and the organization, so why not wear it?&rdquo; Lowry said.
Earlier, Toronto Mayor John Tory officially proclaimed Sunday &ldquo;Kyle Lowry Day&rdquo; in the city to mark the star guard&rsquo;s return. In a video posted to Twitter, the mayor praised Lowry for both his play and his off-court charitable work.
&ldquo;We love him, we will always love him,&rdquo; Tory said.
Lowry didn&rsquo;t play between Jan. 15 and Feb. 3 because of personal reasons, missing all three previous meetings between the Heat and Raptors. Those games included Miami&rsquo;s Feb. 1 visit to Toronto, which was played before just a few hundred fans because of Ontario government restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those restrictions have since been lifted, and a large crowd arrived early to welcome Lowry back to Toronto, cheering when he came out for warmups.
While Raptors fans were delighted to see Lowry back in town, coach Nick Nurse wasn&rsquo;t laying out the welcome mat for his former star.
&ldquo;I hope to God we ruin his night,&rdquo; Nurse joked.
Lowry insisted he was up to meeting Nurse's challenge.
&ldquo;As a competitor, I know the competitiveness is going to come out, so I&rsquo;m going to try to win it,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;m going to enjoy this moment and enjoy being here.&rdquo;
With Heat coach Erik Spoelstra entering the health and safety protocols Sunday., assistant Chris Quinn led the Heat in Lowry&rsquo;s emotional return. Quinn said Lowry has made a big impact on Miami since his arrival.
&ldquo;A guy with his stature, his leadership qualities, he&rsquo;s brought our team to another level,&rdquo; Quinn said. &ldquo;We certainly enjoy being around him and learning from him.&rdquo;

Kyle Lowry returned to play in Toronto for the first time in two years and was happy to be home.

Toronto fans shower Lowry with love in long-awaited return

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Luka Doncic continues to feel right at home when he’s facing the Milwaukee Bucks, even when his Dallas Mavericks are on the road facing a fourth-quarter deficit.
Doncic scored 32 points and matched a season high with 15 assists to help the Mavericks defeat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champion Bucks 118-112 on Sunday.
“Obviously, when you play against superstars like Giannis today, you always have extra motivation,” Doncic said. “He’s a champion, a two-time MVP.”
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Milwaukee was essentially at full strength Sunday after resting all of its usual starters in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-los-angeles-clippers-nba-sports-amir-coffey-04314a6d25c3feecb162c802fbb5120e">153-119 loss </a> to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
Doncic flirted with a triple-double before finishing with eight rebounds. In six career games against the Bucks, Doncic has averaged 26.8 points, 11.3 assists and 9.2 rebounds with three triple-doubles.
“He’s one of the most talented players in the league, one of the most talented players probably ever to play this game,” Antetokounmpo said. 
Antetokounmpo added that “we tried to make it tough for him, but he played well.”
Dallas’ Dwight Powell added 22 points and 13 rebounds — one off his career high — and the Mavericks bounced back two days after a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dallas-mavericks-washington-wizards-nba-sports-jason-kidd-77c63b8a4a0a560dca39ed8cd8dc0c58">135-103 loss</a> at Washington.
“On the road against the champs, it’s a hard place to win, especially after we had that performance in Washington,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “This group in the locker room knows they can respond."
After a basket by Bobby Portis briefly gave the Bucks a one-point lead early in the fourth, Doncic led the Mavericks back by scoring or assisting on each of Dallas’ first 11 points in the final period.
Doncic hit a 3-pointer to put the Mavericks back ahead 93-91 with 9:04 left. He made a pair of free throws just over a minute later to make it 95-91. He capped the 8-0 run by finding Dorian Finney-Smith for a corner 3-pointer with 7:20 left.
Antetokounmpo made two free throws to cut the margin to five, but Doncic found Reggie Bullock for a corner 3-pointer that extended Dallas’ lead to 101-93 with 6:55 remaining.
“He’s able to pick apart whatever a defense is throwing at him,” said Jalen Brunson, who scored 15 points for the Mavericks.
Milwaukee's Jrue Holiday sank a 3-pointer to cut the Mavericks’ lead to 101-98 midway through the fourth quarter. Powell responded by converting a conventional three-point play to make it 104-98 with 5:52 remaining.
The margin didn’t drop below five the rest of the way.
Bullock had 16 points and Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie had 11 each for the Mavericks. Holiday had 20, Portis 17, Brook Lopez 14, Pat Connaughton 12 and Khris Middleton 11 for the Bucks.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Maxi Kleber didn’t play due to a sore right ankle. ... Mavericks coach Jason Kidd congratulated former Dallas coach Del Harris for his selection to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame on Saturday, but said it’s about time another former Mavericks coach gets honored as well. “We’re all excited for him and his family because he should have been in there a long time ago,” Kidd said before the game. “The next guy we have to try to get in is Dick Motta. He should be in, too, a coach that maybe didn’t do the politic thing, but he came to work every day and so he’s the one that should be in the Hall of Fame next. Hopefully we can get him in.” ... This was Kidd’s first game in Milwaukee as a visiting head coach since the end of his own Bucks tenure. Kidd, who’s in his first season with Dallas, coached the Bucks from 2015-18.
Bucks: Antetokounmpo’s season scoring average remained at 30.1 points. He entered the day ranked second in the league to LeBron James (30.3). Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid was averaging 30.0 points. Antetokounmpo has never won the scoring title. 
CLOSE CALL
The Mavericks were leading 106-101 with 4:47 left when Holiday was called for fouling Doncic on a 3-point attempt. The Bucks challenged the call, but officials determined after looking at the replay that Holiday had made contact with Doncic’s head.
Doncic made all three of his ensuing free throws.
“Jrue told me after the game, ‘You’re welcome for the haircut,'" Doncic quipped. “But he got me a little bit, though. I think that’s a foul.”
UP NEXT
Mavericks: At Detroit on Wednesday. The Mavericks will be completing a four-game trip before finishing the regular season with two home games. 
Bucks: At Chicago on Tuesday. The Bucks are 3-0 against the Bulls this season.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic continues to feel right at home when he&rsquo;s facing the Milwaukee Bucks, even when his Dallas Mavericks are on the road facing a fourth-quarter deficit.
Doncic scored 32 points and matched a season high with 15 assists to help the Mavericks defeat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champion Bucks 118-112 on Sunday.
&ldquo;Obviously, when you play against superstars like Giannis today, you always have extra motivation,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a champion, a two-time MVP.&rdquo;
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Milwaukee was essentially at full strength Sunday after resting all of its usual starters in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-los-angeles-clippers-nba-sports-amir-coffey-04314a6d25c3feecb162c802fbb5120e">153-119 loss </a> to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
Doncic flirted with a triple-double before finishing with eight rebounds. In six career games against the Bucks, Doncic has averaged 26.8 points, 11.3 assists and 9.2 rebounds with three triple-doubles.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of the most talented players in the league, one of the most talented players probably ever to play this game,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said.
Antetokounmpo added that &ldquo;we tried to make it tough for him, but he played well.&rdquo;
Dallas&rsquo; Dwight Powell added 22 points and 13 rebounds &mdash; one off his career high &mdash; and the Mavericks bounced back two days after a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dallas-mavericks-washington-wizards-nba-sports-jason-kidd-77c63b8a4a0a560dca39ed8cd8dc0c58">135-103 loss</a> at Washington.
&ldquo;On the road against the champs, it&rsquo;s a hard place to win, especially after we had that performance in Washington,&rdquo; Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;This group in the locker room knows they can respond."
After a basket by Bobby Portis briefly gave the Bucks a one-point lead early in the fourth, Doncic led the Mavericks back by scoring or assisting on each of Dallas&rsquo; first 11 points in the final period.
Doncic hit a 3-pointer to put the Mavericks back ahead 93-91 with 9:04 left. He made a pair of free throws just over a minute later to make it 95-91. He capped the 8-0 run by finding Dorian Finney-Smith for a corner 3-pointer with 7:20 left.
Antetokounmpo made two free throws to cut the margin to five, but Doncic found Reggie Bullock for a corner 3-pointer that extended Dallas&rsquo; lead to 101-93 with 6:55 remaining.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s able to pick apart whatever a defense is throwing at him,&rdquo; said Jalen Brunson, who scored 15 points for the Mavericks.
Milwaukee's Jrue Holiday sank a 3-pointer to cut the Mavericks&rsquo; lead to 101-98 midway through the fourth quarter. Powell responded by converting a conventional three-point play to make it 104-98 with 5:52 remaining.
The margin didn&rsquo;t drop below five the rest of the way.
Bullock had 16 points and Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie had 11 each for the Mavericks. Holiday had 20, Portis 17, Brook Lopez 14, Pat Connaughton 12 and Khris Middleton 11 for the Bucks.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Maxi Kleber didn&rsquo;t play due to a sore right ankle. ... Mavericks coach Jason Kidd congratulated former Dallas coach Del Harris for his selection to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame on Saturday, but said it&rsquo;s about time another former Mavericks coach gets honored as well. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all excited for him and his family because he should have been in there a long time ago,&rdquo; Kidd said before the game. &ldquo;The next guy we have to try to get in is Dick Motta. He should be in, too, a coach that maybe didn&rsquo;t do the politic thing, but he came to work every day and so he&rsquo;s the one that should be in the Hall of Fame next. Hopefully we can get him in.&rdquo; ... This was Kidd&rsquo;s first game in Milwaukee as a visiting head coach since the end of his own Bucks tenure. Kidd, who&rsquo;s in his first season with Dallas, coached the Bucks from 2015-18.
Bucks: Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s season scoring average remained at 30.1 points. He entered the day ranked second in the league to LeBron James (30.3). Philadelphia&rsquo;s Joel Embiid was averaging 30.0 points. Antetokounmpo has never won the scoring title.
CLOSE CALL
The Mavericks were leading 106-101 with 4:47 left when Holiday was called for fouling Doncic on a 3-point attempt. The Bucks challenged the call, but officials determined after looking at the replay that Holiday had made contact with Doncic&rsquo;s head.
Doncic made all three of his ensuing free throws.
&ldquo;Jrue told me after the game, &lsquo;You&rsquo;re welcome for the haircut,'" Doncic quipped. &ldquo;But he got me a little bit, though. I think that&rsquo;s a foul.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Mavericks: At Detroit on Wednesday. The Mavericks will be completing a four-game trip before finishing the regular season with two home games.
Bucks: At Chicago on Tuesday. The Bucks are 3-0 against the Bulls this season.

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic continues to feel right at home when he&rsquo;s facing the Milwaukee Bucks, even when his Dallas Mavericks are on the road facing a fourth-quarter deficit.
Doncic scored 32 points and matched a season high with 15 assists to help the Mavericks defeat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champion Bucks 118-112 on Sunday.
&ldquo;Obviously, when you play against superstars like Giannis today, you always have extra motivation,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a champion, a two-time MVP.&rdquo;
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Milwaukee was essentially at full strength Sunday after resting all of its usual starters in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-los-angeles-clippers-nba-sports-amir-coffey-04314a6d25c3feecb162c802fbb5120e">153-119 loss </a> to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
Doncic flirted with a triple-double before finishing with eight rebounds. In six career games against the Bucks, Doncic has averaged 26.8 points, 11.3 assists and 9.2 rebounds with three triple-doubles.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of the most talented players in the league, one of the most talented players probably ever to play this game,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said.
Antetokounmpo added that &ldquo;we tried to make it tough for him, but he played well.&rdquo;
Dallas&rsquo; Dwight Powell added 22 points and 13 rebounds &mdash; one off his career high &mdash; and the Mavericks bounced back two days after a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dallas-mavericks-washington-wizards-nba-sports-jason-kidd-77c63b8a4a0a560dca39ed8cd8dc0c58">135-103 loss</a> at Washington.
&ldquo;On the road against the champs, it&rsquo;s a hard place to win, especially after we had that performance in Washington,&rdquo; Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;This group in the locker room knows they can respond."
After a basket by Bobby Portis briefly gave the Bucks a one-point lead early in the fourth, Doncic led the Mavericks back by scoring or assisting on each of Dallas&rsquo; first 11 points in the final period.
Doncic hit a 3-pointer to put the Mavericks back ahead 93-91 with 9:04 left. He made a pair of free throws just over a minute later to make it 95-91. He capped the 8-0 run by finding Dorian Finney-Smith for a corner 3-pointer with 7:20 left.
Antetokounmpo made two free throws to cut the margin to five, but Doncic found Reggie Bullock for a corner 3-pointer that extended Dallas&rsquo; lead to 101-93 with 6:55 remaining.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s able to pick apart whatever a defense is throwing at him,&rdquo; said Jalen Brunson, who scored 15 points for the Mavericks.
Milwaukee's Jrue Holiday sank a 3-pointer to cut the Mavericks&rsquo; lead to 101-98 midway through the fourth quarter. Powell responded by converting a conventional three-point play to make it 104-98 with 5:52 remaining.
The margin didn&rsquo;t drop below five the rest of the way.
Bullock had 16 points and Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie had 11 each for the Mavericks. Holiday had 20, Portis 17, Brook Lopez 14, Pat Connaughton 12 and Khris Middleton 11 for the Bucks.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Maxi Kleber didn&rsquo;t play due to a sore right ankle. ... Mavericks coach Jason Kidd congratulated former Dallas coach Del Harris for his selection to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame on Saturday, but said it&rsquo;s about time another former Mavericks coach gets honored as well. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all excited for him and his family because he should have been in there a long time ago,&rdquo; Kidd said before the game. &ldquo;The next guy we have to try to get in is Dick Motta. He should be in, too, a coach that maybe didn&rsquo;t do the politic thing, but he came to work every day and so he&rsquo;s the one that should be in the Hall of Fame next. Hopefully we can get him in.&rdquo; ... This was Kidd&rsquo;s first game in Milwaukee as a visiting head coach since the end of his own Bucks tenure. Kidd, who&rsquo;s in his first season with Dallas, coached the Bucks from 2015-18.
Bucks: Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s season scoring average remained at 30.1 points. He entered the day ranked second in the league to LeBron James (30.3). Philadelphia&rsquo;s Joel Embiid was averaging 30.0 points. Antetokounmpo has never won the scoring title.
CLOSE CALL
The Mavericks were leading 106-101 with 4:47 left when Holiday was called for fouling Doncic on a 3-point attempt. The Bucks challenged the call, but officials determined after looking at the replay that Holiday had made contact with Doncic&rsquo;s head.
Doncic made all three of his ensuing free throws.
&ldquo;Jrue told me after the game, &lsquo;You&rsquo;re welcome for the haircut,'" Doncic quipped. &ldquo;But he got me a little bit, though. I think that&rsquo;s a foul.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Mavericks: At Detroit on Wednesday. The Mavericks will be completing a four-game trip before finishing the regular season with two home games.
Bucks: At Chicago on Tuesday. The Bucks are 3-0 against the Bulls this season.

