NBA roundup: Warriors’ win, Kings’ loss tightens play-in race

The victory keeps the Warriors alive for a spot in the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game in the Western Conference play-in round.

Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski celebrate at the end of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers. | Photo Credit: AP

Stephen Curry recorded 22 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds to help the Golden State Warriors post a 100-92 victory over the host Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, creating a three-way tie for eighth place in the Western Conference.

Jonathan Kuminga scored 19 points and Andrew Wiggins added 15 as Golden State won for the ninth time in 10 games. The victory keeps the Warriors alive for a spot in the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game in the Western Conference play-in round. Golden State, the Sacramento Kings, and the Los Angeles Lakers all have the same record with two regular-season games left.

Golden State standouts Klay Thompson and Draymond Green both missed the contest due to right knee injuries.

Deandre Ayton registered 25 points and 11 rebounds and Scoot Henderson had 18 points and 12 assists for Portland, which lost for the 13th time in the past 15 games. Jabari Walker added 17 points and 16 rebounds.

Pelicans 135, Kings 123

CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson scored 31 points apiece and New Orleans beat host Sacramento for a key win in the Western Conference playoff race.

Trey Murphy III (27 points) contributed three 3-pointers and three free throws to a 34-11, game-opening run for the Pelicans, who retained a one-game lead over the Phoenix Suns in the battle for the West’s sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot with just two games to play.

Thanks to the game-opening flurry, Pelicans never trailed while completing a rare five-game, season-series sweep over the Kings. De’Aaron Fox had a game-high 33 points for Sacramento.

Bulls 127, Pistons 105

DeMar DeRozan poured in 39 points as visiting Chicago beat Detroit, handing the Pistons their franchise-record 67th loss of the season.

DeRozan made 14 of his 22 field-goal attempts, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and sank all but one of his eight free-throw tries for the Bulls. Chicago locked up the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference with two games remaining and will host No. 10 seed Atlanta in the play-in tournament next week.

Jalen Duren amassed 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons, who have lost six straight and broke the franchise mark set by the 1979-80 team. Marcus Sasser also scored 20 points.

Knicks 118, Celtics 109

Jalen Brunson tossed in a game-high 39 points to help visiting New York beat Boston and extend its winning streak to three games.

The Knicks remain in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, one game behind the Milwaukee Bucks. The Celtics, who have lost two straight, previously secured the No. 1 seed in the East.

Donte DiVincenzo added 17 for the Knicks, who got 16 points and 16 rebounds from Josh Hart. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 18 points and seven assists.

Jazz 124, Rockets 121

Luka Samanic scored a season-high 22 points and Keyonte George had 20 as short-handed Utah snapped a 13-game losing streak with a victory over Houston in Salt Lake City.

On a night when seven of Utah’s rotation players were sidelined for various reasons, seven other Jazz players stepped up to score in double figures in the team’s home finale.

Fred VanVleet topped all scorers with 42 points, but the Rockets fell for the sixth time in seven games. VanVleet and Dillon Brooks each missed game-tying 3-point attempts in the waning moments.