Pelicans Sign James Ennis to 10-Day Contract

Press Release from the Pelicans website.

NEW ORLEANS (March 30, 2016) - The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed forward James Ennis to a 10-day contract after receiving a hardship exception from the NBA. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Ennis, 6-7, 201, most recently played for the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League, appearing in 24 games this season, averaging 18.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals in 33.3 minutes per contest.

Selected 50th overall by Atlanta out of Long Beach State in the 2013 NBA Draft, Ennis has appeared in 75 career regular season games with Miami and Memphis, holding averages of 4.4 points and 2.4 rebounds.

New Orleans’ roster now stands at 18. Ennis will wear #4 for the Pelicans and be available for their game tonight in San Antonio.

NBA Capsules (March 31, 2016)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Stephen Curry scored 31 points, including six straight in overtime, and the Golden State Warriors continued their historic run with a 103-96 victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.

The Warriors (68-7) surpassed last season's victory total and can break the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' record of 72-10 with five wins in their last seven games.

Golden State's Klay Thompson hit a tying 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining in regulation after an offensive rebound and kick-out from Shaun Livingston after Thompson missed the previous attempt.

The Jazz (37-38) fell into a tie with Houston for the No. 7 slot in the Western Conference playoff race.

Curry had seven rebounds and four assists, while Thompson finished with 18 points.

Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 21 points and Rodney Hood added 20.

SPURS 100, PELICANS 92

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Manu Ginobili scored 20 points and the Spurs beat the injury-depleted Pelicans for their NBA-record 38th straight home victory to open a season.

San Antonio topped the 37-0 start by the Chicago Bulls during their record 72-victory season in 1995-96. Golden State has an existing 36-game home winning streak to open the season, giving the Warriors a chance to end up with the record.

San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard had 16 points in his return from a three-game absence, showing no discomfort after bruising his right quadriceps last Wednesday.

Alexis Ajinca had 18 points for New Orleans, which was without nine players due to injury. Jordan Hamilton added 14 points in his first start in his third game with the team.

RAPTORS 105, HAWKS 97

TORONTO (AP) - DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 19 points and nine rebounds, and Toronto earned its franchise-record 50th victory of the season.

DeRozan added six assists and five rebounds, while Kyle Lowry finished with 17 points, 11 assists and six rebounds as theRaptors (50-24) won for just the second time in five games.

Jeff Teague had 18 points for the Hawks (45-31), who had won four in a row. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 15 points and Paul Millsap had seven points and nine rebounds.

NUGGETS 109, GRIZZLIES 105

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Will Barton scored 25 points, Emmanuel Mudiay had 17 and the Nuggets beat the reeling Grizzlies.

Barton split a pair of free-throw attempts with 3.2 seconds left to help Denver hold on after Memphis pulled within three.

The Grizzlies (41-34) have lost four in a row. Their advantage over idle Portland for the fifth seed in the Western Conference is down to two games.

Zach Randolph led Memphis with 26 points, while Jordan Farmar finished with 14.

KINGS 120, WIZARDS 111

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - DeMarcus Cousins had 29 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and four blocks, and the Kings hurt theWizards' playoff hopes.

The Wizards dropped their second straight and fourth in five games, falling 3 1/2 games behind Indiana for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

Bradley Beal scored 24 points and Otto Porter had 20 for Washington. John Wall contributed 14 points and 13 assists.

Rudy Gay and Omri Casspi scored 15 points apiece for the Kings, and Rajon Rondo had 15 points and 11 assists before he was ejected after getting a double technical in the closing seconds of the game.

CLIPPERS 99, TIMBERWOLVES 79

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Chris Paul had 20 points, 16 assists and eight rebounds, leading the Clippers to their fourth straight victory.

J.J. Redick scored 17 points for Los Angeles, and DeAndre Jordan had 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. The Clippers held Minnesota to 34.5 percent shooting and only turned the ball over seven times.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have been humming along with one of the league's best offenses since the All-Star break until they hit the Clippers wall. Andrew Wiggins had just seven points and six turnovers and left the game midway through the third quarter with a lacerated chin.

Los Angeles never trailed and led by as many as 33 early in the fourth quarter.

MAVERICKS 91, KNICKS 89

DALLAS (AP) - J.J. Barea scored 26 points and made the go-ahead layup with 49.9 seconds left, helping Dallas rally in the fourth quarter.

The Mavericks tied the Rockets for eighth place in the Western Conference.

Barea's basket put Dallas ahead 90-89 after the Mavericks trailed by seven with 8 minutes left.

Carmelo Anthony scored 31 points for New York and Derrick Williams added 15 in his third start of the season.

BUCKS 105, SUNS 94

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Khris Middleton scored nine of his 26 points in the final 7:31, Jabari Parker added 21 points and Milwaukee stopped a five-game slide.

Milwaukee's reserves outscored Phoenix's backups 32-9. Phoenix has lost four straight and five of six.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 10 points and six assists in the Bucks' first game since coach Jason Kidd announced Tuesday that the 6-foot-11 forward would play point guard in the 2016-17 season.

PJ Tucker had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Phoenix. Devin Booker scored 18 points, and Alex Len had 17 points and 15 rebounds.

NBA Capsules (March 30, 2016)

CLEVELAND (AP) James Harden scored 27 points and the Houston Rockets rallied from a 20-point deficit for a 106-100 victory Tuesday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who rested LeBron James.

Harden scored 18 points in the fourth quarter and Houston outscored Cleveland 35-16 in the period.

Dwight Howard's free throw with 2:13 left put Houston ahead 95-94. Harden's 3-pointer made it 98-94 before Kyrie Irving hit a 3-pointer with 1:30 left, making it a one-point game.

Both teams missed shots on their next possession, but Trevor Ariza's 3-pointer from the corner with 17 seconds left gave Houston a 101-97 lead.

Irving scored 31 points for Cleveland, which fell to 1-3 this season and 4-13 over the last two when James doesn't play.

BULLS 98, PACERS 96

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Jimmy Butler made a tiebreaking jumper with 3.7 seconds left, and Chicago beat Indiana to snap a four-game losing streak.

Nikola Mirotic scored 28 points as Chicago (37-37) got back to .500 and pulled within two games of Indiana for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Mirotic made seven 3-pointers, his final one tying it at 96 with 2:19 remaining.

The Pacers missed five shots in the final 2 minutes that would have given them the lead before the Bulls rebounded Pau Gasol's miss with 20 seconds remaining and got the ball to Butler for his 17-footer from the right wing.

CJ Miles missed a 3-pointer that would have won it as time expired. Paul George had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Pacers, while Ian Mahinmi had 18 points and seven boards.

Butler finished with 14 points, and Gasol added 10 points and 11 rebounds.

PISTONS 88, THUNDER 82

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - Marcus Morris scored 24 points, and Detroit took advantage of Kevin Durant's absence in a victory overOklahoma City.

The Thunder rested Durant and Serge Ibaka, and Oklahoma City was held to only nine points in the third period en route to its lowest-scoring game of the season. The Thunder rallied from a 15-point deficit, closing the gap to just one in the fourth, but Detroit was able to hold on late for another victory in its push for a playoff spot.

The Thunder had their eight-game winning streak snapped. Russell Westbrook led Oklahoma City with 24 points on 8-of-28 shooting.

Andre Drummond had 13 points and 15 rebounds for the Pistons, and Tobias Harris added 17 points.

HORNETS 100, 76ERS 85

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Nicolas Batum had 19 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for his second triple-double of the season, leading Charlotte over Philadelphia.

Cody Zeller added 18 points and 11 boards for Charlotte, which set a franchise record for wins in a month with its 13th victory in March.

