Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Draymond Green scored 21 points and Jimmy Butler added a 16-point triple-double as the Golden State Warriors held off the Toronto Raptors 117-114 on Thursday despite an early exit for Stephen Curry. Butler contributed 11 rebounds and 12 assists for the Warriors, while Green chipped in seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Golden State maintained their hold on sixth place in the Western Conference, ensuring direct entry into the playoffs.
Trailing by as many as seven points in the third quarter, Golden State managed to take a 93-92 lead into the final period, even after losing Curry, who suffered a frightening fall under the basket. Curry, who had been nursing a sore back before sitting out Tuesday’s win over Milwaukee, was treated on the court before leaving with what the team described as a pelvic contusion. “He just kind of fell on his pelvic, tailbone area,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, adding that Curry was scheduled for an MRI scan after the game to assess the injury. “He was trying to come back (into the game); he thought he might’ve been able to, and we just decided not to risk anything,” Kerr added.
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In other games, the Bucks bounced back from their loss at Golden State on Tuesday with a decisive 118-89 victory over the short-handed Lakers in Los Angeles. Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 28 points, and Gary Trent Jr. added 23 off the bench. The Bucks were without Damian Lillard, who sat out due to a sore right calf. The Lakers, still missing superstar LeBron James as he recovers from a groin injury, also had Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves on the sidelines, both nursing sprained ankles. James’s son, Bronny James, and Dalton Knecht led the Lakers’ scoring with 17 points each, with Bronny connecting on seven of his ten shots in his first double-digit scoring game.
Milwaukee led by as many as 35 points in a wire-to-wire victory, keeping the fifth-placed Bucks one game behind the fourth-placed Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers triumphed in another close contest in Indianapolis, where Bennedict Mathurin scored 28 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a 105-99 overtime win against the Brooklyn Nets. The Pacers have now won three straight games by six points or fewer, improving their record to 40-29 and bolstering their lead over the Bucks and Detroit Pistons for fourth place.
Myles Turner contributed 23 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks, including a crucial rejection of Keon Johnson with 22.2 seconds left in overtime that preserved a two-point lead. T.J. McConnell and Mathurin added two free throws each in the final moments to seal the victory for a Pacers team that was again without star guard Tyrese Haliburton due to a sore back.
Mathurin had sent the game to overtime by making three free throws to tie it up at the end of regulation. “Another amazing finish,” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. “Mathurin was spectacular, especially in the fourth quarter.” Brooklyn’s Trendon Watford was ejected late in the fourth quarter after a scuffle that saw Indiana’s Andrew Nembhard and Turner receive technical fouls. Nembhard was later ejected in overtime after receiving a second technical for arguing with officials.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks, currently third in the East, struggled to find their offensive rhythm, suffering a 115-98 loss to the Hornets in Charlotte. The Knicks have dropped six of their last nine games and continue to feel the absence of Jalen Brunson, who is sidelined with a sprained right ankle. LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 25 points, while Miles Bridges added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the hosts, who snapped a two-game losing streak. OG Anunoby scored 25 points for the Knicks, and Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 24 points and 10 rebounds, but New York never led after the opening quarter.
© 2024 AFP
