MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Karl-Anthony Towns made a free throw with 0.5 seconds remaining in overtime after Stephen Curry led a frantic rally to tie the game, lifting the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 131-130 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.
Minnesota led by nine with 1:41 remaining in the extra period before Curry made three 3-pointers during an 11-2 run, including the tying one from the corner with 0.5 seconds left.
But Towns was fouled by Kevin Durant on the ensuing inbounds pass. He made the first free throw to give him 15 points, missed the second and time expired as Towns secured the offensive rebound.
Curry made 11 3-pointers and scored 37 points for the Warriors, who dropped into a tie with Denver for the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Durant added 23 points.
CELTICS 114, PACERS 112
BOSTON (AP) - Kyrie Irving hit a driving layup with 0.5 seconds left and Boston beat Indiana to move into fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Both teams have identical 45-31 records, but the Celtics lead the regular-season series 2-1, giving them the current inside track on home-court advantage in a first-round series.
Irving finished with 30 points and five assists. He has scored at least 30 points in six of his last seven games. Al Horford added 19 points and seven rebounds. Aron Baynes had 13 points and 13 rebounds.
If the current standings hold, the teams would meet in the first round. Their final regular-season meeting is Friday in Indiana.
Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pacers with 27 points. Thaddeus Young added 18 points and nine rebounds. Myles Turner finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
NUGGETS 115, THUNDER 105
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Jamal Murray scored 27 points and Denver beat Oklahoma City.
Nikola Jokic added 23 points and 16 rebounds for the Nuggets, who won all four meetings with Oklahoma City this season. Denver entered the night one game behind Golden State for the best record in the Western Conference.
Russell Westbrook had 27 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and Paul George had 25 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder.
TRAIL BLAZERS 18, HAWKS 98
ATLANTA (AP) - Damian Lillard scored 36 points, Al-Farouq Aminu added 17 and 11 rebounds, and Portland extended its winning streak to a season-high six games with a victory over Atlanta.
Portland took charge with a 16-0 run in the third quarter that pushed the lead to 21 points. The Hawks pulled within 10 early in the fourth on Trae Young’s runner, but Zach Collins’ follow dunk and Jake Layman’s difficult three-point play made it 97-82 to remove any remaining suspense.
Lillard, with his 26th game of at least 30 points, outplayed Young, who scored 18 of his 26 points in the first quarter.
The Blazers have won nine of 10 and are in third place in the Western Conference.
Atlanta’s three-game winning streak, tying its longest of the season, was snapped.
JAZZ 128, WIZARDS 124
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points, Joe Ingles added 18 points and 10 assists, and Utah beat Washington.
Rudy Gobert finished with 13 points and 17 rebounds for the Jazz. Jae Crowder added 18 points and Ricky Rubio chipped in 17. Utah shot 55 percent from the field to win for the ninth time in 10 games.
Bradley Beal scored 34 points and Bobby Portis added 28 points and 13 rebounds for Washington. Thomas Bryant had 11 points and 12 rebounds.
LAKERS 129, HORNETS 115
LOS ANGELES (AP) - LeBron James had 27 points and nine assists, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 25 points and Los Angeles ended Charlotte’s four-game winning streak.
Kyle Kuzma added 20 for the Lakers, who have won three straight at home. Lance Stephenson had 14 points and 13 rebounds off the bench.
Kemba Walker scored 24 points and had six assists for the Hornets, who trail Miami for the final playoff spot from the Eastern Conference by two games with seven games remaining.
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