ATLANTA (AP) — Jonas Valanciunas had 26 points and 12 rebounds, CJ McCollum added 25 points, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Atlanta Hawks 117-112 on Sunday night.
The Pelicans, who moved into ninth place in the Western Conference, have won their last two and three of four and were without leading scorer Brandon Ingram and fourth-leading scorer Devonte’ Graham. Both missed the game with injuries.
Danilo Gallinari scored 25 points for Atlanta, which had its seven-game home winning streak snapped. The Hawks, who had won 15 of 17 at State Farm Arena, stayed alone in 10th place in the East despite the loss.
New Orleans, the only team to rank among the top five in offensive and defensive rebounds, topped Atlanta 54-40 on the boards. All three of the Pelicans’ big men — Valanciunas, Jaxson Hayes and Willie Hernangomez — finished with a double-double.
Hawks star guard Trae Young, listed as questionable before the game with a left quadriceps contusion, finished with 21 points and 10 assists. He has career 90 games with at least 20 points and 10 assists, most in the NBA over the last four seasons. Young has 35 double-doubles this season. 
Atlanta couldn’t close the gap in the third as Valanciunas’ three-point play made it a 15-point lead in the final minute of the period. The Hawks trailed 48-28 in points in the paint through the first three quarters.
But Atlanta got hot in the fourth and tied it at 108-all on Young’s with a 30-footer at the 2:08 mark. After a lay-in by Clint Capela made it 110-all, Jose Alvarado hit a layup to make it 114-110 with 48.5 seconds remaining. 
It was a two-point game after Young hit a pair of free throws with 34.2 seconds to go, but that was as close as Atlanta would get.
New Orleans led by a game-high 19 early in the second before the Hawks got hot and trimmed the lead to four on Capela’s tip-in at the 4:18 mark. The Pelicans, who were up 60-50 at intermission despite shooting just 41.2%, outscored Atlanta 14-0 on fastbreak points in the first half. New Orleans began the game ranked second in average transition points with 16.8.
McCollum scored 13 points in the first half. Gallinari had 18. 
The Pelicans took a 23-11 lead in the first after going on a 13-2 run that ended with Herbert Jones’ basket and a Hawks timeout. New Orleans, which had nine steals for 12 points in the first, led 35-18 entering the second.
The Pelicans ended a six-game losing streak in the series.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Graham was questionable with right hip soreness and was ruled out. Coach Willie Green said the team hopes he can play Monday in Charlotte. ... New Orleans improved to 24-4 when leading after three. ... Ingram (right hamstring soreness), G Kira Lewis Jr. (right knee sprain), F Larry Nance Jr. (right knee arthroscopy) and F Zion Williamson (right foot fracture) were out. ... Green said Ingram, who missed his seventh straight game, is progressing but the coach won’t know more until the team reconvenes in New Orleans on Tuesday. Ingram is the only NBA player to average at least 22 points, 5.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds and three or less turnovers. 
Hawks: F John Collins (right ring finger sprain and right foot strain) missed his fifth straight game. Since getting drafted 19th overall in 2017, Collins leads his classmates with 53 games of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. Collins is Atlanta’s second-leading scorer. ... Bogdanovic was coming off a season-high 30 points Friday against Memphis. ... The Hawks have at least 25 assists in seven straight games, the longest active streak in the NBA.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: At Charlotte on Monday.
Hawks: At New York on Tuesday.
___
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ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Jonas Valanciunas had 26 points and 12 rebounds, CJ McCollum added 25 points, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Atlanta Hawks 117-112 on Sunday night.
The Pelicans, who moved into ninth place in the Western Conference, have won their last two and three of four and were without leading scorer Brandon Ingram and fourth-leading scorer Devonte&rsquo; Graham. Both missed the game with injuries.
Danilo Gallinari scored 25 points for Atlanta, which had its seven-game home winning streak snapped. The Hawks, who had won 15 of 17 at State Farm Arena, stayed alone in 10th place in the East despite the loss.
New Orleans, the only team to rank among the top five in offensive and defensive rebounds, topped Atlanta 54-40 on the boards. All three of the Pelicans&rsquo; big men &mdash; Valanciunas, Jaxson Hayes and Willie Hernangomez &mdash; finished with a double-double.
Hawks star guard Trae Young, listed as questionable before the game with a left quadriceps contusion, finished with 21 points and 10 assists. He has career 90 games with at least 20 points and 10 assists, most in the NBA over the last four seasons. Young has 35 double-doubles this season.
Atlanta couldn&rsquo;t close the gap in the third as Valanciunas&rsquo; three-point play made it a 15-point lead in the final minute of the period. The Hawks trailed 48-28 in points in the paint through the first three quarters.
But Atlanta got hot in the fourth and tied it at 108-all on Young&rsquo;s with a 30-footer at the 2:08 mark. After a lay-in by Clint Capela made it 110-all, Jose Alvarado hit a layup to make it 114-110 with 48.5 seconds remaining.
It was a two-point game after Young hit a pair of free throws with 34.2 seconds to go, but that was as close as Atlanta would get.
New Orleans led by a game-high 19 early in the second before the Hawks got hot and trimmed the lead to four on Capela&rsquo;s tip-in at the 4:18 mark. The Pelicans, who were up 60-50 at intermission despite shooting just 41.2%, outscored Atlanta 14-0 on fastbreak points in the first half. New Orleans began the game ranked second in average transition points with 16.8.
McCollum scored 13 points in the first half. Gallinari had 18.
The Pelicans took a 23-11 lead in the first after going on a 13-2 run that ended with Herbert Jones&rsquo; basket and a Hawks timeout. New Orleans, which had nine steals for 12 points in the first, led 35-18 entering the second.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The Pelicans ended a six-game losing streak in the series.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Graham was questionable with right hip soreness and was ruled out. Coach Willie Green said the team hopes he can play Monday in Charlotte. ... New Orleans improved to 24-4 when leading after three. ... Ingram (right hamstring soreness), G Kira Lewis Jr. (right knee sprain), F Larry Nance Jr. (right knee arthroscopy) and F Zion Williamson (right foot fracture) were out. ... Green said Ingram, who missed his seventh straight game, is progressing but the coach won&rsquo;t know more until the team reconvenes in New Orleans on Tuesday. Ingram is the only NBA player to average at least 22 points, 5.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds and three or less turnovers.
Hawks: F John Collins (right ring finger sprain and right foot strain) missed his fifth straight game. Since getting drafted 19th overall in 2017, Collins leads his classmates with 53 games of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. Collins is Atlanta&rsquo;s second-leading scorer. ... Bogdanovic was coming off a season-high 30 points Friday against Memphis. ... The Hawks have at least 25 assists in seven straight games, the longest active streak in the NBA.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: At Charlotte on Monday.
Hawks: At New York on Tuesday.
___
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ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Jonas Valanciunas had 26 points and 12 rebounds, CJ McCollum added 25 points, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Atlanta Hawks 117-112 on Sunday night.
The Pelicans, who moved into ninth place in the Western Conference, have won their last two and three of four and were without leading scorer Brandon Ingram and fourth-leading scorer Devonte&rsquo; Graham. Both missed the game with injuries.
Danilo Gallinari scored 25 points for Atlanta, which had its seven-game home winning streak snapped. The Hawks, who had won 15 of 17 at State Farm Arena, stayed alone in 10th place in the East despite the loss.
New Orleans, the only team to rank among the top five in offensive and defensive rebounds, topped Atlanta 54-40 on the boards. All three of the Pelicans&rsquo; big men &mdash; Valanciunas, Jaxson Hayes and Willie Hernangomez &mdash; finished with a double-double.
Hawks star guard Trae Young, listed as questionable before the game with a left quadriceps contusion, finished with 21 points and 10 assists. He has career 90 games with at least 20 points and 10 assists, most in the NBA over the last four seasons. Young has 35 double-doubles this season.
Atlanta couldn&rsquo;t close the gap in the third as Valanciunas&rsquo; three-point play made it a 15-point lead in the final minute of the period. The Hawks trailed 48-28 in points in the paint through the first three quarters.
But Atlanta got hot in the fourth and tied it at 108-all on Young&rsquo;s with a 30-footer at the 2:08 mark. After a lay-in by Clint Capela made it 110-all, Jose Alvarado hit a layup to make it 114-110 with 48.5 seconds remaining.
It was a two-point game after Young hit a pair of free throws with 34.2 seconds to go, but that was as close as Atlanta would get.
New Orleans led by a game-high 19 early in the second before the Hawks got hot and trimmed the lead to four on Capela&rsquo;s tip-in at the 4:18 mark. The Pelicans, who were up 60-50 at intermission despite shooting just 41.2%, outscored Atlanta 14-0 on fastbreak points in the first half. New Orleans began the game ranked second in average transition points with 16.8.
McCollum scored 13 points in the first half. Gallinari had 18.
The Pelicans took a 23-11 lead in the first after going on a 13-2 run that ended with Herbert Jones&rsquo; basket and a Hawks timeout. New Orleans, which had nine steals for 12 points in the first, led 35-18 entering the second.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The Pelicans ended a six-game losing streak in the series.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Graham was questionable with right hip soreness and was ruled out. Coach Willie Green said the team hopes he can play Monday in Charlotte. ... New Orleans improved to 24-4 when leading after three. ... Ingram (right hamstring soreness), G Kira Lewis Jr. (right knee sprain), F Larry Nance Jr. (right knee arthroscopy) and F Zion Williamson (right foot fracture) were out. ... Green said Ingram, who missed his seventh straight game, is progressing but the coach won&rsquo;t know more until the team reconvenes in New Orleans on Tuesday. Ingram is the only NBA player to average at least 22 points, 5.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds and three or less turnovers.
Hawks: F John Collins (right ring finger sprain and right foot strain) missed his fifth straight game. Since getting drafted 19th overall in 2017, Collins leads his classmates with 53 games of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. Collins is Atlanta&rsquo;s second-leading scorer. ... Bogdanovic was coming off a season-high 30 points Friday against Memphis. ... The Hawks have at least 25 assists in seven straight games, the longest active streak in the NBA.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: At Charlotte on Monday.
Hawks: At New York on Tuesday.

Jonas Valanciunas had 26 points and 12 rebounds, CJ McCollum added 25 points, and the Pelicans beat the Hawks 117-112.

Valanciunas, McCollum power Pelicans past Hawks, 117-112

HOUSTON (AP) — Desmond Bane had 24 points and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame the absence of star Ja Morant with balanced scoring in a 122-98 victory over the NBA-worst Houston Rockets on Sunday.
Bane was one of six Memphis players to score at least 13 points on a day Morant sat out with a sore knee.
“We’ve just got a great team," coach Taylor Jenkins said. “They uplift each other. They they rise up when someone’s out and ... they know we’ve got a job to do out there and that’s to compete to our level. Luckilym when guys have been out, especially Ja recently, they’ve stepped up."
The Grizzlies led by double figures for most of the game and had a 13-point lead after three quarters. Kenyon Martin Jr. opened the fourth quarter with a dunk for Houston before Memphis used a 15-0 run to push its advantage to 99-73 with nine minutes to go. 
Jaren Jackson Jr. had two 3-pointers and a block in that stretch and Brandon Clarke added four points as the Grizzlies forced two turnovers to help pad the lead. 
“I thought we did a great job getting stops and converting that to easy shots on the other end," Jenkins said of about the team's success during that huge run.
Jenkins said Morant was OK and that he just wanted to give him some time to rest with the team’s next game not until Wednesday night. Morant has helped the Grizzlies to the second-best record in the NBA this season behind Phoenix at 49-23. But Memphis has done well without him too, going 14-2 in games that he’s missed. 
Dennis Schroder had 17 points off the bench for the Rockets. They have dropped five straight. 
Coach Stephen Silas was disappointed that his team let its poor shooting impact its performance on the other end of the court. 
“We’ve been doing that a lot this season, getting frustrated with the offense and letting it creep into our defense," he said. 
The Grizzlies led by 12 at halftime and had extended the lead to 17 after two free throws by Jackson midway through the quarter. Houston got hot after that, making the next 10 points to get to 71-64.
Schroder started things off in that stretch with a 3-pointer and Alperen Sengun had five points, capped by a steal and dunk to help the Rockets cut the deficit. 
A 3-pointer by De’Anthony Melton’s ended Houston’s run and started an 8-3 run for Memphis that extended the lead to 79-67 with about three minutes left in the third. 
Houston got within 10 late in the third quarter on a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr., but another 3 by Melton gave the Grizzlies an 84-71 lead entering the fourth quarter. TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks scored 20 points. ... Melton had 16 points and seven rebounds. ... Memphis was 16 of 34 on 3-pointers. 
Rockets: Eric Gordon missed a third straight game with an illness. ... Houston made just 10 of 31 3-pointers. ... Rookie Jalen Green, the second overall pick in the draft, had a tough day, shooting 3 of 13 with eight points. ... Sengun had 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench. 
THEY SAID IT
Schroder on embracing a leadership role since being traded to this young team about two months ago: “It’s different. But to help the young guys day in and day out and help them go through this process is great." 
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Host Brooklyn on Wednesday night. 
Rockets: Host Washington on Monday night. 
___
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HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Desmond Bane had 24 points and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame the absence of star Ja Morant with balanced scoring in a 122-98 victory over the NBA-worst Houston Rockets on Sunday.
Bane was one of six Memphis players to score at least 13 points on a day Morant sat out with a sore knee.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just got a great team," coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;They uplift each other. They they rise up when someone&rsquo;s out and ... they know we&rsquo;ve got a job to do out there and that&rsquo;s to compete to our level. Luckilym when guys have been out, especially Ja recently, they&rsquo;ve stepped up."
The Grizzlies led by double figures for most of the game and had a 13-point lead after three quarters. Kenyon Martin Jr. opened the fourth quarter with a dunk for Houston before Memphis used a 15-0 run to push its advantage to 99-73 with nine minutes to go.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had two 3-pointers and a block in that stretch and Brandon Clarke added four points as the Grizzlies forced two turnovers to help pad the lead.
&ldquo;I thought we did a great job getting stops and converting that to easy shots on the other end," Jenkins said of about the team's success during that huge run.
Jenkins said Morant was OK and that he just wanted to give him some time to rest with the team&rsquo;s next game not until Wednesday night. Morant has helped the Grizzlies to the second-best record in the NBA this season behind Phoenix at 49-23. But Memphis has done well without him too, going 14-2 in games that he&rsquo;s missed.
Dennis Schroder had 17 points off the bench for the Rockets. They have dropped five straight.
Coach Stephen Silas was disappointed that his team let its poor shooting impact its performance on the other end of the court.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been doing that a lot this season, getting frustrated with the offense and letting it creep into our defense," he said.
The Grizzlies led by 12 at halftime and had extended the lead to 17 after two free throws by Jackson midway through the quarter. Houston got hot after that, making the next 10 points to get to 71-64.
Schroder started things off in that stretch with a 3-pointer and Alperen Sengun had five points, capped by a steal and dunk to help the Rockets cut the deficit.
A 3-pointer by De&rsquo;Anthony Melton&rsquo;s ended Houston&rsquo;s run and started an 8-3 run for Memphis that extended the lead to 79-67 with about three minutes left in the third.
Houston got within 10 late in the third quarter on a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr., but another 3 by Melton gave the Grizzlies an 84-71 lead entering the fourth quarter. TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks scored 20 points. ... Melton had 16 points and seven rebounds. ... Memphis was 16 of 34 on 3-pointers.
Rockets: Eric Gordon missed a third straight game with an illness. ... Houston made just 10 of 31 3-pointers. ... Rookie Jalen Green, the second overall pick in the draft, had a tough day, shooting 3 of 13 with eight points. ... Sengun had 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench.
THEY SAID IT
Schroder on embracing a leadership role since being traded to this young team about two months ago: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s different. But to help the young guys day in and day out and help them go through this process is great."
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Host Brooklyn on Wednesday night.
Rockets: Host Washington on Monday night.
___
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HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Desmond Bane had 24 points and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame the absence of star Ja Morant with balanced scoring in a 122-98 victory over the NBA-worst Houston Rockets on Sunday.
Bane was one of six Memphis players to score at least 13 points on a day Morant sat out with a sore knee.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just got a great team," coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;They uplift each other. They they rise up when someone&rsquo;s out and ... they know we&rsquo;ve got a job to do out there and that&rsquo;s to compete to our level. Luckilym when guys have been out, especially Ja recently, they&rsquo;ve stepped up."
The Grizzlies led by double figures for most of the game and had a 13-point lead after three quarters. Kenyon Martin Jr. opened the fourth quarter with a dunk for Houston before Memphis used a 15-0 run to push its advantage to 99-73 with nine minutes to go.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had two 3-pointers and a block in that stretch and Brandon Clarke added four points as the Grizzlies forced two turnovers to help pad the lead.
&ldquo;I thought we did a great job getting stops and converting that to easy shots on the other end," Jenkins said of about the team's success during that huge run.
Jenkins said Morant was OK and that he just wanted to give him some time to rest with the team&rsquo;s next game not until Wednesday night. Morant has helped the Grizzlies to the second-best record in the NBA this season behind Phoenix at 49-23. But Memphis has done well without him too, going 14-2 in games that he&rsquo;s missed.
Dennis Schroder had 17 points off the bench for the Rockets. They have dropped five straight.
Coach Stephen Silas was disappointed that his team let its poor shooting impact its performance on the other end of the court.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been doing that a lot this season, getting frustrated with the offense and letting it creep into our defense," he said.
The Grizzlies led by 12 at halftime and had extended the lead to 17 after two free throws by Jackson midway through the quarter. Houston got hot after that, making the next 10 points to get to 71-64.
Schroder started things off in that stretch with a 3-pointer and Alperen Sengun had five points, capped by a steal and dunk to help the Rockets cut the deficit.
A 3-pointer by De&rsquo;Anthony Melton&rsquo;s ended Houston&rsquo;s run and started an 8-3 run for Memphis that extended the lead to 79-67 with about three minutes left in the third.
Houston got within 10 late in the third quarter on a dunk by Kevin Porter Jr., but another 3 by Melton gave the Grizzlies an 84-71 lead entering the fourth quarter. TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks scored 20 points. ... Melton had 16 points and seven rebounds. ... Memphis was 16 of 34 on 3-pointers.
Rockets: Eric Gordon missed a third straight game with an illness. ... Houston made just 10 of 31 3-pointers. ... Rookie Jalen Green, the second overall pick in the draft, had a tough day, shooting 3 of 13 with eight points. ... Sengun had 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench.
THEY SAID IT
Schroder on embracing a leadership role since being traded to this young team about two months ago: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s different. But to help the young guys day in and day out and help them go through this process is great."
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Host Brooklyn on Wednesday night.
Rockets: Host Washington on Monday night.

