LOS ANGELES (AP) — Maxi Kleber drilled the winning 3-pointer at the buzzer on a pass from Kyrie Irving, who scored 38 points in the Dallas Mavericks’ stunning 111-110 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
With Luka Doncic sidelined, Kleber did a remarkable imitation of the injured superstar who has repeatedly beaten the Lakers with big shots over the years.
Kleber first hit three free throws with 7.2 seconds to play after Anthony Davis unwisely fouled him on a 3-point attempt, and Davis made just one of two for Los Angeles after getting fouled on the ensuing inbounds pass. Dallas got the ball to Irving, who drew a double-team and found Kleber for an open 3-pointer released just before the horn.
Irving scored 13 points in the fourth quarter of his return from a three-game injury absence for the Mavs, who avoided falling into a three-way tie with the Lakers and the Timberwolves in the tight Western Conference standings.
Davis had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who missed 12 of their 31 free throw attempts and couldn’t make a field goal in the final 3:16 of another blow to their playoff hopes. Los Angeles led by four points and had the ball in the final minute, but still lost for the third time in four games.
LeBron James sat out his 10th straight game since the Lakers’ win in Dallas last month, and the Lakers fell to 5-5 without the NBA’s career scoring leader. Doncic missed his fourth consecutive game with a left thigh bruise for the Mavericks.
76ERS 121, HORNETS 82
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Joel Embiid had 38 points and 13 rebounds in just 29 minutes and Philadelphia beat Charlotte for its seventh straight victory.
Embiid scored 12 points in each of the first two quarters before calling it an early night in a game the 76ers (47-22) led by 42 points in the second half. Embiid also had five assists and was once serenaded in each half with chants of “MVP! MVP!” by the many 76ers fans at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center. James Harden had 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for Philadelphia.
Terry Rozier scored 14 points for Charlotte.
HAWKS 127, WARRIORS 119
ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young’s steal and layup with 45 seconds remaining protected Atlanta’s slim lead and the Hawks took advantage of Golden State’s continued poor perimeter defense on the road.
Stephen Curry scored 31 points in Golden State’s 10th consecutive road loss.
The Hawks led 123-119 before Young’s steal from Curry and layup stretched the advantage to six points. Young had 25 points with 12 assists.
John Collins had 22 points and Onyeka Okongwu added a season-high 19 as Atlanta snapped a two-game losing streak to remain eighth in the Eastern Conference playoff standings.
GRIZZLIES 126, SPURS 120, OT
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 28 points and Memphis completed the largest comeback in franchise history after trailing by 29 in the third quarter, rallying to beat San Antonio in overtime.
Desmond Bane added 21 points, including eight points in overtime, and Tyus Jones had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Memphis, which faced a nine-point deficit in the final minute of regulation.
The huge comeback win came as Ja Morant nears his return for Memphis. The All-Star guard missed his seventh game as part of an eight-game suspension for “conduct detrimental to the league.”
Devin Vassell had 25 points for San Antonio.
CELTICS 126, TRAIL BLAZERS 112
PORTLAND, Ore (AP) — Jayson Tatum had 34 points and 12 rebounds and Boston withstood a late Portland rally.
Jaylen Brown added 27 points for the Celtics. They have won four of their last five after a three-game losing streak. Boston sits behind NBA-leading Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference.
Damian Lillard had 41 points — including 25 in the fourth quarter — for the Trail Blazers. They have lost five straight.
BULLS 139, TIMBEROLVES 131, 20T
CHICAGO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored a season-high 49 points, Zach LaVine had 39 and Chicago beat Minnesota in double overtime.
Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Minnesota All-Star Anthony Edwards left with a sprained right ankle in the first quarter, and the Timberwolves lost for the fourth time in five games. Mike Conley led Minnesota with 28 points, making 8 of 12 3-pointers. Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 19 rebounds, and Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points.
CAVALIERS 117, WIZARDS 94
CLEVELAND (AP) — Darius Garland had 24 points and nine assists, Donovan Mitchell scored 20 points and Cleveland never trailed against Washington.
Evan Mobley had 20 points, eight rebounds and four blockes for the Cavaliers.
Cleveland moved three games ahead of New York and 4 1/2 in front of Brooklyn in the battle for fourth place in the East and home-court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. The Cavaliers’ next two games are in Brooklyn.
Bradley Beal scored 22 points and Kristaps Porzingis had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Wizards. Washington lost for the sixth time in eight games and fell into a tie with Indiana and Chicago for the final East play-in tournament spot.
ROCKETS 114, PELICANS 112
HOUSTON (AP) — Rookie Jabari Smith Jr. hit a 3-pointer with less than a second remaining to lift Houston past New Orleans in the first of straight games between the teams.
Smith had 11 points and eight rebounds in 29 minutes. Jalen Green led Houston with 25 points and had seven rebounds and six assists. Kevin Porter Jr. added 20 points and six assists.
Brandon Ingram led New Orleans with 31 points. Jonas Valanciunas added 22 points and 17 rebounds, one shy of his season high.
The teams will meet again Sunday night in Houston.
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The Associated Press
