D4 THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2020 LATIMES.COM/SPORTS
Standings have been arranged to reflect how the teams will be deter-
mined for the playoffs. Teams are ranked 1-15 by record. Division
standing no longer has any bearing on the rankings. The top eight
teams in each conference make the playoffs, and the top-seeded
team would play the eighth-seeded team, the seventh team would
play the second, etc. Head-to-head competition is the first of several
tiebreakers, followed by conference record. (Western Conference
divisions: S-Southwest; P-Pacific; N-Northwest; Eastern Conference
divisions: A-Atlantic; C-Central; S-Southeast).
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Team W L PCT GB L10 Rk.- LAKERS 47 13 .783 9-1 P1
- CLIPPERS 42 19 .689 51 ⁄ 2 6-4 P2
- Denver 41 20 .672 61 ⁄ 2 6-4 N1
- Houston 39 21 .650 8 7-3 S1
- Utah 39 22 .639 81 ⁄ 2 6-4 N2
- Oklahoma City 38 24 .613 10 6-4 N3
- Dallas 38 25 .603 10^1 ⁄ 2 6-4 S2
- Memphis 31 31 .500 17 5-5 S3
- Portland 28 35 .444 31 ⁄ 2 4-6 N4
- Sacramento 27 34 .443 31 ⁄ 2 7-3 P3
- San Antonio 26 34 .433 4 4-6 S4
- New Orleans 26 36 .419 5 5-5 S5
- Phoenix 24 38 .387 7 3-7 P4
- Minnesota 19 42 .311 11^1 ⁄ 2 3-7 N5
- Golden State 14 48 .226 17 2-8 P5
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Team W L PCT GB L10 Rk.- x-Milwaukee 53 9 .855 8-2 C1
- Toronto 43 18 .705 91 ⁄ 2 6-4 A1
- Boston 42 19 .689 10^1 ⁄ 2 6-4 A2
- Miami 40 22 .645 13 6-4 S1
- Indiana 37 25 .597 16 6-4 C2
- Philadelphia 37 25 .597 16 6-4 A3
- Brooklyn 27 34 .443 25^1 ⁄ 2 4-6 A4
- Orlando 27 35 .435 26 5-5 S2
- Washington 22 39 .361 41 ⁄ 2 4-6 S3
- Charlotte 21 40 .344 51 ⁄ 2 5-5 S4
- Chicago 21 41 .339 6 2-8 C3
- Detroit 20 43 .317 71 ⁄ 2 1-9 C4
- New York 19 43 .306 8 3-7 A5
- Atlanta 19 44 .302 81 ⁄ 2 5-5 S5
- Cleveland 17 45 .274 10 4-6 C5
x-clinched playoff spot
STANDINGS
It took a record-setting night
from three-point range for the Mi-
ami Heat to beat the Orlando Mag-
ic.
Duncan Robinson scored 27
points, all of them coming from be-
yond the arc, and the host Heat hit
a franchise-record 22 three-point-
ers in their 116 -113 win Wednesday.
Goran Dragic scored 25 points
and added nine assists and Kelly
Olynyk added 16.
The previous record for Heat
three-pointers was 21, set April 5,
2017, at Charlotte. The 22 threes
made also tied the most allowed in
a game by Orlando.
“My teammates encouraged me
to shoot. The coaching staff en-
courages me to shoot,” Robinson
said. “So I just went out and tried to
be aggressive.”
at Milwaukee 119, Indiana 100:
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 29
points, 12 rebounds and six assists
as the Bucks bounced back from a
105-89 loss at Miami in which they
posted their lowest point total of
the season.
Boston 112, at Cleveland 106:
Jayson Tatum scored 32 points and
the Celtics won a matchup of
short-handed teams. The Celtics
were missing starters Kemba
Walker, Jaylen Brown and Gordon
Hayward, and the Cavaliers played
without starters Andre Drumnond
and Darius Garland.
Utah 112, at New York 104:Dono-
van Mitchell and Bojan Bog-
danovic each scored 23 points as
the Jazz won at Madison Square
Garden. Spike Lee was not in his
seats, a day after vowing to attend
no more Knicks home games this
season after arguing with security
guards who told him Monday he
had to use a different entrance to
reach his courtside spot.
Oklahoma City 114, at Detroit 107:
Danilo Gallinari made a three-
pointer in the final minute and the
Thunder prevailed after blowing a
16-point second-half lead.
at Minnesota 115, Chicago 108:Ma-
lik Beasley scored 24 points and
D’Angelo Russell added 19 for the
Timberwolves, who won their sec-
ond in a row.
at Dallas 127, New Orleans 123
(OT): Luka Doncic scored 30
points and broke Dallas’ career
triple-double record with his 22nd
to outlast the Pelicans, who got 21
points from Zion Williamson.
at Portland 125, Washington 104:
Damian Lillard had 22 points in his
return from a groin injury and
Carmelo Anthony added 25 for the
Trail Blazers.
