Nickeil Alexander-Walker hit two free throws with 0.1 seconds left in double overtime, and the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves overcame a 61-point triple-double from Nikola Jokic to beat the Denver Nuggets 140-139 on Tuesday night.
Jokic never sat after halftime en route to the first game with at least 60 points in his career. His 61 topped De’Aaron Fox’s 60 for the most in a game this season. Jokic also had 10 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals.
Anthony Edwards had 34 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, Alexander-Walker and Julius Randle had 26 points each for the Timberwolves, who have won three straight. Minnesota was without Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid, who served one-game suspensions for their part in the fight with the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
Aaron Gordon had 30 points and Christian Braun contributed 18 points, 12 rebounds and three steals for Denver, which had won three of its past four games.
Warriors 134, Grizzlies 125
Stephen Curry scored 52 points and Jimmy Butler III added 27 to lead Golden State past host Memphis for its third straight victory and 12th in the past 15 games.
Curry made 16 of 31 shots, including 12 of 20 from beyond the 3-point arc, and also contributed 10 rebounds, eight assists and five steals. He moved into 25th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Jerry West (25,192) and ending the night at 25,205.
Draymond Green had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for the Warriors, who made 28 of 28 free throws. Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 36 points and six assists. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 22, and rookie big man Zach Edey tied a career high with 16 boards to go along with 10 points and four blocks.
Magic 116, Spurs 105
Paolo Banchero racked up 24 points and 10 rebounds and Franz Wagner added 24 points as Orlando handled host San Antonio in a late-season dustup with playoff implications.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 23 points for the Magic while hitting seven 3-pointers and Caleb Houstan scored 12. Orlando is now tied with the Atlanta Hawks for seventh place in the East with seven games to play.
Harrison Barnes led the Spurs with 24 points. Julian Champagnie added 19 points, Stephon Castle scored 16, Devin Vassell and Bismack Biyombo had 11 each and Chris Paul hit for 10 as San Antonio dropped its fifth straight game.
Knicks 105, 76ers 91
OG Anunoby scored 27 points and Landry Shamet sank six 3-pointers as part of his 20-point performance, fueling host New York to a victory over spiraling Philadelphia.
Anunoby sank 11 of 13 free-throw attempts to continue his torrid play. He has scored 149 points over his last five games. Mitchell Robinson collected 14 points and 14 rebounds after drawing the spot start with five-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns sitting out due to left knee soreness. Mikal Bridges also scored 14 points for the Knicks, who completed a four-game season sweep of Philadelphia.
Quentin Grimes scored 26 points for the undermanned 76ers, who have lost nine in a row and 24 of their last 27 games. Tyrese Maxey (finger), Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee) and Andre Drummond (toe) were ruled out for a Philadelphia team that already was without Joel Embiid and Paul George due to season-ending injuries.
Bulls 137, Raptors 118
Coby White scored 28 points and Talen Horton-Tucker added a season-high 27 as Chicago ended visiting Toronto’s four-game winning streak with a victory.
Nikola Vucevic had 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for Chicago, which led by as many as 28 and snapped a two-game skid. Josh Giddey added 17 points and 12 assists, and Kevin Huerter scored 16. Chicago secured a spot in the play-in tournament for a third consecutive season with the victory. The Bulls moved into the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, one-half game behind the idle Miami Heat.
Immanuel Quickley and Ja’Kobe Walter led Toronto with 17 points apiece. Orlando Robinson and A.J. Lawson each scored 13 points, and Jakob Poeltl added 12. Matas Buzelis finished with nine points and a career-high four steals for the Bulls, who bounced back from a 145-117 road loss to the NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
Bucks 133, Suns 123
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 37 points and dished 11 assists to lead Milwaukee past visiting Phoenix and former head coach Mike Budenholzer.
Ryan Rollins added a career-high 23 points as Milwaukee snapped a four-game losing streak. The Bucks also got 22 points from Brook Lopez. Devin Booker amassed 39 points and 11 assists for Phoenix, which lost its fourth game in a row. Former Buck Grayson Allen added 23 points.
The Suns cut their deficit to four points with 1:20 to play after a 3-pointer by Allen, but Rollins nailed a trey. Then dunks from Lopez and Prince sealed the Bucks’ victory.
Trail Blazers 127, Hawks 113
Deni Avdija recorded his second career triple-double and combined with Shaedon Sharpe to score 65 points as visiting Portland defeated Atlanta to end a four-game losing streak.
Avdija had 32 points — his seventh time to reach 30 points this season — and added 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Sharpe finished with 33 points and 10 rebounds. Toumani Camara added 18 points.
Atlanta’s Trae Young tallied 29 points — on 7-for-20 shooting — and 15 assists for his 46th double-double of the season. Dyson Daniels added 22 points, 10 rebounds and two steals but also had six turnovers. The Hawks have lost three of their last four games.
–Field Level Media
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