ANFERNEE Simons recorded a career-high 45 points and Jerami Grant scored 33 as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Utah Jazz 116-111 Saturday night (Sunday in Manila) in Salt Lake City.
Simons and Grant hit key free throws in the waning moments, and the Jazz committed four costly turnovers in the final minute to help Portland pick up the win after blowing an early 15-point lead. Jusuf Nurkic contributed 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Jordan Clarkson had a chance to tie the game, but the ball was knocked out of his hands and went off his foot with 4.6 seconds remaining. Grant sealed the win at the free-throw line, where he scored four points in the last 6.4 seconds.
Clarkson finished with 24 points, Lauri Markkanen scored 21 with six rebounds and Collin Sexton added 19 points, but Utah dropped to 2-2 on its current six-game homestand. Despite giving up its big lead, Portland responded to Utah every time the home team made a push in the final minutes.
In other games, it was the Mavs 121, Knicks 100; Kings 123, Clippers 96; Bucks 105, Hornets 96; Thunder 135, Wolves 128; Raptors 121, Magic 118; and Warriors 120, Rockets 101.
Mavs 121, Knicks 100
Luka Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr. combined to score 36 points during a dominant third quarter, lifting Dallas to a victory over host New York.
The Mavericks outscored the Knicks 41-15 in the third and 69-41 in the second half. Doncic, who entered the game leading the NBA in scoring at 33.6 points per game, scored 19 of his 30 points in the third before sitting out the fourth. Spencer Dinwiddie (17 points, nine rebounds, nine assists) flirted with a triple-double for the Mavericks, who won for just the second time in seven games.
Julius Randle scored 24 points and Immanuel Quickley added 23 off the bench. RJ Barrett had 13 points, as did ex-Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson. Hardaway and Doncic began the game-turning surge by combining for four 3-pointers in a 12-3 run in the third that gave the Mavericks a 68-65 lead — their first lead since 3-2.
Kings 123, Clippers 96
Domantas Sabonis led seven scorers in double figures with 24 points as Sacramento led nearly wire-to-wire in a blowout of host Los Angeles.
The Kings attacked the short-handed Clippers on the interior, outscoring Los Angeles in the paint, 62-44. All five Sacramento starters scored in double figures. Keegan Murray erupted in the fourth quarter to effectively snuff any hope of a Los Angeles comeback, connecting on five field goals — including three 3-pointers — in the period. Murray finished with 23 points.
The Clippers — playing once again without All-Stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, 3-point specialist Luke Kennard and spark-plug Norman Powell — were out-of-sorts offensively throughout the contest. Los Angeles shot just 33 of 93 from the floor and committed 17 turnovers. No Clipper scored more than 18 points, which came from Brandon Boston Jr. with his season high off the bench.