Memphis 118, at Brooklyn 79:Josh
Jackson scored 19 points and the
Grizzlies won their third in a row.
— associated press
RESULTS
Record-setting night
lifts Heat to triumph
MIAMI 116, ORLANDO 113
Thunder 114, Pistons 107
OKLAHOMA CITY
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Gallinari...........337-15 2-3 1-7 1 0 19
Gilgus-Alxdr ......3412-15 1-1 0-2 3 0 27
Adams............32 4-5 0-3 0-7 3 1 8
Dort ................24 2-5 1-2 1-5 0 3 6
Paul ................347-10 1-1 0-4 6 3 16
Schroder..........307-14 7-7 0-1 9 2 23
Ferguson..........20 1-2 0-0 0-1 0 5 2
Noel................15 4-5 0-0 0-3 1 2 8
Nader..............14 2-4 0-0 0-3 2 2 5
Totals 46-75 12-17 2-33 25 18 114
Shooting: Field goals, 61.3%; free throws, 70.6%
Three-point goals: 10-24 (Gallinari 3-8, Gilgeous-
Alexander 2-4, Schroder 2-4, Nader 1-1, Dor t 1-3, Paul
1-3, Ferguson 0-1). Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turn-
overs: 2. Blocked Shots: 8 (Noel 3, Gilgeous-Alexander
2, Adams, Ferguson, Schroder). Turnovers: 14 (Paul 6,
Adams 5, Gilgeous-Alexander, Noel, Schroder). Steals:
13 (Gallinari 4, Adams 3, Paul 3, Gilgeous-Alexander
2, Noel). Technical Fouls: None..
DETROIT
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Snell ...............32 2-5 0-0 0- 3635
Wood ..............3912-16 0-0 3-9 3 4 29
Henson............20 5-7 0-0 1-5 1 2 10
Knight .............386-15 2-2 0-2 7 1 18
Mykhailiuk .......235-14 0-2 0-1 4 1 13
Galloway ..........27 3-8 1-2 2- 6039
McRae............255-11 3-5 0-2 3 4 15
Doumbouya......12 1-4 0-0 1- 2023
Maker .............12 1-4 3-4 2- 6215
Thomas .............8 0-2 0-0 0- 0100
Totals 40-86 9-15 9-36 27 21 107
Shooting: Field goals, 46.5%; free throws, 60.0%
Three-point goals: 18-43 (Wood 5-6, Knight 4-9,
Mykhailiuk 3-9, McRae 2-4, Galloway 2-5, Doum-
bouya 1-3, Snell 1-3, Maker 0-2, Thomas 0-2). Team
Rebounds: 11. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 5
(Maker 2, Doumbouya, Snell, Wood). Turnovers: 17
(Wood 6, Galloway 2, Knight 2, McRae 2, Henson,
Maker, Mykhailiuk, Snell, Thomas). Steals: 8 (Knight 2,
Snell 2, Galloway, Henson, Mykhailiuk, Thomas). Tech-
nical Fouls: None..
Oklahoma City 38 31 25 20— 114
Detroit 32 32 18 25— 107
A—15,138. T—2:12.Heat 116, Magic 113
ORLANDO
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Ennis III ...........26 2-5 0-0 0-4 1 2 4
Gordon............355-10 1-1 1-6 9 4 11
Vucevic............399-16 3-3 0-16 7 0 22
Fournier...........31 6-9 2-2 0-0 1 2 17
Fultz................316-10 2-2 2-2 6 2 14
Ross ...............3412-18 3-5 0-0 0 2 35
Carter-Wllms ....17 4-9 1-1 1-3 0 3 10
Augustin..........16 0-4 0-0 0-2 4 1 0
Bamba ..............7 0-3 0-0 1-2 0 1 0
Totals 44-84 12-14 5-35 28 17 113
Shooting: Field goals, 52.4%; free throws, 85.7%
Three-point goals: 13-30 (Ross 8-10, Fournier 3-4,
Vucevic 1-3, Carter-Williams 1-4, Bamba 0-1, Fultz 0-1,
Augustin 0-2, Ennis III 0-2, Gordon 0-3). Team Re-
bounds: 7. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 5
(Ennis III 2, Fournier 2, Vucevic). Turnovers: 12 (Carter-
Williams 4, Ennis III 2, Fultz 2, Augustin, Gordon, Ross,
Vucevic). Steals: 6 (Carter-Williams 2, Fournier 2, Gor-
don 2). Technical Fouls: None.