Desmond Bane had 24 points and the Memphis Grizzlies scored a 122-98 victory over the Houston Rockets

Bane has 24 points, Grizzlies rout Rockets without Morant

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Miles Bridges scored 23 points, P.J. Washington added a season-high 21 and the Charlotte Hornets routed the road-weary Dallas Mavericks 129-108 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.
Terry Rozier scored 18 points, and LaMelo Ball and Kelly Oubre each had 17 points for the Hornets. They shot 20 of 42 from 3-point range.
“We knew it was going to turn around for us eventually,” Bridges said, referring to the Hornets losing 11 of their final 13 games in February.
Luka Doncic had 37 points and eight 3s for the Mavericks, who were playing their fifth road game in eight nights and on the second night of a back-to-back. Doncic did not play in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand.
The Hornets (36-35) moved into sole possession of ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of Atlanta. They are one game behind eighth-place Brooklyn.
“We are playing well, we are playing hard and we are playing together and that’s all I can ask for,” Hornets coach James Borrego said. “... Right now we have to sustain it and keep our foot on the gas.”
Said Bridges: “As long as we keep playing like this I think we’re going to be good in the standings.”
The Hornets are playing unselfish basketball, averaging 34 assists during their win streak.
“We all are good 1-on-1 players and it is tough sometimes to get to the second side" of the court, Bridges said. “But everybody is buying into the offense.”
The Mavericks (43-28) beat Houston, Boston and Brooklyn to open the five-game trip, but lost at Philadelphia and Charlotte on consecutive nights to fall 1 1/2 games behind the fourth-place Utah Jazz in the West.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said his team’s play on defense over the last two games needs to improve.
“Sometimes when you rely on scoring when things are good there can be some slippage on the defensive end,” Kidd said. “We are trending down and we have to pay attention to that and get back to playing the way that we have in the past.”
The Hornets came out of the gates hot, bolting to a 19-4 lead after making their first seven shots from the field, including five 3s. The Mavericks looked slow closing out on shots as Charlotte made eight 3s in the first quarter.
Dallas showed signs of life by battling back to take the lead late in the second quarter, but the Hornets closed the first half on an 11-0 run to take a 61-52 edge at the break.
Charlotte pulled away in the third quarter despite 21 points from Doncic, and extended the lead to 32 in the fourth quarter. Charlotte was 15 of 22 from the field in the third quarter and outscored the Mavericks 41-28 as Bridges and Washington combined for 23 points.
WORKING ON THE ZONE
Nobody plays more zone than the Hornets, and that was on full display against the Mavericks.
Kidd said that he expects more teams to play zone against them in the playoffs, so Saturday night's game was a good learning experience for his team.
“Teams are trying to take the ball out of Luka's hands, so other guys are going to have to make plays and step up and make shots," Kidd said. "So this is a great dress rehearsal for them.”
TIP INS
Mavericks: Spencer Dinwiddie (injury recovery, right knee), Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery) and Theo Pinson (right fifth finger fracture) all sat out. ... Davis Bertans fouled out early in the fourth quarter with two points. ... With the Mavs trailing by 31 in the fourth quarter, Dallas fans in the crowd began chanting “We want Boban” Marjanovic. He did not play.
Hornets: Gordon Hayward missed his 16th straight game with a sprained left ankle.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Minnesota on Monday night.
Hornets: Host New Orleans on Monday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Miles Bridges scored 23 points, P.J. Washington added a season-high 21 and the Charlotte Hornets routed the road-weary Dallas Mavericks 129-108 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.
Terry Rozier scored 18 points, and LaMelo Ball and Kelly Oubre each had 17 points for the Hornets. They shot 20 of 42 from 3-point range.
&ldquo;We knew it was going to turn around for us eventually,&rdquo; Bridges said, referring to the Hornets losing 11 of their final 13 games in February.
Luka Doncic had 37 points and eight 3s for the Mavericks, who were playing their fifth road game in eight nights and on the second night of a back-to-back. Doncic did not play in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand.
The Hornets (36-35) moved into sole possession of ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of Atlanta. They are one game behind eighth-place Brooklyn.
&ldquo;We are playing well, we are playing hard and we are playing together and that&rsquo;s all I can ask for,&rdquo; Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;... Right now we have to sustain it and keep our foot on the gas.&rdquo;
Said Bridges: &ldquo;As long as we keep playing like this I think we&rsquo;re going to be good in the standings.&rdquo;
The Hornets are playing unselfish basketball, averaging 34 assists during their win streak.
&ldquo;We all are good 1-on-1 players and it is tough sometimes to get to the second side" of the court, Bridges said. &ldquo;But everybody is buying into the offense.&rdquo;
The Mavericks (43-28) beat Houston, Boston and Brooklyn to open the five-game trip, but lost at Philadelphia and Charlotte on consecutive nights to fall 1 1/2 games behind the fourth-place Utah Jazz in the West.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said his team&rsquo;s play on defense over the last two games needs to improve.
&ldquo;Sometimes when you rely on scoring when things are good there can be some slippage on the defensive end,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;We are trending down and we have to pay attention to that and get back to playing the way that we have in the past.&rdquo;
The Hornets came out of the gates hot, bolting to a 19-4 lead after making their first seven shots from the field, including five 3s. The Mavericks looked slow closing out on shots as Charlotte made eight 3s in the first quarter.
Dallas showed signs of life by battling back to take the lead late in the second quarter, but the Hornets closed the first half on an 11-0 run to take a 61-52 edge at the break.
Charlotte pulled away in the third quarter despite 21 points from Doncic, and extended the lead to 32 in the fourth quarter. Charlotte was 15 of 22 from the field in the third quarter and outscored the Mavericks 41-28 as Bridges and Washington combined for 23 points.
WORKING ON THE ZONE
Nobody plays more zone than the Hornets, and that was on full display against the Mavericks.
Kidd said that he expects more teams to play zone against them in the playoffs, so Saturday night's game was a good learning experience for his team.
&ldquo;Teams are trying to take the ball out of Luka's hands, so other guys are going to have to make plays and step up and make shots," Kidd said. "So this is a great dress rehearsal for them.&rdquo;
TIP INS
Mavericks: Spencer Dinwiddie (injury recovery, right knee), Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery) and Theo Pinson (right fifth finger fracture) all sat out. ... Davis Bertans fouled out early in the fourth quarter with two points. ... With the Mavs trailing by 31 in the fourth quarter, Dallas fans in the crowd began chanting &ldquo;We want Boban&rdquo; Marjanovic. He did not play.
Hornets: Gordon Hayward missed his 16th straight game with a sprained left ankle.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Minnesota on Monday night.
Hornets: Host New Orleans on Monday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Miles Bridges scored 23 points, P.J. Washington added a season-high 21 and the Charlotte Hornets routed the road-weary Dallas Mavericks 129-108 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.
Terry Rozier scored 18 points, and LaMelo Ball and Kelly Oubre each had 17 points for the Hornets. They shot 20 of 42 from 3-point range.
&ldquo;We knew it was going to turn around for us eventually,&rdquo; Bridges said, referring to the Hornets losing 11 of their final 13 games in February.
Luka Doncic had 37 points and eight 3s for the Mavericks, who were playing their fifth road game in eight nights and on the second night of a back-to-back. Doncic did not play in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand.
The Hornets (36-35) moved into sole possession of ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of Atlanta. They are one game behind eighth-place Brooklyn.
&ldquo;We are playing well, we are playing hard and we are playing together and that&rsquo;s all I can ask for,&rdquo; Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;... Right now we have to sustain it and keep our foot on the gas.&rdquo;
Said Bridges: &ldquo;As long as we keep playing like this I think we&rsquo;re going to be good in the standings.&rdquo;
The Hornets are playing unselfish basketball, averaging 34 assists during their win streak.
&ldquo;We all are good 1-on-1 players and it is tough sometimes to get to the second side" of the court, Bridges said. &ldquo;But everybody is buying into the offense.&rdquo;
The Mavericks (43-28) beat Houston, Boston and Brooklyn to open the five-game trip, but lost at Philadelphia and Charlotte on consecutive nights to fall 1 1/2 games behind the fourth-place Utah Jazz in the West.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said his team&rsquo;s play on defense over the last two games needs to improve.
&ldquo;Sometimes when you rely on scoring when things are good there can be some slippage on the defensive end,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;We are trending down and we have to pay attention to that and get back to playing the way that we have in the past.&rdquo;
The Hornets came out of the gates hot, bolting to a 19-4 lead after making their first seven shots from the field, including five 3s. The Mavericks looked slow closing out on shots as Charlotte made eight 3s in the first quarter.
Dallas showed signs of life by battling back to take the lead late in the second quarter, but the Hornets closed the first half on an 11-0 run to take a 61-52 edge at the break.
Charlotte pulled away in the third quarter despite 21 points from Doncic, and extended the lead to 32 in the fourth quarter. Charlotte was 15 of 22 from the field in the third quarter and outscored the Mavericks 41-28 as Bridges and Washington combined for 23 points.
WORKING ON THE ZONE
Nobody plays more zone than the Hornets, and that was on full display against the Mavericks.
Kidd said that he expects more teams to play zone against them in the playoffs, so Saturday night's game was a good learning experience for his team.
&ldquo;Teams are trying to take the ball out of Luka's hands, so other guys are going to have to make plays and step up and make shots," Kidd said. "So this is a great dress rehearsal for them.&rdquo;
TIP INS
Mavericks: Spencer Dinwiddie (injury recovery, right knee), Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery) and Theo Pinson (right fifth finger fracture) all sat out. ... Davis Bertans fouled out early in the fourth quarter with two points. ... With the Mavs trailing by 31 in the fourth quarter, Dallas fans in the crowd began chanting &ldquo;We want Boban&rdquo; Marjanovic. He did not play.
Hornets: Gordon Hayward missed his 16th straight game with a sprained left ankle.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Minnesota on Monday night.
Hornets: Host New Orleans on Monday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Miles Bridges scored 23 points, P.J. Washington added a season-high 21 and the Charlotte Hornets routed the road-weary Dallas Mavericks 129-108 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.
Terry Rozier scored 18 points, and LaMelo Ball and Kelly Oubre each had 17 points for the Hornets. They shot 20 of 42 from 3-point range.
&ldquo;We knew it was going to turn around for us eventually,&rdquo; Bridges said, referring to the Hornets losing 11 of their final 13 games in February.
Luka Doncic had 37 points and eight 3s for the Mavericks, who were playing their fifth road game in eight nights and on the second night of a back-to-back. Doncic did not play in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand.
The Hornets (36-35) moved into sole possession of ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of Atlanta. They are one game behind eighth-place Brooklyn.
&ldquo;We are playing well, we are playing hard and we are playing together and that&rsquo;s all I can ask for,&rdquo; Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;... Right now we have to sustain it and keep our foot on the gas.&rdquo;
Said Bridges: &ldquo;As long as we keep playing like this I think we&rsquo;re going to be good in the standings.&rdquo;
The Hornets are playing unselfish basketball, averaging 34 assists during their win streak.
&ldquo;We all are good 1-on-1 players and it is tough sometimes to get to the second side" of the court, Bridges said. &ldquo;But everybody is buying into the offense.&rdquo;
The Mavericks (43-28) beat Houston, Boston and Brooklyn to open the five-game trip, but lost at Philadelphia and Charlotte on consecutive nights to fall 1 1/2 games behind the fourth-place Utah Jazz in the West.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said his team&rsquo;s play on defense over the last two games needs to improve.
&ldquo;Sometimes when you rely on scoring when things are good there can be some slippage on the defensive end,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;We are trending down and we have to pay attention to that and get back to playing the way that we have in the past.&rdquo;
The Hornets came out of the gates hot, bolting to a 19-4 lead after making their first seven shots from the field, including five 3s. The Mavericks looked slow closing out on shots as Charlotte made eight 3s in the first quarter.
Dallas showed signs of life by battling back to take the lead late in the second quarter, but the Hornets closed the first half on an 11-0 run to take a 61-52 edge at the break.
Charlotte pulled away in the third quarter despite 21 points from Doncic, and extended the lead to 32 in the fourth quarter. Charlotte was 15 of 22 from the field in the third quarter and outscored the Mavericks 41-28 as Bridges and Washington combined for 23 points.
WORKING ON THE ZONE
Nobody plays more zone than the Hornets, and that was on full display against the Mavericks.
Kidd said that he expects more teams to play zone against them in the playoffs, so Saturday night's game was a good learning experience for his team.
&ldquo;Teams are trying to take the ball out of Luka's hands, so other guys are going to have to make plays and step up and make shots," Kidd said. "So this is a great dress rehearsal for them.&rdquo;
TIP INS
Mavericks: Spencer Dinwiddie (injury recovery, right knee), Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery) and Theo Pinson (right fifth finger fracture) all sat out. ... Davis Bertans fouled out early in the fourth quarter with two points. ... With the Mavs trailing by 31 in the fourth quarter, Dallas fans in the crowd began chanting &ldquo;We want Boban&rdquo; Marjanovic. He did not play.
Hornets: Gordon Hayward missed his 16th straight game with a sprained left ankle.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Minnesota on Monday night.
Hornets: Host New Orleans on Monday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Miles Bridges scored 23 points, P.J. Washington added a season-high 21 and the Charlotte Hornets routed the road-weary Dallas Mavericks 129-108 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.
Terry Rozier scored 18 points, and LaMelo Ball and Kelly Oubre each had 17 points for the Hornets. They shot 20 of 42 from 3-point range.
&ldquo;We knew it was going to turn around for us eventually,&rdquo; Bridges said, referring to the Hornets losing 11 of their final 13 games in February.
Luka Doncic had 37 points and eight 3s for the Mavericks, who were playing their fifth road game in eight nights and on the second night of a back-to-back. Doncic did not play in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand.
The Hornets (36-35) moved into sole possession of ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of Atlanta. They are one game behind eighth-place Brooklyn.
&ldquo;We are playing well, we are playing hard and we are playing together and that&rsquo;s all I can ask for,&rdquo; Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;... Right now we have to sustain it and keep our foot on the gas.&rdquo;
Said Bridges: &ldquo;As long as we keep playing like this I think we&rsquo;re going to be good in the standings.&rdquo;
The Hornets are playing unselfish basketball, averaging 34 assists during their win streak.
&ldquo;We all are good 1-on-1 players and it is tough sometimes to get to the second side" of the court, Bridges said. &ldquo;But everybody is buying into the offense.&rdquo;
The Mavericks (43-28) beat Houston, Boston and Brooklyn to open the five-game trip, but lost at Philadelphia and Charlotte on consecutive nights to fall 1 1/2 games behind the fourth-place Utah Jazz in the West.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said his team&rsquo;s play on defense over the last two games needs to improve.
&ldquo;Sometimes when you rely on scoring when things are good there can be some slippage on the defensive end,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;We are trending down and we have to pay attention to that and get back to playing the way that we have in the past.&rdquo;
The Hornets came out of the gates hot, bolting to a 19-4 lead after making their first seven shots from the field, including five 3s. The Mavericks looked slow closing out on shots as Charlotte made eight 3s in the first quarter.
Dallas showed signs of life by battling back to take the lead late in the second quarter, but the Hornets closed the first half on an 11-0 run to take a 61-52 edge at the break.
Charlotte pulled away in the third quarter despite 21 points from Doncic, and extended the lead to 32 in the fourth quarter. Charlotte was 15 of 22 from the field in the third quarter and outscored the Mavericks 41-28 as Bridges and Washington combined for 23 points.
WORKING ON THE ZONE
Nobody plays more zone than the Hornets, and that was on full display against the Mavericks.
Kidd said that he expects more teams to play zone against them in the playoffs, so Saturday night's game was a good learning experience for his team.
&ldquo;Teams are trying to take the ball out of Luka's hands, so other guys are going to have to make plays and step up and make shots," Kidd said. "So this is a great dress rehearsal for them.&rdquo;
TIP INS
Mavericks: Spencer Dinwiddie (injury recovery, right knee), Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery) and Theo Pinson (right fifth finger fracture) all sat out. ... Davis Bertans fouled out early in the fourth quarter with two points. ... With the Mavs trailing by 31 in the fourth quarter, Dallas fans in the crowd began chanting &ldquo;We want Boban&rdquo; Marjanovic. He did not play.
Hornets: Gordon Hayward missed his 16th straight game with a sprained left ankle.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Minnesota on Monday night.
Hornets: Host New Orleans on Monday night.
&nbsp;

Miles Bridges scored 23 points, P.J. Washington had 21 and the Charlotte Hornets routed the Dallas Mavericks 129-108.