Luka Doncic scored 32 points to help the Mavericks defeat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champion Bucks 118-112.

Doncic leads Mavericks to 118-112 victory over Bucks

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 32 points, Jayson Tatum had 22 and the Boston Celtics cruised to a 144-102 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday in their regular-season home finale. 
Jockeying for one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference, Boston posted a season-high 39 assists en route to its 13th win in 16 games with three games left in the regular season.
“Man, we've come a long way,” Brown said his team's resurgence. 
The Celtics were struggling with a 16-19 record in late December. They've gone 33-11 since. 
“I'm feeling comfortable. I'm being aggressive, just trying to take it to the next level heading into the playoffs,” Brown said. “Making the right reads and the right passes. Shots fell tonight, which is good.” 
Derrick White added 17 points, Grant Williams 16 and Payton Pritchard 14 for the Celtics, who finished 28-13 at TD Garden. Tatum had seven assists and six rebounds, while Brown added seven boards with five assists.
Boston closes with a tough road trip to Chicago, Milwaukee and Memphis. 
“It'll be a great test,” coach Ime Udoka said. “This all kind of leans into going into the playoffs, and it'll keep us sharp and focused.” 
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kristaps Porzingis each had 17 points for Washington, and Ish Smith finished with 16.
Eliminated from playoff contention earlier this week, the Wizards had won four of five.
“I think we got hit and we were playing catch-up the entire game,” Smith said. “That train continues to move. They’ve been playing the best of anybody in the NBA since January 1.”
Appearing bored by the lack of challenge by Washington, the crowd started the wave in the final quarter, something rarely seen at home games.
Boston opened a double-digit lead late in the first quarter on Tatum’s driving layup and was never tested.
The Celtics, who scored 35 points in each of the first two quarters, led by 13 after one quarter and 11 at halftime.
They pushed the lead to 20 — 80-60 — on Al Horford’s 3 from the top of the key three minutes into the second half.
“We became stagnant and weren't moving the ball," Caldwell-Pope said. “We couldn't get a shot moving to the basket. They played great defense. They switch one-to-five and make it tough." 
Boston led by 25 points after three quarters, allowing Udoka to rest his starters. 
EXPERIMENTING 
Udoka said before the game he’s most concerned with how his team’s performing going into the playoffs. 
“It’s a balance, we’re worrying about ourselves and how we’re playing more so than the opponent and where we’re going to fall,” he said.
He’s also planning on trying different lineups after center Robert Williams III was lost for 4-to-6 weeks following left knee surgery on March 30. 
“We need to keep looking at rotations and see what works best for us going forward,” he said.
LIKE FATHER LIKE SON
Tatum warmed up before the game, slowly jogging with a resistance band around his waist being held by a member of the team’s staff with his 4-year-old son, Deuce, running in front of him.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Opened a three-game road swing Sunday. ... Porzingis scored the Wizards’ final eight points of the first half after a relatively poor start. 
Celtics: Tatum didn’t play the final quarter and Brown saw just a couple of minutes. ... Udoka said Tatum tested his sore right knee to see if he was able to play, as he has since he missed a game in Toronto on March 28. “It’s kind of been the process the last few games,” the coach said. ... Marcus Smart addressed the crowd before the game on Fan Appreciation Day, thanking them for “being the best sixth man you can ask for.”
UP NEXT
Wizards: At the Timberwolves on Tuesday.
Celtics: At the Bulls on Wednesday.
___
More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Jaylen Brown scored 32 points, Jayson Tatum had 22 and the Boston Celtics cruised to a 144-102 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday in their regular-season home finale.
Jockeying for one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference, Boston posted a season-high 39 assists en route to its 13th win in 16 games with three games left in the regular season.
&ldquo;Man, we've come a long way,&rdquo; Brown said his team's resurgence.
The Celtics were struggling with a 16-19 record in late December. They've gone 33-11 since.
&ldquo;I'm feeling comfortable. I'm being aggressive, just trying to take it to the next level heading into the playoffs,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;Making the right reads and the right passes. Shots fell tonight, which is good.&rdquo;
Derrick White added 17 points, Grant Williams 16 and Payton Pritchard 14 for the Celtics, who finished 28-13 at TD Garden. Tatum had seven assists and six rebounds, while Brown added seven boards with five assists.
Boston closes with a tough road trip to Chicago, Milwaukee and Memphis.
&ldquo;It'll be a great test,&rdquo; coach Ime Udoka said. &ldquo;This all kind of leans into going into the playoffs, and it'll keep us sharp and focused.&rdquo;
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kristaps Porzingis each had 17 points for Washington, and Ish Smith finished with 16.
Eliminated from playoff contention earlier this week, the Wizards had won four of five.
&ldquo;I think we got hit and we were playing catch-up the entire game,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;That train continues to move. They&rsquo;ve been playing the best of anybody in the NBA since January 1.&rdquo;
Appearing bored by the lack of challenge by Washington, the crowd started the wave in the final quarter, something rarely seen at home games.
Boston opened a double-digit lead late in the first quarter on Tatum&rsquo;s driving layup and was never tested.
The Celtics, who scored 35 points in each of the first two quarters, led by 13 after one quarter and 11 at halftime.
They pushed the lead to 20 &mdash; 80-60 &mdash; on Al Horford&rsquo;s 3 from the top of the key three minutes into the second half.
&ldquo;We became stagnant and weren't moving the ball," Caldwell-Pope said. &ldquo;We couldn't get a shot moving to the basket. They played great defense. They switch one-to-five and make it tough."
Boston led by 25 points after three quarters, allowing Udoka to rest his starters.
EXPERIMENTING
Udoka said before the game he&rsquo;s most concerned with how his team&rsquo;s performing going into the playoffs.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a balance, we&rsquo;re worrying about ourselves and how we&rsquo;re playing more so than the opponent and where we&rsquo;re going to fall,&rdquo; he said.
He&rsquo;s also planning on trying different lineups after center Robert Williams III was lost for 4-to-6 weeks following left knee surgery on March 30.
&ldquo;We need to keep looking at rotations and see what works best for us going forward,&rdquo; he said.
LIKE FATHER LIKE SON
Tatum warmed up before the game, slowly jogging with a resistance band around his waist being held by a member of the team&rsquo;s staff with his 4-year-old son, Deuce, running in front of him.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Opened a three-game road swing Sunday. ... Porzingis scored the Wizards&rsquo; final eight points of the first half after a relatively poor start.
Celtics: Tatum didn&rsquo;t play the final quarter and Brown saw just a couple of minutes. ... Udoka said Tatum tested his sore right knee to see if he was able to play, as he has since he missed a game in Toronto on March 28. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of been the process the last few games,&rdquo; the coach said. ... Marcus Smart addressed the crowd before the game on Fan Appreciation Day, thanking them for &ldquo;being the best sixth man you can ask for.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Wizards: At the Timberwolves on Tuesday.
Celtics: At the Bulls on Wednesday.
___
More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Jaylen Brown scored 32 points, Jayson Tatum had 22 and the Boston Celtics cruised to a 144-102 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday in their regular-season home finale.
Jockeying for one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference, Boston posted a season-high 39 assists en route to its 13th win in 16 games with three games left in the regular season.
&ldquo;Man, we've come a long way,&rdquo; Brown said his team's resurgence.
The Celtics were struggling with a 16-19 record in late December. They've gone 33-11 since.
&ldquo;I'm feeling comfortable. I'm being aggressive, just trying to take it to the next level heading into the playoffs,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;Making the right reads and the right passes. Shots fell tonight, which is good.&rdquo;
Derrick White added 17 points, Grant Williams 16 and Payton Pritchard 14 for the Celtics, who finished 28-13 at TD Garden. Tatum had seven assists and six rebounds, while Brown added seven boards with five assists.
Boston closes with a tough road trip to Chicago, Milwaukee and Memphis.
&ldquo;It'll be a great test,&rdquo; coach Ime Udoka said. &ldquo;This all kind of leans into going into the playoffs, and it'll keep us sharp and focused.&rdquo;
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kristaps Porzingis each had 17 points for Washington, and Ish Smith finished with 16.
Eliminated from playoff contention earlier this week, the Wizards had won four of five.
&ldquo;I think we got hit and we were playing catch-up the entire game,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;That train continues to move. They&rsquo;ve been playing the best of anybody in the NBA since January 1.&rdquo;
Appearing bored by the lack of challenge by Washington, the crowd started the wave in the final quarter, something rarely seen at home games.
Boston opened a double-digit lead late in the first quarter on Tatum&rsquo;s driving layup and was never tested.
The Celtics, who scored 35 points in each of the first two quarters, led by 13 after one quarter and 11 at halftime.
They pushed the lead to 20 &mdash; 80-60 &mdash; on Al Horford&rsquo;s 3 from the top of the key three minutes into the second half.
&ldquo;We became stagnant and weren't moving the ball," Caldwell-Pope said. &ldquo;We couldn't get a shot moving to the basket. They played great defense. They switch one-to-five and make it tough."
Boston led by 25 points after three quarters, allowing Udoka to rest his starters.
EXPERIMENTING
Udoka said before the game he&rsquo;s most concerned with how his team&rsquo;s performing going into the playoffs.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a balance, we&rsquo;re worrying about ourselves and how we&rsquo;re playing more so than the opponent and where we&rsquo;re going to fall,&rdquo; he said.
He&rsquo;s also planning on trying different lineups after center Robert Williams III was lost for 4-to-6 weeks following left knee surgery on March 30.
&ldquo;We need to keep looking at rotations and see what works best for us going forward,&rdquo; he said.
LIKE FATHER LIKE SON
Tatum warmed up before the game, slowly jogging with a resistance band around his waist being held by a member of the team&rsquo;s staff with his 4-year-old son, Deuce, running in front of him.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Opened a three-game road swing Sunday. ... Porzingis scored the Wizards&rsquo; final eight points of the first half after a relatively poor start.
Celtics: Tatum didn&rsquo;t play the final quarter and Brown saw just a couple of minutes. ... Udoka said Tatum tested his sore right knee to see if he was able to play, as he has since he missed a game in Toronto on March 28. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of been the process the last few games,&rdquo; the coach said. ... Marcus Smart addressed the crowd before the game on Fan Appreciation Day, thanking them for &ldquo;being the best sixth man you can ask for.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Wizards: At the Timberwolves on Tuesday.
Celtics: At the Bulls on Wednesday.
___
More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Jaylen Brown scored 32 points, Jayson Tatum had 22 and the Boston Celtics cruised to a 144-102 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday in their regular-season home finale.
Jockeying for one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference, Boston posted a season-high 39 assists en route to its 13th win in 16 games with three games left in the regular season.
&ldquo;Man, we've come a long way,&rdquo; Brown said his team's resurgence.
The Celtics were struggling with a 16-19 record in late December. They've gone 33-11 since.
&ldquo;I'm feeling comfortable. I'm being aggressive, just trying to take it to the next level heading into the playoffs,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;Making the right reads and the right passes. Shots fell tonight, which is good.&rdquo;
Derrick White added 17 points, Grant Williams 16 and Payton Pritchard 14 for the Celtics, who finished 28-13 at TD Garden. Tatum had seven assists and six rebounds, while Brown added seven boards with five assists.
Boston closes with a tough road trip to Chicago, Milwaukee and Memphis.
&ldquo;It'll be a great test,&rdquo; coach Ime Udoka said. &ldquo;This all kind of leans into going into the playoffs, and it'll keep us sharp and focused.&rdquo;
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kristaps Porzingis each had 17 points for Washington, and Ish Smith finished with 16.
Eliminated from playoff contention earlier this week, the Wizards had won four of five.
&ldquo;I think we got hit and we were playing catch-up the entire game,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;That train continues to move. They&rsquo;ve been playing the best of anybody in the NBA since January 1.&rdquo;
Appearing bored by the lack of challenge by Washington, the crowd started the wave in the final quarter, something rarely seen at home games.
Boston opened a double-digit lead late in the first quarter on Tatum&rsquo;s driving layup and was never tested.
The Celtics, who scored 35 points in each of the first two quarters, led by 13 after one quarter and 11 at halftime.
They pushed the lead to 20 &mdash; 80-60 &mdash; on Al Horford&rsquo;s 3 from the top of the key three minutes into the second half.
&ldquo;We became stagnant and weren't moving the ball," Caldwell-Pope said. &ldquo;We couldn't get a shot moving to the basket. They played great defense. They switch one-to-five and make it tough."
Boston led by 25 points after three quarters, allowing Udoka to rest his starters.
EXPERIMENTING
Udoka said before the game he&rsquo;s most concerned with how his team&rsquo;s performing going into the playoffs.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a balance, we&rsquo;re worrying about ourselves and how we&rsquo;re playing more so than the opponent and where we&rsquo;re going to fall,&rdquo; he said.
He&rsquo;s also planning on trying different lineups after center Robert Williams III was lost for 4-to-6 weeks following left knee surgery on March 30.
&ldquo;We need to keep looking at rotations and see what works best for us going forward,&rdquo; he said.
LIKE FATHER LIKE SON
Tatum warmed up before the game, slowly jogging with a resistance band around his waist being held by a member of the team&rsquo;s staff with his 4-year-old son, Deuce, running in front of him.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Opened a three-game road swing Sunday. ... Porzingis scored the Wizards&rsquo; final eight points of the first half after a relatively poor start.
Celtics: Tatum didn&rsquo;t play the final quarter and Brown saw just a couple of minutes. ... Udoka said Tatum tested his sore right knee to see if he was able to play, as he has since he missed a game in Toronto on March 28. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of been the process the last few games,&rdquo; the coach said. ... Marcus Smart addressed the crowd before the game on Fan Appreciation Day, thanking them for &ldquo;being the best sixth man you can ask for.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Wizards: At the Timberwolves on Tuesday.
Celtics: At the Bulls on Wednesday.
&nbsp;

