FIBA: Canada targets Olympic success after first World Cup bronze

MANILA -- Small forward Dillon Brooks said Canada would take "good momentum" into next year's Paris Olympics after beating the United States to win bronze at the FIBA World Cup on Sunday.

Canada won 127-118 in overtime in Manila to claim their first World Cup podium finish, denying the United States a medal for a second straight tournament.

Canada had already qualified for their first Olympics since 2000 by finishing as one of the two highest-placed teams from the Americas at the World Cup.

Brooks, who finished the game as Canada's top scorer with 39 points, said the medal would fuel their ambitions when the new NBA season starts next month.

"It's good momentum for us, we'll hold on to that throughout the season," he said.

"I'm going to see a lot of my team-mates during the season.

"Guys that weren't here, that's motivating to them as well, to want to join us, to get better, to make a run at the Olympics."

Canada led for most of the game and built double-digit leads in both the first and third quarters.

They looked to have the game won until the United States' Mikal Bridges hit a game-tying three-pointer with 0.2sec remaining.

Canada quickly took control in overtime, with Brooks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in imperious form.

"This team was amazing, special, it's the beginning of something that's going to last for a long time," said head coach Jordi Fernandez.

"All 12 guys came in and worked every day since August 1, they got at least 1 percent better every day.

"They built the identity that we just showed."

Fernandez said Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 31 points, was "to me the MVP of this World Cup".

Bridges called Canada's point guard a "slithery" player to defend.

"He knows how to get away from you," Bridges said of Gilgeous-Alexander.

"He's an unbelievable player."

Fernandez paid tribute to Brooks's leadership after the Houston Rockets player helped keep the United States' stars quiet while scoring points at the other end.

Brooks was booed by the Manila crowd earlier in the tournament but they serenaded him with chants of "MVP" against the United States.

Brooks said he was determined to help the team win after losing in the semi-finals to Serbia.

"Having that edge every single game, how I prepared for the game, how I was trying to be a leader out there for my team-mates, I've got to bring this back to Houston," he said.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Red-hot Suns feeding off Kevin Durant ahead of clash with Spurs

The Phoenix Suns will go for their sixth straight win when they host the suddenly dangerous San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night.

Phoenix (43-35) is coming together as the regular season heads into the final stretch and its roster is nearly whole. The Suns flexed their considerable muscle on Sunday in a 128-118 win on the road in Oklahoma City, with Kevin Durant scoring 35 points, 13 of those in the fourth quarter, in Phoenix’s fifth consecutive victory, its longest winning streak since November.

Devin Booker finished with 22 points and 10 assists for the Suns, while Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Chris Paul had 16 points and eight assists.

Phoenix shot 56.8 percent from the floor in Sunday’s win to match its season high. The Suns remain in fourth place in the West and are three games up on the Lakers and New Orleans in the race to clinch the conference’s guaranteed playoff spots without having to participate in the play-in tournament.

The Suns are 6-0 with Durant in the lineup. Phoenix is becoming the team insiders expected it to be when Durant was brought to the Valley of the Sun.

“There’s not a way that he can’t score,” Phoenix coach Monty Williams said about Durant after Sunday’s win. “Those kind of players — they want those (clutch) shots. They’re so used to having the ball in their hands. … Guys work their tails off to be ready for those shots and he and Booker are a case in point. That’s what Kevin does.”

Phoenix has won the first two games with the Spurs this season and has defeated San Antonio eight straight times dating back to May 2021.

The Spurs (20-58) head to Phoenix after a rousing 142-134 overtime win in Sacramento on Sunday that snapped a six-game losing streak. San Antonio got a combined 56 points from reserves Doug McDermott (season-best 30 points) and Julian Champagnie (career-high 26 points).

Nine of McDermott’s points came in the extra period in which the Spurs never trailed, while Champagnie scored 22 of his points before halftime.

San Antonio also got a triple-double from Tre Jones (17 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds) in the win, a double-double from Dominick Barlow (12 points, 10 rebounds), 16 points from Zach Collins, 15 from Malaki Branham and 13 from Keita Bates-Diop.

“I think it’s the defensive end, really,” Jones said. “That’s the main thing for us. We came out in overtime and they scored right away but then we were able to string a few stops together. We were able to get some stops in the middle of it all and that really helped us.”

San Antonio was without Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan and Keldon Johnson due to injuries.

“It was a great night for us,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We had a lot of guys play really well. We had career games by three or four guys. I’m just happy for them. They have been busting their butts all year. We don’t have many wins.”

-reuters

NBA: Doncic dazzles in vain as Mavs downed by Pelicans

LOS ANGELES -- Luka Doncic scored 37 points but it was not enough to stop the Dallas Mavericks from slipping to defeat against the depleted New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.

Slovenian star Doncic dragged the Mavs to within one point of the Pels with four seconds remaining after a driving lay-up made it 112-111.

The 23-year-old was left shaking his head in disappointment after a three-point effort on the buzzer that would have snatched victory bounced off the rim to hand New Orleans a 113-111 win.

Doncic finished with 11 rebounds and seven assists in addition to his 37-point haul, with Spencer Dinwiddie providing support with 24 points and Christian Wood 23 points.

But Dallas were ultimately pipped by a balanced New Orleans line-up that saw eight players finish in double figures.

The victory was made all the more impressive given injuries that deprived New Orleans of regular starters Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

Trey Murphy III scored 22 points -- making 8-of-8 from the field -- while C.J. McCollum made 14 points with 11 assists.

McCollum later admitted he could barely watch as Doncic launched his last-gasp three-point attempt on the buzzer.

