Toronto led by as many as 22 points in the first half, but the margin dwindled to three entering the fourth quarter. Rhoden's steal and dunk, however, put Toronto ahead by 10 with 8:28 left in the fourth and he followed with a 3-pointer to bump the margin to 13.

Orlando Robinson added a career-best 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Raptors. Jamison Battle added 11 points while Colin Castleton had seven points and 14 rebounds.

Quentin Grimes scored 29 points for the 76ers. Jeff Dowtin Jr. added a career-best 20 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Adem Bona each posted 13 and Ricky Council IV contributed 11.

Philadelphia's Lonnie Walker IV crashed hard to the floor and hit his head going for a defensive rebound with 6:24 left in the first quarter. He left for the dressing room and did not return.

The teams showed more energy late in the first quarter with Toronto taking a 29-23 lead.

Philadelphia started the second quarter with a burst. Bona made a loud block, Jared Butler gathered the rebound and sprung Council for a flamboyant dunk that cut the lead to 29-27. That did not rattle the Raptors, who opened a 12-point lead on Lawson's 3-pointer. Toronto continued to execute the basics and, after consecutive 3-pointers by Shead, Robinson and Rhoden, led by 22 points with 4:50 left in the second quarter. Grimes provided some needed energy for Philadelphia and scored six straight points following a timeout to cut Toronto's lead to 69-55 at halftime.

Philadelphia cut the lead to nine on Justin Edwards' layup with 8:52 remaining in the third quarter. The Raptors crashed the boards and rebuilt their lead to 17 on Jakob Poeltl's short jumper with 6:48 left. Philadelphia persisted and Dowtin's 10-footer narrowed the lead to 89-86 after three quarters.

Scottie Barnes (hand), RJ Barrett (personal) and Immanuel Quickley (rest) were out for the Raptors while Guerschon Yabusele (knee) was among the missing for Philadelphia.

Oklahoma City, which outscored Boston 30-24 in the fourth quarter, has won eight of its last nine games. The victory ended Boston's five-game winning streak.

The game was tied at 98 with 8:12 to play, but the Thunder took control by scoring 15 of the next 19 points.

Jayson Tatum led Boston with 33 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. The Celtics received 22 points and eight rebounds from Derrick White, while Al Horford added 18 points and 10 rebounds. White and Horford each made six 3-pointers.

Boston's Jaylen Brown was held to 10 points and fouled out with 3:36 to play. Brown was 5 of 15 from the field and missed each of his five 3-point attempts. He and White fouled out in the fourth quarter.

Kristaps Porzingis missed his seventh straight game with a viral illness. He was listed as questionable on Boston's injury report.

Oklahoma City forward Jalen Williams didn't make the trip to Boston after he suffered a hip strain during Monday's 140-127 loss to Denver. Williams is averaging 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game this season. The Thunder also played without Alex Caruso (illness).

Boston was 20 of 63 from 3-point territory (31.7 percent). Oklahoma City entered the game leading the league in opponents' 3-point percentage (33.6 percent).

Oklahoma City (25 of 35) hit 15 more free throws than Boston (10 of 12).

The game was tight until the Thunder pulled away late. Oklahoma City led 33-30 after one quarter and 63-60 at halftime. It was tied at 88 after three quarters.

Oklahoma City swept the season series after prevailing 105-92 at home on Jan. 5.

The loss gave Boston a 5-2 homestand.

Young, who missed Atlanta's Monday game with a bruised left quadriceps, came back to score 35 points -- going 21-for-21 at the foul line. He added 12 assists and seven rebounds. It was his 19th game with 30-plus points.

Young became only the eighth player in NBA history to have 21-plus free throws without a miss.

The Hawks improved to 3-0 against the Hornets this season and solidified their hold on the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference.

Atlanta also got 15 points from Caris LeVert and 12 points from Georges Niang.

Charlotte's Miles Bridges logged 31 points and 11 rebounds. LaMelo Ball contributed 25 points and nine assists, and DaQuan Jeffries scored a career-high 20 points. The Hornets had their two-game winning streak end as their road record dropped to 6-25.

Neither team played well in the first half, both shooting less than 42 percent from the field and combining for 19 turnovers. Atlanta led by as many as seven and Charlotte led by as many as six, with the Hawks holding a 52-49 lead at the break.

The Hawks added some distance by scoring the first 11 points of the second half, with Dyson Daniels scoring on a layup for a 63-49 lead.

Charlotte got as close as four points with 9:58 left in the game on a floater by Nick Smith Jr., only to have Atlanta regain the momentum with Young converting a three-point play for a 10-point lead with 8:19 to go. The Hawks put the game away with back-to-back 3-pointers from LeVert and Niang that increased the lead to 108-95 with 4:53 left.

The Hawks were without backup center Clint Capela (personal reasons).

Atlanta completes its six-game homestand on Friday with a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Hornets play the third leg of their four-game road trip on Friday at San Antonio.

Los Angeles was one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning eight in a row, before losing back-to-back games in Boston and Brooklyn. They fell to the Nets 111-108 on Monday without LeBron James.

"I don't think being shorthanded is an excuse for how we played basketball tonight," Lakers coach JJ Redick said. "We ball-watched all night. They probably made six to seven uncontested (3-pointers). Just shortcuts; you got to do the hard stuff."

