Ja Morant scored a franchise-record and career-high 46 points while outduelling DeMar DeRozan and leading Memphis Grizzlies to a 116-110 victory over host Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.
Steven Adams contributed 12 points and a season-high 21 rebounds as Memphis snapped a two-game slide. Desmond Bane added 12 points and Tyus Jones scored 11 for the Grizzlies. DeRozan scored 31 points to extend his streak of 30-point outings to 10, one shy of the franchise mark set by Michael Jordan during the 1986-87 season. Jordan also had a 10-game streak during the 1990-91 campaign.
Zach LaVine scored 28 points and Coby White added 15 for the Bulls, who had a six-game winning streak halted. Javonte Green tallied 12 points and Nikola Vucevic registered 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Celtics 113, Pistons 104
Jaylen Brown had 27 points and Jayson Tatum contributed 26 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as Boston extended its road winning streak to seven games with a win over Detroit. Payton Pritchard supplied 19 points and six assists off the bench for the Celtics, who have won 11 of their past 12 games. They avenged the lone defeat during that stretch - Detroit’s 112-111 win in Boston on February 16.
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Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 25 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Cory Joseph had 15 points, Marvin Bagley scored 14 and Saddiq Bey added 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Nuggets 115, Kings 110
Monte Morris had 21 points and hit a tie-breaking 3-pointer in the final minute as host Denver beat Sacramento.
Nikola Jokic had 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, Aaron Gordon had 23 points and nine rebounds, and Will Barton had 13 points for the Nuggets, who have won five straight. De’Aaron Fox had 26 points and 10 assists, Domantas Sabonis had 14 points and16 rebounds, Harrison Barnes scored 24 points, Justin Holiday added 15 and Jeremy Lamb 12 for Sacramento, which has lost four in a row.
Nets 126, Bucks 123
Kyrie Irving finished with a season-high 38 points and Brooklyn overcame a seven-point, fourth-quarter deficit as it defeated Milwaukee in a rematch of a 2021 Eastern Conference semifinal matchup.
Irving shot 14-for-26 and added five rebounds and five assists. Brooklyn’s Seth Curry tallied 19 points, Andre Drummond posted 17 points and 12 rebounds, Bruce Brown went for 15 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 11.
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Bobby Portis tied his season high with 30 points thanks to a career-high eight 3-pointers. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 29 points (on 8-of-20 shooting), 14 rebounds and six assists, Khris Middleton had 25 points and seven assists, and Jrue Holiday contributed 19 points and seven assists.
Hawks 127, Raptors 100
Trae Young had 25 of his 41 points in the first half and added 11 assists as Atlanta defeated visiting Toronto.
Onyeka Okongwu added 17 points and seven rebounds off the bench for the Hawks,who have won 10 of their past 12 home games. De’Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter and Bogdan Bogdanovic each contributed 14 points for Atlanta. Fred VanVleet had 20 of his 24 points in the first half and added nine assists for the Raptors, who have lost two in a row.
Cavaliers 92, Wizards 86
Cleveland overcame a game-high 34 points by Kyle Kuzma to grind out a victory over visiting Washington.
Lauri Markkanen, in just his second game back after missing 11 with a sprained ankle, paced the Cavs with 23 points and six rebounds. The 7-footer was 6 of 9 from behind the arc.
For Cleveland, Cedi Osman finished with 19 points and five assists, while center Jarrett Allen contributed 18 points and 14 rebounds and forward Evan Mobley added 14 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.
Heat 133, Spurs 129
Bam Adebayo poured in 36 points, 26 of them in the second half, as Miami survived an early haymaker from visiting, short-handed San Antonio. The Heat rallied from 16 points down in the first quarter and led by a bucket heading to the fourth. The loss left San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich one win shy of tying the league record for most coaching victories. Popovich has 1,333 wins, one short of Don Nelson.
Jimmy Butler and Herro added 27 points each, with Herro recording his 21st game with 20 or more points off the bench this season, tops in the league. Kyle Lowry recorded 13 points and 10 assists for Miami, which leads the Eastern Conference, has won three games in a row and eight of its past nine.
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