The Hornets, who entered the game in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, also inched closer to clinching their first playoff spot in two years and just second postseason berth in the last 13 years. Charlotte hasn't won a playoff series, though, since 2002.

The teams both have off until Friday, when they will play again in Charlotte for the fourth and final meeting of the season.

Short-handed Philadelphia, which dressed just 10 players, lost its 10th straight game and 23rd in the last 24. Robert Covington had 18 points.

MAGIC 139, NETS 105

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Aaron Gordon had 20 points and Elfrid Payton had 11 points and 12 assists as the Magic scored a season high in defeating Brooklyn.

Victor Oladipo and Evan Fournier had their moments and backup center Dewayne Dedmon, playing in place of injured Nikola Vucevic, scored 15 points

The Magic had eight players in double figures, including backups Andrew Nicholson with 24 and Jason Smith with 14.

The Nets were led by reserve forward Thomas Robinson, who scored 18 points, after being inserted into the starting lineup in place of Thaddeus Young. Brook Lopez scored just five points in the first half and did not play in the second half.

NBA Capsules (March 29, 2016)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Rodney Hood scored 30 points and the Jazz turned Kobe Bryant's last visit to Utah into the worst loss of his career with a 123-75 victory on Monday night that matched the Lakers' largest defeat in franchise history.

The Jazz had their biggest offensive night of the season and remained in the No. 7 slot in the Western Conference playoff race, one game ahead of the Houston Rockets.

The 48-point defeat matched the margin in the Lakers' 142-94 loss to the Clippers on March 7, 2014, when Bryant was out with an injury.

Hood and the Jazz put the game away early with a 17-2 start. The second-year guard was 5 for 5 from the field for 14 first-quarter points. He had 30 at halftime, including eight 3-pointers, and missed his career high for a game by two points.

THUNDER 119, RAPTORS 100

TORONTO (AP) - Russell Westbrook had 26 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in his 16th triple-double of the season, Kevin Durant scored 34 points and Oklahoma City beat Toronto for its eighth straight victory.

Westbrook has seven triple-doubles in March, the most in a month since Michael Jordan had seven in April, 1989. He has the most in a season since Magic Johnson had 17 in 1988-89.

Oklahoma City has the NBA's longest current winning streak and the team's longest since a 10-game run from Jan. 16-31, 2014.

DeMar DeRozan had 19 points and Norman Powell added 18 for the Raptors, who lost at home for just the fourth time in 2016.

HAWKS 102, BULLS 100

CHICAGO (AP) - Jeff Teague scored 26 points, including two free throws with just over six seconds to play, and surging Atlanta fought off a furious Chicago rally.

It was the fourth straight win for the Hawks. Though the Bulls mounted a dramatic late comeback, they continued a late-season swoon, losing their fourth straight.

The Bulls were down as much as 15 in the second half, but stormed back in the fourth quarter and were down three with the ball with eight seconds to play. Chicago's Mike Dunleavy missed a layup, though, and fouled Teague, whose free throws sealed Atlanta's ninth win in 10 games.

Dennis Schroder and Al Horford each added 14 points for Atlanta. Paul Millsap had 11 rebounds and Horford added 10 for the Hawks, who completed a season sweep of the Bulls.

Derrick Rose had 20 points for the Bulls.

SPURS 101, GRIZZLIES 87

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - LaMarcus Aldridge had 31 points and 13 rebounds to lead San Antonio over Memphis.

Aldridge connected on 11 of 16 shots and was 9 of 11 from the line as San Antonio won despite resting stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, who did not make the trip to Memphis.

Patty Mills finished with 17 points, while Kyle Anderson had 13 points and a career-best seven assists. Boris Diaw also added 13 points.

Vince Carter led Memphis with 14 points, while JaMychal Green finished with 12. Matt Barnes had 11 points and nine rebounds for Memphis, which lost its third straight.

San Antonio shot 51 percent from the field, while Memphis struggled at 40 percent.

HEAT 110, NETS 99

MIAMI (AP) - Dwyane Wade had 30 points and nine assists, Hassan Whiteside scored a career-high 27 points off the bench and Miami pulled away to beat Brooklyn.

Josh Richardson finished with 16 points in a spot start and Justise Winslow added 13 for Miami, which clamped down defensively in the second half.

Brook Lopez scored 26 points for Brooklyn, which had its streak of seven straight games with 100 or more points - the team's longest in two years - come to an end. Thaddeus Young made his first 10 shots and scored 20 for the Nets, who got 14 from Sean Kilpatrick.

Wade is averaging 27.1 points in his last seven games against the Nets. He shot 14 for 19 from the field on Monday, helping ensure that Joe Johnson's first game against his former team would be a winning one.

MAVERICKS 97, NUGGETS 88

DENVER (AP) - Reserve J.J. Barea scored 18 points and had 11 assists to help short-handed Dallas halt a three-game skid with a win over Denver.

Dwight Powell had 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter as Dallas moved into a virtual tie with Houston for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

It was a much-needed win for the Mavericks in a month that hasn't been friendly to them. They're 4-10 and have gone from five games over .500 on March 1 to two games below.

The Mavericks had seven players score in double figures, including all of their starters.

Will Barton had 23 points for the Nuggets, who finished with 21 turnovers. The Mavericks turned it over just three times.

TIMBERWOLVES 121, SUNS 116

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Andrew Wiggins scored 32 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 27 points and 10 boards and Minnesota beat Phoenix.

Wiggins needed just 13 field goal attempts to score his points. He made 17 of 21 free throws and 3 of 5 3-pointers as the Wolves won for the third time in their last four games. Minnesota shot 50.6 percent and turned 21 Suns turnovers into 26 points.

Devin Booker scored 12 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter as the Suns mounted a furious comeback from 20 down. Brandon Knight scored 30 points and tied a career high with seven 3-pointers, but the Suns lost for the eighth time in their last 11 games.

PELICANS 99, KNICKS 91

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Jrue Holiday scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and New Orleans snapped a three-game slide with a victory over New York.

Returning from a two-game absence because of a toe injury on his left foot, Holiday took over a tight game in the final minutes, scoring six points during a 9-0 run that gave New Orleans a 93-85 lead.

The Pelicans won for the first time this season when scoring fewer than 100 points. New Orleans had been 0-33 in such games.

Former Knick Toney Douglas scored 16 points and Luke Babbitt added 14 for the Pelicans.

Carmelo Anthony scored 22 for New York, while Robin Lopez added 17 points. Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis had 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.

Philadelphia 76ers Sign Christian Wood To 10-Day Contract

Statement from the 76ers website.

Christian Wood

PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 27, 2016 – The Philadelphia 76ers today announced that the team has called up forward Christian Wood from the Delaware 87ers and signed him to a 10-day contract.

Wood has appeared in 32 games with the Sevens this season, averaging a team-high nine rebounds, as well as 17 points on 53% shooting in 29 minutes per game.

Wood, who went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft, signed with the 76ers last September 14. He has appeared in 14 career NBA games with the Sixers, averaging four points and two rebounds per game. Wood registered career-highs of 15 points and eight rebounds on November 13 at Oklahoma City.

In a related move, the team has waived guard-forward Sonny Weems.

NBA Capsules (March 28, 2016)

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Klay Thompson scored 40 points in consecutive games for the first time in his career, Draymond Green posted his franchise-best 12th triple-double and the Golden State Warriors beat the Philadelphia 76ers 117-105 on Sunday night.

Stephen Curry had 20 points and eight assists and Green contributed 13 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as Golden State (66-7) stayed a game ahead of the pace set by the 1995-96 Bulls' during their record 72-win season. Chicago was 65-8 through 73 games.