The Bucks come in off a heartbreaker as they lost 115-114 to the Indiana Pacers Tuesday night in Indianapolis thanks to Tyrese Haliburton's running 3-pointer that became a game-winning 4-point play in the final seconds.

It marked the Bucks' third straight loss and a missed opportunity against a team they're battling in the Eastern Conference standings.

"I thought our turnovers really hurt us. ... we had bad turnovers tonight," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. "They were the type of turnovers that they (the Pacers) get, we made turnovers that you just can't make in a playoff game."

The Bucks turned the ball over 15 times in the defeat.

Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Milwaukee with 30.7 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. Damian Lillard is dishing out just over seven assists a night and Brook Lopez averages 1.9 blocks.

James leads the Lakers with 25 points and 8.5 assists per game. In 12 games since joining the team, Luka Doncic has averaged 24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and eight assists.

On the injury front, James remains out with a groin strain that will bench him for at least 1-2 weeks. Rui Hachimura (knee) is out for the team's entire road trip. Jaxson Hayes (knee) and Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) missed Monday's game and their status for Thursday has yet to be determined.

For Milwaukee, Bobby Portis (suspension) remains out. Tyler Smith (back) and Chris Livingston (illness) both missed Tuesday's game as well.

Thursday's game marks their first meeting this season -- with the other happening next Thursday in Los Angeles.

The Lakers have won two in a row over Milwaukee thanks to last year's entertaining sweep. The Lakers won 123-122 in Los Angeles before taking a 128-124 double overtime victory in Milwaukee.

James also missed last year's visit to Fiserv Forum. Antetokounmpo notched 29 points and 21 rebounds, and Lillard had 27 points and eight assists in the latest meeting. Before last season, the Lakers had not swept Milwaukee since 2009-10.

The Lakers lead the NBA in one specific stat: field goal percentage in the restricted area (72.3 percent). Antetokounmpo and Lopez will play a key role in stopping those shots, as will Jericho Sims, who was acquired at the deadline and has seen increased playing time with Portis out.

The league said the violation involved Lauri Markkanen, who is a star player under terms of the policy. The NBA said Utah failed to make him available for a March 5 game against the Washington Wizards as well as some other games.

After Wednesday's announcement of the fine, the Jazz changed Markkanen's status from questionable to available to play against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. He was again listed with a back injury.

It would be Markkanen's first game action since Feb. 22.

Markkanen has been held out of recent games despite the general assumption that he is now healthy. Part of the decision to hold him out might be due to Utah possessing a 15-50 record and seeking a better draft position for next season. The Jazz have lost six straight games entering Wednesday's contest against Memphis.

Leading the Jazz in scoring, Markkanen is averaging 19.3 points and 6.1 rebounds in 43 games this season, his third with Utah and his eighth in the NBA. He was an All-Star during the 2022-23 season.

After the first-time All-Star had 27 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in Detroit's 123-103 victory over Washington, the Pistons will once again play host to their Eastern Conference foe on Thursday.

Detroit built a 17-point halftime lead on Tuesday, and Washington was no match for a team that sits in sixth place of the Eastern Conference.

"They have one guy who controls the flow of their game," Wizards coach Brian Keefe said of Cunningham. "I thought we did a decent job, especially in the second half. We just have to clean up those boards. We have to finish possessions."

Cunningham has been in charge of the flow on a regular basis. He has scored at least 27 points in five straight games, the longest streak of his career. He is averaging 30.4 points, 7.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds with 1.6 steals while shooting 53.8 percent from the field during the stretch.

Not only will the Wizards have to contain Cunningham, they'll need to be tougher in the paint to avenge Tuesday's loss. The Pistons controlled the boards with a season-high 61 rebounds, 14 more than Washington.

The Pistons also had a 58-44 advantage on points in the paint. Detroit has not been outscored in the paint in 22 straight games and have averaged a plus-14.8 margin in the paint during that span.

"We just play with a physical force, and that's our intent," Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "Our intent is to be as physical on the offensive end of the floor as we are on the defensive end of the floor.

"We want to put a ton of foul pressure on people. We want to put guys under duress, make people have to help and collapse in the paint. If they don't help and collapse, we have guys that are capable of making shots."

Detroit has won 12 of its last 15 games and finds itself percentage points behind the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference.

"We're preparing for bigger and better things, still trying to make a playoff push," Detroit center Jalen Duren said. "We've got a lot of good games ahead of us, so this is the time to really lock in. Obviously, we've got guys who haven't been there, and guys who have been there. So, it's a lot of teaching going on at this point in the season, a lot of taking care of our bodies. I think we're gearing up to kind of get ready to make a run."

The Wizards have won just 13 games and are in the middle of a seven-game road swing. Keefe knows they can't spot the Pistons an early double-digit lead again.

"There were some runs back-and-forth that they got off on, but we were resilient," he said. "We fought back in the fourth, which I liked, but that first quarter really hurt us there."

Tuesday's matchup between the teams was extremely contentious. They combined for five technical fouls, and Washington reserve Richaun Holmes was ejected in the fourth quarter for elbowing Ausar Thompson.

All four losses have come by five points or less, but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra remains confident.

"We have a tough-minded group, and that's what we need right now," he said. "Even as a veteran coach, you realize how tough it is to win in this league. We just have to stay together and figure it out."

