LOS ANGELES, United States — The short-handed Memphis
Grizzlies shocked the
Phoenix Suns 122–114 on Friday to push their winning
streak to seven games in a clash of the top two teams in the NBA.
اضافة اعلان
Dillon Brooks scored 30 points to lead a Grizzlies team
playing without injured top scorer Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Steven Adams, Jaren
Jackson, and Tyus Jones.
Despite the absences, the Grizzlies took a one-point lead
into the final quarter and pushed their lead to 14 midway through the final
period.
The Suns cut the deficit to five on
Devin Booker's
three-pointer with 56 seconds remaining, but Brooks drove to the basket for a
layup, was fouled and made the free throw as the Grizzlies — who had seven
players score in double figures — sealed a statement win in what could be a
preview of the Western Conference finals.
Booker finished with 41 points and
Mikal Bridges added 18
for the Suns, who are locked into the top seed in the Western Conference ahead
of Memphis.
But the Grizzlies' hustle was clear with a 30–2 advantage in
second-chance points and a 24–7 edge in points off turnovers.
"What an unbelievable victory," said Memphis coach
Taylor Jenkins. "Guys out of the lineup, guys stepping up, guys getting
opportunities and making the most of them."
Ziaire Williams scored 19 points for Memphis and De'Anthony
Melton added 17 — making six straight free throws in the last 19.1 seconds.
Los Angeles stars
LeBron James and Anthony Davis returned
from injury but the Lakers' post-season hopes took another hit with a 114–111
loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The defeat leaves the Lakers in 11th place in the West, a
game behind the San Antonio Spurs for the final spot in the play-in tournament
for the seventh- through 10th-placed teams for the final two berths in the
playoffs proper.
James, who missed two games with a sprained ankle, scored 21
of his 38 points in the third quarter as the Lakers took an 87–86 lead.
But he added just two points in the fourth period as the
Pelicans — led by 32 points from
CJ McCollum and 29 from Brandon Ingram — eked
out the victory, with James missing a potential game-tying three-pointer as
time expired.
Davis, sidelined since February 16 with a foot injury,
scored 23 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, but his return wasn't enough for
a disjointed Lakers side.
"They just made more plays than us," Lakers coach
Frank Vogel said of his team's inability to close out a game they led by five
points with 5:07 left to play.
The Pelicans tightened their grip on ninth place in the
West, two games ahead of the Spurs who beat Portland 130–111.
All-Star point guard
Dejounte Murray missed the game with a
non-COVID-19 respiratory illness, but Devin Vassell scored 22 points and Keldon
Johnson added 21 to lead eight Spurs players to score in double figures in the
crucial win.
The Spurs led by as many as 28 in the first half, and by 31
in the third quarter.
Celtics edge Pacers
Elsewhere, Robert Covington scored a career-high 43 points
to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 153–119 rout of the NBA champion Bucks in
Milwaukee.
Covington made 11 three-pointers and
Amir Coffey also had a
career-high with 32 points for the Clippers on a night in which both teams
rested their stars.
Milwaukee gave two-time
NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis
Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday the night off while the
Clippers were without Paul George, Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris.
The Boston Celtics, with 32 points from Jaylen Brown and 31
from Jayson Tatum, beat the Indiana Pacers 128–123 to move a half-game ahead of
the Philadelphia 76ers for third place in the Eastern Conference.
In Denver, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 32 points to lead the
Minnesota Timberwolves to a 136–130 victory over the Nuggets.
D'Angelo Russel scored 24 points and Anthony Edwards scored
18 for the Timberwolves, who are seventh in the West and appear headed for the
play-in tournament.
Minnesota withstood a 38-point, 19-rebound performance from
Nikola Jokic, who also handed out eight assists for Denver, who are sixth in
the West.
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