- Associated Press - Thursday, April 8, 2021

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Paul George scored 33 points, Kawhi Leonard added 27 and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Phoenix Suns 113-103 on Thursday night in a matchup of two of the top teams in the Western Conference.

George was 7 of 9 from 3-point range in 30 minutes in his eighth 30-point game of the season. His season high of 39 points was against Phoenix on Jan. 3. The Clippers made 18 3-pointers, which is the 12th time this season they have made 18 or more in a game.

Leonard scored 19 points in the second half to help the Clippers end of the Suns’ winning streak at seven. Los Angeles trailed 67-61 with eight minutes remaining in the third quarter before coming back with an 8-2 run to tie it.

LA led 83-81 at the end of the third quarter before opening the fourth with a 10-2 run to seize control. Its largest lead was 16 points late in the fourth.

Rajon Rondo, who was acquired from Atlanta near the deadline, added 15 points for the Clippers, who are 5-2 during a season-long, nine-game homestand.

Phoenix, which was coming off a big overtime victory over NBA-leading Utah on Wednesday night, didn’t have enough down the stretch. Devin Booker led the way with 24 points, and Mikal Bridges had 20.

JAZZ 122, TRAIL BLAZERS 103

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points and Utah beat Portland for its 23rd straight home victory.

Rudy Gobert had 18 points and 21 rebounds, Joe Ingles added 13 points and six assists and Utah dominated the glass by outrebounding Portland 58-41. The NBA-leading Jazz snapped a two-game skid, rebounding from an overtime loss in Phoenix a night earlier.

Damian Lillard scored 23 points for Portland.

HEAT 110, LAKERS 104

MIAMI (AP) - Jimmy Butler scored 28 points to lead Miami past depleted Los Angeles.

Victor Oladipo had 18 points, and Tyler Herro finished with 15 points for the Heat. They bounced back from a 12-point home loss to Memphis on Tuesday night.

Miami went on a 9-2 run late in the fourth period and took a 104-94 lead with 2:14 remaining on Butler’s two technical free throws following Markieff Morris’ ejection for arguing with the officials.

The Lakers cut it to 106-100 on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s 3-pointer with 29 seconds remaining. Butler’s four throws on Miami’s next two possessions secured the win.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 28 points, including 6 of 11 3-pointers.

Recently acquired Andre Drummond returned from a four-game absence and had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers. Drummond hurt his right big toe in his Los Angeles debut March 31.

MAVERICKS 116, BUCKS 101

DALLAS (AP) - Luka Doncic scored 27 points, Kristaps Porzingis had 26 points and 17 rebounds playing on consecutive days for the first time in two months in Dallas’ victory over Milwaukee.

Porzingis scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, including eight in a row while giving Dallas the lead for good. The big finish for the 7-foot-3 Latvian came a night after he didn’t get a shot in the final period despite an efficient scoring effort in a loss to lowly Houston that ended a season-best five-game winning streak.

Donte DiVincenzo scored 22 points and Bobby Portis had 20 points and a season-high 14 rebounds for the Bucks. They dropped to 1-2 without reigning two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, out with left knee soreness.

BULLS 122, RAPTORS 113

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Nikola Vucevic and Zach Levine each scored 22 points and Chicago beat Toronto for its third straight victory.

LaVine also had 15 assists, and Lauri Markkanen came off the bench to score 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

Chris Boucher scored a career-high 38 points and had 19 rebounds for the Raptors. They have lost 15 of 18.

CAVALIERS 129, THUNDER 102

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Collin Sexton scored 27 points and Cleveland ended a five-game series losing streak to Oklahoma City.

Taurean Prince scored 22 points, Darius Garland added 21 and Kevin Love had 18 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland. The Cavaliers broke open a tight game with an 11-0 run to begin the second half.

Ty Jerome led the Thunder with a career-high 23 points. They have lost five straight and eight of their last nine.

PISTONS 113, KINGS 101

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Cory Joseph had a season-high 24 points and seven assists in his first game against his former team, and Jhalil Okafor returned after missing nearly two months following knee surgery in Detroit’s victory over Sacramento.

Isaiah Stewart added 16 points and 13 rebounds in place of injured Mason Plumlee for the Pistons. Okafor, who had missed 27 games following left knee surgery, scored 11 points. Killian Hayes also had 11.

De’Aaron Fox had 23 points, seven assists and nine rebounds for the Kings.

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