A total of eight games were played in the NBA on Tuesday, and a few of them had playoff implications. Let’s recap four of them:
Suns Rise, Outlast Bucks as Kevin Durant, Devin Booker Come Up Big
Devin Booker hit the go-ahead jumper and Kevin Durant fired a game-high 38 points to power the Phoenix Suns (35-37) to a 108-106 squeaker over the Milwaukee Bucks (40-31) at Footprint Center.
Booker finished with 19 points on top of 12 assists, while Durant also had 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks to win his matchup with the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo. Ryan Dunn added 12 points and 9 rebounds and Nick Richards put up 10 and 10.
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 31 points and 10 boards, while Brook Lopez chipped in 23 points and 10 boards but missed the potential game-tying jumper. Gary Trent Jr. added 19 off the Milwaukee bench.
Up next:
Suns vs. Boston Celtics on March 27
Bucks vs. Denver Nuggets on March 27
Bulls Outlast Nuggets Behind Coby White, Josh Giddey
Coby White and Josh Giddey were once again superb as they led the Chicago Bulls (32-40) to a 129-119 victory over the Denver Nuggets (45-28) at Ball Arena.
White finished with a game-high 37, while Giddey put up 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists. Jalen Smith and Dalen Terry added 14 apiece off the bench as the Bulls won their third straight game and eight of their last ten.
Jamal Murray topscored for the Nuggets with 28 points, while Peyton Watson added 24. Russell Westbrook chipped in 14 points and 10 assists as he entered the NBA’s top 20 scorers all-time.
Up next:
Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers on March 28
Nuggets vs. Bucks on March 27
Magic Cast Spell on Lakers Behind Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero
Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero combined for 62 points to lead the Orlando Magic (34-38) to a 118-106 triumph versus the Los Angeles Lakers (43-28) at Kia Center.
Wagner finished with a team-high 32 points on top of 5 rebounds and 9 assists, while Banchero had 30 points and 7 boards. Anthony Black added 17 off the Magic bench.
Luka Doncic led the way for the Purple and Gold with 32 points, 7 caroms, and 7 dimes but was just 9-for-23 from the field. LeBron James chipped in 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists but was –17 when he was on the floor.
Up next:
Magic vs. Charlotte Hornets on March 26
Lakers vs. Indiana Pacers on March 27
Pacers Tame Wolves on Strength of Explosive Third Quarter
The Indiana Pacers (42-29) exploded for 41 third quarter points en route to a 119-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves (41-32) at Gainbridge FieldHouse.
Tyrese Haliburton’s 24 points led six Pacers in double-figures, with Obi Toppin, Bennedict Mathurin, and T.J. McConnell chipping in 20, 11, and 10, respectively, off the bench. Aaron Nesmith had 17 and Pascal Siakam added 14.
Naz Reid topscored for the Wolves with 20 off the bench, but leading scorer Anthony Edwards was limited to just 17 on 7-for-19 shooting. Rudy Gobert added 16 points and 16 boards.
Up next:
Pacers vs. Lakers on March 27
Wolves vs. Suns on March 29
