Nikola Jokic notched another triple-double with 34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists but the Denver Nuggets barely held off the visiting Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

Jokic had his third straight triple-double and sixth of these playoffs, while Jamal Murray added 31 points for the Nuggets, who led by as many as 21 points in the third quarter before the Lakers stormed back, with Denver ultimately holding on for a 132-126 win.

Los Angeles pulled within three twice in the fourth quarter, once on Austin Reaves' 3-pointer at 124-121 with 3:23 remaining and again on LeBron James' two free throws that made it 129-126 with 72 seconds to play.

After sinking two from the line and seeing Murray make a huge steal on James with 18 seconds left, Jokic sank another free throw, effectively ending the Lakers' comeback.

Anthony Davis had 40 points and 10 rebounds, James fell just shy of a triple-double with 26 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists and Reaves keyed the late charge with 11 of his 23 points coming in the final quarter.

Jokic became the first player since at least 1997 to have a dozen or more boards and at least five assists in any quarter of an NBA playoff game.

Game 2 takes place on Thursday in Denver, where the top-seeded Nuggets are 7-0 in the playoffs.

The Los Angeles Lakers expect to have Anthony Davis on the court as they again attempt to close out the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of their Western Conference semi-final series on Friday.

After exiting Wednesday’s 121-106 loss with a head injury, Davis apparently is not in the concussion protocol, according to reports, and should be ready to play.

The league’s concussion protocol prohibits a player diagnosed with a concussion from playing in a game that same day or the next calendar day.

An official injury report will be released later Thursday.

Davis’ availability appeared murky after he was inadvertently hit in the head and was reportedly feeling woozy and required a wheelchair to go to the locker room.

Immediate tests after the game were encouraging, however, according to Lakers coach Darvin Ham.

“He seems to be doing really good already,” Ham told reporters after the game.

Davis was injured with 7:43 to go in the fourth quarter when Kevon Looney’s elbow hit him in the head as the two were converging under the basket on D’Angelo Russell’s driving layup.

The 6-foot-10 superstar stayed in the game until the Lakers’ next possession before taking a seat on the bench.

Prior to leaving, Davis was in the midst of another solid game, totalling 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting to go with nine rebounds and three assists. However, he did fail to block a shot for a second straight game after blocking 11 shots in the first three games of the series.

Leading 101-88 when Davis exited, the Warriors remained in control the rest of the way to keep their season alive and cut the Lakers’ advantage in this best-of-seven series to 3-2.

The series now shifts back to Los Angeles, where the Lakers are 5-0 this postseason.

Stephen Curry led a balanced attack with 27 points and the Golden State Warriors notched a season-extending 121-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday.

Facing elimination, the defending champion Warriors took the lead late in the second quarter and never trailed again to force the series back to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Friday.

Andrew Wiggins had 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Draymond Green had his best game of the series with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, nine boards and four assists.

Gary Payton II (13 points), Jordan Poole (11) and Klay Thompson (10) also reached double figures for Golden State.

The Warriors led by as many as 17 in the third quarter, but the Lakers trimmed the deficit to 104-95 on Austin Reaves' 3-pointer with 5:25 remaining. Curry, however, sank a jumper and a three to put Golden State up 14.

LeBron James scored 25 points and Anthony Davis had 23 and nine rebounds before he left in the fourth quarter after taking what appeared to be an inadvertent elbow to the head from Golden State's Kevon Looney. Davis grabbed his head grimacing before going to the locker room late in the game.
 

Brunson goes distance as Knicks force Game 6

Jalen Brunson scored 38 points and the New York Knicks kept their season alive with a 112-103 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Brunson played all 48 minutes, shot 12 of 22 from the field and hit 4 of 10 3-pointers while adding nine rebounds and seven assists.

RJ Barrett added 26 points, including four free throws in the final two minutes to preserve the lead, and Julius Randle scored 24 with four threes to get New York within 3-2 in the series.

Jimmy Butler led Miami with 19 points and Bam Adebayo had 18 and eight boards. Duncan Robinson scored 17 points and hit three of his five 3s in the fourth quarter as the eighth-seeded Heat nearly came all the way back after trailing by 19 in the third quarter.

