Jordan Poole made a fantastic 35-foot 3-pointer with just 1.8 seconds remaining, helping the visiting Washington Wizards secure an impressive 126-123 win against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.
Poole could have taken a closer shot, but he chose to stay well behind the 3-point line and made the shot that allowed the struggling Wizards (15-51) to sweep the season series against the Nuggets. Alex Sarr also had a standout game, scoring a career-high 34 points for Washington, which has a record of 6-4 in its last 10 games.
The game ended in a thrilling way as Kyshawn George sank a wide-open 3-pointer, putting Washington ahead 123-121 with just 10 seconds left. Denver’s Jamal Murray, who scored 24 points and had seven assists along with four steals, tied the game with a 15-foot shot with 5.7 seconds on the clock.
For Denver (43-25), Nikola Jokic delivered an impressive performance with 40 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists. Russell Westbrook contributed 22 points and 11 assists, making him the 21st player in NBA history to reach over 26,000 points, finishing the night with a total of 26,013 points.
Celtics 115, Nets 113
Kristaps Porzingis came back from a viral infection and scored 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Boston Celtics secure a win against the Brooklyn Nets in New York.
After sitting out eight games, Porzingis contributed to the Celtics improving their record to 13-1 in their last 14 regular-season matchups against the Nets. Jayson Tatum added 20 points, as the Celtics celebrated their seventh victory in eight games.
The Nets suffered their 10th loss in 11 games after a late comeback attempt fell short. Cameron Johnson led Brooklyn with 23 points, while Keon Johnson added 21. The team shot 46.7 percent from the field and made 20 three-pointers.
Rockets 117, Bulls 114
Jalen Green scored a game-high 28 points, leading the Houston Rockets to a win over the Chicago Bulls at home.
Alperen Sengun contributed 24 points and 15 rebounds, while Fred VanVleet added 23 points and seven assists, helping Houston secure its sixth consecutive victory. Dillon Brooks scored 13 points, and Jabari Smith Jr. added 12, rounding out a strong scoring night for the Rockets’ starters.
Chicago’s four-game winning streak ended, despite Coby White scoring 23 points and Tre Jones adding 19. Nikola Vucevic contributed 15 points in the defeat.
Bucks 126, Pacers 119
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, helping Milwaukee defeat Indiana at home.
This victory might be important for NBA playoff tiebreakers. Both teams entered the game tied for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee won the season series against the Pacers, winning three out of four games.
Damian Lillard contributed 25 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists for the Bucks, making 6 out of 12 shots from beyond the arc. Aaron Nesmith scored a career-high 30 points for the Pacers, while Pascal Siakam added 26 points. Tyrese Haliburton recorded 24 points and 15 assists.
Thunder 113, Pistons 107
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 48 points, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the Detroit Pistons and continue their winning streak.
Cason Wallace contributed 20 points, and Isaiah Hartenstein added 12 points along with 10 rebounds for the Thunder, who have won nine out of their last 10 games.
Detroit’s All-Star Cade Cunningham was thrown out late in the third quarter for arguing with the referees. He scored just 11 points, which matched his season low, and also had nine assists and seven rebounds. The Pistons received five technical fouls during that quarter.
Warriors 97, Knicks 94
Moses Moody broke a tie with 2:26 remaining, Draymond Green secured a crucial basket with 25 seconds to go, and the Golden State Warriors tightened their defense against the New York Knicks in San Francisco.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 28 points as they celebrated their seventh consecutive win. Moody finished with 18 points, while Jimmy Butler added 11 points, six rebounds, and tied for the game-high with seven assists.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored a game-high 29 points for the Knicks, shooting 12-for-21. New York wrapped up a 2-3 tour of the Western Conference. OG Anunoby had 23 points, nine rebounds, and three steals, while both Mikal Bridges and Miles McBride each scored 19 points.
Grizzlies 125, Heat 91
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 31 points, and Desmond Bane added 22 points along with 10 rebounds and eight assists to help Memphis defeat Miami at home.
Brandon Clarke and Zach Edey each scored 12 points, with Edey also grabbing eight rebounds. Scotty Pippen Jr. contributed 11 points and 11 assists off the bench for Memphis, which secured its fifth victory in the last six games. The Grizzlies improved their record to 10-3 in the second game of back-to-back matches.
Kel’el Ware led the Heat with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Bam Adebayo contributed 18 points and six boards. Kyle Anderson finished the game for Miami with 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists. The Heat have now lost seven consecutive games.
Spurs 119, Pelicans 115
Devin Vassell scored 22 points, including a crucial 3-pointer with 1:03 remaining, as the home team San Antonio managed to fend off New Orleans.
The Spurs have won two out of their last three games and are now just four games behind 10th-place Dallas for a chance to compete in the Western Conference play-in tournament, with 16 games left in the regular season. Harrison Barnes and Keldon Johnson both added 19 points for San Antonio.
CJ McCollum led all scorers for New Orleans with 26 points and also recorded a game-high nine assists, while Trey Murphy III chipped in 20 points. The Pelicans have lost six out of their last seven games and played without Zion Williamson, who was absent due to personal reasons.