The Heat have settled on a starting lineup of point guard Davion Mitchell, combo guard Tyler Herro, small forward Andrew Wiggins, power forward Bam Adebayo and rookie center Kel'el Ware.

Herro leads the Heat with averages of 23.8 points and 5.7 assists per game. Adebayo (17.8 ppg) paces Miami in rebounds (10 per game). Over his past 19 games, he is averaging 23 points and 10.2 boards.

Wiggins, who has played just eight games for Miami since being acquired as part of the Jimmy Butler trade, is averaging 18.5 points with the Heat.

Mitchell, in 13 games since also being acquired in the Butler trade, is shooting 45 percent on 3-pointers. He is averaging 9.1 points and 5.1 assists.

Ware is averaging 8.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and a team-high 1.1 blocks. He also leads the team in field-goal percentage (53.7).

Miami's key reserve is Duncan Robinson, who has a streak of eight games scoring in double figures.

Meanwhile, the Clippers started a three-game road trip with a 127-120 loss against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

The loss snapped a three-game win streak for the Clippers.

Los Angeles fell victim to a vintage performance by injury-prone Pelicans star Zion Williamson, who had 22 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

The Clippers got a game-high 29 points from Kawhi Leonard. James Harden added 25 points and a game-high 17 assists and 7-footer Ivica Zubac added 19 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

For the season, Zubac is averaging 16 points and a team-high 12.5 rebounds a game.

Beyond that trio, the Clippers have a certain Miami feel as Brian Shaw is the interim coach and Derrick Jones Jr. is a key reserve. Both are former Heat players.

Shaw has been running the team the past two games because head coach Tyronn Lue has been out due to back pain.

Jones, an explosive leaper, is averaging 10.4 points a game. Harden, 35, is having a resurgent season, averaging 22.2. That's a six-point improvement from last season.

Over the past five games, Harden is averaging 30.4 points, 11 assists and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 64.9 percent from the floor.

However, Leonard, 33, has played in just 23 games due to injuries. When healthy, he is averaging 18.5 points.

"When the time is needed," Harden said of Leonard, "he steps up and makes big-time shots."

The big surprise for the Clippers this season has been 6-3 shooting guard Norman Powell, who is averaging 23.5 points, which is 10 points per game more than what he put up last season. He also scored 41 points in a game against Utah last month.

Jarrett Allen added 23 points and 13 rebounds as Cleveland matched the longest win streak in franchise history, which the current group set to begin the season. Evan Mobley had 21 points, nine boards and six assists while Max Strus chipped in 10 points for the Cavaliers, who trailed by as many as 18 points.

Cam Thomas' 27 points led Brooklyn, while Cameron Johnson put up 17 and Ziaire Williams had 14. Noah Clowney added 12 points off the bench for the Nets, who dropped their eighth game in nine tries.

Pacers 115, Bucks 114

Tyrese Haliburton knocked down a 3-pointer and a free throw in the final seconds to propel Indiana past visiting Milwaukee in Indianapolis.

Pascal Siakam led Indiana, which ended a three-game skid, with 25 points and 12 boards. Bennedict Mathurin added 17 points and Haliburton scored 14.

Brook Lopez scored 23 points for Milwaukee, which lost its third in a row. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 19 points and added 17 boards but committed the foul on Haliburton's 3-pointer.

Pelicans 127, Clippers 120

Zion Williamson had his second career triple-double while leading a balanced scoring effort as host New Orleans defeated Los Angeles.

Williamson finished with 22 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds just 11 days after recording his first triple-double. CJ McCollum posted 23 points and seven assists, Trey Murphy III had 21 points, Karlo Matkovic added 15, Jose Alvarado had 14, Bruce Brown scored 12 and Jordan Hawkins added 11 for the Pelicans, who ended a four-game skid.

Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points, James Harden had 25 points and 17 assists, and Ivica Zubac had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who were coached by assistant Brian Shaw for a second consecutive game while head coach Tyronn Lue is sidelined because of back pain. Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. scored 11 points apiece.

Pistons 123, Wizards 103

Cade Cunningham had 27 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds to lead host Detroit to a victory over Washington.

Jalen Duren supplied 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Malik Beasley added 14 points. Tobias Harris contributed 12 points and eight rebounds. Dennis Schroder and Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in 11 points apiece for Detroit, which has won 12 of its last 15 games. The Pistons will also host Washington on Thursday night.

Marcus Smart led the Wizards with 16 points. Jordan Poole and Bub Carrington had 15 points each. Richaun Holmes added 14 points and eight rebounds before he was ejected in the fourth quarter for a Flagrant 2 foul.

Williamson finished with 22 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds just 11 days after recording his first triple-double. CJ McCollum posted 23 points and seven assists, Trey Murphy III had 21 points, Karlo Matkovic added 15, Jose Alvarado had 14 and Bruce Brown scored 12 and Jordan Hawkins added 11 for the Pelicans, who ended a four-game skid.

Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points, James Harden had 25 points and 17 assists, and Ivica Zubac had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who were coached by assistant Brian Shaw for a second consecutive game while head coach Tyronn Lue is sidelined because of back pain. Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. scored 11 points apiece.

The Pelicans led by 10 at halftime, but the Clippers used a 7-0 run to get within 65-62 on a 3-pointer from Nicolas Batum. New Orleans increased the lead to seven points before Leonard made two 3-pointers and Harden sank one during an 11-2 run that gave L.A. its first lead of the game, 77-75.

