MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points and 13 rebounds to help the Milwaukee Bucks surge out of the All-Star break with a 112-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA on Friday night.
Minnesota dropped into a tie with Oklahoma City for the Western Conference lead at 39-17. The Thunder routed Washington 147-106 on Friday.
Anthony Edwards made three 3-pointers in the final 1:58 to give the Wolves a late chance, but Damian Lillard iced it for the Bucks with a pullup 21-footer with 10.3 seconds left for the five-point lead.
Lillard had 21 points, 10 assists, and a season-high nine rebounds to overshadow an 8-for-23 shooting night and help the Bucks (36-21) improve to just 4-7 under new coach Doc Rivers. Malik Beasley scored all 14 of his points in the third quarter.
Karl-Anthony Towns (22 points, 14 rebounds) and Rudy Gobert (12 points, 19 rebounds) helped the Wolves (39-17) control the basket with a 32-14 second-chance points advantage, but their sloppy and sluggish third quarter was too much to overcome.
HEAT 106, PELICANS 95
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jimmy Butler had 23 points and nine rebounds before being ejected after a fourth-quarter melee and the Miami Heat held off the New Orleans Pelicans before a hostile and emotionally charged crowd.
Bam Adebayo scored 24 points for Miami, which returned from their All-Star break by snapping the Pelicans’ four-game winning streak in what also marked the Heat’s seventh straight victory over the Pelicans.
Miami reserve Thomas Bryant, along with Pelicans players Jose Alvarado and Naji Marshall, also were ejected after the on-court melee with 11:19 to go. Even a couple of fans were escorted out, one of them after throwing things at Heat players from one of the first few rows.
The scuffle began when Heat center Kevin Love grabbed Zion Williamson to prevent a layup after Williamson had stolen the ball from Butler in the backcourt. Williamson fell to the court after Love’s foul.
Zion Williamson had 23 points for New Orleans.
THUNDER 147, WIZARDS 106
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Washington Wizards in the Thunder’s highest-scoring game of the season.
Chet Holmgren added 25 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which shot 59.8% from the field and 50% from 3-point range. The Thunder’s previous season high was 140 in a victory over San Antonio on Jan. 24.
Oklahoma City led 80-57 at halftime and 117-81 after three quarters on a night the organization recognized 10 former players as part of Thunder Legacy Weekend.
Jordan Poole scored 21 points for Washington. The Wizards have lost 10 straight to fall to 9-47.
WARRIORS 97, HORNETS 94
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry had 15 points and five assists on a night father Dell broadcast a game for the first time with his two sons matching up, and Golden State Warriors beat Charlotte Hornets after the teams tussled in the closing moments.
Players were held back from each other after they tangled with 10.9 seconds left — Golden State’s Lester Quinones getting ejected along with Grant Williams from Charlotte. Hornets forward Miles Bridges received a technical.
Earlier, Warriors coach Steve Kerr agreed to a $35 million, two-year contract extension, according to two people with direct knowledge of the deal, and Golden State went out and completed a winning back-to-back at home with their 10th win in 12 games.
Curry’s younger brother, Seth, was traded from Dallas to Charlotte this month and now wears his father’s No. 30 in the original Hornets jersey.
LAKERS 123, SPURS 118
LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James had 30 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, Anthony Davis had 28 points and 13 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs for their seventh victory in nine games.
Victor Wembanyama had 27 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in his first road game against the Lakers. The French rookie sensation added five blocked shots and five steals, making him the youngest player in NBA history to achieve the rare “5×5” statistical performance — at least five points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals in one game.
Wembanyama scored 16 points in a dominant first quarter, but Davis answered his fellow No. 1 overall pick’s challenge with impressive play in the next two quarters while the Lakers maintained their lead. Davis sat out the fourth quarter of the second game in a back-to-back set, and Jaxson Hayes performed capably in his place against Wembanyama while the Lakers cruised to their 12th win in 18 games.
NUGGETS 127, TRAIL BLAZERS 112
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 14 assists for his 17th triple-double of the season, Michael Porter had 34 points and 12 rebounds and the Denver Nuggets beat Portland Trail Blazers
Collin Gillespie made all four of his 3-point attempts off the bench for the Nuggets and finished with 18 points.
Jerami Grant scored 25 points for the Trail Blazers. Deandre Ayton added 22 points and Anfernee Simons had 21.
76ERS 104, CAVALIERS 97
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 24 points, Cam Payne added 16 points off the bench and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, sending the Cavaliers to their second straight loss and third in four games.
Cleveland, coming off a loss to Orlando on Thursday, were missing leading scorer and All-Star Donovan Mitchell, sidelined with an unspecified illness.
Maxey was having a quiet game until the fourth quarter. He scored 15 of the 76ers’ final 20 points and assisted on a 3-pointer by Buddy Heild that put Philadelphia ahead by eight points in the final minute.
Jarrett Allen had 24 points for the Cavaliers, who had their six-game road winning streak halted and lost for the fourth time in 22 games.
CLIPPERS 101, GRIZZLIES 95
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points, Terance Mann had a season-high 23 points and 12 rebounds and the Los Angeles Clippers pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Memphis.
Paul George added 14 points for Los Angeles and Ivica Zubac finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 29 points.
ROCKETS 114, SUNS 110
HOUSTON (AP) — Fred VanVleet scored 23 points, Jabari Smith Jr. had 22 points and 16 rebounds and Houston withstood Phoenix’s late surge.
Kevin Durant had 28 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists for Phoenix, coming off a loss in Dallas the night before. Fellow All-Star Devin Booker added 25 points and Bol Bol had season highs of 25 points and 14 rebounds.
Phoenix were without starters Bradley Beal, who missed a third straight game with tightness in his left hamstring, and Jusuf Nurkic, who has a sprained right ankle.
RAPTORS 123, HAWKS 121
ATLANTA (AP) — Immanuel Quickley hit six 3-pointers and scored 24 points to help Toronto beat Atlanta.
Scottie Barnes added 20 points and 10 assists for Toronto. Jacob Poeltl had 12 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
Dejounte Murray led Atlanta with 24 points. De’Andre Hunter added 22 points.