"When he shot it I just thought 'Please don't go in, please don't go in'," McCollum told an on-court interviewer.

"I didn't shoot the ball well but a lot of young guys stepped up tonight and that's what we're going to need all season long.

"We're a solid team. Guys work hard, get in early and stay late and they relish these kind of opportunities to come out and put on a show."

The Pelicans improved to 3-1 with a win to move into second in the Western Conference behind leaders Portland. Dallas fell to 1-2 with the loss.

In other games on Tuesday, the Washington Wizards took their season record to 3-1 with a 120-99 romp against the Detroit Pistons at home.

Kyle Kuzma led the Washington scorers with 25 points with Kristaps Porzingis adding 20. Will Barton added 16 from the bench, including four three-pointers.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Durant set to stay with Nets after management talks

NEW YORK -- Kevin Durant looks set to remain with the Brooklyn Nets after holding talks with the club's management team, the Nets said in a statement on Tuesday.

Durant, who requested a trade from the club on June 30, met Nets chiefs in Los Angeles on Monday to discuss his future.

A statement from Nets manager Sean Marks on Tuesday indicated that the 33-year-old 12-time NBA All-Star would remain a Brooklyn player.

"(Head coach) Steve Nash and I, together with (owners) Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday," Marks said.

"We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn."

The statement appears to draw a line under the frenzy of speculation surrounding Durant's future.

A slew of teams had reportedly been interested in restructuring their rosters in an effort to accommodate the superstar.

Earlier this month, multiple US reports said Durant had issued an ultimatum to Nets owner Tsai -- telling him to either fire Marks and Nash or grant his request for a trade.

Durant's trade demand in June came less than a year after he signed a four-year $198 million contract extension with Brooklyn.

However the 33-year-old has grown increasingly frustrated with the direction of the franchise according to reports, and was eager for a change of scenery.

The Nets had hoped to build a super-team around Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. 

However the trio of stars were unable to turn Brooklyn into championship contenders and were swept in the first round of this year's playoffs by the Boston Celtics.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Paul shines for Suns in win over Mavs

LOS ANGELES -- Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns poured it on in the fourth quarter, pulling away for a 129-109 victory over the Dallas Mavericks and a commanding 2-0 lead in their NBA playoff series.

Paul scored 14 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter as Western Conference top seeds Phoenix broke open a close game, withstanding a 35-point performance from Mavericks star Luka Doncic.

Dallas trying to head home for games three and four with a split of two games in Phoenix, took a 60-58 lead into halftime.

But the Mavs had no answer for Paul, who keyed a 23-2 fourth quarter scoring run that effectively sealed it for Phoenix with minutes to spare.

Devin Booker scored 21 of his 30 points in the second half for the Suns, who connected on a franchise playoff record 64.5% of their shots from the field. That included 52% from three-point range as the Suns drained 13 baskets from beyond the arc.

"(We) just had to be a little bit more aggressive," Paul said. "That second quarter we started turning it over. They got it going. Shooters were making shots and we just wanted to stay the course."

Booker helped launch the turnaround with back-to-back three pointers early in the third quarter, but the Suns' 89-83 lead heading into the final period of the physical, sometimes testy contest looked tenuous.

Paul, however, took control, making six straight shots to gut-punch Dallas.

"We just did what we were supposed to do," Paul said as he looked to games three and four in Dallas starting on Friday. "We won two games at home."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Embiid, Paul shine as Sixers, Suns clinch series

The Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns booked their place in the NBA playoff conference semi-finals on Thursday after wrapping up series-clinching victories in contrasting fashion.

In Toronto, Joel Embiid scored 33 points in a 132-97 Sixers blowout over the Raptors to seal a 4-2 series victory that sets up a showdown with top seeds Miami.

Western Conference top-seeds Phoenix, meanwhile, were pushed all the way by a gutsy New Orleans Pelicans team before completing a nerve-jangling 115-109 win in the Big Easy.

Veteran Chris Paul led Phoenix through a bruising battle with 33 points -- including a perfect 14-from-14 from the field -- while Deandre Ayton added 22 points and Mikal Bridges 18. 

The Suns' 4-2 series win sees them advance to a semi-final meeting against the winner of the Dallas-Utah series. The Mavericks can clinch later Thursday with victory over the Jazz in Salt Lake City.

It marked an emotional return to New Orleans for 12-time NBA All-Star Paul, who began his professional career in the city with six seasons for the then New Orleans Hornets.

"I always say this city raised me," Paul said afterwards. "It's nice to do it here in New Orleans...It's home for me. I root for this team when I'm not playing against them. So to beat them was nice."

The Suns were also buoyed by the return from injury of Devin Booker, whose 13-point haul included a crucial three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to edge Phoenix ahead.

"Having Book back was everything," Paul added. "Down the stretch they started to blitz and they forgot we had Devin Booker standing over there on the wing."

Booker, meanwhile, paid tribute to the performance of the 36-year-old Paul.

"I've been watching him since I was eight years old," Booker said of Paul. "It doesn't surprise me. 

"The most surprising thing is after the games we dropped, the disrespect that was put on his name. He's a first ballot Hall-of-Famer, arguably the GOAT in his position. And he deserves those flowers."

The Suns will play the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semi-finals. 

The Mavericks dug deep to defeat Utah, 98-96, on the road in Salt Lake City to complete a 4-2 series win over the Jazz.

Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson scored 24 points apiece as Dallas fought back from a 12-point third-quarter deficit for a gutsy win. 

Utah's Bogdan Bogdanovic missed a wide-open three to win the game on the buzzer as Dallas escaped with victory.