New Orleans scored the next five points and the lead changed hands two more times before Murphy made two 3-pointers and McCollum hit one, helping the Pelicans take a 98-90 lead at the end of the quarter.

Alvarado made treys to start and finish a 12-3 run as New Orleans expanded the lead to 17. The Clippers chipped away and got within four with 2:33 left, but Williamson responded by scoring on a drive.

Los Angeles got within three before Williamson made two free throws and fed Alvarado for a layup with 24 seconds left that made it 123-116.

The Pelicans built an 11-point lead before the Clippers trimmed it to 28-21 at the end of the opening period.

New Orleans used a 15-2 run that featured seven straight points by Matkovic to produce a 20-point lead. Los Angeles crept within 13 points before Alvarado made two 3-pointers and the Pelicans took their biggest lead, 55-34.

Leonard scored six points and Harden added five to help the Clippers get within 61-51 entering halftime.

The Knicks might try to cook that recipe again on Wednesday night when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers.

New York had dropped three straight games and were in the dumps after losing All-Star guard Jalen Brunson to a sprained right ankle.

But all it took was 22-of-40 shooting from 3-point range and limiting the host Kings to 41.9-percent overall shooting during Monday's 133-104 rout to perk up the mood.

"We turned defense into offense and played fast," Knicks swingman Josh Hart said. "We got extremely skilled guys, and I think playing fast, especially with (Brunson) out, fits us very well. That's something that we're trying to do."

Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 26 points and nine rebounds, and OG Anunoby added 24 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and five steals to pace the Knicks. Miles "Deuce" McBride was 4 of 5 from 3-point range while recording 21 points and seven assists. Hart also made four treys in an 18-point effort.

"We've been known for our offense. We've been known to have the firepower offensively," Towns said. "But defensively is something that we have to get together, and we've done a great job of heading in the right direction these last three games. But it's about consistency. We've got to do it every night."

The Knicks played Monday's game as if they had accepted that they won't see leading scorer Brunson for a while. He was injured during last Thursday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

McBride, thrust into a bigger role, made 7 of 11 overall shots against Sacramento. In the previous game, he went 2 of 13 in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

"We're not replacing Jalen individually. We can't," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. "But we can do it collectively. If we play like that, we'll have a chance."

The game in Portland is the fourth of a five-game road trip for New York. It concludes Saturday against the Golden State Warriors.

The Trail Blazers are beginning a seven-game homestand that will decide the fate of their season.

Portland is 12th in the Western Conference, five games behind the 10th-place Dallas Mavericks, who currently hold the final play-in spot. The Trail Blazers are also 2 1/2 games behind the 11th-seeded Phoenix Suns.

Making the situation more problematic is that Portland has dropped its last four games.

The Trail Blazers fell 130-120 to the host Warriors on Monday night despite Deni Avdija's attempts to carry his team to victory.

Avdija returned from a two-game absence (quadriceps) to record season-highs in both points (34) and rebounds (16) against Golden State.

"He just continues to get better," Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. "He was a game-time decision. He laid it on the line for sure. I probably overplayed him, but we needed everything that he had. He gave us everything of what he had. He always does."

Avdija notched his first career triple-double earlier this month when he had 30 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a 133-129 overtime loss to the host Cleveland Cavaliers.

Anfernee Simons also had a big game against the Warriors with 32 points, but the Trail Blazers were often sloppy with the ball, committing 19 turnovers -- 16 on Golden State steals.

"Our turnovers cost us," Billups said. "Seemed like every time we turned it over, they scored every single time. And that's a little deflating."

Portland forward Jerami Grant (knee) is doubtful to play on Wednesday. He sat out against the Warriors.

New York has won the last three meetings with Portland and will host the Trail Blazers on March 30 to complete the season series.

Pascal Siakam led Indiana, who ended a three-game skid, with 25 points and 12 boards. Bennedict Mathurin added 17 and Haliburton had 14.

Brook Lopez led Milwaukee, who lost their third in a row, with 23 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 19 with 17 boards but committed the foul on Haliburton's 3-pointer.

This was about as tightly contested as it gets from the get-go. There were nine lead changes in the first quarter alone as the Pacers went into the second up 32-28.

The game was nearly tied going into halftime, but Antetokounmpo missed two free throws in the final seconds and the Pacers went into the break up 57-55. The teams traded 8-0 runs in the second.

Siakam led with 16 in the half while Taurean Prince had 14 for Milwaukee. Both teams shot right around 50 percent from the floor, 38 percent from deep and each had both 22 boards and 17 assists.

In the third quarter, it was just as even with Milwaukee winning the quarter 33-31 and tying the game at 88 going into the fourth.

Indiana came out firing in the fourth, opening the quarter on an 11-5 run. They grew a 10-point lead.

The Bucks responded with a 10-0 run of their own. Milwaukee then went on another 5-0 run to re-take the lead at 112-110 with just over a minute to play.

The Bucks went up by three with two free throws before Indiana had one final shot and Haliburton knocked down the 3-pointer from the corner with 3.4 seconds to play.

The Bucks challenged the call, but it was upheld due to Antetokounmpo not allowing Haliburton to land safely.

Antetokounmpo then missed what would have been a game-winning 28-foot shot.

