Cavs, Rockets and Jazz among NBA winners

A host of NBA playoffs bound teams including LeBron James's Cleveland Cavaliers and Joe Ingles' Utah Jazz recorded important wins.

LeBron James

LeBron James top scored for Cleveland to win and consolidate third place in the eastern conference. (AAP)

LeBron James powered his way to 37 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Brooklyn Nets 121-114 for their fifth-straight NBA victory.

It was his 45th double-double of the season.

James reached 2,000 points in a season for the 10th time, joining Karl Malone (12 times) and Michael Jordan (11) as the only players in NBA history to do that.

Kevin Love added 20 points and 15 rebounds for the Cavaliers - who improved their record to 44-29 and sit third in the eastern conference.

James Harden had his fourth triple-double of the season with 18 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds as the Houston Rockets' rolled to their 60th win, beating the Atlanta Hawks 118-99.

The Rockets who were without Chris Paul for the third-straight game with a sore left hamstring.

Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 15 rebounds while Joe Ingles added 14 points for the Utah Jazz in a 110-91 win over the injury-plagued Golden State Warriors.

Australian forward Ingles added six rebounds and eight assists as he topped double-digits in points for the 18th time in his past 20 games.

Quinn Cook had 17 points and eight assists as defending champion Warriors played without their four injured All-Stars.

Before the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr ruled out Stephen Curry for the first round of the playoffs because of a sprained left knee - while Curry vowed to do everything in his rehab power to return sooner.

Donovan Mitchell scored 21 points for the Jazz, who are eighth in the west.

Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from an ankle injury to score 25 points and lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 106-103 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Centre LaMarcus Aldridge had a game-high 34 points in the defeat which snapped the Spurs' six-game winning streak but they remain sixth in the west.

Antetokounmpo added 10 rebounds to pick up his 37th double-double of the season as the Bucks (39-34) went seventh in the east.

Terry Rozier scored a season-high 33 points and was just one three-point shot away from matching a Boston Celtics franchise record in the 104-93 win over the Sacramento Kings.

Making his sixth start in place of injured All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, Rozier made eight of 12 shots from beyond the arc.

C.J. McCollum scored 34 points to help the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, their nearest challengers for third place in the west, 108-105.

Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

Lou Williams scored 26 points against his former team to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 117-106 win over the eastern conference leading Toronto Raptors.

Victor Oladipo had 23 points and five assists to help the Indiana Pacers clinch a playoff berth with a 113-107 overtime victory over the Miami Heat.

Trey Burke scored 19 points in his first start in exactly three years as the New York Knicks defeated the wavering Washington Wizards 101-97.


Share

3 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world