LeBron leads Lakers past Warriors; Durant keeps Rockets rolling; Knicks tighten race for East’s No. 2 seed
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Lakers 119, Warriors 103 — San Francisco, Thursday
LeBron James recorded 26 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, shooting 11-for-17, as Los Angeles halted a three-game slide with a road win over Golden State. The four-time MVP briefly left in the third quarter after jamming his hand on a block attempt but returned to finish the game.
Stephen Curry sat out the first night of a back-to-back while managing his recent return from a knee injury, leaving the Warriors—currently the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference play-in picture—without their leading scorer.
Deandre Ayton added 21 points and five rebounds for the Lakers, and Jake LaRavia supplied 16 points, seven boards and four assists. The victory was Los Angeles’ fourth straight at Golden State’s home arena.
Rockets 113, 76ers 102 — Houston, Thursday
Kevin Durant poured in 29 points as Houston stretched its winning streak to eight, strengthening its bid for home-court advantage in the first round. Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson scored 19 apiece, helping the Rockets build a 23-point cushion through three quarters.
Philadelphia, playing without Joel Embiid after the center’s same-day appendectomy, used a 16-0 fourth-quarter run to trim the deficit to seven before Durant halted the surge with a timely three-pointer. Aaron Holiday followed with another long-range make to restore a double-digit margin and secure the outcome.
Knicks 112, Celtics 106 — Boston, Thursday
Josh Hart tallied 26 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, and Jalen Brunson posted 25 points and 10 assists as New York stayed alive for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks (52-28) moved within two games of Boston with two to play and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Hart nailed back-to-back three-pointers in the final minute to seal the win, giving coach Mike Brown’s club more victories than last season’s 51-win campaign. Jayson Tatum, appearing on the same floor where he tore his Achilles in last year’s postseason, nearly registered a triple-double for the Celtics.
New York hosts Toronto on Friday and Charlotte on Sunday, while Boston closes with road games against New Orleans and Orlando. The Knicks must win both and the Celtics must lose both for New York to claim the second seed.
Source: Hoops Wire
