NBA
roundup: Towns, Wolves topple Warriors
Send a link to a friend
[March 12, 2018]
Karl-Anthony Towns followed in his own miss with 37.5 seconds
to play Sunday afternoon, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves hold
off the Golden State Warriors 109-103 in Minneapolis to snap a
three-game losing streak.
Seeking to avoid a second consecutive loss on a three-day trip, the
Warriors rallied within 104-103 on a Kevin Durant 3-pointer with
2:08 to go. They then had a chance to go ahead for the first time
since the third quarter following a Minnesota turnover, but Klay
Thompson misfired on a 3-point attempt.
Towns countered with a short jumper for a three-point lead, and
after Durant (game-high 39 points) missed a potential game-tying
3-pointer, the Minnesota big man snatched the rebound from his own
short miss and laid it in, giving the Timberwolves a 108-103
advantage with just 37.5 seconds remaining.
The Warriors missed their next two shots -- they misfired on their
last four in the game -- and Jeff Teague helped ice the win with one
free throw with 29.5 seconds left.
Pacers 99, Celtics 97
Down by double digits in the first half, Indiana came to life in the
second half after Kyrie Irving exited the game, then held off
short-handed host Boston.
The Celtics lost Irving at halftime due to left knee soreness.
Irving had seven points on 3-of-6 shooting and four rebounds in 16
first-half minutes but did not join the team on the court when the
second half began and was ruled out shortly afterward. Al Horford
(illness) and Jaylen Brown (concussion) missed the game for the
Celtics.
Victor Oladipo had a game-high 27 points and Myles Turner added 19
points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who won for the fifth time in
six games in March.
Rockets 105, Mavericks 82
With MVP front-runner James Harden sidelined, Chris Paul and Eric
Gordon shouldered the scoring load as visiting Houston cruised to
victory over Dallas.

While Harden rested his sore left knee, Paul and Gordon produced a
shooting clinic, combining for 50 points and 10 3-pointers. Paul
added 12 assists as the Rockets recovered from a setback at Toronto
on Friday night that resulted in the conclusion of their 17-game
winning streak.
Gordon scored 26 points while connecting on 6 of 11 3-point
attempts. Paul tallied 24 points and hit 4 of 7 from deep. Houston
finished 17-for-45 from behind the arc, burying eight 3-pointers in
the third quarter to clinch a playoff berth and cap a sweep of the
season series against the Mavericks.
Lakers 127, Cavaliers 113
Julius Randle had a career-high 36 points to go with 14 rebounds,
seven assists and two blocks, leading host Los Angeles past
Cleveland.
Brook Lopez had 22 points for the Lakers, and Kentavious
Caldwell-Pope and former Cavalier Isaiah Thomas contributed 20
points each.
LeBron James produced 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, but
his Cavaliers lost for the fourth time in six games.
Jazz 116, Pelicans 99
Donovan Mitchell scored 25 of his 27 points in the second half as
Utah defeated host New Orleans.
Mitchell, who made 1 of 8 shots in the first half, made 9 of 13
after halftime as the Jazz outscored the Pelicans 68-48. Ricky Rubio
added 30 points and 10 rebounds, Joe Ingles scored 20 and Rudy
Gobert contributed 19 points and 16 rebounds as Utah won its sixth
straight game, seventh of its last nine and 18th of its last 20.
[to top of second column] |

Anthony Davis returned from a one-game absence caused by a sprained
ankle to play on his 25th birthday and lead New Orleans with 25
points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocks. In his absence, the
Pelicans' franchise-record 10-game winning streak ended with a
lopsided loss to Washington on Friday.
Raptors 132, Knicks 106
Jonas Valanciunas contributed 17 points and nine rebounds to help
visiting Toronto cruise to a victory over New York.
Kyle Lowry added 16 points and seven assists and Serge Ibaka had 14
points and seven rebounds for the Raptors, who won for the eighth
straight time and 15th in their past 16 games.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 25 points for the Knicks, who have lost
seven straight games and 15 of their past 16. Luke Kornet scored a
career-high 18 points. New York center Enes Kanter sat out with back
spasms.
Nuggets 130, Kings 104
Nikola Jokic recorded his seventh triple-double of the season with
20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, helping Denver coast past
visiting Sacramento.
Jokic's triple-double was the 13th of his career. He ranks third in
the NBA this season with seven, trailing only Russell Westbrook and
LeBron James, with all seven having come since Jan. 8.
The win allowed the Nuggets to complete a 2-1 homestand before they
embark on a stretch of eight road games in their next nine outings.
The loss was the Kings' fourth in their last seven games, a stretch
in which they have alternated losses and wins.
76ers 120, Nets 97
Joel Embiid collected 21 points and eight rebounds as Philadelphia
took control early in the first quarter en route to victory over
host Brooklyn.
Embiid shot 9 of 17 from the field and likely would have recorded
his 34th double-double of the season if Philadelphia did not pull
away in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. Robert Covington
added 19 points as Philadelphia won for the fourth time in its past
12 road games.
D'Angelo Russell scored 26 points but had little help as the Nets
lost for the 17th time in 20 games since Jan. 21.
Bulls 129, Hawks 122
Bobby Portis and Zach LaVine each had 21 points and Lauri Markkanen
added 19 points as Chicago had seven players in double figures in a
win over host Atlanta.

Taurean Prince had a career-high 38 points and Mike Muscala added 19
points to lead the Hawks, who lost for the fourth time in five
games.
Chicago rebounded from a brutal first quarter to win for the third
time in five games after losing five straight. The Bulls topped 110
points for just the fourth time in the past 19 games.
--Field Level Media
[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |