NBA roundup: Cavaliers extend home win streak, top East-best Pistons
Wed Mar 4 3:19am ET
Field Level Media
Jaylon Tyson scored seven of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and James Harden finished with 18 points and seven assists as the host Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons 113-109 on Tuesday night.
Evan Mobley had 18 points and Dennis Schroder scored 15 for the Cavaliers, who won their season-high seventh straight home game. Craig Porter Jr. added seven points and eight rebounds off the bench, as Cleveland improved to 22-8 since Dec. 29.
Jalen Duren collected game highs of 24 points and 14 rebounds, and fellow Pistons All-Star Cade Cunningham posted 10 points and 14 assists.
Detroit lost for just the second time in its last 10 games and had its six-game road winning streak snapped.
Spurs 131, 76ers 91
Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper each scored 22 points as San Antonio wrapped up a 4-1 road trip by throttling Philadelphia.
Eight Spurs scored in double figures, including Stephon Castle (15 points, 10 assists) and Victor Wembanyama (10 points, eight rebounds, six blocks, three steals) as San Antonio won for the 12th time in 13 games.
Tyrese Maxey scored 21 points and Jabari Walker had 20 to pace Philadelphia, which played without Joel Embiid, Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. VJ Edgecombe injured his back on the final play of the first half and did not return.
Lakers 110, Pelicans 101
Luka Doncic compiled 27 points and 10 rebounds and LeBron James added 21 points as Los Angeles ran its winning streak to three games by rallying for a victory over visiting New Orleans.
Austin Reaves contributed 15 points and eight rebounds while Deandre Ayton added 13 points and eight boards as the Lakers won despite committing 22 turnovers. They improved to 4-2 when giving the ball away at least 22 times this season.
Zion Williamson scored 24 points and Trey Murphy III added 21 as the Pelicans dropped consecutive games in the Los Angeles area following a defeat against the Clippers on Sunday. New Orleans went 0-4 in the season series vs. the Lakers. Saddiq Bey scored 18 points and Dejounte Murray added 15 for New Orleans.
Suns 114, Kings 103
Jalen Green scored 20 points and Devin Booker returned from a four-game absence to help Phoenix post a victory over host Sacramento.
Grayson Allen scored 18 points off the bench while Collin Gillespie made five 3-pointers and registered 17 points, nine assists and five rebounds for the Suns. Booker, back from a hip injury, sank four treys while adding 17 points and six assists. Oso Ighodaro had 14 points and 14 rebounds as Phoenix finished off a four-game season sweep of the Kings.
Maxime Raynaud scored 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting and collected 10 rebounds for the Kings, who lost for the 19th time in the past 21 games. Precious Achiuwa added 18 points and nine rebounds, DeMar DeRozan scored 17 points, and Russell Westbrook had 16 points and seven assists.
Thunder 116, Bulls 108
Jared McCain scored 20 points, Isaiah Joe had 19 and Jaylin Williams added 17 points and 16 rebounds to lift Oklahoma City to a victory against host Chicago.
Oklahoma City outscored Chicago 32-22 in the third quarter and withstood a late run from the Bulls' bench to hand Chicago its 12th loss in 13 games. Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was held out of the game to manage an abdominal strain. Aaron Wiggins had 18 points and Cason Wallace 17 for Oklahoma City, which has won six of its past seven.
Collin Sexton paced Chicago with 20 points. Josh Giddey contributed 14 points, nine assists and nine rebounds. Guerschon Yabusele (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Nick Richards (12 points, 13 rebounds) had double-doubles, and Tre Jones scored 15 points.
Timberwolves 117, Grizzlies 110
Anthony Edwards scored 41 points on 15-for-29 shooting as Minnesota held on for a win over Memphis in Minneapolis.
Julius Randle finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota, which won its fourth game in a row and prevailed for the seventh time in eight contests. Jaden McDaniels had 16 points, and Ayo Dosunmu chipped in 14 off the bench.
Jaylen Wells scored 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting to lead Memphis. Cedric Coward contributed 15 points off the bench, and Ty Jerome scored 14 points.
Knicks 111, Raptors 95
Jalen Brunson scored 26 points and added 10 assists to help visiting New York defeat Toronto.
The Knicks have won all four games against the Raptors this season and 12 straight against them overall. The Knicks finished the game on a 16-2 run. Former Raptor OG Anunoby added 15 points. Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks.
Brandon Ingram scored 26 of his 31 points in the first half for the Raptors. Former Knick RJ Barrett chipped in 20 points, and Scottie Barnes added 14. Another former Knick, Immanuel Quickley, contributed 13 points and 12 assists.
Magic 126, Wizards 109
Paolo Banchero scored 37 points as Orlando defeated visiting Washington.
Banchero hit a sizzling 15 of 21 from the floor and also dished six assists as Orlando snapped a two-game home skid. Desmond Bane chipped in with 25, shooting 7 of 10 from the field and 8 of 8 from the foul line.
