Grizzlies earn playoff berth as Kennard makes 10 3-pointers

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Luke Kennard made afranchise-record 10 3-pointers to match his career high with 30points, Desmond Bane added 25 points and the Memphis Grizzliesclinched a playoff spot after building a 31-point halftime lead andcoasting to a 151-114 victory over the Houston Rockets on Fridaynight.

Ja Morant scored 18 points and had eight assists in his secondgame after serving an eight-game league-imposed suspension after heposted a video in which he is shown waving a gun at a Denver-areastrip club. Morant, as he did in his first game back Wednesday alsoagainst the Rockets, again came off the bench. He entered with 5:08left in the first quarter.

Jaren Jackson Jr. also scored 18 points and had seven reboundsand two blocks for Memphis, which made a franchise-best 253-pointers and had the second-most points in team history. TheGrizzlies won their 11th straight at home and moved within threegames of idle Denver, which holds the top spot in the WesternConference.

Tari Eason had 21 points to lead Houston, while Kevin Porter Jr.and Jabari Smith Jr. each had 20.

CELTICS 120, PACERS 95

BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 34 points, setting a franchiserecord with his 40th 30-point game this season, and Boston rolledpast Indiana.

Tatum passed Hall of Famer Larry Bird, who had 39 30-point gamesduring the 1987-88 season.

Jaylen Brown added 27 points and seven rebounds, and DerrickWhite finished with 22 points and nine assists for the Celtics, whohave won four of five and improved to 27-9 at home this season.

Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton had 20 points,nine assists and six rebounds in his first game back from asix-game absence with a combination of a bruised left knee andsprained right ankle. Myles Turner added 20 points and sixrebounds.

LAKERS 116, THUNDER 111

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anthony Davis had 37 points and 14 rebounds,Dennis Schröder added 13 of his 21 points in the second half andthe Los Angeles Lakers got a vital victory for their playoffhopes.

Lonnie Walker scored 20 points in an impressive return to therotation for the Lakers, who have won three straight to move evenwith Minnesota in seventh place in the Western Conferencestandings. With Davis leading the way on both ends of the court,Los Angeles (37-37) also reached .500 for the first time thisseason after holding off the Thunder despite the injury absences ofLeBron James and D’Angelo Russell.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey scored 27 points apiecefor Oklahoma City, which lost for only the fourth time in 12 gamesdown the stretch. The Thunder (36-38) dropped into a tie withDallas for 10th in the West.

WARRIORS 120, 76ERS 112

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jordan Poole scored 33 points and swished akey 3-pointer with 1:18 to play off a pretty pass by DraymondGreen, Stephen Curry added 29 points and eight rebounds and GoldenState rallied past Joel Embiid and Philadelphia.

Embiid checked back into the game with 8:26 left and scored 13straight on the way to 46 points, but the Warriors came back from11 down for their ninth straight home win — and one of the mostimportant yet as they fight for playoff positioning.

Embiid shot 13 for 23, made 19 of 22 free throws and had ninerebounds, eight assists and two steals. He helped Philadelphia takean 88-79 lead going into the fourth. He had his streak of scoring30 or more points in a franchise-record 10 straight games snappedin Wednesday’s 116-91 win at Chicago but made up for it.

WIZARDS 136, SPURS 124

WASHINGTON (AP) — Corey Kispert scored 26 points and sank six3-pointers, Deni Avdija added 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds andWashington pulled away for a win over San Antonio.

Delon Wright added 24 points and Kristaps Porzingis 23 for theWizards, who missed three-time All-Star Bradley Beal (left kneesprain) for a second game but snapped a four-game skid.

Washington sank 15 of 30 attempts beyond the arc one game aftersetting season lows for number and percentage of 3s made inWednesday’s loss to West-leading Denver.

Keldon Johnson scored 30 points for San Antonio, which playedwithout 2022 ninth-overall draft pick Jeremy Sochan (sore rightknee) for the third time in four games.

RAPTORS 118, PISTONS 97

TORONTO (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored 32 points, Chris Boucher had19 points and 13 rebounds and Toronto routed Detroit for its eighthwin in nine home games.

Fred VanVleet added 18 points and O.G. Anunoby 17 as Torontocompleted its first four-game sweep of Detroit since the 2017-18season. The Raptors also improved to 7-0 when holding opponentsbelow 100 points

Jaden Ivey scored 20 points and Marvin Bagley III and JamesWiseman each had 14 for Detroit, but the Pistons lost for the 16thtime in 17 games.

HORNETS 117, MAVERICKS 109

DALLAS (AP) — P.J. Washington Jr. scored 28 points and GordonHayward added 25 as undermanned Charlotte built a 21-point lead andheld on to beat Dallas.

The Hornets, who were eliminated from the Eastern Conferenceplayoff race last week, earned a split of a back-to-back afterlosing by 19 points on Thursday night at New Orleans and finishingwith only seven healthy players.

Luka Doncic had 34 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Mavericks,who lost their third straight and for the sixth time in eightgames. Kyrie Irving scored 18 points after missing one game with atoe injury. He and Doncic played together for the first time sinceMarch 8. The Mavericks are 3-7 with both in the lineup.

BUCKS 144, JAZZ 116

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Grayson Allen scored a season-high 25points to lead Milwaukee past Utah.

Allen made five 3-pointers and shot 57% from the field to helpthe Bucks lead wire-to-wire. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 pointsand 11 assists, and Pat Connaughton scored 22 points while makingsix 3-pointers. Jrue Holiday added 18 points and seven assists, andBrook Lopez had 17 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks.

Milwaukee made 22 3-pointers and shot 56% from the field to fuelits third straight victory.

Simone Fontecchio scored a career-high 26 points in his thirdcareer start to lead the Jazz.

BULLS 124, TRAIL BLAZERS 96

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Zach LaVine scored 33 points and Chicagodominated short-handed Portland.

Nikola Vucevic added 23 points and 15 rebounds for the Bulls,who have won six of their last eight games and sit in 10th place inthe Eastern Conference standings with nine regular-season gamesremaining.

Portland, which has lost seven of its last eight games, was ledby rookie Shaedon Sharpe, who matched his career high with 24points. The Blazers’ lone win during the recent stretch cameagainst the Utah Jazz 127-115 on Wednesday. Portland was at 13th inthe Western Conference standings, well out of the playoffpicture.

Regular Portland starters Damian Lillard (calf tightness), JusufNurkic (sore right knee), Jerami Grant (quad contusion) andAnfernee Simons (sore right foot) did not play against theBulls.

KINGS 135, SUNS 127

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Huerter led all scorers with 29points and Sacramento beat Phoenix.

Huerter added nine rebounds and five assists for the Kings(44-29), who are in third place in the Western Conference behindDenver and Memphis. Domantas Sabonis finished with 27 points, ninerebounds and nine assists for the Kings.

Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox exited the game with 7:16 left in thethird quarter with right hamstring soreness. Fox finished with 19points in 21 minutes.

Devin Booker finished with 32 points for the Suns (38-36).Terrence Ross scored a season-high 30 points off the bench and hitsix 3-pointers.