MIAMI
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Butler ..............33 4-9 4-6 2-7 8 0 12
Jones Jr...........20 4-6 1-2 0-2 2 3 9
Adebayo..........30 5-9 0-0 2-7 4 1 10
Nunn...............223-11 0-0 0-1 2 1 9
Robinson .........369-12 0-0 0-2 0 2 27
Crowder ...........32 1-8 0-0 1-7 4 4 3
Dragic .............318-15 4-4 1-2 9 3 25
Olynyk .............16 5-5 3-3 0-5 2 2 16
Iguodala..........15 2-4 0-0 0-3 0 1 5
Totals 41-79 12-15 6-36 31 17 116
Shooting: Field goals, 51.9%; free throws, 80.0%
Three-point goals: 22-44 (Robinson 9-12, Dragic
5-9, Olynyk 3-3, Nunn 3-7, Iguodala 1-2, Crowder 1-8,
Butler 0-1, Jones Jr. 0-2). Team Rebounds: 5. Team
Turnovers: 2. Blocked Shots: 5 (Iguodala 2, Adebayo,
Crowder, Jones Jr.). Turnovers: 12 (Dragic 3, Robinson
3, Adebayo 2, Butler, Crowder, Iguodala, Nunn).
Steals: 8 (Butler 2, Crowder, Dragic, Iguodala, Jones
Jr., Nunn, Robinson). Technical Fouls: None.
Orlando 26 29 29 29— 113
Miami 30 30 28 28— 116
A—19,600. T—2:14.Jazz 112, Knicks 104
UTAH
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Bogdanovic ......337-15 6-7 0-4 1 1 23
O’Neale ...........28 1-8 0-0 0- 4323
Gobert.............34 7-8 4-5 4-14 1 4 18
Conley.............26 6-9 3-4 1-2 6 0 17
Mitchell ...........339-21 4-4 0-1 8 2 23
Ingles..............29 3-4 1-2 0- 5628
Clarkson ..........20 2-6 2-3 0- 0117
Bradley............13 4-4 0-0 1- 5048
Niang ..............11 1-2 0-0 0- 1013
Mudiay..............3 1-2 0-0 0- 1022
Brantley.............1 0-0 0-0 0- 0010
Oni ...................1 0-2 0-0 0- 0000
Totals 41-81 20-25 6-37 26 20 112
Shooting: Field goals, 50.6%; free throws, 80.0%
Three-point goals: 10-36 (Bogdanovic 3-8, Conley
2-4, Ingles 1-2, Niang 1-2, Clarkson 1-4, Mitchell 1-7,
O’Neale 1-7, Mudiay 0-1, Oni 0-1). Team Rebounds:- Team Turnovers: 3. Blocked Shots: 5 (Bradley 2,
Gobert 2, Bogdanovic). Turnovers: 11 (Ingles 3, Clark-
son 2, Mitchell 2, Conley, Gobert, Mudiay, O’Neale).
Steals: 5 (Clarkson 2, Mitchell 2, Ingles). Technical
Fouls: None..
NEW YORK
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Harkless ..........20 1-4 0-0 0- 2032
Randle............3212-21 6-8 4-11 0 3 32
Gibson............13 1-2 0-0 0- 1012
Barrett.............295-12 3-3 1-4 5 4 14
Payton.............288-13 4-5 4-7 9 0 20
Portis ..............308-15 2-2 1-4 0 2 21
Ellington ..........25 1-6 0-0 0- 3423
Bullock............20 2-4 0-0 0- 5114
Knox II.............19 1-5 0-0 1- 5222
Ntilikina...........19 2-3 0-0 0- 0204
Totals 41-85 15-18 11-42 23 18 104
Shooting: Field goals, 48.2%; free throws, 83.3%
Three-point goals: 7-20 (Portis 3-4, Randle 2-3,
Barrett 1-2, Ellington 1-5, Bullock 0-1, Harkless 0-1,
Knox II 0-2, Payton 0-2). Team Rebounds: 1. Team
Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 1 (Knox II). Turnovers:
13 (Knox II 3, Randle 3, Barrett 2, Gibson 2, Bullock,
Payton, Portis). Steals: 3 (Barrett, Harkless, Portis).
Technical Fouls: None..
Utah 35 29 29 19— 112
New York 26 28 24 26— 104
A—16,588. T—2:07.
Mavericks 127, Pelicans 123, OT
NEW ORLEANS
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Ingram.............4111-22 2-3 1-5 4 6 27
Williamson.......349-18 3-5 2-6 3 2 21
Favors .............31 5-8 0-2 6-14 2 2 10
Ball.................399-19 0-0 3-11 6 2 25
Holiday ............378-19 0-0 2-6 6 5 19
Melli...............26 1-9 0-0 1-4 3 5 3
F.Jackson.........21 4-7 1-1 0-2 1 0 12
Moore.............15 2-5 0-0 0-0 1 1 4
Hart ................13 1-6 0-0 0-4 2 0 2
Hayes................3 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 50-114 6-11 15-52 28 23 123
Shooting: Field goals, 43.9%; free throws, 54.5%
Three-point goals: 17-46 (Ball 7-11, F.Jackson 3-5,
Ingram 3-8, Holiday 3-9, Melli 1-7, Favors 0-1, Moore
0-2, Hart 0-3). Team Rebounds: 12. Team Turnovers:
None. Blocked Shots: 4 (Ball, Favors, Ingram, Moore).
Turnovers: 14 (Holiday 3, Ingram 3, Ball 2, Melli 2,
Williamson 2, Favors, Moore). Steals: 8 (Ball 2, Holi-
day 2, Favors, Ingram, Melli, Moore). Technical Fouls:
None.
