Stephen Curry scored a game-high 33 points and the Golden State Warriors set up their home-and-home showdown with the Phoenix Suns with a suffocating defensive effort Sunday afternoon in a 105-90 victory over the host Los Angeles Clippers.
Otto Porter Jr. came off the bench to contribute 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Jordan Poole added 17 points for Golden State, which won its seventh straight.
Owners of the best record in the NBA at 18-2, the Warriors head on to Phoenix, where they will duel the streaking Suns on Tuesday and Friday, with the second meeting set for San Francisco. The Suns (17-3), the defending Western Conference champions, have won 16 in a row.
Paul George went for 30 points for the Clippers, who had been 2-0 in afternoon games over the previous seven days. He shot 3 of 7 on 3-pointers, accounting for one-third of Los Angeles’ total.
Grizzlies 128, Kings 101
Dillon Brooks scored 21 points and Desmond Bane added 18 as host Memphis, in its first game since star guard Ja Morant suffered a sprained left knee, led by as many as 37 in blowing out Sacramento.
Jaren Jackson Jr. tallied 17 points and nine rebounds, and Brandon Clarke added 15 points for Memphis, which led wire-to-wire. Bane made four 3-pointers and De’Anthony Melton scored 14 points to help the Grizzlies snap a two-game skid.
Buddy Hield scored 14 points and Terence Davis 13 to lead Sacramento, which fell to 2-2 under interim coach Alvin Gentry. De’Aaron Fox added 12 points, and Davion Mitchell had 11 points and six assists.
Celtics 109, Raptors 97
Marcus Smart scored eight of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and finished with eight rebounds and six assists as Boston defeated host Toronto for the second time in three meetings this season.
Al Horford added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who ended a two-game losing streak. Jayson Tatum was held to eight points, but had 10 assists, and Josh Richardson contributed 18 points for the Celtics.
Fred VanVleet had 27 points for the Raptors, who dropped to 2-7 in home games. Scottie Barnes added 21 points, Pascal Siakam had 18, and Svi Mykhailiuk 12 for Toronto.
Bucks 118, Pacers 100
Jrue Holiday posted 23 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 26 points and 13 rebounds, and Milwaukee blew out host Indiana for their seventh consecutive win.
Antetokounmpo and Holiday led Milwaukee’s balanced offensive effort. Six Bucks scored in double figures and seven finished with at least eight points, including Khris Middleton, who had a strong all-around game of 14 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Caris LeVert scored a season-high 23 points for Indiana. Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points, and T.J. McConnell, Chris Duarte and Justin Holiday scored 10 points apiece.
Lakers 110, Pistons 106
LeBron James recorded 33 points and nine assists to help Los Angeles hold off visiting Detroit.
Russell Westbrook had 25 points and nine assists and Anthony Davis contributed 24 points and 10 rebounds as the Lakers won for just the third time in the past eight games.
Jerami Grant scored 32 points but couldn’t prevent Detroit from losing its sixth consecutive game. Frank Jackson added 17 points and Cade Cunningham registered 15 points and 11 rebounds.
–Field Level Media