Hornets rout road-weary Mavs 129-108 for 4th straight win

CLEVELAND (AP) — All-Star point guard Darius Garland had 24 points and 12 assists, Evan Mobley had his NBA rookie-high 20th double-double and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons 113-109 on Saturday night.
Mobley finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Cedi Osman scored 16 points and Kevin Love had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who earned their 41st win to clinch their first non-losing season in four years.
“And we’ve got a lot of games left and a lot more opportunities ahead of us,” Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “The fans are always engaged here and you can feel the wave that comes over the building, which is why I think it’s one of the best arenas in the league.”
The Cavaliers extended their lead to 1 1/2 games over Toronto for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. They trailed 80-68 in the third quarter, but outscored Detroit 31-9 over the next 9:18 to take command and win for the 18th time in the last 23 home games.
Cleveland completed a back-to-back set after rallying from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter and beating Denver 119-116 in overtime Friday.
“We’re pretty tired from last night, but we had to do what we could to get the win,” Mobley said. “We really dug deep, and Kevin Love and Cedi rallied us back.”
Jerami Grant scored 27 of his season-high 40 points in the first half and No. 1 overall draft pick Cade Cunningham added 15 points and 10 assists for Detroit. Saddiq Bey had 20 points, following up his career-best 51 at Orlando two days earlier.
The Pistons have lost five of six and have the second-worst record in the East at 19-52.
“I was feeling it, but it really didn’t mean nothing because we didn’t get the win,” Grant said. “Once Kevin Love got hot, they got a lot of confidence and you could feel it. Honestly, I live for games like this because it reminds me of the playoff environment.”
The Cavaliers are 3-1 on their longest homestand of the season, a five-gamer that concludes Monday against LeBron James and the Lakers. All-Star center Jarrett Allen missed his seventh straight game with a broken finger on his left hand.
A dunk by Marvin Bagley III gave the Pistons the largest lead of the game at 80-68, but Love drained three 3-pointers in a 14-1 surge to end the quarter and put Cleveland up one.
Grant was 6 of 7 on 3-pointers as Detroit built a 60-55 advantage in the first half. The Pistons used a 14-0 run, with six players scoring, midway through the second quarter to erase Cleveland’s 36-27 lead.
“It had a playoff feel, a playoff atmosphere and that was good for evaluating our young guys,” Detroit coach Dwane Casey said. “That team was playing desperate and we weren’t, but there were a lot of positives to take out of this game.”
ROOKIES ON THE RISE
Cunningham, Mobley and Raptors F Scottie Barnes are the top candidates for the Rookie of the Year award. Thunder G Josh Giddey, Rockets G Jalen Green and Magic F Franz Wagner also are in the upper tier of a very deep group.
“This is going to go down as a top-three or four draft class of all-time,” Bickerstaff said. “There are so many guys who can play at a high level and play the game more maturely than their age.”
Casey views the class similarly, saying, “It’s been a while since we’ve seen a group like this. You could make a case for each player, but I’m very biased for Cade.”
TIP-INS
Pistons: G Killian Hayes (head contusion) was not in uniform after being hurt Thursday at Orlando. … G Frank Jackson (lumbar spine spasm), G Hamidou Diallo (left finger sprain) and two-way G Chris Smith (left knee sprain) were unavailable. … C Luka Garza is on a G League assignment with the Motor City Cruise. … Detroit has a three-game home winning streak against Cleveland.
Cavaliers: G Rajon Rondo (right ankle sprain) worked out on the court late in the afternoon, but was inactive for the fourth game in a row. … F Dean Wade (right knee soreness) has not played since March 12 at Chicago. … Cleveland went to overtime twice in a three-game span, beating the Clippers and Nuggets, after not going beyond regulation in its first 67 contests.
UP NEXT
Pistons: Host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.
Cavaliers: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; All-Star point guard Darius Garland had 24 points and 12 assists, Evan Mobley had his NBA rookie-high 20th double-double and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons 113-109 on Saturday night.
Mobley finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Cedi Osman scored 16 points and Kevin Love had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who earned their 41st win to clinch their first non-losing season in four years.
&ldquo;And we&rsquo;ve got a lot of games left and a lot more opportunities ahead of us,&rdquo; Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;The fans are always engaged here and you can feel the wave that comes over the building, which is why I think it&rsquo;s one of the best arenas in the league.&rdquo;
The Cavaliers extended their lead to 1 1/2 games over Toronto for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. They trailed 80-68 in the third quarter, but outscored Detroit 31-9 over the next 9:18 to take command and win for the 18th time in the last 23 home games.
Cleveland completed a back-to-back set after rallying from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter and beating Denver 119-116 in overtime Friday.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re pretty tired from last night, but we had to do what we could to get the win,&rdquo; Mobley said. &ldquo;We really dug deep, and Kevin Love and Cedi rallied us back.&rdquo;
Jerami Grant scored 27 of his season-high 40 points in the first half and No. 1 overall draft pick Cade Cunningham added 15 points and 10 assists for Detroit. Saddiq Bey had 20 points, following up his career-best 51 at Orlando two days earlier.
The Pistons have lost five of six and have the second-worst record in the East at 19-52.
&ldquo;I was feeling it, but it really didn&rsquo;t mean nothing because we didn&rsquo;t get the win,&rdquo; Grant said. &ldquo;Once Kevin Love got hot, they got a lot of confidence and you could feel it. Honestly, I live for games like this because it reminds me of the playoff environment.&rdquo;
The Cavaliers are 3-1 on their longest homestand of the season, a five-gamer that concludes Monday against LeBron James and the Lakers. All-Star center Jarrett Allen missed his seventh straight game with a broken finger on his left hand.
A dunk by Marvin Bagley III gave the Pistons the largest lead of the game at 80-68, but Love drained three 3-pointers in a 14-1 surge to end the quarter and put Cleveland up one.
Grant was 6 of 7 on 3-pointers as Detroit built a 60-55 advantage in the first half. The Pistons used a 14-0 run, with six players scoring, midway through the second quarter to erase Cleveland&rsquo;s 36-27 lead.
&ldquo;It had a playoff feel, a playoff atmosphere and that was good for evaluating our young guys,&rdquo; Detroit coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;That team was playing desperate and we weren&rsquo;t, but there were a lot of positives to take out of this game.&rdquo;
ROOKIES ON THE RISE
Cunningham, Mobley and Raptors F Scottie Barnes are the top candidates for the Rookie of the Year award. Thunder G Josh Giddey, Rockets G Jalen Green and Magic F Franz Wagner also are in the upper tier of a very deep group.
&ldquo;This is going to go down as a top-three or four draft class of all-time,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;There are so many guys who can play at a high level and play the game more maturely than their age.&rdquo;
Casey views the class similarly, saying, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a while since we&rsquo;ve seen a group like this. You could make a case for each player, but I&rsquo;m very biased for Cade.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Pistons: G Killian Hayes (head contusion) was not in uniform after being hurt Thursday at Orlando. &hellip; G Frank Jackson (lumbar spine spasm), G Hamidou Diallo (left finger sprain) and two-way G Chris Smith (left knee sprain) were unavailable. &hellip; C Luka Garza is on a G League assignment with the Motor City Cruise. &hellip; Detroit has a three-game home winning streak against Cleveland.
Cavaliers: G Rajon Rondo (right ankle sprain) worked out on the court late in the afternoon, but was inactive for the fourth game in a row. &hellip; F Dean Wade (right knee soreness) has not played since March 12 at Chicago. &hellip; Cleveland went to overtime twice in a three-game span, beating the Clippers and Nuggets, after not going beyond regulation in its first 67 contests.
UP NEXT
Pistons: Host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.
Cavaliers: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; All-Star point guard Darius Garland had 24 points and 12 assists, Evan Mobley had his NBA rookie-high 20th double-double and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons 113-109 on Saturday night.
Mobley finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Cedi Osman scored 16 points and Kevin Love had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who earned their 41st win to clinch their first non-losing season in four years.
&ldquo;And we&rsquo;ve got a lot of games left and a lot more opportunities ahead of us,&rdquo; Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;The fans are always engaged here and you can feel the wave that comes over the building, which is why I think it&rsquo;s one of the best arenas in the league.&rdquo;
The Cavaliers extended their lead to 1 1/2 games over Toronto for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. They trailed 80-68 in the third quarter, but outscored Detroit 31-9 over the next 9:18 to take command and win for the 18th time in the last 23 home games.
Cleveland completed a back-to-back set after rallying from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter and beating Denver 119-116 in overtime Friday.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re pretty tired from last night, but we had to do what we could to get the win,&rdquo; Mobley said. &ldquo;We really dug deep, and Kevin Love and Cedi rallied us back.&rdquo;
Jerami Grant scored 27 of his season-high 40 points in the first half and No. 1 overall draft pick Cade Cunningham added 15 points and 10 assists for Detroit. Saddiq Bey had 20 points, following up his career-best 51 at Orlando two days earlier.
The Pistons have lost five of six and have the second-worst record in the East at 19-52.
&ldquo;I was feeling it, but it really didn&rsquo;t mean nothing because we didn&rsquo;t get the win,&rdquo; Grant said. &ldquo;Once Kevin Love got hot, they got a lot of confidence and you could feel it. Honestly, I live for games like this because it reminds me of the playoff environment.&rdquo;
The Cavaliers are 3-1 on their longest homestand of the season, a five-gamer that concludes Monday against LeBron James and the Lakers. All-Star center Jarrett Allen missed his seventh straight game with a broken finger on his left hand.
A dunk by Marvin Bagley III gave the Pistons the largest lead of the game at 80-68, but Love drained three 3-pointers in a 14-1 surge to end the quarter and put Cleveland up one.
Grant was 6 of 7 on 3-pointers as Detroit built a 60-55 advantage in the first half. The Pistons used a 14-0 run, with six players scoring, midway through the second quarter to erase Cleveland&rsquo;s 36-27 lead.
&ldquo;It had a playoff feel, a playoff atmosphere and that was good for evaluating our young guys,&rdquo; Detroit coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;That team was playing desperate and we weren&rsquo;t, but there were a lot of positives to take out of this game.&rdquo;
ROOKIES ON THE RISE
Cunningham, Mobley and Raptors F Scottie Barnes are the top candidates for the Rookie of the Year award. Thunder G Josh Giddey, Rockets G Jalen Green and Magic F Franz Wagner also are in the upper tier of a very deep group.
&ldquo;This is going to go down as a top-three or four draft class of all-time,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;There are so many guys who can play at a high level and play the game more maturely than their age.&rdquo;
Casey views the class similarly, saying, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a while since we&rsquo;ve seen a group like this. You could make a case for each player, but I&rsquo;m very biased for Cade.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Pistons: G Killian Hayes (head contusion) was not in uniform after being hurt Thursday at Orlando. &hellip; G Frank Jackson (lumbar spine spasm), G Hamidou Diallo (left finger sprain) and two-way G Chris Smith (left knee sprain) were unavailable. &hellip; C Luka Garza is on a G League assignment with the Motor City Cruise. &hellip; Detroit has a three-game home winning streak against Cleveland.
Cavaliers: G Rajon Rondo (right ankle sprain) worked out on the court late in the afternoon, but was inactive for the fourth game in a row. &hellip; F Dean Wade (right knee soreness) has not played since March 12 at Chicago. &hellip; Cleveland went to overtime twice in a three-game span, beating the Clippers and Nuggets, after not going beyond regulation in its first 67 contests.
UP NEXT
Pistons: Host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.
Cavaliers: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.

Jerami Grant scored 27 of his 40 points in the first half, but it wasn't enough to overcome Darius Garland's 24 points and 12 assists, as Cleveland beat Detroit 113-109.

Cavaliers beat Pistons 113-109 despite Grant's 40 points

WASHINGTON (AP) — LeBron James moved into second place on the NBA’s career scoring list Saturday night, surpassing Karl Malone in the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ game at Washington.
James now trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the lead. He entered the game 19 points behind Malone’s total of 36,928. After a six-point first quarter, James went on a scoring binge in the second that included a dunk and three 3-pointers.
The last of those 3s brought him even with Malone. Then he made a layup off a backdoor cut with 5:20 left in the quarter to move ahead.
Moments later, as Washington's Tomas Satoransky prepared to shoot free throws, James' accomplishment was put up on the video screen, and the crowd in Washington gave him a standing ovation. James acknowledged the cheers with a wave of his hand and exchanged a hug with Washington's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a former teammate.
James then checked out of the game and received congratulations from teammates on the sideline.
Abdul-Jabbar scored 38,387 points in his career. James has a chance to break that record next season if he’s healthy enough.
James passed Malone in the same building where Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals moved past Jaromir Jagr and into third place on the NHL’s career list in goals earlier in the week.
___
Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; LeBron James moved into second place on the NBA&rsquo;s career scoring list Saturday night, surpassing Karl Malone in the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; game at Washington.
James now trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the lead. He entered the game 19 points behind Malone&rsquo;s total of 36,928. After a six-point first quarter, James went on a scoring binge in the second that included a dunk and three 3-pointers.
The last of those 3s brought him even with Malone. Then he made a layup off a backdoor cut with 5:20 left in the quarter to move ahead.
Moments later, as Washington's Tomas Satoransky prepared to shoot free throws, James' accomplishment was put up on the video screen, and the crowd in Washington gave him a standing ovation. James acknowledged the cheers with a wave of his hand and exchanged a hug with Washington's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a former teammate.
James then checked out of the game and received congratulations from teammates on the sideline.
Abdul-Jabbar scored 38,387 points in his career. James has a chance to break that record next season if he&rsquo;s healthy enough.
James passed Malone in the same building where Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals moved past Jaromir Jagr and into third place on the NHL&rsquo;s career list in goals earlier in the week.
___
Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
&nbsp;

WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; LeBron James moved into second place on the NBA&rsquo;s career scoring list Saturday night, surpassing Karl Malone in the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; game at Washington.
James now trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the lead. He entered the game 19 points behind Malone&rsquo;s total of 36,928. After a six-point first quarter, James went on a scoring binge in the second that included a dunk and three 3-pointers.
The last of those 3s brought him even with Malone. Then he made a layup off a backdoor cut with 5:20 left in the quarter to move ahead.
Moments later, as Washington's Tomas Satoransky prepared to shoot free throws, James' accomplishment was put up on the video screen, and the crowd in Washington gave him a standing ovation. James acknowledged the cheers with a wave of his hand and exchanged a hug with Washington's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a former teammate.
James then checked out of the game and received congratulations from teammates on the sideline.
Abdul-Jabbar scored 38,387 points in his career. James has a chance to break that record next season if he&rsquo;s healthy enough.
James passed Malone in the same building where Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals moved past Jaromir Jagr and into third place on the NHL&rsquo;s career list in goals earlier in the week.
&nbsp;

WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; LeBron James moved into second place on the NBA&rsquo;s career scoring list Saturday night, surpassing Karl Malone in the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; game at Washington.
James now trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the lead. He entered the game 19 points behind Malone&rsquo;s total of 36,928. After a six-point first quarter, James went on a scoring binge in the second that included a dunk and three 3-pointers.
The last of those 3s brought him even with Malone. Then he made a layup off a backdoor cut with 5:20 left in the quarter to move ahead.
Moments later, as Washington's Tomas Satoransky prepared to shoot free throws, James' accomplishment was put up on the video screen, and the crowd in Washington gave him a standing ovation. James acknowledged the cheers with a wave of his hand and exchanged a hug with Washington's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a former teammate.
James then checked out of the game and received congratulations from teammates on the sideline.
Abdul-Jabbar scored 38,387 points in his career. James has a chance to break that record next season if he&rsquo;s healthy enough.
James passed Malone in the same building where Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals moved past Jaromir Jagr and into third place on the NHL&rsquo;s career list in goals earlier in the week.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James moved into second place on the NBA’s career scoring list Saturday night, surpassing Karl Malone.

