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NBA Scores: Jokic-less Nuggets top Warriors to close in on top seed in West – SB Nation
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Plus everything else you may have missed from a busy Sunday in the NBA.
I’ve felt this way for some time, but wins like this one on Sunday reassert things for me: Denver is the best team in the Western Conference. Playing without their perennial MVP candidate, Nikola Jokic (calf tightness, with which he’s missed three straight games), Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and co. staved off Golden State in Denver. Murray scored 26 points and blocked Klay Thompson’s potential game winner in the final seconds to seal things. Porter Jr. led all scorers with 29 points and added 11 rebounds to sweeten the deal.
For the Warriors, Thompson led the way with 25 points while Steph Curry scored 21, but shot just two-of-14 from deep, including misfires on his first five attempts.
A win in one of their final four games or one loss by Memphis will give the Nuggets the top seed in the West for the first time in franchise history. And if wins like Sunday’s are any indication, they have what it takes to make good on what it means to occupy that top spot.
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The Nuggets may be the West’s best team, but the Suns are almost certainly their most formidable potential opponent come playoff time. They have Kevin Durant, who exploded for 35 points on 13-of-21 shooting Sunday to lead all scorers. They have Devin Booker, arguably the best two-guard in the NBA, who scored 22 against OKC to back Durant’s effort. They have players like Deandre Ayton, Chris Paul, Josh Okogie, and Torrey Craig as reliable options beside them, making up one of the league’s best all-around lineups. And it was all on display during Phoenix’s fifth-straight win. This is a terrifying team. And Denver may run into them in just the second round.
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The Milwaukee Bucks have cruised through this season with such ease that saying they needed a win on Sunday feels wrong as it comes off the tongue. But need they did, having lost by 41 to Boston the last time we saw them in action. And win they did, over Joel Embiid (28 points), Tyrese Maxey (29, a team-high), and the rest of the Philadelphia 76ers in an in-conference clash fans had been waiting for. Giannis Antetokounmpo did was Giannis Antetokounmpo does, aka score 33 points, pull down 14 boards, dish out six dimes, and block three shots to lead the Bucks. Brook Lopez (21), Khris Middleton (19), Jrue Holiday (18), and Bobby Portis (18) all also finished in double-figures.
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Brooklyn’s magic number is now two: Just two more wins, and it can clinch a postseason spot — playoffs, not play-in. The Nets cut it to two by winning their third game in a row and fourth out of five, thus giving them a two-game cushion ahead of the Miami Heat for the East’s sixth spot. Mikal Bridges led the charge with 30 points, while Spencer Dinwiddie finished with 17 and 12 assists.
They had to survive one doozy of a comeback bid from Utah to do it, though. The Nets led by as many as 23 points, but a 42-point explosion in the fourth quarter gave the Jazz a chance. Talen Horton-Tucker scored 15 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, where Utah went on a 26-8 run to get close. In the end, it wasn’t enough, as despite getting the last shot, a Kelly Olynyk prayer, the Jazz lost their fifth game in six tries. They’ve fallen to 12th in the West, their upstart postseason hopes almost all but dashed.
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The Hornets had roughly three players available. Fred VanVleet took advantage, scoring 20 points and handing out 20 assists, a franchise record. The Raptors are now half a game ahead of Atlanta for eighth in the East, and could get catching fire at just the right time: They’re 7-3 in their last 10 games.
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20 losses in 21 tries for Detroit. Woof.
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Party like it’s just 2021, New York! Despite not having Julius Randle for (at least) the next few weeks, the Knicks took care of business against a shorthanded Washington team that was without Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Kuzma, Bradley Beal, and Monte Morris. Cory Kispert (29 points to lead all scorers) stepped up in their absence, but New York always had the better squad. Four Knicks scored 20-plus in Sunday’s win, with Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes both finishing with 27. The Knicks have now won four in a row.
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Far from a banner day for Minnesota, which suffered a potentially devastating blow as it relates to their hopes of avoiding the play-in thanks to this loss. Though the Trail Blazers trailed by 12 late in the third quarter, they rallied back behind the strength of Shaedon Sharpe (27 points) and Kevin Knox II (19) to deliver the T-Wolves their third consecutive defeat. Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 37.
Despite giving up a 19-4 run in the fourth, Minnesota still had a chance to win it on the game’s final possession. It didn’t go as planned.
Kyle Anderson shoots it over the backboard and the Wolves lose to the tanking Blazers pic.twitter.com/v4Yw35UHiE
Not only did the loss impact Minnesota’s chances of falling lower than ninth or 10th in the Western Conference standings, but it made history. In the betting world, at least.
The 19.5-point favorite Minnesota Timberwolves have just suffered the worst recorded NBA ATS defeat since 1995, a catastrophic loss which has dropped them 2 losses behind 8 seed in West with 3 games to play. A scenario which could doom them to the sudden death play-in bracket.
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Despite an electric fourth-quarter performance from De’Aaron Fox, who scored 16 of his 28 points in the frame, the Spurs proved to be too much in overtime. They made each of their first six shots to jump ahead, and by the time the buzzer sounded, the Kings had given up an inexcusable 17 points in the extra period. Doug McDermott (30 points) and Julian Champagnie (26) led the way for San Antonio.
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You see the score and see a blowout in favor of the Bulls. But what about what it could’ve been: exactly the other way around? Memphis’ biggest lead was 23, but a dominant second-half performance from the Bulls gave them the ultimate advantage. They outscored the Grizzlies 75-39 over the game’s final two frames, including a 40-16 blowout in the third quarter. Even when Memphis got within three midway through the fourth, the Bulls responded with an 11-0 run.
Zach LaVine led all scorers with 36 points, while DeMar DeRozan added 31. Chicago has won eight of 11 as they continue a late push for a play-in spot in the East.
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Kind of a funky, disappointing end to this one, which was thrilling otherwise. After a smooth finish at the room for Kyrie Irving tied the game at 130, the Mavs had a foul to give. They gave it with just a few ticks over six seconds remaining, only to then commit an admittedly wonky foul five seconds later, sending Trae Young to the line.
Kyrie ruled for foul on Trae Young in final 2 seconds of a tie game in overtime to put him at the line. Hawks win by 2.https://t.co/Q9Gn8GhXU2 pic.twitter.com/2RZWnRRqzR
It’s disappointing to see a great game end like this, but alas, it happens. Kyrie was undoubtedly the player of the game despite his late foul, as he scored 41 points to lead all scorers. Luka Doncic (22 points) had a shot to win it at the end, but it clanged off the rim as the buzzer sounded. Trae Young (24 points, 12 assists) and Dejounte Murray (25 points) led seven Atlanta players who finished in double-figures.
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