Jaylen Brown scored 32 points, Jayson Tatum had 22 and the Celtics cruised to a 144-102 victory over the Wizards.

Jaylen Brown scores 32 points; Celtics rout Wizards 144-102

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 38 points, 18 rebounds and six assists, and the Denver Nuggets moved into fifth place in the Western Conference with a 129-118 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
Will Barton scored 25 points and Aaron Gordon added 24 points and eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who capitalized on LeBron James' absence with a fourth-quarter surge to grab their fourth win in five games. Denver moved a half-game ahead of Utah for the fifth spot in the playoff picture, getting further insurance against being forced into the play-in tournament.
Anthony Davis had 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the 11th-place Lakers, whose play-in hopes waned further with their sixth consecutive loss. Los Angeles has lost 28 of 38 since Jan. 7. Russell Westbrook added 27 points and Carmelo Anthony had 17. 
The Lakers were competitive against a superior opponent, yet couldn't overcome the absence of the NBA's leading scorer, who sat for the fourth time in six games to rest his sprained left ankle. James dropped 38 points in the Lakers' loss to New Orleans on Friday night, but determined he couldn't recover from that exertion quickly enough to face the Nuggets in an early game. T
The 37-year-old James has to play in at least two of the Lakers' final four games to qualify for the scoring title, which would be only the second of his career and first since 2008. He began Sunday ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid by a fraction of a point.
Jokic committed turnovers on the Nuggets' first two possessions in their first game since they made 18 turnovers in an ugly home loss to Minnesota — after which the MVP quipped: “How good are we at turning the ball over? We’re so good that it’s crazy.”
Jokic scored 24 points in the second half, including 14 points in the third quarter, as the Nuggets nursed a small lead.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Coach Michael Malone reiterated his dislike for the play-in tournament before the game and believes it should be used only when the ninth- and 10th-place teams are extremely close to the teams above them. ... DeMarcus Cousins had 14 points against his former team.
Lakers: The Lakers began Sunday one game behind San Antonio for 10th place in the West and the final spot in the play-in tournament. The Spurs also hold the tiebreaker over LA, meaning the Lakers face long odds. ... Anthony returned from a non-COVID illness. ... Davis had his first back-to-back 20-point games since Feb. 8.
SOCIAL JUSTICE CHAMPIONS
In two pregame ceremonies, the NBA unveiled the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy, which will be given annually to the league's “Social Justice Champion.”
Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's career scoring leader and a lifelong advocate for social justice and equality, was on hand for the first public presentation of the trophy. Anthony won the award last year and appeared on court with Abdul-Jabbar before tipoff.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Host Spurs on Tuesday.
Lakers: At Suns on Tuesday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic had 38 points, 18 rebounds and six assists, and the Denver Nuggets moved into fifth place in the Western Conference with a 129-118 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
Will Barton scored 25 points and Aaron Gordon added 24 points and eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who capitalized on LeBron James' absence with a fourth-quarter surge to grab their fourth win in five games. Denver moved a half-game ahead of Utah for the fifth spot in the playoff picture, getting further insurance against being forced into the play-in tournament.
Anthony Davis had 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the 11th-place Lakers, whose play-in hopes waned further with their sixth consecutive loss. Los Angeles has lost 28 of 38 since Jan. 7. Russell Westbrook added 27 points and Carmelo Anthony had 17.
The Lakers were competitive against a superior opponent, yet couldn't overcome the absence of the NBA's leading scorer, who sat for the fourth time in six games to rest his sprained left ankle. James dropped 38 points in the Lakers' loss to New Orleans on Friday night, but determined he couldn't recover from that exertion quickly enough to face the Nuggets in an early game. T
The 37-year-old James has to play in at least two of the Lakers' final four games to qualify for the scoring title, which would be only the second of his career and first since 2008. He began Sunday ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid by a fraction of a point.
Jokic committed turnovers on the Nuggets' first two possessions in their first game since they made 18 turnovers in an ugly home loss to Minnesota &mdash; after which the MVP quipped: &ldquo;How good are we at turning the ball over? We&rsquo;re so good that it&rsquo;s crazy.&rdquo;
Jokic scored 24 points in the second half, including 14 points in the third quarter, as the Nuggets nursed a small lead.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Coach Michael Malone reiterated his dislike for the play-in tournament before the game and believes it should be used only when the ninth- and 10th-place teams are extremely close to the teams above them. ... DeMarcus Cousins had 14 points against his former team.
Lakers: The Lakers began Sunday one game behind San Antonio for 10th place in the West and the final spot in the play-in tournament. The Spurs also hold the tiebreaker over LA, meaning the Lakers face long odds. ... Anthony returned from a non-COVID illness. ... Davis had his first back-to-back 20-point games since Feb. 8.
SOCIAL JUSTICE CHAMPIONS
In two pregame ceremonies, the NBA unveiled the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy, which will be given annually to the league's &ldquo;Social Justice Champion.&rdquo;
Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's career scoring leader and a lifelong advocate for social justice and equality, was on hand for the first public presentation of the trophy. Anthony won the award last year and appeared on court with Abdul-Jabbar before tipoff.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Host Spurs on Tuesday.
Lakers: At Suns on Tuesday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic had 38 points, 18 rebounds and six assists, and the Denver Nuggets moved into fifth place in the Western Conference with a 129-118 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
Will Barton scored 25 points and Aaron Gordon added 24 points and eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who capitalized on LeBron James' absence with a fourth-quarter surge to grab their fourth win in five games. Denver moved a half-game ahead of Utah for the fifth spot in the playoff picture, getting further insurance against being forced into the play-in tournament.
Anthony Davis had 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the 11th-place Lakers, whose play-in hopes waned further with their sixth consecutive loss. Los Angeles has lost 28 of 38 since Jan. 7. Russell Westbrook added 27 points and Carmelo Anthony had 17.
The Lakers were competitive against a superior opponent, yet couldn't overcome the absence of the NBA's leading scorer, who sat for the fourth time in six games to rest his sprained left ankle. James dropped 38 points in the Lakers' loss to New Orleans on Friday night, but determined he couldn't recover from that exertion quickly enough to face the Nuggets in an early game. T
The 37-year-old James has to play in at least two of the Lakers' final four games to qualify for the scoring title, which would be only the second of his career and first since 2008. He began Sunday ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid by a fraction of a point.
Jokic committed turnovers on the Nuggets' first two possessions in their first game since they made 18 turnovers in an ugly home loss to Minnesota &mdash; after which the MVP quipped: &ldquo;How good are we at turning the ball over? We&rsquo;re so good that it&rsquo;s crazy.&rdquo;
Jokic scored 24 points in the second half, including 14 points in the third quarter, as the Nuggets nursed a small lead.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Coach Michael Malone reiterated his dislike for the play-in tournament before the game and believes it should be used only when the ninth- and 10th-place teams are extremely close to the teams above them. ... DeMarcus Cousins had 14 points against his former team.
Lakers: The Lakers began Sunday one game behind San Antonio for 10th place in the West and the final spot in the play-in tournament. The Spurs also hold the tiebreaker over LA, meaning the Lakers face long odds. ... Anthony returned from a non-COVID illness. ... Davis had his first back-to-back 20-point games since Feb. 8.
SOCIAL JUSTICE CHAMPIONS
In two pregame ceremonies, the NBA unveiled the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy, which will be given annually to the league's &ldquo;Social Justice Champion.&rdquo;
Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's career scoring leader and a lifelong advocate for social justice and equality, was on hand for the first public presentation of the trophy. Anthony won the award last year and appeared on court with Abdul-Jabbar before tipoff.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Host Spurs on Tuesday.
Lakers: At Suns on Tuesday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic had 38 points, 18 rebounds and six assists, and the Denver Nuggets moved into fifth place in the Western Conference with a 129-118 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
Will Barton scored 25 points and Aaron Gordon added 24 points and eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who capitalized on LeBron James' absence with a fourth-quarter surge to grab their fourth win in five games. Denver moved a half-game ahead of Utah for the fifth spot in the playoff picture, getting further insurance against being forced into the play-in tournament.
Anthony Davis had 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the 11th-place Lakers, whose play-in hopes waned further with their sixth consecutive loss. Los Angeles has lost 28 of 38 since Jan. 7. Russell Westbrook added 27 points and Carmelo Anthony had 17.
The Lakers were competitive against a superior opponent, yet couldn't overcome the absence of the NBA's leading scorer, who sat for the fourth time in six games to rest his sprained left ankle. James dropped 38 points in the Lakers' loss to New Orleans on Friday night, but determined he couldn't recover from that exertion quickly enough to face the Nuggets in an early game. T
The 37-year-old James has to play in at least two of the Lakers' final four games to qualify for the scoring title, which would be only the second of his career and first since 2008. He began Sunday ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid by a fraction of a point.
Jokic committed turnovers on the Nuggets' first two possessions in their first game since they made 18 turnovers in an ugly home loss to Minnesota &mdash; after which the MVP quipped: &ldquo;How good are we at turning the ball over? We&rsquo;re so good that it&rsquo;s crazy.&rdquo;
Jokic scored 24 points in the second half, including 14 points in the third quarter, as the Nuggets nursed a small lead.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Coach Michael Malone reiterated his dislike for the play-in tournament before the game and believes it should be used only when the ninth- and 10th-place teams are extremely close to the teams above them. ... DeMarcus Cousins had 14 points against his former team.
Lakers: The Lakers began Sunday one game behind San Antonio for 10th place in the West and the final spot in the play-in tournament. The Spurs also hold the tiebreaker over LA, meaning the Lakers face long odds. ... Anthony returned from a non-COVID illness. ... Davis had his first back-to-back 20-point games since Feb. 8.
SOCIAL JUSTICE CHAMPIONS
In two pregame ceremonies, the NBA unveiled the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy, which will be given annually to the league's &ldquo;Social Justice Champion.&rdquo;
Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's career scoring leader and a lifelong advocate for social justice and equality, was on hand for the first public presentation of the trophy. Anthony won the award last year and appeared on court with Abdul-Jabbar before tipoff.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Host Spurs on Tuesday.
Lakers: At Suns on Tuesday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic had 38 points, 18 rebounds and six assists, and the Denver Nuggets moved into fifth place in the Western Conference with a 129-118 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
Will Barton scored 25 points and Aaron Gordon added 24 points and eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who capitalized on LeBron James' absence with a fourth-quarter surge to grab their fourth win in five games. Denver moved a half-game ahead of Utah for the fifth spot in the playoff picture, getting further insurance against being forced into the play-in tournament.
Anthony Davis had 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the 11th-place Lakers, whose play-in hopes waned further with their sixth consecutive loss. Los Angeles has lost 28 of 38 since Jan. 7. Russell Westbrook added 27 points and Carmelo Anthony had 17.
The Lakers were competitive against a superior opponent, yet couldn't overcome the absence of the NBA's leading scorer, who sat for the fourth time in six games to rest his sprained left ankle. James dropped 38 points in the Lakers' loss to New Orleans on Friday night, but determined he couldn't recover from that exertion quickly enough to face the Nuggets in an early game. T
The 37-year-old James has to play in at least two of the Lakers' final four games to qualify for the scoring title, which would be only the second of his career and first since 2008. He began Sunday ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid by a fraction of a point.
Jokic committed turnovers on the Nuggets' first two possessions in their first game since they made 18 turnovers in an ugly home loss to Minnesota &mdash; after which the MVP quipped: &ldquo;How good are we at turning the ball over? We&rsquo;re so good that it&rsquo;s crazy.&rdquo;
Jokic scored 24 points in the second half, including 14 points in the third quarter, as the Nuggets nursed a small lead.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Coach Michael Malone reiterated his dislike for the play-in tournament before the game and believes it should be used only when the ninth- and 10th-place teams are extremely close to the teams above them. ... DeMarcus Cousins had 14 points against his former team.
Lakers: The Lakers began Sunday one game behind San Antonio for 10th place in the West and the final spot in the play-in tournament. The Spurs also hold the tiebreaker over LA, meaning the Lakers face long odds. ... Anthony returned from a non-COVID illness. ... Davis had his first back-to-back 20-point games since Feb. 8.
SOCIAL JUSTICE CHAMPIONS
In two pregame ceremonies, the NBA unveiled the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy, which will be given annually to the league's &ldquo;Social Justice Champion.&rdquo;
Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's career scoring leader and a lifelong advocate for social justice and equality, was on hand for the first public presentation of the trophy. Anthony won the award last year and appeared on court with Abdul-Jabbar before tipoff.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Host Spurs on Tuesday.
Lakers: At Suns on Tuesday.
&nbsp;

Nikola Jokic had 38 points, 18 rebounds and six assists as the Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 129-118.

