Advertisement

NBA: Anthony Davis outduels Kevin Durant to help Pelicans defeat Warriors

Share via

Anthony Davis outdueled Kevin Durant down the stretch on the way to 34 points, and the New Orleans Pelicans snapped a 10-game losing streak to Golden State with a 126-120 win over the Warriors on Saturday night.

Durant scored 19 of his 41 points in the third quarter to go with 10 rebounds and five assists. He made big 3-pointers with 6:39 remaining and at the 4:52 mark that got Golden State to 112-111, but the Pelicans kept answering.

The NBA Finals MVP made things more difficult after halftime on Davis, who also had 12 rebounds for the Pelicans while having his way with the Warriors’ defense from the start.

Advertisement

The Pelicans beat the Warriors for the first time since April 7, 2015, in New Orleans, and at Oracle Arena for the first time since April 24, 2012.

Durant also committed a costly late turnover that led to E’Twaun Moore’s pullup jumper with 23.5 seconds left. KD lost the ball for another key steal less than a minute earlier but immediately got a rebound on the other end that led to Andre Iguodala’s dunk on the other end to get Golden State to 121-119 with 1:01 left.

Quinn Cook, who has been an admirable fill-in for the injured Stephen Curry after his promotion from the G League, added 21 points with five 3-pointers in the Warriors’ final regular-season home game.

Advertisement

Davis shot 13 for 24, while Nikola Mirotic made four quick 3-pointers and six in all on the way to 28 points. Jrue Holiday scored 25 and Rajon Rondo dished out 17 assists.

at Spurs 116, Trail Blazers 105: LaMarcus Aldridge scored 28 points to help the San Antonio Spurs beat Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers 116-105 on Saturday night.

The Spurs (46-34) snapped a two-game losing streak. They are tied with Oklahoma City and New Orleans for fifth in the Western Conference, a half-game back of idle Utah.

Advertisement

San Antonio can clinch a playoff spot with a victory over visiting Sacramento on Monday. Portland (48-32) missed out on an opportunity to clinch home-court advantage in the first round. Lillard had 33 points for the Trail Blazers, and Evan Turner finished with 18.

Thunder 108, at Rockets 102: Russell Westbrook and Paul George each scored 24 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder used a timely fourth-quarter run to pull away for a 108-102 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

The Thunder were down one with about seven minutes left before scoring the next 11 points.

Oklahoma City is vying with several teams for the final playoff spots in the loaded Western Conference. The victory gives the Thunder a 2-1 win in the season series and snaps the Rockets’ 20-game home winning streak.

James Harden had 26 points for Houston, and Chris Paul added 17.

Houston went scoreless for more than four minutes, missing seven shots and committing three turnovers as Oklahoma City pulled away. The Thunder also blocked three shots in that span.

Carmelo Anthony scored 22 points for Oklahoma City, including three of the Thunder’s 10 3-pointers.

Bucks 115, at Knicks 102: Eric Bledsoe had 22 points and 10 assists, and the Milwaukee Bucks moved into a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a 115-102 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday night.

Advertisement

Khris Middleton also scored 22 points for the Bucks, who joined Miami with a 43-37 record. The Heat were blown out by the Knicks at Madison Square Garden a night earlier but the Bucks avoided the same fate despite playing without All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo because of a sore right ankle.

Jabari Parker made his second start of the season in Antetokounmpo’s place and finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. John Henson had 15 points and 12 boards for the Bucks, who hoped to get point guard Malcolm Brogdon back but will have to wait a little longer.

Jarrett Jack scored 18 points and Kyle O’Quinn had 15 points, 16 rebounds and five assists for the Knicks, who beat Miami 122-98 on Friday but fell short in their hopes of beating another playoff-bound team.

Tony Snell left a little more than five minutes into the game when he turned an ankle when he stepped on a teammate’s foot while chasing a Knicks player around a screen. He returned in the second quarter and had 10 points.

The Knicks were without Tim Hardaway Jr. (sprained left ankle), Enes Kanter (lower back, right wrist) and Emmanuel Mudiay (concussion). Michael Beasley started after leaving Friday’s game with a bruised left knee.

O’Quinn became the first Knick since Patrick Ewing in 1999 to record at least 13 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in three straight games.

Advertisement

Nets 124, at Bulls 96: Quincy Acy helped the Brooklyn Nets set a franchise record with 24 3-pointers in a 124-96 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.

The Nets finished one 3-pointer shy of the NBA record set last season by Cleveland. Acy had career highs with six 3-pointers and 21 points, and Allen Crabbe added five from behind the arc and 20 points.

Brooklyn got its fourth road win in its last five games. It was Brooklyn’s second straight victory over the Bulls, something the Nets haven’t done since February 2008. The win clinched the season series for the first time since 2009-10.

Sean Kilpatrick led Chicago with 20 points, and Bobby Portis had 18 points and eight rebounds.

Portis scored 13 points in the first quarter to help erase an early 16-7 Nets lead.

In the second quarter, baskets by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson bookended a 14-1 run for the Nets which opened a 61-47 lead with 1:11 left until halftime.

Crabbe knocked down four of the Nets’ nine 3-pointers in the third, and Brooklyn led by 22 during the quarter.

Advertisement

Brooklyn made 19 3-pointers Thursday in a win against Milwaukee. Its previous season high was 21 in a Feb. 10 loss to New Orleans.

Joe Harris made four 3-pointers and scored 16 points for the Nets, who were 24 for 55 from deep.

Advertisement