Davis stars as Lakers halt losing run, assists galore for Westbrook

By Sports Desk May 04, 2021

The Los Angeles Lakers ended their three-game losing run despite being without LeBron James as they defeated the Denver Nuggets 93-89 in the NBA on Monday.

Anthony Davis scored 25 points for the Lakers with seven rebounds and a crucial last-gasp block on Nuggets guard Facundo Campazzo's three-point attempt.

The Lakers, who had lost six of their past seven coming in, were undermanned with James sitting out with a sore right ankle, while Dennis Schroder was absent too.

The win improves the Lakers to 37-28 and moves them back into fifth in the Western Conference.

The Philadelphia 76ers were also winners on Monday, knocking off the Chicago Bulls 106-94 to improve their record to 44-21, holding top spot in the East.

Forward Tobias Harris top scored with 21 points, while Joel Embiid had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

 

Westbrook goes wild again

Russell Westbrook went next level with his latest triple-double with 14 points, 21 rebounds and 24 assists in the Washington Wizards' 154-141 win over the Indiana Pacers.

In a high-scoring game, Westbrook's 24 assists was a career-high. It was also an NBA record five triple-doubles with 20-plus assists, going past Magic Johnson and Rajon Rondo with four.

The Wizards finished with 50 assists against the Pacers, which was the most by a team since 1990.

Danilo Gallinari scored 28 points off the bench as the Atlanta Hawks got past the Portland Trail Blazers 123-114 in a crucial game for playoffs spots.

Rudy Gobert scored 24 points and had 15 rebounds as the Utah Jazz returned to first place in the West with a 110-99 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

Stephen Curry scored 41 points while Draymond Green had a triple-double as the Golden State Warriors won 123-108 over the New Orleans Pelicans, boosting their play-in hopes.

The Warriors moved past the Memphis Grizzlies into eighth after they went down to the in-form New York Knicks 118-104.

 

Bogdan Bog-down-ovic

There was an amusing moment in the Hawks' win over the Trail Blazers, when Bogdan Bogdanovic stumbled on a fast break upon a pass from Trae Young which clonked him in the head.

 

Melo moves into all-time top 10

Carmelo Anthony's 14 points for the Trail Blazers saw him move into the top 10 all-time scorers in NBA history.

 

Monday's results

Orlando Magic 119-112 Detroit Pistons 
Washington Wizards 154-141 Indiana Pacers 
Golden State Warriors 123-108 New Orleans Pelicans
Atlanta Hawks 123-114 Portland Trail Blazers
New York Knicks 118-104 Memphis Grizzlies 
Philadelphia 76ers 106-94 Chicago Bulls
Utah Jazz 110-99 San Antonio Spurs
Los Angeles Lakers 93-89 Denver Nuggets

 

Nets at Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks (40-24) and the Brooklyn Nets (43-22) meet for the second time in three days as seedings spots in the East get determined.

Related items

  • 'Kobe would be proud' – Murray the star as Hawks down Celtics again 'Kobe would be proud' – Murray the star as Hawks down Celtics again

    Dejounte Murray said the late Kobe Bryant would have been proud of his efforts after scoring a career-high 44 points to lead the Atalanta Hawks to another dramatic win over the Boston Celtics.

    The Hawks recovered from 30 points down to clinch a memorable 120-118 win over the league-leading Celtics on Monday, and they made it a double with Thursday's last-gasp overtime success.

    Murray sank 44 points, including the go-ahead jumper in the final second of overtime, to guide Atlanta to a 123-122 win – their fourth victory in as many games.

    Murray's 44 points came off 44 shots, which led him to recall how Los Angeles Lakers legend Bryant scored 41 points with 47 attempts against the Celtics back in 2002.

    The 27-year-old was not too concerned by his wastefulness after stepping up in the big moments, though.

    "I still feel like I played awful," Murray told reporters after the game. "I don't want to take that many shots. But I know Kobe would be proud of me!

    "I'm just built for those moments. I'm a confident guy."