Backup big man Marreese Speights added 17 points and seven rebounds in the Warriors' 53rd straight regular-season victory at Oracle Arena and 35th consecutive at home this season.

Carl Landry scored 22 points for the lowly Sixers, who lost their ninth in a row and 22nd in 23 while playing a back-to-back.

CLIPPERS 105, NUGGETS 90

LOS ANGELES (AP) - DeAndre Jordan had 16 points and 16 rebounds and Los Angeles beat Denver to become the fourth Western Conference team to clinch a playoff spot.

Chris Paul added 14 points, six rebounds and nine assists, Jamal Crawford also had 14 points, Jeff Green and Wesley Johnson each added 13, and J.J. Redick had 12. The Clippershad a 25-8 edge in fast-break points.

Jusuf Nurkic had 19 points, and D.J. Augustin added 18 for Denver. Gary Harris finished with 11 points, Joffrey Lauvergne had 10, and Darrell Arthur grabbed 12 rebounds.

The Nuggets, 10th in the West with eight games remaining, fell 5 1/2 games behind the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets in the race for the conference's eighth and final playoff berth.

PACERS 104, ROCKETS 101

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Paul George scored 16 of his 25 points in the first quarter and Indiana overcame 34 points from James Harden to beat Houston.

Monta Ellis had 23 points and Ian Mahinmi tied his career high with 19 points for thePacers, who have won three of four.

Harden also had eight rebounds and Trevor Ariza had 14 points for the Rockets, who have lost two straight.

Ellis scored the go-ahead basket with 4:46 left to give the Pacers a 96-95 lead and Mahinmi scored back-to-back baskets to put Indiana ahead 100-95.

The Pacers took a 16-point lead in the third quarter and appeared to have the game put away before the Rockets went on a run and took a lead early in the fourth quarter with a dunk by Ariza.

KINGS 133, MAVERICKS 111

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Rookie Willie Cauley-Stein followed a breakout offensive performance with 21 points and DeMarcus Cousins had 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead Sacramento over Dallas.

The Mavericks have dropped three straight and 10 of 12. They are ninth in the Western Conference and trail Houston by half a game for the final playoff spot.

Cauley-Stein, the sixth overall pick in last year's draft, set a career high with 26 points on Friday night against Phoenix and followed up with just his second 20-plus point game.

Darren Collison had 17 points and Seth Curry and Ben McLemore each had 14 for the Kings. Rajon Rondo had 11 points and 11 assists.

Raymond Felton had 15 points and both J.J. Barea and Dirk Nowitzki had 14 for the Mavericks. Wesley Matthews and David Lee each scored 12 points.

WIZARDS 101, LAKERS 88

LOS ANGELES (AP) - John Wall had 22 points and 13 assists and Marcin Gortat added 16 points and 10 rebounds in Washington's victory over Los Angeles.

Kobe Bryant scored 17 points in 23 minutes for the Lakers, who have lost seven of eight to fall to 15-58. Bryant has four home games remaining in his 20-year NBA career, and the Staples Center crowd serenaded him with cheers and chants while the Lakers listlessly lost again.

Otto Porter Jr. scored 14 points in the Wizards' balanced performance during the opener of a four-game West Coast swing with their playoff hopes in peril. Washington has won six of eight overall, but dropped two straight home games before the trip.

NBA Capsules (March 27, 2016)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points, Patrick Patterson had 16 and the Toronto Raptors snapped a two-game losing streak, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 115-91 on Saturday night to tie a franchise record with their 49th victory of the season.

Toronto was never pushed by the Pelicans, who were down to just nine players on the active roster because of injuries. The Raptors shot 53 percent from the floor and the defense was nearly as good, holding New Orleans to just 43 percent shooting.

Norman Powell scored 15 points and Luis Scola 12 for the Raptors, who set the franchise mark for wins last season.

With New Orleans' top five scorers on the bench due to injury, Alonzo Gee led the Pelicans with 18 points.

CAVALIERS 107, KNICKS 93

NEW YORK (AP) - LeBron James had 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his third triple-double of the season, Kevin Love added 28 points and 12 rebounds, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the New York Knicks.

James recorded his 42nd career triple-double and moved within three points of Dominique Wilkins for 12th place on the NBA's scoring list.

Even with Kyrie Irving resting, the Cavaliers easily bounced back from a loss in Brooklyn on Thursday, shutting the Knicks down in the first half and pulling away when the lead got down to 10 in the fourth quarter.

Carmelo Anthony scored 28 points after a brutal start for the Knicks, who were coming off a home-and-home sweep of Chicago. Kristaps Porzingis had 19.

HAWKS 112, PISTONS 95

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - Paul Millsap had 23 points and nine rebounds, and the Atlanta Hawks snapped the Detroit Pistons' five-game winning streak.

The Hawks have won 13 of their last 16 and moved a game ahead of Miami atop the Southeast Division.

Tobias Harris scored 21 points, and Andre Drummond had 19 points and 17 rebounds for Detroit, but the Pistons couldn't recover from a poor first quarter. Atlanta never trailed and led by as many as 20 in the fourth.

Jeff Teague had 12 points and 12 assists, and Kent Bazemore added 17 points for Atlanta.

NETS 120, PACERS 110

NEW YORK (AP) - Brook Lopez scored 23 points, Bojan Bogdanovic added 18, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Indiana Pacers.

Sergey Karasev added a career-high 17 points for the Nets, who took a 104-102 lead on Bogdanovic's 3-pointer with 5:41 remaining in the game. Lopez then scored nine consecutive points for Brooklyn before Bogdanovic nailed a contested 3-pointer to put Brooklyn ahead 116-110 with 39 seconds remaining.

Paul George then missed a 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining, sealing the win for Brooklyn.

George finished with 27 points for the Pacers.

MAGIC 111, BULLS 89

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Orlando journeyman center Dewayne Dedmon scored a career-high 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, Jason Smith added 14 off the bench and the Magic dealt the Chicago Bulls a blow to their fading playoff hopes.

Elfrid Payton scored 15 points and had 10 assists and Evan Fournier added 12 points for the Magic, who snapped a six-game skid.

The Bulls (36-36), fighting to climb back into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, dropped their third straight game. Taj Gibson, who dominated in the paint, led the Bulls with 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting.

JAZZ 93, TIMBERWOLVES 84

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Gordon Hayward scored 16 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and the road-weary Utah Jazz finished a five-game road trip with a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Hayward had just two points on 1-of-6 shooting in the first three quarters. But he shot 6 of 9 in the fourth and Derrick Favors chipped in 19 points and five rebounds to get the Jazz a much-needed victory as they make a push for the playoffs. The Jazz (36-37) entered tied with Dallas for eighth in the Western Conference and have won seven of their last nine.

Ricky Rubio scored 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting for the Timberwolves, who missed a chance for their first three-game winning streak since Nov. 27. The Wolves shot 38 percent and fell to 2-12 on the second night of a back-to-back.

THUNDER 111, SPURS 92

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Kevin Durant scored 31 points and Russell Westbrook added 29 to help the Thunder defeat the short-handed San Antonio Spurs.

Enes Kanter had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Serge Ibaka added 15 points and eight rebounds for Oklahoma City, which won its seventh straight.

It wasn't the late-season showdown that was anticipated when the schedule first came out - the Spurs rested Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. David West and Jonathon Simmons each scored 17 points for the Spurs.

HORNETS 115, BUCKS 91

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Nicolas Batum scored 23 of his 25 points in the first half and the Charlotte Hornets used a 3-point barrage to rout the Milwaukee Bucks 115-91.

Marvin Williams added 21 points and Kemba Walker had 18 for the Hornets, who won three of four games in the season series. Charlotte connected on 16 of 29 3-pointers against Milwaukee in this one, a 55 percent clip.