Miami got the deficit down to 103-101 before Isaiah Hartenstein slammed home a follow dunk with 2:07 left. Barrett followed with a pair of free throws and hit another two after Adebayo's dunk to make it 109-103 with under a minute remaining.

The fifth-seeded Knicks will try to force the series back to New York with a road win in Game 6 on Friday.

Anthony Davis bounced back with a stellar performance and got ample help from D'Angelo Russell and LeBron James in the Los Angeles Lakers' 127-97 win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.

Davis had 25 points on 7-of-10 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Lakers took a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

The Lakers' big man was limited to 11 points and seven boards in a Game 2 loss but was relentless at both ends in this one, also adding four blocks and three steals.

Russell scored all 21 of his points in the first half as the Lakers took a 59-48 advantage into the locker room.

James did not attempt a shot in the first quarter for the first time in his playoff carer but led several runs in the second and third quarters on his way to 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

Los Angeles had a huge advantage at the free throw line, making 28 of 37 to just 12 of 17 for Golden State.

The Warriors ended the opening quarter with a 30-23 lead, but the Lakers won the second and third quarters by a combined margin of 63-38. Lakers coach Darvin Ham rested his starters for most of the fourth quarter.

Stephen Curry had 23 points and Andrew Wiggins added 16 for the Warriors, who committed 18 turnovers and made only 13 of 44 from long range.

Golden State got very little from anyone other than Curry, Wiggins or Klay Thompson (15 points), with starters Draymond Green and JaMychal Green combining for just four points on 2-of-9 shooting.

Heat get Butler back, dominate Knicks

Jimmy Butler scored 28 points and was the driving force in his return from a sprained ankle and the Miami Heat rolled to a 105-86 rout of the New York Knicks in Game 3.

Max Strus added 19 points and Bam Adebayo had 17 with 12 rebounds to give Miami a 2-1 lead in the second-round series.

After missing Miami's Game 2 loss due to the ankle, Butler was seen limping at times in the second half Saturday, but the Heat started fast and never trailed against the cold-shooting Knicks.

Butler scored 10 points in the first quarter and the Heat made 10 of their first 15 shots in racing to a 58-44 halftime lead. New York, meanwhile, misfired on 13 of its first 17 shots and shot just 34.1 percent for the game, including a dismal 8-for-40 from 3-point range.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 20 points and Josh Hart had 14. Julius Randle was mostly ineffective with 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting and RJ Barrett was not much better with 14 points on 5 of 16.

Klay Thompson felt "moments of euphoria" as his impressive performance led the Golden State Warriors to a 127-100 win over the Lakers in the NBA playoffs.

Golden State levelled their second-round series at 1-1 on Thursday, as Thompson thrived by scoring 30 points in a display that included eight 3-pointers.

The hot-shooting Warriors bounced back from Tuesday’s close Game 1 loss to recapture the momentum ahead of Game 3 in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Golden State shot over 50 percent overall and set an NBA record for the most 3-pointers in the first two games of a playoff series with 42.

And Thompson now has 12 playoff games where he has made at least seven 3-pointers, giving him an NBA record.

"These are moments you work for," Thompson said after the game, per NBC Sports.

"You might not see them all the time when you're in the gym, when you're conditioning, running a thousand miles.

"Those short moments of euphoria and that flow state where you just feel like you can't miss, make all those hard days more than worth it. 

"I was just trying to get the crowd going, and it's always fun when you shoot the ball well. But it's even better when you couple that with a win."

Thompson was visibly animated in the closing stages of the game, often shouting and jumping in delight as he converted shot after shot.

He was 8-of-11 from 3-point range and 11-of-18 shooting, with 14 of his points coming in a third quarter that the Warriors dominated 43-24 to end any hopes of a Lakers comeback.

"Sometimes when you are out there and you're having fun, things just come about without intention or thought," explained Thompson. 

"I think I was saying something along the lines of probably a few cuss words I'm not proud of. But those are the moments I feel the best as an athlete - when you feel like you're just clicking with your game, it’s just effortless."