    Occupying the final Play-In spot in the Eastern Conference with a 34-39 record, the Hawks are now within one game of the ninth seed, the Chicago Bulls.

    Murray knows the scale of the statement they have made by beating the Celtics twice in four days, adding: "That's the best team in the league, and we competed.

    "We're not tanking, we're not trying to lose. We're trying to win games and see how high we can get."

    While the Celtics will surely be sick of the sight of Atlanta, they could yet be reunited with them in the first round of the playoffs, should the Hawks make the Play-In Tournament and progress. 

    Boston coach Joe Mazzulla knows his team won't be able to switch off if they face the Hawks again, saying: "That's a really good team."

  • NBA: Murray scores 44, hits late winner in OT to lift Hawks over Celtics NBA: Murray scores 44, hits late winner in OT to lift Hawks over Celtics

    Dejounte Murray hit a go-ahead jumper in the final second of overtime and finished with 44 points in the Atlanta Hawks’ 123-122 win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday.

    Murray scored all of Atlanta’s 11 points in the extra period, answering with his winning shot six seconds after Jaylen Brown’s jumper put the Celtics on top.

    Atlanta defeated league-leading Boston for the second time in four days after it rallied from a 30-point deficit for a stunning 120-118 victory on Monday.

    Bogdan Bogdanović scored 24 points and De’Andre Hunter added 21 with 13 rebounds to help the Hawks match a season high with their fourth straight win.

    Jayson Tatum had 31 points and 13 rebounds and Kristaps Porzingis scored 20 points for the Celtics, who have already clinched the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

     

    Williamson, McCollum power Pelicans

    Zion Williamson scored 28 points and CJ McCollum added 25 and the New Orleans Pelicans fended off the Milwaukee Bucks, 107-100.

    Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Trey Murphy contributed 15 and 11 boards as the Pelicans won despite misfiring on 24 of 32 from 3-point range and shooting just 39.6 percent (36 of 91) overall.

    Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied 35 points and 14 rebounds for the Bucks, who dropped their second straight following Wednesday’s double-overtime loss to the Lakers.

  • Curry says togetherness key as Warriors rally following Green ejection Curry says togetherness key as Warriors rally following Green ejection

    Stephen Curry believes overcoming Draymond Green's ejection to clinch a 103-91 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday said much about the Golden State Warriors' character.

    Green was ejected for the fourth time this season just four minutes into Wednesday's game at Kia Center, being called for two technical fouls in a matter of moments.

    The forward reacted angrily to Curry being pulled up for a shooting foul and continued to remonstrate with the officials after his first technical, with a second being called soon afterwards.

    Green's exit left his team-mates in a tough situation, but they rallied to make it back-to-back wins as Curry scored 17 points in support of Andrew Wiggins (23).   

    "Nothing is guaranteed in this league," Curry said after the game. "The way that we went out and competed, the way the season is going, that's the way you see how your back is against the wall. 

    "I don't know how many people would have picked us in this kind of game, a back-to-back setting, down two starters, and we found a way to fight to get a win."

    The Warriors are now up to 38-34 as they battle for a Play-In spot, but Curry says they cannot afford to keep losing Green if they are to make the postseason.

    Green is the first player to be tossed four times in a single NBA season since Kevin Durant walked five times in 2017-18, while he is the only player with multiple first-quarter dismissals in a season over the last 20 years.

    He had been on his best behaviour after missing 12 games through suspension for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face in December, and Curry knows his team-mate needs to remain on the right side of the line. 

    "We need him. He knows that. We all know that," Curry said of Green. "So whatever we need to do to keep him on the floor and available, that's what's got to happen. 

    "Especially at this point in the year. It was a tough way to start the game. We know how important this part of the season is in our ability to get into a rhythm and secure a Play-In opportunity.

    "We don't want to give ourselves self-inflicted wounds. We all care. We all are passionate about the game and our chances to have something to play for down the stretch. 

    "You give everything you've got to this game. That's the emotion."

    The Warriors round off a testing five-game road stretch in the coming days, facing the Charlotte Hornets on Friday before taking on the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.