Blazers down Kings 123-119
PORTLAND, ORE. >> Damian Lillard had 44 points, including 10 straight at a key moment down the stretch, to give the Portland Trail Blazers a 123-119 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night.
Enes Kanter added 22 points and 21 rebounds for the Blazers, who have won three straight heading into the All-Star break. Lillard finished with eight 3-pointers.
De’Aaron Fox had 32 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds for Sacramento, which had six players score in double figures.
Richaun Holmes dunked to give the Kings a 10398 lead with 5:41 left, but Lillard answered with a 3-pointer and Kanter’s layup tied it at 103.
SUNS 120, WARRIORS 98 >> Cameron Payne scored 17 points, Devin Booker added 16 and the Phoenix Suns easily handled the shorthanded Golden State.
The Suns enter the AllStar break as one of the league’s hottest teams. They’ve won 16 of 19 dating to Jan. 28 and improved to 24-11 this season.
The Warriors were missing a big chunk of their usual production: Stephen Curry (rest), Draymond Green (ankle) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (wrist) were all out of the lineup. Because of that,
they predictably struggled.
Jordan Poole led all scorers with 26 points on 10-of16 shooting, including 5 of 10 from 3-point range.
KICKS 114, PISTONS 101 >> Julius Randle capped his AllStar first half with 27 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists, sending the New York Knicks into the break with a winning record after a win over Detroit.
Wayne Ellington scored 17 points for the Pistons. WIZARDS 119, CLIPPERS 117 >> Bradley Beal scored 33 points and Washington beat Los Angeles after Clippers’ All-Star Paul George was a late scratch.
Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points for the Clippers. George was listed as a starter but was replaced moments before tipoff due to dizziness.
CELTICS 132, RAPTORS 125 >>
Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 12 rebounds and Boston won its fourth straight game, outlasting shorthanded Toronto.
NUGGETS 113, PACERS 103 >> Michael Porter Jr. scored 24 points and Nikola Jokic added 24 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, leading Denver past Indiana.
Indiana was led by Myles Turner’s 22 points and 12 rebounds, but lost for the fifth time in six games.
BUCKS 112, GRIZZLIES 111 >> Jrue Holiday hit a baseline jumper with two seconds remaining and Milwaukee escaped with a victory over Memphis.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, and Khris Middleton added 22 points and 10 rebounds. Ja Morant led Memphis
with 35 points, 28 of them in the second half. HEAT 103, PELICANS 93 >> Jimmy Butler had 29 points and nine assists, and Miami took advantage of Zion Williamson’s absence to beat New Orleans.
THUNDER 107, SPURS 102 >> Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points and Oklahoma City rallied in the second half to beat San Antonio and snap a two-game losing streak.
ALL-STAR TEAMS PICKED >> LeBron James has faced Giannis Antetokounmpo as an opponent in the last three All-Star Games.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ star got him as a teammate this year.
James used the No. 1 overall pick on Antetokounmpo — the NBA’s two-time reigning MVP from Milwaukee — in the draft for Sunday’s AllStar Game in Atlanta. Kevin Durant, who will not play in the All-Star Game because of injury but still is the captain for Team Durant, took Brooklyn teammate Kyrie Irving with his first pick.
The other starters for Team LeBron will be Stephen Curry of Golden State, Luka Doncic of Dallas and Nikola Jokic of Denver. The other starters for Team Durant will be Joel Embiid of Philadelphia, 2020 All-Star MVP Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers, Bradley Beal of Washington and Jayson Tatum of Boston.