Watch Nikola Vucevic put up career-best 43 points, Magic beat Bulls

Associated PressFeb 5, 2021, 11:26 PM EST

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic aren’t just rooting for center Nikola Vucevic to make the NBA All-Star Game for the second time in his 10-year NBA career. They’re doing their part by voting for the versatile 7-footer every chance they get.

Vucevic showed his all-star mettle on Friday, scoring a career-best 43 points as the Magic rallied late to beat the Chicago Bulls 123-119 to stop a four-game losing streak.

Vucevic scored 13 of Orlando’s first 15 points against overmatched Chicago center Daniel Gafford and had a tie-breaking clutch hook shot with 1:49 to play after the Bulls had rallied from 14 points down to knot the score at 112. Vucevic, who became an all-star for the first time two seasons ago, made 17 of 29 shots, hit 4 3-pointers and grabbed 19 rebounds on Friday

▪️ Career-high 4⃣3⃣ points
▪️ 1⃣9⃣ rebounds
▪️ Clutch FTs to secure the W@NikolaVucevic joins Dwight & Shaq as the only @OrlandoMagic players to reach 43p/19r in a game! pic.twitter.com/qdXSgRFPGM

— NBA (@NBA) February 6, 2021

“I’ve gone and voted for him every single day, twice – as many times as I could vote and I’m trying to do my part,” Magic rookie point guard Cole Anthony said of Vucevic’s candidacy. “We definitely want to see him be an all-star because I 100 percent think he deserves it.”

Vucevic set his career high with two free throws with 2.6 seconds left in the game. He topped his previous high of 41 points, which he scored in 2017 against Brooklyn. He said the win mattered more to him than the individual accomplishment.

“It felt great to have a career high in a win because the last one was a loss,” Vucevic said. “It’s much better when you win because you can enjoy these things more when you win. I’m most happy about the win because I thought we had great effort from the beginning.”

Trailing by as many as 14 points early in the fourth period, Chicago used a furious rally behind standout guard Zach LaVine and forged ties at 112- and 114-all. Orlando’s Evan Fournier hit a baseline jumper and two free throws in the final 81 seconds to give the Magic enough breathing room for the win.

The Bulls lost their second straight and for the fifth time in six games. Chicago used a 29-15 run in the fourth to tie the game, but once again couldn’t do enough late to win.

Just three nights removed from Toronto’s Fred VanVleet scoring 54 points against them, the Magic held LaVine in check most of the night. LaVine, who came into the night 10th in the NBA in scoring at 26.5 points per game, missed six of his first seven shots and had just two points in the first three quarters. He switched into attack mode in the fourth and finished with 26 points and eight assists.

Chicago coach Billy Donovan would like to see LaVine be more aggressive early in games.

“Zach’s played well, but for him to be aggressive early in the game – maybe not just scoring and shooting – but playing downhill, we need more of that from him,” Donovan said.

Chicago rookie Patrick Williams scored a career-best 20 points. Coby White chipped in 16. Thaddeus Young had 15 points off the bench, while Lauri Markkanen scored 13 points.

Vucevic had plenty of help as Fournier scored 14 of his 20 points in a seven-minute burst of the second quarter when Orlando wiped out a six-point deficit. Anthony added 17 points and nine assists and hit two clutch free throws with 16.4 seconds left as Orlando clung to a two-point edge. James Ennis III added 14 points for Orlando, which improved to 8-1 this season in games that it led at halftime.

Ennis was happy that the Magic could reward Vucevic with a win to go with his career-best performance.

“All of the Orlando people, vote for him because he deserves to be an all-star and he’s showing it every night,” Ennis III said. “He can’t be stopped right now.”

The Bulls’ Otto Porter made the trip to Orlando, but head coach Billy Donovan sounded as if the forward is still several days from returning because of recurring back spasms. Said Donovan of Porter, who has five games this season with at least three made 3-pointers: “I’d say he’s shut down for the time being. He’s getting treatment while he’s here and he’ll do some mobility work. A lot of it will depend on how he responds to all this stuff.”

Watch Davis score 38, Lakers move up to No.7 seed with win against Timberwolves

Associated PressApr 1, 2023, 9:01 AM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Davis scored 17 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter and had 17 rebounds to lift the Los Angeles Lakers past Minnesota 123-111 and leapfrog the Timberwolves on Friday night in the crowded Western Conference playoff race.

“You’ve got to have that one pivotal force that’s leading the charge, and in our case with this particular team here in the moment it’s AD,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “When he comes out and he’s aggressive and we’re feeding him and he’s not settling and he’s putting pressure on the paint, putting pressure on the rim, we find ourselves having a lot of success.”

