Nets secure playoff berth with 10 games to spare; Giannis leads Bucks past Hornets; Thunder shock Celtics to avoid 15 game losing streak; coverage of the NBA continues late on Wednesday night as Los Angeles Clippers visit Phoenix Suns, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Arena from 3am.
Wednesday 28 April 2021 08:08, UK
Luka Doncic outscored Stephen Curry for the first time in five career head to heads and Dallas went on a 28-0 run bridging the first and second quarters as the visiting Mavericks pounded the Golden State Warriors 133-103 on Tuesday night.
Doncic had a game-high 39 points on the second night of a back-to-back, helping the Mavericks (34-27) win the season series 2-1 over the Warriors (31-31) and go three-and-a-half games up in their duel for playoff position in the Western Conference.
Curry, who scored 57 points the last time the teams met in Dallas in February, finished with a team-high 27. He shot 5-for-9 on three-point attempts while his team-mates combined to go 11-for-34.
Doncic shot 15-for-23, helping Dallas finish at 52.2 per cent for the game. Hardaway (13), Nicolo Melli (13), Dorian Finney-Smith (13), Brunson (12) and Maxi Kleber (10) also scored in double figures for Dallas, which won for the fourth time in its past five games.
Mychal Mulder added 26 points, Andrew Wiggins 15 and Poole and Kelly Oubre Jr 10 apiece for Golden State, who were held to season lows for a quarter (12 in the first) and a half (29 in the first).
Recent 10-day contract signee Mike James fuelled a fourth-quarter rally, and a balanced effort helped the Brooklyn Nets weather off-scoring nights from Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in their 116-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Tampa, Florida.
With the victory, the Nets became the first Eastern Conference team to clinch a playoff berth.
Durant was one of seven Nets to score in double-figures with 17 points, and added a team-high 10 rebounds. Jeff Green paced Brooklyn with 22 points, Joe Harris added 16 points, and Landry Shamet finished with 14 points.
Nets coach Steve Nash used an eight-man rotation, but all three Brooklyn bench players scored in double-figures. Blake Griffin joined James with 17 points, and Tyler Johnson added 10.
Kyle Lowry shot 6-of-9 from outside en route to a game-high 24 points for the Raptors, and OG Anunoby shot 3-of-5 behind the line to finish with 21 points.
Giannis Antetokounmpo compiled 29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists as the Milwaukee Bucks held off the host Charlotte Hornets for a 114-104 victory.
It marked the Bucks' first win in three tries against the Hornets this season. Brook Lopez provided 22 points and Khris Middleton finished with 17 points for the Bucks (38-23). Bryn Forbes tacked on 15 points in a reserve role, and Jrue Holiday ended up with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Devonte' Graham led the Hornets (30-31) with 25 points, hitting 6-of-13 shots from three-point range. Miles Bridges added 21 points and 10 rebounds, and PJ Washington had 18 points. Brad Wanamaker contributed 13 points off the bench while Cody Martin had 10 points for Charlotte, who had a two-game winning streak snapped.
Anfernee Simons' 27 points on 9-of-10 shooting from three-point range led a dominant effort by the Portland Trail Blazers during a 133-112 win over the Pacers in Indianapolis.
The Blazers (33-28) snapped a five-game losing streak as seven players scored in double figures, including Damian Lillard (23 points) and CJ McCollum (20).
Oshae Brissett and Malcolm Brogdon led the Pacers with 18 points each. Brissett also grabbed 10 rebounds. Caris LeVert had 16 points and Doug McDermott finished with 13.
The Pacers continued to compete without a player taller than 6ft 7in as Domantas Sabonis missed his fifth consecutive game with a lower back strain.
Portland took advantage of its size advantage as three frontcourt players - Robert Covington (15 points and 11 rebounds), Enes Kanter (12 points and 14 rebounds) and Jusuf Nurkic (11 points and 10 rebounds) - recorded double-doubles. Carmelo Anthony added 13 points.
Luguentz Dort scored 24 points, Darius Bazley had 21 with 10 rebounds and the Oklahoma City Thunder avoided a franchise-record 15-game losing streak with a 119-115 victory over the host Boston Celtics.
Ty Jerome and Isaiah Roby supplied 15 points apiece for the Thunder, who won for the first time since March 31 despite 27 turnovers. Oklahoma City (21-41) played the tail end of a back-to-back.
Jaylen Brown had 39 points and 11 rebounds and Payton Pritchard added a career-high 28 points for the Celtics, who lost their third straight. Boston (32-30) played without Jayson Tatum (ankle), Kemba Walker (oblique) and Robert Williams III (knee).
Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 31 points, seven rebounds and five assists before fouling out, and he led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 114-107 victory over the host Houston Rockets.
Juancho Hernangomez added 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting off the bench as Minnesota (19-44) increased their winning streak to a season-best three games.
The Timberwolves snapped a 14-game losing skid in Houston with their first road win in the series since February 17, 2012.
Kelly Olynyk scored 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting and also had nine rebounds and five assists for NBA-worst Houston (15-47), who have lost five straight games, 10 of their past 11 and 37 of their last 41.
Christian Wood registered 24 points, 18 rebounds and five assists, Jae'Sean Tate added 20 points and seven rebounds and Kenyon Martin Jr scored 15 points for the Rockets.
Anthony Edwards contributed 19 points, nine rebounds and three steals and D'Angelo Russell had 15 points and seven assists for the Timberwolves, who shot 48.4 per cent from the field, including 10-of-38 (26.3 per cent) from three-point range.
