STEPHEN Curry scored 31 points in his return from a three-game absence and Klay Thompson added 26 points as the visiting Golden State Warriors earned a 128-121 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
Jonathan Kuminga scored 23 points, Andrew Wiggins had 16 and Draymond Green added six points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds to help the Warriors (35-31) pull a percentage point ahead of the Lakers (36-32). Both teams are in the final two spots for the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.
Golden State entered with three losses in its previous four games and went 1-2 while Curry was out with a right ankle sprain.
LeBron James scored 13 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter and D’Angelo Russell added 23 points and 13 assists for the Lakers. Anthony Davis did not play after the first quarter because of a left eye contusion. His eye was brushed by the arm of Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis on a drive to the basket.
In other games, it was the Knicks 98, Kings 91; Pacers 121, Nets 100; Wolves 119, Jazz 100; Rockets 117, Cavs 103; Sixers 109, Hornets 98; Pelicans 126, Blazers 107; Thunder 118, Grizzlies 112; and Bulls 127, Wizards 98.
Knicks 98, Kings 91
Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks provided all the scoring during a critical fourth quarter run and New York’s defense was stellar once again in a win over host Sacramento.
Jalen Brunson had a game-high 42 points for the Knicks (40-27), who won for the fourth time in their past five games, a stretch in which they haven’t allowed more than 93 points in any game.
Domantas Sabonis had 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Kings (38-28), who led 79-75 after two free throws by De’Aaron Fox with 9:48 remaining.
Pacers 121, Nets 100
Pascal Siakam totaled 28 points and 11 rebounds as host Indiana pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Brooklyn.
Siakam’s double-double helped the Pacers (38-30) improve to 8-5 in their past 13 and moved to within 1 1/2 games of the fifth-place Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference.
The Nets (26-41) dropped to 1-4 on a six-game road that ends Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs and fell 3 1/2 games behind the 10th-place Atlanta Hawks for the final play-in spot in the East.