AD in the Lakers W:

38 points
17 rebounds
2 blocks

Dominant. pic.twitter.com/ESulf5slwc

— NBA (@NBA) April 1, 2023

LeBron James added 18 points and 10 rebounds and D'Angelo Russell had 12 points and 10 assists against his former team as the Lakers (39-38) won for the fifth time in six games to move into seventh place. They’re even with New Orleans, owning the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Pelicans.

“We’ve made some huge climbs, but we’re not finished,” said Davis, who had 38 points Wednesday in tthe win at Chicago. “We’re hungry to not only make the playoffs but make some noise.”

The Lakers improved to 9-4 since losing at home to the Wolves on March 3.

“We jumped on AD’s back, and he brought us home,” James said.

Mike Conley had 25 points on 7-for-11 shooting with seven assists before fouling out, and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 23 points for the Timberwolves (39-39), who tumbled into ninth place. They entered the evening one game behind Golden State and the cut to avoid the play-in tournament, with the Warriors tipping off later at home against San Antonio.

Davis scored 12 straight points for the Lakers over a 3:52 span late in the fourth quarter to seal the steely comeback from a deficit that hit 13 points shortly after halftime. He made five baskets in a row with Wolves center Rudy Gobert on the bench, dominating on the glass, in the post and at the rim.

“He’s playing at a super high level right now,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said.

The Lakers took charge earlier with a 24-2 spurt over a 6:49 stretch of the third quarter with their defense on lockdown mode. Conley’s turn to rest on the bench during that run was ill-timed. Davis rolled his left ankle around the start of the Lakers surge, a breath-holding sequence that only seemed to energize the visitors.

“We started to turn the ball over, and the ball started to stick much more,” Gobert said. “We kind of lost our flow offensively, and it really affected our defense.”

The Wolves, whose bench was shortened without center Naz Reid and his broken wrist, went 2 for 14 from 3-point range in the third quarter and were outscored 35-18 in a discouraging stretch for a fired-up crowd that included local sports superstars Justin Jefferson and Kirill Kaprizov in floor seats.

Watch Jalen Brunson score 48, Knicks top Cavs in possible playoff preview

Associated PressApr 1, 2023, 8:20 AM EDT

CLEVELAND (AP) — With All-Star Julius Randle back in New York, the Knicks needed someone to step up.

Jalen Brunson did that, and more.

New York’s point guard scored a career-high 48 points and the Knicks moved closer to a playoff berth while waiting for Randle to get healthy, outrunning the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-116 on Friday night.

“There is nothing that Jalen does that surprises you,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He’s so mentally tough. He’s nicked up a little bit, but he’s a machine. He just keeps going.”

Brunson credited his Knicks’ teammates and coaches for his big night, which included seven 3-pointers and nine assists. He finished 18 of 32 from the floor.

JALEN BRUNSON CAREER NIGHT 🗣️

48 PTS (career-high)
4 REB
9 AST
7 3PM
W pic.twitter.com/PK6km61gRN

— NBA (@NBA) April 1, 2023

“They had confidence in me and the ball just went through the hole,” said Brunson, who scored 44 in a loss to Milwaukee on Jan. 9. “I just kept shooting with confidence and that’s just how it went.”

The Knicks reduced their magic number to one in their first game without Randle, who sprained his left ankle Wednesday and will miss the rest of the regular season. New York hopes he’ll be back for the postseason and a potential first-round matchup against the Cavs.

New York won the season series 3-1 and denied Cleveland a chance to lock up home-court advantage in the first round.

“This loss hurts,” said Donovan Mitchell, who led Cleveland with 42 points. “We need to feel it and be ready to use it when the time comes. Obviously, we control our destiny and we’ll probably see these guys in two weeks.

“There is a lot of film to go through. But if we let this affect us, we have no chance in the playoffs.”

Leading by three, the Knicks outscored the Cavs 14-2 to open the fourth and get some breathing room in a game played at a frenetic pace. The teams combined for 89 points in the first quarter and 151 in the first half.

The Cavs got within 123-116 before Brunson put the Cavs away with a layup following a timeout and then a 3-pointer. He missed a floater in the final seconds that would have given him 50 points.

Did he want 50?

“Who wouldn’t?” he said. “I was going to hold the ball out, but they doubled and I guess that means keep playing. No disrespect to them. They played to the buzzer. I have the most respect in the world for that coaching staff. You got to keep playing.”

Brunson, who averages 23.6 points, scored 33 in a wild first half without much defense.

The teams combined for 89 points in the first quarter, tying the third most in the first 12 minutes of a game in NBA history. The record of 91 is shared by Utah and Denver (1982), and Miami and Washington (2021).

Also, Cleveland’s 47 points in the first quarter were the most in the franchise’s 53-year history.

The Cavs were without two of their top defenders, center Jarrett Allen (groin) and Isaac Okoro (knee).

The Knicks had a moment of drama.

During a timeout in the third quarter, New York starters RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin got into a shouting match and had to be separated.