John Henson had 19 points and Jabari Parker 15 for the Bucks, who have lost five straight and six of seven. Milwaukee made just four of 16 (25 percent) from 3-point range.

CELTICS 102, SUNS 99

PHOENIX (AP) - Isaiah Thomas scored 28 points against his former team, and the Boston Celtics held off the Phoenix Suns despite almost blowing a 21-point lead.

Evan Turner added 17 points, 15 of those in the first half, to go with 11 rebounds for Boston, which won its fourth straight. He also blocked the potential tying shot with 3.9 seconds left.

The Suns cut a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to one, 98-97, with 1:16 left on a step-back jumper from Devin Booker, who finished with 21 points despite shooting 8 of 20. Phoenix had a chance to take the lead twice with under a minute left, but Booker and Knight missed shots.

Marcus Smart made two free throws, and after Booker's put-back basket with 15.5 seconds left made it 100-99, Thomas and Smart each made one free throw. The Suns missed a shot from beyond half-court at the final buzzer.

TRAIL BLAZERS 108, 76ERS 105

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - C.J. McCollum converted a three-point play with 7.6 seconds left to break a tie and lift the Portland Trail Blazers past the Philadelphia 76ers.

Trapped in the corner near the sideline and the midcourt line, McCollum split two defenders, drove through the lane and hit a layup as he was fouled and stumbled to the floor, helping the Blazers avoid another embarrassing loss to the NBA's worst team.

McCollum finished with 25 points and five assists. Al-Farouq Aminu matched his career high with 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Blazers, who lost by 25 points at Philadelphia on Jan. 16.

Hollis Thompson, Ish Smith and Robert Covington each scored 17 for the 76ers.

Pelicans Sign Jordan Hamilton to 10-Day Contract

Statement from the Pelicans website.

NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed forward Jordan Hamilton to a 10-day contract after receiving a hardship exception from the NBA. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Hamilton, 6-7, 220, most recently played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League, appearing in 14 games while averaging 14.9 points on .497 shooting from the floor, 9.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 29.2 minutes per game. His signing marks the 36th GATORADE Call-Up this season from the D-League.

Selected 26th overall by Dallas in the 2011 NBA Draft out of the University of Texas, Hamilton has appeared in 140 career regular season games with Denver, Houston and the Los Angeles Clippers, holding averages of 5.5 points and 2.6 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per contest.

New Orleans’ roster now stands at 17. Hamilton will wear #25 for the Pelicans.

NBA Capsules (March 26, 2016)

EDITOR'S NOTE: The date in the title of these capsules is the day after the games took place. That will be the same for the rest of the capsules that we post. Before, we would label the title "Recaps of last night's NBA games," or "Recaps of yesterday's NBA games." We will no longer be doing that.

- - - - -

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Klay Thompson scored 40 points and Stephen Curry added 33 to help the Golden State Warriors become the second team to post back-to-back 65-win seasons with a 128-120 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

Draymond Green added 19 as the Warriors won their 52nd straight regular-season home game and improve their record to 65-7 following a 67-win season a year ago. The only other team to win at least 65 games in consecutive seasons was Chicago in 1995-96 and 1996-97.

Golden State hit 21 3-pointers to give them a record 938 on the season, breaking the mark of 933 set by Houston last season. Dallas hit 18 3s as the teams combined for a record 39 on the night.

Wesley Matthews scored 26 points and J.J. Barea added 21 for the short-handed Mavericks, who were without three usual starters.

TIMBERWOLVES 132, WIZARDS 129, 2OT

Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 10 rebounds and Minnesota dealt a blow to Washington's playoff hopes.

Zach LaVine added 25 points, and Gorgui Dieng scored 18 while helping the Timberwolves to comebacks at the end of regulation and the second overtime.

Bradley Beal scored 26 points as the 10th-place Wizards fell 3 1/2 games behind Detroit for the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff spot.

John Wall had 22 points and a season-high tying 16 assists, and Marcin Gortat had 19 points and 14 rebounds for Washington. But Gortat missed a pair of free throws with a chance to take the lead late in the second overtime.

Minnesota hit all 22 of its foul shots for its first back-to-back wins since Feb. 3 and 6.

ROCKETS 112, RAPTORS 109

HOUSTON (AP) - James Harden had his third triple-double this season with 32 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds to help Houston snap a three-game skid with a victory over Toronto.

Houston squandered a double-digit lead early but opened the fourth quarter with a big run to take control.

Patrick Patterson scored five quick points to get Toronto within 110-107 with 10.1 seconds remaining, but Trevor Ariza made two free throws after that to secure the win.

It's Toronto's second straight loss overall and its ninth loss in a row in Houston, where the Raptors haven't won since 2007.

In the last few minutes, Toronto stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry both get ejected for arguing with the officials.

DeRozan scored 18 points before being kicked out with about 3 minutes left.

SPURS 110, GRIZZLIES 104

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - LaMarcus Aldridge had 32 points and 12 rebounds and San Antonio beat similarly short-handed Memphis to match the best home start in league history with its 37th victory in a row.

San Antonio's streak tied the season-opening mark set by the Chicago Bulls in 1995-96 during their record 72-victory season. The Spurs have won 46 consecutive regular-season games at home, dating to March 2015.

The Spurs won despite Kawhi Leonard missing the game with a bruised right quadriceps and Danny Green, Boris Diaw and Patty Mills all sitting out for rest. The Grizzlies were without injured starters Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and three others.

Kevin Martin had a season-high 13 points with the Spurs in his first start since signing with San Antonio on March 9.

JaMychal Green had 20 points to lead Memphis, which has lost two straight.

PISTONS 112, HORNETS 105

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - Andre Drummond had 18 points and 14 rebounds and Detroit overwhelmed Charlotte with its highest-scoring first half of the season en route to a win.

Detroit led 72-56 after two quarters and won its fifth straight game, taking a two-game lead over Chicago for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons also pulled within a percentage point of seventh-place Indiana.

Kemba Walker scored 25 of his 29 points in the first half for Charlotte.

Detroit's lead reached 26 points in the fourth quarter before the Hornets went on a 25-4 run to cut the margin to five with less than a minute left, but the Pistons held on.

HEAT 108, MAGIC 97

MIAMI (AP) - Hassan Whiteside scored 26 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked five shots to lead Miami past Orlando.

Goran Dragic scored 22 points and handed out eight assists for Miami, which is 14-1 in its last 15 games against the Magic. Rookie Josh Richardson scored 14, Amare Stoudemire had 13, Dwyane Wade finished with 11 and Luol Deng had a 10-point, 13-rebound night for the Heat.

In his last 18 games, all off the bench, Whiteside is averaging 18 points and 13.7 rebounds on 60.5 percent shooting - with 16 double-doubles.

Evan Fournier scored 20 points for the Magic, who have lost 30 times in their last 40 games. Andrew Nicholson scored 19 points and Elfrid Payton finished with 14 for the injury-depleted Magic.

NUGGETS 116, LAKERS 105

LOS ANGELES (AP) - D.J. Augustin scored 20 points and Jusuf Nurkic added a career-high 18 in Denver's victory Los Angeles.

Kobe Bryant hit four 3-pointers and scored 28 points in his final meeting with the Nuggets, producing his highest-scoring performance in nearly eight weeks during his farewell season.

Julius Randle also had his first career triple-double for the Lakers with 13 points, 18 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists.

But Will Barton added 16 points in a balanced effort by the Nuggets, who have won three of four. They have beaten the Lakers six straight times at Staples Center.

D'Angelo Russell was carried off the court by teammates late in the first half, unable to put weight on a sprained right ankle.

