Aaron Nesmith scored a team-high 24 points, helping the Indiana Pacers rally to a 111-109 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday in Indianapolis.
Obi Toppin added 19 points and seven rebounds off the bench for Indiana (44-31), which won its seventh game in nine tries, and did so after trailing by 16 in the third quarter. Tyrese Haliburton chipped in 18 points and 11 assists. Indiana is fourth in the Eastern Conference, two games ahead of the idle Detroit Pistons.
Sacramento (36-39) was paced by DeMar DeRozan’s 31 points and eight assists and Domantas Sabonis’s 25-point, 16-rebound output. Zach LaVine scored 20 for the Kings, who have lost six of their last seven and are 10th in the Western Conference, one game up on the idle Phoenix Suns for the final play-in tournament spot.
With the Kings leading 98-95, Haliburton scored five straight, including a stepback triple with 1:17 left, returning the lead to Indiana for the first time since the second quarter. After forcing a Sacramento shot clock violation, Pascal Siakam’s 3-pointer with 36 seconds remaining gave Indiana a 103-98 lead. Nesmith iced the game with a pair of free throws with less than five seconds left.
Thunder 145, Bulls 117
Isaiah Joe led the way with a season-high-tying 31 points as Oklahoma City beat visiting Chicago for its 10th win in a row.
The Thunder are 28-1 against Eastern Conference opponents this season, setting a record for most out-of-conference wins in NBA history. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. He added 12 assists in just 27 minutes of action as he sat out the fourth quarter with the outcome well in hand.
The Bulls took their second consecutive loss and fell to 10th in the Eastern Conference standings. The game was the first in Oklahoma City for Josh Giddey since being traded to the Bulls in exchange for Caruso in the offseason. Giddey received a large ovation and finished 6 of 15 for 15 points, with 10 assists and eight rebounds.
Celtics 117, Grizzlies 103
Al Horford came off the bench to score 26 points and grab eight rebounds as visiting Boston extended its winning streak to nine games by beating Memphis.
Horford made six 3-pointers in the win, which gave Boston (56-19) six victories during its six-game road trip. The Celtics have won eight in a row on the road overall and are 32-7 record in road games this season. Jayson Tatum added 25 points and 14 rebounds in the win. Boston’s Derrick White finished with 14 points and made three 3-pointers, the second of which set a franchise record for most made 3-pointers in a season (246).
Ja Morant scored a team-high 26 points for the Grizzlies, who received 20 points and 15 rebounds from Jaren Jackson Jr. Santi Aldama tossed in 21 points. Memphis (44-31) has lost six of its last seven games. The Grizzlies are 0-2 since they fired head coach Taylor Jenkins and named Tuomas Iisalo interim head coach.
Nets 113, Mavericks 109
Keon Johnson scored 24 points as visiting Brooklyn stunned streaking Dallas in a back-and-forth thriller.
DeAngelo Russell added 18 points for the Nets, who secured consecutive wins for the first time since winning three straight from Feb. 7-12.
Daniel Gafford led the Mavericks in scoring with 17 points in his return from a knee injury sustained on Feb. 10. Dallas’ Klay Thompson and Spencer Dinwiddie each missed 3-point attempts that would have put their team on top in the last seven seconds.
Clippers 96, Magic 87
Ivica Zubac finished with 18 points and 20 rebounds, Norman Powell and Kawhi Leonard each added 21 points, and Los Angeles delivered one of its best defensive performances of the season en route to a win at Orlando.
The 87 points were the second-fewest the Clippers (43-32) allowed this season, and they held the Magic to 30-of-76 shooting (39.5 percent) from the floor. Los Angeles capped a 3-1 road trip.
Orlando’s Paolo Banchero led all scorers with 26 points despite shooting 1-for-8 from 3-point range. Franz Wagner added 21 points for the Magic, who had won four of the previous give games.
Lakers 104, Rockets 98
Bench players Gabe Vincent and Dorian Finney-Smith each drained six 3-pointers while scoring 20 points, sparking Los Angeles to a victory over visiting Houston.
Vincent matched his season high for treys and Finney-Smith established a season best for 3-pointers. Luka Doncic added 20 points, nine assists and six rebounds for the Lakers, who won their second straight game and their third in the past four. LeBron James chipped in 16 points and eight rebounds.
Amen Thompson scored 20 points and Dillon Brooks added 16 for the second-place Rockets, who lead the third-place Denver Nuggets by 1 1/2 games and the fourth-place Lakers by 2 1/2 games in the Western Conference race.
Heat 120, Wizards 94
Bam Adebayo scored 28 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and dished out five assists to lead the Miami Heat over the Washington Wizards.
The Heat won their fifth game in a row as they try to improve their standing for the upcoming Eastern Conference play-in tournament. Miami’s Tyler Herro contributed 27 points on 9-of-19 shooting, although he went a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line, and totaled five rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
The last-place Wizards dropped their third in a row. Jordan Poole led the Wizards with a game-high 35 points on 10-for-17 shooting, including 7-for-13 success from 3-point range.
Hornets 110, Jazz 106
Miles Bridges posted 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to lead host Charlotte over Utah and snap a five-game losing streak in the process.
Hornets center Mark Williams chipped in an 18-point, 13-rebound effort and four other players scored in double figures for Charlotte.
Keyonte George had 20 points for the Jazz, who lost for the 16th time in 17 games and hit the 60-loss mark for the first time in team history. With 17 points, seven dimes and three steals, rookie Isaiah Collier broke John Stockton’s franchise rookie assists record.
–Field Level Media
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