Devin Booker recorded 45 points, seven rebounds and three steals to lead the visiting Phoenix Suns to a 129-124 victory over the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night.
Kevin Durant added 28 points as fourth-seeded Phoenix took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series. Game 4 is scheduled for today in Los Angeles.
Kawhi Leonard (knee) sat out for the Clippers and Norman Powell moved into the starting lineup and established a personal playoff career high with 42 points.
Russell Westbrook added 30 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for fifth-seeded Los Angeles, which has dropped the past two games after winning the series opener.
Craig scored 15 points and Deandre Ayton added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Suns. Bones Hyland put up 20 points for Los Angeles.
Warriors 114, Kings 97
Stephen Curry scored a game-high 36 points and Golden State got back into its Western Conference first-round playoff series against Sacramento with a win in San Francisco.
The Warriors’ Kevon Looney pulled down 20 rebounds and set a postseason career high with nine assists (he scored four points). Andrew Wiggins finished with 20 points for the Warriors, who trail 2-1 heading into a game in San Francisco on Sunday.
De’Aaron Fox had 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to pace the Kings. Domantas Sabonis tallied 15 points and 16 rebounds and Harrison Barnes chipped in 17 points.
76ers 102, Nets 97
Tyrese Maxey scored 25 points, including the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 44.7 seconds remaining as Philadelphia withstood the ejection of James Harden to outlast Brooklyn in New York.
The 76ers, up 3-0 in the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, can eliminate the Nets today in Game 4 in New York.
Harden scored 21 before being ejected for committing a flagrant foul 2 when he elbowed Royce O’Neale late in the third quarter. Mikal Bridges led all scorers with 26 points but shot 9-for-26 and was 1-for-5 in the fourth when the Nets were held to 15 points.
—Field Level Media