NBA roundup: Cavs blast Rockets, punch ticket to postseason
Jarrett Allen recorded his 32nd double-double of the season and helped Cleveland stave off the visiting Houston Rockets 108-91 on Sunday, a victory that clinched the Cavaliers’ first postseason berth since falling in the 2018 NBA Finals.
Allen finished with 24 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. Evan Mobley also recorded three blocks while posting 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points and Darius Garland paired 17 points with eight assists.
Jalen Green led Houston with 30 points, his 14th game of at least 30 this season. Alperen Sengun added 14 points, Kenyon Martin Jr. 13 and Jabari Smith Jr. 12 for the Rockets, who dropped their fifth consecutive game. After the Rockets sliced a 20-point deficit to five through three quarters, Allen elevated the Cavaliers with his two-way play. Allen followed his block of Tari Eason’s dunk attempt with two free throws that pushed the lead to 89-82 with 9:20 left. He tallied two more free throws and a dunk at the 8:06 mark that extended the lead back to double digits at 93-82. The Cavaliers were not seriously threatened from there.
Timberwolves 99, Warriors 96
Kyle Anderson intercepted a Draymond Green pass and Karl-Anthony Towns turned it into a goahead 3-pointer with 11.1 seconds remaining, delivering Minnesota a key victory over Golden State in San Francisco.
Naz Reid had a teamhigh 23 points off the bench and Rudy Gobert chipped in with 10 points and 18 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Jordan Poole had 27 points for the Warriors, but he failed to connect with Stephen Curry on a pass that bounced out of bounds with 4.4 seconds remaining when Golden State had a chance to tie or take the lead.
The Warriors, who were seeking a 10th straight home win, got one more opportunity to tie after Jaden McDaniels missed 1 of 2 free throws with 2.4 seconds left, leaving
Minnesota with a 99-96 lead. But Curry couldn’t hit a desperation 3-pointer, completing his 4-for-13 night from deep.
Hornets 110, Mavericks 104
Gordon Hayward scored eight of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and Charlotte beat visiting Dallas to deliver another blow to the Mavericks’ playoff hopes.
P.J. Washington scored 21 points and had 12 rebounds and rookie center Mark Williams, making his
first start after missing a couple of weeks with a thumb injury, added 15 points and 16 rebounds for Charlotte, which has won three of its last four games.
Luka Doncic racked up 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Mavericks, but it might have been a costly outing for numerous reasons. In the third quarter, Doncic picked up a technical foul — his 16th of the season — so he’ll face a one-game suspension unless that infraction is overturned.