NBA roundup: Thunder take advantage of short-handed Mavs

 

[March 15, 2024]  Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the visiting Dallas Mavericks 126-119 on Thursday.

The Mavericks were without superstar Luka Doncic, who experienced left hamstring soreness in Dallas' win over Golden State on Wednesday. Dallas had its four-game winning streak end.

Jalen Williams returned after missing the Thunder's loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday with an ankle sprain. Williams finished with 27 points, including an emphatic dunk in the final minute that put the game away.

Without Doncic, the Mavericks had to rely on Kyrie Irving for much of their offense, and he nearly lifted them to a win. Irving had 36 points and 12 assists while committing four turnovers. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 23 points off the bench for Dallas, while Gafford finished with 19 points (on 8-of-11 shooting) and 15 rebounds.

Rockets 135, Wizards 119

Jalen Green scored a season-high 37 points as Houston rolled over visiting Washington for a sixth win in seven games.

Green shot 15 for 23 from the floor, drilled five 3-pointers and grabbed eight rebounds. He was the focal point of a balanced offensive attack that yielded six scorers in double figures, including rookie Amen Thompson (20 points, 10 rebounds, three steals) and Fred VanVleet, who paired 27 points with nine assists.

Jordan Poole led Washington with 25 points -- including 13 in the third -- while Deni Avdija added 24 points (on 10-of-13 shooting), nine rebounds, five assists and three steals. Kyle Kuzma chipped in 23 points.
 

Celtics 127, Suns 112

Jaylen Brown made five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 37 points to help Boston extend its winning streak to four games with a victory against visiting Phoenix.

Jayson Tatum added 26 for Boston, which shot 25 of 50 from behind the 3-point arc. Al Horford tossed in six 3-pointers and finished with a season-high 24 points. The Celtics also received 10 assists and nine points from Jrue Holiday.

The Suns received 22 points from Bradley Beal plus 20 from both Kevin Durant and Grayson Allen. Jusuf Nurkic collected 20 rebounds, the top single-game total for a Celtics opponent this season.

Bucks 114, 76ers 105

Giannis Antetokounmpo produced 32 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to lead Milwaukee over visiting Philadelphia.

Mar 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans place kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn attempts a ceremonial free throw before the game between the Houston Rockets and the Washington Wizards at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Brook Lopez added 19 points for the Bucks, while Damian Lillard scored 17 points and dished out a game-high nine assists. AJ Green poured in 14 points off the bench. Milwaukee had lost three of its previous four games.

Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 30 points on 12-of-23 shooting. Tobias Harris put up 15, Cam Payne added 13 against his former team and Kyle Lowry contributed 12. The Sixers took their fifth loss in six games.

Clippers 126, Bulls 111

Paul George scored 28 points and Kawhi Leonard added 27 to lead five players in double figures and boost visiting Los Angeles to a win against Chicago.

Los Angeles shot 60 percent compared to 47.7 percent for Chicago. George sparked the attack with an 11-for-12 effort, including 6 of 7 from 3-point range. Leonard, who was questionable before the game after back spasms kept him out of the final three quarters of Tuesday's loss to Minnesota, went 12-for-17.

DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points to lead Chicago. Nikola Vucevic followed with 19 and Alex Caruso had 17 points, including five treys. Andre Drummond contributed 15 points and seven rebounds.

Knicks 105, Trail Blazers 93

Jalen Brunson scored 45 points and New York cruised past host Portland for its third win in four games.

Brunson was 14 of 30 from the field and 15 of 17 from the free-throw line while posting the 10th regular-season 40-point outing of his career. OG Anunoby added 12 points and nine rebounds and Donte DiVincenzo also scored 12 for New York.

Deandre Ayton recorded 31 points and 14 rebounds for his seventh straight double-double for the Trail Blazers, who went 2-4 on a six-game homestand. Dalano Banton added 16 points and four steals and Scoot Henderson had 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Portland.

--Field Level Media

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