DALLAS
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Fin,-Smith..........9 1-3 0-0 0- 0022
Porzingis..........4514-28 3-3 4-12 3 2 34
Kleber.............39 2-8 0-0 0- 7445
Doncic ............409-20 8-13 1-17 10 2 30
Hardaway Jr......395-15 4-4 0-1 4 1 18
Curry...............377-12 1-2 0-3 4 4 21
Wright.............24 3-5 1-2 0-3 5 0 10
Cauley-Stein .....15 1-1 0-0 0- 5002
Lee .................10 2-3 0-0 1-1 0 1 5
Kidd-Glchst........1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
Totals 44-95 17-24 6-49 30 17 127
Shooting: Field goals, 46.3%; free throws, 70.8%
Three-point goals: 22-50 (Curry 6-9, Hardaway Jr.
4-9, Doncic 4-11, Wright 3-4, Porzingis 3-9, Lee 1-2,
Kleber 1-4, Finney-Smith 0-2). Team Rebounds: 14.
Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 13 (Kleber 5,
Porzingis 5, Cauley-Stein 2, Doncic). Turnovers: 16
(Doncic 7, Curry 3, Hardaway Jr. 2, Wright 2, Kidd-
Gilchrist, Lee). Steals: 6 (Wright 2, Curry, Doncic, Kidd-
Gilchrist, Kleber). Technical Fouls: None.
New Orleans 22 33 30 27 11— 123
Dallas 24 33 30 25 15— 127
A—20,459. T—2:29.TODAY’S GAMES
Favorite Line Underdog Time
at Houston 1 CLIPPERS 5 p.m.
at Charlotte OFF Denver 4 p.m.
at Sacramento 5 Philadelphia 7 p.m.
at Golden State OFF Toronto 7:30 p.m.
Celtics 112, Cavaliers 106
BOSTON
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Tatum ..............3911-24 5-7 0-9 6 1 32
Williams ..........26 4-6 0-0 1- 5118
Theis...............18 2-3 1-2 2- 3025
Smart..............325-15 8-8 0-2 2 3 18
Wanamaker......29 2-6 2-2 0- 2246
Ojeleye ............308-11 1-1 0-6 2 2 22
Waters.............15 2-7 0-0 0- 2215
Kanter.............14 3-6 4-4 5-11 0 0 10
Williams III .......14 3-5 0-2 2- 5036
Langford ..........13 0-3 0-0 3- 4120
Green................5 0-0 0-0 0- 0010
Totals 40-86 21-26 13-49 16 20 112
Shooting: Field goals, 46.5%; free throws, 80.8%
Three-point goals: 11-30 (Ojeleye 5-8, Tatum 5-10,
Waters 1-2, Langford 0-1, Williams 0-1, Wanamaker
0-3, Smart 0-5). Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers:
None. Blocked Shots: 7 (Williams III 3, Ojeleye, Tatum,
Theis, Williams). Turnovers: 11 (Smart 4, Tatum 4, Wa-
ters 2, Wanamaker). Steals: 10 (Smart 2, Tatum 2,
Wanamaker 2, Kanter, Theis, Williams, Williams III).
Technical Fouls: None..
CLEVELAND
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Nance Jr. .........397-13 3-6 5-15 4 1 19
Osman ............423-14 4-4 3-5 2 3 13
Love................379-17 3-3 5-14 5 4 26
Dellavedova......35 0-8 0-0 1-5 4 3 0
Sexton.............4417-30 4-4 0-3 6 5 41
Wade ..............16 1-1 0-0 0-2 1 1 2
Zizic................14 2-5 0-1 3-4 0 2 4
Porter Jr. ............9 0-1 1-2 0-2 2 0 1
Totals 39-89 15-20 17-50 24 19 106
Shooting: Field goals, 43.8%; free throws, 75.0%
Three-point goals: 13-38 (Love 5-10, Osman 3-9,
Sexton 3-9, Nance Jr. 2-5, Dellavedova 0-5). Team Re-
bounds: 3. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 2 (Love,
Wade). Turnovers: 12 (Love 4, Sexton 4, Nance Jr. 2,
Osman 2). Steals: 6 (Nance Jr. 4, Osman, Sexton).
Technical Fouls: None..
Boston 28 30 23 31— 112
Cleveland 27 25 25 29— 106
A—16,897. T—2:14.