Thompson had 25 points in Game 1, but shot only 9-of-25 in the opener.

"I relaxed a little bit more," Thompson said about his improvement in Game 2.

"I was not happy with my Game 1 performance. Shot the ball very inefficiently and probably rushed some shots. So I just let it come to me. I was telling myself to stay patient and it paid dividends."

Draymond Green came up just short of a triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. He relished seeing his fellow four-time NBA champion Thompson thrive.

"I just knew he was locked in," said Green. "He was really p****d off with our [Game 1] performance and he was dialled in coming in.

"When he's getting great looks like that, we know he's one of the best shooters to ever play this game."

Stephen Curry had 20 points and 12 assists, while JaMychal Green added 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting in his first playoff start since 2019.

Klay Thompson scored 30 points with eight 3-pointers and all five Golden State starters reached double figures as the Warriors cruised to a 127-100 rout of the Lakers on Thursday.

The hot-shooting Warriors bounced back from Tuesday’s close Game 1 loss to tie the second-round series at one game apiece.

Stephen Curry had 20 points and 12 assists, JaMychal Green added 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting in his first playoff start since 2019 and Draymond Green nearly notched a triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.

Golden State, which shot over 50 percent overall, set an NBA record for the most 3-pointers in the first two games of a playoff series with 42.

LeBron James scored 21 of his 23 points in the first half and Los Angeles struggled to keep up, with Anthony Davis limited to 11 points and seven rebounds following his 30 and 23 performance in the series opener.

Thompson’s 3 early in the third quarter ignited a 14-4 run for Golden State that extended the lead to 82-64. The Warriors were never threatened thereafter and finished with 43 points in the third quarter.

The series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday.

Anthony Davis had 30 points, 23 rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 117-112 Game 1 road win over the Golden State Warriors.

Davis had a double-double by halftime with 23 points and 11 boards at the break, and finished with a personal playoff high in rebounds.

Reigniting his playoff rivalry against Stephen Curry, LeBron James scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Dennis Schroeder added 19 points off the bench.

The Warriors made 21 3-pointers to the Lakers’ six, but Los Angeles offset that deficit by dominating inside. The Lakers outscored the Warriors in the paint 54-28 and shot 25 for 29 from the free throw line, while Golden State attempted just six free throws – the team’s fewest in a playoff game in franchise history.

Curry, coming off a Game 7-record 50 points to close out the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, made 6 3-pointers en route to a team-high 27 points but shot 10 of 24 from the field.

The Lakers took a 112-98 lead with 5:58 remaining, but the Warriors tied the game with a 14-0 run, capped by a Curry 3-pointer that sent the Chase Center into a frenzy with 1:38 left.

Los Angeles sent aggressive double teams at Curry late, leaving Jordan Poole with a pair of last-minute shot attempts that did not fall.

Poole and Klay Thompson each made six 3-pointers for the Warriors, while Kevon Looney continued his rebounding spree, grabbing seven offensive boards and 23 total.

The Warriors will look to bounce back when they host Game 2 on Thursday.
 

Brunson, Randle help Knicks even series with Heat as Butler sits

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Julius Randle was strong in his return from injury and the New York Knicks earned a 111-105 victory Tuesday over a Miami Heat team without Jimmy Butler, evening their second-round playoff series at a game apiece.

Brunson, who shouldered some blame for Sunday’s Game 1 loss after going 0 for 7 from 3-point range, bounced back by shooting 6 of 10 from deep.

Battling a sore right ankle, Brunson scored 23 of his 30 points in the second half, helping the Knicks rally from a fourth-quarter deficit to avoid a demoralizing loss.

The Heat led 93-87 with 7:03 remaining, but Brunson scored 10 points in the Knicks’ ensuing 14-3 run that secured the victory.

Randle, who missed Game 1 due to a sprained left ankle, responded with 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, while Josh Hart came up just short of a triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.

The Knicks outrebounded the Heat 50-34.

The Heat played without the leading scorer in this year’s playoffs after Butler was ruled out because of a right ankle sprain. Caleb Martin replaced Butler in the starting lineup and led Miami with 22 points.

