NEW YORK: Goran Dragic scored 26 points and PJ Tucker had 11 of his career-high 21 in the fourth quarter as the Phoenix Suns outscored Oklahoma City 11-3 over the final 2:20 and scored a huge win over the Thunder.
Phoenix’s win overshadowed the performance of Kevin Durant, who scored 38 points and set a modern-day NBA record with his 41st consecutive game scoring 25 points or more, one more than Michael Jordan had during the 1991-92 season.
Russell Westbrook added 33 for the Thunder (55-21), who fell 4 1/2 games behind West-leading San Antonio.
Gerald Green added 24 points and was 5-for-7 from 3-point range for the Suns (46-31), who moved past the Memphis Grizzlies and into sole possession of the eighth and final play-off spot in the Western Conference.
San Antonio guard Tony Parker converted all four of his shots in the first quarter before leaving with back spasm, as the Spurs cruised to another victory.
Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili scored 26 points apiece and the NBA-best Spurs (60-17) opened up a 4 1/2-game lead atop the Western Conference.
James Johnson led Memphis with a season-high 20 points but it was a damaging loss for the Grizzlies (45-32) who trail the final Western Conference play-off spot by one game.
LaMarcus Aldridge collected 25 points and 18 rebounds and Portland outscored New Orleans 29-14 in the third quarter to win and clinch a spot in the play-offs.
The Blazers (50-28), fifth in the Western Conference, will make the post-season for the first time since 2011.
Wesley Matthews added 21 to help Portland win for the fifth time in six games.
Anthony Morrow came off the bench for 17 points for the Pelicans (32-45), now losers of five consecutive games.
James Harden nailed a game-tying 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds left in regulation, and the Houston Rockets erased a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit, then beat the Denver Nuggets in overtime.
Harden, who led the Rockets on a 19-5 rally over the final 4:24 of regulation, finished with 32 points and 10 assists. He assisted on two 3-pointers by forward Chandler Parsons in overtime that gave the Rockets (51-25) an insurmountable eight-point lead.
Guard Evan Fornier had 26 off the bench for Denver (33-44).
Stephen Curry exploded for 16 points in the first quarter, and the Golden State Warriors built an early 15-point lead en route to a comfortable victory over the Utah Jazz.
The win allowed the Warriors (48-29) to record a 4-0 season-series sweep over the Jazz for the first time in franchise history.
Curry finished with 31 points in 29 minutes, backcourt mate Klay Thompson added 33 points and the Warriors remained 1 1/2 games behind the Portland Trail Blazers in the race for the No. 5 play-off position in the Western Conference.
The Miami Heat, led by forward LeBron James’ 38 points, overcame a slow start to issue a damaging defeat to the New York Knicks.
New York was led by guard J.R. Smith, who made a franchise record 10 3-pointers in 21 attempts and had 32 points.
Carmelo Anthony was held to 13 points, bothered by a sore right shoulder.
The loss dropped the Knicks (33-45) 1 1/2 games behind the Atlanta Hawks in the battle for the eighth and final play-off berth in the Eastern Conference, while Miami (53-23) moved one game in front of Indiana in the battle for the top seed in the East.
Jeff Teague scored a game-high 25 points, leading four Atlanta starters in double figures as the Hawks stunned the Indiana Pacers.
The Hawks (34-42) moved closer to nailing down their seven consecutive play-off spot. Atlanta is two games ahead of New York (33-45) with six games left.
Indiana forward Paul George scored 10 of his team-high 18 points in the second half but the Pacers continue to struggle.
Indiana (53-25) lost for the seventh time in nine games and now trails the Heat by one game in the race for the No. 1 play-off seed in the Eastern Conference.
Monta Ellis scored 23 points and made two 3-pointers in the final 3 1/2 minutes, one the old-fashioned way, as the Dallas Mavericks held off the Sacramento Kings to extend their longest road winning streak in three seasons.
The Mavericks (47-31) have won five straight away from home and are in seventh place in the NBA’s Western Conference standings, a half-game ahead of Phoenix.
Rudy Gay scored a game-high 32 points for the Kings (27-50), his third effort of at least 30 points in his past five games.
Point guard Chris Paul and forward Blake Griffin scored 23 points each as the Clippers pounded the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Clippers (55-23) captured the season series, winning three of four, from the Lakers for the second year in a row.
They also helped the Lakers match the worst record (30-52) in franchise history, tying this year’s squad with the 1974-75 club.
Centre Jordan Hills led the Lakers with 22 points and nine rebounds.
REUTERS