Bucks 119, Pacers 100
INDIANA
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Sabonis ...........366-16 2-4 1-10 7 1 15
Warren ............328-18 1-1 1-4 1 3 18
Turner..............30 3-9 0-0 0- 5047
A.Holiday .........25 2-6 1-1 1- 5125
Brogdon ..........10 2-6 0-0 0- 2214
McConnell........297-13 0-0 2-4 6 2 14
McDermott .......18 6-8 1-1 0-1 1 1 16
J.Holiday..........18 2-9 0-0 0- 3024
Sampson.........16 1-2 2-2 2- 3124
Bitadze..............7 4-7 0-0 0- 1009
Sumner.............5 1-3 2-2 0- 0304
Johnson.............3 0-0 0-0 0- 1000
Leaf ..................3 0-0 0-0 0- 0000
Totals 42-97 9-11 7-39 22 18 100
Shooting: Field goals, 43.3%; free throws, 81.8%
Three-point goals: 7-27 (McDermott 3-3, Sabonis
1-2, Bitadze 1-4, Warren 1-4, Turner 1-6, Brogdon 0-1,
McConnell 0-1, Sumner 0-2, J.Holiday 0-4). Team Re-
bounds: 9. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 2 (Turner
2). Turnovers: 15 (Sabonis 6, McConnell 4, Turner 2,
A.Holiday, J.Holiday, Johnson). Steals: 12 (J.Holiday 4,
A.Holiday 2, McConnell 2, McDermott 2, Brogdon,
Sumner). Technical Fouls: coach Nate McMillan, 7:52
fourth.
MILWAUKEE
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
G.Antetknpo .....2810-23 7-7 3-12 6 2 29
Middleton........299-16 0-0 0-8 2 1 20
B.Lopez...........24 1-6 0-0 1- 5123
Bledsoe ...........27 5-9 5-7 0-5 7 0 16
Matthews .........256-10 0-0 0-4 0 1 15
DiVincenzo .......235-10 6-6 1-7 3 0 19
R.Lopez ...........22 3-5 0-0 2- 2127
Williams ..........19 2-6 0-0 1- 3234
Connaughton ....18 1-3 2-2 1- 4114
Brown .............13 1-5 0-0 0- 3202
Mason...............5 0-0 0-0 1- 2110
T.Antetknpo ........3 0-1 0-0 1- 1010
Totals 43-94 20-22 11-56 26 14 119
Shooting: Field goals, 45.7%; free throws, 90.9%
Three-point goals: 13-46 (DiVincenzo 3-6,
Matthews 3-7, Middleton 2-5, G.Antetokounmpo 2-8,
R.Lopez 1-2, Bledsoe 1-3, B.Lopez 1-5, T.Antetokoun-
mpo 0-1, Connaughton 0-2, Williams 0-3, Brown 0-4).
Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: 2. Blocked Shots:
5 (Connaughton 2, B.Lopez, DiVincenzo, Williams).
Turnovers: 16 (G.Antetokounmpo 4, DiVincenzo 2, Ma-
son 2, Middleton 2, T.Antetokounmpo 2, B.Lopez,
Bledsoe, Connaughton, Williams). Steals: 8 (DiVin-
cenzo 3, B.Lopez 2, Brown, Connaughton, G.Antetok-
ounmpo). Technical Fouls: None.
Indiana 23 33 23 21— 100
Milwaukee 36 22 31 30— 119
A—17,695. T—2:09.Grizzlies 118, Nets 79
MEMPHIS
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Anderson .........21 5-9 0-0 2-5 0 1 12
Brooks............215-11 1-2 0-0 1 4 12
Valanciunas......26 4-9 1-1 3-16 2 2 9
Melton............22 3-9 0-0 0-3 3 0 9
Morant............286-15 2-2 4-7 5 0 15
Tolliver .............23 0-6 2-2 0-2 1 1 2
Konchar...........22 2-3 0-0 3-4 2 2 5
Jones..............206-13 1-1 1-5 6 1 18
Dieng..............19 2-4 2-2 3-14 0 0 6
Jackson ...........166-12 3-4 0-0 1 2 19
Watanabe..........5 2-4 0-0 1-2 0 1 5
Guduric.............5 2-2 0-0 1- 1006
Uthoff................5 0-3 0-0 0- 0010
Totals 43-100 12-14 18-59 21 15 118
Shooting: Field goals, 43.0%; free throws, 85.7%
Three-point goals: 20-44 (Jones 5-6, Jackson 4-9,
Melton 3-7, Guduric 2-2, Anderson 2-4, Konchar 1-2,
Morant 1-2, Brooks 1-3, Watanabe 1-3, Uthoff 0-2, Tol-
liver 0-4). Team Rebounds: 13. Team Turnovers: 1.
Blocked Shots: 5 (Dieng 2, Melton, Tolliver, Valanciu-
nas). Turnovers: 11 (Brooks 2, Dieng 2, Konchar 2,
Valanciunas 2, Anderson, Jackson, Tolliver). Steals: 8
(Jackson 2, Tolliver 2, Konchar, Morant, Uthoff, Wata-
nabe). Technical Fouls: None..
