Sky Sports coverage of the NBA continues on Friday night as Damian Lillard the Portland Trail Blazers visit LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, live from 3am on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena
Friday 26 February 2021 07:35, UK
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 38 points and 10 rebounds and Khris Middleton added 31 points as the host Milwaukee Bucks held off the New Orleans Pelicans 129-125.
Donte DiVincenzo scored a career-high 24 points and Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis scored 12 each as the Bucks won their fourth straight game.
Zion Williamson scored 34, Brandon Ingram had 23, Lonzo Ball scored 20, Eric Bledsoe had 16 and Willy Hernangomez 10 to lead the Pelicans, who defeated the Bucks 131-126 on January 29 in New Orleans.
Both teams shot 50 percent or better for the game, but Milwaukee outscored New Orleans 26-22 in the fourth quarter, the only period in which either team scored fewer than 30 points.
The Pelicans took a 123-120 lead before Antetokounmpo scored six points to help Milwaukee grab a 128-125 advantage with 1:19 left. New Orleans had a chance to tie with a 3-pointer in the final seconds, but Ingram was called for an offensive foul and Antetokounmpo made one of two free throws.
Williamson finished with 24 points for the highest-scoring first half of his two-year career.
Kyrie Irving totalled 27 points and nine assists as the host Brooklyn Nets recovered from a slow start and extended their season-high winning streak to eight games with a 129-92 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Irving made 11 of 18 shots and reached the 25-point mark for the 18th time in 24 games as Brooklyn posted its most lopsided win of the season.
James Harden added 20 points, seven assists and nine rebounds for the Nets, who shot 61.1 percent over the final three quarters, 53.3 percent overall and hit 20 3-pointers. Reserve Landry Shamet added 19 while Joe Harris and Bruce Brown chipped in 14 apiece as Brooklyn dominated in its second game since some fans were allowed to return.
Nikola Vucevic collected 28 points and 12 rebounds points for Orlando, which shot 40.2 percent and absorbed its most lopsided loss of the season. James Ennis III added 15 while Michael Carter-Williams and Dwayne Bacon chipped in 11 apiece for the Magic, who were outrebounded 51-35.
The Nets are on their longest winning streak since 2006 and won their sixth straight without Kevin Durant (strained left hamstring). They overcame a trio of 10-point deficits in the first quarter and outscored Orlando by a 105-64 margin over the final 36 minutes.
Joel Embiid scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lift the host Philadelphia 76ers past the Dallas Mavericks 111-97.
Embiid shot 5 of 20 from the field but made 11 of 12 free throws.
Ben Simmons added 15 points and seven assists while Seth Curry contributed 15 points for the Sixers, who improved to 14-2 at home. Dwight Howard had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Shake Milton chipped in with 10 points.
Luka Doncic led Dallas with 19 points. Josh Richardson added 13, Tim Hardaway Jr. had 12 and Jalen Brunson managed 11 for the Mavericks, who had their two-game winning streak snapped. Boban Marjanovic pulled down 12 rebounds.
Dallas big man Kristaps Porzingis sat out due to lower back tightness.
Jonas Valanciunas recorded a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds, Tyus Jones came off the bench to score 20 points and the host Memphis Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Clippers 122-94.
All five Grizzlies starters scored in double figures, including Dillon Brooks with 19 points in his return from a three-game absence due to a thigh injury.
Kyle Anderson played a strong all-around game with 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Ja Morant posted 16 points and dished seven assists, and Grayson Allen added 10 points.
Jones, who led all scorers, shot 9-for-11 from the floor. Fellow reserves Justise Winslow and Brandon Clarke each added nine points, and Clarke grabbed eight rebounds.
On the other side of the ball, Memphis held Los Angeles to just 40.5 percent shooting and limited second-chance opportunities with a 48-41 rebounding edge. Clippers All-Star selections Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were held to 17 and 13 points, respectively. Serge Ibaka added another 13 points for Los Angeles, and Reggie Jackson scored 12 points off the bench.
Bradley Beal scored 33 points, Russell Westbrook had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and the visiting Washington Wizards beat the Denver Nuggets 112-110.
Rui Hachimura scored 20 points, Raul Neto added 15 and Robin Lopez had 10 for Washington.
Jamal Murray finished with a game-high 34 points, Nikola Jokic had 24 points and 11 rebounds, Michael Porter Jr. added 18 points and 10 rebounds and Monte Morris scored 12 for the Nuggets, who couldn't make a comeback in the final seconds.
Murray missed a 3-pointer with 31.6 seconds left but Neto's layup rolled off with 5.6 seconds remaining. Murray raced downcourt and fed Facundo Campazzo for a 3-pointer, but it bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
Rookie Immanuel Quickley scored 25 points and Alec Burks added 24 off the bench, propelling the host New York Knicks to a 140-121 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
New York's Julius Randle collected 21 points and 14 rebounds and Derrick Rose made 7 of 11 shots from the floor to finish with 18 points. Rose was inserted into the starting line-up in place of Elfrid Payton, who sat out for the first time this season with an ailing hamstring.
Burks made five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help New York set a season-high point total. The Knicks' previous best offensive performance came in a 130-110 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on December 27.
De'Aaron Fox had 29 points and 11 assists and Harrison Barnes added 22 point for the reeling Kings, who extended their season-high losing streak to nine games.