Butler, who is scoring 35.5 points per game this postseason, will get a few extra days to rehabilitate before Game 3 in Miami on Saturday.

Two weeks ago, Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks created controversy with a few insults directed at superstar LeBron James.

He reportedly will no longer be making any more questionable comments as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.

The unrestricted free agent was informed by the Grizzlies on Tuesday that they will not be bringing him back "under any circumstances," according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Memphis told Brooks of the decision in an exit meeting, with his showing in the Grizzlies' first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers coming as the final "breaking point," according to the report.

Brooks made headlines after the Grizzlies evened their series against the Lakers with a Game 2 win on April 19, when he took a shot at the league's all-time leading scorer.

In addition to calling James "old", he said: "I poke bears. I don't respect no one until they come and give me 40 [points]."

Brooks' comments backfired, as the Lakers responded by winning the series in six games – including a 125-85 thrashing in Friday's clincher.

While the 38-year-old James stepped up his play in the series, Brooks seemed to shrivel.

After taking his jab at James, Brooks averaged just nine points on 28 per cent shooting and 22.2 percent on 27 three-point attempts in the series' final four games.

This came after Brooks averaged 14.3 points on 39.6 per cent shooting and 32.6 per cent on three-pointers in 73 regular-season games in 2022-23.

He did not talk to the media after the Grizzlies' three losses in Los Angeles, and was subsequently fined $25,000 for violating the league's rules regarding media interview access.

The 27-year-old ended up speaking to the media during the team's exit interviews on Sunday, but said he had no regrets about the comments he made.

"That's who I am," he said. "I don't regret it. I'm a competitor, I compete. I don't think it got LeBron geeked up."

LeBron James knows he has "got to be better" after he was "not very good at all" in the Los Angeles Lakers' 116-99 Game 5 playoff defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.

The Grizzlies kept the series alive at 3-2 with a comfortable victory at FedExForum, where Desmond Bane scored 33 points and had 10 rebounds.

Ja Morant also had a big night for Memphis, finishing with 31 points and 10 rebounds as the Lakers were unable to wrap up the series.

James could only muster 15 points and was taken off by head coach Darvin Ham after spending 37 minutes on court 

The legendary 38-year-old turned his attention to ensuring he delivers on Friday after falling short of his usually sky-high standards.

"Just got to be better. It starts with me. Tonight I was not very good at all. My defense was pretty good.

"Offensively, I was not really good. So, we've all got to do a better job helping one another."

James added: "I'll be better in Game 6."

Bane is adamant the Lakers will not finish off the job in Game 6.

"I said it out there, and I’ll say it again," Bane said. "We are going to be back for a Game 7 in front of the best fans in the NBA."

Jimmy Butler delivered another clutch display with 42 points including a dramatic game-tying shot to send Game 5 to overtime before the Miami Heat eliminated the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks 128-126 on Wednesday.

The OT victory at Fiserv Forum meant the Heat completed a shock 4-1 first round series triumph, becoming the sixth eight seed to beat a top seed and the first in more than a decade, dating back to 2012.

The Heat launched another fourth-quarter rally led by Butler, similar to Game 4, fighting back from a 102-86 three-quarter time deficit.

Butler scored 14 fourth-quarter points including a game-tying three-pointer with 2:11 left, along an incredible falling alley oop layup from Gabe Vincent's inbound with time almost expiring to send the game to OT.

Miami went ahead early in OT and did not surrender their lead, although the Bucks spurned the final possession as the clock expired with Grayson Allen unable to get a shot away.

Butler finished with 42 points on 17-of-33 shooting with eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Kevin Love made five triples with 12 rebounds, while Gabe Vincent added 22 points and Bam Adebayo had a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 38 points with 20 rebounds and Khris Middleton shot four-of-10 from three-point range in his 33 points.

Road Warriors take lead in series

The Golden State Warriors claimed a rare road win at the right time, as they claimed a 3-2 series lead over the Sacramento Kings with a 123-116 victory.