BROOKLYN
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Harris..............295-13 0-0 3-8 1 1 13
Prince .............246-19 1-1 1-5 0 1 15
J.Allen .............28 3-5 0-2 4-9 0 1 6
Dinwiddie........26 1-9 2-2 2-4 4 2 4
LeVert..............276-19 2-4 0-4 6 2 14
Lwawu-Cbrrt .....26 2-7 4-4 0-1 1 2 8
Chiozza............24 5-8 2-2 1-3 1 3 14
Chandler..........17 1-4 0-0 0-3 0 2 2
Jordan .............13 1-1 0-0 2-4 0 2 2
Kurucs.............13 0-3 1-2 0-1 1 1 1
Pinson...............7 0-2 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Totals 30-90 12-17 13-42 15 17 79
Shooting: Field goals, 33.3%; free throws, 70.6%
Three-point goals: 7-42 (Harris 3-7, Chiozza 2-4,
Prince 2-8, Pinson 0-1, Kurucs 0-2, Chandler 0-3, Le-
Vert 0-5, Luwawu-Cabarrot 0-5, Dinwiddie 0-7). Team
Rebounds: 10. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 4
(Dinwiddie, Harris, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Pinson). Turn-
overs: 13 (J.Allen 3, Chiozza 2, Jordan 2, Prince 2,
Chandler, Dinwiddie, Harris, Kurucs). Steals: 6 (Harris
2, Chiozza, Dinwiddie, LeVert, Pinson). Technical Fouls:
None..
Memphis 22 30 30 36— 118
Brooklyn 23 22 20 14— 79
A—16,941. T—1:58.Timberwolves 115, Bulls 108
CHICAGO
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Harrison ..........28 5-8 4-6 1-2 2 2 17
Markkanen.......206-10 0-0 0-4 0 0 13
Carter Jr. ..........24 3-6 0-0 3- 9126
Satoransky.......295-11 0-0 1-5 5 0 10
Valentine.........185-11 0-1 0-2 0 2 11
White..............3411-22 2-2 0-1 6 2 26
Young ..............286-11 0-0 1-6 4 3 13
Arcidiacono ......22 3-6 0-0 0-3 2 2 9
Porter Jr...........18 1-8 0-0 1-4 3 0 2
Gafford............10 0-1 1-2 1- 2051
Felicio ...............3 0-0 0-0 1-1 1 1 0
Totals 45-94 7-11 9-39 24 19 108
Shooting: Field goals, 47.9%; free throws, 63.6%
Three-point goals: 11-30 (Harrison 3-3, Arcidiacono
3-4, White 2-7, Markkanen 1-4, Valentine 1-4, Young
1-4, Satoransky 0-1, Porter Jr. 0-3). Team Rebounds: 6.
Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 4 (Young 2,
Carter Jr., Porter Jr.). Turnovers: 10 (Satoransky 3, Cart-
er Jr., Gafford, Harrison, Markkanen, Porter Jr., Valen-
tine, Young). Steals: 11 (Harrison 3, Young 3, Arcidia-
cono 2, Carter Jr., Satoransky, Valentine). Technical
Fouls: None..
MINNESOTA
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Hrnangmz ........31 4-8 2-4 0-7 2 2 12
Okogie.............26 2-4 0-0 1- 4235
Reid................245-10 3-6 5-11 3 2 16
Beasley ...........338-14 4-4 1-3 2 1 24
Russell............316-13 3-3 0-3 4 1 19
McLaughlin ......275-10 0-2 1-1 7 1 10
Johnson...........21 3-6 1-2 2- 4538
Culver..............215-11 0-0 0-5 0 2 13
Layman ...........13 1-2 0-0 0-2 1 0 2
Martin ...............8 1-2 3-4 0-3 1 0 6
Totals 40-80 16-25 10-43 27 15 115
Shooting: Field goals, 50.0%; free throws, 64.0%
Three-point goals: 19-43 (Beasley 4-8, Russell 4-
10, Reid 3-3, Culver 3-6, Hernangomez 2-5, Martin
1-2, Johnson 1-3, Okogie 1-3, Layman 0-1, McLaughlin
0-2). Team Rebounds: 14. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked
Shots: 5 (Johnson 3, Reid 2). Turnovers: 18 (Russell 6,
Beasley 3, Johnson 3, McLaughlin 3, Okogie 2, Her-
nangomez). Steals: 5 (Johnson 2, Hernangomez, Mc-
Laughlin, Russell). Technical Fouls: None..
Chicago 29 29 2129— 108
Minnesota 22 33 3327— 115
A—13,392. T—2:07.Trail Blazers 125, Wizards 104
WASHINGTON
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Hachimura .......284-11 3-4 1-4 4 2 11
Robinson.........25 2-9 0-0 1- 4145
Wagner............18 4-8 1-2 7- 9149
Beal................3710-29 5-6 2-6 6 1 29
Napier.............253-10 2-4 1- 4329
Bertans...........298-16 1-2 0-4 3 5 21
Bonga.............27 3-5 1-1 2- 3337
Brown Jr...........20 4-8 0-2 1- 6419
Pasecniks ........15 1-3 0-0 2- 4042
Payton II..........10 1-4 0-0 1- 4232
Totals 40-103 13-21 18-48 27 29 104
Shooting: Field goals, 38.8%; free throws, 61.9%
Three-point goals: 11-35 (Beal 4-9, Bertans 4-12,
Brown Jr. 1-3, Robinson 1-3, Napier 1-4, Hachimura
0-1, Payton II 0-3). Team Rebounds: 10. Team Turn-
overs: None. Blocked Shots: 4 (Bertans, Napier, Pa-
secniks, Robinson). Turnovers: 10 (Brown Jr. 3, Beal 2,
Napier 2, Bertans, Bonga, Wagner). Steals: 8 (Bonga
2, Wagner 2, Beal, Bertans, Brown Jr., Hachimura).