Jokic gets 38, leads Nuggets past LeBron-less Lakers 129-118

CHICAGO (AP) — The Miami Heat appear to be back on steady ground after stumbling through a season-high four straight losses. Their grip on the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference is tightening, too.
Jimmy Butler scored 22 points, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro added 19 apiece and the first-place Heat beat the Chicago Bulls 127-109 on Saturday night.
Bam Adebayo scored 16 as Miami increased its lead over second-place Milwaukee to 1 1/2 games. The Heat moved within a win of securing home-court advantage in Round 1 of the postseason. And if they go 3-1 the rest of the way, they’ll clinch the top seed in the East.
The way they were reeling a week ago, it's quite a turnaround. They bounced back from a loss to Brooklyn, then beat struggling Sacramento and surging Boston before having their way with Chicago. 
“I think we just had a little bit of a rut, which most teams go through at some point in the season,” Lowry said. “I think it was an opportunity for us to settle things down and communicate a little better.”
The hot-shooting Heat (50-28) also reached the 50-win mark for the first time since the 2013-14 season. They might have two years ago, when they went 44-29 in the pandemic-shortened season and advanced to the NBA Finals.
“It just shows you, even when you feel like you have a culture and you're doing things right, it's hard to win consistently in this league,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “When you have to retool and rebuild new teams and rosters, it's tough. The league is really competitive.”
HEAT HITTING
Miami built a nine-point halftime lead and broke it open in the third quarter. The Heat shot 53.7% in the game and made 17 of 34 3-pointers.
Butler, the former Bull, had seven rebounds and six assists. Herro had a strange stat line, matching a season high by nailing 6 of 7 3s, including three in the third. But he was 0 for 9 on 2-point attempts.
Dewayne Dedmon added 14 points, and the Heat won their third straight.
“We have a long way to go to be at their level,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said.
ANOTHER ELITE LOSS
Zach LaVine led Chicago with 33 points. DeMar DeRozan finished with 26, though he shot 6 of 18, and the Bulls once again lost to an elite opponent. Chicago is a combined 2-19 against the top four teams in the East and West.
The sixth-place Bulls fell a half-game behind Toronto with four to play. Chicago, which led the conference for part of the season, is trying to stay in the top six and avoid the play-in round. 
The Heat were ahead 66-57 at halftime after Lowry made three free throws in the closing seconds. Herro heated up in the third, scoring nine and hitting a 3 in the final minute to make it 98-79.
LOWRY’S RETURN
The Heat play in Toronto on Sunday, and it’ll mark Lowry’s first time playing there since he joined Miami last summer. Lowry remains beloved in Toronto after helping the Raptors win the 2019 NBA title, and he said it’ll be emotional. “I'm nervous," he said. “At the same time, I'm excited. It's gonna be a great moment. I told the guys I gave them a good game today, but I don't know what I'm gonna give them (Sunday). Emotionally, I might not be there. But it's gonna be a great day."
TIP-INS
Heat: The Heat have 10 50-win seasons. ... F Caleb Martin (bruised right calf), G/F Max Strus (bruised right shoulder) and G Gabe Vincent (bruised right big toe) were available after being listed as questionable.
Bulls: F Alex Caruso sat out part of the third quarter because of back spasms. “It's nothing long term,” Donovan said. ... G Lonzo Ball (left knee) will not start sprinting and cutting until early in the week. Donovan said the Bulls figure to have a better handle on his status on Tuesday or Wednesday. “They're slowly building him up into that right now,” he said. “We're close to getting to that point from what they told me.” Ball had surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus. ... Saturday marked the 15th anniversary of Donovan coaching Florida to an NCAA championship win over Ohio State and a title repeat. 
UP NEXT
Heat: Visit Toronto on Sunday.
Bulls: Host Milwaukee on Tuesday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; The Miami Heat appear to be back on steady ground after stumbling through a season-high four straight losses. Their grip on the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference is tightening, too.
Jimmy Butler scored 22 points, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro added 19 apiece and the first-place Heat beat the Chicago Bulls 127-109 on Saturday night.
Bam Adebayo scored 16 as Miami increased its lead over second-place Milwaukee to 1 1/2 games. The Heat moved within a win of securing home-court advantage in Round 1 of the postseason. And if they go 3-1 the rest of the way, they&rsquo;ll clinch the top seed in the East.
The way they were reeling a week ago, it's quite a turnaround. They bounced back from a loss to Brooklyn, then beat struggling Sacramento and surging Boston before having their way with Chicago.
&ldquo;I think we just had a little bit of a rut, which most teams go through at some point in the season,&rdquo; Lowry said. &ldquo;I think it was an opportunity for us to settle things down and communicate a little better.&rdquo;
The hot-shooting Heat (50-28) also reached the 50-win mark for the first time since the 2013-14 season. They might have two years ago, when they went 44-29 in the pandemic-shortened season and advanced to the NBA Finals.
&ldquo;It just shows you, even when you feel like you have a culture and you're doing things right, it's hard to win consistently in this league,&rdquo; coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;When you have to retool and rebuild new teams and rosters, it's tough. The league is really competitive.&rdquo;
HEAT HITTING
Miami built a nine-point halftime lead and broke it open in the third quarter. The Heat shot 53.7% in the game and made 17 of 34 3-pointers.
Butler, the former Bull, had seven rebounds and six assists. Herro had a strange stat line, matching a season high by nailing 6 of 7 3s, including three in the third. But he was 0 for 9 on 2-point attempts.
Dewayne Dedmon added 14 points, and the Heat won their third straight.
&ldquo;We have a long way to go to be at their level,&rdquo; Bulls coach Billy Donovan said.
ANOTHER ELITE LOSS
Zach LaVine led Chicago with 33 points. DeMar DeRozan finished with 26, though he shot 6 of 18, and the Bulls once again lost to an elite opponent. Chicago is a combined 2-19 against the top four teams in the East and West.
The sixth-place Bulls fell a half-game behind Toronto with four to play. Chicago, which led the conference for part of the season, is trying to stay in the top six and avoid the play-in round.
The Heat were ahead 66-57 at halftime after Lowry made three free throws in the closing seconds. Herro heated up in the third, scoring nine and hitting a 3 in the final minute to make it 98-79.
LOWRY&rsquo;S RETURN
The Heat play in Toronto on Sunday, and it&rsquo;ll mark Lowry&rsquo;s first time playing there since he joined Miami last summer. Lowry remains beloved in Toronto after helping the Raptors win the 2019 NBA title, and he said it&rsquo;ll be emotional. &ldquo;I'm nervous," he said. &ldquo;At the same time, I'm excited. It's gonna be a great moment. I told the guys I gave them a good game today, but I don't know what I'm gonna give them (Sunday). Emotionally, I might not be there. But it's gonna be a great day."
TIP-INS
Heat: The Heat have 10 50-win seasons. ... F Caleb Martin (bruised right calf), G/F Max Strus (bruised right shoulder) and G Gabe Vincent (bruised right big toe) were available after being listed as questionable.
Bulls: F Alex Caruso sat out part of the third quarter because of back spasms. &ldquo;It's nothing long term,&rdquo; Donovan said. ... G Lonzo Ball (left knee) will not start sprinting and cutting until early in the week. Donovan said the Bulls figure to have a better handle on his status on Tuesday or Wednesday. &ldquo;They're slowly building him up into that right now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We're close to getting to that point from what they told me.&rdquo; Ball had surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus. ... Saturday marked the 15th anniversary of Donovan coaching Florida to an NCAA championship win over Ohio State and a title repeat.
UP NEXT
Heat: Visit Toronto on Sunday.
Bulls: Host Milwaukee on Tuesday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; The Miami Heat appear to be back on steady ground after stumbling through a season-high four straight losses. Their grip on the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference is tightening, too.
Jimmy Butler scored 22 points, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro added 19 apiece and the first-place Heat beat the Chicago Bulls 127-109 on Saturday night.
Bam Adebayo scored 16 as Miami increased its lead over second-place Milwaukee to 1 1/2 games. The Heat moved within a win of securing home-court advantage in Round 1 of the postseason. And if they go 3-1 the rest of the way, they&rsquo;ll clinch the top seed in the East.
The way they were reeling a week ago, it's quite a turnaround. They bounced back from a loss to Brooklyn, then beat struggling Sacramento and surging Boston before having their way with Chicago.
&ldquo;I think we just had a little bit of a rut, which most teams go through at some point in the season,&rdquo; Lowry said. &ldquo;I think it was an opportunity for us to settle things down and communicate a little better.&rdquo;
The hot-shooting Heat (50-28) also reached the 50-win mark for the first time since the 2013-14 season. They might have two years ago, when they went 44-29 in the pandemic-shortened season and advanced to the NBA Finals.
&ldquo;It just shows you, even when you feel like you have a culture and you're doing things right, it's hard to win consistently in this league,&rdquo; coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;When you have to retool and rebuild new teams and rosters, it's tough. The league is really competitive.&rdquo;
HEAT HITTING
Miami built a nine-point halftime lead and broke it open in the third quarter. The Heat shot 53.7% in the game and made 17 of 34 3-pointers.
Butler, the former Bull, had seven rebounds and six assists. Herro had a strange stat line, matching a season high by nailing 6 of 7 3s, including three in the third. But he was 0 for 9 on 2-point attempts.
Dewayne Dedmon added 14 points, and the Heat won their third straight.
&ldquo;We have a long way to go to be at their level,&rdquo; Bulls coach Billy Donovan said.
ANOTHER ELITE LOSS
Zach LaVine led Chicago with 33 points. DeMar DeRozan finished with 26, though he shot 6 of 18, and the Bulls once again lost to an elite opponent. Chicago is a combined 2-19 against the top four teams in the East and West.
The sixth-place Bulls fell a half-game behind Toronto with four to play. Chicago, which led the conference for part of the season, is trying to stay in the top six and avoid the play-in round.
The Heat were ahead 66-57 at halftime after Lowry made three free throws in the closing seconds. Herro heated up in the third, scoring nine and hitting a 3 in the final minute to make it 98-79.
LOWRY&rsquo;S RETURN
The Heat play in Toronto on Sunday, and it&rsquo;ll mark Lowry&rsquo;s first time playing there since he joined Miami last summer. Lowry remains beloved in Toronto after helping the Raptors win the 2019 NBA title, and he said it&rsquo;ll be emotional. &ldquo;I'm nervous," he said. &ldquo;At the same time, I'm excited. It's gonna be a great moment. I told the guys I gave them a good game today, but I don't know what I'm gonna give them (Sunday). Emotionally, I might not be there. But it's gonna be a great day."
TIP-INS
Heat: The Heat have 10 50-win seasons. ... F Caleb Martin (bruised right calf), G/F Max Strus (bruised right shoulder) and G Gabe Vincent (bruised right big toe) were available after being listed as questionable.
Bulls: F Alex Caruso sat out part of the third quarter because of back spasms. &ldquo;It's nothing long term,&rdquo; Donovan said. ... G Lonzo Ball (left knee) will not start sprinting and cutting until early in the week. Donovan said the Bulls figure to have a better handle on his status on Tuesday or Wednesday. &ldquo;They're slowly building him up into that right now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We're close to getting to that point from what they told me.&rdquo; Ball had surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus. ... Saturday marked the 15th anniversary of Donovan coaching Florida to an NCAA championship win over Ohio State and a title repeat.
UP NEXT
Heat: Visit Toronto on Sunday.
Bulls: Host Milwaukee on Tuesday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; The Miami Heat appear to be back on steady ground after stumbling through a season-high four straight losses. Their grip on the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference is tightening, too.
Jimmy Butler scored 22 points, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro added 19 apiece and the first-place Heat beat the Chicago Bulls 127-109 on Saturday night.
Bam Adebayo scored 16 as Miami increased its lead over second-place Milwaukee to 1 1/2 games. The Heat moved within a win of securing home-court advantage in Round 1 of the postseason. And if they go 3-1 the rest of the way, they&rsquo;ll clinch the top seed in the East.
The way they were reeling a week ago, it's quite a turnaround. They bounced back from a loss to Brooklyn, then beat struggling Sacramento and surging Boston before having their way with Chicago.
&ldquo;I think we just had a little bit of a rut, which most teams go through at some point in the season,&rdquo; Lowry said. &ldquo;I think it was an opportunity for us to settle things down and communicate a little better.&rdquo;
The hot-shooting Heat (50-28) also reached the 50-win mark for the first time since the 2013-14 season. They might have two years ago, when they went 44-29 in the pandemic-shortened season and advanced to the NBA Finals.
&ldquo;It just shows you, even when you feel like you have a culture and you're doing things right, it's hard to win consistently in this league,&rdquo; coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;When you have to retool and rebuild new teams and rosters, it's tough. The league is really competitive.&rdquo;
HEAT HITTING
Miami built a nine-point halftime lead and broke it open in the third quarter. The Heat shot 53.7% in the game and made 17 of 34 3-pointers.
Butler, the former Bull, had seven rebounds and six assists. Herro had a strange stat line, matching a season high by nailing 6 of 7 3s, including three in the third. But he was 0 for 9 on 2-point attempts.
Dewayne Dedmon added 14 points, and the Heat won their third straight.
&ldquo;We have a long way to go to be at their level,&rdquo; Bulls coach Billy Donovan said.
ANOTHER ELITE LOSS
Zach LaVine led Chicago with 33 points. DeMar DeRozan finished with 26, though he shot 6 of 18, and the Bulls once again lost to an elite opponent. Chicago is a combined 2-19 against the top four teams in the East and West.
The sixth-place Bulls fell a half-game behind Toronto with four to play. Chicago, which led the conference for part of the season, is trying to stay in the top six and avoid the play-in round.
The Heat were ahead 66-57 at halftime after Lowry made three free throws in the closing seconds. Herro heated up in the third, scoring nine and hitting a 3 in the final minute to make it 98-79.
LOWRY&rsquo;S RETURN
The Heat play in Toronto on Sunday, and it&rsquo;ll mark Lowry&rsquo;s first time playing there since he joined Miami last summer. Lowry remains beloved in Toronto after helping the Raptors win the 2019 NBA title, and he said it&rsquo;ll be emotional. &ldquo;I'm nervous," he said. &ldquo;At the same time, I'm excited. It's gonna be a great moment. I told the guys I gave them a good game today, but I don't know what I'm gonna give them (Sunday). Emotionally, I might not be there. But it's gonna be a great day."
TIP-INS
Heat: The Heat have 10 50-win seasons. ... F Caleb Martin (bruised right calf), G/F Max Strus (bruised right shoulder) and G Gabe Vincent (bruised right big toe) were available after being listed as questionable.
Bulls: F Alex Caruso sat out part of the third quarter because of back spasms. &ldquo;It's nothing long term,&rdquo; Donovan said. ... G Lonzo Ball (left knee) will not start sprinting and cutting until early in the week. Donovan said the Bulls figure to have a better handle on his status on Tuesday or Wednesday. &ldquo;They're slowly building him up into that right now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We're close to getting to that point from what they told me.&rdquo; Ball had surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus. ... Saturday marked the 15th anniversary of Donovan coaching Florida to an NCAA championship win over Ohio State and a title repeat.
UP NEXT
Heat: Visit Toronto on Sunday.
Bulls: Host Milwaukee on Tuesday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; The Miami Heat appear to be back on steady ground after stumbling through a season-high four straight losses. Their grip on the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference is tightening, too.
Jimmy Butler scored 22 points, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro added 19 apiece and the first-place Heat beat the Chicago Bulls 127-109 on Saturday night.
Bam Adebayo scored 16 as Miami increased its lead over second-place Milwaukee to 1 1/2 games. The Heat moved within a win of securing home-court advantage in Round 1 of the postseason. And if they go 3-1 the rest of the way, they&rsquo;ll clinch the top seed in the East.
The way they were reeling a week ago, it's quite a turnaround. They bounced back from a loss to Brooklyn, then beat struggling Sacramento and surging Boston before having their way with Chicago.
&ldquo;I think we just had a little bit of a rut, which most teams go through at some point in the season,&rdquo; Lowry said. &ldquo;I think it was an opportunity for us to settle things down and communicate a little better.&rdquo;
The hot-shooting Heat (50-28) also reached the 50-win mark for the first time since the 2013-14 season. They might have two years ago, when they went 44-29 in the pandemic-shortened season and advanced to the NBA Finals.
&ldquo;It just shows you, even when you feel like you have a culture and you're doing things right, it's hard to win consistently in this league,&rdquo; coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;When you have to retool and rebuild new teams and rosters, it's tough. The league is really competitive.&rdquo;
HEAT HITTING
Miami built a nine-point halftime lead and broke it open in the third quarter. The Heat shot 53.7% in the game and made 17 of 34 3-pointers.
Butler, the former Bull, had seven rebounds and six assists. Herro had a strange stat line, matching a season high by nailing 6 of 7 3s, including three in the third. But he was 0 for 9 on 2-point attempts.
Dewayne Dedmon added 14 points, and the Heat won their third straight.
&ldquo;We have a long way to go to be at their level,&rdquo; Bulls coach Billy Donovan said.
ANOTHER ELITE LOSS
Zach LaVine led Chicago with 33 points. DeMar DeRozan finished with 26, though he shot 6 of 18, and the Bulls once again lost to an elite opponent. Chicago is a combined 2-19 against the top four teams in the East and West.
The sixth-place Bulls fell a half-game behind Toronto with four to play. Chicago, which led the conference for part of the season, is trying to stay in the top six and avoid the play-in round.
The Heat were ahead 66-57 at halftime after Lowry made three free throws in the closing seconds. Herro heated up in the third, scoring nine and hitting a 3 in the final minute to make it 98-79.
LOWRY&rsquo;S RETURN
The Heat play in Toronto on Sunday, and it&rsquo;ll mark Lowry&rsquo;s first time playing there since he joined Miami last summer. Lowry remains beloved in Toronto after helping the Raptors win the 2019 NBA title, and he said it&rsquo;ll be emotional. &ldquo;I'm nervous," he said. &ldquo;At the same time, I'm excited. It's gonna be a great moment. I told the guys I gave them a good game today, but I don't know what I'm gonna give them (Sunday). Emotionally, I might not be there. But it's gonna be a great day."
TIP-INS
Heat: The Heat have 10 50-win seasons. ... F Caleb Martin (bruised right calf), G/F Max Strus (bruised right shoulder) and G Gabe Vincent (bruised right big toe) were available after being listed as questionable.
Bulls: F Alex Caruso sat out part of the third quarter because of back spasms. &ldquo;It's nothing long term,&rdquo; Donovan said. ... G Lonzo Ball (left knee) will not start sprinting and cutting until early in the week. Donovan said the Bulls figure to have a better handle on his status on Tuesday or Wednesday. &ldquo;They're slowly building him up into that right now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We're close to getting to that point from what they told me.&rdquo; Ball had surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus. ... Saturday marked the 15th anniversary of Donovan coaching Florida to an NCAA championship win over Ohio State and a title repeat.
UP NEXT
Heat: Visit Toronto on Sunday.
Bulls: Host Milwaukee on Tuesday.
&nbsp;

