Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves topple Golden State Warriors

Karl-Anthony Towns followed in his own miss with 37.5 seconds to play on Sunday afternoon, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves hold off the Golden State Warriors 109-103 in Minneapolis to snap a three-game losing streak.

Seeking to avoid a second consecutive loss on a three-day trip, the Warriors rallied within 104-103 on a Kevin Durant 3-pointer with 2:08 to go. They then had a chance to go ahead for the first time since the third quarter following a Minnesota turnover, but Klay Thompson misfired on a 3-point attempt.

Towns countered with a short jumper for a three-point lead, and after Durant (game-high 39 points) missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer, the Minnesota big man snatched the rebound from his own short miss and laid it in, giving the Timberwolves a 108-103 advantage with just 37.5 seconds remaining.

The Warriors missed their next two shots — they misfired on their last four in the game — and Jeff Teague helped ice the win with one free throw with 29.5 seconds left.

Pacers 99, Celtics 97

Down by double digits in the first half, Indiana came to life in the second half after Kyrie Irving exited the game, then held off short-handed host Boston.

The Celtics lost Irving at halftime due to left knee soreness. Irving had seven points on 3-of-6 shooting and four rebounds in 16 first-half minutes, but did not join the team on the court when the second half began and was ruled out shortly afterward. Al Horford (illness) and Jaylen Brown (concussion) missed the game for the Celtics.

Victor Oladipo had a game-high 27 points and Myles Turner added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who won for the fifth time in six games in March.

Rockets 105, 

Mavericks 82

With MVP front-runner James Harden sidelined, Chris Paul and Eric Gordon shouldered the scoring load, as visiting Houston cruised to victory over Dallas.

While Harden rested his sore left knee, Paul and Gordon produced a shooting clinic, combining for 50 points and 10 3-pointers. Paul added 12 assists, as the Rockets recovered from a setback at Toronto on Friday night that resulted in the conclusion of their 17-game winning streak.

Gordon scored 26 points while connecting on 6 of 11 3-point attempts. Paul tallied 24 points and hit 4 of 7 from deep. Houston finished 17-for-45 from behind the arc, burying eight 3-pointers in the third quarter to clinch a playoff berth and cap a sweep of the season series against the Mavericks.

Lakers 127, Cavaliers 113

Julius Randle had a career-high 36 points to go with 14 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks, leading host Los Angeles past Cleveland.

Brook Lopez had 22 points for the Lakers, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and former Cavalier Isaiah Thomas contributed 20 points each.

LeBron James produced 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, but his Cavaliers lost for the fourth time in six games.

Jazz 116, Pelicans 99

Donovan Mitchell scored 25 of his 27 points in the second half as Utah defeated host New Orleans.

Mitchell, who made 1 of 8 shots in the first half, made 9 of 13 after halftime as the Jazz outscored the Pelicans 68-48. Ricky Rubio added 30 points and 10 rebounds, Joe Ingles scored 20 and Rudy Gobert contributed 19 points and 16 rebounds as Utah won their sixth straight game, seventh of their last nine and 18th of its last 20.

Anthony Davis returned from a one-game absence caused by a sprained ankle to play on his 25th birthday and lead New Orleans with 25 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocks. In his absence, the Pelicans’ franchise-record 10-game winning streak ended with a lopsided loss to Washington on Friday.

Raptors 132, Knicks 106

Jonas Valanciunas contributed 17 points and nine rebounds to help visiting Toronto cruise to a victory over New York.

Kyle Lowry added 16 points and seven assists and Serge Ibaka had 14 points and seven rebounds for the Raptors, who won for the eighth straight time and 15th in their past 16 games.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 25 points for the Knicks, who have lost seven straight games and 15 of their past 16. Luke Kornet scored a career-high 18 points. New York centre Enes Kanter sat out with back spasms.

Nuggets 130, Kings 104

Nikola Jokic recorded his seventh triple-double of the season with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, helping Denver coast past visiting Sacramento.

Jokic’s triple-double was the 13th of his career. He ranks third in the NBA this season with seven, trailing only Russell Westbrook and LeBron James, with all seven having come since January 8.

The win allowed the Nuggets to complete a 2-1 homestand before they embark on a stretch of eight road games in their next nine outings. The loss was the Kings’ fourth in their last seven games, a stretch in which they have alternated losses and wins.

76ers 120, Nets 97

Joel Embiid collected 21 points and eight rebounds as Philadelphia took control early in the first quarter en route to victory over host Brooklyn.

Embiid shot 9 of 17 from the field and likely would have recorded his 34th double-double of the season if Philadelphia did not pull away in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. Robert Covington added 19 points as Philadelphia won for the fourth time in their past 12 road games.

D’Angelo Russell scored 26 points but had little help as the Nets lost for the 17th time in 20 games since January 21.

Bulls 129, Hawks 122

Bobby Portis and Zach LaVine each had 21 points and Lauri Markkanen added 19 points as Chicago had seven players in double figures in a win over host Atlanta.

Taurean Prince had a career-high 38 points and Mike Muscala added 19 points to lead the Hawks, who lost for the fourth time in five games.

Chicago rebounded from a brutal first quarter to win for the third time in five games after losing five straight. The Bulls topped 110 points for just the fourth time in the past 19 games.