Technical Fouls: None..
PORTLAND
Min FG-A FT-A OR-T A P T
Anthony...........318-13 6-6 0-5 1 4 25
Ariza ...............33 3-5 7-8 0-3 4 4 15
Whiteside.........3110-14 4-5 3-16 2 4 24
Lillard..............316-12 6-6 2-4 5 1 22
McCollum........339-18 2-4 1-6 5 1 22
Trent Jr.............28 1-7 0-0 1-5 4 1 2
Hezonja...........16 1-3 0-0 0-2 1 0 3
Simons............13 2-6 3-3 0-1 0 1 8
Swanigan.........10 0-0 0-0 0-4 2 6 0
Gabriel..............5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
Little .................3 2-3 0-0 0-1 0 1 4
Totals 42-81 28-32 7-47 24 24 125
Shooting: Field goals, 51.9%; free throws, 87.5%
Three-point goals: 13-31 (Lillard 4-7, Anthony 3-5,
Ariza 2-4, McCollum 2-7, Hezonja 1-1, Simons 1-3, Lit-
tle 0-1, Trent Jr. 0-3). Team Rebounds: 9. Team Turn-
overs: 1. Blocked Shots: 11 (Whiteside 4, Ariza 2,
Hezonja 2, Lillard, McCollum, Simons). Turnovers: 15
(Lillard 3, Swanigan 3, Anthony 2, Hezonja 2, White-
side 2, Gabriel, McCollum, Trent Jr.). Steals: 7 (Anthony
2, Ariza 2, Lillard 2, Simons). Technical Fouls: None.
Washington 30 31 1825— 104
Portland 37 35 2825— 125
A—19,393. T—2:12.HOUSTON — When the Hous-
ton Rockets rid themselves of a tra-
ditional center one month ago and
bet big on a commitment to going
small, the Rockets invited skepti-
cism across the NBA.
They also created headaches.
Though opponents have ques-
tioned the postseason viability of
playing a shorter lineup, many
have succumbed to it just the
same.
Houston has gone 7-3 since
trading center Clint Capela to At-
lanta, adding 6-foot-8 wing Robert
Covington, shifting 6-5 P.J. Tucker
to Capela’s old position and sta-
tioning nearly all five players out-
side the three-point line.
The strategy is such an outlier it
has thrown off many opponents,
who must decide how to match up
with Houston.
The Clippers viewed their 109-
94 victory Tuesday against Okla-
homa City as an example of why
they’re confident to play either on
Houston’s terms or set their own
when they face the Rockets on
Thursday at Toyota Center.
The Clippers’ starting lineup of
7-foot Ivica Zubac at center and a
trio of 6-8 forwards — Kawhi Leon-
ard, Paul George and Marcus Mor-ris — outscored Oklahoma City by
10 points in nearly 13 minutes. In
the second half, a front line of Mor-
ris at forward and 6-8 JaMychal
Green at center immediately paid
dividends as well.
Soon after he checked in to re-
place backup center Montrezl Har-
rell, Green screened for Lou
Williams and slipped to the three-
point line for a wide-open shot he
made for a 19-point lead. Three
minutes later, he made another
three-pointer.
“The thing you like about this
team is it can be a really big team
and it can play small ball as well,”
coach Doc Rivers said. “Our small-
ball lineup is lethal, we just haven’t
needed it much. It’s nice to be able
to have both.”
Defensively, Green didn’t allow
a field-goal attempt while guarding
Thunder center Steven Adams,
one of the strongest players in the
NBA, during eight possessions.
For the Clippers, it was a case
study of why they believe removing
Zubac and Harrell, their typical
centers, in favor of more shooting
doesn’t mean conceding tough-
ness.
Though Green has played cen-
ter only 3% of the time this season,
he calls it a “natural position” be-
cause he played it in college, over-
seas, in the NBA’s developmentalleague and during last season’s
playoffs as part of a small-ball
starting lineup against Golden
State.
“[Green] is the strongest dude
I’ve ever seen pound-for-pound —
country strong,” guard Landry
Shamet said.
Creating advantages out of
shorter lineups has helped the
Clippers before as they built the
league’s highest-scoring bench
around the 6-8 Harrell and
Williams. But whereas nearly 61%
of Harrell’s field-goal attempts are
taken within three feet of the bas-
ket, Green has made 36% of his
three-pointers this season while
shooting them from a career-long
25.3 feet.
