- Associated Press - Sunday, February 28, 2021

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 36 points and sparked a closing 9-0 run to help the Milwaukee Bucks rally to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 105-100 on Sunday for their fifth consecutive victory.

The Bucks won for the first time in 11 games this season when trailing after three quarters.

Kawhi Leonard’s potential tying 3-point attempt bounced off the front rim with about four seconds left. Khris Middleton got the rebound and sealed it with two free throws with 2.1 seconds remaining.

After Leonard’s jumper gave Los Angeles a 100-96 lead with 4:01 left, the Clippers didn’t score again.

Antetokounmpo has scored at least 35 points in four straight games. He’s the first Bucks player to do that since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from Jan. 6-14, 1973.

Middleton added 19 points, six rebounds and eight assists.

Leonard scored 25 points for the Clippers.

LAKERS 117, WARRIORS 91

LOS ANGELES (AP) - LeBron James scored 19 points in his 1,300th regular-season appearance to help Los Angeles rout Golden State.

The defending NBA champions had dropped five of six since Anthony Davis suffered a right calf strain on Feb. 14, but have won their last two.

Eric Paschall scored 18 points for Golden State, which had its three-game winning streak snapped. Stephen Curry added 16 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. 14.

SUNS 118, TIMBERWOLVES 99

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Devin Booker scored 21 of his season-high 43 points in the third quarter to carry Phoenix past Minnesota for its 14th win in last 17 games.

Booker hit 15 of 26 shots from the floor, repeatedly blowing by his defenders for smooth pullup jumpers and traffic-beating, twisting layups for the 13th 40-point game of his six-year career.

The two-time All-Star Game pick - each as an injury replacement - went 12 for 13 from the free-throw line to help the surging Suns improve to 22-11.

DeAndre Ayton added 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Chris Paul had 11 points and 15 assists for the Suns, who outscored the Timberwolves 42-25 over the final 14 minutes.

Anthony Edwards scored 24 points for the NBA-worst Timberwolves. They have lost eight straight to fall to 7-27.

CELTICS 11, WIZARDS 110

BOSTON (AP) - Jayson Tatum made two twisting, driving baskets in the final 15 seconds and finished with 31 points, helping Boston overcome Bradley Beal’s 46-point night for Washington.

Kemba Walker scored 21 points for the Celtics, and Daniel Theis had 20 points and nine rebounds. Boston, which beat Indiana on Friday, has won consecutive games for the first time since late January.

Russell Westbrook had 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Wizards. Davis Bertans added 20 points.

GRIZZLIES 133, ROCKETS 84

HOUSTON (AP) - Justise Winslow scored 20 points and Memphis pounded Houston for the Rockets’ 11th straight loss.

In just his fourth game back after missing more than a year because of a hip injury, Winslow - playing in his hometown - had his best scoring night since October 2019.

Houston has its longest losing streak since a 15-game skid in November and December 2001. The 84 points are the Rockets’ lowest total since Nov. 8, 2018, in a loss to Oklahoma City.

Houston was 4 of 45 3s on 3-pointers. John Wall and Jae’Sean Tate each had 14 points for the Rockets.

KNICKS 109, PISTONS 90

DETROIT (AP) - Julius Randle scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half and New York beat Detroit to move above .500.

At 18-17, the Knicks have the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference and have won seven of their last nine games. The Knicks were last above .500 this far into the season since they were 54-28 at the end of 2012-13, according to SportRadar.

Derrick Rose scored 14 points, less than a month after he was traded from the Pistons to the Knicks.

Jerami Grant scored 21 points for the Pistons.

HEAT 109, HAWKS 99

MIAMI (AP) - Kendrick Nunn scored 24 points and Miami extended the NBA’s longest current winning streak to six games, beating Atlanta to get back to .500.

Bam Adebayo had 16 points and 13 rebounds to help Miami improve to 17-17. The Heat were without Jimmy Butler because of inflammation in his right knee.

John Collins had 34 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta.

HORNETS 127, KINGS 126

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - PJ Washington scored a career-high 42 points, Malik Monk converted a three-point play with 1.4 seconds remaining and Charlotte stunned Sacramento with a late rally.

Monk finished with 21 points to help Charlotte come back despite playing without leading scorer Gordon Hayward, who sat out with a hand injury.

LaMelo Ball added 24 points and a career-best 12 assists for the Hornets, who trailed the entire fourth quarter before Monk’s game-winning play.

The Kings missed five free throws over the final 69 seconds and lost for the 10th time in 11 games.

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More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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