Stephen Curry scored 31 points on 12-of-25 shooting, making only two-of-10 from beyond the arc, coming up with a patient three-point play to ice the game with 22.4 seconds left.

The Kings had closed within one point at 111-110 with 4:14 left, with Malik Monk getting hot to finish with 21 points after being scoreless midway through the third. De'Aaron Fox scored a team-high 24 points on nine-of-25 shooting with seven rebounds and nine assists but six turnovers.

Klay Thompson went five-of-11 from three-point range in his 25 points, while Draymond Green scored 20-plus points for the first time since Christmas 2019 with 21 points off the bench.

Grizzlies stay alive, Knicks progress

Desmond Bane and Ja Morant starred as the Memphis Grizzlies stayed alive in the playoffs with a 116-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers after a strong first half.

The Grizzlies led by as much as 17 points in the first half and while the Lakers closed the gap, Memphis pulled away again led by Bane's 33 points with four three-pointers, while Morant added 31 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Xavier Tillman did a brilliant defensive job on LeBron James who was kept to 15 points on five-of-17 shooting, going scoreless in the fourth quarter. Anthony Davis had 31 points and 19 rebounds. The Lakers lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 in LA.

The New York Knicks advanced into the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals with a 106-95 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers rounding out a 4-1 series win, their first series triumph since 2013.

LeBron James described it as "pretty cool" to record a first 20-20 of his career in steering the Los Angeles Lakers to a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoffs series against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The veteran has been fired up for the Lakers in the playoffs and had 22 points to go with 20 rebounds as Los Angeles secured a 117-111 overtime win to take a commanding advantage.

James also had seven assists and committed just one turnover in what was a record-extending 270th playoff game for the NBA's all-time leading points scorer.

"I just try to be as great as I can be offensively, but more importantly on the defensive end," James said. 

"That was the mindset tonight. I was able to make a couple of plays. My teammates told me I had 20 and 20. It's the first time I've done it in my career, so that's pretty cool, I guess."

It was James who drained the basket to force overtime then nailed a layup while being fouled that saw the Lakers go up by five in overtime with a little under 30 seconds remaining.

The latter bucket saw James flex his muscles in front of a boisterous home crowd.

"I've been a part of moments where you know you get a dagger play or a kill shot," James said. 

"I felt like that play — it wasn't going to close the door, but there wasn't much light at the end. I just let the emotion come out."

Anthony Davis said of James: "He just took over down the stretch. Got us a bucket to get to overtime.

"All our guys [performed], it was a good team effort. This team is not going to go away."

The Lakers will aim to get the series wrapped up back in Memphis in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler scored the fourth-most points in NBA playoff history as he led a remarkable 119-114 comeback win in Monday's Game 4 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The win in front of Miami's home fans gave the Heat a 3-1 series lead against the league's top overall seed, and it was on the back of a spectacular 56-point explosion by Butler.

Butler had 35 points through three quarters as his Heat trailed 89-78 heading into the last period, but after the Bucks jumped ahead 101-89 with just over six minutes remaining, Miami came roaring back.

The Heat put together a 13-0 run from that point to stick their nose in front, setting up Butler to carry his team home.

Butler, a six-time All-Star, put up 21 points in the fourth quarter to finish with 56 all up, shooting 19-of-28 from the field, three-of-eight from deep and 15-of-18 from the free throw line to set a new Miami playoff franchise record.

His 56 points is tied with Charles Barkley (1994), Michael Jordan (1992) and Wilt Chamberlain (1962) for the fourth-most ever in a playoff game, trailing only Donovan Mitchell's 57 (2020), Elgin Baylor's 61 (1962) and MJ's 63 (1986).

No other Miami player scored more than Bam Adebayo's 15 points (six-of-16 shooting), although Caleb Martin provided a crucial spark off the bench with 12 points (four-of-five), nine rebounds and two steals.

For the Bucks, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was terrific in his return from a two-game absence, putting together a big triple-double with 26 points (12-of-22), 13 assists, 10 rebounds, two blocks and a steal.