“I think that’s major because
you put two rugged, tough guys
that’s not going to back down,”
Morris said. “At the end of the day
it’s not really too many fives that
score, back to the basket, in this
league. So you spread them out.”
Small-ball lineups tailored
around LeBron James helped Mi-
ami win championships and, more
recently, Golden State’s “death
lineups” pushed the possibilities
further. Houston’s version has tak-
en the concept to an extreme, with
players taller than 6-8 used in only
29 minutes out of a possible 2,425
since Feb. 6, according to aFiveThirtyEight analysis. Since
Covington joined Houston, 77% of
his shots have come beyond the
three-point line.
The shift has unlocked guard
Russell Westbrook, in particular,
who is averaging 33 points on 56%
shooting in his last eight games.
With driving lanes open, the career
30% three-point shooter is firing
less often from long range while av-
eraging a league-high 22 drives per
game since Feb. 6.
How the Clippers choose to
combat the Rockets’ grand experi-
ment remains to be seen, but Riv-
ers has options.
“I just think you gotta be you,”
Rivers said. “Houston plays their
way and they’re going to win their
way. We’re going to play our way
and we’re going to win our way.”TONIGHT
AT HOUSTON
When:5 PST
On the air:TV: Prime Ticket, TNT;
Radio: 570
Update:The Clippers (42-19) are
1-2 this season against Houston
(39-21), which is 21-8 at home and
has won seven of its last eight at
Toyota Center. Rockets guard
James Harden is averaging a
league-best 34.9 points this season
and 37.3 points in three games
against the Clippers.Clippers feel ready to size up Rockets
By Andrew GreifCoaches often say that the difference between a good
shot and a bad shot isn’t whether the shot goes in. Some
players have earned the right for an exception.
So when Frank Vogel was asked after Tuesday night’s
victory over the Philadelphia 76ers what constitutes a
“good” deep three-point attempt and what constitutes a
“bad” three-point attempt for LeBron James, the Lakers
coach smiled sheepishly until the question came to this:
Is it just a matter of whether it goes in?
“Yes,” Vogel said. “Correct. When it goes in, it’s a good
one. And if it doesn’t go in, it’s a bad one. It’s easy coaching
here.”
In each of the last two games, James has taken three
shots from 30 feet or farther and made two of them. The
made shots have served as emotional boosts for the team,
long-range, momentum-driving surprises. The Lakers in-
sist they are confident that when James releases those
that they’ll go in because they’ve seen James work on
them.
“Obviously, the game is played so much at the three-
point line and beyond,” James said. “I just think for me
personally, I want to continue to have a growth mind-set
on however the game is changing, being able to change my
game and also still be true to who I am at the same time.
Just trying not to have any weaknesses.”
James’ evolution as a shooter is not new. Early in his ca-
reer opponents could sag off James, force him to shoot
jumpers and beat him that way. His shooting percentage
has improved significantly in the second half of his career
as the league has emphasized three-point shooting.
There is a four-point line on the Lakers’ practice court
that adds a dimension to their practice.
For James, the deep threes are somewhat rare, but his
attempts of shots from 30 or more feet away from the bas-
ket have been in the double digits since the 2016-17 season.
The shot is a much bigger part of the repertoires of
players whose games are more defined by their shooting
ability.
During the 2015-16 season, when Stephen Curry was the
league’s unanimous MVP, he made 54.8% of the shots he
took between 30 and 39 feet from the basket. He didn’t
drop off that much when including the numbers from
shots 40 or more feet away, either. He shot 46% from 40 or
more feet away.
Those deep threes became characteristic of Curry’s
playing style. Sometimes they allowed for him to get more
open looks than he otherwise would.
Damian Lillard has made it part of his game too. This
season, Lillard has shot 42.4% from 30 to 39 feet away from
the basket. He’s taken 102 shots from 30 feet or farther.
James, on the other hand, has taken 14 shots from 30
feet or farther this year, 11 of them from 30 to 34 feet.
They aren’t desperation heaves — they often come
early in the shot clock.
How does he know the right time to release them?
“It just happens,” James said with a smile. “It’s just a
feel thing, it’s just a feel thing.”
On Tuesday night James took — and made — a 36-foot
three-pointer from the edge of the Lakers’ logo at mid-
court. It caused his teammates to gather around the spot
from where he shot the ball to examine the court.
“There was a mark right there,” JaVale McGee said.
“ ‘Damn.’ That’s what it said on the court.”
Anthony Davis explained the reason for the investiga-
tion.
“Nobody knew what he was doing,” Davis said. “We
kind of know when he’s going to do it. It’s usually when he’s
hit a couple in a row. That one, I think I had just made one.
I was running down and I was expecting him to throw it to
me and he just pulled up. And so it kind of like shocked all
of us, and he made it and we were all like, ‘All right, where
did he shoot this one from?’ ”‘A feel thing’ for
James means a
long-range shot
By Tania GanguliLeBRON JAMES is not shy about launching shots
from beyond 30 feet when he gets a feeling.Katelyn MulcahyGetty ImagesNBA