Post Up: Sixers Win 10th Straight And Spurs Knock Off Rockets

76ers 119 (46-30), Hornets 102 (34-44)

Ben Simmons didn’t record another triple-double, but he was nonetheless phenomenal as the Sixers won their 10th game in a row. The rookie finished with 20 points and 15 assists, helping Philly record at least 30 assists for a team-record ninth-straight game. A 14-0 run from the Sixers in the third quarter, which came right after the Hornets momentarily grabbed the lead, put the game away. Marco Belinelli led all scorers with 22 points, and Malik Monk and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist each had 16 to lead the Hornets.

Bulls 113 (26-51), Wizards 94 (42-35)

Lauri Markkanen scored 23 points on 5-8 shooting from three as the Bulls handed the Wizards their third-straight road loss. As a team, the Bulls were on fire from deep, making 18 of 34 three-point attempts. Bobby Portis went 4-5 from three off the bench and scored 18 points. The Wizards, a day after wrapping up a playoff spot, turned the ball over 16 times, but got 17 points from Otto Porter Jr.

Pacers 111 (46-31), Clippers 104 (41-36)

Victor Oladipo filled the stat sheet with 30 points, 12 assists, five steals, and four rebounds to lead the Pacers on the road. Indiana earned its 12th win in 16 games thanks to Oladipo’s heroics, a 35-26 fourth quarter, and 24 points from Myles Turner. Tobias Harris had 21 and Lou Williams scored 20 to lead the Clippers, who are now two games out of the 8 spot in the West with five remaining.

Spurs 100 (45-32), Rockets 83 (62-15)

The Rockets still have the best record in the NBA, but the Spurs held them to their lowest point total of the season on Sunday. Houston shot just 34 percent overall and went 7-31 from three. On the other end, LaMarcus Aldridge had 23 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Spurs, while Rudy Gay added 21. James Harden had 25 points and eight assists for Houston.

Hawks 94 (22-55), Magic 88 (22-54)

Back-to-back buckets from Tyler Dorsey with under two minutes to go gave the Hawks all the breathing room they needed to hold off the Magic in a back-and-forth game. Dorsey scored a team-high 19 off the bench on 8-11 shooting, including three from long distance. D.J. Augustin had 20 to lead the Magic.

Pistons 108 (37-40), Nets 96 (25-52)

Playing without Blake Griffin once again, the Pistons earned their fifth win in a row, this one behind 29 points from Reggie Jackson. Detroit is still alive in the playoff hunt, albeit just barely, at four games out of the 8 seed with five remaining. Jarrett Allen and Joe Harris each scored 15 points for the Nets.

Cavaliers 98 (47-30), Mavericks 87 (23-54)

LeBron James endured a rough day offensively and still somehow managed a triple-double with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists. That pretty much says it all about LeBron. Cleveland has won eight out of nine as it tries to wrap up the 3 seed in the East. Harrison Barnes had 30 for the Mavericks, but only one other Dallas player scored more then nine.

Thunder 109 (45-33), Pelicans 104 (43-34)

Russell Westbrook’s triple-double (26 points, 15 rebounds, 13 assists) and Paul George’s 19 first-half points lifted the Thunder in a close game over the Pelicans. They stayed within reach of the 4 seed, or even the 3 with some luck, while New Orleans’ path to wrapping up a playoff spot narrowed a little bit. Anthony Davis had 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Pelicans.

Jazz 121 (44-33), Timberwolves 97 (44-34)

The Jazz shot a season-best 60.5 percent from the field to blow out the Timberwolves and improve to 25-5 over their last 30 games. Some of the shooting numbers were outrageous. Donovan Mitchell had 21 points on 10-15 shooting. Ricky Rubio had 23 and shot 9-14. He also went 5-6 from three. Andrew Wiggins had 23 and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 for the Timberwolves, but it wasn’t close to enough.

Warriors 117 (56-21), Suns 107 (19-59)

The Warriors didn’t look like themselves for the first half of this one, but came alive with a 36-18 third quarter to beat the Suns. Kevin Durant led the way with a near triple-double (29 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists), and Draymond Green had 13 points and 12 assists. Marquese Chriss and Josh Jackson each had 22 for the Suns who, somehow, have lost 25 out of 26.

Nuggets 128 (42-35), Bucks 125 (OT) (41-36)

The Nuggets trailed by eight in the final minute of regulation but rallied to force overtime on three Jamal Murray free throws with 2.8 seconds left. Denver never trailed in overtime as Jabari Parker missed what would have been the game-tying three in the final seconds. Nikola Jokic had 35 points and 13 rebounds, while Paul Millsap added 26 and 13 of his own. Parker had 35 for the Bucks.

Trail Blazers 113 (48-29), Grizzlies 98 (21-56)

The Blazers clinched a playoff spot behind 27 points from Damian Lillard and 20 from CJ McCollum. Portland led by as many as 23 but had to fend off a late rally from Memphis to hold on. Dillon Brooks had 28 to lead the Grizzlies. While it took until Sunday for the Blazers to officially clinch the playoffs thanks to a crowded middle of the field, they’re in good shape for the 3 seed and home court in the first round.

Kings 84 (25-53), Lakers 83 (33-43)

Buddy Held broke an 80-80 tie on a dunk with 37 seconds left and De’Aaron Fox made what proved to be the game winner 26 seconds later to hand the Lakers their third loss in four games. Hield led the Kings with 19 points and Julius Randle matched him to lead the Lakers. Neither team shot well for the game as the two combined to go 14-56 from three 23-39 from the line.