Will Riley posted 19 points for the Wizards, who suffered their sixth successive loss. Jaden Hardy added 18 off the bench, while Sharife Cooper contributed 16 points, after shaking off a left knee scare when he collided with Goga Bitadze in the second quarter.
Hornets 117, Mavericks 90
Brandon Miller scored 17 points as Charlotte used stretches of strong perimeter shooting in a victory against visiting Dallas that gave the Hornets a five-game winning streak.
LaMelo Ball's 15 points along with contributions from Kon Knueppel (13 points), Sion James (13), Grant Williams (12), Miles Bridges (11), Josh Green (11) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (10) supplied a well-balanced attack as the Hornets have won 15 of their last 18 games. Charlotte made 20 of 51 shots from 3-point range, led by four apiece from Ball and Williams.
Brandon Williams had 18 points -- 10 of those on free throws -- to lead the Mavericks, but they couldn't overcome horrid 3-point shooting (3-for-22). P.J. Washington had 13 points, Dwight Powell notched 12 points from the bench, Max Christie added 11 points and Daniel Gafford had 10 points.
Heat 124, Nets 98
Bam Adebayo had 23 points, nine rebounds and a career-high-tying six steals as Miami beat visiting Brooklyn, handing the Nets their season-worst ninth straight loss.
Tyler Herro scored 22 points for Miami, which led by as many as 27 and won for the fifth time in its past seven games. Kel'el Ware recorded his 20th double-double of the season with 11 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high five steals.
Noah Clowney led the Nets with 17 points. Brooklyn was held to 38.4% shooting from the field and 18.8% (6 of 32) from 3-point range while losing for the 12th time in 14 games.
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- Jazz F Lauri Markkanen (hip, ankle) out vs. Pelicans
Utah Jazz forward/center Kevin Love (rest) will suit up on Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. The veteran big man rested on Monday against Denver, but the Jazz haven't included Love on the injury report for Wednesday's game. Love has been in and out of the lineup all season and hasn't played much recently when available. In February, Love averaged only 14.7 minutes per game across seven outings. Kyle Filipowski is the only big man on the Jazz who is worth considering for fantasy purposes. The Duke product has averaged 15.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.8 steals since the All-Star break.
Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey (knee) will not join the team for an upcoming five-game road trip, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reports. Ivey missed his seventh consecutive game on Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder and apparently will be sidelined for at least 10 more days. The Bulls hit the road on Thursday to face the Phoenix Suns and will conclude their trip on March 13 against the Los Angeles Clippers. Anfernee Simons (wrist) is also missing from the backcourt, and Josh Giddey (ankle) may exit the lineup after getting hurt on Tuesday, improving the fantasy prospects of Tre Jones, Collin Sexton, and Rob Dillingham.
Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (ankle) underwent season-ending surgery on Tuesday. The team announced on Sunday that Edey will have an ankle procedure but didn't specify a recovery timeline. Now we know that Edey's season is over. The good news is that the 23-year-old big man is expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2026-27 regular season. Unfortunately, Edey appeared in only 11 games this term, averaging 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 25.8 minutes. With Santi Aldama (knee) also hurt, Memphis has to rely on Olivier-Maxence Prosper, GG Jackson II, and Taylor Hendricks in the frontcourt.
Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis missed the fourth quarter of Tuesday's loss to the Oklahoma City due to an ankle sprain, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Sports Network reports. Buzelis was attempting to produce his fourth consecutive 20-point game, but an ankle injury in the third quarter ruined a productive outing for him. The 21-year-old sophomore finished the contest with 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists in 20 minutes. Buzelis could now miss his first game of the season when Chicago returns to action on Thursday against the Phoenix Suns. Leonard Miller, who tallied eight points and three rebounds in 21 minutes on Tuesday, may replace Buzelis in the first unit.
Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey rolled his right ankle in Tuesday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic reports. Giddey left the game late in the third quarter but came back to play until the end. After the game, Giddey said his ankle "doesn't feel too bad." According to Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, the team will evaluate Giddey further on Wednesday. Chicago has two more games scheduled this week, starting with a road contest against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. Giddey's absence could open the door to the first unit for Collin Sexton, who led the team with 20 points on Tuesday night. Tre Jones and Rob Dillingham will likely also pick up some of the available minutes.
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen injured his right knee on Tuesday night against the Detroit Pistons, Joe Vardon of The Athletic reports. The big man exited the contest in the third quarter, finishing the night with eight points, three rebounds, and one steal in 21 minutes. Despite missing their starting center for most of the second half, the Cavaliers managed to take down the Eastern Conference leaders 113-109. Thomas Bryant saw additional action in Allen's absence, notching nine points, five rebounds, one steal, and one block. Cleveland might promote Bryant to the starting lineup if Allen misses more time, which would boost his fantasy value.