Embiid dominant

Earlier in Toronto, the Sixers made sure there was no chance of a game seven decider as they thrashed the Raptors.

Embiid, who has been bothered by torn ligaments in his thumb in recent games, delivered a dominant display which also included 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

MVP candidate Embiid was given backing by Tyrese Maxey with 25 points while James Harden also came up big with 22 points, 15 assists and six rebounds.

It was a welcome return to form for the Sixers, who had looked vulnerable after losing games four and five to Toronto after earlier leading the series 3-0.

"We had a great practice yesterday and we needed that," said Embiid, who said the Sixers had been motivated by their back-to-back losses.

"It was a blessing in disguise to lose those two games, because that wasn't us," he said. "We didn't play the way we wanted to. We were extremely sloppy.

"Tonight we wanted to come in here and play with more intensity. Especially me. I was really bad last game, defensively. I wanted to play with a lot of energy and be physical."

Maxey meanwhile said the Sixers had been ready for a "fight."

"Whether we get hit in the mouth we get back up and keep fighting, and that's what we did tonight," he said.

"Joel (Embiid) told me on the plane on the way up here 'We lose if we don't be aggressive.' And that's what I tried to do."

The Sixers edged into a 62-61 lead at halftime after two hard-fought opening quarters.

But Philadelphia erupted after the break to outscore Toronto 37-17 in the third quarter and effectively ice the contest.

The Sixers kept the hammer down in the fourth quarter, never giving Toronto any kind of opportunity to cut into Philadelphia's double-digit lead.

Tobias Harris added 19 points for Philadelphia, while Danny Green also posted a double digit total with 12 points.

Chris Boucher led the Raptors scoring with 25 points off the bench while Pascal Siakam added 24.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Rivers defends playoff record as Sixers prepare for Raptors

LOS ANGELES -- Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers defended his record in the NBA playoffs on Wednesday as his team prepared for a nervy game-six duel with the Toronto Raptors.

After surging into a 3-0 series lead, the Sixers have missed two chances to clinch the series, losing game four last Saturday before being defeated at home on Monday in a lackuster 103-88 defeat.

The nature of Monday's loss -- and the fact that Sixers star Joel Embiid is nursing a thumb injury -- has raised the prospect of Philadelphia becoming the first team to blow a 3-0 series lead in NBA history.

It has also invited scrutiny of Rivers' record in the playoffs. 

The Sixers coach is the only coach in the NBA who has blown multiple 3-1 playoff series leads in his career. 

Rivers' Orlando Magic were pipped in seven games by the Detroit Pistons in 2003 after taking a 3-1 lead in the playoffs, and the Los Angeles Clippers suffered the same fate twice during Rivers’ reign, losing in 2015 to the Houston Rockets and in 2020 against the Denver Nuggets.

Rivers bristled on Wednesday when quizzed by reporters about his history of playoff near-misses ahead of Thursday's game six in Toronto.

"Well, it's easy to use me as an example," Rivers said. "But I wish y'all would tell the whole story with me. All right?

"My Orlando team was the eighth seed. No one gives me credit for getting up against the Pistons, who won the title. 

"That was an eighth seed. I want you to go back and look at that roster. I dare you to go back and look at that roster. 

"And you would say, 'What a hell of a coaching job.' Really."

Rivers added that his Clippers team in 2015 was hobbled by an injury to Chris Paul, while the team that lost to Denver in 2020 were playing in the unique fan-free environment of the pandemic bubble in Orlando.

"The 2015 Clipper team that we lost 3-1, Chris Paul, didn't play the first two games, and was playing on one leg, and we didn't have home court," Rivers said.

"And then the last one (in 2020) to me, is the one we blew. That's the one I took. We blew that. And that was in the bubble. 

"And anything can happen in the bubble. There's no home court. Game seven would have been in LA."

"But, it just happens. So I would say with me, some of them is ... I got to do better always. I always take my own responsibility. And then, some of it is, circumstances happen. 

"This one, let's win it, and we don't have to talk about it."

Agence France-Presse

Grizzlies rally to shock Timberwolves in NBA playoffs

The Memphis Grizzlies clawed back from a 26-point deficit to stun the Minnesota Timberwolves, 104-95, on Thursday and take a 2-1 lead in their NBA playoff series.

Down 26 points in the second quarter and 25 with 3:10 left in the third, the Grizzlies held their nerve in Minneapolis, where they out-scored the Timberwolves, 37-12, in the fourth quarter to match the fourth-largest comeback in NBA playoff history.

Desmond Bane scored 26 points and Brandon Clarke added 20 -- 12 of them in the fourth quarter -- off the bench for Memphis.

Ja Morant connected on just five of 18 shots from the field but put together a triple-double of 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Memphis, who used a 21-0 fourth-quarter scoring run to turn the tables on the Timberwolves.

"Everybody stayed with it, stayed resilient throughout the whole entire game," Bane said. "Whether we were up, down, whatever -- it was enough to get it done."

Minnesota led, 47-21, with 10:28 left in the second quarter when the Grizzlies mounted their first charge, trimming the deficit to seven points at halftime.

The Timberwolves regained the upper hand with a quick start to the third quarter, taking a 73-50 lead on Jaden McDaniels' three-pointer with 4:28 left in the period.

D'Angelo Russell's three-pointer with 3:10 left in the third put Minnesota up 79-54, and despite the Grizzlies' scoring surge to end the period they trailed by 16 going into the fourth.

Bane drilled a three-pointer with 8:33 to play to cap a 21-0 scoring run that tied the game at 83-83.

Tyus Jones drained a three-pointer to put Memphis up for the first time, 86-85, and they didn't trail again.