HAWKS 101, BUCKS 90

ATLANTA (AP) - Jeff Teague scored 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and Atlanta overcame poor 3-point shooting to beat Milwaukee.

Paul Millsap had 14 points and 13 rebounds and Al Horford also had 14 points to keep the Hawks' late-season surge going. They have won seven of eight and 10 of 12 to move to third place in the Eastern Conference.

The Hawks (43-30) are a season-high 13 games over .500 and got there despite making only 5 of 32 3-pointers.

Jabari Parker led Milwaukee with 19 points. John Henson had 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Atlanta dodged Milwaukee's attempt for a sweep of the season series. The Bucks won the first two games against the Hawks in overtime, including a double-overtime win in Atlanta on Feb. 20.

KINGS 116, SUNDS 94

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - DeMarcus Cousins had 29 points and 11 rebounds and Sacramento beat Phoenix.

Rookie Willie Cauley-Stein had a career-high 26 points for the Kings, who broke the game open in the third quarter. Rudy Gay had 15 points, Quincy Acy had 14, Seth Curry had 12 and Darren Collison had 11.

Devin Booker led Phoenix with 26 points but also committed nine turnovers, including eight in the first half. Alex Len had 14 points, Mirza Teletovic had 12 and John Jenkins added 11 points and seven assists.

Recaps of last night's NBA games

NEW YORK (AP) Brook Lopez scored 22 points and the Brooklyn Nets blew by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fourth quarter for a 104-95 victory Thursday night.

James was scoreless and missed both shots in the fourth quarter after he scored 30 points on 13-for-14 shooting through three. Lopez had the final five points in a 14-0 run down the stretch as the Nets surged past the Eastern Conference leaders.

Shane Larkin added 16 points and seven assists for the Nets in his return to the starting lineup. Bojan Bogdanovic had 12 points.

The Cavaliers finished 10 of 38 on 3-pointers, needing a make by Jordan McRae after the Nets had taken control to extend their franchise-record streak to 10 games with 10 or more makes. But they misfired way too often, with Kyrie Irving finishing 6 for 22 from the field and Kevin Love going 5 for 14.

THUNDER 113, JAZZ 91

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Kevin Durant had 20 points, nine assists and eight rebounds to help Oklahoma City beat Utah for its sixth straight victory.

Russell Westbrook's streak of triple-doubles ended at three. He had 15 points, nine assists and seven rebounds before sitting out the fourth quarter because the game was in hand.

Dion Waiters scored 17 points, Enes Kanter add 16, and the Thunder shot 54 percent from the field. They will take the NBA's longest current winning streak into their home game Saturday against San Antonio.

Trey Burke scored 17 points, and Trey Lyles added 14 for the Jazz.

KNICKS 106, BULLS 94

Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points, Kristaps Porzingis had 19 and New York beat Chicago to sweep the home-and-home series.

Derrick Williams added 13 points, Jose Calderon 12, and Arron Afflalo 11 for New York. The Knicks beat the Bulls 115-107 on Wednesday night in Chicago.

Derrick Rose led Chicago with 30 points. Jimmy Butler had 19, and Taj Gibson 10. The Bulls dropped 1 1/2 games behind Detroit for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

PACERS 92, PELICANS 84

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Myles Turner scored 24 points and had a career-high 16 rebounds on his 20th birthday, and C.J. Miles added 19 points in Indiana's victory over New Orleans.

The Pacers have won two straight but lost Paul George in the third quarter with what was initially described as a bruised right leg. The three-time All-Star did not return.

Alexis Ajinca led New Orleans with 22 points, and Tim Frazier had a career-high 18.

CLIPPERS 96, TRAIL BLAZERS 94

LOS ANGELES (AP) - J.J. Redick hit a 21-foot jumper as time expired to lift Los Angeles past Portland.

With 1.1 seconds left, Chris Paul inbounded the ball to Redick cutting off a screen, and he made the basket from just inside the arc.

Paul and Jamal Crawford each scored 25 points for the Clippers. DeAndre Jordan added 12 points and 13 rebounds for Los Angeles.

Damian Lillard scored 18 points and C.J. McCollum added 17 to lead the Trail Blazers, who lost for the eighth time in 12 games. Ed Davis scored 12 points, Mason Plumlee had 11, and Maurice Harkless added 10 points and eight rebounds for Portland.

The loss cut the Blazers' lead to one game over Dallas and Utah for sixth place in the Western Conference with nine games to play.

Recaps of last night's NBA games

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Kawhi Leonard matched his career high with 32 points before leaving with a bruised quadriceps and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Miami Heat 112-88 on Wednesday night to remain perfect at home.

San Antonio has won its first 36 home games, leaving the Spurs a game shy of matching the record set by Chicago in 1995-96. The Spurs have won 45 consecutive regular-season games at home over two seasons.

Leonard's injury could have put a damper on the team's 60th overall victory, but it did not appear serious. He left with 6:01 remaining in the third quarter completing a three-point play after being fouled on a driving layup by Justise Winslow.

Josh Richardson led Miami with 17 points and Dwyane Wade added 16.

CAVALIERS 113, BUCKS 104

CLEVELAND (AP) - LeBron James scored 26 points, and Kevin Love added 24 in Cleveland's victory over Milwaukee.

Kyrie Irving flirted with a triple-double on his 24th birthday, finishing with 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Tristan Thompson added 13 points and 10 rebounds to help Cleveland maintain its grip on the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

However, the Cavs didn't put the Bucks away until the final minute, when J.R. Smith's 3-pointer with 20 seconds left put Cleveland ahead 111-102. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 24 points for the Bucks.

SUNS 119, LAKERS 107

PHOENIX (AP) - Kobe Bryant said farewell to Phoenix, scoring 17 points cheered on by a loud, pro-Lakers crowd in a loss to the Suns.

Bryant played for the 47th and final time in Phoenix, capping his career finale in the desert with a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. The 37-year-old five-time NBA champion left the game with 1:05 to play, hugging the Suns' P.J. Tucker and waving to the cheering crowd as he headed to the bench.

Devin Booker, the Suns' 19-year-old rookie, scored 28 points in his one and only game against Bryant, who sat out the previous three meetings against Phoenix this season. Brandon Knight added 25 points, and Jon Leuer had 23 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.

PISTONS 118, MAGIC 102

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - Andre Drummond had 30 points and 14 rebounds, and Detroit never trailed in its victory over Orlando.

Chasing their first postseason appearance since 2009, the Pistons have won four straight, and they still have four games to go on their nine-game homestand.

Detroit shot 54 percent from the field and 11 of 24 from 3-point range.

Tobias Harris scored 18 points for the Pistons against his former team, and Reggie Jackson added 16 points and nine assists. Elfrid Payton had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Orlando.

TRAIL BLAZERS 109, MAVERICKS 103

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Damian Lillard had 27 points and six assists, Ed Davis scored all of his 16 points in the first half and Portland beat Dallas.

Maurice Harkless, starting for just the fourth time all season, and C.J. McCollum each added 14 points for the Blazers.

Former Blazers guard Wesley Matthews led the Mavericks with 22 points. Salah Mejri, making his fourth start of the season, added 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points. Dallas fell into a tie with Utah for seventh in the West.

JAZZ 89, ROCKETS 87

HOUSTON (AP) - Derrick Favors' dunk with 1.6 seconds left lifted Utah past Houston.

Gordon Hayward had 22 points, and Favors added 17 for Utah.

The Jazz trailed by as many as 18 in the second half before rallying for their first lead of the game with about 4 minutes left.

After Favors' dunk, James Harden's 3-point attempt bounced off the rim. Harden finished with 26 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and a career-high eight steals.

