Hawks 117 (20-50), Bucks 122 (37-32)
Jabari Parker earned the highlight of the night with his posterizing dunk as the Bucks got back on track after a loss to the Magic on Wednesday. Giannis Antetokounmpo stuffed the stat sheet with 33 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and two blocks.
Taurean Prince led all scorers with 38 points as his side fell short.
OKAY JABARI 🔥 (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/TD8dMQOEfK
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 17, 2018
Pacers 102 (40-30), Wizards 109 (40-30)
The Wizards tightened the seeding ladder in the Eastern Conference thanks to five players (Markieff Morris, Marcin Gortat, Bradley Beal, Tomas Satoransky and Kelly Oubre Jr.) scoring at least 12 points in a well-rounded effort.
Lance Stephenson scored 25 points off the bench on 10-for-15 shooting from the field.
Rockets 107 (55-14), Pelicans 101 (39-30)
James Harden did James Harden things in the fourth quarter as he finished up the night with 32 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists while his backcourt mate Chris Paul had 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Anthony Davis scored 26 for the Pelicans and grabbed 13 rebounds; Davis’ coach, Alvin Gentry, ranted about the lack of calls Davis receives from officials.
THE BEARD MEETS THE BROW AT THE RIM ❗️❗️❗️
Winner: Brow (via @nbatv) pic.twitter.com/r0LJP8TA6D
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 18, 2018
Harden putting EVERYONE on skates this year 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️ (via @TheRenderNBA) https://t.co/V0hzyaOTil
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 18, 2018
Mavericks 106 (22-48), Nets 114 (22-48)
Dennis Smith Jr. turned in one of the hottest nights of his short career with 21 points in just 23 minutes as he was forced to end his night early due to a minor injury.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and D’Angelo Russell combined for 55 points to lead the Nets to victory.
Hornets 101 (30-40), Knicks 124 (25-45)
The Knicks won only their second game since Jan. 30, blowing out the Hornets in a surprising fashion to do so. New York outscored Charlotte 42-17 in the third quarter, a period that coach Jeff Hornacek credited to the defensive prowess of team captain Lance Thomas.
Tim Hardaway Jr. led New York with 25 points as the Knicks were able to go deep into their bench for minutes.
Cavaliers 114 (40-29), Bulls 109 (24-45)
LeBron James had to put the squad on his back due to an array of inactives due to injuries and personal leave, amassing 33 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists and making a pair of game-clinching plays in the final minute of regulation.
The triple-double was The King’s 70th of his career and the 15th of the season.
CLUTCH KING 👑 (via @therendernba) https://t.co/iSpmNYJ9Qz
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 18, 2018
🚨 LEBRON SWAT ALERT 🚨 (via @DefPenHoops) pic.twitter.com/tcn4OIFhuN
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 18, 2018
Nuggets 94 (38-32), Grizzlies 101 (19-50)
The league’s longest losing streak came to an end as the Grizzlies won their first game in 20 contests thanks to a 24-point outing from rookie phenom Dillon Brooks.
Timberwolves 101 (40-30), Spurs 117 (40-30)
The Spurs kept their playoff hopes alive as LaMarcus Aldridge led the way with 39 points and 10 rebounds on 14-for-22 shooting from the field.
As a team, San Antonio excelled with ball security, only turning it over five times while pressuring Minnesota into committing 16 turnovers.
Kings 97 (23-48), Jazz 103 (40-30)
It was fitting that the scorching-hot Jazz wore its fiery red, orange and yellow Nike “City” threads Saturday night as Utah picked up its 21st win over its past 23 contests and moved up to the 5-seed position in the Western Conference. Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 28 points and Rudy Gobert held the paint down with 22 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Joe Ingles set the Jazz record for most 3s in a single season with 179.
Buddy Hield led the Kings with 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting from the field off the pine.
TAKE FLIGHT, DONOVAN MITCHELL 🕷
🛩🛩🛩 (via @DefPenHoops) pic.twitter.com/Pcl479tWsp
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 18, 2018
DE’AARON FOX JELLLLLY FAM 🍇 (via @defpenhoops) pic.twitter.com/r8nbpQ9JLF
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 18, 2018
Warriors 124 (53-17), Suns 109 (19-52)
It’s no secret that the Warriors’ core strength lies in its All-Star studded starting lineup, but Golden State flashed the skill of its bench players as Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson continued to sit due to injury.
Three players scored 20-plus points for Golden State: Draymond Green (25), Nick Young (20) and Quinn Cook (28).
Suns rookie Josh Jackson scored 36 points on 14-for-23 shooting in the loss.
Pistons 87 (30-39), Trail Blazers 100 (43-26)
The Trail Blazers won their 12th straight game as all five starters scored double-digit points. Damian Lillard scored a team-high 24.