"It was just effort and fighting," Clarke said. "We were down by, like 25, it was looking bad. But our team has always found a way this year."

Russell led the Timberwolves with 22 points, but he missed all three of his shots from the field in a scoreless fourth and teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, limited by foul trouble and aggressive defense from the Grizzlies, was held to just eight points.

"It's an emotional victory -- coming from being down a lot," Bane said, but he cautioned that there was still a lot of work to do in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.

"We've got to keep our heads. It's first to four."

Brunson powers Mavs

In Salt Lake City, the Dallas Mavericks took a 2-1 lead over the Utah Jazz in their series with a 126-118 victory.

Jalen Brunson shook off a sore back to score 31 points for Dallas.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 10 of his 20 in the fourth quarter and Maxi Kleber added 17 as the Mavericks held off the Jazz despite again playing without injured star Luka Doncic, who has missed all three games of the series so far with a calf strain but appears set to return for game four.

Donovan Mitchell scored 28 of his 32 points in the second half for Utah, who cut the deficit to one point on Mike Conley's three-pointer with 6:42 left in the fourth quarter, but couldn't get in front.

"The most important thing was sticking together," said Brunson, who appeared to hurt his back in the second quarter after Royce O'Neale collided with him.

He briefly left the court but returned to complete another big game.

"This is a tough place to play," Brunson said. "Their fans are great for them. When they had their runs, we didn't fold."

Agence France-Presse

NBA Playoffs: Red-hot Heat bury Trae, Hawks to take Game 1

Miami reserve Duncan Robinson scored a career playoff high 27 points and the Heat defensively dominated Atlanta for a 115-91 victory in an NBA playoff series opener on Sunday.

Robinson sparkled by making 9-of-10 shots, including 8-of-9 from 3-point range, while Jimmy Butler added 21 points and P.J. Tucker contributed 16 for the Heat, who seized a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven first round series.

"We saw the confident Duncan," Butler said. "He doesn't care what anybody thinks. He saw some threes and he made them and that's what we need from him."

The Hawks and their star guard Trae Young suffered through a miserable night against Miami's defense.

Young went 1-of-12 from the floor, 0-of-7 from 3-point range, and had a season-low eight points.

"Just make it physical on him, challenge every shot, make him pass," Butler said of the Heat's strategy to shut down Young. "He can score in bunches and we don't want him to do that."

Atlanta opened with its worst-shooting quarter and worst-shooting half of the season. Although they started 3-of-17 from the floor, the Hawks trailed only 23-17 after the first.

Miami surged ahead in the second quarter to a 59-40 halftime lead. 

Young was only 1-of-9 in the first half as the Hawks went 11-for-38.

Asked if their defensive scheme had worked perfectly, Butler admitted, "We were really close. They missed a lot of shots."

The Hawks welcomed back forward John Collins, who missed the past 18 games with foot and finger sprains, but were without star big man Clint Capela, out with a right knee injury.

Later opening games Sunday found Brooklyn at Boston, Chicago at defending champion Milwaukee and New Orleans at Phoenix.

Agence France-Presse

Hawks, Pelicans book final NBA playoff berths

Trae Young scored 32 of his 38 points in the second half as the Atlanta Hawks rallied to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday and book the final NBA Eastern Conference playoff berth.

The New Orleans Pelicans, meanwhile, grabbed the last spot in the West, thwarting a Clippers rally in a 105-101 victory in Los Angeles.

The Hawks erased a double-digit halftime deficit in the play-in contest to line up a first-round series with Eastern Conference top seeds Miami, with game one scheduled for Sunday.

The Pelicans will face the Western Conference top-seeded Phoenix Suns in the first round.

New Orleans booked their first playoff berth since 2018 in dramatic style.

Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and Larry Nance Jr. added 14 points with 16 rebounds for New Orleans, who jumped out to a 16-point lead in the second quarter against a Clippers team that learned Friday morning they would be without All-Star Paul George because of coronavirus concerns.

But the Clippers charged back in the third quarter, opening the second half on a 20-2 scoring run. Los Angeles led by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter before the Pelicans roared back.

"I knew what the stakes were, all of us wanted to be in the playoffs," said Ingram. "Whatever it took tonight, whether it was on the defensive end, offensive end, whatever it took I was going to do it."

In Cleveland, it was a heartbreaking finish to the season for a young Cavaliers squad, who fell one step shy of qualifying for the post-season for the first time since LeBron James departed the club in 2018.

The Cavs dominated early, but Young found his touch in the second half and five Hawks players scored in double figures to complete the turnaround.

"I felt like I was letting my team down in the first half," said Young, who had four turnovers along with six points before the interval.

"I was missing some shots. We were only down 10 in the halftime and I knew I needed to make some more shots for my teammates."

In fact, Young stepped up his game on all fronts. He scored or assisted on 43 of 56 second-half points for Atlanta, accounting for more than the 40 points that Cleveland scored after the break.

Young said it was just "more motivation" when center Clint Capela departed with a hyper-extended right knee moments before halftime.

Capela had grabbed Cavs rookie Evan Mobley from behind as Mobley was shooting, but Mobley fell back into Capela's legs and the veteran fell to the court holding his knee in pain.

After officials reviewed the play the call of a common foul stood, but Capela was ruled out for the rest of the contest.

- 'Show it' -

"We wanted to win for him," Young said. "We know how hard he's worked all year wanting to get in the playoffs. We hope he's going to be able to bounce back for us."

Cleveland had jumped to a double-digit lead in the first quarter, boosted by the three-point shooting of Lauri Markkanen who scored 17 first-half points.