Brook Lopez was also immense, with the Defensive Player of the Year candidate contributing a team-high 36 points (13-of-23), 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

The Bucks will look to keep their season alive back in Milwaukee for Game 5, and if they can take that, they will head back to Miami for Game 6, with a chance to earn a Game 7 at home.

LeBron sets new career high in overtime win

LeBron James is somehow still setting career-highs in year 20, snatching down a personal-best 20 rebounds as he carried the Los Angeles Lakers to a 115-108 home win in Game 4 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

James had never secured more than 19 rebounds in a game before – regular season or playoffs – but he had five offensive rebounds to go with 15 on the defensive end, and his Lakers needed every bit of his efforts.

Trailing 104-102 with six seconds remaining, James was the one to nail the game-tying layup and send the contest to overtime, and he would drain the dagger in the extra period as well with a three-point play against Grizzlies rival Dillon Brooks to jump ahead 113-108 with less than 30 seconds on the clock.

The four-time NBA Finals MVP finished with 22 points on eight-of-18 shooting, dishing seven assists and blocking two shots, and he played a team-high 45 minutes.

James had no choice but to produce given how poorly his star team-mate Anthony Davis played on the offensive end, finishing with just 12 points on four-of-13 shooting, and he only had seven points at the conclusion of regulation, although his 14 rebounds and five blocks were important.

Desmond Bane was the offensive focal point for the Grizzlies, scoring a game-high 36 points on 13-of-29 shooting, while Ja Morant was clearly hampered by his injured shooting hand, finishing eight-of-24 from the field for his 19 points, seven assists and three steals.

The Grizzlies will attempt to keep the series alive when the series heads back to Memphis for Game 5, now trailing 3-1.

The Golden State Warriors almost blew a five-point lead in the final minute as Harrison Barnes missed a buzzer-beater as the reigning champions levelled their first round series with the Sacramento Kings after a 126-125 Game 4 win on Sunday.

The Warriors led 126-121 heading into the final 60 seconds but gifted the Kings an avenue back in after Stephen Curry called for a timeout when they had none left at Chase Center.

Malik Monk scored the subsequent free-throw before De'Aaron Fox's three-pointer cut the margin to one point.

Curry then missed a pullup shot with 14 seconds left but the Kings could not capitalise with the final possession after a timeout, when a double-teamed Fox found Barnes open before his attempt rimmed out.

Reigning NBA Finals MVP Curry finished with 32 points on 11-of-22 shooting with five-of-11 from beyond the arc, along with five rebounds and four assists.

Klay Thompson had 26 points with four three-pointers and Jordan Poole added 22 points, while Draymond Green returned from a one-game ban off the bench with a strong display, holding the Kings to five-of-15 as primary defender.

Clutch Player of the Year Fox did everything but hit the final shot, scoring 38 points on 14-of-31 shooting with four three-pointers.

Keegan Murray added 23 points with five-of-seven three-point shooting and Domantas Sabonis was down on his usual output with 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.

The Warriors squared the series up at 2-2 ahead of Game 5 in Sacramento on Wednesday. Golden State are 35-8 at home across the regular and postseason but are 11-32 on the road.

Tatum and Brown led Celtics triumph

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 31 points each as the Boston Celtics pulled 3-1 clear in their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks with a 129-121 road win.

The Celtics led nearly the entire game, holding off a 68-point Hawks' second half, with Tatum and Brown combining for Boston's final 16 points to round out the win.

Tatum's 31 points came on eight-of-20 shooting from the field including four-of-13 three-pointers, with seven rebounds and three blocks. Brown scored 12-of-22 from the field with three triples.

Trae Young had a strong game for Atlanta with 35 points and 15 assists, while De'Andre Hunter added 27 points and Dejounte Murray scored 23 with nine rebounds.

Knicks pull clear, Timberwolves avoid sweep in OT

The New York Knicks took a 3-1 lead in their first round series with the Cleveland Cavaliers after Jalen Brunson scored 29 points at a loud Madison Square Garden to lead them to a 102-93 win.

Donovan Mitchell had a poor game, managing only 11 points on five-of-18 shooting, with Darius Garland stepping up for 23 points and 10 assists.