LeBron James passes Karl Malone for 2nd all-time in scoring

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — With Patrick Beverley taking the lead in his first season with the team, the Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to prove they’re no longer a pushover.
Keeping their composure after a first-quarter skirmish in which Beverley was ejected, the Timberwolves showed their growth with a dominating win against the defending champions.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Anthony Edwards scored 25 points and Minnesota pulled away for a 138-119 victory Saturday over the Milwaukee Bucks, who were playing without star Giannis Antetokounmpo due to right knee soreness.
“Any time we step on the court, we should win,” Towns said. “Simple as that. There’s no excuse. We don’t feel that we should lose to anybody. We feel we can beat anybody. So, every time we walk into the arena, we feel we should win. If we do what we’re supposed to do, we feel it’s a guaranteed win.”
Naz Reid added 14 points off the bench for Minnesota in a matchup that turned testy early.
Beverley and Milwaukee’s George Hill were both ejected late in the first quarter after a scuffle started when Bucks center Serge Ibaka and Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince got tied up after a free-throw attempt.
Beverley ran in and pushed Ibaka and Hill countered by pushing Beverley.
“I thought they were great,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said of his team’s response. “Didn’t really escalate into anything. We didn’t lose our concentration or our effort.”
Minnesota won for the 10th time in 11 games by taking control in the third quarter with a flurry of 3-pointers. The Timberwolves shot 22 of 47 from 3, including 9 of 14 in the third.
“They’re good,” Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said. “They’ve got a good thing going right now. They’re in a good rhythm. But the turnovers were a big part of them, kind of allowing them to get separation from us.”
The Bucks had 14 turnovers, leading to 21 points for Minnesota.
Khris Middleton scored 15 for Milwaukee, which had won eight of nine, and Jrue Holiday added 14 points.
Brook Lopez scored 15 in his third game back after recovering from back surgery and started in place of Antetokounmpo, who was ruled out as the team manages the strain on his knees.
Edwards had 12 points in the first quarter to get the Wolves off to a strong start before tension emerged.
After Beverley and Hill were ejected, Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis Jr. and Reid were given matching technical fouls. The Timberwolves weren’t afraid to share their newfound confidence, but the defending champion Bucks weren’t taking it.
The feistiness was toned down in the second half as Minnesota made any talking a moot point.
Edwards hit three 3s in the third and Towns scored eight in the quarter with a pair of 3s as the Wolves scored 38 in the quarter and led by as many as 24.
“We can’t control who they play or who is out or whatever, but I thought it was a really focused and really great performance by us, for the most part,” Finch said. “We played with good energy, got out and ran, really moved the ball well early, which we’ve been struggling to do early in games. Generated a lot of really good looks.”
BEVERLEY’S IMPACT
Beverley has injected some swagger to a Minnesota team that has made the playoffs once in 17 years.
The Timberwolves also have gained confidence with a March run that included a 124-104 win over the Los Angeles Lakers that had Minnesota — with Beverley playing his usual abrasive role — eagerly trash talking LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and the Lakers.
“The way Pat brought the grit and hunger to this team and the swag, I think it’s remarkable,” Reid said.
TIP-INS
Bucks: G Pat Connaughton returned for his first game since breaking a bone in his right hand on Feb. 10. He had 15 points off the bench.
Timberwolves: Towns was questionable for the game with a right forearm contusion. There were several moments where the injury appeared to bother the All-Star big man. … F Jaden McDaniels missed his second game with a left ankle sprain. Reid was back after missing two games with back spasms.
UP NEXT
Bucks: Return home against Chicago on Tuesday.
Timberwolves: At Dallas on Monday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; With Patrick Beverley taking the lead in his first season with the team, the Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to prove they&rsquo;re no longer a pushover.
Keeping their composure after a first-quarter skirmish in which Beverley was ejected, the Timberwolves showed their growth with a dominating win against the defending champions.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Anthony Edwards scored 25 points and Minnesota pulled away for a 138-119 victory Saturday over the Milwaukee Bucks, who were playing without star Giannis Antetokounmpo due to right knee soreness.
&ldquo;Any time we step on the court, we should win,&rdquo; Towns said. &ldquo;Simple as that. There&rsquo;s no excuse. We don&rsquo;t feel that we should lose to anybody. We feel we can beat anybody. So, every time we walk into the arena, we feel we should win. If we do what we&rsquo;re supposed to do, we feel it&rsquo;s a guaranteed win.&rdquo;
Naz Reid added 14 points off the bench for Minnesota in a matchup that turned testy early.
Beverley and Milwaukee&rsquo;s George Hill were both ejected late in the first quarter after a scuffle started when Bucks center Serge Ibaka and Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince got tied up after a free-throw attempt.
Beverley ran in and pushed Ibaka and Hill countered by pushing Beverley.
&ldquo;I thought they were great,&rdquo; Minnesota coach Chris Finch said of his team&rsquo;s response. &ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t really escalate into anything. We didn&rsquo;t lose our concentration or our effort.&rdquo;
Minnesota won for the 10th time in 11 games by taking control in the third quarter with a flurry of 3-pointers. The Timberwolves shot 22 of 47 from 3, including 9 of 14 in the third.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re good,&rdquo; Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve got a good thing going right now. They&rsquo;re in a good rhythm. But the turnovers were a big part of them, kind of allowing them to get separation from us.&rdquo;
The Bucks had 14 turnovers, leading to 21 points for Minnesota.
Khris Middleton scored 15 for Milwaukee, which had won eight of nine, and Jrue Holiday added 14 points.
Brook Lopez scored 15 in his third game back after recovering from back surgery and started in place of Antetokounmpo, who was ruled out as the team manages the strain on his knees.
Edwards had 12 points in the first quarter to get the Wolves off to a strong start before tension emerged.
After Beverley and Hill were ejected, Milwaukee&rsquo;s Bobby Portis Jr. and Reid were given matching technical fouls. The Timberwolves weren&rsquo;t afraid to share their newfound confidence, but the defending champion Bucks weren&rsquo;t taking it.
The feistiness was toned down in the second half as Minnesota made any talking a moot point.
Edwards hit three 3s in the third and Towns scored eight in the quarter with a pair of 3s as the Wolves scored 38 in the quarter and led by as many as 24.
&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t control who they play or who is out or whatever, but I thought it was a really focused and really great performance by us, for the most part,&rdquo; Finch said. &ldquo;We played with good energy, got out and ran, really moved the ball well early, which we&rsquo;ve been struggling to do early in games. Generated a lot of really good looks.&rdquo;
BEVERLEY&rsquo;S IMPACT
Beverley has injected some swagger to a Minnesota team that has made the playoffs once in 17 years.
The Timberwolves also have gained confidence with a March run that included a 124-104 win over the Los Angeles Lakers that had Minnesota &mdash; with Beverley playing his usual abrasive role &mdash; eagerly trash talking LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and the Lakers.
&ldquo;The way Pat brought the grit and hunger to this team and the swag, I think it&rsquo;s remarkable,&rdquo; Reid said.
TIP-INS
Bucks: G Pat Connaughton returned for his first game since breaking a bone in his right hand on Feb. 10. He had 15 points off the bench.
Timberwolves: Towns was questionable for the game with a right forearm contusion. There were several moments where the injury appeared to bother the All-Star big man. &hellip; F Jaden McDaniels missed his second game with a left ankle sprain. Reid was back after missing two games with back spasms.
UP NEXT
Bucks: Return home against Chicago on Tuesday.
Timberwolves: At Dallas on Monday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; With Patrick Beverley taking the lead in his first season with the team, the Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to prove they&rsquo;re no longer a pushover.
Keeping their composure after a first-quarter skirmish in which Beverley was ejected, the Timberwolves showed their growth with a dominating win against the defending champions.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Anthony Edwards scored 25 points and Minnesota pulled away for a 138-119 victory Saturday over the Milwaukee Bucks, who were playing without star Giannis Antetokounmpo due to right knee soreness.
&ldquo;Any time we step on the court, we should win,&rdquo; Towns said. &ldquo;Simple as that. There&rsquo;s no excuse. We don&rsquo;t feel that we should lose to anybody. We feel we can beat anybody. So, every time we walk into the arena, we feel we should win. If we do what we&rsquo;re supposed to do, we feel it&rsquo;s a guaranteed win.&rdquo;
Naz Reid added 14 points off the bench for Minnesota in a matchup that turned testy early.
Beverley and Milwaukee&rsquo;s George Hill were both ejected late in the first quarter after a scuffle started when Bucks center Serge Ibaka and Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince got tied up after a free-throw attempt.
Beverley ran in and pushed Ibaka and Hill countered by pushing Beverley.
&ldquo;I thought they were great,&rdquo; Minnesota coach Chris Finch said of his team&rsquo;s response. &ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t really escalate into anything. We didn&rsquo;t lose our concentration or our effort.&rdquo;
Minnesota won for the 10th time in 11 games by taking control in the third quarter with a flurry of 3-pointers. The Timberwolves shot 22 of 47 from 3, including 9 of 14 in the third.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re good,&rdquo; Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve got a good thing going right now. They&rsquo;re in a good rhythm. But the turnovers were a big part of them, kind of allowing them to get separation from us.&rdquo;
The Bucks had 14 turnovers, leading to 21 points for Minnesota.
Khris Middleton scored 15 for Milwaukee, which had won eight of nine, and Jrue Holiday added 14 points.
Brook Lopez scored 15 in his third game back after recovering from back surgery and started in place of Antetokounmpo, who was ruled out as the team manages the strain on his knees.
Edwards had 12 points in the first quarter to get the Wolves off to a strong start before tension emerged.
After Beverley and Hill were ejected, Milwaukee&rsquo;s Bobby Portis Jr. and Reid were given matching technical fouls. The Timberwolves weren&rsquo;t afraid to share their newfound confidence, but the defending champion Bucks weren&rsquo;t taking it.
The feistiness was toned down in the second half as Minnesota made any talking a moot point.
Edwards hit three 3s in the third and Towns scored eight in the quarter with a pair of 3s as the Wolves scored 38 in the quarter and led by as many as 24.
&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t control who they play or who is out or whatever, but I thought it was a really focused and really great performance by us, for the most part,&rdquo; Finch said. &ldquo;We played with good energy, got out and ran, really moved the ball well early, which we&rsquo;ve been struggling to do early in games. Generated a lot of really good looks.&rdquo;
BEVERLEY&rsquo;S IMPACT
Beverley has injected some swagger to a Minnesota team that has made the playoffs once in 17 years.
The Timberwolves also have gained confidence with a March run that included a 124-104 win over the Los Angeles Lakers that had Minnesota &mdash; with Beverley playing his usual abrasive role &mdash; eagerly trash talking LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and the Lakers.
&ldquo;The way Pat brought the grit and hunger to this team and the swag, I think it&rsquo;s remarkable,&rdquo; Reid said.
TIP-INS
Bucks: G Pat Connaughton returned for his first game since breaking a bone in his right hand on Feb. 10. He had 15 points off the bench.
Timberwolves: Towns was questionable for the game with a right forearm contusion. There were several moments where the injury appeared to bother the All-Star big man. &hellip; F Jaden McDaniels missed his second game with a left ankle sprain. Reid was back after missing two games with back spasms.
UP NEXT
Bucks: Return home against Chicago on Tuesday.
Timberwolves: At Dallas on Monday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; With Patrick Beverley taking the lead in his first season with the team, the Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to prove they&rsquo;re no longer a pushover.
Keeping their composure after a first-quarter skirmish in which Beverley was ejected, the Timberwolves showed their growth with a dominating win against the defending champions.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Anthony Edwards scored 25 points and Minnesota pulled away for a 138-119 victory Saturday over the Milwaukee Bucks, who were playing without star Giannis Antetokounmpo due to right knee soreness.
&ldquo;Any time we step on the court, we should win,&rdquo; Towns said. &ldquo;Simple as that. There&rsquo;s no excuse. We don&rsquo;t feel that we should lose to anybody. We feel we can beat anybody. So, every time we walk into the arena, we feel we should win. If we do what we&rsquo;re supposed to do, we feel it&rsquo;s a guaranteed win.&rdquo;
Naz Reid added 14 points off the bench for Minnesota in a matchup that turned testy early.
Beverley and Milwaukee&rsquo;s George Hill were both ejected late in the first quarter after a scuffle started when Bucks center Serge Ibaka and Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince got tied up after a free-throw attempt.
Beverley ran in and pushed Ibaka and Hill countered by pushing Beverley.
&ldquo;I thought they were great,&rdquo; Minnesota coach Chris Finch said of his team&rsquo;s response. &ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t really escalate into anything. We didn&rsquo;t lose our concentration or our effort.&rdquo;
Minnesota won for the 10th time in 11 games by taking control in the third quarter with a flurry of 3-pointers. The Timberwolves shot 22 of 47 from 3, including 9 of 14 in the third.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re good,&rdquo; Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve got a good thing going right now. They&rsquo;re in a good rhythm. But the turnovers were a big part of them, kind of allowing them to get separation from us.&rdquo;
The Bucks had 14 turnovers, leading to 21 points for Minnesota.
Khris Middleton scored 15 for Milwaukee, which had won eight of nine, and Jrue Holiday added 14 points.
Brook Lopez scored 15 in his third game back after recovering from back surgery and started in place of Antetokounmpo, who was ruled out as the team manages the strain on his knees.
Edwards had 12 points in the first quarter to get the Wolves off to a strong start before tension emerged.
After Beverley and Hill were ejected, Milwaukee&rsquo;s Bobby Portis Jr. and Reid were given matching technical fouls. The Timberwolves weren&rsquo;t afraid to share their newfound confidence, but the defending champion Bucks weren&rsquo;t taking it.
The feistiness was toned down in the second half as Minnesota made any talking a moot point.
Edwards hit three 3s in the third and Towns scored eight in the quarter with a pair of 3s as the Wolves scored 38 in the quarter and led by as many as 24.
&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t control who they play or who is out or whatever, but I thought it was a really focused and really great performance by us, for the most part,&rdquo; Finch said. &ldquo;We played with good energy, got out and ran, really moved the ball well early, which we&rsquo;ve been struggling to do early in games. Generated a lot of really good looks.&rdquo;
BEVERLEY&rsquo;S IMPACT
Beverley has injected some swagger to a Minnesota team that has made the playoffs once in 17 years.
The Timberwolves also have gained confidence with a March run that included a 124-104 win over the Los Angeles Lakers that had Minnesota &mdash; with Beverley playing his usual abrasive role &mdash; eagerly trash talking LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and the Lakers.
&ldquo;The way Pat brought the grit and hunger to this team and the swag, I think it&rsquo;s remarkable,&rdquo; Reid said.
TIP-INS
Bucks: G Pat Connaughton returned for his first game since breaking a bone in his right hand on Feb. 10. He had 15 points off the bench.
Timberwolves: Towns was questionable for the game with a right forearm contusion. There were several moments where the injury appeared to bother the All-Star big man. &hellip; F Jaden McDaniels missed his second game with a left ankle sprain. Reid was back after missing two games with back spasms.
UP NEXT
Bucks: Return home against Chicago on Tuesday.
Timberwolves: At Dallas on Monday.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 11 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Milwaukee Bucks 138-119.