Markkanen led the Cavaliers with 26 points and Darius Garland added 21.

All-Star center Jarrett Allen returned to Cleveland's starting lineup after missing 19 games with a broken left finger, scoring 11 points with three rebounds.

But with Young leading the way the Hawks turned the tables in the third quarter, taking the lead for the first time on a three-pointer from Young with 1:42 left in the period.

"Nobody had to say anything to me," said Young, whose driving basket early in the fourth quarter put the Hawks up for good. "I know the work I put in, the confidence I have and I've got to go out and show it."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Young, Hunter star as Hawks sting Hornets

LOS ANGELES -- Trae Young scored 24 points as the Atlanta Hawks thrashed the Charlotte Hornets 132-103 to keep their playoff hopes alive on Wednesday.

A decisive burst of scoring from Young and De'Andre Hunter in the third quarter saw the Hawks take control against an outclassed Charlotte team at Atlanta's State Farm Arena.

Atlanta will now face Cleveland in the final round of the play-in tournament on Friday, where a place in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs -- against top-seeded Miami -- will be up for grabs.

"We're clicking at the right time and this is the time to be clicking," Young said after the blowout. "We're a good team."

After edging into a 60-52 halftime lead, Atlanta effectively sealed victory with a devastating third quarter performance, outscoring the Hornets 42-24 and racing into a lead that stretched to 26 points at one stage.

Hunter and Young combined for 30 of those points in the third quarter, Hunter scoring 16 and Young adding 14, including three from outside the arc.

Hunter finished with 22 points as Atlanta's balanced offense once again shared the scoring around. 

Six Atlanta players finished in double figures, with Danilo Gallinari claiming 18 points, Clint Capela chipping in with 15 and Kevin Huerter and Bogdan Bogdanovic adding 13 points apiece.

"It took me a couple of quarters to get going, but my teammates did a hell of a job making plays," Young said. 

"We've got a lot of guys who can play. We've dealt with a lot of injuries this year but we've got a lot of guys who can step up and make plays anytime throughout the game."

In Wednesday's other play-in game, the San Antonio Spurs face the New Orleans Pelicans in another sudden death elimination game. 

The winner of the Spurs-Pelicans game will advance to a clash with the Los Angeles Clippers for a place in the Western Conference playoffs and a meeting against top seeds Phoenix.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Durant, Irving lead Nets over Pacers, Celtics take second seed

NEW YORK -- Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant combined for 55 points as the Brooklyn Nets held off a rally from the Indiana Pacers on Sunday to seal seventh place in the Eastern Conference and clinch home advantage for next week's play-in.

The Nets' final regular season game looked set to be a blowout for long periods as Brooklyn jumped out to an 18-point lead in the first half.

But a dogged Pacers unit drew level at 89-89 with less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter before Brooklyn regrouped to pull clear and run out 134-126 winners.

The win means Brooklyn will face a home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday where a victory will see them enter directly into the playoffs as seventh seeds.

The Nets will head into that showdown buoyed by the recent form of Irving and Durant.

Irving finished with 35 points, seven rebounds and five assists on Sunday, going 15-of-20 from the field.

Durant, meanwhile, completed a triple double of 20 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 16 assists while Brooklyn had six players finish in double figures.

"It's been an up and down last few weeks for us -- winning some games, losing some games," Durant said afterwards. 

"I think we're finding out who we are as a group and that's always a good thing." 

Durant is now looking forward eagerly to the business end of the season, starting with Tuesday's assignment against Cleveland. 

"It's been a long year and this is the perfect time of the year to play our best basketball," Durant said.

A Brooklyn victory over Cleveland on Tuesday would see the Nets face the second-seeded Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Tatum 'proud' of Celtics

That crunch showdown -- which would pit Irving against his former club -- was made possible after the Celtics vaulted over the Milwaukee Bucks into second place in the standings.

The Celtics clinched the second seed after a 139-110 blowout of the Memphis Grizzlies in their final game on Sunday.

Celtics star Jayson Tatum led the rout with 31 points -- making 11-of-14 from the field -- in just 26 minutes on court. Jaylen Brown added 18 points with Al Al Horford scoring 13.

The Grizzlies, who had already clinched second place in the Western Conference, rested several of their first choice starting line-up.

The Celtics rise to the second seeding is all the more remarkable given their indifferent early season form. 

As recently as February, Boston were languishing in ninth place in the East, well outside the automatic playoff places.

"It was a tough one, I'm proud of my group and proud of how we responded throughout the season," Tatum said afterwards. 

"It didn't start off well but we managed to figure it out and we've been on a roll and hopefully we'll keep it going through the playoffs."

Milwaukee meanwhile dropped to third in the Eastern Conference standings after their under-strength lineup was thumped 133-115 by the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Sunday.

The Bucks were without key players Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis for the game which was notable for a bizarre fleeting cameo by another mainstay Jrue Holiday.

Holiday came onto the court for the tipoff and promptly committed a foul after eight seconds before leaving the court without returning. 

Reports said the brief appearance allowed him to collect a $255,000 bonus included in his contract for featuring in 67 games this season.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Embiid, Harris stop Sixers rot as Hornets routed

NEW YORK -- Joel Embiid scored 29 points as the Philadelphia 76ers halted their three-game losing streak with an emphatic 144-114 rout of the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.

The Sixers had slumped to defeats against the Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks and lowly Detroit Pistons heading into Saturday's early home game at the Wells Fargo Center.

But Embiid and a balanced Sixers offense were in no mood to concede a fourth straight loss against a Charlotte team in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.

The Sixers held a narrow 58-53 lead at half-time but pulled away with a 45-point third-quarter performance before pouring in 41 points in the fourth quarter to seal a crushing win.