It was Indiana's first win against Milwaukee this season after losing the first two. They now have a chance to even the season series 2-2 in the final matchup on Saturday, which could play a factor in playoff seeding.

Jalen Duren supplied 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Malik Beasley added 14 points. Tobias Harris contributed 12 points and eight rebounds.

Dennis Schroder and Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in 11 points apiece for Detroit, which has won 12 of its last 15 games. The Pistons will also host Washington on Thursday night.

Marcus Smart led the Wizards with 16 points. Jordan Poole and Bub Carrington had 15 points each.

Richaun Holmes added 14 points and eight rebounds before he was ejected in the fourth quarter for a Flagrant 2 foul.

The Pistons grabbed a 35-21 lead by the end of the first quarter as Cade scored eight points before picking up his second foul. Beasley drained two 3-pointers early in the second quarter to stretch Detroit's lead to 18 points.

Washington pulled within 10 points on a Smart 3-pointer. Poole's 3-pointer with 3:38 left in the half cut Detroit's lead to 55-47.

Cunningham's three-point play with 1:33 remaining made it 61-47. He also made two free throws in the closing seconds to give Detroit a 66-49 halftime advantage.

He finished the half with 15 points, while Holmes and Poole had 12 apiece to lead the Wizards.

The Pistons opened the second half with a 10-3 run to make it 76-52. Cunningham hit a 3-pointer with 4:35 remaining in the third quarter for an 85-62 lead.

The Wizards responded with a 10-5 run to pull within 16 points, but a Beasley 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left in the period gave the Pistons a 93-74 lead entering the fourth.

Corey Kispert had six points and an assist during a 9-0 Wizards spurt to pull his team within 12 points at 99-87. Cunningham then made a jumper and assisted on a Schroder 3-pointer. Washington didn't come within 11 points the rest of the way.

Jarrett Allen added 23 points and 13 rebounds as Cleveland matched the longest win streak in franchise history, which the current group set to begin the season. Evan Mobley had 21 points, nine boards and six assists while Max Strus chipped in 10 points for the Cavaliers, who trailed by as many as 18 points.

Cam Thomas' 27 points led Brooklyn, while Cameron Johnson put up 17 and Ziaire Williams had 14. Noah Clowney added 12 points off the bench for the Nets, who dropped their eighth game in nine tries.

Trailing by 13 at halftime, Cleveland cut its deficit to 10 on a Mobley 3-pointer before Thomas' 3-pointer, Johnson's dunk and Williams' trey pushed Brooklyn's lead to 71-53.

Cleveland clawed back into the game with a 15-4 spurt, capped with Allen's putback and Garland's basket to pull the Cavaliers within seven at the 4:24 mark of the third.

After Thomas' three-point play on Brooklyn's final possession of the quarter gave the Nets an 86-75 lead, Craig Porter Jr. drilled a half-court buzzer-beater to cut Cleveland's deficit to eight entering the final quarter.

Garland converted a three-point play and then turned his steal into a layup, pulling the Cavaliers within one with 8:08 remaining in the fourth. After Jalen Wilson split a pair of free throws to give Brooklyn a 94-92 advantage, baskets from Allen and Isaac Okoro swung the lead to Cleveland for the first time since the opening quarter.

Allen later split two foul shots to give the Cavaliers a 99-97 lead with 4:40 left before Garland and Johnson traded baskets.

After Johnson committed a turnover and later missed a 3-point attempt, Garland's driving layup gave Cleveland a 103-99 edge with 51.8 seconds left, forcing a Brooklyn timeout. The Cavaliers made all six of their free throw attempts from there, icing the win.

Brooklyn led 29-26 after the first quarter. Clowney then scored Brooklyn's first seven points of the second quarter before Wilson's layup extended the Nets' lead to 38-30. Brooklyn's first double-digit cushion came on Johnson's trey with 7:03 remaining in the half.

After Garland's floater cut Cleveland's deficit to 53-43, Thomas accounted for Brooklyn's next 10 points -- including a step-back triple to give the Nets a 63-48 edge.

Bridgeman had a medical emergency while at a luncheon at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Ky. He reportedly told a reporter he thought he was having a heart attack. First responders were summoned and he was transported from the scene by ambulance.

The Al J. Schneider Company, which owns the hotel, confirmed Bridgeman's death on Tuesday evening.

"Junior Bridgeman was an integral part of our community. From his athletic impact to his philanthropic efforts, he will be deeply missed," Lance George, chief marketing officer, said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Bridgeman family during this time."

Bridgeman was a billionaire entrepreneur and a big name in Louisville in addition to his basketball exploits.

Just six months ago, he purchased a 10 percent ownership stake in the Bucks. He reportedly bought it at a $3.4 billion valuation.

"The Milwaukee Bucks are shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Bucks legend and owner Junior Bridgeman," the Bucks said in a statement. Junior's retired No. 2 jersey hangs in Fiserv Forum, serving as a constant remembrance of his outstanding play on the court and his impact on the Bucks' success.

"His hard work and perseverance led him to become one of the nation's top business leaders and, last September, Junior's professional life came full circle when he returned to the Bucks family as an owner. His memory will always be an inspiration to the Bucks organization."

Bridgeman arrived on the scene while playing for the University of Louisville for three seasons (1972-75) and was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. He averaged 15.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 87 games. The Cardinals reached the Final Four in his last season, losing 75-74 in overtime to powerful UCLA.