Towns, Edwards star, Wolves beat Giannis-less Bucks 138-119

PHOENIX (AP) — As if the Phoenix Suns aren’t strong enough already, Deandre Ayton is adding some dimensions to his game.
“He is aggressive in the post. I didn’t see a ton of finesse,” Suns coach Monty Williams said after Ayton scored 20 points in the Suns’ 129-102 rout of the Chicago Bulls Friday night to move closer to clinching the NBA's best regular-season record this season.
“I saw, ‘I am getting to my spot and if you are not going to give me any resistance, I may go through you.’"
Ayton was 8 of 11 from the field, continuing to make mid-range jumpers while also getting inside for easier shots. He also led the Suns with 12 rebounds.
At a franchise-best 57-14 through 71 games, the Suns moved nine games ahead of second-place Memphis with 11 games left. Memphis lost at Atlanta earlier Friday.
Devin Booker led Phoenix with 28 points. The Suns rolled despite being without two starters — point guard Chris Paul and forward Jae Crowder — and sixth man Cam Johnson, all out with injuries.
“We don’t want to be ‘Chris and Book’ dimensional,” Williams said. “We want to be comfortable to go to other guys so that in those key moments it is not something new to them.”
They certainly weren't Friday. Cameron Payne scored 15 points, Torrey Craig and Landry Shamet had 14 each, JaVale McGee 12 and Mikael Bridges 11.
DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points for Chicago, fifth in the Eastern Conference at 41-29. Nikola Vucevic added 16 points. Coby White had 14, Zach LaVine 12 and Tristan Thompson 11.
The Suns are 9-4 without Paul, out since the All-Star break with a fractured right thumb. 
Craig started his second game in place of Crowder, and the forward came through with another strong performance. On Wednesday night at Houston, Craig scored 21 points on 8-of-8 shooting, including three 3-pointers, and had 14 rebounds.
“To get the lead that we got and sustain it, then maintain it throughout the second half was pretty impressive,” Craig said.
For the Bulls, it was more of the same. They lost their third in a row to fall to 2-6 in March. All the losses in the streak have been on the road, where Chicago is 16-19. After a home game on Monday, the Bulls play five straight on the road.
“I don’t want to take anything away from Phoenix or teams we’ve played against, but we’ve got to be able to have a better response when shots aren’t going in,” Chicago coach Billy Donovan said. “I thought some of the (Suns’) offensive rebounds in the second quarter really hurt us, and then we started missing shots. We gotta develop a resilience when it’s not going well.”
DeRozan said the team is dealing with some new adversity after a solid season.
“We’re at that time of the year where nothing is a secret," he said. "We’ve played great basketball and now teams are coming after us no matter who we play. Once we figure it out, we’ll be fine.”
The teams met on Feb. 7 in Chicago, with Booker scoring 38 points in a 127-124 Suns victory.
“That is a really good team over there and we played really well,” Booker said. “We enjoy that matchup.”
NUMBERS
The Suns (48.5%) and Bulls (48.2%) entered Friday as the top field-goal percentage teams in the NBA. The Suns bettered their season average, making 56% while the Bulls struggled and made just 41%.
IRISH PRIDE
Williams was busy preparing for his team’s game, but he was able to keep track of Notre Dame’s upset victory over Alabama in the NCAA tournament earlier Friday.
“I saw a little before I left, and then I got a text telling me that they won,” the former Irish forward said before the game. Williams played at Notre Dame from 1989-94. “Coach (Mike) Brey has just changed our program. I hope he’s there for another 20 years.”
“It’s a big win for us because it’s hard to get those elite players to come to Notre Dame, because of other stuff. For him to do it in a year where this is not one of the years they’ve been really really good is great."
INJURY UPDATE
Bulls: PF Patrick Williams could return to the Bulls next week, Donovan said. Williams has missed 65 games with a wrist injury that required surgery.
Williams is likely to play Sunday for the Bulls’ Windy City G-League team before he returns to the NBA.
Donovan also said the status of G Lonzo Ball (right knee) has not changed. Ball, out since Jan. 28, is in the middle of the original prognosis of six to eight weeks, but he has not been able to resume activities. Donovan said there is a chance he will not return before the regular season ends in three weeks.
Suns: Crowder (left groin soreness) is being brought along slowly. He also missed sat out Wednesday night at Houston. Johnson (right quad) has missed eight games.
NEXT
Bulls: Host Toronto on Monday night.
Suns: At Sacramento on Sunday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; As if the Phoenix Suns aren&rsquo;t strong enough already, Deandre Ayton is adding some dimensions to his game.
&ldquo;He is aggressive in the post. I didn&rsquo;t see a ton of finesse,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said after Ayton scored 20 points in the Suns&rsquo; 129-102 rout of the Chicago Bulls Friday night to move closer to clinching the NBA's best regular-season record this season.
&ldquo;I saw, &lsquo;I am getting to my spot and if you are not going to give me any resistance, I may go through you.&rsquo;"
Ayton was 8 of 11 from the field, continuing to make mid-range jumpers while also getting inside for easier shots. He also led the Suns with 12 rebounds.
At a franchise-best 57-14 through 71 games, the Suns moved nine games ahead of second-place Memphis with 11 games left. Memphis lost at Atlanta earlier Friday.
Devin Booker led Phoenix with 28 points. The Suns rolled despite being without two starters &mdash; point guard Chris Paul and forward Jae Crowder &mdash; and sixth man Cam Johnson, all out with injuries.
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want to be &lsquo;Chris and Book&rsquo; dimensional,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;We want to be comfortable to go to other guys so that in those key moments it is not something new to them.&rdquo;
They certainly weren't Friday. Cameron Payne scored 15 points, Torrey Craig and Landry Shamet had 14 each, JaVale McGee 12 and Mikael Bridges 11.
DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points for Chicago, fifth in the Eastern Conference at 41-29. Nikola Vucevic added 16 points. Coby White had 14, Zach LaVine 12 and Tristan Thompson 11.
The Suns are 9-4 without Paul, out since the All-Star break with a fractured right thumb.
Craig started his second game in place of Crowder, and the forward came through with another strong performance. On Wednesday night at Houston, Craig scored 21 points on 8-of-8 shooting, including three 3-pointers, and had 14 rebounds.
&ldquo;To get the lead that we got and sustain it, then maintain it throughout the second half was pretty impressive,&rdquo; Craig said.
For the Bulls, it was more of the same. They lost their third in a row to fall to 2-6 in March. All the losses in the streak have been on the road, where Chicago is 16-19. After a home game on Monday, the Bulls play five straight on the road.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to take anything away from Phoenix or teams we&rsquo;ve played against, but we&rsquo;ve got to be able to have a better response when shots aren&rsquo;t going in,&rdquo; Chicago coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;I thought some of the (Suns&rsquo;) offensive rebounds in the second quarter really hurt us, and then we started missing shots. We gotta develop a resilience when it&rsquo;s not going well.&rdquo;
DeRozan said the team is dealing with some new adversity after a solid season.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re at that time of the year where nothing is a secret," he said. "We&rsquo;ve played great basketball and now teams are coming after us no matter who we play. Once we figure it out, we&rsquo;ll be fine.&rdquo;
The teams met on Feb. 7 in Chicago, with Booker scoring 38 points in a 127-124 Suns victory.
&ldquo;That is a really good team over there and we played really well,&rdquo; Booker said. &ldquo;We enjoy that matchup.&rdquo;
NUMBERS
The Suns (48.5%) and Bulls (48.2%) entered Friday as the top field-goal percentage teams in the NBA. The Suns bettered their season average, making 56% while the Bulls struggled and made just 41%.
IRISH PRIDE
Williams was busy preparing for his team&rsquo;s game, but he was able to keep track of Notre Dame&rsquo;s upset victory over Alabama in the NCAA tournament earlier Friday.
&ldquo;I saw a little before I left, and then I got a text telling me that they won,&rdquo; the former Irish forward said before the game. Williams played at Notre Dame from 1989-94. &ldquo;Coach (Mike) Brey has just changed our program. I hope he&rsquo;s there for another 20 years.&rdquo;
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big win for us because it&rsquo;s hard to get those elite players to come to Notre Dame, because of other stuff. For him to do it in a year where this is not one of the years they&rsquo;ve been really really good is great."
INJURY UPDATE
Bulls: PF Patrick Williams could return to the Bulls next week, Donovan said. Williams has missed 65 games with a wrist injury that required surgery.
Williams is likely to play Sunday for the Bulls&rsquo; Windy City G-League team before he returns to the NBA.
Donovan also said the status of G Lonzo Ball (right knee) has not changed. Ball, out since Jan. 28, is in the middle of the original prognosis of six to eight weeks, but he has not been able to resume activities. Donovan said there is a chance he will not return before the regular season ends in three weeks.
Suns: Crowder (left groin soreness) is being brought along slowly. He also missed sat out Wednesday night at Houston. Johnson (right quad) has missed eight games.
NEXT
Bulls: Host Toronto on Monday night.
Suns: At Sacramento on Sunday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; As if the Phoenix Suns aren&rsquo;t strong enough already, Deandre Ayton is adding some dimensions to his game.
&ldquo;He is aggressive in the post. I didn&rsquo;t see a ton of finesse,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said after Ayton scored 20 points in the Suns&rsquo; 129-102 rout of the Chicago Bulls Friday night to move closer to clinching the NBA's best regular-season record this season.
&ldquo;I saw, &lsquo;I am getting to my spot and if you are not going to give me any resistance, I may go through you.&rsquo;"
Ayton was 8 of 11 from the field, continuing to make mid-range jumpers while also getting inside for easier shots. He also led the Suns with 12 rebounds.
At a franchise-best 57-14 through 71 games, the Suns moved nine games ahead of second-place Memphis with 11 games left. Memphis lost at Atlanta earlier Friday.
Devin Booker led Phoenix with 28 points. The Suns rolled despite being without two starters &mdash; point guard Chris Paul and forward Jae Crowder &mdash; and sixth man Cam Johnson, all out with injuries.
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want to be &lsquo;Chris and Book&rsquo; dimensional,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;We want to be comfortable to go to other guys so that in those key moments it is not something new to them.&rdquo;
They certainly weren't Friday. Cameron Payne scored 15 points, Torrey Craig and Landry Shamet had 14 each, JaVale McGee 12 and Mikael Bridges 11.
DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points for Chicago, fifth in the Eastern Conference at 41-29. Nikola Vucevic added 16 points. Coby White had 14, Zach LaVine 12 and Tristan Thompson 11.
The Suns are 9-4 without Paul, out since the All-Star break with a fractured right thumb.
Craig started his second game in place of Crowder, and the forward came through with another strong performance. On Wednesday night at Houston, Craig scored 21 points on 8-of-8 shooting, including three 3-pointers, and had 14 rebounds.
&ldquo;To get the lead that we got and sustain it, then maintain it throughout the second half was pretty impressive,&rdquo; Craig said.
For the Bulls, it was more of the same. They lost their third in a row to fall to 2-6 in March. All the losses in the streak have been on the road, where Chicago is 16-19. After a home game on Monday, the Bulls play five straight on the road.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to take anything away from Phoenix or teams we&rsquo;ve played against, but we&rsquo;ve got to be able to have a better response when shots aren&rsquo;t going in,&rdquo; Chicago coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;I thought some of the (Suns&rsquo;) offensive rebounds in the second quarter really hurt us, and then we started missing shots. We gotta develop a resilience when it&rsquo;s not going well.&rdquo;
DeRozan said the team is dealing with some new adversity after a solid season.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re at that time of the year where nothing is a secret," he said. "We&rsquo;ve played great basketball and now teams are coming after us no matter who we play. Once we figure it out, we&rsquo;ll be fine.&rdquo;
The teams met on Feb. 7 in Chicago, with Booker scoring 38 points in a 127-124 Suns victory.
&ldquo;That is a really good team over there and we played really well,&rdquo; Booker said. &ldquo;We enjoy that matchup.&rdquo;
NUMBERS
The Suns (48.5%) and Bulls (48.2%) entered Friday as the top field-goal percentage teams in the NBA. The Suns bettered their season average, making 56% while the Bulls struggled and made just 41%.
IRISH PRIDE
Williams was busy preparing for his team&rsquo;s game, but he was able to keep track of Notre Dame&rsquo;s upset victory over Alabama in the NCAA tournament earlier Friday.
&ldquo;I saw a little before I left, and then I got a text telling me that they won,&rdquo; the former Irish forward said before the game. Williams played at Notre Dame from 1989-94. &ldquo;Coach (Mike) Brey has just changed our program. I hope he&rsquo;s there for another 20 years.&rdquo;
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big win for us because it&rsquo;s hard to get those elite players to come to Notre Dame, because of other stuff. For him to do it in a year where this is not one of the years they&rsquo;ve been really really good is great."
INJURY UPDATE
Bulls: PF Patrick Williams could return to the Bulls next week, Donovan said. Williams has missed 65 games with a wrist injury that required surgery.
Williams is likely to play Sunday for the Bulls&rsquo; Windy City G-League team before he returns to the NBA.
Donovan also said the status of G Lonzo Ball (right knee) has not changed. Ball, out since Jan. 28, is in the middle of the original prognosis of six to eight weeks, but he has not been able to resume activities. Donovan said there is a chance he will not return before the regular season ends in three weeks.
Suns: Crowder (left groin soreness) is being brought along slowly. He also missed sat out Wednesday night at Houston. Johnson (right quad) has missed eight games.
NEXT
Bulls: Host Toronto on Monday night.
Suns: At Sacramento on Sunday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Deandre Ayton scored 20 points as the Phoenix Suns rout the Chicago Bulls 129-102.