Embiid finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds and six assists while Tobias Harris had 23 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Tyrese Maxey added 19 points while James Harden finished with 12 points and 13 assists.

The Sixers improved to 47-30 with the victory to remain in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, within touching distance of a playoff place.

Miles Bridges led the Charlotte scoring with 20 points, with P.J. Washington adding 14 and point guard LaMelo Ball 13.

"That was a great game for us, coming back off a disappointing loss in Detroit," the Sixers' Harris said afterwards. 

"Just being able to push the pace today and get going was big for us."

Harris said the Sixers had been determined to start strongly after half-time following recent poor performances in the third quarter.

"We haven't had the greatest of starts in the third quarter in the last few games, so that was an emphasis for us - we had a lot of energy in that third quarter," he said.

The Sixers can clinch a playoff place on Sunday with a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who defeated the already-eliminated New York Knicks 119-101 in Saturday's other early game.

The Cavaliers are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference on 43-35, just outside the top six automatic playoff places.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Surging Suns edge Warriors, tie team record for wins

Chris Paul hit the game's final two baskets 1:24 apart, including a clutch runner in the lane with 13.1 seconds remaining, as the Phoenix Suns survived a foul-filled finish to equal their single-season franchise record for wins with a 107-103 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday in San Francisco.

Devin Booker finished with 22 points, going 10-for-12 at the line, and Mikal Bridges tied for team-high honors with 22, helping the Suns (62-14) match the franchise victory record set in 1992-93 and tied in 2004-05. Phoenix won its ninth consecutive game.

Jordan Poole tied his career high, set last May against the New Orleans Pelicans, with a game-high 38 points for the Warriors (48-29). Golden State took its fourth straight loss and dropped into a tie for third place in the Western Conference with the Dallas Mavericks.

Paul's difference-making hoop came after Golden State's Draymond Green was called for traveling with his team down 102-101 with 31.2 seconds remaining.

Down three in the final seconds, the Warriors had two subsequent possessions, but the Suns elected to intentionally foul Green on the first one, resulting in two free throws as Phoenix retained a 104-103 lead with 12.4 seconds left.

After Paul hit two foul shots to restore the three-point edge with 7.7 seconds to go, Poole misfired on a half-court shot that could have forced overtime.

Paul broke a 96-all tie with an 8-foot floater with 1:37 remaining, after which 14 of the game's final 16 points were scored at the foul line, where Phoenix ended up 24-for-30 and Golden State 20-for-25.

Booker's 22 points came despite 5-for-21 shooting. The Suns overcame 25 percent shooting on 3-point attempts (7-for-28).

Deandre Ayton chipped in with a 16-point, 16-rebound double-double for Phoenix, Paul finished with 15 points and a game-high eight assists and Jae Crowder added 10 points to the cause.

Andrew Wiggins backed Poole with 19 points for the Warriors, who played once again without star Stephen Curry (foot).

Klay Thompson added 13 points on a 5-for-21 shooting night, while Gary Payton II went for 10 points and Green amassed 10 rebounds, seven assists and eight points.

-reuters

NBA: Nikola Jokic's triple-double leads Nuggets past Hornets

It took time for Nikola Jokic to get cranked up, but he carried the Denver Nuggets during second-half stretches on his way to a triple-double in a 113-109 road victory against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.

Jokic finished with 26 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists, all team highs.

In a late-game, eight-minute span, Denver managed just seven points -- and Jokic had all of them. The Nuggets, who led by 13 early in the fourth quarter, had to hold off a furious rally from the Hornets.

Aaron Gordon scored 19 of his 21 points in the first half for the Nuggets (45-31), who won for just the third time in their past six games. Will Barton racked up 18 points and Jeff Green and Monte Morris both had 14 points.

Jokic hit two free throws with 1:25 left as Denver went up 109-104. LaMelo Ball scored for the Hornets before Morris sank two foul shots. Charlotte's Terry Rozier then connected on a 3-pointer.

Charlotte appeared to get the defensive stop it needed when Jokic missed a shot, but he grabbed his own rebound and was fouled. He made two free throws with 8.6 seconds left to push the lead to four.

Miles Bridges poured in 27 points to go with 11 rebounds for the Hornets (39-37). Ball had 22 points and 11 assists, Kelly Oubre Jr., Isaiah Thomas and Rozier all added 12 points and P.J. Washington posted 10 points.

Charlotte, which was coming off a road victory Sunday night against the Brooklyn Nets, hit only 13 of 42 attempts from 3-point range on Monday.

The Nuggets led 102-91 with 7 1/2 minutes to play. Charlotte tallied the next eight points, with Thomas and Bridges hitting 3-pointers to complete that part of the rally.

The Hornets held a 57-56 halftime edge despite shooting 5-for-20 from beyond the arc.

The Nuggets started to take control with a 13-0 run in the third quarter to move to an 80-71 lead. Jokic scored seven points during that stretch, including a free throw on a technical foul when Charlotte power forward Montrezl Harrell was ejected following a dust-up with Jokic and Gordon.

-reuters

NBA: Harrison Barnes, Davion Mitchell lift Kings over Magic in OT

Harrison Barnes hit a 3-pointer with 12 seconds remaining in overtime and rookie Davion Mitchell finished with 22 points, nine assists and seven rebounds as the Sacramento Kings defeated the host Orlando Magic 114-110 on Saturday night.

Mitchell (10-for-23 shooting) reached double figures for the seventh consecutive game as Sacramento started 2-0 on its current five-game road trip. The Kings also posted consecutive wins for the first time since they defeated Minnesota on Feb. 9 and Washington on Feb. 12.

