Nickeil Alexander-Walker delivered a spectacular performance with 41 points, leading the Atlanta Hawks to their tenth straight victory in a 124-112 triumph over the Orlando Magic on Monday night.
The Hawks now possess the NBA’s longest current winning streak and their best stretch since a franchise-record 19-game run during the 2014-15 campaign. Atlanta’s victory brought an end to Orlando’s impressive seven-game winning streak.
Since the All-Star break, Atlanta has compiled an outstanding 11-1 record, pulling even with the Philadelphia 76ers for the eighth position in the Eastern Conference standings.
Alexander-Walker connected on 12 of 22 field goal attempts and knocked down a career-best nine three-pointers on 15 tries, marking his 36th game this season with at least 20 points. He also contributed seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Jalen Johnson recorded his 13th triple-double of the campaign with 24 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists.
For Orlando, Paolo Banchero posted 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Desmond Bane contributed 18 points and Wendell Carter Jr. added 17 points.
Lakers 100, Rockets 92
Luka Doncic led all scorers with 36 points as Los Angeles defeated Houston on the road.
The victory evened the season series between the teams before their final matchup Wednesday in Houston. Los Angeles also expanded its advantage over Houston for the Western Conference’s third seed to 1.5 games. LeBron James contributed 18 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Lakers.
Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds, helping Houston take an 88-85 advantage before the Rockets collapsed. Los Angeles employed aggressive double-teams against Kevin Durant, who finished with 18 points and seven turnovers, and Houston couldn’t counter the strategy. The Rockets managed just 12 points in the final quarter.
Spurs 119, Clippers 115
Victor Wembanyama recorded 21 points and 13 rebounds while Stephon Castle contributed 23 points and eight assists, powering San Antonio past Los Angeles in Inglewood, California, as the Spurs maintained their impressive late-season momentum.
Devin Vassell scored 20 points and De’Aaron Fox added 18 as San Antonio improved to a league-best 18-2 record since February began. The Spurs seized control during the second quarter, outscoring Los Angeles 37-15.
Darius Garland finished with 25 points and 10 assists for the Clippers, who played without top scorer Kawhi Leonard due to a left ankle sprain suffered in Saturday’s loss to Sacramento. Jordan Miller matched a career-high with 22 points and collected nine rebounds.
Trail Blazers 114, Nets 95
Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara each scored 18 points as Portland controlled the game from start to finish in a road victory over Brooklyn.
Camara shot 7 of 9 from the field after connecting on just 5 of 20 attempts in his previous two contests. Scoot Henderson provided 16 points off the bench while Donovan Clingan recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds for his 29th double-double this season. Kris Murray added 14 points and Jerami Grant chipped in 12 for Portland.
With leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. sidelined by an ankle injury along with other key players, rookie Chaney Johnson paced Brooklyn with 17 points. Tyson Etienne and rookie Ben Saraf each contributed 15 points as the Nets continued giving extended minutes to younger players.
Bulls 132, Grizzlies 107
Matas Buzelis erupted for 18 of his 29 points during the third quarter and Josh Giddey delivered 16 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists, leading Chicago to a commanding home victory over Memphis.
Giddey has now achieved triple-doubles in five of his seven March appearances. Tre Jones scored 17 points, Rob Dillingham had 15, Jalen Smith contributed 13, Guerschon Yabusele added 13 and Leonard Miller scored 10 for Chicago.
The defeat extended Memphis’ losing streak to a season-worst eight games. Cedric Coward topped the Grizzlies with 17 points, while Taylor Hendricks and Jaylen Wells each scored 16.
Celtics 120, Suns 112
Jaylen Brown exploded for 41 points, seven rebounds and six assists, guiding Boston to victory over Phoenix at home.
Brown converted 19 of 21 free throw attempts, with both the makes and attempts representing career-high marks. The Celtics got 21 points each from Jayson Tatum and Derrick White, plus 19 from Payton Pritchard.
Devin Booker paced Phoenix with 40 points and Jalen Green added 21. The Suns held a 110-106 edge with 4:46 remaining but failed to score another field goal.
Warriors 125, Wizards 117
Kristaps Porzingis returned to a former team and scored 30 points in just 26 minutes, while De’Anthony Melton added 27 points as Golden State handed Washington its 12th consecutive defeat.
Gui Santos contributed 18 points for the Warriors, who shot 50.5% from the field to snap a five-game losing streak in coach Steve Kerr’s 600th regular-season victory.
Trae Young had 21 points and five assists in 21 minutes for Washington before suffering a bruised right quadriceps in the third quarter and not returning. Bilal Coulibaly and Will Riley each scored 21 points for the Wizards.
Pelicans 129, Mavericks 111
Zion Williamson scored 27 points and Saddiq Bey added 23 as New Orleans defeated Dallas at home for its third victory in four games.
Trey Murphy III and Jeremiah Fears each contributed 17 points for the Pelicans. Yves Missi grabbed 10 rebounds and tied his career high with five blocks in his return to the starting lineup, replacing Dejounte Murray who was sidelined with illness.
Naji Marshall posted 32 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Dallas, which suffered its 10th loss in 12 games. Cooper Flagg recorded 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, while P.J. Washington added 18 points.
