Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The pace-setting Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder cruised to victories to maintain their grip on the NBA conference standings on Friday. Oklahoma City extended their lead at the top of the Western Conference table, improving to 41-9 for the season after blowing past the Toronto Raptors 121-109. The Thunder welcomed back center Chet Holmgren from injury following a 39-game absence after suffering a pelvic fracture in November. Holmgren made four blocks in a 22-minute display. Jalen Williams led the Thunder scoring with 27 points, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander adding 25 despite sitting out the fourth quarter.
In Washington, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley combined for 60 points to give Cleveland their sixth win in seven games against a Washington Wizards line-up who threatened an upset after an inspired performance from Jordan Poole. Wizards ace Poole finished with 45 points but it was not enough to stop the Cavaliers pulling away to complete a 134-124 victory. Mitchell led Cleveland’s scoring with 33 points while Mobley added 27. Darius Garland made five three-pointers on his way to a 23-point performance. The Cavaliers improved to 42-10 to maintain their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference ahead of the Boston Celtics, who trail by six games with a 36-16 record.
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A wild ending in Charlotte saw the Hornets hang on for a dramatic 117-116 victory over the San Antonio Spurs after Miles Bridges drained a three-pointer with 1.4 seconds remaining. San Antonio thought they had snatched a sensational win, however, when new addition De’Aaron Fox nailed a buzzer-beating basket as time ran out. The score was initially given, but replay footage showed Fox just failed to release the ball before the buzzer sounded, giving Charlotte a win that sees them improve to 13-36. Bridges led the Charlotte scoring with 25 points while LaMelo Ball added 24 with 10 assists. Stephon Castle led the Spurs scoring with 33 points, with Fox adding 22.
In Atlanta, the Milwaukee Bucks squandered a 21-point lead early in the third quarter to lose 115-110 against the Hawks. Trae Young led the Atlanta scoring with 24 points on a night when seven Hawks players cracked double figures. The game swung in Atlanta’s favor after a dominant third quarter, which saw the hosts outscore Milwaukee 37-17 to erase their double-digit deficit. The Brooklyn Nets, meanwhile, grabbed only their 18th win of the season with a 102-86 victory over the Miami Heat. Miami looked poised for victory after leading for most of the first three quarters, but the Nets turned the contest on its head by outscoring the visitors 31-9 in the fourth quarter to complete their victory.
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