Thibodeau downplayed the conflict.

“The cameras are everywhere and it probably happens more than people realize,” Thibodeau said. “It was the heat of the moment. Sometimes, there is a difference of opinion, but those guys are fine with each other. These things happen.”

Later, in the locker, Toppin had his arm around a smiling Barrett.

“This is my brother,” Toppin said. “We’re good.”

NBA, players union agree on new seven-year CBA

By Kurt HelinApr 1, 2023, 3:32 AM EDT

Labor peace will continue in the NBA through the rest of this decade.

The sides had to push back the deadline twice — then miss the latest deadline by a couple of hours — to get it done, but the NBA owners and the National Basketball Players Association have come to terms on a new seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement, a story broken by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and confirmed by the NBA (at 3 a.m. Eastern).

While votes of both the owners and players need to ratify the new deal, it is expected to pass quickly and without controversy. The NBA continues to grow rapidly (particularly internationally), and is in the midst of negotiating a new national television and streaming deal expected to more than double television revenue flowing into the league (money split between the owners and players). Ultimately, nobody wanted to risk killing the golden goose with a labor stoppage.

Here are some of the reported key points of the new CBA:

• There will be a new mid-season tournament, mostly played before Christmas. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has pushed for this, looking to add interest and put more meaning into regular season games.

Prize money for the championship team of the NBA's In-Season Tournament beginning in 2023-24 season: $500,000 per player, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 1, 2023

• Players must take the floor in at least 65 games to be eligible for postseason awards, such as MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and All-NBA. The idea is to motivate players (and teams) to get their best players in more games and limit load management. This rule will not kick in until next season (at the earliest) but if in place this season it would keep Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Ja Morant and others off an All-NBA team.

• The one-and-done rule remains as the NBA is not changing its minimum age requirement to be drafted (one year after a player’s class graduates high school).

• Players will no longer face discipline from the league for marijuana use. It had already been taken out of the league’s drug testing program.

• There are changes to the luxury tax, particularly for the highest-spending teams, something detailed first by ESPN. It will involve adding a second tax apron — 17.5 million over the tax line — and teams above it will no longer have access to the taxpayer mid-level exception. This rule is targeted at the highest-spending teams (the Clippers and Warriors this season, the Nets were on that track before blowing up the roster.

• However, teams in the middle and on the bottom of payroll spending will have expanded opportunities (to spend more) in free agency, or to generate larger trade exceptions for other deals.

• Veteran contract extensions will be able to start at 140% of the last year of the existing contract, up from 120% in the current CBA. That will allow more teams to offer larger extensions and keep key players.

• Teams will gain a third two-way contact slot.

Kevin Durant drops 30, Suns win fourth straight beating shorthanded Nuggets

Associated PressApr 1, 2023, 2:41 AM EDT

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns are starting to string together some wins now that Kevin Durant is healthy.

Even so, they’re far from a well-oiled machine.

Durant scored 30 points, Devin Booker added 27 and the Suns won their fourth straight game by beating the short-handed Denver Nuggets 100-93 on Friday night.

The Suns improved to 5-0 with Durant in the lineup despite nearly blowing a 27-point lead. Phoenix traded for the 13-time All-Star in a deadline deal back in February.

“I like how we played in the first half, but it was a bad second half for us,” Durant said. “We just let our foot off the gas a little and they were playing extremely hard. … We’ve just got to do a better job of sticking with it.”

The Nuggets rested a big chunk of their starting lineup, including reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, guards Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and forward Michael Porter Jr. But they still showed fight after trailing 60-40 at halftime.

“I am immensely proud,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “You are down 27 points on the road, second half, second night in a row. Every reason just to roll over and play dead and get ready for Sunday at home. Guys just wouldn’t do it.”

The Suns pushed their advantage to 27 midway through the third quarter, but the Nuggets pulled to 84-74 heading into the fourth quarter. Denver cut it to 97-93 in the final minute, but Josh Okogie nailed a corner 3 to seal it for the Suns. Okogie had 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including four 3-pointers, and Chris Paul had 13 assists.

Aaron Gordon had 26 points, nine rebounds and six assists to lead the Nuggets. Bruce Brown scored 16 points and Reggie Jackson had 13. The overmatched but feisty Nuggets got 22 points from the bench.

“It was our energy and our effort,” backup guard Peyton Watson said. “We know we were missing guys but that doesn’t change the culture here. We always want to play hard, get stops.”

Durant shot 11 of 15 from the field in a dominant performance two days after a rough shooting night in his home debut against Minnesota. The 34-year-old star has battled knee and ankle injuries over the past few months, but appears to be getting healthy as the Suns continue to cling to the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference playoff race.

The Suns scored just 16 points in the fourth quarter on Friday, but managed to hang on for the victory.

“We’re trying to find that rhythm and trying to get wins at the same time,” Booker said.

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