San Antonio Spurs 127, Milwaukee Bucks 95
The San Antonio Spurs steamrolled the Milwaukee Bucks 127-95 on Saturday night behind a dominant performance from Stephon Castle, who recorded a triple-double with 22 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds.
Castle was one of seven Spurs in double figures, with Victor Wembanyama adding 23 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists. Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell scored 16 each, while Dylan Harper had 14.
San Antonio never trailed and shot 55.1% as the win gave them eight straight victories and ensured at least a No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Bucks, missing Giannis Antetokounmpo and several other key players, were eliminated from postseason contention. Gary Trent Jr. led Milwaukee with 18 points.
Spurs: Host the Chicago Bulls on Monday.
Bucks: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
Detroit Pistons 109, Minnesota Timberwolves 87
Tobias Harris scored 18 points as the Detroit Pistons used a balanced attack to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-87 and strengthen their hold on the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Jalen Duren added 10 points and 13 rebounds, while five other Pistons scored in double figures. Detroit extended its winning streak to nine of 11 games, maintaining a four-game lead over Boston.
Minnesota, missing Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Ayo Dosunmu, shot just 32% from the floor and 21% from 3-point range. Donte DiVincenzo led the Timberwolves with 22 points, while Rudy Gobert contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Pistons: At Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
Timberwolves: At Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
Philadelphia 76ers 118, Charlotte Hornets 114
The Philadelphia 76ers overcame a 13-point second-half deficit to defeat the Charlotte Hornets 118-114, led by Joel Embiid’s 29 points and Paul George’s 26 points and 13 rebounds.
Tyrese Maxey returned to the starting lineup and added 26 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. Philadelphia rallied from a 15-point deficit midway through the third quarter and took the lead for good with George’s 3-pointer with just over a minute remaining.
Brandon Miller had 29 points and eight rebounds for Charlotte, while LaMelo Ball added 20 points and eight assists. The Hornets’ five-game winning streak was snapped as Philadelphia extended its hold on seventh place in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
76ers: At Miami Heat on Monday.
Hornets: Host Boston Celtics on Sunday.
Atlanta Hawks 123, Sacramento Kings 113
Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 27 points and the Atlanta Hawks hit eight of 12 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to hold off the Sacramento Kings 123-113 in coach Quin Snyder’s 500th career win.
Jalen Johnson tallied 26 points and 10 assists, while Jock Landale added 19 points and 13 rebounds. Atlanta went on a 26-8 run late in the second quarter to take a 66-54 halftime lead and never relinquished control.
DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points for Sacramento, with Maxime Raynaud contributing 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Kings were missing several key players due to injuries, including Russell Westbrook and Domantas Sabonis.
Kings: At Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
Hawks: Host Boston Celtics on Monday.
Memphis Grizzlies 125, Chicago Bulls 124
Cedric Coward scored 24 points, including two clutch free throws with 6.5 seconds left, as the Memphis Grizzlies narrowly defeated the Chicago Bulls 125-124, snapping a five-game losing streak. Tyler Burton added 18 points and Jahmai Mashack 17 for Memphis.
Matas Buzelis led the Bulls with 29 points, while Collin Sexton added 26 off the bench. Josh Giddey recorded his 13th triple-double of the season with 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Both teams were playing on the second night of back-to-back games and were missing multiple key players.
Bulls: At San Antonio Spurs on Monday.
Grizzlies: Host Phoenix Suns on Monday.
Phoenix Suns 134, Utah Jazz 109
Jalen Green scored 31 points and Devin Booker had 26 as the Phoenix Suns routed the Utah Jazz 134-109. Grayson Allen added 19 points, Oso Ighodaro scored 13, and Khaman Maluach added 12 points and nine rebounds. Green and Booker did not play in the fourth quarter as Phoenix cruised to the win.
Brice Sensabaugh and Kyle Filipowski each scored 26 points for Utah. Svi Mykhailuk contributed 14, Ace Bailey scored 13 in the second half, and Kennedy Chandler had 11 points and eight assists. Utah has struggled with injuries, including Lauri Markkanen, Isaiah Collier, and Keyonte George, and has lost five straight games.
The Suns opened with a 21-2 first-quarter run and held a season-high 28-point halftime lead at 73-45. The victory moves Phoenix within 3½ games of sixth-place Houston Rockets, the final spot to avoid the Western Conference play-in tournament.
Jazz: Host Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
Suns: At Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.