The Kings outscored the Magic 9-5 in the overtime period. Orlando's final points came on Cole Anthony's long two-pointer with 1:51 remaining, and Donte DiVincenzo and Barnes both made triples inside the final minute of overtime as the Kings ended the game on a 7-0 run. 

DiVincenzo added a free throw with 6.9 seconds left, securing Sacramento's 11th road win this season.

Orlando squandered a 105-97 lead late in regulation. Trey Lyles' putback with 21.5 seconds remaining pulled the Kings within 105-103 and Mitchell's backcourt steal and layup made it 105-all with 12.9 seconds to go.

The Magic had an opportunity to win in regulation, but Chuma Okeke missed a 3-pointer near the left corner as time expired.

Sacramento had seven players finish in double figures. Barnes had 19 points and seven rebounds, DiVincenzo scored 16 points off the bench and centers Alex Len and Damian Jones each contributed 15 points. Lyles scored 11 points to go with 18 rebounds and Justin Holiday added 10 points.

Franz Wagner paced the Magic with 19 points and nine rebounds. Moe Wagner had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists in 19 minutes off the bench and Anthony had 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

Mo Bamba totaled 18 points and 13 rebounds and Markelle Fultz contributed a season-high 16 points off the bench for Orlando.

Fultz made 7 of 14 shots in 20 minutes before exiting with just over five minutes remaining. The former No. 1 overall draft pick was appearing in his 11th game this season after suffering a torn left ACL in January 2021.

The Kings led 41-28 after the opening quarter, ending the period on a 21-8 run. Sacramento shot 67 percent (14-for-21) from the floor, making six of its eight 3-point attempts, in addition to going 7-for-7 at the foul line.

Mitchell scored 18 first-half points as the Kings built a 66-62 halftime lead.

Sacramento played its fourth straight game without leading scorer De'Aaron Fox (right hand). The Kings were also missing double-digit scorer and rebounder Domantas Sabonis as he recovers from a bruised left knee.

-reuters

NBA: Devin Booker scores 49 as Suns clinch top seed

Devin Booker scored a season-high 49 points and added 10 assists, Chris Paul had 17 points and 13 assists in his return to the lineup, and the visiting Phoenix Suns beat the Denver Nuggets, 140-130, on Thursday night to clinch the top seed in the Western Conference.

Mikal Bridges scored 22 points, Deandre Ayton had 16 points and Jae Crowder finished with 12 for the Suns (60-14), who have won seven straight.

Paul missed 15 games with a fractured thumb and hadn't played for the Suns since prior to the All-Star break. He did log two minutes in the All-Star Game.

Nikola Jokic led Denver (43-31) with 28 points, Bones Hyland scored 23, Aaron Gordon had 21, Will Barton had 17, Monte Morris scored 15, Jeff Green added 11 and DeMarcus Cousins had 10.

The teams traded leads in a high-scoring first half, with Phoenix leading by five and the Nuggets up by seven at one point.

Hyland did most of the damage for Denver. He scored 19 points off the bench, including 4-for-6 from behind the arc, to help give the Nuggets a 68-66 lead at halftime.

Things stayed close for the first few minutes of the third quarter before Denver created some distance. Barton and Morris hit 3-pointers, and Morris was fouled on his jumper and made the free throw for a four-point play and an 85-78 lead.

The Suns got within 89-86, but the Nuggets stretched the lead to 101-92 late in the period. Phoenix came back behind Booker, who scored 10 points in the final 2:52 to cut the deficit to 106-104 heading into the fourth.

Phoenix took the lead when Bridges' 3-pointer made it 110-109, then the Suns started to pull away. Bridges hit a pair of free throws, Booker made a jumper in the lane and Bridges hit another 3-pointer to make it 122-114.

Denver got within 124-120 on a three-point play by Gordon with 3:55 left, but Phoenix closed it out.

-reuters

NBA: Pacers halt 7-game skid with victory over Wizards

Tyrese Haliburton had 21 points and 14 assists to lead a balanced attack as the Indiana Pacers snapped their seven-game losing streak with a 113-108 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday in Indianapolis.

Terry Taylor scored all of his 18 points in the second half for Indiana, which won for the first time since Jan. 31. Tristan Thompson and Oshae Brissett scored 17 points apiece, Buddy Hield added 15, and Lance Stephenson had 11.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led Washington with 27 points. Kyle Kuzma contributed 26 points and 15 rebounds, Deni Avdija had 14 points, and Raul Neto and Ish Smith had 10 apiece.

The Wizards trailed 105-103 after Caldwell-Pope scored with 42.9 seconds left before Brissett dunked with 21.3 seconds remaining.

After Kuzma missed a layup with 17.7 seconds left, Indiana made four straight foul shots to seal its first win over an Eastern Conference opponent since Dec. 16.

Indiana, which had just nine players available due to injuries, shot 54.2 percent from the field but 4 of 20 (20 percent) from 3-point range.

The teams were deadlocked at 25 before Indiana opened the second quarter on an 18-7 run and led by 13 with 3:09 left in the half.

Thompson scored 12 points in the first half for the Pacers, who held a 56-51 advantage at the break despite shooting 2 of 13 (15.4 percent) from 3-point range.

Indiana extended its lead to 13 with 1:34 left in the third quarter, but Washington closed with five straight points to cut the deficit to 84-76.

Kuzma scored 13 points in the third quarter for the Wizards, who made 17 3-pointers for the game but were outscored 74-36 in the paint.