Suns rout Bulls, move closer to wrapping up top spot in NBA

MIAMI (AP) — Tyler Herro got through an ankle scare and scored 26 points, Duncan Robinson scored 19 points in 19 minutes and the Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat topped the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-108 on Friday night.
Bam Adebayo had 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting and Kyle Lowry added 16 points for the Heat. Miami used a 16-2 run late in the first half to take control of what was a tie game, and pushed the lead out to 29 in the second half.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played through ankle soreness and scored 26 points for the injury-depleted Thunder, who have dropped eight straight and reached the 50-loss mark in back-to-back seasons. Tre Mann added 25 points.
“It's our jobs to be professionals," Lowry said. “They've got a bunch of talent down there. They play hard. We had to do our jobs and stick with the game plan."
The Thunder have used five starting lineups in their last five games, giving them 30 such combinations so far this season. That ties the franchise-record total that the Thunder used a season ago. 
“They have guys out of the lineup and, you know, their record is what it is,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Those teams can be extremely dangerous. With 10, 12 games left in the year, they’re just playing free and young guys can play with a lot of confidence and they can become dangerous.”
Markieff Morris scored 13 points, Max Strus scored 12 and Caleb Martin — back after missing just over a week with a knee injury — added 11 for Miami (47-24), which moved 2-1/2 games clear of second-place Milwaukee in the East standings. The Heat played without Jimmy Butler, who is dealing with an ankle sprain, and Victor Oladipo (back spasms).
“They bring the fight to their opponent every night,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “That’s why they’re such a good team. They’re a good team because they do everything well. And that’s the baseline for any good team. It’s that competitive spirit over 82 games and they’re ready to rock every single night.”
The scare for Miami came midway through the third quarter when Herro went airborne and twisted his left ankle after landing on Thunder reserve Isaiah Roby’s foot. Herro stayed down briefly, punching the floor in obvious pain and even went to the Heat locker room for evaluation.
He missed all of 1:04. Herro returned to the court, checked right back in and remained in the game until midway through the fourth.
“He brings it every single night," Robinson said. “As a young player, it can be tough to establish that. He's establishing himself as a star."
TIP-INS
Thunder: Aaron Wiggins scored 17 points and Darius Bazley added 15 for the Thunder. ... Oklahoma City plans to update the status on rookie Josh Giddey (right hip) in about a week, Daigneault said. ... This is the sixth losing streak of at least eight games for the Thunder since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City. Of those, four have come in the last 12 months.
Heat: Miami went 5-2 in its seven-game homestand. ... Butler’s ankle sprain doesn’t have the Heat overly concerned. “Thankfully, this is not something that’s long-term,” Spoelstra said. ... The Heat play eight of their next 10 games against teams that are, at worst, likely to be in the play-in tournament. ... Chris Bosh, part of Miami’s 2012 and 2013 NBA title teams, was honored at halftime for his enshrinement in the Basketball Hall of Fame this year. “It’s been an amazing journey,” Bosh said.
UKRAINE GIFT
The family foundation of Heat managing general partner Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine is donating $3 million to World Central Kitchen, Direct Relief and UNICEF USA to assist Ukrainians affected by the war in their homeland. Carnival Cruise Line donated an additional $50,000 to World Central Kitchen in honor of employees and crew members from Ukraine.
HERRO 1K
Herro’s sixth point Friday gave him 1,000 in games where he came off the bench this season. He’s the third player in Heat history to have that many in a reserve role; he’s now up to 1,020, closing in on the team single-season reserve record of 1,028.
SWEPT AGAIN
The Thunder have now been swept by nine teams this season — Chicago, Charlotte, Cleveland, Golden State, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Washington and Miami. They still could be swept by Atlanta, Boston, Phoenix and Utah. OKC was swept by 10 clubs last season; that’s the most since it endured 12 sweeps in 2008-09.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Visit Orlando on Sunday.
Heat: Visit Philadelphia on Monday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Tyler Herro got through an ankle scare and scored 26 points, Duncan Robinson scored 19 points in 19 minutes and the Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat topped the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-108 on Friday night.
Bam Adebayo had 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting and Kyle Lowry added 16 points for the Heat. Miami used a 16-2 run late in the first half to take control of what was a tie game, and pushed the lead out to 29 in the second half.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played through ankle soreness and scored 26 points for the injury-depleted Thunder, who have dropped eight straight and reached the 50-loss mark in back-to-back seasons. Tre Mann added 25 points.
&ldquo;It's our jobs to be professionals," Lowry said. &ldquo;They've got a bunch of talent down there. They play hard. We had to do our jobs and stick with the game plan."
The Thunder have used five starting lineups in their last five games, giving them 30 such combinations so far this season. That ties the franchise-record total that the Thunder used a season ago.
&ldquo;They have guys out of the lineup and, you know, their record is what it is,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;Those teams can be extremely dangerous. With 10, 12 games left in the year, they&rsquo;re just playing free and young guys can play with a lot of confidence and they can become dangerous.&rdquo;
Markieff Morris scored 13 points, Max Strus scored 12 and Caleb Martin &mdash; back after missing just over a week with a knee injury &mdash; added 11 for Miami (47-24), which moved 2-1/2 games clear of second-place Milwaukee in the East standings. The Heat played without Jimmy Butler, who is dealing with an ankle sprain, and Victor Oladipo (back spasms).
&ldquo;They bring the fight to their opponent every night,&rdquo; Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s why they&rsquo;re such a good team. They&rsquo;re a good team because they do everything well. And that&rsquo;s the baseline for any good team. It&rsquo;s that competitive spirit over 82 games and they&rsquo;re ready to rock every single night.&rdquo;
The scare for Miami came midway through the third quarter when Herro went airborne and twisted his left ankle after landing on Thunder reserve Isaiah Roby&rsquo;s foot. Herro stayed down briefly, punching the floor in obvious pain and even went to the Heat locker room for evaluation.
He missed all of 1:04. Herro returned to the court, checked right back in and remained in the game until midway through the fourth.
&ldquo;He brings it every single night," Robinson said. &ldquo;As a young player, it can be tough to establish that. He's establishing himself as a star."
TIP-INS
Thunder: Aaron Wiggins scored 17 points and Darius Bazley added 15 for the Thunder. ... Oklahoma City plans to update the status on rookie Josh Giddey (right hip) in about a week, Daigneault said. ... This is the sixth losing streak of at least eight games for the Thunder since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City. Of those, four have come in the last 12 months.
Heat: Miami went 5-2 in its seven-game homestand. ... Butler&rsquo;s ankle sprain doesn&rsquo;t have the Heat overly concerned. &ldquo;Thankfully, this is not something that&rsquo;s long-term,&rdquo; Spoelstra said. ... The Heat play eight of their next 10 games against teams that are, at worst, likely to be in the play-in tournament. ... Chris Bosh, part of Miami&rsquo;s 2012 and 2013 NBA title teams, was honored at halftime for his enshrinement in the Basketball Hall of Fame this year. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been an amazing journey,&rdquo; Bosh said.
UKRAINE GIFT
The family foundation of Heat managing general partner Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine is donating $3 million to World Central Kitchen, Direct Relief and UNICEF USA to assist Ukrainians affected by the war in their homeland. Carnival Cruise Line donated an additional $50,000 to World Central Kitchen in honor of employees and crew members from Ukraine.
HERRO 1K
Herro&rsquo;s sixth point Friday gave him 1,000 in games where he came off the bench this season. He&rsquo;s the third player in Heat history to have that many in a reserve role; he&rsquo;s now up to 1,020, closing in on the team single-season reserve record of 1,028.
SWEPT AGAIN
The Thunder have now been swept by nine teams this season &mdash; Chicago, Charlotte, Cleveland, Golden State, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Washington and Miami. They still could be swept by Atlanta, Boston, Phoenix and Utah. OKC was swept by 10 clubs last season; that&rsquo;s the most since it endured 12 sweeps in 2008-09.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Visit Orlando on Sunday.
Heat: Visit Philadelphia on Monday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Tyler Herro got through an ankle scare and scored 26 points, Duncan Robinson scored 19 points in 19 minutes and the Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat topped the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-108 on Friday night.
Bam Adebayo had 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting and Kyle Lowry added 16 points for the Heat. Miami used a 16-2 run late in the first half to take control of what was a tie game, and pushed the lead out to 29 in the second half.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played through ankle soreness and scored 26 points for the injury-depleted Thunder, who have dropped eight straight and reached the 50-loss mark in back-to-back seasons. Tre Mann added 25 points.
&ldquo;It's our jobs to be professionals," Lowry said. &ldquo;They've got a bunch of talent down there. They play hard. We had to do our jobs and stick with the game plan."
The Thunder have used five starting lineups in their last five games, giving them 30 such combinations so far this season. That ties the franchise-record total that the Thunder used a season ago.
&ldquo;They have guys out of the lineup and, you know, their record is what it is,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;Those teams can be extremely dangerous. With 10, 12 games left in the year, they&rsquo;re just playing free and young guys can play with a lot of confidence and they can become dangerous.&rdquo;
Markieff Morris scored 13 points, Max Strus scored 12 and Caleb Martin &mdash; back after missing just over a week with a knee injury &mdash; added 11 for Miami (47-24), which moved 2-1/2 games clear of second-place Milwaukee in the East standings. The Heat played without Jimmy Butler, who is dealing with an ankle sprain, and Victor Oladipo (back spasms).
&ldquo;They bring the fight to their opponent every night,&rdquo; Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s why they&rsquo;re such a good team. They&rsquo;re a good team because they do everything well. And that&rsquo;s the baseline for any good team. It&rsquo;s that competitive spirit over 82 games and they&rsquo;re ready to rock every single night.&rdquo;
The scare for Miami came midway through the third quarter when Herro went airborne and twisted his left ankle after landing on Thunder reserve Isaiah Roby&rsquo;s foot. Herro stayed down briefly, punching the floor in obvious pain and even went to the Heat locker room for evaluation.
He missed all of 1:04. Herro returned to the court, checked right back in and remained in the game until midway through the fourth.
&ldquo;He brings it every single night," Robinson said. &ldquo;As a young player, it can be tough to establish that. He's establishing himself as a star."
TIP-INS
Thunder: Aaron Wiggins scored 17 points and Darius Bazley added 15 for the Thunder. ... Oklahoma City plans to update the status on rookie Josh Giddey (right hip) in about a week, Daigneault said. ... This is the sixth losing streak of at least eight games for the Thunder since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City. Of those, four have come in the last 12 months.
Heat: Miami went 5-2 in its seven-game homestand. ... Butler&rsquo;s ankle sprain doesn&rsquo;t have the Heat overly concerned. &ldquo;Thankfully, this is not something that&rsquo;s long-term,&rdquo; Spoelstra said. ... The Heat play eight of their next 10 games against teams that are, at worst, likely to be in the play-in tournament. ... Chris Bosh, part of Miami&rsquo;s 2012 and 2013 NBA title teams, was honored at halftime for his enshrinement in the Basketball Hall of Fame this year. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been an amazing journey,&rdquo; Bosh said.
UKRAINE GIFT
The family foundation of Heat managing general partner Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine is donating $3 million to World Central Kitchen, Direct Relief and UNICEF USA to assist Ukrainians affected by the war in their homeland. Carnival Cruise Line donated an additional $50,000 to World Central Kitchen in honor of employees and crew members from Ukraine.
HERRO 1K
Herro&rsquo;s sixth point Friday gave him 1,000 in games where he came off the bench this season. He&rsquo;s the third player in Heat history to have that many in a reserve role; he&rsquo;s now up to 1,020, closing in on the team single-season reserve record of 1,028.
SWEPT AGAIN
The Thunder have now been swept by nine teams this season &mdash; Chicago, Charlotte, Cleveland, Golden State, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Washington and Miami. They still could be swept by Atlanta, Boston, Phoenix and Utah. OKC was swept by 10 clubs last season; that&rsquo;s the most since it endured 12 sweeps in 2008-09.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Visit Orlando on Sunday.
Heat: Visit Philadelphia on Monday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Tyler Herro got through an ankle scare and scored 26 points, Duncan Robinson scored 19 points in 19 minutes and the Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat topped the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-108 on Friday night.
Bam Adebayo had 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting and Kyle Lowry added 16 points for the Heat. Miami used a 16-2 run late in the first half to take control of what was a tie game, and pushed the lead out to 29 in the second half.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played through ankle soreness and scored 26 points for the injury-depleted Thunder, who have dropped eight straight and reached the 50-loss mark in back-to-back seasons. Tre Mann added 25 points.
&ldquo;It's our jobs to be professionals," Lowry said. &ldquo;They've got a bunch of talent down there. They play hard. We had to do our jobs and stick with the game plan."
The Thunder have used five starting lineups in their last five games, giving them 30 such combinations so far this season. That ties the franchise-record total that the Thunder used a season ago.
&ldquo;They have guys out of the lineup and, you know, their record is what it is,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;Those teams can be extremely dangerous. With 10, 12 games left in the year, they&rsquo;re just playing free and young guys can play with a lot of confidence and they can become dangerous.&rdquo;
Markieff Morris scored 13 points, Max Strus scored 12 and Caleb Martin &mdash; back after missing just over a week with a knee injury &mdash; added 11 for Miami (47-24), which moved 2-1/2 games clear of second-place Milwaukee in the East standings. The Heat played without Jimmy Butler, who is dealing with an ankle sprain, and Victor Oladipo (back spasms).
&ldquo;They bring the fight to their opponent every night,&rdquo; Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s why they&rsquo;re such a good team. They&rsquo;re a good team because they do everything well. And that&rsquo;s the baseline for any good team. It&rsquo;s that competitive spirit over 82 games and they&rsquo;re ready to rock every single night.&rdquo;
The scare for Miami came midway through the third quarter when Herro went airborne and twisted his left ankle after landing on Thunder reserve Isaiah Roby&rsquo;s foot. Herro stayed down briefly, punching the floor in obvious pain and even went to the Heat locker room for evaluation.
He missed all of 1:04. Herro returned to the court, checked right back in and remained in the game until midway through the fourth.
&ldquo;He brings it every single night," Robinson said. &ldquo;As a young player, it can be tough to establish that. He's establishing himself as a star."
TIP-INS
Thunder: Aaron Wiggins scored 17 points and Darius Bazley added 15 for the Thunder. ... Oklahoma City plans to update the status on rookie Josh Giddey (right hip) in about a week, Daigneault said. ... This is the sixth losing streak of at least eight games for the Thunder since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City. Of those, four have come in the last 12 months.
Heat: Miami went 5-2 in its seven-game homestand. ... Butler&rsquo;s ankle sprain doesn&rsquo;t have the Heat overly concerned. &ldquo;Thankfully, this is not something that&rsquo;s long-term,&rdquo; Spoelstra said. ... The Heat play eight of their next 10 games against teams that are, at worst, likely to be in the play-in tournament. ... Chris Bosh, part of Miami&rsquo;s 2012 and 2013 NBA title teams, was honored at halftime for his enshrinement in the Basketball Hall of Fame this year. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been an amazing journey,&rdquo; Bosh said.
UKRAINE GIFT
The family foundation of Heat managing general partner Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine is donating $3 million to World Central Kitchen, Direct Relief and UNICEF USA to assist Ukrainians affected by the war in their homeland. Carnival Cruise Line donated an additional $50,000 to World Central Kitchen in honor of employees and crew members from Ukraine.
HERRO 1K
Herro&rsquo;s sixth point Friday gave him 1,000 in games where he came off the bench this season. He&rsquo;s the third player in Heat history to have that many in a reserve role; he&rsquo;s now up to 1,020, closing in on the team single-season reserve record of 1,028.
SWEPT AGAIN
The Thunder have now been swept by nine teams this season &mdash; Chicago, Charlotte, Cleveland, Golden State, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Washington and Miami. They still could be swept by Atlanta, Boston, Phoenix and Utah. OKC was swept by 10 clubs last season; that&rsquo;s the most since it endured 12 sweeps in 2008-09.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Visit Orlando on Sunday.
Heat: Visit Philadelphia on Monday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Tyler Herro got through an ankle scare and scored 26 points, Duncan Robinson scored 19 points in 19 minutes and the Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat topped the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-108 on Friday night.
Bam Adebayo had 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting and Kyle Lowry added 16 points for the Heat. Miami used a 16-2 run late in the first half to take control of what was a tie game, and pushed the lead out to 29 in the second half.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played through ankle soreness and scored 26 points for the injury-depleted Thunder, who have dropped eight straight and reached the 50-loss mark in back-to-back seasons. Tre Mann added 25 points.
&ldquo;It's our jobs to be professionals," Lowry said. &ldquo;They've got a bunch of talent down there. They play hard. We had to do our jobs and stick with the game plan."
The Thunder have used five starting lineups in their last five games, giving them 30 such combinations so far this season. That ties the franchise-record total that the Thunder used a season ago.
&ldquo;They have guys out of the lineup and, you know, their record is what it is,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;Those teams can be extremely dangerous. With 10, 12 games left in the year, they&rsquo;re just playing free and young guys can play with a lot of confidence and they can become dangerous.&rdquo;
Markieff Morris scored 13 points, Max Strus scored 12 and Caleb Martin &mdash; back after missing just over a week with a knee injury &mdash; added 11 for Miami (47-24), which moved 2-1/2 games clear of second-place Milwaukee in the East standings. The Heat played without Jimmy Butler, who is dealing with an ankle sprain, and Victor Oladipo (back spasms).
&ldquo;They bring the fight to their opponent every night,&rdquo; Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s why they&rsquo;re such a good team. They&rsquo;re a good team because they do everything well. And that&rsquo;s the baseline for any good team. It&rsquo;s that competitive spirit over 82 games and they&rsquo;re ready to rock every single night.&rdquo;
The scare for Miami came midway through the third quarter when Herro went airborne and twisted his left ankle after landing on Thunder reserve Isaiah Roby&rsquo;s foot. Herro stayed down briefly, punching the floor in obvious pain and even went to the Heat locker room for evaluation.
He missed all of 1:04. Herro returned to the court, checked right back in and remained in the game until midway through the fourth.
&ldquo;He brings it every single night," Robinson said. &ldquo;As a young player, it can be tough to establish that. He's establishing himself as a star."
TIP-INS
Thunder: Aaron Wiggins scored 17 points and Darius Bazley added 15 for the Thunder. ... Oklahoma City plans to update the status on rookie Josh Giddey (right hip) in about a week, Daigneault said. ... This is the sixth losing streak of at least eight games for the Thunder since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City. Of those, four have come in the last 12 months.
Heat: Miami went 5-2 in its seven-game homestand. ... Butler&rsquo;s ankle sprain doesn&rsquo;t have the Heat overly concerned. &ldquo;Thankfully, this is not something that&rsquo;s long-term,&rdquo; Spoelstra said. ... The Heat play eight of their next 10 games against teams that are, at worst, likely to be in the play-in tournament. ... Chris Bosh, part of Miami&rsquo;s 2012 and 2013 NBA title teams, was honored at halftime for his enshrinement in the Basketball Hall of Fame this year. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been an amazing journey,&rdquo; Bosh said.
UKRAINE GIFT
The family foundation of Heat managing general partner Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine is donating $3 million to World Central Kitchen, Direct Relief and UNICEF USA to assist Ukrainians affected by the war in their homeland. Carnival Cruise Line donated an additional $50,000 to World Central Kitchen in honor of employees and crew members from Ukraine.
HERRO 1K
Herro&rsquo;s sixth point Friday gave him 1,000 in games where he came off the bench this season. He&rsquo;s the third player in Heat history to have that many in a reserve role; he&rsquo;s now up to 1,020, closing in on the team single-season reserve record of 1,028.
SWEPT AGAIN
The Thunder have now been swept by nine teams this season &mdash; Chicago, Charlotte, Cleveland, Golden State, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Washington and Miami. They still could be swept by Atlanta, Boston, Phoenix and Utah. OKC was swept by 10 clubs last season; that&rsquo;s the most since it endured 12 sweeps in 2008-09.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Visit Orlando on Sunday.
Heat: Visit Philadelphia on Monday.

Tyler Herro scored 26 points and Duncan Robinson scored 19 points Miami Heat topped the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-108.