Timberwolves' G Anthony Edwards scored 41 points on 15-of-29 shooting in a 117-110 win over the Grizzlies on Tuesday, Mar. 3.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (ankle) will be in action against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. It was initially unclear whether Williamson would play after the team listed him as questionable on the injury report. The former No. 1 pick sprained his right ankle in Saturday's win over Utah and missed Sunday's matchup with the Clippers. Before he was hurt, Williamson enjoyed an outstanding five-game stretch in which he averaged 24.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.8 blocks.
Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe (back) will miss the second half of Tuesday's game against the San Antonio Spurs, John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. The exciting rookie sustained a back injury following a hard fall late in the first half. Edgecombe will finish the night with six points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks in 20 minutes. Cameron Payne and Justin Edwards could see more action in the second half without Edgecombe. Fantasy managers should consider Edgecombe questionable for Wednesday's clash against Utah.
Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac (ankle) will remain sidelined on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers. Due to a left ankle sprain, he has yet to play for the Pacers since arriving from the Clippers a month ago, and Zubac remains without a timeline for his return. Jay Huff and Micah Potter will continue to handle the minutes at center until Zubac is ready to make his Pacers debut. Potter has clearly outperformed Huff in recent games despite coming off the bench, averaging 15.7 points and 5.5 rebounds since the All-Star break.
Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (rest) will return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets. The team has removed the Portuguese big man from the injury report after he was rested on Monday against Milwaukee. Queta was well worth the rest, having dominated against Philadelphia on Sunday with 27 points, 17 rebounds, and three blocks. Nikola Vucevic filled in for Queta in the starting lineup against Milwaukee, notching 10 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and one block. While Vucevic is set to return to the second unit on Wednesday, he will continue to hold fantasy value.
Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (knee) will be active on Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. Williams III missed the second leg of a back-to-back on Sunday against Atlanta, but the team has not included him on the injury report ahead of Wednesday's contest. Serving as Donovan Clingan's backup, Williams III has contributed 6.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game this season. On Wednesday, he has a very attractive matchup against a team that doesn't have a traditional big man on the roster.
Los Angeles Clippers forward/center John Collins (neck) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Indiana Pacers. The athletic big man is dealing with a neck strain and will be out for a second consecutive game. Kobe Sanders grabbed Collins' spot in the starting unit on Monday night against Golden State and is likely to keep it. Yet Sanders couldn't get much going in 22 minutes against the Warriors, finishing with eight points, two rebounds, one assist, and one block. He may be more successful in Wednesday's matchup against a leaky defense.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray (illness) is questionable to play on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies. On Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks, Murray made his fourth consecutive start, but he logged only four minutes in the contest due to illness. Vit Krejci started the second half in Murray's place, producing a solid line against this former team, with 14 points, four rebounds, and one assist. Krejci may keep his spot in the first unit on Wednesday if Murray and Deni Avdija (back) remain absent.
Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (foot) is listed as probable for Wednesday's matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers. He appears on track to make his third consecutive appearance. However, Toppin has seen only limited minutes since returning from a fractured foot. He has logged 19 total minutes in his first two games back from injury. Toppin's minutes will likely remain around the same on Wednesday night, meaning he doesn't have anything to offer fantasy managers at present.
Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (back, neck) is considered questionable for Wednesday's meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers. The 26-year-old is bothered by lower back and neck soreness and could sit out a second consecutive game. With Nembhard on the shelf, Kam Jones joined the first unit on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies. The 24-year-old rookie put in solid work, finishing with a 10-point, 10-assist double-double, the first of his career. Jones is expected to maintain a larger role until Nembhard returns.
Indiana Pacers guard/forward Aaron Nesmith (ankle) is considered questionable for Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. He has missed five games with a right ankle sprain and may sit out another contest against the Clippers. Ben Sheppard has seen regular action as a starter during Nesmith's absence and will lose minutes if he returns on Wednesday night. Since Nesmith left the lineup, Sheppard has had his best spell of the season, averaging 10.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 steals.
Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (wrist) is carrying a questionable tag on the injury report ahead of Wednesday's clash against the Los Angeles Clippers. The four-time All-Star has missed six of the last seven games, including each of the last three. Due to a left wrist sprain, Siakam may sit out another contest on Wednesday night. Jarace Walker, Kobe Brown, and Micah Potter have benefited from Siakam's absence due to health issues. Walker has the most fantasy appeal of the three players, having carved out a regular starting role.
Memphis Grizzlies forward/center Santi Aldama (knee) won't play on Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves after all. Prior to tip-off, the team upgraded his status from questionable to available, and Aldama was even expected to start. However, he has now been ruled out. With Aldama remaining on the shelf for an 11th consecutive game, GG Jackson II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper will continue to carry a heavy workload in the frontcourt.
Memphis Grizzlies forward/center Santi Aldama (knee) will return to action on Tuesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He has been on the shelf for a month while managing a right knee injury. Aldama has played an important role for the Grizzlies, averaging 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 27.9 minutes this season. However, his workload may be limited on Tuesday after missing several weeks, and it would be surprising to see him play on Wednesday in the second leg of a back-to-back against Portland.