Washington trailed 84-76 heading into the fourth quarter before trimming the gap to 95-94 on Caldwell-Pope's trey with 5:18 remaining.

Indiana played without Goga Bitadze (right foot), Chris Duarte (sore left big toe), Isaiah Jackson (right ankle sprain), Malcolm Brogdon (sore right Achilles) and Myles Turner (left foot issue).

Washington center Kristaps Porzingis, who was acquired at last week's trade deadline, is dealing with a bone bruise in his right knee and will not make his Wizards debut until after the All-Star break.

-reuters

NBA: Irving casts spell over Magic with record 60

LOS ANGELES -- Kyrie Irving scored a career-high 60 points in a dazzling display as the Brooklyn Nets stretched their NBA winning streak with a 150-108 thrashing of the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.

Nets star Irving -- who had bagged 50 points last week in a victory over Charlotte -- delivered another performance for the ages against an outclassed Magic at Orlando's Amway Center.

Irving's tour de force surpassed his previous career best of 57 points, set in 2015 while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers in a victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

"I felt good," Irving said after his epic display. "It really is a testament to the way we've been gelling as a team -- us just giving each other confidence and doing the right things. 

"When you can get 60 in the flow of the game and it doesn't seem forced, and you're not putting up a few too many bad shots, and you come to the bench and guys are supporting you, telling you to go after the record -- that makes the basketball worth it."

The 29-year-old Australian-born seven-time All-Star made 20-of-31 from the field, making eight of 12 attempts from outside the arc.

A career-high performance for Irving looked inevitable after an explosive first half from Brooklyn. 

The Nets piled on 48 points in the first quarter alone before adding 38 in the second quarter to lead 86-56 at half-time.

Irving contributed 41 points in that devastating first half, leaving him only 16 shy of his individual record.

He brought up 50 points -- the sixth half-century of his career -- with a driving layup in the third quarter, prompting appreciative chants of "Kyrie, Kyrie" from the Orlando crowd.

Two free throws saw him reach his record at 57 and then a magical three-point pull-up from 26 feet saw him hit the 60-point mark.

Irving's points haul came 24 hours after the Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns scored 60 in a victory over the Spurs. 

It is the first time different players have scored 60 points or more on consecutive nights in the NBA since 1962.

It also came two days after team-mate Kevin Durant scored 53 in a weekend win over the New York Knicks. 

Irving admitted the friendly rivalry with Durant was spurring him on.

"Across the league guys are putting up crazy numbers, but when you have two guys on the same team competing, friendly competition, brotherly competition," Irving said.

"Of course we talk about it but we really want to be savants about this. We take the game seriously, we want to be efficient with it, and make everyone feel good. And prove to every team in the league we can be efficient defensively and offensively."

Irving admitted the ovation from the Orlando crowd had been a career first.

"This is what the game is about, just bringing the love, performing well and doing it with a humble approach," he said.

Six other Nets players finished with double-digit points tallies, with Durant adding 19 points, Patty Mills 15 and Kessler Edwards 14.

Cole Anthony led the Orlando scoring with 19 points.

Brooklyn's fourth consecutive win saw the Nets improve to 36-33 to keep their hopes of an automatic playoff berth alive. The Nets are eighth in the Eastern Conference, three wins behind the sixth placed Cavaliers.

Orlando meanwhile remain rooted to the foot of the Eastern Conference with an 18-52 record.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Evan Mobley scores 30 to lead Cavaliers past Clippers in OT

Evan Mobley scored a career-high 30 points to lead the host Cleveland Cavaliers to a 120-111 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

Mobley has solidified himself at the center spot after All-Star Jarrett Allen has been sidelined with a fractured finger. Mobley added six rebounds and two blocks.

Darius Garland overcame a slow start to finish with 24 points and a game-high 13 assists. Teammate Isaac Okoro added 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Clippers forward Amir Coffey's free throw with 30.8 seconds left in regulation tied the score at 106 and sent the game into overtime. The Cavs outscored the Clippers 14-5 in overtime.

Center Ivica Zubac paced the Clippers with 24 points and a game-high 14 rebounds before he fouled out in overtime. Coffey added 19 points and Terance Mann had 18 points and 10 rebounds.

The Cavs are in the midst of playing eight of their next nine games at home, including five in a row.

Cleveland welcomed back swingman Caris LeVert to the lineup against the Clippers. LeVert, who missed the previous nine games with a sprained right foot, finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Zubac's two free throws with 6:15 left in the third quarter extended the Clippers' biggest lead, 75-67. However, the Cavs used a 15-2 run, capped by Okoro's two free throws with 2:04 left in the third quarter, to assume an 82-77 lead.

Cleveland outscored the Clippers 31-24 in the third quarter to open up seven-point lead entering the final quarter, 87-81. Mobley had 23 points after three quarters and Okoro added 16. Coffey had 16 points for the Clippers after three quarters.

The Clippers used a 22-8 run in the second quarter to take a 57-56 lead at halftime. Both Coffey and Brandon Boston Jr. had 11 points for the Clippers in the first half.

Mobley had 12 points and four rebounds in the first half for the Cavs, who came into the game 3-7 in their previous 10 games.

Besides Allen, forward Dean Wade (knee), and guards Rajon Rondo (ankle) and Collin Sexton (knee) were sidelined for the Cavs.

Things were even worse for the Clippers, as forward Paul George (elbow) was sidelined, along with forward Robert Covington (personal reasons) and guards Norman Powell (foot), Jason Preston (foot) and Jay Scrubb (foot). Both forward Marcus Morris Sr. and guard Reggie Jackson were held out to rest, while Kawhi Leonard (knee) has yet to play this season.

-reuters