Aldridge, Leonard lead Spurs past sliding Grizzlies
SAN ANTONIO — LaMarcus Aldridge scored 23 points, Kawhi Leonard added 19, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Memphis Grizzlies 97-90 on Thursday night in a possible first-round playoff preview.
San Antonio opened a four-game homestand by moving two games behind idle Golden State for the league’s best record. The Spurs (55-16) close the homestand against the Warriors (57-14) next Wednesday.
Memphis is seventh in the Western Conference, which would result in a first-round matchup with San Antonio if the standings remain.
Mike Conley had 22 points and six assists for Memphis, which lost its third straight to fall 1½ games behind Oklahoma City for sixth place.
Marc Gasol, who had 13 points, was the only other Grizzlies player in double figures.
San Antonio lost the first two meetings between the teams, both in Memphis, by a combined 23 points but won at home behind its starting forwards.
Aldridge reached 15,000 career points with his final basket, a 13-foot jumper that gave San Antonio a 90-81 lead with 2:10 left.
NETS 126, SUNS 98
Brook Lopez scored 19 points, K.J. McDaniels had a season-high 16, and Brooklyn beat visiting Phoenix to earn consecutive victories for the first time this season.
Trevor Booker added 14 points for the leagueworst Nets, who beat Detroit on Tuesday.
Devin Booker scored 28 points and Marquese Chriss had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Suns. Alex Len had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
RAPTORS 101, HEAT 84
DeMar DeRozan scored 40 points, marking the first time he has had that many in consecutive games, and Toronto pulled off its league-leading 19th doubledigit comeback of the season to win at Miami.
The Raptors never led until midway through the third quarter. Toronto allowed 33 points in the first quarter, then held Miami to 35 points over the next 27 minutes.
BLAZERS 110, KNICKS 95
Damian Lillard scored 30 points as Portland never trailed in a victory over visiting New York.
Lillard had 15 in the first quarter as the Trail Blazers opened a 14-point lead. Portland led by as much as 23 and moved within a game of the Denver Nuggets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
MAVS 97, CLIPPERS 95
Harrison Barnes made the go-ahead basket, then stole the ball from Blake Griffin with 3.9 seconds left as Dallas beat visiting Los Angeles.
Barnes made a 14-foot jumper with 1:06 remaining for the game’s 11th lead change, making it 96-95. After he stripped Griffin, Wesley Matthews made a free throw with 0.9 seconds to play before J.J. Redick missed a 3-point attempt that would have won it at the buzzer.