Just six games were played in the NBA on Friday, but one was a marquee rivalry matchup, another went to the final possession, while one more saw a fantastic individual performance. We take a look at these three games, which also had big playoff implications. Take a look:
Warriors Overcome Lakers Thanks to Big Game from Steph Curry
Steph Curry cooked for a game-high 37 points to lead the Golden State Warriors (45-31) to a crucial 123-116 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers (46-30) at crypto.com Arena.
Curry was particularly blazing in the third quarter, when he dropped 13 straight to help the Warriors build an 88-77 advantage going to the fourth quarter. Brandin Podziemski added 28 points on a career-high eight triples, while Jonathan Kuminga chipped in 18 points and 9 boards off the bench. Draymond Green had 8 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists.
LeBron James paced the Lakers with 33 points and 9 assists, while Austin Reaves put up 31 markers on 9-for-16 shooting from downtown. However, Luka Doncic was limited to just 19 points, though he did have 8 rebounds and 7 assists.
With the win, the Warriors moved to within a game of the Lakers for the fourth seed in the West.
Up next:
Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets on April 5
Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans on April 5
Grizzlies Survive Heat on Ja Morant’s Game-Winner
Ja Morant fired the game-winner with less than five seconds left to help lead the Memphis Grizzlies (45-32) to a 110-108 win over the erstwhile red-hot Miami Heat (35-42) at Kaseya Center.
Morant finished with 30 points, with the last two coming off a nifty stepback in near the free-throw line for the marginal basket. Desmond Bane added 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jaylen Wells chipped in 13 apiece. Scotty Pippen Jr. had 17 off the Memphis bench as well.
Tyler Herro fired a game-high 35 points for the Heat, who were looking for their seventh straight victory. He also had 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Bam Adebayo put up 26 points and 7 rebounds, while rookie Kel’el Ware added 13 points and 15 boards.
With the win, Memphis stayed tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the sixth seed in the West. Miami remained at no. 9 in the East.
Up next:
Grizzlies vs. Detroit Pistons on April 6
Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks on April 6
Big Game from Giannis Leads Backs Past Sixers
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded a huge triple-double to power the Milwaukee Bucks (42-34) to a 126-113 road win over the Philadelphia 76ers (23-54) at Wells Fargo Center.
Antetokounmpo finished with 35 points, 17 rebounds, and 20 assists to lead the Bucks, who also got 17 from Brook Lopez and 16 from Kyle Kuzma. Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. added 13 apiece, with AJ Green contributing 12 more in a balanced effort that saw the Bucks shooting 56% from the field—a game after they shot 69% overall.
Adem Bona paced Philly with 28 points, followed by Quentin Grimes’s 24 markers. Guerschon Yabusele added 22.
Up next:
Bucks vs. Heat on April 6
Sixers vs. Timberwolves on April 6