In the NBA, Bridgeman spent 10 of his 12 seasons (1975-87) with the Bucks. He is the ninth-leading scorer in franchise history with 9,892 points and stands third in games played (711).

Bridgeman's number was retired by the Bucks in 1988.

The eighth overall pick in the 1975 draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, Bridgeman was traded to the Bucks less than three weeks later in the mega-deal that sent Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Southern California.

Bridgeman was a stellar sixth man during his NBA career and averaged 13.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 849 games (52 starts) with the Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers.

Bridgeman began buying Wendy's franchises during his playing career, eventually owning 360 Wendy's and Chili's restaurants after retiring. In 2016, he sold them and took over a Coca-Cola bottling franchise. Per S&P Global Market Intelligence, Bridgeman is the sole owner of the bottle, which rakes in at least $350 million in revenue every year.

Bridgeman bought the publications Ebony and Jet in 2020 and owns Coca-Cola Bottling of Canada, which he acquired with Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment in 2018.

Minnesota has helped its cause with five straight wins and will look to make it six when it visits the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.

The Timberwolves won the first two meetings against the Nuggets, but those games were in Minneapolis. The next two will be in Denver against a Nuggets team that has won 14 of their last 18 games.

Carrying a three-game road winning streak into Wednesday's matchup, the Wolves will have center Rudy Gobert back in the lineup for a second consecutive game.

Gobert, who missed 10 games with back spasms, returned in Sunday's win over San Antonio with 16 points and eight rebounds in just 19 minutes. He will be needed to help contain Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic, who is averaging a triple-double this season.

"I feel like I'm strong," Gobert said. "I feel like I'm balanced and I can move almost how I need to move to be myself. So it was a good time for me to come back, and I'm happy that (Sunday) went great."

Gobert leads Minnesota in rebounds (10.4) and blocks (1.5) per game, and is sixth in scoring at 11.1 points a night. Anthony Edwards is the team's top scorer at 27.2 points, followed by Julius Randle (18.7), Naz Reid (14.9) and Jaden McDaniels (12.6).

The Timberwolves are starting to jell after bringing in Randle and Donte DiVincenzo in the trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York.

"There's just a chemistry, a rhythm and a pace to how we're playing," Randle said. "Everybody's buying in. It's just making it easy for all of us."

Denver is coming off a split of two games at Oklahoma City. The Nuggets lost Sunday but bounced back to win 140-127 on Monday, improving to 12-1 in the second game of back-to-backs despite not having Aaron Gordon in the lineup.

Gordon left Sunday's game with right calf tightness, an injury that has cost him 25 games this season. He will be a game-time decision for Wednesday night, but after missing multiple games before due to the calf injury, it is unlikely he'll play.

Russell Westbrook has played well while filling in as a starter, including Monday night when he had 16 points and seven assists. Westbrook is averaging 12.8 points, 6.1 assists and 5 rebounds per game for a team led by a perennial MVP candidate.

Jokic leads the Nuggets in points (28.9), rebounds (13.0) and assists (10.5), and ranks in the top three in the NBA in those categories. However, he's not the favorite to win his fourth MVP; that honor goes to Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

"I will say that I think I'm playing the best basketball of my life, so if that's enough, that's enough," said Jokic, who is dealing with a sore ankle and elbow. "If not, the guy [Gilgeous-Alexander] deserves it. He's really amazing."

Jamal Murray is second in scoring with a career-best 21.5 points, Michael Porter Jr. is averaging 18.5 points and Christian Braun is fourth at 15.3 points a game, also a career high.

Guard Jalen Green helped fill that void in a 97-84 home win that extended the Rockets' winning streak to three games. Houston hosts the Phoenix Suns in the third contest of a six-game homestand on Wednesday night.

Green recorded 15 points and a game-high eight assists, posting at least eight assists for the third time in nine games after producing no more than six assists in any game previously this season.

Aaron Holiday and Alperen Sengun added four assists each to help offset the absences of Thompson and VanVleet. Thompson has assumed a bulk of ball-handling duties after VanVleet was lost to an ankle sprain on Feb. 1 against the Brooklyn Nets.

While Thompson is expected to miss 10-14 days after his injury on Saturday against New Orleans, VanVleet should be closer to a return to action.

In the interim, the Rockets welcomed a 20-point performance from forward Jabari Smith Jr. against the Magic -- his first since Dec. 23 at Charlotte. Smith drilled five 3-pointers in his return to a makeshift starting lineup, and his fifth 20-point game this season offered a glimpse of his developing skillset.

"The versatility continues to help us playing (the 6-foot-10 Smith) with big lineups or downsizing with him as well," Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. "Any time a team goes zone, you like Jabari in the middle or, obviously, spotting up on the perimeter.

"Not always settling (is key). When they put some lesser defenders on him, he got downhill and used his size. They were contesting or fouling him, he was getting to the basket. All around an aggressive game. Even when he was missing shots, he was hunting and taking the right ones."

The Suns will conclude their four-game road trip in Houston after falling 120-118 to Memphis on Monday. That loss dropped the Suns to 4-7 since the All-Star break with two of those losses coming in overtime in addition to the two-point setback to the Grizzlies. Phoenix moved to three games over .500 after winning five of six games in late January. The Suns are 6-14 since.