CELTICS 91, RAPTORS 79

BOSTON (AP) - Isaiah Thomas scored 23 points, Evan Turner added 17 and Boston beat Toronto.

Avery Bradley had 16 points and eight rebounds to help the Celtics win their third consecutive game.

DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 21 points. Point guard Kyle Lowry sat out, resting a sore right elbow. Toronto had a four-game winning streak snapped and fell 2 1/2 games behind Cleveland for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

KNICKS 115, BULLS 107

CHICAGO (AP) - Rookie Kristaps Porzingis matched his season high with 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Carmelo Anthony added 24 points and New York beat Chicago.

In the front end of back-to-back with the Knicks, the Bulls dropped behind Detroit in the Eastern Conference standings for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Nikola Mirotic scored a career-high 35 points for the Bulls.

NUGGETS 104, 76ERS 103

DENVER (AP) - Emmanuel Mudiay made a 35-footer at the buzzer to finish with 27 points and give the Denver a victory over Philadelphia.

Mudiay, who also had 11 rebounds, was sandwiched between two defenders and nearly lost the ball before regaining control and launching the winning shot. Nikola Jokic and Gary Harris added 18 points apiece.

T.J. McConnell had 17 points for the 76ers.

The game was played before a sparse crowd that braved daylong blizzard conditions.

HAWKS 122, WIZARDS 101

WASHINGTON (AP) - Reserve Dennis Schroder scored 23 points, Kyle Korver connected on five 3-pointers, and Atlanta beat Washington to split the home-and-home series.

Atlanta made a season-high 17 3s to keep pace in a competitive Eastern Conference playoff picture. Paul Millsap scored 17, Korber had 15, and Al Horford 13.

Marcus Thornton led Washington with 23 points. The Wizards beat the Hawks 117-102 in Atlanta on Monday night.

TIMBERWOLVES 113, KINGS 104.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks to lead Minnesota past Sacramento.

Zach LaVine scored all 23 of his points in the second half, Andrew Wiggins also had 23 and the Timberwolves overcame a sluggish start to get just their second home victory of the month. They shot 56 percent and had 29 assists to overcome 18-for-32 shooting at the free throw line.

Rajon Rondo had 25 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds, but the Kings sorely missed star center DeMarcus Cousins, who missed the game with a bruised right knee.

Recaps of last night's NBA games

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Russell Westbrook had 21 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds to help the Thunder beat the Houston Rockets 111-107 on Tuesday night.

Westbrook has 15 triple-doubles this season and 34 in his career. It's the most triple-doubles by a player in a season since 1988-89, when Magic Johnson had 17 and Michael Jordan had 15.

It was also Westbrook's sixth triple-double in March. According to STATS, it's the most by a player in a calendar month since Jordan had seven in April 1989. It was his third in a row and fourth in his past five games.

Kevin Durant scored 23 points and Dion Waiters added 17 to help the Thunder win their fifth straight.

James Harden had 24 points, a career-high 16 assists and seven rebounds for the Rockets. Dwight Howard had 16 points and 13 rebounds and Patrick Beverley added 16 points.

LAKERS 107, GRIZZLIES 100

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jordan Clarkson scored 22 points, Kobe Bryant added 20 and theLakers snapped a four-game losing streak.

Bryant scored 12 points in the third quarter, but the superstar sat out the final 4:20. Brandon Bass got eight of his 18 points in the fourth while Los Angeles' younger players closed out an unlikely victory over the playoff-bound Grizzlies, who had won the clubs' first three meetings of the season.

The Western Conference-worst Lakers wrapped up an eight-game homestand with three wins, beating contenders Golden State and Memphis.

Tony Allen made all 12 of his shots while scoring 27 points for the Grizzlies, who had won two straight. Zach Randolph and Lance Stephenson added 16 points apiece.

HEAT 113, PELICANS 99

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Hassan Whiteside had 24 points, 14 and three blocked shots to leadMiami past injury-ravaged New Orleans.

Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic each scored 23 points for the Heat, who've won nine of 12 games to put Miami in position to grab a playoff seeding as high as third in the Eastern Conference.

Jrue Holiday scored 24 for New Orleans, but missed 16 of his 23 shots. His shooting struggles against Miami's stout defense was part of a theme for New Orleans, which shot only 39.1 percent (34 of 87) for the game.

Luke Babbitt scored a season-high 23 points for the Pelicans, who trailed by double digits for much of the game before briefly getting as close as five points in the fourth quarter.

HORNETS 105, NETS 100

NEW YORK (AP) - Nicolas Batum scored 23 points to lead Charlotte past Brooklyn.

Jeremy Lin added 21 points, a night after scoring 29 in Charlotte's rally from 23 down to beat the San Antonio Spurs.

Brook Lopez had 29 points, nine rebounds and a season-high six assists, and Sean Kilpatrick added a career-high 25 points for the Nets.

Batum hit two big shots down the stretch to key the win. Batum had a four-point play to put Charlotte up 91-84 with 4:11 left and 3-pointer to extend the lead to 96-88 with 2:44 remaining.

Bojan Bogdanovic cut the deficit to 98-97. Kemba Walker then sank two free throws to push Charlotte's lead to 100-97 and the Hornets never looked back.

Grizzlies sign Jordan Farmar to 10-day contract

Statement from the Grizzlies website.

The Memphis Grizzlies announced Monday that the team has signed guard Jordan Farmar (FAHR-mahr) to a 10-day contract.

Farmar (6-2, 180) has appeared in 490 games (30 starts) across eight NBA seasons and averaged 7.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 19.4 minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers, New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. He holds career shooting percentages of 42.3 percent from the field, 37.4 percent from three-point range and 73.4 percent from the free throw line.

The 29-year-old has played 69 postseason contests (six starts), all with the Lakers, and averaged 5.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 15.0 minutes. He played in three consecutive NBA Finals from 2008-10, winning back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.

Originally from Los Angeles, Farmar was selected by the Lakers in the first round (26th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft following a standout collegiate career at UCLA, where he averaged 13.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists in a total of 66 games. As a sophomore, he was named to the All-Pac-10 First Team and guided the Bruins to the NCAA National Championship game. Farmar excelled at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, Calif., averaging 27.5 points and 6.5 assists as a senior. He led Taft to the school’s first Los Angeles City title and was named a 2004 McDonald’s All-American.

Farmar returned to Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv for the first part of the 2015-16 season after playing with the club during the 2011-12 season. He also has played overseas in Turkey for Anadolu Efes (2012-13) and Darussafaka Dogus (2014-15).

Memphis’ roster now stands at 18 players.

Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase tickets to any of the Grizzlies’ remaining contests of the 2015-16 season or guarantee their 2016 NBA Playoff tickets with 2016-17 Season Tickets can do so by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com. For more information on the Grizzlies, visit grizzlies.com, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow on Twitter (@memgrizz).

Recaps of last night's NBA games

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (AP) — Jeremy Lin scored 15 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter as Charlotte overcame a 23-point deficit to snap San Antonio's six-game winning streak, winning 91-88.

Lin was 11 of 18 from the field and hit all four 3-point attempts, including three in the fourth quarter.

Courtney Lee had 17 points, Nicolas Batum added 15, and Cody Zeller grabbed 14 rebounds for the Hornets, who bounced back from a disappointing loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.

Tony Parker had 19 points for the Spurs, while LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 points and 12 rebounds. Tim Duncan had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The Spurs had two chances to tie it at the end of regulation, but Patty Mills and Danny Green both missed 3-point attempts.

The Hornets trailed 28-7 after the first quarter.

CAVALIERS 124, NUGGETS 91

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James scored 33 points and had his 41st career triple-double as Cleveland clinched its second straight Central Division title with a comfortable victory over Denver.

