Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 48 issues and outdueled Donovan Mitchell in a possible postseason preview Friday night time, when the visiting New York Knicks pulled away within the fourth quarter for a 130-116 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Knicks (45-33), in 5th position within the Eastern Conference, moved inside 3 video games of the fourth-place Cavaliers (48-30) and lowered their magic quantity for clinching a playoff spot to at least one.
The Knicks additionally clinched the season collection (3-1) in opposition to the Cavaliers on Friday. Whoever finishes fourth could have house courtroom merit within the first spherical.
The 48-point efficiency broke Brunson’s profession excessive via 4 issues and his general used to be the best via a Knicks level guard within the remaining 60 years. All 4 of Brunson’s 40-point video games have come this season, his first in New York.
Mitchell Robinson (10 issues, 14 rebounds) had a double-double for the Knicks, who had seven avid gamers end in double figures. Mitchell completed with 42 issues for the Cavaliers, who’ve misplaced two instantly.
Celtics 122, Jazz 114
Another sturdy efficiency via Jayson Tatum helped Boston transfer a step nearer to first position within the Eastern Conference standings via incomes a house victory over Utah.
Tatum scored a game-high 39 issues and likewise had 11 rebounds. He used to be 12 of 17 from the sphere, and made 5 of his 8 3-point makes an attempt. Malcolm Brogdon got here off the bench to attain 19 issues and document seven assists for the Celtics, who gained 17 issues from Derrick White and 12 rebounds from Blake Griffin.
Talen Horton-Tucker led the Jazz with 28 issues and 7 assists together with 8 rebounds. Center Walker Kessler added 20 issues, 10 rebounds and 3 blocked photographs.
Warriors 130, Spurs 115
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole blended for 20 3-pointers and 91 issues as Golden State rallied to overcome San Antonio in San Francisco.
Curry completed with a game-high 33 issues, Thompson had 31 and Poole scored 27 for the Warriors, who used a 5th win of their remaining six video games to transport right into a tie with the Los Angeles Clippers for 5th playoff place within the Western Conference. with simply 4 video games to head.
Keldon Johnson had a team-high 22 issues and Malaki Branham post 19 for the Spurs, who misplaced their 6th in a row, however no longer sooner than main via as many as 9 issues and keeping an 88-87 edge via 3 quarters.
Suns 100, Nuggets 93
Kevin Durant scored 30 issues and Devin Booker added 27 because the host Phoenix Suns prolonged its successful streak to 4 video games with a victory over short-handed Denver.
Josh Okogie scored 14 issues and Deandre Ayton had 10 rebounds for the Suns, who led via as many as 27 halfway during the 0.33 quarter sooner than Denver started its comeback. Chris Paul had a game-high 13 assists.
Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 26 issues and added 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Denver, which has misplaced two video games in a row, performed with out Nikola Jokic (calf), Jamal Murray (knee), Michael Porter Jr. (heel) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (sickness).
Rockets 121, Pistons 115
Kevin Porter Jr. scored 33 issues, Jalen Green added 32 and Houston snapped a seven-game skid with a victory over visiting Detroit.
The Rockets survived regardless of lacking 11 loose throws, six within the fourth. They have been buoyed via double-doubles from rookie Jabari Smith Jr. (13 issues, 11 rebounds) and Alperen Sengun, who added seven assists to his 15 issues and 13 forums. Kenyon Martin Jr. additionally scored 15 issues as all 5 Rockets starters scored in double figures.
Marvin Bagley III led Detroit (16-61) with 21 issues whilst Ivey paired 18 issues with a game-high 9 assists. Despite Cory Joseph (17 issues) and Jalen Duren (11 issues, 10 rebounds) excelling off the bench, the Pistons misplaced their 8th instantly sport and fell to one–17 because the All-Star wreck.
Pacers 121, Thunder 117
TJ McConnell scored 21 issues to guide Indiana to a win over Oklahoma City in Indianapolis.
The win snapped a four-game dropping streak for the Pacers, whilst the Thunder have misplaced 4 in their previous six video games as they try for a place within the Play-In Tournament. Jalen Smith had 12 issues and 15 rebounds for the Pacers.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, returning after lacking the remaining two video games with an ankle harm, scored 39 issues on 11-of-22 capturing to guide Oklahoma City. He hit all 17 of his loose throws. Josh Giddey added 21 issues.