Jimmy Butler scored 22 points, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro added 19 apiece and the first-place Heat beat the Chicago Bulls 127-109.

Butler scores 22, Heat beat Bulls 127-109 for 50th win

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Klay Thompson scored 36 points and the Golden State Warriors erased a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Utah Jazz 111-107 on Saturday night.
Jordan Poole added 31 and Andrew Wiggins had 17 as the Warriors clinched a playoff spot and snapped a four-game losing streak. At 49-29, they hold a one-game lead over the Dallas Mavericks for the third seed in the Western Conference. Utah is tied with Denver for the fifth spot.
Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley each had 26 for Utah. It was an all-too-familiar storyline for the Jazz, who blew a 25-point lead in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. Utah has lost 15 games this season in which it held double-digit leads.
Trailing 103-87 with just under eight minutes remaining in the fourth, the Warriors rattled off an 18-0 run to take a 105-103 lead with 2:10 left. Thompson hit three 3-pointers during the stretch.
The Jazz had a chance to take the lead with 20 seconds remaining but Rudy Gobert threw a pass out of bounds after clearing a rebound. The Warriors put the game away at the free-throw line.
The Jazz led by as many as 21 in the first half and took a 58-45 lead into the locker room. Mitchell had 17 but he had plenty of help, as Utah’s bench outscored Golden State’s second unit 17-5 over the first two quarters.
Poole scored 19 in the first half for the Warriors, including 14 in the second quarter.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Conley scored 9 in the third quarter, which helped stem the tide for the Jazz as the Warriors tried eating into their lead. … Hassan Whiteside entered the game midway through the first quarter, his first action after missing the previous four games with a bone spur fracture in his right foot.
Warriors: Golden State committed 11 first-half turnovers that led to 17 Utah points. … Coach Steve Kerr said forward Andre Iguodala would sit out Sunday’s game at Sacramento in an effort to keep the veteran fresh for the playoffs. … The Oakland Tech High School girls basketball team, fresh off a Division III state championship, attended the game and received an ovation during a first-quarter timeout. 
UP NEXT
Jazz: Host Memphis on Tuesday to begin their final homestand of the season.
Warriors: Play at Sacramento on Sunday, looking to sweep the season series. 
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Behind Klay Thompson's 36 points, the Golden State Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak with a win over Utah.

Warriors rally from 16 down to beat Jazz, get playoff spot

ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young scored 36 points, including nine in the final minute, and the streaking Atlanta Hawks overcame Kevin Durant's career-high 55 points to hold off the Brooklyn Nets 122-115 on Saturday night for their fifth consecutive win.
Atlanta (41-37) moved into eighth place in the Eastern Conference, a game ahead of Brooklyn (40-38) and Charlotte.
Young's 3-pointer gave Atlanta a 116-108 lead. Durant reached his career scoring high with his layup with 19 seconds remaining. 
The Hawks, attempting to regain the late-season momentum which pushed them to the last year's Eastern Conference finals, have won 10 of 13.
Durant set another career high by making eight 3-pointers.
The Nets' second consecutive loss left them locked into the play-in tournament, eliminating their slim hopes of moving up to sixth in the conference.
Kyrie Irving had 31 points to complement Durant, but the Nets had no other scorer in double figures. Brooklyn had too little scoring support for its two leaders while missing two starters and another top backup.
Backup point guard Goran Dragic did not play after he was placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols with COVID-19 symptoms. Coach Steve Nash said Dragic “doesn’t feel well.”
Only minutes before the game, Brooklyn’s backcourt depth took another hit when starter Seth Curry was ruled out with a sore left ankle. The Nets also were without starting forward Bruce Brown, who Nash said has the flu.
Durant's 19 third-quarter points included back-to-back 3s late in the period, giving him the Nets' last 16 points.
Thanks to Durant, the Nets were down only 94-87 entering the final period after trailing by 15 points at halftime. Brooklyn trimmed Atlanta's lead to 95-90 on a 3-pointer by Irving before Atlanta answered with a 12-3 run to push its lead to 14 points.
Durant scored 13 of Brooklyn's first 18 points while sinking each of his first three 3-pointers. Durant and Irving scored 22 of the Nets' 30 first-period points and 38 of 50 in the first half, including 25 by Durant.
Atlanta relied on more balanced scored while taking the lead with a 14-0 run in the second period. Delon Wright sank two 3-pointers in the run. The Hawks closed the half with back-to-back 3s by Young and Danilo Gallinari to lead 65-50 at the break.
TIP-INS
Nets: Durant's previous high was 54 points for Oklahoma City on Jan. 17, 2014. His previous season high was 53 against the Knicks on March 13. ... The Hawks made 37 of 49 free throws, setting a season high for attempts by Brooklyn's opponents. The previous high was 38. ... Nash said he hopes Brown misses only one game. ... G David Duke Jr. and C Day'Ron Sharpe were recalled from G League Long Island. 
Hawks: Young had 10 assists. ... Gallinari and De'Andre Hunter each had 15 points. ... G Lou Williams appeared in his 1,000th career game off the bench, extending his NBA record. Earlier this season, Williams passed Dell Curry's mark of 984 games played as a backup.
UP NEXT
Nets: Return home to play Houston on Tuesday.
Hawks: Visit Toronto on Tuesday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Kevin Durant scored 55 points, but the Brooklyn Nets still lost to Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks.

