Spurs stay hot, hold off Wizards
LaMarcus Aldridge had 27 points and nine rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs won their fifth straight, 98-90 over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
San Antonio remained in sixth place in the Western Conference, one-half game behind fourth-place Oklahoma City. The Spurs close out a six-game homestand on Friday against Utah, which is 11/2 games behind San Antonio in eighth place.
Bradley Beal and Kelly Oubre Jr. each had 21 points to lead the Wizards, who dropped into sixth in the Eastern Conference.
San Antonio’s winning streak follows a 3-11 skid that briefly dropped the Spurs out of playoff position.
Aldridge has been critical to the turnaround, averaging 29.6 points and 9.2 rebounds during the streak.
Kawhi Leonard missed his 63rd game this season while battling right quadriceps tendinopathy. After the team’s morning shootaround, Manu Ginobili said the Spurs must play as if Leonard will not return this season.
76ERS 119, GRIZZLIES 105 >> Robert Covington, J.J. Redick and Dario Saric each had 15 points to pace all five Philadelphia starters in double-figures, and the 76ers continued their push for home-court advantage in the playoffs.
The 76ers (40-30) won their fourth straight to improve to a season-best 10 games over .500. Philadelphia began Wednesday sixth in the Eastern Conference, just a game back of the Pacers for the fourth spot and accompanying home-court advantage for a first-round series. CAVALIERS 132, RAPTORS 129 >> LeBron James scored 35 points and added 17 assists, his last setting up a late a 3-pointer by Kevin Love, and undermanned Cleveland ended Eastern Conference-leading Toronto’s nine-game road winning streak.
The Cavs were missing five rotational players and coach Tyronn Lue, who missed his second straight game because of health reasons.
Cavaliers forward Kyle Korver had been excused from the team to be with family following the death of a younger brother. HORNETS 111, NETS 105 >> Dwight Howard had 32 points and 30 rebounds, becoming the first player with a 30-30 game against the Nets since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1978.
Kemba Walker scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter for the Hornets, who trailed by as many 23 points in the second half but won in front of an announced crowd of 10,231 at Barclay Center while a heavy snowfall outside blanketed the New York City area.
CLIPPERS 127, BUCKS 120 >> DeAndre Jordan had 25 points and 22 rebounds as L.A. bounced back after a deflating loss to Minnesota on Tuesday night.
The Bucks lost All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo to a right ankle sprain late in the first half. PELICANS 96, PACERS 92 >> Anthony Davis capped a 28-point, 13-rebound, fiveblock performance with a 15-foot baseline fade, a gritty put-back and two free throws in the final minute. NUGGETS 135, BULLS 102 >> Nikola Jokic had 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists on “Serbian Heritage Night,” and Denver had seven players score in double figures.
The Nuggets (39-33) improved to 1-2 on a sevengame trip and pulled within 1 1/2 games of idle Utah for eighth in the Western Conference playoff race.
HEAT 119, KNICKS 98 >> Kelly Olynyk scored 22 points and handed out a career-high 10 assists for Miami, which remained seventh in the Eastern Conference playoff race.