Herro has 26 points, East-leading Heat beat Thunder 120-108

TORONTO (AP) — LeBron James scored 19 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, Russell Westbrook had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Toronto Raptors 128-123 on Friday night.
Avery Bradley hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 32.5 seconds left in the extra session, putting the visitors up 125-123, then added a pair of free throws after a turnover by Toronto rookie Scottie Barnes.
Wenyen Gabriel scored 17 points, Bradley had 14 and Austin Reaves 10 as Los Angeles avenged Monday’s home loss to the Raptors and ended Toronto’s winning streak at five.
James shot 15 for 26 and went 2 for 7 from 3-point range. He had nine rebounds.
Barnes had 31 points and 17 rebounds, Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points and Fred Van Vleet 20.
Precious Achiuwa scored 18 points, but made a costly turnover in the final seconds of regulation that led to Westbrook’s tying 3 with less than a second to play.
Toronto looked to have the game won after Trent hit a go-ahead 3 with 25 seconds left, and James and Westbrook both missed from distance at the other end, with Trent grabbing the rebound on Westbrook’s shot.
Los Angeles got a break when Achiuwa turned the ball over with 5 seconds left and Westbrook hit a tying 3 with less than 1 second remaining. Toronto couldn’t get a shot off on its final possession, sending it to OT.
The Lakers made their first six field-goal attempts of the game, including three from long range, to lead 15-5, but Toronto reclaimed the advantage with a 18-3 spurt. Making his first start for Los Angeles, Gabriel shot 6 for 6 in the first quarter and scored 14 points as the Lakers led 33-30 after one.
James scored 12 points in the second. Los Angeles led 59-55 at the half, but Barnes had 12 in the third as Toronto took an 89-88 lead to the fourth.
LOCOMOTIVE LEBRON
Beforehand, Raptors coach Nick Nurse said he hasn’t seen James slow down any with age.
“To me, he’s got the freight train game going,” Nurse said. “He gets in transition, and you’ve got to be a man to stand in there and get in the way to slow him down.”
GOOD WEEK FOR A.D.
Injured Lakers forward Anthony Davis tested his sprained right foot by taking some shots on the court before the game. Davis sat for the 12th straight game, but Lakers coach Frank Vogel said the star big man is making progress in the intensity of his work.
“Anthony has had a good week,” Vogel said. “He’s had a productive week.”
TIP-INS
Lakers: G Talen Horton-Tucker sat because of a sprained left ankle. F Carmelo Anthony and G Wayne Ellington were both sidelined due to a non-COVID illness.
Raptors: F OG Anunoby (fractured right ring finger) will be reevaluated in a week, Nurse said. Anunoby has missed the past 13 games. … Siakam scored 17 points.
UP NEXT
Lakers: At Washington on Saturday night.
Raptors: At Philadelphia on Sunday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; LeBron James scored 19 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, Russell Westbrook had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Toronto Raptors 128-123 on Friday night.
Avery Bradley hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 32.5 seconds left in the extra session, putting the visitors up 125-123, then added a pair of free throws after a turnover by Toronto rookie Scottie Barnes.
Wenyen Gabriel scored 17 points, Bradley had 14 and Austin Reaves 10 as Los Angeles avenged Monday&rsquo;s home loss to the Raptors and ended Toronto&rsquo;s winning streak at five.
James shot 15 for 26 and went 2 for 7 from 3-point range. He had nine rebounds.
Barnes had 31 points and 17 rebounds, Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points and Fred Van Vleet 20.
Precious Achiuwa scored 18 points, but made a costly turnover in the final seconds of regulation that led to Westbrook&rsquo;s tying 3 with less than a second to play.
Toronto looked to have the game won after Trent hit a go-ahead 3 with 25 seconds left, and James and Westbrook both missed from distance at the other end, with Trent grabbing the rebound on Westbrook&rsquo;s shot.
Los Angeles got a break when Achiuwa turned the ball over with 5 seconds left and Westbrook hit a tying 3 with less than 1 second remaining. Toronto couldn&rsquo;t get a shot off on its final possession, sending it to OT.
The Lakers made their first six field-goal attempts of the game, including three from long range, to lead 15-5, but Toronto reclaimed the advantage with a 18-3 spurt. Making his first start for Los Angeles, Gabriel shot 6 for 6 in the first quarter and scored 14 points as the Lakers led 33-30 after one.
James scored 12 points in the second. Los Angeles led 59-55 at the half, but Barnes had 12 in the third as Toronto took an 89-88 lead to the fourth.
LOCOMOTIVE LEBRON
Beforehand, Raptors coach Nick Nurse said he hasn&rsquo;t seen James slow down any with age.
&ldquo;To me, he&rsquo;s got the freight train game going,&rdquo; Nurse said. &ldquo;He gets in transition, and you&rsquo;ve got to be a man to stand in there and get in the way to slow him down.&rdquo;
GOOD WEEK FOR A.D.
Injured Lakers forward Anthony Davis tested his sprained right foot by taking some shots on the court before the game. Davis sat for the 12th straight game, but Lakers coach Frank Vogel said the star big man is making progress in the intensity of his work.
&ldquo;Anthony has had a good week,&rdquo; Vogel said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s had a productive week.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Lakers: G Talen Horton-Tucker sat because of a sprained left ankle. F Carmelo Anthony and G Wayne Ellington were both sidelined due to a non-COVID illness.
Raptors: F OG Anunoby (fractured right ring finger) will be reevaluated in a week, Nurse said. Anunoby has missed the past 13 games. &hellip; Siakam scored 17 points.
UP NEXT
Lakers: At Washington on Saturday night.
Raptors: At Philadelphia on Sunday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; LeBron James scored 19 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, Russell Westbrook had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Toronto Raptors 128-123 on Friday night.
Avery Bradley hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 32.5 seconds left in the extra session, putting the visitors up 125-123, then added a pair of free throws after a turnover by Toronto rookie Scottie Barnes.
Wenyen Gabriel scored 17 points, Bradley had 14 and Austin Reaves 10 as Los Angeles avenged Monday&rsquo;s home loss to the Raptors and ended Toronto&rsquo;s winning streak at five.
James shot 15 for 26 and went 2 for 7 from 3-point range. He had nine rebounds.
Barnes had 31 points and 17 rebounds, Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points and Fred Van Vleet 20.
Precious Achiuwa scored 18 points, but made a costly turnover in the final seconds of regulation that led to Westbrook&rsquo;s tying 3 with less than a second to play.
Toronto looked to have the game won after Trent hit a go-ahead 3 with 25 seconds left, and James and Westbrook both missed from distance at the other end, with Trent grabbing the rebound on Westbrook&rsquo;s shot.
Los Angeles got a break when Achiuwa turned the ball over with 5 seconds left and Westbrook hit a tying 3 with less than 1 second remaining. Toronto couldn&rsquo;t get a shot off on its final possession, sending it to OT.
The Lakers made their first six field-goal attempts of the game, including three from long range, to lead 15-5, but Toronto reclaimed the advantage with a 18-3 spurt. Making his first start for Los Angeles, Gabriel shot 6 for 6 in the first quarter and scored 14 points as the Lakers led 33-30 after one.
James scored 12 points in the second. Los Angeles led 59-55 at the half, but Barnes had 12 in the third as Toronto took an 89-88 lead to the fourth.
LOCOMOTIVE LEBRON
Beforehand, Raptors coach Nick Nurse said he hasn&rsquo;t seen James slow down any with age.
&ldquo;To me, he&rsquo;s got the freight train game going,&rdquo; Nurse said. &ldquo;He gets in transition, and you&rsquo;ve got to be a man to stand in there and get in the way to slow him down.&rdquo;
GOOD WEEK FOR A.D.
Injured Lakers forward Anthony Davis tested his sprained right foot by taking some shots on the court before the game. Davis sat for the 12th straight game, but Lakers coach Frank Vogel said the star big man is making progress in the intensity of his work.
&ldquo;Anthony has had a good week,&rdquo; Vogel said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s had a productive week.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Lakers: G Talen Horton-Tucker sat because of a sprained left ankle. F Carmelo Anthony and G Wayne Ellington were both sidelined due to a non-COVID illness.
Raptors: F OG Anunoby (fractured right ring finger) will be reevaluated in a week, Nurse said. Anunoby has missed the past 13 games. &hellip; Siakam scored 17 points.
UP NEXT
Lakers: At Washington on Saturday night.
Raptors: At Philadelphia on Sunday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; LeBron James scored 19 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, Russell Westbrook had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Toronto Raptors 128-123 on Friday night.
Avery Bradley hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 32.5 seconds left in the extra session, putting the visitors up 125-123, then added a pair of free throws after a turnover by Toronto rookie Scottie Barnes.
Wenyen Gabriel scored 17 points, Bradley had 14 and Austin Reaves 10 as Los Angeles avenged Monday&rsquo;s home loss to the Raptors and ended Toronto&rsquo;s winning streak at five.
James shot 15 for 26 and went 2 for 7 from 3-point range. He had nine rebounds.
Barnes had 31 points and 17 rebounds, Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points and Fred Van Vleet 20.
Precious Achiuwa scored 18 points, but made a costly turnover in the final seconds of regulation that led to Westbrook&rsquo;s tying 3 with less than a second to play.
Toronto looked to have the game won after Trent hit a go-ahead 3 with 25 seconds left, and James and Westbrook both missed from distance at the other end, with Trent grabbing the rebound on Westbrook&rsquo;s shot.
Los Angeles got a break when Achiuwa turned the ball over with 5 seconds left and Westbrook hit a tying 3 with less than 1 second remaining. Toronto couldn&rsquo;t get a shot off on its final possession, sending it to OT.
The Lakers made their first six field-goal attempts of the game, including three from long range, to lead 15-5, but Toronto reclaimed the advantage with a 18-3 spurt. Making his first start for Los Angeles, Gabriel shot 6 for 6 in the first quarter and scored 14 points as the Lakers led 33-30 after one.
James scored 12 points in the second. Los Angeles led 59-55 at the half, but Barnes had 12 in the third as Toronto took an 89-88 lead to the fourth.
LOCOMOTIVE LEBRON
Beforehand, Raptors coach Nick Nurse said he hasn&rsquo;t seen James slow down any with age.
&ldquo;To me, he&rsquo;s got the freight train game going,&rdquo; Nurse said. &ldquo;He gets in transition, and you&rsquo;ve got to be a man to stand in there and get in the way to slow him down.&rdquo;
GOOD WEEK FOR A.D.
Injured Lakers forward Anthony Davis tested his sprained right foot by taking some shots on the court before the game. Davis sat for the 12th straight game, but Lakers coach Frank Vogel said the star big man is making progress in the intensity of his work.
&ldquo;Anthony has had a good week,&rdquo; Vogel said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s had a productive week.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Lakers: G Talen Horton-Tucker sat because of a sprained left ankle. F Carmelo Anthony and G Wayne Ellington were both sidelined due to a non-COVID illness.
Raptors: F OG Anunoby (fractured right ring finger) will be reevaluated in a week, Nurse said. Anunoby has missed the past 13 games. &hellip; Siakam scored 17 points.
UP NEXT
Lakers: At Washington on Saturday night.
Raptors: At Philadelphia on Sunday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; LeBron James scored 19 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, Russell Westbrook had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Toronto Raptors 128-123 on Friday night.
Avery Bradley hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 32.5 seconds left in the extra session, putting the visitors up 125-123, then added a pair of free throws after a turnover by Toronto rookie Scottie Barnes.
Wenyen Gabriel scored 17 points, Bradley had 14 and Austin Reaves 10 as Los Angeles avenged Monday&rsquo;s home loss to the Raptors and ended Toronto&rsquo;s winning streak at five.
James shot 15 for 26 and went 2 for 7 from 3-point range. He had nine rebounds.
Barnes had 31 points and 17 rebounds, Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points and Fred Van Vleet 20.
Precious Achiuwa scored 18 points, but made a costly turnover in the final seconds of regulation that led to Westbrook&rsquo;s tying 3 with less than a second to play.
Toronto looked to have the game won after Trent hit a go-ahead 3 with 25 seconds left, and James and Westbrook both missed from distance at the other end, with Trent grabbing the rebound on Westbrook&rsquo;s shot.
Los Angeles got a break when Achiuwa turned the ball over with 5 seconds left and Westbrook hit a tying 3 with less than 1 second remaining. Toronto couldn&rsquo;t get a shot off on its final possession, sending it to OT.
The Lakers made their first six field-goal attempts of the game, including three from long range, to lead 15-5, but Toronto reclaimed the advantage with a 18-3 spurt. Making his first start for Los Angeles, Gabriel shot 6 for 6 in the first quarter and scored 14 points as the Lakers led 33-30 after one.
James scored 12 points in the second. Los Angeles led 59-55 at the half, but Barnes had 12 in the third as Toronto took an 89-88 lead to the fourth.
LOCOMOTIVE LEBRON
Beforehand, Raptors coach Nick Nurse said he hasn&rsquo;t seen James slow down any with age.
&ldquo;To me, he&rsquo;s got the freight train game going,&rdquo; Nurse said. &ldquo;He gets in transition, and you&rsquo;ve got to be a man to stand in there and get in the way to slow him down.&rdquo;
GOOD WEEK FOR A.D.
Injured Lakers forward Anthony Davis tested his sprained right foot by taking some shots on the court before the game. Davis sat for the 12th straight game, but Lakers coach Frank Vogel said the star big man is making progress in the intensity of his work.
&ldquo;Anthony has had a good week,&rdquo; Vogel said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s had a productive week.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Lakers: G Talen Horton-Tucker sat because of a sprained left ankle. F Carmelo Anthony and G Wayne Ellington were both sidelined due to a non-COVID illness.
Raptors: F OG Anunoby (fractured right ring finger) will be reevaluated in a week, Nurse said. Anunoby has missed the past 13 games. &hellip; Siakam scored 17 points.
UP NEXT
Lakers: At Washington on Saturday night.
Raptors: At Philadelphia on Sunday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; LeBron James scored 19 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, Russell Westbrook had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Toronto Raptors 128-123 on Friday night.
Avery Bradley hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 32.5 seconds left in the extra session, putting the visitors up 125-123, then added a pair of free throws after a turnover by Toronto rookie Scottie Barnes.
Wenyen Gabriel scored 17 points, Bradley had 14 and Austin Reaves 10 as Los Angeles avenged Monday&rsquo;s home loss to the Raptors and ended Toronto&rsquo;s winning streak at five.
James shot 15 for 26 and went 2 for 7 from 3-point range. He had nine rebounds.
Barnes had 31 points and 17 rebounds, Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points and Fred Van Vleet 20.
Precious Achiuwa scored 18 points, but made a costly turnover in the final seconds of regulation that led to Westbrook&rsquo;s tying 3 with less than a second to play.
Toronto looked to have the game won after Trent hit a go-ahead 3 with 25 seconds left, and James and Westbrook both missed from distance at the other end, with Trent grabbing the rebound on Westbrook&rsquo;s shot.
Los Angeles got a break when Achiuwa turned the ball over with 5 seconds left and Westbrook hit a tying 3 with less than 1 second remaining. Toronto couldn&rsquo;t get a shot off on its final possession, sending it to OT.
The Lakers made their first six field-goal attempts of the game, including three from long range, to lead 15-5, but Toronto reclaimed the advantage with a 18-3 spurt. Making his first start for Los Angeles, Gabriel shot 6 for 6 in the first quarter and scored 14 points as the Lakers led 33-30 after one.
James scored 12 points in the second. Los Angeles led 59-55 at the half, but Barnes had 12 in the third as Toronto took an 89-88 lead to the fourth.
LOCOMOTIVE LEBRON
Beforehand, Raptors coach Nick Nurse said he hasn&rsquo;t seen James slow down any with age.
&ldquo;To me, he&rsquo;s got the freight train game going,&rdquo; Nurse said. &ldquo;He gets in transition, and you&rsquo;ve got to be a man to stand in there and get in the way to slow him down.&rdquo;
GOOD WEEK FOR A.D.
Injured Lakers forward Anthony Davis tested his sprained right foot by taking some shots on the court before the game. Davis sat for the 12th straight game, but Lakers coach Frank Vogel said the star big man is making progress in the intensity of his work.
&ldquo;Anthony has had a good week,&rdquo; Vogel said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s had a productive week.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Lakers: G Talen Horton-Tucker sat because of a sprained left ankle. F Carmelo Anthony and G Wayne Ellington were both sidelined due to a non-COVID illness.
Raptors: F OG Anunoby (fractured right ring finger) will be reevaluated in a week, Nurse said. Anunoby has missed the past 13 games. &hellip; Siakam scored 17 points.
UP NEXT
Lakers: At Washington on Saturday night.
Raptors: At Philadelphia on Sunday night.
&nbsp;

LeBron James scored 36 points and Russell Westbrook had a triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 128-123.

James scores 35, Lakers beat Raptors in OT, snap 3-game skid

NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 38 points, Seth Curry returned to the lineup with seven 3-pointers in his best game as a Net, and Brooklyn rallied to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 128-123 on Friday night.
Curry finished with 27 points, his most since coming from Philadelphia last month in the trade headlined by James Harden and Ben Simmons. Curry had missed the previous three games with left ankle soreness.
Andre Drummond and Bruce Brown each added 17 points for the Nets. They bounced back from their loss at the buzzer to Dallas on Wednesday and won for the fifth time in six games. 
Josh Hart scored 25 points for the Trail Blazers, who led by 18 early in the second half but couldn't hold on and lost their third straight. Brandon Williams added 24 points. 
Durant shot 11 for 15 from the field and added six rebounds and six assists, but the decisive stretch came when he was on the bench to begin the fourth quarter. The Nets opened with a 10-0 spurt, featuring two 3-pointers by Curry, to turn a tie game into a 111-101 lead. 
Portland would get it down to three late but Curry finished it off with two free throws the final time. 
Playing again without Kyrie Irving at home, the Nets allowed the Blazers to make nine of first 12 shots, but recovered for a 34-33 lead after one behind 13 points from Durant. Portland then shot 18 for 25 (72%) in a 42-point second quarter. Ben McLemore's 3-pointer made it 75-62 at the break. 
Portland extended the lead to 82-64 with a good start to the third. The Nets charged back by hitting 13 of 18 shots in the third, outscoring the Blazers 39-26 to even it at 101 heading to the fourth. 
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Justise Winslow played in his second straight game since returning from a sore right Achilles tendon. Coach Chauncey Billups said he came through Wednesday's game well and had a good workout Thursday.
Nets: Durant was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Friday for directing obscene language toward a fan with 9.4 seconds left in the first half of the loss to Dallas on Wednesday. ... The Nets had lost six straight home meetings, though one was a designated home game played at Walt Disney World during the restart in 2020
FORGETTING FEBRUARY
Coach Steve Nash said he couldn't recall whether he noticed if Simmons, who remains out with a back injury, appeared to have any physical issues after the Nets acquired him from Philadelphia on Feb. 10.
“What was that, a month ago?” Nash said. “I can’t remember if he was having issues or if it flared up.” 
Simmons' back began bothering him after he tried to rebuild his conditioning after the trade and has done nothing more than individual workouts. Nash revealed that the guard had an MRI he believed was a couple weeks ago and how no update on how Simmons felt after getting an epidural earlier this week.
STANDINGS SITUATION
Toronto went into play Friday tied with Cleveland for sixth place in the East. If the Raptors avoid seventh and the play-in, the Nets wouldn't have to worry about possibly playing there without Irving, who can't travel to Canada because he is unvaccinated.
“Not that I’m oblivious to all that, but I’m not like refreshing my screen to find out what the standings are,” Nash said. “We’re focusing on ourselves, trying to improve, trying to put ourselves in a position where we’ll be ready for that game no matter who we play.” 
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At Indiana on Sunday.
Nets: Host Utah on Monday night.

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Kevin Durant scored 38 points, Seth Curry returned to the lineup with seven 3-pointers in his best game as a Net, and Brooklyn rallied to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 128-123 on Friday night.
Curry finished with 27 points, his most since coming from Philadelphia last month in the trade headlined by James Harden and Ben Simmons. Curry had missed the previous three games with left ankle soreness.
Andre Drummond and Bruce Brown each added 17 points for the Nets. They bounced back from their loss at the buzzer to Dallas on Wednesday and won for the fifth time in six games.
Josh Hart scored 25 points for the Trail Blazers, who led by 18 early in the second half but couldn't hold on and lost their third straight. Brandon Williams added 24 points.
Durant shot 11 for 15 from the field and added six rebounds and six assists, but the decisive stretch came when he was on the bench to begin the fourth quarter. The Nets opened with a 10-0 spurt, featuring two 3-pointers by Curry, to turn a tie game into a 111-101 lead.
Portland would get it down to three late but Curry finished it off with two free throws the final time.
Playing again without Kyrie Irving at home, the Nets allowed the Blazers to make nine of first 12 shots, but recovered for a 34-33 lead after one behind 13 points from Durant. Portland then shot 18 for 25 (72%) in a 42-point second quarter. Ben McLemore's 3-pointer made it 75-62 at the break.
Portland extended the lead to 82-64 with a good start to the third. The Nets charged back by hitting 13 of 18 shots in the third, outscoring the Blazers 39-26 to even it at 101 heading to the fourth.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Justise Winslow played in his second straight game since returning from a sore right Achilles tendon. Coach Chauncey Billups said he came through Wednesday's game well and had a good workout Thursday.
Nets: Durant was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Friday for directing obscene language toward a fan with 9.4 seconds left in the first half of the loss to Dallas on Wednesday. ... The Nets had lost six straight home meetings, though one was a designated home game played at Walt Disney World during the restart in 2020
FORGETTING FEBRUARY
Coach Steve Nash said he couldn't recall whether he noticed if Simmons, who remains out with a back injury, appeared to have any physical issues after the Nets acquired him from Philadelphia on Feb. 10.
&ldquo;What was that, a month ago?&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t remember if he was having issues or if it flared up.&rdquo;
Simmons' back began bothering him after he tried to rebuild his conditioning after the trade and has done nothing more than individual workouts. Nash revealed that the guard had an MRI he believed was a couple weeks ago and how no update on how Simmons felt after getting an epidural earlier this week.
STANDINGS SITUATION
Toronto went into play Friday tied with Cleveland for sixth place in the East. If the Raptors avoid seventh and the play-in, the Nets wouldn't have to worry about possibly playing there without Irving, who can't travel to Canada because he is unvaccinated.
&ldquo;Not that I&rsquo;m oblivious to all that, but I&rsquo;m not like refreshing my screen to find out what the standings are,&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re focusing on ourselves, trying to improve, trying to put ourselves in a position where we&rsquo;ll be ready for that game no matter who we play.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At Indiana on Sunday.
Nets: Host Utah on Monday night.