Streaking Hawks survive Durant's 55, hold off Nets 122-115

NEW YORK (AP) — Darius Garland had 24 points and 13 assists to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-101 win over the New York Knicks on Saturday.
Garland led seven Cavaliers in double figures as Cleveland snapped a two-game losing streak. 
Caris LeVert finished with 19 points. Moses Brown and Isaac Okoro each added 16. Brown also had 13 rebounds. Kevin Love had 15 off the bench. Cedi Osman and Lauri Markkanen both added 10 for Cleveland.
“We're starting to put something together,” Garland said.
Added Love: “We're a very good team.”
After a four-game winning streak, New York has lost two straight.
Obi Toppin scored a career-high 20 points. Evan Fournier had 19. Immanuel Quickley scored 17 off the bench. RJ Barrett finished with 12, and Alec Burks had 11 for New York.
“We lost today so it really doesn't mean anything to me,” Toppin said about his career day. “We (have to) learn from today and just get better and win these next couple games.”
The Cavaliers never trailed in sweeping the regular-season series. Cleveland shot 54.3% from the field (44-for-81) and 44.1% from 3 in the matinee at Madison Square Garden.
“We finally made some shots,” Garland said.
New York was 31-for-77 from the field (40.3%) and 13-for-30 from 3 (43.3%).
But the Knicks were unable to score a go-ahead basket at any point. And Cleveland took every opportunity to build on its advantage including a 57-second sequence in the third quarter. 
Barrett made one of two free throws to cut the deficit to 80-74. The Cavaliers responded with an Okoro tip-in, an Okoro 3, and a spectacular two-handed dunk from Brown to push the lead to 13.
The spurt increased into an 22-11 quarter-ending run, allowing Cleveland to enter the fourth with an 102-87 advantage.
“It was definitely something we talked about within the huddle in that second half,” Love said of the Cavaliers ability to put the game away. “When we got up we said we (didn't have to) stop and let's continue to make the right play; play for each other.”
Osman’s four-point play with 9:28 left put the game away.
“They have a lot of guys who can stretch the floor,” said Quickley. “We didn't play our best.”
Cleveland rookie Evan Mobley missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle. 
TIP-INS:
Cavaliers: With slightly more than a week remaining in the regular season, the Cavaliers are in the midst of a playoff race. Entering the day, Cleveland was seventh in the East which places them amongst the teams in the play-in mix. “It’s obviously a step forward for us,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said before the game. 
“No matter what team has been built (and) how long they’ve sustained success, they’ve had to go through this process and they’ve gone through the process of being heartbroken and learning through disappointment.” 
When asked specifically how he thought his team was handling being in a playoff push, Bickerstaff said he believed they were “handling it well.”
Knicks: New York star forward Julius Randle missed the game with an injured quadriceps, and coach Tom Thibodeau said before the game it is “most likely he will be out the rest of the way.” Randle, 27, averaged 20.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 72 games this season. “He’s had this nagging thing going on for awhile,” he said. 
Thibodeau said Randle will not travel with the team to Orlando for Sunday’s game against the Magic. Following Sunday, New York will have three games left in what has been a disappointing season. 
“Most likely where we are, just let him get healthy and go from there,” Thibodeau said.
UP NEXT:
Cavaliers: host Philadelphia on Sunday.
Knicks: visit Orlando on Sunday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Darius Garland had 24 points and 13 assists to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-101 win over the New York Knicks on Saturday.
Garland led seven Cavaliers in double figures as Cleveland snapped a two-game losing streak.
Caris LeVert finished with 19 points. Moses Brown and Isaac Okoro each added 16. Brown also had 13 rebounds. Kevin Love had 15 off the bench. Cedi Osman and Lauri Markkanen both added 10 for Cleveland.
&ldquo;We're starting to put something together,&rdquo; Garland said.
Added Love: &ldquo;We're a very good team.&rdquo;
After a four-game winning streak, New York has lost two straight.
Obi Toppin scored a career-high 20 points. Evan Fournier had 19. Immanuel Quickley scored 17 off the bench. RJ Barrett finished with 12, and Alec Burks had 11 for New York.
&ldquo;We lost today so it really doesn't mean anything to me,&rdquo; Toppin said about his career day. &ldquo;We (have to) learn from today and just get better and win these next couple games.&rdquo;
The Cavaliers never trailed in sweeping the regular-season series. Cleveland shot 54.3% from the field (44-for-81) and 44.1% from 3 in the matinee at Madison Square Garden.
&ldquo;We finally made some shots,&rdquo; Garland said.
New York was 31-for-77 from the field (40.3%) and 13-for-30 from 3 (43.3%).
But the Knicks were unable to score a go-ahead basket at any point. And Cleveland took every opportunity to build on its advantage including a 57-second sequence in the third quarter.
Barrett made one of two free throws to cut the deficit to 80-74. The Cavaliers responded with an Okoro tip-in, an Okoro 3, and a spectacular two-handed dunk from Brown to push the lead to 13.
The spurt increased into an 22-11 quarter-ending run, allowing Cleveland to enter the fourth with an 102-87 advantage.
&ldquo;It was definitely something we talked about within the huddle in that second half,&rdquo; Love said of the Cavaliers ability to put the game away. &ldquo;When we got up we said we (didn't have to) stop and let's continue to make the right play; play for each other.&rdquo;
Osman&rsquo;s four-point play with 9:28 left put the game away.
&ldquo;They have a lot of guys who can stretch the floor,&rdquo; said Quickley. &ldquo;We didn't play our best.&rdquo;
Cleveland rookie Evan Mobley missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle.
TIP-INS:
Cavaliers: With slightly more than a week remaining in the regular season, the Cavaliers are in the midst of a playoff race. Entering the day, Cleveland was seventh in the East which places them amongst the teams in the play-in mix. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s obviously a step forward for us,&rdquo; Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said before the game.
&ldquo;No matter what team has been built (and) how long they&rsquo;ve sustained success, they&rsquo;ve had to go through this process and they&rsquo;ve gone through the process of being heartbroken and learning through disappointment.&rdquo;
When asked specifically how he thought his team was handling being in a playoff push, Bickerstaff said he believed they were &ldquo;handling it well.&rdquo;
Knicks: New York star forward Julius Randle missed the game with an injured quadriceps, and coach Tom Thibodeau said before the game it is &ldquo;most likely he will be out the rest of the way.&rdquo; Randle, 27, averaged 20.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 72 games this season. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s had this nagging thing going on for awhile,&rdquo; he said.
Thibodeau said Randle will not travel with the team to Orlando for Sunday&rsquo;s game against the Magic. Following Sunday, New York will have three games left in what has been a disappointing season.
&ldquo;Most likely where we are, just let him get healthy and go from there,&rdquo; Thibodeau said.
UP NEXT:
Cavaliers: host Philadelphia on Sunday.
Knicks: visit Orlando on Sunday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Darius Garland had 24 points and 13 assists to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-101 win over the New York Knicks on Saturday.
Garland led seven Cavaliers in double figures as Cleveland snapped a two-game losing streak.
Caris LeVert finished with 19 points. Moses Brown and Isaac Okoro each added 16. Brown also had 13 rebounds. Kevin Love had 15 off the bench. Cedi Osman and Lauri Markkanen both added 10 for Cleveland.
&ldquo;We're starting to put something together,&rdquo; Garland said.
Added Love: &ldquo;We're a very good team.&rdquo;
After a four-game winning streak, New York has lost two straight.
Obi Toppin scored a career-high 20 points. Evan Fournier had 19. Immanuel Quickley scored 17 off the bench. RJ Barrett finished with 12, and Alec Burks had 11 for New York.
&ldquo;We lost today so it really doesn't mean anything to me,&rdquo; Toppin said about his career day. &ldquo;We (have to) learn from today and just get better and win these next couple games.&rdquo;
The Cavaliers never trailed in sweeping the regular-season series. Cleveland shot 54.3% from the field (44-for-81) and 44.1% from 3 in the matinee at Madison Square Garden.
&ldquo;We finally made some shots,&rdquo; Garland said.
New York was 31-for-77 from the field (40.3%) and 13-for-30 from 3 (43.3%).
But the Knicks were unable to score a go-ahead basket at any point. And Cleveland took every opportunity to build on its advantage including a 57-second sequence in the third quarter.
Barrett made one of two free throws to cut the deficit to 80-74. The Cavaliers responded with an Okoro tip-in, an Okoro 3, and a spectacular two-handed dunk from Brown to push the lead to 13.
The spurt increased into an 22-11 quarter-ending run, allowing Cleveland to enter the fourth with an 102-87 advantage.
&ldquo;It was definitely something we talked about within the huddle in that second half,&rdquo; Love said of the Cavaliers ability to put the game away. &ldquo;When we got up we said we (didn't have to) stop and let's continue to make the right play; play for each other.&rdquo;
Osman&rsquo;s four-point play with 9:28 left put the game away.
&ldquo;They have a lot of guys who can stretch the floor,&rdquo; said Quickley. &ldquo;We didn't play our best.&rdquo;
Cleveland rookie Evan Mobley missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: With slightly more than a week remaining in the regular season, the Cavaliers are in the midst of a playoff race. Entering the day, Cleveland was seventh in the East which places them amongst the teams in the play-in mix. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s obviously a step forward for us,&rdquo; Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said before the game.
&ldquo;No matter what team has been built (and) how long they&rsquo;ve sustained success, they&rsquo;ve had to go through this process and they&rsquo;ve gone through the process of being heartbroken and learning through disappointment.&rdquo;
When asked specifically how he thought his team was handling being in a playoff push, Bickerstaff said he believed they were &ldquo;handling it well.&rdquo;
Knicks: New York star forward Julius Randle missed the game with an injured quadriceps, and coach Tom Thibodeau said before the game it is &ldquo;most likely he will be out the rest of the way.&rdquo; Randle, 27, averaged 20.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 72 games this season. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s had this nagging thing going on for awhile,&rdquo; he said.
Thibodeau said Randle will not travel with the team to Orlando for Sunday&rsquo;s game against the Magic. Following Sunday, New York will have three games left in what has been a disappointing season.
&ldquo;Most likely where we are, just let him get healthy and go from there,&rdquo; Thibodeau said.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: host Philadelphia on Sunday.
Knicks: visit Orlando on Sunday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Darius Garland had 24 points and 13 assists to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-101 win over the New York Knicks on Saturday.
Garland led seven Cavaliers in double figures as Cleveland snapped a two-game losing streak.
Caris LeVert finished with 19 points. Moses Brown and Isaac Okoro each added 16. Brown also had 13 rebounds. Kevin Love had 15 off the bench. Cedi Osman and Lauri Markkanen both added 10 for Cleveland.
&ldquo;We're starting to put something together,&rdquo; Garland said.
Added Love: &ldquo;We're a very good team.&rdquo;
After a four-game winning streak, New York has lost two straight.
Obi Toppin scored a career-high 20 points. Evan Fournier had 19. Immanuel Quickley scored 17 off the bench. RJ Barrett finished with 12, and Alec Burks had 11 for New York.
&ldquo;We lost today so it really doesn't mean anything to me,&rdquo; Toppin said about his career day. &ldquo;We (have to) learn from today and just get better and win these next couple games.&rdquo;
The Cavaliers never trailed in sweeping the regular-season series. Cleveland shot 54.3% from the field (44-for-81) and 44.1% from 3 in the matinee at Madison Square Garden.
&ldquo;We finally made some shots,&rdquo; Garland said.
New York was 31-for-77 from the field (40.3%) and 13-for-30 from 3 (43.3%).
But the Knicks were unable to score a go-ahead basket at any point. And Cleveland took every opportunity to build on its advantage including a 57-second sequence in the third quarter.
Barrett made one of two free throws to cut the deficit to 80-74. The Cavaliers responded with an Okoro tip-in, an Okoro 3, and a spectacular two-handed dunk from Brown to push the lead to 13.
The spurt increased into an 22-11 quarter-ending run, allowing Cleveland to enter the fourth with an 102-87 advantage.
&ldquo;It was definitely something we talked about within the huddle in that second half,&rdquo; Love said of the Cavaliers ability to put the game away. &ldquo;When we got up we said we (didn't have to) stop and let's continue to make the right play; play for each other.&rdquo;
Osman&rsquo;s four-point play with 9:28 left put the game away.
&ldquo;They have a lot of guys who can stretch the floor,&rdquo; said Quickley. &ldquo;We didn't play our best.&rdquo;
Cleveland rookie Evan Mobley missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: With slightly more than a week remaining in the regular season, the Cavaliers are in the midst of a playoff race. Entering the day, Cleveland was seventh in the East which places them amongst the teams in the play-in mix. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s obviously a step forward for us,&rdquo; Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said before the game.
&ldquo;No matter what team has been built (and) how long they&rsquo;ve sustained success, they&rsquo;ve had to go through this process and they&rsquo;ve gone through the process of being heartbroken and learning through disappointment.&rdquo;
When asked specifically how he thought his team was handling being in a playoff push, Bickerstaff said he believed they were &ldquo;handling it well.&rdquo;
Knicks: New York star forward Julius Randle missed the game with an injured quadriceps, and coach Tom Thibodeau said before the game it is &ldquo;most likely he will be out the rest of the way.&rdquo; Randle, 27, averaged 20.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 72 games this season. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s had this nagging thing going on for awhile,&rdquo; he said.
Thibodeau said Randle will not travel with the team to Orlando for Sunday&rsquo;s game against the Magic. Following Sunday, New York will have three games left in what has been a disappointing season.
&ldquo;Most likely where we are, just let him get healthy and go from there,&rdquo; Thibodeau said.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: host Philadelphia on Sunday.
Knicks: visit Orlando on Sunday.

Darius Garland had 24 points and 13 assists to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-101 win over the New York Knicks on Saturday.

Darius Garland leads Cavaliers to 119-101 win over Knicks

ATLANTA (AP) — Brooklyn Nets guard Goran Dragic has COVID-19 symptoms, according to coach Steve Nash, and will not play in Saturday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks.
Nash said Dragic "doesn’t feel well. But that’s all I know.”
Dragic was placed in the NBA's health and safety protocols. 
The loss of Dragic, who is averaging 7.5 points and 4.1 assists, leaves the Nets thin at point guard behind starter Kyrie Irving in the important game. The Nets and Hawks enter the game with identical 40-37 records, and the winner will move up one spot within the projected play-in tournament field to eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.
Shooting guard Seth Curry was listed as questionable on the initial injury report released on Friday night with left ankle soreness but was not included on the updated pregame list.
Nash said forward Bruce Brown has the flu and also will not play against Atlanta. Nash said he hopes Brown can return when Brooklyn plays Houston on Tuesday.
“I think some of these things are 24 hours to 72 hours,” Nash said of Brown's illness. “Hopefully, we’re in that timeframe and he can play on Tuesday.”
Meanwhile, Nets forward Ben Simmons is with the team and participated in some light shooting before the game. Simmons apparently is not close to making his debut with Brooklyn since his trade from Philadelphia on Feb. 10.
“He’s on the court a little bit the past couple days, but nothing dynamic,” Nash said, adding Simmons “is not even moving around a lot. He’s just doing some light shooting.” 
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Brooklyn Nets guard Goran Dragic has COVID-19 symptoms, according to coach Steve Nash, and will not play in Saturday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks.
Nash said Dragic "doesn&rsquo;t feel well. But that&rsquo;s all I know.&rdquo;
Dragic was placed in the NBA's health and safety protocols.
The loss of Dragic, who is averaging 7.5 points and 4.1 assists, leaves the Nets thin at point guard behind starter Kyrie Irving in the important game. The Nets and Hawks enter the game with identical 40-37 records, and the winner will move up one spot within the projected play-in tournament field to eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.
Shooting guard Seth Curry was listed as questionable on the initial injury report released on Friday night with left ankle soreness but was not included on the updated pregame list.
Nash said forward Bruce Brown has the flu and also will not play against Atlanta. Nash said he hopes Brown can return when Brooklyn plays Houston on Tuesday.
&ldquo;I think some of these things are 24 hours to 72 hours,&rdquo; Nash said of Brown's illness. &ldquo;Hopefully, we&rsquo;re in that timeframe and he can play on Tuesday.&rdquo;
Meanwhile, Nets forward Ben Simmons is with the team and participated in some light shooting before the game. Simmons apparently is not close to making his debut with Brooklyn since his trade from Philadelphia on Feb. 10.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s on the court a little bit the past couple days, but nothing dynamic,&rdquo; Nash said, adding Simmons &ldquo;is not even moving around a lot. He&rsquo;s just doing some light shooting.&rdquo;
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Brooklyn Nets guard Goran Dragic has COVID-19 symptoms, according to coach Steve Nash, and will not play in Saturday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks.
Nash said Dragic "doesn&rsquo;t feel well. But that&rsquo;s all I know.&rdquo;
Dragic was placed in the NBA's health and safety protocols.
The loss of Dragic, who is averaging 7.5 points and 4.1 assists, leaves the Nets thin at point guard behind starter Kyrie Irving in the important game. The Nets and Hawks enter the game with identical 40-37 records, and the winner will move up one spot within the projected play-in tournament field to eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.
Shooting guard Seth Curry was listed as questionable on the initial injury report released on Friday night with left ankle soreness but was not included on the updated pregame list.
Nash said forward Bruce Brown has the flu and also will not play against Atlanta. Nash said he hopes Brown can return when Brooklyn plays Houston on Tuesday.
&ldquo;I think some of these things are 24 hours to 72 hours,&rdquo; Nash said of Brown's illness. &ldquo;Hopefully, we&rsquo;re in that timeframe and he can play on Tuesday.&rdquo;
Meanwhile, Nets forward Ben Simmons is with the team and participated in some light shooting before the game. Simmons apparently is not close to making his debut with Brooklyn since his trade from Philadelphia on Feb. 10.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s on the court a little bit the past couple days, but nothing dynamic,&rdquo; Nash said, adding Simmons &ldquo;is not even moving around a lot. He&rsquo;s just doing some light shooting.&rdquo;

Brooklyn Nets guard Goran Dragic has COVID-19 symptoms and will not play in Saturday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks.

Nets' Goran Dragic has COVID-19 symptoms, won't play vs. Hawks

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid had 29 points, 14 rebounds and six assists and the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 144-114 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
Philadelphia tied its franchise record of 21 3-pointers, last set on March 1, 2020. 
Tobias Harris added 23 points and had a season-high five three-pointers as the Sixers placed seven players in double figures and was able to play their bench for the majority of the fourth quarter. 
“We were able to move the ball well," Embiid said. “I was extremely happy with the way that we played today because (of) the pace and how we moved the ball around and found our shooters.”
James Harden had 12 points and 13 assists for Philadelphia. Tyrese Maxey had 19 points and four assists for the Sixers (47-30), who can clinch a playoff berth with a win on Sunday against Cleveland.
Miles Bridges had 20 points for Charlotte, which has already wrapped up a berth in the East's play-in tournament. PJ Washington had 14 points while LaMelo Ball added 13 for the Hornets.
“They made shots and you have to give them credit,” Hornets coach James Borrego said. “They made shots. There were a few rotations where we could have been better with Embiid — the easy stuff at the rim with the rolls. Sometimes, you have to pick your poison when they hit their shots.”
Philadelphia broke the game open in the third quarter, outscoring Charlotte by a 45-27 margin and hitting on 17 of 22 shots in the period, including 7 of 10 from beyond the 3-point arc to break open a 58-53 halftime edge. 
“We needed to come out in the third quarter with a lot more energy and we were able to do that,” Harris said. “We were able to get out off our stops, get good looks and push the pace. When we found a good set that work, we were able to keep going to that. And we have to build off that momentum.”
The Hornets struggled to defend the 3-point line, allowing the Sixers to shoot 21-for-43 (48.8 percent) from beyond the arc. 
“They made shots, but our turnovers helped give them some easy looks the other way,” Borrego said. 
Embiid scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the first half as Philadelphia's offense seemed to flow more through Harden, who was 4-for-15 from the floor in the Sixers' 102-94 loss at Detroit on Thursday night. Harden became more of a distributor, getting the ball to Embiid down low and Harris in the corner.
“We're balancing everything game by game and possession by possession,” Harden said. “When Tyrese and Tobi have it going on and they are being aggressive, we can put up 140. It's just me trying to make the right plays. There are nights when I'm going to have to be aggressive. It's just going possession by possession and seeing the game as it plays out.”
TIP-INS
Hornets: Gordon Hayward returned to the Charlotte roster on Saturday for the first time after missing 22 games with a left ankle sprain on Feb. 7. The forward came off the bench as Hornets coach James Borrego tries to manage his minutes before Charlotte's appearance in the East's play-in tournament, scoring five points in 16 minutes. 
“The first time out of the gate, it's going to take a minute,” Borrego said. “He looked comfortable and I didn't see any hestitation or reservation from him. That's positive.”
76ers: The Sixers set season highs in points (144), three-pointers made (21) and assists. ... Embiid showed reporters after the game that he has a cut at the bend point on his right middle finger that he says has been in place for a few months as a result of passing and dunking at different points. He did not indicate that the cut will force him to miss any time.
UP NEXT
Hornets: Play at Miami on Tuesday night. Miami has won the first three games between the two teams this season.
76ers: At Cleveland on Sunday. It is the first game of a three-game road trip that will serve as the final one of Philadelphia's regular season
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Joel Embiid had 29 points, 14 rebounds and six assists and the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 144-114 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
Philadelphia tied its franchise record of 21 3-pointers, last set on March 1, 2020.
Tobias Harris added 23 points and had a season-high five three-pointers as the Sixers placed seven players in double figures and was able to play their bench for the majority of the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;We were able to move the ball well," Embiid said. &ldquo;I was extremely happy with the way that we played today because (of) the pace and how we moved the ball around and found our shooters.&rdquo;
James Harden had 12 points and 13 assists for Philadelphia. Tyrese Maxey had 19 points and four assists for the Sixers (47-30), who can clinch a playoff berth with a win on Sunday against Cleveland.
Miles Bridges had 20 points for Charlotte, which has already wrapped up a berth in the East's play-in tournament. PJ Washington had 14 points while LaMelo Ball added 13 for the Hornets.
&ldquo;They made shots and you have to give them credit,&rdquo; Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;They made shots. There were a few rotations where we could have been better with Embiid &mdash; the easy stuff at the rim with the rolls. Sometimes, you have to pick your poison when they hit their shots.&rdquo;
Philadelphia broke the game open in the third quarter, outscoring Charlotte by a 45-27 margin and hitting on 17 of 22 shots in the period, including 7 of 10 from beyond the 3-point arc to break open a 58-53 halftime edge.
&ldquo;We needed to come out in the third quarter with a lot more energy and we were able to do that,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;We were able to get out off our stops, get good looks and push the pace. When we found a good set that work, we were able to keep going to that. And we have to build off that momentum.&rdquo;
The Hornets struggled to defend the 3-point line, allowing the Sixers to shoot 21-for-43 (48.8 percent) from beyond the arc.
&ldquo;They made shots, but our turnovers helped give them some easy looks the other way,&rdquo; Borrego said.
Embiid scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the first half as Philadelphia's offense seemed to flow more through Harden, who was 4-for-15 from the floor in the Sixers' 102-94 loss at Detroit on Thursday night. Harden became more of a distributor, getting the ball to Embiid down low and Harris in the corner.
&ldquo;We're balancing everything game by game and possession by possession,&rdquo; Harden said. &ldquo;When Tyrese and Tobi have it going on and they are being aggressive, we can put up 140. It's just me trying to make the right plays. There are nights when I'm going to have to be aggressive. It's just going possession by possession and seeing the game as it plays out.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Hornets: Gordon Hayward returned to the Charlotte roster on Saturday for the first time after missing 22 games with a left ankle sprain on Feb. 7. The forward came off the bench as Hornets coach James Borrego tries to manage his minutes before Charlotte's appearance in the East's play-in tournament, scoring five points in 16 minutes.
&ldquo;The first time out of the gate, it's going to take a minute,&rdquo; Borrego said. &ldquo;He looked comfortable and I didn't see any hestitation or reservation from him. That's positive.&rdquo;
76ers: The Sixers set season highs in points (144), three-pointers made (21) and assists. ... Embiid showed reporters after the game that he has a cut at the bend point on his right middle finger that he says has been in place for a few months as a result of passing and dunking at different points. He did not indicate that the cut will force him to miss any time.
UP NEXT
Hornets: Play at Miami on Tuesday night. Miami has won the first three games between the two teams this season.
76ers: At Cleveland on Sunday. It is the first game of a three-game road trip that will serve as the final one of Philadelphia's regular season
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Joel Embiid had 29 points, 14 rebounds and six assists and the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 144-114 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
Philadelphia tied its franchise record of 21 3-pointers, last set on March 1, 2020.
Tobias Harris added 23 points and had a season-high five three-pointers as the Sixers placed seven players in double figures and was able to play their bench for the majority of the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;We were able to move the ball well," Embiid said. &ldquo;I was extremely happy with the way that we played today because (of) the pace and how we moved the ball around and found our shooters.&rdquo;
James Harden had 12 points and 13 assists for Philadelphia. Tyrese Maxey had 19 points and four assists for the Sixers (47-30), who can clinch a playoff berth with a win on Sunday against Cleveland.
Miles Bridges had 20 points for Charlotte, which has already wrapped up a berth in the East's play-in tournament. PJ Washington had 14 points while LaMelo Ball added 13 for the Hornets.
&ldquo;They made shots and you have to give them credit,&rdquo; Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;They made shots. There were a few rotations where we could have been better with Embiid &mdash; the easy stuff at the rim with the rolls. Sometimes, you have to pick your poison when they hit their shots.&rdquo;
Philadelphia broke the game open in the third quarter, outscoring Charlotte by a 45-27 margin and hitting on 17 of 22 shots in the period, including 7 of 10 from beyond the 3-point arc to break open a 58-53 halftime edge.
&ldquo;We needed to come out in the third quarter with a lot more energy and we were able to do that,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;We were able to get out off our stops, get good looks and push the pace. When we found a good set that work, we were able to keep going to that. And we have to build off that momentum.&rdquo;
The Hornets struggled to defend the 3-point line, allowing the Sixers to shoot 21-for-43 (48.8 percent) from beyond the arc.
&ldquo;They made shots, but our turnovers helped give them some easy looks the other way,&rdquo; Borrego said.
Embiid scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the first half as Philadelphia's offense seemed to flow more through Harden, who was 4-for-15 from the floor in the Sixers' 102-94 loss at Detroit on Thursday night. Harden became more of a distributor, getting the ball to Embiid down low and Harris in the corner.
&ldquo;We're balancing everything game by game and possession by possession,&rdquo; Harden said. &ldquo;When Tyrese and Tobi have it going on and they are being aggressive, we can put up 140. It's just me trying to make the right plays. There are nights when I'm going to have to be aggressive. It's just going possession by possession and seeing the game as it plays out.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Hornets: Gordon Hayward returned to the Charlotte roster on Saturday for the first time after missing 22 games with a left ankle sprain on Feb. 7. The forward came off the bench as Hornets coach James Borrego tries to manage his minutes before Charlotte's appearance in the East's play-in tournament, scoring five points in 16 minutes.
&ldquo;The first time out of the gate, it's going to take a minute,&rdquo; Borrego said. &ldquo;He looked comfortable and I didn't see any hestitation or reservation from him. That's positive.&rdquo;
76ers: The Sixers set season highs in points (144), three-pointers made (21) and assists. ... Embiid showed reporters after the game that he has a cut at the bend point on his right middle finger that he says has been in place for a few months as a result of passing and dunking at different points. He did not indicate that the cut will force him to miss any time.
UP NEXT
Hornets: Play at Miami on Tuesday night. Miami has won the first three games between the two teams this season.
76ers: At Cleveland on Sunday. It is the first game of a three-game road trip that will serve as the final one of Philadelphia's regular season

Joel Embiid had 29 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Charlotte Hornets 144-114 on Saturday.

Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris lead 76ers to 144-114 rout of Hornets

LOS ANGELES (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 32 points, Brandon Ingram added 29 against his former team and the New Orleans Pelicans spoiled Anthony Davis' return from injury with another fourth-quarter rally in a 114-111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the ninth-place Pelicans, who won for the sixth time in eight games while dealing the second major blow in five days to the Lakers' hopes of squeaking into the play-in tournament.
New Orleans beat Los Angeles 116-108 at home last weekend after rallying from a 23-point deficit, and the Pelicans swept the season series with this comeback on the road.
“It was big-time,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “They threw the kitchen sink at us. LeBron (scored) 38 points. Getting Davis back sparked their team a little bit. We just hung in there, and the game was back and forth. We have to win games like that. Been talking about it all season, and it will pay dividends down the stretch.”
LeBron James missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer and scored just two of his 38 in the fourth quarter for the Lakers (31-46), who have lost five straight and 15 of 19 to fall one game behind 10th-place San Antonio (32-45), which holds the tiebreaker.
“The big picture is that it was pretty much a must-win for us, and we didn’t get the job done,” James said.
Davis had 23 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in his return from a six-week injury absence since Feb. 16, but the eight-time All-Star's presence wasn't enough to beat his former team. The Lakers now face long odds just to get past the Spurs for a one-game shot at the Pelicans, since four of LA's final five games are against playoff-bound opponents.
“It's going to be tough to catch (New Orleans) now, with the lead they have and the tiebreaker,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “But we have plenty of time to win as many games as we can down the stretch and see what happens with San Antonio.”
New Orleans trailed for most of the fourth quarter, but Valanciunas hit a tying 3-pointer with 2:52 to play. After Davis missed a floater, Ingram put the Pelicans ahead 110-108 on a fadeaway jumper.
“We had some poise late in that game,” Ingram said. “Down the stretch, we had some good execution. Everybody was locked in on the defensive end, and we seemed confident."
Avery Bradley's 3-pointer with 15.8 seconds left trimmed New Orleans' lead to 112-111. McCollum hit two free throws, and James' triple-clutch 3-point attempt amid double coverage didn't go in at the horn.
“It was a tough environment with AD coming back, and we just fought,” said Herbert Jones, who harassed James along with Larry Nance Jr. on the last play. “Once LeBron came across the court and I got screened, I knew Larry was over there. I just wanted to be there as well. Just force him to shoot it. I feel like we did a great job of making it tough on him to make the shot.”
Davis missed the previous 18 games with a sprained foot during his second lengthy injury absence of the year. Davis had been hurt for 39 games and healthy for 37 this season, his second straight with major injury problems.
Los Angeles went 4-14 in Davis’ most recent absence, its disappointing season turning into a potentially humiliating one. James also missed three of the previous four games with a swollen ankle, but he elected to play through the pain Friday with Davis’ return.
That meant Davis, James and Russell Westbrook played together for only the 21st time in the Lakers’ 77 games this season — and just the sixth time since Dec. 17. Injuries have been the leading — but hardly the only — factor in Los Angeles’ descent from a likely championship contender to a borderline playoff team.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Green said his team also was motivated when the lights weren't turned on for their morning shootaround, forcing them to work out in the dark. ... Jaxson Hayes dunked with 36 seconds left in the first half, but the points were taken off the board following video review after the halftime buzzer because Hayes didn't beat the shot clock.
Lakers: Davis crossed the court to say something to a fan in the second row early in the fourth quarter after New Orleans called a timeout when LA took a six-point lead. The fan, who wore a Kobe jersey, was escorted away from his seat by security. ... Carmelo Anthony was unavailable due to a non-COVID illness.
OH YEAH REAL FUNNY
James got into the spirit of the holiday Thursday morning with <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1509941094712184834">a straight-faced tweet</a>: “I’m out for the season officially. See y’all in the fall.”
James and the Lakers didn't acknowledge the joke, but at least James apparently warned Vogel when he sent out the tweet. The coach declined to say whether he thought it was funny.
“I would have guessed it was an April Fool's even if I hadn't known it was an April Fool's,” Vogel said.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: At Clippers on Sunday.
Lakers: Host Nuggets on Sunday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; CJ McCollum scored 32 points, Brandon Ingram added 29 against his former team and the New Orleans Pelicans spoiled Anthony Davis' return from injury with another fourth-quarter rally in a 114-111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the ninth-place Pelicans, who won for the sixth time in eight games while dealing the second major blow in five days to the Lakers' hopes of squeaking into the play-in tournament.
New Orleans beat Los Angeles 116-108 at home last weekend after rallying from a 23-point deficit, and the Pelicans swept the season series with this comeback on the road.
&ldquo;It was big-time,&rdquo; Pelicans coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;They threw the kitchen sink at us. LeBron (scored) 38 points. Getting Davis back sparked their team a little bit. We just hung in there, and the game was back and forth. We have to win games like that. Been talking about it all season, and it will pay dividends down the stretch.&rdquo;
LeBron James missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer and scored just two of his 38 in the fourth quarter for the Lakers (31-46), who have lost five straight and 15 of 19 to fall one game behind 10th-place San Antonio (32-45), which holds the tiebreaker.
&ldquo;The big picture is that it was pretty much a must-win for us, and we didn&rsquo;t get the job done,&rdquo; James said.
Davis had 23 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in his return from a six-week injury absence since Feb. 16, but the eight-time All-Star's presence wasn't enough to beat his former team. The Lakers now face long odds just to get past the Spurs for a one-game shot at the Pelicans, since four of LA's final five games are against playoff-bound opponents.
&ldquo;It's going to be tough to catch (New Orleans) now, with the lead they have and the tiebreaker,&rdquo; Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. &ldquo;But we have plenty of time to win as many games as we can down the stretch and see what happens with San Antonio.&rdquo;
New Orleans trailed for most of the fourth quarter, but Valanciunas hit a tying 3-pointer with 2:52 to play. After Davis missed a floater, Ingram put the Pelicans ahead 110-108 on a fadeaway jumper.
&ldquo;We had some poise late in that game,&rdquo; Ingram said. &ldquo;Down the stretch, we had some good execution. Everybody was locked in on the defensive end, and we seemed confident."
Avery Bradley's 3-pointer with 15.8 seconds left trimmed New Orleans' lead to 112-111. McCollum hit two free throws, and James' triple-clutch 3-point attempt amid double coverage didn't go in at the horn.
&ldquo;It was a tough environment with AD coming back, and we just fought,&rdquo; said Herbert Jones, who harassed James along with Larry Nance Jr. on the last play. &ldquo;Once LeBron came across the court and I got screened, I knew Larry was over there. I just wanted to be there as well. Just force him to shoot it. I feel like we did a great job of making it tough on him to make the shot.&rdquo;
Davis missed the previous 18 games with a sprained foot during his second lengthy injury absence of the year. Davis had been hurt for 39 games and healthy for 37 this season, his second straight with major injury problems.
Los Angeles went 4-14 in Davis&rsquo; most recent absence, its disappointing season turning into a potentially humiliating one. James also missed three of the previous four games with a swollen ankle, but he elected to play through the pain Friday with Davis&rsquo; return.
That meant Davis, James and Russell Westbrook played together for only the 21st time in the Lakers&rsquo; 77 games this season &mdash; and just the sixth time since Dec. 17. Injuries have been the leading &mdash; but hardly the only &mdash; factor in Los Angeles&rsquo; descent from a likely championship contender to a borderline playoff team.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Green said his team also was motivated when the lights weren't turned on for their morning shootaround, forcing them to work out in the dark. ... Jaxson Hayes dunked with 36 seconds left in the first half, but the points were taken off the board following video review after the halftime buzzer because Hayes didn't beat the shot clock.
Lakers: Davis crossed the court to say something to a fan in the second row early in the fourth quarter after New Orleans called a timeout when LA took a six-point lead. The fan, who wore a Kobe jersey, was escorted away from his seat by security. ... Carmelo Anthony was unavailable due to a non-COVID illness.
OH YEAH REAL FUNNY
James got into the spirit of the holiday Thursday morning with <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1509941094712184834">a straight-faced tweet</a>: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m out for the season officially. See y&rsquo;all in the fall.&rdquo;
James and the Lakers didn't acknowledge the joke, but at least James apparently warned Vogel when he sent out the tweet. The coach declined to say whether he thought it was funny.
&ldquo;I would have guessed it was an April Fool's even if I hadn't known it was an April Fool's,&rdquo; Vogel said.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: At Clippers on Sunday.
Lakers: Host Nuggets on Sunday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; CJ McCollum scored 32 points, Brandon Ingram added 29 against his former team and the New Orleans Pelicans spoiled Anthony Davis' return from injury with another fourth-quarter rally in a 114-111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the ninth-place Pelicans, who won for the sixth time in eight games while dealing the second major blow in five days to the Lakers' hopes of squeaking into the play-in tournament.
New Orleans beat Los Angeles 116-108 at home last weekend after rallying from a 23-point deficit, and the Pelicans swept the season series with this comeback on the road.
&ldquo;It was big-time,&rdquo; Pelicans coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;They threw the kitchen sink at us. LeBron (scored) 38 points. Getting Davis back sparked their team a little bit. We just hung in there, and the game was back and forth. We have to win games like that. Been talking about it all season, and it will pay dividends down the stretch.&rdquo;
LeBron James missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer and scored just two of his 38 in the fourth quarter for the Lakers (31-46), who have lost five straight and 15 of 19 to fall one game behind 10th-place San Antonio (32-45), which holds the tiebreaker.
&ldquo;The big picture is that it was pretty much a must-win for us, and we didn&rsquo;t get the job done,&rdquo; James said.
Davis had 23 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in his return from a six-week injury absence since Feb. 16, but the eight-time All-Star's presence wasn't enough to beat his former team. The Lakers now face long odds just to get past the Spurs for a one-game shot at the Pelicans, since four of LA's final five games are against playoff-bound opponents.
&ldquo;It's going to be tough to catch (New Orleans) now, with the lead they have and the tiebreaker,&rdquo; Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. &ldquo;But we have plenty of time to win as many games as we can down the stretch and see what happens with San Antonio.&rdquo;
New Orleans trailed for most of the fourth quarter, but Valanciunas hit a tying 3-pointer with 2:52 to play. After Davis missed a floater, Ingram put the Pelicans ahead 110-108 on a fadeaway jumper.
&ldquo;We had some poise late in that game,&rdquo; Ingram said. &ldquo;Down the stretch, we had some good execution. Everybody was locked in on the defensive end, and we seemed confident."
Avery Bradley's 3-pointer with 15.8 seconds left trimmed New Orleans' lead to 112-111. McCollum hit two free throws, and James' triple-clutch 3-point attempt amid double coverage didn't go in at the horn.
&ldquo;It was a tough environment with AD coming back, and we just fought,&rdquo; said Herbert Jones, who harassed James along with Larry Nance Jr. on the last play. &ldquo;Once LeBron came across the court and I got screened, I knew Larry was over there. I just wanted to be there as well. Just force him to shoot it. I feel like we did a great job of making it tough on him to make the shot.&rdquo;
Davis missed the previous 18 games with a sprained foot during his second lengthy injury absence of the year. Davis had been hurt for 39 games and healthy for 37 this season, his second straight with major injury problems.
Los Angeles went 4-14 in Davis&rsquo; most recent absence, its disappointing season turning into a potentially humiliating one. James also missed three of the previous four games with a swollen ankle, but he elected to play through the pain Friday with Davis&rsquo; return.
That meant Davis, James and Russell Westbrook played together for only the 21st time in the Lakers&rsquo; 77 games this season &mdash; and just the sixth time since Dec. 17. Injuries have been the leading &mdash; but hardly the only &mdash; factor in Los Angeles&rsquo; descent from a likely championship contender to a borderline playoff team.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Green said his team also was motivated when the lights weren't turned on for their morning shootaround, forcing them to work out in the dark. ... Jaxson Hayes dunked with 36 seconds left in the first half, but the points were taken off the board following video review after the halftime buzzer because Hayes didn't beat the shot clock.
Lakers: Davis crossed the court to say something to a fan in the second row early in the fourth quarter after New Orleans called a timeout when LA took a six-point lead. The fan, who wore a Kobe jersey, was escorted away from his seat by security. ... Carmelo Anthony was unavailable due to a non-COVID illness.
OH YEAH REAL FUNNY
James got into the spirit of the holiday Thursday morning with <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1509941094712184834">a straight-faced tweet</a>: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m out for the season officially. See y&rsquo;all in the fall.&rdquo;
James and the Lakers didn't acknowledge the joke, but at least James apparently warned Vogel when he sent out the tweet. The coach declined to say whether he thought it was funny.
&ldquo;I would have guessed it was an April Fool's even if I hadn't known it was an April Fool's,&rdquo; Vogel said.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: At Clippers on Sunday.
Lakers: Host Nuggets on Sunday.
&nbsp;

CJ McCollum scored 32 points and the Pelicans spoiled Anthony Davis' return in a 114-111 victory over the Lakers.