But the Knicks were too strong, with R.J. Barrett supporting Brunson with 26 points, while Josh Hart had 19 points and seven rebounds. Brunson shot five three-pointers, while Julius Randle sat out the fourth quarter, scoring on seven points fo the game.

The Minnesota Timberwolves staved off elimination and avoided a first-ever franchise sweep with a 114-108 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets, with Anthony Edwards delivering a clutch three-pointer to cap his 34 points. Denver center Nikola Jokic scored 43 points with 11 rebounds.

Memphis Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks accused the media of painting him as a "villain", leading to the decision to eject him for a flagrant 2 foul in Saturday's 111-101 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Brooks was kicked from the game early in the third quarter after his left hand struck LeBron James' groin. The incident came following trash talk from Brooks directed at James, who he called "old" after Game 2.

The Grizzlies forward, who dodged reporters after Saturday's game, claimed the incident was an accident when he spoke on Sunday, before claiming his reputation had been affected by the media's portrayal of him, factoring into the officials' decision to eject him from Game 3.

"The media making me a villain, the fans making me a villain and then that just creates a whole different persona on me," said Brooks, who has been ejected from games three times this season.

"So now you think I intended to hit LeBron James in the nuts. I'm playing basketball. I'm a basketball player.

"So if I intended – and that's whatever is in the flagrant 2 category – if you think I did that, that means you think I'm that type of person.

"I've been dealing with this [for] two years now. It is what it is. The fans can talk s***, whatever they want to. It doesn't matter to me.

"I'm going to keep playing my game and get better and better each and every day and as long as my career goes."

It has been widely reported that Brooks will be free to play in Game 4, avoiding any suspension for the flagrant 2 foul.

"I knew I wasn't going to be [suspended]," Brooks said. "They can't dictate this series like that.

"[Referee] Marc [Davis] probably had to call that 'cause of what happened [in Game 3] with James Harden, and that's just unfair. I get penalised, and I can't help my team try to make a comeback in the second half."

James got the last laugh against the Grizzlies in Saturday's game, having refused to be drawn into Brooks' narrative in the lead-up, scoring 25 points with nine rebounds in the Lakers' win.

Despite that, Brooks did not regret his provocation, or "poking bears" as he called it.

"Am I saying anything that's not facts?" Brooks said.

LeBron James said it was not about making a statement after helping the Los Angeles Lakers take a 2-1 lead over the Memphis Grizzlies following a flashpoint with Dillon Brooks.

A raucous sell-out crowd at Crypto.com Arena roared the Lakers onto a 111-101 victory in Game 3 of the first-round playoff series.

James had 25 points, while Anthony Davis had 31 and 17 rebounds in a game where the Lakers raced into a 35-9 first-quarter lead.

The Grizzlies saw Ja Morant put up 45 points after missing one game with a sore right hand and also had Brooks ejected 17 seconds into the third quarter for a flagrant foul when he struck James in the groin.

It did not take the officials long to toss Brooks from the game, but James said the focus was merely on getting the win on the board.

"I didn't make a statement," James said. "I've been doing this too long. 

"I'm not making any statements. We had the opportunity to come home and play well on our home floor, and we did that. No statement was made. 

"We just wanted to play well, and we got a win. I don't need to make statements."

Brooks had been taunted by the Lakers crowd all game and head coach Darvin Ham said the vociferous home support was crucial in their efforts.

"I thought our crowd was phenomenal," Ham said. "Really felt them in the building. Thank God we gave them something to cheer about, the way we came out."

While Brooks did not address the media, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins merely said of the incident: "Officials made a call."

Morant scored 22 consecutive points for the Grizzlies in the fourth quarter, while he also had 13 assists and nine rebounds. Ultimately, though, Memphis' lowest first-quarter return in franchise history proved too big an obstacle to overcome.

"I think we won by double digits in the last three quarters, so obviously that first quarter pretty much hurt us," Morant said. 

"I feel pretty good. Obviously some stuff you've just got to play through and tolerate.

"In that fourth quarter, I was just trying to win the game. Got it going pretty good, making shots, and just couldn't get it over that hump."