MILWAUKEE (AP) - Jrue Holiday scored 29 points and the Milwaukee Bucks withstood a triple-double from Russell Westbrook to beat the Washington Wizards 135-134 on Wednesday night.
Westbrook had 29 points, 17 assists and 12 rebounds for his 179th career triple-double, but the Wizards still lost for just the fourth time in their last 17 games. He’s just two shy of Oscar Robertson’s NBA record of 181 career triple-doubles.
Westbrook has a league-leading 33 triple-doubles this season, including five in his last six games. The only time Westbrook missed out on a triple-double during this six-game stretch came Saturday when he had 42 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in a 125-124 loss to Dallas.
Bradley Beal scored 42 points and hit a 3-pointer that cut Milwaukee’s lead to 135-134 with 5.3 seconds left. Westbrook got a steal in the final second, but Garrison Mathews’ desperation shot from over 50 feet away didn’t connect.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 23 points for the Bucks before fouling out with 1:54 left. Donte DiVincenzo had 19.
JAZZ 126, SPURS 94
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Jordan Clarkson scored 30 points, Bojan Bogdanovic added 24 and Utah routed San Antonio.
With Atlanta’s 135-103 victory over Phoenix, the Jazz reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the NBA and Western Conference playoff race despite the All-Star backcourt of Donovan Mitchell (ankle) and Mike Conley (hamstring) missing another game.
Luka Samanic scored 15 points to lead the Spurs for the first time this season. They have lost five straight as they fight for the final spot in the NBA play-in tournament.
HAWKS 135, SUNS 103
ATLANTA (AP) - Clint Capela scored 18 points to lead seven scorers in double figures and Atlanta pulled away late to overcome Devin Booker’s 30 points and rout Phoenix.
The Suns began the night even with the Utah Jazz in the race for the NBA’s best record, thanks to a five-game winning streak. Phoenix faded badly in the fourth quarter of the back-to-back following Tuesday night’s 134-118 overtime win at Cleveland.
Atlanta outscored Phoenix 38-15 in the fourth period. The Suns’ first field goal of the period was a 3-pointer by Langston Galloway with 2:33 remaining.
Atlanta led 97-88 before scoring the first 14 points of the fourth period. Rookie Onyeka Okongwu had the first three baskets of the period and scored 14 points.
Atlanta stretched its lead to 23 points, 111-88, before the Suns finally managed their first points of the quarter on Cameron Payne’s two free throws.
The Hawks began the night fifth in the Eastern Conference.
Mikal Bridges, who had 18 points, was the Suns’ only other scorer in double figures.
Trae Young had 16 points and 12 assists for the Hawks. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari also had 16 points.
NUGGETS 113, KNICKS 97
DENVER (AP) - Nikola Jokic scored 24 of his 32 points in a dominant first quarter in Denver’s victory over New York.
Jokic finished with 12 rebounds to help lead the Nuggets to their 10 victory in 12 games. Denver, which led by as much as 31, moved back into a tie with the Los Angeles Clippers for third place in the Western Conference.
Austin Rivers scored 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter against his former team, Michael Porter Jr. had 17 points, and Facu Campazzo 16.
This one got away from New York early. The Knicks committed three fouls in the game’s first 22 seconds and coach Tom Thibodeau was hit with a technical 28 seconds in. Things got worse from there.
CELTICS 132, MAGIC 96
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Kemba Walker tied a season high with 32 points in his return from a four-game injury absence and Evan Fournier had 18 points in his first game back in Orlando since being traded to Boston.
Jayson Tatum shook off a slow start and finished with 27 points for Boston, which swept the three-game series with the Magic and beat Orlando for a sixth straight time over the past two seasons. The Celtics made 21 3-pointers, just two fewer than their season-best 23 against Orlando on March 21.
Walker was coming off a nine-day layoff because of a strained left oblique.
Dwayne Bacon and Moritz Wagner each scored 20 points for Orlando.
76ERS 135, ROCKETS 115
HOUSTON (AP) - Joel Embiid had 34 points in just 25 minutes and Philadelphia routed Houston for its sixth straight victory.
The Eastern Conference leaders were up by double figures for most of the night and their starters barely had to play in the fourth quarter to keep the NBA’s longest active winning streak going. Houston, which has the NBA’s worst record at 16-50, lost its third straight and eighth in nine games.
Embiid had 12 rebounds and made 14 of 16 free throws.
Kelly Olynyk scored 27 points for Houston.
GRIZZLIES 130, TIMBERWOLVES 135
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Ja Morant had 37 points and 10 assists and Memphis held off Minnesota.
Desmond Bane scored 22 points off the bench, including a few key 3-pointers late, and Kyle Anderson added 20 points for the Grizzlies.
Memphis overcame a big game from Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards, who tied his career high with 42 points. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 22 points but ran into foul trouble when he picked up his fifth foul late in the third quarter.
TRAIL BLAZERS 141, CAVALIERS 105
CLEVELAND (AP) - Damian Lillard had 32 points and nine assists and Enes Kanter had 18 points and 13 rebounds, leading Portland to its highest points total of the season.
Lillard scored 16 points in the first quarter and 14 points in the third as Portland moved within a half-game of the Mavericks and Lakers for fifth place in the West. The Trail Blazers are seventh and would be the top seed in the play-in tournament.
Kevin Love had 18 points for the Cavaliers. They have lost eight in a row and are 1-11 since April 15.
KINGS 104, PACERS 93
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Marvin Bagley III kept Sacramento’s slim playoff hopes alive,scoring a season-high 31 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to lead the Kings past Indiana.
Delon Wright added 23 points to help Sacramento win its fourth straight - all on the road.
Domantas Sabonis had 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for Indiana.
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