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Kevin Durant scored 38 points, Seth Curry returned to the lineup with seven 3-pointers in his best game as a Net, and Brooklyn rallied to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 128-123 on Friday night.
Curry finished with 27 points, his most since coming from Philadelphia last month in the trade headlined by James Harden and Ben Simmons. Curry had missed the previous three games with left ankle soreness.
Andre Drummond and Bruce Brown each added 17 points for the Nets. They bounced back from their loss at the buzzer to Dallas on Wednesday and won for the fifth time in six games.
Josh Hart scored 25 points for the Trail Blazers, who led by 18 early in the second half but couldn't hold on and lost their third straight. Brandon Williams added 24 points.
Durant shot 11 for 15 from the field and added six rebounds and six assists, but the decisive stretch came when he was on the bench to begin the fourth quarter. The Nets opened with a 10-0 spurt, featuring two 3-pointers by Curry, to turn a tie game into a 111-101 lead.
Portland would get it down to three late but Curry finished it off with two free throws the final time.
Playing again without Kyrie Irving at home, the Nets allowed the Blazers to make nine of first 12 shots, but recovered for a 34-33 lead after one behind 13 points from Durant. Portland then shot 18 for 25 (72%) in a 42-point second quarter. Ben McLemore's 3-pointer made it 75-62 at the break.
Portland extended the lead to 82-64 with a good start to the third. The Nets charged back by hitting 13 of 18 shots in the third, outscoring the Blazers 39-26 to even it at 101 heading to the fourth.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Justise Winslow played in his second straight game since returning from a sore right Achilles tendon. Coach Chauncey Billups said he came through Wednesday's game well and had a good workout Thursday.
Nets: Durant was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Friday for directing obscene language toward a fan with 9.4 seconds left in the first half of the loss to Dallas on Wednesday. ... The Nets had lost six straight home meetings, though one was a designated home game played at Walt Disney World during the restart in 2020
FORGETTING FEBRUARY
Coach Steve Nash said he couldn't recall whether he noticed if Simmons, who remains out with a back injury, appeared to have any physical issues after the Nets acquired him from Philadelphia on Feb. 10.
&ldquo;What was that, a month ago?&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t remember if he was having issues or if it flared up.&rdquo;
Simmons' back began bothering him after he tried to rebuild his conditioning after the trade and has done nothing more than individual workouts. Nash revealed that the guard had an MRI he believed was a couple weeks ago and how no update on how Simmons felt after getting an epidural earlier this week.
STANDINGS SITUATION
Toronto went into play Friday tied with Cleveland for sixth place in the East. If the Raptors avoid seventh and the play-in, the Nets wouldn't have to worry about possibly playing there without Irving, who can't travel to Canada because he is unvaccinated.
&ldquo;Not that I&rsquo;m oblivious to all that, but I&rsquo;m not like refreshing my screen to find out what the standings are,&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re focusing on ourselves, trying to improve, trying to put ourselves in a position where we&rsquo;ll be ready for that game no matter who we play.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At Indiana on Sunday.
Nets: Host Utah on Monday night.

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Kevin Durant scored 38 points, Seth Curry returned to the lineup with seven 3-pointers in his best game as a Net, and Brooklyn rallied to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 128-123 on Friday night.
Curry finished with 27 points, his most since coming from Philadelphia last month in the trade headlined by James Harden and Ben Simmons. Curry had missed the previous three games with left ankle soreness.
Andre Drummond and Bruce Brown each added 17 points for the Nets. They bounced back from their loss at the buzzer to Dallas on Wednesday and won for the fifth time in six games.
Josh Hart scored 25 points for the Trail Blazers, who led by 18 early in the second half but couldn't hold on and lost their third straight. Brandon Williams added 24 points.
Durant shot 11 for 15 from the field and added six rebounds and six assists, but the decisive stretch came when he was on the bench to begin the fourth quarter. The Nets opened with a 10-0 spurt, featuring two 3-pointers by Curry, to turn a tie game into a 111-101 lead.
Portland would get it down to three late but Curry finished it off with two free throws the final time.
Playing again without Kyrie Irving at home, the Nets allowed the Blazers to make nine of first 12 shots, but recovered for a 34-33 lead after one behind 13 points from Durant. Portland then shot 18 for 25 (72%) in a 42-point second quarter. Ben McLemore's 3-pointer made it 75-62 at the break.
Portland extended the lead to 82-64 with a good start to the third. The Nets charged back by hitting 13 of 18 shots in the third, outscoring the Blazers 39-26 to even it at 101 heading to the fourth.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Justise Winslow played in his second straight game since returning from a sore right Achilles tendon. Coach Chauncey Billups said he came through Wednesday's game well and had a good workout Thursday.
Nets: Durant was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Friday for directing obscene language toward a fan with 9.4 seconds left in the first half of the loss to Dallas on Wednesday. ... The Nets had lost six straight home meetings, though one was a designated home game played at Walt Disney World during the restart in 2020
FORGETTING FEBRUARY
Coach Steve Nash said he couldn't recall whether he noticed if Simmons, who remains out with a back injury, appeared to have any physical issues after the Nets acquired him from Philadelphia on Feb. 10.
&ldquo;What was that, a month ago?&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t remember if he was having issues or if it flared up.&rdquo;
Simmons' back began bothering him after he tried to rebuild his conditioning after the trade and has done nothing more than individual workouts. Nash revealed that the guard had an MRI he believed was a couple weeks ago and how no update on how Simmons felt after getting an epidural earlier this week.
STANDINGS SITUATION
Toronto went into play Friday tied with Cleveland for sixth place in the East. If the Raptors avoid seventh and the play-in, the Nets wouldn't have to worry about possibly playing there without Irving, who can't travel to Canada because he is unvaccinated.
&ldquo;Not that I&rsquo;m oblivious to all that, but I&rsquo;m not like refreshing my screen to find out what the standings are,&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re focusing on ourselves, trying to improve, trying to put ourselves in a position where we&rsquo;ll be ready for that game no matter who we play.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At Indiana on Sunday.
Nets: Host Utah on Monday night.

Kevin Durant scored 38 points, Seth Curry hit seven 3-pointers and the Brooklyn Nets rallied to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 128-123.

Durant, Curry lead Nets back to beat Trail Blazers 128-123

ATLANTA (AP) — Bogdan Bogdanovic scored a season-high 30 points, Delon Wright had 18 and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Memphis Grizzlies 120-105 on Friday night.
Ja Morant scored 29 points for Memphis, which saw its four-game winning streak end. The Grizzlies began the night second in the Western Conference, one game ahead of Golden State.
Wright, filling in for Trae Young, provided a big boost for Atlanta, which is clinging to the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference and final spot in the play-in tournament. Wright had five steals and six assists.
Atlanta led by 23 points in the third quarter before the Grizzlies pulled to 103-92, following back-to-back 3-pointers by De’Anthony Melton and Desmond Bane, who had 15 points. 
A three-point play by De’Andre Hunter, who had 14 points, helped Atlanta regain control. Bogdanovic sank two 3s in the final 3 minutes.
The Hawks won despite playing without their two leading scorers. Young was held out with a bruised left quad after testing the injury in pregame shooting. John Collins (right foot strain, right finger sprain) missed his fourth straight game.
Wright resembled Young while making his first three 3-point attempts and scoring 11 points in the first quarter.
Atlanta used a 13-2 run, capped by Bogdanovic’s 3-pointer, to lead by 20 points, 58-38, in the second. A long 3-pointer by De’Andre Hunter gave Atlanta its biggest lead of the half at 65-44.
Morant scored the Grizzlies’ first nine points of the second half. After trimming Atlanta’s lead to 73-63, Memphis appeared to have momentum. Atlanta answered with a 16-3 run, capped by another 3 from Bogdanovic, to lead 89-66.
The Hawks said before the game Collins is out indefinitely after tests revealed a plantar fascia tear in his right foot. Collins’ status will be updated in about two weeks. There is no guarantee Collins will return this season.
“I don’t think we’re saying in two weeks he’ll be back,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said before the game. “In two weeks we’ll evaluate.”
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Memphis set season lows with eight first-half assists and 18 for the game. ... Morant started after missing one game with back soreness. ... Jaren Jackson Jr. had 15 points.
Hawks: G Kevin Huerter scored one point in eight minutes before leaving in the first quarter with a lower back strain. He returned in the second and had six points. ... Danilo Gallinari, who was listed as questionable with a bruised right biceps, started at Collins’ power forward spot and had 11 points.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: End four-game road trip at Houston on Sunday.
Hawks: Host New Orleans on Sunday.

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Bogdan Bogdanovic scored a season-high 30 points, Delon Wright had 18 and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Memphis Grizzlies 120-105 on Friday night.
Ja Morant scored 29 points for Memphis, which saw its four-game winning streak end. The Grizzlies began the night second in the Western Conference, one game ahead of Golden State.
Wright, filling in for Trae Young, provided a big boost for Atlanta, which is clinging to the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference and final spot in the play-in tournament. Wright had five steals and six assists.
Atlanta led by 23 points in the third quarter before the Grizzlies pulled to 103-92, following back-to-back 3-pointers by De&rsquo;Anthony Melton and Desmond Bane, who had 15 points.
A three-point play by De&rsquo;Andre Hunter, who had 14 points, helped Atlanta regain control. Bogdanovic sank two 3s in the final 3 minutes.
The Hawks won despite playing without their two leading scorers. Young was held out with a bruised left quad after testing the injury in pregame shooting. John Collins (right foot strain, right finger sprain) missed his fourth straight game.
Wright resembled Young while making his first three 3-point attempts and scoring 11 points in the first quarter.
Atlanta used a 13-2 run, capped by Bogdanovic&rsquo;s 3-pointer, to lead by 20 points, 58-38, in the second. A long 3-pointer by De&rsquo;Andre Hunter gave Atlanta its biggest lead of the half at 65-44.
Morant scored the Grizzlies&rsquo; first nine points of the second half. After trimming Atlanta&rsquo;s lead to 73-63, Memphis appeared to have momentum. Atlanta answered with a 16-3 run, capped by another 3 from Bogdanovic, to lead 89-66.
The Hawks said before the game Collins is out indefinitely after tests revealed a plantar fascia tear in his right foot. Collins&rsquo; status will be updated in about two weeks. There is no guarantee Collins will return this season.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;re saying in two weeks he&rsquo;ll be back,&rdquo; Hawks coach Nate McMillan said before the game. &ldquo;In two weeks we&rsquo;ll evaluate.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Memphis set season lows with eight first-half assists and 18 for the game. ... Morant started after missing one game with back soreness. ... Jaren Jackson Jr. had 15 points.
Hawks: G Kevin Huerter scored one point in eight minutes before leaving in the first quarter with a lower back strain. He returned in the second and had six points. ... Danilo Gallinari, who was listed as questionable with a bruised right biceps, started at Collins&rsquo; power forward spot and had 11 points.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: End four-game road trip at Houston on Sunday.
Hawks: Host New Orleans on Sunday.

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Bogdan Bogdanovic scored a season-high 30 points, Delon Wright had 18 and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Memphis Grizzlies 120-105 on Friday night.
Ja Morant scored 29 points for Memphis, which saw its four-game winning streak end. The Grizzlies began the night second in the Western Conference, one game ahead of Golden State.
Wright, filling in for Trae Young, provided a big boost for Atlanta, which is clinging to the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference and final spot in the play-in tournament. Wright had five steals and six assists.
Atlanta led by 23 points in the third quarter before the Grizzlies pulled to 103-92, following back-to-back 3-pointers by De&rsquo;Anthony Melton and Desmond Bane, who had 15 points.
A three-point play by De&rsquo;Andre Hunter, who had 14 points, helped Atlanta regain control. Bogdanovic sank two 3s in the final 3 minutes.
The Hawks won despite playing without their two leading scorers. Young was held out with a bruised left quad after testing the injury in pregame shooting. John Collins (right foot strain, right finger sprain) missed his fourth straight game.
Wright resembled Young while making his first three 3-point attempts and scoring 11 points in the first quarter.
Atlanta used a 13-2 run, capped by Bogdanovic&rsquo;s 3-pointer, to lead by 20 points, 58-38, in the second. A long 3-pointer by De&rsquo;Andre Hunter gave Atlanta its biggest lead of the half at 65-44.
Morant scored the Grizzlies&rsquo; first nine points of the second half. After trimming Atlanta&rsquo;s lead to 73-63, Memphis appeared to have momentum. Atlanta answered with a 16-3 run, capped by another 3 from Bogdanovic, to lead 89-66.
The Hawks said before the game Collins is out indefinitely after tests revealed a plantar fascia tear in his right foot. Collins&rsquo; status will be updated in about two weeks. There is no guarantee Collins will return this season.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;re saying in two weeks he&rsquo;ll be back,&rdquo; Hawks coach Nate McMillan said before the game. &ldquo;In two weeks we&rsquo;ll evaluate.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Memphis set season lows with eight first-half assists and 18 for the game. ... Morant started after missing one game with back soreness. ... Jaren Jackson Jr. had 15 points.
Hawks: G Kevin Huerter scored one point in eight minutes before leaving in the first quarter with a lower back strain. He returned in the second and had six points. ... Danilo Gallinari, who was listed as questionable with a bruised right biceps, started at Collins&rsquo; power forward spot and had 11 points.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: End four-game road trip at Houston on Sunday.
Hawks: Host New Orleans on Sunday.

Bogdan Bogdanovic scored a season-high 30 points, Delon Wright had 18 and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Memphis Grizzlies 120-105.

Bogdanovic scores 30 as Hawks beat Morant, Grizzlies 120-105

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 32 points, James Harden had 24 points and 13 rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Dallas Mavericks 111-101 on Friday night.
Embiid was 11 of 20 from the floor. Harden also had seven rebounds. Tobias Harris added 14 points, Georges Niang had 12 and Matisse Thybulle 10.
Jalen Brunson, the former Villanova star who played a good portion of his college home games at the Wells Fargo Center, hit his first seven shots and led Dallas with 24 points. He finished 10 of 14.
Luka Doncic had 17 points and 10 assists, but was held to 5-for-20 shooting from the floor and 2-for-10 from beyond the 3-point line. Dwight Powell added 14 points, and Spencer Dinwiddie had 12.
Embiid scored 21 points in the first half, capping a run with fadeaway three-point at the conclusion of the shot clock to give Philadelphia a 58-53 lead at half. He was scored 30 or more points in 33 of 57 games this season.
With Embiid on the bench to start the fourth quarter, Harden and the backup gave Philadelphia separation. Harden either scored or assisted on 15 straight 76erss points en route to a 99-80 lead. 
Embiid has been active for 19th straight games, the third-longest, regular-season active stretch of his career, trailing only a 21 game streak earlier in the season and a 26 game opening to the 2018-19 campaign. He has played in 48 of Philadelphia's past 50 games since returning from a nine-game absence because of the league's health and safety protocols back in November. 
UP NEXT
Mavericks: At Charlotte on Saturday night to wrap up a six-game trip.
76ers: Host Toronto on Sunday night.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid scored 32 points, James Harden had 24 points and 13 rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Dallas Mavericks 111-101 on Friday night.
Embiid was 11 of 20 from the floor. Harden also had seven rebounds. Tobias Harris added 14 points, Georges Niang had 12 and Matisse Thybulle 10.
Jalen Brunson, the former Villanova star who played a good portion of his college home games at the Wells Fargo Center, hit his first seven shots and led Dallas with 24 points. He finished 10 of 14.
Luka Doncic had 17 points and 10 assists, but was held to 5-for-20 shooting from the floor and 2-for-10 from beyond the 3-point line. Dwight Powell added 14 points, and Spencer Dinwiddie had 12.
Embiid scored 21 points in the first half, capping a run with fadeaway three-point at the conclusion of the shot clock to give Philadelphia a 58-53 lead at half. He was scored 30 or more points in 33 of 57 games this season.
With Embiid on the bench to start the fourth quarter, Harden and the backup gave Philadelphia separation. Harden either scored or assisted on 15 straight 76erss points en route to a 99-80 lead.
Embiid has been active for 19th straight games, the third-longest, regular-season active stretch of his career, trailing only a 21 game streak earlier in the season and a 26 game opening to the 2018-19 campaign. He has played in 48 of Philadelphia's past 50 games since returning from a nine-game absence because of the league's health and safety protocols back in November.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: At Charlotte on Saturday night to wrap up a six-game trip.
76ers: Host Toronto on Sunday night.

Joel Embiid scored 32 points, James Harden had 24 points and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Dallas Mavericks 111-101.