James added 11 rebounds and 11 assists before checking out with 6:02 left to a thunderous ovation. He scored 17 in the first quarter, helping the Cavs build a 19-point lead and erase the memory of an embarrassing loss on Saturday in Miami.

The Nuggets fought back and briefly led before the Cavs regrouped, scored 68 after halftime to notch their 50th win.

J.R. Smith added 15 points and Channing Frye 14 for Cleveland, which played without starter Kevin Love (illness).

Will Barton scored 27 for the Nuggets, who concluded a 1-4 road trip. Denver's Kenneth Faried missed his third straight game with a sore lower back.

PISTONS 92, BUCKS 91

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (AP) — Andre Drummond's tip-in with 2 seconds remaining lifted Detroit over Milwaukee.

The Pistons, who are in a tight race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, came out inexplicably flat and trailed by 17 points in the first half. They were down 13 in the third quarter before chipping away at Milwaukee's lead in the fourth.

Drummond was outplayed badly early on by Greg Monroe, but when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope missed from the perimeter in the final seconds, Drummond was able to tip the ball in. The Bucks weren't able to get a clean shot off after that.

Drummond finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds.

Khris Middleton led Milwaukee with 27 points, and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 21.

WARRIORS 109, TIMBERWOLVES 104

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Draymond Green had 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists to help Golden State narrowly avoid its first two-game skid in nearly a year with a victory over Minnesota.

Klay Thompson scored 17 points and hit all five of his 3-pointers, and the Warriors (63-7) overcame a second straight poor shooting night from Stephen Curry. The reigning MVP missed 11 of his 17 shots, including seven of his nine 3-pointers, but still had 19 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Ricky Rubio added 20 points, 11 assists and four rebounds for the Timberwolves (22-48), who gave the defending champs all they could handle.

BULLS 109, KINGS 102

CHICAGO (AP) — Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson had 18 points each, Doug McDermott added 16 and Pau Gasol had 14 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 109-102 comeback victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.

Rose was 9 for 15 from the field and hit a couple of 15-foot jumpers during Chicago's decisive 10-0 run in the fourth quarter to rally from a five-point deficit.

Gasol recorded his 39th double-double of the season in his first game back after missing four games with a swollen right knee.

DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and 18 rebounds, Darren Collison had 19 points and Rudy Gay had 18 for Sacramento.

WIZARDS 112, HAWKS 102

ATLANTA (AP) — John Wall scored 27 points and dished out 14 assists and Bradley Beal chipped in with 25 points to help Washington extended its winning streak to a season-high five games.

The Hawks came into the game having won five straight and eight of their past nine, pushing to a season-high 12 games above .500. But the Wizards bolstered their playoff hopes with a dazzling offensive display, shooting 51 percent from the field and knocking down 13-of-25 from 3-point range.

Every starter scored in double figures. Otto Porter had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Jeff Teague led the Hawks with 23 points. Atlanta kept up with the Wizards over the first three quarters, but struggled offensively in the final period.

PACERS 91, 76ERS 75

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Paul George scored 15 points and Monta Ellis added 13 to help Indiana pull away from Philadelphia.

Indiana snapped a two-game losing streak and won for just the second time in five games as it tries to take advantage of a favorable schedule to make a late-season playoff push.

Hollis Thompson and Isaiah Canaan each scored 15 for the 76ers, who have lost six straight and 19 of their last 20.

This one was never really close.

Indiana used a 9-0 run midway through the first quarter to take a 21-10 lead and never trailed. The 76ers only got within one score once the rest of the night, after Canaan's 3-pointer with 7:06 left in the third made it 55-53.

The Pacers scored eight straight and extended the lead throughout the fourth.

GRIZZLIES 103, SUNS 97

PHOENIX (AP) — Lance Stephenson scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter as Memphis pulled out a victory over Phoenix.

The Grizzlies scored the last eight points of the game, holding the Suns scoreless the final 2:12.

Stephenson's rebound basket after Jordan Farmar's airball layup attempt gave Memphis a 99-97 lead with 31 seconds to play.

Zach Randolph added 14 points for the Grizzlies and blocked Jon Leuer's shot with Memphis nursing that two-point lead.

Devin Booker scored 18 points and P.J. Tucker added 15 for Phoenix. Leuer had 13 points and 13 rebounds.

CELTICS 107, MAGIC 96

BOSTON (AP) — Isaiah Thomas had 28 points and seven assists and Boston held on to beat Orlando.

Avery Bradley had 22 points and nine rebounds and Kelly Olynyk had 22 points in his fourth game back from a right shoulder sprain to help the Celtics even the season series with the Magic at two games each.

Boston led by 14 early in the fourth quarter and ended the game on a 9-2 run after having its lead cut to four. It was the Celtics' first home victory since their 14-game home winning streak was snapped on March 11.

Victor Oladipo led Orlando with 25 points and eight rebounds.

The Magic have lost four straight and eight of their last 10.

Recaps of yesterday's NBA games

DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki scored 40 points and Deron Williams had 31 points and 16 assists, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 132-120 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.

Nowitzki and Williams capped season-high scoring efforts with the first 11 points in overtime. Williams made a tiebreaking 3-pointer before Nowitzki scored eight straight points.

The Mavericks' victory moved them within a half-game of the Trail Blazers for the sixth playoff position in the Western Conference. Dallas has 12 games to play, and Portland 11.

The Mavericks (35-35) also gained a tiebreaker by winning the first two of three games in the season series against the Trail Blazers (36-35). The teams play again in Portland on Wednesday.

Damian Lillard led the Trail Blazers with 26 points. Allen Crabbe scored 24 points, and C.J. McCollum had 22. Miles Plumlee had 14 points and 19 rebounds.

RAPTORS 105, MAGIC 100

TORONTO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points, leading Toronto to the win.

Luis Scola had 20 points as the Raptors moved within one game of idle Cleveland for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Evan Fournier and Victor Oladipo each had 21 points for Orlando, which lost its seventh straight game in Toronto and has now lost 13 of the last 14 meetings with the Raptors.

A 3-pointer from Fournier with 1:11 remaining trimmed Toronto's lead to 97-96, but DeRozan responded with a floating jumper with 53.9 seconds left and added the free throw after being fouled by Ersan Ilyasova.

PELICANS 109, CLIPPERS 105

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jrue Holiday scored 22 points, helping the injury-riddled Pelicans to the victory.

Omer Asik scored a season-high 15 points and tied his season best with 14 rebounds for New Orleans, while Dante Cunningham scored a season-high 19 points. Reserve guard Tim Frazier added a season-high 17 points.

Chris Paul and J.J. Redick each scored 24 points, and Paul also had 13 assists for the Clippers, who lost in Memphis on Saturday night and were playing their second game in less than 24 hours. Los Angeles missed 19 3-point attempts and 13 free throws.

The Pelicans tipped off shortly after announcing All-Star forward Anthony Davis, who hurt his left knee on Friday night, would miss the rest of the season to treat that injury as well as a torn labrum in his left shoulder that he played with for much of the season.

CELTICS 120, 76ERS 105

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Isaiah Thomas led six Celtics players in double figures with 26 points, and Boston snapped a four-game skid.

Jared Sullinger added 17 points and 13 rebounds for Boston, which swept the four-game season series against the 76ers to make it eight consecutive wins against Philadelphia. The Celtics avoided matching their longest losing streak of the season with the victory.

Carl Landry scored 26 points for the 76ers, who have lost five in a row and 18 of the last 19 to fall to 9-61.

JAZZ 94, BUCKS 85

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Gordon Hayward scored 18 points, including 13 during a decisive third quarter, and the Jazz won for the fifth time in six games.