Kings 138, Trail Blazers 114
Domantas Sabonis had 20 issues, 12 rebounds and 8 assists and De’Aaron Fox registered 20 issues, 11 assists and 8 rebounds to assist visiting Sacramento weigh down Portland.
Keegan Murray and Malik Monk each and every scored 20 issues and made 4 3-pointers for the Kings, who received back-to-back video games in opposition to the Trail Blazers via a mean of 32 issues.
Shaedon Sharpe scored 27 issues for his 5th 20-point effort previously six video games for the Trail Blazers, who dropped their 5th instantly sport and fell for the eleventh time in 12 video games.
Magic 116, Wizards 109
Paolo Banchero had 30 issues, 12 rebounds and 6 assists as Orlando rallied for a victory over host Washington.
Markelle Fultz added 25 issues and 6 rebounds and Franz Wagner chipped in 20 issues for the Magic, who outscored the Wizards 31–13 within the fourth quarter.
Washington’s Corey Kispert hit a career-high 9 3-pointers — one shy of tying the franchise document — in 14 makes an attempt to complete with a career-best 27 issues. Daniel Gafford completed with 18 issues and 13 rebounds, whilst Delon Wright chipped in 21 issues and 9 rebounds for the Wizards.
Lakers 123, Timberwolves 111
Anthony Davis had 38 issues and 17 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a double-digit third-quarter deficit to defeat host Minnesota.
LeBron James had 18 issues and 10 rebounds, and D’Angelo Russell completed with 12 issues and 10 assists as all 5 starters scored in double figures for the Lakers (39-38), who climbed over .500 for the primary time since Jan. 9, 2022.
Mike Conley scored 25 issues, Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 issues and Rudy Gobert completed with 14 issues and 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves (39-39), who’ve dropped two in a row following a four-game successful streak.
Grizzlies 108, Clippers 94
Desmond Bane scored 22 issues and Luke Kennard added 17 in opposition to his former staff as Memphis exacted some revenge at the visiting Los Angeles Clippers with a victory.
Xavier Tillman scored 14 issues and Santi Aldama added 13 as Memphis received two days after the Clippers ended the Grizzlies’ seven-game total successful streak and 12-game house successful streak.
Norman Powell scored 16 issues and Ivica Zubac added 15 issues with 15 rebounds because the Clippers have been not able to proceed the prowess from 3-point differ that they confirmed Wednesday after they have been 22 of 37 (59.5 %) from distance. Los Angeles went 11 of 35 (31.4 %) on Friday.
76ers 117, Raptors 110
Joel Embiid had 25 issues and 12 rebounds and Philadelphia defeated visiting Toronto.
James Harden added 23 issues and 11 assists for the 76ers, who received for the second one instantly sport. The 76ers received the season collection with the Raptors 3–1. Tyrese Maxey and De’Anthony Melton each and every scored 13 issues for Philadelphia and Paul Reed scored 11.
Scottie Barnes had 29 issues, 9 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals for the Raptors, who ended a three-game successful streak. Fred VanVleet scored 19 issues, OG Anunoby added 17 and Pascal Siakam had 14. VanVleet and Siakam blended to shoot 10-for-32 from the sphere.
Bulls 121, Hornets 91
DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine scored 23 issues apiece and Chicago used to be in keep an eye on for lots of the sport in a romp previous host Charlotte.
Nikola Vucevic supplied 21 issues and 8 rebounds, capturing 9-for-14 total to give a contribution to the Bulls’ 51.1-percent capturing from the sphere.
It used to be the tip of a three-game successful streak for the Hornets, who could not conquer a roster lowered via accidents. James Bouknight got here off the bench to guide the staff in scoring with a season-high 22 issues, whilst Svi Mykhailiuk had 16 issues and JT Thor added 10 issues.
Nets 124, Hawks 107
Mikal Bridges scored 42 issues as Brooklyn bolstered its grip on 6th position within the Eastern Conference with a victory over Atlanta in New York.
Bridges produced his 0.33 40-point sport since being got within the trade-deadline deal that despatched Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns. He completed 3 shy of his profession excessive set Feb. 15 in Brooklyn in opposition to the Miami Heat.
Dejounte Murray scored 21 issues to guide the Hawks. Saddiq Bey added 16 however superstar Trae Young used to be held to ten. Young neglected his first seven photographs, completed 3-for-12 and neglected all 5 3-point tries for Atlanta, which shot 42.9 % and neglected 29 of 37 long-range makes an attempt. .