The ability to execute on both ends in close games continues to elude the Suns. Phoenix missed four of five 3-pointers over the final 61 seconds against Memphis.

"It's a handful of games that just come down to one possession, one play," Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said. "And it's plays that happen before that, too, that lead up to it.

"We've just got to continue to try and make less mistakes and force our opponent to make more mistakes and reduce that margin of error."

The game showcased chippiness between the teams, a welcome development for a Suns squad that has occasionally appeared lackluster after failing to match lofty preseason expectations.

"That's what we need," Budenholzer said. "We need to stay together. We need to have that fight and get ready for our next one."

Dallas captured the first game of the miniseries 133-129 on Monday despite suiting up the NBA-mandated minimum of eight players and playing the second game of a home-road back-to-back. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 28 points off the bench for the Mavericks, who took charge early in the fourth quarter and held on.

Klay Thompson added 26 points for Dallas, while Naji Marshall hit for 23, Kessler Edwards racked up 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Max Christie and Dante Exum scored 12 and 10 points, respectively. None of the Mavericks who were available for Monday's game are over 6-foot-8 and six were 6-6 or shorter.

"High school, that's what it feels like sometimes, because we're so small," Thompson said. "But we got a lot of heart. So, heart over height, you know?"

The Mavericks snapped a five-game skid and remained in 10th place in the Western Conference, the final spot for the play-in tournament.

"Great team effort with eight guys," Dallas coach Jason Kidd said after the win. "It had been a minute since we won, but the games before this, our spirits were still high. No one's down."

Don't expect much to change for Wednesday rematch with the Spurs. Dallas still has eight players on the injured list, three on a minutes restriction and salary cap limitations that are keeping them from signing more players.

"We still want to make a run. The injuries have been awful, but I still love our team," Thompson said. "We're showing as much heart as we can."

The Spurs got a season-high 29 points from Harrison Barnes in Monday's loss and 28 from Keldon Johnson off the bench, which tied his season best. Devin Vassell added 24 points and De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle had 14 each for San Antonio, which has dropped three straight and four of its past five games.

"Offensively we did a great job -- we scored the ball enough to win an NBA game," Johnson said. "But defensively we've got to lock in all together, and deep in those possessions, we've got to get those stops."

The Spurs were just 14 of 24 from the free-throw line, giving away points that were desperately needed in the final minutes.

"The effort and intention was there, for the most part," Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson said. "I thought sometimes we got a little outside of ourselves."

The Spurs are 3-8 since losing star center Victor Wembanyama for the rest of the season to a blood clot in this right shoulder on Feb. 20. Monday's loss dropped San Antonio to a season-worst 11 games under .500.

The Mavericks have taken the first three games of the campaign, winning twice at home in the season's first four weeks before securing Monday's victory in San Antonio.

The Grizzlies, who host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, played without two starters -- All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and big man Zach Edey -- in Monday's win over Phoenix. Memphis also was minus valuable reserves Santi Aldama, Brandon Clarke, Luke Kennard and Vince Williams Jr., who had moved into Jackson's vacated starting spot.

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins was forced to go deep into his bench Monday, where he received solid performances from rookie guard Cam Spencer, who helped UConn win last year's NCAA title, and Lamar Stevens, recently signed to a second 10-day contract.

Spencer came off the bench to spark a comeback from 16 points down with four 3-pointers, including one to close the third quarter over Suns star Kevin Durant. Spencer began trash talking after the shot, leading to technical fouls for both players.

The Memphis veterans were impressed with Spencer's spunk. In the locker room afterward, Grizzlies two-time All-Star Ja Morant said he'd cover the $2,000 fine Spencer automatically receives for a technical. Guard Desmond Bane said he would have pitched in had Morant not offered first.

"He's psycho, but I love it," Morant said of Spencer during a postgame, on-court interview.

Spencer's competitive, refusal-to-back-down nature comes naturally. He has two brothers, including one, Pat, who plays for the Golden State Warriors.

"We were always growing up talking trash, trying to beat each other in whatever sport it was," Spencer said. "Whatever it is, you didn't want to lose because you didn't want to hear the other one talking mess to you afterward."

Spencer, who scored 51 points in a G League game earlier this season, turned in the best outing of his fledgling NBA career.

"I was just happy to get the opportunity for some minutes tonight," he said. "I tried to make the most of them.

"I'm all about winning and doing whatever the team needs. That was my main focus."

Stevens contributed as well. He finished with 13 points in a more subdued display. His 3-pointer late in the third quarter capped a 12-3 run and put the Grizzlies ahead by nine. Memphis would trail only one other time -- for less than a minute -- the rest of the way.

While the unexpected contributions have fueled the Grizzlies' three-game win streak, Morant has been the catalyst, despite dealing with a right shoulder injury. He had 29 points and 12 assists against Phoenix.

"I just have to appreciate the little things," he said. "And right now, I'm able to be out there and play basketball, which I've had the experience of not being able to."

Utah, which is 15-50 overall, enters the game going in a different direction. The Jazz have dropped six straight and eight of nine, including Monday's 114-108 loss to the Boston Celtics.

Utah coach Will Hardy said his team has to continue to believe in itself.

"The guys have been really resilient all year," Hardy said. "The camaraderie amongst the group is really at a high level right now. They are encouraging each other and trying to pick up guys who maybe aren't shooting well, trying to instill some belief in them. That's what a high functioning team does."