Utah remained one game behind Dallas for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Trey Lyles added 14 points for the Jazz, and Shelvin Mack had 13 points and 12 assists. Rudy Gobert finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Milwaukee is 4-18 in its last 22 games against Utah. Jabari Parker had 19 points and eight rebounds for the Bucks.

Spurs assign Boban Marjanovic & Jonathan Simmons to Austin Spurs

Statement from the Spurs website.

Boban Marjanovic

SAN ANTONIO (March 20, 2016) – The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have assigned center Boban Marjanovic and forward Jonathon Simmons to the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League. 
Marjanovic, 7-3/290, will make his second appearance with Austin, where he is averaging 25.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 blocks in 26.5 minutes while shooting .793 from the floor in two games.

Simmons, 6-6/195, will see his third stint in Austin and is averaging 17.3 points, 4.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 35.4 minutes in three total games this season.

Both in their first seasons with San Antonio, Marjanovic is averaging 4.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14.0 minutes over 45 games, while Simmons is averaging 5.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14.0 minutes over 48 appearances with the Spurs.

The Austin Spurs are back in action today when they host the Bakersfield Jam at the Cedar Park Center at 3:00 p.m.
 

Brooklyn Nets Sign Sean Kilpatrick To Multi-Year Contract

Statement from the Nets website.

Brooklyn, NY (March 19, 2016) – The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard Sean Kilpatrick to a multi-year contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

Originally signed to the first of two 10-day contracts on February 28, Kilpatrick has appeared in nine games with the Nets, averaging 11.9 points while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from three-point range in 19.1 minutes per game. Kilpatrick has scored in double figures six times, including each of the last four games.

In 21 career NBA games split between Brooklyn, Denver and Minnesota, Kilpatrick has averaged 7.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game.

Recaps of yesterday's NBA games

SAN ANTONIO (AP) LaMarcus Aldridge had 26 points and 13 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Golden State Warriors 87-79 on Saturday night to remain perfect at the AT&T Center this season and extend their home dominance over the defending champions to 33 straight regular-season games.

Kawhi Leonard added 18 points and 14 rebounds for San Antonio, which has won 44 straight at home in the regular season, tied for the second-longest streak in NBA history.

The Spurs held Warriors superstar Stephen Curry to 14 points while limiting him to 1-for-12 shooting on 3-pointers.

San Antonio (59-10) moved within three games of Golden State (62-7) for the league's top seed with two games remaining between the two teams.

San Antonio was able to win a showdown between the league's top two teams with Tim Duncan coming off the bench for only the third time in his career.

HEAT 122, CAVALIERS 101

MIAMI (AP) - Dwyane Wade scored 24 points to surpass 20,000 for his career, Josh Richardson added 19 and Miami never trailed in beating Cleveland.

Goran Dragic had 18 points and 11 assists for Miami, Joe Johnson also scored 18 and Hassan Whiteside finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Miami outrebounded Cleveland 42-26 and led by as many as 33 at one point.

LeBron James had 26 points for Cleveland and sat out the final 15 minutes, the outcome already long been decided when his night ended. Richard Jefferson scored 20 and Kyrie Irving had 14 for the Cavaliers, who have lost 11 consecutive games in Miami.

THUNDER 115, PACERS 111

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Russell Westbrook had his second triple-double in two nights, Kevin Durant had 33 points and 13 rebounds, and Oklahoma City overcame Paul George's 45 points to beat Indiana.

Westbrook finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists, his 14th triple-double of the season. Durant nearly had one, too, finishing with eight assists to lead Oklahoma City to its fourth straight win.

George added seven rebounds and four assists but missed a 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds left that could have tied it.

Indiana erased a 10-point halftime deficit and regained the lead early in the fourth quarter, but couldn't hold it. After Indiana took its last lead at 98-97 with 8:28 to go, the Thunder answered with a 9-0 run.

NUGGETS 101, HORNETS 93

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - D.J. Augustin scored 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting, and Denver snapped a three-game road losing streak with a victory over Charlotte.

Darrell Arthur and Gary Harris added 13 points apiece for the Nuggets, while Nikola Jokic had 11 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter.

Nicolas Batum had 24 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Hornets, who lost at home for only the third time in the last 15 games. Jeremy Lin had 16 points and Kemba Walker added 15 for Charlotte.

It was a costly loss for the Hornets, who had beaten Miami on Thursday night to pull into a tie with the Heat for the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference.

GRIZZLIES 113, CLIPPERS 102

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Zach Randolph recorded his first career triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, Tony Allen added 22 points and Memphis beat the Clippers.

Randolph, returning from a seven-game absence due to a sore knee, was 10 of 19 from the floor, while Allen was 7 of 10. Ray McCallum added 14 for Memphis, including seven in the fourth quarter. Lance Stephenson had 12 points and JaMychal Green finished with 11 as Memphis snapped a four-game losing streak.

Chris Paul had 25 points and six assists for the Clippers, while DeAndre Jordan added 16 points and seven rebounds. Paul Pierce contributed 12 points and Austin Rivers finished with 10.

The Clippers have lost three of four.

HAWKS 109, ROCKETS 97

ATLANTA (AP) - Al Horford scored 22 points and streaking Atlanta continued to feast on Western Conference teams by beating Michael Beasley and Houston.

The Hawks have won five straight and eight of nine. They've also won six straight against Western Conference teams.

Beasley led Houston with a season-high 30 points, including 12 of the team's 14 fourth-quarter points. James Harden had 25 and Dwight Howard had eight points and 17 rebounds.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 20 points off Atlanta's bench, his second straight game with at least 20 points. He made five of seven 3-pointers.

BULLS 92, UTAH 85

CHICAGO (AP) - Derrick Rose scored 22 points to lead short-handed Chicago past Utah, snapping the Jazz's four-game winning streak.

Taj Gibson had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Nikola Mirotic added 15 points for Chicago.

Rose was 10 for 15 from the field as the Bulls won their second straight. Chicago (35-33) remained in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls were playing without Pau Gasol (right knee swelling) and E'Twaun Moore (left hamstring).

Derrick Favors led the Jazz with 24 points.

Gordon Hayward, Utah's leading scorer with 20.1 points per game, had nine points on 4-for-13 shooting after missing two games with plantar fasciitis of the right foot.

WIZARDS 99, KNICKS 89

WASHINGTON (AP) - John Wall had 24 points and 10 assists, and Washington rallied from an 18-point, second-quarter deficit to beat New York for its fourth straight victory.

Marcin Gortat added 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Markieff Morris added 17 points as all five Washington starters scored in double figures.

It was the largest comeback win of the season for the Wizards, who began Saturday 10th in the Eastern Conference, but just 1 1/2 games out of the eighth and final playoff spot.

Wall, who was seeking his third straight triple-double, fell short with two rebounds, but committed just one turnover after totaling 17 in his last two games.

Kristaps Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 20 points apiece. Anthony, who averaged 35 in the teams' first two meetings, scored just 12 after the first quarter.

PISTONS 115, NETS 103

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - Anthony Tolliver scored all 17 of his points in the second half and Aron Baynes scored 17 of his 21 in the fourth quarter to lift Detroit over Brooklyn.

The Pistons trailed by six in the third and were in danger of what would have been a terrible home loss, but they were eventually able to take advantage of Brook Lopez's absence. The Brooklyn big man missed the game with a virus.

Tolliver helped turn the game around after not playing at all in the first half. He made four 3-pointers and matched his season high in scoring. Baynes, another Detroit backup, set a career high thanks to his big fourth quarter.

Thaddeus Young scored 24 points for the Nets. Brooklyn has lost eight of 10.