It was an action-packed day for the NBA that greatly influenced the picture of the playoffs, and the Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as serious winners.
LeBron James notched the 107th triple-double of his career as the Lakers continued their late-season resurgence with a 134-109 win over the Houston Rockets.
Watch an average of 9 LIVE NBA regular season games per week on ESPN on Kayo Sports on ESPN on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
James finished with 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, while Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 40 points.
The Lakers’ third straight win leaves them seventh in the Western Conference, just one spot outside of automatic postseason berths.
Also, if the Lakers win their remaining four games against the Jazz, Clippers, Suns and Jazz again, they will end up with the fifth seed, an incredible result.
The Lakers also got a significant boost earlier in the day when the Minnesota Timberwolves lost to the Trail Blazers in shocking fashion.
Minnesota made history in a 107-105 loss as the biggest seed against the spread to lose since 1995.
The Trail Blazers were missing four starters, including Damian Lillard, and had lost 11 of 12 games, but they were able to pull off the big upset.
Kyle Anderson had a chance to win it to the death for Minnesota, but he shot over the backboard.
Elsewhere, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points as the Milwaukee Bucks returned to form with a 117-104 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Milwaukee, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, beaten 140-99 by Boston in its last outing, bounced back in style to score a resounding victory over the third-place Sixers.
Antetokounmpo led a balanced offensive display from Milwaukee that saw five players finish in double figures in a string-to-string victory at the Fiserv Forum.
Antetokounmpo finished with 14 rebounds and six assists to go along with his 33-point haul, while Brook Lopez (21 points), Khris Middleton (19) and Jrue Holiday (18) chipped in.
Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers in scoring with 29 points, while Joel Embiid added 28. The win moved Milwaukee closer to sealing the top spot in the Eastern Conference. With four games remaining in the regular season, the Bucks lead the East at 58-22, with Boston second at 54-24.
Philadelphia remains third at 51-27.
Nasty nudge leaves blood on the floor! | 00:35
Meanwhile, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Antetokounmpo’s performance confirmed his belief that the Greek star should be the top contender for the regular season MVP award.
“We certainly feel like Giannis is the MVP,” Budenholzer said. “What he does on both ends of the court, he does everything,” Budenholzer said. “We feel like he’s in the conversation and he should be the guy.”
In other games, Western Conference leaders Denver, still without Nikola Jokic, posted a tense 112-110 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray combined for 55 points as the Nuggets withstood a late rally by the Warriors to hold on.
Warriors star Klay Thompson missed a last-gasp 3-point attempt before a desperate block by Murray thwarted another attempt as time expired.
Meanwhile, in Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant scored 35 points against his former club as the Phoenix Suns posted a 128-118 victory over the Thunder.
Shai Gilgeous Alexander scored a game-high 39 points for Oklahoma City, which ranks 10th in the Western Conference, just one win ahead of the Dallas Mavericks.
Green washbasins ABSURD Beater buzzer 4 points | 00:47
The Mavericks’ hopes of reaching the postseason suffered another blow despite Kyrie Irving’s 41-point performance in Atlanta.
A thrilling duel in Atlanta saw the Hawks push home 132-130 in overtime after Irving allowed a costly foul with 1.8 seconds remaining to deliver two game-winning free throws to Trae Young.
It was the final act of a thrilling encounter in which Irving led Dallas to rally from a 15-point deficit to tie the game after a wild finish in regulation where momentum wavered back and forth in the final seconds.
But Irving’s exploits were for naught, as he edged past Young in overtime to give the Atlanta playmaker a chance to win the game he converted.
Young finished with 24 points and 12 assists, while Dejounte Murray led the Hawks with 25 points. Seven Atlanta players finished in double figures.
The win left Atlanta on track for a play-in tournament berth with four regular season games remaining.
The Hawks are eighth in the East with a 39-39 record.
Durant returns to victory for the Suns | 01:02
But Dallas’ hopes are fading fast after another costly loss that followed their loss to Miami.
“We know the situation we’re in, we’re trying to catch up,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “We have to find a way to win.
“Right now we are falling short when we need to win games. Unfortunately, we are not winning at the moment.”
Elsewhere, the New York Knicks clinched their first playoff appearance since 2021 with a 118-109 win over the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden.
Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes each scored 27 points, while Immanuel Quickley (22 points) and Obi Toppin (21) also stood out for New York.
In other games on Sunday, Chicago staged a stunning comeback from down 23 points to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 128-107 in the Windy City.
Memphis took a 68-53 halftime lead, but then they were blown away after halftime when the Bulls scored 75 second-half points.
Zach LaVine scored 36 points while DeMar DeRozan added 31 to lead the Bulls to victory.