John Collins had 28 points and 10 rebounds against Boston but was just 12-of-30 shooting. Brice Sensabaugh had 22 points and five 3-pointers off the bench.

Utah star Lauri Markkanen (back) has missed the past nine games.

None has taken better advantage of the chance than A.J. Lawson, who ripped off career bests of 32 points and 12 rebounds on Monday night in a 119-104 home victory over the Washington Wizards.

Lawson (Brampton, Ont.) and teammate RJ Barrett (Mississauga, Ont.) are 24-year-olds from the Toronto area and played together as youths.

"I've been dreaming about this for who knows how long, probably since I first touched a basketball," said Lawson. "I'm a Toronto kid, grew up in Brampton. To have a performance like this means everything."

Barrett had 14 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists on Monday.

"That's a full-circle moment, right there," Lawson said.

"It's just like, 'Look at how far we've come.' It's pretty cool," Barrett said.

Lawson played 42 games last season for the Dallas Mavericks, who waived him in October. He signed a two-way contract with Toronto in December.

Injuries and regulars being rested have created opportunities. Rookie Ja'Kobe Walter made the winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat the Orlando Magic 114-113 on March 4. Another rookie, Jamal Shead, made the final shot on Saturday in a 118-117 loss to Washington that would have won the game but video review determined that it did not beat the buzzer.

"I think it's exactly what we need right now, for guys to be in close games, to learn how to close games, learn what it looks like," Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic said.

"It's different players, as you can see. Every night it's going to be different guys out there, I think it's paramount to put them in those situations and for them to figure out, to learn. Sometimes it's going to work out, sometimes it's not going to work out but that experience, you cannot replicate it in any practice."

Neither team shot well on Monday and the high number of missed shots allowed Toronto to set a team record with 73 rebounds. Toronto shot 39.4 percent (43-for-109) from the field and Washington shot 36.2 percent (38-for-105).

The short-handed 76ers took a 132-123 road loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday despite a late rally. It was their 15th loss in the past 18 games.

"You get going the wrong way a little bit," 76ers coach Nick Nurse said. "I'm just trying to keep them fighting. They did a great job of that, of continuing to try to get back in the game, and they almost did it."

Quentin Grimes scored 35 points for the 76ers, who had a 43-35 scoring edge in the fourth quarter.

Next in scoring for Philadelphia was reserve Ricky Council IV with 19 points. Nurse wants to see improvement in the second-year forward to finish the season.

"We just want Ricky to play a little better," Nurse said. "He's just got to play a little bit more physical -- defense, rebounding. He's a great athlete. I know he's only 6-foot-4, but we need help on the glass. He's got to provide some of that. He's got to provide some help at the defensive end as well. Again, he's a good athlete with quickness."

"I just have to continue to prove myself so coach can trust me on the floor," Council said. "That's the only thing I'm focused on."

Boston will enter the game as the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference behind Cleveland. The Celtics have won five in a row and are 5-1 on their current homestand with the lone loss coming against the Cavaliers on Feb. 28.

Oklahoma City, which is at the top of the Western Conference standings, is coming off Monday's 140-127 home loss to Denver, which ended the team's seven-game winning streak. The host Thunder beat the Nuggets 127-103 one night earlier.

"We play so many games, so many good teams in the league -- a win is never as good as it seems," Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. "A (loss) is never as bad as it seems. That's what I always tell myself. (Sunday) night, I went to bed and was like, 'Tomorrow's gonna be a new day, you have to play them again. If you lose, you're gonna have a terrible feeling.'

"It's life. It's basketball. Just gotta stay level-headed and learn from your mistakes and try to be better tomorrow."

Oklahoma City forward Jalen Williams didn't play in the second half of Monday's loss with what the team described as a right hip strain. Williams was injured when Denver's Peyton Watson landed on him after Watson committed a foul with 6:07 remaining in the second quarter.

Following Monday's game, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Williams would be evaluated further on Tuesday. Williams is averaging 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game this season.

The Celtics avoided what would have been an embarrassing loss by holding on to defeat the Jazz 114-108 on Monday. Boston nearly squandered a 24-point lead against visiting Utah, which is last in the Western Conference standings.

"I think a game like tonight, I think you would call it a trap game," Boston's Derrick White said following Monday's victory. "We just had a big game against the Lakers (on Saturday), and obviously OKC's coming in in two days. So games like this, it's going to be up, it's going to be down. You've just got to find a way to win them."

The game also will feature two of the league's marquee players in Gilgeous-Alexander and Boston's Jayson Tatum. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging a league-best 32.7 points per game and is a strong candidate to win the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. Tatum, who didn't play in Boston's victory over Utah on Monday because of a right knee issue, is averaging 27.2 points per game, which is tied for fourth.

Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points and 11 rebounds when Oklahoma City earned a 105-92 home victory against Boston on Jan. 5. Tatum finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

The Thunder held the Celtics to 27 points in the second half of that game. Boston was just 9 of 46 (19.6 percent) on 3-point attempts.

It remains unclear when Kristaps Porzingis will be available for Boston. Porzingis has missed the last six games with a viral illness.

"He's doing what he can to get back," Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. "But he kind of said it best ... at the same time, we've just got to kind of make sure he's good, and we do what's best for him."