NBA roundup: Nuggets defeat Jazz in double overtime
Jamal Murray scored 23 points in his first game of the NBA restart, including the tying and go-ahead baskets, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Utah Jazz 134-132 in two overtimes Saturday.
The Nuggets overcame Donovan Mitchell’s 35 points for Utah, including a three-pointer with 4.2 seconds remaining in the second overtime. But he missed a desperation heave from near half court as the game ended.
Murray, playing his first game since March 11 after missing four games with left hamstring tightness, sank a fallaway jumper for a 123-all tie and then beat the shot clock with a go-ahead three-pointer. He had 12 rebounds and eight assists, just missing a triple-double.
The Lakers, the West’s top seed, lost 116-111 to the Pacers amid talk that other teams are trying to set L.A. up with a playoff matchup vs. Portland.
Murray played 39 minutes and remained in the game despite showing obvious signs of fatigue as Denver gained momentum for the playoffs.
“I was only supposed to play 22,” Murray said when asked about his minutes. “It’s cool. I like challenges, and it feels a lot better now that we got the win.”
Nikola Jokic scored 10 of his 30 points in the first overtime for Denver, which solidified its hold on third place in the Western Conference playoff standings.
Mavericks 136, Bucks 132 (OT): Luka Doncic scored 36 points as part of his NBA-leading 17th triple-double, and Dallas scored the last seven points of regulation to force overtime and then beat Milwaukee.
Doncic also had a career-high 19 assists and 14 rebounds on the day the 2019 NBA rookie of the year was named a finalist for the most improved award.
Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks before fouling out in the final seconds on the day the reigning MVP was named a finalist for the award along with LeBron James and James Harden.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams are among the finalists named for the annual NBA Awards.
Brook Lopez scored a season-high 34 points for the Bucks, who already have clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
In a matchup that included three of the four players averaging at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in the bubble, Doncic and Antetokounmpo hit those marks again. Dallas’ Kristaps Porzingis fell short, getting 26 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out.
Suns 119, Heat 112: Devin Booker scored 35 points and Jevon Carter added a season-high 20 as Phoenix remained undefeated in the NBA restart by beating Miami.
Carter made six of eight three-point attempts as the Suns improved to 5-0 in the restart.
Miami is the No. 4 team in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro each had 25 points to lead the Heat.
Patrick Patterson and Rodney McGruder scored in the final minute to help the Clippers beat a red-hot Portland team 122-117 on Saturday.
Phoenix began the restart schedule with the second-worst record of the 22 teams in the field and the worst mark in the Western Conference.
The Suns have played like serious playoff contenders. Led by Booker, Phoenix had wins over Washington, Dallas, the Clippers and Indiana before facing Miami. The Suns entered Saturday’s schedule only 2½ games behind eighth-place Memphis.
Surgery for 76ers’ Ben Simmons
All-Star Ben Simmons will have surgery on his left knee, a big blow for the Philadelphia 76ers and their hopes of making a deep run in this season’s playoffs.
The 76ers announced that Simmons will be leaving the NBA’s season-restart bubble at Walt Disney World. There likely will be no firm timeframe for his return until after the surgery.
Simmons left Philadelphia’s game against Washington on Wednesday midway through the third quarter because of injury, officially diagnosed as a subluxation of the left patella. A subluxation is a partial and temporary dislocation; the patella is the kneecap.
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