Kuzma helps Lakers upend Spurs in OT
Kyle Kuzma scored six of his 30 points in overtime and the Lakers swept the three-game season series against San Antonio with a 122-112 victory in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.
Kuzma is the first rookie in NBA history with 1,200 points, 450 rebounds and 150 threepointers in a season. He made a three-pointer and a sky hook to start overtime and give the Lakers a lead they would not relinquish. Los Angeles outscored the Spurs 14-4 in the extra period.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 28 points for the Spurs, who lost on back-to-back nights at Staples Center and are tied with Oklahoma City for fifth place in the Western Conference, a halfgame behind Utah. The Spurs and Thunder each have three games remaining.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 21 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Channing Frye scored 19 points off the bench to help the Lakers break their three-game losing streak.
Dejounte Murray scored 23 points and Pau Gasol had 11 points and 12 rebounds, but the Spurs lost their seventh straight on the road. Raptors 96, Celtics 78: DeMar DeRozan scored 16 points, Fred VanVleet and Serge Ibaka each had 15 and host Toronto moved closer to clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference by beating Boston, increasing its lead over the Celtics to three games. Both teams have four games left. Kyle Lowry scored clinched 13 the points tiebreaker for the Raptors, over Boston. who With 56 wins, Toronto matched the franchise record set in 2015-16. Marcus Morris scored 21 points for Boston in its lowest-scoring game of the season. 76ers 115, Pistons 108: JJ Redick scored 25 points, and visiting Philadelphia won its 12th straight game, eliminating Detroit from playoff contention. The Pistons’ defeat clinched a postseason spot for Milwaukee. Anthony Tolliver scored 25 points for the Pistons and went 7-for-8 from three-point range. Heat 115, Hawks 86: Kelly Olynyk scored 19 points, including 15 on five three-pointers and visiting Miami beat Atlanta, capping a sweep of back-toback games between Southeast Division rivals. Miami rested Dwyane Wade, Goran Dragic and James Johnson one day after clinching a playoff berth by beating the Hawks in Miami. Taurean Prince led Atlanta with 20 points. Pelicans 123, Grizzlies 95: E’Twaun Moore scored 30 points, and Anthony Davis had 28 points and 12 rebounds to help host New Orleans rout Memphis. Davis made 8 of 13 field-goal tries, 11 of 13 free-throw attempts and had three blocks and two steals. The eighthplace Pelicans ended a season-worst four-game losing streak and increased their lead over idle Denver to a full game for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Magic 105, Mavericks 100: Rookie Jamel Artis had 18 points for his second straight career high for host Orlando. Aaron Gordon led the Magic with 20 points without playing in the fourth quarter. Jalen Jones led Dallas with 15.